Lu Nian only just noticed that there was a young man standing next to him.

He didn’t look like a student.

With his long legs, white shirt, and trousers, he exuded a mature aura despite his youthful appearance. He seemed reserved and composed, quite different from the naive university students who hadn’t stepped out of campus yet.

Lu Nian’s eyes widened slowly.

She had imagined many times the possibility of meeting Qin Si again, but she had never expected it to happen in such an extremely awkward situation.

Qin Si had always been mature beyond his years, thinking and doing more than children his age. Now, his attire seemed effortless, fitting him perfectly.

He had grown taller, even more handsome than before, now looking like a young man. The last traces of youthfulness had completely faded from his features, leaving behind an aura of coldness and aloofness, especially evident now.

A cold and arrogant man, that was the first impression he gave.

Especially now.

Lu Nian didn’t know why she was seeing Qin Si here.

And she had no idea what to say.

She wasn’t in a desperate situation where she needed to beg for his help.

And between them, apart from that impulsive and unexpected kiss, nothing had ever happened. Qin Si had never made any promises to her.

Their relationship had been cleanly severed long ago, to the point where there wasn’t even a simple debt relationship between them anymore.

Qin Si had already repaid everything, leaving no debts between them.

Zhao Yayuan also seemed surprised.

He gently squeezed Lu Nian’s hand. “Watch where you’re going.”

His palm was warm.

Lu Nian suddenly remembered.

She and Qin Si had known each other for so many years, and they had never held hands like this before. Whenever they met, they seemed to be constantly arguing, big fights and small quarrels happening incessantly.

The man across from her, with his cold, slender phoenix-like eyes, looked at their intertwined hands, black as ink, chilling to the bone.

Fang Deng’s mind was in turmoil.

What was going on here?

Nothing had happened over the past few years, but now that the boss was back, suddenly there was a boyfriend-turned-fiancé situation. They seemed to have a good relationship, openly flirting like this.

Lu Nian felt extremely uncomfortable and didn’t want to look at Qin Si anymore, unable to utter a word.

Clearly, she didn’t owe him anything.

They were no longer possible.

What Qin Si was thinking, she didn’t know then, she didn’t know now, and she probably wouldn’t know in the future.

They could be considered strangers for the rest of their lives, right?

In a way, there was a silver lining to this. Because of her intervention, Qin Si had never suffered the inhuman bullying he would have endured as a child in the Lu family, and the deep enmity between him and the Lu family had disappeared.

Even the money borrowed from the Lu family had long been repaid, and he seemed to have no further interest in the Lu family.

They could be said to have become two unrelated parallel lines.

“Mr. Qin has returned to Ancheng?” Zhao Yayuan said. “In ten days, it will be our engagement banquet. Would you like to come and have a drink?”

Naturally, Zhao Yayuan was aware of Qin Si’s disappearance and departure.

He was not pleased.

From a long time ago, he had always felt that Lu Nian had wasted her affections on the wrong person.

Qin Si only cared about his career and ambitions.

Such a man was suited for lifelong bachelorhood.

The two men’s gazes met, Zhao Yayuan raising his eyebrows as if preparing to have an argument with him, while Qin Si remained calm, his black eyes deep and inscrutable, showing no emotions.

Lu Nian tugged at him. “Yayuan…”

Zhao Yayuan held her hand and whispered, “I’ll listen to you. If you don’t want him to come, then I won’t invite him.”

“Sorry.” Lu Nian finally looked up at him. “He won’t speak.”

She felt a strange sense of estrangement looking at Qin Si before her.

Naturally, she couldn’t act as spoiled or quarrel with him as she used to.

After so long apart, Lu Nian had become thinner. Her features remained delicate and lively, but now she seemed much quieter, with an indescribable charm.

Fang Deng forced a smile. “Uh… you two seem to get along well?”

“Of course.” Zhao Yayuan responded meaningfully. “After all these years together, never being apart, feelings need nurturing.”

“Well, we have to go now. We have classes soon.” Zhao Yayuan said. “Let’s go.”

Lu Nian hurried to follow him, bidding farewell to Fang Deng.

Even after they turned away, she could still feel his gaze.

She had matured and become more rational now.

She knew that besides emotions, there were other important things in the world, and she also understood that not all feelings in this world resulted in reciprocation just because you invested in them.

Once the arrow is shot, it cannot be retrieved.

What more could she say now?

“It must be recent.” Fang Deng said, clasping his hands together. “I can guarantee it.”

“There really are no signs of it.” Fang Deng said. “Boss, you have to trust my investigative skills.”

“So, what about our plans for the next couple of days?” Fang Deng asked.

Since encountering Lu Nian and Zhao Yayuan on campus, he had remained silent, feeling unlucky.

After learning about the Lu family’s situation, he had returned to Ancheng immediately.

