Ruthless Romance

Chapter 3: Who Is That Person

Two minutes later, Mu Tingchen's car resumed its journey, and Wen Yan finally exhaled in relief. What had he been doing during those moments when the car stood still?

Inside the vehicle, driver Chen Nuo voiced his concern, "Young Master... it's snowing. Are you sure we shouldn't let Miss Wen into the car? We could wait a bit longer. I could call out to her?"

"Mind your own business," Mu Tingchen replied curtly, watching her diminutive figure through the rearview mirror with inexplicable irritation. He had already waited two minutes, giving her ample opportunity to approach.

At the art school, Chen Mengyao's heart ached at the sight of Wen Yan's drenched appearance. "What were you thinking? Riding a bicycle in this snowstorm? Have you lost your mind? Quick, here's breakfast – it's still warm, eat it while it's hot!"

Wen Yan accepted the soy milk and steamed dumplings from Chen Mengyao with a slight smile, her chapped lips revealing a hint of crimson.

Chen Mengyao drew a deep breath, "Don't your parents care about you at all? They don't look after your food or clothes, send you to art school without checking on you – were you adopted or something?"

"My... mother remarried when I was very young, and my father died ten years ago. They're not in the picture anymore..." Wen Yan explained while removing her soaked coat. She sipped the warm soy milk, maintaining a composure that was heartbreaking to witness.

Chen Mengyao gently stroked Wen Yan's wet hair, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? We've known each other since high school, but you never share anything. Finally, you're opening up. You're such a beautiful girl – I can't believe your mother could abandon you so heartlessly. Who are you living with now?"

Who was she living with?

Wen Yan paused before answering, contemplating how to describe her relationship with Mu Tingchen. In truth, he was more her creditor than anything else.

"I suppose... he's like a brother," she finally offered.

Chen Mengyao looked puzzled, "Like a brother? What kind of brother would let you live in such harsh conditions?"

Wen Yan merely smiled, offering no response.

Chen Mengyao sighed in resignation, "Did you buy the paint supplies the teacher requested?"

Wen Yan shook her head, "I can't afford them right now. I'll figure something out."

Three years ago, she had deeply felt his hatred toward her. She was there to repay a debt, and anything she wanted, she would have to earn herself.

He hadn't forced her, but his cold words still echoed in her memory: "One day, you'll come begging to me."

Later, he had left for abroad without a word, and she had never asked him for anything since, not even eating a single meal at the Mu residence, sustaining herself entirely through part-time work.

Watching Wen Yan's worried expression, Chen Mengyao's heart ached. Just as she was about to speak, a warm male voice interrupted.

"Xiao Yan, what's wrong? Why do you look so down?"

The speaker was Shen Jie, the second person Wen Yan had become acquainted with at school.

The wealthy circles of the capital were small, and both Chen Mengyao and Shen Jie belonged to them. Only Wen Yan remained an outsider.

"It's just about the paint supplies..."

"Mengyao!" Wen Yan cut in, subtly shaking her head at her friend.

For some reason, she didn't want Shen Jie to know about her financial struggles.

Suddenly, Shen Jie reached out to touch Wen Yan's forehead, "You're running a fever."

His tone was gently chiding as he unwrapped his own scarf and draped it around her neck, "If you fall ill, our Mengyao will worry herself sick."

Wen Yan looked up at him, her heart quickening. His smile was like sunlight breaking through clouds – warm and natural. His fine hair fell softly across his forehead, and his eyes seemed to hold countless stars.

He was the second most handsome person she had ever met – the first being Mu Tingchen.

Ten years ago, when she first met him, Mu Tingchen had also taken her breath away.

As Wen Yan gazed at Shen Jie before her, lost in thought, she remained completely unaware of the sharp, dark eyes watching this scene from the corridor outside the art studio.

In the decade since that fateful day, their dynamic had evolved into something complex and unspoken. Wen Yan had learned to navigate the treacherous waters of their relationship with careful precision, never asking for more than what was absolutely necessary, while Mu Tingchen maintained his distance with calculated coldness.

The warmth of Shen Jie's scarf around her neck felt foreign – a simple gesture of kindness that stood in stark contrast to the frigid relationship she shared with her so-called "brother." It wasn't just the physical warmth that affected her, but the casual thoughtfulness behind the action, something she had been starved of for so long.

The wealthy circles of Beijing were indeed small, and news traveled fast. Though no one openly discussed it, whispers about the strange arrangement between the Mu family's young master and the daughter of their deceased pilot circulated through the upper echelons of society. Some pitied her, others judged her, but most simply ignored her existence – a ghost at the edges of their glittering world.

Standing there in the art studio, caught between Shen Jie's warm concern and the weight of unseen eyes from the corridor, Wen Yan felt the familiar tightening in her chest – the constant struggle between allowing herself to accept kindness and maintaining the careful distance that her position as a "debtor" required.

Little did she know that this moment would mark the beginning of a shift in the delicate balance she had maintained for so long, setting in motion events that would force both her and Mu Tingchen to confront the complex web of emotions, obligations, and unspoken truths that bound them together.