Wen Yunsheng was so startled that she quickly lowered the speakerphone volume on her phone.
Then she cautiously glanced around—the bathroom was tightly closed, and it was the bathroom in her own room. What was she worried about?
“Hello? Hello? Shengsheng, are you listening to me?”
Lin Xi’s loud, unrestrained voice was still shouting.
Wen Yunsheng pressed the phone to her ear and whispered, “I heard you.”
“Look at you, sneaking around like a scaredy-cat! You’re the one who dumped him—can’t you be a bit more confident?”
Wen Yunsheng: “…”
Wen Yunsheng’s voice grew even softer: “Can you please stop talking about it?”
“Alright, alright, I know you’re timid. I won’t mention it anymore, okay? Where is he?”
Wen Yunsheng naturally knew who “he” referred to.
“He went back to the company after dinner. He’s not staying at home.”
“Oh, I figured as much. Your brother, that workaholic—ever since he joined the company, his methods have been so ruthless and intimidating that many of his admirers have backed off because of it.”
Wen Yunsheng recalled his cold, distant expression from earlier in the day and swallowed nervously. He was indeed a bit frightening.
“I heard from Aunt Jin that he hardly ever stays at home anymore. He only comes back when there’s something to attend to, so you can stay at home without any worries.”
Wen Yunsheng nodded: “Mm, I’ll stay for now. Once I’ve found a job and sorted out a place to live, I’ll bring up moving out.”
She hadn’t been back for four years, so she really should spend some time with her uncle and aunt.
“I told you it wasn’t a big deal. You’re just worrying too much. Just stay there peacefully!”
“Mm.”
Lin Xi started chattering about other things again, probably because she still wasn’t used to Wen Yunsheng being back in the country. Their phone calls usually lasted at least an hour.
Wen Yunsheng turned the speakerphone back on, dried herself with a towel, and put on her nightgown.
“So, shall we meet up tomorrow?” Lin Xi asked.
Wen Yunsheng opened the bathroom door, thinking: “Not tomorrow. I have an interview tomorrow.”
“So soon? Are you short on money? Why are you in such a hurry to find a job?”
“I just returned to the country, so I need to get a feel for the domestic job market. I don’t want to waste too much time.”
More importantly, she wanted to become independent as soon as possible.
She didn’t want the Qin family to keep providing for her anymore.
Wen Yunsheng thought for a moment: “How about I call you after my interview tomorrow, and we can have a meal together?”
“That works too.”
As Wen Yunsheng talked on the phone, she felt her mouth getting a bit dry.
She looked around the room and saw that her water glass was empty. Holding the glass in one hand and the phone in the other, she opened the door again.
The speakerphone was still on: “So, which company are you interviewing with tomorrow?”
“Huiteng, but their requirements are high. I’m not too confident.”
Wen Yunsheng walked out of the room, turned off the speakerphone, and pressed the phone to her ear: “I’ll give it a try first. Jobs aren’t easy to come by these days.”
“Just give it a shot! No big deal. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll take care of you.”
Wen Yunsheng grinned: “Then I feel reassured.”
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she looked up with a smile and suddenly met a pair of cold, indifferent eyes. Her smile froze on her face.
She hurriedly hung up the phone and greeted softly: “Brother Yanchuan, why are you back?”
Qin Yanchuan was still wearing the same suit from earlier in the day—cold, aloof, and unapproachable. The crystal chandelier above the spiral staircase cast light on his sharply defined, handsome face, adding a touch of false gentleness compared to the daytime.His gaze swept over her without a trace, taking in her cotton nightgown, her long hair tied up in a bun on top of her head, stray strands dampened by steam clinging to her cheeks, and her makeup-free face glowing with a healthy flush.
His voice was indifferent. “This is my home.”
Wen Yunsheng: “…Oh.”
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
The last time they had met was four years ago, and they had parted on very unpleasant terms.
Wen Yunsheng had an ostrich mentality and had never been good at handling complicated relationships. She couldn’t pretend as if nothing had happened with the ease Lin Xi had suggested.
But Qin Yanchuan seemed capable of it.
Qin Yanchuan took the last step onto the landing, walked past her, reached the end of the corridor, opened his door, and went inside.
Only after the sound of the door closing did Wen Yunsheng snap back to reality.
He really didn’t like her now.
Wen Yunsheng felt her throat grow even drier. She hurried downstairs, poured herself a glass of lemon water, and drank it.
To avoid running into him again if she went back downstairs, she decided to fill her cup to the brim and grab a bottle of milk to take to her room.
Just as she was rummaging through the fridge, she heard familiar footsteps descending the stairs again.
A servant’s voice came from the living room. “Will the young master not be staying at home tonight?”
“No.”
Wen Yunsheng glanced out the window and saw a black Bentley driving smoothly away into the night.
Aunt Zhao walked into the kitchen and, seeing Wen Yunsheng, asked, “Are you hungry, Second Miss? I can make you a midnight snack.”
Wen Yunsheng quickly averted her gaze. “No, I’m just getting some water.”
Noticing Wen Yunsheng’s glance, Aunt Zhao said, “Oh, the young master just came back. I thought he was staying, so I was about to ask if he wanted a snack, but it turns out he only came to pick up some documents.”
“Mhm.” Wen Yunsheng nodded and went upstairs with her water cup.
So he had only come back to get something.
The next morning at nine, Wen Yunsheng got up, ready to go for her interview.
