Chapter 7: Past Events

“Fan Xia, it’s been so many years since we last met. Let auntie toast you a glass.” When an elder offers a toast, one cannot refuse. Even though Fan Xia didn’t like drinking alcohol, she had to grit her teeth and drink it down, the spicy taste making her uncomfortable.

After making a round of toasts, she leaned against the table, exhausted. The phone beside her hand vibrated and lit up, it was a message from Rong Xiu.

To be fair, although Rong Xiu was strict at work, she would rarely message Fan Xia to discuss work after hours.

But now, Fan Xia felt that even discussing work with Rong Xiu was more relaxing and comfortable than dealing with these familiar strangers in front of her.

Moreover, the content Rong Xiu sent was about how to dilute the last 5% of the shares that her sister Rong Yan had obtained from their father.

Involving professional knowledge, Fan Xia’s fingertips danced quickly on the screen, outlining a few rough plans for Rong Xiu.

Beside her, Wen Lan Sheng watched as Fan Xia focused only on her phone, neither speaking nor picking up food. But her eyes were serious and focused, as if only the person in the phone mattered, while he, her fiancé, became a foil, an existence that could be dispensed with.

Stealing a glance at her phone, seeing that the person was Rong Xiu, and thinking of the Moments post that Rong Xiu had liked and then withdrawn, Wen Lan Sheng’s face immediately fell. He immediately concluded that Rong Xiu was doing it on purpose, just to spite him.

“Xia Xia, the guests are all here, play with your phone later.” Wen Lan Sheng held back his anger and gently tugged on Fan Xia’s sleeve.

Fan Xia looked up, saw Wen Lan Sheng’s displeased eyes, and put down her phone. “Okay.”

But Rong Xiu’s messages kept coming one after another. Fan Xia had to pick up her phone from time to time to take a look. Finally, she simply apologized to the guests at the table and went straight into the room.

Seeing the various expressions on the faces of the people at the table, Wen Lan Sheng wished he could snatch her phone and delete Rong Xiu’s contact information.

The carefully prepared dishes that he had made, Fan Xia didn’t even eat a few bites before the end of the meal, all her attention was snatched away by Rong Xiu.

After the guests dispersed, Wen Lan Sheng was washing dishes in the kitchen while Fan Xia was still in the room talking to Rong Xiu, even opening a voice call. Although they were talking about work, Wen Lan Sheng was still so jealous his teeth itched.

Looking at the plate in his hand, Wen Lan Sheng hardened his heart and smashed the plate on the ground, making a piercing sound.

Sure enough, Fan Xia was attracted over and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Lan Sheng squatted on the ground, head lowered as he picked up the shattered porcelain pieces. Although his expression could not be seen clearly, his dejected tone showed his mood, “It’s nothing, my hand just slipped while washing the dishes. Xia Xia, you go ahead and do your thing, don’t worry about me, really.”

Fan Xia smiled and also squatted down to help him clean up the mess. Her voice was gentle like a breeze, “Are you angry?”

Wen Lan Sheng bit his lip and looked up, his eyes revealing a aggrieved look, “So you still know to care about me. I thought you had put all your heart into Senior Rong Xiu and that I was dispensable.”

Fan Xia shook her head and laughed lightly, “What are you thinking? The CEO and I are just discussing things.”

“Who knows if you two are really discussing things. Xia Xia, have you forgotten what you promised me before? You said you would keep your distance from Senior Rong Xiu.”

Wen Lan Sheng didn’t care about those things. When Fan Xia got up and left just now, the former neighbors all looked at him with a strange gaze, as if gauging whether he had truly captured Fan Xia’s heart. Otherwise, how could she leave him alone at the dining table and leave by herself?

“Of course I remember, but she is the boss and I am the subordinate. Work matters can’t be avoided no matter what.” Fan Xia gently explained as she picked up the fragments.

Wen Lan Sheng stood up silently. He of course understood that he was asking too much, but he just had no sense of security.

In recent years, Fan Xia had become more and more dazzling, more and more out of his reach. In everyone’s eyes, he was not good enough for Fan Xia, leading to an extreme lack of security.

The intense fear of loss made him show off their affection online and often make some unreasonable demands of Fan Xia, using these methods to remind and emphasize again and again that Fan Xia loved him.

The year Director Fan had the accident, he and Fan Xia were both fourteen years old.

It was the age when adolescents’ hearts begin to stir. Because of her excellent grades, her excessively good looks and personality, she was like the bright moon high in the sky, a flower blooming in the distant horizon. The love letters from smitten boys fluttered like cherry blossoms, filling her drawer.

And fourteen-year-old Wen Lan Sheng, with average grades, average looks, and even an introverted and weak personality that made him afraid to talk to people.

They were like two extremes drawn by a single stroke, making him secretly adore her in his heart, but too inferior to dare express it.

After school, because they were going the same way, Wen Lan Sheng would silently walk behind Fan Xia, watching her walk along the long tree-lined path with other friends, the fine sunlight falling on her smooth black hair, the cool breeze blowing through her locks, beautiful and untainted by dust.

But this kind of beauty was not blooming for him alone. She didn’t even notice him trailing behind from beginning to end.

He would steal glances at her focused gaze during class; he would write her name reverently and seriously in his diary; he would also learn from those smitten boys and write love letters with flower petals, but not dare to slip them into her drawer, much less sign his own name.

