28: Recalling Six Years Ago

Page 1 of 3

The moment Ye Xiangwan’s eyes swept over the headline, her breath caught.

#Lord Feng Reveals His Love Life#

Her nerves drew taut like a bowstring, and her fingers began to tremble in shock.

He was going public?!

How was that possible? How could he?!

Going public would be tantamount to falling out with his family and giving up his right to inherit the family fortune. Besides, she could never be with him again.

Ye Xiangwan pressed her back against the cold wall and drew a deep breath. Only then did she tap the trending topic with a trembling thumb. It was an interview video.

She did not open it immediately. But from the caption and the top comments alone, she could tell that there were two major talking points.

The first was that, during the interview, the female lead of the film had accidentally revealed that she and Feng Jinyan had once been engaged through an arranged marriage. However, judging from Feng Jinyan’s response, everyone understood that the two of them had never actually been together.

As a result, Feng Jinyan’s female fans had already torn Lu Yuyao to shreds, accusing her of scheming, using connections to get ahead, and leeching off his popularity.

But that was only secondary. The second revelation was what had truly caused an uproar.

In every interview before this, Feng Jinyan had avoided discussing his romantic history. Yet this time, he had suddenly disclosed it outright.

There had even been a hint of protectiveness in his words. Since she was not part of the entertainment industry, no one could openly investigate or dox her. What drove the little fangirls obsessed with Feng Jinyan completely mad, however, was the bonus clip released at the end of the interview.

Ye Xiangwan took a deep breath, opened the video, and dragged the progress bar toward the end.

“I believe that, given your status and popularity, your former girlfriend will certainly see this interview. Is there anything you would like to say to her?”

Feng Jinyan’s brows drew together slightly. He had not expected the reporter to refuse to let the matter go even at the very end.

The instant the question was asked, his expression dimmed almost imperceptibly. Leaning back in his chair, he suddenly tightened the fingers that had been loosely interlaced, his thumb gently rubbing over his knuckles.

After a moment, he lifted his eyes to the reporter. His throat moved faintly, and he said softly, “That concludes today’s interview.”

Ye Xiangwan stared at the familiar face on the screen, a face she knew all too well, while her chest rose and fell violently several times.

Mu Yunshen was already changing clothes. He had called out something from inside the room just now, but Ye Xiangwan had not heard him clearly.

Biting her lip, she opened the comments. The fans had already exploded. Every movement Feng Jinyan made had been exceedingly subtle, but the girls who watched him through magnifying glasses had subjected every one of his minute gestures to meticulous analysis. In the end, quite a few people claiming to specialize in psychology had reached the same conclusion.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

The first person one ever fell in love with really was etched into one’s memory forever.

Mu Yunshen came rushing out of the room, put on his shoes, and headed for the door. Then he turned and discovered that Ye Xiangwan was still standing there in a daze, her fingers gripping the phone so tightly that the edges had gone white.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Yunshen asked worriedly. He walked over and glanced at her screen. “Feng Jinyan?”

The instant his name was spoken, Ye Xiangwan’s fingertips twitched, and she looked at Mu Yunshen as though coming back to herself.

When certain people were suddenly mentioned, their existence could throw everything into disarray in an instant, sending one’s heartbeat into panic. They were like forbidden things that could not be touched. Once opened again, no one knew what tangled vines might grow from them. The madness one had once refused to speak of might one day be exposed in full, striking like a sword straight through the chest.

“Um… Xiangwan…”

Mu Yunshen turned his head toward the side mirror, his gaze passing over Ye Xiangwan’s face. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Ever since you arrived, your complexion has been terribly pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No.”

Ye Xiangwan turned her head toward the window. The pedestrians along the road were swiftly left behind. As they passed a bus stop, a brightly smiling face on an advertisement suddenly leaped into her sight. Her heart jolted, and her eyes instinctively chased after it as it receded behind them.

“What is it? Did you see something?” Mu Yunshen lightly pressed the brakes and glanced back at her.

“No… I must have been mistaken.”

Ye Xiangwan turned back and leaned tiredly into the seat.

She had always possessed excellent self-control. In her studies, her daily life, and her emotions, she could maintain a sealed-off space within herself, where she did what needed to be done. Yet whenever Feng Jinyan was concerned, even without facing him in person, she could not stop herself from losing all restraint.

Six years ago, she had begun hollowing out her heart bit by bit, leaving only the tiniest sliver of longing at its core. But now Feng Jinyan was driving a knife into it again and again, draining every last drop of blood from her heart.

Ye Xiangwan closed her eyes and gently covered her stomach with one hand.

She knew that her health was poor. When she had suffered gastric bleeding that day, she had understood that she should find somewhere no one knew her and no one could find her, and rest properly for a while. But she had no money to be hospitalized now. She could only treat herself as best she could.

She had suffered too much for Feng Jinyan. Her stomach had never been able to withstand emotional upheaval, yet that man would not even spare her in an interview.

If they could never be together, why give her hope?

He pushed her into the depths of the sea with one hand, then threw in a dangerously fragile piece of driftwood with the other.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

How cruel.

“Is your stomach bothering you?” Mu Yunshen parked the car outside the hospital and reached over to unfasten Ye Xiangwan’s seat belt. “If you’re unwell, don’t force yourself to endure it. Being alone out here will only make your family worry.”

Ye Xiangwan opened her eyes and slowly exhaled.

“Family…”

She let out a quiet scoff and pushed open the car door.

“I don’t have any.”

Meanwhile, inside the hotel room—

“You’re saying her family refuses to tell us what really happened back then?”

Feng Jinyan glanced at Ling Zhanyi, who was just about to enter, and gestured for him to leave.

“Never mind. Keep watching Ye Xiangwan. I’ll make time to question her family myself.”

After hanging up, Feng Jinyan narrowed his eyes. Back then, because of Wang Meng, his family had reacted violently after learning about the matter. They had slapped him once and, without another word, immediately arranged for him to obtain a visa to the United States.

But if Ye Xiangwan had not suddenly disappeared during that period—if he had not been unable to see or contact her for nearly a month, and if her final phone call had not been to tell him that she wanted to break up because she was being blackmailed for money—how could he possibly have left?

Even if he had broken both legs at home, he would never have left the place where Ye Xiangwan was.

But now, it seemed that something had happened during those two weeks—something he had never known about.

Feng Jinyan narrowed his eyes and unconsciously sank into memories of six years earlier.

Six years ago, in autumn, dawn still came early at that time of year, and the sunlight was bright with a lingering depth to it.

After his usual morning run, Feng Jinyan took a shower and ate a casual breakfast. When he entered the campus, the entire school was still steeped in silence.

“Well now, young man. You’re out early every day,” the older security guard at the gate said with a smile.