Chapter 99: The Bottom Line

At that point, if An Tong still refused, she would seem coldhearted.

She saved Dai Shuai’s phone number, added a brief note, then turned back to the pottery wheel and focused once more on shaping the clay.

Seeing that she did not want to talk, Dai Shuai tactfully left her alone. When the class ended, he went out of the pottery studio first.

The moment he stepped outside, he excitedly sent a voice message in the dorm group chat.

Cool-as-hell spelled backward is my name: Sons, your dad met a stunning beauty in the pottery studio today. You all skipped pottery class to broaden your horizons and cultivate your spirit, and now look at you—idiots, weren’t you?

Son Number One: You should really take a look at your own trash taste.

Son Number Two: Don’t believe it.

Son Number Three: Send a photo, or you’re just talking nonsense.

Dai Shuai stood there with his backpack on, thought for three seconds, then turned back to the pottery studio and secretly snapped a picture of An Tong with her head lowered as she worked at the wheel.

Cool-as-hell spelled backward is my name: [image] Say it loud for Dad. Pretty or not?

Son Number One: Sign me up for the pottery studio tomorrow.

Son Number Two: Same.

Son Number Three: Is she still there now?

...

An Tong paid no mind to this brief little episode of being approached.

Even Ling Qi missed the scene because she was busy chatting with Gu Qin.

But that evening, while Rong Shen was still busy at the company, he received a call from Gu Qin.

“Xiao An came to the pottery studio today. You knew about that, right?”

Leaning back in his chair, the man pressed a finger to his brow and said in a low voice, “Mm. Is there a problem?”

Gu Qin laughed softly. “What problem could there be? You even placed my niece beside her as company. If I were to say there was a problem, would you change anything?”

“No,” Rong Shen said, his arm resting on the chair, silent for a few seconds before answering in an even, unruffled tone. “If you feel Ling Qi is being wronged, you can take her back.”

Gu Qin’s smile stiffened slightly. She gave an awkward laugh. “Listen to yourself. We let Ling Qi join your company because we trusted you. Since you’ve already arranged everything, what right would I have to interfere?”

Though she said as much, her good mood had inevitably soured.

She had always known Rong Jiu, but not especially well.

Mostly because her best friend was Rong Xian, Rong Jiu had always been rather pleasant toward her in their dealings.

But what he had just said still brought a trace of embarrassment over Gu Qin.

He truly was only gentle and refined on the surface.

If one ever touched his bottom line, let alone her, even if Rong Xian herself stepped in, she might not be able to change a thing.

And now, An Tong was probably that untouchable bottom line.

At that moment, the click of a lighter came through the receiver, pulling Gu Qin’s thoughts back.

Rong Shen’s low, unhurried voice carried no obvious emotion, yet there was an oddly elusive chill to it. “Ling Qi’s position is not as bad as you imagine. You would do better to look at it in ordinary terms. In front of An Tong, Ling Qi is not a subordinate, but a friend.”

Gu Qin was already starting to feel awkward. Even without being face to face, the displeasure and seriousness in the man’s words were prickly enough to sting.

She sighed in regret and tried to smooth things over. “Fine, fine, I was just mentioning it casually. Why are you taking it so seriously? Since Ling Qi is your employee, arrange things however you like. I certainly won’t say anything else.”

The man on the other end said nothing.

Gu Qin knew she had stepped on his nerves, so she laughed again and forcibly shifted the subject back to An Tong. “Xiao An did well here today. I could tell she was in high spirits. When you get back, talk it over with her. If she thinks the pottery teacher who taught her today is decent, then I won’t arrange anyone else for her later.”

“Mm. I’ll ask.”

Sure enough, Gu Qin could clearly feel the man’s stiff tone soften.

“You know, Xiao An might just come with built-in traffic.” She also let out a breath of relief and joked, “After she finished lessons with me this morning, three more students signed up in the afternoon, and they were all young men. They kept trying to fish for information about where she lives. Make sure you keep a close eye on her. Those boys are all students, too. I heard from the pottery teacher that one of the students even spoke to her this morning.”

...

That casual conversation, hardly even a complaint, lingered in Rong Shen’s ears all the way until he got home.

No one knew An Tong’s personality better than he did.

Even if her psychological condition had improved, she still was not as bright and easy to approach as an ordinary girl, much less someone who would freely strike up a conversation with strangers.

By the villa entrance, after Cheng Feng drove away, the man stood where he was and took out his cigarette case.

The lights inside were on, and the glow of the bulbs spilled into the yard, laying a wash of pale light across the ground.

Rong Shen stood in the night and drew on his cigarette, his deep, dark gaze fixed for a long while on the girl in the living room, head bowed over her phone.

She seemed to be sending messages. Her expression was not especially animated, but the corners of her mouth were clearly lifted.

College students, young men—either of those identities alone would be harmless.

But when they were combined and then linked to An Tong, one could not help but imagine things.

Imaginations born of an age gap.

By the time he finished the cigarette, the man sighed and flicked the butt away.

He spread his hand over his temples, then stepped up the stairs.

At the same time, An Tong heard the living room door open. The instant she looked up, she very slightly turned off her phone screen.

Normally, that would have meant nothing. But to the man, it somehow carried a hint of guilt.

In truth, An Tong really did feel guilty, because she was chatting with Su Ji, whom she had not seen in a long time.

And the topic, naturally, was Rong Shen.

Conversations between close friends had always been open and casual, and for a moment An Tong could not resist the urge to share, so she told Su Ji that she and Rong Shen were together.

Only... right after she sent that message, Rong Shen came in.

An Tong glanced at the time on her phone, set it aside, and rose with a faint smile to greet him. “Were you very busy today?”

It was nearly eight o’clock already, and he was only just back.

In the past few days, he had been home around six.

The man looked at her as she came toward him, his throat moving once, and then he smoothed his brows. “Mm. A bit busy.”

An Tong naturally took the coat he removed from his shoulders and hung it on the rack by the door. “The food is still warm. Do you want to eat now?”

She was like a considerate little wife at home, bustling about for her husband who had come home late.

Rong Shen said they could eat later. He took An Tong by the hand into the living room, sat down, and drew her into his arms.

An Tong was a little surprised, but she did not struggle. She quietly leaned against him, though her eyes kept drifting toward the phone on the sofa across from them, which kept buzzing faintly.

She had a feeling... some things were no longer going to stay hidden, and a scolding was probably unavoidable.

Just from the speed at which the messages kept flooding in, she could already imagine how furious Su Ji must be right now upon learning that the girl he had guarded so carefully had been taken away by someone else.