Chapter 79: Playing Hard to Get

Growing up in an unloved environment, how could one still believe in love?

“Your fiancée is someone starved for love who doesn’t believe in it,” Yan Wei said slowly. “Especially with such a huge gap between you two—even ordinary people would feel insecure, let alone the two of you…”

Yan Wei shook her head, leaving the rest unsaid.

Yang Zhao’s expression grew inscrutable.

She had never considered these things before.

“What do you like about Hua Man?” Yan Wei asked, glancing at Hua Man not far away. The other woman was still looking in their direction, so Yan Wei curved her lips. “Her beautiful looks?”

“She does match my aesthetic perfectly,” Yang Zhao admitted frankly. From the very beginning, her attraction to Hua Man had started with sheer lust at first sight.

“There are plenty of beautiful people,” Yan Wei said, lowering her gaze to hide the unwillingness in her eyes.

Her own appearance was no worse than Hua Man’s.

“Yes, there are plenty of beautiful people,” Yang Zhao agreed. “But I only like her.”

Yan Wei: “Just because she’s good-looking?”

“Of course not.”

Yang Zhao denied it.

But she didn’t say more.

Hua Man had grown up in a dysfunctional family, but wasn’t that the same for her?

Hua Man lacked love, but so did she.

She craved Hua Man’s gentleness.

She loved the contrast between Hua Man’s outward appearance and her true personality.

Even more, she loved how Hua Man dared to rush forward to stop her, even when terrified, whenever she got angry.

After her mother’s death, few people had dared to “discipline” her.

Hua Man was the only one.

At first, she might have just wanted to tease Hua Man, but after spending time together day after day, she felt joy and endearment whenever she saw her.

She didn’t think liking someone needed many reasons. Liking was liking—it was a feeling that words couldn’t express.

“I like her in many ways.”

In the end, Yang Zhao summed it up concisely.

Yan Wei fell silent. What was the point of asking for more details? It would only drive the knife deeper into her own heart.

“Since you like her, then listen to me,” she said after a long pause, speaking earnestly. “I’ll help you.”

“You’ll help me?” Yang Zhao raised an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Yan Wei pursed her lips. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” Yang Zhao chuckled. If she didn’t trust Yan Wei, she never would have handed the company over to her.

“Then listen to me,” Yan Wei said seriously. “Hold back your affection a bit. Play hard to get, give her the cold shoulder. Let her recognize her own feelings, realize what love is, and make a decision.”

Yang Zhao took in the advice, pondered for a moment, then nodded. “I understand.”

She had plenty of tactics and had tried many methods before. One more wouldn’t hurt.

*

The sunset over the sea was beautiful, but Hua Man had no heart to appreciate it.

Her attention was entirely on Yang Zhao.

Yang Zhao seemed truly angry with her. From start to finish, she hadn’t turned back to look at her once, her attitude utterly cold.

Hua Man had never felt so uncomfortable from being ignored before.

She had endured plenty of cold shoulders growing up.

But none had hurt as much as this.

In that instant, she even wished Yang Zhao had always been this cold to her from the beginning. Then she wouldn’t feel this intense sense of loss now, making her suffer so deeply.

She had already witnessed such a vibrant, brilliant sun. When it set, everything became dull and tasteless.

“Hello.”

Someone sat down in the seat in front of her.

The face looked somewhat familiar. Seeing the other’s spirited features, Hua Man recalled her identity—Lan Qing.

Yang Zhao had beaten Lan Qing’s younger brother at Zhao Yang’s birthday banquet before. Later, at the Yan Family gathering, she had met Lan Qing again.

That time, the other woman had approached her first.

“What a coincidence,” Lan Qing said with a hearty smile.

Hua Man eyed her warily.

She had publicly declared herself Yang Zhao’s fiancée just yesterday, yet this woman was still coming over to chat her up. It was suspicious.

Either this person had designs on her, or she wanted to use her against Yang Zhao.

“Don’t be nervous.” Sensing Hua Man’s wariness, Lan Qing raised both hands in surrender. “I mean no harm.”

She slowly lowered her hands. “I just want to be friends with you. That’s been my goal from the start.”

Hua Man didn’t buy her nonsense.

“Last time we met, you were just A-Zhao’s lover. I didn’t expect you’d become her fiancée so quickly,” Lan Qing said with a sigh.

No wonder Hua Man had brushed off her invitation last time.

“If you have something to say, say it. If not, could you leave? I want to sit alone,” Hua Man said flatly, suppressing her impatience.

“Don’t be so cold, Hua Man,” Lan Qing sighed. “I told you, I mean no harm.”

“Friends are never a bad thing. Getting to know me will benefit you, whether you end up marrying A-Zhao or not.”

“Can you guarantee we won’t cross paths in life or work in the future?”

