Chapter 51

Walking over to the window and confirming that Wen Xihan couldn’t hear, Ruan Xinyi finally answered the untimely phone call.

“Miss Ruan, the person you asked us to investigate has mostly been looked into,” a deep male voice said, pausing briefly before asking, “Should I send the report directly to your email?”

“Yes, send it to my email,” Ruan Xinyi replied, glancing in Wen Xihan’s direction with a flicker of complexity in her gaze.

If not for this call, she might have forgotten that a week ago, she had hired a detective agency to look into Fu Fangbai.

It had taken them this long to get back to her—she had a feeling the results were a mixed bag.

“Alright, I’ll organize the files and compress them before sending them over.”

Ruan Xinyi rubbed the cool, smooth back of her phone and lowered her gaze. “Alright, thanks for the trouble.”

The person on the other end sounded flattered. “Miss Ruan, you’re too polite.”

After hanging up, Ruan Xinyi quickly transferred a sum of money to the investigator.

Slipping her phone back into her bag, she rubbed her face, adjusted her emotions, and walked back nonchalantly, sitting beside Wen Xihan.

The moment she sat down, Wen Xihan closed her tablet, pulled up the handle of her suitcase, and stood up. Her expression was indifferent, and her voice was so calm it almost seemed deliberate. “We can board now.”

Ruan Xinyi tilted her head up at her, let out a helpless chuckle, and shook her head. Still, she obediently picked up her suitcase and the insulated cup from the seat, following Wen Xihan.

Since they were in first class and had arrived early, the plane was nearly empty except for the flight attendants when they settled into their seats.

Wen Xihan took the window seat. As soon as she sat down, she put in one side of her bluetooth earphones and picked up her tablet again.

The screen had a privacy filter, so Ruan Xinyi couldn’t see what she was watching.

Buzz—buzz.

After two message notifications, Wen Xihan continued scrolling through her tablet, her almond-shaped eyes slightly lowered. Without lifting her head, she said, “I’ve forwarded all the documents to you.”

Ruan Xinyi turned slightly, resting her elbow on the armrest, and held out a pack of gum. “Want some, sister?”

Wen Xihan’s fingers paused on the screen. She glanced at the gum in Ruan Xinyi’s hand, her expression subtle. “No, thanks.”

“Alright then.” Ruan Xinyi took a piece for herself and casually brought up, “Did you bring a coat? The weather report says it’s getting colder in S City, especially in the mornings and evenings.”

Wen Xihan’s jaw tensed slightly, and her already cool demeanor seemed even icier. Her tone was unreadable. “The weather forecast is unreliable.”

Ruan Xinyi found it amusing but didn’t dare laugh out loud in front of Wen Xihan. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold it in, her shoulders trembling slightly from suppressing the laughter.

In response, Wen Xihan shot her an exasperated eye-roll.

Sensing it was best to stop, Ruan Xinyi cleared her throat lightly and replied with a straight face, “True, weather forecasts aren’t always accurate. You can’t trust them completely.”

This attempt to cover up only made Wen Xihan want to roll her eyes again.

She pressed her thumb against her knuckles, then simply tossed the tablet onto Ruan Xinyi’s lap, her face blank. “Go through the documents properly.”

Ruan Xinyi responded immediately with exaggerated obedience. “Yes, General Manager Wen.”

Wen Xihan: “…”

Taking a deep breath, Wen Xihan ignored her, pulled an eye mask from her bag, and put it on. She also inserted her other bluetooth earphone, completely shutting out the world around her.

Ruan Xinyi chuckled silently, chewing her gum as she seriously started reading the documents on the tablet.

The annual summit in S City was taking place a week earlier than usual this year, attended by industry giants. The fact that Li Mo had entrusted Wen Xihan, who had only recently taken up her position, to represent the company spoke volumes about the confidence she had in her.

Flipping to the next page, Ruan Xinyi suddenly froze.

With so many companies attending, would she run into her dear mother at the summit?

Then again, maybe not. Her mother was such a busy person—she would probably send a representative, just like Li Mo.

Turning her head slightly, she glanced at Wen Xihan, who appeared to be resting with her eyes closed. Ruan Xinyi swallowed unconsciously, her thoughts drifting in all directions.

Sensing something, Wen Xihan slid her eye mask down slightly and gave Ruan Xinyi a long look. Her almond-shaped eyes carried a hint of curiosity, her ink-black hair framing her fair skin.

Her expression remained cold as ever.

"Hello, may I get you something to drink?"

Just then, the pleasant voice of the flight attendant reached their ears.

Ruan Xinyi turned toward the voice and responded with a gentle smile, speaking softly, "A glass of warm water will be fine, thank you."

The flight attendant placed a cup of warm water on the tray in front of Ruan Xinyi, then turned to Wen Xihan with a smile. "And for you, miss?"

Before Wen Xihan could respond, Ruan Xinyi shook her thermos and cheerfully answered for her, "She'll have this."

Wen Xihan: "???"

Her brows furrowed slightly. She turned her head away, leaned against the window, and put her eye mask back on.

