An Earlier Meeting - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Wang Yuhuan and Wei Shuqun slowly descended the stairs, and what greeted them was the sight of Wei Qingwen and Huang Xiaozhi, frozen in place like statues at the kitchen doorway, staring blankly toward the entrance.

In the large house, there was a noticeable absence of one person.

That person was Wei Shun.

Wang Yuhuan, seeing the exaggerated, as-if-they’d-seen-a-ghost expressions on their faces, grew even more puzzled.

She walked directly to her daughter, Wei Qingwen, and waved her hand in front of their eyes, as if to make sure their souls were still securely in their bodies.

“What’s wrong? What did you see?” Wang Yuhuan’s tall figure blocked their view of the entrance.

Wei Qingwen was still deep in shock, replaying the scene in her mind—her usually arrogant little brother was, incredibly, the one on the bottom!

The shock of this realization was immense.

If she thought about it calmly… with her brother’s slender frame and personality, being the one on top probably wasn’t logical… but being the one on the bottom was suffering.

Her eyes were still glued to the empty doorway. Beside her, Huang Xiaozhi spoke dreamily, her voice laced with surprise. “Just now… a man came… named… Pei Dan.”

Wang Yuhuan’s brows furrowed, and a hint of anxiety crept into her voice. “And then?” Her gaze darted between the two of them.

“Then…” Wei Qingwen finally found her voice, filled with an indescribable complexity. “He… carried my brother… like a sack of rice.” Her voice faltered slightly on the word “carried.”

Wang Yuhuan’s expression immediately turned grim, her brows tightening. But her actions were swift and decisive.

She clapped her daughter and granddaughter hard on the shoulders, the force enough to pull them out of their shocked stupor.

“That’s his business! Why are you two meddling? Don’t worry about it!” Her tone was absolute. She turned and walked toward the living room. “Clean up and get ready to rest!”

The elderly lady’s reaction time was a little delayed. She had already reached the center of the living room when she suddenly stopped and turned back. “Wait, did Xiaozhi say that person who came… was named Pei Dan?”

Huang Xiaozhi had also followed her to the sofa. She sat down wearily and nodded. “Yes, Grandma. When he left, he turned around and said his name was Pei Dan.”

Wei Shuqun, upon hearing this, was also stunned. Wang Yuhuan immediately turned to her husband, her eyes sharp. “Old man, do you think it could be that ‘Pei Dan’?”

Wei Shuqun was a little confused by the sudden question. He shook his head blankly. “I… I really don’t know. I was upstairs tidying up just now. I didn’t see him.”

Wang Yuhuan didn’t press further. She just shook her head thoughtfully, her tone firm. “Stop thinking nonsense, all of you. Go upstairs and rest! Get a good night’s sleep so you can have fun tomorrow.” She waved her hand as if to clear the air of lingering shock and questions.

Everyone looked at each other, but ultimately nodded. With their minds full of questions and a lingering sense of shock, they quietly went upstairs.

…

Huang Xiaozhi returned to the room she had lived in as a child.

The furnishings in the room were extremely simple, almost sparse, with a hint of coolness—a style she had requested herself.

She had never liked the overly ornate “princess rooms” filled with lace and dolls.

Initially, Wang Yuhuan had been excited to decorate it into a dreamy princess castle, but a young Huang Xiaozhi had firmly rejected the idea.

In the end, the room had only the most basic decor: pure white walls, simple wooden furniture, and almost nothing extra besides a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.

Now, Huang Xiaozhi flopped into the soft bed, sinking into the fluffy covers.

She took out her phone, and the cold light from the screen illuminated her thoughtful face.

A name suddenly came to mind—Yu Wen. She was curious and wanted to see if she could find any information about the mysterious transfer student.

Her fingertips tapped the screen:

Baidu Search: Yu Wen

The results page popped up:

Yu Wen

Born: February 10, 2001

Height: 175 cm

Family: Second daughter of the Zhang Group in City H.

Siblings: Sister, Zhang Yulin, a famous ballet dancer in Country M.

Brother, Zhang Huze, a middle school student.

…

Huang Xiaozhi’s finger slid down, reviewing the public information about Yu Wen bit by bit.

She hadn’t expected to find anything about Yu Wen on a search engine.

It seemed the Zhang Group’s position in City H’s business world was indeed significant, and it made sense that the family members’ information would be somewhat public.

After reading it all, she felt a bit bored.

The public information was like “scratching an itch through a boot”; it didn’t touch the core of her curiosity. She didn’t know what else she could do.

She tapped her finger, deleted “Yu Wen,” and typed in another name that had left a deep impression on her: Pei Dan.

Baidu Search: Pei Dan

The page refreshed quickly:

Pei Dan

Height: 190 cm

Born: February 15, 1990

Family: Only child.

