Chapter 5: It Seems None of This Matters to You Anymore...

Xu Wu didn’t have to go to work, so she spent the entire morning in her room.

Her roommate wasn’t home, creating a rare moment of harmony and quietness.

She had analyzed the data from Shu Ke’s materials, and there weren’t any significant discrepancies.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was already afternoon. After eating lunch and tidying up a bit, she headed out.

Yesterday, after speaking with the landlord, she arranged to meet the real estate agent this afternoon to view the property.

After a ten-minute ride, she met the agent at Yiming Garden.

Yiming Garden had many buildings, and the apartment she was renting was in Building No. 3, to the left after entering the gate.

The facilities here were complete, and the spacing between the buildings was ample.

The elevator stopped on the sixteenth floor. Before she took a few steps, something white and fluffy darted toward her feet.

Startled, Xu Wu instinctively stepped back.

Seeing this, the agent quickly picked up the dog by its leash. “It’s just a dog, no need to worry.”

Only then did Xu Wu notice the soft, fluffy Bichon Frise at the agent’s feet. Its golden ears stood upright as it wagged its tail and stuck its tongue out in a friendly manner.

The dog seemed overjoyed, as if reuniting with an old friend after years apart.

Its bright eyes struck Xu Wu strangely, making her feel as though she might have known this dog before.

As they stared at each other, the dog—acting like they were already familiar—tilted its head up to look at her. She bent down to pet it.

The dog was obedient and gentle, its fur soft and smooth, like touching a cloud.

Clearly, its owner took good care of it.

The dog affectionately nudged her palm, its pink nose adorable and endearing.

Xu Wu recalled how, during her school days, she had found a stray puppy. It had been dirty and mangy, but unfortunately, Lin Qingya had been pregnant at the time, so they couldn’t keep it. She ended up giving it to Zhou Jin Ye.

After their breakup, she hadn’t seen the dog again.

Could that puppy now be as big as the one in front of her?

Suddenly, a metallic clink against the tiled floor caught her attention.

Looking down, she saw the dog’s collar.

In the center of the collar was a metal animal paw charm, tinted pink. Flipping it over revealed golden lettering engraved in the middle.

The dog’s name.

Pudding.

Xu Wu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the names matched.

The agent knocked on the door of the opposite unit, then turned back.

“It seems this is your neighbor’s dog. It probably got locked out while playing around.”

“The tenant here is a woman, but her relatives are staying temporarily. The unit across from yours is the one she asked me about renting out.”

“They’re not home right now, so you can leave the dog with the security guard downstairs for now.”

Xu Wu reattached the collar around the dog’s neck, stood up, and nodded.

Pudding kept sticking close to her, so she ended up taking the dog along while viewing the apartment.

The unit was a standard one-bedroom, one-living-room layout, exquisitely decorated with all necessary furniture included.

As the agent introduced it to her, Xu Wu inspected every corner. Everything matched the photos the landlord had sent, and she was satisfied.

By the end of the afternoon, she finalized the contract.

Afterward, Xu Wu contacted a moving company, placing an expedited order for them to move her belongings over within the next day or two.

Once everything was arranged, it was already evening.

After handing Pudding over to the security guard, Xu Wu left Yiming Garden.

Behind her, the dog seemed reluctant to part, barking in her direction.

________________________________________

Autumn arrived, and by 6:30 PM, darkness fell early.

The city lights began to glow as Zhou Jin Ye returned home from work.

As he turned into the residential complex, he glanced at the rearview mirror. The light was dim.

In the distance, he vaguely spotted a familiar figure boarding a bus.

He dismissed it as fatigue playing tricks on him.

Turning his attention back to the road, he entered the complex.

Residents needed to pass through the gate, and the security guard recognized Zhou Jin Ye’s handsome face well.

With the bright interior light of the car, the guard quickly identified him as a resident of the sixteenth floor and called out to him.

“Your dog accidentally locked itself out earlier. A young woman who happened to be viewing the apartment across from yours brought it to us to wait for you.”

Zhou Jin Ye lowered his gaze to see his dog, Pudding, its ears drooping.

