Wen Ying didn’t know why she kept running into He Zhen.
Shanghai was so big that if a couple parted ways and didn’t deliberately stay in touch, they might never cross paths again in their lifetime.
Though Wen Ying and He Zhen hadn’t formally broken up, being torn apart by the “Rebirth God” was even worse than a mutual split. From the initial resentment to the faint bitterness of seeing He Zhen with his first love, Rebecca, those turbulent emotions had gradually settled into calm acceptance.
She wouldn’t disturb He Zhen or bind herself or others with things that hadn’t happened in this life. She sincerely hoped He Zhen could make up for the regret of parting with Rebecca in their past life and find happiness in love.
That said, why did fate keep arranging these encounters with He Zhen? It was getting a bit cheeky!
Hold on, now wasn’t the time to complain about fate. He Zhen showing up with Zhao Dong was a bad sign!
Besides He Zhen, Dai Chenglan and He Zhinian were also there.
Wen Ying already knew Dai Chenglan was friends with Xie Jinghu’s mistress.
But what role did He Zhinian play in this?
In her past life, when Wen Ying was with He Zhen, she mostly interacted with Dai Chenglan and only met He Zhinian once or twice.
Honestly, He Zhinian left a decent impression on her—a diligent industrialist who trusted his son enough to respect He Zhen’s choice of partner without ever making things difficult for Wen Ying.
Back then, He Zhinian’s health seemed poor, so He Zhen began taking over the family business soon after returning from studying abroad. The transition was swift, partly to let He Zhinian retire early for his health. Now, He Zhinian looked like a refined middle-aged man with no apparent health issues.
Wen Ying thought she kept running into He Zhen, but little did she know, He Zhen felt the same way.
All the oddities began two years ago. His relationship with Rebecca inexplicably hit a rough patch, and an inexplicable urge drove him back to Sichuan, only to return empty-handed. Back in the UK, he rekindled things with Rebecca, but his family urged caution about their relationship.
After some soul-searching, He Zhen resolved to nurture his bond with Rebecca, only to feel ripples in his heart from a stranger’s promotional photo.
He felt like he’d known Wen Ying forever.
How strange was that?
Shanghai and Sichuan were far apart, and the He family had no ties with Wen Ying’s. There was no way he could’ve known her!
He Zhen had his rationality. He wouldn’t let his heart stray, so he decisively cleared away any odd feelings about Wen Ying.
Yet fate seemed to test him, throwing her in his path so unexpectedly. Wen Ying, of course, was blameless—she knew nothing. He Zhen frowned, realizing his own heart wasn’t at peace.
This summer, Rebecca stayed in the UK to seek technical support for Slan Biotech, while He Zhen returned to Shanghai to build market channels for the company.
The distance didn’t dim their bond; their shared career goals added a tangible weight to their relationship.
With that thought, He Zhen’s stray thoughts vanished, and his mind calmed.
Xie Qian was observant.
He caught every shift in Wen Ying and He Zhen’s expressions.
Not only did Wen Ying know the He family, but it seemed at least He Zhen knew her too!
A massive question gnawed at Xie Qian, his calm facade hiding a storm of emotions. Now wasn’t the time to dig into it—Zhao Dong appearing with the He family, was it a coincidence or something more?
Xie Qian subtly shifted, shielding Wen Ying and Zou Weijun, an instinctive protective move.
Peng Guoqing didn’t know what was happening.
His slacker instincts sensed the tense atmosphere, and he glanced at Xie Tang.
Xie Tang pursed her lips, silent.
For months, she’d been digging into the domestic connections of Xie Jinghu’s mistress. From Aunt Tai, she’d gotten some old photos.
From the 80s, those photos couldn’t dim the mistress’s charm. She was the social star, commanding the spotlight in every shot, with all eyes on her. She exuded bold arrogance, basking in everyone’s admiration.
Xie Tang had verified the identities in the photos with Aunt Tai.
Some of those young men and women leveraged family advantages to ride the era’s wave to success, while others vanished from the circle after family misfortunes.
Xie Tang was hunting for evidence of Xie Jinghu’s “green turtle” betrayal, focusing on the men around the mistress, paying little attention to the women.
Seeing Dai Chenglan now, she was stunned.
Dai Chenglan, well-preserved with taut skin and no obvious wrinkles, dressed impeccably, radiated wealth.
Her aura had changed, but her features hadn’t. Xie Tang recognized her.
In those old photos, various people surrounded Xie Jinghu’s mistress, but one young woman stood out. Not the brightest, she appeared in every photo Aunt Tai provided.
Xie Tang sensed this woman’s relationship with the mistress was special and asked Aunt Tai, who scoffed, saying she wasn’t part of their circle, just a shameless hanger-on who fawned over the mistress, opening doors and carrying bags like a lackey.
Young Aunt Tai despised such sycophants and ignored her. When Xie Tang inquired, Aunt Tai racked her brain for details, “Everyone called her Lanlan. After that woman went abroad, Lanlan had no one to curry favor with and faded from the circle. I heard she married someone in the south.”
Little lackey Lanlan!
Xie Tang had found her.
What a stroke of luck after endless searching.
But Xie Tang cursed her timing.
This wasn’t the right moment.
If Third Aunt Zou Weijun weren’t here, Xie Tang would’ve approached “little lackey Lanlan.”
With Zou Weijun present, she feared upsetting her.
Both sides were lost in their thoughts, and no one spoke until Xiao Ni returned from the hallway, breaking the silence, “Sister Zou, Wen Ying, how’s the food? Sorry, my call took a while.”
“We’re done. Let’s go once you’re ready,” Zou Weijun said.
Xie Tang offered to pay, but Zou Weijun insisted on covering it. Xie Tang wasn’t working yet, and in a new city, young people needed cash for confidence.
Zhao Dong seized the moment, striding forward with a hearty laugh, “What a small world, running into Young Master Xie here.”
Wen Ying sat beside Xie Qian, but Zhao Dong blatantly ignored her.
He’d looked down on her before, and he still did.
Sure, Wen Ying had transformed from a chubby nobody to a fair-skinned, adorable beauty, a bestselling author, and a screenwriter with some online fame. But what did that matter to Zhao Dong? Her achievements didn’t affect him. Harsh as it sounds, to Zhao Dong, they were from different worlds—why should he bother with her?
In contrast, he was exceedingly polite to Zou Weijun.
Not only did he introduce himself, calling her “Mrs. Xie,” but he mentioned his business dealings with Xie Jinghu, subtly pitching himself.
Wen Ying forgot about the He family. Was this shameless Zhao Dong deliberately trying to provoke Zou Weijun?
That jerk, tangled with Xie Jinghu’s mistress, had the gall to introduce himself to Zou Weijun!
Wen Ying tensed, but Xie Qian gently pressed her hand under the table, signaling her to stay calm and see how Zou Weijun handled it.
Zou Weijun didn’t disappoint.
The title “Mrs. Xie” made her bristle, but she didn’t lose her composure.
Having had the courage to divorce Xie Jinghu, she wasn’t fazed by such social encounters.
“I don’t usually handle company matters. If Mr. Zhao has business to discuss, you can talk to my son, Xie Qian. His stance is mine, and I support all his decisions.”
