Shao Mingyang turned slowly, his face unreadable as he cast a single cool glance at Qi Siqing.
"Long time no see, Mr. Qi."
The smile at the corner of Qi Siqing’s mouth deepened.
Facing this old blind-date, she had no idea how to respond. She glanced briefly toward Shao Yinan and Wen Yin not far off; her thoughts spun like loose threads.
"And Yan? She not with you?"
Yan Yan—Shao Mingyang’s current wife—had been his girlfriend for five years. When it looked like they might tie the knot, Shao Qi had disapproved and had tried, with endless scheming, to set Shao Mingyang up with Qi Siqing instead. In the end he’d failed.
At the mention of Yan Yan, a faint softness finally touched Shao Mingyang’s eyes. "She’s close to her due date. It’s inconvenient for her to move around."
Qi Siqing nodded. She didn’t feel anything for him; it had always been just a blind date, nothing more.
After Mrs. Qi’s birthday banquet, Wen Yin noticed how often Qi Siran had been turning up. Even while she was at Shaohua, Shao Yinan would send her little complaints: Qi Siran seemed to be hanging about the Shao residence, staging accidental encounters with Shao Yinan as if by chance.
Shao Yinan’s car eased closer. Wen Yin reached for the handle, but the front passenger window slipped down before she could open it.
Qi Siran looked in at Wen Yin with an innocent smile. "Wen Yin sister, we meet again."
"Today the driver had to take the day off," she added, batting her lashes. "Yinan said he’d give me a lift back to the Qi villa."
Wen Yin’s fingers tightened on the handle. A coldness crept up through her palm and seeped into her thoughts, clearing them like ice. She stood very still and stared at Qi Siran, her voice calm and clipped.
"So the Qis don’t have a spare driver?"
Her gaze shifted to Shao Yinan.
Shao Yinan pinched the bridge of his nose, his whole expression sharpening. He spoke low, each word edged with steel. "Siran, I only said I’d give you a lift. I never said I’d take you home."
He looked at her then—black eyes hard as stone—and every unfinished sentence in Qi Siran’s mouth choked back.
"Get out."
"Brother Yinan—"
"Get out!"
His tone brooked no argument. Qi Siran’s fingers tightened on the safety belt; after a tense moment she climbed out.
"And the front passenger isn’t your seat," Shao Yinan went on, disdain flitting across his face. "Don’t let it happen again."
Wen Yin opened the rear door and slid in. Her head bowed slightly so no one could read her expression, but the room around her seemed to deflate.
"I'm sorry, Wen Yin—" Qi Siran began, voice pitched into apology, but Shao Yinan had already slammed the accelerator. A puff of exhaust was all that remained of her.
Qi Siran ground her teeth as she watched the car disappear, but beneath the annoyance there was a small, pleased light. How irritated was Wen Yin, she wondered.
From a few cars back, Shao Yuanjia wound down his window, a teasing curl at his lips. "Want a ride?"
"Little sister Siran." He used the familiar, indulgent tone that made being spoiled sound charming. Qi Siran stared at him for a moment, then smiled as sweetly as ever. "Thanks, Yuanjia."
Shao Yinan watched Wen Yin through the rearview mirror. She sat with her eyes closed against the seat, as if taking a moment to rest. He reached over, opened the door and caught her in his arms, pulling her in close.
"This little clingy plaster always finds a way to stick on," he muttered, voice softening to a mumble more for himself than anyone else. He pinched the bridge of his nose once, frustrated. He hadn't planned on letting Qi Siran get anywhere near the car, and now there was no easy explanation.
Wen Yin tipped her head and pinched his cheek lightly. "I didn’t realize the Shao master's charm was so persistent."
He bumped noses with her, a private and tender touch. "I’ll tell Mrs. Qi to keep an eye on things," he murmured, a hint of warning threaded through the words.
Wen Yin nodded but said nothing more. She knew Qi Siran’s little tricks—petty, childish stunts practiced until they seemed real. She had no patience for them. Besides, Shaohua’s new collection would debut in a month and her mind was buried in design drafts. When Shao Qi had been in the picture earlier, saying odd, snide things, Wen Yin had watched Qi Siran and Shao Qi laughing together and didn’t trust either of them. They weren't rooting for her.
For a long while after this incident Wen Yin didn’t see Qi Siran at all. Instead, Jiujiu wouldn’t stop messaging her.
[Jiujiu: Wen Yin sis, Qili just made me the design lead!!]
[Jiujiu: Finally made it, sobbing!!]
[Jiujiu: Wen Yin sis, can you look over my rough sketch? *cute face*]
A small smile touched Wen Yin’s mouth as she tapped out a few edits and sent them back. The new project moved forward smoothly. Shao Qi never appeared at Shaohua again, and even Shao Yuanjia seemed to have calmed down—no more random, flirtatious chatter.
On the night before the Lunar New Year Wen Ze Ru turned up at Shaohua. "Ah Yin, come home for dinner tonight," he said.
Shao Yinan took Wen Yin’s bag without missing a beat, his eyes flicking over her face. He knew the history between the Wen family and their household, how after Wen Zhi went to prison, Wen Yin hadn’t seen her father in years.
Wen Yin nodded. Going home wasn’t about family affection; it was about her brother. The family had already begun preparing the New Year's Eve meal, but this year the table looked different. Dishes Wen Yin liked had been nearly removed, replaced by the favorites of the elder sister at the family's command.
She stepped in and found Wen Yin’s father sitting on the sofa, looking up as she entered.
"You're back?"