Chapter 85 I’m Not Married, Where Would a Ring Come From?

Chapter 85: I'm Not Married, Where Would I Get a Ring

Just like always, wherever Guan Junshan appeared, he became the center of attention. Like a powerful magnet, he pulled in the attention of everyone around him.

Lin Haoda still had his back to him, unwilling to turn around, but the stares from the crowd made him feel awful. Many blatant looks fell on his face, as if they were trying to dig some hidden secret out of it.

Beside him, Jiang Tianyi greeted Guan Junshan naturally, offhandedly complaining about how late he was. Lin Haoda lowered his eyes, watching the small patch of lawn illuminated by the lights at his feet, and heard Guan Junshan explain that traffic was congested, so he was late.

Jiang Tianyi smiled and told him that she should have known to let Tang Chen attend that afternoon meeting instead.

The two talked as if no one else was around, murmuring like a long-time couple, casually chatting about schedules and weather. Lin Haoda couldn't join in and gradually felt mortified, unsure why he was still pretending to be calm.

A server carrying a tray walked by. Jiang Tianyi took a glass of champagne and handed it to Lin Haoda, and steered the conversation toward him: "What's wrong, you planning on being a statue all night?"

"Even if you were love rivals, it wouldn't be this bad, especially since our Guan is always so friendly."

"Tianyi," Guan Junshan called her name, lowering his voice, "Don't say things like that."

Lin Haoda stood there silently, his fingertips on the rim of the glass turning white.

Guan Junshan called out from behind: "Lin Haoda."

Fortunately, he didn't address him as 'Mr. Lin'—that would've been a pretentious way to draw a line. Lin Haoda slowly turned around. Guan Junshan looked at him: "Long time no see."

Lin Haoda nodded woodenly, his gaze falling on the tips of Guan Junshan's shoes. "Good evening, General Manager Guan."

Guan Junshan took a sip of champagne, the same kind Lin Haoda was holding. Lin Haoda smelled a light, refreshing fragrance, followed by Guan Junshan's voice, "Did you see me just now? I thought you were about to leave."

It was a strange question. And anyone could tell, it was more like 'flee' than 'leave.'

Lin Haoda hesitated in the wind for a moment before answering cautiously: "No."

Under Guan Junshan's gaze, he said, "I didn't know you were coming. I had just greeted Miss Jiang and was about to leave."

Jiang Tianyi cheerfully added, "We've pretty much said all we needed to."

Guan Junshan's lips moved as if to say something, but suddenly a gust of wind blew. Lin Haoda had been standing on the lawn too long, and his nose was cold from the wind, causing him to sniffle softly without meaning to.

Guan Junshan noticed, staring at his slightly reddened eyelids. He couldn't help stepping forward half a step.

"Are you cold?"

He raised his hand to summon someone: "Let me get them to bring a jacket."

"No need." Only then did Lin Haoda finally look at him, but his expression was indifferent, giving nothing away. "I've taken up enough of your time. I should be going."

Guan Junshan gave a dismissive smile and corrected him: "It's only been five minutes."

The ends of Lin Haoda's hair had grown a few inches, brushing against his neck and swaying in the wind, his attitude equally firm: "Someone is waiting for me."

As he spoke, he turned his face toward the other side of the lawn. Pei Mingyi was indeed not far away. Seeing that Lin Haoda's gaze seemed to be looking for him, he raised his hand and waved, his mouth moving silently.

"Boyfriend?" Guan Junshan looked up and saw him, asking after a moment of silence.

After a long pause, Lin Haoda admitted in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Mm."

Guan Junshan stepped back, his heels crunching on dead leaves, a sound quickly drowned out by the lively garden. Finally, he retreated to the distance where they had first met—neither close nor far, yet feeling like mountains away.

"Is that so?" Guan Junshan heard his own voice, a faint smile in his voice.

Lin Haoda hadn't taken a single sip of the champagne in his hand. He set it back on the tray untouched, then turned and returned to Pei Mingyi's side.

Throughout his walk, many eyes still followed him. He tried to pretend not to notice, but he couldn't fake his feelings. Seeing his troubled expression, Pei Mingyi thought he had some history with Guan Junshan and led Lin Haoda away from the crowd before cautiously asking, "Did you know each other before?"

Lin Haoda, sheltering from the wind, felt his fingertips slowly warming up. "Mm," he replied. "An old client from work."

