Chapter 3 : Connecting the Dots

Back inside the noisy room, Xiao Nuo was already blackout drunk, clinging to A Qiu and belting out “Red Rose”.

She didn’t get a single lyric right, but miraculously, every note was perfectly in tune.

The French guy was nowhere to be seen, likely having had too much to drink and retreated to the restroom.

The remaining two were chatting in a corner, having just broached the topic of a year-end ski trip to Canada.

Seeing her return, Lu Sien casually asked, “We were just about to ask you, are you free at the end of the year? We haven’t decided where to go yet, Ottawa or Vancouver are both options.”

Péi Wanyi sank into a single armchair, her gaze sweeping over the two of them as she replied nonchalantly, “We’ll see when the time comes. Who knows where I’ll be at the end of the year.”

Lu Sien smiled with understanding and didn’t press further.

But Han Xu, sitting to his left, didn’t quite get it and asked with a gentle smile:
“What do you mean? Do you have other plans? You’re not staying in the country?”

Péi Wanyi looked at him but didn’t answer the question. Instead, as if suddenly remembering, she asked, “I haven’t asked you yet, why the sudden return to the country?”

Han Xu paused, then replied with a composed expression:
“Actually, my US visa has been expired for almost two years, and I never found the time to come back and renew it. Coincidentally, my company had some business to discuss here, so I applied for an overseas assignment. I should be here for a while.”

Péi Wanyi nodded. “That is a hassle. The waiting times are long now.”

Han Xu gave a helpless shrug, and with that, the previous topic was dropped, never to be mentioned again.

Lu Sien and he rarely saw each other, so they started chatting again, their conversation gradually branching out.

Péi Wanyi took out her phone to check work emails, subtly glancing at the man across from her.
‘Of course, I wouldn’t dismiss a friend based on a few words from an outsider. ’

But Péi Wanyi recalled two months ago, right after her breakup. It had been an unpleasant one; her ex had been both clingy and hostile, attacking all her friends and stirring up trouble in her social circle. It was a disaster-level drama.

It was during this time that Han Xu, who had been inadvertently dragged into it, sent her a message expressing his concern and sympathy.

In reality, Péi Wanyi couldn’t even remember who he was at the time.

It took her a long while to recall that he was a friend of another friend, someone she had added years ago but never spoken to.

That night, he had called and comforted her for over half an hour. At first, Péi Wanyi thought he was quite kind, but she soon grew impatient, cutting him off and ending the conversation.

To her, no everyday topic was worth spending so much time on; it was meaningless.

Since then, he had contacted her from time to time—not excessively, just occasional greetings and work-related matters, along with sharing some videos or funny things from the internet.

Péi Wanyi replied depending on her mood—she treated everyone that way.

Until today, when he suddenly called, saying he had finished some business and was passing by when he saw El’s shop was open but not operating.

So Péi Wanyi went down to let him in. It was a gathering of acquaintances anyway, and he knew El and Lu Sien, so one more person wouldn’t hurt.

She just hadn’t expected so many people here to know him.

Péi Wanyi raised her eyes, her gaze shifting towards the balcony.

The white sheer curtains obscured the two figures, revealing only their silhouettes.

The room was noisy, and not a word of their conversation could be heard.

Han Xu seemed to have been watching her expression. Seeing her look towards the balcony, he asked with some curiosity, “Is El on the balcony? Did another friend of his arrive?”

Péi Wanyi retracted her gaze and looked at him, her expression calm.

“Do you remember Mia?” she asked casually.

Han Xu’s expression froze for a second before he quickly smiled.
“Of course, I do. We’re still friends.”

Despite saying this, he made no move to get up and greet the person on the balcony.

Even though he had already assumed the other person on the balcony was Mia.

Lu Sien sat by silently, his gaze fixed on Péi Wanyi, a silent question in his eyes.

Péi Wanyi didn’t respond to him. Having confirmed her suspicions, she changed the subject.

They didn’t chat for long before Han Xu, who had seemed to have plenty of free time, suddenly announced he had forgotten something important and had to leave.

Péi Wanyi and Lu Sien saw him downstairs. After watching him leave without a backward glance, they closed the glass door.

“What’s going on?”
Lu Sien finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Mia isn’t here. Doesn’t he know you two don’t get along?”

“Wait, why did he leave as soon as he heard Mia was here?”

Lu Sien was no El. He usually just chose not to point things out, but it didn’t mean he didn’t see them.

That brief conversation had been enough for him to pick up a great deal of information.

It wasn’t Péi Wanyi who answered him, but El, who had appeared at the top of the stairs. “Lu, you don’t know?”

Lu Sien immediately looked up. “What did I miss?”

Péi Wanyi had already gone straight upstairs, leaving El to clear up his confusion:
“Mia and Han were very close a few years ago, but they had a huge fight. Mia said she hated him and never wanted to see him again.”

