Chapter 101: "What He Said"
Ruan Yu froze, her thoughts half-clear and half-muddled.
She finally understood why Shan Anxin had been so hostile toward her earlier, but she couldn't fathom who would specifically request her as the host.
"Deputy Director, who is the guest?" Ruan Yu asked.
Huang Ge slid a document toward her. "The guest is a young investor who's risen to prominence over the past two years. I hear he's quite famous in America with an inspiring backstory. He just returned to China recently, and Ying Wen went through great lengths to secure him."
This only deepened Ruan Yu's confusion. None of her social circle matched the description Huang Ge provided.
She flipped through the materials.
The documents were in English. At a glance, she only caught the name: Neil.
"Since Ying Wen has been handling this matter all along, I'm not entirely clear on the details. The admin department just informed me that Mr. Neil has arrived at the station and is waiting in the reception room. Head over immediately to discuss matters face-to-face. Report any requirements promptly so we can make adjustments."
An unexpected responsibility.
With no time to think, Ruan Yu hurriedly followed the deputy director's instructions and made her way to the reception room.
On her way downstairs, she passed two young women from the admin department.
"This guest is so handsome—completely shattering my stereotype of successful men being bald and potbellied," one remarked.
"Handsome indeed, but... Oh, Sister Ruan."
"Sister Ruan."
Upon spotting Ruan Yu, they immediately cut their conversation short and greeted her.
Ruan Yu nodded with a smile and quickly crossed the hallway to the reception room door.
The door was slightly ajar. She knocked, allowing a few seconds for a response, then pushed it open.
Sunlight streamed through the open window, blending with the gentle breeze to fill the room with a warm, spring-like radiance.
The man by the window turned at the sound. Behind him, the lush greenery of a fishtail palm cast vibrant reflections, infusing his gaze with youthful vitality—just like when they first met.
Ruan Yu's steps faltered, her entire body stiffening in place.
Teng Hao pressed a button on the armrest, and his wheelchair turned automatically.
Facing her, his lips curved into a warm smile that brightened his handsome features.
"Top Scholar, long time no see."
Ruan Yu began to tremble slightly.
The familiar voice, the familiar nickname—but the Teng Hao before her was no longer the one she remembered.
The tall, upright young man from her memories, full of effortless grace, now sat confined to a wheelchair.
"What's wrong? Don't recognize me?" Teng Hao raised an eyebrow. "Top Scholar, don't tell me you've forgotten me?"
Ruan Yu shook her head, shaking it vehemently.
No.
How could she ever forget him?
Six years—every restless night, every startled awakening from dreams—had been haunted by him. Such a weight of remembrance could never fade.
"Teng Hao..."
"Good, you remember." His gaze softened as he looked at her. "After all these years apart, I should be hugging you right now, but given my current condition, it's a bit inconvenient."
The self-deprecating tone in his voice was heartbreaking, just like the moment she had watched him fall from the stage years ago.
Almost instinctively, Ruan Yu dropped the documents in her hands, rushed forward, and bent down to embrace him tightly.
The boy who used to dance in the practice room until his white T-shirt was drenched in sweat had now become a man in a crisp suit, exuding an elegant fragrance.What had he gone through in these six years? What had he endured?
Ruan Yu didn’t dare to dwell on it. She buried her face in Teng Hao’s shoulder, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
Teng Hao reached out, gently patting her back in a soothing rhythm. His expression was calm, as if he had grown accustomed to others breaking down in front of him.
"Top Scholar, you’ve changed. You cry so easily now. I remember how no matter how much I bullied you before, you never shed a tear."
Yes, back then, he would deliberately set difficult questions for her, lock her outside without opening the door, or dump a basin of cold water over her head… He was so wicked, so infuriating that she gritted her teeth and swore never to see him again.
But now, she wished he could have stayed that way forever—forever brimming with mischief, forever youthful and unruly, rather than being tempered by fate into someone so composed, so devoid of his former vitality.
Ruan Yu’s tears fell even harder.
She had imagined their reunion, but she had never imagined meeting a Teng Hao confined to a wheelchair.
What kind of dark years must that proud young man have endured to face her now with such serenity?
"Alright, stop crying. If others see, they’ll really think I bullied you."
No sooner had Teng Hao spoken than the young administrative assistant walked in, carrying two cups of tea.
