Chu Yuanxun was not someone who considered other people’s feelings, especially when dealing with strangers. So, with an indifferent expression, he sat down on the chair beside Wan Tong before nodding slightly at the mother and son across from him.
Mrs. Chu, on the other hand, remained calm. She even seemed rather intrigued as she kept her gaze fixed on him.
Wan Tong withdrew her gaze from Chu Yuanxun and introduced him to Mrs. Chu, “Aunt, this is Chu Yuanxun, my… friend.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Yuanxun, without even looking up, calmly corrected her, “Boyfriend.”
Wan Tong : “……”
Under the table, she reached out and pinched his thigh, lowering her voice, “Why are you here?”
“Mm…” Chu Yuanxun let out a sound—it was unclear whether from pain or ticklishness—before grabbing her hand and holding it, replying in a low voice, “Just happened to be passing by.”
Mrs. Chu noticed their little interaction and sighed inwardly, thinking that her own son stood no chance.
Yet, for some reason, her gaze kept drifting toward the young man. There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity that made her heart beat a little faster.
Chu Yuanxun, Chu Yuanxun…
She silently repeated his name, her expression growing gentler.
Perhaps it was because his name was so similar to her son’s.
“You’re called Chu Yuanxun? What a coincidence, my son’s name is Chu Yuanxùn,” Madam Chu said softly.
Hearing her gentle voice, Chu Yuanxun finally shifted his gaze to her. Following her hint, he also glanced at the young man sitting across from him.
Chu Yuanxùn nodded slightly and extended his hand. “Hello.”
“Hello.” Chu Yuanxun shook Chu Yuanxùn’s hand briefly, but quickly withdrew it, his tone clearly cold.
Mrs. Chu was perceptive enough to notice that Chu Yuanxun had arrived with jealousy written all over his face, so she made an excuse to leave early.
Once inside the car, Mrs. Chu turned to her silent son. “A’Xùn, do you… like Tongtong?”
Chu Yuanxùn lowered his gaze, looking a little shy. “Mom, she has a boyfriend.”
Mrs. Chu shook her head and sighed. If she had known, she wouldn’t have brought him here. She didn’t want him to fall too deeply and end up entangled in a love triangle.
She glanced back at the café, her eyes settling on the two figures inside. The young man, who had just looked so calm and distant, was now gently stroking the girl’s long hair, saying something with a faint smile on his lips.
Seeing this, her heart softened inexplicably.
Chu Yuanxùn turned to look out the car window, but his eyes gleamed with an eerie sharpness, gone was any trace of his earlier shyness.
“I hate him.”
Chu Yuanxun propped an arm on the table, tilting his head to gaze at Wan Tong.
Wan Tong immediately picked up on the sour tone in his voice and asked, “Who? Chu Yuanxùn or Mrs. Chu?”
Chu Yuanxun frowned. “Both.”
“Huh? Why?” Wan Tong could understand why he disliked Chu Yuanxùn, but even Mrs. Chu?
“She wants to set you up with her son,” Chu Yuanxun replied.
Perhaps there was another reason too. The way Mrs. Chu had looked at him made him feel uncomfortable. He was probably jealous.
But since he rarely experienced such emotions, he wasn’t entirely sure.
“Don’t see them again,” Chu Yuanxun said domineeringly, patting her head.
Wan Tong chuckled. “Alright. Even if I do, I’ll bring you along.”
Hearing this, Chu Yuanxun finally smiled and held out his palm.
“What?” Wan Tong asked in confusion.
“Your phone.”
Wan Tong handed her phone over, and right in front of her, Chu Yuanxun deleted the newly added contact for Chu Yuanxùn.
Wan Tong : “……”
The two of them lingered at the café for a while. They had originally planned to go grocery shopping together, but Chu Yuanxun suddenly received an urgent call from his firm. Seeing that it was important, Wan Tong told him to go ahead.
Later in the afternoon, she walked out of the supermarket, carrying several shopping bags. The sky was ominously dark, the wind howling, and flashes of silver lightning split through the thick clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance, heralding an impending storm.
Just as she was about to call Chu Yuanxun, she heard a sudden, urgent warning from Shishi.
[Tongtong, the boss is in danger.]
Wan Tong froze for a moment, then quickly hailed a taxi and dialed Chu Yuanxun’s number.
The first call went unanswered. After a long while, his voice finally came through.
“Tongtong…”
“It’s about to rain—where are you?”
Through the speaker, she could clearly hear the sound of rain pouring heavily. It was already raining on his end.
“I’m in Sanli District. I’ll be back soon.”
“Are you alone?” Sanli District was in the suburbs, it would take him at least an hour to return.
“Leng Jing is with me.” His voice was slightly breathless, and she could hear a car door opening and closing. It sounded like he had just gotten into a vehicle. “We’re heading back now. Tongtong, wait for me at the apartment. I’ll be there soon.”
