Su Xingyan walked silently in the rain. Yan Chong ordered his driver to follow quietly behind him in the car. Su Xingyan hadn’t noticed Yan Chong, and Yan Chong didn’t call out to stop him.
When Su Xingyan returned to the Wei family ancestral house, the place was already turned upside down in a heated argument. Shang Yuehe, who had been separated from Wei Zhenning for over a decade and living overseas with her boyfriend, had rushed back on the earliest flight. Before even setting down her suitcase, she started berating Wei Zhenning.
“…Where is Chengran now?! Tell him to come out and see me! You don’t know? You’re his father and you don’t know?! I handed my son over to you back then, and look what you’ve raised him to be! Wei Zhenning, I’m giving you three days. Find Wei Chengran for me, and I will take him away right now!”
“Take him away? Where on earth do you think you’re taking him?” Wei Zhenning was already overwhelmed with a massive headache due to the incident with CY and Hongye’s stock price taking a nose dive as a result. Listening to Shang Yuehe’s confrontation only made his head throb worse. “Shang Yuehe, you haven’t changed at all after all these years… Do you have any idea that your son hit someone with a car? That child hasn’t even woken up yet, and you still want to…”
“It was his company’s new product that hit someone! If you want to blame someone, go find the engineers! Go find the driver who was driving while fatigued! You’re just like those unscrupulous media outlets, claiming your son hit someone!” Shang Yuehe’s willow leaf eyebrows flared with anger. Just as her crimson lips opened to continue her aggressive barrage, her peripheral vision caught sight of Su Xingyan stepping inside from the doorway, soaking wet and dripping with water.
Shang Yuehe hadn’t seen Su Xingyan in many years; in her memory, he had always been a refined and elegant child. She had never seen him in such a disheveled state.
Shang Yuehe hesitated for a moment before calling out tentatively, just as Wei Chengran used to: “…Yanyan?”
Su Xingyan raised his eyes. His usually aloof eyes were unfocused at this moment. Seeing him drenched, Shang Yuehe originally wanted to order the housekeeper to bring a towel to dry him off, but seeing his current state, she felt afraid to approach. She feared that if she touched him, he would shatter right then and there. “…Mom.”
Shang Yuehe looked at him in silence. Seeing him lower his eyes and prepare to leave, she ultimately couldn’t help herself, pursing her red lips slightly before calling out to stop him. “Yanyan.”
Su Xingyan paused and turned back to look at Shang Yuehe.
Shang Yuehe asked softly, “Do you… know where Chengran is right now?”
Su Xingyan’s unfocused pupils focused for a brief moment. Then he heard Shang Yuehe sigh and continue. “If he contacts you, could you pass a message to Chengran for me? None of us blame him. Tell him to come home first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it once he’s home.”
Su Xingyan: ?
Su Xingyan lowered his eyes in silence. The divorce agreement in his bag was completely soaked through by the rain. After an unknown amount of time passed, he nodded mechanically and said, “I understand.”
Su Xingyan walked step by step back to the bridal chamber that had belonged to him and Wei Chengran. The double happiness character pasted on the door back then had long been torn off and thrown into the trash can as time passed. Dragging his rain soaked clothes, Su Xingyan felt nothing but utter exhaustion.
Sitting dazed on the bed, Su Xingyan inexplicably pulled out his phone and opened WeChat, he didn’t really know what he wanted to do. In the next instant, he saw Yan Chong’s chat box suddenly move to the very top of his message list.
Yan Chong hadn’t said anything. He had simply sent a “nudge” (pat-pat).
Su Xingyan subconsciously tightened his grip on the phone. After a moment of silence, he tapped into the chat box and gently sent a “nudge” back to Yan Chong’s dark avatar. Just like last time, Su Xingyan originally wanted to type “thank you,” but as soon as the words were typed out, he deleted them letter by letter.
Outside, the rain kept falling.
Tang Songzhi was extremely efficient. After agreeing with Wei Chengran to flee to the mainland together, he booked the boat tickets that very night. Before dawn the next day, he brought their packed luggage, one red suitcase and one blue and dragged Wei Chengran onto the getaway boat.
The mainland… Standing on the boat and looking at the misty fine rain coming toward him, Wei Chengran felt a sudden, unexplainable sense of bewilderment. He had lived in Ronggang his entire life. When Shang Yuehe offered to take him abroad to study during his college years, he had refused repeatedly. His excuse was that Wei Zhenning wouldn’t agree, but in reality, Wei Zhenning was too busy to notice or care. He simply didn’t want to leave Ronggang and everything familiar to him.
He was afraid. Afraid of everything unknown.
“…Mr. Wei, have you ever been to the mainland? Ah, what a stupid question to ask. Hongye has business on the mainland too, right? The elder Mr. Wei must have taken you there to play before, right?”
Unlike Wei Chengran’s confusion, Tang Songzhi was leaning against the ship’s railing with his eyes closed, enjoying the refreshing sea breeze. It felt indescribably comfortable and pleasant. Snapping his bright eyes open, Tang Songzhi turned his head back, only to see Wei Chengran anxiously clutching his phone.
“Um… yes, I’ve been there. But that was a very, very long time ago. I can’t really remember anymore.” As if terrified that Tang Songzhi would press for details, Wei Chengran glossed over it vaguely and immediately buried his head back down, staring intently at the phone in his tight grip. He didn’t even know whether he was worrying about CY, which was in complete chaos, or about Su Xingyan, who had walked out of his villa that day.
…He had never seen Yanyan like that before.
“Forget about the past!”
