Chapter 65: Target (Revised)

Chapter 65: The Target (Revised)

The cafeteria had no private dining areas.

Xu Lanjun and Song Xu sat facing each other.

Their seats were not ideal—it was peak mealtime, with people constantly coming and going to get food around them, making it quite noisy.

Xu Lanjun looked around.

Song Xu said, "The no smoking sign is about twenty yards behind you to the right."

She paused, turned to him, surprised, "How did you know I wanted to smoke?"

Seeing Song Xu glance at her pocket, Xu Lanjun instinctively covered the hem of her clothing near her waist and tucked it away.

She had been scanning the room since she walked in, and the shape showing through her leather jacket didn’t give away the brand of cigarettes.

But he could faintly pick up a hint.

"Ms. Xu is pretty bold," he remarked.

Xu Lanjun tilted her head, "What makes you say that?"

"Compared to other ladies' cigarettes, not many people can take the strength of Camel," Song Xu said.

Xu Lanjun was surprised.

When Guang Peiliang had praised Song Xu in front of her, he hadn’t mentioned his sharp eye.

"President Song is truly observant," she said, though it didn’t sound like a compliment.

Song Xu smiled faintly, "I’m flattered."

They had been inside for about ten minutes, but the table was still empty.

Other than when the server initially brought them each a glass of lemon water, the empty table and the completely icy atmosphere between the two stood in stark contrast to the cozy, bustling atmosphere of the restaurant.

Noticing that he had only unbuttoned his coat and didn't seem to be planning to stick around, Xu Lanjun felt a little dismissed. "President Song must be very busy lately?"

"Not really."

"I heard you’ve been talking to people from Yingchuang?"

Song Xu’s smile deepened, "Where’d you hear that, Ms. Xu?"

Xu Lanjun shrugged.

She worked at a magazine—getting news quickly is everything, and having her own sources wasn’t strange. Besides, this wasn’t some dark secret.

"To be honest, I’m curious why you’re going into healthcare. With your mind and capabilities, you could kill it in any field," she asked.

Song Xu slowly laced his fingers together and rested them on his abdomen, his posture cool but polished, "Is this an interview, or...?"

"Oh no, just chatting," Xu Lanjun smiled. "I’ve already submitted your interview draft to the magazine. Our editor-in-chief has high hopes for you and P&t’s future."

Although P&t was a new company, its credentials and background, especially the laboratory they set up at Shenzhen University, were well-respected in the industry. There weren’t many in China researching proton therapy, as the technology doesn't pay off right away, and investors prefer projects with faster returns.

Song Xu seemed like a businessman who was all about the money. No matter how he tried to conceal his profit-chasing vibe, Xu Lanjun felt he wasn’t the type with noble goals. But if making money was the goal, why choose this field?

Song Xu remained unbothered, even dismissive, of her doubts. "Since you said I can succeed in anything, why not do healthcare?"

His tone didn’t sound arrogant, yet it felt thoroughly presumptuous and uncomfortable.

Xu Lanjun’s eyebrow flickered. She rarely sugarcoated things at work, and now she was even more direct: "Because I think you’re more interested in making money."

She had a knack for getting straight to the point.

Song Xu raised an eyebrow, still straightforward: "I’m not a doctor. I didn’t grow up with some grand ambition to save lives, but that doesn’t prevent me from entering the healthcare field. Undeniably, more advanced technology will bring more chances to survive."

Survival?

That didn’t sound like something he would say.

A moment later, he added, "And profit."

Xu Lanjun deeply felt there was a reason her fondness for him fell far short of that for Zhou Lin.

She had never liked the hard, cold type, and she particularly disliked the sharp, overly purposeful edge he carried.

Of course, she wasn’t suggesting he shouldn’t pursue profit.

Before interviewing him, Xu Lanjun had dug deep into his background. Song Xu’s life experience was so perfect it could be summed up in just two words:

Perfect.

School, work.

In every place he passed through, he left traces that were clean and decisive—never messy, unquestionably excellent, and utterly devoid of emotion.

