Chapter Forty-Three: Playful Moments Belonging to Lovers

Song Waning already had the hat on her head; she had no intention of arguing pointlessly like Song Xin. “Boss, thank you for speaking up for me. I have something to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

Song Xin shouted, “Wait, I was the one who saw that hat first! You haven’t even paid, and now you want to snatch it away?”

As she spoke, she pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket, waving it at the vendor without even bothering to count it.

The vendor was briefly tempted, seeing such a generous amount for a hat priced at just 299. But Song Waning might very well be the future mistress of the Wen Group. Giving her the hat today was an act of goodwill—a connection to the Wen family, whose members ordinary people would find hard to even glimpse, let alone forge bonds with. How could he pass up such an opportunity?

With a flourish, the vendor declared, “No need! Miss Song is so beautiful that I think it’s worth giving her the hat for free!”

Song Xin’s eyes widened in disbelief—was this vendor out of his mind?

“So you’re saying I’m not as good-looking as her and don’t deserve to buy this hat?” Although Song Waning had inherited her mother’s alluring looks, no businessman would make a habit of giving things away for free. If he gave gifts to every attractive customer, how would he stay in business?

Just then, Song Waning looked up and saw Wen Jingxing approaching, and her heart unexpectedly leapt with joy. She ran toward him. However, Wen Jingxing had circled around, coming up behind Song Xin and her group.

Song Xin assumed Song Waning was about to get physical to win the hat, since she wasn’t above such tactics. She herself had been unable to tolerate it before and had fought back, only to be told by her mother that they should indulge Song Waning, raising her spoiled and sheltered—such people were easiest to control, living forever in their own little world.

Song Xin squeezed her eyes shut and hid behind Su Miaomiao, who even made a move as if to defend herself against Song Waning.

But Song Waning merely brushed past them, running directly toward someone behind—Wen Jingxing.

Without a word, she took Wen Jingxing’s hand and continued walking away, waving back to the vendor as she left.

The vendor grinned and waved, thinking how lively young people were these days. Their romances were full of twists—one moment threatening divorce, the next clinging to each other. As an old hand, he found it both exciting and comforting to witness.

Such couples, who break up and make up but never truly part, are surely meant for each other.

Back with Song Xin, still hiding behind Su Miaomiao, she asked, “Did my sister come over?”

Su Miaomiao, a little embarrassed, pulled Song Xin away from her back. “She… left.”

“She left?!”

Song Xin’s eyes snapped open in surprise upon hearing this.

“Yes, she really did…”

“How could she just leave?”

“She walked off holding hands with some man.”

Song Xin hurriedly searched—the man could only be Wen Jingxing. But the crowd was dense, and Song Waning and her companion had already vanished.

While Song Xin was still lost in thought, the vendor, looking at her as though she were foolish, said, “There’s only one hat left now. Are you going to buy it or not?”

Turning, Song Xin saw that there was another identical hat—after all her fighting, there was one exactly the same as the one from before!

She had come to buy accessories for the beach party, and when she first saw the hat, she thought it was unique, rare. Yet here was another one, just the same. All that fuss for nothing—how humiliating!

By now, many customers were watching. Song Xin was a regular on online trending topics, and some had already recognized her.

“That’s Song Xin? She doesn’t look as good as her photos.”

“She always seems so nice online, but in person she’s not much. Her sister saw the hat first, and instead of helping pay, she tried to snatch it.”

Flustered, Song Xin shifted the blame to the vendor. “You had two hats—why didn’t you tell me? And you wouldn’t sell to me!”

The vendor shrugged, “Did you ask? Did I ever say I only had two?”

He pulled another identical hat from beneath the long table. “And I never said I wouldn’t sell to you. Why are you so impatient?”

The vendor wasn’t short of customers like Song Xin, and spoke without concern, leaving her red-faced and furious.

“Forget it, meeting you today is just my bad luck!” Song Xin said, dragging Su Miaomiao away.

The vendor crossed his arms over his chest. “Ha! Hiding when you can’t win an argument?”

His tone and expression were so comical that the crowd instantly burst into laughter.

The laughter was loud enough that Song Xin and Su Miaomiao, escaping in the distance, heard it.

“What rotten luck—finally get out to have some fun, and run into your sister,” Su Miaomiao complained.

Song Xin shook her head and sighed. “There’s nothing I can do; I just happen to have a sister like that…”

Seeing Song Xin’s gloom, Su Miaomiao quickly said, “Alright, let’s not talk about it. Let’s go buy something else fun.”

Meanwhile, Wen Jingxing, who had just arrived, found himself suddenly pulled away by Song Waning. He was bewildered, but followed her all the way to the edge of the waves.

Song Waning finally stopped, doubled over and gasping, “Wait… Wait a moment, I need to catch my breath.”

She silently cursed—her predecessor’s physical condition was truly lacking.

Wen Jingxing, concerned, asked, “Are you alright? Why are you so exhausted after running just a short distance? Have you had your health checked?”

Song Waning looked up at him; he was composed, face unflushed, and genuinely concerned. She sighed inwardly—surely not!

The original owner of this body had no congenital or hereditary illness, rarely neglected her health, so logically speaking, she shouldn’t be so weak.

Though curious, Song Waning kept a calm face. “It’s nothing, just ran a bit too fast.”

“Who was that just now? Why did you grab me and run?”

Only then did Song Waning realize she had been holding Wen Jingxing’s hand the entire time, without letting go. He had bent to match her pace, his hand pressed against her knee. She wondered if she’d hurt him.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

“It’s alright. I can tell you really didn’t want her to see me.”

Song Waning paused, then nodded frankly. “Exactly—I didn’t want her to see you.”

The original Waning didn’t even like Wen Jingxing, yet agreed to this engagement largely because her younger sister fancied him as well. Selfish as she was, when she saw that her stepmother and Song Xin both desired Wen Jingxing as their ideal match, she consented to the arrangement.