Unbothered by Wen Xihan's indifference, Ruan Xinyi smiled at the flight attendant and politely asked, "Could I have a blanket, please?"

The flight attendant handed her a light blanket.

"Thank you."

Ruan Xinyi took the blanket and quietly draped it over Wen Xihan’s legs.

Wen Xihan remained still, her shallow breath momentarily halting. With the eye mask still on, her straight nose and slightly pursed lips looked serene. Soft sunlight filtered through the window, casting a glow on her face, highlighting the delicate white fuzz on her skin.

The hazy light shimmered in her hair, soft and ethereal—like a painting, distant and unreal.

Ruan Xinyi's heart skipped a beat. She bit her lower lip but refrained from disturbing the resting woman. After carefully placing the thermos on the cup holder in front of Wen Xihan, she picked up her tablet and began reading, not missing a single word.

Before long, the flight attendant’s soothing voice came over the intercom, accompanied by a slight static hum.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard..."

Ruan Xinyi checked the time on her phone. The detective agency still hadn’t sent the email. With a sigh, she switched her phone to flight mode and returned to reading.

Wen Xihan’s tablet had several files, neatly summarized and highlighted in red. It made reading easier, and with Ruan Xinyi’s excellent memory, she absorbed the information quickly.

As the plane ascended, Wen Xihan adjusted her posture and noticed the blanket on her lap had slipped, nearly touching the floor.

Ruan Xinyi reached over to adjust it, her hand brushing against Wen Xihan’s cool fingers.

She quickly withdrew, as though nothing had happened, and refocused on the tablet.

The warmth on her skin faded too quickly. From Wen Xihan peripheral vision, she saw the "little devil" sitting up properly, as serious as ever.

Wen Xihan squeezed the corner of the blanket, slowly released it, then removed her eye mask and took a sip from the thermos.

Milk. Warm and sweet.

She took another sip, her expression calm.

The soft sounds around her naturally reached Ruan Xinyi’s ears, but the words on her tablet blurred.

The faint scent of milk mixed with the air, and somehow, some people were sweeter than sugar itself.

---

Two hours later, at S City Airport.

Ruan Xinyi sat on her suitcase, scrolling through her phone to find nearby restaurants.

The taxi would arrive in a few minutes.

Wen Xihan ended a phone call, rubbing her temples, when she heard Ruan Xinyi cheerfully ask, "Sister, should we drop off our luggage at the hotel first, then go eat?"

"Hmm?" Wen Xihan glanced at the time, frowned slightly, and said indifferently, "Let's order takeout."

"Huh?" Ruan Xinyi blinked in surprise. Seeing Wen Xihan wasn’t joking, she swallowed nervously and asked again, "So, what would you like to eat, sister?"

Wen Xihan’s tone remained unchanged. "You choose."

Ruan Xinyi: "..."

Luckily, the hotel offered room service. She ordered two light meals and made a note for them to be delivered as soon as they arrived.

Tucking her phone away, Ruan Xinyi stood up and smiled as a white sedan pulled over, its turn signal blinking. "The car's here."

Wen Xihan, who had been texting, looked up. A faint smile played on her lips, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled—warm, radiant, breathtaking.

When she smiled, it was effortlessly enchanting, a sight that made Ruan Xinyi smile as well.

Then, she realized how foolish she was being.

Her smile faded. She bit her lower lip, and when she looked at Wen Xihan again, that dazzling smile was still there—piercing, making her chest ache with an inexplicable pain.

She turned away, refusing to look at Wen Xihan again, and walked toward the sedan, dragging both suitcases.

By the time Wen Xihan snapped out of her thoughts, Ruan Xinyi had already loaded the luggage and was about to close the trunk. Her long hair fell over most of her face, but her cheeks were slightly puffed, her expression shadowed.

Without thinking, Wen Xihan quickly walked over.

Ruan Xinyi opened the back door and gestured for Wen Xihan to get in first.

Wen Xihan, sensing something off, glanced at her and said firmly, "You're mad."

Though she wasn’t sure why, she had never seen Ruan Xinyi display emotions so openly.

"I’m not," Ruan Xinyi denied immediately, pulling the door open wider. "Hurry up."

Wen Xihan wasn’t convinced. As she sat inside, she asked patiently, "Then why were you mad earlier?"

Ruan Xinyi looked out the window, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm mad at myself for crossing a line."

A vague statement.

Wen Xihan didn’t quite understand. She lowered her head and typed a message to Ruan Su.

[Ruan Xinyi’s mad.]

Ruan Su: [?]

A moment later, Ruan Su replied: [It’s fine. She’ll be fine soon.]

Wen Xihan thought for a moment, then pulled a lollipop from her bag and poked Ruan Xinyi's elbow with her index finger.

"Hmm?" Ruan Xinyi turned around and saw a lollipop being handed to her, wrapped in pale blue, likely blueberry-flavored.

Wen Xihan placed the candy in her hand and then said seriously, "If you're feeling down, just eat something sweet."

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