So it was a professional connection. Pei Mingyi nodded, but looked worried: "He has a lot of business ventures, and I've heard he's planning to shift his focus to the mainland. In the business world, you're bound to run into each other."

Lin Haoda knew what he was worried about and said with a faint smile: "What chance would I have to interact with him?"

Pei Mingyi paused and explained, "I didn't mean it that way."

"Mm," Lin Haoda glanced at Guan Junshan in the center of the crowd from a great distance. "It's the truth. I get it, I know it in my heart."

That evening, Guan Junshan attended with a female companion, but it wasn't Jiang Tianyi. When he came to find Lin Haoda earlier, he had walked so fast that his companion was left behind and hadn't followed.

It wasn't until Guan Junshan returned to the middle of the lawn that the woman in the gown extended her hand and took his arm again.

Guan Junshan led her through the garden, chatting and clinking glasses with various people, occasionally stopping to check her dress train or patiently wait for her to adjust her hair and makeup.

Though he didn't want to concern himself, Lin Haoda couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity. He looked around for Jiang Tianyi and finally spotted her under a flower trellis. She was standing there chatting with a few friends, occasionally turning her head to calmly glance in Guan Junshan's direction.

Lin Haoda stood silently for a moment, a nameless emotion spreading in his chest. Many things he thought he had long forgotten, things he'd casually said in passing, had all come true.

Anyone could stay by Guan Junshan's side—not just Jiang Tianyi, but Miss Zhang, Miss Li.

Anyone but him. Anyone but Lin Haoda.

Guan Junshan didn't belong to anyone. Trying to tie him down with any excuse of love or morality—Lin Haoda was doomed from the start. Guan Junshan's world was like this, destined to live that way.

Lin Haoda averted his gaze and forced himself to think of other things. Just then, Seth and his wife appeared in the garden. The music grew a bit louder. Guan Junshan walked over to embrace Seth's wife, kissing her on the cheek, seeming very familiar. Seth then put his arm around him, leaned in, and said a few words, making the whole group laugh.

Guan Junshan, broad-shouldered and tall, wore a light-colored suit, looking dashing in the crowd. Lin Haoda stood in a corner, wearing a casual jacket, watching the other side of the lawn from afar as if looking at a world far away, one that wasn't his.

Pei Mingyi thought he wanted to join them and asked, "I see an acquaintance. Want to go say hello?"

"It's too cold," Lin Haoda shook his head, not wanting Pei Mingyi to stay with him here. "You go ahead. I'll wait for you here."

Pei Mingyi quickly said "Forget it," and smiled at him, looking a bit goofy. "It's not that important anyway."

Lin Haoda was amused by him, his lips curving slightly. He asked where the acquaintance was and was about to look that way when Guan Junshan suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing on Lin Haoda's face.

Through the cold air, music, and moving crowd, Lin Haoda's eyes met his.

Lin Haoda froze for a moment, forgetting to look away. Seth, standing beside Guan Junshan, soon turned his head to look in that direction. Upon recognizing who it was, he laughed, patted Guan Junshan's shoulder, and said something.

Guan Junshan withdrew his gaze, turned to say something to him. Seth gave instructions to the butler beside him, who nodded and walked toward the villa's main entrance.

Seeing Lin Haoda spacing out, Pei Mingyi took his hand and asked softly, "Why did you suddenly go quiet?"

Lin Haoda quickly looked away, changed his mind, and smiled at him. "I'll go with you. Let's go."

Lin Haoda walked fairly fast, but Guan Junshan, tall and long-legged, easily caught up to them.

This time, he brought his female companion. The girl was young, tall, and pretty, and standing beside him, they made a natural pair.

Guan Junshan reached out his hand, but not toward Lin Haoda. His gaze fell on Pei Mingyi beside him, and his smile was warm: "Nice to meet you. I'm Guan Junshan."

Pei Mingyi shook his hand, neither humble nor arrogant: "Good evening, General Manager Guan. I've heard a lot about you. I'm Pei, Pei Mingyi."

Guan Junshan nodded, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Lin Haoda, and said, "It's about time we met. I heard from Hao Da that you're his friend."

Lin Haoda frowned. Just a moment ago, he had personally acknowledged Pei Mingyi as his boyfriend, but Guan Junshan had deliberately omitted the word 'boyfriend,' calling him just a 'friend'—whether intentionally or simply not caring, he couldn't tell.

