Chapter 18

Regarding whether Fang Nianchen had someone she liked, Yu Wan didn’t want to pursue the matter any further.

This wasn’t an ordinary question of right or wrong; asking it repeatedly with a questioning tone would only yield new answers.

This was a fact—she had no one she liked.

She didn’t know whether to feel relieved that no one could easily steal away the sun’s radiance, or saddened that the sun wouldn’t shine only for her.

Better to feel relieved, probably…

Lost in these thoughts, Yu Wan zoned out, her gaze settling on Fang Nianchen’s hand holding the chopsticks, gradually losing focus.

Fang Nianchen suddenly asked, “Do you have work this afternoon?”

Yu Wan’s black-and-white ensemble made people’s nerves tense just looking at it. Apart from being formal, it had nothing to do with comfort or ease—in fact, it was a bit tight, outlining her figure clearly with every movement.

Her proportions were too perfect; just one glance was enough to make someone blush.

Fang Nianchen’s face suddenly flushed, her eyes growing hot. She felt herself becoming improper—what was she doing idly scrutinizing her superior’s figure?

Yu Wan tied up her hair, exposing her fair neck, and tilted her head slightly. Her profile at a forty-five-degree angle was flawlessly perfect.

Her moist red lips showed she’d applied light makeup. Dressed so formally, she must be attending a very important and official occasion.

“Hm?” Yu Wan came back to her senses a beat late and slowly explained, “I have a friend’s engagement party tonight.”

She wasn’t close with that friend; it was just that their mothers were good friends. Her mom had called multiple times insisting she attend, and unable to stand the nagging—which had even seriously affected her work efficiency—she’d finally agreed.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Wan sensed something in Fang Nianchen’s words.

She didn’t dare hope for her to ask her to stay, but even a little request would be nice.

“It’s nothing, just afraid of delaying your plans.” Fang Nianchen was as polite and courteous as ever.

She hated troubling others most in her life. This mindset didn’t change based on how close they were—in fact, the closer they were, the more guilty she felt.

Not to mention, after realizing Yu Wan might like her, she was already terrified. Even the slightest goodwill, weighted with the massive counterweight called “ambiguity,” could crush her easily.

So with that casual remark about not wanting to delay her, she proactively created some distance to avoid being hit by that ambiguity.

Hearing her words, Yu Wan’s gaze sharpened—but not even a thousandth as much as usual—as she forcibly suppressed her disappointment: “After we finish eating, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head out first. You rest well.”

Fang Nianchen nodded and said okay.

After clearing the bowls and chopsticks, Fang Nianchen dumped them all into the dishwasher. When she stepped out of the kitchen, she saw Yu Wan had already changed her shoes and was standing at the door.

This lightning-fast personality felt normal at work, but seeing it in daily life was downright intimidating.

Fang Nianchen clearly didn’t understand why she was leaving so quickly and stood there stunned for a long time without speaking.

Out of kindness, Yu Wan explained proactively, “The place is a bit far, and it’s Saturday today—afraid of traffic, so I need to leave early.”

She was afraid that if she didn’t go now, Fang Nianchen’s condition would worsen because she refused to rest.

Fang Nianchen leaned against the kitchen doorframe with one hand and turned to look toward the balcony. Clouds were gathering outside, making it seem overcast compared to the clear skies that morning. “It’s going to rain tonight. Do you have an umbrella?”

“I didn’t bring one. Can I borrow one?”

Yu Wan’s greatest virtue was never rejecting her kindness, which spared Fang Nianchen a lot of unnecessary worry.

Long ago, she’d realized that every favor owed was a ticking time bomb, liable to explode who-knows-when or why.

She hated losing control, hated anything that made her uneasy.

Yu Wan had come specially today to take care of her and even cooked a meal. Though one umbrella was far from repaying the debt…

But this umbrella was like a deposit paid—knowing it could one day be settled brought her peace.

“Wait a sec.” Fang Nianchen quickly went into the bedroom.

Her usual umbrella was on the shoe rack by the door outside, but after years of wind and sun exposure, its original color was unrecognizable—not to mention it was a folding one, which didn’t match Yu Wan’s outfit today.

After rummaging for a while, Fang Nianchen pulled out a wooden box from the very bottom and took from it a long-handled umbrella. The handle featured an intricately carved dark gold iris pattern, wrapped in leather—a design both dignified and understated.

She weighed it in her hand, a strange thought flickering through her mind.

