Chapter 28#

The door closed, and Du Yijie helped me sit on the edge of the bed before personally pouring a glass of water for me.

I was still shaken, my hands trembling slightly as I took the glass, spilling some water onto his hand.

“S-sorry…” I pursed my lips, feeling a sharp sting at the corner of my mouth. I couldn’t help but reach up to touch it, only to have my hand caught by a stronger one.

The room was fairly well lit, but after ten years apart, Du Yijie’s features still bore the faint outline of the boy he once was. The aura around his brows, however, was vastly different—not just in the dim hallway earlier, but even now, I could barely recognize him.

“Don’t touch it; it’s bruised.” Du Yijie’s voice had deepened, carrying a restrained and steady presence that made it impossible to defy him.

He gently patted my hand, then picked up the phone on the bedside table.

“Mm… still on the way? Bring the first-aid kit up. Mm—entertain them for me tonight. No need to report unless something comes up.”

Lowering his voice, he turned back to find me staring at him. He walked over and crouched in front of me, meeting my gaze at eye level.

If there was one thing about Du Yijie that remained unchanged, it was his sharp, piercing brows and the faint warmth hidden in his dark eyes. Still flustered, I unconsciously reached out to brush the bangs on his forehead, letting out an involuntary sigh.

In the blink of an eye, the boy from back then had grown into a mature man.

Du Yijie seemed momentarily startled, and I suddenly realized how abrupt my action was. My face flushed, and just as I was about to pull my hand back, he caught my elbow and pressed it against his cheek, his eyes dropping.

“You…” I started to speak, but the crack in my lip sent a jolt of pain through me.

Du Yijie gave a bitter smile and said gently, “Better not talk.”

A knock came from outside. Du Yijie offered me a reassuring smile before heading out. A moment later, he returned with a first-aid kit in hand.

He took off his jacket, making his build appear even more imposing. His cold, hard features seemed to radiate a captivating charm at all times, and only when he smiled could I still see traces of the boy he used to be.

A sudden wave of melancholy washed over me—a feeling my past self could never have imagined. After all, someone like Du Yijie, even if we crossed paths at a social banquet, would merely exchange nods and a few words. I always thought that face would forever project an air of “keep your distance.”

I had never imagined that his smile could be so beautiful.

He took some medicinal alcohol from the kit and said softly, “Let me see where you’re hurt.”

I froze in surprise as Du Yijie leaned in to gently unbutton my shirt. His movements were both gentle and firm, and faced with him, I found myself unable to voice any refusal.

There were bruises under my chest and abdomen, but the worst pain was in my back. I imagined I must have looked dreadful—my face swollen on one side, an indescribable mess. Du Yijie glanced at me, his brows furrowing deeply. I let out a dry laugh and said with effort, “Guess I really should work out more—haha.”

Du Yijie’s expression darkened slightly. He only hummed in response before applying the alcohol to my wounds. His hands were strong and a bit rough. I gritted my teeth against the pain, suppressing a groan. Du Yijie steadied my shoulder and leaned in to ask, “Does it hurt?” I didn’t know whether to nod or shake my head, so I mumbled, “It’s fine, it’s fine…”

A wry laugh sounded by my ear.

“You really haven’t changed at all.” Whether that was praise or criticism, I couldn’t tell.

After tending to my bruises, Du Yijie said, “The doctor will be here soon.” I was drenched in cold sweat, dazed as I nodded. After a moment’s thought, I quickly waved my hand and said, “N-no need… They didn’t hit me that hard, honestly.” That was the truth.

Du Yijie’s eyes darkened abruptly. He helped me lie down and said softly, “Just rest for now.”

As he was about to stand and leave, I instinctively grabbed his hand and said urgently, “Um…” He looked back, and I stammered again, “T-this is because—I thought—”

Du Yijie sat back down on the edge of the bed as if to reassure me. He placed my hand under the warm blanket and patted it slowly. “I know.”

I felt my face flush. In the end, I had to rely on someone younger than me. I couldn’t bear to show my face. Lifting my head, I noticed, under the bedside light, a faint scar at the corner of his eye.

At first glance, it looked like a knife wound, extending toward his cheek.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Du Yijie said. “I’ll come wake you later.”

He picked up his phone and stepped out, his voice very low, his expression somewhat serious. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. I instinctively reached into my pocket and realized I had left my phone in the private room earlier.

