Falling into the rain

Yu Tingyu weakly interjected, "I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd worry."

Wen Huaixu narrowed his eyes, his tone displeased: "So now you're not going to let me worry?"

He was in a meeting at the company yesterday morning, an important meeting where the presidents of all branches would give a joint report. The meeting had been in preparation for almost a month, but halfway through, his personal cell phone suddenly rang, saying that Yu Tingyu had fainted.

He immediately abandoned everyone and rushed to the school.

Thankfully, it's just a fever.

But he didn't even know when Yu Tingyu had fallen ill, and he was both anxious and angry.

Upon hearing Wen Huaixu's words, Yu Tingyu knew she was in the wrong and lowered her head.

"Alright, alright, Tingyu doesn't want to be sick either. Just drink the medicine I prescribed for her for a couple of doses, and she'll be bouncing around again by tomorrow."

Chu Lingyu tried to smooth things over.

Wen Huaixu lowered his eyes and looked at Yu Tingyu, who was standing to the side. The girl knew she had made a mistake, so she shrank back and stopped begging for forgiveness.

He found it strange; Yu Tingyu hadn't acted coquettishly towards him in a long time. Could it be that she was embarrassed because there were other people around?

Wen Huaixu suppressed his thoughts without showing any emotion, and his expression finally softened a bit. He said to her, "Go upstairs and lie down for a while. I'll have Aunt Jing bring your medicine up later."

"it is good."

Yu Tingyu nodded, eager to leave. She immediately got up and went upstairs under the watchful eyes of the three men.

She was tall and slender, with long, black curly hair cascading over her shoulders, which made her skin appear as white as snow, giving her a serene and elegant demeanor.

She was clearly spoiled and pampered growing up.

Zhang Qi'an casually asked, "What year is Tingyu in?"

Wen Huaixu took the decanter and poured the wine into a glass: "Third."

"Time flies! It seems like just yesterday she was a little kid, and now she's all grown up."

At this point, Wen Huaixu paused, his hand holding the cup pausing, as he recalled the time when Yu Tingyu first arrived at the Wen family.

She was nine years old when her parents died in a car accident, and she suddenly became an orphan.

Wen Yun, Yu Tingyu's mother, was a good friend of Yu Tingyu's mother. Upon hearing the devastating news, she brought Yu Tingyu back without hesitation.

Wen Huaixu still remembers the first time he met Yu Tingyu. The little girl only reached his waist, her eyes were red and swollen, and she was crying like a little kitten. Wen Yun led her to this unfamiliar "home".

When she saw him, her voice was hoarse from crying, but she still timidly called out "Second Brother".

Eleven years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Yu Tingyu is now twenty years old. It feels like everything has changed.

"But I'm telling you, Tingyu is so old now, she's at the age where she should be dating. If you keep being so strict, she might stop talking to you in the future," Zhang Qi'an continued.

Upon hearing the words "dating," Wen Huaixu's face instantly darkened. An indescribable emotion weighed on his heart, making him feel suffocated and worse.

"Xiaoyu is still young, she's way too young to be dating." Wen Huaixu didn't like hearing that. He glanced at Zhang Qi'an and said in an unfriendly tone, "You don't know anything."

"Yes, yes, I don't understand. Besides, my second brother will beat me if I say anything more."

Zhang Qi'an smiled and exchanged a glance with Chu Lingyu, then steered the conversation back on track: "Shouldn't my older brother have been transferred back to the municipal government by now?"

Wen Huaixu hummed in agreement.

"That's good now. Your family will finally be able to live apart in four different places. Your eldest brother will be at least a division-level official when he returns to Beijing this time. He's a 32-year-old county magistrate with a bright future ahead of him," Chu Lingyu said.

Liang Kaizhou and Wen Yun, one in administration and the other in business, had two sons who inherited their surnames and pursued different careers. The elder brother, Liang Jiezong, entered politics and rose rapidly through the ranks; Wen Huaixu inherited the Wen family business and was ruthless, reportedly even more decisive than the former chairman, and no one in the circle was unafraid of him.

"If you're envious, why don't you do it too? It's not like Uncle Chu won't pave the way for you," Zhang Qi'an joked.

