Beside her, Wen An’an noticed Tan Xiaosong’s gaze and silently pursed her lips.
Tan Xiaosong stood up: “An’an, come on, let’s go play a few rounds too.”
“Alright then, my luck’s been decent today.”
Tan Xiaosong curved her red lips: “With those hands that wield scalpels, no one dares mess with you.”
“So, just hand over the jewelry you designed,” Wen An’an raised her willow-like brows.
“Even if that’s the logic, whether I can hand it over will be decided at the card table.”
“Tsk, Xiaosong, come on, let’s see who’s really got it.”
The two of them, half in jest, made their way to the pavilion and, as if by unspoken agreement, stood behind Xie Tingnan.
Xing Rufei swept a cold glance over them: “Are you two fighting over someone to play with? Don’t argue, come over here, I’ll even pay you.”
Wen An’an watched the cards, Tan Xiaosong sipped her wine, both pretending not to hear, ignoring him.
“Damn, have I fallen this low?” Xing Rufei made a bitter face, tossing out a card: “Looks like the capital can’t hold me anymore, I’d better hurry off. Next stop, the Andes Mountains.”
Tan Xiaosong raised an eyebrow lightly: “Rufei, for my next jewelry design, I’m considering a theme called ‘Tears of the Andes.’ Mind if I pick your brain?”
“Then why aren’t you over here? Sit on my lap and pick away.”
“You’re insane!” Tan Xiaosong laughed and scolded.
Though feeling awkward, under her brother Tan Dingsong’s meaningful look, she reluctantly moved to watch the cards between Xing Rufei and Feng Jinyao.
No matter how lively the women behind him chatted, that calm Second Master Xie playing cards didn’t utter a single word.
Men understand men best.
Even with women right in front of him, he showed no reaction whatsoever—this simply meant he hadn’t even glanced their way.
Moreover, Tan Dingsong’s eyes darkened slightly; he had seen Yu Wanwan before.
Though Wen An’an and Tan Xiaosong present were each beautiful in their own way, if Yu Wanwan were to appear now, both would be overshadowed.
That young girl wasn’t just a complete victory in looks; it was the feeling and aura she gave off, like the tenderest new green on a branch in early spring—exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
One could imagine: naturally beautiful and delicate from birth, later nurtured in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, and dance, and carrying a soft, sweet voice.
Add to that a cool, well-behaved demeanor that didn’t strive or compete, like a delicate, dewy, yet tender and gentle flower that understands unspoken words—most capable of melting and firmly capturing a man’s heart.
In contrast, both Wen An’an and Tan Xiaosong came from prominent family backgrounds, well-versed in poetry, literature, and etiquette since childhood, yet they always carried a sharp, haughty air.
Not knowing how to yield or act coy, they lost much of the soul of feminine charm.
So, Tan Dingsong gave his sister a timely look.
A man’s intuition told him that Xie Tingnan’s feelings toward Yu Wanwan were absolutely not ordinary.
He didn’t want his sister to become the clueless “silly big sister.”
The men and women kept partying until the early hours of the morning. After luxury cars came to pick everyone up, a half-drunk Xie Tingnan took a shower and fell straight into bed.
He didn’t call his little sweetheart at Yi Garden.
Yet, he asked Yin Ren: “Did she call over there?”
Yin Ren said: “No, it seems the fever’s gone down, no relapse.”
The man nodded silently, then it was time to see people off, shower, and sleep.
The next day, he had an important overseas investment meeting and was scheduled to take a morning flight straight to North America.
After that day, Xie Tingnan seemed to have suddenly vanished.
Time moved to September. Yu Wanwan calculated—it had been two weeks since she last saw him.
As long as he didn’t come over, she truly had not a single bit of news about him.
Of course, she never took the initiative to ask.
During this time, her close friend Lin Yin came to visit once.
Yu Wanwan drove the white Ferrari to pick her up from the airport.
The fashionable and beautiful Miss Lin hugged Yu Wanwan as soon as they met—she genuinely missed her childhood best friend.
