Cheng Simian followed Su Xianyan into an office. It was spacious, predominantly white, clean and minimalistic yet thoughtfully designed.
“Wait here.” Su Xianyan picked up a few documents from his desk and turned to leave again.
“Wait—where is this? Uncle’s office?”
Su Xianyan turned back to look at her. “Mine.”
“Oh.” Cheng Simian grinned. “I knew it. My uncle’s office could never be this clean. That wouldn’t make sense.”
Su Xianyan laughed softly. “He’ll come over in a bit. I still have things to do—can you stay here by yourself?”
“Yes, yes, go ahead and work.”
Seeing how readily she agreed, Su Xianyan opened the door and left.
Once he was gone, Cheng Simian began wandering around the room—checking out the books on the shelves, fiddling with the models on display. Finally, she plopped herself into Su Xianyan’s large office chair and pretended to study the documents on his desk.
Mm. It really did feel like being a successful professional.
The desk backed onto a large floor-to-ceiling window. Growing bored, Cheng Simian turned her head to look outside. Just then, the office door opened. Thinking Cheng Qin had arrived, she was about to turn around when she heard a woman’s voice.
“Is President Su still busy?”
“Yes, Miss Cai,” the assistant replied.
“Mmm. Then I’ll wait for him here.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, right—has he been this busy lately? Ayuan, make sure you remind him to eat when he’s so busy.”
“Of course, Miss Cai. You really care about President Su.”
“I can’t help it. When this guy gets busy, he forgets to eat. He’s so careless.”
…
Cheng Simian kept her eyes on the scenery outside the window, but her ears were fully focused on the conversation.
Miss Cai? Who was that?
For some reason, Cheng Simian felt a tight knot in her chest. Why was this woman so concerned about whether Su Xianyan ate?
With a sudden movement, Cheng Simian spun the chair around. The motion wasn’t loud, but it startled the two people on the sofa—one standing, one sitting.
“Y-you are…?” Assistant Ayuan stared at Cheng Simian in surprise.
The woman sitting on the sofa was equally startled.
Cheng Simian looked at her quietly and had to admit—the woman was quite beautiful. Fair-skinned with delicate features, neat short hair, and simple yet elegant clothing, she carried herself with an air of confidence and poise.
The woman walked over from the sofa and asked curiously, “What a cute little girl. Who are you? Why are you in Xianyan’s office?”
Cheng Simian pressed her lips together, her gaze turning slightly cold. “Who are you?”
“Hm? Me?” The woman smiled. “Xianyan’s friend.”
“His girlfriend?”
“Oh—no, not that.”
For no clear reason, Cheng Simian let out a quiet sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, someone else pushed open the office door.
“Cheng Qin.”
The woman turned around and greeted him cheerfully.
Cheng Qin was clearly surprised to see her, his face lighting up instantly. “Xinyuan! You’re back? You didn’t even tell us!”
“Consider it a surprise,” Cai Xinyuan said with a smile, giving Cheng Qin a brief hug.
“That’s a pretty good surprise. So? Did you bring us any gifts after traveling around?”
“Of course. Let’s go out for dinner tonight—I’ll give them to you then.”
“Well, at least you still have some conscience. I thought you’d only bring something for Su Xianyan.”
Cai Xinyuan laughed lightly. “As if.”
Cheng Qin raised an eyebrow, then finally looked toward Cheng Simian. “Come here.”
Cheng Simian stood up from the office chair.
“Oh?” Cai Xinyuan asked in surprise. “You know this little girl?”
“Yes. She’s my niece.”
Cai Xinyuan’s eyes widened slightly. “You have a niece this grown already?”
“Yeah. Her name is Cheng Simian. Simian, say hello—call her Aunt Cai.”
“Hold it—don’t call me aunt,” Cai Xinyuan said quickly, touching Cheng Simian’s shoulder. “I’m not that old. Just call me sister.”
