This matter greatly alarmed the old lady. She had suspected that there was more to it than met the eye, but the rascal refused to reveal a word. Instead, she got angry and kicked him out to avoid seeing him.
Some of the servants, knowing the situation, had already tactfully left.
Tan Yuchen's eyes were indifferent, his fingers resting on his temples. "I don't think I made a mistake."
Xu Yanzhi looked at him for a few seconds and then smiled.
"Yes, you're quite wise. You were convinced from the beginning that Shen Yuan would take the blame, and here it is."
Tan Yuchen said, "Since Chairman Xu praised me for my wisdom, do you think I'd believe this answer that's practically being offered to me?"
"Believe it or not, I'm only responsible for bringing the person there."
The subtle tension between them went unnoticed by others, but the old lady, having lived half her life, found their behavior to be like a jealous rivalry.
Having delivered the person, Xu Yanzhi had nothing else to do, so the old lady naturally tried to persuade him to stay when he got up.
Xu Yanzhi smiled and politely declined, saying, "I have some other matters to attend to today, and it's too rushed. I'll bring someone to visit another day."
The old lady understood what he meant as soon as she heard it and smiled.
"You have someone you like? Last time I met your father, he said he had a headache about it. Now you don't have to worry about it."
His speech, manners, and demeanor exuded composure, and his innate nobility often reminded people of his mother, who was perhaps too self-disciplined.
The old lady was very satisfied. The Tan family had many daughters, and she had previously expressed her interest in them.
However, fate is something that cannot be forced.
Tan Ni's expression changed. Although she already knew it was impossible, she still felt uncomfortable hearing such a thing.
Her shoes were kicked, and she looked up—Tan Yuchen's eyes asked her if she had taken her medicine at noon.
Tan Ni didn't want to be sent away by him, but she also lost the will to cry, otherwise he would laugh at her to death.
Xu Yanzhi didn't intend to hide it, and smiled, "I've had this idea for a while now. Speaking of which, Yu Chen also knows her."
The old lady said "Oh," glanced at her grandson, and saw the man leaning back on the sofa with a bland expression.
"Why are you staring at me? Do you suspect it might be me?"
"......"
The old lady thought this brat was talking nonsense and indiscriminately, and looked at Xu Yanzhi with a smile.
"It's so mysterious, it only makes this old woman even more curious."
Xu Yanzhi said, "She is rather introverted, so we'll have to take it slow. If things go smoothly next time, I'll bring her some wedding favors and candies so she can share in your joy."
His words were steady and calm, and the room suddenly fell silent.
The slightest hint of insincerity vanished from his eyes. Tan Yuchen slowly raised his eyelids, his eyes as thin as sharp blades at the corners.
"Old people don't have many intact teeth to begin with. If they bite down, they'll all break. People who don't know any better might think that Chairman Xu is plotting to rob and kill them."
Xu Yanzhi: "..."
--
When they left, the car was parked in the open-air parking lot. Tan Ni saw Xu Yanzhi off. It was clear that the two of them had something to say to each other, and Uncle Zhuang left them with plenty of space.
Tan Ni said nonchalantly, "Brother Yanzhi is going too far. You know about something so important but I don't. Do you even consider me your sister anymore?"
Xu Yanzhi smiled faintly, "How could that be? You will always be my sister."
His eyes, reflecting the warm sunlight, said sincerely, "I'm sorry."
This apology was not only an expression of remorse for the concealment, but also a response to her previous subtle attempts to be nice to him. Xu Yanzhi was not oblivious to this. Although he knew that he had rejected her in a tactful and clear manner, he was still worried about hurting her self-esteem.
Tan Ni's eyes welled up with tears, and she smiled, "If you really feel sorry, tell me who the other person is, or describe what they look like."
"Why don't we have her tell you herself next time we meet?"
Xu Yanzhi said, "No matter how precisely I describe her, it may not be her. You are all kind at heart, so you might become good friends."
Besides sending someone to warn Tan Yuchen, wasn't there also an intention to first inform Tan Ni?
She and Tan Ni are so close, she must be worried about how to let Tan Ni know.
As the car left the orange grove, it circled several alleyways. An old man on a tricycle was hawking his donkey rolls, and sparse sunlight streamed through the car window, illuminating the man's face.
Xu Yanzhi no longer bothered with clumsy excuses; he simply dialed her number directly.
The call was answered after a while.
"Hello?"
Her voice had a soft, low tone, like the gentle sound of leaves falling in the wind, and Xu Yanzhi's brows unconsciously relaxed completely.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing much, just stayed at home."
Xu Yanzhi naturally knew where the house she mentioned was. He said, "I'll come pick you up. Let's have dinner together tonight."
It's only a little past lunchtime, isn't it a bit too early to pick someone up?
Uncle Zhuang knew perfectly well what was going on, and glanced at him through the rearview mirror inside the car.
"don't want!"
She refused without hesitation or tone.
Xu Yanzhi frowned slightly. "Is something the matter?"
Meng Jiuyi said matter-of-factly, "It's nothing, but I just don't want to go out with you. I might have to think about it if someone else invites me."
She wasn't worried at all about infuriating him, yet she still had to add that last sentence. After a moment of silence, Xu Yanzhi smiled faintly, a hint of helplessness in his expression. He couldn't do anything about her.
"Is Miss Meng still angry?"
"Whether I'm angry or not is none of your business. I just don't want to go out with you. I have plans with other people tonight. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
Compliance cannot sway his emotions; only uncontrollability can.
Meng Jiuyi wanted him to constantly lower his standards for himself.
He hung up the phone without hesitation.
She withdrew quickly, but a sense of unease and restlessness welled up in Xu Yanzhi's nostrils. He thought he could suppress it, but when he thought of the other people he mentioned on the phone, his unease only intensified.
He rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette, but the nicotine didn't alleviate the stuffiness. He asked Uncle Zhuang, "Do you know—"
Uncle Zhuang: "What?"
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yanzhi stopped himself, clearly embarrassed by what he hadn't said.
For most people, a cell phone is something they can hold 24/7, but for him, it's not even a social tool. He rarely needs to answer calls, and his phone has very few apps.
But at this moment, he took out his phone, opened the browser, and frowned as he searched for information word by word.
How to comfort a girl when she's angry.
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