These people all come from families that have been involved in politics for generations. If their own nephews or nieces have this intention, there's no reason not to help them.

"Come on, I'm not cut out for this." Chu Lingyu waved her hand, stood up, and said goodbye to Wen Huaixu.

Zhang Qi'an didn't stay any longer.

After seeing the two off, Wen Huaixu sat alone on the sofa for a long time before finally taking out his phone to call his secretary, Wang Hang.

"Check if Xiaoyu has any men around her lately?"

Wang Hang hesitated for a moment before asking, "...Are you referring to Director Zhao's young master?"

Zhao Xiao and Yu Tingyu are the same age and grew up together. They even went to the same university and have spent a lot of time together over the years.

Wherever Yu Tingyu is, he will be there too.

Wen Huaixu pressed his temples, his voice deepening: "Apart from him, tell me immediately if you have any news."

"Understood, understood," the secretary said respectfully.

-

Second floor room.

Yu Tingyu had sweated from covering herself up to bring down her fever, and had just taken a hot shower. She was chatting with her friend Shen Sihe while drying her hair.

"You had that kind of dream again?"

She and Shen Sihe had been friends for many years. There were some things she didn't want to keep to herself, so she shared most of them with trusted friends. Shen Sihe was the only one who knew that Yu Tingyu had those kinds of feelings for Wen Huaixu.

A hint of worry appeared on Yu Tingyu's delicate face. She lowered her head and said dejectedly, "I can't control myself... What should I do, Sihe? If this continues, he will find out sooner or later."

"Why don't you just confess? If you can't hold back, you can't hold back anymore." Seeing her friend's distress, Shen Sihe had no choice but to offer this solution.

"No!" Yu Tingyu shook her head resolutely: "If I do that, I'm afraid I really won't have a home anymore."

She had been with Wen Huaixu for over ten years. If this unspoken understanding were to be revealed, she couldn't imagine what the outcome would be. She might become a homeless orphan again.

Yu Tingyu admitted that she had developed a feeling of dependence on Wen Huaixu.

If one day even Wen Huaixu refuses to care for her, then it would have been better if the Wen family had never adopted her in the first place.

She didn't dare to gamble.

"That's true..."

As Shen Sihe was speaking, there were several knocks on the door.

Yu Tingyu thought it was Aunt Jing bringing medicine, and called out, "Please come in."

The door was opened, and a tall figure came into view.

Yu Tingyu was taken aback, not expecting that the person outside the door was Wen Huaixu.

Shen Sihe was still talking on the other end, and only Yu Tingyu could hear her. But she felt a little guilty, and the moment she saw Wen Huaixu, she quickly pressed the hang-up button.

Wen Huaixu took in all her movements. His expression turned slightly stern, but he didn't ask any further questions.

"Second brother, why did you bring it up yourself?"

Yu Tingyu put down the hairdryer, her face flushed pink from the hot air, making her look very well-behaved.

As Wen Huaixu approached, he smelled a perfume, her unique acacia and lemon scent.

He subconsciously held his breath and placed the glass of medicine in his hand on the table.

"I'm afraid you'll pour the medicine into the vase."

When Yu Tingyu was sick, if no one was looking after her, she would often secretly pour out her medicine. The green plants in the room were bought at a high price, so there was no reason why they wouldn't bloom and bear fruit. The problem was with her.

Once, she was pouring medicine when Wen Huaixu caught her red-handed. When he was lecturing Yu Tingyu, he scared her to tears, and in the end, she had to comfort her herself.

Yu Tingyu had clearly thought of that time too. Her cheeks flushed even more as she picked up the medicine, complaining softly, "I'm not a child anymore, why are you staring at me like that?"

She tilted her head back and drank all the medicine in the cup. Because it was so bitter, her little face couldn't help but scrunch up.

Perhaps because her words reminded him of what Zhang Qi'an had said downstairs earlier, Wen Huaixu's expression darkened again.

He pulled out a piece of candy from somewhere and stuffed it directly into Yu Tingyu's mouth, his voice low and hoarse: "I have to take care of you."