Chapter 9: Cold War, Sadness and Separation

Zhang Duanyan was temporarily transferred to the 66th floor to assist with the Dahua Telecom case, and Pan Weining finally stopped sending flowers.

On the surface, Zhan Nanxian and Wen Nuan maintained a facade of normalcy, each immersed in their own tasks. Whenever they crossed paths in the narrow corridors, Wen Nuan would greet him with a respectful "Zhan President" and a humble demeanor, while Zhan Nanxian would respond with his usual curt nod. They would then pass by each other as if nothing had happened.

However, Ding Xiaodai, ever observant, soon noticed a pattern. Zhan Nanxian would only engage with Zhang Duanyan’s contacts when he needed something and had ceased seeking out Wen Nuan. Meanwhile, Wen Nuan would only delegate tasks to Ding Xiaodai and had stopped visiting the president’s office altogether. After a series of attempts to understand the situation, Ding Xiaodai concluded that Zhan Nanxian and Wen Nuan were indeed embroiled in a silent, unspoken conflict.

Realizing that the situation could potentially put her in a difficult position, Ding Xiaodai quickly adjusted her behavior. She became more cautious and no longer risked casual smiles.

The only person left in the dark was Zhang Duanyan, who had been unwittingly pulled into the fray. Observing that the president assigned her tasks with increasing frequency while almost entirely disregarding Wen Nuan, Zhang Duanyan felt like a mere bystander. She was puzzled by the apparent rift between Wen Nuan and Zhan Nanxian, though a part of her felt a secret satisfaction.

What confused her further was the fact that despite their apparent estrangement, neither Zhan Nanxian had announced Wen Nuan’s dismissal or reassignment, nor had Wen Nuan tendered her resignation. The situation seemed to be stuck in a standstill, as if their professional relationship had become a silent battlefield rather than a working dynamic.

As the week came to a close and Friday arrived, an unexpected guest appeared amidst the usual ebb and flow of office life.

Zhang Duanyan hurriedly got up, and Ding Xiaodai hesitated for a moment. Although she was a little reluctant, she still stood up slowly. Only Wen Nuan, who was dozing with her face on the table, didn't raise her head, which made Ding Xiaodai, who kept looking back, want to roll up a paper ball and throw it at her.

"Miss Bo," Zhang Duanyan greeted hurriedly, "The president is in his office. What would you like to drink? I'll make it for you."

Bo Yixin smiled, "Thank you, can you give me a cup of coffee?" As she walked past the warm table, her eyes glanced over Wen Nuan’s prostrated body intentionally or unintentionally. She knocked on the door of Zhan Nanxian's office meaningfully and pushed it open without waiting for a response.

Zhan Nanxian, who was behind the desk, looked up and saw her. He smiled and put down his work. "No notice today?"

Bo Yixin sat lazily on the sofa. "I don't want to go."

"Feeling unwell?"

"No, I just feel tired."

"The doctor said that you should be especially careful in the first three months. I think you should rest for a while."

Bo Yixin touched her abdomen with a faint smile on her face. "What do you think the name should be?"

The door rang, and Zhang Duanyan came in with coffee. At that moment, Zhan Nanxian's eyes swept outside. There was no one in the seat at the secretary's desk. He retracted his gaze and frowned at Bo Yixin. "Why are you still drinking this?" He took a sip and put down the coffee. "I'm used to it. I can't change it." He glanced at her and said, "Aren't you the same?"

Zhan Nanxian smiled slightly and said nothing.

"Sometimes I really admire you."

"Many people say so."

"You can remain calm about the matter in Daizhong until now." He had never mentioned a word in front of her.

"It's a small matter. Why bother talking about it?"

She sarcastically said, "Even Wen Nuan thinks it's a small matter?"

Zhan Nanxian smiled lightly, "It seems that she does."

Bo Yixin sat in silence for a moment, her thoughts clearly racing. After a soft sigh, she spoke.

"I never understood why you loved her so much before. But now I see it. You and her, you both seem to see nothing but each other. Everything else just fades away, doesn’t it?"

"Who says that? The child you're carrying is very important to me," he replied.

"Indeed," Bo Yixin said with a light laugh. "So important that you want to marry me, which is quite a step."