Hua Man’s eyes flickered. She had originally planned to refuse, but…

She would be entering the Yang Corporation soon. Connections were essential.

Sensing her interest, Lan Qing settled in more comfortably and steered the conversation. “I heard you’re joining the Yang Corporation? Has A-Zhao mentioned what position she’ll give you?”

“I’ll make my own way,” Hua Man replied curtly.

“She didn’t arrange anything for you?” Lan Qing’s eyes widened, her spirited face filled with indignation. “You’re her fiancée! Letting an outsider like Yan Wei run the Yang Corporation—what’s that about? I feel bad for you!”

Compared to her agitation, Hua Man’s emotions seemed overly steady.

She quietly watched Lan Qing, then nodded along after a moment. “Yeah, it’s too much.”

“A-Zhao treats you like this before marriage. I don’t even want to imagine how wronged you’ll be after,” Lan Qing sighed.

Hua Man’s gaze darkened. “Yeah. So what do you think I should do?”

“This is when you need friends,” Lan Qing persuaded. “When you’re upset, you can call me. We can talk it out. If you have any troubles you can’t solve, I’ll do my best to help.”

She was like a fox pretending to be pitiful, clumsily setting a trap right in front of her.

But Hua Man didn’t think she had anything Lan Qing could want from her. Lan Qing’s real target was Yang Zhao.

She nodded. “Alright, let’s be friends.”

Hua Man hated playing along with pretenses, but since the other woman kept trying to latch onto her, she’d cooperate and see what she was after.

Lan Qing visibly lit up at her words and pulled out her phone. “Great, let’s add each other on WeChat.”

Hua Man had just scanned Lan Qing’s QR code when a server suddenly bumped into her.

Crimson wine spilled all over Lan Qing.

“Sorry, sorry! It wasn’t on purpose!”

The server apologized immediately.

Lan Qing’s face darkened, and she slapped her hard. “What are you doing?! Sorry doesn’t fix anything!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

The server’s face swelled quickly, blood trickling from her mouth. She continued apologizing in panic.

Hua Man frowned subtly.

“Get lost!”

At Lan Qing’s words, the server scurried away in panic.

“Sorry, you had to see that,” Lan Qing said, standing with a grim face. She forced a smile and joked, “Luckily, that server spilled it on me. If it had been on A-Zhao, who knows what kind of revenge she’d get.”

Hua Man remained calm. “She wouldn’t.”

Her tone was utterly certain.

Lan Qing’s face stiffened for a moment before she adjusted and said softly, “I’ll go change clothes first.”

Hua Man hummed in response, her dislike intensifying.

No matter how much someone pretended, their inherent malice couldn’t be hidden.

It was completely different from the feeling Yang Zhao gave her.

Everyone said Yang Zhao had a bad temper and loved hitting people, but after spending so much time with her, Hua Man had never seen Yang Zhao strike a servant for an accidental mistake.

Unless it was deliberate betrayal or provocation.

She thought Yang Zhao was a good person.

No bad person secretly did charity without bragging about it. No bad person would say they disliked kids while secretly carpeting the entire house with soft mats to protect a blind child from injury.

Even putting soft corner guards on every table edge.

Yang Zhao seemed self-centered, but she was actually more attentive than Hua Man in some ways.

Wanting to drag Yang Zhao down? She should look in the mirror first.

With that thought, she looked toward Yang Zhao.

The person who had been sitting there was gone. Hua Man froze for a second, then scanned around for Yang Zhao’s figure.

She spotted Yan Wei first.

In the dancing crowd, she was dancing with a woman.

Hua Man quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, it wasn’t Yang Zhao.

It seemed to be Tan Baiyin.

—Yan Wei’s fiancée.

The thought had just arisen when a commotion erupted from that direction.

Hua Man looked over. The two who had been dancing hand-in-hand had become the center of attention. One stood coldly, while the other sat pitifully on the ground.

Someone tried to help Tan Baiyin up, but she pushed them away, staring stubbornly at Yan Wei.

Clearly, these two weren’t simple.

Someone chivalrously called out, “Yan Wei, your fiancée fell. Why don’t you help her up?”

Yan Wei’s expression didn’t change. Her gaze suddenly turned toward Hua Man, meeting her eyes across the crowd. Her voice rang out clear and bright: “She was my fiancée before. Not anymore.”

The words sent ripples through the deck.

Murmurs erupted immediately.

Hua Man’s pupils contracted slightly, her hands clenching unconsciously at her sides.

“This wouldn’t be because of Yang Zhao, would it?”

“I heard Yan Wei only agreed to the engagement to spite Yang Zhao. Turns out Yang Zhao didn’t take the bait and got herself a fiancée too.”

