It was hard to figure out exactly how Han ShuYi's brain worked.
Sure, Han ShuYi often helped her at school, but most of the time, she took care of things herself. Yet now, the atmosphere between the two felt oddly different. Xia XiaoXi even began to suspect that Han ShuYi might be trying to deepen their relationship.
"Oh, I see. Alright then, I'll ask YunXi to take care of this matter later."
Seeing Xia XiaoXi's expression, Han ShuYi reached into his pocket and took out a small box.
"My dad said that since it's your first visit, I should prepare a gift for you. I thought about it for a long time, and in the end, I decided this would suit you best."
With that, Han ShuYi opened the box, revealing a delicate necklace lying inside.
Xia XiaoXi only needed one glance to know how valuable the necklace was.
However, the idea of Han ShuYi giving her such an item felt incredibly strange—almost like the kind of thing a boyfriend would give!
Although she had received gifts from fans in the past, she much preferred things like letters. To her, nothing was more precious than the support of her fans.
But this gift from Han ShuYi clearly carried a different meaning.
Thinking of this, Xia XiaoXi awkwardly smiled and pushed the box back toward him.
"I can't accept this—it’s too expensive."
"This isn't really that expensive to you, is it? It's just a small token of my appreciation. Please, take it."
No girl disliked such gifts.
Han ShuYi himself had once given a gift to Li Yue, and she had been overjoyed for quite some time. He had gone through some trouble to get this necklace, believing it would be worth it if it won Xia XiaoXi’s favor.
But to his dismay, Xia XiaoXi wasn’t happy about it at all. Instead, she looked unusually serious.
"Han ShuYi, it’s not that I don’t like the necklace. I just don’t think I’d have any use for it. I don’t usually wear accessories , and I prefer practical things. I appreciate the thought, but you should take it back."
Her words left Han ShuYi completely stunned.
He hadn’t expected Xia XiaoXi to reject him so decisively.
So, his plan had completely failed?
This left him deeply frustrated, though he didn’t dare show it. After all, Xia XiaoXi wasn’t Li Yue, and her status was far above his.
It seemed he wouldn’t be able to make any progress with her here.
Han ShuYi pursed his lips and quietly put the necklace away.
Seeing this, Xia XiaoXi breathed a small sigh of relief.
That necklace was far too extravagant for her to accept. If Han ShuYi misinterpreted her actions, it could lead to a disaster!
Still, his gesture reminded her of something—she was still the ‘Xia XiaoXi’ in everyone’s eyes. Even at school, there were people bold enough to pursue her.
Han ShuYi seemed to be one of them.
In contrast, HuMing, who spent the most time around her, acted completely normal—like a friend maintaining an appropriate distance.
Whenever she was with HuMing, Xia XiaoXi often wondered if her charm had somehow diminished.
Not that she was overly self-absorbed, but she was used to being pursued. Suddenly encountering someone like HuMing, who acted as if he’d hit the brakes, left her baffled.
Now, looking at Han ShuYi in front of her, Xia XiaoXi felt even more certain: HuMing was different from everyone else.
With that thought, Xia XiaoXi clasped her hands behind her back, then looked at Han ShuYi and asked,
“Han ShuYi, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”
Han ShuYi, who had been wallowing in disappointment, suddenly perked up. He had thought Xia XiaoXi wouldn’t give him the chance to get closer, but her words rekindled his hope.
He looked at her with anticipation and said,
“Go ahead. If it’s something I know, I’ll definitely answer!”
“Well, I just wanted to ask about Han HuMing. In class, I’ve only ever heard bits and pieces about him, so I’m really curious.”
At the mention of this name, the smile on Han ShuYi’s face froze completely.
He had assumed Xia XiaoXi would ask him about the student council, allowing him to bring her in and create more opportunities to interact with her.
But never in his wildest dreams did he expect her to bring up the name he hated most.
‘Han HuMing again! Even after death, he’s still here. Like a ghost, haunting me!’
Rage burned within Han ShuYi, though he didn’t dare let it show on his face.
Forcing a smile, he began to recount Han HuMing’s past—carefully avoiding saying anything positive.
Meanwhile, Xia XiaoXi listened intently, eager to learn more about what kind of person Han HuMing had been.
“YunXi, are you alright?”
Han LiTian knocked on Han YunXi’s door, but there was no response.
He turned the handle, only to find the room empty. He immediately guessed where his daughter might have gone.
Sure enough, he found her in an old room, sitting on a chair and flipping through a diary. It was filled with records of someone’s past.
They had read that diary countless times, yet none of them could truly let go.
Han LiTian’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Closing the notebook, she turned to face him, her eyes red as if holding back some overwhelming emotion. Seeing this, Han LiTian couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
Lee Tian was dead. The threats to their family were gone.
But in exchange, someone dear to them had disappeared.
Han LiTian couldn’t understand HuMing’s choices. No one could. Only HuMing knew what he had endured.
“Dad, I saw HuMing at the orphanage today. Kang Xin asked him to go because the kids there miss him.”
“Dad, I miss brother too.”
Han YunXi lowered her head, memories of her cruel words to HuMing flooding her mind.
She wished she could go back and slap herself.
“YunXi, don’t overthink it. He’s only missing, not dead. As long as we don’t find a body, he’s still alive.”
Han YunXi pressed her lips together as she stood up. From her vantage point, she noticed Han ShuYi and Xia XiaoXi chatting.
She liked Xia XiaoXi. Her room was filled with posters of the girl, who radiated passion for the stage and embodied the pursuit of dreams.
Yet, inexplicably, she disliked seeing Xia XiaoXi alone with HuMing.
With a sigh, Han YunXi cast the thought aside.
She was the daughter of the Han family. She couldn’t afford to bring shame to them.
Turning to Han LiTian, she said,
“Dad, I’m heading downstairs.”
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