“No. With the heavy rain, Xiao Zhao said driving wasn’t safe, so he’s staying at the Fugang Yuan apartment.”

Since Mrs. Yan had handed over Yan Corp to Yan Zhao three years ago, she and Mr. Yan had moved to Europe, ostensibly to oversee the European branch, but in reality, to travel the world. They rarely returned home. The large villa was left to the two siblings, under Aunt Cui’s care. Aunt Cui had worked for the Yan family since before Yan Zhao’s birth and was considered family, hence the affectionate nicknames.

Yan Zhen stroked the snow-white fur of her Samoyed, recalling the treacherous drive home. "You should stay here," she told Chen Huaixu. "The rain's too heavy; it's not safe to drive back now." As much as she disliked him, safety came first.

The downpour showed no signs of stopping, so Chen Huaixu agreed. As Aunt Cui led him to the guest room, Yan Zhen leaned against the doorway, offering the occasional sarcastic remark. "Aunt Cui, he's not that delicate. Does he really need his incense changed?"

"Sleep is important," Aunt Cui replied earnestly. "Especially since Mr. Chen works so hard, he needs to rest well." She turned to Chen Huaixu. "Will the kind Zhenzhen uses in her room be alright? She says it helps her sleep."

Chen Huaixu stood politely. "Anything is fine. Thank you for the trouble."

Yan Zhen scoffed. "Don't blame my incense if you can't sleep in a new bed."

"I'll be fine," Chen Huaixu responded. "I'm not that delicate. I can sleep without incense."

Stung again, she glared at him and turned away.

Later, after showering and changing into her nightgown, Yan Zhen went downstairs for a glass of water.

Aunt Cui was washing fruit in the kitchen. "Have some of this first," she offered. "I'll wash another plate for Mr. Chen later."

Yan Zhen picked a grape, peeled it, and popped it into her mouth. "Why are you being so nice to him?" she mumbled. "He's not a good person."

"He brought you home today," Aunt Cui pointed out. "We should at least show some gratitude."

Yan Zhen fell silent. Aunt Cui's movements slowed. "Zhenzhen," she said gently, "Mr. Chen is a good man. You shouldn't always be so difficult with him."

"Aunt Cui, you don't understand. You'll see if you spend more time with him. He's bad. He just pretends to be nice to fool you."

Aunt Cui shook her head and sighed. She understood more than Yan Zhen knew. The Yan family home was on a hillside, over an hour's drive from Chen Huaixu's place in the city center. Sometimes, if he worked late, even Yan Zhao wouldn't bother coming home, preferring to stay near the office. But if Yan Zhen asked, no matter how late, Chen Huaixu would personally drive her home. If this was just how he treated a friend's sister, his patience seemed excessive.

When Aunt Cui finished with the fruit, Yan Zhen had finished her snack. Aunt Cui asked her to take the fruit to Chen Huaixu.

Reluctantly, Yan Zhen agreed. She knocked on the guest room door.