The meeting lasted nearly an entire morning, packed with information.
The most important arrangement was that their Eastern Tea Culture publicity department would indeed be merged into headquarters, moving up to the 35th floor.
So before the lunch break, everyone was back from the large conference room to their original office area, noisily packing up their things.
An Yao barely had anything to pack. After backing up a few work-related files from her computer, she was called over by Yara to help.
There were many different styles of workstations in the office. Yara's was clearly the type belonging to someone loyal and dedicated—her storage racks were stacked layer upon layer, and she even had several pairs of slippers under her desk.
"Thanks for your help. Ugh, if I'd known we might move, I definitely wouldn't have kept so much stuff in the office."
An Yao was helping her organize the filing cabinet, her mind still lingering on the white jade ring on Yan Muzhou's pinky finger from earlier. She answered absentmindedly, "No need to be so polite."
Sorting things didn't require much thought. As Yara packed, she complained about the floor move, then brought up the same person.
"Were you scared to death during the meeting earlier?"
Yara said, "You came in a bit late. There was originally an empty seat near me, but it got taken by an intern from another department who arrived first. By the time you got there, the only empty chair left really was the one by the door."
"Scared to death?"
An Yao snapped back to attention. "It was fine, I guess. I felt like the leaders giving speeches were more nervous than I was. I just sat there listening the whole time."
Yara chuckled, realizing the two of them hadn't been talking about the same thing at all.
She lowered her voice: "I'm not talking about being nervous about the meeting. I mean President Yan. You sat so close to him, and he looked at you several times. When Director Zhang was introducing you, I was nervous on your behalf."
An Yao touched her nose.
If that was what she meant, then yes, she had been a bit nervous at the time.
But not for the reason Yara thought—not out of the ordinary fear a regular employee might feel toward the group's big boss.
Rather, she simply didn't want to come face-to-face with Yan Muzhou.
An Yao was silent for a moment, then, putting herself in the mindset of an ordinary intern, she said vaguely, "A little, I suppose. But it's fine—President… President Yan isn't going to fire me outright."
Yara laughed. "That's true."
"But after this meeting, I never want to see President Yan in person again. I used to believe the rumors and actually had some expectations about his looks."
Yara was a sucker for good looks. Although An Yao hadn't been at the company long, she'd already experienced this firsthand.
In her spare time outside work, Yara's biggest hobby was scrolling through photos of handsome men and beautiful women on her phone.
The desk she was currently organizing was covered with photocards and framed photos of boy bands and girl groups—all attractive faces.
Yara continued: "Seriously, it was terrifying. When President Yan was giving his final assessment of the marketing department's work, Department Manager Sun—he's over fifty, you know—was scolded until his face went pale, then red, then pale again."
"…"
An Yao agreed: "It really was terrifying."
Though, she was almost immune to it by now.
Back in high school, when she'd stayed at the Yan residence, this kind of attitude from Yan Muzhou had been the norm for her. Eventually, she not only stopped being afraid but would deliberately argue with him just to oppose him.
She couldn't remember anymore whether it was to get his attention or simply because she found it fun.
Whichever it was, looking back on it now, An Yao felt it had been a bit childish.
But so what? She probably wouldn't have the chance to do it again anyway.
Even if they were to meet again at work or in meetings, it would be no different from today—they wouldn't even speak to each other face to face.
Still, she truly hadn't expected that the ring she'd given him four years ago would actually be worn on his finger.
The employees in the publicity department were also seeing Yan Muzhou in person for the first time, so for several days afterward, he inevitably came up in their casual conversations.
Among them, one observant person noticed the ring on his pinky finger and even explained its meaning.
"A ring on the pinky finger symbolizes a commitment to remaining single. A diamond bachelor of President Yan's caliber, young as he is, would inevitably have other big shots trying to set him up with potential partners at social events. Wearing a ring saves him all that trouble."
"Exactly right. President Yan is clearly a workaholic with his whole mind on his career—just look at how Yaowei has grown under his leadership these past few years."
"Not to mention, that white jade ring really suits him. With his temperament, gold or silver wouldn't carry the same refined elegance as jade."
And so An Yao had her answer, no longer overthinking it the way she might have in her adolescent years.
Before she knew it, Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching.
That year, the Mid-Autumn holiday fell before National Day, with several days in between, and the statutory holidays on the calendar were also separate.
Mid-Autumn Festival fell on a Monday, conveniently connecting with the weekend for a three-day mini vacation, with no makeup workdays required.
On the Friday evening before the holiday, An Yao returned to her apartment after work and, as planned, pulled up Elder Yan's number from her contacts.
