It Turns Out I Really Love You - Chapter 10
The next day, at the hospital, Li Lulu, while Huang He went to pay the bill, pulled Sang Wuyan’s hand and said, “I haven’t told you, but Huang He and I are getting married in six months. I want to be a beautiful bride, which is why I decided to have the surgery.”
“It seems your love IQ isn’t very high either.”
“At least higher than yours,” Li Lulu scorned her.
“Any surgery has risks, and Huang He said you won’t be able to remove the bandages for two or three days afterward and won’t see anything. What if there are after-effects?” Sang Wuyan still disagreed.
“There won’t be any risks; it’s a minor surgery, like pulling a tooth.”
“Even pulling teeth can kill people,” Sang Wuyan said.
“You really have a foul mouth,” Li Lulu pinched her.
Before being pushed in by the nurse, Li Lulu suddenly said, “Sang Wuyan, let’s make a bet.”
“What bet?”
“If I don’t gloriously sacrifice myself, how about you go talk to Su Nianqin?”
“Then I’m sure to lose. It’s just a tiny surgery, if you don’t want to win against me, the doctors won’t agree.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Some people choke on water and die. Didn’t you just say even pulling teeth can kill people?”
“Pfft pfft pfft,” Sang Wuyan scoffed.
“You really should talk.”
“Talk about what?”
“Anything is fine. Just calmly talk about your respective feelings back then. Even if you both don’t plan to get back together, talking like this will help you move on from that relationship.”
“Are you doing psychological counseling on me now?” Sang Wuyan chuckled.
After the surgery, Li Lulu was picked up by Huang He.
“She won’t be able to see for the next few days. Take good care of her, otherwise, I’ll hold you responsible,” Sang Wuyan instructed.
Huang He snapped to attention, “Mission accomplished, guaranteed.”
“Sang Wuyan,” Li Lulu reached out her hands, waving them in the air, calling her.
“What?”
“Remember, you promised me.”
Returning home, she remembered Li Lulu’s helpless appearance with white bandages wrapped around her face, reaching out her hands to call Huang He, and felt a pang of sympathy. Thinking of this, she then thought of Su Nianqin. If Li Lulu felt so uncomfortable from not being able to see for just a few days, then what about Su Nianqin?
Her hand, which had been writing, suddenly stopped. She went back to the bedroom to rummage through things. After a long search, she found an unused eye mask and put it over her eyes.
The eye mask wasn’t particularly tight; a faint light seeped in from below her nose.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Yin asked.
“Trying to see what it’s like to be unable to see.”
She fumbled her way from the bedroom back to the living room, initially walking along the wall. When she reached the center of the living room, she couldn’t figure out the distance and was afraid of bumping into the furniture, so she half-crouched, took a step, felt forward, and only took a second step after confirming that nothing was in the way. It was then that she realized how necessary it was to have a stick to guide the way.
So, she took a feather duster and used it as a white cane, then walked to the kitchen. This time it was much easier; she felt a little smug.
Cheng Yin said, “You remind me of a famous saying, adapted.”
“What?”
“It’s not hard to be blind for a moment, but it’s hard to be blind for a lifetime.”
As soon as Cheng Yin finished speaking, Sang Wuyan’s forehead hit the corner of the kitchen’s wall cabinet door. She was so pained she almost shed tears.
“You left that door open yourself when you took something out just now; it has nothing to do with me,” Cheng Yin explained.
“I know!” She rubbed her head, wincing in pain.
“You finally realize how much trouble your habits used to cause others.”
Sang Wuyan dejectedly pulled off her eye mask. Just as she had settled down for a bit, Li Lulu called.
“Sang Wuyan, go find him!” Li Lulu said. “Otherwise, I’m breaking off our friendship.”
That evening, Sang Wuyan went to a nearby supermarket to buy daily necessities. On her way back, she passed by a small wonton stall. She knew the city’s urban management was strict; usually, vendors would only dare to set up after six o’clock. Some time ago, a provincial leader came for inspection, so they were cracking down for a while. Now that the wind had passed, they were starting to resurface.
The wonton stall had only just been set up these past few days. It had two pots and a few simple tables. The wonton sellers were a couple, probably around fifty years old, and a girl was hunched over a greasy table doing homework.
Sang Wuyan inadvertently glanced at the woman wrapping wontons, illuminated by the incandescent light, and felt she looked familiar. Then she looked again and recognized her—it was Huang Xiaoyan’s mother.
Mrs. Huang also noticed Sang Wuyan’s gaze and said with a smile, “Young lady, having wontons?”
Sang Wuyan stopped. “Auntie, I’m Sang Wuyan. Do you still remember me?”
“You are?” She clearly couldn’t remember.
“Xiao Yan’s elementary school classmate.”
“Oh, it’s you,” Mrs. Huang suddenly realized. “Sit, quick, sit.”
She wiped a stool and said to the child, “Come, Honghong, quickly call her big sister.”
Honghong timidly opened her mouth, then closed her notebook and went to the other side to help her father put away bowls and chopsticks. Only then did Sang Wuyan remember, That must be the baby from back then.
“You’ve grown so big already?” Sang Wuyan said, looking at Honghong’s back.
“You’re already a grown girl; how could she still be a little one?”
Sang Wuyan smiled.
Later, Mrs. Huang brought a bowl of wontons. While watching Sang Wuyan eat, she chatted with her about family matters.
“If our Xiao Yan were here, she would probably be married by now,” Mrs. Huang finally sighed.
Sang Wuyan put down her spoon and looked at her overly aged face. After all these years, the mother still had regrets.
“Auntie, you still have Honghong. In the future, she’ll cherish you twice as much, for herself and for Xiao Yan’s share.”
Mrs. Huang tucked her hair behind her ear and sighed faintly, “This child was adopted after all; she’s not as close as one’s own.”
“Adopted?” Sang Wuyan was surprised.
