Noticing the awkward situation, Che Xingde's friends exchanged uneasy glances. Perhaps because they had waited too long or felt embarrassed by the scene, the skinny guy beside him couldn't help but ask, "Bro De, what's going on here?"
This prompted the others to start complaining too, dissatisfied with the current state of affairs.
"You were the one who said you'd treat us before we came."
"If you can't afford it, don't make empty promises! That guy clearly doesn't even know you!"
"Forget it, let's just go."
Che Xingde's pride took a hit, and he forced an awkward smile. "No, wait—" Seeing the others actually getting up to leave, he grew anxious and turned back to Sang Yan. "Call the cops over what? If you're this stingy over a few thousand bucks, how do you expect to be with my niece?!"
Sang Yan ignored him and continued speaking to Yu Zhuo. "Called yet?"
Yu Zhuo immediately pulled out his phone. "R-right away."
"Hold on!" Che Xingde's expression stiffened further, his tone losing its earlier flattery as he started cursing. "What the hell's wrong with you? It's just a few thousand—you think I can't afford that?!"
Yu Zhuo paused his action.
Sang Yan remained silent, looking down at him coldly.
"I'll pay! But I'm still drinking here and spending money!" Che Xingde, clearly humiliated and furious, snapped. "What's the deal with bringing all these people and ruining my time with my friends?"
Sang Yan showed no reaction to his words, his expression relaxing slightly. "My apologies, seems I misunderstood. Then enjoy your time here."
With that, he murmured an instruction to Yu Zhuo: "Have Da Jun keep an eye on him."
He didn't linger any longer, turning to take a seat at the bar counter. He Mingbo instinctively poured him a drink and placed it in front of him, glancing toward Che Xingde before asking, "Bro, what's up with that guy again?"
Sang Yan didn't touch the drink, checking his phone casually. "Just a troublemaker."
He Mingbo pressed, "Isn't he your sister-in-law's uncle?"
"..." Sang Yan lifted his gaze and said slowly, "Your sister-in-law doesn't know him."
As Wen Yifan was about to leave the office, Fu Zhuang happened to return from an interview.
He was fiddling with a bottle of soda in his hand and, upon seeing her, came over to chat as usual. "Yifan-jie, heading off? Is Sang Yan-ge picking you up?"
Wen Yifan smiled. "Yeah."
"I heard from Mu Chengyun about that guy harassing you. Freaking terrifying." Fu Zhuang rambled on, "Be extra careful after work. If Sang Yan-ge can't make it, just let me know—I'll walk you back."
Wen Yifan stood up. "It's nothing serious."
Fu Zhuang exaggerated his concern. "How is it nothing? I think I've seen that guy lurking around a few times lately, but I'm not sure if it's him. I asked the security downstairs—he just passes by for a quick look and never stays long."
At this, Wen Yifan paused.
Fu Zhuang looked both worried and troubled. "Jie, you're really pretty, and you always work so late. Plus, this area's full of bars—you gotta be careful."
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together briefly, her expression quickly returning to normal as she smiled again.
"I know."
...
She stepped out of the office building.Wen Yifan found Sang Yan's car in its usual spot and walked over to get into the passenger seat. She glanced at him, catching a faint whiff of alcohol, and blinked. "Have you been drinking?"
Sang Yan started the car. "Nope."
"Did you just meet up with Su Haoan and the others? But you won’t need to pick me up much longer anyway." Wen Yifan mentally calculated her savings and said earnestly, "I’ve been keeping an eye on car prices and plan to finance one soon. That way, I can drive myself to and from work, and it’ll be more convenient for my job."
Sang Yan glanced at her. "When are you planning to go look?"
Wen Yifan replied gently, "On my next day off."
Sang Yan nodded. "Alright, I’ll go with you then."
Wen Yifan smiled. "Okay."
Silence settled in the car again.
After driving for a while, Sang Yan suddenly asked, "Wen Shuangjiang, why do I feel like you’ve been off lately?"
Wen Yifan had been spacing out and snapped back to attention at his words. She turned to look at him, pausing before letting out a soft "Ah," then explained quietly, "Things have been a bit hectic at the station recently. I just need to adjust—I’ll be fine soon."
Sang Yan asked casually, "Not enjoying your job?"
"No, it’s not that. Besides, who actually likes working?" Wen Yifan wasn’t sure if her emotions were showing too plainly. Afraid of affecting his mood, she instinctively curved her lips into a smile. "I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep."
Sang Yan spared her another glance but didn’t press further.
"Mm, then get some rest early when we get back."
Che Xingde’s repeated visits to the station felt like an unexploded time bomb to Wen Yifan. Even though she tried not to dwell on it, she could clearly sense a shift in her own emotions.
