Chapter 131: Fastidious

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An Tong instinctively stood up. “I’ll head back to the Western-style mansion first.”

Her impression of Su Yiting was still stuck at the gathering at Waterfall Cliff. They hadn’t exchanged many words, let alone become familiar.

Now that they had just returned to Hong Kong, Su Yiting had come knocking—perhaps there was something urgent.

An Tong thought it best to avoid the situation.

“No need,” Rong Shen said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back onto the sofa. He handed her a teacup. “We’re not strangers here.”

Clearly, the man wasn’t about to let her leave, his expression open and unreserved.

An Tong dismissed her hesitation, accepted the cup, and quietly sipped her tea.

Outside the door, footsteps approached, accompanied by Su Yiting’s friendly tease, “Finally decided to come back? I thought you’d drown yourself in a soft bed.”

As he spoke, Su Yiting crossed the corridor and stood at the entrance of the living room.

Raising his eyes, he met An Tong’s cool, dark gaze head-on.

Su Yiting was momentarily speechless.

“Oh, everyone’s here.”

Su Yiting took a few steps forward awkwardly, subtly rolling his eyes at Rong Shen.

An Tong smiled faintly and called out, “Mr. Su.”

In the blink of an eye, the few of them scattered across the living room. An Tong lowered her head to drink tea but couldn’t ignore the scrutinizing look fixed on her.

Rong Shen sat leisurely with his legs crossed, chatting about trivial things with Su Yiting.

After about five minutes, Su Yiting lost patience and looked out toward the hallway. “Let’s go play chess. It’s been a while since our last match—I’m itching for it.”

Rong Shen pursed his lips slightly and stood up. Turning to An Tong, he said, “If you’re tired, go rest upstairs for a while. I’ll be back soon.”

An Tong nodded in response. The man then looked to Butler Li and instructed, “Send Madam’s belongings to the master bedroom on the third floor.”

“All right, I’ll arrange it right away.”

An Tong watched him leave the living room with surprise. Her intuition told her he didn’t actually want her to avoid the situation—just that he didn’t want her to hide away in the Western-style mansion.

She lowered her eyes and smiled softly, called Butler Li over, and followed him to the master bedroom on the third floor.

It was a private space belonging to the man—one she had never entered before.

Even in this main residence, she had only ever been in the living room and the study on the second floor.

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In the adjacent lounge, Su Yiting boldly lit a cigarette, exhaling a smoke ring. “Your little lady at home seems different this time she’s back.”

Rong Shen took the cigarette from him, lowered his head to light it, and asked in a low voice, “Did you come in such a hurry just to check if my little lady has changed?”

Su Yiting was speechless.

He chuckled awkwardly, tapping the ash off his cigarette. “How come I never realized you’re so petty before?”

“What do you want?”

“Can’t I come to you if there’s nothing wrong?” Su Yiting raised his eyebrows. “You haven’t been back for two months. Do you even know what’s going on here in Hong Kong?”

The man narrowed his eyes, the smoke blurring the indifferent light in them. “Mm.”

Su Yiting studied him carefully, trying to glean some clue from the change in his expression.

But Rong Jiu was too inscrutable; even childhood brothers found it hard to see his true intentions.

Su Yiting gave up the pretense and spoke directly, “Wen Wan is getting married.”

Rong Shen lifted his eyelids and raised an indifferent eyebrow. “She’s at the right age. Getting married isn’t unusual.”

Clearly, the man had little interest in Wen Wan’s marriage.

To Rong Shen, a woman who never truly touched his heart was no different from any random passerby.

At most, some acquaintance with whom he could exchange a few words.

“Aren’t you curious who she’s marrying?”

Rong Shen took a puff on his cigarette, his face unchanging but a faint smile playing on his lips. “If she marries Rong Liu or any man from the Rong family, that’s perfectly normal. Nothing surprising.”

“So you knew?”

Su Yiting sneered. “Not surprising, but haven’t you thought that if Rong Liu marries Wen Wan, the Wen family naturally becomes his backup force? That’s not good news for you.”

“Marriages for alliance and profit aren’t as solid as you think.”

When it’s about interests, there’s always mutual benefit—and inevitably, conflict.

Interdependent, no one can remain unscathed.

Su Yiting tapped the ash off his cigarette. “You’re not even here in Hong Kong, but you know quite a lot. What’s your plan? Interfere and ruin their marriage?”

“Is that necessary?” Rong Shen’s gaze drifted out the window. “If the Wen family wants to support someone, that’s their business.”

As for whom Wen Wan marries and what benefits it might bring—that didn’t concern him at all.

“Old Nine…” Su Yiting teased with a half-smile, “I get the feeling you’ve lost your fighting spirit since you got married. Is the soft bed too soft or what…”

His words trailed off, but he was sure Rong Jiu understood.

In the lounge, the men quietly smoked. Su Yiting showed no hurry, leisurely fiddling with the chess pieces on the board.

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Finally, he couldn’t hold back and nudged the edge of the table with his toe. “I’m asking you something, don’t pretend to be mysterious.”

“Who else knows I’ve come back?” Rong Shen didn’t answer but countered with a question.

Su Yiting frowned. “I didn’t tell anyone, but it’s hard to keep such things secret.”

Though Rong Jiu was low-key, in this information age, his every move would inevitably be noticed by someone.

Seeing him remain silent, Su Yiting added, “I heard Wen Wan and Rong Liu are holding an engagement party on New Year’s Day. You’ll probably be invited.”

The man raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “A phone call would do. No need to make a special trip.”

“My new girlfriend is at the old site nearby, viewing an exhibition. I came by to say hi. Otherwise, do you think I have nothing better to do than come find you?” Su Yiting shook his head in exasperation. “I just don’t get how a humorless old monk like you managed to get married—it must be because your little lady isn’t picky.”

Humorless…

Listening to Su Yiting’s judgment, Rong Shen calmly pinched his cigarette but furrowed his brow slightly.

In terms of wit, he was no match for Su Yiting.

In humor, he also fell short of Yi Ke.

And with An Tong’s pure and unblemished past, she seemed not to have many chances to interact with men besides him.

Would she also find him humorless? Even lacking in charm?

After sending Su Yiting off, Rong Shen kept pondering this question.

But opinions varied; there was no definitive answer.

Half-closing his eyes, he picked up the pack and lit another cigarette. The nicotine seemed to soothe his inner anxiety.

He looked down at the glowing ember, and ironically pinched his brow. He hadn’t expected Su Yiting’s blunt tongue to make him feel so uncertain.

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Meanwhile, An Tong wandered on the third floor of the main residence, curious.

She paused at every door but didn’t enter.

Until she saw her own luggage bag in the master bedroom.

Without hesitation, she stepped inside and found the bedroom at Yun Dian to be twice as large as the one at Yue Mansion.

The curtains and bedding were all in deep black tones.