Like a machine programmed with the right commands.

It seemed he had never made a wrong choice.

But how could anyone never make mistakes?

Xu Lanjun seemed to enter an exploratory state, "Actually, I looked into you."

"Looked into me?"

Seeing Song Xu’s smile fade, his eyes chillingly cold, she quickly explained, "Don’t misunderstand—it’s just standard procedure for the magazine with interviewees."

He gazed at her deeply, making Xu Lanjun feel a bit uneasy.

After a long moment, he spoke, "And what did you find out, Ms. Xu?"

Xu Lanjun hesitated briefly about whether to tell him so soon but decided to proceed: "Before joining Xilin, you co-founded a studio. Later, you sold it."

This was a piece of hidden news.

Though not entirely hidden.

Those in the finance circle knew that a startup studio founded by Chinese international students had once sold for over $20 million on Wall Street.

It was quite famous back in the day. The secret was simply that few knew the studio’s owner by name.

Xu Lanjun had gone to great lengths to learn that there were two Chinese international students in the legend.

One surnamed Song.

And the other surnamed Kong.

"I heard that Kong Mufan tried hard to stop you from selling your studio before his death."

Before joining BioFrontier, Xu Lanjun had worked as an intern at a metropolitan newspaper. During her time following her mentor to cover news stories, she had encountered many wicked individuals, including murderers who had committed multiple violent crimes and intricate shadowy criminal underworlds.

Experience had taught her that those who showed little emotion on the surface were often the most hardened and cutting underneath.

Unlike thugs who wore their ugliness and malice openly, those with a gentleman’s demeanor, the epitome of elite, and an unflappable, ever-calm composure were the ones who truly resembled ruthless killers.

Just like now, as Song Xu’s eyes turned icy and narrowed slightly, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She had never experienced such an intimidating presence from anyone else.

"That’s probably beyond the scope of our informal chat," he said.

For a moment, unsure whether it was fear or the thrill of wanting to conquer that fear, Xu Lanjun licked her dry lips, her voice trembling slightly. "Song Xu, I’m not a hardline idealist. I just feel that, compared to a soft-hearted partner, I’m better suited to your style."

//

The room was on the sixth floor.

Two suites faced each other.

Zhou Lin paused before opening the door.

"Just this one?"

Wen Bairan checked the keycard and room number in her hand before realizing she’d misread him.

"Yes," she said, swiping the card and opening the door without hesitation, her hand still on the handle.

The entrance led directly to a small foyer.

Zhou Lin stood in the hallway, refusing to come in.

Compared to his emotional outbursts, Wen Bairan found his silence even harder to handle.

Watching his reflection in the window, she drew a quiet breath and turned to walk back toward him. "You can leave me here."

She reached out to take the bag from his hand but missed.

He pulled the bag behind his back, his voice low. "I’ll book another room for you."

With that, Zhou Lin turned to leave.

"Is that necessary?"

He halted mid-stride.

He turned back.

His brows knitted tightly.

"You want me to watch you sleep with him?"

His voice was icy cold.

Wen Bairan, however, remained calm as still water. "Aren’t you also staying with Xu Lanjun?"

The implication was clear—they were both in the same situation.

Her expression was too calm as she said this, aloof to the point of cruelty.

She was always this cruel.

In the past, when Zhou Lin saw this look on her face, he would wonder if she ever loved him at all.

Now he was certain she didn’t.

The tightness in his chest grew heavier.

The door had been left open for too long, and the lock emitted a warning beep.

The sharp sound pierced Wen Bairan’s eardrums, making them throb. She pushed off from the doorframe and reached out to him. "Give me my things. You can go down first."

The hallway was deserted, and the floor was so quiet it felt like only the two of them existed.

Her outstretched hand remained, her expression unchanged as always.

Zhou Lin’s gaze darkened as he watched her.

After a moment, he turned back.

He hung the travel bag heavily on the door handle beside her.

As Wen Bairan closed the door, she lowered her eyes, as if she hadn’t seen the gloom in his expression.

