Song Fengwan lowered her head and ate the dumplings while glancing at Yan Shaochen out of the corner of her eye.
How did this unlucky child get into the sights of the Sun family?
“Does the Sun family think that no one recognizes Sun Rui after she leaves the capital? They still want to stuff her to our family? They’re delusional.” Old Madam Yan gripped her walking stick, fuming.
“Actually, they didn’t say it directly…” Qiao Aiyun sat beside her and helped her calm down.
“Given the Sun family’s attitude just now, isn’t it obvious enough?” Old Madam Yan smiled lightly. “It’s fine if this Sun Rui is shameless, but why is the Sun family so shameless too? They said that Sun Rui and Shaochen are a perfect match, that they look very compatible?
“I’m old, and my eyesight is poor. I really can’t tell what about them is compatible.
“She’s spoiled and arrogant just because her family has money. Our Yan family can’t afford to have such a person.
“They even said that she’s alone in Yuncheng and to let Shaochen get together with her when he’s free? After that incident, they’re in a hurry to send their daughter out. Our Yan family has always been clean and pure, so we won’t accept her, this pot of foul water.”
Song Fengwan finally understood what was going on.
There were many people visiting one another to deliver gifts during Lunar New Year, and the Sun family must have paid the Yan family a visit before. The meaning behind their words was that they wanted to matchmake Sun Rui and Yan Shaochen.
So far, Song Fengwan had a pretty good impression of Yan Shaochen. If he was with Sun Rui, it would simply be…
… such a waste.
“Shaochen, what do you think?” Old Madam Yan looked at the silent man.
“I’ve never seen her before, so I don’t feel anything for her.” Yan Shaochen wasn’t a fool. Sun Rui’s reputation was terrible right now. Whoever took over this hot potato would suffer greatly.
A woman who had been abandoned after climbing into a bed… Anyone who took her home would have green clouds surrounding his head[1].
“I’m afraid the Sun family will look for you in the near future. Be careful and stay away from her. Don’t dirty your shoes by getting too close,” Old Madam Yan reminded.
“I know.”
Old Madan Yan glanced at Song Fengwan, who was still eating, and gestured for Yan Shaochen to talk to her in her room. Song Fengwan naturally had no idea what the rest of the conversation was.
If Yan Shaochen was really being targeted by the Sun Family, he was truly pitiful.
***
Over the next few days, Song Fengwan focused on studying. So naturally, she didn’t pay attention to Sun Rui and Yan Shaochen’s business. Besides, she couldn’t interfere in this matter either.
The incident’s turning point happened on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.
Two days before the senior high school students’ holidays, the school organized a small test. The test was surprisingly difficult, and the class failed on a large scale. Some students only scored more than 20 points on the math section, so the class was beset by gloomy clouds.
The school simply wanted to put the students in their place and remind them that they couldn’t be lazy even during the holidays because they were not qualified to relax yet.
Song Fengwan’s score for each subject wasn’t high. But her total score actually squeezed her into the top ten of the class, and she was specially praised by the teacher.
Her learning situation was also honestly reflected by the teachers in the parents’ group chat. Qiao Aiyun was happy from the bottom of her heart and prepared to whip up a good meal at home. But Old Madam Yan waved her hand and said that she wanted to go out to eat.
Qiao Aiyun couldn’t dissuade her and booked a private room at a hotel.
Yan Shaochen came from the hotel he was staying at and naturally picked Song Fengwan up along the way.
Song Fengwan was texting Fu Chen during the whole journey because he had said he would arrive in Yuncheng at night…
***
Meanwhile, a group of people had also booked a private room in the hotel.
Sun Rui, wearing heavy makeup, was leaning against the window of the hotel. She was holding a cigarette with one hand with her eyes narrowed as she kept puffing away.
“You’re going to meet him later. Don’t smoke.” Sun Zhen walked over and snatched the cigarette from her hand.
“Isn’t he just a member of the Yan family? Hah… Who does Yan Shaochen think he is? He keeps making excuses and turning my father down when he wants to meet him. He’s not even an adopted son of the Yan family. How dare he put on airs?”
Sun Rui didn’t smoke and instead played with the lighter beside her.
Flick! Bluish purple flames burst out.
“No matter how much Old Madam Yan likes him, what’s the point? Will he get a share of the Yan family’s assets? If Yan Wangchuan and Qiao Aiyun have a child, even that damn girl Song Fengwan will have to stand aside, let alone him.
“What kind of person is he? If not for the Yan family behind him, who would take a liking to him?”
