In the private hot spring pool of Jiuqu Villa.
Wen Zhi's face was especially rosy after soaking in the hot spring for too long. Meng Fan, catching a glimpse, almost couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Meng Fan," Wen Zhi's voice was weak, "I feel dizzy."
Meng Fan's smile froze, and he quickly helped Wen Zhi out of the hot spring pool, "Damn! I forgot you have a weak kidney."
"..."
Meng Fan slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering, "Oops, my mistake, you have a yin deficiency. When I asked you to come down earlier, I had calculated fifteen minutes should be fine for you, but you couldn't even last a few minutes. You're really weak; what will we do when we get married?"
"..."
Thinking too far ahead.
Wen Zhi went to change back into her clothes and put on her glasses, her thick bangs back in place. By the time she came out, Meng Fan had already returned to the hot spring, happily soaking.
"Zhizhi, come quickly, I still have a lot of fun stories to tell you about recent happenings."
Wen Zhi walked over and said, "Meng Fan, I need to go back."
Meng Fan's smile turned downward, a look of gloom on his face, "You're leaving already? You promised to keep me company."
Wen Zhi said, "I told Aunt Qin about my plans before I left, and she mentioned there's a family banquet at noon today. She was hinting for me to return early."
"Well, alright, I'll drive you back," Meng Fan said, understandingly, then got up to get out of the hot spring.
Wen Zhi stopped Meng Fan, "No need to see me off. You've been working hard lately; soak for a while longer then go get a spa treatment. We'll chat on WeChat."
Meng Fan laughed and cried, "Are you that afraid I'll run out naked to see you off?"
Wen Zhi, "It's a possibility."
"..."
In the end, Meng Fan still wrapped up in a bathrobe and personally escorted Wen Zhi out of the private hot spring.
Only after Wen Zhi had left Tangchi Garden did Meng Fan return.
The villa was vast, and it took Wen Zhi a while to walk to another exit.
Ahead were stairs, and upon reaching the last step, she felt her phone vibrating in her purse; she stopped to retrieve it.
It was a call from an unknown number.
After pondering for two seconds, Wen Zhi adjusted her black-framed glasses and answered, "Hello, this is Wen Zhi."
Her voice was as soft as fine drizzle in Jiangnan.
However, the voice that came through was rather cold, "Is this Wen Zhi?"
Wen Zhi was cautious, "Who is this?"
"Shang Jing."
said the person on the phone.
Currently staying at the Shang residence, Wen Zhi naturally knew who Shang Jing was.
"Have you come out?" asked Shang Jing.
Knowing he was a man of few words, Wen Zhi had not realized he was this succinct. All she could ask was, "Brother, is there something you need?"
Then, suddenly, the line went quiet.
Wen Zhi called out a few more times, but there was still no sound. She took the phone away to check and found the call had been disconnected.
She muttered, finding it strange.
At that moment, from the direction of the main entrance of the villa, two car horns sounded. Wen Zhi looked up towards the sound and saw it was a Hongqi L5.
This was not a car just anyone could drive.
And in Bai City, the people who could drive this car 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, Wanyin's son.
"The car turned around and I saw you on the phone. I thought it must be you—Wen Zhi, right?"
Shang Jing's cool gaze fell on Wen Zhi, confirming her identity.
Black framed glasses + thick bangs covering her face, dressed in old, loose clothes, she looked no different from a village girl from the countryside. The servants said she was ugly, but Shang Jing didn't find her ugly. Although he was not yet of an age to have seen countless people, he could tell that Wen Zhi was merely plain and modest.
At that moment, Wen Zhi put away her phone, giving Shang Jing a slight nod, "Yes, it's me."
Shang Jing asked her, "Why didn't you leave through the front 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 rested one hand on the steering wheel, his patience wearing thin, "Mother asked me to pick you up. There's a family lunch today, don't delay."
Wen Zhi understood.
The automatic car door opened in front of her, and as Wen Zhi was about to bend down to get in, she paused when she saw the man sitting in the back seat.
She had been wondering why Shang Jing was driving this car.
Now she was not surprised anymore.
The real owner of this car was in the back seat; it was Shang Hexing, the all-powerful cousin in Bai City that Meng Fan had mentioned, Shang Jing's older half-brother.
Apparently, Shang Jing was actually meant to pick up Shang Hexing and just happened to give her a ride as well.
Moving forward, Wen Zhi, not wanting to disturb Shang Hexing, carefully got into the car as quietly as she could. Once she was seated, the automatic door slowly closed.
The car started.
While driving, Wen Zhi constantly felt as if the person beside her was looking at her. Unsure if it was just her imagination and not daring to turn her head to check, she tried to stay as close to the door as possible, minimizing her presence.
Until----
A voice beside her came, "Meeting a friend at the villa?"
The deep tone, impossible to ignore.
Wen Zhi realized the man was asking her and immediately answered, "Yes."
Shang Hexing looked at Wen Zhi with a casual, indifferent tone, "A male friend or a female friend?"
Wen Zhi's breath hitched.
Despite her incredulity at Shang Hexing asking her this question, she seriously responded, "It's my best friend."
Shang Jing, who was driving, glanced at the back seat from the rearview mirror, very properly not interjecting.
Shang Hexing's lips twitched, mentioning a name, "Meng Fan."
Wen Zhi turned her head towards Shang Hexing, her almond-shaped eyes filled with surprise.
Shang Hexing, his hands resting on his folded knees, mentioned casually, "I saw you walking together."
Wen Zhi understood then that Shang Hexing had also been at Jiuqu Villa taking a hot spring bath today, and his previous words were a test to see whether she would tell the truth or a lie.
Meng Fan had not misled her; Shang Hexing was indeed not easy to approach.
"Your father is Mu Yanzhou?" Shang Hexing asked casually.
Wen Zhi honestly answered, "Yes."
She and her mother shared the last name Wen because her father had married into the family.
At this, Shang Jing, driving the car, offhandedly interjected, "So he's the Wen family's son-in-law with not such a good reputation."
Wen Zhi's hand clutching her skirt suddenly tightened.
Shang Hexing glanced at Wen Zhi's hand and mentioned casually, "He means no harm."
Wen Zhi lowered her eyelids and softly replied, "It's nothing, everyone knows about it."
The Wen family was also a major household in Bai City, though not as distinguished as the Shang family, yet still reputable. And indeed, Wen Zhi's biological father was the Wen family's son-in-law.
After asking this question, Shang Hexing no longer inquired and instead closed his eyes to rest.
Wen Zhi quietly observed Shang Hexing's face, momentarily forgetting to look away.
With excellent genetics in the Shang family, Shang Hexing's features naturally stood out.
Furthermore, his maternal lineage included minority genetics, giving him more pronounced facial features, especially the mountain-like bridge of his nose, which held a foreign charm.
"Shouldn't a girl be more reserved?" Shang Jing, noticing from the rearview mirror that Wen Zhi was continuously staring at Shang Hexing, reminded her coldly.
Far from being embarrassed, Wen Zhi seriously replied, "Thank you for the reminder, brother. You are truly attentive."
Shang Jing: "..."
Shang Hexing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, curled his lips in a slightly noticeable smile.