“Yes, a relative from the countryside brought her, saying she was left at his noodle shop’s doorstep. At the time, I heard it and thought, Maybe if I do something good, Xiao Yan can be saved.” Mrs. Huang said.
On the way back, Sang Wuyan was deep in thought.
Walking to the entrance of her residential compound, she closed her eyes again and walked along the compound path. After a while, she strayed. When her foot stepped from the concrete path onto the grass, she almost shrieked.
“You’re even afraid of grass?” Cheng Yin said, following behind.
“You scared me to death; I thought I stepped on something,” she patted her chest.
“That’s why being blind is so hard,” Cheng Yin shrugged.
She returned home and dug out her elementary school graduation photo. She had even forgotten what she herself looked like then, so it took her a long time to find Huang Xiaoyan in the second row.
The truth about something she had been unable to let go of for so many years was completely different from what she had thought.
When Huang Xiaoyan died, Sang Wuyan had always resented her parents. How could they do that to her, planning a second child even when she was still alive? Had they ever thought about Xiao Yan’s feelings, or had they ever thought about treating her and helping her recover?
Precisely because of this, Sang Wuyan had never visited her home again for over ten years. At that elementary school reunion ten years later, everyone who mentioned Huang Xiaoyan sighed regretfully, then pooled money to visit her parents.
Sang Wuyan didn’t go either.
She held grudges. If she hadn’t happened to run into them today, she probably would have resented them for her entire life.
However, she never expected the truth to be like this.
“That’s why people need to communicate more,” Cheng Yin said. “Sometimes, don’t just look at problems from your own perspective and position. You also need to think for others.”
Sang Wuyan didn’t speak.
Cheng Yin continued, “Just like you and Su Nianqin. When you lost your father, his father was also on the verge of death, hanging by a thread. He appeared arrogant on the surface, but deep down, he was extremely inferior. And you just threw a harsh word and left. How do you think he felt?”
That night, Sang Wuyan dreamed of Huang Xiaoyan.
Huang Xiaoyan sighed and said, “I know you were hating them for my sake. Now, it’s finally over.”
Finding someone like Su Nianqin was a very easy task. After work, she just made a tentative call, and unexpectedly, he hadn’t changed his number; the call went through immediately.
It rang three times. “Hello,” a clear female voice.
“Hello,” Sang Wuyan said cautiously. “I… my surname is Sang. I’m looking for Su Nianqin.”
“Miss Sang, Mr. Su is currently in a meeting. Is there something you need?”
“I’d like to see him. Is it convenient?”
Xiao Qin had an excellent memory. She suddenly remembered meeting this Miss Sang downstairs that day. She was clearly a very important private friend of Su Nianqin’s. She glanced at Su Nianqin inside; he was busy with countless things. So she made an unusual decision and took the liberty to agree: “No problem, but you’ll probably have to wait a while after you arrive.”
Xiao Qin gave her the hotel and room number, then hung up.
“Miss Qin, Mr. Su wants you to find yesterday’s meeting minutes,” Zhao, the branch manager, popped his head in and said.
Xiao Qin quickly went to the study to look for them.
Thirty minutes later, someone rang the doorbell.
Xiao Qin went to open the door; it was indeed Sang Wuyan. Xiao Qin looked towards the small reception area and said, “Miss Sang, please wait a moment. I’ll call Mr. Su.”
Sang Wuyan followed her gaze. Inside, a heated discussion was taking place. Su Nianqin was smoking and frowning, listening intently to someone’s speech.
She quickly pulled Xiao Qin and said, “You all go ahead and be busy. I’m not in a hurry. We can talk after things are done.”
Xiao Qin also thought it was a good idea. Su Nianqin was famously focused on his work and disliked being interrupted. No one knew which nerve he would hit if he were interrupted now, causing him to suddenly lose his temper.
“Then you can wait in the study, and I’ll go make you some tea.”
The hotel suite was very large, with a living room, a small reception room, a study, a bedroom, and a guest room. She didn’t dare to imagine the price of staying for one night. She was nervous when she arrived, fearing she would make a mistake.
Sang Wuyan waited there, feeling a little nervous. She habitually took off her watch and fiddled with it in her hand.
Li Lulu once summarized that there were many ways to subtly inquire if an ex-lover was single. For example, one could ask: “Long time no see, when are you inviting us to your wedding?” If he was still single, he would usually say: “Oh, not yet, no target yet.” That would be the right answer.
Sang Wuyan rubbed her forehead. Why did this feel so much like an underground party rendezvous?
But Su Nianqin could not be inferred by normal human behavior. He didn’t fall for this, whether he had a partner or not. At best, he would sarcastically say, “Miss Sang, rest assured, the wedding invitation will definitely be sent.” At worst, he would fly into a rage.
She leaned back on the study sofa, and her gaze traveled across the living room to Su Nianqin, sitting at the innermost part of the conference room. The heating was strong, so he was only wearing a black shirt, making him look particularly refined among the group of people, with his perpetually indifferent expression.
Su Nianqin was putting out a cigarette in the ashtray, saying, “The market share of new products cannot be entirely dependent on advertisements launched by the head office. You know, the company’s annual…”
The conversation was endless, and Xiao Qin quickly took notes.
After the matter was settled, everyone wanted to stretch, but they held back due to Su Nianqin’s perpetually unsmiling face. Director Zhao was a straightforward person who dared to risk the world’s displeasure and say, “Everyone has worked hard. Why doesn’t President Su treat everyone to dinner?” Among them, he had the highest position besides Su Nianqin, and the rest were small employees who rarely got to work with the boss for half a day.
“Alright, you can choose anywhere,” Su Nianqin agreed, a rare opening.
Everyone cheered, especially the ladies present.
Su Nianqin asked Xiao Qin to get his suit jacket. Only then did Xiao Qin suddenly remember, “Mr. Su, a Miss Sang is still waiting for you in the study.”
Su Nianqin’s movements abruptly halted. “What did you say?”