Pei Mingyi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Yes, we have a great relationship."

Guan Junshan didn't speak. His gaze lingered on Pei Mingyi's face for a moment, then he introduced the female companion beside him: "Miss He, the daughter of my mother's friend."

Pei Mingyi shook her hand, and Lin Haoda also nodded, "Good evening."

"Miss He just got engaged to Mr. Seth's youngest son last month," Guan Junshan suddenly added, for some reason.

Lin Haoda lowered his eyes to look at her hand resting on Guan Junshan's arm. Miss He noticed and covered her mouth with a shy laugh.

The engagement ring on her right middle finger sparkled, extremely beautiful.

Not knowing the reason, Pei Mingyi made conversation, saying, "We visited Mr. Seth this afternoon."

Miss He responded politely, "It's a pity Simon wasn't home today, otherwise you could have met him."

They exchanged a few more words. Seth's butler approached, handed Guan Junshan something.

Guan Junshan thanked him, took it, and shook it out. It was a cashmere wrap. Lin Haoda looked up at Miss He's thin shoulders, didn't think much of it, and quickly looked away.

But in the next moment, Guan Junshan stepped forward and handed the cashmere wrap over.

Miss He froze, and Pei Mingyi did too.

Guan Junshan paused, looked at Lin Haoda who was looking down, and said, "I noticed you were cold earlier, so I borrowed one from Mrs. Seth."

There's a time and a place for teasing. Lin Haoda bit his lip and turned his face away, saying, "No need."

Dressed so lightly, standing in the cold wind for so long, the tip of his nose was red from the cold, yet he was still putting on a brave front and said no. Guan Junshan stared at him impassively, paused a moment, his expression gradually grew cold, his heart sinking with it.

A tense silence fell. Pei Mingyi's smile faded, and his eyes slowly fell on the wrap.

Miss He broke the silence with an awkward smile: "Mr. Lin, if you're cold, why don't you come inside and grab a heavier coat? I'm also dressed a bit lightly and was just about to go get one."

Lin Haoda told her that he had given his coat to a servant when he arrived and hadn't had a chance to retrieve it.

"That works perfectly. It's not busy now, let's go inside and sit for a bit." Miss He lifted her skirt, winked at him, "Shall we go?"

Lin Haoda couldn't refuse the thoughtful Miss He, nodded, walked over beside her, and picked up her train.

They walked through the garden and into the villa. The heating was on inside, like stepping into a warm spring day.

A servant quickly brought Lin Haoda's coat. Miss He changed into a light dress, and when she came downstairs and saw Lin Haoda still sitting there waiting for her, she offered, "Mr. Lin, do you still want to go out to the garden? It's too cold outside and not much fun. How about I show you around inside?"

Lin Haoda, just feeling there was nowhere else to go and not wanting to be too close to Guan Junshan, nodded in agreement.

Mr. Seth was French, from a well-off background. He came to China for business years ago and eventually settled down, owning considerable real estate, of which this was just one property.

Miss He led him around casually. The basement had a private pool (not open to the public), and below that were a gym and a bar. Upstairs, aside from a few bedrooms, there were a game room, a media room, and a dance studio.

The top floor had a suite with a semi-open terrace, which Lin Haoda found most special. The semi-circular terrace extended out from ground level. From inside, pushing open the window, bright silver moonlight poured in.

Lin Haoda stood by the window. Below, figures moved in the garden; lights mirrored the evening stars, scattered like points of light, everything bathed in gentle shadow.

He leaned on the windowsill, dazed for a few minutes, when suddenly he heard someone downstairs calling, "Catherine!"

Probably calling for Miss He, Lin Haoda knew in his heart, but couldn't help but lean his head out the window. A few figures stood downstairs, Guan Junshan among them. Even though from this direction the distance seemed far, Lin Haoda could still hear his voice and clearly see his captivating face under the moonlight.

Miss He walked over, leaned on the other half of the window, and lightly scolded them. The young man who had just called her name laughed, and after she finished, retorted, "Catherine, who is that beside you? He's really good-looking."

The crowd erupted in laughter. Guan Junshan stood in the center, a champagne flute in his right hand, his head tilted. In the moonlight, his teeth were stark white, and his thin red lips still bore a trace of wine, gleaming faintly.

