“I’ll get the door,” Xiao Xiu said, putting down his sandwich and running over to the entrance.
“Senior… why are you… here?” Xiao Xiu asked in surprise.
Mimi and I walked to the entrance together to check out the visitor. He was a young man in his early twenties with deep, soulful eyes and a charming smile, radiating a unique personal magnetism.
Xiao Xiu hurriedly introduced him to us. “Sis, Sister Yan, this is Chen Xingyu. He’s my friend and also a senior at YHM Company.” He then turned to Chen Xingyu and introduced, “This is my older sister, Xi Yumi, and this is Yan Moyi.”
Chen Xingyu nodded politely and greeted us. For some reason, a chilling look seemed to flash through his eyes.
“But… Senior, why did you come here?” Seeing who was standing before him, Xiao Xiu asked with a face full of panic.
Chen Xingyu stared at Xiao Xiu in silence, simply reaching out to point at his own phone. Then, he flatly stated, “Check WeChat,” before turning around to leave.
Taken aback at first, Xiao Xiu suddenly seemed to remember something, slapped his forehead, and cried out in sudden realization, “Ah! I was drunk last night and my phone died, so I didn’t see the message…”
As he spoke, he awkwardly scratched his head, a mix of shyness and apology showing on his face. He quickly took a few steps forward and said, “Senior, come… come inside and sit down.”
Chen Xingyu waved a hand. “No need, I have things to do.” With that, he left without even looking back.
Somewhat dejected, Xiao Xiu closed the door and slumped straight down onto the soft sofa, his head drooping listlessly like a deflated balloon.
Mimi teased, “Well, well, who is this that’s got our Xiao Xiu so completely lovestruck?”
Xiao Xiu shot her a sideways glance. “Sis, stop making fun of me.”
Taking in the situation, I experienced a sudden flash of insight. “So that’s how it is! The person Xiao Xiu likes at YHM…”
Before I could finish, Xiao Xiu’s face turned instantly crimson. Cutting me off, he protested, “Sister Yan, you’re making fun of me too!” With that, he bolted straight into his bedroom like an ostrich running from trouble.
Before long, Xiao Xiu came rushing out of the bedroom, holding his phone high in triumph as he shouted excitedly, “I got hired by YHM! Senior already sent me a WeChat message about it last night!”
“Congratulations, Xiao Xiu! You finally got your wish,” I said with a smile, happy to see him so thrilled.
“Awesome! I’m going to invite Senior Xingyu out to dinner! And my sisters too we’ll all go together!” Xiao Xiu declared excitedly.
As he spoke, he opened WeChat, rapidly tapped out a few lines, and hit send.
Accompanied by a crisp notification sound, a striking red exclamation point glared right back from the screen!
“Sis! Senior blocked me!” Xiao Xiu completely lost control of his emotions, screaming at the top of his lungs with a voice full of despair and helplessness.
Unable to accept reality, Xiao Xiu dialed Chen Xingyu’s phone number.
“Hello,” came the impatient voice through the phone.
“Senior, I was just drunk yesterday, I… Senior, please don’t block me,” Xiao Xiu pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes from anxiety.
Beep… beep… beep… The busy tone chimed from the other end.
Watching him, then glancing over at Mimi who was spectating with amusement, I couldn’t help thinking: Why are both of these siblings such little crybabies?
Mimi snatched the phone right out of Xiao Xiu’s hand. “I’ll talk to him.” She pulled out her own phone, dialed Chen Xingyu’s number, and walked over to the window to chat.
A moment later, Mimi returned to the living room, casually tossed the phone back onto the sofa beside Xiao Xiu, and told him, “All settled. Tonight at 6:00 PM, Portman Restaurant, the four of us.”
Hearing this news, Xiao Xiu who had been plunged in utter despair just moments before instantly beamed with joy. Looking at Mimi with admiration, he praised, “As expected of my sister!”
Mimi gently tapped Xiao Xiu on the head, scolding him with a hint of affectionate reproach, “You blockhead. You were so clumsy! Make sure you explain things properly tonight, and don’t blow your chance this time.”
“Got it!” Xiao Xiu grabbed his phone and darted back into his bedroom in a flash to get ready.