The dog looked dejected, glancing at him briefly before lying down and staring off in another direction.

After a long pause, Zhou Jin Ye got out of the car and took Pudding back inside.

The security guard opened the gate, watching the luxury car drive away. Scratching the back of his head, he wondered what the man in the car had been thinking as he stared at his dog.

________________________________________

Wei Linxuan’s school dismissed at 4:30 PM, and Xu Wu timed her arrival perfectly.

However, when she reached the school gate, she encountered someone unexpected—

Zhou Jin Ye.

What was he doing here?

The answer became clear soon enough.

Children were leaving the school after saying goodbye to their teachers. Wei Linxuan and a little girl emerged together. The girl wore two braided pigtails behind her ears, her cheeks chubby and rosy, making her look quite adorable.

Xu Wu watched as the girl ran excitedly to Zhou Jin Ye, holding out her arms for him to pick her up.

Standing behind them, Xu Wu’s gaze was entirely fixed on the scene. She froze.

“Sister!”

A childlike voice snapped Xu Wu out of her thoughts.

Wei Linxuan knew Xu Wu would come to pick him up, but his joy was still evident.

His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone nearby heard it and turned to look.

Zhou Jin Ye was no exception. Noticing the commotion, he glanced over.

Their eyes met.

Remembering what Zhou Jin Ye had said the other day—and that he had helped her—she decided to greet him politely. “What a coincidence.”

Zhou Jin Ye raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with mockery. “Do we know each other?”

“You seem familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

His words carried a hint of sarcasm.

“…”

So he really held a grudge.

Xu Wu maintained her smile. “If we don’t know each other, you don’t have to respond.”

She shifted the topic back. “I’m here to pick up my younger brother. I never expected to run into you here.”

“You’re right,” Zhou Jin Ye replied, amused. Despite his polite and distant tone, she had still greeted him.

“I’m here to pick her up.”

The “her” he referred to wasn’t specified.

Xu Wu lowered her gaze, pretending to look at the little girl—or perhaps not looking at all.

She blurted out, “You already have a child this big?”

But as soon as she said it, she estimated the child’s age and realized her mistake.

She was momentarily stunned.

Wrong again.

Sure enough, a faint laugh reached her ears.

Xu Wu looked over to see a teasing glint in his eyes.

“She’s six. Do you think I could’ve had a child with anyone back then?”

Awkwardness filled the air, and Xu Wu could only say, “Sorry, I misspoke.”

Zhou Jin Ye was silent for a moment.

Then he laughed. Though his lips curved into a smile, his eyes remained cold and depthless. “So that’s how it is. It seems none of this matters to you anymore.”

Xu Wu’s gaze wavered slightly.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

After all, being misunderstood wasn’t a new experience for her.

An awkward atmosphere lingered.

Fortunately, Wei Linxuan came to her rescue. “Don’t bully my sister!”

The little girl beside Zhou Jin Ye also chimed in, flustered. “My cousin didn’t do anything!”

Cousin?

So they were cousins.

Xu Wu looked at the two friends who had walked out together moments ago, now standing on opposing sides.

She crouched down to their eye level, speaking softly. “It’s okay. Her cousin didn’t bully me—it was all a misunderstanding. Now that it’s cleared up...”

“Linxuan, apologize. You’re still friends.”

Zhou Jin Ye silently observed her from the side.

Children’s squabbles were fleeting.

Following Xu Wu’s words, Wei Linxuan apologized to the girl. “Lin Xiaoxuan, I’m sorry.”

In no time, the two children’s friendship was restored.

________________________________________

After Lin Xiaoxuan and Wei Linxuan parted ways, Lin Xiaoxuan got into the car with Zhou Jin Ye.

“Big Brother, do you know Wei Linxuan’s sister?”

Zhou Jin Ye activated the handbrake. “Do I look like I know her?”

“She greeted you,” Lin Xiaoxuan tilted her head and asked, “Are you two close?”

He lazily glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Why do you say that?”

“Your eyes kept looking at her the whole time.” Lin Xiaoxuan’s round eyes widened.

“For example, when family talks to you, you always reply lazily. I’ve never seen you look at anyone for that long.”

