“I sponsored this orphanage,” Yi Jingnian said, his hands tucked into his pockets, his tone indifferent. “I heard it burned down, so I came to take a look.”
Jiang Ranran was surprised. “You actually do charity work?”
She had heard this man had done many bad things—he didn’t seem like a philanthropist at all.
Yi Jingnian replied calmly, “After doing too many bad things, occasionally I feel like doing something good.”
Jiang Ranran: “…”
Fine. Those in power always have a way of justifying themselves.
“What about you? Why are you here?” he asked in return.
Jiang Ranran said, “I grew up in this orphanage.”
Yi Jingnian pondered for a moment. “I see…”
Jiang Ranran was still immersed in her surprise. “I really never expected Mr. Yi to have donated money to our orphanage!”
“Yes, quite a bit.”
The man glanced around, his expression casual. “How was your life here?”
Jiang Ranran replied, “It was good. I even had a very good friend, but unfortunately, he’s missing now.”
“A friend?”
“Yes,” Jiang Ranran nodded. “His name is Shen Xinghe.”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the window, and she didn’t notice the obscure, unreadable look in the eyes of the man beside her.
Shen Xinghe…
Back when he had wiped out the Shen family, he had indeed spared that child’s life.
Not killing him wasn’t out of kindness—it was simply unnecessary.
A moment of silence fell over the ruins.
Wind blew in through the cracks in the dome, stirring up the ashes on the ground, swirling them in the moonlight.
After a while, Yi Jingnian suddenly spoke.
“Then, tell me your story.”
“You’re interested in hearing this?” Jiang Ranran was slightly taken aback.
Yi Jingnian said slowly, “I regret not coming here to see it back then.”
Jiang Ranran didn’t catch the deeper meaning in his words.
She thought Mr. Yi was just taking a passing interest in the life of the orphanage.
Recalling the past, Jiang Ranran couldn’t help but smile. “You wouldn’t believe it—Shen Xinghe was hilarious. He was so timid, he didn’t even dare go to the bathroom at night and always made me go with him.”
“You went with him to the bathroom?” The man glanced sideways at her.
“Yes!” Jiang Ranran said. “He didn’t dare go alone, so he insisted I accompany him.”
“How old were you when you stopped?”
“All the way until we were eighteen!”
“…”
Jiang Ranran explained, “Actually, he wasn’t scared anymore once he grew up, but I was so used to it that I still went with him often.”
“…”
The man was speechless for a long moment.
“How did you accompany him?”
Jiang Ranran said, “He’d go into the bathroom, and I’d wait outside the door!”
“…”
Jiang Ranran’s expression was completely natural, as if she had no idea her words could lead someone’s thoughts astray, conjuring all sorts of strange ideas.
Yi Jingnian scoffed softly but said nothing more.
Outside, the sky suddenly brightened a little. Jiang Ranran turned to look at the entrance—large, fluffy snowflakes were falling from the sky, swirling and dancing, blanketing the ground in white.
“It’s snowing!”
Her eyes lit up, and she dashed outside.
Snow quickly accumulated on the ground, covering the ruins of the orphanage in a layer of white. It no longer looked as desolate—in fact, it was even a little beautiful.
Jiang Ranran bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, and quickly molded it into a solid snowball. She weighed it in her hand, then turned to look at the man standing in the doorway.
Yi Jingnian stood under the porch, hands casually tucked into his pockets, his overcoat unbuttoned as the wind lifted its hem slightly. The snow-white silk shirt beneath was revealed, his tie impeccably neat, his noble and aloof demeanor rendered somewhat hazy by the curtain of snow.
Jiang Ranran suddenly had a bold idea—
What would his reaction be if she hurled a snowball at him?
Ever since she’d met this man, he had always kept his emotions hidden. If he were suddenly hit by a snowball, would his expression finally crack?
Holding the snowball, Jiang Ranran lost herself in thought.
Yi Jingnian walked slowly toward her, his voice deep and mellow.
“If you want to launch a sneak attack, you need to act fast and hide your intentions better.”
Startled, Jiang Ranran quickly threw the snowball away. “Who said I wanted to attack you? I absolutely did not!”
With that, she turned and lay down in the snow, stretching out her limbs.
The smooth, cream-like snow was immediately pressed into the shape of a human silhouette.
Sprawled out in the snow, Jiang Ranran invited, “Mr. Yi, would you like to lie down here for a while?”
“…”
She heard the sound of leather shoes crunching through the snow, slow and clear in the quiet night, step by step drawing closer.
Yi Jingnian stopped beside her.
He looked down at her, his tone light. “The ground is cold.”
Jiang Ranran sighed. “Fine, older men are all about health preservation. It’s normal if you don’t like to play.”
“I’m an older man?”
“Of course,” Jiang Ranran said. “You’re quite a bit older than me. I could even call you uncle.”
In terms of seniority, he was indeed her uncle.
Yi Jingnian chuckled softly. “If you like to play, I’ll take you somewhere fun.”
“Huh? Where?” Jiang Ranran sat up warily.
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Jiang Ranran instinctively didn’t want to go.
But according to the contract worth a hundred million, she had almost no right to refuse him.
She stomped her feet and followed the man toward the massive black SUV.
Fine, let’s go. What could it be, a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair?
After all, this man still needed her to play the role of his fiancée—he wouldn’t let her die.
The car’s headlights were on, warm yellow beams cutting through the darkness, illuminating the golden flecks of snow floating in the air. At a glance, it looked almost ethereal.
Jiang Ranran opened the car door, and a wave of warmth greeted her.
The heater inside was running, creating a world starkly different from the icy wilderness outside.
She climbed in, closed the door, and slumped resignedly into the passenger seat.
Yi Jingnian started the car, the engine roaring as they left the ruins behind.
Jiang Ranran glanced at the man beside her. His handsome profile flickered in the dim light as he steered with one hand.
His hands were long and strong, veins winding beneath pale skin—it looked undeniably attractive.
The car drove deep into the mountains, winding its way up the serpentine mountain road.
Outside the window, the snowy landscape grew increasingly desolate, the shadows of trees clawing menacingly in the headlights.
Jiang Ranran’s internal alarm bells rang loudly.
Where the hell are we going?