Left alone in the living room with Mimi, I smiled and remarked, “Looks like we’re going to be third wheels tonight.”
Mimi looked up at me and shook her head helplessly. “Sigh, as an older sister, I’m worrying myself to death over his love life.”
Mimi took my hand and led me toward the bedroom. “Sister, let me show you your old room.”
“Look, Sister, this bedroom is just like it used to be, not a single thing has changed,” Mimi said excitedly upon entering. “Sister, you’ll be moving back here very soon.”
“Thank you, Mimi, for always keeping this room for me.” I looked around the room carefully, gazing at her with gratitude.
“Sister, would you reconsider letting me help you commute to work?” Mimi asked coquettishly.
“I’m living right here now, and it’s only a five-minute walk to work, so you don’t need to tag along, be a good girl,” I said, gently patting her head to comfort her.
“But… but…” Mimi wanted to argue further, but couldn’t find a reason.
“It’s fine, Mimi,” I said with a smile. “Sister promises you: no overtime, and I’ll come home early every day to keep you company. How’s that?”
After thinking about it for a second, Mimi nodded in agreement.
“Sister, let’s take a rest for a bit.” Mimi pulled me over to the edge of the bed and we sat down together. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm glow across the floor, making everything feel so cozy.
Sitting side by side with Mimi, memories rushed into my mind like a rising tide, replaying past scenes like a continuous movie reel.
At first, everything that surfaced was warm and beautiful.
I saw myself and Mimi making the bed together, each holding tight to opposite corners of the sheets to smooth them out neatly.
I saw myself mopping the bedroom floor while Mimi laughed and goofed off behind me.
I saw us sitting side by side at the study desk, I was reading a book while she stared anxiously at the computer screen with a furrowed brow.
Suddenly, however, the train of thought shifted, and the imagery changed into something far less pleasant.
I saw a heart-wrenching sight: myself curled up all alone in a dark corner, weeping silently amidst a clutter of empty wine bottles.
Following closely after came another vision that pierced my heart deeply me shouting angrily at Mimi, while Mimi hugged me tightly with tears streaming down her face, only to be ruthlessly shoved away in the end.
These unbearable past memories flooded my mind, causing me to vigorously shake my head in an attempt to drive them out.
“Sister, what are you thinking about?” Mimi’s voice broke my train of thought.
I turned to look at her and replied, “It’s nothing. Just felt like I remembered some things from the past.”
“Let bygones be bygones, Sister,” Mimi said softly.
I smiled and nodded, feeling a small sense of comfort in my heart.
At that moment, Mimi stood up, walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight instantly flooded the entire room, illuminating every corner.
“Sister, look how warm the sunshine is outside,” Mimi turned to tell me. “Just like our lives even if there has been darkness, there will always be a time of light.”
I slowly walked over to Mimi, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her, and soaked in the golden warmth together.
Mimi tilted her head up slightly to bathe in the sunlight. The corners of her mouth curved upward into an exceptionally radiant smile. Gazing at her beaming face, I couldn’t help but be captivated, a matching brilliant smile naturally blooming across my own face.
Easter Egg
(YHM Company Pantry)
Chen Xingyu was fiddling with his phone by the coffee machine when lead interviewer Sister Wang walked in. He quickly put his phone down, grabbed a coffee capsule, and dropped it into the machine.
“Sister Wang, how did the interview candidates turn out today?” Chen Xingyu asked while brewing the coffee.
“There was one guy named Xi Yuxiu who left a deep impression on me,” Sister Wang recalled as she started making her own coffee. “He knew a lot about our company and clearly did his homework. Oh right, he even mentioned he was an alpha-tester player of Rolling Pendulum.” She nodded affirmatively.
“Then let’s put him on our team. Since he’s an alpha-tester, we can skip the trial phase.” With that, Chen Xingyu handed a freshly brewed cup of coffee to Sister Wang. “Sis, have this one. Mine is ready.”
Sister Wang accepted the coffee and nodded with satisfaction. “It’s rare for Section Chief Chen to brew coffee for me.” As she turned and walked toward the door, she paused after a couple of steps and looked back at Chen Xingyu. “It’s also rare for you to actively ask me for personnel.”