Zhou Jin Ye smirked. “If you put this much effort into observing things into your studies, your parents would be thrilled.”

“I’ll definitely do better on my next exam!” Lin Xiaoxuan pouted. “Hmph, besides, no matter how well Wei Linxuan does on his exams, his sister still praises him. But you? All you do is make sarcastic remarks.”

Lin Xiaoxuan shared her father’s surname.

Zhou Jin Ye had lived with his grandfather and Aunt Zhou Min since middle school.

Zhou Min and her husband Lin Dong had Lin Xiaoxuan. Lin Xiaoxuan treated him like a close older brother, sharing everything with him.

“Heh,” Zhou Jin Ye chuckled. “And you’re concerned about someone else’s sister.”

Lin Xiaoxuan nodded. “Yeah, even though his sister doesn’t see him often, whenever he talks about his family, he always mentions her. He says she’s so great, so wonderful.”

“Now that I’ve met her, she really is gentle and beautiful.”

After listening to her gushing, Zhou Jin Ye remarked, “Wipe your drool.”

“Oh, by the way, here’s some wedding candy for you.”

“Let it bring you good luck. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a wife soon.” Lin Xiaoxuan pulled out a red package from her pocket.

“Where did you get that?”

Lin Xiaoxuan replied, “Wei Linxuan’s older brother is getting married. He gave it to me.”

That reminded Zhou Jin Ye of Wei Ming contacting him recently.

At that moment, a WeChat notification sounded.

WM: [What’s your address? I’ll send it over.]

[Groomsmen outfit picture]

Zhou Jin Ye thought of Xu Wu.

As his nominal younger sister, Wei Ming treated her well.

She would attend her so-called “brother’s” wedding.

________________________________________

On the other side, Xu Wu had taken Wei Linxuan back to the Wei household.

Wei Linxuan was munching on candied hawthorn skewers.

Xu Wu had bought them for him near the school.

Only one piece remained on Wei Linxuan’s skewer.

When they arrived at the Wei family’s gate, Xu Wu told him to go inside.

With the skewer still in his mouth, Wei Linxuan’s speech was muffled. “Sister… aren’t you coming in?”

Xu Wu gently ruffled Wei Linxuan’s hair. It seemed to have grown longer since she last saw him.

Her voice remained gentle. “No, you go ahead. I still have some things to take care of.”

After seeing Wei Linxuan off, Xu Wu was about to leave when the Wei family’s gate opened. Wei Ming walked out.

He wore a white shirt with sparkling diamond cufflinks, and his usual gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Through his lenses, his gaze landed on the gate.

Xu Wu called out, “Brother.”

Wei Linxuan ran into Wei Ming’s arms and echoed the greeting.

Seeing Xu Wu preparing to leave, Wei Ming called her back. He went inside and returned with a garment bag, walking over to her. “How have you been lately?”

“Fine.”

Xu Wu’s response was the same as always.

Wei Ming didn’t press further. “It’s been a while since you’ve visited. Dinner will be ready soon. Mom and Dad just got back—they’re all home. Why don’t you come in and eat before you go?”

Xu Wu glanced at the doorway, pursing her lips. “No, thank you. I’m moving recently and still have some things to sort out.”

“Congratulations on your wedding. I’ll see you at the banquet.”

Wei Ming adjusted his glasses. “Thank you.”

“Since you’re busy, here’s the bridesmaid dress for now.”

Xu Wu accepted it. Just as she thought Wei Ming was about to leave, he looked at her.

After a long pause, Wei Ming said, “Zhou Jin Ye is back. He’ll be attending my wedding too. Did you know?”

She was momentarily startled.

Of course, Zhou Jin Ye and Wei Ming had been best friends back then.

Zhou Jin Ye would naturally be there.

Xu Wu’s lashes concealed her emotions. Her tone was soft, betraying nothing.

“I see. If you don’t have anything else, I’ll take my leave.”

Wei Ming nodded, giving her a deep look.

He didn’t say anything more.

Xu Wu turned and left.

What Wei Ming didn’t know was that they had already met.

And it hadn’t gone very pleasantly.