After finishing breakfast that morning, I planned to open my computer and continue reviewing previous documents. Suddenly, Mimi rushed in excitedly, waving her phone and calling out, “Jiejie! Xiuxiu said he passed the first round of interviews at YHM Corporation and received a call for this afternoon’s second round!”
“Congratulations! Do your best on the second round,” I said into the phone.
Mimi switched her phone to speaker mode.
“Yan-jie, thank you for helping me translate last time. After the second round finishes this afternoon, I’d like to invite you and my sister out for a meal,” Xi Yuxiu said over the phone.
I turned to look at Mimi beside me. She nodded slightly, her eyes looking at me tenderly as if encouraging me to make the decision myself.
To prepare for next week’s work, I had been planning to go out and look around anyway, so I readily agreed.
“No problem, see you this afternoon then,” I replied.
After hanging up, Mimi and I decided to stroll around the mall first before heading to YHM Corporation to meet up with Xiu.
I quickly applied a light, elegant makeup looks and opened the wardrobe to carefully select a suitable outfit. I chose a pair of straight-leg dress trousers and a blue three-quarter-sleeve shirt, the length of which was just enough to cover the scars on my body.
Next, I skillfully coiled my hair into a low bun at the back of my head, and I was ready to go out.
Stepping into Mimi’s room after lightly knocking and entering, the sight before me left me in utter astonishment: neatly arranged across Mimi’s bed was an entire row of magnificent Hanfu, and she was intently picking and choosing among them.
Seeing me walk in, she acted as though she had grabbed onto a straw to clutch at, asking eagerly, “Jiejie, come help me see, which set will look best on me?”
Looking at those colorful rows of Hanfu in various styles, I couldn’t help wondering to myself: she had only been here for a little over a week, so when on earth did she move her entire “home” over?
Faced with Mimi’s gaze full of anticipation, I smiled and replied, “Mimi, whichever one you wear will look good.” I looked at her and said this sincerely.
“Aish, Jiejie! This is the first time since your injury that you’re going shopping with me, so I want to look pretty!” she whined coquettishly, clinging tightly to me like a little kitten and refusing to let go.
I couldn’t help laughing, and pointed to the blue-toned Hanfu placed by the bedside: “How about this one? It looks very much like the one you wore when I first saw you in the hospital.”
Hearing me say this, Mimi immediately caught on. She rushed right over, picked up the outfit, and examined it closely. After a moment, she nodded with satisfaction and said, “Mm, this is the one! Not only does it look great, but it matches the blue shirt Jiejie is wearing today perfectly!”
Once everything was ready, we happily headed out. Along the way, Mimi, dressed in her blue Hanfu, was like a stunning scenery line that successfully captured the admiring gazes of numerous passersby.
We happily walked out of the mall carrying large and small bags. These were carefully selected by Mimi and me, and we loved every single item.
Following that, when the appointed time arrived, Mimi drove me to YHM Corporation to quietly wait for Xi Yuxiu to finish his interview.
After a little while, Mimi gently tapped my shoulder and pointed in a certain direction to signal: “Look, that’s Xiu!” Following the direction of her finger, sure enough, I saw a young man walking slowly toward the entrance.
He was dressed in a well-fitted Western suit, with a handsome and dashing face especially his high-bridged nose and slightly upturned corners of the mouth, which added an extra touch of charm. Seen from afar, he and Mimi looked extremely similar, as if they had been cast from the very same mold.
When Xi Yuxiu saw us, his eyes lit up. He immediately quickened his pace, waved his arms excitedly, and shouted loudly, “Jie! Yan-jie!”
I couldn’t help smiling faintly and waved back at him in gentle response.
“You brat, you actually look pretty sharp wearing that suit,” Mimi said with a smile from the side.
Hearing this, a trace of shy redness swept across Xi Yuxiu’s face as he scratched the back of his head. “Jie, stop teasing me. Wearing clothes like this is really uncomfortable; it feels like my whole body is tied up. If it weren’t for the interview, I wouldn’t wear it at all. I’ve booked a table at Qianxi Japanese Restaurant, so let’s eat and talk while we’re there.”
“Yan-jie, thank you so much for the translation last time. Thanks to those materials, I felt like I performed really well in today’s second round!” Xiu said excitedly.
