Chapter 17 (1/2): Wishing You a Happy Marriage (2)

Some people’s emotions are easy to read, while others are much harder to decipher.

Usually, Song Huaixu belonged to the latter category.

This was Miss Xu Nanyin’s conclusion until today.

At this moment, she seemed to sense that he held some negative feelings about the question she had just asked.

Faced with his naturally intense aggressiveness and pressure, Xu Nanyin didn’t have time to wonder why.

She took a small step back and opened her mouth: “No.”

She hadn’t even confirmed if he was male; she was just curious about what kind of person would send her a gift.

Perhaps they could become friends, or she could tell him in advance that such extravagant gifts weren’t necessary.

“I won’t ask anymore.”

She glanced at his expression.

“Please don’t be angry.”

Her tone was soft, and the clear eyes reflected the man’s figure. It was hard for anyone to be angry at such a face.

“I’m not angry.” Song Huaixu straightened up.

His gaze swept over her retreating right foot.

The light cast by the red wine wall tinted her fair skin a glazed hue.

He asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

Xu Nanyin denied it honestly.

“It’s just… just that you were too close just now.”

She rarely came into contact with men who had such a strong aura.

She couldn’t resist it; if she stayed too long, it could easily trigger a relapse of Craving Skin Syndrome.

Xu Nanyin didn’t want others to notice outside.

He knew her words were the truth.

“Apart from Song Tingchuan, how many are two or three years different from you?”

Song Huaixu casually dropped this question, his gaze fixed on her.

“Who did you want to ask about?”

In the family, from the old to the young, many were either displeasing to him or afraid of him.

Unless someone was extremely blatant, he never paid attention.

He didn’t understand why she would bring them up.

She shouldn’t even know any of them.

All the tension seemed to vanish just now, even that extremely intense pressure felt like an illusion.

Xu Nanyin shook her head.

“I’m not asking about anyone.”

She didn’t even know who to ask about, so how could she?

Song Huaixu detected the hesitation in her answer.

“You told me to wait, started to ask, then stopped halfway.”

He stared at her. “Is this what you wanted to ask me?”

The atmosphere deepened.

The man stood before her, the scattered light cast by the red wine bottle highlighting his sharp features.

The hazy glow draped over him, making his eye color even more striking.

Thinking of the question she originally wanted to ask, Xu Nanyin’s heartbeat quickened slightly, and the air seemed to warm.

She stammered, “Um…”

After a moment, she suppressed the overly personal thought.

Today wasn’t the right time to ask.

Song Huaixu said, “Be honest.”

Those three brief words carried an irresistible weight.

“Can’t I just say I won’t ask?”

“No.”

“When will you leave Port City this time?”

Xu Nanyin felt he was unreasonable, a little aggrieved in her voice.

Song Huaixu studied her expression.

“Tomorrow.”

“So soon?”

Xu Nanyin was a little surprised but found it normal.

He had stayed for four or five days this time, which was quite long.

Her urge to use him as medicine waned a bit.

She nodded.

“I understand.”

She emphasized seriously, “I’ve finished asking.”

Song Huaixu laughed quietly.

Zheng Yuze’s biggest hobby was cars; everyone in Port City knew this.

He owned several sports cars, so he had been engrossed in a discussion with Dai Hongshu.

When he looked up, he found Xu Nanyin was gone.

Looking again, her slender back was at the lounge, facing a man who was definitely an opponent he couldn’t afford to offend.

Although his father said this Song General Manager couldn’t be a rival in love, as he wasn’t interested in women—especially not someone he had barely met like Xu Nanyin—men were men, and he was still single.

Something felt off.

Zheng Yuze frowned, stood up, and walked over.

“Zhuzhu, why didn’t you call me when you left?”

Xu Nanyin came back to her senses.

“I didn’t leave.”

Zheng Yuze stopped beside her but didn’t get too close, wary of upsetting her.

He glanced warily at the indifferent man’s face.

Xu Nanyin looked between the two.

She hadn’t thought much at first, but now, facing them, she instinctively compared and immediately saw the difference.

Just as Liang Jiamin had said, Zheng Yuze was childish.

Xu Nanyin lifted her face.

“I’m going to do a spa with Jiamin.”

She gave a reasonable excuse and left the corridor.

It might have been impolite, but she really had no mood to introduce the two.

The lounge returned to silence.

Zheng Yuze had little patience.

