Аlthоugh it wаs раst midnight bеfore things finаllу sеttlеd dоwn, and she felt uttеrlу drained with еyelids hеаvу аs lеаd, Ruan Sixiаn still didn’t want to sleep.
Thе сurtains blоckеd оut light ехcерtiоnаllу well; еven with neon lights fliсkеring outsidе, not a single glеam pеnetratеd thе rооm.
Сurlеd uр under the соvers, Ruаn Siхiаn ramblеd on аbоut all sorts оf triviаl things, evеntually drifting off withоut even reаlizing whеn. Тhe nеxt day, it wаs Fu Мingуu who wоkе hеr uр.
Оnсe оn thе plаne, Ruаn Sixian рut on аn еуe mаsk, hорing tо catch uр on sleep. Unfortunаtely, the сhild beside hеr criеd аnd fussed thе entire flight. The parents tried everything—singing, carrying the child around—but nothing worked.
So after landing, Ruan Sixian opened her eyes and leaned back in her seat, unmoving for a while. Her gaze seemed somewhat world-weary. The young girl sitting next to her, who had borrowed her charger, didn’t dare say much, simply muttering a hurried “thank you” before rushing off the plane.
The plane wasn’t parked at a jet bridge, so first-class passengers boarded the shuttle bus first.
Ruan Sixian was the last to board. She rested her head against the window, eyes half-closed, looking as if she might fall asleep any second.
As the shuttle bus slowly approached the terminal, a sudden brake jolted her, and her head bumped against the window, instantly dispelling any drowsiness.
Rubbing her eyes, she glanced outside. Two young men were sprinting across the tarmac, carrying something.
Because the two young men looked vaguely familiar, she watched them for a few moments, following their path until she spotted a reflector, a tripod behind it, and standing nearby… Zheng You’an?
“What are you doing here?”
Dragging her flight case, Ruan Sixian wandered onto the tarmac. Only after asking did she notice an older man sitting on a chair behind Zheng You’an. Recalling the photo in Fu Mingyu’s phone, she smirked, “Mr. Yan is here too?”
Yan An, who had been lounging with his legs crossed while scrolling through his phone, lifted his gaze at the sound of Ruan Sixian’s voice. Seeing her expression, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine.
But Yan An had a clear conscience.
He put away his phone, picked up a nearby cup of coffee, and calmly took a few sips. “What?”
“Nothing.” Ruan Sixian leaned on her suitcase, scanning the surroundings with a smile. “Just wanted to ask when you plan to watch a movie next time, so I can steer clear.”
“You—”
Yan An felt a surge of irritation but quickly dismissed it.
No point arguing with a woman.
He had kindly tipped off Fu Mingyu, only to be met with ingratitude—like the dog that bit Lü Dongbin.
Turning his head, he noticed Zheng You’an eyeing him, so he stood up and loosened his tie. “Ask Zheng You’an about that. Whenever she feels like watching a movie at the crack of dawn, I’ll be there.”
With that, he walked over to Zheng You’an with his coffee cup, nudging her shoulder. “I’m going to the restroom.”
Under the setting sun, Zheng You’an kept her eyes on the camera, not even glancing up. “Oh.”
Yan An wanted to say more, but seeing Zheng You’an’s indifferent attitude, he held his tongue.
As he passed by Ruan Sixian, he noticed she didn’t seem the least bit upset. Realizing that the earlier incident was likely just some messy misunderstanding, he decided not to pry further.
Behind them, the photoshoot was nearing its end. When Ruan Sixian turned around, she saw several pilots sweating profusely, glaring at the photographer but not daring to voice their frustration.
Meanwhile, Zheng You’an flipped through the photos on the display screen and frowned. “What do you think?”
Talking to me?
Ruan Sixian leaned over to take a look and nodded. “Not bad.”"Just okay?!" Zheng You'an turned off the camera, leaning on the tripod. "Just okay means it's not good enough. You and your boyfriend have the same taste."
Ruan Sixian: "...?"
Nothing in this world is eternal, but Zheng You'an is.
However, the sky was already darkening, so even if Zheng You'an wanted to continue tormenting people, she’d have to reschedule.
She waved her hand, signaling her assistant to pack up, temporarily sparing those poor amateur models.
Now, without Zheng You'an having to explain, Ruan Sixian knew exactly why she was here.
"Are you shooting this year’s airshow promotional photos for North Airlines?"
"Yeah."
Zheng You'an nodded, took the water handed by her assistant, took a few sips, and her eyes darted around. "Yesterday morning..."
"Classmate, coincidence, not close."
"Oh..."
