Looking at each other

Actually, the second negotiation wasn't very pleasant either. Su wasn't as serious as last time, and instead seemed a bit half-hearted. The other party was a little nervous, but in the end, their intentions remained unchanged.

On the way to the airport, Su Yao had a headache. With her eyes closed and arms crossed, she asked Ge Jin, "Is Wen Xie coming back today?"

Yesterday, Su Wenxie told her he was going diving. She remembered that her family owned a sea-view house there, and Su Wenxie could stay there, so she asked him a question.

Ge Jin sent Su Wenxie a message to inquire, and added a seemingly unrelated comment that Su hadn't mentioned: "Should I tell Mr. Su about your return to China?"

After a long pause, Su Yao slowly replied, "If he's not going back to the hotel, you don't need to tell him. If he comes back, just tell him I have something to do in China."

She knew it wouldn't be good to tell Su Wenxie about this; given his personality, he would probably only think that An Chi was a bad person, rather than that her sister had done it willingly.

She seemed really exhausted. She had a meeting until midnight yesterday and then had to get up this morning to deal with all sorts of miscellaneous tasks. She had originally planned to take Su Wenxie on vacation, but unexpected things kept happening one after another. Even so, she still asked him to book a flight to China that night.

This reminded Ge Jin of the years An Chi spent abroad.

At that time, Su often landed or transited through Washington, D.C. She would go to Anchi's university, and might walk around outside the campus for a while, or stop there to watch the people coming and going, or even glance at the campus while driving by...

Ge Jin thought she was just concerned as an elder, but now it seems that only Su Yao herself knows what kind of feelings she had at that time.

He never asked about these things, but Su was accompanied by more than just Ge Jin as an assistant on the business trip; Tang Pai was also there.

She was a girl, and she was good at perceiving these things. She asked Su why he didn't tell An Chi how much he cared, even though he had done so much.

Sue's answer was: "He probably doesn't need these."

At that time, Su always thought that An Chi really hated him and probably never wanted to see him again.

But Tang Pai said, "If I were Mr. An, I wouldn't hate you."

Su smiled but didn't say anything, only when Tang Pai said a comforting word to her.

Tang Pai got anxious, eager to clear her name: "When my parents brought me from abroad, they had already found me a job, but when I said I wanted to come to City A to try my luck, they disagreed and we even argued."

"Later, I listened to them and took a 9-to-5 job, but after two days, I gave up. I understand their plans for me, but they have been planning for my whole life, and I really don't want to live like that in the future, so I talked to them again."

"Later, my dad and I even made a bet. He said that if I could get the job, he would allow me to work in City A. I still remember the way my mom said that time. She said, 'Our daughter is so outstanding, she will definitely get the job. You old man will be crying then.'"

Tang Pai imitated the voice and actions, making Su Yao, who had been frowning, laugh.

"Your mother is right, you are indeed excellent."

Upon receiving Su Yao's affirmation, Tang Pai suddenly became embarrassed, but then changed his attitude and earnestly said to Su Yao, "If you seriously express your concerns to Mr. An, he will definitely understand you. Family members need to discuss things together."

Su looked at the girl who was a few years younger than her but was exceptionally serious and replied, "Okay, our girl is indeed outstanding, and she's also a master at giving advice."

Tang Pai's face suddenly flushed; she realized that Su was teasing her again.

But Su Yao was also genuinely praising and thanking Tang Pai. Without Tang Pai's words, she might never have been willing to confess those things to An Chi. She would rather play the villain to the end so that she would have no regrets.

But to her surprise, An Chi was also unpredictable. When he eagerly became her dog, she didn't feel relieved or at ease. Instead, she regretted that the consequences of her confession were not what she had expected.

And when he told her he knew she had been there, she was also annoyed that she hadn't hidden it properly.

Neither Ge Jin nor Tang Pai understood why she was unwilling to tell An Chi, even though she clearly cared about him.

It's because she couldn't figure out exactly how crazy An Chi really was.

He would go to great lengths to get his sister medical treatment, even things she never expected, and after she recovered, he would show the most foolish sincerity, willingly becoming her sexual partner when he was lucid, and kneeling beside her, begging her not to marry Bai Lutong...

This person follows his own path, always walking on her edge, as if it were the path she controls, yet always taking the wrong turn. To this day, she still has doubts that An Chi's kindness to his family is just an illusion, so she is unwilling to tell him that many of his actions are for fear of accidents. Fortunately, he is now truly willing to be her pet, otherwise Su Yao would not want to cultivate an opponent for herself.

Now, only An Chi understands how he knew Su had been to his school.

In reality, this was just a glimpse into the past.

"Hey, An, do you know that Asian girls are really shy? Are all Asian girls like that?" As the first classmate to talk to An Chi, Lucas found it easy for them to get close. However, Lucas was keen to make friends with different people, and in an unfamiliar place, almost everyone An Chi met at the beginning was introduced by Lucas.

