They stood at the entrance, neither speaking a word.
It wasn't until the cold wind dispersed some of the alcohol fumes that Emma turned to Tang Mi and asked, "Shall I take you home?"
"I crave some hot and sour rice noodles," Tang Mi said, smacking her lips.
When Emma looked at her expressionlessly, Tang Mi even had the audacity to smile and ask, "Emma, have you had dinner yet?"
"No."
So, she actually drove Tang Mi to the hot and sour rice noodles place right in front of their high school. The owner, a native of Chongqing, made particularly spicy hot and sour rice noodles. If you didn't tell him to go easy on the chili, it would be unbearable.
After they entered and chose a table to sit at, they were the only customers in the shop. At this hour, students were in evening study sessions, so it was normal that no one else was there.
After Emma ordered two portions of beef hot and sour rice noodles, Tang Mi immediately raised her hand and added, "And two servings of duck heads."
"I don't eat those," Emma frowned.
Tang Mi stared at her, "I'll eat both by myself."
"..."
Emma thought for a moment and said, "I'm sorry."
Tang Mi, who was feeling dizzy, looked up at her, "What are you apologizing to me for?"
Emma had heard from Hua Zheng that Tang Mi's studio investment had fallen through, and even her partner had backed out. Emma thought it was an unexpected event, but after hearing Mr. Qiao's slip of the tongue, she realized it must have been Su Yihe's doing.
Su Yihe dared not act against her directly, so she targeted those around her.
Tang Mi was entirely implicated because of Emma.
Tang Mi: "Are you talking about Su Yihe?"
She propped her cheek with her hand, barely supporting her head, and slurred, "I've never liked her. As it turns out, women's intuition is so accurate. Why are you apologizing to me? Tonight was so satisfying."
Those who had been arrogantly forcing her to drink had to apologize to her one by one in the end.
Tang Mi felt that this was enough to make her feel vindicated.
As for starting her business, she had come to terms with it, "No worries, I'll just find another job. Besides, I have hundreds of thousands of followers on my public account; I won't starve even if I just take some advertising gigs."
Seeing Emma still silent, Tang Mi flattened her palms and placed both hands on the table, sitting as upright as a schoolchild.
She said, "Jing Xi, you have no idea how awesome you were tonight, really. You coming proved that our years of friendship weren't in vain, and you also stood up for me."
Suddenly, tears fell from Tang Mi's eyes.
She had been running into walls everywhere these days; her investment vanished, and her partner said they couldn't cooperate anymore. She had confidently told her parents when she resigned that her venture would surely succeed.
She had boasted that she had thought it through before starting her business.
So she desperately started looking for new investments again. When she finally found someone interested and they invited her to dinner, Tang Mi dared not refuse.
When she was being pressured to drink at the table, she dared not refuse.
It was quite humiliating.
The two young women, both fresh out of college, sat at opposite ends of the table, looking at each other. Emma and Tang Mi had known each other for years, and Emma had hardly ever seen her cry.
Even when Tang Mi broke up, she would just take Emma out for a big meal and bounce back quickly.
This girl seemed to have a naturally broad mind.
But even such a broad-minded girl was pushed to this point, and Emma felt an indescribable sadness. If it weren't for her, Tang Mi wouldn't be in this situation.
"I told you before, you can call me if you need anything," Emma looked at her, "If you were looking for investment, why didn't you tell me? Did you forget whose wife I am?"
There were tissues on the table, but Tang Mi raised her hand and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.
She snorted, "You, as a wife, are working hard at the newspaper on your own. If I asked you to get help from your CEO husband Jason, I wouldn't be able to face myself."
Tang Mi knew Emma's character; she wasn't even relying on Jason herself. If she, as a friend, were to drag her down, it would be unacceptable.
Emma was silent until, after a long while, she whispered, "I have money."
"Alright, alright, you're rich, our Emma is rich too," Tang Mi, still a bit drunk, called her by a name she usually found sappy, but now it rolled off her tongue smoothly.