She watched him, focused and smiling as he worked. He didn’t seem to care about the potential loss of a major contract, nor did he seem troubled by a serious accusation. All that mattered to him was having her by his side. After a long separation, they cherished each other even more. Their bond was so deep it was as if their souls were entwined, impervious to any outside influence.

Sipping her coffee, she called out, "Nanxian."

"Hmm?" He looked up from his work.

"I've been thinking," she continued. "When you came back for dinner that day, knowing Weining would arrive the next day, why did you just leave the plan on your desk? Was it really just a coincidence?"

Zhan Nanxian’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. "Zhu Linlu once gave me a business opportunity from the Leng family, and I had to show my appreciation in some way." He had given Daizhong a time bomb in return, both figuratively and literally.

Bo Yixin sighed. "We all walked right into your trap, didn’t we?"

"If Pan Weining dared to pursue you, he should have known he might get kicked out of the Pan family. And as for Zhu Linlu, since Wen Nuan refused to part with him, I had to take matters into my own hands." He looked at her, a teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I didn’t expect you to get caught up in this too."

On Saturday, Wen Nuan was still engrossed in her painting when Wen Rou arrived at noon.

"I’m making noodles. You’ll have to make do with that today," Wen Nuan said.

"Let’s go out to eat," Wen Rou suggested.

Wen Nuan shook her head. "It’ll be quick."

Wen Rou followed her into the kitchen. "You really should get out more and make some new friends."

"You know I prefer staying at home."

Wen Rou was visibly frustrated. "You’re only 25, and your life is already like a stagnant pond. Do you plan to live this way until you’re 50?" She grabbed Wen Nuan’s hand and opened the refrigerator door. "Come with me!" She pulled her out and shut the door behind them. As the elevator arrived, she hurriedly pushed Wen Nuan inside.

Wen Nuan looked at herself—her hair was disheveled, she was in a comfy cotton T-shirt with a neckline that revealed the straps of her black bra, paired with denim shorts and casual slippers. She wondered if this was really the best way to meet new people. Perhaps it was fine for mingling with teenagers, but did it suit Wen Rou’s idea of making new friends?

Wen Rou smiled. "What does it matter? You’ll get more attention dressed like that than if you were in a suit."

She was helpless. "You might as well promise that no one will tell me that I'm not dressed properly and won't serve you."

Wen Rou took Wen Nuan out for afternoon tea. As soon as they sat down, Wen Rou pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. Known for her busy schedule, Wen Rou often had a slew of calls. Wen Nuan had long ago agreed with her to turn off her phone when visiting her house.

Within minutes of turning it on, Wen Rou received three calls. She chatted animatedly on the phone while eating her meal, leaving Wen Nuan to her own devices.

As more patrons arrived and the restaurant grew busier, Wen Rou’s phone rang again. Unable to hear over the din or perhaps due to poor signal, she struggled to hear the caller. She excused herself, looking for a quieter spot.

After waiting for a while, Wen Nuan grew bored and looked around, but there was no sign of Wen Rou. She watched as a waiter approached her.

"Excuse me, Miss Wen Nuan?" the waiter inquired.

"Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?" she asked.

"The lady who was with you, Miss Wen, said she had to leave in an emergency. She wanted me to let you know."

Wen Nuan’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly asked, "Has the bill been paid?"

"Yes, she took care of it," the waiter confirmed.

Wen Nuan sighed in relief. "Thank you."

This is why she rarely went out to eat with Wen Rou. Eight times out of ten, Wen Rou would abandon her halfway through, leaving her to eat alone. Those times were merely lonely meals, but this time was far worse—she had nothing on her: no wallet, keys, or phone.

She borrowed the restaurant's phone to call Wen Rou's cell, but it was always busy. She tried Zhu Linlu again, but his number was out of service.

Desperately, she tried to remember other contacts: Gao Fang, Guan Ti, Ding Xiaodai, Du Xintong... After fifteen minutes, she had to accept a harsh reality. All her contact information was saved in her electronic notebook, which she didn't have access to right now.

After half an hour of Wen Rou’s phone being busy, it was finally turned off, forcing Wen Nuan to give up and leave.

The pedestrian street, with its antique floral tiles, was bustling with people. The large glass windows displayed models in the latest fashion and sparkling three-carat diamonds. 

