Chapter 25 Mr. Yan, are you free tonight?
Su Ruan slowly pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.
"Young Master Yan, you're in charge of everything, including people throwing trash?"
"Besides, picking things out of the trash is a dog's habit."
With a flick of her finger, the tissue floated down onto the dessert box, covering it completely.
He strode in, staring at the glaring mess in the trash can.
"What do you mean?!"
Su Ruan lifted her eyelids, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Isn't the meaning clear enough?"
"I can't accept the afternoon tea that Young Master Yan sent."
"I specially ordered the mango pomelo sago and mango mousse. Didn't you used to like them?"
Yan Yunye was practically gritting his teeth, trying to regain some sense of control.
The feeling of being ignored by being deleted and blocked, mixed with the frustration he felt at that moment, was burning him to the point where his rationality was crackling.
Su Ruan burst out laughing as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"before?"
She took a half-step forward, tilted her head back, and looked at him as if he were mentally challenged.
"Yan Yunye, we've known each other for six years, and you didn't even know I'm allergic to mangoes?"
The air suddenly fell silent.
The anger on Yan Yunye's face seemed to have been paused.
His mind went blank, a complete void.
Is she allergic to mangoes?
How is that possible?
The fragments of memory rewind wildly, chaotic and blurry.
It seems there were a few times when he was in a good mood and casually pushed his favorite mango dessert to her.
She always kept her head down, eating in small bites, her cheeks seemed a little red...
He assumed she was just being shy and never investigated further.
In Yan Yunye's world, if he gives something, she should happily accept it.
As for whether she likes it or not, or whether she can eat it, what does it have to do with him?
Six years!
Six whole years.
She was like a silent shadow, swallowing whatever he casually tossed to her that could be fatal.
And he was completely unaware!
Yan Yunye felt as if he had been hit hard by a heavy hammer.
A surge of embarrassment mixed with a panic he himself was unwilling to acknowledge rushed to his head.
"You have an allergy, why didn't you say so sooner?"
Yan Yunye's throat was a little dry, and he subconsciously tried to find some excuse.
Su Ruan looked as if she had heard the coldest joke of the century, and her eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Yan Yunye, are you deaf or have you lost your memory?"
“I’ve said it before, and more than once.”
His cold gaze pierced straight through his forced arrogance.
“You said it the first time you gave me that mango crepe. You said I was being fussy and that if I didn’t like it, I shouldn’t eat it.”
"Do you know why I kept buying mango desserts after that?"
"It's not because I love to eat it, but because you love to eat it."
"It's never a matter of saying it sooner or later."
"It's you, Yan Yunye, who has never treated me like a human being."
These words struck Yan Yunye like a thunderclap.
Yan Yunye's pupils contracted sharply as a memory suddenly crashed into his mind.
The Tsinghua University anniversary banquet was a scene of elegant attire and graceful figures.
Su Ruan, holding a dessert box tied with a ribbon, squeezed next to his seat.
Water droplets were still condensed on the transparent lid, indicating that it had been chilled with ice packs when it was taken out.
She forced a smile: "Yunye, it's what you like..."
He was talking to Wen Wanwan with his head turned to the side, and without even looking at her, he casually took the item and handed it to her.
"Want to try some?"
Wen Wanwan took a small, reserved bite, her delicate brows immediately furrowing.
"It's too sweet, a bit cloying."
She put down her fork and wiped her mouth with a wet wipe.
Yan Yunye immediately waved to call the waiter.
"They've withdrawn."
He then turned to Su Ruan, frowning, his tone conveying impatience at being disturbed.
"Don't do anything unnecessary next time."
When his gaze swept over Su Ruan's hand, which was frozen in mid-air, he noticed the sudden redness and rashes on her hand, which were ugly and swollen.
He just found it an eyesore, and even a little disgusting.
"I……"
His Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to make a sound.
"I didn't..."
He wanted to say he hadn't noticed, but those words seemed pale and laughable in the face of the harsh reality.
Su Ruan snorted coldly.
