Topics shifted several times amid laughter and chatter.
The lazy Susan in the table’s center turned. Each time Liang Jingchuan picked up food, his gaze swept over the person beside him.
He knew Lan Yan wasn’t one to take slights lying down, yet she seemed utterly indifferent now, at ease.
He couldn’t tell if she truly didn’t care or was swallowing her pride to fit into Chen Boyu’s family.
Someone finally noticed Liang Jingchuan’s distraction. “Jingchuan, why so quiet today?”
Liang Jingchuan came back to his senses and smiled. “The food is delicious. I’m focused on eating.”
Chen’s mother Tang Peiling laughed. “You and that mouth of yours.”
Chen Boyao said, “It’s because we were only talking about family matters. Jingchuan couldn’t get a word in.”
Chen’s father Chen Yongmao said, “Jingchuan, you’re like one of the family here.”
Liang Jingchuan smiled and said, “Yes. Thank you, Uncle and Auntie, for always taking care of me.”
Tang Peiling said again, “Jingchuan, you’re the same age as Boyu, right?”
Liang Jingchuan nodded.
“Got a girlfriend yet?”
“No.”
“Want me to introduce someone? Among the girls in our clan, except for that tomboy Youying, the others are all beautiful and talented…”
Chen Youying wrinkled her nose and pouted. “Auntie!”
Everyone burst into laughter again.
Liang Jingchuan kept his smile. “I haven’t established my career yet. It wouldn’t be right to hold someone else back. Once Boyu and I succeed in business, I’ll definitely ask Auntie to personally vet my choice for life partner.”
Tang Peiling said, “You slippery fish, you.”
With the atmosphere so lively, Chen Yongmao suggested they all clink glasses.
Chen Youying noticed that Liang Jingchuan’s cup actually held juice. She clamored for him to switch to red wine, but he insisted he had to drive later and couldn’t drink. No one could persuade him, so they let it go.
After the glasses clinked around, as Liang Jingchuan set his down, he noticed Lan Yan glance at him.
He turned his head and caught the meaning in that glance just before she looked away: What an act.
Lan Yan had done both her undergraduate and graduate studies in North City. During her junior year, Liang Jingchuan had gotten a direct PhD offer from a top university and gone to North City.
Though they were in the same city, they were in different districts—an hour by subway. They had never gotten along anyway, so there were naturally no interactions.
Liang Jingchuan had reached out to her occasionally, suddenly sending a message to meet for dinner, or Lan Junwen had contacted him to deliver cold medicine to her.
In total, they had met only a handful of times, most during family gatherings on holidays.
Lan Yan didn’t know when he had cultivated such a flawless social mask—seamless and accommodating, paired with his noble and refined looks, easily winning people over.
But how could a person’s true nature change so easily? She knew better than anyone that beneath the mask, Liang Jingchuan was aloof, arrogant, and utterly punchable.
The family banquet lasted nearly an hour.
Everyone moved to the living room for tea to settle their stomachs.
Lan Yan received a work call. It was noisy inside, so she went to the backyard to take it.
The call dragged on. When it finally ended and she was about to head back in, she spotted someone smoking on a lounge chair ahead—the red ember glowing, blue smoke curling. It seemed to be Chen Boyao’s wife, Yuan Qianyun.
Lan Yan spoke up. “Am I disturbing you?”
Yuan Qianyun said, “No. I got here later.”
Lan Yan nodded, paused, then smiled and said, “Just now…”
Yuan Qianyun’s brows furrowed at once. She switched to English and rattled off a rapid string of words.
She then forcefully stubbed out the unfinished cigarette in her portable ashtray, rose from the chair without another glance at her, and strode toward the door.
Lan Yan’s English was only good enough for daily conversation, so she struggled to follow but got the general meaning: Yuan Qianyun wouldn’t be staying in the country long and had no time for children’s make-believe “friend-making” games.
She had probably misunderstood Lan Yan as trying to cozy up right after adding each other on WeChat.
The words were extremely rude, as if she didn’t care at all about offending Chen Boyu.
Lan Yan stood there motionless for a long while. When faced with a sudden barrage of criticism, the first reaction was always stunned confusion.
