Chapter 17

"You'll know when you see her."

For some reason, Qi Jingning couldn’t shake the feeling that Wen Xihan was implying something with her words. However, she didn’t press the issue, thinking that Wen Xihan was probably just frustrated—not being recognized by her little niece.

After all, back then, that soft and adorable little niece had been practically Wen Xihan’s shadow. The bond between them had been enviably close.

Having spent time in Wen Xihan’s presence, Qi Jingning had met the child a few times, and she had left quite an impression.

But things were different now. The child who had once been the most attached to Wen Xihan didn’t recognize her? It was a bit dramatic. If it had been Qi Jingning, she would have been upset too.

Propping her chin up, Qi Jingning, with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes, said, "If I remember correctly, her nickname was something like Ruan Ruan?"

She chuckled to herself, adding, "Ruan Ruan—indeed, she lived up to her name. Soft and squishy, so cute and sweet."

"..."

Wen Xihan’s temple twitched ever so slightly. She picked up her teacup and took a sip, her tone neutral. "That was all in the past."

Qi Jingning, however, caught the subtle shift and raised an eyebrow. "So, now that she's grown up, she's not as soft anymore?"

Wen Xihan hesitated for just a moment, her expression slightly pinched. She continued in a calm voice, "It’s been more than ten years since I last saw her. We’ve all changed a lot."

"Exactly," Qi Jingning teased, her voice lowered, "Changed so much that your little niece doesn’t even recognize you anymore."

Wen Xihan let out a frustrated sigh as she set the teacup down. She rubbed her temples. "When we first met, I didn’t recognize her either."

Otherwise, that ridiculous incident wouldn't have happened that night.

Qi Jingning laughed out loud. "So you two are just balancing things out?"

"Now I’m really curious what that little imp has turned into."

Wen Xihan’s face became slightly odd as she quickly tried to dodge the topic. "Let’s not talk about this. Tell me, how have you been lately?"

"Sigh—" The mention of troublesome matters drained Qi Jingning’s energy. "Same old stuff, being set up on blind dates. It’s like they’re trying to shove every Tom, Dick, and Harry my way..."

"The most absurd part was yesterday when my mom tricked me into coming home. As soon as I walked in, I saw her and my dad sitting seriously on the couch, looking like they were about to interrogate me. The atmosphere was suffocating."

"I wanted to sneak out before I even stepped inside, but my mom caught me. Then they just stared at me for ages without saying a word. It made me even more nervous. After what seemed like forever, my dad finally spoke, as if he'd rehearsed, asking if the person they introduced was the wrong gender…"

"And then?"

Qi Jingning took a deep breath and said with lingering fear, "My first instinct was that they were teaming up to prank me."

Wen Xihan knew the situation at Qi Jingning’s house well—her parents were university professors from a scholarly family, and their views were, in some respects, quite traditional. That was one reason Qi Jingning had never dared to be upfront with them. Another reason was that she had been single for so many years and had been living just fine on her own, without the pressure of societal expectations.

Wen Xihan couldn’t help but rub her forehead. "So...?"

Qi Jingning said smugly, "So I denied it, of course. I’d bet my life that if I had agreed, they’d have gone straight from blind dates to pressuring me into marriage!"

"…" Wen Xihan didn’t know what to say in response. "Well, just keep dealing with the blind dates."

Qi Jingning sighed dramatically, her face twisted in complaint. "My mom set me up with someone for this weekend."

"And she said if I dare to bail, she’ll throw me out!"

Wen Xihan patted her on the shoulder, offering some advice. "Look on the bright side—you haven't had your cabinet doors kicked in yet."

Qi Jingning: "..."

---

After settling the bill, Ruan Xinyi came out of the convenience store with a large bag full of snacks.

Encouraged by her, Zhou Xuan had bought quite a few snacks as well, planning to stock them in the office for later.

Switching the bag to her other hand, Ruan Xinyi glanced at the time on her phone, hovered over the pinned conversation for a few seconds, and then turned the screen off, slipping the phone back into her bag.

Letting out a slow breath, she fished a hard candy from the bag and popped it into her mouth.

"Sister Zhou, want one?"

Ruan Xinyi offered two candies to Zhou Xuan, and as her tongue moved, the candy shifted to the other side of her mouth, making her cheek puff out slightly.

"Thanks." Just as the elevator arrived, Zhou Xuan held the door open for Ruan Xinyi to get in before stepping inside himself and pressing the button for their floor. "Xinyi, why do you seem to really like eating candy?"

Ruan Xinyi smiled brightly, her voice light and playful. "Because... eating candy makes me feel much better."

Zhou Xuan nodded in agreement. "It’s definitely a good thing to have when you’re feeling down."

In reality, Ruan Xinyi wasn’t particularly fond of sweet things. She had liked them when she was younger because her aunt—whom she had long since forgotten what she looked like—liked them too. Now, she still liked them, but it was more because Wen Xihan liked them...