I woke up again in a haze, feeling the warmth of sunlight. Du Yijie was sitting on the sofa in the bedroom, backlit. He turned to look at me and asked calmly, “Awake?” As if we were old friends, he set down his newspaper and came over, saying, “Hungry? I ordered seafood porridge. Or would you like something else?”

He went out and returned shortly with a tray, placing it by the bed and setting up breakfast.

Seeming to read the question on my face, Du Yijie smiled. “The doctor checked and treated your wounds last night without waking you. You slept quite soundly.”

I nodded vaguely, rubbing my forehead as a thought suddenly struck me.

“Oh, right, Cheng Chen—”

Du Yijie remained composed. He took a phone out of his pocket and held it up. “Is this yours?” I glanced at it and nodded quickly, taking it. I looked down—a long list of missed calls, from both Cheng Chen and Bai Junrui.

My heart sank. I was about to call back when the phone was gently taken from my hand.

I looked up at Du Yijie, who put the phone back in his pocket. He picked up the bowl of hot porridge and said, “Eat a little first to warm your stomach. The doctor said you don’t look well.”

He stirred the porridge. “I’ll drive you back later.”

I took the bowl somewhat dazedly.

Du Yijie was still in his shirt, the top two buttons undone. Whether because of his height or not, no matter how I looked at him, aside from the added steadiness and restraint, his tall, straight figure still carried the same handsomeness as before.

And… the seafood porridge tasted pretty good.

Du Yijie had originally planned to drive me himself, but then A-De came over and whispered something in his ear. When A-De saw me, he raised a hand and nodded in greeting. Compared to back then, his appearance hadn’t changed much.

“Xiaoqi, sorry, I’ll have someone take you back.”

I waved my hand, ready to say I could just take a taxi. But Du Yijie was unusually stubborn about this. He watched me get into the car, then handed me my phone through the window. “Remember to go for a follow-up.”

A-De came up from behind and said, “Brother Du, the men reported that the matter you instructed last night has been taken care of.”

Du Yijie responded with a sound and made a gesture. The driver nodded.

In the car, I called Cheng Chen. On the other end, he let out a startled yell, then went quiet. He had already found out about Du Yijie.

“Fatty, are you okay?! Wait, I’ll come to you right now—!”

“No, no, don’t. Don’t you have a mission today?” I touched the corner of my mouth unconsciously—it had been treated, and the swelling had gone down a bit. But if Cheng Chen saw me like this, there’d be no end to it.

“Then… ugh, what a mess! Fatty…”

“It’s my fault. I ran off last night—ugh, I’ll explain when I see you. Anyway, it was messed up.”

I hummed in response, hung up, and then called Katherine. Without hesitation, she approved a week off for me.

When I got back to the apartment, Tom the security guard was inevitably shocked. His eyes locked onto me, and then he swung his fists around, insisting he’d teach those bastards a lesson. I smiled bitterly and brushed him off, then shuffled weakly to my suite.

As I lay in bed, something suddenly occurred to me. I sat up and called Bai Junrui.

As soon as he answered, Bai Junrui asked, “Xiaoqi, why weren’t you answering your calls last night? The firm said you didn’t come in either. Still sick?”

I stammered out a few replies, but Bai Junrui still worriedly said, “I’ll come over tonight. If you’re still unwell, I’ll take you to the hospital. Are you okay now?”

A chill ran through me. I quickly said, “N-no, it’s fine… I just felt tired today, so I didn’t go in. Aren’t you busy these days with the preparations—”

I paused.

The main reason Bai Junrui had come to City B was to help Shu Yuan prepare for her engagement.

“Xiaoqi? Xiaoqi?”

“Oh, oh—what is it?”

Bai Junrui sighed softly. “I might be staying in City B for a long time.”

“Would you… move in with me?”

“Xiaoqi, I’m really worried about you.”

I touched my chest and suddenly shot up.

“Xiaoqi? Xiaoqi, what’s wrong?”

Bai Junrui called out urgently. I replied anxiously, “Oh… nothing, nothing. Brother Bai, let’s talk about this later. I have to go now.”

I hung up, quickly turned on the light, and searched from the room to the entrance.

Still nothing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.

The pendant Wang Zheng had given me—it was gone.

To say that the pendant was extremely important to me wouldn’t be entirely true. If I had to trace it back, it was probably one of the rare meaningful gifts Wang Zheng had given me across two lifetimes.

It was a gift for my sixteenth birthday—a delicate little charm. It was a bit girlish, but Wang Zheng had always had a refined taste. The things he liked, like him, were always beautiful and intricate.