Everyone was a little surprised to see Su Nianqin’s sudden change in expression.
“She hasn’t come over to say hello, so she probably hasn’t left yet,” Xiao Qin quickly ran to the study to check.
Thank goodness.
Xiao Qin let out a long breath of relief; she was still there. If she had just left, Xiao Qin felt that Su Nianqin might have fired her on the spot.
But at this moment, this woman, brazenly took off her shoes and curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
Su Nianqin then walked in.
“Uh—she’s asleep,” Xiao Qin explained.
Su Nianqin nodded, his footsteps exceptionally light. He suppressed the anger he wanted to direct at Xiao Qin and said in a lowered voice, “You take them first. Find a place to eat and settle in, then call me. Have Xiao Zhou wait for me downstairs.”
Xiao Qin dared not linger, and quietly left with the curious group of people.
Su Nianqin stood there for a long time. He heard Sang Wuyan’s soft breathing, light and gentle, just like before. He felt for the front of the sofa, and tentatively called out, “Wuyan.”
She didn’t respond.
Su Nianqin touched his watch; it was already eight in the evening. She was still so sleepy, able to sleep even lying in her clothes like that. But he couldn’t bear to wake Wuyan, not out of fear of disturbing her good sleep, but out of fear that once Wuyan woke up, he wouldn’t be able to quietly hold her like this, unable to share her breath.
But curling up on the sofa like this, she would surely be sore all over when she woke up.
So he leaned down and picked Wuyan up. She was petite and light, and he could easily hold her in his arms with a gentle embrace.
She was utterly familiar with his embrace, curling into his arms like a kitten, and couldn’t help but murmur two words in her hazy sleep: “Nianqin.”
At that moment, Su Nianqin felt a warmth surge from his limbs to his chest, and an empty heart was instantly filled.
He suddenly recalled the night three years ago, when he held her like this in that dark, narrow stairwell. That was the first time he held her.
Su Nianqin slowly moved back to the bedroom, placing her on the bed to make her more comfortable. His hand lingered as he let go, so he reached out to touch her hair. She had actually let her hair grow long, completely changing her former fluffy appearance, looking a bit gentler and more mature.
Su Nianqin inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, almost sinking into it.
He wanted to touch her. They hadn’t seen each other in three years; he wondered if she had changed. As he thought this, his hand was already moving: hair, ears, cheeks, forehead, eyes, nose, and then his fingers touched her lips.
His hand trembled and lingered there. Then he wanted to kiss her, very much. This desire almost tore his heart apart, and his breathing became chaotic.
He cupped her chin, confirmed the position of her lips, and then lowered his head. Just as he touched her soft lips, Sang Wuyan, as if ticklish in her dream, turned her head away and shifted her sleeping position, making Su Nianqin think she was waking up. He quickly sat upright.
After a moment of calm, he realized it was just an unintentional movement, with no signs of her waking up. Just like before, she wouldn’t wake up even if the sky fell. Su Nianqin started to feel a little amused. He thought: So this feeling of stealing a kiss is quite nice; no wonder she made a move on him twice before.
So Su Nianqin lowered his face and continued the gentle kiss from earlier, gently sucking on her lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He began to unbutton her coat as if possessed.
Suddenly, he abruptly stopped, quickly pulled away, and retreated to the living room.
Su Nianqin, what are you doing? He asked himself. Can’t you find a woman to vent your desires on? He angrily rebuked himself.
He lit a cigarette, took several deep drags, then went to the bathroom to wash his face. Since Sang Wuyan had no intention of being with him, he shouldn’t treat her like this either.
Su Nianqin took off his watch and ran water over his face. After calming down a little, he called Xiao Qin and asked them where they were eating. He didn’t want to disturb her sweet dreams, and of course, he didn’t dare to be alone with her, otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee that he would still have such self-control for the remaining few hours.
As he left, Su Nianqin thought: Let’s wait until she wakes up to talk.
Sang Wuyan woke up and found herself sleeping on a completely unfamiliar bed. She quickly rolled over, almost falling off. The entire suite was empty. She walked around barefoot and finally found her shoes in front of the study sofa.
Everyone’s gone? She had just woken up and was a little groggy. Does that mean all those people just now saw her ugly sleeping face? She subconsciously wiped the corner of her mouth; there were still traces of drool. Fortunately, Su Nianqin can’t see, otherwise, how embarrassing it would be in front of an old flame, drooling in her sleep. She sighed.
Sang Wuyan found the restroom to wash her face. When she turned off the light, she found her watch by the faucet and casually put it in her jacket pocket.
She was a little frustrated. She had mustered so much courage to talk to Su Nianqin, but the man had just slipped away, not even waking her when he left. If she waited for him, she was already starving. Who knew when he would come back from his night out?
Sang Wuyan sighed, closed the door, and left.
Su Nianqin was distracted throughout dinner.
Xiao Qin asked, “Did Miss Sang go back?”
“She was still asleep when I left; I didn’t wake her. I’ll bring her some food when I go back.”
Xiao Qin looked at Su Nianqin, a little incredulous, hearing his words. The boss had changed his ways today, suddenly very considerate.
But when Xiao Qin accompanied Su Nianqin, carrying steaming hot delicacies, back to the room, Sang Wuyan had already quietly left. Su Nianqin’s eyes dimmed, and he became lifeless again.
“Where’s my watch?” Su Nianqin asked from the bathroom.
“Were you wearing it just now?”
“No,” Su Nianqin’s voice rose slightly; it was an alarm signaling he was about to get angry again.
Watch, watch, watch. Xiao Qin searched everywhere. It was the watch Su Nianqin wore every day on his wrist.
“I just put it on the washbasin.”
She sighed inwardly. Why hadn’t Miss Yu told her to buy a few more of those watches for self-defense?
Just as Su Nianqin was about to erupt, Xiao Qin found it on the coffee table in the study.
“Here—” she quickly handed it to Su Nianqin.
