Volume One, Chapter 50: Don’t Scare Them Away!

“Sang Wan.”
Sang Wan bent down to change her shoes.
Lou Ye spoke up to introduce her, “My senior, a brilliant designer with a promising future in the architecture industry. I had to go to great lengths to recruit her for my company and invite her here. All of you…”
He glanced coolly over each person’s face. “Don’t you dare scare her off!”
???
!!!
Was this an introduction?
This was clearly a warning, wasn’t it?
“Sis… Miss Sang, right? Hello, hello, my name is Jiang Huai!”
Sang Wan finished changing her shoes and stepped into the living room.
Jiang Huai beat everyone to it, rushing forward, extending both hands to shake hers, “I’ve admired you for a long time. Please take care of me in the future, Sister Sang!”
Sister-in-law.
Miss Sang.
Sister Sang.
Every step, a leap in address!
Who’s the real social climber here—him or the dog?
Everyone got to their feet one after another.
“Hello, Miss Sang…”
“Hello, Miss Sang, I’m…”
“Hello, Miss Sang, I’m Qin Baichuan from Dingli.”
Wasn’t this the Dingli she’d interviewed with—the company that had extended an olive branch, which she had politely declined without even offering a proper response?
Sang Wan’s gaze paused, a hint of embarrassment on her face. “President Qin, I…”
“No need to feel awkward, Miss Sang.”
Qin Baichuan smiled, completely unconcerned. “Everyone seeks the best for themselves. If I were in your place, I’d have made the same choice you did!”
The group greeted her enthusiastically.
Everyone took their seats.
2S, the cat, leapt lightly into Sang Wan’s arms, nuzzling and rubbing against her.
Sang Wan’s heart raced.
When she looked up again, she saw the group: some lounged on the sofa, some leaned by the wine cabinet, one absentmindedly spinning a lighter by the floor-to-ceiling window.
It was clear these were all close friends of Lou Ye.
Sang Wan relaxed.
Jiang Huai was eyeing the bottle of Romanée-Conti in Lou Ye’s wine cabinet, barely finishing his sentence, “This bottle of Romanée…”
Someone else chimed in, “That’s right, it’s Norman… a green utopia in the desert…”
Just like that, the conversation naturally veered toward architecture.
Jiang Huai: …
Sang Wan: !!!
“Sister Sang…”
Jiang Huai leaned over, lowering his voice to whisper to Sang Wan, “This cat, is it yours?”
Sang Wan was taken aback.
But Jiang Huai acted as if he already knew the answer, quickly extending his hand, “You’ll have to take responsibility for this, right?”

A pampered young master.
With pale, cool skin.
Now, there were three fresh red scratches on the back of his hand.
It was obvious they were recently made—fresh from the oven.
Aside from 2S, there could be no other culprit.
In Sang Wan’s arms, 2S glared at Jiang Huai, a low warning rumble in its throat.
Sang Wan turned the cat’s head away and nodded to Jiang Huai. “It is my responsibility. Young Master Jiang, would you prefer I accompany you to the hospital, or… should I just transfer you the money for the vaccine?”
“Just transfer me the money!”
Jiang Huai remained calm, pulling out his phone and opening his WeChat QR code.
Beep!
When Lou Ye turned around, he saw Sang Wan scanning Jiang Huai’s WeChat.
Jiang Huai shot him a smug look, brimming with pride and bravado: Brother, I’ve already made it into Sister-in-law’s friend circle!
Lou Ye shot him a warning glance and then looked away.
Sang Wan sent a 1,999 yuan transfer, “Young Master Jiang, here’s the money for the vaccine. Next time, dinner’s on me!”
“Sounds great!”
Jiang Huai nodded with a smile, pocketing his phone.
Adding her on WeChat was the real goal.
As for accepting the money from Sister-in-law—he wouldn’t dare, not in a million years!
When the chef announced dinner was ready, Lou Ye nodded and invited everyone to the dining room.
A table that could seat more than ten held only six people.
She was the only woman.
Sang Wan had just begun to feel a little out of place—
When Lou Ye spoke, “Actually, Cheng Jingran was supposed to come, too. But her boyfriend from abroad came back to surprise her and whisked her away at the last minute.”
Sang Wan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Dinner lasted over an hour.
At the table, the conversation shifted from Masdar City to the just-concluded London International Design Awards, then circled back home.
Until everyone’s phone began to ring in succession.
Some were being urged to attend a cocktail party that had already started.
Some heard a child’s voice, sweetly bidding their father goodnight.
The group rose to leave at just the right moment.
Sang Wan stroked 2S’s head, following behind them.
“Senior, I’ll have the driver take you home!”
“Thank you!”
Though Jiang Huai was at the front, he turned as if he had eyes in the back of his head and looked at Sang Wan, “Sis, let me take you home…”
???
Now he’d dropped the “Sang” and just called her “Sis”?
Everyone shot Jiang Huai a look, their eyes full of naked questions.
Only Qin Baichuan seemed to understand, giving Lou Ye a long look and then glancing at Jiang Huai. “How many glasses of that Romanée did you have?”
“Two, why…”

