No matter what Yan Tingli said, Shi Sui just looked at him without saying a word.

She suddenly got out of bed, picked up the water glass from the bedside table, and drank most of it.

Her fingers were trembling slightly.

Shi Sui looked up and met her face in the vanity mirror.

Even though Yan Tingli had only dressed her in the nightgown neatly for show.

But this state of being thoroughly saturated with intimate activities, anyone who saw it would never think that anything had happened between them.

Impossible to explain.

“So,” Shi Sui tightened her fingers, looking at him coldly, “what kind of story are you planning to make up for my parents?”

Yan Tingli was buttoning his collar.

He was fully dressed, even wearing different clothes from yesterday.

He looked at her, his lips curving in a pleased arc, saying with casual ease: “We’ve been together for five years, had some minor conflicts in between, and now we’ve reconciled. What do you think?”

Shi Sui, who had been unilaterally “reconciled,” suppressed the urge to splash the water in her glass on his face, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice: “No one would believe such lies.”

“Which part of what I said was a lie?” Yan Tingli’s expression became bland, his tone flat.

“We slept together when we were eighteen.”

“At twenty, you brought me to your hometown.”

“We even raised a child together—three-year-old Ping’an.”

“After three years of long distance, now we’re about to get married.”

He tilted his head slightly, giving her a smile: “Which part isn’t true?”

Hearing this made Shi Sui furious: “Who goes three years without contact during long distance? We broke up. Do you understand what breaking up means?”

“Mm?” Yan Tingli curved his eyes at her, his tone gentle, but the implications made chills penetrate Shi Sui’s spine.

“You didn’t contact me, but how do you know I couldn’t see you?”

Shi Sui stepped closer: “How exactly were you able to monitor me?”

“Monitor is such an ugly word,” Yan Tingli said disapprovingly, whispering in her ear, “How can watching my long-distance girlfriend be called monitoring?”

The righteousness in his tone made Shi Sui burn with inexplicable anger. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, “Shh.”

Yan Tingli placed his finger on her lips, “Keep it down, Mom is still outside.”

“……”

Shi Sui slapped his hand away and glared at him viciously.

This person only cared about talking to himself—there was no way to communicate. Shi Sui looked at him for a long time, finally saying expressionlessly and slowly: “Yan Tingli, you’re truly terrifying.”

Yan Tingli’s eyelashes moved, his lips about to curve but not quite, pulling into an ugly arc.

He suddenly turned and walked away, coldly dropping a sentence: “Good that you know.”

Li Yin had been waiting in the living room for almost twenty minutes.

Her sudden return here today was also because Yan Tingli had said they had some old photos left in the old house.

Most things here could be discarded—they could let Yan Tingli directly sell the place—but photos were precious and worth making a special trip to retrieve.

Having been reminded by Yan Tingli just the day before, she had come here right after getting home today, only to witness this scene.

Li Yin’s brain was overwhelmed with information, both embarrassed and anxious as she kept glancing toward the bedroom door.

In her eyes, Sui Sui had always looked like a child.

Introverted and homesick since childhood, after her trip abroad and return, although her personality had become more lively and she even had some fiery little tempers, she was still fundamentally a good girl.

Li Yin’s impression of Shi Sui remained stuck on her being perpetually single and never having any contact with boys.

As a result—

Thinking of the scene she had just witnessed, she almost couldn’t catch her breath.

But carefully considered Yan Tingli’s attitude toward them all these years.

She couldn’t help but have a sudden realization—of course, there was no such thing as kindness without reason.

Connecting various clues, Li Yin could reconstruct the general situation herself, her expression changing unpredictably.

Just then, the bedroom door opened.

She put on an expression that tried not to be too awkward and looked over.

Although Shi Sui had been mentally prepared for whatever lies Yan Tingli might tell, when she heard him eloquently using a persuasive manner, promising they could marry this year and easily drawing Li Yin in until she was almost ready to nod immediately, Shi Sui felt a chill run down her spine and quickly interrupted: “I never said I wanted to get married!”

Since things had already happened and reached this point, she couldn’t explain clearly and didn’t want to explain.

But regarding marriage, she absolutely couldn’t let Yan Tingli lead her by the nose.

Just thinking about every future moment being tied to Yan Tingli like this, enduring his obsessive, bone-chilling possessiveness, made Shi Sui feel overwhelming suffocation.

“Sui Sui.” In front of Li Yin, Yan Tingli called her name softly, using the most gentle and tender tone: “We’ve been together for five years. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

“Moreover,” he looked at her seriously, his eyes full of tenderness, “I’ve only ever committed to Sui Sui in this lifetime.”

What an actor you are. Shi Sui felt a chill, her hands itching with the desire to slap him right then.