The moment Su Nianqin took the watch, his expression hardened, and a much greater anger rose in his brows.
He finally understood what Sang Wuyan had come for. She was returning his things, wanting to be completely debt-free from him from now on.
Early the next morning, Sang Wuyan went to school for class. When her watch strap loosened significantly, she realized that this watch wasn’t hers. Or rather, it was the one she had given Su Nianqin before. She was dumbfounded on the spot.
By some strange twist of fate, she had taken the wrong item.
Because she hadn’t expected Su Nianqin to always wear it, what she didn’t know even more was that Su Nianqin had once angrily thrown it, and then desperately gone back to find it. The surface was broken, and it took a lot of effort to find someone to fix it. So much so that the hands were very inaccurate, but the man still couldn’t bear to replace it.
He cherished every single item she had left behind.
Nianqing (Recalling Love/Affection). The persistence he was given at birth.
Cheng Yin, after learning the truth, said heartbreakingly, “It’s over, it’s over. You went there, lost the girl and the battle, didn’t even talk to him, and brought back a broken watch. The most valuable treasure in our family was ruined by you like that.”
“Go away!” Sang Wuyan kicked her.
“What’s wrong with me? I’m telling the truth, and I still get kicked,” Cheng Yin chuckled.
“Just to let out my anger on you.”
Just as she was bickering with Cheng Yin, her phone rang. She answered it with a laugh, not even bothering to look at the caller ID, “Hello—”
Su Nianqin heard the laughter on the other end and frowned in displeasure: She just took a watch back; is that worth her being so happy?
“Hello—” Sang Wuyan stopped and repeated.
“It’s me,” he simply uttered two words.
This was the voice she hadn’t heard in three years, over the phone.
She was so surprised that she couldn’t help but gasp.
“I’m Su Nianqin,” he thought her “ah” meant she didn’t know who he was, so he reported his name with even greater displeasure.
“Oh, hello,” her tongue was immediately tied, and she could only think of these three words.
Of course, she knew he was Su Nianqin; she would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.
“My secretary said you came looking yesterday,” he said loftily, deliberately pretending that her sleeping in his arms and his kissing her yesterday had nothing to do with him.
“Uh, yes,” she naturally didn’t know Su Nianqin’s true thoughts and nodded honestly.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I, I…” She was at a loss for words, truly unable to articulate anything.
“You what?” he pressed.
“You, when are you going to invite me to your wedding?” In her anxiety, she blurted out Li Lulu’s bad idea. After saying it, she herself couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
She had thought about it a thousand times, and in the heat of the moment, she actually chose such a terrible sentence.
Indeed, Su Nianqin paused for a second, then said bitterly, “You’re eager for me to marry someone else, aren’t you?”
Sang Wuyan listened, feeling he was about to grind his teeth to dust.
She quickly shook her head and explained, “No, no, no. How could I wish for you to marry someone else?”
As soon as this sentence came out, the silence on the other end of the phone was even longer than the previous sentence.
Uh—it seems I said it wrong again, Sang Wuyan scratched her head.
“Oh,” the man responded meaningfully.
Still not right; she was almost on the verge of tears again.
“Did you eat?”
“Yes,” she confessed honestly, but then she thought again and found it strange. Why was he asking her if she had eaten for no reason? Was he going to treat her to dinner?
So, she quickly changed her tune and said, “No.”
“Did you eat, or didn’t you?” he frowned.
She gritted her teeth and affirmed reluctantly, “I ate.” Just as reason seemed to triumph over emotion, she added, “But I didn’t eat much.”
This time, he fell silent again.
Cheng Yin, eavesdropping from the side, quietly whispered into Sang Wuyan’s ear, “He’s probably thinking how your mind has gone wonky after not seeing you for a few years. You can’t even answer whether you’ve eaten or not.”
Sang Wuyan covered the phone and shooed Cheng Yin away.
“Then come out and eat something; I haven’t eaten yet,” he asked casually.
“Okay,” she readily agreed, cutting to the chase.
Su Nianqin put down the phone, his palms surprisingly clammy.
He wanted to see her, wanted to hear her speak, wanted to touch her face, he wanted to very, very much.
This desire, since he held her yesterday, had suddenly increased dramatically, almost tearing his chest apart, devouring his last shred of sanity.
Sang Wuyan never expected Su Nianqin to invite her to eat hot pot. He never used to eat chili; he was the kind of person who would get a headache just hearing the words “hot pot.”
The hot pot place was the most popular restaurant in B City, not high-class, but famous far and wide for its delicious food. By the time they arrived, it was past peak hour, yet it was still crowded. Just then, some people left, and a table opened up.
Sang Wuyan looked around at the noisy surroundings and suddenly felt that his choice of location was absolutely perfect. Even if the two of them argued, it wouldn’t attract much attention.
To her surprise, he wasn’t harsh with her. In fact, apart from saying “whatever” when ordering, he barely spoke.
He didn’t eat anything either; he didn’t even move his chopsticks. He probably felt sick just smelling the food.
She was supposed to accompany him to eat, but it turned out she was eating while he sat beside her “watching.”
She looked up and couldn’t help but say to him, “You can cook in the clear broth side, or if you want anything, I can help you?” So she put some bamboo shoots and mushrooms into his bowl.
He ate two bites, then put down his chopsticks.
Eventually, Sang Wuyan stopped eating too, just letting the soup in the pot bubble and boil. She looked at his face through the spicy mist.
She couldn’t help but say, “I understand that it’s hard for two people to be friends after a breakup, but I don’t want our relationship to be so stiff. When we broke up, I was very impulsive, so I said some hurtful things without thinking. If you’ve been bothered by it, I apologize.”
She finally felt a long sigh of relief. Having held it in for so long and finally saying it, her heart felt immediately lighter.
The driver had left after dropping him off earlier. Now that they had eaten, Sang Wuyan didn’t feel comfortable letting him take a taxi back alone, fearing he might get lost in an unfamiliar place.