The girl froze at the sight of scattered documents and Ruan Yu embracing Teng Hao, caught in awkward indecision.
"Miss Ruan…"
Hearing her voice, Ruan Yu quickly let go of Teng Hao and wiped her tears.
"Miss Ruan, so you two are a couple?" the girl couldn’t help but gossip.
"No," Ruan Yu denied. "He’s my younger brother."
The girl’s eyes lit up in realization. "Your brother is so handsome, like a celebrity."
"Yes, he’s always been this handsome," Ruan Yu said, glancing at Teng Hao.
Teng Hao listened to their praise with a composed smile, remaining politely unfazed. In the past, he would have blushed.
He didn’t blush, but the young assistant did, her cheeks turning pink.
"Miss Ruan, I’ll leave you to talk. Take your time," the girl said, setting down the teacups. Not daring to look at Teng Hao again, she nodded at Ruan Yu and retreated from the reception room.
Silence settled over the room.
Ruan Yu steadied herself, picking up the scattered documents. When she looked up, she found Teng Hao smiling at her.
"What? Is my makeup smudged?" She hastily touched her face.
"No. I was just wondering if the Top Scholar really sees me as a brother," he teased, feigning annoyance. "For six years, you never once reached out to me."
Ruan Yu’s heart clenched. Her voice trembled as she replied, "It’s because I see you as a brother that I couldn’t bring myself to contact you."
She was afraid of hearing bad news, afraid of learning he hadn’t woken up. So she avoided asking, avoided seeking updates, comforting herself daily with the thought that no news was good news—that he must have recovered, lively and carefree on the other side of the world.
Teng Hao lowered his gaze, the calm in his eyes flickering briefly.
"Sorry for worrying you all these years," he said. The "you" he referred to was unclear.
"As long as you’re alright."
"I am alright now," Teng Hao murmured, running his fingers along the wheelchair armrest. "I’m doing well."
"More than well—you’re incredible!" Ruan Yu tapped the stack of documents in her hands. "You’ve been invited! Only the top experts in the industry get invitations like this!"It was a high-budget reality talk show produced by TG, consisting of ten episodes. The renowned host Ying Wen stepped out of the studio for the first time to get up close with guests, uncovering the lesser-known sides of celebrities' daily lives and work.
Teng Hao was the seventh high-profile guest to be invited. Before him, the national richest man, the queen of pop music, the award-winning actor with explosive acting skills—each had been in the spotlight.
"TG is too kind," Teng Hao said. "I'm not particularly talented. Any achievements I've had these past two years are just luck, unlike the top scholar here, who's always worked diligently and is now a household name."
"No, no, you're the impressive one. I'm the lucky one."
Teng Hao chuckled and glanced at his watch. "Should we really spend our time flattering each other?"
"Oh, right, let's get down to business. You must be very busy—I won’t take up too much of your time."
Ruan Yu opened the documents in her hand and briefly outlined the show's process to Teng Hao. They finalized the recording schedule and location. As for the content, Teng Hao expressed his willingness to fully showcase his current lifestyle to the audience—no topics were off-limits, and everything would be arranged by the production team.
His attitude put Ruan Yu at ease. Though she had taken on this assignment under pressure, fortunately, the guest wasn’t difficult to work with. The upcoming tasks should proceed smoothly.
After their discussion, Ruan Yu escorted Teng Hao downstairs.
His wheelchair was fully automated and customized, allowing him to maneuver effortlessly without her assistance.
Several times, Ruan Yu wanted to ask when he had woken up and how he had adapted to the wheelchair, but she swallowed the questions each time.
She feared her inquiries might touch a sore spot for Teng Hao.
His driver was waiting downstairs. Seeing Teng Hao, the driver hurried over to help him into the car, but Teng Hao wasn’t in a rush.
"Top scholar," he turned to Ruan Yu, "don’t you have any other questions for me?"
Ruan Yu hesitated.
"Your brother… has he come back?"
Teng Hao smirked—the question was clearly within his expectations.
"Yes, he returned a while ago, together with me."
"Oh."
"Nothing else to ask?"
Ruan Yu licked her lips. Though she knew Teng Hao was teasing her, she couldn’t resist pressing further.
"Where… is he now?" The last shred of restraint was completely abandoned.
"He’s running a bar on Aosheng Road." Teng Hao pulled out his phone. "Want me to send you the address?"
Ruan Yu stayed silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.
