As Su Wanli closed her eyes, pulled the blanket over herself, and drifted off into a hazy sleep, there was still another sleepless person in the room next door.
Hey.
Meng Wange, draped in her school uniform jacket, sat on the empty, disheveled big bed in her room, sighing quietly to herself.
Meng Wange, didn’t you already decide to keep your distance from Su Wanli?
But in the end, here you are again, just like this.
She stood up softly and walked to the wide, clear floor-to-ceiling window, yanking the curtains all the way to the edge of the room in one swift motion, letting the entire room fill with a cold, silvery glow.
But, there’s really nothing you can do about it, right?
Recalling the scene of that black-haired girl standing silently in front of her door, raising her hand and looking up at her, Meng Wange gave a helpless smile and pressed her forehead.
So, Su Wanli brought me downstairs without a word, got in the car, and wore that anxious expression, staring out the window the whole time—was it just to go to the Amusement Park and relax for a bit?
And that anxious look—was it simply because she was running out of time and feeling rushed?
I thought she was…
Ah, so that’s how it is.
The wall I set up for her, turns out it could be resolved just like that.
Meng Wange’s lips curved up slightly as she turned to glance at the room next door, the one belonging to Su Xiaoli.
“Using someone’s own methods to treat them in kind, huh…”
You’re really something, Fen Wanjin.
I wonder if it was just a coincidence, or if she designed it that way on purpose. In any case, the little barrier I deliberately set up was completely dismantled by her, clean and neat.
…So, what should I do now, Meng Wange?
Keep thinking of ways to put up obstacles between us, to maintain that subtle sense of distance?
Heh, if you truly wanted to keep your distance from her, there were much more suitable ways to act at the Amusement Park, weren’t there?
All you had to do was act timid and cautious the whole way, fall behind her by a step or two in every game—if you did it enough times, Su Wanli would naturally get tired of you.
But in the end…not only did you not do that, you even whispered ambiguous rumors in her ear, and in the end, you even took Su Wanli onto the Ferris wheel to make wishes together under the sky.
Was it because it was your first time being taken to the Amusement Park, swept up by that warm, lively atmosphere, and you got excited without realizing it, unable to control your feelings?
Or are those all just excuses, and you simply don’t want to be separated from her?
…You’re just unwilling to drift apart from her like this, you want to understand her more, to get closer, to learn every little thing about her?
“Tick-tock.”
The flip clock on the desk gave a crisp reminder. Unknowingly, it was already eleven o’clock at night.
The study materials Meng Wange had opened at noon still lay on the desk. In theory, she was supposed to finish studying all this content tonight.
But today, she ended up goofing around with Su Wanli for the whole day…
Now it was already eleven at night. If she didn’t stay up late, she wouldn’t just miss yesterday’s plan—she’d barely keep up with today’s.
With a sense of urgency, Meng Wange sat down at the desk and switched on the desk lamp.
The soft warm light drove away the darkness around her, making the empty room feel a little cozier.
Still, even though her plan was falling behind, it probably didn’t matter that much, right?
If Mom knew how willingly I was slacking off, she’d probably be crying again.
Though that suffocating face kept surfacing in her mind, Meng Wange didn’t immediately pick up her pen this time. Instead, she closed the book at hand and pushed it to the edge of the desk, then continued to gaze out the window.
Her gaze fell on the garden of the Su Residence, onto the lively Yuanquanyuan.
Moonlight was sliced into ribbons of silver by the gushing water, scattering into a patchwork of silvery-white spots—just like the lake she saw with Su Wanli from the Ferris wheel.
If only I could stop thinking so much, and just focus on Nan Lake under the moonlight, on those endlessly cycling waves…
Heh, as if that’s possible?
Meng Wange let out a gentle sigh, fished a key out of her pocket, and inserted it into the only locked drawer beneath her desk.
Next, just need to finish the last task for today…
Although there hadn’t been any sound in the room, Su Heng suddenly woke up with a start from his chair.
“Wha—what time is it?”
Maybe it was because he hadn’t been back to his room in so long, or maybe his body really did need rest, but what was supposed to be a short nap had turned into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He held his breath quietly, pulled back his sleeve, and glanced at the time.
