Wei Yifan unconsciously made a sound and glanced again at the drink, finally noticing something amiss. She had always been like this when dining out with others, letting them make the arrangements. She didn’t mind being the last to choose.
Usually, the person ordering would politely ask for her opinion.
Wei Yifan had never encountered a situation like this with Zheng Kejia, who so directly showed that she was someone who could be treated casually.
Wei Yifan had never cared much about such small matters, and even now, she hadn’t felt anything was wrong. But strangely, at this moment, she had an odd feeling.
She licked the corner of her lips and lowered her eyes to look at the menu as if to hide something.
This restaurant didn’t have many dishes. The menu was a folded page covered in plastic film. The drinks were on the back in the lower right corner, and there didn’t seem to be many options. Besides the common beverages available everywhere, there were a few special drinks unique to this restaurant.
Wei Yifan looked for a while, but nothing interested her. “You choose. I’ll just have water.”
Sang Yan had already heated the bowl and chopsticks and pushed them in front of her.
“You don’t want to add anything else?”
Wei Yifan nodded, staring at the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, and handed the menu back to him.
Sang Yan poured water into the cup while roughly scanning the menu and the dishes already ordered. In the end, he didn’t add anything and casually put the menu back in the center of the table.
After a brief silence, the table became lively again.
The others chatted intermittently, occasionally saying a few words to Sang Yan.
Mostly gossip, with occasional work-related topics. Wei Yifan didn’t know any of the people they were talking about, nor did she understand much about their field. She didn’t listen much, slowly sipping her water.
Wei Yifan suddenly realized something.
So, had Sang Yan declined the company dinner to have this meal with her?
Thinking of this, Wei Yifan looked in Sang Yan’s direction but ended up meeting Zheng Kejia’s gaze. Her expression seemed somewhat uneasy, with a hint of embarrassment, as if someone had said something to her.
Wei Yifan shifted her gaze and met Sang Yan’s profile.
Noticing her look, Sang Yan quickly glanced over. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Wei Yifan lowered her head and continued drinking water.
Sang Yan, however, kept staring at her and suddenly smiled. “Hey, don’t try to brush it off.”
Wei Yifan: “Hm?”
Sang Yan’s dark eyes gleamed with light, carrying a matter-of-fact tone, as if this gathering had nothing to do with him. He slightly tugged at his lip and said nonchalantly, “This meal doesn’t count.”
…
As dinner was coming to an end, Wei Yifan got up to go to the restroom.
Wei Yifan came out of the stall and turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Looking at herself in the mirror, she lowered her eyes and took out her cushion foundation and lipstick from her bag. Just as she was about to touch up her makeup, she caught a glimpse of Zheng Kejia entering the restroom.
Zheng Kejia’s steps faltered for a moment before she walked over to stand next to her.
Wei Yifan continued her actions, starting to touch up her makeup in front of the mirror.
Zheng Kejia seemed to have just come to wash her hands. She squeezed some hand soap and took the initiative to speak: “I didn’t expect to run into you here today. So you know our manager?”
Wei Yifan gave a noncommittal “Mm.”
“Just now, my colleague told me that they thought I wasn’t showing respect to the manager by treating someone he brought so casually,” Zheng Kejia said with a slight frown, complaining in a low voice. “I didn’t mean it that way. Aren’t you usually fine with anything?”
Wei Yifan used her fingertip to rub off some lipstick that had smeared outside her lipline.
Zheng Kejia continued, “I was just thinking not to waste it, since it had already been ordered.”
Wei Yifan responded casually, “Then why didn’t you drink it yourself?”
Zheng Kejia was momentarily at a loss for words: “I don’t like it. In the past, you always…” She stopped herself mid-sentence and changed tack, “Can you help explain to the manager for me? I’m afraid I’ve offended him and won’t pass my internship.”
Wei Yifan smiled, “You’re overthinking it.”
“But I’m just worried, you know? Just help me say something,” Zheng Kejia took out her lipstick, her voice taking on a coy tone with a hint of envy. “By the way, is the manager pursuing you?”
“…” Wei Yifan was a bit puzzled about how this situation could be misunderstood. “No.”
“So he hasn’t started pursuing you yet? Are you two in the ambiguous stage? Anyway, he must be interested in you. I was originally planning to pursue him – tall, handsome, cool, rich, and my superior…” At this point, Zheng Kejia pouted, “But seeing you two like this, I think I’d better give up. I don’t want to chase after someone only to fail after putting in so much effort. My conditions aren’t bad either.”
Wei Yifan paused her actions: “He’s interested in me?”