She tentatively asked him, “Can you find your way back?”
He leaned on his white cane, turned around, and replied, “No.” Very straightforward.
“…” She wondered. He used to be so defiant; why had he become like this now?
She had no choice but to take him back to the hotel.
The car got stuck at an intersection before reaching the hotel.
The driver said, “Little sister, there’s probably been an accident ahead, and we won’t be able to get through for a while. You can just walk to the next intersection, it’s two or three minutes away. How about I just drop you off here so I can turn around, make it easier?”
The driver was quite polite and his words were reasonable. Sang Wuyan looked at the road; it was indeed not far from the hotel, so she and Su Nianqin got out of the car.
She couldn’t help but shake her head. Good thing I didn’t let him walk alone. Otherwise, if he were left here, not knowing north from south, it would be a huge trouble.
She and he walked like this on the bustling street. She stood beside him, matching his pace on the tactile paving, occasionally supporting his elbow to avoid vehicles. At that moment, Sang Wuyan almost felt as if time had returned to the past.
They passed a music shop where a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl was sitting in front of the piano near the entrance, learning to play “Chopsticks Dance.” The tune was played intermittently and awkwardly by her. She also seemed dissatisfied, frowning, looking very serious.
Sang Wuyan couldn’t help but smile faintly, “I still haven’t learned this song.”
“Really? Is the teacher that bad?”
“The teachers who taught me, though none of them played as well as you, were all more patient than you,” she chuckled. “It’s just that I’m no longer interested in learning.”
After a while, Sang Wuyan added, “Now, when you play the piano, I guess no one would dare bother you anymore.” She no longer had the right to make mischief beside him. A hint of emotion escaped her as she spoke.
What was she feeling?
Sang Wuyan herself couldn’t say.
A moment later, he said blandly, “These past few years, I haven’t touched the piano again.”
Sang Wuyan looked up at him, wanting to ask why, but the words caught in her throat.
When they were about to part ways, Su Nianqin suddenly stopped and said to her, “I accept.”
“Huh?”
“Your apology just now, I accept,” he said calmly.
Sang Wuyan returned home, so angry her nose was almost crooked.
“What’s wrong? You were fine when you went out, but now you’re furious?” Cheng Yin asked.
“I apologized to him, just to give him an out. He should have just taken it, but he put on airs and said, ‘Your apology, I accept.’ I… I spit!”
“Look at your pathetic self,” Cheng Yin scorned her.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“If you have the guts, scold him to his face.”
“…”
That evening, Xiao Qin waited at the hotel for the driver to bring Su Nianqin back. When he returned, she found him surprisingly in a good mood. He even said to her, “Help me find a quiet place with good food. I’ll treat someone to dinner tomorrow.” He then added, “It’ll be Chinese food.”
“But there’s a cocktail party tomorrow evening,” Xiao Qin said.
“Then supper it is,” he murmured almost to himself. “Or an early dinner would work too.”
Xiao Qin secretly glanced at the unusually behaving Su Nianqin, feeling a little suspicious. Is the boss pursuing a woman?
The next day, Wu Yu called to ask Sang Wuyan out.
Wu Yu said, “A friend of mine who came back from Japan brought a set of children’s picture books. I think they’d be very suitable for Xiao Jie.”
Sang Wuyan wasn’t a teenage girl experiencing her first crush; she knew what Wu Yu’s intentions were. She replied with a smile, “Okay.”
“Then when do you finish class? I’ll pick you up.”
“Five-thirty.”
“I bought tickets. Are you free to go see a movie with me?” He had learned Sang Wuyan’s hobbies from Sang Mama.
Wu Yu had a lawyer’s intelligence; he only needed one question to secure both dinner and the rest of the evening.
In Wu Yu’s car, Sang Wuyan saw the book set; Japanese products were always so exquisite. Although she didn’t understand Japanese, pictures had no national boundaries.
“Not just Xiao Jie, even I want them,” Sang Wuyan said.
Wu Yu chuckled.
“It’s cold today, perfect for us to have Korean BBQ.”
Sang Wuyan readily agreed.
It seemed Wu Yu had thoroughly pleased Sang Mama, knowing all of Sang Wuyan’s preferences.
A very unique restaurant. Roasted sirloin, sizzling with oil, was served on a few lettuce leaves. Sang Wuyan’s eyes immediately lit up.
Wu Yu ordered a bottle of wine.
Rather than wine, it was more like an alcoholic beverage. The liquid, poured from a green bottle, was a pale yellow. Sang Wuyan tasted it with her tongue and found it sweet, so she confidently took a big gulp. Who knew it would be so spicy, almost making her tear up.
Wu Yu, while asking the waiter for mineral water for Sang Wuyan, chuckled, “Wuyan, sometimes you’re truly like an overgrown child.” Unbeknownst to her, he had already changed his address from Miss Sang to Wuyan.
He picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in the sweet and spicy sauce on the plate, and rolled it in a lettuce leaf for her.
Halfway through their meal, Sang Wuyan’s phone rang.
“Hello—” Sang Wuyan wiped her hands with a tissue and answered the phone.
“Sang Wuyan.”
“Huh?” Sang Wuyan almost choked. It was Su Nianqin. She should have known not to use her own phone to call him last time.
“Come out,” Su Nianqin’s voice, barely containing his anger, came through the receiver.
“Where?” She was confused.
“Walk to the restaurant entrance, onto the main street.”
“I’m eating,” she said in a low voice, trying to make him stop being unreasonable.
“I know you’re eating! I’ll give you five seconds. If you don’t come out, do you believe I’ll set that store on fire?” Su Nianqin said angrily.
Wu Yu noticed something was amiss and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Su Nianqin counted down: “Five seconds.”
“Four.”
“Three.”
Sang Wuyan hung up the phone. “I’m going out for a bit,” she said, then ran out the restaurant’s main door. She dared not test Su Nianqin’s patience.