Ruan Sixian raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, pulling her suitcase as she prepared to leave, only to hear Zheng You'an ask, "You didn’t just come back from Singapore, did you? Did you personally go there to clear your name?"
"Otherwise? And yes, it’s all thanks to you."
Ruan Sixian turned back and asked, "Speaking of which, I’m curious too. Why were you and Yan An watching a movie so early in the morning? Was the bed not warm enough?"
"Don’t talk nonsense, we didn’t sleep together."
"..."
Is that the point?
Wait.
Ruan Sixian tilted her head, looking puzzled. "What do you mean? Are you and Yan An dating?"
"Sort of."
Sort of?
How can it be "sort of"?
Ruan Sixian didn’t quite understand the world of the wealthy, while Zheng You'an stirred her straw, looking indifferent.
"We’re getting engaged."
"Huh?"
No matter how shocked Ruan Sixian was, Zheng You'an and Yan An’s engagement was set in stone.
Two months later, both she and Fu Mingyu received invitations for their engagement party, held at Warner Manor on the eve of August’s Valentine’s Day.
Fu Mingyu was invited by the Yan family, while Ruan Sixian received a personal invitation from Zheng You'an.
During those two months, Ruan Sixian had also heard Fu Mingyu mention this matter from time to time.
It wasn’t sudden—the two families had been discussing it for a long time.
"So, is this a business alliance marriage?"
Ruan Sixian asked.
On the other end of the video call, Fu Mingyu leaned against the headboard, lazily flipping through a book. "It’s only called an alliance marriage when both families are equally powerful. This isn’t that."
"Then what is it?"
Fu Mingyu looked up at the camera. "The Zheng family’s current situation requires someone to pull them up."
"Is their situation really that bad..." Ruan Sixian muttered. "Last month, I saw their wedding anniversary celebration was quite grand."
She was, of course, referring to Dong Xian and Zheng Taichu’s anniversary.
"Precisely because of that, they can’t afford to lose face in public." Fu Mingyu said. "Two years ago, the Zheng family’s financial operations and business conditions had already collapsed. They..."
Fu Mingyu paused, deciding not to continue.
"When is your high-altitude route exam?"
"Next month."
Ruan Sixian steered the conversation back, seemingly very interested in the topic. "It doesn’t make sense. What kind of person is President Yan? Would he really give up his vast options just to help the Zheng family?"
"Do you think the Yan family is running a charity?"Fu Mingyu said, "Although the Zheng family is on the verge of collapse, their foundation in the hotel industry built over the years is still there. If the Yan family invests resources to pull them up, the benefits gained will absolutely be worth it. In a few years, the actual profits from the Zheng family's hotels will flow into the Yan family."
The rest of his words went unspoken, but Ruan Sixian understood.
Making this decision was essentially submitting to servitude.
Although they would lose sovereignty, at least they could avoid being saddled with massive debt.
As for this marriage, it was merely a measuring stick the Zheng family placed with the Yan family, delineating the bottom line of the Yan family's actions.
Ruan Sixian rested her chin on her hand, seemingly lost in thought.
Fu Mingyu stood up, leaving only his lower half visible in the camera frame.
He took two steps back, lifted his shirt, took it off, and tossed it onto the bed. Without putting on any other clothes, he picked up his iPad, seemingly browsing something.
Ruan Sixian’s gaze wandered over the lines of his abdominal muscles twice before she scratched her ear and pretended not to care, saying, "Did they ever consider you before?"
After all, if it was about "marrying for alliance," Ruan Sixian felt Fu Mingyu seemed far more suitable than Yan An.
"Yes."
Fu Mingyu answered so straightforwardly that Ruan Sixian was momentarily at a loss for words.
She suddenly felt a belated sense of fear.
Though this "belated fear" was completely unnecessary at this moment.
"Ah..." Ruan Sixian’s heart skipped a beat as she whispered very softly, "That was close."
But Fu Mingyu still heard her. He glanced back at the camera and asked, "Close to what? I refused back then."
"When?"
"The first time you hit me."
Ruan Sixian’s pupils dilated in shock, thinking this person was truly strange.
"So you refused because of me?"
Fu Mingyu walked closer to the camera. The dim, warm light cast on his face softened his features, making him seem almost within reach.
"Yes, honored?"
Ruan Sixian stared at him for a long moment, stunned by his confidence. "You’re so arrogant. With nothing even settled, you dared to make such a choice?"
What if he couldn’t win her over? Wouldn’t he have suffered a huge loss?
"But the facts have proven," Fu Mingyu looked at her calmly, "that I was right."