He went to the Lu family’s house but missed Lu Nian. He went to the hospital, but she had just left. He came to the school to find her and now ran into her and her “fiancé.”

Was there really no fate between them?

That was what Fang Deng thought to himself.

He finally spoke up, his voice slightly hoarse. “Go find Lu Zhihong.”

The engagement was most likely arranged by the elders of the Lu and Zhao families.

“But what if Lu Nian really likes Zhao Yayuan?” Fang Deng said. “She’s not the type to covet wealth. What if she genuinely wants this?”

Qin Si remained silent.

Looking into his eyes, Fang Deng felt a shiver run down his spine at the suppressed gloominess within them, instantly shutting his mouth.

He went to find Ming Ge.

Ming Ge’s bar was still in business, neither booming nor failing compared to before.

Over the years, he had expanded his bar chain, opening several more in better locations, but he stubbornly stayed at the original one.

Ming Ge had aged quite a bit, but he was still single. “The year you left, she would come during summer and winter vacations.”

“Later on, she came less and less often.”

“But every Chinese New Year, she still sends us New Year greetings.” Ming Ge said.

“I guess she didn’t want to see this sad place anymore.” Ming Ge poured a glass of wine and pushed it towards him. “You didn’t let us say anything, and now after all this time, of course she would forget. You brought this upon yourself.”

He quietly finished the glass of wine, saying nothing.

He went to the house on Maple Road, pushing the door open. It was covered in dust, obviously not visited for a long time.

The bedroom was just as it had always been.

He opened the window, letting the wind in. The city lights flickered outside.

Standing by the bed, his face was handsome, his expression indifferent and restrained.

The gloom in his eyes grew heavier.

That day, he had left in a hurry, leaving many things unattended.

………

Lu Nian had gone to the Lu residence to pack up, but she lost track of time as she cleaned up. When she finished, it was already past eleven.

She called Zhao Yuyuan, “It’s too late, I’ll just stay here tonight.”

She didn’t know what was said on the other end.

“Okay.” Her voice was gentle. “You should go to bed early too. You didn’t sleep well last night. You need to catch up today.”

It sounded like the sound of the wind blowing through the window.

Lu Nian, still shaken, got up and closed the window.

Now, except for the security guards at the gate, most of the servants had gone home.

Lu Nian had been sleeping poorly lately. Without medication, she could hardly fall asleep. She secretly bought sleeping pills and hid them where Qiao Li couldn’t find them.

She took the pills and went to bed.

…

“Mmm…” Lu Nian struggled, unable to wake up.

It felt like someone was pressing down on her, whispering in her ear.

The lips were soft, with a faint coolness, touching her collarbone but not really making contact, just lingering, the warm breath brushing against her neck, causing a shiver.

The breath felt both unfamiliar and familiar.

“…Who am I?” the person asked, their voice low and shallow.

A chill seeped through, and Lu Nian felt as if she were being hunted by some large predator.

She couldn’t answer, couldn’t even recall a name.

Her waist was sore from being hugged.

After a long period of calm, nothing else happened.

She didn’t utter those names.

The violent state gradually receded, the force becoming restrained again, quietly lying on her, humbly absorbing that tiny bit of breath and warmth.

The next morning, Lu Nian woke up as usual.

It must have been a strange dream.

She thought.

Her engagement party with Zhao Yayuan was only five days away.

When she unexpectedly saw Qin Si that day, she had thought she would be very sad.

But, the emotional turmoil wasn’t as intense as she had imagined.

Perhaps it was because she realized he didn’t care much about her.

Or maybe, she had completely let go, or become so numb that she didn’t feel anything anymore.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

For the past few days, Lu Zhihong had been resting in the hospital, waiting to attend the engagement party in two days.

He received a call from Zhang Hua, and his already pale face turned even worse, almost yelling, “What? Ning Sheng wants to withdraw their investment?”

“How could they withdraw at a time like this?” Lu Zhihong’s voice was distorted. “You stabilize them first. In two days, our company will have a turning point. The Zhao family will invest in us.”

He calmed himself down a bit. “Go talk to their people and see what they want. If they have any requests, try to fulfill them. Lu Shi is just temporarily in crisis. In the future, we still have boundless potential. Convey this message, and if possible, I want to talk directly with their boss.”

Direct dialogue probably wouldn’t be possible.

Ning Sheng had two bosses.

One was the public face, in his thirties, a graduate of University A, with a matching professional background, an extremely impressive resume, and usually smiled, seeming easy to get along with.

However, industry rumors suggested he was just a puppet, and Ning Sheng had another hidden decision-maker behind the scenes, who was the true decision-maker and holder of power.

Ning Sheng’s rapid growth and expansion began when this hidden figure took control.

This figure had never appeared in front of anyone. Apart from gender, everything about them — age, background, birthplace — was a mystery.

