Zhao Xinran paused for a moment, then withdrew her hand quite naturally. She glanced around and smiled nonchalantly, “It’s inconvenient to wear them while working, so I didn’t put them on.”
Pei Hongwen was a very traditional man; he had arranged every detail of the wedding himself—from the wedding suite to the wedding shoes. Zhao Xinran had no particular expectations for marriage to begin with, so she was more than happy to leave everything to him.
At the wedding, she and the guests saw the wedding rings for the first time. They were heavy, weighing down Zhao Xinran’s hand until it ached.
As soon as the wedding was over, she took it off and tossed it into the safe.
It was beautiful, to be sure, but it was simply too heavy and cumbersome.
Pei Hongwen seemed to have worn his for a while before taking it off as well; his ring didn’t have any diamonds set in it—otherwise, she would have insisted on taking it too and putting it in the safe with hers.
“Oh.” Hearing Zhao Xinran say that, his elation vanished. He lowered his head, and the food in his mouth lost all its flavor.
“You knew all along that I was already married?” To know she was married and still take the initiative to seduce him like that—that took some serious nerve.
“I did. I was actually there at your wedding.” Thinking back to the wedding he’d been forced to attend five years ago, Si Maoyan’s mood grew even gloomier.
“Did your brother send you?!?” Zhao Xinran raised an eyebrow knowingly, though she felt a bit puzzled. She’d assumed that after all the drama between them back then, this guy would be holding a grudge and wouldn’t show up.
“Yeah.” Si Maoyan hadn’t wanted to go at all, but his older brother had flown all the way from abroad, practically dragged him back to China, and a few people had escorted him to Zhao Xinnan’s wedding.
Si Jinghuan thought that by forcing him to attend Zhao Xinnan’s wedding and witness her so-called moment of happiness, he would finally let go.
But upon seeing that man, he became even more certain that Zhao Xinnan didn’t love him.
Though she smiled brightly, with joy radiating from the corners of her eyes and brows, it wasn’t because of Pei Hongwen at all.
Despite his young age, he understood that Zhao Xinnan’s company had just been getting off the ground back then, and its biggest client was the Pei family.
Her becoming the Pei family’s daughter-in-law was nothing more than a business marriage—an exchange of interests.
As for whether Pei Hongwen liked Zhao Xinran…
Sorry, he simply didn’t care.
Even if Zhao Xinran did end up falling in love with Pei Hongwen, so what?
There’s no wall that can’t be chiseled away; there are only chisels that aren’t sharp enough.
Besides, he was young—he could outlast that guy surnamed Pei even if he had to wait it out.
If all else failed, he could always settle for second best and become Zhao Xinran’s lover.
As long as he could be with her and watch over her every moment, that would be enough.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I spent ages looking for a flower girl. If I’d known you were coming, I wouldn’t have had to go through all that trouble.” ” Zhao Xinran’s lips curved into a smile, completely unfazed by the pallor that washed over Si Maoyan’s face upon hearing her words.
“Teacher, I’m not a child anymore.” Si Maoyan set down his chopsticks and stared at her defiantly, desperate to prove that he had grown up and was no longer the child he once was—the one who was manipulated by others and had to constantly read their expressions.
“Mm-hmm.” Zhao Xinran nodded in agreement, her words carrying a hidden meaning: “You’re certainly not a child anymore.”
“Teacher!” Si Maoyan caught the implication, his cheeks flushing crimson. He slammed his chopsticks down, stood up, and walked over to Zhao Xinran’s side. Zhao Xinran, still holding a piece of food with her chopsticks, looked up at him with an expressionless face.
At that moment, although one was standing and the other was seated, it was clearly Zhao Xinran—sitting in her chair and eating leisurely—who was in control of the situation.
Si Maoyan didn’t dare sit in the chair next to her. Instead, he slowly bent over and knelt down at her feet, looking up at her with a pitiful expression—like a puppy abandoned by its owner, stubbornly staying put, waiting for its owner to change their mind.
Unfortunately, the “owner” he was hoping for, Zhao Xinran, wasn’t playing along. With a calm expression, she served herself another bowl of rice and leisurely ate about half of it. Only then did she seem to notice him, covering her mouth in exaggerated surprise and exclaiming, “My dear nephew, why are you crouching at my feet? Is today’s meal not to your liking?”
“Teacher, could you please stop calling me that?”
“Of course I can.” Zhao Xinran raised an eyebrow, picked up another piece of meat with her chopsticks, and ordered sternly, “Go back to your seat and eat.”
“Okay.” Si Maoyan replied obediently. He immediately stood up and sat back down, keeping his head down and saying nothing until he had finished his meal.
After paying the bill, Zhao Xinran drove while Si Maoyan sat in the passenger seat.
“Give me the address.”
“I’ll send you the location.” Si Maoyan pursed his lips and tapped at his phone screen for a while, selecting a residential complex relatively close to where he lived that looked a bit nicer. After checking the distance, he finally sent the location to Zhao Xinran.
Si Maoyan had sneaked back to China; he hadn’t even had time to take his overseas assets with him. He’d seized an opportunity when Uncle Liu let his guard down and had a friend drive him to the airport; he’d even bought his ticket at the airport at the last minute.
He was so strapped for cash that all he had left was a cell phone, a small wad of cash, and a bag of trash—which he’d left in a trash can outside the airport on the other side of the ocean. He’d spent the entire night in economy class before finally making it back to China.
