After agreeing with Wen Yan'an to pick him up for breakfast the next day, Wen Yan'an reluctantly hung up the phone.
"Miao Miao, you're picking up An'an after breakfast tomorrow?"
"What else?"
"I was thinking you could come to work with me tomorrow, and then after I get off work, we'd go pick up An'an together."
"Dream on?" Fang Miao Miao shook her head, firmly refusing, "Your company isn't fun. I'm picking up An'an to adopt a puppy together tomorrow."
Not going today would be breaking a promise, and not going tomorrow would be inexcusable.
Wen Zhiyan's body stiffened slightly. "Are we really getting a dog?"
Fang Miao Miao's gaze shifted from the script to Wen Zhiyan's handsome profile. "What's wrong?"
It was only now that she vaguely recalled Wen Zhiyan seeming a bit off when she mentioned getting a dog last time.
Could it be...
"Are you allergic to dog fur?"
"No."
Fang Miao Miao thought of a somewhat unlikely answer and tentatively asked, "Could it be that you're afraid of dogs?"
Wen Zhiyan looked down at Fang Miao Miao. He didn't miss the amusement in her eyes. He raised his hand and tapped her forehead. "How could that be? You're overthinking it."
Afraid of dogs? Impossible, not in this lifetime.
"Then why did you ask again?"
"An'an is still young. I don't want him to do things on a whim. It's not good for him," Wen Zhiyan held Fang Miao Miao's hand. "Or, if An'an's enthusiasm wanes after three minutes, will you take care of the dog for him?"
"How could that be?" Fang Miao Miao blurted out without even thinking. "It's already a miracle that I can take care of myself, how could I possibly take care of anything else?"
She had never been very responsible.
"But... I feel like An'an isn't joking. He's your son, don't you know him best?"
Hearing this, Wen Zhiyan instinctively touched his nose. "Actually, I haven't spent much time with An'an."
After he learned of An'an's existence, he had only followed his father's suggestion and placed An'an's name under his own in the family tree. An'an had mostly been raised by his father and mother.
Later, when everyone noticed that An'an disliked talking and preferred to lock himself in his room, they thought something was wrong. After taking him to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor suggested that the child live with his father in a smaller apartment. It was then that he brought An'an to live at Ming Mountain Apartments.
"Then An'an?"
She only knew that An'an didn't talk when she was reading. But An'an wasn't the protagonist, so there were only fragmented mentions, and she didn't understand An'an's past very well.
"The doctor said he's fine. An'an is just a solitary child," Wen Zhiyan chuckled as something came to mind. "You're the first person who can have a pleasant conversation with him."
"Really? I thought An'an liked his grandmother quite a bit."
Wen Zhiyan fell silent for a moment and then said, "An'an used to like his mother quite a bit. He'd often snuggle into her arms and act spoiled."
When did he start to become so withdrawn?
He didn't know.
To a large extent, he wasn't a qualified father.
He treated An'an more like an adult.
"And then?"
Fang Miao Miao listened with great interest, putting down the script in her hand.
"I don't know what happened after that," Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "During that period, An'an and I didn't see each other very often."
Firstly, he was too busy with company matters, dealing with traitors within the company, guarding against other businesses encroaching, and secondly, he was busy rebuilding the company's reputation and expanding into new markets.
"After the situation stabilized, and Wen's Group began to flourish, coupled with An'an's incident, I took An'an to live with me, disregarding my mother's objections," Wen Zhiyan recounted that past event calmly, his eyes showing no emotion.
"Were you tired then?"
Wen Zhiyan was only twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Five years ago, he would have only recently graduated from university.
"It was fine," Wen Zhiyan shook his head. He was used to it.
Fang Miao Miao reached out and gave Wen Zhiyan a hug. "I don't know how to comfort you. Comfort without empathy might not be comfort at all."
In this world, there was no true empathy, even if two people experienced the exact same pain.
"It's okay. I'm very good now, with you and An'an," Wen Zhiyan hugged Fang Miao Miao back, resting his head on her shoulder. "Miao Miao, thank you."
Thank you for coming, thank you for saving me and An'an.
Fang Miao Miao felt guilty. What if, one day, Wen Zhiyan found out she wasn't the real Fang Miao Miao, and thought she was a monster, a lonely ghost, and resented her?
No, no, how could she overthink like this?
The original host and Wen Zhiyan didn't have much of a relationship. He probably liked her now, so how could he resent her? She must have been reading too many scripts and was overthinking.
But...
She wasn't the real Fang Miao Miao after all. Should she tell him?
Probably not. He didn't know the original host that well anyway.
Fang Miao Miao felt like two little people in her mind were constantly arguing, causing her eyes to ache.
"Wen Zhiyan."
"Miao Miao, don't say it, don't ask. I know it's you."
It's you, not Fang Miao Miao.
Fang Miao Miao fell silent.
Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating them as they embraced. Everything was exceptionally quiet and beautiful.
...
The next morning.
Fang Miao Miao looked at Wen Zhiyan sitting beside her, utterly perplexed. "Why are you coming with me? Aren't you afraid of being late for work?"
"Afraid of what? There's nothing important at the company today. Even if something comes up, Xin Xuan will call me."
"When did you become a capitalist?"
Fang Miao Miao had always thought her boyfriend was quite considerate of his employees.
"I gave Xin Xuan a raise."
"Good. No wonder Xin Xuan isn't causing trouble for you."
"Da Chen, drive to Yu Garden."
"Yes, Master Wen."
The car headed towards Yu Garden.
More than two hours later.
The car stopped steadily in front of Gate No. 2 of Yu Garden.
He rang the doorbell.
No one came out for a long time.
Wen Zhiyan's brows furrowed slightly.
"Could they still be asleep?"
Wen Zhiyan shook his head. "Uncle Fang prefers quiet, so the servants always wake up early to clean. By this time, their tasks should be finished, and someone should be at the gate."
"Then should I call An'an?"
She tried calling again and again.
The phone remained unanswered.
Just as Wen Zhiyan was about to ask Da Chen to climb over the wall, the door was opened from the inside. kuAiδugg
An old man, with his head bowed and body trembling slightly, appeared.
"Sorry, we are not receiving guests today."
"It's me."
The old man slowly looked up. Seeing the person before him, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Master Wen."
"Yes, I've come to visit Uncle Fang and to pick up An'an to come home."
The old man's face contorted with bitterness. "The master... has passed away."