Role: Sole heir and successor of the Pei Group in City A.

Experience: Known since childhood for his outstanding academic achievements, he specializes in and is dedicated to biological research.

Current Position: Professor at the National Institute of Biology.

…

After reading Pei Dan’s profile, Huang Xiaozhi’s mind was left with only three words: Shocked! Shocked! Still shocked!

The man downstairs, who had effortlessly carried her uncle Wei Shun on his shoulder with just one arm, the man who exuded such a powerful and dangerous aura, was actually a genuine professor?!

And… wasn’t the age gap a little too big??? She suddenly remembered a key detail—Wei Shun was drunk! What did that mean?

It meant… her uncle’s “personal safety” was in grave danger! Especially… a certain part of him…

Huang Xiaozhi could only pray silently, hoping that her uncle, who was only two years older than her, would be a little “stronger” and protect himself.

Although her prayer sounded so pale and powerless.

She lay on the bed for a while, letting her chaotic thoughts settle a little, before she got up, opened the wardrobe, and found a soft pair of pajamas to change into. Then she went into the attached bathroom to wash up.

In front of the bright mirror, Huang Xiaozhi carefully examined her reflection.

Droplets of water still clung to her eyelashes and cheeks, and her skin looked fair and delicate in the light.

She couldn’t help but reach out a finger and gently touch the cold mirror. Tapping the nose of her reflection, she muttered softly with a hint of rare narcissism, “Hmm… I just realized, my face is actually quite perfect.“

After she finished washing up, she turned off the bathroom light, plunging the room into darkness.

Huang Xiaozhi felt her way back to the bed, lifted the covers, and slipped inside. The villas in Gangyue Bay had one unparalleled advantage—the nights were incredibly quiet. There was no noise from neighbors fighting, no children crying, and no low hum of the elevator.

This was heaven for Huang Xiaozhi, who was a light sleeper and easily startled by any small noise.

She stared at the ceiling, which was blocked from all light by the thick curtains, and whispered, “Good night, world.”

As if in response to the quiet night, she also said to herself in her heart: Good night.

…

Xinhu Community

Late at night, Zhang Yulin was wide awake.

Thinking about her impending return to City H made her feel as if a stone were pressing on her heart. She quietly left the bedroom and went to the living room.

Her eyes fell on the mountain of takeout containers and snack bags piled on the coffee table. Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she held back from making any sound.

If Yu Wen’s life was a carefully orchestrated performance, then the prototype of the “role” she was mimicking was undoubtedly Zhang Yulin herself.

Zhang Yulin walked to the table. Her slender fingers pulled a long, slim cigarette from a scattered pack and held it to her lips.

She rummaged through the mess for a moment and found a silver lighter.

“Pfft…” With a light sound, a faint blue flame appeared, lighting the tip of the cigarette.

She took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a stream of grayish-white smoke.

She was still only wearing a thin slip dress, without a jacket. With the cigarette between her fingers, she walked out onto the balcony.

In the darkness, the small red light of the cigarette was particularly striking.

Zhang Yulin rarely smoked and never liked to do it indoors, finding it too stuffy and suffocating.

Outside the window, it was deathly silent. The night wind from the forecast hadn’t arrived as scheduled.

Weather forecasts, it seemed, were always unreliable.

She took out her phone, her fingers quickly gliding across the screen to find a name, and she made a call—Zhong Li.

The phone was answered almost instantly. A respectful male voice came through.

“Hello? Is that Miss Lin?”

“Yes, it’s me,” Zhang Yulin’s voice was tinged with an almost imperceptible weariness. “Come pick me up at the Xinhu Community gate in a little while and take me to the airport.”

“Yes, Miss Lin. I’ll arrange it right away.” The other person’s reply was clear and concise.

The moment the call ended, a cool night breeze unexpectedly swept across the balcony, messing up her hair.

Heh, it seemed this city didn’t want her to stay, either.

Even the wind was urging her to leave.

As a child, Zhang Yulin had a burning passion for dance, especially ballet.

She practiced diligently day after day, her leotards soaked in sweat, all so she could stand on her toes and touch the artistic sanctuary in her heart.

However, all of it was cruelly snuffed out by the Zhang family. They didn’t need a dancer; they needed a tool who would inherit the family business and dedicate all her attention to finance and management. They had broken her wings with their own hands.

Fortunately, later, with her stubbornness and unwillingness to give up, she managed to reattach her wings and take flight again in a distant country, M.

When she was nine, she went with the Zhang couple to an orphanage to “do charity.”

The Zhangs looked at every child like they were picking merchandise, their gaze condescending and critical. Their words were often cutting.