—Ten twenty…
Whew, good, there’s still time.
Maybe things had been going well lately and he’d gotten a bit too relaxed, so he’d dozed off a little longer than planned.
Su Heng took a deep breath, tapped his forehead with his knuckle, trying to clear his head.
According to his plan, at this hour, Wanli and Meng Wange should be having a late-night snack in the Yan Hui Ting. Even if they got back a little earlier, they should have just finished eating by now.
Zhang Ma should have already passed along the message that this midnight snack was personally arranged by him, so next…
Su Heng stood up, opened the wardrobe in his room, and tidied his slightly messy hair in front of the full-length mirror.
Next, just walk slowly down the stairs, pretending to have just come back from the company, and casually greet them as he passed by…
If it was Meng Wange, she’d surely respond politely with a “thank you for your hard work,” right?
Maybe Wanli would even be prompted to echo a word or two…
With that hope in mind, Su Heng took a few steps forward and pushed open his bedroom door—
“Ah, Mr. Su.”
Old Zhang, the butler and driver, was standing properly outside the door. At the first sight of Su Heng, he immediately bowed slightly.
“Assistant Qiu asked me to check if you could spare a little time tonight. There’s an official who’d like to discuss the previous…”
“No time.”
Really now, didn’t I say not to disturb me for eight hours? Can’t this guy understand plain words…
Su Heng shook his head and was about to go downstairs.
“Um, Mr. Su…”
However, even though Su Heng had already refused so coldly, Old Zhang still seemed to have more to say.
“If you’re heading downstairs to look for the young ladies, they’ve already gone back to rest.”
Su Heng’s steps froze in midair.
He silently withdrew his foot, turned back, and looked at Old Zhang’s honest, weathered face.
“…I was just hungry and wanted to grab a bite downstairs, that’s all.”
“I understand, I’ll get in touch with Zhang Ma right away…”
“But…when did they get home? Why are they resting so early?”
The butler flipped open his watch and reported to Su Heng, item by item.
“The young ladies arrived home at 9:34, escorted by the bodyguards who drove them back. After that, they all had a late-night snack together in the Yan Hui Ting, which took twenty minutes. Then they relaxed for a while in the first-floor lobby, and at 10:14, they went upstairs to their rooms, one after the other.”
So, just six minutes ago?
…What bad timing.
Su Heng pinched the bridge of his nose in silence and sighed inwardly.
Forget it. Honestly, this time I came home planning for the family to have a proper meal together in the Yan Hui Ting, but if I missed it, then I missed it. It’s not a big deal—just one less chance to have a heart-to-heart with my daughter.
After all, it’s been so long since I last spoke with her. If we suddenly had two meals together at the same table in two days, I might come off as a bit too eager…
Well, as long as Zhang Ma passed along the message that this late-night snack was specially prepared by me, it’s fine. As long as my daughter knows someone at home still cares about her, worries about her health, the father-daughter relationship will improve one day.
Take it slow, no need to rush…
Yes, no need to rush…
Su Heng bit his lip, finally unable to resist turning back to the butler and asking,
“But why did they get home at nine-thirty? The Amusement Park only closes around this time, doesn’t it?”
“According to Zhang Ma, it seems Miss Su was too tired after playing at the Amusement Park, and also wasn’t feeling well, so the driver brought them all home early.”
“Huh? Not feeling well? What happened to Wanli?”
Facing Su Heng’s sudden anxiety, the butler thought for a moment and replied,
“It seems that because there was a Stop Power Event at home last night, Miss Su’s hair wasn’t dried properly and she caught a bad cold. But you don’t have to worry, Zhang Ma already brewed herbal medicine for her, and Miss Meng Wange also gave her a Body Nourishing Pill. When they went out, Miss Su looked fully recovered.”
“I see.”
Su Heng let out a relieved sigh, then silently raised his phone.
“Hello? Mr. Su, have you finished your business? That official is still waiting at the airport for our reply…”
“Get in touch with the power company for me. Tomorrow, have them inspect the entire electrical system of the Su Residence.”
“—Yes, that’s right, the entire Su Residence. Tomorrow.”