Inside the private hot spring at Jiuqu Villa.
Wen Zhi's complexion appeared especially rosy from soaking in the hot spring pool for too long; Meng Fan caught a glimpse and nearly had his eyes glued to her.
"Meng Fan," Wen Zhi's voice was weak, "I'm dizzy."
The smile on Meng Fan's face froze; he quickly reacted and hurried to help Wen Zhi out of the hot spring pool, "Crap! I forgot about your kidney deficiency."
"..."
Meng Fan slapped his forehead, finally remembering, "My bad, I got it wrong, you have yin deficiency. When I asked you to come down earlier, I thought fifteen minutes of soaking would be fine for you, but you couldn't even last a few minutes; you're really deficient. What are we going to do when we get married?"
"..."
That's thinking too far ahead.
Wen Zhi went to change back into her clothes and put on her glasses; the thick bangs restored to their place. When she came out, Meng Fan had already returned to the hot spring, blissfully soaking.
"Zhizhi, come here quick; I still have many interesting stories about recent events to tell you."
As Wen Zhi approached, she said, "Meng Fan, I have to go back."
Meng Fan's mouth turned downward, looking visibly downcast, "Leaving so soon? You promised to keep me company."
Wen Zhi said, "Before I left, I told Aunt Qin about my schedule, and she mentioned there's a family banquet at noon. She was hinting for me to return early."
"Then alright, I'll take you," Meng Fan said understandingly, then stood up to get ready to leave the hot spring.
Wen Zhi stopped Meng Fan, "No need to send me off, you've been working hard lately. Soak until you're satisfied and go have a SPA, we can keep in touch through WeChat."
Meng Fan couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Are you afraid I'll run out naked to see you off?"
Wen Zhi replied, "It's a possibility."
"..."
In the end, Meng Fan still wrapped himself in a bathrobe and personally escorted Wen Zhi out of the private hot spring.
It was only after Wen Zhi left Tangchi Garden that Meng Fan went back.
Wen Zhi had to walk a bit further before reaching another exit of the vast villa compound.
Ahead were stairs, and upon descending the last step, she felt her phone vibrating inside her bag; she stopped to take it out.
It was a call from an unfamiliar number.
After a moment of hesitation, Wen Zhi pushed her glasses further up her nose and answered, "Hello."
Her voice was as gentle as the drizzle in a foreign land.
However, the voice that came through the phone was quite aloof, "Is this Wen Zhi?"
Wen Zhi was on guard, "Who is this?"
"Shang Jing," the person on the phone said.
Currently staying at the Shang family's place, Wen Zhi naturally knew who Shang Jing was.
"Have you come out yet?" Shang Jing asked.
Knowing that he was a man of few words, Wen Zhi didn't expect him to be this succinct and could only ask, "Brother, is there something you need?"
The line suddenly fell quiet.
Wen Zhi called out twice more, but there was still no response. She checked her phone and realized the call had been disconnected.
She muttered to herself about how strange it was.
At that moment, from the direction of the main entrance of the villa, the sound of two car horns could be heard. Wen Zhi raised her head and looked towards the source, spotting a Hongqi L5.
This wasn't a car just anyone could drive.
Moreover, the number of people who could drive such a car in Bai City could be counted on one hand.
The car slowly approached and stopped two meters in front of Wen Zhi. As the passenger-side window rolled down, Wen Zhi saw the extraordinarily handsome profile of the driver.
It was Shang Jing, Chong Wanyin's son.
"The car turned the corner and saw you on the phone, I figured it must be you; that's Wen Zhi, right?"
Shang Jing's cool gaze landed on Wen Zhi, confirming her identity.
Black framed glasses and bangs hiding her face, dressed in old, loose clothing, she looked no different from a village girl from the countryside. The servants said she was ugly, but Shang Jing didn't feel that way. Although he wasn't of an age to have seen all sorts of people, he could tell that Wen Zhi was merely plain and simple.