“No wonder Yan Wei’s panicking and rushing to cut ties with her own fiancée.”

“What about Yang Zhao’s fiancée then?”

“She’s an outsider. Why worry about her? Yang Zhao won’t skimp on money.”

“True, Yang Zhao’s the most generous.”

…

The gossip about the three of them was endless. Hua Man lowered her gaze, forcing herself not to listen or look.

“Yan Wei!” Tan Baiyin climbed up without help this time, grabbing Yan Wei’s hand tightly and gritting her teeth. “What do you mean?”

Yan Wei remained cold, shaking her off. “Exactly what I said. Our engagement is off. Marry whoever you want.”

“Aren’t you afraid of upsetting Dad and Mom?” Humiliated in front of everyone, Tan Baiyin’s face burned like she’d been slapped. She tried to stay calm. “If they find out, do you think they’ll still acknowledge you as their daughter?”

“Whether they do or not, what does it matter?” Yan Wei’s gaze held a hint of pity. “Even if I break the engagement, they won’t strike my name from the family registry or change your surname to Yan.”

Tan Baiyin’s face turned deathly pale.

Back when the Yan Family had found her and brought her home, Old Madam Yan had fallen gravely ill. One crisis after another plagued the family, leaving no peace.

Old Madam Yan was superstitious about ghosts and gods. She immediately summoned a fortune teller.

The verdict: This daughter clashed with the Yan Family. Only Yan Wei brought them prosperity. So to this day, Tan Baiyin wasn’t on the Yan Family registry. In the family tree, Yan Wei remained the only daughter!

After Yan Wei left the Yan Family, the family gradually declined, while Yan Wei thrived at the Yang Corporation. Skeptical at first of the fortune teller’s words, they now hoped Yan Wei would return and marry her.

Tan Baiyin resented Yan Wei. As a child, she had done many bad things to drive her away.

But over the years, that resentment had twisted into something more.

She both loved and hated Yan Wei, who avoided her like a viper. And now she dared to break the engagement… dared to?!

So brazen, treating her like nothing…

Yan Wei walked away without mercy. Tan Baiyin’s face flushed and paled as she stood frozen in place.

“Baiyin, don’t humiliate yourself. Yan Wei and Yang Zhao have been childhood friends for years. How can an outsider like you squeeze in?”

Someone threw shade.

Lan Qing, who had changed her clothes, stepped forward to help Tan Baiyin out. “Baiyin is already very upset. Don’t bully her.”

As soon as she said this, Tan Baiyin’s eyes reddened even more with grievance.

Lan Qing then pulled her along toward the room. “Look, your clothes are all dirty. I’ll take you to change into a new set…”

The two gradually walked away.

Hua Man thoughtfully withdrew her gaze.

What exactly was this Lan Qing trying to do?

Suddenly, her thoughts paused. What about Yang Zhao? Where had Yang Zhao gone?

With that in mind, she stood up and walked further inside.

The cruise ship was enormous, equipped with everything one could need. Hua Man walked for quite a while before she found Yang Zhao at an archery range.

Yang Zhao was the only one in the entire archery range, and it was so quiet that the only sound was the arrow slicing through the air before steadily embedding itself in the target.

Hua Man approached her.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the archery range, but Yang Zhao didn’t turn her head, her expression focused on the target.

However, her shots missed the mark one after another.

Her heart wasn’t calm.

Finally, sensing the footsteps stop behind her, Yang Zhao pursed her lips and held back from looking back.

“You haven’t taught me archery in a long time.”

Hua Man spoke first.

Yang Zhao’s gaze flickered slightly. She turned her head to look at Hua Man. “You don’t like archery. Forcing you to learn would only waste effort.”

“How do you know I don’t like it?”

Hua Man furrowed her brows.

Yang Zhao looked at her quietly for a moment but didn’t answer. She turned away and refocused on the bullseye. “I need to practice archery. You can go wander around on your own. I’m not holding you back.”

“It was my words that were inappropriate earlier. My mind couldn’t keep up, and I said something wrong that upset you.”

Hua Man admitted her own mistake.

“You didn’t say anything wrong.” Thinking of what Yan Wei had said, Yang Zhao restrained herself from looking at Hua Man. “It’s actually pretty good that you can sleep with me for free. You don’t need to overthink it.”

With that, she shot another arrow.

Unfortunately, it still didn’t hit the bullseye.

Hua Man: “If I didn’t say anything wrong, why are you angry?”

“Who said I’m angry?” Yang Zhao raised her brow, her tone cold. “Hua Man, don’t think so highly of yourself. I don’t have to revolve around you. I have plenty of people and things around me. Ignoring you is because there are more interesting things than you. It doesn’t mean I’m mad at you.”

As she spoke, she turned back to the target. “I’m going to shoot now.”