Sometimes I couldn’t help but think that the reason Wang Zheng did something as extreme as kidnapping back then was because of his depression and anxiety.

As for the dream he mentioned, just thinking about it sent chills down my spine, so I’ll leave that aside.

The pendant was lost, and I had no idea where to start looking. Honestly, I felt a bit down about it. I had worn it for years.

But some things, once lost, are lost. You can’t get them back.

I had learned that lesson in my past life. Besides, I probably wouldn’t have much to do with the Wang and Ren families in the future. With that thought, I felt a lot more relieved.

But just a couple of days after I let it go, that troublemaker Cheng Chen came rushing over to see me. At least this time, it was to treat me to a meal and apologize.

Speaking of which, there’s a little-known fact about me: I don’t actually dislike sweets—in fact, I quite like them.

To be honest, for someone my age, admitting I like sweets feels a bit embarrassing. In other people’s eyes, cake and chocolate are things for girls and kids.

I think it might have something to do with my upbringing. When I was little, my mom didn’t let me eat much sugar. In that cold, empty mansion, I was the only child. After my dad left, no one thought to buy sweets and hide them. When the New Year finally came, my mom would always make a fuss over the red candies, and I’d sit there stiffly, sneaking a handful whenever I could.

Speaking of this, I think I should mention something.

Third Master Ren seemed to really like children.

I remember back in the day, when the Ren family’s main residence was at its liveliest—during the holidays. The Wang family and the Ren family’s branches would all come to visit. Third Master Ren would at least show his face once. A big group of kids would behave like angels, flocking around him and sweetly calling out, “Third Master.” After all, the candies he gave out came in the prettiest packaging and were the best.

On New Year’s Day, Third Master Ren would always dress in bright red, parading around. Old Madam Ren said it would gather good fortune for him. I always thought he could use a white beard to go with it—he’d look just like Santa Claus, even more festive.

I never dared to ask him for candy, partly because I got scolded for his sake often. When he handed out treats, I’d turn my face away. Don’t get me wrong—he was actually quite partial. But Wang Zheng was just naturally likable as a kid, pretty as a doll, so he always got the most candy.

At times like that, Wang Zheng would usually share his extra sweets with me. I’ve honestly thought about it before—the vague feelings I had for Wang Zheng probably grew out of those candies. Ha-ha.

Cheng Chen was one of the few people who knew about my sweet tooth. Luckily, there wasn’t much he couldn’t eat, and so he took me to a dessert shop, pandering to my tastes. Cheng Chen graciously accepted the giggles and stares of the girls around us and, with great fanfare, dragged me to a seat by the window.

In the past two days, the swelling on my face had gone down completely. Although the bruises on my body hadn’t healed fully, they weren’t a problem. Cheng Chen didn’t press me about what happened that day. He just brushed over it: “It was a mess of a situation. You disappeared on me, and I looked for you like crazy. I almost called Brother Bai. Good thing I didn’t act on impulse—otherwise, you’d be the one saving me.”

“Instead of finding you, I saw a ghost.”

Cheng Chen clicked his tongue a couple of times, his smile fading. He said darkly, “Calling him Brother Du? I don’t buy it for a second.”

Not only couldn’t I recognize him, but even Cheng Chen, who had a bit of a history with Du Yijie in their youth, was thrown off. And from Cheng Chen’s tone, there wasn’t a shred of goodwill. Maybe something unpleasant had happened between them when I wasn’t around.

Cheng Chen didn’t mention it at all, so I didn’t feel right pressing him.

“Ah, forget it, forget it. Look at that frown on your face. Oh—don’t you think the waitstaff here have amazing figures?” Cheng Chen leaned in sneakily and whispered, “Hot, right?”

See no evil.

Cheng Chen’s hobby hadn’t changed since his teens. While he wasn’t exactly a womanizer, he was still…

“Fatty! Fatty! Look over there—Queen! A queen!”

I smiled wryly and covered his mouth, shaking my head. Following his gaze, I looked over—and suddenly, the smile froze on my face.

She wore a fitted light red dress, her petite figure flawless. Naturally, her face was beautiful, with wavy long hair, her chin slightly raised. With every step, she exuded confidence and charm.

Maybe my stare was too obvious. She had been looking around as if searching for a seat, but then her gaze landed on our table. Slowly, she took off her sunglasses.

