The media, having somehow caught wind of something, had been camped out at the hotel entrance. The next morning, as soon as she stepped out, she was surrounded by reporters with cameras and mics, capturing every bit of her disheveled panic.
Then, like a storm, rumors about her promiscuity swept through the city, leaving her no room to argue her case.
It started to rain on the way back. Ning Guiwan watched the rain-blurred nightscape outside the car window, silent. Quan Yu was silent too.
Around eleven, the car stopped before the Ning family gate.
The driver got out, holding an umbrella, to open the door for Ning Guiwan. Once she stepped out, she noticed Quan Yu had followed.
She watched Quan Yu walk towards her, holding a black umbrella, his shoes treading through puddles and fallen leaves.
Under the dim streetlights, the man's figure was tall and slender. Even with mud splashing onto his trouser cuffs, his dignified composure remained wholly intact.
"Take this umbrella," Quan Yu said, handing her the one he held. The driver, initially sheltering Ning Guiwan, perceptively shifted his own umbrella over Quan Yu's head.
Ning Guiwan accepted it without hesitation. "Thank you."
She had been drinking, and her body felt flushed. A gust of wind brought an icy rain with it, making her shiver involuntarily from the sudden, intense cold.
Quan Yu took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
In the two seconds it took him to place the jacket on her, his arms encircled her as if pulling her into an embrace. Ning Guiwan inhaled the cool, refreshing scent of agarwood emanating from him.
The warmth shielded her from the chill. She looked up, her beautiful eyes crinkling with a smile. "It's so warm."
Her smile was childlike, yet her eyes held an enchanting, captivating allure.
"You don't hate me anymore?"
Quan Yu looked down at her delicate, radiant face, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. His voice was deep as he asked, "When did I ever hate you?"
"You did, before I went abroad," Ning Guiwan's tone was accusing. "You were so harsh with me, unwilling to say even a single word."
Quan Yu seemed to study her for a moment but didn't pursue the topic. He simply tilted his chin toward the courtyard. "Go on inside," he said.
"Alright. Goodbye then, Uncle Yu." Ning Guiwan didn't press the issue. She smiled, turned, and walked towards the villa entrance, where the security guard at the gatepost had already opened the main gate for her.
When Ning Guiwan glanced back, she saw him still standing there, tall and distinguished, exuding an indescribable charm and elegance.
She waved at him. In the dense night, the girl under the black umbrella, her dress fluttering, was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Sir, shall we head back?"
The rain pattered against the umbrella. Seeing Quan Yu's trouser cuffs getting increasingly damp, the driver couldn't help but prompt him.
"To what extent can a person change?" Quan Yu asked, one hand in his trouser pocket, his posture relaxed. His gaze was deep and distant, as if questioning the driver, or perhaps himself.
The driver was taken aback, only grasping his meaning after a long moment.
"You also think Miss Ning has changed from how she used to be?" the driver ventured. "I remember before she went abroad, she was so warm and cheerful, always talkative. Every time she rode in my car, she'd chatter away nonstop. She's much quieter now."
"That's good too. Being more composed, she won't be as impulsive as she was before."
Quan Yu turned, glanced at the driver, and let out a cold laugh. "People are shallow," he said, his voice frigid. "They only ever see the surface."
The driver, feeling the sting of being called shallow, fell silent.
Once in the car, the driver started the engine. Then, as if remembering something, he spoke again. "Still, I think I liked the old Miss Ning better. Whenever I saw her smile, it felt like all my troubles vanished."
In the short time Ning Guiwan and Quan Yu had stood at the entrance, the security guard had already relayed the news of Quan Yu's arrival to those inside.
Ning Honghua had already retired for the night, but upon hearing the news, he immediately dressed and came downstairs. He didn't see Quan Yu, only Ning Guiwan, her skirt hem damp.
"President Quan brought you back?" Ning Honghua's gaze fell on the suit jacket draped over Ning Guiwan.
Ning Honghua was twenty-four years older than Quan Yu and possessed more substantial experience in the business world. However, Quan Yu's current wealth and status couldn't be matched by age or experience alone. Whether in public or private, Ning Honghua still had to address him as "President Quan."