In the end, she could only say reluctantly: “But I don’t want to right now—”

The smile disappeared from Yan Tingli’s eyes as he suddenly lowered his voice and approached, saying in a breathy tone: “Sui Sui, you know I always have ways to achieve my goals.”

So brazen.

Hearing this made Shi Sui even angrier, saying with full rebelliousness: “I just don’t want to get married.”

Li Yin looked at her strangely.

In the silence, Yan Tingli chuckled softly, looking somewhat helpless.

“Auntie,” his expression became somewhat dim, “Because I knew I might not be able to convince my parents initially, Sui Sui and I never went public. During the years she was far away abroad, I kept waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to stand beside Sui Sui with legitimate status. Now I can finally realize this. Perhaps Sui Sui still feels a bit awkward about it.”

Watching Li Yin’s face fill with sympathy, Shi Sui almost ground her teeth to powder.

She could only use her other hand to pinch Yan Tingli’s arm, but he clasped her hand in return, openly falling under Li Yin’s gaze.

It looked exactly like young lovers having a little spat.

The hesitation on Li Yin’s face faded as she smiled: “This is between you two. I won’t interfere.”

Shi Sui heard the definitive attitude in her tone.

Her chest rose and fell as she endured for a long time before suppressing her frustration.

Don’t be hasty, don’t be hasty, don’t be hasty.

Stay calm.

As long as she was unwilling, could Yan Tingli drag her to the civil affairs bureau?

After chatting here for most of the day, Li Yin finally remembered today’s purpose and went to the master bedroom to get the photos.

Shi Sui immediately followed her, saying she wanted to go back to the new house together.

“Oh, right,” Li Yin remembered something and asked her, “Why did you come back to live here? I never told you—the money for the new house was borrowed from Xiao Li, using the old house as collateral. It’s already been transferred to his name.”

Shi Sui weakly pulled at her lips.

“It doesn’t matter.” Her shoulder was embraced from behind as Yan Tingli half-hugged her, saying warmly, “We’re all family.”

Shi Sui: “……”

After Li Yin found out, the news grew wings and reached Shi Yue’s ears, leaving him equally shocked and disoriented.

That very evening, Yan Tingli brazenly took his place at their family dinner table. Shi Sui watched him sweet-talk and deceive her parents, sneering coldly in her heart.

At the same time, she was carefully calculating in her mind.

Once her internship ended, she would resign and leave immediately when it expired.

Then, when school started in September, she would fly directly back to Los Angeles, stay there until graduation, and consider settling down permanently.

Shi Sui lowered her eyes, her gaze flickering. Even if Yan Tingli knew where she was, so what? She would never submit to marrying him.

By late August, the summer heat finally began to fade.

The next day, Shi Sui didn’t even eat breakfast, arriving at the company at dawn and using a colleague’s phone to buy plane tickets—she didn’t know if it would work, but she might as well assume it would.

Soon, it was Monday morning meeting time.

Her phone kept buzzing. Opening it, she saw it was all messages from that person.

Yan Tingli’s WeChat had been forcibly added that night when she was fast asleep.

Just like the old pinned chat that couldn’t be removed, now even if Shi Sui deleted his WeChat, it would be futile.

Yan Tingli didn’t say much, but every word was practically a provocation to Shi Sui.

[See you’re not asleep yet, need to hear piano?]

[I’ll play for Sui Sui personally, won’t have 3.0 play it]

These were last night’s messages.

At the time, Shi Sui had covered her ears with a pillow in protest.

But the next second, her phone rang.

Shi Sui snorted coldly, hung up with a “snap,” and turned off her phone.

Then the room filled with eerie horror nursery rhymes played by 3.0.

Shi Sui: “……”

She angrily turned her phone back on and called back, suppressing her voice: “Yan Tingli, are you sick?!”

Through the phone, Shi Sui could hear the trembling laughter from his chest.

Then, a smooth piano melody began playing. Shi Sui was stunned for a second before immediately recognizing this as “Ballade pour Adeline,” the piece Theodore had given her at the music club.

The piece that she had thought Theodore played beautifully at the time now came from Yan Tingli’s hands.

Comparing the two, the difference was immediately apparent.

Even though Shi Sui was a layperson and the music was coming through a phone.

She still couldn’t help but be moved by it.

Returning from memory, Shi Sui looked at Yan Tingli’s latest message, her pupils dilating in shock.

[See you later]

See you later? See what?

Until someone suddenly burst out during the tedious morning meeting: “What?”

Fu Ze stood up, asking emotionally: “The project is being given to Zhao Sheng? Vice President, didn’t you make a mistake?”

The vice president frowned at him: “President Yan’s secretary personally coordinated with me. How could there be a mistake?”

Shi Sui looked up and saw Fu Ze’s red face and thick neck, having some premonition.