Emma: "…"
"I'm not joking with you. I'll invest in you. Is five million enough?" Emma asked her.
At that moment, the shop owner brought over the hot and sour rice noodles, placing a bowl in front of each of them and smilingly said, "Mix it up before you eat."
Tang Mi picked up her chopsticks and started eating without looking up.
Seeing that Tang Mi was silent, Emma made a decision: "After we finish eating, you'll come to my place, and I'll get the money for you."
Finally, Tang Mi looked up, her expression serious: "Jing Xi, you're talking about five million, not five hundred, right? Investments should be made cautiously. Next time, don't be so casual; it's easy to get swindled."
Tang Mi thought Emma seemed like a smart person, but she was acting so naive and could easily be deceived.
"Yep, I know, but you're worth it," Emma said.
Although her tone was particularly natural and not sentimental at all, the tears that Tang Mi thought were long gone suddenly dropped into her bowl with a plop.
"You're here to steal my tears today, aren't you?" Tang Mi said angrily with a sob.
Emma quietly looked at her without speaking.
But the kindness Tang Mi had shown Emma, though Emma never spoke of it, was always remembered in her heart. When Emma's father first disappeared, Tang Mi not only accompanied her to the embassy every day but also gave her ten thousand yuan directly at the start of the school year, saying it was for her tuition.
Emma didn't take the money, but after she started college, she often received packages from Tang Mi.
Sometimes it was beef jerky from a classmate's hometown, or mangoes from another classmate's family. She knew Emma was always working and was afraid she wouldn't buy things for herself.
Sometimes she even sent clothes, claiming she wanted to wear matching outfits with her.
Emma wasn't the type to express her gratitude easily; she kept these things in her heart and treasured them silently.
Just as she said, Tang Mi was worth it.
*
Xiao Yichen thought about it and decided to tell Jason about the matter. He knew that with Emma's personality, she wouldn't voluntarily tell Jason, but he was afraid that if Su Yihe continued on this path, he really didn't know what would happen.
He now realized how terrifying it was for a woman to lose her rationality.
In the past, Su Yihe was truly the kind of gentle, lovely, and generous person in his mind, but he didn't expect her to behave so outrageously now.
Xiao Yichen felt quite regretful.
Jason was in the middle of the day, so the call was answered quickly.
"Your business trip has been quite long," Xiao Yichen said with a smile.
Jason rubbed his brow, already working overtime to return to the country earlier, his face showing clear signs of fatigue. So he was not in the mood to deal with Xiao Yichen: "Get to the point."
Xiao Yichen was not happy: "After you listen to what I have to tell you, you should be grateful to me."
Xiao Yichen was not the type to beat around the bush and quickly went through the events.
However, he thought about it and said, "Don't do anything to Yihe just yet. I'll try to persuade her. I know she's really lost her mind, but we have known each other since we were children, and we should leave some face for each other."
"The last time, you also advised me like this," Jason said indifferently.
Xiao Yichen was taken aback and laughed helplessly.
Jason hummed: "I'll take care of it."
The next day, Jason finished his work two days earlier than expected and returned to Shanghai. After a night of flying, his plane landed on the airport's apron at around five in the morning.
At six o'clock, he opened the door to his home and went straight upstairs.
When he entered the bedroom with a chill, the room was still pitch black, the curtains tightly closed, with only a lump under the covers.
Jason took off his coat and placed it on the small sofa in the bedroom, then quietly approached the bedside.
When he lay down, the person in the bed was still fast asleep.
So he slowly lifted the covers and lay down beside her.
But the temperature on his body and inside the covers was too different, and the person who was sleeping soundly was slightly stimulated by the cold and asked in a daze, "Is that you?"
Beside her was a familiar scent, a bit cold with a hint of fragrance, the scent she liked on him.
"It's me," he said in a low voice.