“Do you even need to ask? Are you deliberately trying to make me feel bad?” Zheng Kejia was exasperated. “He treats you so differently from others. Although I hate to admit it, with your face, I don’t stand a chance.”
Wei Yifan fell silent, seemingly pondering something.
“Forget it, it’s not that big a deal,” Zheng Kejia smoothed her hair, giving herself a graceful way out. “I’m not interested in such a grumpy face anyway. If we were together, I’d still have to coax him. I definitely should be the one being pampered.”
Wei Yifan had just finished touching up her makeup and started walking out: “Mm, I’m heading back first.”
Zheng Kejia followed: “Let’s go together.”
Wei Yifan was still mulling over what Zheng Kejia had just said.
As they walked, Zheng Kejia remembered something: “Hey, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ve been wanting to contact you for a while, but you never responded to my friend requests.”
Wei Yifan remained silent.
“How long has it been since you last contacted Mom? She’s been in a bad mood lately because you’ve been ignoring her,” Zheng Kejia said. “The state of your relationship is mainly my fault, you shouldn’t blame her.”
Hearing this, Wei Yifan found it amusing: “Then why should I add you on WeChat?”
Zheng Kejia frowned: “I just want to talk things through with you properly.”
Wei Yifan said softly: “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Do you have to be like this?” Feeling that she had been nothing but nice yet received only cold shoulders, Zheng Kejia became a bit upset. “It’s not that serious, is it? You’re her biological daughter, yet you’re not as good to her as I am, her stepdaughter.”
“Indeed,” Wei Yifan smiled, her words carrying a double meaning. “You’re more like her biological daughter than I am.”
Zheng Kejia quickly caught on to the implication in her words. In an instant, all her bravado vanished. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t utter a word.
To be fair, Wei Yifan didn’t have strong feelings towards Zheng Kejia.
It was impossible for her to like Zheng Kejia, but she couldn’t say she hated her either.
After all, she had always felt that although Zheng Kejia was the catalyst, the main reason was Zhao Yuandong’s repeated inaction.
The two girls came from the same blended family but had completely different personalities.
It was as if fate had created a fork in the road here, leading them towards different life paths.
Wei Yifan had fallen from heaven into the mud, rejected by her new family, living a cautious life dependent on others. From then on, she no longer had the privilege of being spoiled, neither competing nor fighting for anything, afraid to make even the slightest mistake.
The girl before her, on the other hand, was showered with her father’s boundless love, and her stepmother treated her as if she were her daughter. She had never experienced any hardship, and even her troubles were sweet.
At this age, she was still a little princess who couldn’t read others’ expressions at all and was extremely lacking in emotional intelligence.
They were almost back in their seats.
Wei Yifan lowered her voice and said one last thing: “So she hasn’t lost anything, has she?”
“…”
“Doesn’t she still have a daughter?”
–
As soon as she sat back down, Sang Yan turned his head and looked her up and down: “All done?”
Wei Yifan nodded.
Hearing this, Sang Yan stood up: “Then let’s go.” Then, he looked at the others and said casually, “You guys continue eating. We have something else to do, so we’re leaving first.”
“Wait!” The guy with the perm immediately stood up and took out his phone. “We haven’t taken any photos yet! Come on, let’s take a few. Otherwise, we won’t have anything to post on WeChat Moments later.”
“…”
Sang Yan seemed a bit impatient but sat back down anyway.
Wei Yifan leaned close to his ear and asked quietly, “Should I step aside then?”
“Step aside for what? Sit properly,” Sang Yan glanced at her. “Do you know what your role is?”
“Hm?”
His tone wasn’t very serious, slightly drawling: “To make me look good.”
“…”
Wei Yifan didn’t bother arguing with him and sat up straighter, staring in the direction of the camera. Her expression was calm, wearing the smile she usually put on for photos. After about ten seconds, the guy with the perm lowered his phone.
“Alright, we’re done.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Sang Yan stood up.
Wei Yifan politely said goodbye to the others and followed behind Sang Yan. She glanced at the time and asked, “Are we going home now?”
They exited the restaurant.
Sang Yan looked towards the small shopping area next door: “Let’s watch a movie.”
Without asking for her opinion, as if certain she wouldn’t refuse, he made the decision directly. Wei Yifan was silent for a moment, then naturally responded, “What movie are we watching?”
Sang Yan handed her his phone: “You choose.”
Wei Yifan scrolled through the recently released movies. There were quite a few, and they all had high ratings. She looked at the descriptions, hesitating between a disaster film and a horror movie.
At this moment, Sang Yan suddenly asked, “You don’t get along well with your stepsister?”
Wei Yifan continued to ponder while honestly replying, “No.”