Cheng Chen immediately patted me. I lowered my hand from his mouth, and he said excitedly, “Here she comes! The queen is coming over!”

She walked gracefully over and stopped in front of me. A faint smile played on her lips, but she pretended to frown, as if thinking. Cheng Chen straightened up, about to speak, when she covered her mouth and laughed, speaking in perfect Mandarin: “Hey, it really is Brother Ren. A long time ago, I went to Singapore with my cousin. I’m Shu Yuan. Remember?”

Cheng Chen paused, looking at me in surprise.

I was shocked too. Of course I recognized Shu Yuan, but I never expected her to remember me. She looked about the same as in my memories—always proud and elegant—but her demeanor was much softer and more delicate than I’d known. I suppose that had to do with her reluctance to marry me in my past life.

“Hehe, I’ve always had a good memory. Well—” Shu Yuan’s gaze shifted to Cheng Chen. She extended her hand in a friendly manner. “Hello, sir. You can call me Tiffany, though I also like my Chinese name.”

Cheng Chen shook her hand, stunned, and let out a dry laugh. “So you’re… Brother Bai’s sister.”

Shu Yuan was a bit different in this life. I remembered her as an art student at an American university, but from what Bai Junrui said, she had gone to the UK in high school. No wonder Cheng Chen was so shocked. He had never met Shu Yuan before. Whenever he asked Bai Junrui about his sworn sister, Bai Junrui would just snort dismissively and say, “She’s the worst woman in the world.”

Given that, Cheng Chen naturally assumed Shu Yuan was a spoiled, weird girl with a flat chest and freckles on her face. Later, when he heard she was engaged to Wang Zheng, he was overjoyed. Everyone knew they had clashed badly in middle school—some deep-seated grudge that had lasted for years. He said, “Great, great. An ugly girl paired with a peacock of a man. A match made in heaven.”

Bai Junrui nodded in agreement. “Indeed, a match made in heaven.”

That alone was enough to shock him.

Shu Yuan seemed to have mellowed out in this life. I remembered her as someone with extremely high self-esteem and immense pride. That she could now speak calmly and politely was something I couldn’t have imagined in any of my past lives.

Midway through, Shu Yuan took a phone call. When she returned, she smiled and chatted with me. “Brother Ren hasn’t changed at all. Still very gentle. Completely unlike Eustace.”

Eustace was Wang Zheng’s English name.

Shu Yuan pouted, looking a bit vexed as she poked at the lemon in her glass with a straw.

“You know, Eustace and I are getting engaged. We just came from trying on our outfits. He always has this stiff face, but I know he cares about me. See, he called in no time to ask where I was.”

I nodded and smiled. “He’s all talk, but he has a soft heart.”

Shu Yuan blushed and lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering like little fans. She was exquisitely pretty—just the kind Wang Zheng would like.

“Originally, we wanted to get married earlier, but Eustace said he’d wait until I graduate, so we moved the wedding to the end of the year. We haven’t decided on the honeymoon destination yet. Oh, Brother Ren…”

Shu Yuan was the picture of a happy girl, her sparkling eyes making me dizzy.

“You and Eustace grew up together. When Eustace was in the UK, he talked about you a lot. Do you know where he likes to go? He just says to go wherever I like, but since we’ll be husband and wife, we should compromise, right?”

I said, “To be honest, I don’t know him that well. We’re friends, but we haven’t kept in touch much lately.”

Shu Yuan nodded knowingly, then suddenly smiled. “Does Brother Ren have a girlfriend?”

Cheng Chen also looked at me.

I laughed, waving my hand. Why were girls always so concerned about these things?

“Is that so? Brother Ren must be too focused on work. Actually, I have a friend I could introduce—”

Her phone rang again. She answered with a sweet smile, then said with a slight, awkward laugh, “Eustace is waiting for me outside. Let’s talk another time.”

Before leaving, she made sure to say, “Don’t forget to come to my engagement party.” She glanced at Cheng Chen. “Mr. Cheng, you’re also invited.”

I looked at the glass of lemonade across from me, feeling sorry for the lemon that had been stabbed to pieces.

Cheng Chen patted my shoulder and jerked his chin. “Hey, Fatty, isn’t that your stuck-up cousin?”

Then he added, “Damn, he’s glaring over here. Fatty, Fatty, look—his eyes are about to pop out. Same old attitude. So what if we talked to his fiancée for a minute?”

I didn’t look up. I stood up and went to the counter to pay.