Falling into the rain

No one noticed Wen Huaixu's unusual behavior at that moment; only Chu Lingyu and Zhang Qi'an chuckled.

"Zhao Xiao's face—" Zhang Qi'an suddenly thought of something, looked at Wen Huaixu, raised an eyebrow, and asked teasingly, "It wasn't you, Second Brother, who hit him, was it?"

Chu Lingyu went upstairs early last night and hadn't received any news. Upon hearing this, he immediately became interested: "You've already made your move? Nothing's even happened yet, and you can't even handle dating Tingyu? What will happen later..."

"No talks."

Wen Huaixu abruptly interrupted, his tone tinged with impatience.

Zhang Qi'an and Chu Lingyu exchanged a glance, both puzzled by his words. They asked simultaneously, "What's going on?"

"Didn't you say yourself that Tingyu and Zhao Xiao were dating? Did they break up?" Chu Lingyu guessed wildly.

"I misunderstood." Wen Huaixu held a cigarette to his lips, slowly exhaling a smoke ring, his voice relaxed, even soothing: "We were never together from beginning to end."

Upon hearing the news, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, and his joy lasted from last night until now. Of course, he would have been even happier if Yu Tingyu hadn't been upset last night.

He no longer had to spend sleepless nights thinking about how to break up with Yu Tingyu.

But a new problem has arisen: who exactly is the man in her heart?

This problem seems to be more complicated.

He unconsciously squeezed the cigarette between his fingers, and the ash on the butt fell to the floor. His relaxed brows furrowed again, and his face darkened once more.

After hearing this, Chu Lingyu seemed even happier than Wen Huaixu: "That's great!"

He leaned closer to Wen Huaixu, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Does this mean my brother still has a chance?"

Wen Huaixu's dark eyes immediately shifted to his face, and he threw a glare at him, clearly saying: Try it if you want to die.

Without a word, Chu Lingyu understood the threat in his eyes.

He shrank back, quickly waved his hand, and immediately changed his attitude: "Just kidding, just kidding, my rascal is not good enough for Tingyu."

Zhang Qi'an opened a bottle of wine and slowly sipped it: "Why does it feel like you're trying to kill Tingyu just because she's in a relationship? Even if she does, you'll break them up. I'm really worried that Tingyu will never be able to get married."

"Then I won't marry him."

He blurted out the name Huai Xu.

He had only smoked half of his cigarette when he lost interest in smoking any more, so he simply put it in the ashtray and stubbed it out.

Chu Lingyu and Zhang Qi'an were both somewhat surprised by Wen Huaixu's idea.

"Is that possible?" Chu Lingyu had to discourage him: "Tingyu will leave you sooner or later, you have to face reality."

The rain was falling heavily, but all the wind and rain were blocked by the glass window.

But Wen Huaixu felt as if a sudden storm had swept through his heart, and he involuntarily gripped the handrail tightly.

He never thought about what would happen after Yu Tingyu got married, nor did he expect her to leave him. Moving out for a few days while he was at school was his biggest concession.

His thoughts went back and forth, and every outcome was one he did not want to see.

He may need to do something to prevent these things from happening in the future.

But what should he do?

A few words of conversation could be heard at the doorway, and it sounded like Yu Tingyu's voice.

The three of them looked towards the door at the same time, and soon a familiar figure appeared in the entrance hall.

Yu Tingyu looked up and met Wen Huaixu's gaze. His eyes were burning and direct, as if he wanted to burn a hole in her heart. She tried to remain calm and walked over, stopping in front of the sofa.

Wen Huaixu sat on the sofa, looking up at her.

The dark circles under his eyes were very obvious, and he didn't look as energetic as usual. He definitely didn't sleep well last night.

Yu Tingyu first greeted Chu Lingyu and Zhang Qi'an politely, then looked at Wen Huaixu.

The two stared at each other silently for several seconds before Yu Tingyu said, "Second brother, Grandpa wants you to come over. Miss Chen and her family have arrived."

Her voice was flat and monotone, sounding almost robotic, as if she were there simply to deliver a message.

But that is indeed the case.

She didn't want to come. She sent messages to Shen Sihe and Zhao Xiao in the morning, but none of them replied. Not long after, Wen Yun came to her room. She first asked her how she was doing, and then made her request, asking her to call Wen Huaixu to meet Chen Xuning's family.

