When the door was pulled open, her smile froze the instant she saw the woman standing outside.
"How... is it you?"
Shi Ran hadn't expected Zhao Wuyan to find her here, and an inexplicable tension gripped her. It was likely due to the beating Zhao Wuyan had given her outside the "First Encounter Wedding Company" that left a lingering shadow.
Zhao Wuyan noticed Shi Ran's nervousness and said calmly, "Don't be tense. I'm not here to fight you today."
She held a few gift boxes and handed them to Shi Ran, "These are for you. I'm apologizing for my rudeness before. I hope you can forgive me."
Shi Ran stared blankly at the four gift boxes in Zhao Wuyan's hand. They were exquisitely packaged, clearly expensive. She was apologizing to her? Although the sincerity seemed genuine, Shi Ran couldn't quite believe it.
As she remained silent, Zhao Wuyan softly asked again, "Can I come in and sit for a while?"
Shi Ran instinctively shook her head, "No..."
She wanted to refuse by instinct, but Zhao Wuyan pointed to the surveillance camera in the hallway, "There are monitoring devices there. If I were to do anything to you, Si Bing would know after a quick investigation. Wouldn't they?"
Hearing this, Shi Ran felt a little more at ease. She took a step back, opened the living room door, and let Zhao Wuyan in.
Zhao Wuyan entered the living room, surveying the small studio apartment. The decor was simple yet very cozy. Especially the pair of men's slippers by the entryway suggested that Tang Si visited often. However, for the past month, she had her father tamper with the factories Tang Si managed in other regions, keeping him busy away from home and rarely allowing him to return.
Zhao Wuyan's gaze swept over the men's slippers, and a nameless ache tightened her chest. Why did Tang Si still love Shi Ran when she was clearly disfigured? What was it about her that wasn't as good as Shi Ran? She couldn't understand.
"Sit, please sit," Shi Ran said nervously.
Zhao Wuyan looked at Shi Ran, who was wearing a black yoga outfit with two white stripes along the side that perfectly accentuated her figure. Disregarding her disfigured face, she had to admit that Shi Ran possessed a certain allure. But now, disfigured, how could Shi Ran compare to her?
"Thank you." Zhao Wuyan put down the gifts and sat on the sofa.
The kind-hearted Shi Ran, after all, treated her as a guest, pouring her a cup of tea and placing it before her. "Miss Zhao, what is it you need from me? I have things to do later, and I'm not very available."
In reality, she had no plans, but Shi Ran didn't want Zhao Wuyan to linger.
Zhao Wuyan glanced at Shi Ran, then slowly lowered her head, clasping her hands together, her fingernails digging into the other hand. "I've come today to ask for your help with something."
"Help you?" Shi Ran grew even more confused. "Miss Zhao, you think too highly of me. If you can't do it, there's no way I can."
"No, you can." Zhao Wuyan shook her head, suddenly lifting her eyes. Her moist, dark eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as if on the verge of weeping.
This turn of events left Shi Ran completely bewildered. After a few moments of thought, she tentatively asked, "Are you talking about A Si?" Besides Tang Si, she couldn't think of anything else she could do for Zhao Wuyan.
"Shi Ran, I know you are gentle and kind, a thoughtful girl. But... but seeing you like this now makes me feel incredibly guilty." Zhao Wuyan's eyes reddened, shedding her usual sharp demeanor and creating an illusion of approachability.
Shi Ran looked at Zhao Wuyan's face, her own expression full of confusion. The more she listened, the more muddled she became, having no idea what Zhao Wuyan was trying to say. During the silence, Zhao Wuyan's tears overflowed, streaming down her fair skin and falling to the floor.