Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
On the way back, Yun Nan looked very happy as she toyed with the small gifts the restaurant attendants and manager had given her. Her joy also infected Shi Nian, and he would glance at her from time to time.
Yun Nan was admiring a small plush monkey accessory when she asked, âI think I did a pretty good job today, donât you? Do you think your admirer will give up on pursuing you?â
Shi Nian smiled and replied, âThatâs her business.â
Yun Nan exchanged the monkey accessory for another accessory and said, âIâll give this one to Shi Xiu; sheâll like it. Miss An can have the little monkey. Sheâs born under the Monkey zodiac.â
âThat Miss Gu Man as good as put a sign on you denoting that youâre hers exclusively,â Yun Nan commented as she shook her head.
Shi Nian pursed his lips and told her, âLin Yu is Xi Chengâs fiancée. Because of Xi Cheng, we didnât hold it against her and her friends in the beginning. I didnât expect them to get carried away.â
Yun Nan put away the gifts and straightened her back. âSpeaking of which, your friend is a little strange. I think he knows what his fiancée is doing, but he didnât stop her and let her and her friends do whatever they want. Is he really that confident about your friendship, or is he setting up his fiancée?â
âYou can tell that in just a short time? Impressive,â Shi Nian praised sincerely. He then shook his head and sighed. âI donât know what those two are up to either, but I donât want to get involved. Thatâs why I asked you to come with me today. Itâs also an ultimatum to Xi Cheng. I had no choice but to get you involved. Our families are close friends, so I canât go overboard.â
Yun Nan understood Shi Nianâs situation and said, âItâs alright. If you get harassed by your admirers again, Iâll still fend them off for you.â
âThank you!â Shi Nian uttered, and he couldnât keep the slight smile off his face. After a momentâs thought, he decided to return the favor and offered, âThen, feel free to tell me if you need my help chasing away unwanted suitors.â
Yun Nan dismissed the offer and remarked, âHa, I reckon I wonât need to. Iâm a romance repellent. Besides, youâve already announced our relationship to the world at the movie premiere. Who would want to make an embarrassment of themselves pursuing me?â
âWhat do you mean youâre a romance repellent? Didnât you have any admirers
when you were in school?â Shi Nian probed. All the information he could find on Yun Nan was too one-dimensional. He couldnât get to know her properly from that info, so he could only ask her personally.
Yun Nan scratched her head, stared out the car window as she leaned against it, and answered, âI went to university when I was fourteen. My classmates were much older than me. I was just a kid in their eyes. By the time I reached puberty and grew up, they all had partners or had sworn off relationships after some bad experiences.â
She shrugged and finished with, âSo, I was left single.â
Shi Nian laughed. âThen, youâve never fancied anyone?â
Yun Nan shook her head. âNo, never. I prefer money. I love money, and I love earning it! Fang Xi said I must have been a money-grubber in my past life!â
Shi Nianâs smile faded, and he subconsciously reached out and touched his nose. âYou⦠Why do you want to earn so much money?â he inquired, curious about this question once again.
âIt gives me a sense of security!â Yun Nan answered without hesitation, and she even sounded slightly proud.
âAlright,â Shi Nian thought. âLooks like itll be a long and difficult battle to win her heart! I still have a long way to go.â
Meanwhile, Xi Cheng had driven the girls back to his home, and Gu Man angrily stormed into the house. When she saw Xi Chengâs mother, Han Yuan, she hugged her and cried, âGodmother, Iâm so sad right now!â Han Yuan was shocked and inquired, âWhatâs wrong? What happened?â She then looked at Xi Cheng and Lin Yu, who had followed after Gu Man.
Lin Yu lowered her eyes timidly. Xi Cheng stared at his mother and suddenly gave her a smile that spoke volumes. âI had too much to drink, so Iâm going to bed,â he stated, and with that, he went upstairs.
Gu Man whined and sobbed as she hugged Han Yuan. Han Yuan tried to pull the girl off as she consoled her, âOh dear, you should calm down and talk this through. Dry your tears now. Just look at the state youâre in. Your eyes will swell up if you keep crying. Do you want to walk around with swollen eyes tomorrow?â
Sniffling, Gu Man let go of Han Yuan. âNow, what happened, exactly?â Han Yuan asked Lin Yu.
Han Yuan was Gu Manâsâand also Shi Gaoâsâgodmother, and their two families had close ties. Gu Man might have married Xi Cheng if Lin Yu had fewer tricks and means. Hence, Lin Yu tried her best to get her âbestiesâ married off as soon as possible while maintaining their fake friendship. Keeping a woman like Gu Man by her side was ultimately a risk.
Shi Nian, Ye Kun, and Liang Han were all good matches. However, Lin Yu had already tried her best to matchmake, but the girls had let her down. They either disdained the guys or couldnât catch them. What more could Lin Yu do?
As long as they didnât set their sights on Xi Cheng, she was willing to go along with their shenanigans. As long as they didnât cross Xi Chengâs line, the more trouble they caused, the more she would benefit..