After a moment, Lan Yan turned around.
Her expression froze instantly.
A figure stood at the kitchen window under the eaves. It was all too familiar—she recognized Liang Jingchuan at a glance.
He held a glass of water, his gaze directed her way, deep and inscrutable, revealing no emotion.
Lan Yan furrowed her brows tightly.
He must have been thrilled, witnessing her awkward failure to chat up Chen Boyu’s family.
Just trying to climb the social ladder?—that’s what he would say.
Yet Liang Jingchuan said nothing, his expression somewhat grave.
After a moment of silence, he withdrew his gaze and was about to turn back inside when he paused.
Laughter drifted out from the kitchen.
A sweet, crisp voice belonging to Chen Youying: “Auntie, got any desserts?”
Tang Peiling said, “Not full?”
Chen Youying replied, “No dessert, and the meal feels incomplete.”
Tang Peiling burst out laughing.
Someone who seemed to be the nanny chimed in, “There’s the cake Miss Lan Yan brought from Cheese Flavor Shop…”
Chen Youying asked, “Cheese Flavor Shop? Never heard of it.”
Tang Peiling said, “Some local brand, I think. I haven’t tried it—I’m allergy-prone and don’t dare sample unknowns. Zhao Jie, if you don’t mind, take it… Youying likes coconut milk jelly, so give her that one…”
Liang Jingchuan suddenly looked up at Lan Yan.
He very much hoped she hadn’t heard, but the voices were so loud they could be heard clearly even from farther away.
Lan Yan’s face was expressionless as she gripped her phone and hurried toward the door.
Liang Jingchuan waited until her figure disappeared inside before following.
In the living room, Chen Boyu was still chatting idly with his older brother.
Lan Yan went straight to Chen Boyu’s side, leaned down, and said softly, “I’m heading back.”
Chen Boyu turned, somewhat surprised. “You just got here. Stay a bit longer. Didn’t you say you wanted to learn mahjong? Big Sis-in-Law stepped out for something. When she gets back…”
Lan Yan cut him off. “I really have to go. Early start tomorrow.”
Chen Boyu wasn’t thrilled but didn’t press. He stood and said to Chen Boyao, “I’ll walk her out.”
There was another round of polite attempts to keep her.
Lan Yan saw Tang Peiling emerge from the kitchen and greeted her politely. “Auntie, I’m leaving.”
Tang Peiling smiled faintly. “Stay a little longer.”
“Thanks for the hospitality. I’ve got work early tomorrow, so I won’t impose any further.”
“You’re too polite. Come by often.”
Tang Peiling saw her to the door, but Lan Yan told her to stop there.
Tang Peiling turned to Chen Boyu. “Boyu, you drank. Arrange the driver to take her.”
Chen Boyu nodded. “I know.”
The driver had just taken Yuan Qianyun out and wouldn’t be back for a bit.
Chen Boyu gripped Lan Yan’s arm and advised softly, “Come sit inside for a bit. Wait till the car’s here.”
“No need. I’ll call a cab.”
Chen Boyu coaxed patiently, “Outside cars can’t come in. It’s over a kilometer to the main gate.”
Lan Yan said it was fine, as if determined to leave right away.
Chen Boyu couldn’t help frowning, though his tone remained mild. “Tell me, what made you unhappy again?”
Again.
Lan Yan halted. “Chen Boyu, you know how much I hate last-minute arrangements.”
“I made it up to you—I arranged for you to change clothes, Yanyan. And you still don’t believe my parents judge people by appearances…” Chen Boyu rubbed his forehead and sighed.
The sigh said it all: You’re so hard to please.
“Sometimes I really lose confidence, Yanyan. Do you actually want to make this work with me? You won’t move in together, you’re cold to my family at dinner, and just now when I tried to introduce you to my Big Sis-in-Law, you…”
“Couldn’t you tell she didn’t want to add my WeChat?”
“She added you—that’s the goal achieved. Yanyan, if you let emotions dictate everything, you’ll only make yourself miserable.”
Lan Yan fell silent for a beat. “You can keep your opinion. I don’t want to argue over who’s right.”
