Fang Nianchen took a week off from the company, wanting to focus on resolving the issues at hand.
As for resigning, she knew that even if she didn’t bring it up, Fang Congshan could use forceful means to get her fired.
Everything proceeded smoothly as she had anticipated, except Yu Wan’s sudden appearance.
She discovered that her emotions fluctuated wildly depending on who she was facing.
A mix of sorrow and joy surged like waves several times stronger than usual, shattering the dam of her forced composure. She was swept into the turbulent currents, on the verge of drowning.
Only Yu Wan was willing to be the floating waterweed, steadily supporting her and granting her a moment of peace.
The water ghost named “panic” stomped anxiously in the water, unable to harm anyone before sinking back to the lake bottom. Only then did Fang Nianchen’s mood calm, and she gradually released her grip on Yu Wan, propping herself up again.
“Feeling better?” Yu Wan asked patiently, tucking her slightly disheveled hair behind her ear.
Fang Nianchen swallowed, suppressing the lingering grievance, and nodded.
Yu Wan took her hand. For some reason, Fang Nianchen’s hand had turned ice-cold again.
So she cupped it with both hands, warming it up.
Pulling her to sit on the sofa, Yu Wan asked, “Want some water?”
“No need.” Fang Nianchen looked up at her and patted the spot beside her. “You sit first.”
The rush to return home made her longing to reunite the most intense.
Chatting on the phone or seeing each other through a screen always felt unreal.
Only when facing each other in person, truly feeling one another’s presence, did she feel at ease.
Whenever Yu Wan was around, Fang Nianchen always pushed her own troubles aside. “Why did you suddenly come back? You didn’t even tell me. Did you come straight from the airport? Is your work over there done?”
The questions came endlessly.
Tears still glistened in Fang Nianchen’s eyes, her glaring gaze bright and eager for answers.
Yu Wan had always liked her vibrant, energetic side, but now she preferred this unintentionally revealed softness.
With an inadvertent smile, she said softly, “To give you a surprise, I played the bad boss for once and made them work overtime every day.”
“That must have been so hard on you…” Fang Nianchen’s brows drooped, empathizing with Yu Wan’s fatigue.
“It’s okay.” She was so obedient and understanding that Yu Wan couldn’t help but affectionately ruffle her hair. “It’s my fault for missing you too much.”
Seeing her made it all worth it.
“You’re not at work. Are you feeling unwell?” From the moment they met, Fang Nianchen hadn’t seemed quite right.
No energy, all wilted.
Fang Nianchen froze, her expression flustered. “No… kind of.”
It was mainly a psychological issue affecting her body, making her look exhausted.
Hearing her fragmented words, Yu Wan stopped pressing and just gazed at her steadily.
Meeting her eyes, Fang Nianchen blinked unnaturally. “You promised me—if I tell you, you won’t get mad.”
She always lacked confidence in front of others, but this time was different.
She knew Yu Wan had deliberately avoided mentioning Shi Yumei before, trying to keep her out of it. She had repeatedly warned her not to get involved.
But this wasn’t Fang Nianchen’s first act of rebellion. She skillfully broke the promise, taking matters into her own hands to solve it her way.
Still, she didn’t want to lie to Yu Wan.
She knew whether proactive confession or passive discovery would make Yu Wan more uneasy.
“The way you put it means you’ve already anticipated I’d be angry.”
Fang Nianchen hoped Yu Wan’s intuition wasn’t that sharp.
It made her feel like a kid lying to the teacher about not bringing homework, only to get hit with “No homework means you didn’t do it,” perfectly shattering her little scheme.
“If you’re going to be really mad, then I won’t say it.” Fang Nianchen clumsily bargained with her. “Maybe I just won’t say it…”
“No.” Yu Wan looked serious. “How can you say half and stop?”
President Yu’s aura was as imposing as ever. The moment she put on a stern face, Fang Nianchen went rigid.