Finally, they handed the decision over to the then-naive and frightened Zhang Yulin. “Zhenzhen, pick one you like to bring home and play with.” Under immense pressure, Zhang Yulin nervously pointed to a girl who was curled up in a corner, her eyes timid—that was Yu Wen.

Without even changing her name, Yu Wen became a “caring” pawn of the Zhang family, a symbol to show off the family’s “charity” and “warmth.”

It was ironic that the entire beginning of this was Zhang Yulin’s random gesture.

If it weren’t for her, Yu Wen’s life might have taken a completely different path.

In Yu Wen, Zhang Yulin felt like she saw a shadow of her own past, one that was even darker.

Her life was like a wind-up toy, repeating its predetermined course day after day, without any life, like a delicate puppet on a string.

Deep down, Zhang Yulin was filled with guilt.

She always felt that she and the Zhang family owed this girl.

She genuinely saw Yu Wen as a sister. Although her words might sometimes sound harsh and strict, it was because she desperately wanted Yu Wen to have a good life, a colorful life, an interesting life. Most importantly—to live a life that was her own, not a clumsy imitation of Zhang Yulin.

The current Yu Wen was so similar to her own confined self back then.

She didn’t want to stay here anymore. Every extra glance at Yu Wen was like ripping open an old wound. The memories of her own past pain and denial would come rushing back.

When she first entered today, the intense, mixed smell of takeout made her heart clench.

Many of Yu Wen’s habits were similar to her own from back then, but they carried a strange sense of detachment and forcedness.

Before she went abroad, when Zhang Yulin still lived in the Zhang residence in City H, a young Yu Wen was already tasked with the “job” of preparing three meals a day for the whole family.

At that time, Yu Wen was just a middle school student, and Zhang Yulin was only a high school graduate herself.

She watched the quiet girl spin like a top every day, working hard while enduring the critical accusations of the elders. Her heart ached with an indescribable pain.

She wanted to help but was powerless.

In the end, she could only choose the most hidden way—an anonymous text message:

“Go to high school in City A. Don’t stay in City H. It’s not good for you.”

Thankfully, Yu Wen had listened to the advice in that message.

Zhang Yulin still felt a sense of relief because of it.

…

After who knows how long, the cigarette between her fingers burned out. Zhang Yulin stubbed it out on the cold ceramic tile of the balcony and turned to walk back into the living room.

She found a pen and paper and quickly wrote on a light yellow sticky note:

Yu Wen:

I’m leaving. Being here makes me feel suffocated, very uncomfortable. I’ll come back to see you when I have time, and you can always come to Country M to find me. Take care of yourself.

I know you must have a lot of questions in your heart about that ‘former acquaintance’ and who ‘she’ is.

It’s me.

Zhang Yulin.

Looking at you is like looking into a mirror that reflects a darker shadow of my past. You’re living an even more meaningless life than I was back then.

But I hope you can surpass me.

And live a life that is truly your own.

—Zhang Yulin

After writing, she carefully stuck the note on the cover of a textbook Yu Wen had left open on the coffee table.

Then, she quickly walked into the bedroom, pulled her pre-packed suitcase, and without a moment’s hesitation, quietly closed the main door behind her.

It wasn’t until the faint sound of the door closing disappeared into the hallway that Yu Wen slowly emerged from the shadows connecting the living room and the hall.

She walked to the balcony, bent down, and picked up the squashed cigarette butt on the ground. Her face was expressionless, her eyes calm and placid, like a pre-programmed robot.

She carefully closed the balcony door and windows, returned to the living room, and her eyes fell on the conspicuous yellow sticky note on the textbook.

“Former acquaintance”… “She”… so those two words were you all along, Zhang Yulin.

A slow curve appeared on Yu Wen’s lips, and she let out a silent laugh.

She reached out and peeled off the sticky note, holding it up to her eyes, looking directly at the handwriting. With a voice that was a mix of strange excitement and deep emotion, she whispered to the empty air, “Well, then I live… a much more interesting life than you, Zhang, Yu, Lin.” Her voice sounded ethereal in the silent night.

The night was deep, concealing countless secrets. The dim light blurred true outlines.

The sound of the wind outside the window seemed to be whispering a puzzle no one could understand.

In this intricate game of chess, who was the real player?

And who was the helpless pawn?

Yu Wen’s belief was simple: an eye for an eye, a favor for a favor. She would remember these things for life.

She might not live a colorful, eventful life, but she would live a life that was truly her own, not anyone’s shadow, and certainly not a synonym for the label “Zhang Yulin.”

Perhaps… the name “Zhang Yulin” concealed more than just the person she saw before her.

…

Flashback: A few hours earlier

When Wei Shun was carried out of the Wang family’s door like a sack of potatoes by Pei Dan, his initial struggles had exhausted him. He was now limply draped over Pei Dan’s broad shoulder, as if all his strength had been drained.

