Although it was the start of autumn, the city of Haicheng rained heavily for a few continuous days, causing the whole city to be enveloped in mist and the air to be especially humid and cold.

Once she exited the cafe, Lin Nuan felt the chill in the air.

“Lin Nuan?!”

Gu Hanyan rushed out of the cafe and grabbed Lin Nuan who was holding up an umbrella. She yelled in her shrill voice, “The four years when Moshen went missing, his inheritance rights, company shares, and even the car and house under his name were taken away by his younger brother, Wen Moshi”

Lin Nuan’s back froze slightly.

“The only thing I can save for Wen Moshen now is myself! I don’t want to see the day Moshen returns only to find that he has nothing left…”

Lin Nuan felt a blow to her heart, bringing her deep pain—

Wen Moshen was a love that couldn’t be touched, hidden at the bottom of Lin Nuan’s heart.

Gu Hanyan stood unprotected from the rain, while Lin Nuan stayed under the shadows of her umbrella; the two were at a stalemate.

Lin Nuan pulled back her wrist from the other’s grip, took out a large black coat from her shoulder bag and wrapped it around herself to draw away some of the chill seeping into her bones.

“You can force me now only because… because I love Wen Moshen, but if he returns one day and finds out the truth, I will surely become an irremovable thorn wedged between the two of you. Gu Hanyan… do you dare to take that chance?”

Gu Hanyan’s lips trembled as she wanted to reply yes, but she was afraid that answering without hesitation would cause her love to sound shallow. As she wavered, her almond-shaped eyes turned red and a teary mist covered them, making her seem all the more delicate and pitiful in the rain.

Lin Nuan’s fair, slim fingers gripped tightly onto the umbrella, her knuckles turning white. Her gaze was clean and calm as she waited for Gu Hanyan’s reply.

Gu Hanyan said nothing for a long time; Lin Nuan turned to leave, yet when her gaze fell on the other side of the road… on the tall brooding man standing beside the Bentley, she paused in surprise.

The black car was parked right underneath the streetlight. The orange light scattered amongst the raindrops to create a soft, misty halo that landed on the man’s broad shoulders, outlining his tough facial features.

A man with such outstanding looks and a strong stable aura would shine wherever he was, to the point where he was impossible to ignore…

It was Fu Huai’an!

She didn’t know why, but seeing Fu Huai’an at that moment, Lin Nuan actually felt a trace of guilt pushing her to feel insecure.

Even though she hadn’t yet decided on whether to help Gu Hanyan, even though she hadn’t done anything yet, she started panicking once she saw Fu Huai’an.

A gust of wind mixed with raindrops blew over, chilling Lin Nuan’s entire body almost instantly.

Lin Nuan clenched her fist around the umbrella tightly, frozen as she watched the man opposite her. She desperately wanted to tear her uneasy gaze away from him, but her body was as still as a statue and she was unable to move.

A middle-aged man had walked out together with Fu Huai’an from the Fragrance Residences… Seeing that Fu Huai’an had a cigarette between his fingers, he tried buttering up to him by holding up a lighter with both hands, wanting to light the cigarette for Fu Huai’an.

Fu Huai’an’s hair and stiff suit were slightly wet from the rain, and he had one hand in his pocket. It was a pose that made him seem superior to others, his pride showing through his expression along with an aura of n.o.bility.

Accompanying Fu Huai’an was his good friend Lu Jinnan who, the moment after he exited the Fragrance Residences, noticed Lin Nuan on the other side of the road. He raised a brow in surprise and adjusted his collar, his uplifted eyes narrowing by half as he walked towards Fu Huai’an.

“President wang, do you mind helping me go to the convenience store on the other side of the road to buy a pack of cigarettes?”

Lu Jinnan spoke with a casual tone, and the middle-aged man standing beside Fu Huai’an nodded his head continuously, agreeing without hesitation. “No problem, President Lu!”

