Ning Guiwan returned to her room and saw Lai Yang sprawled unceremoniously on the bed, one foot even resting on her pillow.
She walked over and removed Lai Yang’s foot.
Lai Yang sat up smoothly. "Aunt has somehow dredged up two rivals in love for you. Did you see them?"
Ning Guiwan did not want to answer.
"When are you two going public with your relationship?" Lai Yang continued. "You better not be like Quan Xiangru. He was secretive about being together for so long, only for a third party to get involved. He got engaged and had a child with someone else, and hardly anyone knew you had been with him."
"And then to be falsely accused of being a homewrecker, how unfair is that?"
Ning Guiwan’s thoughts were in disarray. She didn’t want to answer. Expressionless, she went to the walk-in closet and returned with a change of clothes.
Seeing her silence, Lai Yang thought she was angry and apologized, "Don’t be mad. I was just making a comparison. Aunt might not accept you two, but you’ll have to go public sooner or later."
However, the only response was the sound of Ning Guiwan closing the door.
Lai Yang then took it seriously. Is she really angry? Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
After waiting for a while, Ning Guiwan came out from her shower. Lai Yang approached her. "What’s wrong? You seem really off."
Ning Guiwan’s gaze flickered slightly. "I’m off?"
"Before, when I brought up Quan Xiangru, you never reacted this much. Is something bothering you?" Lai Yang looked at her inquiringly. "You’ve also been acting odd these past few days, always daydreaming. What are you thinking about?"
As she spoke, she suddenly let out a long "Oh!" "I get it! Your second cousin isn’t here, and you miss him..."
Previously, Ning Guiwan wouldn’t have felt anything when Lai Yang said such things.
Today, for some reason, she felt unusually uncomfortable, as if someone had guessed some terrible secret.
"Oh, I was thinking about Zhang Ziyan’s situation," Ning Guiwan casually lied. She walked to the dressing table, sat down, and started applying makeup. The cosmetics on the dressing table were distinctly divided into two halves. Ning Guiwan’s half had bottles and jars neatly organized by size and type. Lai Yang’s half was messy, even strewn with used makeup remover wipes and false eyelashes.
The distinction was clear.
"Ziyan? What happened to her?" Lai Yang leaned against the vanity.
Ning Guiwan briefly summarized the situation. Lai Yang responded, "Ziyan definitely didn’t do it on purpose."
Ning Guiwan was non-committal, her expression vacant, her thoughts wandering.
「The next day,」
Ning Guiwan woke up early. Unable to sleep, she quietly took out sportswear from the wardrobe and left the room.
The gym was not far away. Ning Guiwan jogged there along the misty sidewalk. The sky was leaden, the air exceptionally crisp, and there were hardly any vehicles on the road.
She ran three laps on the plastic track and was gasping for air. A few teenagers, sixteen or seventeen years old, arrived at the adjacent basketball court. They were boldly wearing shorts and basketball jerseys, exuberantly showcasing their youth. The dawn light glistened in their eyes, making even the sunlight seem handsome.
Ning Guiwan watched them and remembered someone who was terrible at basketball.
In school, it seemed every boy could play basketball. Every time she saw a boy dribbling and shooting stylishly, she always thought that Brother Xiangru would look even more dashing playing.
After they got together, one evening, she lured Quan Xiangru to the school basketball court.
Quan Xiangru was reluctant, claiming he couldn’t play.
Ning Guiwan naturally didn’t believe him. How could a boy not know how to play? By cajoling and deceiving him, she finally wore him down.
The result proved that not every tall, handsome boy could play basketball. Quan Xiangru used too much force, and the basketball hit the rim, bouncing back to smack him in the face. Ning Guiwan laughed so hard at the side of the court that an annoyed Quan Xiangru threw the ball at her. Seeing him angry, Ning Guiwan quickly covered her head and feigned pain, then laughed even harder as he hurried over to check on her.
Quan Xiangru ended up laughing in exasperation, helplessly massaging her head. "You’re so mischievous. My daughter would definitely be led astray by you. Maybe I should find a more peaceful girlfriend."
"You dare!" Ning Guiwan fiercely tackled him to the ground. "If you dare marry someone else, believe it or not, I’ll make sure you can’t have any children!"
"So ruthless?" Quan Xiangru supported her waist, his eyes filled with indulgence and laughter. "Then I will have to be extra cautious around you."
Ning Guiwan walked along the lengthy driveway of the Quan Family mansion. It was flanked by tall French plane trees, their bare branches extending, adding a touch of melancholy.
It was just an unrestrained joke between lovers. But now, it seemed to have become a prophecy. He was to marry another person, and his two children, according to rumors, had perished because of her.
Suddenly, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her. Before Ning Guiwan could react, she bumped into someone’s embrace.
The cool scent of agarwood drifted into her nose, and a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.
Her mind was still slow to react. She timidly looked up, unexpectedly yet somehow expectedly, into a pair of deep brown eyes.
The eyes were narrow, their thick lashes drooping.
His gaze coolly landed on her face.
Ning Guiwan opened her mouth, finally finding her voice. "You’re back? When did you get back?"
"Just now," Quan Yu replied.
Ning Guiwan tried to get up, but Quan Yu tightened his grip on her. "Where did you go?"
"Running," Ning Guiwan said, struggling. "You should let go first."
Quan Yu did not let go. In contrast to his recent demeanor of "acting on passion but stopping at courtesy," he held her like this in the courtyard of the Quan mansion, with no intention of being discreet.
"You’re suggesting I meet both of them?" Quan Yu looked at her coldly.
Ning Guiwan was startled, finally understanding what he meant.
He’d been gone for half a month without a single phone call or message, as if she had nothing to do with him. He hadn’t even said a word to her. Now he was questioning her in that tone, as if he held all the justification.
Her lips slowly curled into a smile, her unpainted face suddenly brightening. "I think both are quite good. They’re handsome and well-employed..."
Before she could finish, the grip on her waist tightened, as if the man’s strength would break her bones.
Quan Yu lowered his head, his eyes narrowing, a dangerous gleam flickering within them.
If she continued, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Not speaking anymore?" Quan Yu asked coldly.
Ning Guiwan looked behind him. Thankfully, they were under the eaves, out of sight from anyone inside the house unless they came out.
He was this upset just because she suggested to Grandmother Quan that he should meet both of them?
"You should let go first." Ning Guiwan tried to push away Quan Yu’s arms, but the man’s arms were like iron. Despite all her efforts, she couldn’t move them at all.
Quan Yu acted as if he hadn’t heard her.
Ning Guiwan became desperate. "You promised you wouldn’t force me! Are you going back on your word?"
Yet Quan Yu said seriously, "I have perhaps been too indulgent with you, making you forget your status."
Status? What status?
Before she could ask, her vision suddenly darkened, and the man’s breath enveloped her overwhelmingly.