“That’s wonderful. I hope you pass the interview successfully so you can pursue the girl you like…” I said.
“Ah, Jiejie, try this, this is really delicious!” Mimi interrupted my speech, picking up a piece of salmon sashimi and feeding it right into my mouth.
“Yan-jie, what did you just say?” Xiu asked me.
“Oh, nothing,” I thought to myself while chewing the salmon in my mouth. Who knows, maybe this girl was just pulling my leg again, so I’d better not ask. “I meant to say that this way you can properly chase after your dream.”
“Mm, Yan-jie, I hope to create a great game that lets more people experience the joy of gaming,” Xiu said suddenly, using an unusually serious tone.
I looked at Xi Yuxiu, my eyes filled with praise. “Xiu, your idea is great. As long as you work hard to chase your dream, you’re bound to succeed.” Having said that, I turned my gaze back toward Mimi. “Just like your sister; as long as she persists in doing what she loves, she’ll definitely achieve her dream too.”
“Yan-jie, thank you for encouraging me,” Xiu looked at me and said with emotion.
“You brat, did your sister here not encourage and support you on ordinary days? Your sister even let you live in her house rent-free!” Mimi quickly cut in, deliberately putting on an annoyed act.
“Jie~ You are truly amazing! Who could ever ask for a better sister than you? Your care and affection for me are simply meticulous! I will firmly engrave this kindness in my heart and never forget it for the rest of my life!” Xiu immediately launched into lavish flattery, then raised his wine glass without hesitation and drained it in a single gulp.
“Alright! My good brother, your sister didn’t dote on you in vain.” Mimi also picked up her glass and downed it in one go.
Sitting to the side, I witnessed this scene and was left utterly dumbfounded.
Watching the two of them down cup after cup, I worriedly hurried to dissuade them, “You two take it easy, don’t drink too much!”
However, only a short while later, Mimi’s face began to flush red, and her speech became somewhat slurred it was clear she was already getting tipsy.
“Jiejie, it’s so good that you woke up…”
“Jiejie, I’m going to design lots and lots of Hanfu for you to wear…”
“Jiejie, my bank card password is my birthday…”
“Jiejie, my name isn’t Xu Mi; it’s Xi Yumi…”
“Jiejie…”
Under the influence of alcohol, Mimi’s gaze gradually grew hazy. At that moment, she suddenly stood up straight, as if gathering all her courage, and shouted loudly: “I like you!”
As soon as those words fell, her body seemed drained of all strength. She sat back down limply, slumped completely over the table, and fell fast asleep shortly after.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, both Xiu and I froze, staring at each other in blank dismay for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation.
After a good while, I finally regained my wits. With a face full of awkwardness and confusion, I turned to Xiu and asked, “Xiu, does Mimi always get like this whenever she drinks too much?” My tone was full of helplessness.
Xiu looked equally bewildered, shaking his head as he replied, “I rarely drink with my sister either. I really didn’t expect her alcohol tolerance to be this terrible.” With that, he looked helplessly at Mimi, who was soundly asleep on the table.
“Mimi~ Mimi~” I called out softly while gently shaking Mimi’s shoulder, hoping to wake her up from her slumber.
Yet she remained entirely unresponsive, just lying flat against the table while her mouth continued to murmur endlessly: “I like you… I like you…”
Looking at the scene before me, a wave of doubt welled up in my heart. Could this little one have someone she likes? She had never mentioned it before.
Glancing at the sleeping Mimi, I turned my gaze toward Xiu at my side, sending him a silent signal for help.
Xiu frowned and suggested, “Yan-jie, how about we both stay at my sister’s place? It’s not far anyway, and there’s an elevator, making it easier to carry her inside.”
“Mm, I suppose that’s the only way,” I nodded helplessly.
Easter Egg
(YHM Interview Room)
“Why do you want to work at our company?” the interviewer asked.
“Your company is the largest gaming company in the country, and in 2018 you won. I feel that both your company’s development philosophy and gaming style are precisely what I love. I’m a launch player of Round Pendulum, a game developed by your company, and I’ve been playing it for three years, holding very deep feelings for it… Therefore, I am extremely eager to join the big family of YHM.” Xi Yuxiu sat upright in his suit facing the three interviewers, answering with firm conviction.
The lead interviewer nodded, revealing a gratified smile.