But Wan Tong couldn’t just sit and wait.
Shishi had warned her that Chu Yuanxun was in danger.
Chu Yuanxùn had arranged for a truck to take Chu Yuanxun out, cleanly and quietly.
She had been wary of Yuan Qingqing, but she had never expected Chu Yuanxùn to be this ruthless, targeting Chu Yuanxun without any concrete proof.
Wan Tong looked out the car window. The torrential rain had already started pouring down, crashing against the glass with an irritating noise.
In her impatience, she spoke into her phone, “A’Xun, isn’t there a hot spring over there? How about I come over now? We can soak in the hot spring and stay overnight.”
On the other end, Chu Yuanxùn paused in the middle of drying his damp hair, blinking sluggishly. “You want to soak in the hot spring?” Or… stay the night?
Hearing this, Leng Jing, who was driving, turned his head for a quick glance and immediately signaled—Go, go, go!
Isn’t a hot spring the perfect way to cultivate intimacy between a man and a woman?
“Alright,” Chu Yuanxun responded, his voice inexplicably hoarse.
After hanging up, Leng Jing spoke excitedly, “I know this area well! How about that hot spring resort we went to last time? It’s not peak season, so no need for reservations.”
Chu Yuanxun remained silent, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he finally said, “She said… she already booked one.”
“Uh…” Leng Jing choked, swallowed hard, and looked at him. “Why does this feel kind of… off? She’s not really…”
Leng Jing suddenly recalled the message Chu Yuanxun had sent him earlier.
But the weather today isn’t great…
A faint trace of something unreadable surfaced in Chu Yuanxun’s deep gaze as he rubbed his thumb over his phone. Then, he murmured an address, the most renowned hot spring resort in the area.
Moments later, Chu Yuanxun’s phone rang again.
Leng Jing pricked up his ears, realizing that this time, the caller was another woman—and her voice sounded familiar.
It seemed to be… Yuan Qingqing from the show?
Chu Yuanxun’s expression turned colder as he impatiently continued drying his hair. “What is it?”
“It’s like this, I was planning to go to Liquan Hot Spring Resort with some friends. Do you want to join us? If Jian is with you, you both can come together,” Yuan Qingqing said breezily, though she was secretly nervous.
Chu Yuanxun’s impostor, Chu Yuanxùn, had actually been reckless enough to hire an assassin to kill Chu Yuanxun. Yuan Qingqing had only found out about it through the system at the last minute. This was her way of keeping Chu Yuanxun from returning, preventing the attack from happening.
If he refused, she would have no choice but to confront Chu Yuanxùn directly and make him back off. But that would risk arousing his suspicions, which she didn’t have the time or patience to deal with.
Both Chu Yuanxun and Leng Jing exchanged glances, equally puzzled by her sudden invitation.
“I already have plans,” Chu Yuanxùn replied flatly and hung up.
As Leng Jing turned the car around, he speculated, “You’re not even going to ask what’s up? What if they made a bet to see who could invite you first?”
“Tongtong wouldn’t be that childish,” Chu Yuanxun said, his gaze fixed ahead, eyes narrowing slightly in thought. He, too, found the situation a little strange.
Yuan Qingqing stared at her phone, bit her lip, and called Chu Yuanxùn.
“Liao Jie, I’m warning you, whatever you’re planning, you are not to lay a hand on Chu Yuanxun!”
Hearing the name ‘Liao Jie,’ the person on the other end immediately felt his scalp tingle—that was a past he wanted to leave behind.
But what scared him even more was that Yuan Qingqing seemed to know about his plan for today.
“What do you know?”
“I know everything. If you don’t want to be kicked out of the Chu family, you’d better stop right now!”
A long silence followed before a single word came from the other end: “Fine.”
Both parties hung up with heavy expressions, knowing that whatever fragile trust they had was now completely shattered.
But Yuan Qingqing wasn’t worried. Liao Jie was nothing to her, she had his biggest weakness in her hands.
An hour later, Wan Tong arrived at Liquan Hot Spring Resort and met up with Chu Yuanxun and Leng Jing.
The three of them had dinner together, and then Leng Jing excused himself to find his own entertainment. He had no interest in being a third wheel.
The resort’s scenery was beautiful, with few visitors and light rain falling outside. Only the indoor hot spring pools were open.
By all accounts, this wasn’t the best time to visit a hot spring, but Chu Yuanxun hadn’t asked a single question, leaving Wan Tong with no chance to use her pre-prepared excuses.
The resort offered various styles of swimwear for sale. When Wan Tong and Chu Yuanxun entered the small shop, they saw another couple browsing as well, likely honeymooners, as they were picking out matching swimsuits.
Wan Tong hadn’t come here to actually soak in the hot spring, so she wasn’t particularly interested. In fact, she’d rather just head back and get a good night’s sleep.
