Chapter 58

A trace of shyness flickered in Wen Xihan’s peach blossom eyes as she withdrew her hand and pressed her lips together. "It’s getting late. You should rest."

"Huh?" Ruan Xinyi glanced at the time—it was only a little past nine.

But she was perceptive enough not to point it out. Instead, she asked, "What about you, Sister?"

Wen Xihan absentmindedly rubbed the cool silver frames of her glasses, her expression as calm as ever. "I still need to review the materials for tomorrow’s summit."

Ruan Xinyi understood and smiled slightly before turning toward the kitchen. "Then I’ll warm up two glasses of milk."

Watching her graceful yet determined retreating figure, Wen Xihan opened her mouth but ultimately swallowed the words she wanted to say.

In truth, what that Shen lady said wasn’t wrong. Those involved in a situation often fail to see things clearly, while outsiders have a better perspective. Some things… in the end, it was an outsider like her who saw them more clearly.

Ruan Xinyi heated two glasses of milk in a small saucepan. Remembering how Wen Xihan hadn't touched the yogurt in front of her during dinner, she took out the yogurt and fresh fruit she had bought at the supermarket that afternoon.

By the time the milk was warm, a simple yogurt and fruit bowl was also ready.

Finally, she added a little sugar to the milk before carrying the freshly made fruit bowl out of the kitchen.

Wen Xihan had already returned to her room. The living room lights were dim, casting a hazy glow, as if everything were shrouded in a thin veil of shadows.

Ruan Xinyi stood in front of Wen Xihan’s room, curled her index finger, and knocked gently three times.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

Seeing Ruan Xinyi standing there with a warm glass of milk and a fruit bowl, Wen Xihan squinted slightly and raised a hand to take them. "Thank you."

"You’re too polite, Sister." As she withdrew her hand, Ruan Xinyi’s fingertips seemed to accidentally brush against the back of Wen Xihan’s hand. "The yogurt is a bit cold, so you can wait a little before eating it."

However, Wen Xihan showed no reaction. She held the bowl steadily, her tone as calm as always, though there was an almost imperceptible softness to it. "You should rest early. Goodnight."

"Ah, okay." Ruan Xinyi grinned foolishly, looking like a flustered young girl experiencing first love. Her voice even had a slight inflection, making it sound even softer. "Then you should rest early too, Sister. Goodnight~"

"Hmm…"

The sound of the door closing was very light.

Unable to contain her joy, Ruan Xinyi covered her mouth with both hands and made silent gestures toward the air, as if drawing mysterious symbols. To an outsider, she would have looked downright eccentric.

She actually said goodnight to me first!

Afraid that her excitement might disturb Wen Xihan, Ruan Xinyi quickly returned to her own room.

As soon as she entered, she flopped onto the bed, wrapped herself in a blanket, and rolled around twice before finally burying her flushed face in it.

After a few minutes, she turned onto her back, fumbled for her phone, and, biting the edge of her blanket, sent a message to Wen Xihan:

[Goodnight, Sister 🌙🌙]

After thinking for a moment, she typed again:

[Sister, you don’t have to reply.]

Running a hand through her hair, Ruan Xinyi set her alarm, placed her phone on the bedside table, and went to the bathroom to wash up. She obediently went to bed early.

Meanwhile, just one wall away, Wen Xihan sat at her desk, taking small sips of the subtly sweet milk. The tablet beside her displayed the materials for the upcoming summit.

But the screen had been frozen on the same page for over ten minutes.

Pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Wen Xihan furrowed her brows, flipped the tablet face down, grabbed her phone, and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing Ruan Su’s number.

"Hello, Sister."

"Hmm? Xiao Han, what’s wrong?" Ruan Su sounded surprised that Wen Xihan was calling at this hour.

Wen Xihan took another sip of milk, suppressing the lingering sweetness on her tongue, and spoke in a low voice, "Sister, I think I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t like."

"Hah~" Ruan Su chuckled dismissively, her tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Someone you shouldn’t like? What do you mean? Is it because they don’t like you back?"

"No." Wen Xihan let out a bitter laugh. "She’s chasing me."

"And she seems to like me very much."

"Uh-huh." Hearing this, Ruan Su’s tone softened considerably. "Well, then, there’s nothing wrong with that."

"If she likes you, and you like her, then it’s not a case of liking someone you shouldn’t."

Wen Xihan almost laughed at that. She sighed softly. "Sister, my relationship with her is complicated."

Ruan Su chuckled and said earnestly, "Xiao Han, if two people truly love each other, then no problem should be an obstacle keeping them apart. You don’t want to regret it in the future, do you?"

Wen Xihan pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "It’s not about regret. I just worry…"

Sensing her hesitation, Ruan Su became curious. "Worry about what?"

Swallowing, Wen Xihan lowered her voice. "I just worry… if her mother finds out, will she break her legs?"

Ruan Su: "???"

After a brief silence, she burst into laughter and asked incredulously, "Xiao Han, where on earth did you find such a mama’s girl?"

Wen Xihan: "…"

Setting everything else aside, Ruan Xinyi really was a bit of a mama’s girl…

"Sister—" Wen Xihan gave in first, swiftly changing the subject. "Let’s not talk about this. I heard from Ruan Ruan a few days ago that you want to set her up on a blind date?"