Outside the sidewalk's iron fence, sleek sports cars and old public buses were stuck at a red light. The road was lined with short, unnamed trees, and shops above were adorned with a mix of large and small signs, some flashy and others straightforward. 

Is this really the city she lives in? It seemed so foreign to her.

Everything felt so unfamiliar, almost novel. For the first time, she realized how right Wen Rou had been. She had been out of touch with the outside world for so long, accustomed to her unchanging routine, and had become completely unaware of the world's constant evolution.

The noise on the narrow street grew louder. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the end of the road.

Ahead was a crowded square with a three-story musical fountain in front of a large shopping mall. She sat on the marble steps beside the pool, feeling lost and unsure of where she was. As she began to feel dazed, she worried about where she would spend the night if she couldn't find Wen Rou again.

"Wen... Nuan?"

A familiar voice tentatively called from behind her. She turned around to see a woman in her fifties standing a few steps away, with a vaguely familiar and smiling face. She was stunned. "Zhan—Mom?!"

"I watched you for a while, afraid I might be mistaken," Zhou Xiangling, Zhan Nanxian's mother, approached happily. "You haven’t changed at all after all these years."

"Long time no see, Mrs. Zhan." She felt genuinely happy and nearly smiled. Before her breakup with Zhan Nanxian, she often visited his home, where Zhou Xiangling had always been kind to her. After the breakup, she had moved to the UK, and they hadn't been in touch. They hadn't seen each other in years.

"Why are you sitting here?" Zhou Xiangling asked.

Wen Nuan was about to respond when a voice called from behind her.

"Mom, why are you here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

The familiar voice evoked cold memories from that day. She fell silent and didn't dare look back. Just as she thought he hadn't recognized her, someone roughly grabbed her shoulder. She cried out in pain and looked up at his slightly altered face.

"Mom, wait for me in the car," he said coldly.

Zhou Xiangling looked from him to Wen Nuan, hesitating before standing up.

Seeing his mother's suspicion and unease, Zhan Nanxian smiled for the first time. He gently put his arm around Wen Nuan’s shoulder and spoke softly to Zhou Xiangling. "We have something to discuss."

"Oh, okay." Zhou Xiangling smiled and walked away.

The smile on Zhan Nanxian's face quickly faded. After withdrawing his hand, his gaze traveled from her face down to her exposed toes. Without a word, he turned and left.

It seemed there was indeed nothing left to say between them.

Wen Nuan sat cross-legged on the stone steps, her mind entangled with conflicting thoughts. His alert demeanor suggested he didn’t want her and his mother together, yet he had hugged her intimately in front of his mother. The contradiction was bewildering.

She dipped her fingers into the pool water, drawing soft arcs on the black marble, and continued in silence. As the sun set between the tall buildings and the sky turned a purple haze, the lights began to illuminate.

The marble was now wet, and despite the bustling crowd around her, she remained oblivious to them, focused solely on the water.

"You dressed like this just to draw ghost talismans here?" Someone sneered suddenly.

She quickly turned her head, causing her to feel dizzy from holding it down for too long. Her balance faltered, and she fell into the pool. As her head and face submerged, she witnessed Zhan Nanxian’s ruthlessness firsthand.

He could have easily reached out to help her, but he chose not to. The starlight, though beautiful, seemed cold and indifferent. He stood there, watching her with a detached expression, almost maliciously.

When she finally climbed out of the pool, drenched and drawing attention from passersby, she tried to find her missing slippers, but they were nowhere to be found. Barefoot, she waved for a taxi, unsure of where to go, with no key or money for the fare. But she would figure that out once she got into the car.

An empty car finally pulled up, but before she could get in, someone else opened the door and the driver drove away, cursing.

She stood silently, water dripping from her hair and clothes onto the pavement. Soon, another car stopped. She turned and calmly said, "Let me in."

Zhan Nanxian tilted his lips. "I’m curious where you plan to go like this."

Was he back just to witness her misfortune? She smiled faintly. The city was vast, and she hoped that even if she had to seek refuge at the apartment building's management office, she could find somewhere to stay.

She reached for the car door, but before she could thank him for not slamming it shut again, he followed her inside.

