"Yes, it's done." Rong Shenghan closed the file, reached out and took her hand. Her fingertips were a little cold, and he subconsciously warmed them with his palm. "How was the exhibition? Did it go smoothly?"
"It's alright." Yu Jiuyuan withdrew her hand and sat down on the sofa opposite him, her tone indifferent. "I just encountered a small problem, but I've resolved it."
She didn't mention Su Mingyu, nor did she mention Rong Shenghan's relationship with the Su family, as if nothing had happened.
Rong Shenghan looked at her calm profile, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions. He simply told the housekeeper, "Bring up the soup I made."
Soon, the butler brought over a bowl of steaming soup.
The soup was clear and bright, with a few red dates and goji berries floating in it, making it look very nourishing.
"Knowing you're going to the exhibition today, I specially asked the kitchen to make this soup to replenish your qi and blood." Rong Shenghan pushed the bowl of soup in front of her, his eyes gentle. "Drink it while it's hot."
Looking at the bowl of soup, Yu Jiuyuan suddenly felt a pang of unease.
This man always managed to dispel her defenses in the gentlest way, like spring rain nourishing the earth, silent yet omnipresent.
But the more she felt this way, the more uneasy she became.
Su Mingyu's words were like a thorn, piercing her heart and making her wonder if the gentleness before her was just another form of pretense.
"What did you do when you got home today?" she asked casually, picking up her soup bowl.
“I took care of some family business matters.” Rong Shenghan’s tone was natural as he reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “I also went to see my grandmother. She kept talking about you and said she wanted to invite you to her house for dinner.”
This answer was flawless; there was no flaw to be found.
Yu Jiuyuan took a sip of soup, the warmth sliding down her throat into her stomach, but her doubts did not lessen in the slightest.
"We'll see, I've been pretty busy lately." She declined his invitation to dinner.
Rong Shenghan didn't press the matter, but just smiled and said, "Okay, we'll talk about it when you have time."
He picked up the documents on the table and continued to flip through them, as if the conversation had just been a casual chat.
Looking at his focused profile, Yu Jiuyuan suddenly felt a little unfamiliar.
How much does she really know about this man?
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The prompts on the system panel were clearly visible, but she felt as if she had never truly understood him.
He was like a book filled with codes. She thought she had deciphered it all, but in a moment of carelessness, she discovered that there were so many hidden chapters.
“By the way,” Yu Jiuyuan put down her soup bowl and looked at him, “Xie Zhecheng said that the smart medical project his mother is in charge of is about to succeed and invited me to visit.”
Rong Shenghan paused in flipping through the documents, then looked up, his face still bearing a gentle smile: "That's good. Aunt Xie is a very capable doctor; it's good for her to go and see her."
His reaction was too calm, almost unnaturally so.
Yu Jiuyuan stared into his eyes, trying to find a ripple in them, even if it was jealousy or displeasure, but there was nothing there.
Those eyes were like a bottomless pool, forever calm and still.
"You don't mind?" she pressed.
"What do you mind?" Rong Shenghan smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair in a friendly and natural manner. "Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, I'll support you. After all, you're my young lady."
These words, spoken with such doting affection, sounded strangely jarring to Yu Jiuyuan at that moment.
She suddenly felt very tired, like a child who had played games all day and finally exhausted all her energy.
"I'm a little tired, I'll go upstairs to rest first." She stood up.
“I’ll stay with you.” Rong Shenghan also stood up.
"No need," Yu Jiuyuan refused decisively. "You go ahead with your work, I want to be alone for a while."
After saying that, she turned and walked upstairs without looking back.
Rong Shenghan watched her retreating figure, the smile on his face slowly fading, replaced by a deep and complex emotion in his eyes.
He picked up the soup bowl on the table; there was still more than half a bowl of soup left, and the temperature was just right.
He knew she had met Su Mingyu today, and he also knew what Su Mingyu had said.
He even knew that she was now full of suspicion towards him.
But he couldn't explain.
The more you know about something, the more dangerous it becomes.
He didn't want her to get involved in those dirty disputes.
He only wanted her to remain that carefree young lady, continuing her "taming game," forever pure, forever in control of everything.
As for those dangers, let him bear them alone.
Rong Shenghan picked up the document. The handwriting on it was exceptionally clear under the light. It was an investigation report on the Su family's illegal misappropriation of research funds. The chain of evidence was complete and enough to ruin the Su family's reputation in the scientific community.
This is the real reason he "went home to take care of some business" today.
He sighed softly, put the documents in the safe, and then turned and headed for the stairs.
He would not let anyone hurt her, no matter what.
Even if... she might misunderstand him because of this, or even... despise him.
The light in the bedroom on the second floor was on. Through the crack in the door, one could see Yu Jiuyuan sitting by the window, like an exquisite sculpture, lonely and aloof.
Rong Shenghan stood at the door for a long time before finally turning around and leaving.
Some distances are for better protection.
He just hoped she could understand.
The snow outside the window has started falling again. The fine snowflakes fall silently onto the windowsill, like a layer of gentle gauze.
Yu Jiuyuan looked at the snow scene outside the window, feeling completely lost.
She suddenly realized that in this "taming game" she was leading, who was truly being tamed?
Perhaps, from the very beginning, she was just like them, a prisoner trapped in this game called "emotion".
She just hasn't realized it yet.
As night deepened, the villa became so quiet that only the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace and the soft patter of snowflakes falling outside the window could be heard.
The taming manual for the young lady seems to have quietly turned a new page on this snowy night.
The contents of this page were something even she couldn't fathom.
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