The very next day at noon, as soon as he landed, Si Maoyan took the subway to the area near Zhao Xinnan’s company. Fully prepared, he happened to run into Zhao Xinnan as she was driving out. It took him just a second to decide to follow her. When he discovered she was going to the swimming pool, he gritted his teeth and spent the money to get a membership.
As for the 2,000 yuan he’d promised Zhao Xinnan, that was his entire current net worth. The rest would have to wait until a friend helped him sell his house and car overseas and wire the money back.
He didn’t dare contact his mother, so he gritted his teeth, used what little money he had, and rented a dilapidated single room near Zhao Xinnan’s office.
“Is this where you live?” The car slowed to a stop. Zhao Xinran found a parking spot at the entrance to the complex, rolled down the window, glanced at the cramped, dilapidated gate of the old neighborhood, then turned to look at Si Maoyan’s embarrassed expression.
“Yeah.” Actually, he was lying—his place wasn’t nearly this nice.
“So, young master, were you kicked out of the Si family?” Zhao Xinran rested her hands on the steering wheel and casually scanned him from head to toe, her gaze gliding over his handsome features—from his eyes and brows to his lips, tightly pressed together in nervous embarrassment—and finally settling on his toned waist and abdomen.
If he really had been kicked out, she wouldn’t mind giving him a hand.
“No.” Si Maoyan shook his head, fidgeting with his palms, his lips pressed tightly together as he wavered over whether to tell the truth.
“Did you sneak back?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Zhao Xinran tapped her fingers lightly on the steering wheel; it didn’t take much effort to guess the reason: “Because of me, your brother won’t let you come back to the country?”
“Yeah.” Si Maoyan replied, mumbling the word so faintly it was barely more than half a syllable, as if he’d suffered a tremendous injustice.
But clearly, Zhao Xinran wasn’t going to defend him, much less comfort him. Instead, she was actually grateful to Si Jinghuan.
She was grateful that he’d kept his younger brother in check, preventing this immature little brat from returning to the country and bothering her.
“It’s obvious your brother has your best interests at heart. You’re a recent graduate…” Zhao Xinran paused, then asked him, “You snuck back—did you get your diploma?”
“Of course I did. I’m already looking for a job in City A. I don’t rely on the Si family—I have my own money. I can support myself, and I can pay for your swimming lessons.” Si Maoyan grew a bit impatient; he really hated the way Zhao Xinnan treated him.
She always treated him like an immature child and dismissed his confession as a joke.
But he’d been completely serious.
If she’d known Si Maoyan misunderstood her like this, Zhao Xinran would certainly have protested her innocence. She’d taken it very seriously—otherwise, she wouldn’t have called Si Jinghuan the moment she got home that afternoon to resign and demand a severance package.
“Well, as long as you get your diploma, that’s fine. You’re still young; you should focus on your studies.” Although Si Maoyan was young, handsome, and in great shape—exactly her type—he was still too young. She had just gotten divorced, and with their history as teacher and student, she simply couldn’t bring herself to make a move. She often teased him by calling him “my big nephew,” not only as a reminder to him but also to herself.
A reminder to herself not to cross the line.
Zhao Xinran looked at him and offered sincere advice: “Why not go back to school for a master’s degree? These days in China, it’s not easy to find a job with just a bachelor’s degree.”
“I did several internships abroad while I was studying. In City A, I’m sure I’ll be able to find a job.”
“Let’s hope so. Good luck.” Zhao Xinran shrugged, not taking it too seriously, while secretly considering whether she should just contact Si Jinghuan directly and have him bring her younger brother back home.
Si Maoyan hadn’t told the whole truth either. The internships he’d secured abroad were mostly at medical device companies—all top-tier in the industry. As for the resumes he’d submitted back home, only Xinpei had responded, and yesterday he’d already scheduled an interview for next week.
He was confident he’d land the job.
Just the thought of being able to stand by Zhao Xinran’s side openly—and even see her every day—brought tears to Si Maoyan’s eyes; he felt like crying.
“All right, let’s get out of the car.” Zhao Xinran had already said everything she needed to say and tried every possible way to dissuade him, but Si Maoyan was too stubborn and wouldn’t listen to reason.
She wasn’t exactly a person with a lot of free time; it was he who had insisted on throwing himself at her. If one day she really couldn’t resist and took action against him, well, that would just be his fate.
Si Jinghuan couldn’t blame her for that.
After all, his younger brother—though a bit simple-minded—was truly handsome, exactly her type.
“Teacher, see you next week. Drive safely.” Si Maoyan opened the door, bent down to get out, and finally couldn’t resist turning back to ask cautiously, “When you get home, can you send me a message? Otherwise, I’ll worry.”
“Sure, if I remember. Bye!” Zhao Xinran rolled up the car window and drove off.
Only after Zhao Xinran’s car had completely disappeared from view did Si Maoyan drop that overly naive and foolish expression from his face. With a cold expression, he turned and walked toward his temporary residence.
The buildings here were low and cramped, with streets barely wide enough for a single person to pass—a place Si Maoyan would never have set foot in before. The pitch-black stairwells were like ferocious beasts ready to devour him, terrifying and ominous.
But Si Maoyan had already grown accustomed to it over the past couple of days. He felt his way along the handrail, climbing the stairs from memory.
Upon reaching his floor, he stamped his foot once. The hallway lights flickered on and off, and a tall man stood at the top of the stairs, staring at him with a grim expression.
“Bro, you’re here,” Si Maoyan said, tilting his head to look at him. He pulled out his keys with his right hand and asked cheerfully, “Bro, want to come in for a bit?”