“Thanks!” Lu Jinnan said, without any sincerity.

Watching the chubby President w.a.n.g jog off, Fu Huai’an calmly extinguished the cigarette in his hand.

It was a high-end brand cigarette that someone gave him earlier during the meal, not the brand he was used to smoking.

Lu Jinnan took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and pa.s.sed one cigarette to Fu Huai’an, biting onto another as he said, “Old Fu, your moonlight 1 is right there across the road.”

Fu Huai’an paused in the middle of lighting up his cigarette and looked at Lu Jinnan with a deep and heavy gaze.

Lu Jinnan bit onto his cigarette and stuck both of his hands into his pockets, jerking his chin in Lin Nuan’s direction and said, “I’m not kidding you, she’s over there with your fiancée, Gu Hanyan…”

The cigarette was lit, white smoke rising up from the corner of his lips as Fu Huai’an put away his lighter; his deep and unreadable eyes looked towards the opposite side of the road, quickly spotting the woman watching him.

Just one gaze was enough for the tight strand in Lin Nuan’s heart to break—she thought of Gu Hanyan’s earlier words while they were inside the cafe, and her sweaty palms tightened their grip on her umbrella guiltily.

The heavy white smoke blurred Fu Huai’an’s cold and sharp face, yet Lin Nuan still felt a strong and heavy pressure closing in on her, causing her to panic.

Lu Jinnan bit onto the cigarette b.u.t.t, his gaze fearlessly sizing up Lin Nuan across the road and said, “Women—just give them a car, some flowers, a bag, and a card, and it’s pretty easy to coax them into bed. Is it necessary for you to plan such a huge trap?”

“She’s different from those women of yours,” Fu Huai’an’s deep voice replied calmly, a smile ghosting the corner of his lips in between the puffs of white cigarette smoke.

“She’s indeed different. I investigated that Lin Nuan before; a flower at the radio station that no one has ever managed to tarnish. She’s really hard to obtain, too smart, and quite good at faking it.” Lu Jinnan spoke with a sour tone, “So you like the kind that’s harder to get?

Or… do you like it when women who are harder to obtain submit themselves to you?”

Fu Huai’an pressed the area between his brows with the hand holding the cigarette. He remained silent, and the look in his eyes seemed distant and fathomless.

A car drove over—Lin Nuan ignored the puddles of water on the road and left the pavement, reaching her hand out to stop the car…

“Lin Nuan?!”

Gu Hanyan called her name, but Lin Nuan didn’t look back.

A mixture of mud and ice-cold water soaked Lin Nuan’s white sports shoes, but she didn’t even notice it. She was anxious to escape a place so close to Fu Huai’an. It was only after entering the cab and the warm air hit her that she realized her feet were freezing.

…

Lin Nuan held her umbrella and stood in front of Fu Huai’an’s villa, hesitating.

Because of Gu Hanyan’s last words, once Lin Nuan reached her house, she again gave the cab driver Fu Huai’an’s address.

She was afraid that after tonight, she would lose the courage to come and find Fu Huai’an.

“Miss Lin…”

Upon hearing a voice, Lin Nuan raised her head and saw that Fu Huai’an’s housekeeper had already opened the door to the house. She jogged over to Lin Nuan while carrying an umbrella.

Lin Nuan had once sent Fu Huai’an’s son back home, thus his housekeeper had seen her before and recognized her.

The warm light inside the house shone out from the door, making individual raindrops clear and distinct…

“I saw someone was standing outside without moving for such a long time so I came out to take a look. I didn’t think that it would be Miss Lin!” Auntie Li gave a friendly smile to Lin Nuan. “Is Miss Lin here today to see Tuan Tuan? Tuan Tuan misses you and talks about you every day. He keeps saying that Miss Lin promised to come visit him.”

The sound of the heavy rain hitting the umbrella couldn’t drown out Auntie Li’s happy voice…

She quickly invited Lin Nuan into the house, saying, “It’s pouring outside right now! Quickly enter the house, Miss Lin.”

