The dream shifted once again.
Now an adult, he strolled down a tree-lined avenue blanketed with blooming flowers.
Not far away, the still somewhat youthful-looking Ran Yuan sat on a bench, her smile radiant as she gently stroked the large cat in her arms.
Kittens swarmed around her—some devouring canned cat food ravenously, others basking in the sun with their bellies exposed, and a few crouched on the ground, gnawing with bared teeth at the yellowed shoelaces of her little white sneakers.
Warm sunlight bathed her, her face as pure as an angel’s, a picture of serene tranquility.
As if struck by something, Li Yan gazed quietly and obsessively at the beautiful scene before him, his heart yearning.
“Ah Yan.”
In the dream, Ran Yuan seemed to sense his gaze. She looked up, a sweet smile gracing her lips, and rose to run toward him.
Li Yan hesitantly reached out, longing for yet afraid of her embrace.
But the expected warmth and softness never came. The scene shifted abruptly again, Ran Yuan’s face twisting into something distorted and ferocious. She pushed him away with all her might, screaming hoarsely, “Get away, you filthy thing! Don’t touch me, you disgust me…”
“Gah!”
Li Yan jolted upright in bed, his terrified eyes scanning the empty room, his body drenched in cold sweat.
The overly vivid dream left him weak and drained, and he collapsed back onto the large bed.
Even lifting a hand felt exhausting. He touched his forehead.
He had a slight fever.
But today’s schedule was crucial; he had to attend.
After showering, Li Yan ignored the red, slightly swollen wounds on his body and dressed mechanically, like a walking corpse.
Stepping outside, all his timidity and insecurity were concealed once more. He had transformed back into the aloof, flawless ‘President Li,’ revered like a deity.
“Good morning, Ah Yan.”
In the dining room, Ran Yuan greeted him with a sweet smile.
“Good morning.”
Involuntarily, Li Yan returned a faint smile, his unsettled heart soothed by her bright, carefree expression.
Rose, entering just then, witnessed the two exchanging lingering glances.
She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Was she becoming the seasoning that spiced up their romance?
“Good morning, Xiao Man.”
Behind her, Chi Jin’s gentle voice sounded.
“Uncle Chi.”
Rose smiled and greeted him, walking into the dining room together.
“Morning, Secretary Ran, President Li.”
She initiated the greeting.
Ran Yuan smiled somewhat awkwardly. “Morning, Miss Jiang.”
Li Yan’s smile faded as he ignored Rose’s greeting, instead speaking softly to Ran Yuan beside him, “Go sit down. I’ll get your breakfast.”
He then headed to the buffet counter to fetch her favorite foods.
“No princess sickness, but she sure has a princess’s luck,” Rose remarked with a sarcastic laugh.
Ran Yuan gave an embarrassed smile but offered no explanation—a tacit boast and acknowledgment, subtly affirming her relationship with Li Yan.
“Uncle Chi, you go sit too. Let this workhorse serve you so you can enjoy a prince’s treatment for once.”
Rose playfully tugged Chi Jin toward a seat.
Chi Jin felt a bit helpless. Had he inadvertently become a pawn in these youngsters’ rivalry?
“Don’t refuse me, please…”
She didn’t give him a chance to decline, quickly clasping her hands in pleading.
“Go ahead, but don’t take too much. It’d be a waste.”
Chi Jin smiled helplessly and relented, ultimately afraid to see the disappointed and sad expression on her face.
The latter beamed with joy, exclaimed “got it,” and scampered cheerfully toward the buffet counter.
Ran Yuan watched her run toward Li Yan, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides before gradually relaxing.
“If you’re worried, go check on them.”
Chi Jin, observing this, calmly reminded her.
She shook her head gracefully, her tone resolute: “No need, I trust Ah Yan.”
What is hers will always remain hers—no one else could ever take it away.
She understood better than anyone that Li Yan would never develop feelings for Jiang Xiaoman, so why bother staging a jealous scene for others to mock?
“It seems I’ll soon be attending a wedding banquet.”
Chi Jin raised an eyebrow teasingly.
“Remember to prepare a generous red envelope.”
Ran Yuan smiled brightly without denying it.
“President Li, you haven’t forgotten yesterday’s agreement, have you?”
Rose arched her brow as she looked at Li Yan’s impassive expression.
“When did you have in mind?”
He didn’t evade the question, responding indifferently.
“Let’s set it for the last day of your itinerary.”
Rose pondered briefly before speaking.
“Agreed.”
Li Yan’s aloof demeanor provoked a flash of irritation in Rose, but then her eyes shifted cunningly, revealing a fox-like smile: “Since you’ve agreed, don’t even think about going back on your word.”
What scheme is this woman plotting now?
No matter—he had no intention of dealing with her personally anyway.
Li Yan paid her no further mind, carrying his plate toward Ran Yuan. The tender, affectionate expression he wore was starkly different from the coldness he’d shown Jiang Xiaoman.
Rose didn’t cause further trouble, and the breakfast proceeded relatively harmoniously.
After the meal, the entire delegation boarded dedicated vehicles heading to the airport.
Upon arrival, Li Xue and key figures from Vietnam were already waiting. The two parties shook hands warmly under media coverage.
Upon Li Xue’s recommendation, Rose served as the translator for the Vietnamese side.
The Chinese translator was Ran Yuan, who was fluent in twelve languages.
She embodied the determined, self-made heroine—lacking privileged background but exceptionally intelligent and hardworking.
Chi Jin, young and promising, had strong potential to become China’s top leader if he maintained his current trajectory.
Those aligned with him would surely rise to great heights!
The Lambasa Canal originated in Vietnam and flowed downstream to China. Once the trade port was constructed, it would significantly reduce trade costs between the nations, serving as a crucial component in China’s revived “Silk Road” initiative.
Being a border region, the chartered flight from Vietnam’s capital took two and a half hours to reach the area.
The location was relatively remote, underdeveloped, and not fully developed yet.
The delegation stayed at a newly built but not yet officially opened resort developed by Li Xue.
The canal inspection was scheduled for the afternoon, so the group lunched at the resort first.
Due to a mild fever, Li Yan ate very little. After lunch, he rested until 2:30 PM before the group would visit the port for inspection and evaluation.
Shortly after lying down in his room, the doorbell rang.
“Sir, your fever medication and congee.”
Li Yan was taken aback—he hadn’t told anyone about feeling unwell. How did the staff know to bring medicine?
The only person he could think of was Ran Yuan.
“Thank you.”
He accepted the medicine gratefully. Entering his room, he drank the plain congee with appreciation before taking the fever reducer.
Before going to bed, he dialed Li Yuan’s number.
“What do you want?”
Li Yuan’s tone wasn’t particularly friendly, suggesting the relationship between the two brothers wasn’t very good.
“I have an unavoidable appointment the day after tomorrow. Pretend to be me and deal with it casually. If the other party has ulterior motives, handle it as you see fit.”
Li Yan said indifferently, not in a requesting tone but rather a commanding one.
As twins, the two brothers looked almost identical, but having been separated since childhood, their relationship couldn’t be considered close.
Their way of interacting resembled that of superior and subordinate more than brotherly affection.
The kind of twin identity swaps seen in novels or comics, where they play tricks on people, had never occurred between them.
This was the first time Li Yan had made such a request for Li Yuan to impersonate him!
It was just a social engagement, yet he couldn’t even be bothered to deal with it himself, which made Li Yuan extremely curious about the other party’s identity.