Sang Yan had never seen this “person without a temper” having a bad relationship with anyone: “Why?”
“Because we’re from a blended family,” Wei Yifan answered briefly, almost evasively. Then she immediately changed the subject, handing him the phone, “This disaster movie and this horror movie, which one do you want to watch?”
Sang Yan stared at her for a few seconds without responding.
Wei Yifan still didn’t continue the previous topic and asked again, “Which one do you want to watch?”
Then, she looked up and met his gaze, quickly lowering her eyes.
Sang Yan remained silent for a moment, then casually glanced at the options: “The disaster movie.”
Wei Yifan: “Okay, I’ll choose the seats. Do you want to sit in the back?”
“Mm.”
The topic seemed to have been diverted just like that.
Wei Yifan felt slightly relieved, no longer thinking about the mess at home. She was about to click on the ticketing page for the disaster movie when she suddenly remembered how Sang Yan had chosen it without hesitation.
Then, Wei Yifan recalled that he was afraid of ghosts.
She hesitated for a moment, then exited and clicked on the horror movie instead.
Not knowing if she was bewitched or driven by desire, Wei Yifan’s subsequent actions were extremely smooth. When she reached the payment page, she handed the phone to him with a straight face: “Done.”
Sang Yan didn’t suspect anything and entered the payment password without even looking.
Wei Yifan had chosen the nearest showtime, which was only half an hour away. They went directly to the floor where the cinema was located, collected their tickets, and waited outside to enter.
During this interval, Sang Yan glanced at the movie tickets. Noticing the movie title, he paused, then took out his phone to compare with the purchase record, his eyebrows slightly raised: “You bought the horror movie?”
“…” Hearing this, Wei Yifan pretended to look at his phone, and after a few seconds, as if just realizing, “I seem to have bought the wrong one.”
Sang Yan turned his head to look at her, his eyes carrying a scrutinizing meaning.
Wei Yifan looked back, her expression showing no guilt.
After a good while, Sang Yan let out a meaningful “Oh.”
This feeling was a bit like being caught red-handed, causing Wei Yifan’s previously calm mood to instantly ripple. After dealing with it, she gradually began to regret her action, after all, thinking seriously, this was something Sang Yan feared.
It didn’t seem very nice.
Thinking of this, Wei Yifan suggested: “Why don’t we buy again? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Sang Yan: “No need.”
Just then, they started checking tickets for entry.
The guilt in Wei Yifan’s heart became more and more apparent, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart. After sitting down, she hesitated repeatedly, but still called out to him: “Sang Yan.”
Sang Yan: “Speak.”
“If you get scared later,” although the result was the same, Wei Yifan’s purpose in making this proposal now was not as impure as her initial intention, “I can protect you.”
Sang Yan’s expression was slightly stunned: “What the hell.”
Wei Yifan licked her lips, not continuing.
Several seconds later, connecting the cause and effect, Sang Yan seemed to finally understand something. He laughed out loud, his shoulders and chest trembling slightly as if finding it extremely amusing, his laughter bringing out a faint breath.
In this dim light, Wei Yifan could even faintly see the dimple at the corner of his lips.
She felt inexplicably embarrassed: “I just bought the wrong one…”
“Alright,” Sang Yan barely suppressed his laughter and said unhurriedly, “I underestimated you.”
At the same time, the movie began to play.
Wei Yifan pretended not to hear, raising her eyes to stare at the screen.
The entire movie lasted an hour and a half.
Occasionally, when Wei Yifan saw key moments, Sang Yan next to her would suddenly lean close to her ear and say in a breathy, nonchalant, and annoying tone: “So scary.”
“…”
Or he would say: “What? Still not coming to take—”
He deliberately stopped at this point, changing his words with obvious implications: “Protect me?”
Throughout the movie, Wei Yifan felt like she had seen everything, yet also nothing. In any case, she couldn’t remember a single point, her mind repeatedly echoing Sang Yan’s words that seemed both challenging and flirtatious.
She couldn’t even tell if Sang Yan was scared or not.
On the way home, Wei Yifan thought again of Zheng Kejia’s words.
Although Wei Yifan had previously felt that Sang Yan seemed to treat her a bit differently, she was also worried that this was just her overthinking. But from an outsider’s perspective, it seemed to be the case.
It also seemed that Sang Yan did have feelings for her.
This meant that the feelings she had been having recently probably weren’t her imagination.
Through the reflection in the window, Wei Yifan saw her curved lips.
She blinked but didn’t try to hide it at all.
After arriving home.
Wei Yifan remembered the group photo taken at the grilled fish restaurant. Before entering her room, she took the initiative to ask: “Can you send me that photo we took today?”