She took a deep breath to suppress it.

It took Fang Nianchen a long time to emerge from the bedroom, long umbrella in hand and her one and only suit jacket draped over her arm.

She’d bought this jacket for Tao Zhixing’s birthday party. Miss Tao’s twenty-second birthday had been grand, attended by many prominent figures. As a friend, she naturally couldn’t embarrass her.

Fang Nianchen rarely went out shopping on weekends and headed to North City’s most luxurious mall. Qiao Yan had picked this out for her, insisting it suited her aura and telling her not to smile while wearing it—it would ruin the vibe.

Fang Nianchen didn’t understand what “aura” meant, but that day, the dark gray suit jacket had made her feel uncomfortable all over, like a secret agent infiltrating a crowd who couldn’t smile. She’d kept a straight face the whole night, holding back uncomfortably.

That was the only time she’d worn the suit. But she had a hunch it would absolutely suit Yu Wan.

Drawing near, she first handed the suit to Yu Wan. Still ill, her voice was slightly hoarse: “It’ll cool down with the rain. Your outfit’s too thin; you’ll catch a cold if you get chilled.”

Fang Nianchen smiled. “It’d be a hassle like me, delaying money-making.”

Not expecting her to so generously lend her even the jacket, Yu Wan was a bit surprised, soon warmed by the gesture.

Her voice soft as she played along with the joke: “Sounds like quite a loss.”

Yu Wan came and went in a rush, staying no more than two hours by her count.

Watching the door close, Fang Nianchen finally relaxed her shoulders in relief, then slowly wandered back to the bedroom.

In searching for things, she’d practically turned the closet upside down, clothes piled messily on the bed. Normally she’d already be tidying nonstop, but now she had no time for it.

Her forehead started heating up again. She flopped onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Just before losing consciousness, a smug smile curved her lips.

—

Yu Wan went home first to change clothes.

What she wanted Fang Nianchen to see was precisely what she didn’t want others to see.

As for Fang Nianchen’s suit jacket, she didn’t wear it. She slipped a dust cover over it and hung it in the most prominent spot in her closet, then donned her own smog-blue suit and headed out.

She didn’t want Fang Nianchen’s clothes tainted with hypocrisy.

No one knew better than her what schemes her mother Shi Yumei was playing. If she hadn’t smelled profit in it, why would she force her so emotionally?

The engagement party was just a facade; Shi Yumei wanted to use this chance to link her with someone else. She naively thought as long as she didn’t reveal the person beforehand, it would be fine.

This wasn’t the first time Yu Wan pitied her for it.

The engagement banquet was held at North City’s largest five-star hotel, a property under the renowned “Guancheng” Group’s banner.

Guancheng Group was financially powerful, with businesses across the nation. Though she’d heard of it before, stepping into the opulent lobby for the first time, Yu Wan still felt the scene before her eyes wasn’t quite real.

It was more like a movie set—the lobby alone spanned thousands of square meters, with a red carpet stretching up the stairs. Famous paintings hung on the walls, supposedly originals bought at great expense from foreign collectors by Guancheng Group’s chairman.

Yu Wan placed the umbrella in the umbrella rack at the entrance, straightened her clothes, and walked inside.

Behind her, a woman slowly approached, staring fixedly at the umbrella she’d placed, then picked it up for a close look.

A moment later, she spoke: “Miss, this umbrella is so unique—leaving it here makes it easy to lose.”

Yu Wan turned at the voice. Before her stood a woman in an ink-green qipao, slender yet voluptuous in one spot, chin slightly raised with a hint of disdain.

The next second, the disdain turned to an awkward smile: “Why not entrust it to the staff here? You can pick it up after the banquet.”

Yu Wan’s expression was indifferent, highly wary of the strange woman’s approach. Their gazes clashed without flinching.

“Sure, thanks.” Yu Wan saw no malice in her eyes and admitted she was a bit judgmental—someone dressed so solemnly shouldn’t have ill intentions toward an umbrella.

The woman in the qipao handed the umbrella to the person behind her and said to Yu Wan, “Have fun.”

Her tone was like that of the host. Yu Wan grew a bit suspicious of her identity.

The woman backed away a few steps from Yu Wan, nodded, turned gracefully, and walked slowly away, vanishing into a room just steps ahead.

Tonight’s host wasn’t her, so Yu Wan wasn’t affected by the minor interlude and continued inside.

