Chapter 26.1

He Wenyan overheard Wen Xin whispering to Yan Zeyang: “There are some leftovers from lunch in the fridge. If we don’t finish this tonight, we’ll have to throw them away tomorrow. We can’t give them away either. What should we do?”

Technically, the food didn’t have to be thrown out—it could still be given to someone else. However, gifting leftovers would be considered impolite. The families in the compound were well-off, and no one would want to eat someone else’s leftover food. After all, these were all people of status. Especially as a commander’s family, they had to maintain a respectable image. Carelessly giving away leftovers might lead to gossip about wastefulness.

Wen Xin was very mindful of these details.

Not only was He Wenyan pleased with this, but even Yan Zeyang shot her a quick glance.

“No need to throw it away. Just leave it—I’ll eat it.”

He Wenyan: “……”

Then, she watched as he actually ate all the leftovers without a second thought.

The Young Master was eating leftovers?!

He Wenyan was genuinely surprised.

Despite having a younger sister now, before she was born, he had been the only son in the family. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Yan Weiguo and his wife had spoiled him to the heavens. He had always lived in material abundance.

She remembered that when she first married into the Yan family, there was an occasion when she served some leftover lunch for dinner.

As a medical director, she was particular about food hygiene and didn’t encourage eating food that had been sitting out too long. However, Yan Weiguo disapproved of wastefulness and led a frugal lifestyle. He didn’t mind leftovers—if other families could eat them, why couldn’t theirs? There was no need to be special.

But this Young Master?

As soon as he saw the leftover food, he didn’t say a word—just grabbed his coat, turned around, and left. After that, he barely ever ate at home, opting for meals at the military canteen or state-run restaurants instead.

And now…

After dinner, Wen Xin cleaned up and took Yan Miaomiao to wash up and bathe. When they came out, the sky was still bright, so she went to the tree-lined path in the compound to stretch her muscles while letting her hair air-dry.

Miaomiao ran off midway to play with her friends in the compound. Wen Xin found a straight willow tree nearby and, seeing that no one was around, began stretching her legs.

For students in art academies, daily flexibility exercises were essential. They helped maintain a graceful posture and refined muscle tone. Any female student could easily do a full split, both side and front.

Wen Xin was naturally flexible. Within days of practice, she could already stretch fully. Her posture teacher had once said she was suited for dance, but dance classes were expensive, and starting in university was already a bit late.

Just as her hair was half-dry and she was about to head back, she saw Li Weihong leading someone toward the two-story Yan family home, chatting and laughing as they walked.

Wen Xin followed behind them, and the more she looked, the more familiar that person seemed.

She quickly caught up.

“Song Qian?”

Li Weihong saw Wen Xin and greeted her cheerfully. “Wen Xin! What are you doing here? Is this your friend? She said she needed to see you, so I was about to take her to the Yan house.”

It was a summer evening, and the sky was still bright. Even after Wen Xin’s hair had dried, there was still some daylight left, though the light was beginning to dim slightly.

Wen Xin stared at Song Qian in shock, while Song Qian’s face turned sour at the sight of her.

“Weihong, listen to me. She is not my friend. Don’t just bring people into the compound so easily,” Wen Xin said, irritation simmering beneath her words.

“Wen Xin, I came to return your money…” Song Qian bit her lip.

“Oh? Where is it?”

Song Qian took out a small bag containing a few crumpled bills, which, when added together, didn’t even amount to ten yuan. “This is all I have for now. I’ll pay you back the rest next time…”

Wen Xin took the money. Ten yuan was still money—better to take it than not.

As she lowered her head to count the bills, Song Qian stared at her darkly.

The soft evening light cast a gentle glow on Wen Xin, highlighting her waterfall-like black hair cascading down her back. She looked serene and beautiful, dressed in a vintage-style white blouse with traditional Chinese fastenings. The slightly cinched waist accentuated her delicate figure, making her resemble a beauty straight out of a painting from the Republic era. When she had glared at Song Qian earlier in anger, her dark eyes had burned brightly, and her lips had been as red as fire—pure yet alluring. Her beauty was enough to spark both jealousy and resentment.

