Downstairs at the apartment building.
Qin Deng stood by his car, holding a briefcase, looking both anxious and puzzled as he waited for his boss, Fu Shi, to come downstairs.
How strange?
He had just received a call from Fu Shi, telling him to take a taxi to this apartment on Shuijiang Road to pick him up. He couldn’t wrap his head around it—why would his boss come to this old, run-down neighborhood?
Was he visiting someone he knew?
In any case, Qin Deng had been waiting by his car for half an hour without figuring it out.
When Fu Shi finally came downstairs, Qin Deng hurried over to greet him. “Boss Fu.”
“Back to the company.” As soon as Fu Shi saw him, he tossed the car keys to Qin Deng, got into the back seat, and closed the door. Leaning against the window with one arm, he gazed intently at the scenery outside.
He really had been a bit crazy today.
He didn’t know why he had come, but since he was already here, there was no point denying it.
Taking a deep breath, Fu Shi waited for Qin Deng to get into the driver’s seat before taking the documents from the briefcase and focusing on reviewing the contracts.
“Has the deal with Ruixin been finalized?” Fu Shi flipped to a page in one of the contracts where some sections were still blank. Frowning, he asked, and Qin Deng replied while driving, “We’ve scheduled a meeting with their general manager for next week.”
Fu Shi nodded. “I’m leaving this deal to you.”
“Don’t mess it up.”
Qin Deng immediately nodded solemnly. “No problem, Boss Fu.”
Fu Shi continued reviewing the contracts, while Qin Deng gripped the steering wheel tightly and sped forward.
Upstairs in the apartment.
After finishing her conversation with her brother, Lin Weiwan turned back inside and realized that Nan Yin’s male classmate had already left. Hurrying over, she asked, “Yinyin, has your classmate left?”
Nan Yin was holding a mirror, examining her injury. “Yes, he just left.”
“You were on the phone, so he didn’t say goodbye.”
Lin Weiwan nodded, glancing at her daughter’s bruised face. Her heart ached with guilt, and she quickly sat down beside Nan Yin, apologizing with remorse. “Yinyin, I’m sorry.”
Lin Weiwan knew her own gentle nature was the reason she was often bullied, and she felt terrible for dragging her daughter into this suffering.
“I’m truly sorry.” As she spoke, Lin Weiwan’s eyes grew moist and red. She gently touched the wound on Nan Yin’s face. “The reason I asked you to come back for a blind date this time was because I wanted someone who could stand up for you.”
“Don’t blame me for being naggy.”
Nan Yin understood. She never complained about her family background—her mother had raised her well.
At the very least, she had never let her suffer.
Even when her aunt used to come looking for trouble, her mother had always found ways to shield her.
Now that she was grown up, it was her turn to support the family.
“Mom, don’t feel so guilty. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done to raise me.” Nan Yin put down the mirror and took a tissue to wipe her mother’s tears. “As for the blind date…”
“You met that male classmate today, right?”
“I plan to pursue him.”
“He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”
Lin Weiwan dabbed her tears with a tissue and nodded. “Yes, he’s very impressive.”
“What does he do for work?”
“Is he also a local of Su City?”
Nan Yin rubbed the tip of her ear. “Yes, he’s a local.”
“Mom, next time Auntie comes, just call the police. Don’t worry about causing trouble for the Nan family.” Nan Yin truly didn’t want her to keep enduring it. “She doesn’t see you as her sister-in-law, so don’t take her seriously either.”
“Otherwise, she’ll keep bullying you like she did today.”
Lin Weiwan had tolerated Nan Meiling’s bullying all this time because she felt indebted to Nan Yin’s father for his kindness.
“You know, she’s your father’s only sister, I… can’t bring myself to hurt her.”
Nan Yin knew it would come to this.
She sighed helplessly, stood up, and said, “Forget it.”
“Once I get settled here, I’ll take you away with me?”
“What about this house? I’ll try to negotiate with her?”
Lín Wēiwǎn looked up at her, a flicker of panic in her eyes. “Yinyin, are you taking me to the capital?”
Nan Yin smiled. “No, just moving somewhere else.”
“I’ll definitely buy a new house when I come back. You can live in the new one then, okay?”
Lín Wēiwǎn breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t dare return to the capital, afraid of running into that man again. Lowering her gaze, she nodded. “Alright, you handle it.”
“I’m not good at handling things, and I might even drag you down.”
She really should let her daughter take charge of dealing with this house.
Nan Yin said, “Okay, Mom. I understand that you’re grateful to Dad for taking you in back then and giving you a home.”
“But you can’t keep dragging things out with Auntie because of this. I think there are many ways to remember someone.”
“You don’t necessarily have to cling to this place, right?”
Lín Wēiwǎn had indeed been too stubborn before. Nan Yin’s father had given her a home, saving her from the scorn and condemnation of others. She had always been deeply grateful to him.
And she had been guarding this home for him.
But after dragging things out with her sister-in-law for over a decade, this time, with her daughter back to help her and seeing her daughter get hurt, she felt guilty. It was time to let go of this stubbornness.
When someone dies, you don’t necessarily have to cling to this house.
She could take his things with her and remember him that way.
“Yinyin, Mom understands now.”
The next day, the sun hung high in the sky.
While Nan Yin was still sleeping in, Wen Ling received a call from Qin Deng, asking her to bring her design portfolio to their company to discuss a collaboration.
When Wen Ling got the call, she almost screamed.
She quickly covered her mouth and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
After hanging up, Wen Ling immediately called Nan Yin, telling her to get ready to go to her crush’s company.
Nan Yin was exhausted from the fight with her aunt.
She struggled to get up and had to quickly wash up, put on makeup, and head to the industrial park.
But no matter how tired or sleepy she was, today she had to appear beautiful and full of energy in front of Fu Shi.
Ten minutes later.
Wen Ling picked her up at the Oriental Gate.
Nan Yin stepped out, wearing a crescent-white, waist-hugging cheongsam, exuding an alluring charm.
As she reached the car, Wen Ling immediately smiled and said, “Wow, Sis Yinyin, you look stunning today.”
“I’m going to discuss a collaboration with my man, of course I have to try to charm him a little more.” Nan Yin smiled flirtatiously, tossing her long hair as she settled into the passenger seat.
This time, she didn’t even say “crush”—she directly called him “my man.”
It made Wen Ling blush. “Sis, from the sound of it, are things almost settled?”
Nan Yin fastened her seatbelt and shook her head. “Not yet.”
“He’s still quite aloof and hard to chase.”
“But it’s fine. Since ancient times, even Sun Wukong couldn’t escape the palm of Buddha.”
“Naturally, he won’t escape mine either.” As she spoke, Nan Yin gestured with her palm.
Wen Ling giggled. “Sis, go for it.”
“I believe in you.”
Honestly, when she accompanied her back to Suzhou, she had worried that Nan Yin would choose some ordinary handsome guy.
Now, it seemed she had underestimated her Sis Yinyin.
What kind of taste did she have?
How could she just settle for some average good-looking guy?
Mr. Fu was a top-tier, peerless beauty.
Rugged, wild, and aloof.
Utterly manly!
“Thanks, you’ll have the seat of honor at our wedding.” Nan Yin patted her shoulder. “Once I succeed, I’ll help set you up too, okay?”
Wen Ling coughed lightly. “Thanks, sis.”
Nan Yin smiled, taking out her phone to send Fu Shi a message first: 【Good morning, handsome.】
【See you soon.】
After sending it, she grinned in anticipation—what would Fu Shi’s reaction be when he realized the designer he hired as a partner was actually her?
This was definitely going to be interesting.