With that, she gave a light tug and freed her arm from his grasp, then hurried ahead.
She was tall with quick strides.
Chen Boyu sped up to catch her, reaching out to drape an arm over her shoulders, when a “beep” sounded in the darkness—the car unlocking.
Chen Boyu looked back to see Liang Jingchuan coming down the steps.
Chen Boyu said, “You leaving?”
“Yeah. Got something at the company.”
Chen Boyu glanced at Lan Yan, who was nearly at the gate, and said helplessly, “Mind giving her a ride?”
He called toward the door, “Yanyan, take your brother’s car back.”
Her silhouette didn’t pause; it was unclear if she’d heard.
Chen Boyu sighed and said to Liang Jingchuan, “Thanks. I’ll come find her once she’s calmed down.”
Liang Jingchuan replied, “She seems pretty calm to me.”
Chen Boyu turned to look at him.
There was no emotion in Liang Jingchuan’s voice, making it hard to read the tone.
“Heading out,” Liang Jingchuan said. “I’ll message you when I’ve dropped her off.”
Chen Boyu nodded. “Thanks.”
Lan Yan had of course heard Chen Boyu’s words, but rather than muster the energy to spar with Liang Jingchuan again, she preferred to walk the kilometer to the gate and hail a cab.
Low beams lit up from behind, followed by the sound of tires on pavement. The car pulled up beside her.
The voice came from the driver’s seat. “Get in.”
Lan Yan ignored him.
“Cars coming up behind. Don’t block the road—get in.” Liang Jingchuan said flatly.
Lan Yan hesitated for a moment, then pulled open the door.
She buckled her seatbelt. The car started, and she leaned back against the seat, remaining silent the whole time.
It wasn’t until they drove out of the villa complex that she suddenly said, “You heard me arguing with Chen Boyu, didn’t you?”
Liang Jingchuan didn’t deny it. “Yeah.”
“What did he tell you at the end? To play peacemaker?”
“No interest in being your love bodyguard.”
Lan Yan fell silent again.
The car wove through lights and shadows for a stretch. Liang Jingchuan checked the left rearview mirror for traffic, his gaze brushing over her twice.
Whether happy or not, her face stayed taut. Most people couldn’t tell the difference.
“Why didn’t you tell Chen Boyu about the cake?” Liang Jingchuan asked.
“No point. He must know his mother’s real attitude.” The birthday gift would probably meet the same fate.
Liang Jingchuan’s fingers tapped unconsciously on the steering wheel a few times before he finally said, “In a family like Chen Boyu’s, everyone around him means well. His perspective on his family is different from outsiders’. Some things aren’t intentional on his part.”
Lan Yan kept her eyes lowered. “I know. What bothers me isn’t his family’s attitude.”
Her words lacked energy, her voice soft, sounding more like self-muttered thoughts.
Liang Jingchuan glanced at her. The words on the tip of his tongue remained unsaid: I get it. What you care about is Chen Boyu’s attitude.
As the car neared downtown, the lights grew brighter.
Liang Jingchuan couldn’t help but size up Lan Yan again.
Her black skirt blended into the dim car interior, as if swallowing her very spirit.
“Want something to eat?” Liang Jingchuan asked.
Lan Yan looked up.
“I don’t buy that you’re full,” he said flatly.
“You’re treating?”
“You can treat if you want.”
“No courtesy without a reason.”
The corners of Liang Jingchuan’s mouth curved slightly, his expression saying whatever.
“Let’s eat.”
“Pick whatever you want on your phone’s maps,” Liang Jingchuan said.
“Pull over somewhere first.”
Liang Jingchuan looked at her.
“I need to change,” she said. She couldn’t stand the perfume scent on her clothes for another second.
He turned off the main road into a densely shaded alley.
Liang Jingchuan parked the car. Lan Yan got out, opened the back door, and pointed to a tree far off. “Go stand over there.”
Liang Jingchuan tossed her the keys, got out, and obediently walked toward the spot she indicated.
The alley saw little traffic, quiet and secluded like a world apart.
He went even farther than instructed before stopping, his back against a tree trunk.
Strangely, the thought of her changing clothes in his car stirred no improper fantasies in him.