Chapter 12: Who Is Whose Regret

"Ms. Shang, go ahead." The two stepped aside, and Xin Wen asked naturally, his eyes lingering with a faint trace of detachment beneath the smile.

"Mr. Xin, haven't you really recognized me yet?" Shang Kexin mustered her courage to speak, her voice tinged with resignation and a flicker of hope, all melting into her soulful gaze.

"Hmm?" Xin Wen appropriately feigned surprise, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he asked uncertainly, "Are you suggesting... we've met before?"

"Ha..." Shang Kexin forced a smile, her fading eyeshadowed with bitterness, her luscious cherry lips glistening as she casually mentioned, "Didn't you used to frequent Lovers' Island, Mr. Xin?"

Lovers' Island? Xin Wen felt a soft tug at his heartstrings. That place held his most beautiful sentiments—a silken, serene memory, brief as a blooming epiphyllum yet lingering with enduring fragrance...

That dreamlike girl had flitted across his heart like a beautiful butterfly, capturing his admiration before darting away playfully—leaving him in lingering melancholy, rooted in place for three years, afraid to revisit their old haunt, his very memories ruthlessly snuffed out.

Xin Wen's expression grew more pensive. Shaking himself from his reverie, he feigned confusion, locking eyes with Shang Kexin as he hesitated, "Ms. Shang... are you...?"

Ah, Shang Kexin sighed inwardly. The last flicker of hope vanished...

Still, she resolved to press her luck: "Do you remember the skateboard girl who almost fell?"

Masking her disappointment, she adopted a casual tone to jog his memory, punctuating her words with a coy smile.

"Ha... how could I forget?" Xin Wen inwardly grimaced, though he forced himself to play along. His eyes raked Shang Kexin up and down before he slapped his forehead in mock realization:

"Oh! So you're that girl! I remember grabbing you just in time—otherwise, the world would've lost a stunning beauty!"

"Ha... Mr. Xin certainly knows how to joke!" The shadows in Shang Kexin's eyes dissolved instantly. His humor, warm as spring sunlight, reignited her hope. She chided playfully, "I recognized you ages ago, but your eyes were only..."

"Come now—it's just how much you've transformed. Three years ago, you were a free-spirited little princess..."

He exaggeratedly swept his hand in an arc, "Now you're a paragon of elegance and intellect, the business world's dream girl. How could I connect these two?"

Xin Wen forced a laugh, yet his heart throbbed. If Shang Kexin could change so drastically, what of that curly-haired girl who'd impishly invaded his heart?

Unconsciously, his gaze wandered past her shoulder toward Lan Nian. Odd—this usually mischievous sprite now radiated an otherworldly stillness, her crystalline purity soothing his restlessness like a babbling brook.

"To transform into such a creature... what a whimsical miracle," Xin Wen mused, a gentle warmth welling up in his chest.

"Taking credit for media hyperbole, Mr. Xin?" Shang Kexin teased, though her tone held a tinge of self-deprecation. "Perhaps I've aged too fast for even you to recognize..."

She froze abruptly, caught off guard by the raw regret she glimpsed in his eyes. Could even someone as sunny and elegant as him harbor shadows of unfulfilled longing? Was it because of that girl?

Unable to resist, Shang Kexin turned her gaze toward Lan Nian standing nearby.

Coincidentally, Lan Nian's cool gaze lifted to meet hers—a gaze of rainbow-hued radiance yet crystalline depth. A girl blessed with such purity must surely be an angel cherished by heaven. Shang Kexin's delicate brows furrowed slightly as a dull ache throbbed in her chest.

"I never went back to Lovers' Island," Xin Wen blurted suddenly, his voice unexpectedly flat before lapsing into silence.

"Why? Does it hold unhappy memories for you?" Shang Kexin ventured cautiously.

"Ah, nothing really. Just... missed out on something beautiful." He shook his head self-mockingly, lips curving into a bitter smile.

"Wait—what?!" Shang Kexin could barely contain her gasp. How could he still not recognize her? How was that possible?

"Do you mean... that beautiful curly-haired girl?" Her voice trembled, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Ha... so you remember her too," Xin Wen replied evenly. "It's all in the past now. Wherever she may be, I hope she's happy."

He finished speaking, suddenly stunned by his own candor. What's come over me?

Why lay bare his heart so recklessly? Was it simply pent-up emotions after years of silence?

"Excuse me, Ms. Shang—I have urgent matters to attend to. May our collaboration be fruitful!" Instinctively fleeing this discomfiting vulnerability, he turned to leave.

"Wait..." Shang Kexin called out, voice trembling with emotion.

"Yes? Is there something else?" Xin Wen spun around, startled, a flicker of impatience in his eyes quickly masked.

"Ah, nothing urgent. Tomorrow night is my sister's birthday banquet—would Mr. Xin do me the honor of attending?" Shang Kexin ventured hopefully, her dewy eyes brimming with eager anticipation that was impossible to resist.

"Absolutely." Xin Wen flashed a polite smile before waving farewell.

Behind him, Shang Kexin's face suddenly ignited with an ethereal glow, her gaze regaining the self-assurance and radiance of three years past. She was certain—with persistence, her chances remained bright.