Two days later.
Qin Ruan was quietly eating her dinner when Qin Zhengyang suddenly said, "Qin Ruan, accompany me somewhere tomorrow night."
After saying that, he glanced at Qin Ruan's casual home clothes and added, "Be ready by seven tomorrow night. I'll have the driver pick you up."
Qin Ruan asked, "Where are we going?"
"To Wanchun," he replied, referring to a well-known high-end private restaurant in K City.
"How many people will be there?" Qin Ruan inquired further.
Qin Zhengyang didn't answer directly, only saying, "You'll find out when you get there."
Qin Ruan lowered her eyes in thought.
Meanwhile, Wen Yixin was lounging on her sofa with her laptop. She opened her email and clicked on the latest unread message. With a tap of her finger, she opened the attached document.
It contained detailed information about the entire Qin family, including Qin Ruan, but most of the focus was on Qin Zhengyang. The document even included his recent business activities and the people he frequently interacted with.
Wen Yixin carefully examined the profiles of those individuals, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She reached for a cherry tomato from a nearby fruit bowl and stared at one particular profile for a long time.
This person had been in frequent contact with Qin Zhengyang recently. Coupling that with what Qin Ruan had mentioned about the dinner Qin Zhengyang insisted she attend, it was hard for Wen Yixin not to think more deeply about the situation.
After a while, Wen Yixin reviewed the other profiles before finally focusing on Qin Zhengyang's.
...
It was quite some time before Wen Yixin finally closed her laptop.
She ate another piece of fruit and then opened WeChat to send a message to Qin Ruan.
Qin Ruan had finished dinner and returned to her room. Remembering how Qin Zhengyang specifically told her to dress up, she sat down in front of her vanity mirror.
She stared at her reflection, lightly touching her cheek, her eyes darkening.
So, that's what he's after—using my looks?
Qin Ruan was still lost in thought when her phone buzzed on the table, showing a message from Wen Yixin.
"What are you up to?"
Seeing Wen Yixin's message, Qin Ruan set aside her thoughts and picked up her phone:
"Sister Wen, I have to go to Wanchun tomorrow night at seven."
Upon reading this, Wen Yixin, who had been lazily leaning back on the sofa, immediately straightened up.
"Do you know who will be there?"
Qin Ruan replied, "I don't know yet. He didn't tell me." The "he" naturally referred to Qin Zhengyang.
Wen Yixin thought for a moment before responding, "I'll go there to eat tomorrow too."
Qin Ruan smiled and was just about to type a reply when she received a video call request from Wen Yixin.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She bit her lip, quickly tidied up her appearance in the mirror, and then accepted the video call.
Wen Yixin's face soon appeared on the screen.
Perhaps because of the heat, she was wearing a white camisole, with her hair loosely pinned up, a few strands falling around her ears.
She seemed to be chewing on something, causing her cheeks to bulge slightly.
Qin Ruan had been a bit nervous initially, as this was their first video call, and she worried she wouldn't look good enough on camera. She had even considered only showing half her face.
But all her concerns melted away when she saw the relaxed Wen Yixin on the screen.
Unconsciously, she also began to relax.
"Sister Wen," she called softly.
Wen Yixin responded with a nod, finishing the cherry tomato in her mouth before bending down to pick up another one.
As she leaned forward, her camisole neckline dipped slightly, bringing her closer to the camera.
Qin Ruan's ears burned, and she instinctively averted her gaze.
It wasn't until Wen Yixin's voice brought her back that she returned her eyes to the screen.
"Do you want some?" Wen Yixin asked, holding up the bright red cherry tomato.
Qin Ruan shook her head, "You go ahead, Sister Wen."
Wen Yixin chuckled, popping the cherry tomato into her mouth. After eating another one, she warmly suggested, "If you want some, I can bring some for you tomorrow."
"Would you like that?"
"This is a fresh batch I just bought, and it's really sweet," Wen Yixin emphasized.