“Fang Nianchen.” Worse still, Yu Wan started calling her full name. “If you don’t tell me, I guarantee I’ll be even angrier.”
In this situation, there was no fooling her way out.
She had no choice but to surrender.
“Okay… I’ll tell you.” Fang Nianchen lowered her head and tugged at her clothes. “I went to see Chen Yuyang.”
—
Although Fang Congshan had promised to handle the high-interest loan sharks, Shi Yumei still owed Chen Yuyang three million.
Compared to those ruthless debt collectors, Chen Yuyang posed no real threat, but he was annoying like a fly.
On Monday, Fang Nianchen went to Chen Yuyang’s company and met him in the reception room.
She had learned that Chen Yuyang had recently taken over the family business and hadn’t shown up for a long time—probably puffed up because of that.
He used to swagger around living off his dad’s payroll; who knew how arrogant he’d gotten now.
Seeing it was her, Chen Yuyang sneered disdainfully. “You again?”
He had noticed she seemed close to Yu Wan. Every time Yu Wan was mentioned, she got unusually agitated.
“For Miss Yin’s sake, I won’t hold your little punch against you, but don’t keep crossing my bottom line!” Chen Yuyang’s voice rose, deafening in the small reception room.
Who cared where his bottom line was.
Ignoring his building emotions, Fang Nianchen said, “Last time, you said Senior’s mom owed you three million. I’m here to pay it back for her.”
The phrase “Senior’s mom” was a mouthful; it took Chen Yuyang a moment to process.
“Hmph…” Chen Yuyang pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, hands on the table, looking down at her. “Big talk. That’s three million! You think you can just pay it? I know who you are—you’re tight with Miss Yin, but you’re just a stinking wage slave making a few thousand a month. Where’d you get the money?”
“Don’t puff yourself up and borrow from loan sharks.” Chen Yuyang cackled weirdly as he spoke.
Fang Nianchen had no time for his antics. She quietly pulled the check from her bag and held it between them.
She glanced up lightly, drawing his gaze to the check.
Chen Yuyang looked down and clearly froze.
A few seconds later, he reached out to pinch the thin paper. As he looked, his brows furrowed. “You trying to fool me with a fake check?”
As he spoke, his other hand grabbed it, making to tear it.
“Don’t get worked up.” Fang Nianchen stopped him in time. “To verify if it’s real, just go to the bank. I’ll go with you—it won’t take long.”
No matter how hard he tried to act tough, he couldn’t hide his petty, short-sighted nature.
If it were one of his elders, seeing Fang Congshan’s signature, they’d know who she was.
Fang Nianchen suddenly realized she had developed a new guilty pleasure: enjoying watching fools make idiots of themselves.
Chen Yuyang jutted his neck out. “Fine, let’s go. I’ll see what trick you’re pulling.”
The bank was nearby; a five-minute drive.
The moment the staff heard they wanted to cash a three-million check, they ushered them straight to the VIP room.
A specialist soon verified the check and confirmed it was genuine. Fang Nianchen watched silently as Chen Yuyang’s smugness turned to shock.
She suggested, “Since we’re here, just deposit the money into your account directly. That way, no issues later and you won’t come bothering me.”
“Where’d you get this money?” Chen Yuyang finally sensed something off.
“That’s not for you to ask.”
“You damn woman.” Chen Yuyang gritted his teeth. “Even if you paid off Yu Wan’s debt for her, so what? I’ve liked her for so long—I won’t let her go that easily.”
“There isn’t a single thing in this world Your Dad can’t get!”
His rant was so impassioned, but Fang Nianchen just smiled faintly.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing.” Fang Nianchen’s attitude remained casual and understated, making Chen Yuyang look even more like impotent rage.
It was like punching cotton—utterly frustrating.
Ignoring that they were in a bank, Chen Yuyang grabbed Fang Nianchen’s collar with one hand. “You’ve pissed me off. Don’t think anyone can protect you this time.”
“I’ve had it in for that bitch Yin Chi too. This time, Your Dad’s taking you both down!”
