After parting ways with Xia Qing, Wen Yan headed straight for the restaurant address sent by Qi Siye.
Outside the restaurant, she encountered two uniformed police officers emerging from inside.
One of them was a frequent guest at the television station, having collaborated with her multiple times, making him an old acquaintance.
"Officer Lu, what a coincidence," Wen Yan greeted proactively.
Lu Zheng was the face of the police department, and true to his name, his demeanor exuded an unyielding, steadfast aura.
Whenever there was a task requiring public exposure, he was the one who stepped forward.
Lu Zheng was speaking with his colleague when he heard her voice and turned. A smile appeared on his handsome, resolute face. "Reporter Wen, here for a meal?"
"Yes, are you two officers here on a case?"
"Handling a brawl incident, just about to head back to the station."
Lu Zheng adjusted the brim of his cap, his police uniform crisp and proper.
"I won’t keep you two from your duties, then. Take care."
Wen Yan smiled and stepped aside, letting them pass first.
Lu Zheng gave a slight nod. As he passed by her, he paused.
"By the way, thank you for the report you wrote last time, Reporter Wen. The social response was excellent, and I even received commendation for it."
The television station’s leadership once said that Wen Yan’s pen was the sharpest blade, recommending they collaborate. He hadn’t paid it much mind at the time.
It wasn’t until he read all of Wen Yan’s articles that he realized the praise was not at all exaggerated.
"You’re welcome, it was just part of my job," Wen Yan replied in a professional tone.
Lu Zheng smiled. "See you around. I’ll treat you to a meal another day."
"Goodbye."
Wen Yan waved and turned to enter the restaurant, finding the private room.
Pushing open the door to the luxurious private room, she saw familiar faces inside.
The rumored Young Master Xie hadn’t arrived yet, but no one was in a hurry, chatting in small groups as they waited.
She greeted everyone one by one and took a seat beside Qi Siye.
Qi Siye leaned over to speak with her, and she noticed a bruise on his face.
She leaned closer to inspect it and asked, "What happened to your face?"
"It’s nothing."
As soon as Qi Siye finished speaking, Jiang Wantang, sitting beside him, chimed in, "Sister Yan, Brother Siye got into a conflict with someone because of me. The police came to mediate, so please don’t be angry."
Wen Yan frowned. Qi Siye had a gentle temperament—she had never seen him lose his temper with anyone, let alone get into a physical fight.
But if it was for Jiang Wantang, it wasn’t surprising.
Qi Siye’s friend had died protecting him in a car accident, and Jiang Wantang was that friend’s younger sister.
That year, Jiang Wantang was fourteen years old, and from then on, Qi Siye became her older brother.
In the short month since Jiang Wantang returned to the country, Wen Yan had witnessed how much Qi Siye cared for this younger sister.
She offered a polite smile. "Taking care of you is both Siye’s and my responsibility. If I had been there, I would have asked Siye to protect you too."
Qi Siye cast a grateful look her way. "See, I told you your sister-in-law is beautiful and kind-hearted."
Jiang Wantang’s face paled slightly. Watching the intimate pair, she dug her nails into her palms.
Wen Yan had no interest in playing along with this "husband and wife in harmony" act. She stood up. "I’m going to the restroom."
As she pulled open the private room door, a familiar figure suddenly came into view.
Xie Cheng stood outside the door, tall and poised, his face cold and stern as he looked at her.
Why was he here?
A sense of foreboding surged in Wen Yan’s heart. Behind her, someone called out, "Brother Cheng."
Everyone rushed over to greet him, Qi Siye included.
"Xie Cheng, you’ve kept us waiting. You’ll have to drink a penalty round later."
"For our Young Master Xie to grace us with his presence is already a great honor."
"Brother Cheng, come on in."
…
They crowded around Xie Cheng, talking over each other, while Wen Yan was pushed into a corner, her back pressed against the cold wall.
Xie Cheng was the young master of the Xie family?
That prestigious family renowned in both the capital's social circles and the southern city?
Impossible. There must be some mistake.
He had once been an ordinary young man who had to rely on part-time work to cover his tuition. During their four-year relationship, she had supported him in ways that never hurt his pride.
When they broke up, she even gave him all her savings to ensure he could focus entirely on completing his doctoral dissertation.
Now, she was being told he was the heir to a top-tier wealthy family.
What did those four years of living together make her?
A plaything for the young master Xie’s fleeting whim?
Were all the pride she had carefully guarded and the excuses she had painstakingly concocted nothing but absurd jokes in his eyes?
Her chest felt as if it had been struck hard by a blunt object, waves of grievance and anger surging within her.
Her gaze pierced through the noisy crowd, staring blankly at Xie Cheng. The face she had once missed so dearly now felt terrifyingly unfamiliar.
"Yanyan, this is Xie Cheng, the young master of the Xie family. Come say hello."
Qi Siye’s voice rang in her ear, pulling her back from her chaotic thoughts.
