Wen Yifan instinctively let out a soft "ah," then glanced again at the drink, only now noticing something amiss. But this was how she usually behaved when dining out with others—always going along with their arrangements.
She never minded being the last one to choose.
Under normal circumstances, the person ordering would politely ask for her opinion.
Wen Yifan had never encountered someone like Zheng Kejia, who so blatantly treated her as someone who could be casually disregarded.
She had never paid much attention to such trivial matters, and even earlier, she hadn’t felt anything was off. But strangely, she now felt an inexplicable, peculiar sensation.
She licked the corner of her lips and lowered her eyes to the menu, as if to hide her thoughts.
The restaurant didn’t have an extensive menu—just a folded sheet sealed in plastic film. The drinks were listed in the bottom right corner of the back page, and the selection wasn’t particularly wide either. Aside from common beverages, there were a few specialty drinks unique to this place.
After scanning it for a while, Wen Yifan found nothing appealing. "You pick," she said. "I’ll just have water."
Sang Yan had already rinsed the tableware and pushed it toward her.
"Nothing else to add?"
Wen Yifan nodded, staring at the set of utensils in front of her before handing the menu back to him.
Sang Yan poured water into her cup while giving the menu and the already ordered dishes a cursory glance. In the end, he added nothing else, casually placing the menu back in the center of the table.
After a brief silence, the table grew lively again.
The others chatted intermittently, occasionally directing a few words at Sang Yan.
Most of the conversation revolved around gossip, with occasional mentions of work-related matters. Wen Yifan didn’t recognize any of the people they were talking about, nor did she understand much about their field. She barely listened, slowly sipping her water.
Then it suddenly struck her.
So Sang Yan had skipped his company’s gathering to have this meal with her?
At this thought, Wen Yifan glanced in Sang Yan’s direction, only to meet Zheng Kejia’s gaze instead. Zheng Kejia’s expression seemed uneasy, tinged with awkwardness, as if someone had said something to her.
Wen Yifan averted her eyes, landing instead on Sang Yan’s profile.
Noticing her gaze, Sang Yan immediately turned to her. "What?"
"Nothing." Wen Yifan lowered her head and continued drinking.
Sang Yan, however, kept staring at her before suddenly smirking. "Hey, don’t think you can dodge this."
Wen Yifan: "Hmm?"
His dark eyes gleamed with an air of nonchalance, as if this gathering had nothing to do with him. He tugged at his lips, his tone playful. "This one doesn’t count."
……
As dinner neared its end, Wen Yifan excused herself to the restroom.
After leaving the stall, she turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she lowered her gaze and pulled out her cushion compact and lipstick from her bag, intending to touch up her makeup. Just then, she noticed Zheng Kejia entering the restroom.
Zheng Kejia paused mid-step before walking over to the sink beside her.
Wen Yifan continued applying her makeup, undisturbed.
Zheng Kejia seemed to be there just to wash her hands. As she squeezed out hand soap, she spoke up. "Didn’t expect to run into you here. So you know our manager?"
Wen Yifan gave a vague hum in response.
"Earlier, my colleague said I was disrespecting the manager by treating someone he brought along so casually." Zheng Kejia frowned slightly, muttering in complaint. "That wasn’t my intention at all. Isn’t it just that you never pick anything anyway?"Wen Yifan rubbed the corner of her lips, wiping away the smudged lipstick.
Zheng Kejia said, "I just didn’t want it to go to waste. It’s already been ordered."
Wen Yifan replied casually, "Then why don’t you drink it yourself?"
Zheng Kejia faltered. "I don’t like it. You always used to..." She cut herself off mid-sentence and quickly changed the subject. "Could you help me explain a few things to the manager? I’m afraid I might have offended him, and I don’t want to fail my internship."
Wen Yifan smiled. "You’re overthinking it."
"But I’m worried! Just put in a good word for me, okay?" Zheng Kejia took out her lipstick, her voice sweet and tinged with envy. "By the way, is the manager trying to pursue you?"
"..." Wen Yifan was baffled how this could be misinterpreted. "No."
"So he hasn’t started yet? Are you two in that ambiguous phase? He definitely has feelings for you, though. I was actually planning to chase him myself—tall, handsome, cool, rich, and my superior..." Zheng Kejia pouted. "But seeing how things are between you two, I think I’ll pass. I don’t want to put in effort and still get rejected. It’s not like I’m lacking in options."
