Volume 1, Chapter 8: Si Jinnian, it’s over, you’ve fallen for it!

“Ah, a rare sight indeed.” Smelling the scent of gossip, Zheng Weidong barged into the room without even knocking.

Hearing the intruder’s voice, Si Jinnian frowned and said coldly, “Get out!”

Zheng Weidong had heard that countless times before—his ears were practically calloused from it.

“Si Jinnian, you’re really being unfair.” He plopped down on the sofa and, acting completely at ease, poured himself a glass of water. “We agreed to stay single together, so how come you’re already getting cozy with some young girl?”

How did Zheng Weidong know about this? He overheard it from a group of soldiers while going downstairs to use the bathroom.

At first, he didn’t believe it. Who was Si Jinnian? A cold and unyielding block of ice.

Him holding a woman? The sun would have to rise in the west for that to happen.

But the way those soldiers described it, it sounded too real. Zheng Weidong couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Without even finishing his business, he rushed up to the third floor in one breath.

A young girl?

Si Jinnian suddenly recalled the age he had glimpsed when submitting the marriage report—Shen Nian’an was twenty years old.

Seven years younger, yet her fresh face looked like that of a sixteen-year-old girl...

For some unknown reason, Si Jinnian felt a tightness in his chest.

He corrected himself, “An’an isn’t a child; she’s already an adult.”

An’an?

Hearing the familiar name, Zheng Weidong immediately perked up, straightening his slouched figure on the sofa.

“That’s what I thought! There’s no way Jinnian just suddenly grew a heart.”

Their offices were next to each other; Zheng Weidong was also aware that Su Wanhua had come to ask Si Jinnian about picking someone up.

The girl to be picked up was called An’an.

Jinnian knew very well that he had no intention of marrying; the only reason he went to pick up An’an was to have some peace and quiet later.

If he held her, there had to be a reason—definitely not because he liked her.

Still, Jinnian had no interest! He had standards! He simply hadn’t met anyone who caught his eye.

But Zheng Weidong had heard that An’an was quite beautiful—and now that she was of age.

“Jinnian,” Zheng Weidong stood and approached Si Jinnian’s desk, rubbing his hands together with a mischievous grin, “how does An’an look? Is she really pretty?”

Si Jinnian, regretting his slip of the tongue earlier, was instantly distracted by the question.

Pretty?

Suddenly, a gentle smile appeared in his mind.

The woman’s eyes were large and round, as if filled with countless stars; when she looked at you, your heart involuntarily tightened. Besides her eyes, her nose and mouth were small, but when she smiled, two tiny dimples appeared on her fair cheeks—adorable and sweet, as if capable of melting one’s heart...

Lost in thought, his cold, hardened heart unconsciously contracted.

Somehow, something felt different.

“Jinnian? Jinnian?” Zheng Weidong waved his hand in front of Si Jinnian’s face, but was slapped away as Jinnian snapped back to reality.

“It’s a rarity to see you, the workaholic, daydreaming,” Zheng Weidong teased, then leaned in with a sly smile, “So, tell me, is An’an really that good-looking?”

Si Jinnian’s pupils contracted slightly but quickly returned to normal.

He pushed Zheng Weidong’s head away and picked up his pen to continue writing.

Though he seemed unaffected, the blurred brushstrokes on the paper clearly recorded his inner unrest.

Seeing Jinnian return to his usual self, Zheng Weidong complained, “You’re no fun at all—no wonder you can’t find a wife.”

Suddenly, Si Jinnian stopped writing, lifted his gaze, and fixed Zheng Weidong with cold, ink-black eyes that sent a chill down Zheng’s spine.

Before Zheng could speak, Jinnian said first:

“From now on, remember to call me sister-in-law.”

“Uh, sister-in-law...” Zheng Weidong echoed in stunned disbelief.

Then, suddenly realizing something was wrong, he raised his voice sharply, “What? Sister-in-law? You... you two...”