"I want some," Qin Ruan quickly changed her mind.
"Then I'll bring a basket for you tomorrow," Wen Yixin said with a smile.
"A whole basket might be too much," Qin Ruan thought she couldn't possibly finish it all.
As for the idea of sharing it with others, that thought didn't even cross her mind.
Anything Sister Wen gave her was hers alone.
"I'll wash them all before bringing them, and we can share them together," Wen Yixin offered. "It's not often we get to meet up, so you won't just leave after seeing me for a few minutes, right?" she teased.
"Of course not. It's just…" Qin Ruan trailed off, worried that Qin Zhengyang might interfere.
Wen Yixin could guess what was on Qin Ruan's mind and reassured her, "It'll be fine. I'll handle anything else that comes up."
"Okay." With Wen Yixin's reassurance, Qin Ruan felt inexplicably relieved.
The next evening, Qin Ruan chose one of the dresses that Wen Yixin had helped her pick out before and put it on, even taking the time to apply light makeup.
However, she wasn't dressing up for the dinner but rather for her meeting with Wen Yixin.
When she had been staying with Wen Yixin, she had always gone makeup-free, presenting a bare face every day.
Back then, when they were living together, Qin Ruan didn't think much of it. But now, after several days apart, the thought of seeing Wen Yixin again made her want to look her best.
She smiled at her reflection in the mirror and applied a thin layer of reddish-orange lipstick.
Instantly, the color made her look even more striking.
Qin Ruan was satisfied.
At Wanchun, Qin Zhengyang noticed the extra effort Qin Ruan had put into her appearance and nodded approvingly.
He assumed she had dressed up because of his earlier instructions, which made him more confident about the upcoming dinner.
Qin Zhengyang, looking pleased, led Qin Ruan down the hall to a private room.
As they approached the door, Qin Ruan discreetly glanced at the room number and quickly sent a message to Wen Yixin.
Inside the private room, Qin Ruan sat down and sipped on a glass of water after following Qin Zhengyang in. The room was empty, but ten minutes later, the door opened again.
Two people entered, one after the other. The first was a middle-aged man whose most noticeable feature was his large beer belly. The second was a young man with decent features, about the same age as Qin Ruan, who, despite lacking a beer belly, carried an unmistakable air of arrogance.
He looked like a typical spoiled rich kid—what some might call a "trust fund brat."
At this point, Qin Ruan had a pretty good idea of Qin Zhengyang's intentions for bringing her to this dinner.
The best-case scenario was that this was for a potential marriage alliance. The worst-case scenario was that he planned to use her looks to curry favor.
As soon as the guests entered, Qin Zhengyang stood up to greet them, "Mr. Chi."
Mr. Chi gave a brief nod and then looked at Qin Ruan with interest, "So, this is the eldest daughter you mentioned?"
"Yes, this is Qin Ruan," Qin Zhengyang replied, subtly signaling Qin Ruan to greet Mr. Chi.
Qin Ruan ignored the signal, offering Mr. Chi only a slight nod.
Mr. Chi didn't seem to mind. He glanced at the young man beside him and introduced him, "This is my youngest son, Chi Yi."
From the moment he entered, Chi Yi had been eyeing Qin Ruan. Now, being closer to her, his gaze was even more fixed on her, making Qin Ruan uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Mr. Chi seemed displeased by his son's behavior and gave him a sharp slap on the back.
"Take your seats," Mr. Chi instructed.
Throughout the meal, Chi Yi kept glancing at Qin Ruan, causing her to frown more and more.
Eventually, she excused herself to the restroom and left the room.
As soon as she stepped out, Qin Ruan let out a breath of relief.
She turned a corner to find a quieter spot and took out her phone, intending to check for any messages from Wen Yixin.
But before she could unlock the screen, a figure appeared in front of her.
"Qin Ruan," Chi Yi called out, speaking her name as if they were old friends. "Didn't you say you were going to the restroom? Why are you standing here?"