Sang Yan was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone.
Hearing this, he turned off the screen and said casually: “I don’t have it.”
Wei Yifan nodded, not insisting.
…
The next day, Wei Yifan went to work at the company.
Just as she turned on her computer, Su Tian also arrived at the company and habitually asked about her progress.
Bringing up this topic again with Su Tian, Wei Yifan felt a bit more confident. But she didn’t know what to do next, so she decided to ask for advice from this experienced person in romance.
Su Tian stroked her chin: “Then it seems about time to confess, right?”
Wei Yifan: “… Is it that fast?”
“It’s not fast,” Su Tian said, “It’s just dating, not like you’re immediately getting married or anything. If you’re still worried it’s just your imagination, you could also wait for him to take the initiative?”
Thinking of how she had avoided the topic when Sang Yan asked questions yesterday, Wei Yifan just shook her head.
Su Tian found her attitude a bit strange: “Why do I feel like you’re particularly cautious about this ‘king of ducks’? You always seem to be overthinking everything.”
Wei Yifan smiled: “Do I?”
“Yes,” Su Tian encouraged her, “You don’t need to think too much, it’s just dating! It’s not a big deal!”
Wei Yifan made a sound of agreement and continued typing on the keyboard.
“I know.”
–
Between the two of them, it seemed only a thin membrane remained unbroken.
Wei Yifan didn’t know what she was panicking about.
Perhaps it was not knowing whether he still minded the past, and not knowing how to bring up her past that she didn’t want to mention;
Or perhaps it was not knowing whether breaking through would result in closeness or permanent estrangement.
So even though she longed to take a step closer, she preferred to retreat for now.
She only hoped that the time spent with him could be extended because of this.
Two weeks later, Wei Yifan suddenly received a notice to go on a business trip to Beiyu City. Due to a sudden tunnel collapse, heavy losses had been incurred. Once the incident occurred, it sparked heated discussions online, causing quite a stir.
Wei Yifan immediately went home to pack her luggage.
Since it was a rest day, Sang Yan happened to be at home.
Seeing her hurried appearance, Sang Yan immediately guessed the reason. Before she left, Sang Yan took the initiative to ask: “Going to Beiyu? When will you be back?”
Because there would be follow-up investigations, Wei Yifan wasn’t sure either: “Probably two or three weeks?”
“Oh.”
Not knowing if she could make it back before his birthday, Wei Yifan wanted to say something but didn’t dare to promise. She picked up her luggage and walked to the entrance. Just as she was about to go downstairs to meet Qian Weihua, Sang Yan suddenly said: “Hey.”
Wei Yifan turned back.
“Come back soon,” Sang Yan said, seemingly serious yet casual, “I have something to tell you.”
“…” Wei Yifan stopped, turned back to look at him, “Can’t you say it now?”
“If I say it now,” Sang Yan played with his phone, raising an eyebrow and smiling, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to focus on your work properly.”
…
Wei Yifan got into Qian Weihua’s car, with Mu Chengyun in the back seat. She greeted them both, then fastened her seatbelt, absentmindedly thinking about Sang Yan’s words.
She felt that with him saying that, she would be even less able to concentrate.
Wei Yifan flipped through her phone, then quickly put it down.
The drive from Nanwu to Beiyu would take about three hours. It was getting dark, and fearing Qian Weihua might get tired, Wei Yifan planned to take turns driving with him, deciding to rest for a while first.
Not long after closing her eyes, her phone vibrated.
Wei Yifan picked it up and saw a red dot on the new friends in her contacts list. She clicked to open it and, sure enough, it was Zheng Kejia again. She was about to exit when she suddenly saw the note Zheng Kejia had left.
[Sending you photos from the gathering.]
Wei Yifan thought for a moment, then pressed accept.
The other side immediately sent a string of ellipses: […]
Zheng Kejia: [I’ve tried to add you hundreds of times with no response, but you accept instantly when I mention photos.]
Zheng Kejia: [You’re so materialistic.]
Half a minute later.
Zheng Kejia sent five photos.
The background was the same in all of them, apparently taken in succession by the guy with the perm.
Wei Yifan opened them to look.
In the photos, her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, her oval face as small as a palm, and her skin as white as paper. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes would turn down slightly, softening her beautiful features.
Sang Yan, sitting next to her, wasn’t looking at the camera. He was quietly staring at her from the side, the corner of his lips slightly curved.
Wei Yifan’s breath caught slightly.
She swiped through to look at the remaining four photos.
Five photos.
Spanning about half a minute.
In all the photos, Sang Yan never looked at the camera.
— He was looking at her.