"When you confide in your beloved people, sometimes it's alright even if everyone is a villain in your story. Because your partner knows you and that deep down you don't hold grudges against anybody." Jianyu eyed Yingtai and paused to catch a breath. His mischievous behavior was gone completely.
"Trust your spouse, talk it through and get it off your chest. If you let your ostensible presumption bottle up inside instead of talking about it, I am sure you guys are fully aware of the consequences of it. So don't do anything you could regret later." Jianyu unhurriedly let out a word after one. As if his nonchalant tone cooled down the situation, there was pin-drop silent in the room.
Jianyu softly sighed and continued, "I have something to talk to Hualing. We will leave first."
Suddenly mentioning her name, Hualing jolted but followed Jianyu who was stepping out of the room. As if Xiulan was invisible, no one was conscious of her existence. No choice, she also excused and gave the couple the space.
As soon as she got out, she saw Jianyu and Hualing standing at a corner, having a conversation.
Jianyu said, "Are you still learning the recipes from Zhang Honghui?"
"Not anymore. I don't have time even if I want to."
"Good! It's best if you don't contact him if it's not urgent."
Hualing stared at him cluelessly, with no response.
"That is if you don't want to disturb their relationship. Which I know you won't."
"No way." She mumbled in astonishment. Although Hualing was acquainted with Honghui, they were not very close like she and Shaiming who she used to reprimand if the chance came.
Jianyu nodded to assure her assumption.
A waitress on duty was performing her work when she was summoned by Jianyu abruptly. She bowed to him respectfully.
"Take Hualing to my private room and serve everything she orders."
He then turned towards Hualing. "It's on me. Now I've got to go." He left without waiting for her reply.
He saw Xiulan walking away from the room earlier when he was talking with Hualing. Although he didn't know exactly where she was off to, he could predict.
"I knew you would be here." As expected, it was on the rooftop of the restaurant.
"I have already told you. You don't need to say sorry." As if the girl foresaw his arrival, she nonchalantly uttered while her back was facing him.
"I am not here to apologize. Why should I do that when I did nothing wrong?"
Xiulan frowned and turned to look at him, to witness that he was playing with her luxuriant hair.
When he felt her gaze, he said while his eyes were still glued to a tuck of hair he was holding, "You have beautiful hair."
Feeling butterflies trying to creep out in her stomach, Xiulan harrumphed to pull herself together and not grin in a silly way.
He released her hair and looked up at her with a fatherly smile on his face. "Xiaodai wants to keep her hair long and wavy too. It seems like she was inspired by you."
In the mention of his daughter, Xiulan's butterflies converted to a scorching pain like a flame of fire. She moved her vision to the sky, afraid that her feelings for him would revert if she kept staring at him. "I prefer to be alone. If you have nothing, can you please leave?"
She was telling the truth. She discovered a lot of facts that she had no clue about before, including her brother's quarrel with Yingtai, Hualing's private matter, and last but not least, everything that happened at the meeting. She felt like she didn't know anything about anyone, not even her brother and her best friend, let alone Li Jianyu and Tang Delun. Her previous prejudice about Tang Delun came clean now.
"Okay." He didn't protest her request, afraid that he would disrupt her peace, he turned around to leave.
"Wait. Who is the culprit?" Her voice instantly halted his step.
"Is that you?" Xiulan reluctantly asked, concealing her trembling tone. Tang Delun wasn't the perpetrator for sure. The only thing that directed him was Bai Shen's involvement which was uncertain verbal testimony of Jianyu.
"If I say no, will you trust me?" He straightened his body in her direction. Now they were standing face to face.
"I will. Just tell me the truth."
Her disclosure rendered one of his eyebrows raise as it caught him off guard.
"Don't look at me like that. I know I am dumb. If I am not, there is no way I got tricked by you."
Jianyu smiled. "Not dumb. It's called inexperienced."
"It doesn't make any difference. The fact that I got tricked won't change." Her sulky face was, in contrast, gleaming under the moonlight.
"What would you do if I did it?" He asked quietly.
She gave a fierce glance at him. "I would hate you."
"I didn't do it." His eyes showed no emotion, making it hard for someone to understand whether he was telling the truth or not.
A long silence filled and they kept staring for a while before she moved her gaze and posed an inquiry.
"Can I ask you another question?"
"Shoot."
"You even plotted against Weimin, who is your own brother, for profits. So it is less likely that you would do a thing that doesn't bring you any benefits. Then back on the train, why did you buy me snacks?"
He was caught off by surprise when she mentioned she believed Weimin. At first, he regarded they wouldn't reconcile too soon. It seemed like Xiulan gave her trust way easily.
"You helped my brother and I returned the favor." Short and precise, he answered.
Xiulan didn't anticipate anything, but his response made her sadden in a way that she couldn't describe. At least, she wanted to believe it was just a coincidence and his pure benevolence. She cast a self-deprecating smile. "I thought it was actually your birthday."
"That part is true. I don't tell lies." He sounded nonchalant.
"Right. You only stretch the truth. Don't you feel guilty? Not even a bit?" She furrowed her brow, anticipating something she had no idea of.
"Why should I? I haven't forced anyone to do something they ain't willing to do." In a sense, he was right. He didn't force her family to buy the pricey yard. He didn't pressure her to come to the meeting. They all made choices by themselves, including Tang Weimin and Tang Delun. However, her heart couldn't handle his answer and closed her eyes to calm her nerves.
"But you bend the truth and mislead people. You use me." She murmured without letting him overhear. Feeling suffocated to continue, she changed the subject, oblivious to a change of expression on the man's face.
"How about Hualing? She changed her job recently which is pretty confidential."
The man had his own thoughts to speak out, "Xiulan, don't trust people easily."
"It's none of your business. Just answer my question."
"She is working with me. I requested her to not divulge it to anyone." He thought to himself, 'Perhaps it's time I changed myself and faced the public.'
Xiulan frowned. "Just what do you do exactly?"
"As I said before, I am a broker." His tone didn't betray anything.
"And you do some investment." She squinted, "There is more to it than that."
He didn't retort back and tilted his head to look at the sky. She mirrored his posture to find her inner peace.
The cool air blowing past her cheeks gently swayed her hair backward. She wondered why he was still standing behind her but didn't make a noise as if he didn't exist. However, his unique perfume sold him out.
"Xiulan, thank you." His whisper was so low that he doubted whether she heard it or not as she didn't reply for a while. Just as he was about to open his lips again,
"For falling right into your trap easily? You are welcome."
Reluctant to say otherwise which might trigger her temper, he decided to seal his lips, but mumbled in his mind silently, 'It is for trusting me.' He smiled.
Without changing her posture, she uttered. "Learn your lesson. I don't know what you are trying to hide. But if you continue like this, you will be regarded as a shady scam." Xiulan had already decided she would cut down everything related to him and that she wouldn't be concerned about him anymore. However, it was always easier said than done.
She quickly added, "As a matter of fact, I don't care about you at all. I simply returned a favor since you helped my brother."
He beamed but changed the topic out of the blue, "Keep my phone number. In case you need it."
"No. Thanks." She responded swiftly.
His tender smile was evident as he also joined Xiulan and stared at the dark vast sky in which stars were twinkling in their own rhythm.
'It seems like it's time to confront it.' He thought.