Jiang Huai paused, then grinned at Lou Ye. “Brother, since your driver’s taking my sister home, can I get a lift as well?”
Everyone: …
“I’ll take Miss Sang,” Qin Baichuan offered. “Let the driver take Jiang Huai.”
The Qin family’s villa was close to the Lou Group building and nearest to the old city lane where Sang Wan lived.
Lou Ye asked Sang Wan, “Is that all right?”
Of course.
Her mind was still echoing with that clear “Good night, Daddy” from Qin Baichuan’s call on speakerphone a moment ago.
And just before hanging up, a gentle voice had said, “Don’t drink too much.”
Qin Baichuan’s tone was gentle. “I haven’t had anything to drink. I’ll be home soon.”
Some men, marriage is just their camouflage, and they only settle down when age hangs their picture on the wall.
Others, being married simply makes people feel even more at ease with them.
Sang Wan replied, “Then, I’ll trouble you, President Qin.”
As the car pulled out of the garage, Qin Baichuan asked, “That Forest Bay you mentioned earlier—have you finished the design drawings?”
Sang Wan was startled, then smiled. “President Qin, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, something I brought up in conversation. I haven’t drawn anything yet.”
Qin Baichuan shook his head, amused. “If you ever do, be sure to show me.”
Forest Bay.
An amusement park nestled in a forest.
A fairy tale world that would likely never come true.
They’d gotten caught up in the conversation, and though it felt a bit childish, Sang Wan had still mentioned it.
Yet no one present thought it naïve or impossible.
One comment after another, they took Sang Wan’s seed of inspiration and spun it into a tapestry of details, nearly ready to be put to paper.
Judging from Qin Baichuan’s expression, he was truly moved.
And the one who moved him must surely be that little girl who’d sweetly said goodnight to her father.
Sang Wan nodded. “Absolutely!”
The car stopped at the mouth of the alley.
Qin Baichuan said the alley was too dark and offered to walk her to her door.
Sang Wan politely declined with a smile.
He didn’t insist, simply turned the car around and stopped.
The bright headlights lit up the dark alley as if it were daytime.
Only when Sang Wan waved, pushed open her door, and went inside did Qin Baichuan finally drive away.
[Lou Ye, your friends are truly wonderful! … Please help me thank President Qin!]
Back in her room, Sang Wan sent Lou Ye a message.
She didn’t get a reply from him.
Instead, a message came from Jiang Huai: [Sis, didn’t you say you’d buy me dinner? When? I’ll clear my schedule in advance.]
Sang Wan: …
At the same time, Lou Ye was answering a call from Qin Baichuan.
His usually warm, steady elder brother—
Now spoke with sharpness, like a judge, “Lou Ye, are you serious about this?”