Having been mentally tense for too long today, he felt extremely chaotic and unsettled.
Especially because today, he had actually gotten closer to her.
So close that he was still intensely savoring her scent.
Standing by the window, Jiang Yuan stared at that rose for a long time until his breathing slowed and his body temperature cooled.
The sedative effect of the new medication indeed seemed better.
As his consciousness grew hazy, he returned to bed and, for the first time, did not draw the curtains.
Leaving the curtains open always brought with it a fierce sense of unease.
But now, outside the window, directly opposite, was her window.
Perhaps…
Perhaps what?
His consciousness was already blurring. Clutching the handkerchief she had used with his fingertips, he curled up drowsily and pressed it to his lips.
As soon as Yan Sui got up and went downstairs, she found Lin Jian and He Wan already preparing to go out.
“Dad, Auntie, good morning.”
She greeted them sweetly and obediently.
Lin Jian was quite satisfied with Yan Sui’s attitude and behavior, nodding to her:
“We’re going to the airport to pick up Lin Ran, then to the hospital to get Lin Qi. You go to school on your own.”
He Wan, thinking about seeing her daughter, felt her gloomy mood lift considerably and even smiled,
“Yan Sui, when you see Ranran at school, don’t feel too inferior. Although you’re not as outstanding as her, as long as you behave properly, there will still be a place for you in the Lin family, understand?”
Yan Sui blinked and watched the couple leave.
Lin Ran?
She knew her.
Yan Sui had memories from as early as one or two years old.
Back then, she had seen Lin Ran once.
Right outside her mother’s hospital room, a young He Wan held the one-year-old Lin Ran, staring straight at her through the window.
Lin Ran was a bit older than Yan Sui.
After her mother died, He Wan married into the family with the three-year-old Lin Ran and two-year-old Lin Qi, claiming to the outside world that they were children from a previous marriage.
Lin Jian truly treated these two children as if they were his own, doting on them excessively.
The young girl let out a soft sigh.
On the dining table, no breakfast had been prepared for her.
The housekeeper was already tidying the kitchen. Seeing her walk in, she waved dismissively as if shooing away a beggar:
“There’s no food here.”
Yan Sui, as if oblivious to her sharp tone, asked seriously, “Then where can I find food? I’m hungry.”
The middle-aged woman finally looked at her, scanning her up and down, “Can’t you find it yourself?”
“Oh.” The girl responded with a hint of grievance, then turned to rummage through the refrigerator.
Wang Li’s tone grew even more impatient, “Don’t spill the bird’s nest soup Madam prepared.”
No sooner had she spoken than the girl, using her sleeve to cover her fingertips, took out the bowl of prepared bird’s nest soup and gulped it down.
It was cool and tasted quite good.
Wang Li’s eyes widened in shock as she snatched the bowl from the girl’s hands.
But it was already empty.
Just as she was about to explode in anger, she saw the girl’s eyes widen too.
Yan Sui took a few steps back, moving to a spot visible by the door’s surveillance camera, tilting her head as she stared at Wang Li: “Auntie, how could you finish the bird’s nest soup?”
Wang Li: ?
For a moment, she couldn’t process what Yan Sui was saying.
Yan Sui took several more steps back, her face full of concern,
“How could you do this, Auntie? You should hurry and make another bowl. It wouldn’t be good if He Wan found out.”
Wang Li found it absurd to the point of laughter: “Are you crazy? You were the one who drank it just now. What on earth are you talking about?”
The little girl put on a pitiful expression. “How would I dare drink something so expensive? Auntie, you can’t slander me like this!”
“You’re so mean, always taking advantage, and now you’re trying to pin the blame on me. If you keep this up, I’ll tell my dad!”
Wang Li was stunned. “You! Fine! I’ll tell Madam right now! You lunatic!”
She pulled out her phone to make the call when suddenly, the corner of her eye twitched.
The little girl suddenly grabbed the table knife, its cold gleam flashing before Wang Li’s eyes!
The blade nearly grazed her eyeball, cleanly slicing off a small lock of her hair!
Wang Li’s hand trembled, and her phone fell to the floor as she stared at the girl in terror.
Yan Sui looked at her innocently. “If you don’t admit it, I’ll kill you.”
“Only your fingerprints are on the bowl, yet you’re lying through your teeth. I really want to cut out your tongue and gouge your eyes.”
Wang Li was stunned.
Wang Li’s scalp went numb.
Wang Li was dazed.
Amidst the fear and shock, she suddenly realized that, indeed, only her own fingerprints were on the bowl.
Yan Sui sniffled. “You’re not saying anything anymore. Have you finally found your conscience and decided not to frame me?”
“Then I’m off to school.”
She put down the knife, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out as if nothing had happened.
Just as she stepped out the door, she turned back and flashed a sweet smile.
The sunlight behind her cast her delicate features in shadow, sweet yet ghostly.
Wang Li was left standing alone, her back chilled and her heart pounding wildly.
It took a long moment for her to recover, her face twisted in extreme displeasure.
“What a real lunatic…”
Yan Sui couldn’t help but laugh as soon as she stepped outside.
That performance felt so satisfying.
How could it be so much fun?
But soon, her smile faded.
She suddenly realized there was no driver, her cards had been frozen, and she didn’t have a single cent to her name.
She didn’t even have money for a taxi.
Was she supposed to walk there?
Fortunately, she didn’t have any major classes this morning, only a small group meeting.
She hadn’t been in the class for long, and no one paid her any attention. No one would notice if she didn’t show up.
The little girl carried her backpack, standing by the roadside, slowly trudging forward.
Her phone buzzed with a notification—the news article she had bookmarked earlier had an update.
[Alley Murder Case Now Seeking Clues from Nearby Residents]
In an era where murder cases were usually solved within 48 hours, how could there still be no leads?
She browsed through it with great interest, thinking to herself that the method of the crime must have been truly meticulous.
Or perhaps, the investigation had encountered some obstruction.
Suddenly, the sound of an engine approached from the side.
A black Rolls-Royce slowly drove past and came to a stop beside her.
The windows were tinted dark, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.
She tilted her head and watched as the front window slowly rolled down. The driver spoke in a tone as mechanical as a robot.
“Miss Yan, if you’re heading to Griffin Academy, we can give you a ride.”
Yan Sui recognized him—he was the bodyguard who had been beside that Mr. Jiang at the previous banquet.
She thanked him happily, opened the car door, and slipped inside.
Only then did she notice there was someone else in the back.
A man in a black suit sat on the other side, legs crossed.
Sensing her entry, he didn’t look up, but his crow-feather-like eyelashes fluttered slightly, veiling the light in his eyes.
His profile was even more striking than his full face.
The little girl was taken aback and couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
She hadn’t expected that the Mr. Jiang, whom everyone spoke of with such fear, would be in the car.
She thanked him sweetly. “Mr. Jiang, thank you.”
The car carried a refreshing woody scent, especially noticeable when she spoke toward Jiang Yuan.
He furrowed his brows as she leaned closer.
Without a word, his already slightly pursed lips tightened further.
Yan Sui blinked.
She finally realized—
Mr. Jiang was an incredibly, overwhelmingly socially awkward person.
But he was willing to drive her to school—he was actually quite nice.