Emma, still half-asleep, leaned over, reaching to hug his waist, which was a bit cool. So he said, "Jing Xi, I'm cold."
"I know, I'll warm you up," she mumbled.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she raised her head and said, "Honey, while you were away, I did something big."
Jason listened attentively: "What big thing?"
"I invested five million in Tang Mi's studio, using the card you gave me." When they first got married, Jason had given Emma a card with exactly five million, meant for her to use in emergencies.
Emma had never used this card before.
Jason chuckled, reached out to pinch her earlobe, and whispered, "Not bad, you even know how to make money for our family now."
Emma's sleepiness faded quite a bit, and hearing his words, she smiled against his chest.
On a deep winter morning, he returned with fatigue.
She nestled beside him.
Even in silence, their hearts were filled with the sweetness that belonged to the two of them.
At this moment, it was so beautiful that one would want to freeze it in time forever.
When Emma emerged from the foreign affairs office, the words spoken to her still echoed in her mind.
"Emma, your father has been missing for six years. According to standard procedures, our suggestion is to cease the search," the staff member's voice was sympathetic yet helpless, ringing in her ears.
Emma made it a point to visit the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office every year. When her father first disappeared, the embassy had placed missing person ads in local Israeli newspapers for a consecutive month.
But there had been no news.
Those who weren't found back then, after all these years, leave behind only memories.
As the Spring Festival approached, even the themes in the newspaper office were either related to the festival or various year-end reviews. No matter how much people say the flavor of the year has faded, everyone still looks forward to the Spring Festival, a time for family reunions.
Emma felt as if she could no longer summon the emotion of disappointment.
She had waited year after year, hoping day by day since she learned of her father's disappearance.
She hoped that one day her father would knock on the door of their old house, and when she opened it, he would raise his eyebrows and smile lightly, saying: "Xingxing, it's Dad, I'm back."
Year-end not only brings holidays but also year-end bonuses, making everyone's anticipation even greater.
Unlike ordinary employees like them who are simply looking forward to the break, Jason, as the CEO of Hengyia Group, has an endless stream of events and social engagements at the end of the year.
The annual party at the Shanghai headquarters is a major event, along with various award ceremonies, some of which are government-issued.
Titles like Economic Person of the Year, Outstanding Entrepreneur Awards—Jason would choose to attend those he couldn't refuse.
He is low-key, but there are occasional videos and photos of him online, taken when he attends these events. However, this year is different from the past; everyone used to think he was a confirmed bachelor, and whenever his image appeared in videos, young girls would scream with excitement.
This year, the screams are still present, but there's an added layer of gossip, with everyone speculating whether he will appear with Emma in front of the media. After all, since the couple announced their marriage, apart from the initial photo, there have only been occasional candid shots taken by passers-by.
The couple has never made a public appearance together.
It's not uncommon for entrepreneurs to attend events with their wives, so everyone is looking forward to it.
Jason is known for his handsome looks and is dubbed the most handsome heir by the media. Now, his wife Emma, though not a public figure, surprised many not only with her talent when her articles first gained popularity but also with her appearance.
This couple is filled with elements that attract attention: the love story of a wealthy heir and a commoner, a pair of beautiful men and women, a heavenly couple.
Despite their low profile, they can't stop the internet's curiosity about them.
However, Jason hasn't let these matters bother Emma. He knows she has a low-key personality and, although in the news industry, she has no desire to stand out or become famous.
These past few days, Jason has been attending several banquets in a row.
Tonight is the award ceremony held by a top domestic financial magazine, which Jason did not decline to attend due to the magazine's government background. Although there are seniors with higher status and more experience than Jason present, Jason remains the focus of the entire event.
The venue for the dinner is a five-star hotel, where the resplendent hall is filled with the fragrance of clothing and the shadows of coiffed hair. While Jason exchanged pleasantries, Tang Mian followed behind, holding Jason's phone.
At this moment, the phone kept vibrating. Tang Mian glanced down, then held it in his palm, neither answering nor hanging up.