“Is Mr. Fu back?” When Lin Nuan asked the question, her grip on the umbrella subconsciously tightened and her heart felt unavoidably anxious.

Lin Nuan’s voice was very small and almost couldn’t be heard. Auntie Li took a while to process the question before she reacted and smiled, replying, “Sir is not back yet…”

A car’s bright headlights shone over and Lin Nuan immediately froze in her steps.

Inside the car, Fu Huai’an’s a.s.sistant saw the car light hitting Lin Nuan, whose pants were already half-drenched. She was standing together with Auntie Li with a slightly pale face. The a.s.sistant looked at Fu Huai’an through the rearview mirror, saying, “Boss, it’s Miss Lin…”

Fu Huai’an had lowered his head, his deep eyes focused on his phone’s screen. The light from the screen outlined Fu Huai’an’s cold features, emotionless without a hint of warmth…

Fu Huai’an looked up, and indeed it was Lin Nuan…

Lin Nuan raised her hand to block the car’s overly bright light, her heartbeat increasing.

The car came to a stop and Fu Huai’an’s assistant exited the car and greeted Lin Nuan briefly before jogging over to the other side of the vehicle. He held an umbrella to escort Fu Huai’an outside.

Fu Huai’an stepped out of the car, his suit still immaculate—even his leather shoes were clean and had only a few rainwater droplets on them. It was a sharp contrast compared to Lin Nuan’s disheveled look.

Lin Nuan subconsciously straightened her back.

“Sir is back…” Auntie Li smiled and spoke in a happy tone.

“It’s raining too hard, you should go in first,” Fu Huai’an said to Lin Nuan in a low voice.

Lin Nuan followed after Fu Huai’an and entered the house. Auntie Li drew a bath for her, finding her some clean clothes.

“Miss Lin, since the rain is too heavy and Jing’er road has been flooded, you definitely won’t be able to go home tonight. Sir said to let you rest for here for the night, and you can leave tomorrow.” Auntie Li passed a clean set of clothes to Lin Nuan, “This is a new set of pajamas Sir just bought yesterday; it’s washed and unworn. Your clothes are all soaked, so please make do with this for now. Dinner is already prepared so you can come down and eat after you’re done bathing.””

“Thank you…” Lin Nuan took the pajamas.

Lin Nuan took a hot bath in the bathroom of the guest room, feeling much better afterward.

She sat on the edge of the bed and wiped her hair dry, pondering how to talk to Fu Huai’an about Gu Hanyan. She actually wasn’t very familiar with him.

Requesting him to cancel his engagement sounded ridiculous no matter how she thought about it. It might even make people think that she was being jealous and had a hidden motive.

Lin Nuan wiped her hair with frustration.

When Lin Nuan went to find Fu Huai’an, he had already finished his dinner and was heading upstairs.

The two met at the narrow top of the staircase on the second floor. Lin Nuan didn’t give herself the chance to retreat; she opened her mouth and said with a clear voice, “Mr. Fu, I came with a request.”

Fu Huai’an, one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other in his pocket, walked up the last step, his tall figure standing against the light. Lin Nuan was completely covered by his shadow. The great sense of pressure made Lin Nuan hold on tightly to the corner of her shirt, her brows furrowed as she straightened her back, subconsciously not wanting to show any cowardice.

Their gazes met—Fu Huai’an’s eyes were peaceful and deep, as though he could easily see through other people’s hearts.

Lin Nuan’s intuition told her that Fu Huai’an preferred those who went straight to the point. If she tried to play tricks in front of him and talked in a roundabout way, she would surely be exposed.

Fu Huai’an didn’t push her—he patiently waited for Lin Nuan to speak…

Taking in a deep breath, she threw away the speech she’d prepared in her mind and simplified her words, saying, “Mr. Fu, perhaps you don’t know, but Gu Hanyan was once Wen Moshen’s fiancée, and up until now she is still waiting for Wen Moshen to return.”

