“Hello? Third Sister?” At this moment, Xie Dingyuan and Jiang Fuyue had already gotten their food and were seated.
“Little Nine, you’re at Hanqing now, right?”
“Mm, what’s up?”
“I’m at the gate of your lab area. I brought chicken soup. Let security know to let me in.”
Xie Dingyuan frowned. “Why are you here?”
Hearing the tone in his voice, Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help but glance up, then continued eating.
“What? Not happy to see me?” Xie Yunlan pretended to be angry.
“…No. Just give the phone to the guard.”
After Xie Dingyuan explained, the guard allowed her in.
Xie Yunlan: “Where are you now? You should drink the soup while it’s hot.”
“I’m already eating. Wait for me in the lounge. Maybe… twenty minutes?”
“Okay. But don’t eat too much, or you won’t have room for the soup.”
“Mm.”
After hanging up, Xie Dingyuan put away his phone and started eating.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t ask anything, fully focused on her food.
The man across from her kept glancing her way, clearly waiting for her to ask about the call. But she never did, not even when the meal ended.
He felt unexpectedly defeated.
After they left the cafeteria and returned to the lab area, Xie Dingyuan took the initiative. “That was my third sister just now. She’s in Linhuai for some business.”
“Oh.” Jiang Fuyue nodded.
“?” That’s it? What else did he expect? “Little Nine—” Suddenly, an excited voice rang out.
Xie Yunlan quickly walked over. “You must be tired lately, huh? You look skinnier again. Grandma will worry if she sees you like this.”
Behind her trailed a woman in a camel trench coat and black boots, pretty and composed.
She stood at just the right distance — neither too forward nor too invisible.
Sure enough, Xie Dingyuan’s gaze swept past her.
Just one glance.
Then it moved on, not lingering even for a second.
As if it was a purely biological reaction.
Zhuang Yawen’s smile froze — this was the first time in her life a man had ignored her like this.
The next second, her gaze fell on the tall, vibrant woman beside Xie Dingyuan.
She looked very young. Even without makeup, her cheeks glowed with a natural pink. Her peach blossom eyes sparkled, alluring even in stillness.
And the distance between her and Xie Dingyuan? Virtually none. They stood shoulder to shoulder.
Zhuang Yawen immediately became wary.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow, glanced at her with a half-smile, then turned to Xie Dingyuan. “I’m going in first.”
Without waiting for his response, she walked away.
The man opened his mouth to call her but couldn’t find a reason.
He could only watch her confident figure walk farther and farther away.
A strange frustration and sense of loss welled up, making his usually cold demeanor even frostier.
Xie Yunlan didn’t mind — she was used to his temper.
But Zhuang Yawen wasn’t.
The sudden change in his expression made her scalp tingle and spine chill. Her forced smile began to tremble.
“Who was that?” Xie Yunlan asked curiously.
Weren’t all the researchers a bunch of middle-aged, unmarried nerds?
Since when was there such a young and stunning girl?
Xie Dingyuan didn’t want to say much. “A colleague.”
“So young?” Xie Yunlan was still surprised.
Hanqing’s standards were notoriously high — everyone in the industry knew it.
And her Little Nine’s team? Nearly impossible to get into. That girl must be something special!
Xie Dingyuan checked the time. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going back in. Enjoy your stay in Linhuai. If you need anything, find Sheng Yiming — he’ll handle it.”
“Hey! You haven’t had the soup!” Xie Yunlan finally remembered the original reason she came.
Speaking of soup, how could she forget the person who made it?
Naturally, Zhuang Yawen stepped forward.
“Let me introduce you. This is Zhuang Yawen, your Uncle Zhuang’s granddaughter. You’ve met at a banquet before, right? She made this soup. It smells amazing!”
Xie Dingyuan nodded slightly, gentlemanly but distant. “Hello.”
Even now, he didn’t look directly at her.
Zhuang Yawen’s lips twitched, caught between humiliation and anger — but even more than that, she felt a rising determination.
He won’t look at her?
Fine. She’ll make him look!
“Brother Xie, let me get you a bowl. It’s still hot!” Her voice was soft, gentle, and full of sweetness.
She moved to open the thermos.
But the next second—
“You’re mistaken,” Xie Dingyuan said flatly. “I call your grandfather ‘uncle,’ meaning I’m from the same generation as your parents. You should be calling me ‘uncle,’ not ‘brother.’”
Zhuang Yawen’s face turned beet red.
Yes — she had done it on purpose. But she never expected him to expose her so bluntly, with the tone of a lecturer explaining a fact.
No matter how cunning or sophisticated she was, there was no dodging this direct hit.
A blow to the face — no time to react.
Xie Yunlan lightly smacked him: “What are you saying? Yawen just didn’t want to make you feel old by calling you ‘uncle’…”
Xie Dingyuan was serious: “I don’t mind.”
…
That’s it.
When a straight man wants to be blunt, there’s nothing he can’t make awkward.
Xie Yunlan carefully tried again: “What about the soup?”
Xie Dingyuan: “Not drinking it.”
Xie Yunlan frowned, then smiled at the pale-faced Zhuang Yawen: “Yawen, I’m a bit thirsty. Could you get me a bottle of water from the vending machine outside?”
“Of course.” She forced her smile back on and left.
But the moment she turned around, her expression darkened, and the smile disappeared.
Soon, only Xie Dingyuan and Xie Yunlan were left in the lounge.
“Little Nine, you’re not stupid. I brought Yawen here for a reason.”
“I know,” he nodded. “So what?”
Xie Yunlan was amused and exasperated: “Since you know, couldn’t you show her a bit more kindness?”
“Haven’t I?”
He meant: I was already being merciful.
“Tsk. Judging by your attitude… you don’t want to be set up, huh? Then why did you agree last time in the capital? Didn’t you meet Lin Weiwei? I thought you were open to it…”
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought Yawen all the way here.
Xie Dingyuan’s eyes flickered. “…That was then. This is now. I don’t want to anymore.”
“You could’ve said so earlier!” Xie Yunlan was annoyed. She felt like she’d just dragged him into a forced marriage plot.
“You never asked.”
“Hold up… it hasn’t been that long. Why did you change your mind? Did something happen?”
His eyes flickered more.
Xie Yunlan grew serious. “Something’s off! Tell me — did something happen to you?”
Xie Dingyuan didn’t answer, his eyes lowering to hide his expression.
Her heart sank. “It’s your health, isn’t it? Or some dangerous virus research again?! Ah Yuan, don’t scare me—”
“Third Sister, what are you thinking?” His face twitched. “Nothing like that.”
“Then why the sudden 180-degree change? Don’t tell me it’s because you’re afraid of dragging some girl down?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
“It is, isn’t it?! I know you signed that confidentiality agreement and can’t talk. Just like with the Nova virus — none of us knew anything until it was over. No way, I’m calling home. We’re not letting you get away with it this time—”
She took out her phone and began dialing.
Xie Dingyuan immediately stopped her: “Don’t be rash! It’s not what you think!”
“Then what is it?! Don’t feed me excuses — no one’s buying them! Grandpa and Grandma won’t either!”
“I—” Xie Dingyuan opened his mouth, but no sound came. His eyes were blank. He didn’t know what to say.
“Oh? So you’re lying again. Let go! I’m calling!” She struggled free.
Caught off guard, he couldn’t stop her.
The call was about to connect—
“I have someone I like!” he blurted out in desperation.
The wind stilled. The air froze.
He admitted it! He really admitted it! If she didn’t press him like this, Old Xie would never spill the beans!
