Chapter 21: Accidental Encounter Part 1

The dim, amber glow from the old concession street’s lamps spilled over them. Refracted by the falling rain, the light washed over the sickly beauty’s face, splitting it into a sharp contrast of light and shadow.

On the side bathed in light, her smile was radiant. Her hair seemed gilded with a gentle, warm luster, lending a touch of vitality to her frail appearance.

But on the side veiled in shadow, there lay a pool of stagnant, murky darkness—a void so deep it seemed to swallow her very smile.

Shen Ruoshuang’s eyes were like tempered ice, dangerously dark, yet she met the provocation head-on.

Because Shen Yi had built her empire from the ground up in a modern industry, the Shen Group had long remained on the periphery of the Capital’s established aristocratic circles. Consequently, Shen Ruoshuang rarely accompanied her mother into these arenas of vanity and power.

Before tonight, she and Bai Ran had never met.

The person standing before her was the youngest daughter of the Bai couple and the future heir to the Bai family.

Beyond that, Shen Ruoshuang had zero interest in this irrelevant person, let alone any desire to understand her. However, it was clear that for some reason, the other girl had been observing and investigating her for quite some time.

As for the reason… Shen Ruoshuang narrowed her eyes.

That timid, soft figure surfaced in her mind once again.

“Miss Bai, your health is fragile. Let’s head inside before we continue,” the secretary interrupted, tactfully breaking the silent struggle between the two.

As the “old foxes” inside paused their pleasantries to look toward them, the two girls shared a tacit understanding. Simultaneously, they withdrew their clashing gazes without leaving a trace.

Bai Ran tilted her head slightly, allowing the light to fully illuminate her face.

The sinister aura from a moment ago vanished completely, replaced by an air of endless gentleness and tolerance. She nodded with a soft smile. “Thank you for the trouble.”

Powerful, yet silent.

The interior decor of Shiyan was perfectly integrated with the vintage garden villa exterior. Every corner exuded a meticulous, deliberate elegance—sophisticated and retro.

Of course, to the high-ranking figures of the upper class, such things were commonplace. The restaurant was merely acceptable in their eyes; they valued it primarily for its privacy and quietude.

Once everyone was seated, Shen Ruoshuang found herself directly across from Bai Ran.

Dinner was merely a formality. Almost no one touched the exquisite appetizers placed before them.

The conversation naturally drifted toward the younger generation.

“I heard that Ranran, Little Shen, and the Ji family’s child are all freshmen at X University this year. What a coincidence. It’s a pity our Ranran isn’t as outstanding as Little Shen; imagine winning so many awards while still in her teens.”

The praise for her daughter didn’t seem to stir Shen Yi’s expression. She merely replied with practiced humility, “It’s just academic posturing. If Little Bai had the energy for it, I’m sure she would find such things trivial.”

Bai Ran used a silver spoon to slowly stir the snow crab and seafood soup in her bowl. Her neatly trimmed, clean fingernails showed a faint, inexplicable tint of purple.

She raised her beautiful eyes, mentioning it as if it were a casual afterthought. “Oh, that’s right. The three of us are actually in the same dorm room.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the fork Shen Ruoshuang had just picked up struck the porcelain plate, letting out a sharp, jarring clatter.

Shen Yi was already displeased that Shen Ruoshuang hadn’t informed her of this sooner. Hindered by the presence of outsiders, she couldn’t lash out directly, but she cast a cold, warning glare at her daughter.

Shen Ruoshuang, however, seemed entirely oblivious. She kept her head down, her knuckles white as she gripped the fork.

The name that had been missing from the Room 503 roster was Bai Ran.

The “Miss Bai” standing before her was that very roommate.

The answer was now glaringly obvious. She wasn’t the only one after Xu Yinian. An enemy who had been lurking in the shadows had finally revealed herself.

Shen Ruoshuang had been careless. She had allowed such a person to slip through the cracks.

“Well, isn’t that perfect? They can look after each other. I was actually worried about Ranran moving into the dorm in a few days. Her health has been poor since she was a child, and this is her first time living away from home.”

Bai Ran’s mother appeared deeply concerned for her daughter, yet she didn’t even know that the date Bai Ran was set to move in was actually tomorrow. The greedy delight of a calculated business interest was poorly hidden in her eyes.

No one knew that from the moment Bai Ran was diagnosed with congenital heart disease—a condition that made it unlikely she would survive to adulthood—Mrs. Bai had stopped investing any effort in her. To keep this “disqualified” younger daughter out of the way, Bai Ran’s entire childhood had been spent in a remote sanatorium far from the Capital.

Anyone who knew that history would find the current display of motherly affection sickeningly ironic.

Bai Ran, however, acted her part in this “warm” moment without a hint of resentment. “I’ve told you so many times not to worry, Mom. I’m twenty now—I’m older than both of them. Can’t I take care of myself?”

The conversation lingered on them for only a moment before shifting back to the cooperation between the Bai and Shen families.

Unexpectedly, a mishap occurred when the food was being served.

For some reason, the server lost her grip on a tureen. A splash of scalding Buddha Jumps Over the Wall spilled onto Bai Ran, instantly staining her priceless skirt.

In a high-end restaurant where the average check was five thousand yuan per person, such a low-level mistake was inexcusable. The secretaries and assistants from both sides turned pale, rushing forward to see if the frail young lady had been burned.

Bai Ran shook her head. “It’s just a bit of soup on the hem. I’m fine. I’ll just go change.”

As she spoke, she picked up a silk napkin from the table and handed it to the trembling server. There wasn’t a hint of blame in her eyes—only comfort.

When her gaze landed on the red, scalded patch on the server’s hand, a look of pity and guilt crossed her face. “It’s a small thing. I don’t mind, so don’t worry. It’s your hand that took the brunt of it. Use this to wipe it and get it treated; we don’t want it to leave a scar.”