“Impossible,” Fu Ze couldn’t believe it. “President Yan thought highly of me. I even worked overtime for several days to submit—”

“President Yan! You, how did you come personally?” At this moment, the vice president suddenly stood up, walking toward Yan Tingli who had suddenly appeared at the meeting room door.

Today, he wasn’t dressed formally, probably just for normal work, wearing whatever was comfortable.

The simplest shirt and pants, paired with that young face, at first glance, he almost looked like a college student who hadn’t left campus.

No one could connect him with the president of the enormous Zhilian Future.

Sensing Yan Tingli’s searching gaze, Shi Sui immediately lowered her head.

Seeing Yan Tingli, Fu Ze was overjoyed, walking over like he’d seen a savior: “President Yan, it’s me, Xiao Fu.”

Yan Tingli didn’t speak, so Fu Ze continued complaining: “President Yan, regarding the project with your company, did your subordinates make a mistake—”

Yan Tingli ignored him, walking inside, revealing the lunch box in his other hand.

The vice president looked at him puzzledly: “President Yan, what’s this?”

At this moment, Yan Tingli finally spotted Shi Sui at the back, almost burying her face in her laptop keyboard, and broke into a pleased smile.

“Sui Sui,” he called out, “come to my side.”

Huh? Who?

Everyone at the meeting was stunned.

Shi Sui suddenly looked up, glaring at him.

Getting her response, Yan Tingli seemed to finally remember the vice president he’d left hanging, saying flatly: “I came today to handle some personal matters.”

“Then you’re…?”

Yan Tingli raised the lunch box in his hand, saying carelessly, “Bringing breakfast to my fiancée.”

“Huh?” The vice president was shocked: “Fian, fiancée?”

Nearby, Fu Ze’s expression underwent acute changes, an extremely bad premonition arising that made him stiffly turn to look toward the intern seating area where Shi Sui sat.

“Shi Sui.” Seeing she still wasn’t moving, Yan Tingli’s lip curved as he called her full name again, “Come here.”

Now, everyone in the meeting room’s gaze focused on her face.

In all her years, Shi Sui had never received so much admiring or envious attention.

Yet she felt no happiness at all. Her steps heavy, she steeled herself and walked toward the door.

Nearby, Fu Ze’s bad premonition intensified. Watching Shi Sui approach, he quietly and silently backed away.

As soon as his foot moved, a gaze pressed down from above.

Yan Tingli seemed to finally remember his existence, smiling as he called: “Team Leader Fu.”

Fu Ze: “…Yes.”

Yan Tingli used a regretful tone: “Originally, you were the partner I was most optimistic about, but now, is this the work you’re giving me?”

Fu Ze: “What?”

“I’m not very satisfied with the samples you submitted.”

Fu Ze’s face paled, then he heard Yan Tingli continue: “But it’s fine. Team Leader Fu’s abilities are insufficient—that can’t be helped. I don’t blame you.”

“Learn from this lesson next time.” As he spoke, he pulled the slowly approaching Shi Sui by the arm, saying unhurriedly, “Do more work, talk less.”

“Do you understand?”

Although Yan Tingli spoke gently, Fu Ze’s face still burned.

This feeling of being lifted in front of the entire company, then mercilessly dropped, was tantamount to mental streaking.

Fu Ze gritted his teeth and looked up.

He met Yan Tingli’s indifferent gaze and the cold curve of his lips.

Looking again at Shi Sui protected in his embrace, Fu Ze finally understood.

Everything was to teach him a lesson. Bone-deep chills ran up Fu Ze’s spine as he sat back down, pale-faced.

“Vice President Liao,” Yan Tingli asked casually, “is the meeting over?”

Vice President Liao read the room: “Ah yes yes yes, everything that needed to be said has been said.”

Yan Tingli nodded satisfactorily, his palm guiding Shi Sui outside: “Let’s go eat.”

The company had a dedicated break room for employees to rest and eat their meals.

Shi Sui only needed to taste one spoonful to know this was pumpkin porridge Yan Tingli had made himself, using imported pumpkins from abroad with nothing else added—the taste was very bland.

The series of events at the morning meeting, aside from initial embarrassment, didn’t cause particularly large emotional waves in Shi Sui.

Yan Tingli’s operation was simply to let company people know about their relationship, too.

But since he could set up Li Yin to see them lying in the same bed, nothing could exceed her tolerance now.

From parents to colleagues.

Who would be next?

Shi Sui numbly lowered her head to drink porridge.

While she ate, Yan Tingli sat across from her, propping his chin and watching her with curved eyes.

He was in an especially good mood, saying slowly: “Sui Sui, how do you always attract such trash?”

Shi Sui was too lazy to respond, finishing the last sip of porridge.

Yan Tingli sighed again: “I still need to help you clear them away. You can’t live without me, Sui Sui.”

Although she couldn’t muster sympathy for these people, his smugness particularly irritated her.