"When will your arrogance change?" His cold question broke the silence in the car. Was this it? Would she rather endure hardship than ask him for help?

"What about your standards? When will they become clearer?"

"What do you mean?"

"You criticized me for not informing you about Guo Ruqian and Du Xintong, but what about the generation... I told you, didn’t I?" The result felt like a deep wound in her heart.

Zhan Nanxian sneered, "I don’t know whether to call you naive or foolish. How can you be sure that Zhu Linlu wants you to be his spokesperson?"

She turned to face him. "What are you trying to say?"

"Why don’t you ask your sweetheart?"

"If you’d be willing to lend me your phone to call him, I’d be so grateful I’d burst into tears."

Zhan Nanxian's thin lips pressed into a tight line.

She knew that Zhu Linlu would usually want to strangle her at a time like this. Desperate to wash away the discomfort of being soaked, she didn’t care about anything else. She reached into his coat pocket, retrieved his phone, and dialed Wen Rou’s number for the umpteenth time.

Thankfully, it finally connected. Amid the noise, Wen Rou’s voice was heard. "Zhan Nanxian?"

"It’s me, Wen Nuan! Come to my house immediately. I can’t get in without the key."

"Oh my God!" Wen Rou sounded speechless. "I’m in Singapore and won’t be back for a few days."

Wen Nuan was stunned. If possible, she swore she would never speak to Wen Rou again.

She hung up without another word and called Zhu Linlu again, but it was still out of service. Frustration mounted, and she wished for an accident to help her out of her predicament.

She slowly handed the phone back to Zhan Nanxian, who understood her situation but showed no mercy. His cold, indifferent eyes and the slight curve of his lips were deliberately mocking. It was clear he had no intention of offering help.

Unless—he was waiting for her to beg him.

He wanted her to surrender, to admit she needed him, to strip away all her pride and kneel before him.

As they sat in silence, his phone rang. He answered, his smile returning slightly. "Alright... I understand... Don’t worry."

Soon, the car reached its destination. The driver announced, "Miss, we’ve arrived."

Wen Nuan remained silent.

Zhan Nanxian’s lips curved into a smirk. "Aren’t you going to pay and get out?"

"Can I advance one month's salary first?"

"Of course," he replied.

She sighed. How could he be so accommodating? "What are the conditions?"

"Break up with Zhu Linlu."

She thought it would be better to have a car accident.

The driver in the front seat grew impatient. "Are you getting off or not?"

"Please be patient," Zhan Nanxian said calmly. "This lady will pay you double the fare."

The driver fell silent, casting a curious glance at them in the rearview mirror.

Feeling cornered, Wen Nuan made one last attempt. "Can you make an exception and give me a chance to negotiate?"

"If your negotiation can interest me."

She frowned. What could possibly interest him? Offering triple the payment another day? She knew he wouldn't be swayed even if she offered ten times the amount, nor would he be swayed by an old-fashioned marriage proposal. Besides, Mr. Zhan already had a long-term girlfriend; he wouldn’t interfere in other people’s relationships.

After some thought, she couldn’t come up with anything that might pique his interest, given her limited means.

Resigned, she said nothing, reached into his coat, and retrieved his wallet without asking. She handed the driver a generous amount of money before returning the wallet to his pocket.

"Consider it what I owe you," she said, moving to open the car door.

He grabbed her arm, making it clear as she turned back, "Others might get away with it, but not you."

Exhausted, she asked, "What do you want? Are you really going to leave no room for compromise?"

His eyes were cold and unreadable. She didn’t want to guess what he was thinking at that moment. She was simply too tired.

He turned to the driver and instructed, "Take us to No. 1 Luoyang Road."

"No!" she protested immediately. "I want to stay in a hotel."

He looked surprised. "Why are you making a fuss?"

She turned her head to look out the window. "I want to stay in a hotel."

He pulled her back. "Look at me."

Her eyes were misty, her expression a mix of annoyance, fatigue, discomfort, and hurt. She wanted to scream, take a shower, escape from him, and return to her own space—she just wanted to be alone. Why did he have to push her like this?

He thought for a moment, then turned and stared at her. "Do you think I live there?"

