Seeing she ignored him, still seemingly sobbing slightly, Chen Ziming’s heart sank. He walked around in front of her and saw her tear-streaked face.
“What’s wrong? Don’t cry.” He quickly found tissues from her bag and bent down to wipe her tears.
But the more he wiped, the more she cried.
“Baby, be good. Tell me what’s wrong, don’t cry, okay?”
Su Yue looked into his eyes.
Despite her tear-blurred vision, she could still see the care and sincerity in his gaze.
But she still hesitated.
This matter was something she couldn’t even begin to explain.
Ultimately, Su Minghua had done nothing. The unsettling feelings Su Yue experienced could also be explained by her own narcissism and sensitivity.
Moreover, this was a thorn buried deep within her heart.
She didn't want to touch it, nor did she allow others to, for fear of hurting herself, bleeding profusely.
She ultimately couldn't tell him.
But her tears needed a reason.
“My mom wants me to go home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I don’t want to. She scolded me.”
Chen Ziming could tell she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't expose her. Instead, he spoke gently, “Mm, and then?”
Then?
Wasn’t that reason enough?
Seeing a hint of confusion in her eyes, he smiled and continued, “Why don’t you want to go home?”
It was at this moment he realized he hadn't inquired about this.
In fact, a few days prior, after seeing news of Su Minghua’s promotion, he had someone investigate.
He learned that this person was someone with considerable skill and cunning.
He already knew that Su Yue sought him out with a purpose.
And he could roughly guess what that purpose was.
He tacitly assumed Su Yue wanted to rely on him and wouldn’t go home, which was why he didn't ask if she wanted to go home before asking if she wanted to come to his place.
A flicker of surprise crossed Su Yue’s face.
What was going on? He asked the question right after she had wondered about it.
Why don’t you want to go home? How could she explain that?
She froze, her mind becoming even more chaotic, unable to come up with any reason.
Still concerned, he took her hand and spoke patiently and gently,
“If you don’t want to say, that’s fine. But I’m always here. Whatever decision you make, I’ll be on your side, okay?”
The same look was still in his eyes.
She didn’t have the energy to guess if he had realized something. Her mind was still a bit numb, so she gave a soft "Mm."
The man in front of her relaxed and took her to play further.
However, she was somewhat absent-minded.
Su Yue's thoughts only became clearer that evening.
“Chen Ziming, I have a question for you,” she finally couldn't help but ask softly.
“Mm, go ahead.”
“I know about your family’s identities. Aren’t you, aren’t you curious about what my parents do?”
She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at him with unease.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and said gently,
“Of course, I’m curious, but I felt too shy to ask before.”
He was clearly telling a white lie, but his attitude was enough to placate the girl’s anxious heart.
After he said this, Su Yue felt a bit cornered.
If she didn’t tell him, it would seem like she didn’t care about him.
But if she did… how could she explain her panic after meeting Su Minghua that day?
And why was she so reluctant to go home?
Seeing her looking conflicted and deep in thought, Chen Ziming wanted to say something more but couldn’t.
Having reached this point, any further deliberate shielding of her emotions would be counterproductive.
A quiet atmosphere filled the room.
Su Yue lowered her gaze, her heart struggling for a long time.
Finally, she decided to tell him everything.
However, she would only reveal the parts that were harmless.
As for Su Minghua’s impure thoughts towards her, she had no intention of mentioning them.
Su Minghua's earlier speculation was quite accurate; his stepdaughter had immense pride and was unwilling to reveal her vulnerable or unsavory side.
Even if that unsavory aspect had nothing to do with her, even if it were just intangible, unseen affections.
She still refused to mention it.
And the other hidden truth was that Su Yue had long been aware of Su Minghua’s intentions, yet she had still chosen to depend on him, relying on his connections and wealth to maintain her current lifestyle.
If one were to be strict, how pure was she?
And these were the things Su Yue least wanted anyone to know.
Especially Chen Ziming.