Outside the window, the summer insects and cicadas continued their chorus, pulling memories back to that time last year.
It felt like yesterday, yet also as if a long time had passed.
A glimmer of light flickered in Ruan Sixian’s eyes as she gazed at Fu Mingyu on the small screen.
She could feel it—the sensation of being firmly chosen, stripped of all calculations.
Many thoughts swirled in her heart, but when they reached her lips, they condensed into a simple sentence.
"Hurry back soon."
In August, Fu Mingyu had already finished his work in Singapore, but he hadn’t returned yet. Instead, he was leading his team on surprise inspections of various overseas branches, hopping around like playing a game of Snakes and Ladders—in Australia today, the Americas the day after, and Europe a few days later.
Zheng You'an and Yan An’s engagement banquet was also scheduled for this month. Ruan Sixian received a call a week in advance, asking her to come for a dress fitting.
In Jiangcheng, there was a custom dressmaking atelier owned by one of the few designers in China qualified as a member of the Paris Haute Couture Federation. They only offered semi-custom dresses based on existing patterns, with a short turnaround time, but they were highly sought after in Jiangcheng.
Ruan Sixian didn’t even want a semi-custom dress initially, preferring the simplicity of ready-to-wear. However, He Lanxiang strongly recommended this atelier, and she couldn’t refuse. She took some time to choose a style, and today, the finished product was ready for her to try on.Since it was someone else's engagement party, guests shouldn't overshadow the hosts. Ruan Sixian chose a pearl-white strapless fishtail dress.
The style was simple and fit her figure well, so she didn't have any additional requests.
She took a photo in front of the mirror and sent it to Fu Mingyu.
"Does it look good?"
After waiting two minutes without a reply from Fu Mingyu, Ruan Sixian didn't dwell on it.
When they spoke on the phone yesterday morning, he was still in Dubai, awake late into the night, so he was probably catching up on sleep now.
While waiting for the dress to be packaged, the shop assistant took Ruan Sixian to browse other styles.
Since she had nothing better to do, Ruan Sixian followed her upstairs to look at the new arrivals in the display cabinets.
But as soon as she reached the stairs, she heard several familiar voices.
When her view cleared, she saw that the people standing in front of a large mirror were actually Zheng You'an and Dong Xian.
Zheng You'an was wearing a pale gold gown with delicate crystal embellishments on the skirt. With every movement, the skirt shimmered brilliantly.
Dong Xian was bustling around her, at one moment saying the waist needed to be taken in a little more, and the next complaining that the off-shoulder neckline was too tight.
She wasn't even satisfied with the matching lace gloves.
"Whatever," Zheng You'an said. "It's fine as it is."
"No, it's not," Dong Xian called someone over to take new measurements. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime engagement, how can you just settle?"
Zheng You'an lowered her head to adjust her gloves and muttered, "Who knows if it'll really be the only one."
Dong Xian's expression changed, her words catching in her throat as her tone shifted.
"An'an, your father and I... we've really let you down."
They hadn't noticed anyone behind them and were speaking loudly enough for Ruan Sixian to hear every word clearly.
She frowned.
You've let down more than just her.
"It's fine," Zheng You'an said, tired of standing. She lifted her skirt and sat on the sofa, patting the seat beside her. "I have to contribute something to this family anyway. Besides, Brother Yan An isn't bad—his family is wealthy, he's handsome, and he's young. Among the options available, he's the best, right?"
Seeing that Dong Xian didn't sit, Zheng You'an continued adjusting her skirt and said to herself, "If we get divorced, I'll get a hefty settlement. By then, our family should be doing better, and I can marry a pretty boy. I won't care if he's rich, as long as he listens to me."
Dong Xian took a deep breath and hugged Zheng You'an, letting her lean her head against her waist.
"It's okay. If he treats you poorly, you can always come home."
Ruan Sixian watched from behind for a while, feeling somewhat disinterested.
The scene was painful to watch, as if she were an outsider intruding on their harmonious moment.
But before she could turn away, Zheng You'an spotted her reflection in the mirror.
"You're here too?"
As Zheng You'an spoke, Dong Xian also turned to look.
"Yeah," Ruan Sixian had no choice but to walk forward. "I came to pick up my dress."
Zheng You'an glanced between Dong Xian and Ruan Sixian before suddenly lifting her skirt and saying, "This is too tiring to wear. I'm going to change."
She went to the fitting room, while Dong Xian stared intently at Ruan Sixian.
Since their last meeting at home, winter had turned to summer, and nearly another year had passed without them seeing each other.
A shop assistant brought Ruan Sixian a cup of hot tea and placed it on the table.