Wen Yifan paused. "He has feelings for me?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Are you trying to upset me?" Zheng Kejia sounded exasperated. "The way he treats you is completely different from how he treats others. As much as I hate to admit it, with a face like yours, I really don’t stand a chance."
Wen Yifan fell silent, as if deep in thought.
"Whatever, it’s not a big deal." Zheng Kejia smoothed her hair, gracefully saving face. "I’m not that interested in someone with a cold attitude anyway. If we got together, I’d have to be the one pampered, not the one doing the pampering."
Wen Yifan finished touching up her makeup and headed out. "I’m heading back now."
Zheng Kejia followed. "Let’s go together."
Wen Yifan was still mulling over Zheng Kejia’s earlier words.
As they walked, Zheng Kejia suddenly remembered something. "Hey, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ve been wanting to contact you, but you never responded to my friend requests."
Wen Yifan didn’t answer.
"How long has it been since you talked to Mom? She’s been really down lately because you’ve been ignoring her." Zheng Kejia continued, "The way things are between you two is mostly my fault, so you don’t have to blame her."
Hearing this, Wen Yifan found it amusing. "Then why should I add you on WeChat?"
Zheng Kejia frowned. "I just wanted to talk things out properly with you."
Wen Yifan said gently, "There’s nothing to talk about."
"Do you really have to be like this?" Feeling like her patience wasn’t being reciprocated, Zheng Kejia grew irritated. "It’s not that serious, is it? You’re her biological daughter, yet you treat her worse than I do, her stepdaughter."
"That’s true." Wen Yifan smiled, her words carrying a double meaning. "You’re more like her real daughter than I am."
Zheng Kejia immediately caught the implication. Her confidence deflated instantly, and though her lips moved, no words came out.
To be fair, Wen Yifan didn’t have strong feelings toward Zheng Kejia.
She could never like her, but she didn’t exactly hate her either.
After all, she had always believed that while Zheng Kejia might have been the trigger, the root cause lay in Zhao Yuandong’s repeated inaction.
Though they came from the same blended family, their personalities were polar opposites.Fate seemed to diverge from this point, leading them down separate paths of life.
Wen Yifan fell from heaven into the mud, rejected by her new family, living a cautious and dependent existence. From then on, she lost the privilege of being spoiled, never fighting for anything, and never daring to make a single mistake.
Meanwhile, the girl before her was showered with boundless affection from her father and doted on by her stepmother as if she were her own flesh and blood. She had never experienced hardship—even her troubles were sweet.
At this age, she remained a little princess utterly incapable of reading others' expressions, lacking even the most basic emotional intelligence.
They were almost back at their seats.
Wen Yifan lowered her voice and finally said, "So she didn’t lose anything, right?"
"..."
"Didn’t she still have a daughter?"
Just as she sat back down, Sang Yan turned to look at her, giving her a once-over. "Done?"
Wen Yifan nodded.
Hearing this, Sang Yan stood up. "Let’s go then." Then, glancing at the others, he added lazily, "You guys keep eating. We’ve got stuff to do, so we’re heading out first."
"Wait!" Foil Perm immediately jumped up, pulling out his phone. "We haven’t taken any photos yet! Come on, let’s snap a few quick ones, or I won’t have anything to post on my feed later."
"..."
Sang Yan looked impatient but sat back down anyway.
Wen Yifan leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Should I move out of the way?"
"Move where? Sit still." Sang Yan shot her a glance. "Do you know what your role is?"
"Huh?"
His tone was teasing, slightly drawn out. "To make me look better."
"..."
Wen Yifan ignored his jab and straightened up, facing the camera. Her expression was calm, wearing the practiced smile she always used for photos. After holding it for several seconds, Foil Perm finally lowered his phone.
"Alright, done."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sang Yan stood up again.
Wen Yifan politely bid farewell to the others and followed behind Sang Yan. Checking the time, she asked, "Are we going home now?"
They stepped out of the restaurant.
Sang Yan glanced toward the nearby mall. "Let’s catch a movie."
Without even asking for her opinion—as if certain she wouldn’t refuse—he made the decision outright. Wen Yifan paused briefly before naturally replying, "Which one?"
Sang Yan handed her his phone. "You pick."
Wen Yifan scrolled through the recently released films. There were quite a few, and most had high ratings. Reading the synopses, she hesitated between a disaster movie and a horror film.
At that moment, Sang Yan suddenly asked, "You don’t get along with your stepsister?"
Still deliberating, Wen Yifan answered honestly, "No."
Sang Yan had never seen this "pushover" have issues with anyone before. "Why?"
