Song Man’s heart trembled, and she quickly put her clothes on.
This time, the zipper didn’t snag—she pulled it all the way up in one smooth motion.
She had barely finished dressing when Shen Zhiyin turned the doorknob and stepped in. Seeing both of them there, she immediately frowned. “Junyan, what are you doing here?”
Song Junyan said, “Her zipper got stuck. I was helping.”
Shen Zhiyin’s gaze swept across the room.
The two stood barely a step apart—his clothes slightly rumpled, her cheeks flushed, clearly the lingering warmth of what had just happened.
But the door hadn’t been locked. Surely they wouldn’t be so bold as to actually do something?
Shen Zhiyin’s eyes darkened, yet her face still held a smile. “Why didn’t you call me for this?”
“I did call you. You didn’t answer.”
Song Man said this while glancing at Song Junyan beside her, almost accusatorially adding, “I didn’t expect Uncle to suddenly walk in either.”
Shen Zhiyin found the words grating to the ear—it sounded almost like showing off.
But even so, Shen Zhiyin didn’t dare show displeasure, nor did she dare question Song Junyan.
She had, after all, married up. Let alone the fact that there was no proof of anything.
Even if it were true, so what?
Could she call it out? The Song family would tear her apart!
Besides.
Men were naturally fickle by nature—today they keep a sparrow, tomorrow they lure a bird.
As long as she held her position as the Second Madam of the Song family.
Those sticky plasters wouldn’t be anything more than a word from her to get rid of.
Why make trouble for herself now, chewing on humiliation?
That was what she told herself, but she couldn’t help the barb that slipped out: “You uncle and niece have such a close relationship. Not like me and my own brother—we started keeping our distance from elementary school. Seeing you two like this, I’m almost envious.”
Song Man’s heart skipped a beat.
She felt that Shen Zhiyin’s words carried a hidden meaning.
But Shen Zhiyin immediately changed tack. “Junyan, look—doesn’t Song Man look nice in this dress?”
Song Junyan gave it a glance, sparing no words. “Ugly.”
Song Man froze for a moment, then felt a spark of irritation. She shot back, “Ugly is perfect. When I stand there at the engagement, won’t it just make Auntie look all the prettier?”
The word “Auntie” pleased Shen Zhiyin, and her expression immediately softened. “Don’t listen to your uncle’s nonsense. Man’er, you look lovely in this gown.”
Song Man hadn’t looked in a mirror, so she didn’t know whether she actually looked good or not.
But it wasn’t like she was the leading lady anyway.
Pretty or not, it didn’t matter.
She turned and went back into the fitting room, changed out of the dress, then told Aunt Zhang she’d take this one. She was about to pull out her wallet to pay.
Aunt Zhang looked at her, seeming to want to say something but holding back.
Shen Zhiyin spoke up from the side. “This gown is, after all, being prepared because of my engagement. It’s only right that I pay for it.”
Song Man was about to refuse.
But Song Junyan on the other side had already pulled out his card.
Shen Zhiyin fell silent, displeasure just beginning to rise, when Song Junyan said, “It’s only natural for a fiancé to pay for his fiancée.”
Shen Zhiyin’s face immediately flushed. She murmured, “Not yet…”
Song Junyan leaned close to Shen Zhiyin’s ear. “Soon.”
There was a smile in the man’s eyes, creeping subtly to the corners of his mouth.
That smile stabbed through Song Man’s chest, leaving it hollow.
She stood in a daze for a long moment before pulling herself together and stepping forward. “I still have classes this afternoon. Uncle, Auntie, I’ll be going now.”
Shen Zhiyin immediately said, “I’ll have the driver take you.”
Song Junyan was busy, and since they’d finally managed to get out today, Shen Zhiyin was determined to seize the chance for some alone time, to grow their relationship. Naturally, she couldn’t wait for Song Man, that third wheel, to leave.
Besides, Shen Zhiyin was thoroughly sick of her!
Song Man knew this all too well and kept telling herself, “Everything is returning to the right path, just as you wished. These thoughts should end here.”
But she still couldn’t help it—she lifted her head and stole a glance at Song Junyan.
Caught off guard, their eyes met.
Song Man felt as if she’d been burned by a spark, quickly looking away. “I’ll take the bus. The 246 stops right at my school gate.”
Song Junyan said, “Have the driver take you. It’s too remote here.”
Song Man had been raised delicately by Ruan Wenhua, but the Song family had strict rules against extravagance and frowned upon flashy behavior. Song Man also disliked drawing attention.
So she rarely rode in the Song family’s cars to school.
The bus, a taxi—her modes of transport were almost always those two.
Song Man shook her head. “Too much trouble. Besides, there’s only one car.”
Song Junyan said, “I’ve called another driver. He’ll come pick us up in a bit. You take this one.”
Us. You.
A line drawn as clear as day.
He and Shen Zhiyin were the same.
Both couldn’t wait to shoo her away.
An inexplicable frustration welled up in her chest. Song Man stiffened her neck and said, “No need. If I ride in this car, people might see and it wouldn’t look good.”
She forced her expression to remain neutral, trying to keep it free of emotion, but her tone still betrayed her resentment.
Song Man heard it herself, so before either of them could respond, she shoved the gown haphazardly into a bag and nearly fled out the door in defeat.
Hurrying downstairs, she walked a few steps out of the alley when, for no discernible reason, she suddenly looked up.
The man leaned against the window, a cigarette between his lips.
White smoke drifted in the air—she couldn’t see anything clearly, yet Song Man instinctively knew he was looking down, watching her.
Watching her walk out of his world, with this day as the boundary, from which point their paths would forever diverge.
Song Man’s heart gave an uncontrollable pang.
She always said she couldn’t bear the light.
In truth, she had never expected any of those titles.
She knew better than anyone that the day of reckoning between them would come eventually.
But that day arrived far too soon.
She had overestimated her own rationality.
And she truly never imagined that Song Junyan had been looking down on their relationship all along—and on her.