Sun Rui was talking to herself. When Sun Zhen heard this, his expression stiffened as though a needle had ruthlessly pierced into his heart…
… because he was the adopted son of the Sun family.
Before long, Sun Rui suddenly raised her arm and nudged him. “Look, he’s here. You haven’t seen Song Fengwan before, right?”
Sun Zhen had indeed never seen her before. When Sun Rui came to Yuncheng to take refuge, he had been sent along to entertain her.
Even though there was a scandal, the Sun family still had some power. When they arrived in Yuncheng, many people treated them to a meal. Naturally, they would mention Song Jingren, who had gotten into trouble some time ago, and also Song Fengwan in passing.
Outsiders described her as gorgeous as peaches and plums, that her beauty could cause the downfall of cities and kingdoms.
Sun Zhen laughed it off. How could rumors be taken as the truth? Now that he had seen the actual person, he knew that the rumors were true.
She was wearing a school uniform inside and a black down jacket outside, and her simple ponytail revealed her full forehead. As soon as she got out of the car, she raised her head and straightened the turtleneck sweater around her neck. Her neck was slender and beautiful.
Even when she tilted her head to talk to Yan Shaochen, she looked inexplicably gorgeous.
At her age, she was in the transitional stage between immaturity and maturity. There was an indescribable attractiveness to her, and she was full of youthful spirit.
It was as though she occupied all the beauty in the world.
Sun Zhen was an adopted son, so he had to behave correctly and cautiously. If he wasn’t careful, he would be abandoned by the Sun family. But he definitely did not lack female companions. He wasn’t obscene, but he was also a normal man.
Upon seeing his gaze fixated on Song Fengwan, Sun Rui suddenly laughed.
“You’ve taken a fancy to her?”
Sun Zhen smiled. “She’s indeed pretty.”
“Try her?” Sun Rui said meaningfully. “Have you ever tried someone so young?”
Sun Zhen had a square face and looked ordinary. In Sun Rui’s eyes, he was just a dog raised by the Sun family specially to entertain her and could be kicked away at any time.
If Fu Chen found out that his woman was raped by Sun Zhen…
“Little Rui, stop joking. She’s out of my reach.” Sun Zhen knew himself. Yan Wangchuan and Qiao Aiyun would get married sooner or later. When that happened, Song Fengwan’s social status would rise, and his status wouldn’t be enough.
“Once this woman gets in bed, she’ll still be pressed down under your body. What’s out of reach?” Sun Rui smiled. “If you can really marry her, the Yan family might be yours in the future…”
Their gazes met, as though they had reached a tacit understanding.
“Let’s go. They’ve all entered. I’ll go meet this Young Master Yan too.” Sun Rui put a piece of gum in her mouth and spat it out after chewing twice.
It was naturally not a coincidence that the two of them were here. The Sun family wanted to arrange a marriage with the Yan family, so they naturally tried to find out about Yan Shaochen’s every move. When they found out that he would be here today, they had specifically come for a ‘chance encounter’.
Sun Rui had extremely high standards. Besides Fu Chen, she turned her nose up at everyone else. She had come here today purely to deal with her family.
Now that she saw that Sun Zhen was interested in Song Fengwan, she felt motivated too.
She couldn’t wait to see Song Fengwan drawing people’s revulsion in the end.
She would settle their score from last time as well.
***
Song Fengwan had been texting Fu Chen almost during the entire journey and rarely communicated with Yan Shaochen.
Yan Shaochen was still lamenting. Children nowadays simply can’t survive without their phones. There are people with lowered heads everywhere.
“Eldest Aunt and the others just left. Let’s go to the private room first.” Yan Shaochen turned his head to look at her. He treated her like a younger sister. After all, she was a student. In his eyes, she was just a child.
“They just left?” Song Fengwan sighed. Fu Chen would arrive around 9 o’clock. She didn’t know if he would be able to eat by then.
“I thought we would be stuck in traffic and misjudged the time,” Yan Shaochen explained.
Yuncheng was a city that had emerged after the country’s reform and the economy opened up to the outside world. More than half of the people here were migrant workers. At this moment, most of them had already returned to their hometown, so the city was naturally not congested.
Song Fengwan and Yan Shaochen had just entered the hotel when they saw the Sun siblings directly walking toward them.
In fact, Yan Shaochen had come into contact with them in private before. They were not the same kind of people, so he didn’t deepen their relationship.
“Young Master Yan, what a coincidence.” Sun Zhen smiled as he walked over and sized up Song Fengwan seamlessly. She looked even more beautiful up close, much better than those beauties piled up with makeup. “This must be Miss Song.”