At this moment, Wen Zhi put away her phone and nodded gently to Shang Jing, "It's me."
Shang Jing asked her, "Why didn't you come out through the main door?"
Wen Zhi explained, "It's easier to hail a taxi from this side."
After confirming Wen Zhi's identity, Shang Jing withdrew his gaze and said, "Get in the car."
Wen Zhi hesitated and did not move.
Shang Jing, with one hand resting on the steering wheel, showed limited patience, "Mother sent me to pick you up. There's a family lunch today; don't delay."
Wen Zhi understood.
The automatic car door opened, and just as Wen Zhi bent down to get into the car, she paused upon sighting the man seated in the back.
She had wondered why it was Shang Jing driving this car.
Now she was no longer surprised.
The real owner of the car in the backseat was Shang Hexing, Meng Fan's highly influential cousin in Bai City, Shang Jing's elder half-brother.
Presumably Shang Jing's real task was to pick up Shang Hexing; she was just along for the ride.
Approaching, Wen Zhi did not want to disturb Shang Hexing, so she got into the car as quietly as possible. After she was seated, the automatic door slowly closed.
The car started.
During the drive, Wen Zhi always felt the person beside her was looking at her. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination and didn't want to turn her head to look, so she tried to stay close to the door, minimizing her presence.
Until—
A voice beside her asked, "Meeting a friend at the villa?"
The deep, commanding tone was hard to ignore.
Realizing the man was questioning her, Wen Zhi immediately responded, "Yes."
Shang Hexing looked at Wen Zhi with a casual, indifferent tone, "A male friend, or a female friend?"
Wen Zhi's breath caught.
Although she found it incredible that Shang Hexing was asking her this question, she still answered seriously, "It's my best friend."
Shang Jing, driving in front, glimpsed at the backseat through the rearview mirror and politely refrained from speaking.
The corner of Shang Hexing's mouth twitched as he mentioned a name, "Meng Fan."
Wen Zhi turned her head to look at Shang Hexing, her almond-shaped eyes filled with surprise.
Shang Hexing rested his hand on his crossed legs, speaking casually, "I saw you walking together."
Wen Zhi understood—Shang Hexing was also at Jiuqu Villa for the hot springs today, and his comments were a test to see if she would tell the truth or lie.
Meng Fan hadn't deceived her; Shang Hexing was not an easy person to get along with.
"Your father is Mu Yanzhou?" Shang Hexing asked casually.
Wen Zhi answered honestly, "Yes."
She shared her mother's surname, Wen, because her father had married into her mother's family.
At this point, Shang Jing, driving in front, offhandedly added, "So you are the daughter of the Wen Family's son-in-law, the one with not such a good reputation."
Wen Zhi's hand gripping her skirt suddenly tightened.
Shang Hexing caught sight of Wen Zhi's hand and remarked lightly, "He means no harm."
Wen Zhi replied softly with downcast eyes, "It's fine, everyone knows about it."
The Wen Family was also a distinguished household in Bai City, not quite on par with the prestigious Shang Family, but still well-regarded. Indeed, Wen Zhi's biological father was the Wen Family's son-in-law.
After asking that question, Shang Hexing did not inquire further and closed his eyes to rest.
Wen Zhi quietly observed Shang Hexing's face, forgetting for a moment to look away.
With the excellent genes of the Shang Family, Shang Hexing's appearance was naturally outstanding.
Moreover, Shang Hexing's maternal lineage had minority ethnic genes, making his features more pronounced, especially his nose, as striking as a mountain range, bestowed with an exotic charm.
"Shouldn't a young lady be more reserved?" noticing from the rearview mirror that Wen Zhi had been staring at Shang Hexing, Shang Jing chided coolly.
Rather than feeling embarrassed, Wen Zhi responded directly, "Thank you for the reminder, brother. You are truly considerate."
Shang Jing: "..."
Shang Hexing, who was resting with closed eyes, curled his lips into a subtle smile that was hard to discern.