It was a long and bitter secret love.

Until that day arrived.

His mother drove a newly bought Santana car and took him and his father to celebrate his sister Wen Jing’s birthday. His mother Wen Ming Yue was very happy and drank a couple more glasses. On the way back, there was a loud bang, as if they had hit something.

The joyful atmosphere in the car instantly froze. Wen Ming Yue’s face turned deathly pale. After getting out to check, she hurriedly got back into the car and quickly left the scene, heading to Grandma’s house in the countryside. She even sold the newly bought car.

At that time, Wen Lan Sheng had a bad guess in his heart that they might have hit a person.

But he never imagined that the person hit would be Fan Xia’s mother, Director Fan.

Half a month later, when the storm had passed, they dared to return home. Only then did they learn that Director Fan did not survive, and Fan Xia’s father also passed away. Relatives took her house on the grounds that she was a minor and sent her to an orphanage.

From a favored daughter of heaven praised by everyone, she became an object of pity. Fan Xia’s world collapsed.

Watching Fan Xia being taken away by the orphanage’s car, Wen Lan Sheng suddenly realized that at this moment, it was the closest he had ever been to Fan Xia.

Before, she was the moon in the sky, and he couldn’t even afford the luxury of bathing in her moonlight. But now the moon had fallen, and he might be able to embrace the moon and make it his own private possession.

After her parents passed away, Fan Xia was depressed for a long time. During that time, her temper was gloomy and her grades plummeted.

From being pursued by classmates before to being avoided, even the teachers’ eyes were full of disappointment when they looked at her.

The love letters that used to fill her desk drawer like flower petals quickly withered.

The whole world was isolating her.

A twisted joy arose in Wen Lan Sheng’s heart. How wonderful, when all the people blocking his way were gone, he would be closer to Fan Xia. He would let Fan Xia know who truly loved her.

Knowing that the orphanage often skimped on meals, he would buy a box of milk and bread every day and slip it into her desk before class. Although compulsory education did not require tuition, the cost of various workbooks and materials was something Fan Xia could not afford at that time.

He took out his own New Year’s money and secretly slipped it to Fan Xia, running away quickly in the face of her surprised gaze.

Slowly, the two who were not very familiar with each other gradually got together, and Fan Xia finally pulled herself together.

In their second year of high school, they secretly kissed in the small grove of trees at their school.

The moon was finally his alone.

But the revitalized Fan Xia, like a pearl with the dust wiped off, exuded an even more dazzling brilliance than before, standing at a height he could not reach.

The people who had pursued Fan Xia came back again, even more frenzied than before. Wen Lan Sheng was constantly on tenterhooks, afraid that Fan Xia would be lured away by some man.

He could not bear the pain of losing her again after having her.

Suddenly, a pair of warm arms embraced him from behind. Fan Xia hugged his waist and said softly, “I’m sorry, I’ll try not to handle work at home in the future. I have a day off tomorrow, how about I take you out to play?”

The sadness in Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes disappeared, replaced by pleasant surprise, “Really?”

Fan Xia nodded and kissed his hair lightly, “Don’t be upset anymore.”

Wen Lan Sheng rested his head on her shoulder, his voice soft, “Actually, as long as you come to coax me, I’m not upset anymore.”

Xie Cen looked at the couple cuddling in the kitchen and winked at Wen Ming Yue, laughing in a low voice, “Look, our Lan Sheng is acting spoiled. But the couple’s relationship is quite good.”

Wen Ming Yue looked up from the financial news and gazed at Fan Xia’s shadowy figure in the kitchen, lost in thought.

After Fan Xia walked out of the kitchen, she took the initiative to speak, “Fan Xia, done with work? Come sit.”

Fan Xia smiled slightly and sat down unhurriedly beside Wen Ming Yue, asking with concern, “Auntie, is your leg better?”

“Much better, now it just needs rest.” Wen Ming Yue turned down the TV volume and said, “What Auntie Zou said earlier, don’t take it to heart. She was just asking, not coveting your inside information.”

Fan Xia nodded lightly, “Of course I know, it’s just that inside information can’t be known by too many people. Otherwise, if one tells ten and ten tells a hundred, the inside information becomes public information.”

Wen Ming Yue heard the other meaning in her words and quickly said, “You mean there really is inside information?”

Fan Xia lowered her eyes slightly and nodded, “Yeah, but it’s not good to say too much to outsiders, right?”

“Of course, who knows if their mouths are tight. But what exactly is this inside information you’re referring to?” Wen Ming Yue asked.

“It’s a pharmaceutical company. A new drug they’re researching has a great effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The news will be released in a while, and the stock price should rise a lot by then.”

Hearing this, Wen Ming Yue clenched her hands and immediately followed up, “So which company is it exactly?”

Fan Xia was silent for a moment.

Wen Ming Yue knew Fan Xia was hesitating, but with the opportunity to make money right in front of her, how could she bear to let it slip away? She took Fan Xia’s hand and said earnestly, “Fan Xia, you’re about to marry our Lan Sheng. With your relationship of so many years, our family didn’t even ask for much betrothal gifts from you. Why? Because your uncle and I sincerely consider you as family. The most important thing for a family is trust. I absolutely won’t tell anyone else, don’t worry.”

Fan Xia’s eyes seemed to waver, as if she was moved. After a while, she said, “It’s… Suman Pharmaceuticals.”