Chapter 13

Su Xingwei circled the billiards table and played several rounds in a row, every shot crisp and clean. The crack of the balls echoed through the hall, and one colored ball after another dropped neatly into the pockets.

It wasn’t long before a crowd had gathered outside the glass doors. Some people even pushed their way in, standing nearby to watch and whisper to one another, their faces full of admiration.

Su Xingwei paid the surrounding stares no mind; her attention stayed on the table.

Mu Wanyan stood quietly off to the side, watching her.

In the past, she had accompanied Su Xingwei to pool games like this countless times at all kinds of social events. As Gu Xi, she knew how to play and could usually trade several rounds with Su Xingwei without falling behind, but now she was Mu Wanyan. And in Mu Wanyan’s résumé, there was no billiards.

Su Xingwei sank another shot with practiced ease, propped the cue upright beside her, then swept her gaze over the onlookers before it returned to Mu Wanyan.

“Come here. I’ll teach you.”

Mu Wanyan had just opened her mouth to refuse when Su Xingwei was already striding over. Without a word of explanation, she took Mu Wanyan’s hand and led her straight to the billiards table, leaving no room for argument.

Su Xingwei stood behind her, one arm around Mu Wanyan’s waist as she guided her hands on the cue. Their bodies were pressed close. Mu Wanyan could clearly feel the warmth of her, and for some reason, her heartbeat stuttered.

“I’m going to teach you anyway. It won’t make any difference whether you want me to or not.”

Su Xingwei’s voice brushed against her ear, carrying a trace of deliberate teasing.

Warm breath skimmed the skin behind her ear, and Mu Wanyan only felt a faint itch. Instinctively, she turned her head away.

This woman was clearly looking for another excuse to tease her.

Su Xingwei still held her hand, patiently helping her adjust her posture.

“Lower your body a little more.”

Her palm pressed against Mu Wanyan’s back, gently guiding her down, her tone soft and coaxing, almost mesmerizing.

“That’s it. Hold steady.”

Wrapped in that familiar scent, Mu Wanyan’s movements stiffened slightly. Her heartbeat raced for no reason as she stared at the cue ball, unable to focus.

“What are you thinking about? You’re so distracted.”

Su Xingwei smiled wickedly.

Mu Wanyan hurriedly pulled herself together and forced herself to calm down. “Nothing.”

Su Xingwei didn’t press further. She held Mu Wanyan’s hand and drove the cue forward with perfect steadiness. With a sharp crack, a red ball was struck cleanly into the pocket.

Mu Wanyan had been so unsettled by her that she hadn’t seen the shot clearly from start to finish.

At some point, Xie Yin had appeared in the crowd, a tall wineglass in hand. She looked at the two people opposite her, her expression complicated and unreadable.

Su Xingwei was standing far too close; she had already crossed the line of a normal superior-subordinate relationship. Even if they were both women, it would still invite suspicion.

The “lover contract” between her and Su Xingwei was private; it couldn’t be made public.

Mu Wanyan wanted to put some distance between them. But when she turned around, her lips accidentally brushed Su Xingwei’s cheek. Both of them froze.

Su Xingwei immediately let go, stepping back as if the touch had burned her. She set the cue down in a hurry.

“Practice on your own first.”

Before the words had even finished, she turned and left, pushing open the side door and walking into the bowling hall next door.

Mu Wanyan was left standing there alone, the tips of her ears red.

Seeing there was no more excitement to watch, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Mu Wanyan let out a long breath and returned to the lounge.

Xie Yin had already settled back onto the sofa. When she saw Mu Wanyan come over, she patted the empty seat beside her.

Mu Wanyan picked up the half-finished glass of orange juice on the table and took a small sip, trying to calm the panic in her heart.

Xie Yin immediately leaned in, her eyes glittering with obvious gossip. “Little assistant, do you and Miss Su have something going on?”

Mu Wanyan’s hand around the glass paused slightly. She deliberately played dumb. “Miss Xie, what do you mean by something going on? I don’t understand.”

“Don’t play dumb with me.” Xie Yin wore the expression of someone who saw through everything but wouldn’t say it outright.

“If there’s nothing going on, would Su Xingwei be this unusual? I’ve known her for so many years, and I’ve never seen her so eager to teach someone before.”

Mu Wanyan held the glass with both hands and took another small sip. “You really are misunderstanding. Chairwoman Su probably just thinks I’m terrible at it and is worried I’ll make her lose face.”

Xie Yin raised an eyebrow, disbelief written all over her face, but she didn’t press the issue.

When Su Xingwei came out of the bowling hall and waved toward them, Gu Yan hurried over to take her coat.

“Miss Xie, I’ll head back first.”

Xie Yin nodded at the two of them and didn’t try to keep them.

The next day after work, Su Xingwei didn’t go back to the rented apartment with Mu Wanyan; instead, she returned to her own villa.

Mu Wanyan left the office building and took the subway alone to the city center. After getting off, she turned into a relatively quiet street. On both sides were all kinds of small shops: a flower shop, a café, and a cake shop with a modest storefront.

This cake shop offered self-service baking; customers could make cakes by hand with professional pastry chefs guiding them nearby. It wasn’t Mu Wanyan’s first time here, and by now she had already learned the basic steps of making a cake.

The girl at the front desk recognized her and greeted her with a smile. “Back again? Same spot as always?”

Mu Wanyan smiled and nodded, put on a disposable apron, and went into the baking room.

She had just finished mixing the batter with the whipped egg whites when a familiar voice suddenly came from the doorway.

“What a coincidence, little assistant.”

Mu Wanyan looked up and saw Xie Yin standing at the entrance to the baking room, still wearing her usual smile.

“Miss Xie is here to buy a cake?”

“I’ve said it before; just call me by my name. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Xie Yin walked over with a smile and lowered her head to look at the container in Mu Wanyan’s hands, curiosity in her eyes. “You’re pretty skilled. Whose cake are you making?”

Before Mu Wanyan could answer, Xie Yin seemed to realize something. “Don’t tell me it’s for your Chairwoman Su?”

Her thoughts had been exposed, and Mu Wanyan knew any excuse would only sound forced. She could only admit it.

“A small token of appreciation.”

Xie Yin stared at her face. After a few seconds of silence, her gaze grew distant again.

“Little assistant, when you’re out here earning a living, don’t hand your heart over too easily. Otherwise, you’ll end up getting hurt.”

Her warning was unexpectedly serious.

Mu Wanyan met Xie Yin’s eyes and, for a moment, didn’t know how to respond.

This really was too complicated to explain.

Xie Yin gave a helpless smile. “Take your time. I still have things to do, so I’m going first.”

She turned to leave, then paused in the doorway and looked back. “See you next time, little assistant.”

Mu Wanyan watched in the direction Xie Yin had gone for a few seconds, still a little dazed, before continuing with her task. She poured the mixed cake batter into the mold and put it in the oven.

At that moment, her phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.

Mu Wanyan unlocked the screen; it was a message from Su Xingwei, just one abrupt sentence.

“Are you busy tomorrow night? Have dinner with me.”

Mu Wanyan didn’t ask for details. She only sent back a single “Okay.”

She put her phone back in her pocket and stared at the oven, lost in a daze.

Tomorrow was Su Xingwei’s birthday.