At Chanel, Wang Ziran sat on the sofa watching Su Ruiyi select from the season's new outfits.
Sensing Su Ruiyi's indecision, Wang Ziran boldly offered advice. "That one, the one you just picked up. I think it looks quite good."
Su Ruiyi pointed. "This one? Will this color make me look old?"
Wang Ziran quickly retorted, "No, it looks very ladylike."
"No, I still prefer this one!" Su Ruiyi waved her hand.
Su Ruiyi handed the outfit directly to a nearby sales associate. She had already been in the store for an hour, choosing the most suitable attire for the family dinner on New Year's Eve.
In Su Ruiyi's heart, this dinner was extremely important, as she hadn't had a proper dinner with her parents in countless years.
Therefore, she had to be very careful in her choice of clothing. She wanted to appear grown-up, like the daughter her parents would like.
Oh, right. She had also dyed her hair back to black, and her striking nail polish had been replaced with a simple, understated lotus root color, making her look much more dignified.
As they were checking out, Su Ruiyi pointed to the outfit she had criticized earlier.
"Do you like that one?"
Wang Ziran nodded. "What guy wouldn't like it? I just think that one looks better."
Su Ruiyi thought for a moment and said, "Alright, wrap that one up too!"
Wang Ziran was overjoyed. When it came to aesthetics, his opinion had never been important to Su Ruiyi. This was the first time she had ever agreed with him so much!
Wang Ziran rushed to the counter. "I'll buy it, I'll buy it. Consider this a gift from me!"
Su Ruiyi pushed him away. "Get out of the way! I'm not buying it to wear for you!"
"To wear for Uncle and Aunt is fine too."
"Not really."
A hint of shyness appeared on Su Ruiyi's face. Wang Ziran realized something was amiss!
But no matter how he inquired, Su Ruiyi deflected, refusing to tell him why she bought that outfit.
The next evening, Su Ruiyi indeed wore the ladylike outfit for a date with Ou Yunchen at a British restaurant. Ou Yunchen gallantly pushed her chair for her. When he returned to his seat, he scrutinized the Su family's daughter, who seemed different tonight.
Su Ruiyi was a little shy. "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not quite used to it either. I rarely dress like this..."
Su Ruiyi straightened her back a bit awkwardly, feeling as if she had lost her strength without exaggerated accessories or vibrant colors, making her feel constrained.
"You look beautiful," Ou Yunchen said with a smile.
Su Ruiyi pursed her lips, lowered her head shyly, and nervously took a sip of water. The last time she had dressed as a lady was a few years ago when she returned to China.
That was when she had just received the family trust fund and had to return to sign. On that very day, she learned about her father's unsavory and chaotic love life.
From then on, she used rebellion to mask her dissatisfaction, anger, and shock...
But her pretense wasn't convincing. She was afraid of going too far, afraid of not being forgiven by her parents, and even more afraid of not getting their attention.
Perhaps if she became a problem child, her father wouldn't spend extra time with other women, and her mother wouldn't be lost in distant thoughts abroad.
Su Ruiyi was very happy tonight, her chest warm. It felt as if for the first time, she had found a harbor to rely on.
She liked the mature Ou Yunchen. That feeling was like the sense of security her father gave her as a child, and the sense of understanding her mother offered.
No matter what she talked about, Ou Yunchen always seemed to say, "I'll listen patiently." This felt completely different from Wang Ziran, with whom she only felt he happened to like the same things.
Ou Yunchen: "Everyone has unpleasant memories they don't want to recall. You don't need to be distressed by those past indiscretions. You should focus on living well in the present. You are still young, and those are just small wounds in life. Who doesn't grow up stumbling along the way?"
Su Ruiyi: "Now that you know a little secret of mine, you won't think I'm a bad girl, will you?"
Ou Yunchen leaned back relaxedly, his eyes full of a gentle smile, as if erasing all the girl's anxieties.
"Since you trust me so much, let me tell you a secret too."
Su Ruiyi nodded quickly. If she also knew Ou Yunchen's secret, would their relationship move a step further?
Ou Yunchen beckoned. "Come closer."
Su Ruiyi leaned forward, tilting her head, and brought her ear closer. Ou Yunchen tucked the hair behind her ear and whispered a sentence.
"I've killed someone."
Su Ruiyi quickly retreated to her chair, her face pale with fright, her mouth agape, having forgotten to breathe.
Seeing Su Ruiyi's reaction, Ou Yunchen said with a half-smile, "Just kidding."
Su Ruiyi then sighed, her expression returning to normal.
"I knew it. You don't look like a bad person at all! You're so handsome, how could you possibly kill someone!"
Ou Yunchen smiled. Yes, he was about to have a new identity. No matter what that identity was, it would not be the same as the former Ou Zhan. Now, he would only manipulate people. Killing Axe? That would be too easy for him.