“I’m actually an old acquaintance of Song Miss’s real boyfriend. He had an urgent matter come up last minute tonight and couldn’t make it, so he specifically asked me to deliver this as a gift for her banquet.”
After a pause, Jiang Wang added, “Traffic was heavy on the way, so I kept everyone waiting.”
With these words, Si Yuan’s anxious heart finally settled, though a thin layer of cold sweat had broken out on her back.
She stole a glance at Jiang Wang, only to see him raise an eyebrow at her, a hint of teasing laughter hidden in his eyes.
The crowd seemed thoroughly convinced.
After all, Jiang Wang truly had no connection to Si Yuan.
However, judging by the necklace, it had to be worth at least ten million. Moreover, being able to summon Jiang Wang to personally deliver it suggested that Si Yuan’s boyfriend was no ordinary figure.
Song’s Mother, on the other hand, smiled even more brightly.
It seemed Si Yuan really did have a boyfriend.
Song Yan’s steps halted.
As if suddenly snapping back to reality, he belatedly answered Lin Shuangyu’s earlier question.
“Jiang Wang, the only son of The Jiang Family of Jingcheng.”
Lin Shuangyu finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Jiang Family—she had heard of them.
That made it even less likely for Jiang Wang to be connected to Si Yuan.
Was she even worthy?
“So it was just delivering something,” Lin Shuangyu chuckled.
Song Yan’s gaze remained calm. “Yes, delivering something.”
The banquet continued as usual.
Only now, the eye of the storm had shifted to Jiang Wang.
Everyone here, to some extent, wanted to establish ties with the Jiang family.
The younger generation gathered around the bar.
Jiang Wang sat in the center of the sofa, lit a cigarette, and responded idly to the conversations around him.
The only one he was somewhat familiar with was Song Yan.
Si Yuan stood on the balcony. She opened the box, glanced at the necklace, then closed it again.
Today, Jiang Wang wasn’t so bad after all.
She thought to herself.
Song Yan wasn’t much of a drinker.
But today, absentmindedly, he had a couple more glasses.
“What kind of person is Xiao Yuan’s boyfriend…?”
Jiang Wang idly toyed with the lighter in his hand. Upon hearing this, the metal casing spun halfway around his fingertip before stopping with a soft “click.”
He lifted his gaze to Song Yan, a trace of careless amusement in his eyes, and asked around the cigarette between his lips, “As her brother, are you curious about your future brother-in-law?”
Song Yan’s fingers tightened around his wine glass.
He avoided Jiang Wang’s gaze, his voice slightly low. “Xiao Yuan is simple-minded and hasn’t experienced the complexities of people. I’m afraid she might be taken advantage of.”
“Taken advantage of?” Jiang Wang seemed to find this amusing, letting out a faint, almost imperceptible scoff before extinguishing his cigarette.
“It’s not like she hasn’t been taken advantage of before.”
These words were like a fine needle, lightly pricking Song Yan’s heart.
Jiang Wang was known for his cold and detached nature, infamous in business circles for his ruthless methods. Yet, at this moment, his words carried a subtle hint of indignation on someone else’s behalf.
Song Yan couldn’t help but take another look at Jiang Wang.
He was somewhat curious. “I thought back then, when you transferred here, you didn’t care about such matters.”
At that time, the Jiang family had just undergone a change, and Jiang Wang was sent to Hai City by his grandfather. The class was full of children from influential families, but no one was as aloof as him, leading everyone to think Jiang Wang was putting on airs.
Later, when they learned of his background, they flocked to flatter him.
Those trivial matters shouldn’t have been something anyone would specifically tell Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang didn’t respond. His fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the cold surface of the lighter as his gaze drifted toward the balcony in the distance, as if he hadn’t heard Song Yan’s words.
The lights were bright, but only the balcony remained dim, the warm yellow light sharply divided by the thick curtains.
The girl stood in the shadows holding a velvet box, lost in thought.
The evening breeze drifted through the window carrying the scent of gardenias, stirring her long hair to reveal a delicate, porcelain-white jawline.
Her eyes always seemed veiled in sorrow—like a moon drenched in rain, luminous yet devoid of warmth.
Song Yan didn’t notice Jiang Wang watching Si Yuan.
Perhaps Jiang Wang truly knew.
But the isolation and bullying during high school were merely petty squabbles among girls—in the world of privileged heirs, they weren’t even worth mentioning.
