"Oh, right—Little Qi… do you have a boyfriend right now?" Han Yichen asked suddenly, his eyes flicking toward her with mild curiosity.
Meiqi froze, the shrimp hovering inches from her lips before she caught herself. Surprise flickered across her face as her gaze shifted to her uncle. She blinked once, hesitated, then looked back at her plate, setting the food down and forcing a small smile.
"No," she said with a soft chuckle. "Why ask all of a sudden?"
Yichen chuckled. "It's just—you suddenly decided to stay three more days, when you used to hate being here." He glanced at her. "I thought you might be dealing with a heartbreak."
Meiqi let out a nervous laugh. "No, it's nothing like that."
Yichen lowered his gaze, a thoughtful smile tugging at his lips. "Still, I did kind of hope you'd have a boyfriend by now. You're already twenty-three."
"Uncle," she said lightly, "relationships are inconvenient for my work." Lowering her head, she picked up the shrimp and ate it, clearly wanting to end the conversation.
"But it doesn't mean you shouldn't," Yichen argued. His gaze flicked away briefly, as if recalling something. "Look at Mengyao… isn't she with that—actor, Si Haoran"
At the sound of his name, Meiqi's hand stilled. A faint shiver ran through her, her eyes flickering with unease. Thankfully, she wasn't looking at her uncle—otherwise, she might have given herself away.
"Uncle, I'm still young," she said, meeting Yichen's eyes. "I'd rather focus on my career for now. There's no rush."
Yet at the back of Yichen's mind, a thought pressed in—but I am. He wanted her to find someone reliable, someone who could take care of her when he no longer could.
…
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Lin Qinglan, Wang Zi Rui went straight back to the Wang Mansion not far from the capital.
He stepped into the living room and saw his grandparents seated with his father. Yet what caught his eye most was the person sitting beside him.
It was his cousin—Wang Zhiyu who was three years older.
By family hierarchy, he should have been the heir to GL Holdings, but because his father was illegitimate, the position had gone to him.
"You're back," Zi Rui heard his grandmother say, and he nodded, walking toward them, his face unreadable, betraying nothing of the thoughts behind it.
"Ah…Zhiyu is worried about your father—that's why he's here," Mrs. Wang added, reminded that Zi Rui had spent ten years abroad and must feel unfamiliar with him.
Zi Rui's gaze landed on him, and Zhiyu broke into a faint smile. Soft features framed his face—downturned eyes partly hidden beneath the curls of his brown hair, an upturned nose, gently curved cheeks, and thin lips above a smooth jawline. Every detail made him look quietly approachable.
But to Zi Rui, he believed there was more to him than meets the eye.
"Three weeks ago, Uncle had a heart attack and has been recuperating abroad," Zhiyu said, glancing at Wang Jing Feng. "I heard he just came back yesterday, so I came to visit him."
At his words, Jing Feng gave Zhiyu a glance. His face remained impassive, but his sharp eyes softened—an expression Zi Rui had never seen on his father.
Zi Rui's gaze flickered for just a moment, a trace of something unspoken, and only his grandfather, Wang Cheng Shou, seemed to notice.
"Right… How was your date with Ms. Lin?" Mrs. Wang asked suddenly, her excitement bubbling as she remembered Zi Rui had gone out to meet her.
Right then, all eyes fell on him, waiting for his answer.
"It was good," Zi Rui said flatly. "In fact… we decided to go on a few more dates, and if things go well, marriage can be considered."
"Good… good," Mrs. Wang said, her excitement barely contained.
Cheng Shou remained reserved in his seat while Jing Feng nodded in approval. But, Zhiyu's expression darkened for a moment, something unexplainable flickering in his eyes before returning to its usual gentle calm.
Then he spoke softly, "Ms. Lin is indeed a good woman… quite suitable for you," his tone polite, yet carrying something unsaid.
Zi Rui met his gaze, but his eyes revealed nothing. Slowly, he adjusted his glasses, the subtle motion drawing the room's attention.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my rest," he said, rising and walking toward the stairs, each step quiet but precise.
Just as he reached the bottom, he paused and turned, casting one last glance over the room. The living room buzzed with life, Zhiyu's presence filling it with warmth in a way he couldn't.
He curled his hand into a tight fist, the skin paling under the pressure, a sharp ache crawling through his fingers. In this family… I'm the outsider, Zi Rui thought.
With that, he turned and headed to his room.
…
Back at the Han Residence, the soft sound of an acoustic guitar echoed through Meiqi's room.
Inside, she strummed the chords of her demo song while occasionally playing the piano version from her phone as she began writing lyrics over it.
Now that their concert was over, she had more time to think about what to write, so she squatted on the wooden surface, pondering her next lines.
Just then, rain began to pour, a few droplets sliding down her room's window.
"It's been raining a lot since yesterday," she murmured—rain being rare at this time of the month.
With that, she stopped and scrolled through her phone, checking the news.