But Chu Yuanxun, on the other hand, was very focused.
Noticing the honeymooners choosing a couple’s set, he tapped his fingers thoughtfully. “Let’s get those too.”
As the shop assistant began packaging the items, Wan Tong glanced over. Seeing the thin, form-fitting swimsuits, her face instantly turned red. “I… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
As if sensing her hesitation, the shop assistant lifted the women’s swimsuit, a skimpy three-piece set, and cheerfully said, “Miss, this one is very popular!”
The design was nice, sure, but did they really need something this revealing just for a hot spring soak?
Chu Yuanxun, too, paused when he got a good look at the style, then quickly averted his gaze. “…Get a different one.”
At first, he had simply liked the warm, soft orange color. It suited her.
But that tiny amount of fabric… was definitely too much.
Both he and Wan Tong turned away at the same time. The shop assistant, clearly amused, chuckled at their reactions. The honeymoon couple nearby also covered their mouths, laughing.
After wandering around the store for a bit, Wan Tong grew even more timid. This body was simply too introverted, and she had never soaked in a hot spring before. Now, her heart was practically leaping into her throat.
“How about we skip the hot spring? Let’s call Leng Jing over, and you can teach me how to play card games tonight instead, okay?” Wan Tong leaned in and whispered to Chu Yuanxun.
Of course not.
Chu Yuanxun stated calmly, “Leng Jing is busy tonight.”
“…” Wan Tong pursed her lips and kept searching for excuses.
Meanwhile, Chu Yuanxun quietly peeled off the band-aid on his Adam’s apple and then pointed to a black one-piece swimsuit. “How about this one?”
He bent down slightly, standing sideways to her, so when she looked up, she could clearly see his Adam’s apple move as he spoke.
For a moment, she forgot to reply and just dumbly nodded.
By the time she snapped out of it, Chu Yuanxun was already at the register.
The young sales clerk glanced at Wan Tong, who was standing there blankly behind the man, and couldn’t help but sigh, “You two are the most good-looking couple I’ve ever seen. You could debut as celebrities right away.”
That finally brought Wan Tong back to her senses. She felt relieved that the clerk didn’t seem to have watched their show. Otherwise, if news of her and Chu Yuanxun soaking in a hot spring together got out, the production team would go crazy.
That would be a massive spoiler.
As the two of them walked out of the shop, the clerk snapped a picture of their backs with her phone and excitedly posted it on her Moments feed, [What a beautiful couple!]
While in the changing room, Chu Yuanxun received a call from Leng Jing, and his expression grew more serious.
Leng Jing said that Yuan Qingqing had also booked a stay at this hot spring resort but then canceled, with her reservation time just minutes apart from Wan Tong’s.
So, what exactly was going on that he didn’t know about?
Chu Yuanxun touched his Adam’s apple, his eyes darkening slightly as he walked out of the changing room.
Wan Tong took a little longer to get ready. When she finally stepped out, she saw Chu Yuanxun waiting at the hot spring entrance with a towel draped over his shoulders. Beside him stood a young man.
She recognized him. It was Jiang Xianchen.
In the original plot, there was such a person. He had been adopted into the Chu family, essentially their foster son. Before Chu Yuanxun returned, everyone assumed Jiang Xianchen would inherit the Chu family’s business.
But Chu Yuanxun’s return changed everything, meaning Jiang Xianchen lost it all. People speculated that he would turn against Chu Yuanxun, but instead, he simply left the Chu family without any fuss.
But now, everything had changed. Wan Tong couldn’t be sure what Jiang Xianchen would do.
And how was it such a coincidence that he showed up here?
Just as she hesitated over whether to greet him, Jiang Xianchen nodded at her. “Miss Jian, what a coincidence. I’m Jiang Xianchen. We’ve met before.”
Wan Tong nodded in return. “Hello, Mr. Jiang.”
Chu Yuanxun, however, didn’t give them a chance to talk further. He reached out, took Wan Tong’s hand, and led her away.
Jiang Xianchen watched them go, a meaningful smile appearing on his face before he turned and walked into the men’s changing room.
Wan Tong glanced back and asked Chu Yuanxun, “How do you know Jiang Xianchen?”
“He mistook me for someone else,” Chu Yuanxun replied lightly, but his gaze darkened.
Jiang Xianchen had mistaken him for Chu Yuanxùn.
He had just met Chu Yuanxùn today and knew they shared a similar height and facial structure, but it wasn’t to the extent of being mistaken for each other.
Yet Jiang Xianchen had said that, because Chu Yuanxùn had only recently been acknowledged by the Chu family, the mix-up was understandable.
But Chu Yuanxun couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiang Xianchen was hinting at something.
“Oh,” Wan Tong responded, wondering if Jiang Xianchen was actually on their side. Had he already uncovered something?