“You’re right,” Shi Sui suddenly nodded, “I just have a trash-attracting constitution.”

As she spoke, she cast her gaze toward Yan Tingli, this “biggest piece of trash.”

Yan Tingli was silent for a few seconds, his smile disappearing.

Suddenly reaching out to vindictively pinch her cheek, he stood up and approached her ear playfully: “What a pity then—you’ll have to spend your whole life with this trash. Can’t separate no matter what.”

After saying this, he turned and left with the lunchbox.

Yan Tingli was indeed very busy now, hardly able to spare complete blocks of time.

It was fortunate the two companies were close, allowing him to squeeze in visits.

Being busy was good.

Shi Sui lowered her eyes thoughtfully.

In three more days, she could finish her internship, stamp and pack up to leave.

The ticket to Los Angeles was for a week later.

Shi Sui took a deep breath.

That evening after work, seeing Yan Tingli at the dinner table again, Shi Sui remained calm as still water.

Now, no matter where he appeared, she wasn’t surprised anymore.

“Xiao Li says he often works overtime past mealtime and doesn’t feel like eating,” Li Yin brought the last portion of pork rib and corn soup to the table, “so I told him to come eat at home when he has time, otherwise it’s bad for his stomach over the years.”

Rest assured, he’s more afraid of death than anyone, all his ingredients are imported—he would never skip meals.

Shi Sui grumbled internally.

When Yan Tingli wanted to, he was very good at making people happy.

Chatting with Shi Yue about recent stock markets, casually recommending stocks; gossiping with Li Yin, casually disparaging her rival streamers.

The entire dinner table was filled with laughter.

Shi Sui looked at him in disbelief.

Warm light poured from overhead, further highlighting Yan Tingli’s jade-like skin. His eyes curved upward as he winked gently at her.

Shi Sui’s expression became somewhat dazed.

For that moment, she seemed to see that summer in the small town years ago—Yan Tingli competing with her to skip stones in the sunlight, feeding cat food to Ping’an.

She slowly lowered her eyes.

She also felt a subtle sourness at the tip of her nose, and even suddenly had a thought—

If only Yan Tingli could always be like this.

Shi Sui was startled by this sudden notion, shaking her head and quickly lowering it to drink soup.

After dinner, Shi Yue and Li Yin exchanged a glance and suddenly said they wanted to go out for a walk.

Shi Sui pulled at her lips, catching Yan Tingli’s lip curve from her peripheral vision—how could she not see what these two meant?

She was too lazy to be angry, humming acknowledgment before leaning on the sofa and mechanically changing TV channels.

When she switched to the children’s channel, “Big Ear Tutu” was playing on screen.

Shi Sui’s finger paused, just about to quickly change channels, when the space beside her dipped.

Yan Tingli suddenly pressed her hand: “Let’s watch this.”

He leaned very close, his breath right beside her.

“Sui Sui,” Yan Tingli called her name, his tone very slow, “I haven’t watched cartoons with you in a long time.”

Some people shouldn’t get too close—that was right.

Sensing that soft, sour emotion appearing in her heart again, Shi Sui pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Yan Tingli: “Today, I’m very happy.”

“Sui Sui, I want to kiss you now.” His features approached, dark pupils staring at her lips.

Kiss if you want to kiss, Shi Sui was too lazy to refuse. She couldn’t refuse anyway, so she might as well save some energy.

Unlike that night’s storm.

This time, Yan Tingli’s kiss was very gentle, his palm caressing her nape, softly sucking and licking in her mouth like a gentle breeze and light rain.

He kissed with bright pupils.

As if he’d never kissed before, like a green boy, kissing again and again.

Both their breathing became unsteady, but the atmosphere was more peaceful than at any time since they’d reunited.

Shi Sui’s body went soft, unable to support herself, falling back onto the sofa.

Yan Tingli leaned over her, dark eyes gazing down.

“Sui Sui, I’m very happy.” He said for the second time, “Don’t lie to me, and don’t do things that make me unhappy anymore.”

“Let’s just continue like this, okay?”

Shi Sui opened her lips but still made no sound.

So Yan Tingli came to kiss her again.

Kissing until Shi Sui’s mind almost went fuzzy, her sour heart wavering again.

Suddenly, “click.”

Something cold locked around her ankle.

Shi Sui reflexively struggled and sat up to look.

Seeing the beautiful pink diamond ankle chain on her ankle, she looked at Yan Tingli in a daze.

“Do you like it?” Yan Tingli smiled at her.

Given that he used to like giving luxury gifts, Shi Sui’s suspended heart relaxed somewhat as she touched it: “It’s quite pretty.”

But after searching for a long time, she couldn’t see where to remove it: “How do you take this off?”

Yan Tingli continued cupping the back of her head, kissing her.

Biting her lower lip: “Just wear it—what’s the point of taking it off?”