The Asian girl he was referring to was a Korean student studying here. She was the girl Lucas had recently met. When An Chi was asked about her, someone involuntarily came to mind—Su Yao.

She was never shy, never introverted, and always stood confidently in every place, destined to be the center of attention, even in a corner.

He was tall and sat in the back row in high school. When she attended parent-teacher conferences for him, she was always surrounded by people. She would smile and command the crowd.

"An! An! Who are you thinking about?" Lucas called him back to reality.

An Chi smiled apologetically and replied awkwardly, "I was thinking about my old friends back in China."

“Oh, then a lot of girls will be heartbroken, An.” Lucas looked amused and wanted to find out something, but An Chi answered a phone call, interrupting their conversation.

During those days, he met a friend who was willing to take risks and conduct research with him.

They agreed to meet at the school gate.

Su was walking at the door that day when she received a last-minute notice. In her haste, she bumped into a little girl. She didn't think much about it and was only concerned that the little girl wouldn't get hurt.

She knelt down and apologized to the blonde, blue-eyed little girl, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry. How about I give you a piece of candy? If anything happens, please tell me."

The little girl blinked at her, but her eyes lit up when she took out a mint from her pocket. Su didn't have any other candy, but she always carried a few mints with her to keep herself awake. They were the same brand as the ones in her study, and she preferred that flavor.

Su Yao handed all the mints to the little girl, repeatedly apologizing and showing concern for her. The girl thanked her, and Su Yao only got up to leave again after making sure the girl was alright.

However, the girl, who was skipping and jumping around with candy in her hand, bumped into An Chi, who was looking for his friends.

When An Chi looked down, he initially intended to check on the child, but his composure wavered when he saw the candy in her arms. He recognized the candy; Su Yao had plenty in her study, and it wasn't sold abroad. Could it be…?

Seeing the intense look in his eyes, the child generously handed him two candies, but he eagerly asked, "Where did these candies come from?"

"A pretty lady gave it to me; she's over there." The girl pointed towards the crowd.

An Chi quickened his pace and walked forward. It was peak time, and the crowd was like a wall.

But he still saw it. The back view that looked so much like Su Yao's was her. As long as she turned her head, he would know if it was her. But from the moment she got into the car until it drove away, she didn't turn her head.

That uncertainty stemmed from his lack of self-confidence; he didn't believe Su Yao would care about him and come to his school. Yet, that certainty also came from his own judgment; he had seen Su Yao's departing figure time and time again, and he knew that was her.

An Chi wanted to call out to her, to say "Su Yao," but it was like a lump in his throat, a painful silence.

He hadn't said that name in a long time. Whether it was two people forgetting or one person's silent performance, he didn't know, and he wasn't sure.

Su Yao couldn't fathom his madness, and he couldn't see through Su Yao at all—whether there was even a shred of pity for him behind the manipulation of him.

A light drizzle suddenly began to fall, and the crowd hurried even faster. His friend held an umbrella over him from behind, looked in the direction he was looking, and asked, "An, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing much. Did you come to talk to me about things in China today?" He concealed the sorrow in his eyes, but the cold rain falling into them only reflected a ruthless depth.

His friend shrugged and said to him as they walked, "I don't support your development of the China region. Our business here is unstable, and attracting investment is also difficult."

An Chi was unusually serious when he talked to him, and in the end, his friend supported him in returning to China to do this.

His questions after returning to China seemed to be devoid of doubt, but his inner thoughts were as chaotic as the sudden drizzle that day.

Fortunately, the answer was yes.

He suddenly realized, feeling the same kind of joy as a lost pet finally returning home.

...

Ge Jin was still confused about where he was inferior to An Chi. In terms of talent, his background and ability were not necessarily better than An Chi's, but he was definitely better. In terms of time, how could he have fallen behind in seven years? But he understood that Su Yao's choices were always unexpected. Just like when he chose Tang Pai to join the company, he was also caught off guard. Such an unpredictable person was actually a good match for An Chi, who was also unconventional. In his opinion, this was a good match.

Just as the stability of something you know very well cannot compare to the excitement of the unknown.

He smiled, always feeling that in this silent battlefield of love, he would be the first to withdraw.

When Su Wenxie sent the message, Su Yao was sleeping and on her way to the airport. Ge Jin learned that Su Wenxie did not plan to return to the hotel, but instead wanted to stay in a sea-view room as Su Yao had suggested.

When they arrived at the airport, he gently woke her up and waited for her to come to her senses. After telling her about Su Wenxie, he saw Su Yao into the airport. Watching her go inside, Ge Jin's momentary disappointment turned into seriousness about his work. He still had expectations. Su Yao turned around and told him that she was worried about her work and wanted to stay. But he knew that he was here, so she was sure she could rest assured. Suddenly, he didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed. He just turned around and got into the car.