This was Xu Huaisong’s third missed swing. He intended to sort out the matter with Lü Shenglan from start to finish, but Ruan Yu kept skillfully dodging the topic again and again.
The frustration of hitting nothing but cotton with each attempt pulled him out of the dehydrated discomfort he had been feeling earlier.
At this point, if he still couldn’t tell she was doing it on purpose, he’d be a disgrace to his profession.
She was deliberately acting so composed—retreating to advance.
From her perspective, his feelings had come out of nowhere, so she wanted to test him first.
Sure enough, without even needing to speak, she had already made him lose his composure and spill everything.
Even if she had hysterically questioned him or cried pitifully, the outcome would have been the same. But like some kind of deviant, he actually found himself enjoying her scheming.
Xu Huaisong glanced toward the kitchen.
Earlier, he had thought she was weighing how to reject him. Yet her outwardly gentle but inwardly resilient nature kept surprising him, and even his stomach had settled under the combined effects of the capsules and her presence.
Suppressing a smile, he took a sip of warm water.
Ruan Yu’s bravado faltered slightly.
How could someone make plain water look as elegant as a limited-edition Martell Cognac? Just moments ago, he had held her so tightly she nearly suffocated, and now he was acting all calm and unresponsive—what was that supposed to mean?
If the tough approach didn’t work, maybe she should try being soft?
After silently rehearsing her tone, she said, “I haven’t had lunch yet…”
Xu Huaisong indeed paused, setting down his glass. “Why not?”
Just as Ruan Yu was about to answer, he added, “Just because I didn’t eat, you didn’t either?”
She froze. “With your stomach… you dare skip meals?”
At this point in the conversation, they both grabbed their phones and stood up simultaneously.
Food was essential—why were they sitting around starving themselves and pretending to be pitiful? That was just absurd.
As they walked out the door one after the other, Xu Huaisong suddenly asked, “Can you drive?”
Caught off guard by the word “drive,” Ruan Yu blurted out reflexively, “Which kind?”
Xu Huaisong’s gaze swept over her. “What other kind is there?”
She hesitated. “Bicycle or car. I can ride the former, but the latter… I’ve had a license for seven years, but I’ve never dared to actually drive.” Then she asked, “Why do you ask?”
“I was thinking of letting you drive my car. I just had a stomach episode this afternoon—worried I might make a mistake behind the wheel.”
“But when you came here…”
“When I came, I was alone.”
The words hit Ruan Yu like a soft hammer, striking her heart with a mix of sourness and numbness, leaving her dizzy.
She was silent for a long moment, her steps even feeling unsteady. Finally, she mumbled, “Let’s just take a cab…”
Ruan Yu picked the restaurant. Since Xu Huaisong had just had a stomach episode, she chose a congee place.
When ordering, he left everything up to her without a fuss, so she didn’t bother with false modesty, lightly marking items on the menu with a pen.
Then she hit a dilemma.
Pork and century egg congee? No, century eggs were pickled—bad for the stomach.
Boat congee? No seafood—what if his stomach was inflamed?
Beef and egg congee? No beef—too hard to digest.
She looked up. “Seems like you can only have plain congee.”
“That’s fine. Just order what you want.”
Ruan Yu started picking for herself.
Pork rib congee? No ribs—too messy to eat.
Crab and shrimp congee? No shellfish—they’d leave a smell in her mouth.Chicken congee? But what if the shredded chicken gets stuck in my teeth?
She looked up again, her expression solemn and resolute. "I want plain congee too."
Xu Huaisong blinked twice. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
For the greater good, she could—she would.
The server brought them a steaming pot of plain congee and a few complimentary side dishes.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but Ruan Yu felt the server’s gaze held a hint of pity—as if this scene foretold the couple’s bleak future, crushed by the weight of life, left to drift through storms with nothing but plain congee to sustain them.
But even their congee meal wasn’t peaceful.
Halfway through, Xu Huaisong’s phone rang.
He didn’t step away to take the call, answering directly, "Yes, hello, Teacher He."
Teacher He? Wasn’t that the vice principal of Suzhou No. 1 High School, their former English teacher?