"Thank you."

The soundproofing in the rooms was excellent.

Footsteps from the hall were almost inaudible.

After putting away her luggage, Wen Bairan didn’t go back down.

She was afraid Zhou Lin might still be loitering outside the door, and she also had no desire to attend that awkward dinner.

The thought of the four of them sitting together was something she didn’t even want to imagine.

She sat on the sofa for a while. The room was so quiet that a faint ringing filled her ears.

It felt like an illusion.

A sudden draft of cold air swept in from somewhere, making her shiver. Wen Bairan remembered she’d forgotten to turn up the heat.

She stood up and walked to the control panel. Just as she pressed the switch, there was a sound at the door.

A short beep, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing.

Song Xu had used another keycard.

No one was visible in the living room behind the door.

He moved quietly.

He passed the full-length mirror and the large wardrobe. At the corner of the hallway, Wen Bairan peeked out. "You’re back?"

Song Xu stopped, his slightly furrowed brows relaxing almost unnoticeably. "Mm."

"So soon? I thought you’d talk longer." After setting the temperature, she leaned against the wall, tilting her head to watch him take off his overcoat and hang it in the closet. His profile seemed somewhat displeased. "What’s wrong? Did the conversation not go well?"

"No."

His expression indifferent, he walked over and pulled her into an embrace, lowering his head to inhale the scent of her hair. His voice finally softened. "Where’s Zhou Lin?"

He guided her as they moved toward the room.

"Not sure."

Wen Bairan stepped back until she reached the edge of the bed and sat down, unusually compliant to this posture, her cheek nestled against his abdomen. "Didn’t you see him?"

"No."

He had come up from the restaurant and hadn’t seen him along the way.

Wen Bairan said, "Maybe he went back to his room."

The fingers resting on her shoulder moved almost imperceptibly. "When?"

"After he walked me up." She spoke softly, releasing his waist and turning to reach for the bedside lamp.

The next second, her chin was cupped.

He turned her back firmly, tilting her face up.

Song Xu was standing, and from his height, the shadows in his eyes felt unnervingly intense.

The woman in his hand had pale skin, clear and smooth, her eyes soft and nearly flawless.

He liked how her face always maintained its composure and calm, no matter the situation.

His thumb unconsciously gently stroked her lower lip.

"Is that so."

Yuehu Villa had been open for quite some time, and the dark patterned carpets and slightly aged wallpaper in the room made the space feel oppressive and gloomy.

Song Xu’s gaze was so dark that Wen Bairan felt like a display item, being patiently polished by him.

Her brow twitched slightly, sensing an implication in his words. "What are you trying to ask?"

"Nothing," he said.

He released her casually, Song Xu turned and picked up the luggage bag, taking out the things she would need one by one. "Go wash up and rest early. Xu Lanjun said it’s a full schedule these two days."

The items lined up on the table were all things she normally used at home.

Song Xu was meticulous and considerate.

But sometimes, his thoroughness could make one feel controlled.

Wen Bairan’s voice was cold. "You’d better not have anything to ask."

She stood up, took nothing with her, and walked into the bathroom.

The light turned on behind the frosted glass door.

The man at the table withdrew his gaze from the bag. In the quiet, his backlit face was indistinct.

Yuehu Villa was a resort.

It had an equestrian center and hot springs, and recently, the owner had bought a tract of land on the back mountain planning to develop it into a golf course.

//

With the end of the year nearing, there were more tourists than usual for a weekend.

Wen Bairan wasn’t athletic; after a short while of archery, her arms ached too much to hold anything else.

She ducked under a shade umbrella and sat down.

Today was a rare beautiful day. The sunlight fell across her eyelids, making her drowsy.

Squinting, she looked out at the vast open space before her. Several tall, stately horses carried tourists along the fence at a leisurely pace. The people on horseback excitedly took photos, while the horses occasionally stopped to shake their manes or stomp their hooves, completely at ease.

Xu Lanjun had lost sight of her momentarily and came over to find her relaxing on a lounge chair, basking in the sun.