By the roadside, she looked across, saw nothing unusual, and then intended to call him back, telling him not to make a fuss.
Just as she took out her phone, suddenly, her arm was grabbed by a strong hand. The owner of that powerful, undeniable arm pulled her without a word, dragging her to a car by the roadside. He roughly shoved her into the back seat, slammed the door shut, and viciously ordered the driver to lock the doors.
Her face was filled with terror. Only after seeing that the person who kidnapped her was Su Nianqin did she manage not to shriek.
Xiao Qin got out of the front passenger seat. “Mr. Su, calm down, let’s talk this out.”
People were already looking their way. If not for the fact that Su Nianqin was in a Bentley, or dressed impeccably, or didn’t look like a thug, even the aunties on the street would probably think it was a kidnapping and call the police.
Su Nianqin then got in from the other side, his face livid.
“Su Nianqin, what are you doing?”
“Sang Wuyan, you’re dreaming!” Su Nianqin said.
“Huh?” Sang Wuyan was completely bewildered.
“Unless I die, you wanting to be with another man is a pipe dream!”
Sang Wuyan began to understand.
Then Sang Wuyan’s phone started vibrating, and she didn’t even need to look to know it was Wu Yu calling. But she hesitated whether to answer or not, because she had no doubt that as soon as she answered, her beloved phone would be thrown out the window by Su Nianqin and smashed to pieces.
She had no choice but to hang up.
“We… were just eating…” Even Sang Wuyan herself didn’t know why she was stammering.
“You drank alcohol? You actually drank with him?!” Su Nianqin sensitively smelled the alcohol.
“This isn’t about accompanying or not. It’s normal for everyone to eat and drink together,” Sang Wuyan bravely retorted.
“In my eyes, it’s the same!” Su Nianqin raised his voice.
“Su Nianqin, can you please be a little rational?”
“You still know I’m a man!” Su Nianqin almost roared.
“What does that have to do with me?”
Xiao Qin was stunned. She had never seen Su Nianqin so angry before. Usually, at most, he would just show displeasure or say angry words, but he had never yelled at someone in that tone.
Even more shocking to her was that this Miss Sang could still bravely add fuel to the fire and confront him.
Sang Wuyan started to get a little angry, “You are you, I am me, we have no relationship whatsoever. Don’t just say drinking with him, even if I sleep with him, it’s none of your business!”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Su Nianqin roared.
As soon as she finished speaking, the furious Su Nianqin pulled Sang Wuyan’s arm, then clamped her chin, and fiercely kissed her. The first kiss was a little off, lips missing lips, but the second time, he immediately corrected it. Such a kiss had nothing to do with desire; it was as if he just wanted to vent all the anger in his chest. He ravaged Sang Wuyan’s lips, twisting her tongue. Completely disregarding the two people sitting in the front. Not until Sang Wuyan completely lost her breath and began to suffocate did he finally release her, satisfied.
Sang Wuyan gasped for air, her cheeks flushed crimson. Su Nianqin’s anger slightly subsided. It seemed he was quite satisfied with this method of punishment.
Xiao Qin, in the passenger seat, really didn’t want to speak at this moment, but she had to.
“Mr. Su, the banquet is about to begin. We need to go now.” The car had been stopped here for a long time.
This was a celebration banquet specially hosted by TORO’s owner to commemorate the successful merger between the two parties, and incidentally to set up his niece Peng Danqi with Su Nianqin. Therefore, Su Nianqin was the protagonist of the evening. If he didn’t go, people might immediately turn hostile.
Su Nianqin said, “Let’s go now.” He had originally come out for this matter.
“Then what about Miss Sang? Should we…” Xiao Qin meant to ask where to drop her off.
“She’s coming too.”
“Okay,” Xiao Qin no longer had any questions.
“What banquet? I’m not going,” Sang Wuyan caught her breath, but the flush on her face had not faded.
“Do you want to go back and continue with that man? You wish!” Su Nianqin narrowed his eyes.
“Su Nianqin, can we talk calmly?”
“You’re the one who wants to argue with me,” Su Nianqin corrected.
Sang Wuyan’s phone vibrated for a long time, not stopping, indicating that Wu Yu was truly worried.
“I at least have to tell Wu Yu.”
“Oh, right, he’s Wu Yu. Why are you always involved with men named Wu?” Although it was a question, Su Nianqin’s expression was saying: Absolutely not.
Sang Wuyan was speechless. He was even angry about this. After all these years, why couldn’t his mind mature a little?
Outside the window was congested traffic.
Su Nianqin suddenly said, “Give me back my thing.”
“What?”
“My watch,” Su Nianqin added. “The one you stole from my room that day.”
Saying that, he pulled Sang Wuyan’s hand and, without gentleness, put the one from his pocket onto her.
“I didn’t steal it, and that’s the one I bought,” Sang Wuyan argued, taking it out of her handbag and dutifully returning it to him.
“So you specifically wanted it back?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just heard Wu Yu say that your watch was very valuable.”
“Next time I hear that man’s name from your mouth, I’ll eliminate him,” Su Nianqin said.
Outside the door, Sang Wuyan was still making a final struggle, “Can’t I not go?” She really couldn’t handle that kind of situation.
“No,” the tyrant continued his tyranny.
Xiao Qin didn’t want her to defy Su Nianqin again and cause any sudden problems, so she advised, “Miss Sang, it’s okay. It’s just a small cocktail party. People come and go; you don’t necessarily have to talk.”
Sang Wuyan rubbed her forehead hard.
Su Nianqin forcefully made her arm loop through his, “You have to guide me.”
Then the main doors were opened by a waiter.
Sang Wuyan gasped. So this was the so-called small cocktail party. A huge domed hall, with dazzling crystal chandeliers. On the left, there was a small orchestra, and the sound of violins was melodious and graceful.
Sang Wuyan looked at her coat, jeans, and flat shoes, almost wanting to disappear into the ground.