Wen Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil of emotions, and calmly walked up to Xie Cheng.
"Hello, Dr. Xie. We meet again."
Fortunately, no one present knew about their past.
She had wronged him, and he had deceived her.
Between them, they were even.
"You know Xie Cheng?" Qi Siye sounded surprised.
Wen Yan glanced at Xie Cheng and gave a short laugh. "Dr. Xie participated in a program at our station. I know him, but he probably doesn’t know me."
Having lived together for four years, breaking up felt no different from widowhood.
What’s worse, she had been mourning at the wrong grave for the past three years.
"Xie Cheng, this is my fiancée, Wen Yan. I’ve mentioned her to you," Qi Siye introduced.
Xie Cheng’s gaze swept over her indifferently as he extended his hand. "Miss Wen, I’ve long heard of you. It’s a pleasure."
"I wouldn’t dare."
Wen Yan replied coldly, ignoring his outstretched hand, and returned to her seat at the dining table.
Xie Cheng glanced at his empty hand, let out a soft scoff, and was about to withdraw it when another hand suddenly grasped his.
"Brother Cheng, why haven’t you replied to my messages?" Jiang Wantang pouted in a coquettish tone.
"Don’t touch me."
Xie Cheng frowned, pulled his hand back, took a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped it, and casually tossed the handkerchief into the trash.
Wen Yan recognized it as a classic piece from a luxury brand, worth a small fortune.
Back in Europe, he would have had to work a whole month in his spare time just to afford a handkerchief like that.
Jiang Wantang’s expression stiffened, and she glanced awkwardly at Qi Siye.
Qi Siye patted her back and smiled at Xie Cheng. "Dare to bully my sister? I’ll make sure you’re drunk tonight."
Xie Cheng remained silent, his face cold, and took his seat without a word.
As the wine and dishes were served, the atmosphere gradually warmed.
Wen Yan poured herself a full glass of wine and was about to bring it to her lips when a hand with distinct knuckles, holding a wine glass, reached over.
"Miss Wen, I’d like to propose a toast to you, congratulating you on finding a good match."
Wen Yan was taken aback for a moment, then curved her lips into a smile that reached her heart, leaving only bitterness.
"I wouldn’t dare trouble Young Master Xie to lower himself. Let me toast you instead, congratulating you on your soaring success."
She raised her glass and gently clinked it against his, then added before taking a sip, "No, wait. Young Master Xie was already in the clouds. This is merely adding flowers to brocade."
With that, she tilted her head back and drained her glass in one go.
Xie Cheng watched her, his dark eyes like a pool of icy water, chilling to the bone.
He lowered his head with a faint smile and drained his glass as well.
The subtext between the two was understood only by each other, while others simply thought they were exchanging polite pleasantries.
Chen Xiao, who was hosting tonight’s gathering, gave a thumbs-up. “Sister-in-law, you’re the first person Brother Cheng has ever toasted.”
“It’s my honor.”
Wen Yan smiled and picked up the wine bottle.
Qi Siye pressed his hand over hers. “You don’t handle alcohol well. Drink less.”
“Aren’t you here? What’s there to worry about?”
Wen Yan pushed his hand away and filled her glass to the brim.
Without the aid of alcohol, this meal would have been rather difficult to endure.
To Qi Siye, her words sounded like a coquettish plea. His expression softened, and he didn’t stop her again.
Xie Cheng gripped his glass tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand as if he were about to crush it.
Having not seen each other for a long time, everyone drank to their heart’s content, only dispersing late into the night when the restaurant closed.
Friends were picked up by their respective drivers, leaving only Qi Siye, Wen Yan, and Jiang Wantang.
“Yanyan, let’s take you home first.”
Qi Siye supported the tipsy Wen Yan, speaking gently.
Wen Yan nodded drowsily. Jiang Wantang had been staying at the Qi family home, while she lived alone in the marital house.
Outside the restaurant, Jiang Wantang suddenly clutched her stomach in pain. “Brother, my stomach hurts so much. It feels like food poisoning.”
Qi Siye immediately released Wen Yan and turned to support her, his tone urgent. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll go to the hospital right away.”
He helped Jiang Wantang into the car, then glanced back at Wen Yan, who was swaying unsteadily. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Yanyan, take a taxi home. Send me a message when you arrive.”
Without waiting for Wen Yan’s response, he drove away.
She tightened her coat and slowly slid to the ground, taking out her phone to call a ride. But her fingers wouldn’t obey, and she entered the wrong lock screen password several times.
“Stop shaking…”
She murmured, pressing the phone against the ground and trying again.
Still, it failed to unlock.
A cold gust of wind swept by, making her shiver. She curled up, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
In her daze, headlights approached from a distance, eventually stopping by the roadside.
The car door opened, and a tall figure walked toward her.
Her vision blurred, faintly making out a resemblance to Xie Cheng.
It must be a hallucination, she thought, struggling to open her eyes wider, but her consciousness sank into darkness.