After nightfall, a torrential rain suddenly fell in Jiangzhou.
Wen Sheng, carrying a silhouette of rain mist, opened the front door, only to see two people entwined inextricably on the sofa.
Seeing Wen Sheng, Xun Ke quickly got off Jian Yukuo's lap, her face flushed with shame as she held together her torn clothes and uttered apologetically, "Sister Sheng... I'm sorry."
Wen Sheng's indifferent gaze fixed on the girl's face..., "Miss Xu, Jian Yukuo and I have already broken up. You both are now free."
Having said that, Wen Sheng walked straight into her bedroom, found a folder she had forgotten to take with her this morning and stuffed it into her handbag.
When she came out, both had dressed properly. Jian Yukuo was standing on the balcony, smoking with his back to her. Xun Ke was standing beneath the living room chandelier with her head lowered, her expression tense, when she attempted, "Sister Sheng, if you could just hear me out…"
"The cleaning lady I hired will be here at nine in the morning to take out the garbage," Wen Sheng interrupted her, walking over to the hallway to put on her shoes. "Miss Xu, I would appreciate it if you could avoid leaving any of your personal items behind, otherwise you'll have to look for them at the garbage dump."
Wen Sheng had already contacted a cleaning company in the afternoon. From nine o'clock the next morning, anything in the house that Xun Ke and Jian Yukuo had touched would be thrown away.
Filthy things were not meant to remain for long.
The next morning was the final deadline for Xun Ke to move out.
Without waiting for Xun Ke's reply, Wen Sheng confidently walked out the door and closed it behind her.
Not once did she look back at Jian Yukuo.
Relieved, Xun Ke let out a breath and, walking up to Jian Yukuo's side, playfully poked his waist, "Brother Yukuo, Sister Sheng just left. Do you want to chase her and explain?"
"So what should I explain? How I couldn't resist the temptation and ended up with you?" Jian Yukuo put out his cigarette on the ground, his expression a bit unsettling. "Or, should I explain why you refused to leave her house and asked me over to stir things up?"
From the moment she walked in to the moment she left, Wen Sheng didn't utter a single harsh word, but her dismissive attitude perfectly conveyed her disdain and scorn towards him and Xun Ke, masterfully mocking the two for their surreptitious affair.
An explanation?
What explanation could he possibly give?
Besides, Wen Sheng was a woman with a heart of steel.
-
Dashing to the high-speed train station, Wen Sheng boarded the train just in the nick of time.
Having spent the past few days busy with the target company's investment analysis report, Wen Sheng hadn't had a good night's sleep in a week. Luckily, the high-speed train journey from Jiangzhou to Qingzhou took three hours, so she could take this chance to catch up on sleep.
Her brief sleep was far from peaceful, and Wen Sheng had a dream.
In her dream, a heavy rain was falling as well. She hid behind a window, peeking through the crack to see a man and a woman hopelessly entangled within the room, their hoarse voices drowned out by the pouring rain. Later on, the weather cleared up, but uproar ensued, with gossip spreading and the man and woman, stripped of their dignity, fell to the ground in a pitiful state, blending in with the muddy floor.
When she woke up, tears streamed down her face.
Wen Sheng stared out of the window at the speeding night scene for a long time, only snapping back to reality when the train's broadcast announced their arrival at Qingzhou station.
Qingzhou was also experiencing a downpour that night.
She was dragging her suitcase out of the station when all of the taxis vanished.
She took out her phone to call a ride, but before she had a chance to type in her hotel address, her phone ran out of power and shut down.
Wen Sheng let out a sigh, put her phone away, and decided to stay put and continue waiting for a ride.
But after half an hour, the rain showed no signs of stopping, and there were still no taxis in sight.
The vast sky and earth were connected by cascading pillars of rain, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in the background. The alarmingly fierce rain had a bleak and melancholy air, radiating a sense of indifference towards human suffering.
Just as Wen Sheng was worrying about how to get to the hotel, a black car came to a halt in front of her.
The driver was a young man who rolled down the passenger side window and asked, "Heading to the city center?"
The man had a cigarette between his thin lips; his features were handsome and sharp, his eyes stern. His buzz cut gave off a touch of both defiance and wildness. His dark, tanned skin gave the impression of a man who often participated in outdoor activities, a look described as having a "healthy wheat complexion".
Wen Sheng politely indicated her destination and asked for the fare.