Ruan Yu’s ears perked up. Unexpectedly, her own phone rang at the same time—her mom was calling.
The surroundings were quiet, and if they both answered, their voices would overlap. Ruan Yu was about to step away when Xu Huaisong gestured lightly, signaling her to stay put while he excused himself outside.
Only after he walked away, still talking, did she answer the call.
Qu Lan said, "Yuyu, your dad and I just got a call from Teacher He. He’s celebrating his fiftieth birthday this Friday and invited us to the banquet in Suzhou."
Ruan Yu froze, immediately connecting it to Xu Huaisong’s call. "Do I have to go?"
"Teacher He probably wouldn’t have remembered you otherwise, but didn’t you just run into him at the school? What’s wrong? Are you busy with work?"
"Not exactly..."
She grimaced, stirring the plain congee in her bowl.
If she was considering a relationship with Xu Huaisong, their shared alma mater would likely come up soon. But if she revealed her years-long crush the moment he barely hinted at it, she’d be at his mercy forever.
Qu Lan continued, "Since the teacher specifically invited you, it’s only polite. Go if you’re free."
Just then, Xu Huaisong returned after finishing his call. Ruan Yu glanced up, meeting his eyes, and quickly changed the subject. "Mom, have you eaten yet?"
"We just finished. Your dad and I are having some sour plum drink now. Did you hear what I said?"
Xu Huaisong had already taken his seat across from her.
She hurriedly replied, "Oh, I want some too..."
"What’s going on? Are you selectively deaf now?"
"No, no..." She glanced at the man opposite her again. "Let me think about it. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Bye, Mom." She hung up.
Xu Huaisong picked up his congee spoon again, as elegantly as if it were a steak knife.
He looked at her. "What do you want to drink?"
She cleared her throat. "My mom’s sour plum drink." Then she steered the conversation. "Do you still keep in touch with your old teachers from back home?"
"Not before, but after running into them at the school reunion, we exchanged contacts."
"Impressive that they still remember you." Ruan Yu racked her brain for a way to guide the conversation where she wanted, but the more she tried, the more awkward it became.
Fortunately, Xu Huaisong’s next words played right into her hands. "He invited me to his birthday banquet."
She feigned sudden realization. "Are you going?"Xu Huaisong looked up and saw the glimmering stars in her eyes, her expression clearly hoping he'd say "I won't go."
After a moment's thought, he said, "Let me check if there are any work conflicts."
Ruan Yu gave a dry laugh. "If you're busy, then don't go!"
Suppressing a smile, Xu Huaisong replied, "Mm."
For the rest of the meal, Ruan Yu ate absentmindedly. But when it ended, she didn't forget her main purpose for inviting him out. Following her plan, she said, "You've been out for so long—won't your cat get hungry at the hotel? A four-month-old kitten is in its growth phase and needs balanced nutrition. Eating the same canned food every day isn't good. Should we bring something back for it?"
When someone suddenly becomes chatty, there's usually a reason.
Xu Huaisong's lips curved slightly.
Just as Ruan Yu thought her "true intentions lay not with the cat" had been seen through, she heard him say, "Then help me pick something suitable for the cat, and come back with me for a bit."
And so Ruan Yu smoothly followed him back to the hotel. As they were about to enter the elevator, she initiated the next phase of her plan. "Oh, I forgot about Miss Lü. Has she eaten?"
"I don't know."
"Does she skip meals when busy with work like you? Should we bring something up for her from downstairs?"
Xu Huaisong glanced at her. "You're the one bringing it." The implication being that it had nothing to do with him.
Ruan Yu nodded. "Right."
So Xu Huaisong turned and went with her to the lobby to order. She carefully selected a seasonal set meal called "Summer White Lotus" and separately ordered a cup of "Passionate Green Tea." After packing everything up, they entered the elevator. Following Xu Huaisong's indication, she pressed the button for the 15th floor.
Ruan Yu secretly bolstered her confidence. Unexpectedly, when the elevator doors opened with a "ding" on the fifteenth floor, they happened to see Lü Shenglan standing outside with a suitcase.
