"Achen..."
Su Ying was the first to speak. Her voice, thick with feigned pain and grievance, was soft, sweet, and seemingly harmless, filled with a pathetic fragility. Her eyes welled with crystalline tears as she looked timidly at Nanchen, then stole a glance at Ye Ran before biting her lip in a display of hesitation, managing to squeeze out, "I'm fine. It was my own carelessness."
Nanchen was no fool; he naturally realized that something must have transpired between his girlfriend and Ye Ran.
"How could you be so careless?" He frowned, strode over to Su Ying, and scooped her up into his arms to inspect the injury on her forehead.
Su Ying let out a soft whimper of pain, wrapping her arms around Nanchen’s neck and leaning against his shoulder. Tears streamed down her face like broken beads. "It’s really nothing, Achen. I don't want you to have a misunderstanding with Ye Ran because of me."
The more high-minded she sounded, the more reasonable she appeared. Equally, it served to intensify the conflict. Regardless of whether it was a staged "bitter ruse," as long as she played the part well, Nanchen wouldn't suspect her. She could create a rift naturally and get rid of the "tea-picking" rival who always clung to Nanchen’s side.
With her plan set, a streak of vicious cunning flashed in the eyes she turned toward Ye Ran.
Ye Ran met her gaze, squinting in annoyance. Feeling a chill in her heart, she instinctively spoke to Nanchen, "I didn't push her..."
She stopped mid-sentence. She had no ulterior motives toward Nanchen; they weren't that kind of relationship. Why bother with unnecessary explanations? If Nanchen wanted to misunderstand, let him. He had a girlfriend now; Ye Ran would keep her distance and reduce their contact in the future.
Thinking it was simple, Ye Ran offered Nanchen an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Miss Su’s head injury looks quite serious. You should take her to the hospital quickly. Let’s skip dinner today and reschedule for another time when you’re free."
With that, Ye Ran walked away, calling for the waiter to settle the bill at the front desk.
Nanchen chased after her into the hallway but was blocked by Su Ying. "Achen, my head hurts so much. Look, it’s bleeding..."
Nanchen cupped her forehead and blew gently on the wound. "Be a good girl, Ying. I’m just going to say a few words to Ranran, and then we'll go to the hospital, hmm?"
His tone was conciliatory, yet it carried a hint of perfunctoriness.
Su Ying bit her lip in dissatisfaction, refusing to loosen her grip on his hand. "No! I don’t want you to go! You’re my boyfriend. You’re being so attentive to her—have you considered my feelings at all?"
Nanchen sensed something was off, but his eyes were still tracking Ye Ran’s silhouette in the lobby. Seeing her leave the restaurant, he hurriedly pushed Su Ying’s hand away. "What are you imagining? She’s just a very good friend."
"Is she?" Su Ying curled her lip in disdain, her grip tightening. "If that’s the case, she should be happy for you now that you have me. Why did she deliberately push me in the restroom?"
Su Ying hadn't originally wanted to be so blunt, as if she were tattling, but Nanchen was being obtuse. He was set on trusting Ye Ran, and even seeing her injured, he was ready to let Ye Ran go without doing anything! He lacked any backbone as a boyfriend. If not for his good looks and family background, Su Ying would have regretted her own blindness.
"She did it on purpose?" Nanchen murmured. His probing gaze looked down at Su Ying, and his usual devil-may-care attitude vanished, replaced by a rare, meticulous seriousness.
Su Ying had almost never seen him like this; she was caught off guard and her confidence wavered, her voice weakening. "Y-yes, she’s the one who gave me this injury. Achen, if you won’t help me, then just stop talking to her from now on..."
She wrapped her arms around Nanchen’s, shaking them in a coquettish display.
Nanchen smiled, pulled his arm back, and naturally reached out to ruffle Su Ying’s hair. His voice dropped, sounding much deeper than usual. "Su Ying, I think you know better than I do how you got this injury."
He increased the pressure of his hand as he rubbed her head, adding, "So, I don’t think I need to say anything more, do I?"
Su Ying froze. Her mind went blank in an instant, leaving only one realization: Nanchen knew about her ploy!
Anxiety washed over her, but Nanchen had already strode past her.
The streets were bustling with traffic as the lights of the city flickered to life. The night breeze felt crisp and cool against her skin. It was already autumn, and Ye Ran tightened her coat, standing by the roadside waiting for a taxi.
"Ranran!"
Nanchen’s voice rang out clearly from behind. Ye Ran turned to see him running toward her, his handsome face still wearing a smile as brilliant as the ones in her memories.
"Why did you chase after me? Is something wrong?" Ye Ran asked.
Nanchen nodded, reaching her side. "It’s been so long. I haven't asked you yet—how have you been? That husband of yours, the one with the surname Lu... does he really treat you well?"
Ye Ran felt a moment of unease. She instinctively nodded vaguely and smiled. "Of course. He’s my husband; if he doesn't treat me well, who would he treat well? Nanchen, you don't need to worry about me..."
Before she could finish, Nanchen stepped forward and took her hand. Ye Ran had a weak constitution since childhood, and her hands were always cold, especially now that the temperature had dropped at night.
Nanchen took a deep breath, took off his jacket, draped it over Ye Ran’s shoulders, and sighed. "If he really treated you so well, why didn't he come with you tonight? Ranran, you don't need to report only the good news and hide the bad."
Being a man himself, Nanchen knew that if it were his wife, he might allow her to have a childhood friend of the opposite sex, but he would never allow them to spend time alone together in private. Moreover, Ye Ran had lost weight since they last met. She had lost far too much. This did not look like a woman living a happy, loving life with her husband.
Ye Ran stiffened. The suppressed emotions in her heart felt like a dam about to burst. She bit the inside of her cheek until it hurt, just to force a smile. "You're imagining things. I really am doing quite well."
"Have you forgotten what I told you before?" Nanchen finished his sentence, pulled out a cigarette, and bit it between his lips. He gazed into the distance at the bustling traffic for a long while before continuing, "You don't have many relatives left. Whether I was in the country or abroad, we’ve known each other for so many years. I am your brother."
"Brother."
Ye Ran’s thoughts instantly flashed back to three years ago. Back then, Nanchen had already gone abroad. When he heard about her marriage to Lu Linshen, he told her: "If you want to marry him, then marry him. Be brave; it’s no big deal. If you regret it one day, you still have me."
"Is there anything you can't tell your brother the truth about?"
Nanchen turned his gaze back to Ye Ran and squeezed her hand, his warm palm conveying comfort. "Tell me, what happened between you and Lu Linshen? I want the truth."