Chapter 103: The Little White Fish
Ruan Yu greeted Teng Hao before heading upstairs.
The second floor was spacious. As she reached the top, the first thing that caught her eye was the enormous fish tank embedded in the hallway wall—just like the one from the old Chuan Bar. This meant the owner had planned to keep fish from the very beginning, even before moving in.
Behind the glass, the blue aquatic world swayed with lush greenery, vibrant and full of life.
Yet, in such a massive tank, there was only one small white fish. Its body was crystal clear, strikingly beautiful.
Ruan Yu knew nothing about fish and had no idea what breed it was.
But more than the breed, she wondered—why did Teng Yi keep fish?
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, each dismissed one by one. With this man, she no longer dared to assume anything.
"Teng Yi?"
She called out.
Unsure which room he was in, she knocked on each door one by one. Finally, the third door opened.
Teng Yi had just finished showering. His robe hung loosely, half-open, his hair damp and tousled—unexpectedly alluring.
"You called me?"
"Yeah, um… do you have a minute?" Ruan Yu asked.
"What is it?"
"The director wants to film a short interview with you before the official recording. Just a few questions about Teng Hao—they’ll edit it into the final cut."
He stayed silent, seemingly considering it.
"It won’t take long," she added quickly, afraid he might refuse.
"What does Teng Hao think?" Teng Yi asked.
"He said it’s fine, as long as you don’t embarrass him."
Teng Yi nodded, apparently agreeing.
Ruan Yu exhaled in relief. "I’ll head downstairs first. Come down when you’re ready."
She turned to leave.
"Wait." Teng Yi stopped her.
"Hmm?"
She looked back to find him studying her outfit.
Ruan Yu had changed downstairs earlier—a plaid blazer paired with skinny cropped jeans, pointed stiletto heels, and her hair tied in a low ponytail. Her bangs and sideburns were lightly curled, giving her a fresh, stylish look—not overly professional, yet fitting for the show’s tone.
"What should I wear?" Teng Yi asked.
The question caught her off guard, but it made sense. After all, this was for a show—he couldn’t dress too casually.
"I’ll have the stylist come up—"
"No need. You pick for me."
Teng Yi shifted slightly in the doorway, an unspoken invitation for her to enter.
After a brief hesitation, Ruan Yu nodded and stepped inside.
His room was just as she remembered—monochrome, clean, and minimalist. But the street dance sketches were gone from the headboard, and the familiar pot of jasmine no longer sat on the windowsill. Without those two things, the room no longer felt like the one she knew.
The walk-in closet was spacious, its color scheme mirroring the room—black, white, and gray. The clothes on the racks were all conventional, not a single oversized piece or hint of hip-hop style in sight.
His life, his wardrobe—everything had completely shed the past, shed street dance.
Her fingers brushed through the neatly hung clothes before finally stopping on a black casual blazer.
The night of Teacher Tian Cheng’s wedding, this was the jacket he had worn."That night, it was you, wasn’t it?"
"Mm."
Her question was abrupt and vague, yet his answer was clear and certain—as if he had known she would ask, as if he had long prepared his reply.
How laughable.
So many years had passed. The world had changed, and so had they. Yet the unspoken understanding between them seemed never to have been severed.
Realizing this, Ruan Yu felt her nose sting with emotion again.
She wanted to press further, to accuse, to demand answers—but what right did she have?
Back then, she had agreed to the breakup. Now, upon meeting again, he had no obligation to seek her out, no obligation to greet her, and certainly no obligation to be warm toward her.
They were merely each other’s exes. They were both free.
Countless words clogged her throat, but in the end, all she managed was: "What a coincidence, running into each other like that."
"Yeah. What a coincidence."
They stood there awkwardly, unsure how to continue the conversation. The atmosphere in the dressing room plummeted to freezing.
"This one." Ruan Yu’s fingers skipped over the black blazer and randomly grabbed a knit sweater instead. "No need to be too formal. You’re not the main focus anyway."
"..."
He nodded silently.
"That’s settled, then. I’ll head down first. Change quickly and come down right after."
—?—
Ruan Yu hurried out of Teng Yi’s room.
Those few minutes alone with him had left her mouth dry and her head spinning. She nearly took the wrong turn upon exiting, even losing her way in the hallway.
The director and the rest were waiting downstairs. Seeing her return, they rushed over.
"So? Did he agree?"
"He did."
