Chapter Thirteen: He Could Pretend Not to Recognize Her Again and Again

The competition had finally concluded, and Wen Zhi felt a sense of relief; she was no longer as busy as she had been in the previous weeks.

As soon as Zhang Zheng and Yu Hang heard the good news about her victory, they immediately invited her to dinner. She agreed without a second thought.

Yu Hang had booked a Western-style restaurant, known for its quiet and romantic atmosphere. When mentioning the choice of venue, Yu Hang couldn't help but grumble to Wen Zhi, "I originally wanted to take you to Sanxi to eat. A friend of a friend just opened the place, and I wanted to go show some support, but this guy," she gestured toward Zhang Zheng, "absolutely refused to go with me."

"Give me a break, it’s a thousand yuan per person—are we eating gold?" Zhang Zheng flicked Yu Hang on the forehead.

"This place is quite nice, too," Wen Zhi said.

"Pfft, this is a restaurant for couples. Being Valentine's Day, there are bound to be tons of lovebirds here!" Yu Hang said, sounding a bit bitter. "Zhi-zhi, when I’m in college, I absolutely have to have a sweet romance!"

Yu Hang leaned on Wen Zhi.

"Is it for three?" a staff member asked.

"Yes, we have a reservation."

"Please, follow me."

There weren't many people at this hour. Word had it that there would be fireworks at midnight, so perhaps many couples had already gone to the viewing spots. The restaurant was much emptier than expected.

Wen Zhi absentmindedly ordered a few dishes. She was thinking about inviting Bo Ye to dinner. A man like him surely ate at very expensive places; if she were to treat him, she certainly couldn't afford it. Should she cook for him? Would he think she was being stingy?

It was annoying. In truth, as her fiancé in the public eye, wasn't it only natural for him to help her for the sake of his own reputation? Yet, Wen Zhi was not used to owing anyone anything.

"How is it?" Yu Hang asked, watching the steak that had just been served.

"It’s alright," Wen Zhi said, taking a bite and curving her lips into a smile.

"How about you?"

The two of them looked in unison at Zhang Zheng, who was wolfing down his food.

"It’s five hundred a head, and all I can taste is the flavor of my hard-earned money."

Wen Zhi: ...
Yu Hang: ...

With perfect synchronization, Wen Zhi and Yu Hang both gave Zhang Zheng a thumbs-up.

"I’m going to the restroom," Wen Zhi said.

"Sure," Yu Hang nodded. "Eat slowly, you pighead!" She tapped Zhang Zheng’s head with her fork.

Wen Zhi smiled at the scene and headed toward the restroom. Perhaps to make the decor look more upscale, the signs for the restroom were not very prominent. A helpful waiter noticed her looking and asked, "Miss, is there any service I can assist you with?"

Oh no, she hadn't brought her phone. She gestured a few times, but the waiter didn't understand, and she scratched her head in embarrassment.

"She is looking for the restroom," a cold, masculine voice came from above.

"Oh, right. Follow me, please."

***

"Hey, Wen..."

Before the rest of the voice could fully land, Wen Zhi followed the waiter as if fleeing in a panic.

"Hey, isn't that Wen Zhi? Brother Bo Ye's fiancée," Wen Tang said, curious.

"Your memory is really good. I looked at her for a long time before I recognized her," Wen Tang added, intentionally or unintentionally pursing her lips and taking a sip of red wine.

"Miss Wen's aphasia is quite a memorable trait," Shen Dan replied calmly, as if he had just habitually helped a stranger, as if they had never known each other.

"I don't understand why Brother Bo Ye would marry a woman who can't speak."

"Perhaps she is truly stunning in other ways," Wen Tang remarked.

"Maybe."

Wen Zhi came out of the restroom and splashed her face with cold water, taking a deep breath. That familiar person, that familiar voice. She remembered what he had told her at the hospital that day. He had asked her to wait for him. So, this was what "waiting" meant—he could pretend not to know her, time and time again.

She crumpled the paper towel in her hand and threw it into the trash can. Clean and decisive. Wen Zhi only felt a sense of irony; people really do change, even the boy from her memories who would risk getting beaten up just to help her. She didn't blame Shen Dan, she only prayed that he would stop bothering her.

Shen Dan’s table was directly in the path from the restroom exit. As she passed by, her footsteps involuntarily quickened.

