Chapter 13: Tenderness

Ever since Xiaokai came into her life, the once proud and flamboyant Nan Zhi had become noticeably gentler and more serene. Yet, this softness only emerged when she was with Xiaokai. Most of the time, her demeanor remained cool and aloof. Coupled with her alluring yet innocent features, this air of detachment lent her an irresistible, almost fatal charm.

So, when Xia Yanran dragged Nan Zhi to an exclusive private club, she immediately drew the attention of several wealthy young men as soon as she entered. A few approached her to ask for her number, but Nan Zhi rejected them all without exception.

“Zhizhi, that guy who just asked for your number was pretty handsome, you know. Don’t you want to consider finding a father for my godson?” Xia Yanran teased, linking her arm through Nan Zhi’s as they walked toward their reserved suite.

Nan Zhi shook her head. “It’s never crossed my mind.” The divorce of her parents and her ex-fiancé’s betrayal had left her unable to trust men, let alone believe in undying love.

Besides, there was that incident during her pregnancy with Xiaokai…

“Zhizhi, are you alright? You’re looking a little pale.”

The memories of those unhappy times brought a dull ache to Nan Zhi’s temples. She quickly composed herself and smiled at Yanran. “Go ahead and tell Yu Bing I’ll be there soon. I need to use the ladies’ room first.”

Nan Zhi didn’t have many friends. Besides Yanran, there was Qin Yubing, who worked in the entertainment industry. Qin Yubing’s mother had once been a maid in Nan Zhi’s grandfather’s house, and the two girls had grown up together, closer than real sisters.

Nan Zhi, in her high heels, made her way to the restroom.

She didn’t go inside, but instead leaned against the wall and took a box of slim cigarettes from her bag. She wasn’t a heavy smoker; only when her spirits were low would she indulge in one. Narrowing her eyes, she exhaled a thin plume of smoke, her gaze unfocused as it drifted upward and dissipated. Nan Yao knew she was back—so Nan Weiye must know too, yet neither had called. They had taken everything that belonged to her and her mother, and still felt so justified.

How laughable.

Two tall, striking figures emerged from the men’s room.

One of them, dressed all in white, possessed a face of such striking beauty it was almost suffocating. One hand in his pocket, his lips a seductive shade of crimson, pressed into a faint line—devastatingly attractive.

“Fourth Brother, how much longer are you going to play the monk? Isn’t your grandmother urging you to get married? Don’t tell me you’re really going to marry that so-called ‘First Beauty of Ning City,’ Qin Sichu?” The handsome man’s tone was sharp and cold. “Shut up.”

“…Huh, there’s a beauty over here.”

Hearing Lan Yanzhi’s words, Mu Sihan glanced casually at the woman leaning against the wall, smoking.

His dark, fathomless eyes narrowed at once.

It was the same woman from that morning—the one with rumpled clothes and bare shoulders.

She had changed into a red dress that hugged her waist, accentuating every curve. Her tea-brown hair tumbled like seaweed over her shoulders. Head tilted back, smoke curling from her lips, she looked at once languid and alluring, with a decadent melancholy about her. She was nothing like the bright, smiling young woman from earlier that day.

Mu Sihan’s eyes, cold as a frozen lake, narrowed further. Beneath his short hair, that impossibly handsome face betrayed a hint of disdain. He looked away, then strode off, every gesture exuding an arrogant, untamed superiority.

Lan Yanzhi had rarely seen a woman who could make smoking look beautiful. He’d wanted to watch her a little longer, but seeing Mu Sihan leave, he hurried after him. “Fourth Brother, wait for me…”

Snapped back to reality, Nan Zhi’s clear, bright eyes followed the two tall figures as they disappeared around the corner.

…

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