“Sister?” Cheng Qin joked. “Are you sure? That knocks me down a whole generation.”
“So what? Being younger is still better than being old.”
“Tsk, tsk. I’ll never understand you women.” Cheng Qin patted Cheng Simian on the back of the head. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you greeting her?”
Cheng Simian looked at Cai Xinyuan but didn’t say a word.
“Hey, you—” Cheng Qin started.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Cai Xinyuan said quickly. “Don’t force her, okay? Simian, don’t listen to him.”
Cheng Simian tugged at the corner of her lips in what barely counted as a smile, then turned and pulled on Cheng Qin’s sleeve.
“Uncle, I need to hurry back to school. Give me the money.”
“Alright, alright.” Cheng Qin took a few hundred yuan from his wallet and handed it to her. “Is that enough?”
“Yes.” After counting the money, Cheng Simian turned around and saw Su Xianyan walking in through the office door, a faint smile on his face as he looked at her.
Her mood instantly lifted. She raised the money in her hand toward him, her expression completely different from before.
“Su Xianyan, look! Uncle’s being very generous today—he even gave me extra.”
Su Xianyan walked over and patted her head, his tone carrying a hint of indulgence.
“Mmm. He really is.”
Cheng Qin rolled his eyes. “Cheng Simian, am I usually that stingy?”
Cheng Simian raised her brows. “Ask President Su and you’ll know just how stingy you are.”
“You—”
Cai Xinyuan watched the three of them talk, her gaze lingering on Su Xianyan’s gentle face before shifting to Cheng Simian, who was smiling brightly.
Such an innocent, pure childlike face—completely different from the cold, shadowed look she’d worn earlier. Cai Xinyuan found it oddly unsettling, though after a moment’s thought, it didn’t seem all that strange.
“Xianyan, you’re done with work?” Cai Xinyuan walked over and casually patted his arm, clearly very familiar with him.
“Mmm.” Su Xianyan nodded at her. “You’re back.”
“Of course. I went to several countries this trip—absolutely exhausted,” Cai Xinyuan said helplessly.
Su Xianyan smiled. “Have you gone home yet?”
“No. I came straight here as soon as I got back.”
“Mmm.”
While they were talking, Cheng Qin looked at Cheng Simian in confusion.
“Why are you still here? Didn’t you say you were in a rush to get to class?”
Cheng Simian froze, finally pulling her gaze away from Cai Xinyuan and Su Xianyan.
“Oh—I, I need to go back now.”
“What time does class start?” Su Xianyan suddenly asked.
“One-thirty.”
Su Xianyan glanced at his watch. “One-thirty… It’s already 1:10. I’ll take you there.”
Cheng Simian’s heart leapt. “Okay!”
“No, no, no,” Cheng Qin cut in. “If anyone’s taking her, it’ll be me. Xinyuan needs to head home too, right? You should take her.”
As he spoke, Cheng Qin felt a sharp gaze stabbing into him. Turning his head, he realized his own niece was glaring at him darkly.
“What are you looking at? Hurry up, you’re going to be late.”
Cheng Simian: You jerk, uncle!
Cheng Qin took Cheng Simian away. Watching their figures disappear, Cai Xinyuan finally said, “You’re pretty close with that child.”
Su Xianyan’s lips curved slightly. “Mm. She’s an interesting little girl.”
Cai Xinyuan smiled faintly. “She is quite cute.”
“Mmm.” Su Xianyan set the documents in his hands down and turned to her. “I’ll walk you back.”
Cai Xinyuan leaned lazily into the sofa. “I just got here and you’re already sending me away?”
“If you don’t leave now, I’ll get busy again later,” Su Xianyan said calmly. “Then I won’t be able to take you.”
“Oh, forget it. I know you don’t like going to my place anyway. I’ll head back myself later.”
Su Xianyan gave a faint smile but didn’t argue.