Before dialing, she deliberated over whether to proactively offer to visit him at the Yan family's old residence.
An Yao didn't enjoy lively gatherings and was naturally free-spirited and easygoing, which clashed with the Yan family's style of always having a full house of people and an abundance of rules.
Just as she was torn between politeness and following her own inclinations, her phone vibrated first.
It was actually Elder Yan calling.
An Yao took a moment to compose herself, then answered: "Hello, Grandpa Yan, I was just about to call you."
On the phone, Elder Yan's voice was full and vigorous. Perhaps thanks to good care in recent years, it carried some signs of age, but not like the typical septuagenarian in an ordinary household.
"I heard from Muzhou that you've recently returned to Beiyang and found an internship at the group?"
An Yao hadn't expected Yan Muzhou to have already mentioned her internship in Beiyang to the old man.
But thinking about it, it made sense—they were grandfather and grandson after all, and mentioning her in passing during a meeting or phone call was perfectly normal.
An Yao replied politely, "Yes, I just started this month. I've been meaning to find a chance to visit you, but it really is quite far, and I didn't want to disturb you."
"What's there to disturb about?"
Elder Yan's tone was fairly amiable, though he wasn't a gentle-natured person by nature and always spoke to younger generations with a certain sternness. "It is far—several dozen kilometers. After headquarters moved to the economic development zone, I've hardly been there myself."
Since he'd put it that way, there was no reason for her not to visit.
An Yao seized the opportunity to bring it up: "Would you be available during Mid-Autumn Festival? I'll come see you."
Elder Yan responded with a "Fine," then added, "Send your address to Uncle Wu and have him arrange for someone to pick you up."
"You really are something—just yesterday I was telling Muzhou that if you were going to intern, you should have given a heads-up so he could arrange a position for you. Same goes for your future work. Well, we'll discuss it in detail when you come the day after tomorrow."
Uncle Wu was the steward of the Yan family's old residence.
An Yao thanked him, settled on an approximate time, and said there was no need to send anyone—she would come on her own.
Returning to a familiar place after four years, An Yao couldn't help feeling a bit nervous in the two days leading up to her departure.
The years when she was taken from South City to the Yan family at sixteen were among the most despondent periods of her life.
That time was when her grandfather An Mingshan, who had raised her for many years, passed away. Before that, it was when her biological parents died one after another.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, An Yao got up early and went to the nearby mall ahead of time. From her meager savings, she withdrew a large portion to buy some gifts for Elder Yan.
The Yan family's old estate was on the outskirts of Beiyang City, sprawling over a large area like a manor. Behind the villa, there was even a horse racing field. An Yao had lived there for all three years of high school.
The subway took a full two hours, and after exiting the station, she still needed to take a taxi.
By the time she arrived at the estate gate, it was almost lunchtime.
An Yao's plan was to leave after lunch, since the return trip would take the same amount of time, and she had to work tomorrow morning.
The security at the estate's main gate and the gardener tending the front yard hadn't changed in four years—they still recognized her.
In the living room on the first floor of the villa, many members of the Yan family had gathered, both old and young.
An Yao went in first to greet everyone around. She learned that Elder Yan was upstairs, catching up with some distant relatives who had come from other provinces.
So she didn't go upstairs right away.
Staying in the living room would mean more polite small talk, and there wasn't much to say to each other anyway, so An Yao stepped outside to the courtyard.
The front yard of the Yan family's old estate had been designed by a professional, with elegant arrangements throughout.
An Yao went to the corridor on the west side. At the entrance stood a jade sculpture, crafted by her grandfather's hand.
It was autumn, and the leaves in Beiyang had all turned yellow. When the wind blew, the trees on both sides rustled softly.
She bent down to look for a moment, then walked along the winding corridor, hearing faint voices in the distance.
"I'll be fully participating in tomorrow night's meeting with the Vancouver branch. Notify them in advance—the time needs to be kept within two hours."
Recognizing it as Yan Muzhou's voice, An Yao turned around without a second thought and headed back the way she came.
"Yeah, that's it."
Just as she was about to reach the entrance, the familiar voice sounded again from behind.
"An Yao."
"…"
Since he had called her name, An Yao had no choice but to turn around.
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, pretending she had just realized he was there: "Oh, what a coincidence, you're here too?"
Yan Muzhou was a head taller than her, standing just two steps away. He wore a long dark gray overcoat, looking more casual than when he was in company meetings, but his demeanor remained aloof and cold.
In his own estate, he rarely had anyone accompanying him.
In the corridor and the surrounding area, it was just the two of them.
He looked down at her from his height, making An Yao even more uncomfortable.