"Well, well, slacking off here, are you?"

She planted her hands on her hips, her black-and-white sportswear accentuating her short hair, making her look even more energetic.

Wen Bairan met her expression, which seemed like that of a teacher catching a truant student, and gave a shy smile, inviting her to sit and rest for a while.

"Your endurance is pretty low," Xu Lanjun said, pursing her lips, but she sat down anyway and opened a bottle of water to drink.

Wen Bairan admitted she had no talent for sports—any sport. She wasn’t good at any of them.

Xu Lanjun asked, "Then what are you good at?"

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Reading."

As long as she had a book, she could sit from morning till night.

Xu Lanjun laughed. "What? Then you’re not good at reading—you’re just good at sitting."

Wen Bairan thought she was right and joined in the laughter.

"Lanjun, why do you like archery?"

"Hmm." Xu Lanjun pondered for a moment, then raised her hand to mimic drawing a bow and aiming. She casually squinted toward a direction and suddenly released her right hand, as if an arrow had truly flown from her grasp.

Wen Bairan unconsciously sat up a little straighter, listening intently. "I like the feeling of power the arrow leaves in my hand when it hits the bullseye."

That sentence had a deep meaning.

It wasn’t about liking the hit, nor about liking the control, but rather the strength that remained in her hand after it was all over.

That residual feeling filling her muscles and bones was proof that she had done something tangible.

"Lanjun, you’re incredible," Wen Bairan couldn’t help but admire.

Xu Lanjun turned to look at her sincere face and arched a brow. "Thanks, but you’re not bad either." She leaned back on the lounger, stretching her legs out comfortably.

Hearing this, Wen Bairan looked down, giving a faint smile and shaking her head. "I still have a long way to go."

In terms of intellect and determination, she still fell short.

At most, she just had a bit more perseverance than others.

Xu Lanjun didn't like it when she put herself down. "Why so glum? You weren't like this the last time I saw you." She nudged her with her shoe and lowered her voice to ask, "What happened? Did Song Xu bully you?"

Wen Bairan immediately replied, "No."

"Then what is it?"

She couldn't quite explain it either.

Maybe it was a sense of disparity.

Xu Lanjun, Zhong Yu, even Fabiana whom she had only met once.

Even Zhu Qiwei.

Everyone around Song Xu seemed superior to her in some way—education, ability, skills, work.

Compared to them, though she wasn't exactly insecure, the confusion that came with stepping outside her comfort zone suddenly made her less confident.

Before, Zhou Lin and his circle were known for being lazy and aimless. The harder she worked, the more they looked at her with a kind of awe and wariness, making her feel that whatever she did was right and dominant. In that environment, no matter how many intruders appeared, they seemed like obstacles she could easily brush aside.

On one hand, she had long sought a way out of this path full of obstacles; on the other, she found satisfaction and a sense of ease in repeatedly overcoming them.

Now, that situation had finally disappeared.

But she didn’t feel relieved.

Instead, she was constantly confronted by her own vanity and insecurity.

The afternoon sunlight was perfect.

Not far away, the tourists had completed a loop around the field and returned to the starting point. The coach was helping them dismount.

Xu Lanjun stood up and stretched, her figure blocking the sun, casting shade over Wen Bairan's face.

"The weather is really nice!"

She snapped out of it and lifted her eyelashes. "Yeah..."

"Don't just sit there. Come out and get some sun to shake off the funk." Xu Lanjun reached out, pulled her up from the chair, and pushed her out from under the sunshade.

Winter didn't have the scorching heat of summer, but the sun was still too bright to look at directly.

Suddenly stepping into the light, Wen Bairan squeezed her eyes shut, letting them adjust to the brightness.

"Archery is like life—it requires focus. Overthinking won't do you any good; it'll only make you miss the target." Xu Lanjun stood behind her, suddenly holding her hands and guiding her into a draw.

"Like this," she drew Wen Bairan's right hand back, index finger near her earlobe, coaching her patiently. "Keep your hand steady, your mind calm."