Tang Songzhi suddenly reached out and snatched the phone right out of Wei Chengran’s hand. Wei Chengran’s pupils dilated in shock, and just as he was about to snatch it back, he heard a loud plop. Tang Songzhi had thrown the phone directly into the rushing ocean waves!
Wei Chengran looked at him in disbelief, only to see Tang Songzhi smiling brightly at him, not looking the least bit remorseful.
“People need to learn to look forward. Did we work so hard to escape just to linger on the past?” Tang Songzhi blinked at him and said, “Leave the people of the past in the past. The boat is about to dock soon. Wei Chengran, we are about to welcome a brand-new life.”
Tang Songzhi was full of sweet, persuasive words; Wei Chengran was filled with anxiety and unease. The ocean waves swiftly swallowed the phone that carried years of memories.
While Tang Songzhi was encouraging Wei Chengran to look forward and embrace a new life, the Yan family was decorated with lanterns and banners, busily preparing for a wedding. The invitations had long been sent out, and the wedding date had been specially selected by a master hired by the elderly Mrs. Yan, the sixth day of the fourth lunar month, an auspicious day ruled by the Jin Kui deity, ideal for marriage.
Inside the Gangyue Grand Hotel, guests were arriving one after another. Old Mr. Yan and Yan Youwei had arrived early and were currently outside the banquet hall clinking glasses and chatting merrily with the guests. Amidst the festive atmosphere, Tang Chao wiped cold sweat from his forehead as he hurriedly walked into the lounge.
“Mr. Yan, we went to the Tang residence to look, but Mr. Tang wasn’t there. The Tang family also said they haven’t been able to contact him for a week…”
Tang Chao peeked at Yan Chong’s expression and asked cautiously, “Mr. Yan, what should we do now?”
At that moment, Yan Chong was sitting on the leather sofa in the lounge. Amidst Tang Chao’s anxious report, he narrowed his eyes and slowly ran his fingers through the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, one by one.
“What should we do…” Yan Chong let out an unfathomably cold laugh. “Go to the Wei family and demand him, of course. What else can we do?”
In the bustling reception hall, guests dressed in lavish attire held wine glasses, socialized, and discussed the recent major events in Ronggang. Amidst the sounds of laughter and joy, Yan Chong, wearing a tailored tuxedo, stepped out onto the red carpet step by step.
“Is Young Master Yan heading over to the Tang residence to pick up the bride? But where are the people from the Tang family? How come I haven’t seen anyone from their side arrive yet?”
“I heard the young master of the Tang family was brought back from the mainland, and he’s quite delicate and spoiled. He didn’t join his father’s company to work, nor does anyone know where he goes to make a fortune every day… But his father probably feels guilty toward the mother and son, so he treasures this younger son immensely.”
“Sigh, if he really felt guilty, why would he only bring the younger son home and leave the mother on the mainland? I heard his mother is sick, poor thing. At her age, abandoned by her husband, without her son by her side, she can’t even attend her own son’s grand wedding, just left alone on the mainland to wait for death…
Inside the Wei family’s ancestral residence, sandalwood incense curled gently from the burner.
Shang Yuehe hadn’t slept well these past few days. Just as she prepared to go downstairs for morning tea, she saw Wei Zhenning dressed up sharply, looking as if he were about to head out. Shang Yuehe narrowed her eyes and sneered mockingly, “You sure are a capable father. Your son’s whereabouts are unknown, yet you’re in the mood to dress up so flashily.”
“How am I dressing flashily?! Do you think everyone is like you?!” Wei Zhenning was originally adjusting his tie, but hearing her words, he turned around and glared angrily at her. “Do you even know what day it is today?”
“What day is it today?” Shang Yuehe sneered, completely indifferent. “All I know is that Chengran has been out of contact for almost a week now. Not only are you not anxious as his father, but you also have the nerve to yell at me here?”
“When did I yell at you… Today is the big day for the Yan family! The Yan family and the Wei family currently…”
Wei Zhenning frowned deeply. He originally wanted to talk to her about the Yan family suddenly withdrawing their investments, but the words reached his lips and he realized there was no point in explaining it to her. He simply waved his hand in dismissal. “Forget it, I can’t reason with you.”
Wei Zhenning let out a heavy sigh and stepped forward to walk out. Shang Yuehe was about to follow and stop him when the old housekeeper hurried in. “Madam, Master, Mr. Yan is here.”
Wei Zhenning’s eyebrows furrowed tightly. He then saw Yan Chong walking inside with an elegant posture. Yan Chong composedly offered greetings to Wei Zhenning and Shang Yuehe, smiling faintly. “Mr. Wei, Mrs. Shang, pardon me for asking, but is Wei Chengran at home?”
Su Xingyan had been suffering from a headache these past few days. Just as he was about to go downstairs to get some painkillers, he unexpectedly caught the sound of Yan Chong’s voice. If he remembered correctly, today was Yan Chong’s wedding day.
“Chengran has been quite busy lately… Mr. Yan, I haven’t congratulated you on your wedding today yet. I’ve already had the gift prepared and was just about to head over to the banquet.” Wei Zhenning didn’t want to bring up Wei Chengran, so he tried to gloss over it. However, Yan Chong let out a slightly mocking laugh and pulled the topic right back.
“I believe I’ve already received Mr. Wei’s gift.”
Yan Chong knit his brows with an expression of simulated difficulty. “On my wedding day, your esteemed son eloped with my fiancé… A gift like this, I imagine I will only receive once in my entire lifetime.”
“There’s still an hour before the auspicious time arrives. Now, could you please ask your son to come out and return my fiancé to me?”
In the shadows, Su Xingyan secretly clenched his hands, feeling an inexplicable wave of anxiety and apprehension.