Chapter 3: With his eyebrows furrowed so much, his girlfriend and he……

During the meal, He Yanci received several consecutive phone calls. His phone was on silent mode, placed on the table, yet it still caught Wen Ruan's attention.

He Yanci declined the calls multiple times, leaving them unanswered.

Wen Ruan glanced at his phone. Could it be his girlfriend? Maybe she found out about his dinner tonight, arranged by his family as part of their unspoken "childhood engagement."

Thinking that she should at least give him a chance to explain, considering how gentlemanly he had been in his perfunctory efforts tonight, Wen Ruan tactfully found an excuse to go to the restroom.

He Yanci gave a slight nod and watched as her graceful figure left the private dining room.

The warmth on He Yanci’s face faded slightly—it was a work call.

He returned the call to his assistant.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Wen Ruan’s phone buzzed nonstop with message notifications.

[Photo! Photo! Photo! Where is it?!]

Tang Suiyi’s urgent messages flooded in.

[Ruan Ruan, you can’t do this to me. We agreed to share beautiful things together!]

[Don’t worry, sister has principles. I’m not after your man’s body; I just want to admire his face, okay? Please, my dear bestie~]

"......"

Wen Ruan was helpless against Tang Suiyi’s relentless persistence and decided to fulfill her small request.

She found a discreet corner and positioned herself at an angle where she could capture He Yanci’s front view.

He was on the phone and unlikely to notice. Wen Ruan raised her phone.

Click.

She was quite satisfied with the shot—it perfectly outlined He Yanci’s sharp features, capturing his resemblance almost flawlessly.

The only flaw? His brows were furrowed deeply. Was he arguing with his girlfriend?

She sent the photo to Tang Suiyi and could almost hear her screaming while drooling over the screen.

[Oh my god!!! Ruan Ruan, you hit the jackpot! My brother-in-law is ridiculously handsome?! Ahhh, I haven’t stared at it long enough—why did you delete it?!]

Wen Ruan: [Portrait rights, okay? Just a glimpse. Don’t ask for too much.]

Tang Suiyi: [So stingy! He’s your man, your treasure—what’s wrong with letting me take a look? It’s not like he’ll lose a piece of himself! Just wait, when I get a boyfriend, I’ll show him off to you every day!]

Wen Ruan rubbed her temples. [I don’t want to see your boyfriend. Also, this guy surnamed He is someone else’s treasure, not mine or yours. Don’t overthink.]

Tang Suiyi: [What do you mean? Oh, hell no! Don’t tell me he’s one of those ultimate scumbags—dating someone while meeting you on the side? Is he trying to have it both ways? What if the other woman finds out and causes a huge scandal? A dramatic love triangle, tears, fights, and emotional breakdowns?!]

[Listen, Ruan Ruan, don’t back down in situations like this! You were already ‘the main wife’ when you were still in your mother’s womb. If He the Scumbag never made his stance clear and dared to mess around behind your back, don’t worry about family reputations—just slap those scumbags silly! If anything breaks, I’ll take responsibility!]

[Damn it! The more I think about it, the angrier I get. We have such an amazing Ruan Ruan here, and he dares to two-time?! If a slap isn’t enough, kick him hard! If needed, I’ll book a flight right now to back you up!]

Wen Ruan washed her hands and checked her phone again—her screen was filled with a dense wall of messages.

A mistress scandal? A potential crime of passion? The way Tang Suiyi’s imagination spiraled was truly extraordinary.

Wen Ruan chuckled helplessly. She didn’t even bother drying her hands, quickly responding before Tang Suiyi actually bought a plane ticket.

[You’re being dramatic. The real loss here is that our team didn’t get you as a scriptwriter.]

Tang Suiyi: [Do you think I didn’t want to join your team? The boss wouldn’t let me! He said my creativity is so wild that the Earth can’t contain it anymore. He even joked that if humans ever colonize space, he’d start a fundraiser to launch me into orbit with a hot air balloon. Can you believe that?!]

[Hahaha, your boss is brilliant. Well said.]

Still worried, Tang Suiyi called directly.

She repeatedly warned Wen Ruan that if He Yanci was truly two-timing, he must be exposed and ruined.

It took Wen Ruan a long time to calm her down before she finally ended the call.

But right after hanging up, Tang Suiyi sent another batch of messages.