The realization of being exposed again made her feel deeply humiliated. She didn’t want to meet his long-term girlfriend; so what if she didn’t? She bit her lip and tried to pull away, but before she could reach the door handle, she heard him say, "No. 1 Luoyang Road, three times the price."

The car door locked with a click, and the vehicle sped away.

Jolted by the impact, her tears, which she had been holding back, finally fell drop by drop.

When the car reached the top of the mountain, Wen Nuan remembered the rumors about Zhan Nanxian’s mansion on Luoyan Road, not Luoyang Road. She breathed a sigh of relief and gradually calmed down.

The taxi drove through a silver metal gate surrounded by lush flowers and trees and continued for a quarter of an hour. As the car passed, the beautifully lit garden, expansive green lawn, flourishing distance garden, open-air swimming pools, tennis court, and helicopter landing pad all came into view, making her increasingly astonished.

She had never known such a house existed in this city—one that could undoubtedly be ranked among the top ten luxury residences yet remained so discreet that it was never mentioned in the media.

The car stopped in front of a massive, serene five-story mansion. The moon-white door was exquisitely engraved with floral patterns in the Western palace style, with each detail inlaid with luxurious gems. The door featured the most advanced fingerprint identification device she had seen in a magazine a few days prior.

As the door opened, she followed him inside, still unsure of her surroundings.

Someone in the hall turned around and was surprised by her disheveled appearance. "Xiao Nuan, what’s wrong with you?"

She could hardly believe her eyes. "Zhan-Mom?!"

Shocked, she turned to look at Zhan Nanxian, who was smiling faintly. "This is my home," he said, addressing the servant. "Sister Huan, please take her to the bathroom." Without another glance at her, he walked over to the sofa and embraced his mother.

Wen Nuan was still trying to process this surprising information. She followed Sister Huan upstairs in a daze.

The grand marble floors, fur and crystal furniture, and precious gem-encrusted decorations created a blend of elegance and opulence. The atmosphere was both sophisticated and inviting, with every detail conveying unique beauty.

It seemed... it seemed like a familiar strange taste from her memory.

Entering the bathroom, she noticed the Norwegian Nexans floor heating system and the spacious area filled with luxurious European and South American imports. The all-white marble sink and floor, an Italian Teuco sunken ultrasonic massage bathtub, and a German Hansgrohe shower combination stood out. The room was filled with exquisite oak furniture, decorations, and bathroom supplies, all echoing the meticulous detail of the most precious jewelry.

Wen Nuan immersed herself in the clear light blue water of the bathtub, her entire body submerged as she sank beneath the surface. After a long while, she surfaced, gasping for air.

Looking around, she noticed more than thirty large and small pure cotton white towels neatly arranged. She struggled to remember where she had seen such a luxurious, dreamlike atmosphere before.

After spending almost an hour in the bathroom, she emerged wrapped in a bath towel, finding clean clothes neatly placed outside the door.

Zhou Xiangling awaited her at the stairs on the first floor. "Good child, come and have some snacks."

Zhan Nanxian was no longer in the grand hall.

Seeing her confusion, Zhou Xiangling explained, "Nanxian left. I usually live here alone. He rarely comes back except on weekends."

Her doubts grew stronger. If he was so concerned about her meeting his mother, why did he leave in such a hurry, leaving her alone?

She sipped her hot tea and asked, "Zhan Mama, when was this place built?"

"Let me think—about two years ago. Nanxian mentioned that a lot of materials had to be shipped from around the world, so it took a long time to build. I haven’t moved in for long," Zhou Xiangling explained.

Two years ago... she had just moved into Qianyu at that time.

"Why doesn’t anyone know about it outside?"

Zhou Xiangling laughed. "Nanxian prefers to keep it private. Everything here is under my name, so naturally, no one knows."

Wen Nuan recalled a brief newspaper report about a mysterious mansion built on a mountaintop, with strict access control that left it unresolved. She never imagined it was him.

"Xiao Nuan," Zhou Xiangling asked casually, "Do you work with Nanxian?"

"Yes, I’m his secretary."

"How are things between you two?"

Wen Nuan wiped her mouth after eating, smiled, and hugged her. "Nanxian and I are just colleagues." He is her boss, and she is his subordinate—that’s all.

Zhou Xiangling looked at her. "Do you really think so?"