It took Lu Sien a long time to digest this massive piece of gossip.

The three of them returned upstairs. The drunks were now scattered about in disarray. Péi Wanyi sat back on the sofa while Lu Sien was still trying to untangle the messy relationships, his brow furrowed in thought.

El occasionally chimed in with a detail or a piece of information, making his headache even worse.

“So, here’s what happened: a few years ago, Mia, not knowing Mavis’s sexual orientation, mistook her for a love rival and did all those extreme things.”
Lu Sien finally sorted it out. “And Mia and Han also had a history. They were close, but then they fell out and stopped talking. This seems to contradict what Han himself said, so let’s put a pin in that for now.”

El glanced at Péi Wanyi and added:
“Han was very concerned about Mavis before, comforting her when she broke up. It seems like he came here specifically to see Mavis today.”

Lu Sien looked at Péi Wanyi, and seeing that she didn’t object, he understood.
“Well, I’ll be damned. He doesn’t know your sexual orientation either, does he?”

Péi Wanyi shrugged, her gaze flicking towards the balcony.

The person who had just returned from a phone call happened to walk in at that moment, meeting her gaze.

And Péi Wanyi saw it clearly: a faint smile directed at her.
—Like a beneficiary who had thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Jiang Yanlin had indeed enjoyed the show very much.

Especially watching the drama surrounding that pretentious poser, Han Xu.

As for the certain young miss who had also become part of her entertainment—
‘Oops, I didn’t mean it. ’

‘Just like you didn’t mean to mistake me for someone else, right? ’

The moment El saw her return, he eagerly shared what had just happened.

Jiang Yanlin feigned surprise:
“So you all know him?”

Lu Sien was completely drawn into the gossip and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the story?”

This kind of topic always easily bridged the distance between people. Jiang Yanlin sat down and briefly recounted what she had told El—no more, no less, neutral and objective.

Lu Sien was thoroughly shocked.
“With his best friend’s ex-girlfriend? Seriously? Why would he do that?”

From Lu Sien’s perspective, this was indeed hard to understand.

Han Xu came from a scholarly family, had a master’s degree from an Ivy League school, and a promising future ahead of him. With his credentials, he would have no trouble finding a partner. Was it worth taking such a huge risk to get involved with his best friend’s ex?

In the end, his best friend found out, and their friendship was ruined.

El also found it strange. He had a good impression of Han Xu. In fact, everyone who knew Han Xu had a good impression of him, except for Mia.

But Mia’s actions had been so indefensible that her opinion of Han Xu didn’t affect how others saw him.

—That’s just how society’s judgment system works. A person’s established image can always influence others’ judgment at critical moments.

Mia was always causing trouble, so her words had little credibility.

Han Xu always left a good impression, so his reputation was not easily tarnished.

It was a harsh reality, but an unavoidable one.

Jiang Yanlin already knew the answer to the question that Lu Sien and El couldn’t figure out.

But she propped her chin on her hand and looked at Péi Wanyi, who hadn’t joined the discussion.

Over the course of the evening, Jiang Yanlin had easily gathered the basic information about everyone at the party—their names, professions, nationalities, and origins.

Péi Wanyi noticed her gaze and, for once, spoke up:
“What do you want to ask?”

Jiang Yanlin wasn’t surprised and asked directly:
“I’d like to ask, is Mia an American citizen?”

Péi Wanyi raised an eyebrow, understanding everything now.

She nodded in confirmation.

Before Lu Sien and El could react, Jiang Yanlin looked at them and said lightly, “Han Xu’s best friend’s ex-girlfriend also has a US green card.”

She then looked at Péi Wanyi, the unspoken meaning clear.

Lu Sien had a sudden realization.
“He’s hidden that quite well.”

El listened with lingering fear. “It’s a good thing Mavis found out early.”

Péi Wanyi ignored them and got up to go to the restroom.

The downstairs restroom was lit with a warm yellow light. The sink was clean and bright, and the scent of aromatherapy was not overpowering. Every detail was meticulously cared for.

Péi Wanyi leaned against the doorframe. When she heard the expected footsteps, she turned to look.

Jiang Yanlin stopped outside the door, not looking surprised at all.

Péi Wanyi studied her for a moment before asking:
“How long have you known Han Xu?”

Jiang Yanlin thought for a moment and gave an estimate:
“About two years.”

Péi Wanyi nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.

At that moment, neither of them had a favorable impression of the other.

One thought the other was arrogant and self-important, with nothing to offer but a pretty face.

The other thought the first was a troublemaker; appearing innocent from afar, but full of schemes up close.

But out of social etiquette, they symbolically added each other as friends before the party ended.
—Both using non-private accounts, with all permissions turned off.

So on this day of their first meeting, neither of them could have imagined.

That just seven days later, their relationship would undergo a complete and dramatic reversal.