C4 A Ghostly Coincidence

Lin Yanran looked intently at Muh Chen as he spoke the final words.

Muh Chen, however, did not respond to Lin Yanran's inquiry. His gaze was fixed deeply on the peculiar girl before him. He had overheard everything at the pool earlier, but aside from matters of work, nothing else piqued his interest, so he chose to disregard it.

Today marked the private party of his childhood friend Rong Xiaoyi, who had just returned from abroad. Muh Chen had been coaxed into attending. Afflicted with mysophobia, he disliked the idea of sharing a pool with others, so he opted to sit aside and attend to business affairs. The sudden appearance of Zhao Sitong did not intrigue him in the slightest. Girls like her always exhausted every effort to get close to men of their status.

When the girl called out his name, he internally recoiled, yet seeing her frail form attempting to shield him stirred something within his usually stoic heart. There had been someone who once did the same for him, but alas, that person...

"Chen, do you know her?" Lin Yanran, noticing Muh Chen's silence, pressed on with a gentle voice.

"I don't know her," Muh Chen replied dismissively, then lifted his laptop and circumvented the crowd, heading towards the villa alone. He had no desire to engage in such trivial social games.

"Mr. Chen, where are you going?" Zhao Sitong's heart ached as she watched Muh Chen not only deny knowing her but also walk away. Despite the pain, she was determined to uncover the truth. How could Mr. Chen not recognize her?

"Little sister, stop causing a scene. Chen is out of your league," Lin Yanran admonished, grasping Zhao Sitong's arm as she attempted to follow him.

"Release me! What business is it of yours? This matter concerns only Mr. Chen and me," Zhao Sitong retorted coldly, her earlier impression of Lin Yanran now soured, seeing her as no different from the other "savages." With a forceful shake, she freed herself from Lin Yanran's grip and dashed after Muh Chen.

Lin Yanran was momentarily dumbfounded, her own aura overshadowed by the girl's commanding presence. She found herself looking up to those eyes that bore a lofty disdain, and she was momentarily speechless. The indignity of it all! She, Lin Yanran, the esteemed daughter of the Lin family and the Muh family's prospective bride, had been shaken by a mere girl. Rage boiled within her as she watched the girl's retreating figure, a vicious glint in her eyes. Regardless of who she was or her intentions with Chen, Lin Yanran was not about to let her off easily.

"Yanran, are you okay?" Gu Xiyan approached Lin Yanran, offering her support with concern.

"I'm fine. Let's go check it out." Lin Yanran said, taking Gu Xiyan by the hand and hurrying to catch up with the others.

"We should check it out too," Qin Lang commented, clearly amused. "This girl seems like a lot of fun."

"This girl is rather odd. Could she actually know Mr. Chen?" Rong Xiaoyi pondered, his gaze fixed ahead as Su Qi pulled him along to join the rest.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen, how can you say you don't know me? I'm Tong, your Tong!" Zhao Sitong caught up with Muh Chen as they entered the villa. She then ran in front of him, stretching out her arms to block his path. Zhao Sitong looked up at Muh Chen with wide, hurt eyes.

Muh Chen initially wanted to ignore her and was about to have someone remove her, but he was caught off guard by her clear, innocent, and defiant gaze, filled with hurt. He found himself unable to utter the words he had intended to say.

"Mr. Chen, have you stopped caring for me? Do you realize how devastated I've been since your accident? I've been so distraught I've thought about dying. I always believed you would return. But not only did you not come back, you ended up staying in Barbarian Country?" Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she spoke with a heart-wrenching tone. Droplets cascaded down her cheeks, making it difficult to distinguish between the water from her hair and her tears.

Muh Chen furrowed his brow, troubled. The girl's demeanor didn't seem feigned. What was happening here? He didn't recall knowing her. And why were her words so peculiar?