Wen Xihan barely finished her sentence before Ruan Su ground her teeth in frustration. With a mix of fondness and exasperation, she said, "Daughters grow up and stop listening. I just wanted to test if she had someone she liked, and that little rascal didn’t even give me any face—she completely bailed on me."

Wen Xihan chuckled. "I think it’s a bit too early for Ruan Ruan to go on blind dates at her age."

Ruan Su pretended to be sour. "Look at you, still protecting her after all these years."

"I’m not!" Wen Xihan instinctively denied it.

Ruan Su responded with a perfunctory, "Sure, sure, you’re not."

"But seriously, I'm really curious about who that girl likes."

Wen Xihan paused mid-swallow, gripping her glass of milk tightly. She hesitantly asked, "Sister, why don't you just investigate and find out?"

If Ruan Su started digging into it tonight, Wen Xihan believed that, given her speed, she might come storming in by midnight.

Ruan Su scoffed dismissively, her tone practically dripping with disdain. "That's an old man's tactic."

"Once Ruan Xinyi brings the person home, I'll naturally know who it is."

Wen Xihan: "..."

Knowing that Ruan Su never went back on her word, Wen Xihan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Forcing a chuckle, she said, "You're right, Sister..."

"Speaking of Ruan Xinyi," Ruan Su teased with a smile, "you're no different. Bring your special someone home when you get the chance."

"..." Wen Xihan sighed in resignation. "We'll see when the time comes."

She was genuinely worried that if Ruan Su couldn’t accept it, she and Ruan Xinyi might end up getting kicked out of the house...

After chatting a little longer with Ruan Su, Wen Xihan finally ended the call.

Letting out a deep breath, she tilted her head back and finished the last sip of milk. As she glanced at the message Ruan Xinyi had sent her half an hour ago, her fingertips brushed lightly over the screen, and her lips curved up unconsciously. In the end, she replied with: [🌙🌙]

Ruan Xinyi had probably fallen asleep, as the chat window remained unchanged for a long time.

Setting her phone down, Wen Xihan picked up a small porcelain spoon and gently stirred her fruit bowl.

Even after sitting for a while, the yogurt was still a little cold. The red kiwi had a sweet and tangy taste—delicious. Nearly all the fruit inside was her favorite. In this regard, Ruan Xinyi was truly impeccable, so much so that, without realizing it, she had spoiled Wen Xihan’s taste buds.

Before she knew it, the bowl of fruit was nearly empty, and Wen Xihan no longer felt like reviewing her documents. She shut off her tablet and decided to rest.

Half-asleep, half-awake, old memories resurfaced—hazy, almost too faint to recall.

The woman on that gravestone... she had seen her before.

It was at Ruan Su’s wedding.

That day, Ruan Su was breathtaking. As the bride, she was naturally surrounded by a crowd of people, yet there was no real joy on her face.

Not until a woman in a wheelchair arrived.

Only then did Ruan Su reveal a reluctant, bitter smile.

Ignoring the heavy wedding gown dragging behind her, Ruan Su crouched beside the woman, shedding her usual arrogance and aloofness. In front of her, all the sharp edges disappeared, leaving only tenderness.

"I thought you wouldn't come."

The woman reached out and adjusted Ruan Su’s veil. Her hands were beautiful—long, slender fingers, distinct knuckles—yet unnaturally pale, almost translucent. Even her voice carried a fragile weakness. "Senior, you look beautiful today."

Ruan Su grasped her hand, an indescribable emotion flashing across her face.

She didn’t dare apply too much force, afraid she might break the woman’s wrist. Instead, she held it loosely, cradling it carefully.

In the end, the woman whispered something in Ruan Su’s ear. Only then did Ruan Su, though reluctant, let go and gently push her wheelchair into the lounge.

Back then, Wen Xihan had assumed they were simply former classmates.

It wasn’t until she saw the woman’s photo in the cemetery that she gradually understood the truth.

That dramatic marriage... perhaps it held hidden depths.

---

The next morning, Wen Xihan was awakened by a series of steady knocks on her door.

Knowing it was Ruan Xinyi, her mind went blank for a few seconds before she groggily sat up and turned on the bedroom light.

Seeing the light switch on, the person outside stopped knocking and raised her voice slightly. "Sister, come out and have breakfast."

Wen Xihan rubbed her forehead and let out a sleepy "Mhm." She leaned against the headboard for a moment, waiting for her mind to clear before slowly making her way to the bathroom.

By the time she finished getting ready and stepped out, half an hour had passed.

Ruan Xinyi was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, a laptop resting on her lap as she extracted some files. Seeing Wen Xihan, she quickly placed the laptop on the coffee table and stood up. "Sister, sit for a bit. I'll go cook some wontons."

"Mhm." Wen Xihan stood there, zoning out for a moment. Catching sight of Ruan Xinyi bustling around in the small kitchen, she walked over to the water dispenser, poured herself half a cup of warm water, and sat down in the spot Ruan Xinyi had just vacated.

The laptop on the coffee table had already finished extracting the files, and the screen had switched to the document page.

Wen Xihan sipped her water. She hadn’t planned on looking, but a name on the cover stood out too clearly to ignore.

[Fu Fangbai…]

Recalling the phone call she had overheard in the airport lounge, Wen Xihan frowned.

Why was Ruan Xinyi investigating him…?  

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