[Ruan Ruan darling, whether you’re falling in love or taking down scumbags, don’t forget my script! Our boss has been acting like a grumpy old man lately, nagging me non-stop—I’m about to go crazy.]

[I wouldn’t dare forget. It’s etched in my heart. Get some rest, Chief Tang.]

Tang Suiyi: [Hmph! I’m only eighteen! And remember—if you’re dealing with a scumbag, go all out. No mercy! Charge!!!]

"......"

Wen Ruan sighed but didn’t take He Yanci’s relationship status to heart.

Even if he had a girlfriend, there was no need for a dramatic mistress-versus-main-wife showdown. Their meeting tonight was purely for show—to appease their families.

She lingered outside for about ten minutes, only returning once He Yanci had finished his call.

He had unbuttoned three buttons of his meticulously tailored shirt, revealing his refined and alluring collarbone. This man was dangerously attractive—impossible to tire of looking at.

On the table, he played with a string of aged agarwood beads. Wen Ruan had noticed the bracelet before—it was usually on his wrist.

A faint, subtle sandalwood scent clung to him.

As she sat down, she casually asked, “Does Mr. He practice Buddhism?”

He Yanci’s voice was indifferent. “Just something to fiddle with.”

Wen Ruan lightly replied, “Oh.”

He Yanci lifted his gaze. “Going home, or do you have other plans?”

After three months in Beijing, Wen Ruan finally had a chance to go out. Of course, she had other plans—just not with him.

He Yanci was quite decent overall, even taking this whole ‘mission’ seriously.

She gave a perfectly professional smile. “Haha, I’ll head home. It’s getting late, and it’s quite cold.”

Cold?

He Yanci raised an eyebrow.

It was pretty warm.

Summoning the waiter, he casually pulled out a black card and handed it over.

Wen Ruan could already guess what he was about to say, so she waved her phone, showing an incoming call. “Mr. He, your villa district isn’t on the way to my place. No need to trouble yourself—I already have a driver waiting downstairs.”

Seeing her crafty expression, He Yanci felt a rare urge to tease her. “A little detour wouldn’t hurt. Good to take a walk after dinner. Let’s go.”

“No need, no need! It’s late—your girlfriend might get worried.” Wen Ruan had played along long enough. After hours of maintaining a polite smile, she just wanted to keep up her graceful act for a little longer.

“Girlfriend?” He Yanci let out a quiet chuckle, gazing down at the soft-spoken girl. Even with her wool coat covering her, he could still recall the elegant curves he had glimpsed earlier. His throat tightened. Pushing aside stray thoughts, he said, “At the moment, I don’t have one.”

No girlfriend?

Alright then.

Wen Ruan didn’t take it seriously.

She seized the moment to steer the conversation back to the reason for their meeting tonight.

“Oh, well then—best wishes, Mr. He. Hope you find love soon.”

She had set it up perfectly, yet He Yanci didn’t take the bait.

Was he waiting for her to push further? Trying to shift responsibility onto her?

That was impossible. Both families had been dragging this out for years, and neither wanted to take the blame.

If it had been a few years ago, when Grandpa was still in good health, she could have brought it up without issue. Even if he got angry, nothing bad would have happened. But now, Wen Ruan’s bright eyes dimmed.

Since He Yanci didn’t bring it up, she would pretend not to know. If he mentioned it, they could talk about it then.

Wen Ruan insisted on going home by herself, and He Yanci didn’t push her. He happened to have urgent matters to handle at the company.

As they walked out of the restaurant building together, He Yanci saw a sedan parked in front. He opened the back door for her, shielding her head with his hand as he reminded her, "Be careful on the way. Let me know when you get home safely."

"Okay. Alright." Wen Ruan bent down and got into the car.

"Goodbye," He Yanci said calmly.

"Goodbye." Wen Ruan forced a faint smile—goodbye forever.

As the car door closed, Wen Ruan, who had been tense for hours, finally relaxed, slumping into the seat.

Once the car left the restaurant area, she pulled a few red bills from her wallet and handed them to the driver. "Sir, please stop at the mall ahead."

A family driver? Nonsense. She had just rented a luxury car for the occasion.

The driver chuckled. "Alright, miss. Call me again if you need a ride next time."