Although Jason did not display the kind of unrestrained laughter others had throughout the event, he had a light smile on his lips, conversing and laughing with others. He was not overly enthusiastic but also not impolite.
It wasn't until he put down the wine glass in his hand and excused himself to the lounge that Tang Mian followed him outside the banquet hall and spoke: "Miss Su called six times, and Mr. Su also made a call."
He paused before continuing: "Your father informed me through his secretary that you must return to the main residence tonight."
Jason knew why they were so eager to find him today. It was nothing more than the fact that at today's board meeting of Su's Group, the proposal to nominate their crown prince as an executive director was not passed.
Su Yihe's brother, Su Jingxuan, is a notorious playboy within their social circle. Now, their father wants to help his son take over the company.
Logically, since the Su Group belongs to the Su family, it should be a foregone conclusion for the heir to take a position as an executive director within the company.
However, the problem arises because the one who disagrees this time is Jason.
It's no exaggeration to say that Jason's family and the Su family have been long-time friends. When the Su Group faced difficulties and sought emergency investment, it was Jason's family who invested out of old sentiments, pulling the Su Group back from the brink of bankruptcy.
Since then, Jason's family has held shares in the Su Group.
The Su family has never been able to bring themselves to buy back the shares, given the close relationship between the two families. Jason's family has also never interfered with the internal operations of the Su Group. As a result, the Su family has long considered Jason's family as part of their own camp.
Su Jingxuan has caused a few scandals in the media, and other shareholders are not keen on having him join the company.
The Su family, while aware of this, has ignored the opposition due to their control over the Su Group. However, they never expected Jason to intervene at this time.
The elderlies of the Su family are also puzzled, thinking that Su Jingxuan might have offended Jason at some point. But Su Jingxuan and Jason do not move in the same circles, and even though their families are long-time friends, Jason has never approved of Su Jingxuan's behavior.
Su Jingxuan was berated by his family elders, not knowing when he had offended Jason.
It was Su Yihe who, upon hearing about this, started frantically calling him.
When Jason just arrived at the lounge, his phone was silent, but Tang Mian's phone rang. He looked at the number; although it was unfamiliar, he guessed it was Su Yihe who had found her way to him.
"Answer it," Jason said indifferently.
Tang Mian nodded, put the phone on speaker, and connected the call. Su Yihe's anxious voice came through immediately: "Tang Mian, where is Shen Yan? Where is he?"
Su Yihe rarely loses her composure, but this time she was truly panicked.
Jason took the phone, standing by the window. Outside, the night was vibrant and colorful. The hotel was near the Bund, and from here, he could see the dazzling Oriental Pearl Tower. The multicolored lights reflected in from outside, casting a festive glow on his face, yet his expression remained as cold as winter ice.
"I'm here," Jason said.
Hearing his calm and deep voice, the anger and urgency in Su Yihe's heart dissipated. Even someone who has seen many storms in the entertainment industry was on the verge of breaking down.
She said, "How could you treat me like this, Shen Yan? How could you?"
"Have you forgotten the good things I've done for you? When we were children playing in the snow in winter, Yichen and the others only cared about themselves. Only you noticed my soaked shoes and ran to get me a new pair."
This seemingly small act was like a seed planted deep in Su Yihe's heart.
Everyone says Jason is cold and heartless, but she believes his heart must be warm.
She also always thought she would be the exception in his world.
When the world is cold, only she would be treated with utmost gentleness.
But in the end, he gave his utmost gentleness to someone else, and she became just another ordinary person in his cold world. How could Su Yihe accept this?
The man she had loved for so many years was taken by a woman who had known him for only a few days.
When she first heard the news of their whirlwind marriage, Su Yihe locked herself in her room for three days and nights. She just lay there, closing her eyes when she was tired, and staring at the room when awake.
Her mind was filled with a single thought: Why not her?