"You're not avoiding me, are you?"
Qin Ruan frowned, not intending to engage. She immediately tried to walk past him.
However, Chi Yi wasn't about to let her go that easily. He grabbed her wrist.
"What's the hurry?" Chi Yi said with a playful smile, clearly amused.
Qin Ruan's frown deepened, and she tried to shake off his grip, but his hold was too strong. Holding back her disgust, she said coldly, "Let go!"
Her expression was icy, which made Chi Yi pause momentarily. But when he regained his composure, he sneered:
"You came to this dinner, and now you're pretending to be innocent?"
Chi Yi was fully aware of Qin Zhengyang's intentions for this dinner, and he didn't believe for a second that Qin Ruan was unaware. After all, she had clearly dressed up for the occasion.
So, Chi Yi saw this as Qin Ruan playing hard to get, acting all pure and aloof.
One hand gripping Qin Ruan's wrist, Chi Yi extended the other to touch her face.
Qin Ruan's frown deepened as she prepared to kick him where it would hurt the most. But before she could make a move, someone else intervened.
"Slap!"
Chi Yi's outstretched hand was struck back, leaving red marks on his hand.
Chi Yi immediately exploded with anger, "Who the hell dares to hit me!"
"Do you have a death wish?!"
He turned around to face his assailant but was momentarily stunned to see a woman even more beautiful than Qin Ruan.
Seeing someone so pretty made Chi Yi's anger wane a little. He looked around and, not seeing anyone else, asked, "Did you hit me?"
Wen Yixin, her temper flaring, gave him a sarcastic smile and replied, "Who else?"
"If it wasn't me, do you think it was a ghost?"
As Wen Yixin spoke, she swiftly grabbed Chi Yi's hand, which was still holding Qin Ruan's wrist, and forcibly pried his fingers off. Her strength was such that Chi Yi, despite trying, couldn't resist her.
Moreover, as she exerted force, Wen Yixin's sharp nails dug into Chi Yi's hand.
Chi Yi winced in pain and had no choice but to release his grip.
Finally free, Qin Ruan quickly ran to Wen Yixin's side, "Sister Wen..."
Wen Yixin acknowledged her with a nod, gently asking, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Qin Ruan replied, shaking her head.
Sister Wen had arrived just in time. Qin Ruan had been on the verge of taking matters into her own hands, but now it seemed there was no need.
Chi Yi shook his hand, which still throbbed from the pain, glaring angrily at Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan, "You two!"
"Do you know who you're messing with? I won't let you off easily!" Everyone in K City knew that the Chi family was one of the most influential families. Qin Zhengyang was practically begging for a favor from the Chi family, and here Qin Ruan was, offending him.
There was no way she'd get away with it, and as for Wen Yixin, he'd deal with her later after finding out who she was.
Chi Yi's face twisted with malice.
"Is that so?" Wen Yixin seemed completely unfazed by Chi Yi's threats.
She spoke slowly, "I don't think Qin Ruan and I have anything to worry about. But you, on the other hand, and your Chi family, might not fare so well."
Chi Yi's voice turned sharp, "What do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing," Wen Yixin said, brushing imaginary dust off her hands. "I just happened to come across some information about the Chi family recently. I wasn't planning to do anything with it, but now..."
Wen Yixin glanced at Chi Yi, "It looks like that might change."
Chi Yi felt a pang of unease under her gaze.
While he wasn't sure what kind of information Wen Yixin claimed to have, the Chi family did have some skeletons in the closet. They had always kept those matters well hidden, so if Wen Yixin's information was legitimate, it could be very damaging.
He couldn't afford to take that risk.
Chi Yi's mind raced, his brows furrowing in anxiety.
Fortunately, he soon spotted someone who could help.
"Dad," Chi Yi called out, quickly walking toward the person at the entrance of the private room.