That afternoon, Song Qian had asked around about the Yan family. They were powerful and influential—the kind of background she needed most. Normally, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to interact with such people. Her classmates at school were just a bunch of bookish nerds, and even after graduation, they would become nothing more than diligent public servants—useless to her ambitions.

But Wen Xin just so happened to be in the Yan household. She could use her as a stepping stone to infiltrate their inner circle. No matter what, she was determined to marry Yan Weiguo’s son.

Who could have predicted that a single misstep would throw everything into chaos? She admitted that she had been captivated at first sight by Yan Weiguo’s son. When she had wanted to ask his name, she had spoken to Wen Xin in a way that fit the original owner of this body—just to avoid suspicion. After all, she had only inherited part of the original owner’s memories when she transmigrated into this body.

Her imitation might have been exaggerated, but it was the best she could do. However, she had made a critical mistake—she hadn’t realized that the man she had spoken about so casually was actually Yan Weiguo’s son. She had only found out later when she asked someone about it. By then, it was too late to take it back, so she had no choice but to keep pestering Wen Xin.

But something about Wen Xin didn’t quite match the memories she had inherited. In those memories, Wen Xin had always been easily manipulated—someone who took money and ration tickets from the original owner without question, like a human ATM. Yet, after she transmigrated, Wen Xin not only demanded repayment but even wanted to sever ties?

According to the memories, Wen Xin had always obeyed whatever the original owner asked of her. So to get closer to her goal, Song Qian had changed her approach and asked for Wen Xin’s help instead.

To her shock, Wen Xin had simply rolled her eyes and sneered, telling her to keep dreaming.

Was there something wrong with Wen Xin’s character? Or had she not received the full set of the original owner’s memories?

Left with no other options, Song Qian had returned to school, borrowed some money from her classmates, and rushed back. She had to meet Yan Weiguo’s son—just one meeting, and she was confident she could capture his attention!

She feared that if she waited until the next day, the guards at the gate might change shifts and not recognize her. So she hurried back to the compound, taking advantage of an acquaintance inside to sneak her in.

As long as she made it to the Yan household’s doorstep, she was confident she could make an impression on the male lead. Wen Xin’s reaction was no longer a concern to her. Since their relationship had already soured, she might as well exploit her to the fullest.

Her plan was solid, and as she entered the compound, a smile appeared on her face. Finally, she had succeeded. She discreetly adjusted her clothes and mentally rehearsed what she would say when she knocked on the Yan family’s door.

As for Wen Xin? She wasn’t worried about her in the slightest. A girl who hadn’t even finished high school, working as a mere servant—did she really think the Yan family would ever take her seriously just because of her looks?

The woman Yan Weiguo’s son would eventually marry had to be one with both intelligence and ambition.

Everything was perfectly planned. But what she hadn’t anticipated was that before she could even reach the Yan family’s door, Wen Xin had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, calling out to them.

And then, right in front of everyone, she told their escort, “She’s not my friend. From now on, don’t bring her into the compound.”

She even said she’d inform the guards at the entrance to deny Song Qian entry in the future.

With that, Song Qian’s chances of meeting Yan Weiguo’s son through normal means were completely destroyed.

Looking at Wen Xin, standing there as beautiful as a blooming flower, how could she not be filled with resentment?

“Wen Xin, I—I didn’t know. I thought you two were friends. I saw you talking this morning, and she said she had an urgent matter but couldn’t reach you, so I just—”

“It’s not your fault,” Wen Xin reassured Li Weihong. “Just don’t bring her in next time. I’m not close to this person.”

Song Qian was seething with anger—Wen Xin had completely ruined her plan.

Wen Xin turned to Song Qian. “Alright, you’ve repaid the money. I don’t need the rest. Just do me a favor—don’t come to the compound to harass me again. I’ll inform the guards at the entrance; they won’t let you in, and waiting outside won’t do you any good. You should just get on with your life. Now leave—the gate’s about to close.”

With that, Wen Xin promptly dismissed her.

But internally, she was sweating.

Song Qian’s visit tonight had been carefully planned. She had chosen dinnertime, knowing that Yan Weiguo’s son was home. She had deliberately avoided informing the guards, instead waiting at the entrance for someone to bring her in.