Fu Huai’an’s pure black eyes caused Lin Nuan to panic in her heart; she was afraid Fu Huai’an would think she had bad intentions.

Lin Nuan had just finished bathing, and her slightly curled hair fell loose at her waist. Seeing that Fu Huai’an was watching her with a heavy gaze, she tucked her long hair behind her ear to cover up her embarra.s.sment.

“As the saying goes, gentlemen do not s.n.a.t.c.h what others love, nor will they push others into a difficult corner. Mr. Fu, you’re a gentleman. Even if you wish to get engaged, you should have asked the lady about her feelings instead of deciding it with her family. After all, this is no longer the era of arranged marriages.”

Lin Nuan spoke respectfully in a soft, yet firm, tone. Her words were direct with no embellishments. Even as she praised Fu Huai’an as a gentleman, it was merely to flatter him and emphasize his position as a man of character.

Fu Huai’an looked at Lin Nuan without much emotion. His cold, thin lips were pursed, and he ignored her words, saying, “I lack a woman, Tuan Tuan lacks a mother, I don’t care who Gu Hanyan’s heart belongs to.”

Lin Nuan suddenly remembered the little boy who looked at her with his big wet eyes as he shyly called her ‘Mother’.

Her palms were covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her heart skipped a beat for a moment; she actually felt that Fu Huai’an’s words were a hint towards her.

Distracted, Lin Nuan watched as Fu Huai’an brushed past her shoulder.

Inside the bedroom, Fu Huai’an lit up a cigarette and casually threw his customized lighter onto the coffee table.

Thud thud thud—

Hearing the knocking on his door, Fu Huai’an picked up his cup of coffee with the same hand holding his cigarette, his deep gaze looking up in the direction of the door. He stayed silent.

The results came faster than Fu Huai’an predicted.

Thud thud thud—

The knocking sound started up once more. Fu Huai’an’s long fingers ran along the rim of the cup, and he let out a low hum before he spoke up in a relaxed tone, “Enter…”

Fu Huai’an’s deep voice traveled beyond the door, and Lin Nuan’s heart clenched for a split second. Confusion and cowardice almost clouded her heart, but at the thought of Wen Moshen… His name was like a talisman, deflecting away her hesitation.

Lin Nuan grabbed the door handle, turned it and entered the room.

Fu Huai’an sat on the couch lazily, a doc.u.ment lying on his casually crossed legs.

When Lin Nuan entered, Fu Huai’an was placing down the coffee in his hands, flipping onto the next page of the doc.u.ment with a cigarette in his mouth.

She closed the door, her expression reflecting the desire to seek death.

“Any problems?” Fu Huai’an didn’t turn his head; he calmly asked the question while biting onto his cigarette.

In the room filled with cigarette smoke, Fu Huai’an’s expression was slightly obscured.

“Mr. Fu, you said you need a woman, and Tuan Tuan needs a mother. I think that no matter if it’s being Tuan Tuan’s mother or being your woman, maybe I’m much more suitable than Gu Hanyan!” The rims of Lin Nuan’s eyes were red, and her tone was unfriendly. “You’re waiting for me to say this, right?”

Fu Huai’an stayed silent, his eyelids slightly closed. Through the white smoke, his strong facial features were blurred.

If Fu Huai’an didn’t like Gu Hanyan, then Lin Nuan’s outstanding looks could easily gain favor from men. On the matter of being Tuan Tuan’s mother, Tuan Tuan had already taken Lin Nuan as his mother, hadn’t he?

Lin Nuan wasn’t dumb to the point that she couldn’t get Lin Huai’an’s hint.

Even though Lin Nuan had already decided on this plan beforehand, but after hearing Fu Huai’an’s hint, her heart was filled with indignation and anger.