Chapter 46 — My Half-Brother

After Cheng Yishu left, Lin Xiaowen leaned against the door for a long time, lost in thought.

She knew, without any control, she had begun to like Cheng Yishu. Even if she refused to admit it aloud, even if she tried to force herself to stay clear-headed, telling herself there was no possibility between them... Yet, when Cheng Yishu opened the door and left, and his figure slowly disappeared before her eyes, Lin Xiaowen realized that certain feelings had already irreversibly taken root.

But so what?

Lin Xiaowen couldn’t help but laugh at her own hopeless infatuation—it was so unworthy, so untimely, so... Yes, they belonged to two completely different worlds. How could there ever be anything deeper between them? Time and again, what she called "mutual affection" was nothing but stirring up Cheng Yishu’s own childhood memories. And he already had someone he liked.

She rubbed her numb cheeks and found that, since Cheng Yishu had left, her smile had frozen on her face and refused to fade.

The weather grew hotter and hotter, sapping everyone’s energy. Xu Ningning, in particular, lay sprawled on the shop’s sofa, motionless, like a snake after drinking realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival.

"You’ve looked sluggish all morning—what’s wrong? Your aunt forcing you to go on blind dates again?" Lin Xiaowen had finished packing the online orders, waiting only for the courier to pick them up. With nothing to do, she naturally came over to check on her boss.

"Sigh..." Xu Ningning moved her neck, changed direction, and continued to stare out the window in a daze.

"What’s the matter?" Lin Xiaowen’s curiosity grew, and she leaned closer over the armrest to look at her.

"Xiaowen..." At last, Xu Ningning turned to her, speaking in a weary voice, "Tell me, do you believe in fate?"

Lin Xiaowen was stunned for a moment, then quietly sat down beside Xu Ningning.

Xu Ningning didn’t get an answer, but seemed suddenly energized, sitting up and facing her. "Tell me... If someone is truly destined for you, you’re bound to meet them again, right?"

"Maybe so," Lin Xiaowen replied calmly. "If you call it fate, there’s no reason you wouldn’t meet again."

"But it’s been four days—why hasn’t he appeared yet?" Xu Ningning’s eyes dimmed, her expression lost and melancholic as she muttered to herself.

"Who?" Lin Xiaowen looked at her in confusion. "Who hasn’t appeared?"

Xu Ningning opened her mouth, unexpectedly shy, which made Lin Xiaowen even more curious.

"Come on, don’t keep me guessing. Do you want me to interrogate you?"

"Oh, it’s nothing. I was going to wait until things were clearer before telling you. But now I’m telling you, you mustn’t tell my mom, okay?"

Xu Ningning, finally interested, decided to share everything with Lin Xiaowen. Whether it was possible was another matter—she’d think about that later.

"Don’t worry, I’d rather die than tell!" Lin Xiaowen solemnly raised her hand in oath, then patted her chest for emphasis.

Xu Ningning brushed Lin Xiaowen’s hand away, laughing playfully. "No need to be so serious!"

"Stop dithering, spill it!" Lin Xiaowen pushed her impatiently.

"Do you remember the person I mentioned not long ago—the one I met only ‘half-face’?"

Xu Ningning’s eyes shone, and she looked mischievously at Lin Xiaowen.

"Ah... I remember! So..." Lin Xiaowen, suddenly enlightened, exclaimed, "Did you see him again?"

"Yes, and not just me—you’ve seen him too!" Xu Ningning smiled, lips pressed together.

"Me?"

Lin Xiaowen furrowed her brows, trying to recall. "Who is it? I don’t remember seeing anyone lately..."

"Oh, it was the man who brought Ranran to the service desk the day she got lost. Sinan!" Xu Ningning, impatient with Lin Xiaowen’s delay, blurted it out.

Lin Xiaowen’s heart thudded, her face instantly pale as if drained of blood.

"You remember, don’t you?" Xu Ningning, immersed in her excitement, failed to notice Lin Xiaowen’s unnatural expression and continued cheerfully, "The first moment I saw him, I was astonished—never thought I’d meet him again, thought he’d only exist in my memory. But then I saw him that day, and you can’t imagine how my heart nearly leapt out of my chest, hands and feet cold from excitement... He said his name was Sinan, and I remembered the first time I saw him was at the elevator on the office floor, so I looked him up. Turns out, he’s actually the big boss—the general manager of Rando Group, the second son of the Si family..."

As Xu Ningning spoke, Lin Xiaowen collapsed weakly onto the sofa, her gaze empty, face ashen, lips pale as paper.

When Xu Ningning first talked about moving into Rando Tower, Lin Xiaowen had considered she might encounter someone from the Si family. But after all, this was Shanghai, not Chengdu, and certainly not Rando Group’s headquarters in Hong Kong. So, the chances of meeting them should have been slim. Until Ranran met the man who called himself Sinan, Lin Xiaowen realized the world was small, and what was meant to happen would happen eventually.

Sinan was indeed from the Rando Group. More than that, he was now the Si family’s sole heir.

Although Sinan didn’t know she existed, nor who she was, Lin Xiaowen was well aware of him. That’s why she couldn’t stop trembling, wanting to stay far away from him, from anyone in the Si family. Because she would never forget how, after Sidong left, the Si family had treated her...

"Xiaowen, what’s wrong?"

After her burst of excitement, Xu Ningning finally noticed something was amiss with Lin Xiaowen. She reached out to touch her forehead, then exclaimed, "Xiaowen, you’re drenched in cold sweat! Are you feeling unwell? Huh?"

Xu Ningning panicked—this expression hadn’t appeared on Lin Xiaowen’s face in years, not since the day Lin Xiaowen sought refuge with her and Xu Ningning met her at the train station.

Xu Ningning would never forget how helpless and despairing Lin Xiaowen had been then.

"Xiaowen..."

Gently clasping Lin Xiaowen’s icy hands, Xu Ningning’s voice trembled.

Slowly, Lin Xiaowen recovered, looking at Xu Ningning—her only friend, her last lifeline in adversity.

She didn’t want to tell her everything, didn’t want to drag her out of her happy dreams.

But if they were to meet again, could these matters truly remain buried forever?

"Ningning..."

"I’m here!"

Holding Lin Xiaowen’s hand tightly, Xu Ningning’s worry only deepened, making Lin Xiaowen even more reluctant to hurt her.

"Ningning... I’m sorry."

Faced with Lin Xiaowen’s sudden, inexplicable apology, Xu Ningning looked at her in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about? What’s going on?"

"Ningning... the Si family..." Lin Xiaowen’s voice was frail, so weak it seemed a gust of wind could blow it away.

"...Si..."

After a stunned pause, Xu Ningning repeated the word "Si," and her whole body trembled violently.

The next moment, Xu Ningning gazed at Lin Xiaowen in shock and disbelief.

Lin Xiaowen simply squeezed Xu Ningning’s hand even tighter, her whole body tense, forcing out a single sentence:

"Sinan... is Sidong’s half-brother, which means he’s Ranran’s uncle."