“Yes, it’s quite a coincidence.” Yan Shaochen emphasized the last word.
“I didn’t expect to meet you even while eating.” Sun Zhen shook his hand simply and actually reached out to Song Fengwan.
Yan Shaochen raised his hand and clasped it again. “Yes, I’ve been quite fated to meet the two of you recently. We bump into each other everywhere. If it weren’t you two, I would have thought I was being stalked with evil intentions.
“I don’t think the Sun family would do something so nauseating.”
Yan Shaochen tightened his grip. “Right, Young Master Sun?”
Even though Sun Zhen was cursing in his heart, he still had to smile broadly on his face. This is a f*cking different way of saying that we’re nauseating and disgusting.
But they couldn’t say anything and could only bear with it.
“Since we’ve run into each other coincidentally, do you want to have a drink with us over at our private room?” Sun Zhen immediately invited them, wanting to create an opportunity for Yan Shaochen and Sun Rui.
“We still have something to do. It’s not convenient.” Yan Shaochen gestured for Song Fengwan to leave with him.
“Hold on. What’s the hurry? Miss Song, we haven’t seen each other in a long time too. I still remember… what happened last time.” Sun Rui smiled while blocking their way.
“What do you want to do now?” Song Fengwan frowned.
Yan Shaochen wasn’t surprised that the two knew each other. After all, Sun Rui was Fu Yuxiu’s cousin. But there seemed to be some conflict between them.
“I’m not an unreasonable person. Even if we have any grudges, we can’t keep them for Lunar New Year[2], right? Why don’t you come to our private room for a drink? A glass of wine will settle any grudges. How about it?” Sun Rui smiled.
“There are other people in the private room too. They’re also locals of Yuncheng. You might even know them. I won’t do anything to you. Just have a drink.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone about your matter. I believe your family is still unaware…”
Sun Rui’s words were already a threat.
Yan Shaochen took a look at the person beside him. Does she have something on Song Fengwan?
Song Fengwan’s gaze landed on Sun Rui’s face. It was a fake mask covered in makeup. No matter how she looked at it, it harbored ulterior motives.
A leopard never changes its spots. Would someone like her suddenly seek reconciliation?
At this moment, the others in the private room also came out. There were indeed a few familiar faces to Song Fengwan.
“Wanwan’s here. Come in and have fun together…”
“I invited her in for a drink just now. She’s not giving me face.” Sun Rui smirked sinisterly.
“She’s still a student. She can’t drink alcohol,” Yan Shaochen said.
“She can at least have a beverage, right?” The group of people swarmed around her, pushing and pulling, dragging Song Fengwan in.
Yan Shaochen wanted to help her, but the people pulling her were all girls. As soon as he reached his hand out, he was pestered by a girl. She leaned her whole body against him, making him feel uncomfortable. He could only follow them in to see what would happen.
He went in a little later. A boy had already unscrewed a soda and started pouring it into glasses.
“Miss Song, let’s drink. We’ll all drink non-alcoholic beverages.” Sun Rui kept shooting this person looks.
At this moment, the private room was a little chaotic. The person was holding one of the glasses with one hand and adding something into it when no one was looking. Yan Shaochen narrowed his eyes.
He had been in the business world for several years and had seen a lot of these filthy things. From that person’s actions, he immediately understood what he was doing.
He just didn’t know exactly how Song Fengwan had offended Sun Rui. The latter was actually using such a despicable method.
***
On the other side, Fu Chen was sitting in a car and rushing to Yuncheng.
During the Chunyun period, it was difficult to get a ticket, and the plane tickets were very scarce, so he could only drive over. The highway was congested with traffic, so his car kept having to stop every now and then. Initially, he could have arrived at around eight, but he was delayed by an hour.
When the car was about to reach Yuncheng, he encountered another traffic jam. He was already feeling a little anxious, and then he received messages from Qian Jiang.
[Yan Shaochen and Miss Song have arrived at the hotel.]
[The two of them exchanged a few words along the way.]
[They were ‘invited’ to a private room by Sun Rui. A lot of things were added to the drinks.]
Fu Chen’s brows knitted tightly. Sun Rui truly deserves to die.
He was about to call Song Fengwan and ask her to leave as soon as possible when Qian Jiang’s message came again.
[The door is closed. Do you want me to kick the door open to know more details?]
Fu Chen felt like vomiting blood. Is this guy trying to anger me to death?
[1] ‘Green clouds’ is a common Chinese expression for a man who has been cuckolded.
[2] In China, because Lunar New Year is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year, people usually settle their old scores or debts before its arrival.