Everyone else was talking or laughing, but he alone remained still, merely lifting his eyes to follow the figure half-hidden by the curtain. His pupils were dark, carrying a faint smile. Lin Haoda's gaze fell from above, meeting Guan Junshan's eyes.

Under the moonlight, Lin Haoda looked as pure as a jade statue. Black hair, dark eyes, a slender neck, round and bright eyes that always seemed brimming with affection, standing quietly in the window. Only a floor lamp was lit, its dim amber glow filling the window frame and spilling out from behind him like flowing shadows on rice paper.

"Ignore them." Catherine touched his shoulder. "They're just a bunch of trust-fund kids, drunk and misbehaving."

Lin Haoda shook his head, signaling he didn't mind, casually closed the window, and left the terrace.

The light in that window quickly dimmed, turning into a faint, secretive black spot, as if no one had ever stood there.

Lin Haoda followed Miss He downstairs. She eventually led him to the tea room, where a maid had already prepared tea and snacks. They were different from the ones Lin Haoda had had in the villa that afternoon—more delicate and more expensive.

Lin Haoda took a bite and found the flavor agreeable. Miss He saw that he liked it and asked someone to box up a portion for him to take home.

Throughout this time, Lin Haoda couldn't shake the feeling that everyone here—from Mr. Seth to Miss He—was unusually attentive toward him. But it didn't make sense. He was merely accompanying Pei Mingyi to this cocktail party. Why would it be him?

Lin Haoda lowered his eyes to look at the pattern on the carpet and asked his question tactfully.

"Nothing, don't overthink it." Miss He laughed, swirling the black tea in her cup. "Maybe they just find you agreeable?"

"I feel like I've seen you before, a long time ago." Her words were like a riddle, almost throwing Lin Haoda off. "It's a nice way to think of it—a special connection. Don't you think?"

Lin Haoda nodded hesitantly.

"Everyone likes you a lot. Feel free to come visit anytime you like." She paused after speaking, then abruptly mentioned Guan Junshan. "You don't have to bring him if you don't want to. Sometimes he's really quite a pain."

"No," Lin Haoda denied. "Mr. Guan is a good person."

"Is that so?" Miss He tilted her head. "Did I misread things? Just now you were obviously cold, but you refused to take his wrap."

"Between us... there might be a misunderstanding." Perhaps "misunderstanding" could pass better than "old feelings," so Lin Haoda quickly added, "But that was all a long time ago."

"I've heard him bring it up many times," Miss He's eyelashes drooped, as if she wanted to say more but held back. "It doesn't seem like it's something from the past."

The brass clock chimed. It was already eleven o'clock at night.

Lin Haoda stood up to take his leave. Miss He saw him downstairs, all the way to the villa entrance.

Lin Haoda walked through the corridor, heading alone toward the garden. The banquet was nearing its end, and many people had already left. The entrance was filled with shuttle cars.

After circling the garden, he didn't find Pei Mingyi. Lin Haoda sent him a message asking when he would be done.

After a few minutes, Pei Mingyi replied, telling him he was accompanying a few drunk friends and was now in a guest room on the first floor.

Lin Haoda had to turn back. The chandelier on the first floor was on, brightly lit, but no one was in sight. Lin Haoda remembered from the tour with Miss He that the guest rooms were roughly on the left side, but he hadn't paid attention to which specific room, nor had he asked.

He sent Pei Mingyi another message asking which room it was. Pei Mingyi didn't reply for a while—probably busy.

Lin Haoda had to knock on doors one by one. No one answered. He pushed the doors open; the rooms were dark and empty. Until the last guest room. He walked to the door, raised his hand to knock, and found that the door wasn't fully closed but slightly ajar. Light seeped through the crack, mixed with the sound of muffled voices.

Lin Haoda felt that Pei Mingyi was in this room. Emotion bypassed reason, and he was certain. Eager to go home, he reached out and pushed the door open, muttering, "Pei Mingyi, I'm a bit sleepy, can you ask the driver..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. It was hard to go on.

On every level. Lin Haoda was so stunned his mouth hung open in disbelief, his hand still frozen in the act of pushing the door open. The chandelier overhead lit up the room like daylight, leaving no room to hide the embarrassment, shame, or secrets.

Lin Haoda heard himself take two short breaths, his voice mechanical, his emotions still in disarray: "I... I went into the wrong room, sorry, sorry!"