"Perfect!" The director turned and called out to the crew, "Prepare another mic, then find a bright, spacious room. We’ll start by recording the interview footage."
"Got it!"
The crew bustled into action again.
Before long, Teng Yi came downstairs.
He wore the Louis Vuitton knit sweater Ruan Yu had haphazardly picked, paired with smoke-gray trousers and suede loafers. The strong British aesthetic softened his icy aura, making him stand out effortlessly in the crowd.
"Wow, wow, wow." Assistant Xiu Xiu nudged Ruan Yu’s arm with her elbow. "Ruan-jie, is that Mr. Niel’s brother?"
Ruan Yu nodded.
"Oh my god, I thought Mr. Niel was already ridiculously handsome, but his brother is on another level. What kind of divine siblings are they? How can they both be so good-looking?"
"Exaggerating."
"Not at all! I bet once this episode airs, these two brothers will blow up! One’s the sickly, delicate type, the other’s the cold, restrained type—they’ve literally covered the two most beloved male archetypes for modern women. Trending for sure."
Xiu Xiu’s words reached the ears of the show’s producer nearby, who chuckled.
"Xiao Ruan, your assistant is something else. The show hasn’t even started filming, and she’s already strategizing the promotional angles. This selling point? I like it."
Ruan Yu smiled without comment, her gaze following Teng Yi in the living room.
After coming downstairs, Teng Yi was surrounded by the director and the others, who greeted him warmly. One by one, they shook his hand and introduced themselves. Throughout it all, Teng Yi remained unsmiling—yet no one seemed to mind. In their eyes, a man this handsome was naturally entitled to be aloof and reserved.
Then, suddenly, Teng Yi looked toward Ruan Yu.Ruan Yu didn’t have time to avert her gaze, so she met his eyes openly and walked toward him. It was just as well—she could give him the prepared interview questions in advance so he could familiarize himself with them, ensuring a smoother session later.
As they stood close, Ruan Yu noticed that Teng Yi’s black-and-white diamond-patterned knitwear bore an uncanny resemblance to her own checkered blazer.
“Sister Ruan, you and Mr. Teng seem to be wearing matching outfits!” The sharp-eyed assistant, Xiu Xiu, pointed out.
Hearing this, the entire crew turned to look at them.
“It really does look like it!” The director and others laughed. “Seems like our Xiao Ruan and Mr. Teng have great chemistry. The interview should go smoothly.”
Ruan Yu stayed silent. So did Teng Yi.
He didn’t mention that this outfit had been picked by Ruan Yu—thankfully, because if he had, the whole crew might have assumed she was abusing her position to flirt with a handsome man.
“Mr. Teng!” The makeup artist suddenly approached, eyeing his hair. “Your hair still looks a bit damp?”
Teng Yi raised a hand and touched the slightly damp ends at the nape of his neck.
“Didn’t have time to dry it.”
After all, he wasn’t the main focus today and didn’t want to keep people waiting. Plus, a certain host had insisted he come down immediately after changing.
Emphasis on immediately .
“You should dry it. It looks stylish like this, but you might catch a cold.” The makeup artist said considerately.
Teng Yi glanced at Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu: “...?”
Why was he looking at her ?!
Did she seem like some tyrant who wouldn’t even let him dry his hair?
—?—
In the end, the makeup artist styled Teng Yi’s hair into a slicked-back undercut.
It was a hairstyle few men could pull off, but it suited Teng Yi perfectly.
As Ruan Yu watched him sit across from her, she thought all he needed was a pair of gold-rimmed glasses to complete the look of a refined scoundrel. Her heart, once again, began to flutter uncontrollably.
Ugh, that damn face of his!
“Have you gone through the questions?” Ruan Yu straightened up, adopting her professional host demeanor. “If everything looks good, we can start.”
“Sure.”
Ruan Yu turned and gave the cameraman an “okay” signal, but he waved her over instead.
“Xiao Ruan, hold on.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Check Mr. Teng’s mic—seems like there’s a connection issue.” The cameraman pointed at Teng Yi. “I can’t hear him on my end.”
Ruan Yu quickly stood and walked over to Teng Yi, who rose as well.
His mic had been attached by a new crew member, a young girl who had been so nervous around Teng Yi that her hands trembled. It was no surprise she hadn’t secured it properly.
“Check the mic on his front first,” the cameraman instructed.
“Got it.” Ruan Yu reached out, adjusting the microphone clipped to Teng Yi’s collar.