She had anticipated running into Yan Muzhou at the old estate today, but she had only expected a meal—she hadn't imagined a moment alone like this.
The man's lips parted slightly, his voice still calm and measured, low and deep, carrying a mature magnetism.
"What are you hiding from? You run the moment you see me."
An Yao rubbed her chin, putting on a composed air: "No way, I didn't even see you."
What she said was true—she had only heard his voice.
Yan Muzhou showed no sign of leaving. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he spoke slowly: "You're not that old, but you sure know how to hold a grudge for a long time."
An Yao genuinely had no idea what he meant, and asked in confusion: "What grudge am I holding?"
"Though I do have quite a few grudges, I'm magnanimous." She added this almost without thinking.
In fact, An Yao was easygoing with everyone, but when it came to Yan Muzhou, it was as if some kind of cellular memory had formed—her words would instinctively come out as bickering with him.
That was probably also the reason that back then, no one in the entire Yan family, including Yan Xuexin who was relatively close to her, had ever noticed her feelings for Yan Muzhou.
"Mm."
Yan Muzhou said flatly, "So you're not holding a grudge—you've simply grown up."
An Yao saw that he really wasn't going to say anything, and she grew a bit curious herself.
Especially when it involved matters from the past—even if she had let go of those feelings, she couldn't help but want to know what Yan Muzhou had been thinking back then.
She lifted her eyes to look at him. "What grudge do you think I'm holding?"
Yan Muzhou was a man of mature conduct and style. Although he wasn't as stiff in private conversation as he was in work settings, he wouldn't play these childish games of riddles and roundabout hints with her.
After a moment, he said evenly, "When you were in your senior year of high school, I didn't agree to let you move in with me because I was very busy and often away on business trips. The apartment had no household staff arranged, so it certainly wouldn't have been as well taken care of as here. Also, you were already an adult by then—a young woman living alone with a man like me wasn't appropriate."
Hearing him bring up that matter, An Yao was momentarily stunned.
Indeed, after Yan Muzhou had refused her that time, she never proactively spoke to him again.
In Yan Muzhou's view, she was just a child throwing a tantrum because she didn't want to live alone in the old mansion—especially since Yan Xuexin had also gone abroad to study at the time.
But for An Yao, there was another reason entirely.
When Yan Muzhou had just returned from Harvard and come back to the country, Elder Yan had arranged a position at a subsidiary company for him to gain experience. It wasn't until An Yao's senior year of high school—when Yan Muzhou's father's health had deteriorated significantly and Yan Muzhou had performed exceptionally well at the subsidiary—that Elder Yan transferred him to headquarters.
When he first took over as group president, he was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. To save time, he moved into an apartment in the city where the headquarters was located, living alone.
But it was also during that period that Elder Yan arranged for him to meet a woman from an old friend's family—a match of equal social standing—for a blind date.
Not only that, Elder Yan had also spoken to An Yao, saying that once she grew up, he would introduce suitable young talents to her as well.
Probably worried that someone her age spending too much time with Yan Muzhou might gradually develop other ideas, he was hinting and warning her in that way.
An Yao had mustered every ounce of courage she had to give him that handcrafted gift on his birthday and propose moving in with him—creating one last possibility for herself.
After Yan Muzhou refused her, Elder Yan's phone call came in, reminding him of the time for his meeting with the old friend's granddaughter.
An Yao didn't know exactly when she had started liking him, but she knew clearly that the moment she resolved to stop harboring any illusions about him was that very night.
She cried through the entire night in her small room in the old mansion, realizing that whether by age, identity, family background, or status, there was no possibility whatsoever between her and Yan Muzhou.
The best way to let go of someone was to stay away and leave the rest to time.
So, after that night of heartbreak, An Yao never proactively sought him out again.
Time had passed, and recalling this matter now, she no longer felt much sadness. But in this familiar setting, those inexpressible emotions rose up faintly like film negatives from an old projector, their edges pricking very lightly at her heart.
It did not hurt or itch, yet it still felt somewhat sour.
An Yao tightly gripped the corner of her sleeve, lowering her eyes as she said, "Oh, that time in senior year. It was just a casual remark back then; I don't even remember it."
Yan Muzhou looked at her, and after a moment, let out a soft "Mm," speaking as plainly as ever: "Since you don't remember, and you haven't held a grudge, there's no need to be so distant with me."
An Yao raised her head.
Not far away, Uncle Wu was walking toward them—probably Elder Yan had finished catching up with distant relatives and was calling one of the two of them over.
Before heading toward the exit, Yan Muzhou continued, "Back then, Grandpa An entrusted you to the Yan family. The Elder instructed me to take care of you like a younger sister. That will remain the same from now on."