"Because it’s a blended family." Wen Yifan kept it brief, her reply bordering on dismissive. Then, quickly changing the subject, she showed him the phone. "This disaster film or this horror one—which do you want to see?"
Sang Yan stared at her for a few seconds without responding.
Wen Yifan still didn’t elaborate on the earlier topic and repeated, "Which one do you want to watch?"
Then, she looked up and met his gaze, only to lower her eyes almost immediately.
Sang Yan fell silent for another moment before glancing casually at the options. "The disaster one."
Wen Yifan: "Okay, I’ll pick seats. Back row?"
"Yeah."
And just like that, the topic seemed to have been diverted.Wen Yifan let out a slight sigh of relief, pushing aside the messy thoughts about her family. Just as she was about to click into the disaster movie’s ticket purchase page, she suddenly recalled how Sang Yan had chosen it without hesitation earlier.
Then, she remembered his fear of ghosts.
Hesitating for a moment, she backed out and switched to a horror film instead.
Whether it was a momentary lapse of judgment or some mischievous impulse, Wen Yifan proceeded smoothly with the purchase. By the time she reached the payment page, she handed him her phone with a straight face. “Done.”
Sang Yan didn’t suspect a thing, inputting the payment password without even glancing at the screen.
Wen Yifan had picked the nearest screening time, leaving only half an hour before the show started. The two headed straight to the cinema floor, collected their tickets, and waited outside for admission.
Seizing the moment, Sang Yan glanced at the tickets. Noticing the movie title, he paused, then pulled up the purchase record on his phone for comparison. His brows lifted slightly. “You bought tickets for a horror film?”
“...” Hearing this, Wen Yifan pretended to look at his phone, taking a few seconds before reacting. “I think I bought the wrong one.”
Sang Yan turned to her, his gaze scrutinizing.
Wen Yifan met his eyes without a trace of guilt.
After a long pause, Sang Yan finally let out a meaningful “Oh.”
The feeling of being caught made Wen Yifan’s previously calm mood ripple with unease. After brushing it off, she gradually began to regret her actions. After all, upon reflection, this was something Sang Yan was afraid of.
It didn’t seem right.
With that in mind, she suggested, “Should we buy new tickets? I’ll transfer the money back to you.”
Sang Yan: “No need.”
Just then, the ushers began checking tickets for admission.
Wen Yifan’s guilt grew heavier, weighing on her like a dense stone. After settling into their seats, she hesitated before calling out to him, “Sang Yan.”
Sang Yan: “Speak.”
“If you get scared later,” she said—though the outcome would be the same, her intention now was far purer than before—“I can protect you.”
Sang Yan looked momentarily stunned. “What the hell.”
Wen Yifan licked her lips and didn’t continue.
A few seconds later, connecting the dots, Sang Yan seemed to finally understand something. He burst into laughter, his shoulders and chest shaking slightly as if he found it utterly hilarious, his breath huffing out in quiet amusement.
In the dim lighting, Wen Yifan could faintly see the dimple at the corner of his lips.
She felt inexplicably flustered. “I did buy the wrong tickets…”
“Alright,” Sang Yan managed to suppress his laughter, speaking leisurely. “I underestimated you.”
At the same time, the movie began playing.
Wen Yifan pretended not to hear, lifting her gaze to the screen.
The entire film lasted an hour and a half.
Occasionally, during key moments, Sang Yan would suddenly lean close to her ear and whisper in a teasing, infuriating tone, “So scary.”
“...”
Or else: “What? Aren’t you going to—”
He’d deliberately pause, then change his words suggestively: “Protect me?”
By the end of the movie, Wen Yifan felt like she had watched everything and yet nothing at all. There wasn’t a single memorable scene—just Sang Yan’s words, oscillating between provocation and flirtation, echoing endlessly in her mind.She couldn't even tell whether Sang Yan was afraid or not.
On the way home, Wen Yifan recalled Zheng Kejia's words again.
Although Wen Yifan had previously felt that Sang Yan seemed somewhat different toward her, she worried it might just be her own wishful thinking. But from an outsider's perspective, it appeared to be the case.
She also felt that Sang Yan had some affection for her.
So that meant the feelings she'd been having lately probably weren't just her imagination.
Through the window's reflection, Wen Yifan saw the corners of her lips curving upward.
She blinked but made no effort to hide it.
After arriving home.
Wen Yifan remembered the group photo taken earlier at the grilled fish restaurant. Before entering her room, she took the initiative to ask, "Can you send me the photo we took today?"
