Chapter 8

The rain had poured all night and showed no sign of stopping the next day.

Dai Jiao was on a business trip again today. When Shu Shiran arrived at the firm in the morning, she called a meeting to discuss work arrangements and the progress of various projects.

She assigned the team responsible for the Wu family’s hotel renovation project and added Wu Tianqi to the group.

After all, it was their own hotel—he should pay some attention to it.

After the meeting, as she stepped out of the conference room, two architects were chatting about the rain.

“Rain is such a hassle. The roads were completely jammed; I almost got late this morning.”

“I took the subway, so it was okay, but someone’s umbrella got my clothes soaked.”

“Rainy days are just miserable.”

“I heard it’s going to rain until the weekend.”

...

Shu Shiran glanced at the rain outside, feeling a bit dazed.

She had listened to the rain all night.

Back in her office, she called her uncle, Xue Sheng.

“Ranran?”

Shu Shiran: “Uncle, I found a friend yesterday who said he could help and would probably contact you.”

Xue Sheng: “That’s great.”

Even over the phone, she could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

“How’s the situation now?” she asked.

Xue Sheng: “The company just issued an announcement. There won’t be any substantial moves in the next few days.”

According to regulations, the company cannot trade Wanling’s stock within two days after such announcements.

Shu Shiran: “I still have shares in a few companies. I can sell them or use them as collateral for a loan.”

Xue Sheng: “That won’t do.”

Shu Shiran: “It’s just to tide us over. We can’t let Wanling fall into someone else’s hands—”

“No,” Xue Sheng interrupted, “Ranran, it hasn’t come to the point where you need to take out a loan.”

Shu Shiran: “Every little bit helps.”

“Really, it’s unnecessary,” Xue Sheng sighed. “Ranran, I shouldn’t have involved you in this in the first place.”

Shu Shiran: “Uncle, don’t say that. You should come to me. Wanling is the fruit of your and Mom’s hard work.”

Xue Sheng: “Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

Knowing her uncle’s temperament, Shu Shiran didn’t push further.

After hanging up, she rubbed her temples. She hadn’t slept well last night, and her head throbbed continuously.

Then, she opened WeChat and scrolled down.

Below the work groups was Ji Xi.

Opening the chat, the conversation from last night came into view.

She hesitated for a few seconds before making a voice call.

The WeChat ringtone rang for a long time with no answer.

Just as Shu Shiran was about to hang up, the call connected.

“Looking for me?”

A low, muffled voice came through.

Shu Shiran slightly pulled the phone away from her ear. “Are you sleeping?”

She glanced at the time—almost eleven o’clock.

Ji Xi: “Went to bed late. You at the firm?”

Shu Shiran responded with a soft “Hmm,” feeling a bit unreal.

After last night, their relationship had suddenly shifted from unfamiliar to this kind of everyday casualness.

Ji Xi seemed to understand why she called and said, “Don’t worry about Wanling.”

Shu Shiran knew it would not be easy to stop this hostile takeover.

“I have some shares I can use as collateral for a loan. The money could come through you—”

Ji Xi: “Why through me?”

Of course, she couldn’t let her uncle know.

If her uncle found out, he definitely wouldn’t accept it. So she thought maybe she could route it through Ji Xi.

Before Shu Shiran could answer, Ji Xi chuckled.

He suddenly called her by name, his voice clearer: “Shu Shiran.”

Being addressed by her full name gave Shu Shiran a strange feeling—too formal.

Ji Xi: “Are you having second thoughts?”

Understanding what he meant, Shu Shiran felt inexplicably puzzled. “When did I want to back out?”

Ji Xi: “Last night you said, if I solve the Wanling issue, you’d marry me.”

Last night, after making up her mind, Shu Shiran sent him two messages.

The first: Deal.

The second: If you solve Wanling’s problem, I’ll marry you.

Ji Xi: “If your money is involved, can it still be said that I solved it completely? Isn’t that giving you room to back out?”

Shu Shiran was momentarily speechless and instinctively retorted, “I’m not as scheming as you.”

She hadn’t even thought about that angle.

Ji Xi’s tone was teasing: “Such a grudge.”

“...” Shu Shiran didn’t want to engage further.

Footsteps sounded on the other end, as if he had gotten out of bed.

A deep voice came through: “Don’t worry about Wanling. You just need to watch the outcome.”

His tone was arrogantly casual, as if nothing mattered, giving off an air of effortless control.

Annoyed by his earlier words, Shu Shiran responded stiffly with a short, “Oh.”

After that “oh,” she realized something strange about herself.

Her temper and patience at the firm were among the best. She stayed calm and composed even with the most difficult and stubborn clients.

Why was she so easily vexed around Ji Xi?

Ji Xi chuckled: “I thought architects were all busy.”

The implication being she was too idle to worry so much.

“...” Shu Shiran thought her earlier self-reflection was misplaced.

“Yes, very busy,” she said.

Ji Xi: “What’s the progress on my project?”

Shu Shiran composed herself and replied, “We have a direction now. If you’re free next week, we can meet, either online or in person. After that, we’ll develop a detailed plan.”