Even falling asleep had become as difficult as it used to be.
Wen Yifan hadn’t told anyone about this.
She found it too shameful to bring up and had no desire to mention it.
She just wanted things to go back to how they were before.
If she stayed far away, ignored these matters, and avoided these people, her life would remain her own, untouched by their influence.
She had no connection to them whatsoever.
This had been Wen Yifan’s mindset all along.
But all these thoughts were shattered one night by a single message from Zhao Yuandong.
When Wen Yifan noticed it, she hadn’t planned to open it. But catching the word "bar," she inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding. Before she could think it through, she’d already tapped on it.
[Ajiang, have you started dating a bar owner? But I heard from Jiajia before that you were seeing her manager? Your aunt called me today—her brother went to your boyfriend’s place recently. He said he just wanted to introduce your boyfriend to his friends, but your boyfriend was quite rude and even overcharged them for drinks. Ajiang, if you’re dating someone, make sure to protect yourself.]
Wen Yifan stared at the message for a long time, her mind blank. She couldn’t tell if Che Yanqin had fabricated this or if it had actually happened. After all, Sang Yan had never mentioned it.
After a while, Wen Yifan set her phone down and got up, leaving the room.At this moment, Sang Yan had just finished showering and was sitting on the sofa playing games. His hair was still damp, his skin appearing pale under the light, his expression relaxed and indifferent, as if he was just casually passing the time.
Wen Yifan walked over and sat beside him.
Sang Yan lifted his gaze: "What time is it? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Sang Yan," Wen Yifan looked at him, doing her best to keep her tone calm, "that man who claims to be my uncle—did he go to your bar recently?"
Sang Yan completely stopped what he was doing: "Who told you that?"
"..."
His response was tantamount to confirmation.
At this moment, an overwhelming sense of shame nearly consumed Wen Yifan. She didn't even need to ask further to guess what Che Xingde had done after going there.
It was nothing more than demanding money under the pretense of being her uncle. Or perhaps making a scene about not wanting to pay, doing something in front of everyone that would embarrass Sang Yan.
But he shouldn't have had to deal with such things.
Why should he have to deal with such things?
Why should he have to deal with such things because of you?
Wen Yifan's throat tightened, feeling as though she couldn't speak another word. She lowered her eyes, instinctively gripping her clothes, and softly murmured, "...I'm sorry. I'll talk to them."
Noticing her mood, Sang Yan frowned and tossed his phone aside. He turned to look at her expression, hesitating before asking in confusion, "Wen Shuangjiang, what are you apologizing for?"
Wen Yifan met his gaze, her expression dazed.
"Customers at the bar are always a mixed bag; things like this happen almost every day," Sang Yan said with rare patience, explaining earnestly. "I didn't give a damn about this nonsense, understand?"
"..."
In a daze, Wen Yifan felt as though she had returned to the night after meeting her relatives, when she was brought home by Wen Liangxian. Her mind was once again filled with the words Che Yanqin and Wen Liangxian had said that night, echoing incessantly in her ears.
—"First Frost, you're so disobedient."
—"Can't you just let us worry less?"
—"We have no obligation to raise you."
—"All we ask is that you behave and don't do anything outrageous."
Wen Yifan.
Don't cause trouble for others.
You mustn't cause trouble for anyone.
Otherwise, you'll be abandoned.
...
She had little recollection of what was said afterward. She only remembered Sang Yan saying a few more comforting words, and she mustered all her strength to appear as normal as possible.
Wen Yifan played a round of games with Sang Yan, then used exhaustion as an excuse to return to her room.
After sitting blankly in her room for half an hour, Wen Yifan opened WeChat and, for the first time in a long while, sent Zhao Yuandong a message: [Give me her phone number.]
Perhaps not expecting a reply, Zhao Yuandong responded quickly. She sent a string of numbers, followed by a long message.
Wen Yifan ignored it and dialed the number directly.
It rang three times.
Che Yanqin answered, her loud voice coming through the receiver: "Who is this?"
Wen Yifan got straight to the point: "What do you want?"
"..." Che Yanqin fell silent for a few seconds before hesitantly guessing, "First Frost?""I don't care why you came to Nanwu," Wen Yifan closed her eyes briefly, enunciating each word clearly, "but don't drag me into it. Live your own lives—whether you live or die has nothing to do with me."
After a moment of realization, Che Yanqin's tone turned unpleasant: "How can you talk like that?! Cursing us to die right off the bat? Is that any way to speak?"
"There's nothing left to say between us. If your brother harasses me or anyone around me again," Wen Yifan ignored her words and continued, "I'll gather evidence and call the police immediately."