She was about to pull her hand from Su Nianqin’s arm, but he clutched her tightly.
“Where are you going?” Su Nianqin lowered his voice, his tone fierce, but his expression remained smiling.
“I can’t do this; I’m scared to death right now.”
“You can still resist, which means you’re doing well; there are no signs of dying,” he continued to smile without warmth.
“You’re a beast in human skin.” After not seeing him for so many years, he had actually mastered the skill of speaking venomously while smiling harmlessly.
“If you try to sneak away again when I’m not paying attention, I can do even more vicious things.”
“What?”
“Like shutting your mouth in front of so many people.”
Sang Wuyan nervously covered her mouth, “You beast.”
“Want to try?” Su Nianqin raised an eyebrow.
Many people were looking their way, as they had never seen Su Nianqin with a female companion in public. And he was intimately whispering to this companion the whole way, making the women present extremely envious. Women who had interacted with Su Nianqin generally agreed that unless it was business, trying to get Su Nianqin to chat privately was harder than making a rooster lay an egg.
Xiao Qin also noticed the gazes of others and wanted to stop their “sweet” bickering. After all, Su Nianqin was the main character of the evening, and he had many important things to do.
Several people, holding wine glasses, walked towards Su Nianqin from a distance.
Sang Wuyan pleaded, “I really can’t handle it, and Xiao Qin wants to talk to you.” Then she winked at Xiao Qin.
Xiao Qin took the opportunity to say, “Mr. Su, I’d like to introduce you to TORO’s design director.”
Sang Wuyan took the chance to pull her hand away, handing him over to Xiao Qin.
“Where are you going?” Su Nianqin tilted his head and asked.
“To the restroom.” This should be acceptable.
“Remember what I just said,” he threatened her.
“I promise not to sneak off. You do your business,” then Sang Wuyan waved to Xiao Qin.
Xiao Qin, taking Sang Wuyan’s place, held Su Nianqin’s arm, helped him get a drink from a waiter, then guided him towards the crowd. They stopped to exchange pleasantries with each person. Su Nianqin remembered some voices, and for those he didn’t, Xiao Qin subtly reminded him. If she pulled his sleeve once, it meant to extend his right hand. If she pulled twice, it meant to extend his left hand. Su Nianqin’s furious mood from the car earlier had vanished. He wore a smile, was polite, and made no unnecessary movements.
If they were to clink glasses, Xiao Qin would lightly touch Su Nianqin’s wrist with her hand, guiding his direction.
Truly seamless cooperation, Sang Wuyan thought, while aggressively picking up delicacies to eat in the corner.
She had just taken a big mouthful of spaghetti with meat sauce when someone said from behind, “Big Sister is eating very contentedly.”
Sang Wuyan turned around and saw a handsome, stylishly dressed man smiling at her, revealing a row of neat, attractive teeth. She was always embarrassed when caught eating inelegantly.
“A little hungry,” Sang Wuyan explained. To maintain her remaining image, she reluctantly put down her plate.
“I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
Has it returned to simplicity? Are such pickup lines popular again? Sang Wuyan thought. She had disdained using this line even when she was pursuing Su Nianqin.
“Are you the newly announced Bond girl in 007?” Sang Wuyan blinked.
The man chuckled, “Big Sister, you’re very interesting.” He smiled brightly, showing his white teeth.
Sang Wuyan turned her head to pick grapes to eat, but accidentally knocked a few onto the floor.
Ever since she got involved with Su Nianqin, she had kept her distance from handsome men. One was enough; if she got involved with another, she would surely be tormented to death. Good-looking men were all difficult to deal with, so it was best to keep a respectful distance. This insight she had gained, she would definitely have to pass on to the next generation.
“I don’t think I have any ill intentions,” the other party realized her avoidance and explained.
“I’m afraid I do,” Sang Wuyan moved two steps away.
The man sized up Sang Wuyan and said, “Your attire is very distinctive.”
“This outfit of mine is the most ordinary on the street. Who knew I’d come to a place like this?”
“How did you sneak in?”
“Walked in through the main door,” Sang Wuyan gave him an eye roll, then continued eating.
“Are you a staff member?” the man concluded.
Sang Wuyan didn’t want to waste more words with him, so she gave him a “congratulations, you guessed right” expression.
“You’re a staff member and you’re hiding here eating?!” the man asked with interest.
“I came to help you taste if the food is good, if it’s edible, if it’s poisoned,” Sang Wuyan took another sip of her drink, and after swallowing what was in her mouth, said, “Sir, you seem very bored.” He was relentlessly disrupting her appetite.
“No choice,” the man shrugged. “Women these days are quite over-maternal, they like flawed men, and they turn up their noses at perfect, flawless men like me.” Saying that, he nodded his chin in Su Nianqin’s direction.
“He’s here for business; his purpose is different from yours,” Sang Wuyan disliked others speaking ill of Su Nianqin. “It seems you’re a playboy.”
“The term ‘playboy,’ in my opinion, isn’t derogatory. It simply means he hasn’t found his true love yet, so he’s constantly searching.”
This time, it was Sang Wuyan’s turn to smile.
“I admire Mr. Su very much,” the man said. “For someone with his disability to achieve this much certainly requires great perseverance, and he started halfway through, so the process must have been even more difficult. Actually, he doesn’t need to do any of this; the Su family’s fortune is enough for him to squander his entire life. But he seems to just want to prove to people that he can do what a normal person can.”
Sang Wuyan lowered her head; perhaps she understood who Su Nianqin wanted to prove himself to.
She felt a little sad, so she said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
As she started to walk, she unexpectedly stepped on the grapes she had scattered earlier. Pfft, the pulp was squeezed out of the grape, and then her foot slipped. Sang Wuyan panicked, reaching for the table, but only grabbed the tablecloth, which pulled down. With a tug, the white tablecloth shifted, and the cups and bottles on it all overturned. Bang— she fell to the ground, red wine spilling everywhere.