Ignorance is bliss.
He even dared mention Yin Chi—Fang Nianchen admired his courage at that moment.
The bank staff, unaware of the situation, rushed over to intervene, struggling mightily to pull Chen Yuyang away.
Fang Nianchen, her collar yanked tight, struggled to breathe. Once released, she coughed violently.
For some reason, as the suffocation hit, she felt an inexplicable thrill.
But as air refilled her lungs, the sensation vanished without a trace.
She had no mind to ponder the root of it now, just insisting that Chen Yuyang hurry and transfer all the money to his account.
Once everything was settled and they left the bank, Chen Yuyang didn’t lunge at her again.
He had one hand tucked into his pocket, looking Fang Nianchen up and down.
Too ordinary.
He had been shocked for a moment when he saw the check, but Fang Nianchen just didn’t give off the vibe of those rich heirs he’d dealt with before. She was so cheap it wasn’t even worth mentioning.
Getting angry with someone who looked this poor and pathetic would hurt his dignity.
In hindsight, he regretted his rash actions a bit.
But… how could he ever admit his mistakes?
Standing in the sunlight, Fang Nianchen’s gaze darkened. “I’ve paid back all the money. So, does that mean you won’t harass Yu Wan anymore from now on?”
It sounded more like a warning than a suggestion.
“I’ve paid back the money, sure, but what about the favor Ah Wan owes me? How’s she gonna repay that?” Chen Yuyang’s face turned vicious. “She can’t escape. Marrying me and having my kids—that’s her fate. You think you alone can stop all this?”
Perhaps the sunlight was too piercing; Fang Nianchen narrowed her eyes and took a step back, melting into the shadow cast by the eaves.
“Just you wait.” Chen Yuyang was still spitting threats, his brain directly wired to his mouth as he jabbed his index finger in the air from afar.
With that, he turned, got into his car, and sped off.
Fang Nianchen stood there for a long time, her gaze following his car until it vanished around the corner.
Though she had always refused to admit it, she shared at least half her traits with that beast named Fang Congshan—and the thought alone made her nauseous.
But now, she was slowly compromising.
Things ingrained in one’s genes couldn’t be changed, and besides, she was naturally good at putting on a facade. In the end, her hypocritical mask had even fooled herself into thinking she was such a good person.
This time, she’d naturally lured the prey into the trap, and the one wielding the knife wasn’t her, which gave her a bit of solace.
Perhaps… she wasn’t like Fang Congshan after all.
Fang Nianchen went home, feeling a bit off at first. That night, she had a splitting headache and felt completely drained.
But by the next day, all those symptoms were gone, as if nothing had happened.
However, from that day on, she started having frequent nightmares—chaotic and muddled ones where even she couldn’t say what role she’d played.
With Yu Wan not by her side, she felt uneasy all day long.
During this time, afraid that Qi Fang couldn’t track Chen Yuyang based on the account the check was deposited into, she proactively contacted him and told him about Chen Yuyang.
She figured she’d already warned Chen Yuyang, but he was too stupid and stubborn, insisting on making everyone’s life miserable.
This wasn’t her fault.
—
“So… you just gave him three million like that?” Yu Wan was first shocked, then baffled. “Where did you even get that money?”
“That’s what I’m about to tell you…” Fang Nianchen was nervous, like a schoolgirl who’d done something wrong—or rather, one who’d done it knowingly.
She only dared steal glances at Yu Wan’s face, which had turned slightly red from holding back her anger.
“Actually, these past few years, I’ve been hiding from my family. They didn’t know I was in North City.” Fang Nianchen didn’t want to rehash all that family drama. “Not long ago, I finally contacted my dad and asked him for help.”
Yu Wan called her name heavily: “Fang Nianchen—”
“I was wrong, I was wrong… I really just wanted to help you.” Fang Nianchen panicked the moment she heard her full name, her face flushing red. “I had no other way. That money was a loan from him, and I’ll pay it back later.”
