Yang Zhao wasn’t worried about Zhao Ming escaping.
The entire Yang Family was hers—how could he run?
It was just that she hadn’t caught Qin Fangqin and Zhao Yang yet, so Yang Zhao still felt somewhat unsatisfied.
“Miss, you should rest early tonight.”
Yu Shan said concernedly from the side.
Yang Zhao turned to look at her. “How’s Tan Baiyin?”
“Don’t worry, Eldest Miss. There’s surveillance on the cruise ship—they won’t let her off.” Yu Shan hesitated for a few seconds before adding, “But I didn’t expect Miss Hua to go so hard. Tan Baiyin has a broken rib and is yelling about holding her accountable.”
Yang Zhao sneered.
Hold accountable?
What a joke. Her Manman had been acting in self-defense.
But since it involved Hua Man, she was a bit more cautious. She instructed Yu Shan, “Keep an eye on it. Don’t let it drag Manman into the mess.”
Her Manman had to stay clean, untouched by these filthy people.
…
The next day, when Hua Man received Yang Zhao’s message saying she’d come over for dinner together, her heart finally settled.
But Yang Zhao said she’d come to her place for dinner, not go out together.
Hua Man couldn’t help feeling a bit more nervous.
Thinking of Yang Zhao’s injured hand, she went to the supermarket, planning to buy some pig trotters or ribs to make soup.
Though the Yang Family had all the nourishing soups one could want, that was their business. Her making soup was her business.
She wanted Yang Zhao to recover quickly and wanted to do something for her.
Otherwise, she’d tossed and turned all night, her mind filled with images of Yang Zhao getting injured, leaving her unable to sleep.
Yang Zhao always had people stock her fridge with ingredients, so it had been a while since she’d gone out to buy groceries herself.
The supermarket was bustling.
After carefully selecting the parts she wanted and having the butcher chop them, she overheard people nearby discussing.
“Did you hear about the Yang Corporation’s eldest miss having a fiancée?”
“The eldest miss has a fiancée? Did I hear that right?”
“Yeah. Some paparazzi account posted it, with video too. It was on a huge cruise ship… Honestly, I wanna fight these rich folks for a chance. That yacht was insane—I might never get to board one in my lifetime…”
“Miss?”
“Miss!”
“Hm?” Hua Man snapped back to reality. The butcher had finished processing the pig trotters she’d wanted. She quickly took them. “Thank you.”
The two discussants walked away slowly. Hua Man pulled out her phone and swiftly searched social platforms for terms like Yang Corporation, Yang Corporation eldest miss fiancée.
Sure enough, she quickly found the video they mentioned.
It was from an account with a huge following. They’d posted a photo of Yang Zhao with her arm around Hua Man. Though her face was blurred, Yang Zhao’s wasn’t, and the two looked very intimate.
There was also a video clip of her introducing herself to others.
Her voice was clear in the video:
“Hello, I’m Yang Zhao’s fiancée…”
The last two words were muted, but it was enough to prove her identity.
In all the footage, only her face was blurred, her name erased.
Yang Zhao’s face was right there in plain view, while she was hidden completely. Hua Man wasn’t stupid—this was clearly Yang Zhao’s doing.
Yang Zhao had spread it herself.
Hua Man took a deep breath.
She couldn’t figure Yang Zhao out at all now.
But looking at these online comments, she actually felt the illusion that she really was Yang Zhao’s fiancée.
This wasn’t right.
If one day in the future, Yang Zhao dumped her again and she could no longer be the “fiancée,” what would she do then?
She couldn’t help but sigh.
She both felt that Yang Zhao truly liked her and clearly knew that Yang Zhao had made their fiancée status known to everyone for other purposes.
Liking someone didn’t necessarily mean marriage. Undeniably, Yang Zhao liked her now, and she liked Yang Zhao too, but who knew how many couples in the heat of passion never made it to the end.
Yang Zhao wanted her to enter Yang Corporation to keep an eye on Yan Wei, so she had given her the title of fiancée.
She needed to stay clear-headed.
With that thought, Hua Man sighed again.
Unfortunately, everything had become uncontrollable.
*
When Hua Man returned to the apartment carrying a bunch of groceries, she saw the car parked downstairs and knew Yang Zhao had already arrived.
She instinctively looked up toward her floor.
Coincidentally, Yang Zhao was standing on the balcony.
Seeing her look up, Yang Zhao waved with her uninjured hand, a bright smile on her face.