---

Back in the office, Ruan Xinyi first organized the snacks into a drawer, then carried a cup to the tea room to fill with warm water. When she slowly returned, her attention kept drifting to the closed office door.

It was almost one o’clock, and fewer people were chatting. Many had already pulled out their pillows to nap at their desks.

The candy in her mouth had fully dissolved by this point, leaving a lingering sweetness on her lips and making her throat slightly dry.

Ruan Xinyi took a large sip from her cup, trying to ease the dryness in her throat. If her instincts were right, Wen Xihan wasn’t in the office at the moment.

She hadn’t ordered takeaway, nor had she gone to the cafeteria for lunch. So, did she have plans to eat with someone?

Finishing the water in her cup in silence, Ruan Xinyi rose gently, retrieved a packet of Blue Mountain coffee from the drawer, and headed to the pantry to brew it.

A single sofa sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in the pantry. To avoid disturbing her colleagues, Ruan Xinyi pulled open all the curtains, settled into the seat with her coffee, and made herself comfortable.

The view from the window was splendid—bright and expansive. Crossing her legs, she lowered her gaze and stirred the steaming coffee with deliberate care.

The rising steam blurred her vision. Patiently, she blew it away and took a cautious sip from the edge of the cup. Beyond the heat came the familiar notes of sourness and bitterness, followed by a lingering aftertaste—distinct and unforgettable.

Was it just the coffee? Or was it something—or someone—else?

Ruan Xinyi nestled into the sofa, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside as she savored the coffee slowly. Before she realized it, the cup was nearly empty.

Leaning forward slightly, she placed the cup on the coffee table and was about to check the time when the sound of running water in the pantry drew her attention.

Her relaxed posture vanished instantly. She uncrossed her legs, straightened her back slightly, and turned with quiet composure to face the unexpected visitor.

It was none other than Wen Xihan.

Perhaps Wen Xihan hadn’t expected to find Ruan Xinyi there—lounging alone, a faint melancholy etched into her expression. When Ruan Xinyi turned to her, Wen Xihan froze briefly before quickly averting her gaze and focusing on filling her teacup.

As boiling water cascaded over the honeysuckle flowers in the cup, their petals unfurled, and Wen Xihan’s thoughts began to wander uncontrollably.

This side of Ruan Xinyi—soft and distant—was one she had never encountered before.

Melancholy and preoccupied. Two words Wen Xihan had never associated with Ruan Xinyi. Yet, here she was, witnessing it for the first time.

Suddenly, Wen Xihan recalled something Qi Jingning had once said about their mutual friend.

“She’s about seven years younger than me, pretty and harmless on the surface. First impression? The perfect ‘golden child’—gentle, approachable, and universally likable. She can chat with anyone if she wants to. But I’ve always felt like she’s either rebelling late or suppressing something—pretending to be the good girl. Deep down, her untamed soul hasn’t found a way to break free.”

At the time, Wen Xihan had replied, “How do you know she has an untamed soul?”

Qi Jingning had chuckled lightly. “She’s my business partner at the bar now. Several of our signature cocktails were her creations. Honestly, even my hired mixologists might not match her.”

“She’s not as simple as she seems. The right opportunity to unleash her hasn’t come yet. But when it does, she’ll be… untamed.”

Wen Xihan had brushed it off, assuming Qi Jingning was talking about someone else. Who would have thought that “someone else” would turn out to be… Ruan Xinyi?

More than a decade had passed. They had both changed so much, becoming almost unrecognizable.

Yet, Wen Xihan remained trapped in old memories.

When the teacup was about 80% full, Wen Xihan turned off the boiling water.

Ruan Xinyi had silently observed her every move, her gaze calm and unreadable, without uttering a word.

Finally, Wen Xihan sighed softly and broke the silence. “Not taking a break?”

“Just lost in thought,” Ruan Xinyi replied, leaning back slightly, her tone serious.

Wen Xihan didn’t respond. Covering her teacup, she turned and started to leave.

“Wait,” Ruan Xinyi called out. “Aren’t you curious about what I was thinking?”

“No,” Wen Xihan replied, shaking her head. Without her rimless glasses, her almond-shaped eyes were fully exposed, revealing an unexpected softness.

But Ruan Xinyi saw clearly—beneath that soft gaze, there was cold indifference, devoid of emotion.

“Hmm.” Ruan Xinyi fished two strawberry-flavored candies from her bag and held them out to Wen Xihan. “I was thinking about you.”

Fixing her eyes on Wen Xihan, Ruan Xinyi studied her every reaction. With unwavering seriousness, she continued, “I like you. May I have the chance to pursue you?”

Wen Xihan shook her head, rejecting both the candies and, silently, Ruan Xinyi.

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