He hung up the phone.

Lu Zhihong’s chest heaved, still panting heavily.

A nurse came in. “Mr. Lu, there’s a gentleman here to see you.”

Lu Zhihong’s voice was hoarse. “…Let him in.”

The young man who entered had handsome features, with a pair of black and indifferent eyes that seemed familiar.

“…Qin Si?” Lu Zhihong asked.

Qin Si hadn’t stayed at Lu Shi for long, only about a year before leaving.

Because he was too capable, Lu Zhihong tried to keep him, but Qin Si had made up his mind. The day after resigning, he had already completely left.

He had finished his credits early in college and graduated very early.

Lu Zhihong couldn’t find him anymore and could only give up.

He didn’t know why Qin Si would appear here.

But Lu Zhihong clearly had no mood to talk to Qin Si right now. He said, “I’m not feeling well right now, maybe next time…”

The young man’s slender fingers flicked something over to him.

Lu Zhihong took it, and his pupils contracted instantly.

It was an employee card from Ning Sheng, the highest level of access, all black with no name or position.

“How did you get this?” Lu Zhihong asked.

Qin Si said calmly, “You just received a call about the withdrawal of investment, didn’t you?”

That was insider information. Besides Zhang Hua, Lu Zhihong was certain that no one else at Lu Shi would know about it.

“You…” Lu Zhihong had been navigating the business world for so many years that his basic reactions and instincts were still intact.

Eliminating all impossibilities, only one possibility remained, no matter how absurd. He had to accept it. he was the boss behind the scene in Ning Sheng.

“Are you manipulating behind Ning Sheng?” Lu Zhihong’s fingers trembled.

Qin Si didn’t answer.

The youth’s features were exceptionally handsome but also exceptionally cold, completely tearing away that layer of disguise.

He looked at Lu Zhihong without any emotion, no trace of pity, just cold, cruel indifference.

“What do you want me to do?” Lu Zhihong closed his eyes. “Don’t withdraw the investment.”

“Reject the Zhao family,” Qin Si took back the card.

The Zhao family?

What’s the matter with them?

He seemed to have no intention of saying more about it. “The engagement party.”

But what did that have to do with him?

If Lu’s engagement was broken off and they didn’t get the Zhao family’s support, the investment from Ning Sheng, which had invested in Lu Shi, would inevitably suffer losses. What benefit did this bring him?

“What do you want?” Lu Zhihong asked weakly.

The room fell silent.

As the sunset, the youth’s half-clear face became even more beautiful, his eyes lowered, holding the card, his fingers tightening inadvertently.

“Lu Nian,” he said lightly.

Lu Zhihong didn’t expect this answer. He asked incredulously, “What do you mean?”

“Literally.”

But when Qin Si appeared at Lu Shi years ago, he had never shown any interest in Lu Nian. He had always been polite, cold, and courteous.

They had no relationship whatsoever, so why would he suddenly propose such a condition?

If he really was the manipulator behind Ning Sheng, Lu Zhihong knew that the face he was familiar with was cold, ruthless, and only acted when it was beneficial to him.

He didn’t believe Qin Si would spare them just because this condition was fulfilled.

“Change the condition,” his voice weakened. “Anything else is fine.”

The young man stood up. “Then there’s nothing to talk about.”

Lu Zhihong’s chest heaved heavily.

“Do you want to humiliate our Lu family like this?” He was thoroughly enraged, blood rushing to his head. He spoke without restraint, “Are you worthy?”

Without considering who he was, a bastard who grew up relying on the Lu family, now wanted to force him to marry his pampered daughter?

“I’m not worthy,” the youth’s eyes were as cold as a frozen lake in winter, “but do you have any other choice?”

His voice was mocking, cruel, and indifferent, hitting the nail on the head.

“Cancel the engagement between the Lu family and the Zhao family,” he said, “then, Lu Shi’s affairs, you don’t need to worry about anymore.”

He would take care of it all.

Lu Zhihong’s face turned pale, completely despondent. He asked, “When did you start having these thoughts?”

The young man’s voice was icy. “For a long time.”

Since he was a gloomy little boy, hungry, cold, covered in wounds, with nothing, he could only watch her from afar.

Every time she glanced at him, every time she smiled at him, it would make his heart surge.

“Nian Nian is still in college.” Lu Zhihong’s voice weakened, and he closed his eyes. “If you still remember any bit of favor to the Lu family, or if you have any feelings for her at all, don’t force her to get married now.”

Lu Nian was very beautiful, a true beauty. A girl’s beauty was capital, but sometimes it was also a burden. Lu Zhihong thought of the worst possibility.

Qin Si pursed his lips. “We can take it slowly.”

“But, she has to come live with me,” he said.

He wanted to see her every day, to be able to talk to her.

Lu Zhihong suddenly opened his eyes.