After a final exchange of pleasantries with the Xin family, Chen Sinan escaped under the pretense of greeting other guests.
Shortly after, Xin Qiancheng saw an opportunity to speak with Chen Sinan. He walked to Chen Sinan’s side, which for once was unaccompanied, as he was finally free of the banquet’s guests. He confidently balanced a glass of red wine between his fingers and spoke casually. “What do you want to do?”
Chen Sinan had his back turned right until the moment he heard Xin Qiancheng’s question. He turned to face Xin Qiancheng, andーwith an equally relaxed toneーasked, “What do you mean by that?”
“Using every trick up your sleeve to make my sister return from A City… After all that, you’d have me believe the Chen family isn’t planning something?” If Xin Qiancheng had been on guard sooner, he never would have let Xin Siyue rush back.
“Heh,” Chen Sinan scoffed. But he didn’t deny a thing. “You are implying the Chen family has some ulterior motive but, in the time you have spent here have you found any confirmation?”
Xin Qiancheng had on the edge the whole night but couldn’t find any proof. This was why he wanted to test Chen Sinan personally.
But how could Chen Sinan go easy for him?
“Don’t be so suspicious of people,” Chen Sinan suggested.
“You can never be too careful; particularly where you can get hurt being careless. This goes doubly for you and your family,” Xin Qiancheng replied bluntly.
“I won’t try to convince you.” Chen Sinan chose not to express his opinions.
Xin Qiancheng examined him carefully but gave up after realizing that Chen Sinan would never give anything away. He began to fear if he was overly sensitive; but if there truly was no other meaning behind the invitation, why would the Xin family have received one so suddenly in the first place? The two families never maintained any sort of contact, but Weng Yinlin had acted so amicably, it was as if she was talking to old friends. She also wouldn’t stop talking to his mother about Xin Siyue.
Xin Qiancheng’s ponderings over the special invitation eventually resulted in worry for his sister. Was it because Weng Yinlin, for an assortment of reasons, had her eye on Siyue? The party appeared normal, but was that because Siyue never came?
The more he thought, the more convinced he was. Reaching a satisfying conclusion, he rejoiced. It was incredibly fortunate that Siyue couldn’t attend due to her sickness. Otherwise, he would have had to guard against all of the Chen family’s tricks!
Meanwhile, Xin Siyue was lying on her bed with her hands clenched on her stomach. She had been tossing and turning all night but hadn’t managed to find a comfortable position.
She lay silently in bed, with nothing but her period to keep her company.
She was fine when she had arrived in A City; but perhaps due to learning about the invitation and the sudden wave of anxiety that washed over her, her normally tame period woke like a beast anew. Her face unnaturally pale, reflected her pain. She had also lost the strength to walk, so there was no way to attend a party.
Xin Siyue stayed in bed since she didn’t have the strength for much else, and informed Bai Ning that she couldn’t go.
Bai Ning cooked brown sugar water for her, but to no avail. She saw that Xin Siyue was hopelessly ill, and her complexion stayed deathly white despite Bai Ning’s efforts. “Rest well. I’ll tell the Chen family,” she assured Xin Siyue.
“Okay.” That was exactly what Xin Siyue wanted. Though her period was essentially torture, it came at just the right time. She didn’t even have to find an excuse to avoid attending.
After Xin Siyue leisurely recuperated at home for a couple of days, she received another invitation. It wasn’t as frightening as the first oneーZhong Qin was asking her out for a coffee since they hadn’t seen each other for such a long time.If they didn’t meet now, once school started, they’d most likely have to wait much longer.
Xin Siyue planned not to return until winter break, so she agreed readily. “Okay, send me the place and time.”
When Xin Siyue finally left the house, she not only heard a load of gossip by accident but met a certain someone as well…
Oh, how fate works in mysterious ways.