For some reason, Wen Bairan caught her breath, adjusting the direction of her gaze to follow Xu Lanjun's rhythm.

Suddenly, two men walked side by side into view.

She paused.

Not far away, Zhou Lin wore a baroque-inspired denim onesie, buttons casually undone, highlighting his carefree rebelliousness. Song Xu was dressed in a professionally tailored riding outfit—a black vest, gray shirt, and tall riding boots that elongated his proportions, making him the picture of a meticulous, old-school gentleman.

These two equally exceptional men displayed completely different styles.

The winding path toward them seemed like their personal catwalk, with passing tourists pausing to stare.

Watching them approach, Xu Lanjun's voice continued in her ear, "You need to pick your target. Imagine that only you and he exist in the world. Block out everything else, let your eyes see only him."

Her target...

Who was it?

"What are you two doing?"

Before she knew it, they had already reached them.

Zhou Lin glanced at the two women standing so close, wondering when they’d gotten so chummy.

Song Xu met Wen Bairan's dazed gaze, his expression intensifying.

"Teaching her archery. What about you two? Men take their time grooming too, huh?" Xu Lanjun casually threw an arm around Wen Bairan's shoulder, her critical eyes sizing up their looks. Hmm, not bad—they looked like two male models.

She whistled appreciatively, "Easy on the eyes, right, Xiao Wen?"

Wen Bairan snapped out of it, averting her eyes from his intense gaze, and nodded a bit flustered. "Yeah."

Zhou Lin felt strange being described that way and muttered, "What 'easy on the eyes'? It's dashing and debonair."

Xu Lanjun laughed. "Alright, alright, whatever you say. Are you two ready? Then hurry up and go pick your horses." As she spoke, she jumped to Zhou Lin's side, tugged his arm, and dragged him toward the corral, not forgetting to call back to Wen Bairan, "Xiao Wen, come on quickly!"

Seeing Zhou Lin glance back at her, Wen Bairan's eyelashes fluttered, and she involuntarily looked away.

Song Xu acted as if he hadn't noticed her earlier dazed expression, calmly taking her hand and saying, "Let's go."

Wen Bairan wasn't interested in horseback riding, especially since she was on edge.

/

The coach led her around the field twice, but she didn't find much enjoyment. Instead, she felt like her tailbone was being jolted to pieces.

The other three, however, had professional training and didn't need a coach. They took off galloping, leaving her far behind in the dust they kicked up.

The coach, checking his phone, asked if she wanted to go another round. Wen Bairan said no.

She was about to dismount when the sound of hooves approaching came from behind.

Song Xu, who had just been riding with them, appeared beside her.

He tightened his reins, pulling up right beside her, and reached out his hand. "Come here."

His sudden approach startled Wen Bairan's horse, which jerked its head skittishly, frightening the coach so much he dropped his phone.

Afraid of falling, she gripped the reins tightly, too scared to loosen her grip.

"I don't want to ride anymore. I want to get down—"

Before she could finish, Song Xu leaned over from his horse, his arm banded around her waist like iron. "Let go."

Wen Bairan didn't have time to think. She only felt his voice close to her ear and acted on instinct. The moment she released the reins, his arm tightened around her waist, and the next second, she was lifted into the air. Her scream caught in her throat as she was settled securely in front of him.

Her heart pounded so violently it almost made her sick.

"Song Xu! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

She pressed a hand to her chest and turned to glare at him, only to see Song Xu smiling.

The man who had just ridden back through the dust, his cool, handsome face still pristine, squinted slightly as he leaned in close, his warm breath washing over her. "What are you afraid of? You think I’d actually drop you?"

"......"

Wen Bairan’s bravado inexplicably weakened. "Who knows?"

The saddle beneath them was just long enough to accommodate the two of them pressed close together. Song Xu circled his arms around her from behind and placed her hands on the front saddle bridge, his voice tinged with laughter. "Let’s give it a try, then."

The feeling was completely different from before.