Ning Guiwan didn't deny it. She closed her umbrella, placed it by the wall, and then stood under the porch wringing water from her skirt. "I had dinner with Uncle Yu," she said, "and he gave me a ride home on his way."
She looked up at Ning Honghua, then lowered her head. "Dad, why aren't you in bed yet?"
Ning Honghua stared at her flushed cheeks. "Have you been drinking?"
"Mm," Ning Guiwan replied without looking up. "Uncle Yu enjoys drinking. When you're having dinner with him, not having a couple of glasses would spoil his enjoyment, wouldn't it?"
"Try to avoid drinking in the future," Ning Honghua said, his tone sounding like a word of concern.
After smoothing her skirt, Ning Guiwan finally looked up at her father, blinking gently, her eyes appearing utterly sincere. "Are you afraid that if I drink too much, I'll cause trouble and be a hassle for you?"
Ning Honghua frowned.
Ning Guiwan added, "Don't worry. Some mistakes, you only need to make once."
Ning Honghua's frown deepened. Just as he was about to speak, Ning Rongyue's voice came from behind him. "Dad, it's so chilly outside, and Xiaowan is barely dressed. Why not let her come inside to talk?"
Ning Rongyue walked past Ning Honghua to look at Ning Guiwan. When her gaze landed on the suit jacket on Ning Guiwan's shoulders, the smile on her lips faltered slightly.
She had seen Quan Yu wear that suit before.
"I just heard from the servants that Mr. Quan came by." Ning Rongyue glanced towards the main entrance. "Has he left?"
Ning Guiwan ignored her, merely glancing at Ning Honghua. "I'm going to my room."
That night, Ning Guiwan had a very long dream. Consequently, when she woke up the next day, she not only had a headache but also felt extremely fatigued.
As she was getting ready to leave, a servant came in to clean the bedroom. Ning Guiwan specifically instructed, "Please take good care of this suit. I need to return it."
The servant picked up the black suit and couldn't help but sigh.
Such a fine young lady, why doesn't she have more shame?
Ning Guiwan had no idea what impression the suit had created of her in the servant's mind. As she descended the stairs, she happened to encounter Yun Shu coming in from outside.
Ning Honghua was seated at the head of the dining table, reading the newspaper. Ning Rongyue and the servants were setting out breakfast. Ning Qinghan ran quickly to Yun Shu, threw her arms around her neck, and whined sweetly, "Mom, you don't need to go to the hospital anymore. Haven't we hired professional caregivers for him? Why don't you come home to live? Please?"
The "him" Ning Qinghan referred to was Chen Bingde.
Standing on the staircase, Ning Guiwan's fingers gripped the handrail tightly.
From downstairs, this scene looked for all the world like a happy family of four.
"Xiaowan." Yun Shu gently removed Ning Qinghan's arms and walked towards Ning Guiwan. "I only heard yesterday that you'd returned. I wanted to wait for you last night, but you didn't come back, and I was worried about Old Chen, so I went to the hospital. Have... have you been well these past few years?"
Yun Shu was a gentle woman. She spoke softly and tenderly, and her presence always made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze. Previously, Ning Guiwan had been very fond of this Auntie Yun.
But now, looking at her kind face, Ning Guiwan's expression grew progressively colder.
"My father doesn't care for me, and my mother is gone. Do you think I've been well?"
Yun Shu's face stiffened, and her eyes reddened. "I'm sorry…"
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Ning Guiwan said, suppressing the maelstrom of emotions within her. "And as for the person you should apologize to, don't even bother. She can't hear you. And even if she could, she wouldn't forgive you!"
"I'm sorry…" Yun Shu whispered, tears welling up as she choked back a sob.
Ning Rongyue glanced at Ning Honghua's grim expression, intending to smooth things over. But before she could speak, Ning Qinghan angrily pointed at Ning Guiwan. "What kind of attitude is that?" she demanded. "You have no decency, and you've done so many atrocious things! Dad is right not to care about you!"
SLAP!
The sharp sound startled everyone.
Ning Honghua slammed the newspaper onto the table, his face taut with anger. "Sit down and eat! No one says another word!"