The gesture was reminiscent of a wife straightening her husband’s tie.
Teng Yi watched her, suddenly frozen in place.
They were already close—any nearer, and they’d cross into intimate proximity.
“Turn around,” Ruan Yu said.
He turned, presenting his broad back to her.
“Stay still. Let me check your transmitter.” She lifted the hem of his shirt and crouched slightly to inspect the device clipped to his waist.Teng Yi only felt a sudden chill on his lower back. Instinctively, he reached behind to touch it, but in that moment, his hand accidentally caught Ruan Yu's.
Both froze.
Though there were many people around, no one noticed this subtle, intimate moment between them.
For some reason, Teng Yi didn’t let go immediately.
Ruan Yu quickly withdrew her hand.
"Sorry," Teng Yi turned to look at her.
"It's fine."
She continued adjusting his microphone, trying her best to appear unaffected. Yet, the lingering coolness on the back of her hand refused to fade.
Why were his palms so cold?
Did a cold temperament make one’s body temperature drop too?
"Done," Ruan Yu straightened up. "Say something to test it."
"What should I say?" Teng Yi asked.
"That sentence works." Ruan Yu glanced at the cameraman. "Ready?"
"Okay, we're good!"
The cameraman gave a thumbs-up, signaling them to take their seats.
Ruan Yu and Teng Yi returned to their previous positions, and the recording officially began.
The interview went smoothly from the start. Teng Yi had reviewed all the questions beforehand and prepared his answers, so he responded naturally to whatever Ruan Yu asked.
Halfway through, Teng Hao quietly slipped in.
Perhaps he still wasn’t at ease, worried his brother might badmouth him behind his back, so he came to supervise in person.
"Was Mr. Neil always a top student growing up?"
"He was never a top student."
Ruan Yu chuckled.
Teng Yi continued, "He struggled academically from a young age. To help him improve, our family hired many tutors."
"Many tutors?" Ruan Yu knew the situation well, but for the audience's sake, she played along.
"Yes. He was quite mischievous—he drove every single tutor away."
The crew members laughed and glanced at Teng Hao. No one expected someone so gentle and refined now to have been so difficult back then.
Teng Hao rubbed the bridge of his nose, slightly embarrassed.
The atmosphere remained light.
"Did anyone finally manage to tame him?"
"Yes."
"That tutor must have been remarkable?" A purely personal question.
"She was. He respected her and liked her a lot." Teng Yi looked at Ruan Yu and added, "Our whole family liked her and appreciated everything she did for Teng Hao."
Ruan Yu pressed her lips together, steadying her emotions before moving to the next question.
"As an older brother, how do you usually encourage him when he struggles academically or faces setbacks?"
It was a standard question, part of the script, but Teng Yi suddenly fell silent.
Noticing this, Ruan Yu prompted, "For example, praising his strengths to boost his confidence—anything like that?"
"Actually... I feel quite ashamed about this."
"How so?"
"I always thought he was too impulsive and needed someone to rein him in. So, growing up, I adopted a tough-love approach. I criticized him when he did poorly and never praised him, even when he did well... Not once did I give him a word of praise." Teng Yi frowned slightly, revealing rare emotion. "I regret that deeply. I owe him an apology. The truth is, he did well in many ways."
Like when he took up dancing later.
Seated in his wheelchair, Teng Hao watched his brother from a distance. Hearing these words, he smiled faintly—understanding, at peace."Are you proud of Mr. Neil's current achievements as his brother?"
"Many people tend to measure how well someone is doing by their accomplishments, but when it comes to my brother, I've never cared about how far or how high he flies. I just hope he can truly be happy. Of course, he has always been my pride."
Ruan Yu was deeply moved.
Even though Teng Yi had changed drastically since their reunion, she could still sense that his feelings for Teng Hao had never wavered. This brotherly bond had, in fact, grown even more mature and profound than before.
"Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to your brother?"
Teng Yi turned his head and looked at Teng Hao in the crowd.
From the start of the recording until now, even though Teng Yi knew his brother was right beside him, he hadn’t once glanced his way. He had only expressed his emotions to the camera. But at this moment, he looked at him.
Ruan Yu also glanced at Teng Hao.
The usually composed and smiling Teng Hao had reddened at some point during Teng Yi's words—no one could tell exactly when.
The two brothers locked eyes, their gazes filled with unspoken sorrow and tenderness.
"I want him to know that no matter what happens, I'll always be by his side. Always."
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