"Do you work in Beijing, sister?"
Xu Che’s brief lapse in composure vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Yulan, lost in her memories and the joy of a long-awaited reunion, didn't even notice. She shook her head. "No, I’m just here for the National Day holiday. I live in Chuanshi now. I’m a small business owner, and in a few years, I’ll be a big boss!"
Thinking of her goals, Yulan’s smile was radiant. She was undeniably beautiful, especially set against the perfect backdrop of sunlight, a gentle breeze, and the shimmering lake.
Shen Zhixing, who was in the bedroom not far away, saw her—and him—at a glance. Driven by an impulse he couldn't quite name, he called her directly.
When the name "Mingzhou's Uncle" appeared on her screen, Yulan felt an instant flash of shame, as if she were a child caught cheating by an elder. To make matters worse, Shen Zhixing didn’t speak when she answered. Feeling guilty, she craned her neck and looked around nervously.
"Sister Yulan, who are you looking for?" Xu Che asked curiously.
"Where are you?" Shen Zhixing asked at the same time.
Yulan sighed. Why was she feeling so ashamed? Having such a high moral compass was a sickness; it needed to be treated!
She looked at Xu Che and replied, "My boyfriend’s uncle." Then, she answered the phone: "Right at the gate."
"Come back," Shen Zhixing said. He added, "Mother Zhou is looking for you. She made dinner, went to your room, and couldn't find you, so she asked me to check."
"Right away." Yulan hung up.
Shen Zhixing rose with a languid air. He picked up his cup of tea, took a slow, measured sip, and then stood by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the street, watching for Yulan’s return.
"Your boyfriend’s uncle lives here?" Xu Che felt hit by a massive blow; his voice trembled with an inexplicable tremor.
Yulan understood his reaction, as she had felt similarly struck the day before. She stood on her tiptoes and patted his shoulder encouragingly. "We’ll both get there one day."
Xu Che looked up, his gaze meeting Shen Zhixing’s through the leaves of the towering plane tree. It was only for an instant, but he faltered and looked away. Only after watching Yulan walk through the vermillion gates did he look up again.
The massive floor-to-ceiling window had already been covered by complex wooden shutters, returning the room to its antique, refined appearance. The man from before had long since disappeared.
Xu Che recognized that man. Although it was only a glimpse, he knew him: Shen Zhixing, a legend at the Peking University Health Science Center. Rumor had it that his parents held such high-ranking positions that they were the kind of people who gave speeches at military parades.
If he had to compete with someone like that... Xu Che felt he had the better odds. How could people from two different worlds possibly be compatible?
Dining in a place like this, Yulan felt her manners slipping. As she sipped her porridge, she wondered about the motive behind Shen Zhixing’s earlier call. Did he misunderstand her relationship with Xu Che? Did he think she was stepping out on his nephew?
Yulan quickly shook such ridiculous thoughts from her head. Shen Zhixing was such an upright, decent man; how could he possibly speculate so baselessly about people?
The "decent man" in Yulan’s mind was currently making an overseas call, his tone lazy as he spoke to Xi Mingzhou.
"A wedding night, meeting an old friend in a strange land, and passing the imperial exams—you’ve managed to hit all three of life’s great joys in one go."
Xi Mingzhou wiped the sweat from his brow, pushed aside Zhou Qilan, who was clinging to him, and signaled for her to be quiet for a moment before saying helplessly, "Please, Little Uncle, stop teasing me."
Shen Zhixing chuckled. "I’m not teasing; I’m being serious. You’ve had three pieces of good luck, and I suppose it’s thanks to your good fortune that your little Yulan has managed to run into one, too."
Xi Mingzhou was silent for a long moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, "Who did she run into?"
"I’m not sure who it was—I'm not omniscient—but I did see her sitting and chatting with a man." Shen Zhixing finished his tea before adding, "The man was quite handsome, and they seemed very familiar with each other."
"Little Uncle, you know that I..."
"Shut up. I don't know anything. I’ve sold the manor; find her a place to stay yourself."
"Little Uncle!"
"Long-distance calls are too expensive. I can't afford it. Goodbye, groom."
Xi Mingzhou rubbed his face in defeat. Within a few breaths, he realized something: his little Yulan would never be unfaithful to him. His uncle must still be angry at Lanlan and was taking it out on him. As long as he went back early, everything would be fine!
Thinking of this, he felt a burst of energy. He looked at Zhou Qilan and said, "I’ll wire the money to you; you can go buy an apartment to live in for now."
Zhou Qilan bit her lip. "Didn’t you say we were moving into your Little Uncle’s place? I’ve already invited my classmates over for a party."
"Uncle’s house is being used by someone else. It’ll be the same if you host your party at the new place. Is a million enough this time?"
Zhou Qilan suppressed her disappointment. How could a million-yuan home compare to Shen Zhixing’s manor? "I still have some savings, Xiao Xi. Don’t worry about me; I’ve managed on my own for so many years."
"Two million. I leave tomorrow. I’ll transfer it as soon as I land—just wait for me." Xi Mingzhou’s eyes were sparkling with excitement.
Zhou Qilan, having been with him for so long, knew better than to pour cold water on him when he was in this state. She offered a shy smile, signifying her agreement.
Yulan was also smiling at that moment. She had added Xu Che on WeChat and was scrolling through his feed with an auntie’s doting grin, feeling as if she were watching a sapling grow into a towering tree as she saw him actively participating in various clubs and volunteer activities.
It felt great!
"What are you smiling about?"
Shen Zhixing was like a cat; he always walked without a sound. This wasn't the first time he had startled Yulan, but she still couldn't help but jump.
"You're such a coward—how did you have the guts to fight back yesterday?"
"Please don't mock me, Little Uncle. Even now, thinking about it makes me shudder. If those girls hadn't been so delicate, and if it had been a man with a physique like Xu Che’s, I would have been stripped bare."
Shen Zhixing’s eyes darkened. He zeroed in on the main point: "Were they trying to take lewd photos of you?"
"Exactly."
"And you can talk about that so lightly?"
Yulan frowned. "Why shouldn't I be lighthearted? Because of victim-blaming? If those photos had leaked, the ones breaking the law and losing their morals would be them. Idiots might blame me, and mean people might mock me, but only truly good people would understand and sympathize with me. As for whether someone is an idiot, a mean person, or a good person—what does that have to do with me?"
Shen Zhixing nodded slightly, his gaze full of approval. "Your way of thinking is very open-minded."
Yulan shook her head. "No, I’m just thick-skinned. If they really had been posted, I’d just deny them to the death and claim they were AI-generated. It's not like the people who took the photos could commit professional suicide by admitting to it, could they?"
A smirk played on the corners of Shen Zhixing’s mouth. "If only Xi Mingzhou had half your wit."
At the mention of Xi Mingzhou, Yulan’s mood noticeably dimmed. She asked, "Does he know about what happened last night?"
Shen Zhixing was a man who knew how to offer empty pleasantries, but as he stared into Yulan’s expectant eyes, the words he had on the tip of his tongue took a detour and were swallowed back down.
"He said as long as you're okay, it's fine. He thinks Li Chuchu is too timid to go too far."
Those had been Xi Mingzhou’s exact words. They were still sitting in his WeChat messages, and he hadn't bothered to reply to such a brainless statement. As for why he didn't help his nephew keep up the lie, Shen Zhixing felt that, once in a while, sincerity was a human being’s finest quality.