Nan Wan pressed her palm against the ground and slowly stood up, rubbing her hair that had been messed up by the wind. She picked up the high heels from the ground and hooked them on her fingers, swinging them gently with her arm.
After taking a few steps, she turned around and curved her lips into a slight smile, "Mister, thanks for your clothes, consider it... compensation."
Her voice was light and airy, dissipating with the breeze.
The scent of rose perfume and the swaying red skirt disappeared around the corner.
————
When the taxi stopped at the Nan Family villa, it was eleven forty-five.
The Nan Family, who usually went to bed at ten o'clock, were still up with the lights on, clearly waiting for her.
After Nan Wan got out of the car, she stood outside the gate, staring blankly at the familiar yet strangely unfamiliar place.
For a long time.
Reaching out, she entered the password on the gate.
The housemaid, hearing the door open, quickly walked to the entrance hall and signaled Nan Wan with a look, but Nan Wan acted as if she didn't see it, changed her shoes, and walked toward the living room.
Except for Zhi Mei, who was working overtime, and the little baby Jiashu, none of the Nan Family members were missing; they were all there.
As soon as Jiang Xiaoman saw Nan Wan, the disdain and contempt in her eyes were undisguised, speaking with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, you still know to come back home."
Reeking of alcohol, dressed provocatively, and draped in a man's suit jacket, it was obvious where she'd been fooling around.
It seemed that only now did Nan Wan realize it, blinking her eyes and innocently asking, "Were you waiting for me?"
Jiang Xiaoman nudged Nan Chengzhi's arm, signaling him to speak.
Nan Chengzhi knew this daughter's character well, that she'd stick to her ways without turning back, immune to both soft and hard approaches.
Suppressing the simmering anger in his heart, brows tightly furrowed, he spoke heavily, "Kneel down."
Nan Wan's bright gaze suddenly turned desolate, embodying a distance that pushed people thousands of miles away.
She smiled lightly, "Why?"
"Nan Wan, think about it yourself, which one of your actions in the past six months is respectable? If I don't intervene, the Nan Family's face will be utterly lost because of you."
He was right and not exaggerating.
"Learned from Dad," the curve of Nan Wan's lips became more pronounced, speaking in a light, gentle tone, "Having affairs, marital infidelity..."
All that was missing was an illegitimate child.
Nan Chengzhi's face suddenly turned livid, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his grip on the teacup tightened, raising his voice, "Kneel! Stay there until you realize your mistake."
After saying this, he stood up and walked upstairs without looking at Nan Wan even once.
Perhaps it was the first time hearing such words from Nan Wan, Nan Chengzhi didn't know how to respond; composure and rationality completely shattered, giving a sense of fleeing in panic.
Jiang Xiaoman's face wasn't looking good either; originally, Nan Wan was at fault. How was the situation reversed with just one sentence?
Half a year ago, without a word, she'd gotten a certificate with that actor, seldom stayed at home, and never answered family calls, as if waiting for this day to come.
Suddenly causing such a scandal, Nan Family's stocks were sure to plummet, and with Huai Yu's position not yet stable, the board of directors would surely cause a significant stir.