The scenery outside the car window blurred in reverse as it sped by, the sky gradually darkening. Neon lights began to flicker on across the city.
Jiang Yanzhi held the steering wheel with an easy, relaxed posture.
At the next red light, he suddenly broke the silence."First time in Beijing?"
The quiet was shattered, and Tang Wanwan, lost in her own thoughts, blinked in surprise before turning to look at him.
"No. When I was little, I came to the capital for a medical checkup."
In the dim light of the car, she leaned back in her seat, her gaze resting on him.
Jiang Yanzhi's hand, draped casually over the steering wheel, tightened slightly without him realizing it.
"I heard from Xianyu that your health isn't very good."
The light turned green. He pressed the accelerator, the car gliding smoothly forward. His tone was casual, as if talking about the weather."I know a few top doctors, both in China and abroad. What kind of health problem is it? If it's not too personal, you can tell me."
For a first meeting, the question was rather direct—especially coming from a man who hardly seemed the type to waste his time warmly inquiring about his friend's 'girlfriend's' health.
If any of his close friends were here, they would have been astonished.
But Tang Wanwan was fresh out of the college entrance exams, a girl carefully sheltered by family and childhood friends. She had been surrounded by kindness her whole life and didn't think much of his question. She simply shook her head lightly."They couldn't find anything."
The Tang family was wealthy; she had undergone every examination possible, at home and abroad.
Traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, even superstitious rituals—she had tried them all. Nothing worked.
Shen Xianyu had also sought out renowned experts for her, to no avail.
After rounds of consultations with more than a dozen specialists, the conclusion had been the same: wait until she was older and see if she improved naturally.
She had almost given up—until something absurd happened.
Who could have guessed that her recovery would somehow be tied to a man?
Absurd, yes—but at least it meant there was a solution.
That was the first light of hope for her health.
She had to admit, when she confirmed that the "dream's instructions" were real, her first reaction had been joy.
For the sake of her health, she was willing to follow the dream's guidance and play out the "supporting female character" plotline.
Breaking up with a man five times? She felt no psychological burden over it.
Jiang Yanzhi himself wasn't even a factor in her consideration.
The only thing that gave her pause was Shen Xianyu.
She didn't want to hurt him.
But if he, too, would eventually fall for someone else, then she wouldn't really be hurting him… right?
Steeling herself, Tang Wanwan asked, "Are you close with Shen Xianyu?"
Jiang Yanzhi made a sound of affirmation. "Grew up in the same circle, known each other since we were kids."
Tang Wanwan knew Shen Xianyu's family background well.
Being in the same social circle as the Shen family and growing up as close friends—well, that made the "plot" she needed to follow all the more complicated.
She sighed silently, lowering her head.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yanzhi glanced at her. "We get along pretty well—does that trouble you?"
His voice was light, almost lazy.
"No," she replied, lips pressed together, saying nothing more.
Years of moral upbringing and her longing for good health pulled at her mind in opposite directions, making it hard to decide what to do.
Better to wait until she saw Shen Xianyu in person.
The car fell into a few seconds of quiet before Jiang Yanzhi asked, "Want to listen to music?"
"Sure, anything's fine. Up to you."
He tapped the screen, and a gentle piano piece began to play.
After a while, her phone rang inside her bag.
Seeing the caller ID, Tang Wanwan's eyes lit up. She answered softly."Mom."
Her voice was sweet and delicate.
Jiang Yanzhi's gaze dimmed slightly, his fingers on the steering wheel twitching almost imperceptibly.
Oblivious, she cradled the phone and chatted with her mother."Mm, I'm in the car.""No, something came up for him. It just happened that his friend was on the same flight as me, so I'm riding with him."
Her mother said something on the other end, and Tang Wanwan's lips curved with a shy smile."…I know.""Mom! …No, I won't."
Beside her, Jiang Yanzhi listened in silence.
Suddenly, he remembered that six months ago, Shen Xianyu had personally overseen the renovation of a spacious apartment near A University.
Their group of friends had teased him, calling it the future love nest for him and his childhood sweetheart.
The girl he had watched over since childhood was finally grown, leaving the protection of her parents for university life.
Now it was early August, still weeks before the semester began.
If she was in Beijing with no relatives around, it was natural for her to stay with Shen Xianyu—and her family had clearly approved.
A pair in love, blessed by everyone—except for the nagging worry over the girl's frail health, everything was perfect.
When the call ended, she barely had time to put her phone away before it rang again.
This time, it was Shen Xianyu.
She answered, and after a moment tilted her head toward Jiang Yanzhi."Mr. Jiang, how much longer until we get there?"
It was the first time she had addressed him directly—an entirely ordinary form of address, yet it made both men on either end of the call pause.
Shen Xianyu suddenly realized that she was alone in a closed space with another man.
A strange irritation welled up in him.
Jiang Yanzhi glanced at the slow-moving traffic ahead. "Hard to say. If we're lucky, within twenty minutes. But it's rush hour, so there's some congestion."
"Did you hear that?" Tang Wanwan said into the phone. "It'll be a while."
"Alright," Shen Xianyu replied, standing up and heading for the door. "I'll wait for you downstairs."
He refused to let her hang up.
Tang Wanwan glanced at her battery percentage. "Can't. My phone's almost out of charge."
The call ended.
Silence returned to the car.
"Just call me by my name," Jiang Yanzhi said as he steered. "I'm only a year ahead of you. You remember my name, right?"
He had introduced himself on the plane earlier.
That name had shocked her so much she couldn't possibly forget.
Tang Wanwan nodded. "I remember. Your name is Jiang Yanzhi."
Only then did she remember to introduce herself—but she barely got a word out before he interrupted.
"I know. Tang Wanwan, right?"
In the dimness, his voice was slow, with a subtle hook in the tail end of his tone.
Her voice instantly died in her throat.
She had never thought her name could sound… that ambiguous.
She stayed quiet, the silence now tinged with discomfort.
The man beside her seemed to glance at her—or maybe he didn't. She didn't dare look to confirm.
Once the most congested stretch of road was behind them, the car picked up speed.
Before long, the black SUV rolled to a smooth stop in front of a clubhouse.
Through the window, Tang Wanwan immediately spotted the tall, well-built young man waiting by the entrance.
Shen Xianyu, of course, recognized Jiang Yanzhi's car. He walked over and reached for the back door—only to see the girl he'd been longing for sitting in the passenger seat. His expression faltered.
Jiang Yanzhi raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you actually think I'm your chauffeur."
(End of Chapter)