A wisp of steam rose between them, blurring their line of sight.
Under normal circumstances, Ruan Sixian would have left long ago.
But today was different.
After a long silence, she suddenly spoke up. "Today is Dad's birthday."Dong Xian was taken aback, clearly not remembering.
This was the reaction Ruan Sixian had anticipated.
She sighed, "Forget it, I’ll go first."
"Wait." Dong Xian stopped her. "Ruanruan, are you still bothered by what happened between me and your dad?"
Ruan Sixian felt helpless, her heart prickling, yet unsure how to respond.
It felt like saying too much would be making a fuss over nothing, but saying nothing meant Dong Xian had brought it up.
Before Ruan Sixian could answer, Dong Xian spoke again.
"Some things I didn’t mention before because you were too young to understand."
She paused. "Later..."
"Just say it directly," Ruan Sixian interrupted. "No need for all the extra talk."
Dong Xian seemed to be weighing her words, hesitating for a moment before saying, "As a mother, I failed you. But as a wife, I did my best."
She did do well.
Ruan Sixian thought, washing clothes, cooking, taking care of her husband—she truly did excel at those things.
"As for why we divorced, I admit I was selfish."
She said, "When Mr. Guo found me, I was thirty-seven."
She emphasized those words, "I was thirty-seven. If I missed that chance, I would never have another opportunity in this lifetime."
Ruan Sixian understood what she meant but didn’t fully grasp it.
"Was that a conflict?"
"At first, I thought it wasn’t." Recalling the past, Dong Xian rested her head in her hand, her expression calm. "But reality wasn’t as ideal as I imagined. Nothing comes without time and effort. To sign with Mr. Guo, I had to travel everywhere with him, go into seclusion, produce new works. I couldn’t stay at home like before."
Ruan Sixian remained silent, and Dong Xian’s train of thought grew less coherent as she repeated, "I was thirty-seven. Since marrying your dad at twenty-two, fifteen years had passed. I devoted myself to my husband and child, respected the elders, and almost thought my life would stay that way forever. When a mentor appeared, my first instinct was to tell your dad. But what about him?"
Ruan Sixian: "He..."
Dong Xian switched hands, lowering her eyes as she continued, "I’ll always remember what he said, ‘You’re a wife, a mother. If you pursue your dreams, what will happen to the family?’"
The words she had planned to say suddenly felt impossible to voice. Ruan Sixian fell silent, listening quietly to Dong Xian for the first time.
But Dong Xian didn’t continue on that topic, thinking of the arguments behind closed doors that year still gave her a headache.
"I was selfish. After divorcing your dad, I truly didn’t consider taking you with me. I knew I’d be unsettled for the next few years, and it wouldn’t be suitable for you to follow me. So I thought it was best for you to stay home with your dad, study, and live your life."
She looked up at Ruan Sixian, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes not even concealed by makeup.
"I failed you. I wasn’t there as you grew up, and I didn’t fulfill my responsibilities as a mother."
Zheng You’an had been in the fitting room for a long time, her legs growing sore. She peeked through the crack several times and finally saw Ruan Sixian stand up.
She took a deep breath, ready to step out, when she heard Dong Xian say, "Can’t you give me a chance to make it up to you?"
Her hand paused on the door handle.
Zheng You’an quietly retreated back inside.
"Forget it."
After a long silence, Ruan Sixian only said, "Forget it."When the secrets belonging to her parents were unveiled, she was somewhat surprised, yet not entirely unable to accept it.
After all, she understood her father—there was a bit of ingrained chauvinism in him.
Now, she could even comprehend Dong Xian’s choices.
But so what?
The consequences of those choices should not fall on her to bear.
“What’s there to compensate for?”
Ruan Sixian shrugged. “When I was a teenager, what I lacked was a doll, a floral dress, a pair of leather shoes. Are you going to give them to me now? It’s meaningless. I don’t need them anymore.”
Dong Xian closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Ruanruan, we are still mother and daughter by blood.”
“I know. I’m not denying that. You’re still my mother, and that can never change in this lifetime. And I understand your choices now. But emotions require companionship. When I needed you the most, you weren’t by my side. Now that I’ve grown up, I can do everything myself, buy everything myself. I even have a boyfriend now—he’s my greatest reliance.”
Seeing that Dong Xian didn’t seem to fully grasp it, Ruan Sixian explained word by word, “In other words, your attempts to make up for things now hold little weight for me, so they don’t mean much. Relationships have their closeness and distance. Ours is a rather distant mother-daughter bond, but I’ll still call you Mom. If you need it, when I get married and have children, your role will remain what it is. That won’t change.”
