When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

As the weekend arrived, Marian was suddenly invited to dinner by He Bing, someone she hadn't contacted in days.

Zoe, carrying a tray of freshly baked pastries, shook her head disapprovingly. "Don't go. What, is this guy hoping to rekindle old flames? Do you really think his family will accept you this time?"

In Zoe's eyes, He Bing was nothing but a complete mama's boy. Back then, when his mother opposed their relationship, he gave up on Marian without so much as a fight. To her, he was the epitome of cowardice.

"Don't worry, I'm definitely not going," Marian said firmly. She didn't care what He Bing's intentions were for suddenly reaching out, as he was nothing more than a relic of her past. To be frank, even when she agreed to date him, it was more out of convenience than genuine feelings.

When He Bing had caved to family pressure and initiated their breakup, Marian didn't even think they were "convenient" anymore. From that point onward, he became nothing but a stranger to her.

With this thought, she declined him without hesitation: "Sorry, I'm not available." Tossing her phone aside, she turned her attention to preparing for incoming customers.

Across town, He Bing's phone vibrated on the table. His eyes lit up as he quickly unlocked the screen, but his excitement was snuffed out by the rejection text he received.

His mother, noticing his downcast demeanor, frowned with displeasure. "Pull yourself together! Look at you, nearly 30 and still single. It's absolutely disgraceful! You're going to the blind date I arranged tonight. No arguments!"

He Bing wanted to protest. He wanted to tell his mother that he had reconnected with Marian after all these years, and surely it was fate. He wanted to tell her he planned to pursue Marian again.

But he also knew what her response would be. To his mother, Marian was a girl with no parents and no family connections—someone who would only marry him for his status. In her mind, Marian was destined to reveal her "true colors" once she became his wife.

After weighing his options, He Bing relented. "Fine, I'll go to the blind date."

But he had already made up his mind: he would show up just to appease his mother, and afterward, he'd simply claim he wasn't interested in the girl.

Determined to follow through with his plan, He Bing composed another message to Marian:

"No worries. Let me know when you're available, and I'll treat you to dinner to make up for not being able to show you around the company."

Originally, He Bing had promised to help Marian get familiar with the campus. But when the CEO had unexpectedly summoned him for a lunchtime report, his plans were derailed.

Since then, he hadn't found a good excuse to spend time with Marian. Desperate, he had resorted to inviting her out over the weekend.

At the luxurious Xi City Hotel, the most extravagant private room was buzzing with activity.

Aaron and his friends had arranged a dinner to welcome Yao Ning back to town.

"Hey, when did you get here? You're so early!" Xu Huanran exclaimed as he entered the room, immediately noticing Aaron seated at the innermost table.

Aaron glanced up briefly before lowering his gaze again. "Not that early, only about ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes is still early!" Xu Huanran said, hanging up his coat and plopping down beside him. With a playful grin, he added, "Still can't forget Yao Ning, huh? If you can't, why not go for it? I'll back you up all the way!"

He clicked his tongue and continued, "I mean, you even followed her to the States back then, and you still didn't manage to win her over? Tsk tsk, Aaron, your game is weak."

Aaron's face darkened as he set down his cup. His icy glare bore into Xu Huanran, who swallowed nervously. That look—it was the same look Aaron had given him at the bar last week after leaving that dessert shop with the plain-looking girl. That glare had been enough to put them on "cold war" terms for a week.

Now, he was getting it again?

Xu Huanran quickly clammed up, mentally replaying his words. Wasn't Aaron's affection for Yao Ning a well-known fact? What had he said wrong?

Minutes later, Yao Qian and Yao Ning arrived.

Yao Ning, who hadn't seen her "brothers" in a while, had thoughtfully brought gifts for each of them.

For Aaron, she presented a luxurious, custom-made blue-and-white silk tie. The craftsmanship was impeccable, clearly a heartfelt choice.

Xu Huanran couldn't help but compare his gift—a bottle of men's cologne—to Aaron's tie. Jealous, he teased, "Hey, they say when a woman gives a man a tie, it means she wants to tie his heart to hers. Yao Ning, are you trying to tie Aaron's heart?"

Yao Ning blushed deeply, caught off guard.

"Xu Huanran, if you don't shut up, I'll personally throw you out of this room!" Aaron's sudden outburst startled everyone.

Yao Ning froze. It was the first time she'd ever seen Aaron lose his temper over one of their playful jokes.

Sensing the tension, Yao Qian quickly stepped in. "Xu Huanran, you idiot. How many times do I have to tell you to watch your mouth?" Turning to the waiter, he added, "Hurry up and serve the food before this guy says something even dumber."

Xu Huanran felt wronged. Out of their trio of close friends, he always seemed to be the one getting scolded. But what had he done wrong this time?

Xu Huanran felt dejected. In his sadness, he decided to drown his sorrows in alcohol and called for the server to bring over several bottles of wine, each worth tens of thousands.

The other three at the table shook their heads at this indulgence but said nothing.

Yao Qian turned to his sister, asking, "So what are your plans now that you're back? Not heading overseas again?"

"No, I'm staying here. Mainly because I can't bear to leave… you all, haha!" Yao Ning glanced slyly at Aaron, sitting across from her. Seeing that he remained indifferent, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued, "The overseas exhibitions are all done. My focus will now be on the domestic market. I'm planning a domestic art exhibition in two months."

She finished her sentence with a playful wink at Aaron. "Aaron, will you do me the honor of gracing my art exhibition? Just to help boost the numbers."

Aaron nodded slightly. "Sure. But don't sell yourself short. With your reputation, your exhibition is sure to attract plenty of people."

Yao Ning smiled sweetly and teased, "You're always the nicest to me, Aaron. Unlike my brother, who'd rather play video games than show up."

"Come on, spare me. All the artistic talent in this family went to you," Yao Qian retorted, raising his hands in surrender. "I can't tell a good painting from a bad one. If I say it's nice, you call me shallow. If I say it's not, you laugh at my taste. I've given up! I'm not even coming to the exhibition."

As the siblings bickered, Aaron's gaze shifted to the private room diagonally opposite theirs. Through the slightly ajar door, he caught sight of a familiar figure.

He Bing.