Jiang Wang had always kept to himself back then; why would he bother with others’ affairs?
So Song Yan didn’t seem to find it significant, stating frankly, “We were all young and immature back then. Later, Xiao Yuan told me she’d long forgotten those things—they never mattered to her.”
Only then did Jiang Wang slowly turn his head, the earlier nonchalance in his eyes replaced by a chill.
“Forgotten?”
A lighter clicked abruptly, the sudden flame illuminating the disdain and ruthlessness in Jiang Wang’s gaze.
But it vanished in an instant—
So quickly that Song Yan thought he’d imagined it.
“She’s soft-hearted and dependent on others—she can’t afford to hold grudges. But you, as her brother, choose to deceive yourself along with her?”
Song Yan’s hand gripping the wine glass stiffened sharply.
He was certain now—it wasn’t an illusion.
After all, Song Yan had been Hai City’s golden boy since childhood. Being spoken to with such implicit criticism inevitably stirred displeasure.
He said, “I know my sister well—she never dwells on things.”
Jiang Wang smiled faintly and remained silent.
Song Yan took a sip of wine and continued, “You don’t understand her anyway.”
Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, “Right, I don’t understand.”
On that stifling summer night when they were eighteen, the city had a blackout. The hotel’s air conditioning was broken, and they lay on the bed sticky with sweat.
Jiang Wang’s fingers traced the faint pink burn scar on her back.
Suddenly, Si Yuan reached over, took the cigarette from between his fingers, and clumsily took a drag.
She immediately choked, her eyes reddening.
Frowning, she muttered “Tastes awful,” yet brought the cigarette to her lips again the next second.
He knew then—she wasn’t trying to smoke; she was trying to numb the pain inside.
Song Yan claimed to understand Si Yuan?
Jiang Wang almost laughed.
As the banquet wound down, the elders gradually departed.
The younger generation gathered, clamoring to move the party to a nightclub.
Song Yan wasn’t in the mood and was about to decline when Lin Shuangyu tugged his sleeve, her eyes sparkling. “I want to go! I heard the new place has amazing vibes!”
She always loved crowds. Unable to resist her pleading, Song Yan reluctantly agreed.
Lin Shuangyu then turned to Si Yuan nearby, wearing an overly sweet smile. “Xiao Yuan, you should come too! It’ll be more fun with more people.”
Song Yan knew Si Yuan disliked such decadent scenes, but he felt a flicker of hope—perhaps this could help her and Lin Shuangyu bridge their past tensions.
He chimed in, “Come have some fun. I’ll take you home later.”
Si Yuan still clutched the velvet box, her fingertips pale.
She’d had two extra drinks on the balcony earlier—her cheeks were flushed, but her mind remained clear.
Lin Shuangyu would be in Song Yan’s car. If she joined them, she’d just be a third wheel.
Just as Si Yuan prepared to excuse herself by claiming she felt unwell, Lin Shuangyu stepped forward, blocking her path.
“Xiao Yuan, don’t you want to go?”
Lin Shuangyu smiled, her tone deliberately intimate as she half-joked, “Or are you afraid of seeing me monopolize your brother and getting jealous?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the few onlookers from the younger generation laughed, their eyes darting back and forth across Si Yuan’s face.
Lin Shuangyu was clearly stirring up trouble. If Si Yuan truly refused to go, it would seem as if she actually had ulterior motives.
Among the crowd were several from the former bullying group. If things escalated, Song’s Mother might overthink the situation again.
She lifted her gaze to Jiang Wang, only to find him leaning against the doorframe, a cigarette held between his fingers, his eyes fixed on her without a word.
Si Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the grievance in her heart, and forced a faint smile. “No need to trouble Miss Lin. I’ll go with Brother Jiang Wang.”
The moment she spoke, the surroundings instantly fell silent, all eyes turning uniformly toward Jiang Wang.
He extinguished his cigarette, smoke curling around his brows and eyes. Everyone expected him to refuse outright.
Song Yan also furrowed his brow.
“Xiao Yuan, Jiang Wang might not be convenient…”
But before he could finish, Jiang Wang slowly raised his eyes, the cigarette in his fingers lightly tapped, scattering fine ashes.
He looked at Si Yuan, the corner of his lips curling slightly. “I wouldn’t dare refuse.”