Lan Die hadn’t expected that in the spacious bathroom, a complete set of skincare products for women had already been prepared—everything from bathing to body care to skincare, all available.
The brand was also LAMER, which she had once loved. Now, it had long become a “luxury” she only looked at but never bought.
When she stepped out of the bath, Aunt Lan was already waiting at the door with a beaming smile.
She looked up and down at the glowing beauty who had just emerged from the bath: “Miss Lan truly looks like a fairy.”
Lan Die was taken aback for a moment, forcing a faint smile but saying nothing.
Probably, everyone she encountered here would think of her as nothing more than a tool who relied on her looks to please others.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to stay here any longer, only wishing to escape quickly.
But what frustrated her was that she had no idea how she had ended up here last night. Apart from herself and the nightgown she was wearing, she hadn’t brought anything else.
She also wasn’t good at remembering phone numbers, and for a moment, she felt completely cut off from the outside world.
Just as she was feeling frustrated, she suddenly saw the Silver Phantom slowly driving into the garden through the window. The person who stepped out of the car warmed Lan Die’s heart—it was Yi An.
Yi An carried several exquisite gift bags as he got out of the car, looking toward the second-floor Viewing Terrace from afar, where he spotted Lan Die.
The floor-to-ceiling windows were clear, with low-key silver-gray textured curtains beside them.
A woman in a snow-white nightgown, her black hair like seaweed cascading down to her waist. Her skin was as pure as the finest mutton-fat jade, her figure delicate yet full.
It was like a beautiful painting, the person in the painting breathtakingly beautiful yet fragile.
The scene deeply shocked Yi An!
And in the many days and nights that followed, in every ancient and elegant mansion, the stunning Little Butterfly would eagerly await her Canghai.
In her eyes, there was hope, disappointment, and, more than anything, confusion and helplessness…
“Good morning, Miss Lan!” Yi An greeted Lan Die with a smile.
A sweet smile also appeared on Lan Die’s face: “Why are you here, Uncle Yi?”
Yi An shook the several gift bags he was holding in each hand.
The items were quickly brought to the second floor.
Apart from one bag containing a new model of a certain phone, the rest were all clothes, shoes, and accessories.
“Everything has been dry-cleaned and disinfected, so you can wear them directly. The phone has already had all your contacts transferred, but…” Yi An paused, “the number has been changed!”
Looking at the items before her, Lan Die felt as though she had been tricked by someone again.
But at the moment, without clothes and shoes, she didn’t even have the “equipment” to leave this mansion!
Raising her eyes, she saw Yi An smiling at her. Lan Die gave a faint smile: “Thank you, Uncle Yi!”
Yi An quickly waved his hand: “Don’t thank me. It was all arranged by Mr. He.”
“Oh!” Lan Die returned to the bedroom.
Taking out the phone, she first called her grandmother to let her know she was safe. Then she called Cong Yue and Tian Beibei, learning some of the details from them.
She hadn’t expected him to go directly to the school to “snatch” her, and even the usually grumbling dormitory auntie had actively helped him with the task.
What kind of person was he? Was there anything he couldn’t do?
…
He Canglan was discussing matters with a financial tycoon from Hong Kong. There were two unicorn companies he was particularly optimistic about, and he intended to help them go public in Hong Kong through a backdoor listing.
By the time they finished discussing business matters, it was nearly eleven o’clock. The phone rang—it was Zhou Qichen, a deputy president of a certain state-owned bank and also one of the brothers from their circle with whom he had a relatively good relationship.
“Canglan, are you free? Come out for a meal. I’ll send you the location!”
He Canglan’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. “You really know how to seize an opportunity. You heard that a financial tycoon from Hong Kong has arrived, so you want to host a welcome banquet?”
Zhou Qichen on the other end immediately caught his meaning. “Absolutely! I’ll send a car to pick you up right away. Fine food, fine wine, and beautiful company—all arranged!”
Zhou Qichen had been planning to organize a financial exchange and learning event between the two regions, and He Canglan conveniently handed him the opportunity.
The financial tycoon was the father of a classmate from his MIT days. They had been in frequent contact since his time at Morgan Stanley, mostly regarding private wealth management services.
During a lull in the conversation as he waited, He Canglan glanced at his wristwatch. The hour hand was about to point to eleven.
It had been a whole morning. His phone and messages had been buzzing nonstop, but as he scrolled through them, there was no word from her.
She really knew how to hold back!
He Canglan slowly rubbed his phone, his slender fingers lightly tapping as he directly dialed the number he had changed for her.
Apart from the first two digits, the rest consisted of three consecutive “521”s.
He smiled with a hint of self-mockery.
If the brothers in their circle found out about such behavior, they would surely gang up on him and angrily call him a “Pretentious Fellow”!
Which one of those brothers didn’t casually play around with all sorts of women, constantly switching partners for a never-ending sense of novelty?
Yet here he was, a decent and upright man, eagerly chasing after her, only to be met with cold indifference day after day, often dismissed with a curt, “Let’s not see each other again!”
His personal assistant lit a cigarette and handed it to him. He elegantly blew out a smoke ring and dialed the number again.
No answer! He Canglan frowned, an inexplicable anger rising in his heart.
If he had known she would be so dismissive, he should have given her a hard time last night!
But it was just a fleeting thought. Seeing how distressed she had been last night, he couldn’t bear to say a single harsh word to her.
He dialed a second time. This time, it connected, and a soft, delicate voice came through. “He Canglan!”
His earlier mood instantly improved upon hearing those three words from the receiver.
“Where are you?” His voice was as pleasant as ever.
“At the TV station. I have an outdoor shoot to host this afternoon.”
He Canglan frowned. “Feeling that unwell, and you still want to go for an outdoor shoot?”
“I’m feeling much better now!”
Lan Die’s voice was gentle and soft, unhurried and soothing, like a cool breeze on a summer day—utterly comfortable.
“Have you eaten?”
“No appetite. I had breakfast late.”
Listening to her soft, obedient voice over the phone, He Canglan’s emotions surged.
At that moment, he missed her intensely. He wanted to hold her in his arms, warm her, shield her from the cold, and keep her from braving the scorching sun of Beijing for some outdoor shoot.
He no longer questioned the various thoughts that arose in his heart.
He truly liked this girl! Whether it was love, he wasn’t sure yet.
“Was the food at my place good?” He Canglan suddenly asked.
On the other end, Lan Die was momentarily puzzled by his train of thought, but then she recalled the lavish breakfast and its delicious flavors, answering sincerely, “It was good!”
“I’ll have Yi An bring you lunch. Stay on the phone.”
“There’s no need for that…”
Before she could finish, He Canglan interrupted her.
He absolutely disliked her constant politeness and rejections.
“Let’s meet tonight. Wait for my call!”
“No…”
“I’m off to work, see you tonight, Lan Die!”
The young girl stared at the ended call screen in silence, her eyelashes trembling rapidly.
“Hey, Lan Die!” A pleasant male voice called out as a tall figure strode over—it was Song Yi!
“Feeling better? Where did you go yesterday?”
…