Chen Yan could actually be considered Xu Tingyu's childhood sweetheart.
The two of them lived in the same villa area, in adjacent villas.
However, they didn't get along well when they were kids.
Chen Yan was doted on by everyone and was a typical naughty kid.
On the other hand, she had always been the model child that parents used to set an example for their own kids.
Although Chen Yan was one year older than her, for some reason, he developed late and was always shorter than her when they were young.
Boys have an innate sense of competitiveness in this regard, so he always brooded over being shorter.
To make matters worse, the adults didn't take it seriously and always teased him about it.
So the two of them would bicker whenever they met. They had been arguing since childhood.
No, it wasn't accurate to say they argued until they grew up. It was more like they stopped seeing each other often when they were around fourteen or fifteen years old.
Chen Yan was sent abroad to study, and she started to pursue a career in dance.
Later, the Chen family moved away, and the two of them didn't see each other for several years.
The first time they met after reaching adulthood was at her coming - of - age ceremony.
By then, Chen Yan had become much more mature and wouldn't tug at her braids as soon as he saw her.
She was now more than a head shorter than him, and she could no longer give him a tap on the head.
But after not seeing each other for several years, there was a bit of estrangement between them.
Moreover, on that day, she was embarrassed by Qi Shifeng, who showed up late. She knew he didn't like her, so she was a bit disappointed.
As a result, they didn't talk much.
Not long after the coming - of - age ceremony, Chen Yan went abroad again, and she continued her dance career.
They met once abroad when her dance tour took her to a city near where he was studying.
After his classes, he drove for three hours to come and support her.
However, after the performance, she had to catch a flight for the next stop, so they didn't even have a chance to have a meal together.
Later, when she got married to Qi Shifeng, Chen Yan didn't attend the wedding.
One month after their marriage, he graduated and returned to China, starting his playboy life.
In these three years, the two of them hardly saw each other.
Xu Tingyu had read many of his tabloid news stories, but she could never connect the womanizer in the news with the boy who used to be a head shorter than her in her memory.
Later, when something happened to the Xu family, at Xu Jianmin's funeral, he did come on behalf of the Chen family.
But at that time, she was immersed in great grief, and they didn't talk.
After that, they never saw each other again.
So Xu Tingyu didn't know why he would suddenly come to see her.
Or more precisely, how did he know where she lived?
And it was right after the scandal with Xie Yu.
"Those paparazzi are just making things up. Although I'm a bit of a ladies' man, I have my principles. I don't like a woman like Xie Yu."
Chen Yan returned the phone, his tone as nonchalant as ever.
Xu Tingyu gave him a look, clearly showing her disbelief.
He scratched his head and changed the subject. "Let's not talk about her. How about you? How are you doing?"
His gaze shifted from her face to her stomach.
She was very thin. Sitting on the sofa with a blanket covering her stomach, it was impossible to tell that she was pregnant.
She was still as elegant and breathtakingly beautiful as before.
Xu Tingyu smiled. "As you can see."
She didn't say whether she was doing well or not.
In front of strangers, she could maintain her dignity and say that she was okay.
In front of childhood friends, she could complain about how bad her life was.
But in front of someone like Chen Yan, who was neither too close nor too distant, she didn't want to lie, nor did she want to tell the truth. So she could only be vague.
Chen Yan frowned. "So, is Qi Shifeng really having an affair with other women?"
This question was too straightforward and hurtful.
Xu Tingyu stopped eating the cake and hesitated before answering. "Not really."
After all, there was only Xie Yu. It couldn't be considered an affair.
But Chen Yan was inexplicably angry. "If this isn't an affair, Xu Tingyu, I've known you since you were born. How come I never knew you were such a prideful and stubborn person?"
Yesterday, he was indeed in the same car as Xie Yu. And the person in the news photos was really him.
But Xie Yu wasn't a woman he had taken a fancy to.
He had recently been investing in a new TV drama, so he went to have a meal with the director and the main creative team.
Xie Yu was also in the cast. During the meal, they spoke no more than five sentences to each other.
He didn't like this woman.
Halfway through the meal, he went out to get some fresh air. When he passed by the balcony, he heard this woman on the phone.
He heard her coquettishly talking.
He sneered and cursed her for being so artificial. Just as he was about to walk away, he heard her call out "Shifeng".
Qi Shifeng.
He had also seen a lot of reports about Qi Shifeng and her recently, but he always thought they weren't true.
After all, he believed that Qi Shifeng wouldn't be so blind.
However, he still felt annoyed.
Who did she think she was to call another man's husband and talk coquettishly?
Sick, huh? Going to the hospital, huh?
Fine, he was going to see if she was really sick.
So when the meal was over, he offered to drive Xie Yu home.
A look of surprise flashed across Xie Yu's eyes. She pretended to decline a couple of times before finally accepting.
On the way, this woman was like a curious cat, asking him all sorts of questions. She didn't seem like a sick person at all.
At first, he had a bit of patience and wanted to see what she was up to.
But the more she talked, the more absurd she became.
She was constantly belittling others and boasting about herself, as if all women in the world were bad except for her.
Couldn't any man see through this kind of cheap flirting?
Chen Yan was so annoyed that he just wished he could kick himself for being so stupid to get involved in this mess.
So he stepped on the gas pedal hard, wanting to get rid of this troublemaker as soon as possible.
Who would have thought that he stepped on it too hard and was too distracted. He didn't brake in time and rear - ended the car in front.
He finally had an excuse to get rid of her. He told Xie Yu to take a taxi home by herself and that he had to wait for the insurance company.
But Xie Yu looked surprised. "But it's so late and this place is so desolate. It's not safe for me to go back alone. I'll wait for you."
The paparazzi were right across the street, and their flashlights were on.
Chen Yan pointed at the neon lights and high - rise buildings outside and smiled casually.
"Miss Xie, if this place is considered desolate, what would your hometown be?"
Even the suburbs of the capital city were a hundred times more prosperous than Xie Yu's hometown.
Moreover, this wasn't really the suburbs. There were still a lot of cars on the road, and it was quite lively.
Xie Yu was stunned. She seemed to be surprised that he knew so much about her. It took her a long time to speak. "Mr. Chen, do you know me?"
Chen Yan looked at her impatiently. "Didn't you introduce yourself at the dinner just now? My memory isn't that bad."
Xie Yu had never been so humiliated by a man.
She felt embarrassed. After a long silence, her eyes turned red.
"Mr. Chen clearly doesn't like me. I'll call someone to pick me up."
"Also, since the car accident happened because you were driving me, I'm willing to pay half of the repair costs once they're calculated."
Her pretense of being strong and independent just made Chen Yan even more impatient.
He didn't even bother to talk to her. He just lit a cigarette and leaned against the car door, waiting for the insurance company.