Huang Tianli wanted to thank Ou Xueman but grew suspicious at how easily she could contact Ou Wen. He was the executive director of Di’s Asian region; few could reach him readily. “Are you Ou Wen’s friend?” she asked, recalling that she knew all of Ou Wen’s friends in New York, but this woman was unfamiliar.
Ou Xueman didn’t want to disclose her relationship with Ou Wen. She replied casually, “Sort of.”
Huang Tianli found Ou Xueman’s arrogance irritating and noted her close relationship with Ou Wen, prompting her to reveal her identity.
“Hello, I’m Huang Tianli, Ou Wen’s fiancée,” she said, extending her hand.
Ou Xueman put down her cup, shook Huang Tianli’s hand politely, and replied, “I’m Ou Xueman. Ou Wen told me about your engagement. Congratulations.”
“Xueman?” Huang Tianli exclaimed, surprised.
Ou Xueman raised an eyebrow, “Do you know me?”
Huang Tianli’s expression darkened as she said, “Uncle Ou has been unwell recently, but Ou Wen isn’t worried and is searching for a woman.”
Ou Xueman shrugged, “So what?”
“The strange thing is,” Huang Tianli continued, “he won’t tell me who that woman is. I noticed an unfamiliar number he calls frequently, and it’s linked to someone named Xueman. He avoids the topic whenever I ask, which led to our argument.”
“Oh? Really?” Ou Xueman remained composed.
Huang Tianli was stunned by her calm response.
Could the fox spirit named Xueman be someone else?
“Miss Ou, may I ask if your number is 13xxxxxxxx?”
Ou Xueman answered straightforwardly, “Yes.”
Huang Tianli’s eyes widened, bewildered by the direct admission that seemed to contradict her previous evasiveness.
Ou Xueman found it amusing and saw three words in Huang Tianli’s eyes: “fox spirit.” She chuckled lightly, “I am the fox spirit in your eyes.”
Huang Tianli was stunned; her disgust was apparent, yet Xueman accepted it calmly.
“It seems I really have the potential to be a fox spirit,” Ou Xueman joked. “Maybe I could use this appearance to seduce a man and find support.”
Just as Huang Tianli was about to respond, a phone call rang out. Ou Wen’s anxious face appeared on the screen, “Xueman, it’s me.”
Ou Xueman pressed the door open key, glancing back at Huang Tianli, who looked like a volcano about to erupt, her face turning completely red.
But Ou Xueman didn’t care, “The person picking you up is here; clean yourself up and go. Finally, I can have some peace. Remember to close the door for me.” She then walked directly back to the bedroom.
Gently closing the bedroom door, she created a quiet space for herself. Her sleepiness had long dissipated. She turned off the soft bedside lamp and pulled back the curtains, letting morning’s bright rays spill into the room. Opening the floor-to-ceiling window, a cool morning breeze brushed her face.
On the balcony, her gaze wandered through the forest of high-rises, watching the half-obscured rising sun casting thousands of soft rays. Perhaps, the loneliness of her drifting years had brought too much coldness, and only sunlight had given her warmth.
A crisp doorbell rang, signaling Ou Wen’s arrival, but she didn’t want to see him. From Huang Tianli’s few words, she knew the man’s situation was not good. She wasn’t mentally prepared to accept the sudden appearance of a father and feared that gaining something would also bring the pain of separation.
Sighing softly, she felt weak, lacking the courage to face him. She had hidden in the bedroom, not daring to meet Ou Wen. A knock interrupted her thoughts. She turned towards the door, not responding, knowing who was knocking.
“Xueman.”
“Ou Wen’s soft call came from outside the door.
Ou Xueman slapped her forehead, muttering, “I knew it was him.”
“Xueman, can you open the door? I have something to tell you.” Ou Wen raised his voice slightly when he received no response.
She slowly walked back into the room, arms crossed, leaning against the door, still silent.
“Xueman, I know you’re not prepared yet, but he doesn’t have much time left. Just fulfill a dying wish.” Ou Wen pleaded.
The knocking grew louder, followed by Huang Tianli’s voice, “Ou Wen, you really do have something with this woman. I’ve never seen you beg so softly before. Fox spirit, come out, let’s clear things up…”
Ou Xueman rubbed her temples, realizing she wouldn’t get peace unless she went out. She opened the door, leaning against the frame, saying lazily, “I seldom try to be good, and this is the thanks I get.”
As she pushed past the two blocking her door, she saw the man with a mischievous smile, comfortably sitting on the sofa in a black shirt, steady and cool.
Ou Xueman glared at Ou Wen, her enchanting eyes filled with anger, yet her lips wore a charming smile. “Ou Wen,” she said through gritted teeth.”
She was bathed in sunlight outside the glass, exuding a lazy charm. Owen spoke to her, and her willow-leaf eyebrows rippled slightly. Her skin, like soft snow, revealed a healthy glow touched by faint sunlight. The silk pajamas barely concealed her curvaceous figure, with waves of long hair cascading over her chest.
He had seen many stunning women, but only she aroused his unusual interest—beyond ordinary desire. The curve of his thin lips grew more pronounced. Perhaps she was the first woman to captivate him so deeply. When Owen said he was coming to her, he followed, eagerly anticipating her reaction. She looked at him with a complex gaze that he couldn’t fully comprehend.
At that moment, a clear droplet slid down her smooth face, and even the sunlight passing through it seemed tinged with sadness. Owen reached out to wipe it away, but she refused, doing it herself. Suddenly, he sensed her fragility and loneliness behind her strength, resonating with a solitude he recognized from years ago—a pair of eyes with a pure gaze hiding deep vulnerability.
At that moment, she looked back at him, sensing a resonance, but quickly turned away.
Di Xihuang furrowed his brow, surprised and confused by the feelings she evoked. The woman he had met just last night stirred unfamiliar sensations, making him feel an urge to escape.
She turned away, seemingly wanting to hide her expression. Owen pulled her into his embrace, and she didn’t resist, but her trembling shoulders revealed her tears.
Seeing their intimacy, displeasure rippled through his heart. He disliked seeing her in Owen’s arms. He unconsciously stood to separate them, but someone was faster.
Huang Tianli rushed over, yanked open the door, and separated the pair, then slapped Owen’s cheek in one fluid motion.
Di Xihuang quickly pulled Ou Xueman back from the balcony. Feeling her cold skin, he instinctively embraced her to share his warmth.
“Want to try that shoulder throw again?” her voice came coldly from within his embrace.
She didn’t want him to see her tears and stubbornly pushed him away, her dense, wavy hair shrouding her face.
When she pushed him away, he saw clarity in her tear-filled eyes—like a mountain spring, pure and transparent, just as she had been.
Resisting her rejection, he held her tightly. An urge to make amends arose, which seemed to anger her. She looked up and growled, “Get lost.”
He felt a thin layer of ice sweep across his heart with pain and coldness. Before he could savor that pain, his pride surged.
He released her, and she retreated three steps, hugging herself and stubbornly turning away.
The moment he let her go, a hollow coolness seeped into his heart, merging with the pain into an indescribable sadness—like finding a kindred spirit only to be abandoned.
This feeling was oppressive, leaving him suffocated. He wanted to hold her again but feared her rejection and considered fleeing. Just as he was about to turn, he heard her choked voice say, “I’ll go see him.” Though she didn’t look at him, he knew she was speaking to Owen, and their connection made him jealous.
