Mysyery

Chapter 10: To Capture and Release (Part 2)

Yen Nannan hasn't read military books, but she understands strategy.

There’s a secret she has never shared with anyone, known only to her and Bai Yuan through a mutual understanding. When she first entered university, Bai Yuan initially had his sights set on Chi Xiaoying. He asked a girl in their class to deliver a love letter, but the girl mistakenly gave it to her instead.

In contrast to Xuan Xiao's aloofness, Bai Yuan is approachable, outgoing, a good singer, and has a great sense of humor. He excels at livening up the atmosphere and always stands out as the center of attention, making him particularly popular with girls.

As soon as she started at the university, she had heard of Bai Yuan's reputation from her fellow townspeople and had paid him more attention, whether intentionally or not. When she received his letter and opened it, realizing it was meant for Chi Xiaoying, she pretended not to know. That evening, she deliberately dressed up attractively and went to the location mentioned in the letter.

Bai Yuan had arrived early, feeling nervous. When he saw Yen Nannan, he was a bit stunned. Embarrassed to admit that the letter was meant for Chi Xiaoying, he awkwardly went along with her to watch the movie.

After the movie, they became more familiar with each other and went for a late-night snack. Yen Nannan appeared both innocent and charming, and she was especially gentle. With her good looks, Bai Yuan’s young heart couldn’t help but stray from its original course.

This was a long time ago, like dew on a blade of grass, evaporated without a trace by the sunlight.

Xuan Xiao isn’t like Bai Yuan; such tricks won’t work on him. To deal with Xuan Xiao, you can't be direct; you need to take a more roundabout approach and advance slowly.

Last night, after Xuan Xiao rejected her, she pleaded with him not to be so heartless and hoped they could meet again. Once she got home, she immediately regretted it. Having worked so hard to gain Xuan Xiao's favor and having come this far, she couldn't afford to throw it all away. A small lapse in patience could ruin a grand plan. So, she suppressed her deep longing and didn't go to Xuan Xiao's studio today but instead came to the construction site. Based on her understanding of Xuan Xiao, she knew he would probably be worried about her feeling humiliated and distressed after the rejection.

Xuan Xiao knew that she had once had suicidal thoughts, though it was a drama she had staged herself. When Xuan Xiao actually showed up at the construction site, she felt a sense of triumph in her heart. This proved that he cared about her.

Today, she wore no makeup, revealing the true face of a 28-year-old woman. She had a few forehead lines, some crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, a sallow complexion, and looked quite haggard, like a withered stalk deeply affected by a blow.

While Xuan Xiao talked with the executives, he glanced at her occasionally. She said little and stood quietly to the side, not interrupting. Once the conversation was over, she deliberately lagged behind. Xuan Xiao slowed his pace and waited for her, asking if she was alright.

She hurriedly apologized for her foolish behavior last night, saying she must have gone crazy and that the stress from her divorce with Bai Yuan might have caused her to act so shamelessly. Xuan Xiao simply responded with his usual line, "We were both drunk. I didn’t take it to heart."

She showed a face full of shame and, as she spoke, she began to cry. Xuan Xiao had no choice but to take her away to a different place.

It wasn’t all an act; there was a layer of genuine bitterness in her heart. She had truly touched a sore spot and cried uncontrollably.

Xuan Xiao comforted her, showing great thoughtfulness and care.

She continued to cry. When her phone rang, she saw it was Chi Xiaoying and, feeling guilty, she dismissed the call. When it rang again, she answered reluctantly. As she looked up, she suddenly spotted Chi Xiaoying standing among the reeds. She was initially flustered but quickly composed herself. Chi Xiaoying just stood there, showing no intention of approaching.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As she and Xuan Xiao turned to head back, she suddenly hugged him and said, “Thank you for listening to me. I feel much better now. I won’t do anything foolish again.” Before Xuan Xiao could think of pushing her away, she had already run off.

From now on, she should not take the initiative to walk towards Xuan Xiao, she would make Xuan Xiao walk towards him step by step.

On the way back to the city, Xuan Xiao was clearly distracted and nearly collided with oncoming traffic several times. Worried, Yen Nannan quickly got out and asked to take over driving for a while.

Xuan Xiao shook his head, bit his lip, and remained still, leaning on the steering wheel. After starting the car again, the situation improved slightly.