She believed there was no one in this world who loved Jason more than her.
From the time she was a girl, she had placed him in her heart, carefully and cautiously.
"Yihe," Jason called her name, his voice not overly cold. He said, "This time, it is indeed a lesson I've given you."
He openly admitted that his obstruction of Su Jingxuan joining the company was indeed because of Su Yihe.
Su Yihe had already suspected as much in her heart, but hearing him say it out loud, she felt like collapsing, her heart aching so much she wished she could die instantly. She dug her well-maintained, beautifully manicured nails into her palm, the pain piercing her heart.
With a grim smile, her voice filled with desolation, she said, "Don't you think you're being too cruel to me?"
"I've already told you not to cause trouble for Jing Xi. Yes, you didn't directly target her, but you investigated her and even went after the people around her. You think I'm cruel to you, but when you push a girl to the point of having nowhere to turn, have you ever considered your own cruelty? Is it that only your pain is real, and everyone else's is not?"
"So this is just a small lesson."
Now that Jason had done such a thing, he was not afraid to further tear apart the facade with the Su family. Were the elders really unaware of the various deeds Su Yihe had done?
The elders of the Su family had proposed more than once the idea of a marriage alliance between the two families.
They were not satisfied with the protection of the Huo family's patriarch and now wanted Su Yihe to marry Jason, binding the Su family and Jason's family irrevocably together.
Before meeting Emma, Jason had already sensed the intentions of the Su family.
At that time, he had begun to distance himself from Su Yihe, not wanting to give her any illusions. So-called family alliances meant nothing to him.
If he were to get married one day, it would be because he had found the one he loved.
Su Yihe was trembling so much she could barely speak. Tears streamed down her face, and finally, she managed to say, "Don't you have even a slightest... a slightest liking for me?"
When Jason heard this, his fingers paused slightly. He brought the phone back to his ear and said, "Yihe, I have never felt even a hint of romantic affection for you."
He paused for a few seconds.
"If Jing Xi's shoes were wet, I would carry her home, not just go back to get her shoes."
He knew that a boy carrying a girl was too intimate, so he would run back to get her shoes but not carry her on his back.
Even in his youth, when his heart began to bloom, he had never felt a spark of romantic feelings for her.
*
Emma had already returned home from work and knew that Jason had a dinner to attend. At that moment, she was browsing Weibo on her tablet. She had to admit, the netizens were like Sherlock Holmes.
In no time, internal photos from the dinner really started to circulate.
There were also photos of Jason taking group pictures, standing among the crowd in a dark blue striped three-piece suit, looking tall and upright, the very picture of a gentleman.
The comments below were full of praise.
Emma clicked to save them, planning to send them to her grandmother in the morning.
The elderly lady now had WeChat, although she wasn't very skilled at using it, the caregiver there would help. Her grandmother would also send her voice messages.
She always complimented Jason on his handsome looks and how well he wore clothes.
Every time they visited the elderly lady together, she would stare at Jason, seemingly never getting enough of looking at him.
Truth be told, even Emma, who had been beautiful since childhood, felt a bit jealous.
After all, this was the first time she had met a rival in terms of beauty.
As Emma continued to scroll through Weibo, her phone on the bedside table rang. She reached for it and saw that it was a landline number, then answered.
"Is this Miss Emma, the guardian for Ms. Sang Huanian?"
Emma: "This is her."
She had never received such a call in the middle of the night, and her heart was filled with tension.
Until the other party said, "Sang Huanian previously fainted at the nursing home and was sent to our hospital, so we request your immediate presence."
Grandmother fainted...
Emma gasped, and after making sure of the hospital, she hung up the phone, got out of bed.
She dressed in all her clothes within a minute.
When she was about to leave, she hurriedly opened the safe, took a card with her.
After Emma got in her car and left, as soon as the car left the community, it sped off like an arrow released from a bow. She knew she must not panic at this moment.
But her usually calm self was in turmoil.
She was scared.