Chapter 036: Girlfriend

It was the first time Jin Youqian had ever heard Old Zhou mention this, and he couldn't help but be curious. Forgetting his silent feud with Song Wan, he pressed on, “So my dad already knew his feelings back then?”

“Not at all! He never wanted to admit he liked your mother,” Old Zhou rolled his eyes dramatically. “Honestly, your dad was just being difficult.”

Song Wan trailed behind, equally curious about Jin Youqian’s parents’ past, but she kept silent.

Jin Youqian glanced back at her, seemingly by accident, but quickly turned away.

He wasn’t eager to discuss his parents’ history. Old Zhou, aware that Jin Youqian still bore resentment toward his father, realized he’d overstepped and promptly fell silent.

Originally, Song Wan thought it would be difficult to persuade Old Zhou to mend the costume. But as soon as she made her request, he cheerfully agreed. Before she could react, he had already gathered the pieces and taken them aside to work on.

She and Jin Youqian were left standing alone in the main hall, an awkward silence hanging between them.

“Ahem,” unable to bear the tension, Song Wan broke the silence. “Didn’t you say Old Zhou doesn’t like people who don’t value his handiwork? So why…”

She trailed off, unsure how to phrase it, aware that it might sound ungrateful.

Jin Youqian shot her a sidelong glance. “Grandpa Zhou thinks you’re my girlfriend.”

Uh…

How was she supposed to respond to that?

Song Wan glanced at Jin Youqian cautiously. “Should I go and explain it to him?”

He shot her a quick, unreadable look. “No need.”

She let out an awkward laugh, trying to change the subject. “How much does Old Zhou charge for mending a costume, anyway? If it’s too expensive, maybe you could help me out?”

She didn’t really think about it—it was just a joke, meant to be forgotten the moment it was said. She never expected Jin Youqian to agree.

He replied, “It’s not expensive. Just a million or so.”

Song Wan turned to stare at him, stunned. “A million?”

“What did you expect?” he said, giving her a glance. “Old Zhou is one of the few national treasure artisans left in the country. Every stitch is worth its weight in gold. Having him help is a stroke of luck.”

Her lips parted in shock. That price far exceeded anything she had imagined. She’d thought Jin Youqian was only joking on set.

A million was enough to hire experienced extras for the entire crew. It would save time, effort, and energy.

She swallowed, debating whether to throw caution to the wind and cling to Jin Youqian for help with the cost. After all, to him, a million wasn’t even enough to buy himself a shirt. Besides, he’d already tacitly agreed to their “relationship,” so he must like her a little…

At that, Song Wan couldn’t help but feel some self-contempt. She had clearly decided to give up, yet at the first sign of trouble, her resolve wavered. Hearing that Jin Youqian didn’t want her to clarify their relationship had even made her secretly happy.

In the end, she was still a selfish person.

But ultimately, she abandoned the idea of letting Jin Youqian pay. She still had some dignity left.

These thoughts passed in just a couple of seconds. Still struggling for words, she heard Jin Youqian speak again: “As for having me pay for your crew? You’re quite the daydreamer, aren’t you?”

Song Wan was caught off guard, not grasping his meaning.

He continued, “You made the mess, you clean it up. Yes, I have money, and yes, I’m your crew’s investor. That doesn’t mean I’m a sucker.”

She looked at him and suddenly understood. “So, after all that, you just don’t want to pay for the crew.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” he replied matter-of-factly. “I brought you to see Grandpa Zhou, and he agreed to help with your costume because of me. That’s an opportunity worth more than money. The fact I’m not demanding a thank-you fee from the crew is something you should appreciate.”

Wait… Wasn’t there something off about what he’d just said? But Jin Youqian’s calm expression made her doubt herself. She pushed down her suspicions.

“Mr. Jin, thank you for bringing me to see Old Zhou,” she said sincerely. Whatever the case, she owed him her thanks.

For some reason, Jin Youqian’s face seemed to grow colder.

“There’s no need to thank me. Just come back with me to the villa at Mid-Levels tonight.”

Song Wan: “…”

She was exasperated. “Mr. Jin, I did once consider… well, some unmentionable things with you, but you always refused. I’ve given up.”

He didn’t believe her. His gaze was sharp, as if he could see right through her.

She hurried to reassure him. “Really! I didn’t know you had absolutely no interest in people who throw themselves at you. That’s why I overestimated myself.”

“So now that you know, you just give up that easily?” Jin Youqian looked at her coldly.