"Call the police again, is it? You'll call the police no matter what we do?" Che Yanqin's voice turned shrill. "I regret ever taking you in—raising such an ungrateful wretch!"
"How exactly did you raise me?" Wen Yifan retorted. "By letting your brother crawl into my bed without stopping you? By treating me as a tool to make money?"
"..."
"What did I ever do," all the pent-up negativity from that year, the years of accumulated pain, erupted at this moment. She controlled her volume but emphasized each word, "to deserve such treatment from you?"
She had relied on no one, working hard to build a decent life for herself.
She thought things were finally looking up.
That she could try being with him now.
Why did you have to reappear?
"Che Yanqin, wasn't it my father who paid for your surgery back then?" Wen Yifan said. "When you couldn't afford Wen Ming's tuition, wasn't it my father who covered it? When Wen Liangzhe was short tens of thousands for his house, wasn't it my father who gave it? Did he ever ask you to pay him back?"
"Why did you treat me like this? Who's the real ungrateful wretch here?"
After a pause, Che Yanqin said indifferently, "Your father gave that money willingly."
"..."
"You don't want anything to do with us? Fine." Che Yanqin sneered. "I heard your current boyfriend is quite wealthy? If you want to marry him, have him pay a bride price of several hundred thousand first. And what's this about your uncle having to pay at your boyfriend's bar? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Wen Yifan found it absurd, yet entirely expected from someone like her. With an expressionless face, she uttered vicious words in the gentlest tone.
"If you're counting on me, you'd better buy yourself a hefty insurance policy first, then have an accident and meet your maker."
"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Che Yanqin snapped. "If you won't give it to me, I'll go ask your mother instead!"
"Whoever you ask has nothing to do with me. I hope you can go ask my father soon." Wen Yifan laughed coldly. "I'll say this one last time—if you harass anyone around me again, I will call the police."
She hung up directly and blocked the number.
The room fell silent again.
Before dealing with these people, Wen Yifan never knew she could be like this—wanting only to unleash all her darkest thoughts on them. As the sharp edges faded, exhaustion washed over her. She sat numbly, phone clutched in hand.
She didn't know if this would achieve anything.
Only that she had to do something.
As her emotions gradually cooled, another feeling took over. She thought of Sang Yan outside again, and an overwhelming sense of insecurity crashed over her.
Unable to control herself, she stood up and left the room once more.The living room light was still on.
Sang Yan remained seated in his original spot, seemingly still playing a game but appearing somewhat distracted. Noticing her presence from the corner of his eye, he raised a brow and asked lazily, "What? Didn't you just see me?"
"..."
His tone was casual. "Need to see me this many times in one day?"
Wen Yifan's nose tingled slightly. She hummed in response and walked over to him. Then, lifting her leg, she climbed onto the sofa unprompted, quietly straddling his lap to meet his gaze at eye level.
"You're quite the tyrant," Sang Yan remarked as she blocked his view, lowering his eyes to look at her deliberately. "No drinking, no smoking, no cold water, no staying up late—and now you won't even let me play games?"
Wen Yifan studied him for another moment.
Sang Yan caught her wrist, his thumb lightly stroking the skin there.
The next instant, Wen Yifan suddenly hooked her other arm around his neck. She bit his lip, her tongue slipping in to entwine with his, her movements somewhat unpracticed.
As if confirming something.
She offered herself up with unusual initiative, disrupting his composure in the dead of night.
Sang Yan paused briefly, letting her kiss him. His gaze darkened as he pressed her wrist against his chest, surrendering to desire and kissing her back.
The man's mouth carried the cool freshness of mint, his kiss aggressive and rough, as though he wanted to devour her whole. The faint sound of swallowing lingered between them.
In the quiet room, the heavy atmosphere spread.
Undeniably intimate.
Her lips grew numb from his sucking.
She could feel his fingers trailing downward, from the nape of her neck to her back and waist, stopping at the hem of her shirt before slipping underneath.
The touch sent shivers through her.
Wen Yifan instinctively bit the tip of his tongue.
"What?" Sang Yan pulled back slightly, his breath uneven, amusement lacing his words. "Trying to draw blood again?"
"..."
The man's dark hair and eyes contrasted with his slightly upturned chin and now-reddened lips. Every word and action seemed designed to entice.
"Wen Shuangjiang."
Wen Yifan stared unblinkingly at his features. Her heart felt hollow, her hearing muffled, as if boundless fear was about to swallow her whole—as though the man before her might abandon her at any moment.
She just wanted to keep him here, to be closer to him.
"Hmm."
"You bought me back, yet you're sitting here so composed. Don't you want to do something else?"
"..."
Sang Yan's fingers continued their exploration, tracing slow circles as he teased her in that provocative tone.
"Like... letting me serve you?"
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