With that, he turned around and hurriedly left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Lin Haoda's heart raced. He retraced his steps through the hall, stopping at the villa's entrance.

The cold night wind hit his face, helping him calm down slightly. But even so, his mind was like a film projector flashing back and forth: one frame stuck on Jiang Tianyi's wedding ring, another on her kissing a stranger in that very room.

Lin Haoda stood there at a loss, his mind churning like boiling water, staring blankly into the blurry night.

On one hand, he couldn't shake the disbelief; on the other, he vaguely thought it made sense. Jiang Tianyi didn't love Guan Junshan, and even though she was married, she didn't have to give up her future happiness for him.

But... the key was, did Guan Junshan know? Did he know and accept it? Or was he unaware?

Before he entered the wrong room, Lin Haoda had even thought they might have developed feelings after marriage, that they had truly become a loving couple. But now he felt things weren't that simple. Maybe this was also one of the terms of the marriage contract.

Love had to be hidden; not loving had to be hidden too. Love or not, it couldn't be laid bare under the sun—what kind of adult world was this?

Lin Haoda touched his cold cheeks. After thinking it over, he decided to leave first. No matter how tangled this mess became, it had nothing to do with him. He was not going to get involved anymore.

Having made up his mind, he glanced at the side door of the villa and decided to leave that way, afraid of running into anyone else or anything else.

But he forgot he was always unlucky—just his luck, it happened.

As he turned a corner, he ran straight into Guan Junshan, who was coming out of the restroom.

Lost in thought, Lin Haoda was only looking down as he walked. When he sensed a figure ahead, it was too late to dodge. Fortunately, Guan Junshan reacted quickly, raising his hand to block. Lin Haoda's nose hit his palm with a thud.

"Oof." Lin Haoda stepped back two paces, wincing in pain, tears welling up in his eyes.

"...Lin Haoda." Guan Junshan reached out to steady his shoulder, couldn't help asking, "When are you going to change this habit of yours of not looking where you're going?"

Lin Haoda looked up at him. Maybe because his whole face was red—especially the tip of his nose—he looked particularly pitiful. Only when he realized it was Guan Junshan did he freeze for a moment, blinking dumbly: "Oh, sorry."

"I didn't see it was you." He covered his nose, speaking in a muffled voice.

...Did that mean he would have just crashed into anyone else? What a generous guy.

Guan Junshan said nothing, looking at him darkly.

He pulled his damp fingers away, leaving a few dark fingerprints on Lin Haoda's shoulder. "Where are you going?"

Lin Haoda tried to breathe through his nose. After a moment, he said, "Home."

"Don't wander off. I'll take you back." Guan Junshan said. "The car is parked at the entrance. No one else is with me."

Guan Junshan paused, waiting for Lin Haoda's reaction. He expected a refusal, but it didn't come. Lin Haoda stood there, silent for a few seconds, then spoke hesitantly: "You..."

Guan Junshan stared at him, waited a moment, and echoed: "Me."

Lin Haoda looked up at him, his expression seeming a bit regretful.

Guan Junshan's voice was low, urging: "What about me?"

Lin Haoda looked down, thinking of the guest room not far from them and his wife in name only, wearing a wedding ring. He bit his lip and asked in a very low voice: "Are you okay?"

Guan Junshan let out a soft laugh, not sure what exactly he meant, but quickly caught on to the game and threw the question back: "What do you think?"

Lin Haoda didn't speak, just looked at him silently. After a few seconds, he averted his gaze and, for some reason, changed the subject: "Are you going to drive now?"

Guan Junshan hummed in agreement. He wasn't going to let him off that easily, asking knowingly: "Do you think I'm doing well?"

"Guan Junshan," Lin Haoda stopped him. "Don't ask me that."

"...I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, Guan Junshan apologized to him, giving in: "Let's drop it."

He took the car keys out of his pocket and handed them over. "Hold these. My hands are still wet."

Lin Haoda took them. Guan Junshan walked to the mirror stand and pulled out two sheets of hand towel.

Under the bright light, Guan Junshan's fingers were long, the joints slightly wider than average, and completely bare.

Lin Haoda was dazed for a moment before suddenly realizing. For a second, he felt his throat clogged, unable to make a sound.

"...Where's your wedding ring?"

"I'm not married. Where would I get a ring?"

Guan Junshan looked at him for a few seconds, threw the paper into the trash bin, walked up to him, and asked, "Didn't you see the news?"