"Young Master Yan has a bad memory, and his blindness and lack of understanding have been going on for quite some time."
"You only remember that you love to eat shit, so you think I should be holding a bowl and waiting."
Upon hearing this, Yan Yunye felt a sharp pain and discomfort in his throat, as if he had swallowed a piece of burning coal.
The embarrassment he tolerated from others, and the countless details he deliberately ignored, gradually began to break down the walls of his arrogance.
"So...why did you eat those things all those years?"
Yan Yunye's voice was dry and hoarse.
Su Ruan tugged at the corners of her mouth and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“I go to the hospital for an injection every time I finish eating.”
“I almost went into shock once, and the nurse asked me why I insisted on taking it.”
"I'm telling you, because if a simp keeps doing it, he'll eventually have everything."
"I have absolutely no sympathy for myself back then; a simp's life is worthless."
“I used to treat the trash you carelessly threw away like treasures. I was so ignorant and spoiled you into this dog-like state.”
"Now, I value my life."
Su Ruan walked past him and headed straight for the door.
Yan Yunye's mind went blank, but his body moved before his consciousness could.
"etc!"
He suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Ruan's slender wrist.
"Su Ruan! I..."
The words I wanted to say to keep him were stuck in my throat, burning with urges.
Su Ruan stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on her wrist, which he was gripping tightly.
"let go."
"Don't make me feel disgusted by you."
Yan Yunye's fingers clenched as if in a spasm, then relaxed as if electrocuted.
He had said this to Su Ruan before.
The bullet circled around and hit him squarely between the eyebrows.
Su Ruan shook off Yan Yunye's hand and walked out without looking back.
After she left, Yan Yunye took out a cigarette from his cigarette case, bit down on one, and lit it after three clicks with the lighter.
Yan Yunye chuckled.
He simply couldn't believe that Su Ruan had truly let go.
Su Ruan used to love herself so much.
If you love someone so much that you'd give up your life, how could you just let go?
Were those heartless words and deliberate distancing meant to retaliate for his neglect of her over the years?
They played it quite well.
He took a deep drag of his cigarette, the pungent nicotine filling his lungs, but it couldn't suppress the emptiness that felt like his body had been uprooted.
...
Friday, in the CEO's office.
After signing the last document, Yan Tingnan glanced at the lifeless phone screen.
No new information.
Five days.
That little wildcat that always knew how to tickle people's hearts has completely disappeared.
The plan was submitted on time, all assigned tasks were completed efficiently, and there were no errors.
People, too, disappear on time.
That vibrant energy that had repeatedly probed the edge of his territory was completely drained away.
When Jing Huai came in carrying the documents, he saw his boss staring out the window, his profile taut.
"President Yan."
Yan Tingnan didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the towering buildings in the distance, and his voice was devoid of emotion.
"What has Su Ruan been busy with lately?"
Jing Huai adjusted his glasses, slid the tablet to the next page, and began his report without a trace of personal emotion.
"In addition to her regular work, Ms. Su recently registered a jewelry design studio with her friend Song Shengsheng, named SoftVoice."
"We just completed the business registration on Wednesday. The location is set in Building C7 of the 798 Art District, and it is currently under renovation."
A jewelry studio? SoftVoice?
Yan Tingnan paused in his hand as he twirled the sandalwood beads.
The little wildcat wasn't content with being a fish anymore; it wanted to dig its own fishpond.
He twitched his lips slightly, and that slight emptiness was instantly replaced by a subtle interest.
You underestimated her.
It is not a parasitic plant that clings to others, but a sapling that wants to grow into a tree on its own.
No wonder he's been behaving like a different person these past few days; it turns out he's been focused on his own empire.
This is more interesting than a cat that only wags its tail.
Jing Huai stood quietly with his hands at his sides, awaiting instructions.
Just then.
Buzz.
Yan Tingnan's personal cell phone, which was on the table, suddenly lit up.
A new WeChat message came from that profile picture that had been silent for several days.
[Mr. Yan, are you free tonight?]
It has a cat emoji sticking its head out from behind its tail, looking very eager.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
