Chapter 44

“Second Miss?”

Hearing this familiar form of address, Wen Xihan froze in place.

She gazed at the elderly man standing not far away, neatly dressed in a white shirt. Though thin, he still carried himself with resilience. Wen Xihan hesitated for a moment before finally recognizing him as the housekeeper from her memories—Uncle Cheng.

Of course. The only people who would call her that were from the Ruan family.

Wen Xihan had lived in the Ruan household for as long as she could remember.

Everyone in the Ruan family had treated her well. When the old madam was alive, she regarded Wen Xihan as her own. Even the household staff always addressed her as "Second Miss." Ruan Su was no exception. Though she never said it outright, she had always doted on Wen Xihan like a biological younger sister, even having her serve as the flower girl at her wedding.

Wen Xihan had also personally witnessed the birth and growth of her little niece, Ruan Xinyi.

From a tiny, soft baby to her first babbling words and unsteady steps—Ruan Xinyi had gradually grown into a well-behaved and sensible child. She was sweet and affectionate, the very definition of a little cotton-padded jacket.

But Wen Xihan had missed out on much of Ruan Xinyi’s upbringing. Now, she had no idea how her once-sweet little niece had grown into such a sharp-tongued, bold, and utterly shameless person!

“Uncle Cheng.” Wen Xihan stopped in her tracks and greeted him with a warm smile.

“It really is you, Second Miss! I thought I was mistaken.” Uncle Cheng sighed with emotion and stepped forward, taking a closer look at her. He examined her carefully, as if trying to memorize every change. “It’s been so many years… Have you been well abroad?”

“Uncle Cheng, I’ve been doing fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Uncle Cheng repeated the phrase a few times, his lips parting as if he wanted to say more. In the end, however, he swallowed his words and simply smiled. “Miss was just telling the little miss that you had returned. I didn’t expect to run into you here today.”

“I had originally planned to return to China earlier, but I was delayed by some personal matters. Then my father… he passed away around that time, so I only came back this year,” Wen Xihan explained briefly, her tone carrying a trace of helplessness. “I also just started working at the company, so I wanted to settle in a bit before visiting…”

Uncle Cheng nodded in understanding. “If you ever need anything, Second Miss, just let me know. I’ll take care of it for you!”

Wen Xihan chuckled softly and didn’t refuse his kindness outright. “Alright, Uncle Cheng. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Although she had already guessed why Uncle Cheng was here—most likely to drop off Ruan Xinyi—Wen Xihan still asked, “Uncle Cheng, what brings you here?”

Uncle Cheng sighed. “I brought the little miss over. She’s staying here now.”

After a brief pause, he noticed the garbage bag in Wen Xihan’s hand and casually asked, “Second Miss, do you live here too?”

“Yes.” Wen Xihan’s voice was calm, though it carried a hint of resignation. “Funny enough, Ruan Xinyi… happens to be my neighbor.”

Uncle Cheng suddenly understood, and the weight that had been hanging in his heart was instantly lifted. A smile spread across his face, deepening noticeably as he spoke in a tone as serious as the one in the legendary tale of White Emperor City: “The second young miss lives across from the little miss? That makes me feel much more at ease.”

Wen Xihan: “…”

So, how many people had Ruan Xinyi fooled with that innocent, perfect-child image?

Wen Xihan gave a sheepish smile, unsure of how to respond. Feeling a little guilty, she quickly changed the subject: “Uncle Cheng, could you not tell Ruan Ruan just yet?”

“She hasn’t recognized me yet…”

“Ah?!” Uncle Cheng's eyes widened in shock as he asked in disbelief, “You’re telling me the little miss hasn’t recognized you?”

“How is that possible?”

Wen Xihan nodded, shaking her head with a hint of helplessness. “It’s true.”

“It must be that Ruan Ruan only started remembering things after I left, and since we lost contact for such a long time…” Wen Xihan let out a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s completely normal for her not to recognize me.”

Uncle Cheng fell silent for a moment before offering some consolation. “It’s been too long. The little miss must have forgotten your appearance by now.”

What he didn’t know was that his comforting words had inadvertently struck Wen Xihan in a vulnerable spot.

Because not only had Ruan Xinyi not recognized her, but she hadn’t recognized Ruan Xinyi either. Otherwise, the absurd incident from that night would never have happened.

Perhaps, in terms of forgetting each other’s appearance, they were now even…

“Maybe.” Wen Xihan’s smile became a little more forced.

Uncle Cheng didn’t think much deeper into it. After chatting with Wen Xihan for a while, he carefully asked a question that had been on his mind for a long time: “Why did the second young miss suddenly lose contact with everyone for those years?”

Before Wen Xihan left, they would still keep in touch every once in a while, but as time passed, the calls became less frequent. By the time she tried to call back, the number had been disconnected.

Wen Xihan smiled bitterly, her peach blossom eyes slightly lowered as she spoke apologetically. “At that time, there was a financial crisis, and his business overseas encountered some issues. He planned to start over in a new place, but nothing worked out, and I was so busy with my studies that I couldn’t keep up with everything…”

Plus, the time difference was more than ten hours, and Wen Xihan had a tendency to report only good news, never bad. She kept pushing things off until, eventually, too much time had passed before they reconnected.