Faintly, a girl’s coquettish voice reached her ears: "My sister said you had a girlfriend when you were in Z City. What was her name? Was she prettier than me?"

"I don't remember."

"Oh, Ah Dan, why are you so cute~"

As luck would have it, the moment their eyes met, his panic was evident. Just as he was about to stand up, he was stunned by the abandonment in her eyes.

"Ah Dan, what’s wrong?" Wen Tang looked behind her.

"Nothing, I was just checking to see when the fireworks would start," Shen Dan said.

"Hmph."

Wen Tang knew her boyfriend was the quintessential example of someone cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Sometimes, even though he clearly liked something, he wouldn't say it; he wanted her to coax it out of him. Although he was often cold-faced, the surprises he provided were never lacking. For instance, today, when she mentioned the fireworks here, he had driven her over despite being busy all day. Thinking of this, her doubts vanished, and she began to secretly plan their future.

When Wen Zhi returned, Zhang Zheng and Yu Hang were still bickering. Her sinking heart felt a little comforted.

"Why were you so slow? Are you not feeling well?" Yu Hang leaned in to ask.

"No, I was just touching up my makeup."

Yu Hang squinted her eyes. "Oh, okay then."

"By the way, do you remember Zhu Wan?"

Zhu Wan? The senior who had pulled her aside to talk that day.

"I remember."

"She came to me and talked about Bo Ye."

"Huh? Why would she talk to you about that?" Yu Hang asked.

"Um... she told me some things about Bo Ye's past. Perhaps she was just kindly warning me."

"Kindly warning you? What did this Bo Ye do before?"

Wen Zhi was afraid that Yu Hang would suddenly lose her temper, and with her heart condition, she decided to hide some details. This was her own business after all; she didn't want to drag Yu Hang into it. "She just mentioned some things from his past, nothing much. Why did you suddenly bring her up?"

She hurriedly changed the subject.

"It’s nothing. Is there someone named Wang Wei in your school competition group?"

Wang Wei? Right, she hadn't told Yu Hang about the competition scandal yet.

"Yes..."

Then, Wen Zhi told Yu Hang about the incident during the competition.

"Damn it, how did that happen? Someone so petty just voluntarily gave up on investigating?"

"Yes."

"That Wang Wei actually dared to bully our baby! It's a good thing you performed well in the finals!" Yu Hang fumed. "I actually thought Zhu Wan was a good person before, but to think she's dating someone like that now!"

Dating? Someone like that? Wang Wei and Zhu Wan? How could that be such a coincidence?

"Wang Wei and Zhu Wan are dating?" She wasn't one for gossip, but she was surprised that two people she knew were suddenly together.

"Yeah, they made it official on social media. You, you, you’re always reading books and you don't even have games on your phone. I was hoping your gossip speed would be a little faster..." Yu Hang looked at her with a mix of frustration and helplessness, like a teacher dealing with a hopeless student.

Wen Zhi: ...

"Let's go downstairs to watch the fireworks, the show is about to start!" Zhang Zheng said.

"Really! Zhi-zhi, are you full? Let's go."

Yu Hang was full of excitement. Just as Wen Zhi wiped her mouth and was about to stand up to follow them, her phone rang.

"You guys go ahead," she said.

It was a video call from Bo Ye.

"What is it?" Wen Zhi placed her phone on the table and propped it up.

"When are you coming home?"

Home? Her home? Their home?

"You haven't been drinking, have you?"

Wen Zhi thought this man was being way too controlling, but then she reconsidered: perhaps he was just thinking about the child. It felt like he was checking up on her, yet they weren't married, let alone a loving, newlywed couple.

"No."

She looked quite obedient.

The man on the other end of the video call was urging her to come home early and was about to hang up when a "Bang—" sounded from the girl’s side.

Then, one blast after another followed. The girl turned her head, drawn by the fireworks exploding in the sky outside the window.

She was incredibly beautiful. The indoor lighting was cool-toned and dim to better highlight the ambiance of the fireworks. The girl's perfect profile was fully revealed in that moment, and even the reflections of the fireworks in her eyes were crystal clear.

*She is too beautiful,* he thought.

He had never seen a woman who could be this beautiful—as if hers was a beauty that even time could not devour.

Bo Ye’s breath hitched.