“Already filed the marriage report?”

Zheng Weidong knew Si Jinnian well enough to know that with his meticulous nature, he wouldn’t say such things unless everything was set in stone.

Though shocked, Zheng felt genuine happiness for his brother, despite a tinge of jealousy.

“Well, Auntie can rest easy now. All that’s left is to wait for grandchildren.”

Children...

Si Jinnian’s pen paused, then blurred into a small dot as he frowned seriously.

What was wrong with him today?

He felt distracted.

Just as Si Jinnian was self-reflecting, a voice beside him suddenly exploded:

“This is bad! Jinnian, you just left An’an alone at home? Don’t you know mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are natural enemies? There’s always a huge fuss in the residential compound!”

Enemies?

Si Jinnian was easily led astray, but thinking of his mother’s constant nagging about Shen Nian’an, he shook his head inwardly.

“My mom won’t be like that.”

“Jinnian, you don’t understand women. Before, An’an was just a friend’s daughter, so she was treated kindly. But now that she’s your wife, it’s a whole different story—she’ll definitely face hardships.”

Zheng Weidong looked at him with frustration, “I’m not saying this as a brother, but the day An’an arrived on the island, you already took her to file the marriage report, then left her alone at home to face Auntie by herself? What are you thinking? I don’t even know what to say about you!”

Si Jinnian’s handsome face darkened at the scolding.

“Get out!” he said coldly.

Zheng Weidong wanted to argue more—after all, this was his rare moment to have the upper hand over Jinnian.

Usually, Jinnian scolded him; today, he finally had his chance to turn the tables.

But before he could speak, his eyes caught Si Jinnian’s hand reaching for the phone on the desk.

Instantly intimidated, he dared not risk being thrown out by the security guards again—it was far too humiliating.

“Jinnian, don’t hit me. I’m leaving now—I won’t disturb your serious work.”

Bang.

The door slammed shut.

But not long after, the door opened again, revealing Zheng Weidong’s large head.

“Jinnian, what I said comes from the heart. Don’t take it lightly, or you’ll be sleeping alone in a cold bed.”

Before Si Jinnian could tell him to leave again, Zheng spoke rapidly, finished his words, shut the door, and slipped away.

He was bursting! Must go to the bathroom! Must go!

Once he left, the noisy room fell silent again.

But Si Jinnian couldn’t calm down.

After a while, he put away his pen, locked the door, and went downstairs.

He wasn’t worried that Comrade Shen would be mistreated—a woman tough enough to punch a petty thief wouldn’t be wronged.

Still, what he did was indeed thoughtless.

So he decided to go back.

When Zheng Weidong returned from the bathroom, he saw a familiar back and thought he was hallucinating.

But when he saw the neighbor’s door firmly locked, he laughed out loud.

Jinnian, you’re done for!

Hmph, trying to kick me out?

I’m waiting for the day you beg me!

At the Si residence, after finishing the lesson for Liu Jinyue, Su Wanhua started preparing dinner as it was getting late.

By the time Si Jinnian returned, the meal was ready and set on the table.

Si Jinnian’s mother and Liu Jinyue were sitting at the dining table as usual, waiting for Si Jinfather and Si Jinnian.

Without warning, Jinnian appeared in the room, causing slight surprise on the faces of his mother and Liu Jinyue, but they quickly composed themselves.

“Jinnian, you’re home early today. Come, sit down. We’ll eat once your father is back.”

While Si Jinnian’s mother spoke, Liu Jinyue had already gone to the kitchen to pour a glass of water and handed it to Jinnian.

“Big brother, you must be tired. Have some water first.”

Si Jinnian did not take it.

Zheng Weidong’s words seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill to Jinnian, so he paid them no mind.

But when he returned home and saw his mother and younger sister chatting and laughing together, while Shen Nian’an was nowhere to be seen, an inexplicable anger welled up in his heart.

“Where’s An’an?”