Hua Man couldn’t help but curve her lips.
Her steps quickened involuntarily.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Yang Zhao leaning against the entryway, looking at her with a half-smile. “In such a good mood today?”
Hua Man didn’t understand why she would think that. She didn’t feel particularly good today—of course, nor did she feel bad.
It had just been an ordinary day.
“Really?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course.” Yang Zhao opened her phone’s front camera and held it up to Hua Man’s face. “See for yourself.”
In the screen, her mouth curved up, her face showing an obvious smile.
Seeing this, Hua Man froze.
“And just now, you smiled at me so brightly,” Yang Zhao continued. “So why are you so happy?”
Why?
Hua Man asked herself inwardly.
Before she could speak, Yang Zhao hooked an arm around her neck with one hand, refusing to let her dodge. “I want to hear the truth.”
Hua Man feared she would touch her wound and quickly slipped out from under her arm. Before Yang Zhao could get upset, she said, “Probably because I knew you were coming.”
This was an answer Yang Zhao hadn’t expected.
After a few seconds of silence, she asked in disbelief, “What did you just say?”
But Hua Man refused to repeat it. She headed to the kitchen. “I’m going to prepare lunch.”
Yang Zhao followed closely. She wasn’t about to let Hua Man off that easily. “Hua Man, you weren’t just teasing me, were you?”
Hua Man’s vegetable-washing paused instantly, her ears turning red.
Yang Zhao looked curiously at the back of Hua Man’s ear, amazed at how quickly her skin color changed.
“No.” Hua Man turned back quickly. She seemed not to realize Yang Zhao was deliberately teasing her and earnestly explained, “You told me to tell the truth. I really think that’s why I’m happy.”
The more she said, the brighter Yang Zhao’s smile grew.
Hua Man frowned. “You don’t believe me?”
In the next instant, Yang Zhao’s face drew close.
Smack. Yang Zhao kissed her on the lips.
“Who said I don’t believe you?” Yang Zhao’s eyes curved with laughter. “I believe you.”
She stared intently at Hua Man for several seconds before saying seriously, “You’re happy just knowing I’m coming. Hua Man, do you know what that means?”
What did it mean?
Hua Man thought for a few seconds before saying, “That I like you.”
It was a definite tone.
She continued, “But isn’t it natural to like your own fiancée?”
Yang Zhao’s breath caught.
Several seconds later, she silently placed her uninjured hand on Hua Man’s forehead.
“Hua Man, you’re not running a fever, are you?”
Had she burned her brain out, or been possessed by some dirty thing? Why was she saying all these things Yang Zhao loved to hear today?
“No.”
Hua Man’s face burned hot. She stepped back to avoid Yang Zhao’s hand, realizing her words had been too bold. She felt a bit at a loss.
But if it happened again, she would still say the same.
Yang Zhao visibly lit up with joy and leaned in to kiss her again. When she dodged, Yang Zhao used one hand to steady the back of her head, stopping her escape.
Hua Man worried about her injured hand and feared hurting her in a struggle, so she let Yang Zhao have her way.
Their lips and teeth met, breaths intertwining.
It was the most intimate of acts.
The two kissed earnestly, unaware of the movement at the door until a startled cry rang out.
Hua Man immediately pulled away from Yang Zhao and looked outside. It was Auntie Liu.
She seemed startled by them and realized her noise might displease the hosts. Her face instantly filled with panic.
“Miss Yang, Miss Hua…”
She stammered for a long time, unsure what to say.
Yang Zhao, her mood ruined, looked sullen. “Get out.”
Auntie Liu had worked at the Yang Family and knew this eldest miss’s temper. Without hesitation, she turned and hurried away in a panic.
Hearing the door close, Yang Zhao hooked her pinky finger.
“Can we continue?”
Of course they couldn’t.
The embarrassment of being caught made Hua Man’s face red like a monkey’s butt. Her heart burned with shame—how could she think of kissing now?
“I’m going to prepare lunch.”
Hua Man schooled her face into seriousness.
Seeing her like this, Yang Zhao couldn’t help but tsk. Pretending to be so proper and stern—on the bed, wouldn’t she still use tricks even Yang Zhao didn’t know?
“Fine, fine. I won’t disturb you.”
She headed to the living room.
It had been a few days since she’d stayed here, but it didn’t feel unfamiliar. Instead, there was a strange sense of warmth.
But thinking back to what had just happened, Yang Zhao frowned again.
