Ning Guiwan crossed her arms, her hands resting casually in the crooks of her elbows. Her fingers were long, slender, and almost translucent. Her face, unadorned by powder or rouge, was still exquisitely beautiful.
Ning Rongyue suddenly felt a twinge of pain in the scar on her left cheek.
Back then, she hadn't expected it to be so severe; the uneven, reddened burn had completely ruined her face.
A hint of malice flickered in Ning Rongyue's eyes before she quickly concealed it. Her expression conveyed the grievance of being misunderstood as she said, "I just thought that after so many years in Britain, you might have grown distant from your friends. I wanted to help you reconnect. Didn't you used to enjoy gathering with them?"
As if realizing something, she added, "You still haven't gotten over what happened with Xiangru and Qinghan, have you?"
"Actually, Xiangru also feels he let you down. He even asked me about you tonight, wanting to apologize in person."
Ning Guiwan listened with a patient smile.
Ning Rongyue's brows knitted at her serene demeanor. Four years ago, when her and Ning Qinghan's identities as Ning Honghua's illegitimate daughters were exposed, Ning Guiwan had fought fiercely with Ning Honghua. Afterwards, Ning Guiwan would throw a tantrum whenever she saw them.
So, when Ning Qinghan and Ning Rongyue subsequently met with misfortune and all evidence pointed to Ning Guiwan, no one doubted it.
Everyone had seen how much Ning Guiwan detested Ning Rongyue and Ning Qinghan; it was entirely possible she would do something rash in a fit of anger.
But now, Ning Rongyue found herself unable to fathom the girl before her, who was several years her junior.
After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Qinghan can't be blamed entirely for that incident. You and Xiangru were together for so long, yet he was never willing to make your relationship public. Maybe… his feelings for you weren't what you thought they were."
"Xiaowan, we're sisters by blood. I sincerely hope we can get along like normal sisters. There's no need to ruin our sisterly bond over a man who never loved you."
Ning Guiwan lowered her long lashes, her expression languid.
Ning Rongyue finished speaking but received no response from Ning Guiwan, causing her brows to furrow even more deeply.
"Xiaowan…"
Ning Guiwan responded weakly, a hint of exhaustion in her voice, "Hmm?"
It was as if she hadn't clearly heard what Ning Rongyue had said.
Ning Rongyue trailed off, then gritted her teeth. So, after all that, my words just went in one ear and out the other!
"Xiaowan…"
"Sister!" Ning Qinghan came upstairs. Seeing her sister talking with Ning Guiwan instantly soured her mood, especially when she saw Ning Guiwan leaning there like a bewitching siren.
Striking poses so late at night! Who is she trying to impress?
"Sister, stay away from her! If she dared to throw boiling water on you and ruin your face, who knows what other vicious things she might do!" Ning Qinghan strode over angrily and pulled Ning Rongyue away.
"Slow down…" Ning Rongyue looked at her younger sister with a mixture of helplessness and doting affection. "Xiangru? Did he leave after dropping you off?"
"Yes, he said he's taking me to a reception tomorrow. Sister, will you help me pick out a gown in the morning?" Ning Qinghan's voice was filled with joy, her eyes sparkling, likely at the mention of the man she loved.
Ning Rongyue turned, wanting to see Ning Guiwan's expression.
However, she only caught a glimpse of Ning Guiwan's bedroom door closing.
Ning Rongyue paused for a heartbeat, then a profoundly meaningful smile touched her lips.
「...」
Leaning against the door, Ning Guiwan looked up at the pitch-black window. She clearly felt a pain in her chest, slowly spreading through her limbs.
Some things, time itself cannot erase.
When her love was at its deepest and most intense, he betrayed her. Then, when she was at her most helpless, he mercilessly pushed her into the abyss.
That person's single phrase, "shameless," was worse than a million insults from others.
That night, Ning Guiwan suffered from insomnia.
The next day at the meeting, she seemed somewhat out of sorts. She barely made it through to the end before immediately requesting half a day's leave.
Even with her less-than-stellar reputation, as the chairman's third daughter, getting time off was still easy.
"I'll drive you. It's my lunch break, and I don't have anything else to do," Ren Xiaofei said, noticing Ning Guiwan wasn't herself and worrying about her driving alone.
Ning Guiwan didn't want to trouble her and was about to make an excuse when her phone, lying on the desk, rang.
It was Quan Yu.
Only then did she remember she had lunch plans with Old Mrs. Quan. After answering the call, she truthfully said someone was picking her up, grabbed her handbag, and went downstairs to the company entrance.
It was the familiar Cullinan.
In Shencheng, a city teeming with the wealthy, a Cullinan worth nearly ten million wasn't particularly eye-catching. What drew attention was Quan Yu, standing by the car, waiting.
Who was Quan Yu? Anyone with even a passing interest in Shencheng's rich list would know: he had topped it for five consecutive years and was its youngest member.
Not far behind the Cullinan, another black sedan was parked. A man in a black T-shirt stood by each of its four doors. They appeared casual, but their gazes were as sharp as eagles'.
Ning Guiwan walked straight towards the Cullinan. "Uncle Yu, why did you come yourself?"
"It was on the way." Quan Yu noticed the faint dark circles under Ning Guiwan's eyes and asked, "Didn't you sleep well?"
Ning Guiwan smiled. "A bit of insomnia."
The car started smoothly, with the discreet black sedan following behind.
Traffic was somewhat congested.
Quan Yu glanced at the traffic ahead, then turned to Ning Guiwan. "It'll be a while before we arrive. Rest if you're tired."
Ning Guiwan did feel drowsy. Without ceremony, she said, "Wake me when we get there," then leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes.
The car seats were snow-white. Ning Guiwan's curly hair fanned out slightly, as thick as seaweed. Quan Yu, seemingly bored, twirled a strand around his index finger, then lightly loosened his thumb, letting the lock of hair slip away.
The driver, Ren Yong, happened to see this in the rearview mirror and his jaw nearly dropped; he was more astonished than if he'd won five million.
For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that his boss was teasing the young lady.
Because of this lapse in concentration, he misjudged the distance to the car in front. When it stopped abruptly, Ren Yong, seeing he was about to collide, slammed on the brakes.
Inertia sent Ning Guiwan lurching forward heavily, jolting her awake.
She woke up in Quan Yu's arms.
The man's arm had caught her just in time. Her face was pressed against his chest, and she could hear his strong, steady heartbeat. Lifting her eyes, she saw Quan Yu looking down at her. For a moment, their gazes met.