“But there’s no need to deliberately try to mend or repair it. It’s just too exhausting.”
When she stepped outside, the driver was still waiting for her at the entrance. He helped her load her things into the trunk and then opened the car door for her.
Standing by the roadside, Ruan Sixian didn’t rush to get in.
She reflected on what she had said to Dong Xian today—it felt like a thorn that had been stuck in her heart had finally been pulled out. There was relief, but also a lingering ache.
Only, she hadn’t expected that she would instinctively say, “I even have a boyfriend now—he’s my greatest reliance.”
If she didn’t dwell on it, it was fine, but once she did, she missed him terribly.
Just then, her phone chimed. Ruan Sixian took it out and glanced at it. Several hours had passed, and Fu Mingyu had only replied with two words:
“Looks good.”
It sounded as indifferent as if he were brushing her off.
“He’s infuriating.”
Ruan Sixian hadn’t eaten anything all morning, and her stomach was empty. With the wind blowing, she felt as fragile as Lin Daiyu.
As she walked toward the car, she called Fu Mingyu.
After two rings, he answered quickly.
“When are you coming back?!”
Ruan Sixian stepped into the car. “Your girlfriend is about to starve to death on the side of the road!”
“Miss me?”
“Yes.” Ruan Sixian leaned against the car door, annoyed. “I miss you. Can you just come back already?”
“Alright.”
“Then you—” Ruan Sixian paused mid-sentence.
The voice didn’t just sound from the phone—it seemed to be very close to her.
The wind had stopped, but a familiar scent of fir slowly drifted toward her.
Ruan Sixian stood by the car door, only to be embraced from behind.
“Mm, I’m back.”
Hearing his voice, Ruan Sixian was still in a daze. She didn’t turn around, afraid that if she did, she’d realize it was just an illusion.
But the warmth of his body was unmistakably real, radiating from behind her.
In the end, she turned around, staring at him without blinking, and pinched her thigh."Let me see if I'm dreaming." Seeing Fu Mingyu frown, Ruan Sixian said, "Oh, it hurts, so it's not a dream."
Fu Mingyu's eyebrow twitched. "Then why did you pinch my thigh?"
Instead of answering, Ruan Sixian asked, "When did you get back?"
"Just now."
"Oh..."
The car was still parked by the roadside, with the door waiting.
"Get in first, don't stand here."
Ruan Sixian complied and got into the car, taking the inner seat.
But as soon as Fu Mingyu got in, she immediately snuggled into his arms.
Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Fu Mingyu could still keenly sense that something was off with her mood.
"What's wrong?"
Ruan Sixian replied gloomily, "I just went to get my clothes and ran into Zheng You'an and my mom."
"What did they say?"
"Actually, it wasn't much." Ruan Sixian let out a heavy sigh. "My mom said today that she wants to make it up to me, and I told her it's not necessary."
She rubbed her chin against Fu Mingyu's shoulder. "It's too exhausting, there's no need. And—"
She looked up at the line of his jaw, her nose tingling slightly. "I told her I have a boyfriend now, and my boyfriend is my biggest support."
Fu Mingyu lowered his head, looking at the person in his arms, his Adam's apple moving slightly.
Some emotions were stirring within him.
When they returned to Mingchen Apartments, Ruan Sixian instinctively reached to press the button for her own floor.
Fu Mingyu took her hand and pressed another floor instead.
"Let's go upstairs."
"Okay."
Perhaps because they had been apart for so long, Ruan Sixian was unusually obedient.
Bai Yang had already arranged for someone to move all of Fu Mingyu's luggage back. On the living room table, there were still many gift boxes.
Ruan Sixian glanced at the items and asked, "Gifts you brought back?"
"Yes."
Fu Mingyu responded, then added, "For my mom."
"What about me?" Ruan Sixian leaned on her hand, slowly pacing. "Do I have a gift?"
"Yes."
Ruan Sixian reached out to him. "Show me quickly."
Instead of receiving anything in her hand, she was pulled into his embrace.
After a lingering kiss, Ruan Sixian's cheeks flushed, and she gently pushed him away.
"Who wants this kind of gift? It's so unoriginal."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Mingyu turned around and took a blue velvet box from the cabinet behind him.
He opened it to reveal a diamond ring inside.
"This... is this my gift?"
"No." Fu Mingyu took her hand and placed it over the ring. "The gift is me."
Ruan Sixian stared at him in a daze.
"Will you accept a husband?"
Seeing that Ruan Sixian still seemed confused, staring at him blankly, Fu Mingyu kissed the back of her hand and rephrased his question.
"Will you marry me?"
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