The Lin family also ran businesses in Nancheng, second only to the Lu family, the wealthiest in Nancheng. Lin Yin was the epitome of a young heiress from a wealthy family.
“You’ve lost weight,” Lin Yin pinched Yu Wanwan’s delicate, oval-shaped face. “Is the ‘Gold Mountain’ fake or something? No food to eat?”
Yu Wanwan smiled. “Stop talking nonsense. Get in the car.”
“Wow, nice car! Definitely not bought by your adoptive father—he’d never be that generous.”
“Yeah,” Yu Wanwan pushed her into the passenger seat. “Don’t ask. The more you ask, the more awkward it gets for me.”
Lin Yin sighed. “Damn, I’ve never seen such bizarre adoptive parents. Fifteen years, and their conscience really got eaten by dogs—selling their daughter for glory.”
Yu Wanwan drove, her expression calm and distant. “Yinyin, only say these things in front of me, understand?”
“Yeah, got it, Miss.”
Yu Wanwan chuckled lightly. “No, you’re the real Miss. Me? I’m just a fake. Right now, I can’t even find my way around…”
…
Yu Wanwan took Lin Yin directly to the Bulgari Hotel in the capital.
As for her living in Yi Garden, apart from a few of Xie Tingnan’s trusted aides, the secrecy was extremely tight—no one else knew.
The two friends chatted about everything under the sun.
“Tell me, what does Xie Gold Mountain look like? Thirty years old, right? Fat belly, bloated face?” Lin Yin was full of curiosity.
Yu Wanwan lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She picked up her phone and quickly scrolled through it.
That day in the car, she had heard Xing Rufei mention something about making the news while Xie Tingnan was on a call.
So, she had watched the entire news segment featuring him.
She handed the phone over, her slender, pale finger pointing at the man in the news—dressed in formal attire, sitting upright, and looking serious.
That news segment had given him a close-up shot.
Lin Yin’s eyes widened as she snatched the phone and examined it several times. “Holy shit? He’s this handsome?”
Yu Wanwan didn’t deny it.
Amid Lin Yin’s rapid-fire questions, she said calmly, “He’s top-tier. But it’s like drinking water—only you know if it’s warm or cold.”
“He’s not good to you?”
“He’s… actually quite good.”
…
Yu Wanwan truly hadn’t expected that, based on a short news clip, her friend Lin Yin would successfully idolize Xie Tingnan.
She even declared that she would help Yu Wanwin over this genuine noble son of the capital.
From her position as a wealthy heiress who had lacked nothing since childhood, Lin Yin couldn’t truly understand the helplessness of Yu Wanwan, an orphan.
At the blooming age of twenty, who wouldn’t yearn for a beautiful romance?
Yu Wanwan also dreamed.
She had never liked anyone before.
The heartbeat triggered when she was with Xie Tingnan—she still didn’t know what it meant.
When that man kissed her so gently, it was hard for her not to indulge in a little fantasy.
But when his family actually appeared, she could only lie quietly in the bedroom, unable to even step outside.
“Will you fall in love with him?” Lin Yin asked, cigarette in hand, her gaze distant.
Yu Wanwan thought for a moment. “Probably, but being together is difficult. So, it’s better not to love.”
Lin Yin blew out a few smoke rings. “Sweetie, let me take you away. What kind of life is this anyway? It’s suffocating.”
“Running away might feel great, but do you think the Yu family, or Xie Tingnan, would ever let me go? I’m just a helpless woman with nothing to my name—I’d only be a burden to others.”
The young woman spoke calmly, as if discussing someone else’s affairs.
Lin Yin pounded the table fiercely, gritting her teeth: “Then just win him over, okay?”
Win him over!
Those three words, to this day, Yu Wanwan still remembers.
She also remembers Lin Yin saying: “My family wants me to marry into the Lu family.”
Yu Wanwan nodded gently.
“I just asked Lu Shixun, ‘Is this okay?’ Guess what he said?”
Yu Wanwan stayed silent; she could probably guess.
Lin Yin scoffed: “He said, ‘Whether it’s okay or not, I have to ask Wanwan first…'”