Ji Xi: “Wait until I’m back from New York. I have to go there.”

Shu Shiran had the odd impression he was just informing her of his schedule.

“Okay.”

After a few seconds, she added, “Alright, I’ll hang up now.”

Ji Xi: “Mhm. I’ll handle the Wanling issue.”

His tone sounded slightly softer than before.

**

After the call with Ji Xi, Shu Shiran felt an unusual calmness settle over her.

Like many architectural firms, Chunxiang had a dedicated model-making area with a large workbench cluttered with materials and tools.

In the afternoon, when Shu Shiran went there, Wu Tianqi was also present.

It was her idea to have Wu Tianqi help with the model—after all, he majored in sculpture as an undergraduate.

She observed that his hands-on skills were quite good.

She pointed out a spot where he had glued something incorrectly.

Wu Tianqi was a bit distracted. “Oh, didn’t notice.”

Shu Shiran: “Focus.”

Afterward, Wu Tianqi and an intern continued working on the model.

Meanwhile, Shu Shiran and another architect worked on the design from the other side of the bench.

Although presentations to clients now mostly used computer models and animations, during the development phase, she still preferred physical models.

Time passed quickly amid progress.

When they finished, Shu Shiran said to Wu Tianqi, “Come with me to the office.”

Wu Tianqi followed her inside and asked, “Sharon, what do you need?”

Shu Shiran: “Do you already know?”

Wu Tianqi: “Huh?”

She said nothing.

She had caught him looking at her several times earlier.

He hesitated.

They played a silent guessing game.

Finally, Wu Tianqi, feeling uneasy under her gaze and unable to contain his curiosity, decided to ask directly.

“I heard some rumors.”

At noon, a friend suddenly set off firecrackers in a group chat, saying Shu Shiran and her boyfriend seemed to have broken up.

Her boyfriend had been caught with another woman at Stay.

He was jubilant in the group, saying they should celebrate.

Some were surprised and questioned the reliability of the news.

His exact words were: “Cheating at a place like Stay, do you think no one would know? Is Yan’s brain broken? And he’s letting go of a girl like Shu Shiran?”

They then thought to ask Wu Tianqi, since he worked with Shu Shiran.

Wu Tianqi replied: “I don’t know.”

They asked him to find out more.

Wu Tianqi suspected the rumor was mostly true.

Shu Shiran had indeed gone to Stay last night, and he was the one who took her there.

He also recalled how tired Shu Shiran looked this morning.

But that could have been from work stress.

He had thought his drawings weren’t good enough yesterday, so he sent them to Shu Shiran just before bed, around one a.m., trying to create the impression of a late night’s hard work to garner sympathy.

Unexpectedly, she replied within ten minutes.

Her working late made him seem less diligent by comparison.

“Ran, is it true what’s being said outside? Did you break up?” Wu Tianqi probed.

He already knew.

With so many eyes at Stay last night, Shu Shiran must have expected the news to spread—but not this fast.

“It’s true.”

Wu Tianqi was shocked.

Shu Shiran warned him, “Don’t spread this around the firm.”

A chill ran down Wu Tianqi’s spine. “I promise I won’t.”

Shortly after Wu Tianqi left the office, Shu Shiran’s phone started ringing nonstop.

In a small group chat with Zheng Tingyan and Xu Ying, Zheng Tingyan was looking for her.

- Zheng Tingyan: Ranran.

- Zheng Tingyan: Ranran?

- Zheng Tingyan: @Shu Shiran

- Zheng Tingyan: You and Yan Yi were doing well, right?

- Xu Ying: Why suddenly ask that?

- Xu Ying: What’s wrong with her and Yan Yi?

- Zheng Tingyan: Probably nothing, but I just heard someone say Yan Yi brought another woman in front of Ranran to break up with her.

- Zheng Tingyan: It doesn’t make sense.

- Xu Ying: Could something have really happened?

- Zheng Tingyan: Don’t know, but it’s unlikely.

- Zheng Tingyan: I checked. The rumor came from Zhao Siling. She’s been spreading nonsense before.

Shu Shiran replied in the chat: Not entirely true. I caught Yan Yi cheating.

- Zheng Tingyan: Ah????

- Xu Ying: What?

Zheng Tingyan started a group voice call.

“Ranran, what’s going on? Yan Yi cheated on you?”

Shu Shiran asked, “Don’t you have work?”

Zheng Tingyan: “I have a meeting later. Free for now.”

Xu Ying: “I just left the office.”

Zheng Tingyan: “So what happened?”

Shu Shiran recounted what she saw at Stay last night.

Zheng Tingyan grew angrier as she listened: “I thought he was reliable, but I was wrong. He’s a scumbag!”

Xu Ying sneered: “If he was so faithful to his first love, why did he chase you in the first place?”

They had all watched Yan Yi pursue Shu Shiran back then.

Zheng Tingyan: “Exactly! It’s disgusting! He has a girlfriend like Ranran and still isn’t satisfied. What a jerk.”