She turned her face slightly, still smiling. "We have all grown up."

"Xiao Nuan, you’re the first person he has ever brought back here."

She was stunned, feeling a tremor in her heart. Why had he brought her here instead of sending her to a hotel? And why had he left so quickly?

"I almost forgot," Zhou Xiangling said, patting her head. "Nanxian asked me to tell you that there’s a 30-seat cinema on the third floor with excellent audio-visual equipment. You can go there to listen to music before bed."

Wen Nuan’s entire body trembled as she looked up, her eyes stormy with emotion.

Zhou Xiangling’s casual words touched a delicate memory deep within her. All the unresolved confusion and familiarity that had been buried by time suddenly became clear.

"Are there indoor squash courts and basketball courts?" she asked softly.

"Yes, you can use them."

"And the library, the studio, and the piano room?"

"Did Nanxian tell you?"

"Didn't he?" She struggled to control the tremor in her voice. "And are there three children's rooms?"

"Huh? You know about that?" Zhou Xiangling looked at her in surprise.

Wen Nuan was speechless.

There might be more than twenty bathrooms in the house, but only three children's rooms, arranged for two boys and one girl. The studio would feature famous paintings and the four treasures of the study, while the library would have her favorite books, and the garden would be full of beautiful roses.

She knew everything.

All the words and promises Zhan Nanxian had made to her when they were young came flooding back, filling her heart with a mix of emotions. After ten years, they struck her like a tide, making her want to cry but leaving her with no tears.

"Wife, don’t be obsessed with these home picture albums. I’ll build you a room ten times more beautiful in the future."

"Wife, we can play ball and listen to music at home so you won’t have to run out on hot days."

"Wife, Mom said I only took you home and asked when I would marry you so you could be her daughter-in-law."

"Wife, I dream of having three children—two boys and one girl. It would make everything perfect."

"Wife, in this world, you are my one and only love."

As the plane climbed higher, my body pressed back into the chair. The blurred cityscape receded from view, and my breath was a steady reminder of life. The plane fought against the pull of gravity, just as I was resisting the pull of you.

The altitude approached 30,000 feet. The longing felt like gravity, weighing heavily on me and drawing tears from my eyes. I had escaped you, hiding among the clouds at 30,000 feet. Each jolt of turbulence made me clutch the seat, imagining I still held you close.

In the first-class cabin heading to New York, Dick Cowboy’s "30,000 Feet" played softly in the spacious environment. The music, or perhaps the fact that we had finally taken off, seemed to dissolve the usual indifference from Zhan Nanxian’s face. He gazed out the window, his expression distant and lost, as if his soul had drifted into a dreamlike realm. He appeared lonely, tired, and sad—a side of him Guan Ti had never seen in their ten years of acquaintance. He seemed burdened with unspoken worries, as if wanting to leave the world behind.

Guan Ti, surprised, finally asked, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Zhan Nanxian’s thoughts, deep in the past, were abruptly interrupted. Half sank into memory, while the other half returned to the present. He smiled faintly. "I’m thinking about my first love."

"Yi Xin? What’s going on?"

"Not her." He paused, and a trace of softness appeared on his face. "Wen Nuan."

Guan Ti’s eyes widened in surprise. Although he had suspected a deeper connection due to their frequent interactions, he hadn’t expected it to be a rekindled old love.

When Zhan Nanxian first entered college, he was known to have a girlfriend, but she was never seen in the dormitory. It wasn’t until the end of his freshman year that he introduced Bo Yixin to everyone, leading them to believe that Bo Yixin was his first love.

"So, Wen Nuan was your first love? Were you childhood sweethearts?"

"I met her when she was just thirteen," he said, recalling her innocence, mischief, pride, and kindness.

He made time to see her every week. Despite his efforts, she remained unaware of his feelings for her, seeing him only as a classmate who was more than a friend but not quite a romantic interest. Eventually, his patience wore thin, and on her fourteenth birthday, he asked for her first kiss. It was also his first kiss. Their mutual affection blossomed, and they shared their pure hearts.

"You were so young then. Did your parents object?"