"Well?" Teng Hao pressed.
"..."
This little brat!
She had thought he’d matured, but traces of his old childishness still lingered.
"Fine, send it."
"Alright, go back upstairs first. I’ll send it once you’re up." He waved his phone with a grin, his dark pupils glinting like amber swaying in the wind.
Ruan Yu didn’t know what he was scheming, but she could only nod.
"Okay, I’ll head up then. See you on recording day."
"Mm, see you then."
Ruan Yu turned and walked upstairs. As she passed through the hallway, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out and saw the message from Teng Hao—an address for a bar on Aosheng Road.
The bar was called "Nameless."
After work, Ruan Yu drove to "Nameless."The bar was located right in the middle of Aosheng Road. The open-air parking lot here was spacious, but already packed to the brim. After searching for a while, Ruan Yu finally found a spot. As she reversed into it, her Audi nearly scraped the Mercedes-Benz parked beside her.
The owner of the Mercedes was a young woman who happened to be getting out of her car. Seeing Ruan Yu’s less-than-stellar parking skills, she stepped forward and offered to guide her in. After much maneuvering, they barely managed to squeeze the car into the spot.
"Thank you," Ruan Yu said, rolling down her window.
"You're welcome," the woman replied with a friendly smile before walking away.
Ruan Yu watched her natural curls sway with each confident stride, thinking she looked like a mixed-race beauty.
When the woman had smiled at her earlier, her eyes had shimmered with a faint blue under the streetlights.
So beautiful—both in appearance and in kindness.
Ruan Yu closed the window, grabbed her bag, and stepped out of the car.
The "Nameless" bar stood right before her. Once she walked through that door, she would finally see Teng Yi—the man who had lingered in her thoughts for six years, the one she couldn’t forget or let go of. He had finally returned.
The early spring night was cool, but Ruan Yu’s palms were damp with nervous sweat.
Back in their youth, they had talked about forever, about spending a lifetime together—but never about how they should smile if they ever met again after parting.
She adjusted her bangs in the rearview mirror and took three deep breaths before mustering the courage to walk toward the bar.
"Nameless" was large and uniquely decorated, with wood dominating every surface from the door to the floor.
At the center stood the bar counter, flanked by a liquor cabinet on the left and a spiral staircase leading to the second floor on the right. Behind the counter, a pale blue drape hung on the wall, adorned with simple sketches of little fish.
The tables and chairs in the main hall were all small square tables paired with horn-shaped stools, casual and unpretentious. The lights swayed rhythmically with the music—one moment alluring, the next heart-wrenching. The windows on both sides were open, allowing the night breeze to mingle with the scent of alcohol, drifting back and forth. Occasionally, late-night passersby on the street outside would peer curiously through the windows, their tired eyes tinged with envy…
So comfortable.
It was rare for an entertainment venue to feel so uncontrived, almost as if it cleansed the soul and brought one back to nature.
The moment Ruan Yu stepped inside, her gaze landed on the man standing by the liquor cabinet.
Dressed in a white shirt, he was tall and lean, his short, tousled hair accentuating the sharp angles of his face, lending him a rugged masculinity. He stood with his head lowered, his expression unreadable, exuding an inexplicable aloofness.
This was Teng Yi—yet so unlike the Teng Yi she remembered.
Her nerves tightened, then loosened again.
Just that one distant glance was enough to make her nose sting with emotion.
Teng Yi picked a bottle from the cabinet and walked over to the bar, where he remained absorbed in studying the label.
He didn’t notice her arrival, nor did he sense her gaze fixed on him.
Just as Ruan Yu was about to approach him, a curly-haired woman dashed behind the counter with practiced ease, plopped her bag in front of Teng Yi, and playfully tapped his shoulder.
Teng Yi looked up.
The light flickered, and Ruan Yu missed the exact expression on his face in that moment—but she saw the way the woman boldly snatched the bottle from his hands without resistance, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
They were clearly more than just acquaintances.
Ruan Yu froze in place, staring blankly at them. Then, suddenly, she recognized the woman—she was the same mixed-race beauty she had met in the parking lot.After a whole day of intense psychological preparation, she retreated at the last moment, lowering her banners and muffling her drums.
She didn't dare to step forward, didn't dare to call his name, and even less dared to confirm their relationship.
Yes, six years.
What made her think that just because she was waiting for him to return, he would come back alone, unattached?
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