“Well… isn’t that how it should be?” Song Wan was puzzled.

If Jin Youqian hadn’t saved her in her past life, or if he were simply indiscriminate, she might have kept clinging, but reality didn’t allow for that. Most important, Jin Youqian seemed to have genuine feelings for her. Even if she’d decided to stop at nothing to get ahead in this life, she still had her bottom line—she would never be ungrateful.

Jin Youqian’s hands clenched and unclenched, finally shooting her a glare before heading toward the room where Old Zhou worked.

Song Wan couldn’t help but sigh again.

But she quickly put the matter out of her mind. After all, she could sense that Jin Youqian hadn’t invested too much feeling in her yet.

Old Zhou’s needlework was swift. Before long, he emerged with the costume in hand.

He was all smiles, the very image of a kindly old man.

Jin Youqian followed behind, his face now unreadable.

That was for the best; better to have things clear than tangled.

Old Zhou came up to Song Wan and thrust the costume into her hands, his smile taking on a mischievous edge. “By the way, what’s your name, dear? Where do you live? What do your parents do?”

Song Wan blinked and looked up in surprise.

Jin Youqian’s expression was calm, impossible to read.

Unsure of his attitude, Song Wan decided to answer Old Zhou’s questions straightforwardly. “Hello, Old Zhou. My name is Song Wan. Song with a roof, Wan as in late. But I’m an orphan—no parents. I live in the capital.”

As soon as she finished, she noticed Old Zhou’s gaze turn much more affectionate, full of pity.

Song Wan gave a bitter, inward smile. She’d seen that look too many times in both lives, though it never got any easier.

Old Zhou’s look was warm. “Mind if I call you Xiao Wan?”

Song Wan could only oblige. “Of course not. You may call me whatever you wish, Old Zhou.”

He waved his hand. “Why call me Old Zhou? Since you’re Jin’s girlfriend, call me Grandpa Zhou with him.”

She looked to Jin Youqian, but he made no objection.

“Grandpa Zhou,” Song Wan followed suit.

He squinted in satisfaction. “Good!”

…

Song Wan chatted with Old Zhou for a while longer before Jin Youqian interrupted, citing time constraints.

Old Zhou, knowing full well about Jin Youqian’s work, didn’t try to keep them and sent them off directly.

They soon reached the entrance to the old street. Song Wan, clutching the costume, glanced at Jin Youqian several times, wanting to say something but hesitating.

He noticed and met her gaze calmly. “Is there something you want to say?”

She gave an embarrassed smile. “I just wanted to ask, do I really need to go to your villa tonight?”

His eyes darkened. “That was the condition for me bringing you to see Old Zhou. What do you think?” As he spoke, his eyes flickered for a moment.

Song Wan didn’t notice, frowning. “I thought we’d already made things clear.”

“Clear about what?” Jin Youqian looked straight ahead. “You only said you’d given up on pursuing me. But asking you to the villa has nothing to do with sleeping together.”

He glanced at her, his gaze resistant. “Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t let you.”

Thinking of that night when they were interrupted at the last moment, Song Wan’s face darkened, a hint of frustration in her eyes.

Even if she’d given up on Jin Youqian, the blow from that night still stung.

“So if it’s not about that, why do you want me there? Did I leave something behind last time?” She thought for a moment. “Even if I did, it can’t be important. You can just throw it out.”

She really didn’t want any more entanglement. It was like being taunted with forbidden fruit right before her, while she had to keep reminding herself not to touch it.

It was poisonous after all.

“Tsk.”

“No,” he said.

Song Wan: “…”

She stared at him, brows tightly knit. “If I didn’t leave anything, then what is it?”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “You’ll know when you get there.”

Unbelievable…

She was about to protest when a familiar Maybach pulled up in front of them.

Without a word, Jin Youqian opened the door and climbed in.

Song Wan moved to open the passenger door, but Jin Youqian’s icy gaze fell on the driver, and with a click, the passenger door locked.

Speechless, Song Wan had no choice but to walk around and get in on the other side, costume in hand.

After a pause, she turned to the driver. “Excuse me, has Director He returned to the company?”

The driver glanced nervously at Jin Youqian, saw his icy expression, and quickly shrank back in silence.

Song Wan: “…”

She poked Jin Youqian’s arm. “Mr. Jin, has Director He gone back to the company?”

Jin Youqian, in a rare display of patience, turned to meet her gaze—her eyes alluring even when she wasn’t smiling. “Are you asking pointless questions?”