"Fifty," he said, alighting from the car and flicking the remains of his cigarette into the misty rain before turning to direct her, "You get in the car first and take shelter from the rain. I'll handle your luggage."
The two were close enough that the smoke from his cigarette was swept onto Wen Sheng's face by the cold night breeze, carrying a clean, indescribable smell. Wen Sheng, who usually detested the smell of smoke, at that moment, felt an inexplicable sense of harmony with this particular scent.
She couldn't help but look at the man's wheat-colored face, now wet from the rain, and suddenly found herself lost in his deep, dark eyes.
For the past few years working in venture capital, Wen Sheng had often travelled around the country. She was used to unforeseen circumstances and had had several experiences of carpooling.
Wen Sheng wasn't afraid, she opened the car door and got in.
After closing the car door, the man started the GPS and headed towards the city center.
With certain reservation, Wen Sheng asked, "Sorry, could I borrow your charger?"
Handling the steering wheel with one hand, he passed her the cable and casually asked, "Are you on a business trip?"
Wen Sheng acknowledged with a hum in response.
The car jarred slightly in the rain, and as Wen Sheng reached for the cable, she inadvertently brushed against his fingers.
For just one second, before they both quickly withdrew.
But that burning sensation surged into Wen Sheng's heart through her fingertips, evoking a tiny ripple of emotion.
After plugging in the charger, a WeChat notification from Zhu Qingjia popped up.
When Wen Sheng opened the voice message, Zhu Qingjia's distinctive voice filled the enclosed space, crisp, and full of indulgent encouragement.
"Baby, in the suitcase, there's a gift I meticulously prepared for you. Put it on and go on a date with a man in Qingzhou. Enjoy your wonderful and exciting first time..."
Halfway through, Wen Sheng hurriedly silenced the voice message and muted the notifications.
But it was too late.
Trying to remain calm, Wen Sheng stole a glance at the man in the driver's seat. He looked focused on driving, listening to music through a Bluetooth earpiece, seemingly oblivious to the voice message just now. Relieved, she put down her phone and continued charging, her attention falling on the man's hand on the steering wheel.
He had nice hands, well-defined joint lines, and slender and balanced digits which gave off a muscular presence under the dim light. He focused on driving, occasionally browsing through messages on WeChat during red lights, without attempting any conversation with Wen Sheng.
Wen Sheng withdrew her gaze, restlessly watching the fleeting lights of the night outside the window.
Zhu Qingjia's words and the man's resolute profile replayed in her mind over and over, like a spell.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up at a hotel entrance.
The man got out and politely helped Wen Sheng with her luggage. After thanking him, she asked, "How should I pay the fare?"
Fu Yanlin casually opened his WeChat and passed his phone to Wen Sheng, "Transfer via WeChat."
Wen Sheng assumed he would present a payment barcode for such a one-time transaction between strangers. But after scanning his QR code, she realized it was a friend request.
Wen Sheng smiled, her exquisite smile expertly concealing her awkwardness, "Wouldn't scanning a payment barcode be easier?"
Fu Yanlin nonchalantly said, "Add me as a friend if you need a ride in Qingzhou, you can call me."
After a pause, he added, "Anytime."
Wen Sheng eyed him suspiciously, then glanced at his black G-Series car. Even its basic configuration model starts at two million, and the high-end version costs more. Driving a G-Series while working part-time as a rideshare driver? Quite unique.
Understanding the meaning behind her look, Fu Yanlin casually replied, "Thrift is a virtue."
Wen Sheng nodded, accepted the friend request, paid, thanked him, then headed into the hotel carrying her suitcase.
While waiting for check-in at the front desk, Wen Sheng glanced outside the hotel and caught sight of his tall silhouette.
He was on a phone call, his head tilted, fingers occasionally bringing a cigarette to his lips, puffing out a stream of smoke. His expressions, ranging from serious to laughter.
He indeed looked very handsome. Even in casual sportswear, he couldn't hide his stunning looks and the compelling vitality he radiated.
Especially those hands. So nice.
Wen Sheng unconsciously thought of his crisp aroma mingled with the scent of his cigarette.
By the time she realized it, she found him standing at a distance, squinting at her with a deep, intriguing smile at the corner of his lips.
Wen Sheng nodded back at him politely, then turned away.
Three seconds later, the notification sound from her phone indicated a message on WeChat.
Wen Sheng opened WeChat. It was a message from him.
Beneath his black avatar, a three-word message.
"Are we on?"