He Yanci: Like Fu Jingbai?…

Wen Ruan froze.He Yanci??Why was he here?And wearing a bathrobe!Oh no, this was a disaster.

He Yanci acted unaffected, resting his arm on the sofa back behind her, leaning slightly closer as he greeted Min Qing casually, "Good evening, Aunt Min.""E-evenings… you two…" Min Qing eyed He Yanci's black bathrobe behind Wen Ruan. "Oh, Ruan Ruan, why didn't you tell me Yanci was here?"Min Qing felt awkward—just moments ago, she'd been plotting to match Wen Ruan with Fu Jingbai, and now He Yanci appeared in a bathrobe.Wen Ruan was equally speechless. How could she have known her mother would bring that up, or that He Yanci would walk in?

"Aunt Min, don't blame Wen Ruan. I invited her here without telling anyone—my mistake for making you worry," He Yanci said, a gentle smile on his lips."???"Wen Ruan couldn't fathom why he was lying. Why not just clarify? Now her mother's overactive imagination would run wild."No worry at all! We trust you two together," Min Qing laughed awkwardly, shooting Wen Ruan a glare. "Ruan Ruan, don't distract Yanci from work. Be sensible,understand?""..." Wen Ruan.

"Honestly, Yanci, has Ruan Ruan been a bother? I thought she was lying when she said she was sightseeing, but here she is with you," Min Qing said."Mom, it's not what you—" Wen Ruan tried to explain, but He Yanci cut her off smoothly, "She's been well-behaved, Aunt Min. No trouble at all.""..." Wen Ruan.

Min Qing beamed, chatting with He Yanci for a few more minutes before hanging up.

Once the call ended, Wen Ruan turned to He Yanci. "W-why did you come here?"He stepped back, sitting across from her, calm and composed. "I finished showering and saw you weren't in my suite. Your door was unlocked; you were too focused on the call to hear me knock."Fair enough. She hadn't heard him. Not his fault for entering.

"Your mother doesn't know you used my name to come here, does she? Or did you never tell her?" He paused, suddenly chuckling. "You involved Fu Jingbai instead?"Wen Ruan didn't understand his laugh—it made her uneasy, though she couldn't say why. "Originally, I planned to use your name, but Mom's a fan of Fu Laoshi. His words carried more weight," she explained, omitting that she'd initially rejected using him.

"Is that so?" His smile was faint, almost mocking.This smile felt oppressive, sending a shiver down her spine. With glasses, he was a poised nobleman; without, his eyes were deep, unreadable pools.

She swallowed, changing the subject. "You said you had something to discuss?""Not anymore.""..." Wen Ruan.

The atmosphere dropped sharply. She fidgeted, taking a quiet breath.

After a beat: "Like Fu Jingbai?""Huh?" She looked up, met his gaze—calm, probing, almost cold despite the faint smile."Is he why you resist the arrangement?"Wen Ruan disagreed. As if he wants this either. "Your standards are low if you think that."He scoffed. "A man who embraces countless women on screen—what's appealing?""That's acting, a job." She defended him automatically. Besides, most of Fu Jingbai's roles came from her scripts; she knew the scenes were fictional.

He studied her, standing abruptly. "I'll handle it."Handle what? Ending the engagement? That was the only unresolved issue.

She called after him, "Mr. He."He paused."Our arrangement was always about our families. No one else is involved." No need to blame others."I understand." He paused, smile faint. "Don't worry about the families. Even if we fail, we won't damage their bond. I'll manage Grandpa He; don't mention this to Grandpa Wen yet."

After he left, the room felt stifling, his sandalwood scent lingering like a heavy cloud. She turned on the air purifier and opened the window, gasping for breath.

His final words echoed: "Even if we fail…" As if they'd ever succeeded. He'd disliked her since childhood; she'd just been a nuisance. But now he'd take responsibility for ending it. Good—let him handle it.

She opened her laptop to revise the script, but her mind wandered, fingers hovering over the keyboard. What was she feeling? Relief? Sadness?

Her phone vibrated endlessly—dozens of missed calls from Min Qing, who called again immediately."Why did you take so long to answer?""Didn't hear it.""Is Yanci with you?"Wen Ruan sighed. "His room is next door, Mom."

Min Qing sighed in relief. "Good. Don't do anything reckless in that hotel."Wait—did her mother think…?"Mom, nothing is—""Have you two… gotten together?" Min Qing whispered."..." Reckless? Together? Nothing had happened.

Min Qing continued, "I'll call Yanci to apologize for earlier. You should've told me you were with him—now there's this misunderstanding with Jingbai…""Mom, Fu Laoshi and I are just friends. He helped me come here because I was bored at home." Wen Ruan finally confessed, tired of the lies. "Yanci and I just happened to meet. Nothing is going on."

Min Qing paused, sensing her daughter's strain. "Ruan Ruan, are you okay? Sick?""Fine. I want to go back to the south for a while.""Nonsense! Kyoto is home. I'll send a driver—""I'm not a prisoner, Mom. Even prisoners get outdoor time. Uncle never restricted me like this.""Don't compare me to your uncle! I'll have him talk to you—""Uncle wouldn't nag like this.""I wouldn't nag if you weren't my daughter!" Min Qing snapped, hurt.

In a fit of pique, Wen Ruan booked the earliest flight south. At the airport, she stared back at Jicheng's glowing skyline, feeling like she was fleeing—though from what, she couldn't say.

Back in the south, life returned to routine: work, outings with Tang Suiyi, occasional visits to set. Min Qing no longer mentioned He Yanci, and Wen Ruan didn't ask—assuming he'd handled it.

Then came the call from her uncle, voice grave: "Ruan Ruan, come home. Grandpa is in ICU.""No—we video-called last night! He was fine!" Tears blurred her vision."His condition suddenly deteriorated. Blood clot in the brain.""Mom and Dad didn't want to tell you, but you deserve to know."

The world tilted. Grandpa, who'd been laughing just yesterday… Wen Ruan swallowed, blinking back tears. Whatever issues with He Yanci paled in comparison. Family came first—always.

She didn't know it yet, but this call would shatter the fragile peace she'd built, dragging her back into a storm of responsibilities, secrets, and a certain someone she couldn't seem to escape.