"I brought her home after her fourteenth birthday. My parents were surprised she wasn’t a high school girl as they had imagined, but they were open-minded. Since I had always made my own decisions, they didn’t interfere." His father had been assigned to Switzerland and was home only every three months, while his mother was lonely with only him for company. Seeing Wen Nuan’s warmth and liveliness brought her joy, and she often joked about wanting him to marry her early.

With his parents’ tacit approval, that period of youth was the happiest time of their lives.

Guan Ti calculated, "So you were together for three years?"

"Yes, I loved her deeply," he said, reflecting on how he once wished he could give her his very heart. "Thinking back, it seems incredible."

Wen Nuan had strong feelings for him too, as he could sense. She was talented and admired by many, her enthusiasm and kindness winning her numerous friends. Although she could be stubborn and demanding with her father and him, he always yielded to her wishes, unable to bear her displeasure.

At that time, his love for her was boundless, and she never learned to cherish him as she should have.

"Why did you break up?" Guan Ti asked, curious.

The warmth from the memories vanished, replaced by a distant smile. "She ended things when I was a freshman. By then, she had just started high school and was placed in the same class as Yi Xin. They became friends quickly. Later, I learned that Yi Xin had fallen for me at first sight, and Wen Nuan’s connection with her only made things more complicated."

"Did you break up because of Yi Xin?"

Zhan Nanxian shook his head. "No, it wasn’t about Yixin."

Wen Nuan, with her simple upbringing, could never have imagined that Bo Yixin was a significant part of her life because of her desire to see her boyfriend. Though Zhan Nanxian had noticed Bo Yixin’s interest when he first met her, he kept his observations to himself. He deliberately distanced himself from Yixin and made sure Wen Nuan knew she was not welcome during their private weekends.

Bo Yixin's efforts to get close to him were consistently thwarted by the barriers he erected, whether consciously or not. Wen Nuan remained oblivious to these undercurrents. Although Bo Yixin had some genuine feelings for Wen Nuan, witnessing the admiration and affection Wen Nuan received from her father and boyfriend stirred a complicated mix of emotions within her.

"I still don’t understand. If it wasn’t because of Yixin, why did you break up?"

Zhan Nanxian’s voice was tinged with bitterness. "At first, I didn’t know."

When Wen Nuan ended their relationship, he was bewildered. He had thought she might have learned about Bo Yixin’s feelings, but that didn’t seem likely. Despite her occasional jealousy over the attention he received from other girls, including Bo Yixin, he couldn’t believe she would end their three-year relationship over something so trivial.

"You mean she wanted to break up without giving a reason?" Guan Ti asked incredulously.

"Yes," Zhan Nanxian said. "Our feelings were so intense, they seemed unbreakable. We even talked about facing everything together. I couldn’t understand why she suddenly wanted to end things."

One Saturday, everything seemed normal. They planned to play tennis the next day. But when he arrived to pick her up, she unexpectedly said she didn’t want to see him anymore. Shocked and frightened, he tried to persuade her, but her stubbornness only grew. She refused to discuss it and insisted on ending their relationship.

Guan Ti was intrigued. "What happened next? Did you ever find out why?"

"Eventually, but it was a convoluted process."

Guan Ti waited for him to continue.

"She and I were very similar in our determination. Even though she refused to see me, I refused to accept the breakup. One day, I went to her school and saw her getting into Zhu Linlu's car."

Guan Ti’s eyes widened in surprise. "Zhu Linlu?!"

It made sense now why he had such a strong reaction towards Daizhong. Zhu Linlu, a wealthy and influential figure, would naturally be seen as a desirable partner.

"I had faith in our relationship. I believed Wen Nuan wasn’t the type to be swayed by wealth or novelty. Yet, her refusal to explain why she wanted to break up planted seeds of doubt in my mind."

That night, he waited for her downstairs until she finally came home. He confronted her, asking if Zhu Linlu was the reason for the breakup. She didn’t confirm or deny it, only growing more anxious to escape from him. Her silence and desire to avoid him left him feeling devastated and confused.

His dignity had been shattered in his attempts to hold onto a relationship with someone who neither understood nor valued their three years together. At that moment, his heartache overwhelmed him, and he resolved to let go.

If only he had known that was their last conversation, things might have ended differently. His anger and sadness clouded his judgment. Before leaving, he made a vow: he would become wealthier than Zhu Linlu and, someday, win her back.

NEXT