Wen Ruan put on her mask and entered the shopping district. She went into a casual clothing store, changed out of the restrictive outfit she had been wearing, then headed to the fourth-floor cinema to buy a ticket for Dawn, the current number-one movie at the box office.

She bought a long-overdue bucket of popcorn and a large iced Coke.

After the movie, she wandered around the mall for a while. By the time she got back, it was already past ten.

Wearing the same outfit she had left in, Wen Ruan climbed the front steps unhurriedly. As she reached out to scan her fingerprint and unlock the door, it opened from the inside.

Min Qing stood in the doorway. Wen Ruan was slightly startled—her parents, who were always too busy to be home, were actually here tonight. And they hadn't even gone to bed yet.

"You're alone? He Yanci didn’t bring you back?" Min Qing looked behind Wen Ruan. It was pitch dark outside—no car, no sound of an engine leaving. It made her feel a little uneasy.

"Of course, he did. How else would I have gotten home this late?" Wen Ruan lied without batting an eye.

Min Qing's every fiber screamed suspicion.

"It’s true. I didn’t let him drive into the villa complex because I didn’t want to disturb you guys. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the security guard at the gate. He even opened the door for me." After all, she had rented a car of the same brand as He Yanci’s. The security guard wouldn’t know the difference.

Min Qing’s gaze sharpened. "What’s wrong with your eyes? They’re red."

"Are they? Probably from walking in the wind." Wen Ruan brushed it off casually.

She made up an excuse and went upstairs. As soon as she reached her room, she threw herself onto the big bed, hugging a pillow to her chest.

So emotional. So moving.

Mr. Fu’s acting was just too good.

Wen Ruan rolled over, grabbed her phone, and opened Fu Jingbai’s WeChat.

[Mr. Fu, that was heartbreaking.]

Fu Jingbai replied quickly. [You watched it?]

[Mm-hmm. Your performance was amazing.]

[Mainly because Teacher Wen Nuan’s script was well-written. It gave me the space to perform.]

Wen Ruan’s pen name was "Fearless Warmth," and people in the industry called her Teacher Wen Nuan.

Fu Jingbai: [Alright, let’s not flatter each other anymore. How’s Old Master Wen’s health?]

Wen Ruan deleted a whole paragraph of praise before replying: [Thank you for your concern, Mr. Fu. He’s much better.]

Fu Jingbai: [That’s good. You should also take care of yourself—less late nights, more exercise. Have you been keeping up with the workout plan I made for you last time?]

Wen Ruan: [Of course! How could I dare disobey Mr. Fu?]

Fu Jingbai: [Just don’t overdo it.]

Wen Ruan: [Got it. I’m following the plan exactly.]

Fu Jingbai: [Good.]

Wen Ruan: [Mr. Fu, can we talk about how you figured out Lin Anzhi’s third emotional state?] The movie had been filmed while Wen Ruan was in Beijing, so she hadn’t been able to discuss the characters with the actors on set. She hadn’t expected Fu Jingbai to understand her hidden setup so well.

Fu Jingbai: [After working together so many times, do you think I wouldn’t see through your tricks?]

They chatted briefly about how the character’s emotions shifted before ending the conversation.

—

Near midnight, a black Bentley drove through the city’s bustling streets and entered an old courtyard with a long history. The car stopped in the front yard.

He Yanci crossed the small bridge in the front garden and entered the main courtyard.

As he pushed open the door, a servant immediately approached, swiftly helping him change into his house slippers.

Switching shoes, He Yanci took long strides toward the living room—only to be met with a flying "unidentified object" from the air.

His reflexes were sharp. He caught it just in time, sparing himself from being hit squarely in the chest.

His parents, seated on the couch, had watched the object soar toward their son, helpless to stop it. Their hearts had nearly leaped into their throats. Seeing He Yanci catch it safely, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

Thank goodness. If he hadn’t caught it, something would’ve broken, and the old man would’ve been heartbroken.

He Yanci looked down at the object in his hands—an antique. Grandpa was nostalgic and had been handling this tea pet for decades. It was his favorite. If it had really smashed onto the floor, there would’ve been no way to explain it.

A faint smile softened He Yanci’s deep eyes. "Grandpa, what’s this about? First, you master using a smartphone, and now you’re practicing airborne bidding? I know you miss your grandson, but this grand gesture is a bit too much for me to handle."