She asked Wen Yun why she was the one to call him, and Wen Yun actually said that Wen Huaixu listened to her the most.

It's ridiculous, isn't it? He never listened to her the most; it was clearly her who was always under his control.

Despite her reluctance, Yu Tingyu had no choice but to agree; this was the helplessness of living under someone else's roof.

Wen Huaixu took in the forced look on her face, his expression remaining unchanged, but his deep black eyes were fixed on her.

Yu Tingyu didn't care what Wen Huaixu would say; it seemed she didn't want to stay any longer. "Brother, I'll be going now."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door, looking like she didn't want to stay a second longer.

She was afraid that her emotions would spill out at any moment. She didn't want to come and deliver the message, but she had no choice. It felt as if she was also one of the people who brought Wen Huaixu and Chen Xuning together. If they really got together, she would also have a share of the credit.

Yu Tingyu unconsciously clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm. Just as she took a step, she suddenly heard Wen Huaixu call her back.

"etc--"

Wen Huaixu called out to her on a subconscious impulse, but then suddenly stopped. What was he going to say next?

He raised his eyes, and ultimately chose only the safest question: "Have you had breakfast?"

Yu Tingyu stopped in her tracks, turned around, and gently shook her head, her voice low: "I didn't have time."

"I'll have someone deliver it to your room in a bit."

Wen Huaixu had long been used to such care. From food to clothing, everything she had been provided for since she was a child had been taken care of by him. She had never gone through anyone else's hands, and she seemed to have become accustomed to relying on herself.

But this time Yu Tingyu refused. Her voice was indifferent as she quickly distanced herself: "No need, thank you, Second Brother."

Hearing this, Wen Huaixu frowned again. Why was he becoming distant from him again?

The three men in the room watched Yu Tingyu walk out. Chu Lingyu and Zhang Qi'an exchanged a smile and said, "You should first reflect on what you did to offend Tingyu. She's obviously angry with you."

It's not out of spite.

Wen Huaixu understood, but he didn't know what to call this feeling.

However, Yu Tingyu has had more and more secrets in her heart since she grew up.

-

As soon as Yu Tingyu stepped out of the room, all the tension in her body seemed to be drained away, her shoulders and back slumped instantly, and even her steps became more unsteady than before.

She took a deep breath, trying to expel the stale air from her chest.

But it was completely useless; the dull pain persisted.

She knew she was secretly jealous.

But what right or standing does she have to be jealous? She eats their food and lives in their house; she's the one who should be the one wishing them well.

Lost in thought with her head down, Yu Tingyu suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the end of the corridor. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickened her pace to catch up, her voice urgent: "Sihe!"

"Why are you so late getting up? I've been waiting for you for ages."

Shen Sihe paused, her gaze towards Yu Tingyu filled with a strange guilt. She waited a moment, but Yu Tingyu's anger didn't materialize. A little surprised, she asked softly, "You're not angry with me?"

"Why would I be angry with you?" Yu Tingyu asked, puzzled.

Shen Sihe's eyes darted around, her tone hesitant: "What did Brother Huaixu say to you last night?"

Yu Tingyu sighed, "You agree to let me move out."

"And then?" she pressed.

That's it.

Shen Sihe was silent for a moment, as if she had made up her mind: "There's something I should tell you."

Yu Tingyu listened attentively.

"Zhao Xiao was beaten up last night; it was your brother who did it."

After speaking, Shen Sihe lowered her head a little shyly.

Yu Tingyu's eyes widened suddenly, and she asked in astonishment, "...Why?"

"Well..." Shen Sihe glanced cautiously at Yu Tingyu's expression, then hesitated, "You can't be angry with me when I tell you, okay?"

Yu Tingyu nodded, puzzled.

Shen Sihe took a deep breath and finished speaking in one go: "Your brother saw me kissing Zhao Xiao. He thought Zhao Xiao was cheating on me, so he beat him up. He's still in his room and doesn't dare to come out."

The series of messages was so shocking that Yu Tingyu froze, taking a long time to recover before asking in a somewhat bewildered tone, "...What do you mean you kissed Zhao Xiao?"