Tang Wu knew very well that unless a man was caught red-handed in bed, he would never admit to physical or emotional infidelity.
Even if he hadn't cheated physically, emotionally, he had probably strayed the very day Lin Qianxue returned to the country, right?
After all, he had even given his precious piano to Lin Qianxue!
"The bracelet Lin Qianxue wears on her wrist—you designed it yourself and gave it to her back when you were in school, didn't you?"
Si Yanli narrowed his elegant eyes slightly. "What bracelet?"
Seeing that he actually dared to deny it, Tang Wu zoomed in on a photo she had saved from the last time they were trending online. "This one she's wearing."
Si Yanli stared at the bracelet for a few seconds before replying calmly, "In high school, Lin Qianxue did me a favor and begged me to design one for her. It doesn't have any special meaning."
The implication was that the fact Lin Qianxue was still wearing that bracelet had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Tang Wu then pulled up a photo from Lin Qianxue's rehearsal. She pointed at the piano. "And what about this? Isn't this from your storage room? You usually don't let anyone in there, but now that Lin Qianxue is back, you just gave your most precious possession to her!"
Si Yanli took off his glasses. His long, distinct fingers gently rubbed his temples, and a helpless smile touched his thin, reddish lips. "My dear lady, that piano is still in the storage room. As for why the piano Lin Qianxue played during her rehearsal looks identical to the one in my storage, I have no idea. After all, there are people in this world who look alike, let alone two similar pianos."
Hearing his explanation, Tang Wu's mind went blank for a moment.
Was that aggressive woman who acted like a jealous wife just now really her?
Ahhh!
How did she lose her rationality so completely?
Although she hadn't spent a long time with Si Yanli, there was one thing she was very sure of: he wouldn't lie to her.
Tang Wu lowered her long eyelashes, suddenly too afraid to look Si Yanli in the eye.
Si Yanli looked at the faint blush spreading across Tang Wu's cheeks and reached out his long fingers to caress her face.
But before he could touch her, she reached out and pushed him away.
"Si Yanli, what you've said only proves that you have nothing to do with Lin Qianxue now, but I can guarantee that Lin Qianxue still likes you."
Si Yanli raised an eyebrow. "So what?"
Lin Qianxue was never the only one who liked him.
As long as he himself was open and honest, that was all that mattered.
"How is the search for my grandmother going?" Tang Wu suddenly changed the subject.
It had been nearly two months since their agreed timeframe.
A complex emotion flashed through Si Yanli's dark eyes.
He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Still looking. I'll let you know when we find her."
Si Yanli lifted a finger to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear. He leaned in, his thin lips close to her ear, and spoke in a low, husky voice, "You've achieved your goal."
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against her ear.
It sent a tingling sensation through her, making goosebumps rise on her skin.
She frowned and looked at him. "What goal of mine?"
"Didn't you want to hook me, to bait me?" His straight nose was very close to her delicate one. He looked as if he wanted to kiss her but held back. "I took the bait."
Looking at the man's red lips just inches away, Tang Wu's heart raced erratically.
Was he turning the tables and seducing her now?
Their mingling breaths created an atmosphere so romantic and intimate that Tang Wu could barely breathe.
She pressed her hands against the man's chest. "What... what bait did you take?"
Si Yanli gave a low chuckle. He let her go, turned around, and took an exquisite jewelry box from his desk drawer.
Inside the box were a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet.
"I designed this entire set myself. It's for you."
Si Yanli had a great talent for design; the jewelry he created was unique.
It was gorgeous, elegant, and radiated a noble charm.
It perfectly matched the style she loved.
A clear look of being moved flashed in Tang Wu's eyes.
What beautiful girl didn't like sparkling jewelry!
Especially when it was personally designed by the person she liked.
Heaven knows that Lin Qianxue owning a bracelet designed by him had made her jealous for years.
Seeing Tang Wu frozen in place, Si Yanli raised an eyebrow slightly. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
Tang Wu turned her beautiful, radiant face to the side. Her mouth wanted to refuse, but her hand betrayingly reached out. "I only want the bracelet."
Her tone carried a hint of proud stubbornness.
Si Yanli chuckled.
Tang Wu glared at him. "What are you laughing at?"
Si Yanli helped her put the bracelet on.
"Are you still going to kick me to the curb?"
Tang Wu lifted her long eyelashes to look at the man, finding it hard to read his mind.
He said he took the bait. Did that mean he had developed feelings for her?
But she and Lin Qianxue were completely different types.
"Si Yanli, did my words last time hurt your pride, and now you want to get back at me?"
Si Yanli raised a long finger to massage his brow bone. "Do I look like someone that bored?"
Tang Wu was speechless.
Don't think she didn't know he was indirectly calling her boring and petty.
Just as Tang Wu was about to say something, Si Yanli's phone vibrated.
It was a call from Lin Qianxue.
Tang Wu looked at the name Qianxue on his phone screen. The heart that had finally felt a bit of sweetness just moments ago was suddenly flooded with a sour ache again.
Right in front of Tang Wu, Si Yanli answered Lin Qianxue's call.
"Yanli, the concert is about to start. Why haven't you come over yet?"
"I might be a little late."
Tang Wu was very close to Si Yanli, so she heard their conversation.
The blood in her entire body ran cold.
He had just said he took the bait and gave her jewelry he designed himself. She had thought he was truly falling for her!
What was he doing now? Two-timing?
After hanging up, Si Yanli looked at Tang Wu. "Lin Qianxue and I are just friends. Her concert tonight is the first stop since her return to the country. As a friend, I should be there. Will you come with me?"
Tang Wu looked into Si Yanli's eyes. When he mentioned Lin Qianxue, there was nothing unusual in his gaze; it was calm and cool, just like how one would treat an ordinary friend.
Perhaps he really did just see Lin Qianxue as a friend.
But what about Lin Qianxue?
She was still wearing the bracelet he personally designed back then, and the piano she played during rehearsals was exactly the same as the one in Si Yanli's storage room.
All her signs seemed to be deliberately leading Tang Wu into a misunderstanding.
"Si Yanli, you only see Lin Qianxue as a friend, but can you be sure she only sees you as a friend too?"
Si Yanli frowned. "She's firmly against marriage."
Against marriage?
Tang Wu's lips curled into a mocking smirk. "Weren't you against marriage before too? But you still married me and slept with me. Being against marriage is just her excuse to get close to you!"
Behind his glasses, Si Yanli's long eyes suddenly turned cold.
"Tang Wu, there has to be a limit to your jealousy. I don't like women who are too dramatic."
Tang Wu's fingertips, resting by her sides, tightened slightly.
"Based on a woman's intuition, Lin Qianxue definitely likes you. If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"