He spoke first, “Song General Manager probably wouldn’t be interested in a little sister, right?”

“Little sister?”

Song Huaixu snorted.

The girl’s words before dinner—“Can’t be younger than me”—were still ringing in his ears.

He wasn’t interested in talking to him.

Zheng Yuze watched his departing figure.

The faint glance just now felt like an examination.

“What’s your deal?”

Seeing Xu Nanyin come and go, Liang Jiamin was full of question marks.

“You say no one moment and yes the next? Are you messing with me?”

“I’m not doing it, then.”

Xu Nanyin just used it as an excuse.

“Do it! Do it! I’ve never done a spa with Zhuzhu before, I really want to.”

If she was really leaving, Liang Jiamin would be displeased.

She gave Dai Hongshu a look that said, “Don’t mind me if you leave alone,” and pulled Xu Nanyin away.

Only after entering the spa center did Xu Nanyin speak.

“I thought you really wanted to do this with me, turns out you just used me as an excuse.”

Liang Jiamin smiled.

“We’re using each other.”

She asked, “What did you say to that Song guy?”

Xu Nanyin half-joked, half-truthfully: “Asked him when he would leave Port City.”

Liang Jiamin didn’t believe it.

She clearly saw a moment when a man bent over—things weren’t that simple between them.

She looked her up and down.

Although she disliked Xu Nanyin’s constant obedience that got her scolded by elders, she admitted Xu Nanyin was different.

But in her experience, someone as powerful as that wouldn’t like a quiet girl.

Xu Nanyin pursed her lips and smiled faintly.

“Why lie? I’m not that close with him, but when I see him, I can’t not greet him.”

Liang Jiamin couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth.

“Whatever you say is right.”

She opened her phone.

Dai Hongshu had messaged a few minutes ago asking when they would finish.

She replied casually, “Don’t know.”

She then glanced at Xu Nanyin sitting there with her eyes downcast. Seeing her like that, no man could help but feel pity.

No wonder Lin Zhijun and the others pampered Xu Zhuzhu every day with sweet words—it was really hard to watch.

Liang Jiamin sneered inwardly but generously ordered Dai Hongshu: [Take Zheng Yuze out first, don’t bother us.]

“No need to wait.”

Dai Hongshu turned off the screen and asked Zheng Yuze, “I’m heading back to the company. Are you waiting here or coming with me?”

Zheng Yuze asked, “Really for a long time?”

The last time Dai Hongshu accompanied Liang Jiamin for a spa, he waited for over an hour.

But he guessed today would be even longer.

“Maybe until dark?”

He didn’t guarantee it.

Fine.

Who knew how long they’d chat inside?

Since she wanted him to take Zheng Yuze away, it was definitely because of Xu Nanyin.

Dai Hongshu also found it strange how Liang Jiamin always talked badly about Xu Nanyin, yet clung to her when they met.

Hearing “until dark,” Zheng Yuze thought it was way too long. He wasn’t a patient man.

“Let’s go first, let them have fun by themselves.”

Actually, Xu Nanyin used to do spas frequently.

It helped massage her body, and the skin contact during treatments made her relax, soothing her for some time.

It was a completely different feeling from what Song Huaixu gave her.

But she couldn’t do it every day. As her Craving Skin Syndrome worsened, she came less often—unless invited.

She had expected Liang Jiamin to question her nonstop, but the latter immediately fell asleep.

With nothing to do, Xu Nanyin spent her time looking at electronic medical records.

Two hours later, when Liang Jiamin woke, she said, “Why didn’t you call me? Didn’t do anything to me, right?”

Xu Nanyin was speechless.

“I’m not Dai Hongshu.”

Liang Jiamin rolled her eyes.

“Let’s go. The annoying ones should be gone by now. No man waits all afternoon for nothing, unless they’re hopelessly in love.”

Sure enough, Zheng Yuze and the others were gone when they left.

Back home, it was already evening.

Xu Nanyin’s parents had engagements, so she had dinner with A Li.

A Li strongly scolded her for not taking her along today. Feeling guilty, Xu Nanyin promised she would next time.

Before bed, she unexpectedly received a message from Song Huaixu, asking if she had any questions—probably about today.

Xu Nanyin: [No.]

The questions she wanted answers to remained unanswered, and those she shouldn’t ask she couldn’t.

Anyway, he was leaving for Ning City tomorrow.