The man covered his forehead with a pained expression. Everyone looked in their direction.
Sang Wuyan was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
The man waved his hand, a little exasperated, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I won’t ask you to pay.”
But Sang Wuyan had caused such a big commotion that Peng Danqi was already walking towards them. Sang Wuyan desperately apologized to the people around her, then helped the waiters clean up the mess.
“Ruixing, why aren’t you helping your uncle entertain guests? What are you doing loafing around here?” Peng Danqi scolded the man, clacking her high heels.
“I…” Peng Ruixing, seeing Sang Wuyan, found an excuse, “I was asking this young lady about the food situation.”
Sang Wuyan was squatting on the floor, picking up broken bottles.
“Who is she?” Peng Danqi asked.
“A staff member,” Peng Ruixing said.
“Impossible. She’s not wearing a uniform and doesn’t have a name tag.” It seemed she was much smarter than Peng Ruixing.
Peng Danqi sized up the perpetrator. Because of the incident, the music had somewhat stopped, and some curious people gathered around.
“Young lady, do you have an invitation?” another event organizer came over and asked.
“I…” Sang Wuyan scratched her head. “I came with a friend.” She finally understood what it meant to be indebted.
“Oh? Which friend? We know everyone here,” Peng Danqi said.
Sang Wuyan saw the expression on the red-dressed woman’s face, as if she was sure Sang Wuyan had sneaked in for free food. Sang Wuyan looked around. There were many people, and she wasn’t tall enough to see where Su Nianqin was.
“Ahem, ahem…” Peng Ruixing stepped in to mediate, “Qiqi, that’s not very polite of you.” He thought, What’s the big deal about eating? Besides, one more person doesn’t make a difference. And she’s definitely not a reporter or a criminal. My cousin just has these annoying habits.
“Your new girlfriend?” Peng Danqi seemed to notice something.
“No. This little sister is too cunning; she doesn’t fall for my tricks.”
Peng Ruixing denied it.
At this moment, an arm from behind pulled Sang Wuyan. “What happened?” It was the belated Su Nianqin.
“I knocked over someone’s table and made a mess,” Sang Wuyan pouted.
“It’s fine. Mr. Peng and Miss Peng won’t mind,” Su Nianqin moved closer.
Peng Danqi, seeing Su Nianqin also come to help, broke into a smile, “It’s fine. Just have someone clean it up.” After a pause, she asked, “Nianqin, is this young lady your friend?”
“Mm-hmm,” Su Nianqin nodded. “I haven’t had a chance to introduce you to Miss Peng. This is my fiancée, Sang Wuyan.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Peng Danqi was startled, and Sang Wuyan’s mouth dropped open.
“I…” Sang Wuyan was stunned for a long time before she even thought of retorting.
Su Nianqin squeezed her elbow hard and whispered, “Shut up.” Then, Su Nianqin, with an unchanged expression, said loudly again, “Wuyan, this is Miss Peng. And beside her is Mr. Peng Ruixing, the young master of TORO.”
Peng Ruixing chuckled, “I finally found the only woman in the entire venue not attracted by Mr. Su’s charm, and it turns out she’s your fiancée.”
The cynical Peng Ruixing said it as a joke, but the speaker had no intention, while the listener took it to heart. To outsiders, it sounded a bit sarcastic.
Sang Wuyan frowned in displeasure and said, “Mr. Peng, what I want to say is that I am more attracted to him than anyone else, and I love him even more. You cannot doubt that.”
Su Nianqin’s hand gripping Sang Wuyan’s arm trembled.
Sang Wuyan then realized she had said something very revealing, and her face flushed.
Peng Danqi was a little embarrassed, but still remained sharp, “Mr. Su, when did you get engaged? You didn’t even inform us.”
“It was a long time ago, not just a day or two. We’ll definitely send you a wedding invitation when we get married,” Su Nianqin prevaricated with the two.
Xiao Qin thought, A boss is a boss; he killed three birds with one stone. Firstly, he cut off Peng Danqi and other women’s persistent pursuit. Secondly, he shattered Peng Ruixing’s baseless fantasies. Thirdly, he could take advantage of this Miss Sang.
After the Peng siblings left resentfully, it was getting late, so Su Nianqin took Sang Wuyan and bid farewell.
“I’m not engaged to you,” Sang Wuyan asked in the car.
“We got engaged three years ago.”
“Impossible.”
“Do you remember our last argument at home?”
“I remember,” Sang Wuyan said gloomily, unforgettable for life.
“What were the last words you said to me before you left?”
Sang Wuyan recalled that deeply painful argument, “If you’re always like this, I’ll get very tired?”
“No, the sentence before that.”
She thought again. It seemed to be: “We can go register our marriage immediately, if you’re still willing.”
“I am willing.”
“Huh?” Sang Wuyan didn’t react.
Su Nianqin turned his face towards her. His unfocused eyes were dark and bright, and he slowly repeated, “I said, I am willing.”
Sang Wuyan paused for three seconds, then grew anxious, “I didn’t propose to you. I was just repeating what I said back then.”
“You asked, I answered. Don’t go back on your word.”
“That was three years ago,” Sang Wuyan felt like she was a scholar meeting a soldier.
“Anyway, I agreed,” Su Nianqin acted shamelessly.
Sang Wuyan couldn’t argue with him.
She never could argue with him.
The car reached the city center, and she said, “I’m going home.”
“Are you going home to get your household register so we can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow?” Su Nianqin asked.
“Su Nianqin!” Sang Wuyan wanted to kick him out.
The tyrant fulfilled the woman’s request for the first time, dutifully sending her home.
Then Su Nianqin began to open the car window, letting the wind blow in, actively accepting the scent of this city, the city where Sang Wuyan grew up.
Anyone could tell that Su Nianqin was in an excellent mood at this moment, because of what Sang Wuyan had said to Peng Ruixing just now, if he hadn’t misheard.
She said she loved him, more than anyone else.