Sang Yan was sitting on the sofa scrolling through his phone.
Hearing this, he turned off the screen and said casually, "I don't have it."
Wen Yifan nodded, not pressing further.
...
The next day, Wen Yifan went to work at the company.
Just as she turned on her computer, Su Tian arrived and habitually asked about her progress.
Bringing up the topic with Su Tian again, Wen Yifan felt slightly more confident. But unsure what to do next, she decided to seek advice from this romance veteran.
Su Tian stroked her chin: "Then it's probably about time to confess, right?"
Wen Yifan: "...So soon?"
"Not really," Su Tian said. "It's just dating, not like you're getting married or settling down immediately. If you're still worried it might be a misunderstanding, you could wait for the other person to make the first move?"
Remembering how she had avoided answering when Sang Yan asked questions yesterday, Wen Yifan just shook her head.
Su Tian found her attitude somewhat strange: "Why do I feel like you're especially nervous around this King of Ducks? You're always overthinking everything."
Wen Yifan smiled: "Am I?"
"You are," Su Tian reassured her. "You really don't need to overthink it—it's just dating! It's really not that big of a deal!"
Wen Yifan hummed in agreement and continued typing.
"I know."
Between the two of them, it seemed only that unspoken layer remained to be pierced.
Wen Yifan didn't know what she was so afraid of.
Perhaps it was not knowing whether he still minded what happened in the past, or how to bring up those memories she'd rather not mention.
Or perhaps, she didn't know whether piercing that layer would bring them closer or create permanent distance.
So even though she longed to take a step forward, she preferred to temporarily retreat.
Just hoping the time they could spend together would last a little longer because of it.
Two weeks later, Wen Yifan suddenly received notice that she needed to go on a business trip to Beiyu City. Due to an unexpected tunnel collapse, there had been heavy losses. The incident sparked heated discussions online, causing quite a stir.
Wen Yifan immediately went home to pack.
Since it was a rest day, Sang Yan happened to be home.
Seeing her hurry, Sang Yan immediately guessed the reason. Before she left, he asked, "Going to Beiyu? When will you be back?"
Because there would be follow-up investigations, Wen Yifan wasn't entirely sure: "Probably two or three weeks?"
"Oh."
Unsure if she could return before his birthday, Wen Yifan wanted to say something but didn't dare make promises. She picked up her luggage and walked to the entrance, about to go downstairs to meet Qian Weihua, when Sang Yan suddenly called out, "Hey."Wen Yifan turned her head.
"Come back early," Sang Yan said, his tone somewhere between serious and casual. "I have something to tell you."
"..." Wen Yifan paused and looked back at him. "Can't you say it now?"
"If I say it now," Sang Yan toyed with his phone, raising an eyebrow with a smile, "I'm afraid you won't be able to focus on your work properly."
...
Wen Yifan got into Qian Weihua's car, where Mu Chengyun was already seated in the back. She greeted them both before fastening her seatbelt, her mind preoccupied with Sang Yan's words.
She realized that his comment had made it even harder for her to concentrate.
Wen Yifan flipped through her phone briefly before setting it aside.
The drive from Nanwu to Beiyu took about three hours. As it was getting dark, Wen Yifan worried Qian Weihua might get tired and planned to take turns driving with him. She decided to rest for a while first.
Not long after closing her eyes, her phone vibrated.
Wen Yifan picked it up to see a red notification dot on the "New Friends" section of her contacts. She tapped it and, unsurprisingly, saw Zheng Kejia's request again. Just as she was about to exit, she noticed the note attached:
[I'll send you photos from the gathering.]
After a moment's thought, Wen Yifan accepted.
Immediately, a string of ellipses appeared: [...]
Zheng Kejia: [I've added you hundreds of times with no response, but the moment I mention photos, you accept instantly.]
Zheng Kejia: [You're so pragmatic.]
Half a minute later.
Zheng Kejia sent five photos.
The background was the same in all of them—apparently taken in quick succession during the Foil Perm gathering.
Wen Yifan opened them one by one.
In the photos, her hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, framing her delicate oval face with its paper-white complexion. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved slightly downward, softening her striking features.
Beside her, Sang Yan wasn't looking at the camera. Instead, he was quietly gazing at her with a faint smile playing on his lips.
Wen Yifan's breath hitched slightly.
She swiped through the remaining four photos.
Five pictures.
Spanning about half a minute.
In every single one, Sang Yan never looked at the camera.
—He was looking at her.
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