Si Nian had already turned and left with her younger sister.
How could this be? In the past, whenever she saw him, she would be more excited than anyone else, immediately clinging to him in an annoyingly persistent way.
Yet just now, she had seen him and showed no reaction?
Could it be that he had misunderstood earlier, and she hadn’t noticed him at all?
Yes, that must be it—she definitely hadn’t seen him. If she had, she wouldn’t have been so calm.
Thinking this, Fu Yang curled his lips disdainfully and rolled up the car window.
Si Nian and Fu Qianqian went to the radio station to complete the formalities. Since they were familiar faces, the process went smoothly.
Once the paperwork was done, Si Nian had no further ties to the station.
Fu Qianqian handed her the money, and noticing how late it was getting, Si Nian hurriedly left the station.
She rarely came into the city, and there were many things she wanted to buy.
But the last bus left at five in the afternoon.
It was already three.
Si Nian calculated her current savings: the two thousand from Fu Qianqian, the six hundred or so Zhou Yueshen had given her earlier, plus her own money—altogether, she had over twenty-seven hundred.
In the 1980s, twenty-seven hundred yuan was equivalent to twenty thousand or more in the future.
After all, money was worth a lot more back then.
Si Nian felt fortunate to have arrived in the '80s rather than the '60s or '70s. In those decades, even if you had money, it was often hard to buy food or clothes due to rationing.
Purchasing anything was heavily restricted.
But the '80s, a golden era of opportunity, was different.
You could buy whatever you wanted—as long as you had the money.
Using ration coupons might make things slightly cheaper, but the limitations were too cumbersome.
People had already started prioritizing quality.
Si Nian took Yaoyao into the department store.
It was Yaoyao’s first time in such a place, and her big, bright eyes darted around curiously, filled with wonder at the world.
First, Si Nian took the child to the children’s clothing section, intending to buy her some new outfits.
In the sweltering summer heat, the child was still dressed in thick cotton clothes—hard to wash and quick to get dirty.
In rural areas, parents tended to bundle their kids in layers year-round, terrified they might catch a chill.
Yaoyao only had two outer garments to change into, and some were already stained beyond cleaning.
To spare herself the hassle, Si Nian decided to buy her some lightweight summer clothes.
In this era, many were willing to spend on their children. A simple child’s T-shirt cost four or five yuan, while pricier ones went for ten, twenty, or even thirty.
No matter the decade, there were always people with money to burn—even the most expensive items found buyers.
Si Nian got lucky—the store was running a promotion: buy one, get one free.
She picked out two floral T-shirts, two pairs of pants, and a pair of children’s sneakers, spending only fifteen yuan in total.
She had considered buying clothes for Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan as well, especially since Zhou Yueshen had given her a generous sum.
But not knowing their sizes, she hesitated, worried about poor fits. She decided to come back another time.
Even if she couldn’t buy clothes, there were other things to get. The boys’ backpacks were frayed and worn. Since size wasn’t an issue, Si Nian grabbed two new ones.
She couldn’t carry too much alone, but with the backpacks, she could stuff everything inside without trouble.
Next, Si Nian headed to the nutrition section, picking up milk powder, supplements, honey, and other nourishing items.
The children were growing and needed proper nutrition.
She also bought calcium tablets and iron supplements.
As a child, she had been frail and malnourished, but after taking calcium, she’d shot up in height. Si Nian firmly believed in the benefits of supplementation.
By the time she finished shopping, it was past four.
Si Nian took Yaoyao to the bus station, and the two settled at a small eatery. Starving, she ordered, “Boss, one soy milk, two eggs, a serving of fried dough sticks, and a basket of steamed buns.”
The food arrived, and Si Nian dug in ravenously.
Yaoyao could feed herself, no help needed. She clutched an egg, nibbling adorably.
Just then, Fu Yang’s car pulled up nearby. The moment he spotted Si Nian at the eatery, his brows furrowed.
Of course. He should’ve known she was up to something.
How else would she have known he’d be at the station today?
She must have wheedled his schedule out of his sister under the pretense of work matters.
How utterly tiresome.
The driver, a family employee who recognized Si Nian, spoke up, “Young Master, should we greet Miss Si?”
He remembered the Si family’s daughter—strikingly beautiful, and today, she’d willingly transferred her job to Fu Qianqian.
After learning she wasn’t their biological child, she’d left the Si household without fuss.
Pitiable, really. Barely older than his own daughter, yet she’d endured so much.
Given their families’ engagement and shared social circle, ignoring her now felt improper.
Fu Yang scowled. “No need. Drive on.”
The driver paused but said nothing further. The young master had never liked Si Nian much.
As they passed, Fu Yang instinctively turned to look at her.
For some reason, he wanted to see her face light up at the sight of him, only for him to coldly ignore her.
Perhaps it was the petty satisfaction of a man who enjoyed toying with a woman’s emotions.
Her earlier indifference had irked him.
Though he’d told himself she might not have seen him, something in his gut insisted she had.
Yet he was disappointed.
Si Nian was too busy eating to spare a glance.
His car was unmistakable—others around them were staring—yet she pretended not to notice. How affected.
Fu Yang’s expression darkened. It was an odd feeling, like the tables had turned: the one he’d long ignored was now ignoring him.
Had Si Nian known his thoughts, she’d have cried foul.
She wasn’t from this era—cars held no novelty for her. And as she wasn’t the original Si Nian, Fu Yang’s vehicle meant nothing to her.
Who could’ve guessed that her lack of attention would spark his delusions of some calculated ploy?
With a cold sneer, Fu Yang turned away, speaking loudly—whether to himself or the driver was unclear. “From now on, if you see her, don’t stop. Act like she’s invisible.”
The driver hesitated. “Young Master, perhaps Miss Si didn’t recognize your car.”
Fu Yang scoffed. “Impossible. In the past, she’d shout the loudest the moment she spotted it.”
The driver fell silent before replying carefully, “Young Master, you said it yourself—that was before. Back then, Miss Si likely greeted you warmly because you were her fiancé. Given your relationship, wouldn’t not greeting you have been the strange thing?”