Cheng Qin drove Cheng Simian back to school. Along the way, she was unusually quiet.
He glanced at her a few times in surprise. “What’s wrong with you? Why so gloomy?”
Cheng Simian propped her chin on her hand, her mind replaying the woman from the office and the way she interacted with Su Xianyan.
“Uncle,” she asked, “that woman earlier—was her name Cai Xinyuan?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Nothing. You seemed really close to her. Who is she?”
“Oh.” Cheng Qin replied casually, “Su Xianyan’s fiancée.”
“What?!” Cheng Simian nearly jumped out of her seat, eyes wide. “Fi–fiancée?!”
“Sit properly.” Cheng Qin shot her a look, then explained, “At least in name, that’s what she is.”
“What do you mean?” Cheng Simian asked blankly. Her mind suddenly felt empty, and a faint ache rose in her chest. It was only a fleeting moment, yet she couldn’t understand why it hurt so much.
“Honestly, I don’t know Xianyan that well either,” Cheng Qin said. “Ever since college, he’s always kept to himself. He rarely talks about his family, but I’m certain there’s a very powerful family background behind him.”
“So what does that have to do with a fiancée…?”
“Do you understand what a childhood betrothal is?” Cheng Qin shot her a look. “The two of them don’t really have any relationship right now. People call her his fiancée, but Xianyan has never acknowledged it, and Xinyuan never mentions it either. We only found out because Cha Yiguan accidentally overheard it once. Still, the marriage was tacitly approved by both families’ elders—so whether anyone talks about it or not, it does exist.”
“What century is this?” Cheng Simian slammed her hand against the seat. “They’re still doing arranged childhood engagements?”
“You’re just a kid—what do you know?” Cheng Qin replied. “On the surface it’s a childhood engagement approved by both families, but in reality it’s just a business alliance. Haven’t you watched TV dramas? The kind where two powerful families join through marriage?”
Cheng Simian lowered her gaze, her expression hidden in shadow.
“But they don’t have anything going on right now. If they can’t even be boyfriend and girlfriend, that means Su Xianyan isn’t interested in her.”
“I don’t fully get it either,” Cheng Qin said. “I’ve known Xianyan and Xinyuan since my sophomore year. Their relationship has always felt more like friendship.”
“Oh.” Cheng Simian stared thoughtfully ahead. “That’s… good.”
“What?” Cheng Qin didn’t catch it. “Hey, why are you asking so much about this?”
Cheng Simian turned her head away. The hand she had been clenching slowly relaxed.
“Just curious. I was asking casually.”
“Kids shouldn’t ask so many questions.” Cheng Qin pulled the car to a stop. “We’re here. Get out.”
“…Okay.”
A family alliance.
No matter how she thought about it, Cheng Simian couldn’t associate something so rigid and transactional with Su Xianyan. A person like him shouldn’t be bound by that many constraints.
But still—just hearing that he might have a fiancée, one chosen by his parents, and that he might even marry Cai Xinyuan someday—
Her chest felt unbearably tight.
No. No way. If he doesn’t like her, how could he possibly marry her?
“Simian? Simian!”
“Huh?”
Fu Ziwen looked at her strangely. “What are you spacing out for?”
“…Nothing.” Cheng Simian slumped weakly over her desk.
Fu Ziwen studied her suspiciously. Hadn’t she been studying seriously lately? Why wasn’t she paying attention at all today?
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No.”
“Alright then.” Fu Ziwen patted her shoulder. “You look completely lifeless—just like Youyou.”
“Who’s Youyou?”
Fu Ziwen was speechless. She’d transferred here ages ago and still hadn’t remembered her classmates’ names.
“The one sitting behind us…”
“Oh. How am I like her?”
Fu Ziwen glanced around, then leaned in close and whispered,
“I’ll tell you a secret—Youyou just got dumped. The guy she likes likes someone else.”
Dumped?
So what?
Why did that make her similar?!