As Song Xu spurred the horse on, the fierce wind and bright sunlight sent adrenaline coursing through her. The thrill of the horse's gallop soon made her chest feel open and her eyes widen—even the bouncing no longer felt jarring. The drowsy, bored feeling, along with the flying dust, were thrown to the wind.

She could hear the wind carrying her heartbeat and breath away into the distance.

The riding arena was vast, with an open area out back. Song Xu rode all the way to the outer edges before stopping.

"Whoa~"

The wind in her ears ceased, but a tingling numbness from the wind still lingered in the pores of her skin.

Song Xu asked her if she was still scared.

Wen Bairan said no.

It was her first time experiencing the joy of horseback riding. Turns out, you need speed and a thrill.

She even wanted another go.

Song Xu laughed, his voice then dropping. "So, does that mean I’m forgiven?"

She froze for a second. "...Forgive you for what?"

She glanced back, her eyes downcast.

The man behind her had deep-set eyes. His focused gaze gave her an uneasy feeling of being seen through.

He was too perceptive.

He was so observant.

No—it wasn’t that he was observant.

It was that he knew exactly what he had done, and she hated that.

Last night, Zhou Lin had gone upstairs with her and had stayed up there for quite a while.

Honestly, she could understand him being suspicious.

But he had used another key card to open the door.

His goal was self-evident.

"Were you a little disappointed that he wasn’t in the room?" Wen Bairan asked, her voice flat.

She had indeed felt upset last night—not because of his suspicion, but because he believed his suspicions over her.

Song Xu’s brow knitted slightly. "I didn’t mean it like that."

Wen Bairan pressed, "Then why apologize?"

If he hadn’t wanted to see the scenario he suspected, he could have knocked, called, or used any method to notify her he was returning.

It was precisely because he had made his assumption the second the elevator doors closed that he had come up silently to verify it.

Song Xu’s gaze darkened, and he said nothing.

The surroundings were open and eerily silent.

The sun slowly sank behind the nearby trees, the sky grew overcast, and a chill wind blew.

Wen Bairan unconsciously leaned back into his warm embrace.

She understood that he had the same wariness as she did.

Just as she believed that if Zhu Qiwei were to return now, Song Xu would leave with her, it was only natural that he didn’t trust her with Zhou Lin.

Besides, a relationship was inherently uncertain.

Everyone should be responsible for themselves, not for others.

She hadn’t meant to accuse him.

After a moment of silence, she tilted her head and nuzzled her temple against his chin, her voice softening. "Alright, Song Xu, let’s not talk about this. I didn’t say anything last night, and I won’t give you a hard time about it today."

She lifted her head, looking at him earnestly. "Instead of asking for my forgiveness, why don’t you tell me what your next move is?"

Song Xu’s voice deepened. "What next move?"

Seeing that he was still playing dumb, she turned her body more fully toward him and asked directly, "Who is Fabiana meeting?"

She had already asked Qiao Yi—Xiang Sun had returned to Xixiang on Thursday and wouldn’t be back until next week.

If that was the case, how could Song Xu’s partner, as Fabiana had mentioned, be waiting to have dinner with her on Friday night?

Wen Bairan didn’t know if Song Xu had other companies besides P&t, but when he resigned from Xilin, Yanyi Technology had once approached him.

It was one of the top ten companies in China specializing in cloud-based medical services, focusing on providing integrated smart healthcare solutions for remote screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Especially in recent years, the rise of AI technology had made such remote medical services increasingly mature.

Compared to proton therapy, which was still in its early stages, this was undoubtedly a ripe opportunity ready to be seized.

But she didn’t understand—Song Xu had poured so much effort into founding P&t. How could he be willing to let it go just like that?

A gust of wind blew from behind, and strands of hair flew wildly into her face, blurring Wen Bairan’s vision.

Faintly, she saw a trace of a smile in Song Xu’s deeply gazing eyes.

"You’re very clever."

He brushed her long hair aside and leaned in closer.

In the gradually intensifying warmth of his breath,

Wen Bairan heard him whisper against her lips:

"And you understand me well."