Pei Dan was a little surprised. The person on his shoulder wasn’t making a fuss. Even his breathing had become unusually quiet, so quiet it was like… he had stopped breathing.

However, after a few steps, a suppressed, intermittent sob reached Pei Dan’s ears.

Wei Shun was crying.

He was actually crying.

Pei Dan’s chiseled face showed no emotion. His deep-set eyes were even darker under the streetlight.

He stopped, carefully lowered the person on his shoulder, and set him on the cold stone steps by the roadside.

He crouched down, his eyes level with Wei Shun, who was now curled into a ball. His voice was low and steady, without a hint of emotion. “Why are you crying?” He reached out a finger and gently wiped a tear rolling down Wei Shun’s face.

The moment he was put down, Wei Shun seemed to have lost all his bones. He immediately sat on the ground, hugging his knees, burying his face deep in his arms. His shoulders shook slightly.

He didn’t speak, he just cried silently. Pei Dan couldn’t leave, nor could he ignore him.

Pei Dan remained in a crouch, his tall figure completely enveloping Wei Shun.

His brow bone was high, making him look naturally severe. In the dim light, he gave off an invisible sense of oppression. “Speak,” his tone sharpened. “Why are you crying?”

“I’m… I’m sorry…” Wei Shun’s voice was muffled, coming from his arms. It was thick with a nasal tone and despair. “Can… can you take me… home? I want to go home… I want to go back…” He slowly looked up, his eyes hazy with tears. His gaze was empty as he looked at Pei Dan, his face streaked with tear stains, looking fragile and on the verge of breaking.

Pei Dan’s brows furrowed into a deep ‘川’ character. He refused without hesitation. “No.” His tone was absolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

The man sitting on the cold stone steps trembled imperceptibly at the cold refusal.

His scattered gaze slowly focused, locking onto Pei Dan’s handsome but cold face, holding onto a last shred of hope and confusion. “Why…?”

“No reason,” Pei Dan’s answer was brief and unyielding. The moment the words left his mouth, he leaned down and, with an irresistible posture, picked Wei Shun up into his arms again.

This time, Wei Shun didn’t even have the strength to put up a symbolic struggle.

He resignedly leaned his head weakly against Pei Dan’s firm chest. His nose was filled with a familiar yet strange scent—a crisp, cedarwood scent.

The smell made his heart ache, making him feel even worse.

He shouldn’t have… he shouldn’t have allowed himself to fall for this person.

…

The Next Morning

A summer morning always arrives early. In front of Villa 15 in Gangyue Bay, the green leaves on the tall phoenix trees swayed gently in the cool morning breeze, making a soft rustling sound.

A few early birds hopped on the branches, their crisp chirps celebrating the new day, and welcoming the arrival of morning light.

Huang Xiaozhi rolled over in her soft bed, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

She was tightly wrapped in her quilt, with only her big, confused eyes, still misty from sleep, visible.

She habitually turned her head to look at the thick, blackout curtains.

The curtains were tightly closed, and not a single ray of light could get in.

She stretched out a fair arm, giving a big, satisfying lazy stretch, and then slowly sat up.

Her long, smooth hair was messy from sleep. The neckline of her loose pajamas had slipped, revealing her delicate collarbones.

Her first task after waking up, of course, was to head for the bathroom.

After she finished washing up and making herself feel clean, she returned to the bedroom full of energy and pulled open the curtains with a “swoosh.” The soft morning light instantly flooded in, brightening the entire room.

Outside the window, the trees and plants were lush, and dew sparkled on the tips of the leaves. The whole world was filled with a vibrant energy.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt utterly refreshed. In short: amazing!

Humming a tuneless little song, she walked into the walk-in closet to pick out her clothes for the day.

Although she didn’t live here often, her grandmother, Wang Yuhuan, always thoughtfully prepared a full closet of new clothes for the season.

She wasn’t picky about what she wore. Her eyes scanned the racks, and she casually picked out a light blue denim miniskirt. Hmm, it’s simple and stylish. Looks good.

Her tall, 1.68-meter frame looked even more long and straight in the short skirt, visually lengthening her to 1.75 meters.

At her height, among other girls, she was a true standout.

When Huang Xiaozhi was dressed and ready, she went downstairs. Wang Yuhuan was already busy in the dining room, and a generous breakfast was on the table.

She looked at her grandma’s busy figure and smiled sweetly. “Good morning, Grandma!”

“Morning, Xiaoxiao!” Wang Yuhuan smiled back lovingly, arranging the bowls and chopsticks.

Huang Xiaozhi subconsciously glanced toward the living room and the kitchen—they were empty. She walked to her grandma’s side, a little confused. “Grandma, where’s your precious daughter?”