Chapter 63 – A Well-Intentioned Little Lie

Sinan had ten thousand ways to make Lin Xiaowen get into his car.

Among them, the most straightforward and effective was to slip a few red bills into the window of the taxi Lin Xiaowen tried to hail, instructing the driver to leave at once, right in front of her.

Sure enough, after trying twice, Lin Xiaowen stopped refusing.

She obediently let Sinan open the passenger door and invite her to sit inside.

Streetlights swept by one after another before her eyes. The lush ginkgo leaves swayed freely in the wind, stretching to their hearts’ content.

Compared to the suffocating atmosphere inside the car, Lin Xiaowen yearned more for the freedom of the evening breeze.

Sinan’s hand rested lightly on the steering wheel, his fingertips tapping out a relaxed rhythm, occasionally humming softly along with the music playing from the speakers.

Lin Xiaowen began to doubt her own judgment—she knew Sidong had a half-brother.

Though she had never met him, Sidong had mentioned him a couple of times.

Arrogant, cold, his emotions unreadable—that was how Sidong, as his elder brother, described Sinan.

But the man before her now, in all his actions, seemed nothing like those adjectives.

Sinan’s intuition told him that, at this moment, Lin Xiaowen regarded him with more confusion and incomprehension than anything else. So he knew it was time to guide this bewildered little woman.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. On the contrary, if we encountered any trouble, I’d protect you.” Sinan turned his head, in a good mood, and smiled at Lin Xiaowen.

Lin Xiaowen withdrew her gaze, which had been quietly observing his every move, and replied softly, “I have neither money to attract attention nor looks to inspire envy, so naturally there’s nothing for me to worry about.”

Though her tone was mild, Sinan could still hear her displeasure, but as someone who rarely cared about others’ feelings, he wasn’t bothered in the slightest—perhaps even a bit pleased with himself.

“Miss Lin, you’re too modest. In fact, you possess a very special charm—unrelated to wealth or status, or even appearance. It’s simply a kind of aura that makes people want to be close to you.”

Lin Xiaowen frowned slightly, glancing at Sinan, who immediately realized his words were inappropriate and quickly amended, “I mean… Miss Lin, you have a very pure temperament. It’s very pleasant to talk with you. Every time I see you, there’s a sense of déjà vu, which makes me want to get closer.”

Now that her mood had settled, Lin Xiaowen no longer resisted talking to him so much, and gradually began to grasp the methods of this prince of the Si family.

‘The more I try to ignore him, the more he seems eager to approach.’

“Thank you for your favor, Mr. Si. After all, making friends with someone as important as you is something many people could only dream of.”

Everyone likes to hear flattery, especially from a woman who interests them.

Sinan smiled thoughtfully. “Although you say so, Miss Lin, I don’t quite feel that’s what you truly think.”

He really was a difficult man—no matter what she said or did, it seemed impossible to satisfy him.

Fortunately, Lin Xiaowen’s home had arrived. She no longer had to wrack her brains to deal with him.

As soon as the car stopped and the engine turned off, Lin Xiaowen unfastened her seatbelt and thanked him, not waiting for any response from Sinan before turning and getting out.

“Miss Lin, aren’t you going to invite me in?” Sinan called out as he stood in front of the car, raising his eyebrows unconsciously.

He’d sent girls home countless times, but never had he failed to be invited in.

Lin Xiaowen stopped and looked back at him. “It’s late, and it wouldn’t be convenient.”

Recalling the lesson Cheng Yishu had given her, there was no way Lin Xiaowen would invite him upstairs—besides, she had never intended to.

“Very well, then… Rest early, Miss Lin. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sinan replied, as if not noticing the distance in Lin Xiaowen’s coldness, still gazing at her with that gentle, harmless expression.

“Tomorrow?” Lin Xiaowen stared at Sinan in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” Sinan took a few steps towards her and spoke seriously, “It’s like this: as I mentioned, I have few friends in Shanghai, and the company is about to launch a major project here that requires my presence. So, I need a guide—someone to show me around the city and help me get to know it.”

“Mr. Si, you’re quite amusing.” For the first time that evening, Lin Xiaowen spoke to him in a cold tone. “First, I’m not a native of Shanghai, so I’m not familiar with it myself. Second, even if I do know a little about local customs, it’s probably not the kind of thing you need to understand. So… I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

Her words were icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

Sinan was momentarily stunned. This seemingly delicate woman could also be sharp and decisive when refusing someone—a side of her he hadn’t expected.

“Thank you for the ride tonight, Mr. Si, even though it wasn’t exactly my choice. Also, our backgrounds are worlds apart—it’s not appropriate for us to be friends. About my daughter last time, I can only thank you verbally, but as for anything else, I don’t think there is, nor will there ever be, any further connection between us. So let’s just say goodbye here. Goodnight.”

She spoke crisply and resolutely, leaving no opening for further conversation.

Even her departing figure was distant and unapproachable.

Sinan’s thin lips curled into a faint, silent smile.

‘This is getting more and more interesting…’

Just as she fitted the key into the lock, her phone rang unexpectedly in her pocket, making Lin Xiaowen jump.

The sensor light in the dim corridor suddenly came on.

She answered the call, and Cheng Yishu’s lazy, weary voice drifted over the line.

“Took you long enough to pick up. Are you home?”

“Mm, just got in.” Lin Xiaowen slipped off her shoes with one hand, still holding the phone with the other, and shrugged off her backpack.

She collapsed onto the sofa, utterly drained, focusing all her attention on the “little lion” on the other end of the line.

Little lion…

Lin Xiaowen thought that “little lion” was the perfect nickname for Cheng Yishu—possessive yet gentle—so she secretly called him that in her heart.

“From your voice…”

“Your voice sounds…”

They spoke at the same time, then both laughed.

“Tired?” Cheng Yishu’s voice was filled with helplessness as he took the lead. “Don’t tell me you walked home from the Xu family’s place.”

Knowing this woman might do something foolish just to save money—even though it was only three subway stops away—he had repeatedly warned her not to skimp on herself, or on Ranran.

“Of course not!” Lin Xiaowen could almost picture the look he’d be giving her right now, as if he wanted to reach through the phone and pinch her neck.

So she quickly denied it, shaking her head. “I took a taxi home. Ranran fell asleep at Aunt Xu’s, so I came back by myself.”

She pressed her lips together, her eyelids fluttering slightly.

It was just a harmless little lie. Surely her nose wouldn’t grow longer for it?