"What's going on here?" Chi Kang frowned at his son. His son had always been a troublemaker, but now he was causing trouble here.
Chi Yi didn't care what his father thought of him at the moment. He whispered a few hurried words into his father's ear, all while glancing nervously at Wen Yixin.
As Chi Yi spoke, Chi Kang's expression grew more and more serious. When Chi Yi finished, he glared at his son before turning back to Wen Yixin.
He forced a smile and asked, "May I ask your name, Miss?"
Wen Yixin studied him, matching him to the person from the information she had read. She then calmly introduced herself, "Wen Yixin."
She handed him a business card as she spoke.
Chi Kang accepted the card, and upon reading it, the muscles in his face twitched involuntarily.
He lowered his voice, his tone more respectful, "Miss Wen, I apologize for my son's behavior. He's always been a bit of a troublemaker. I'll have him apologize to you right away. Would that be alright?"
"He needs to apologize to someone else first," Wen Yixin said, her gaze shifting to Qin Ruan.
Chi Kang followed her gaze to Qin Ruan and, recalling what Qin Zhengyang had mentioned earlier, carefully asked, "Is Miss Qin a friend of yours?"
Wen Yixin's eyes drifted past Chi Kang to settle on Qin Zhengyang at the back, before she stated clearly:
"She is mine."
"If anyone wants to mess with her, they'll have to go through me first."
Upon hearing this, Chi Kang wisely refrained from asking any more questions. He immediately turned to his son and barked, "Get over here and apologize."
Seeing his father bend to this woman's will, Chi Yi felt a pang of fear. He knew he was in for a rough time once they got home.
He quickly stepped forward and, without hesitation, bowed to Qin Ruan, "I'm sorry..."
After apologizing to Qin Ruan, Chi Yi then turned to Wen Yixin, still under his father's stern gaze, and reluctantly apologized to her as well. Finally, gritting his teeth, he promised, "From now on, I'll steer clear of Qin Ruan and won't bother her again."
Wen Yixin looked at Qin Ruan, who nodded slightly, indicating she was satisfied with the outcome.
But while Qin Ruan was appeased, Wen Yixin wasn't quite done yet. She fixed her gaze on Chi Yi's hand, propping her chin with one hand, "Your hand."
"What do you want to do?" Chi Yi asked warily.
He had already apologized; what more did she want?
"Your hand," Wen Yixin repeated, impatience creeping into her voice. "The one you used to touch her—hold it out."
Chi Yi hesitated, but his father quickly grasped the situation and slapped him on the shoulder, "Do as she says. Stop wasting time."
Chi Yi silently extended his right hand.
A moment later, there was a sharp crack, followed by Chi Yi's yelp of pain, loud enough to attract the attention of other guests nearby.
Chi Kang, alarmed, rushed to cover his son's mouth.
Compared to the potential damage from whatever Wen Yixin had on them, Chi Yi's current pain was well-deserved. He had brought this on himself by offending the wrong person.
Having dealt with Chi Yi, Wen Yixin finally brushed her hands clean and turned to Chi Kang with a vaguely mocking smile, "Mr. Chi, until we meet again."
Chi Kang silently prayed they wouldn't meet again but forced a smile, "Miss Wen, until we meet again."
Wen Yixin hummed in acknowledgment and then, ignoring Chi Kang and his son, shot a single glance at the silent Qin Zhengyang before leading Qin Ruan out of the room and to the private dining room she had reserved.
Once inside, Wen Yixin pulled out a packet of wet wipes from her bag. After wiping her own hands, she opened a new one and gently cleaned Qin Ruan's wrist.
As Qin Ruan watched her, she couldn't help but notice that Wen Yixin seemed to be cleaning the spot where Chi Yi had grabbed her more thoroughly than the rest.
Feeling a pang of something in her chest, Qin Ruan stared at Wen Yixin, whose cold expression had yet to fade. Feeling a bit guilty, she softly asked, "Sister Wen, are you mad at me?"