Chapter Ninety-Five: The Past Has Turned to Smoke (5)

Yang Xiaofan had just left the convenience store on his bicycle, ready to head home. As he crossed the small bridge beside the store, a Honda Accord approached from the opposite direction. He steered aside to let it pass, but instead, the car pulled up right next to him and stopped.

Frowning slightly and wondering who it could be, Yang Xiaofan saw the engine cut off, the door swing open, and someone step out. The first thing to emerge was a dainty foot in a pair of black boots, legs wrapped in nude stockings—a detail that already suggested the owner was quite attractive.

Next, carried on a waft of perfume, appeared the striking figure of a young woman, poised and elegant, with a maturity that far surpassed that of any unmarried girl. She possessed the allure of land nourished by the spring rain, so different from the barren dryness of long drought.

But as Yang Xiaofan took a good look at her, he was momentarily stunned.

“Yang Xiaomei?”

He hadn’t expected it at all—it was someone he’d known for years.

Quickly regaining his composure, Yang Xiaofan watched as Yang Xiaomei tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze on him carrying a subtle, new undertone.

“Xiaofan, it’s been a long time.”

Yang Xiaofan nodded. “It has.”

“I heard you were back a few days ago. I was thinking of looking for you, but then you left again. I guess fate didn’t want to sever our bond, letting me run into you today.”

Yang Xiaofan frowned slightly. “What do you want with me?”

“Do I need a reason to see you?” Yang Xiaomei stepped forward, grabbing his arm and pressing it against her chest in an intimate gesture.

Anyone unaware of their past might have assumed there was something improper between them.

Yang Xiaofan immediately pulled his arm free.

“Don’t do that. It’s not right. If someone saw us, they might get the wrong idea, and it’d be hard to explain.”

Yang Xiaomei shot him a deeply aggrieved look. “You weren’t like this before. You used to look for me all the time, but now that you’re back, you don’t bother.”

“You’re married now. What happened before is in the past. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Yang Xiaofan was a man who knew where to draw the line.

They had once harbored feelings for each other, but Yang Xiaomei’s parents had always interfered, keeping them apart. Later, Yang Xiaomei herself grew more materialistic, preferring wealth over affection.

Back then, Yang Xiaofan hadn’t yet graduated high school. His family only gave him a meager allowance, so he couldn’t spend money on her. But the village chief’s son was different; he received three to four thousand yuan a month, sometimes a thousand in a single week. In the county, a hundred a week was more than enough for food. With so much money to throw around, it didn’t take long for him to win Yang Xiaomei over.

Yang Xiaofan had even seen them holding hands as they checked into a hotel.

From that moment, he’d made a clean break in his heart.

Naturally, Yang Xiaomei never bothered with him again.

After the college entrance exams, during summer vacation, Yang Xiaomei married the village chief’s son, while Yang Xiaofan went off to work, saving for his tuition.

Since then, their paths had almost never crossed, and in all that time, they’d exchanged no more than five words.

But today, Yang Xiaomei’s expression was thick with unspoken suggestion.

Yang Xiaofan was no fool; he could immediately see what she was after. Now that he was well-off, living better than before, she wanted to cozy up to him again. After all, he could buy her family’s entire Honda with just the cost of a single Ferrari tire.

He understood perfectly well why she was here, and he knew he should keep his distance.

They had nothing to do with each other anymore; her interest was purely in his money.

If he lusted after her now, he’d be disgracing himself!

Besides, he already had Qin Nuanyu. Even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find a decent, unspoiled girl. There were plenty of women lining up to marry him. Why would he want something that had been driven around the track more times than anyone could count?

But Yang Xiaomei wasn’t about to give up so easily. She latched onto his arm again, leaning in close, flooding his senses with her Chanel perfume.

“Xiaofan, I know you resent me for marrying Dashan, but I had no choice. You know my parents’ temper. If I hadn’t married him, they would have beaten me to death. All these years, you’ve been the only one in my heart. Do you understand?”

The way she gazed at him, any other man would have found it hard to resist.

A woman’s wiles, when fully deployed, could bring even a tiger to its knees—especially one as beautiful and alluring as her.

But Yang Xiaofan was not that sort of man.

He broke free from her grip again, his face stern.

“We both know the truth, so let’s not pretend. If I didn’t have money, you wouldn’t have even rolled down your window just now. So drop the act. You’re Dashan’s wife now, the village chief’s daughter-in-law. No matter what, I could never get involved with you. Next time we meet, keep your hands to yourself. No one saw us this time, but if they did, Dashan would probably kill you.”

With that, Yang Xiaofan twisted the throttle, speeding away toward home.

Yang Xiaomei watched him disappear, chased after him for a few steps, then stomped her foot in frustration.

“Yang Xiaofan, must you really be so heartless?”

Just as Yang Xiaofan had said, her interest in him now was entirely because of his wealth. When she’d heard he had returned with a Ferrari, she was consumed by regret. Even in the past days, as she discussed family matters with her husband, her mind wandered to Yang Xiaofan. She even dreamed of marrying him, riding in a Ferrari, carrying a Gucci handbag, living a life of luxury and ease.

Today, seeing a Rolls-Royce worth tens of millions parked outside his house, her regret intensified.

That was why, when she ran into Yang Xiaofan, she couldn’t help but shamelessly pursue him.

But she hadn’t expected Yang Xiaofan to completely ignore her.