Lin Zhaojiang panicked and quickly stepped forward to take her hand. Song Wan was startled by his sudden action, frozen in place, staring blankly at him.
"Uncle? You..."
"Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Lin Zhaojiang pulled out a tissue from the table and gently wiped away the blood. "Do you have any band-aids in your office?"
Song Wan shook her head.
"I'll go out and buy it."
“No need…” Song Wan stopped him. “It’s nothing, this little injury is nothing. I used to prick my hand a lot when I was doing handicrafts.”
"No way!" Lin Zhaojiang frowned.
This is no small injury; she's bleeding, which is a huge deal.
The needle pricked her finger. She didn't know if the needle had been sterilized. What if there were bacteria on it? Would she get an infection?
At this moment, his usually calm and rational mind was completely occupied by his rich imagination.
"It's really no problem!" Song Wan said a little embarrassed. "How could I trouble you? Uh... Uncle, are you here to pick up Huo Jiayuan? She hasn't finished class yet."
"Oh..." Lin Zhaojiang responded casually, then suddenly realized that he might have overreacted.
Song Wan looked down and saw that he was still holding her hand. Her face flushed, and she hurriedly pulled away.
The two stood facing each other, the atmosphere incredibly awkward.
Lin Zhaojiang broke the silence: "I'm so sorry about earlier, I scared you."
"No, no!"
"I came to pick up Yuan Yuan." He smiled. "I heard she hadn't finished class yet, so I thought I'd wait for her in the office. I didn't expect to scare you and even prick your hand."
"It's alright."
Song Wan smiled at him.
Lin Zhaojiang felt very sad. Her smile was the same as before, but her eyes were full of unfamiliarity.
He looked into her eyes and said to her earnestly, word by word, "Teacher Song... I'm so sorry."
Song Wan clearly didn't understand the meaning of the words "I'm sorry," and just kept shaking her head and saying it was okay.
Lin Zhaojiang lowered his head, unsure of what to say, but his gaze inadvertently fell upon the group photo on her desk.
She had a sweet smile, and stood beside a handsome man, with a grove of sycamore trees in the background. The weather was perfect that day, with blue skies, white clouds, and warm sunshine. The two looked like a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
This person must be her boyfriend whom she's planning to marry...
Lin Zhaojiang took a deep breath, his clenched fists trembling slightly. Afraid that she would see him lose his composure, he subtly put his hands behind his back and forced a smile.
"The photos are very beautiful."
"Oh, this..." Song Wan said a little embarrassedly, "It's my boyfriend."
"You can tell at a glance that he's a boy with excellent family upbringing."
"Uncle, you flatter me. He's actually quite ordinary."
Although Song Wan said that, Lin Zhaojiang could see that she was secretly overjoyed.
He smiled, happy for her happiness, yet also saddened by it.
Just then, the bell rang, snapping Lin Zhaojiang out of his daze. Huo Jiayuan skipped out of the practice room, and the piano teacher personally handed her over to Lin Zhaojiang.
Before leaving the office, he looked back at Song Wan one last time.
"Uncle," Huo Jiayuan gently took his hand, "Are you unhappy again?"
Lin Zhaojiang forced a smile, "No."
"Did you see the prince?"
Lin Zhaojiang remained silent.
"Isn't the prince handsome?" Every word Huo Jiayuan said felt like a knife stabbing into his heart.
"Okay, I'll take you home right away."
"Uncle, you'll be able to meet that prince this weekend!"
"What?"
"Uncle is going to give Aunt a ring this weekend, and Prince and Teacher Song are coming too!"
*
Lin Yuqing, dressed in a cheongsam prepared for the banquet, sat gracefully on the living room sofa. The stylist next to her carefully confirmed her size and wrote down her requirements one by one.
This lake blue color complements her skin tone and highlights her temperament.
Lin Zhaojiang knew at a glance that the fabric was expensive, and the pattern on it was the work of a Suzhou embroidery master. He chuckled and said half-jokingly, "Sis, this dress of yours is enough for a small company's net profit for half a year, right? Your brother-in-law really spoils you."
“I watched Yangyang grow up,” Lin Yuqing said calmly. “This banquet is a major event in his life, so of course I have to dress up.”
“That Bai family heiress is a good match for him in terms of social standing.”
“Yes.” Lin Yuqing looked at him, her eyes seemingly hiding something. “Zhaojiang, why don’t you come over this weekend? I… can introduce you to someone.”
Lin Zhaojiang pursed his lips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and suddenly looked up at Lin Yuqing.
"Introduce whoever you want?" he sneered. "The brother of the Bai family's daughter?"
Lin Yuqing was taken aback, then calmly replied, "So you already knew."
"If I don't know, how long do you plan to keep it from me?"
“Zhaojiang…”
“You brought Song Wan, who had lost her memory, to Yangcheng,” Lin Zhaojiang stared at her. “You arranged for her to be a teacher at the international kindergarten. You… made her Bai Ruogu’s fiancée, didn’t you?”
Lin Yuqing took a deep breath and did not deny it.
"Who do you think you are! A savior?" Lin Zhaojiang slammed his hand on the table and raised his voice.
The stylist was so frightened that his hand trembled, and he stood there dumbfounded. Several butlers came running at the sound, but they were intimidated by the imposing aura emanating from Lin Zhaojiang, and they looked at each other, not daring to step forward.
The air in the living room seemed to freeze. After a long while, Lin Yuqing softly uttered a few words: "Zhaojiang, you should face reality."
"Song Wan has started a new life now. If you truly loved her, don't bother her anymore. I'm making these arrangements not for any other reason than that I feel sorry for this girl!"
"I want to make it up to her, but why won't she give me the chance?"
"Compensation?" Lin Yuqing smiled helplessly. "There's a saying among young people these days—'belated affection is worth less than grass.' Lin Zhaojiang, your current distance from her life is the best compensation you can give her."
“Many important figures from Yangcheng will be attending this weekend,” Lin Yuqing continued. “Getting to know them will be good for your career development in Yangcheng. Of course, if you still can’t let go of Song Wan, then you shouldn’t come. Otherwise, you might do something irrational, and your brother-in-law will have to clean up your mess!”
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