Their eyes met. Lü Shenglan smiled first, nodding politely at her and Xu Huaisong, then pulled her suitcase into the elevator and pressed "1." Turning her head, she said, "I've finished my work. I'm returning to the U.S."
Xu Huaisong gave an "Mm," offering nothing more.
Ruan Yu understood.
Lü Shenglan had come to China with Xu Huaisong under the pretense of work. Now, although he hadn't yet exposed the truth about that afternoon's incident, she clearly realized he'd discovered it. Knowing a direct confrontation would be awkward for everyone, she chose to withdraw and leave.
Had it not been for this coincidence, she wouldn't have run into Xu Huaisong like this.
Ruan Yu suddenly felt there was no need to deliver this hint-laden dinner.
No one spoke in the elevator; the breathing of all three was light.
When they reached the first floor, Ruan Yu and Xu Huaisong didn't move.
Lü Shenglan nodded at them again and walked out first with her suitcase.
The summer evening breeze carried the scent of grass, much like eight years ago when she first saw Xu Huaisong at the school's White Dove Square.
In that moment of love at first sight, she'd never imagined things would come to this.
The journey to this point had been like fighting an eight-year-long battle, with every step taken cautiously. Because Xu Huaisong was too sharp.
Dealing with him required constant vigilance at 120%. The slightest hint of her actions—even her gaze or tone—potentially crossing boundaries would be met with his seemingly gentlemanly yet unequivocal rejection.
In truth, she'd never directly confessed. The slightest probe had met with barriers, and she knew exactly how it would end.But she had originally thought that one day he would start a family. For eight years, there had been no woman by his side. Before his father developed dementia, he had also favored her, seeing her as his "future daughter-in-law." So in the end, was there really no chance he might reluctantly choose her? Even if they would always treat each other with formal respect.
She thought she could wait and see what this "end" would bring. Until a little over a month ago, when he suddenly returned to China.
At first, she thought something had happened to his family back home. After much probing, she finally managed to extract some information from his roommate, who was also their mutual colleague—after his round trip to China, he had frequently been video calling a woman who spoke Chinese.
She comforted herself, thinking it was probably work-related video interviews. But not long after, she learned he had returned to China again, even instructing his assistant to prepare funds to buy a car and taking his U.S. driver's license with him.
That was when she truly began to panic.
Her intuition told her that Xu Huaisong's feelings for that woman were definitely not a passing fancy. It was even very likely that during all the time she had been wishfully thinking, he had been pouring his affection into someone else.
When he was about to leave San Francisco again, she subtly used work as an excuse to take the same flight back to China with him.
She needed to confirm her suspicions.
And then she saw that woman.
Outside the hotel room door, the situation was self-explanatory.
Xu Huaisong didn’t even give her a shred of room for self-deception.
He immediately made his stance clear—first introducing that woman, calling her "Ruan Yu" directly, then introducing her, politely addressing her as "Ms. Lü." The closeness, the distance, the nature of their relationships—it was all laid bare.
Xu Huaisong would never make such a basic mistake in etiquette.
He was doing it on purpose.
She felt like she was going mad with jealousy.
It was the shock of that day that made her eight years of suppressed emotions erupt completely, to the point where, upon seeing that message and shrewdly guessing the context, she pressed that fatal "b."
The "b" that made her act foolishly and make a mistake for the first time in eight years.
The "b" that degraded her to third-rate and knocked her out of the game entirely.
As she stepped out of the hotel, Lü Shenglan turned back one last time.
She remembered—when she had entered the elevator earlier, the panel hadn’t shown any lit-up numbers. That meant they had come to the fifteenth floor specifically to find her.
And most likely, Xu Huaisong had tacitly allowed and even encouraged Ruan Yu to come looking for her.
What for? Every woman in love knew the answer.
Lü Shenglan gave a bitter smile.
So it turned out that to develop an intimate relationship with someone like Xu Huaisong, besides striving to be smarter than him, there was another shortcut—to be like Ruan Yu, to make him willing to become less smart for your sake.
Author's note:
Ruan Ruan: "How come he falls for my traps so easily? Am I just too clever?"
Song Song: "Keep going, don’t stop."
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