She deliberately delayed a bit; by the time she arrived, the banquet had started a few minutes earlier. The guests filled the seats but weren’t rowdy like at typical banquets.

They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, gently clinking highball glasses. The wine, laced with the scent of money, went down and stirred ambitions.

Yu Wan hadn’t drunk any alcohol. She found a spot in the corner to stand, sent Shi Yumei a photo to let her know she’d arrived, then pocketed her phone, planning to exchange greetings with the bride and leave.

She had to slip away before Shi Yumei replied to her message. Otherwise, her intentions would be exposed, and it would be hard for her to extricate herself.

After circling the banquet hall once, Yu Wan saw that the bride was still busy. No longer lingering, she got an umbrella from a server and headed to the parking lot.

Sure enough, just as Fang Nianchen had said, a torrential downpour started moments later. Protected by the umbrella, Yu Wan reached her car completely dry.

As she reached to open the car door, a voice came from behind her. “Ah Wan, why are you leaving already?”

It had been a long time since they’d met, and Yu Wan thought she could at least manage a polite smile for him. But perhaps because of the gloomy weather, her composure vanished in an instant. She stared coldly at the man in front of her. “Why are you here?”

Chen Yuyang was dressed in a sharp suit, a head taller than Yu Wan. Holding an umbrella, he had to lower his head to look at her.

With the heavy scent of tobacco clinging to him, he spoke. “Auntie asked me to take you to meet some people. There are a lot of prominent investors here tonight. If we can help Auntie secure some investment, it’ll make her business a lot easier.”

Without waiting for Yu Wan’s response, Chen Yuyang grabbed her arm. “It’s been a while since we caught up anyway.”

“Let go.” Yu Wan’s words carried a sharp edge. “Chen Yuyang, know your place.”

Chen Yuyang let out a helpless laugh. “When did we get so distant? Ah Wan, I’ve always treated you like a little sister. Helping you and helping Auntie is the same as helping family in my book.”

Suppressing her anger, Yu Wan tried to be as polite as possible. “What did my mom say to you?”

“She didn’t say much. Don’t be so wary of me—I wouldn’t harm you.” Chen Yuyang was strong and refused to let go, clinging shamelessly.

“Chen Yuyang, this is my final warning. Let go.” Yu Wan’s right hand gripped the umbrella handle tightly. The discomfort from his touch made her feel, for the first time, like her emotions were about to spiral out of control.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from afar. Even through the rain, the click of high heels on the ground was clear.

“Miss, are you in some kind of trouble?” The woman in the qipao was alluring and seductive, approaching with graceful steps.

Stopping in front of Yu Wan, she looked up with a smile that could topple cities. “It’s you. What a coincidence.”

“What a coincidence.” Yu Wan responded politely on the surface, but she had no patience to deal with her right now—Chen Yuyang alone was enough of a headache.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yuyang released her hand and said to the woman beside them, “Miss Yin…”

Taking advantage of his loosened grip, Yu Wan quickly pulled her arm back.

“This young lady is my friend. Could you give me some face and let her leave happily tonight?” There was no aggression in the woman’s words; she even softened her tone deliberately. But upon closer reflection, it felt like she knew the outcome and was saying it just to embarrass him.

What a nasty personality, but at least it wasn’t aimed at her.

Yu Wan breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze shifting back to Chen Yuyang as she silently waited for him to back off.

Sure enough, Chen Yuyang didn’t continue pestering her to go with him. He frowned at Yu Wan. “Ah Wan, we’ll talk another time.”

Yu Wan didn’t want to exchange a single word with him. Expression indifferent, she watched him disappear into the night.

“Miss Yin?” After Chen Yuyang left, Yu Wan tentatively spoke up. “Is that how I should address you?”

The woman nodded. “Hello, Yin Chi.”

“Thanks for helping me out of that. Here’s my business card—if you ever need anything, feel free to contact me.” This was the first business card Yu Wan had handed out that night, even though she figured a woman like Yin Chi probably didn’t need it.

She wasn’t willing to follow Shi Yumei’s instructions and hook up with business partners for her, but she was happy to repay Yin Chi’s favor.

After all, tonight she was still giving face to the past, and with Shi Yumei as backup, she couldn’t afford to tear into Chen Yuyang outright.

She owed her escape to Yin Chi.

Unexpectedly, Yin Chi extended her slender fingers and took the business card.

Her gaze fell on the umbrella in Yu Wan’s hand, and she smiled. “I think I’ll need it quite a bit.”