“And also… as a condition for my dad helping me, I’ll be going to the UK for a while to handle some things for him.”
Three million and going to the UK—Yu Wan pieced it all together into a full storyline in her mind.
She finally got it: Fang Nianchen was a hidden rich second-gen.
It made sense that she’d have conflicts with her family. And after disappearing for two years, those issues clearly weren’t resolved yet.
What the hell? Why show up now, of all times, and force herself to do things she didn’t like for someone else’s sake?
What Yu Wan couldn’t accept most was that Fang Nianchen was starting to wrong herself.
Her own plan had been perfect—she would protect Fang Nianchen. But in the end, it was her own mess that Fang Nianchen had to clean up.
It left her feeling utterly defeated.
She was angry, but entirely at her own incompetence.
“Senior…” Fang Nianchen inched closer uneasily, her tone full of placation. “It was my fault for doing all this without discussing it with you first.”
Yu Wan ignored her, still mad, and silently scooted farther away.
……
Fang Nianchen was on the verge of breaking down—this was even worse than she’d imagined.
When Yu Wan pulled back, she didn’t dare close the gap again.
The awkwardness in the air solidified and crashed down, hurting more than hailstones at the end of summer.
“I never thought you’d…” Yu Wan started, then choked up.
There were too many things she hadn’t expected.
“Hm?” Fang Nianchen listened intently. “What didn’t you expect?”
Yu Wan took a deep breath. “Will your family be mad now that they’ve found you? Did they bully you?”
Fang Nianchen hadn’t prepared for that question, so all her rehearsed answers went out the window. She had to improvise.
To be honest, that slap from Fang Congshan had hurt like hell.
But Fang Nianchen smiled. “He’s my dad. He wouldn’t do anything to me.”
Yu Wan relaxed a little.
True enough.
Even a tiger wouldn’t eat its own cubs. People like Shi Yumei were way too rare in this world.
She let out a breath, her shoulders loosening, no longer as tense as before.
Reading her expression, Fang Nianchen asked, “Are you still mad?”
Yu Wan shook her head. “You’ve already given the money, but I can’t let you pay it back for me.”
Yu Wan went over to grab her bag, pulled out two cards, and handed them to her. “It’s definitely not three million, but take it for now.”
“I don’t…”
“Hm?”
“Oh…” Fang Nianchen accepted them reverently with both hands. “Thank you.”
Yu Wan asked again, “When are you going to the UK?”
“Next month.”
“Next month…” Yu Wan repeated softly. “So you’re quitting your job.”
“Yeah. I’ve already submitted my resignation letter.” Fang Nianchen had thought about the very concerns worrying Yu Wan.
Long-distance relationships, even for a short time, were tough.
She never doubted Yu Wan’s feelings for her; she just instinctively didn’t want to leave her.
Seeing Yu Wan wasn’t mad anymore, Fang Nianchen took her hand again. “It won’t be for too long.”
“You promise?”
“I promise!” Fang Nianchen was this close to swearing on the heavens.
Seeing how dead serious she looked, Yu Wan finally dropped her fake stern anger policy, her expression softening again.
“Little Rascal.” It was the first time Yu Wan called her that to her face.
She really thought Fang Nianchen was no ordinary rascal. She’d been worried sick about her, but here she was acting all casual.
Now she could only trust her unconditionally and help her as much as possible.
Bad in a pretty high-level way, she supposed.
Fang Nianchen tilted her head, struggling to parse the nickname.
“Where’d I go bad?”
Yu Wan leaned down, pinched her nose, and wiggled it. “Once you’re in the UK, I won’t be able to help you with anything. If you get bullied and won’t tell me, I’ll be dying of worry.”
Looks like she really wasn’t mad anymore, showing her concern without any pretense.
“I won’t.” Though she wouldn’t truly be that dependent, Fang Nianchen half-jokingly promised, “When I can’t take it anymore, I’ll call you crying and beg you to pick me up and bring me home.”