“It’s good that you’re back.” Uncle Cheng sighed lightly, both nostalgic and filled with pity. “You must have gone through a lot these past years.”

“I still remember that Christmas. The little miss didn’t know where she heard that Christmas was like the Chinese New Year overseas, so she insisted on keeping the phone nearby, waiting for midnight to pass so she could call you…”

That was the first time Ruan Xinyi had actively called Wen Xihan after she had gone abroad, but unfortunately, the call never went through, as the number had already been disconnected.

Under the expectant gaze of everyone, the young Ruan Xinyi held the receiver, hearing only a long series of foreign language prompts she could barely understand…

“Mom—” she looked helplessly at Ruan Su.

But Ruan Su didn’t know what was going on. “Talk to Auntie.”

Ruan Xinyi was on the verge of tears. With red eyes and a choked voice, she said, “Auntie… Happy New Year.”

In the next moment, she cried as she shoved the receiver into Ruan Su’s hands, sobbing as she ran upstairs. “I don’t want to like Auntie anymore!”

It wasn’t until Ruan Su, confused, put the receiver to her ear that she realized she was only hearing the dial tone.

And that year, Wen Xihan wasn’t doing any better either.

Wen Qi’s company went bankrupt, and he hurriedly liquidated his assets, all while handling her school withdrawal paperwork without Wen Xihan’s knowledge.

On Christmas Eve that year, the snow fell heavily. She walked alone, carrying her things toward the school gate, leaving footprints in the snow—some deep, some shallow—as if the surrounding merriment had nothing to do with her.

Near the school gate, Wen Xihan encountered a mother and daughter from her home country who had come out to buy things.

It was rare to meet someone familiar in a foreign land. Though they didn’t know each other, the mother and daughter exchanged a brief, friendly smile with Wen Xihan.

Especially the little girl, who, even after passing her by, turned back after taking an apple from her mother and handed it to her, saying in fluent Mandarin, “Sister, have an apple.”

“Eat an apple on Christmas Eve, and you’ll have peace all year.”

Wen Xihan held the apple, watching the mother and daughter walk away.

The little girl was quite young, even younger than Ruan Ruan, but in terms of maturity, she was just as understanding…

Uncle Cheng continued with a few anecdotes about Ruan Xinyi’s childhood. When he spoke about her living here by herself, he shook his head with a helpless smile. “At the time, the little miss told me she could cook. I didn’t believe a word of it, but after seeing her cook in person, I couldn’t help but believe in the saying, ‘The fledgling bird has already grown its wings and is ready to leave its comfort zone.’”

Wen Xihan sincerely praised, “Ruan Ruan… She really is impressive.”

Aside from a few areas, Ruan Xinyi’s abilities were indeed remarkable.

Seeing Wen Xihan dressed lightly and holding the trash, Uncle Cheng decided to wrap up the conversation. “Since you live here too, things will be more convenient. I’ll bring something for the little miss and bring you a portion as well.”

“Uncle Cheng, there’s no need to trouble yourself…”

Uncle Cheng firmly said, “It’s no trouble. It’s settled then.”

He also gave Wen Xihan a knowing look, as if sharing a little secret between them. “Don’t worry. I won’t let the little miss find out.”

Wen Xihan could only smile helplessly and agree. “Then I’ll trouble you, Uncle Cheng…”

The bodyguard opened the car door for Uncle Cheng, but he didn’t leave immediately. He waited until Wen Xihan finished throwing the trash away and returned before rolling up the window and signaling the driver to start the car.

“Uncle Cheng, should we still investigate?”

It was rare for Uncle Cheng to have such a pleasant conversation with Wen Xihan. His mood had been lifted, but when the bodyguard suddenly asked such an out-of-place question, his expression turned subtly awkward. “Investigate what? Investigate the second young miss? Why not investigate others? Why bring this up with our own people?”

The bodyguard grudgingly shut his mouth. "…"

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Just as Wen Xihan was about to open the door, the door across from her was gently pulled open from the inside.

Her hand paused mid-air. Without any change in expression, Wen Xihan withdrew her gaze and reached for the doorknob. But before she could press down on it, a small voice from the doorway asked, "Big Sister, have you had dinner yet?"

Little did Ruan Xinyi know that her casual question felt like an unwelcome reminder to Wen Xihan. Ever since she had tossed out her morning takeout, she had originally planned to make do with some snacks. But thanks to Ruan Xinyi’s influence, her stomach had grown too picky—now, facing those snacks, she had no appetite at all!

As a result, she had spent the whole day getting by with just candy, fruit, and yogurt.

"Hmm, I’ve eaten." Wen Xihan pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and replied expressionlessly.

"Oh." Ruan Xinyi deliberately sounded a little disappointed. "I see."

Hearing this, Wen Xihan turned around, her slightly narrowed eyes flickering subtly as she glanced at Ruan Xinyi’s hidden hand.

Sure enough, in the next second, Ruan Xinyi revealed what she had been hiding—a sealed container filled with shredded chicken and yam porridge, along with a few steamed snacks.

"This was made by the housekeeper at home. Since Big Sister has already had dinner…"

Wen Xihan held her breath, quietly waiting for Ruan Xinyi to finish her sentence.

"If you don’t mind, how about having some as a late-night snack?" With a bright smile, Ruan Xinyi extended the container toward her.

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Translator's Note:

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