She wore a pearl-white blouse paired with a black A-line midi skirt—a simple, fail-safe outfit. Her slightly wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, and with light makeup, she looked much more professional.
Wen Yunsheng casually picked up a small white chain-strap bag and went downstairs.
Aunt Jin had already prepared breakfast for her.
“It’s the wontons you love. I got up early this morning to make them fresh.”
Wen Yunsheng smiled and sat down at the dining table. “I was just craving Aunt Jin’s wontons.”
“Eat as much as you like if you enjoy them,” Qin Mingqian said with a smile.
Qin Cisui took a big bite and mumbled, “Did my brother come back last night?”
“He just came to pick something up and left again. He’s busy with company matters.”
Qin Cisui pouted. “Always so busy.”
Wen Yunsheng kept her head down, eating her wontons, and didn’t join the conversation.
At the table, they offered many more reminders, most of which were things they had already said yesterday. Wen Yunsheng knew they were concerned about her, so she listened attentively and nodded in agreement.
“Don’t rush if you can’t find a good job right away. Your uncle can arrange something for you. Don’t get tricked into joining some shady company.”
Wen Yunsheng nodded again. “Yes, I know, Aunt Jin.”
Qin Cisui, however, grew impatient. “Mom, you’ve said that three times already. My ears are getting calluses.”
Aunt Jin shot him a glare. “I wasn’t talking to you! Hurry up and finish your food so you can go to school. You’re going to be late again!”
Qin Cisui made a funny face at Wen Yunsheng, then quickly shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth and dashed off.
Wen Yunsheng ate slowly. Her interview was scheduled for a relatively early time, but she wasn’t in a hurry.After slowly finishing the meal with her uncle and aunt, she finally stood up: “Uncle, Aunt Jin, I should get going now.”
“I’ll have the driver take you. Come back early.”
“Alright.”
Aunt Jin watched Wen Yunsheng’s departing figure with a touch of emotion: “Daughters are always more considerate.”
As one grows older, it’s hard to avoid a bit of nagging. With two sons at home, neither had the patience to listen to their long-winded chatter.
Only Wen Yunsheng, ever since she was little, had been both obedient and sensible. No matter what they said, she listened attentively, never brushing them off.
But Qin Mingqian remarked, “Not every daughter from other families is considerate. The Lin family’s girl gives her parents quite a headache too.”
Aunt Jin’s eyes shone with a hint of pride: “That’s true, our Shengsheng is so sensible.”
Wen Yunsheng took the family car to the building where Huiteng was located, then leaned in to instruct the driver to head back first.
“Shouldn’t I wait for you, Second Miss?”
“No need. I’ve made plans to have dinner with a friend. I’ll take a taxi back myself after I’m done.”
“Alright then. Second Miss, if you need anything, just give me a call anytime.”
Only then did the driver drive away.
Wen Yunsheng turned around, glanced up at the office building before her, and stepped inside.
This was an advertising company. Wen Yunsheng had studied advertising design in university and had been applying to companies in this field.
After registering at the front desk, she was led to the ninth floor and sat in the waiting room, waiting for HR to call her in for the interview. There was one other person waiting in line with her.
The girl sitting next to her sighed in disappointment: “Sigh, no luck this time either.”
Wen Yunsheng was a bit surprised: “Have you already interviewed?”
“Not yet, but I just saw the guy ahead of me go in for his interview. He was brought in personally by Huiteng’s deputy general manager.”
Wen Yunsheng paused, the unspoken implications hanging heavily in the air.
Today was the final day for interviews at Huiteng’s creative department. The earlier batches had already been interviewed, and only one spot remained.
They were likely just going through the motions.
Soon, Wen Yunsheng was called in for her interview. She still gave it her all. She held a master’s degree in advertising design from St. Dingburg, had internship experience in the UK, and had produced several advertising works. She did everything she could to stand out.
The HR manager flipped through her impressively detailed resume, eyes lighting up briefly before glancing at the director beside them.
The director remained silent.
The HR manager closed her resume: “Thank you, Miss Wen. We’ve noted your qualifications. We’ll notify you via email once we have results.”
Wen Yunsheng stood up: “Thank you.”
Then she opened the door and walked out.
Just as she turned a corner, she heard voices coming from the elevator lobby.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged everything for you. Just come in next week to complete the onboarding. Make sure to perform well and don’t embarrass me.”
The young man replied happily, “Thank you, Uncle.”
Wen Yunsheng waited half a minute before walking out and joining them in the elevator lobby.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened.
Wen Yunsheng was caught off guard by the sight of a familiar, handsome face.
Qin Yanchuan stood in the center of the group, one hand in his pocket, impeccably dressed in a suit just like the day before. His gaze was casually lowered, but as the elevator doors opened, he lifted his eyes. His dark, weary eyes met hers, calm and unreadable.
Wen Yunsheng’s grip on her bag’s chain tightened suddenly.
“President Qin!” The middle-aged man standing beside Wen Yunsheng quickly stepped forward, bending slightly to extend his hand. “What brings you here?”
Qin Yanchuan gave a brief, perfunctory handshake: “Just checking on the project’s progress.””President Qin, you’re too thoughtful to come in person. The project proposal is ready, and I was just about to send it to you.”
Qin Yanchuan’s gaze swept over Wen Yunsheng once more.
Wen Yunsheng opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment about whether to greet him.
In the brief silence, the perceptive vice president of Huiteng quickly asked, “Miss Wen, do you know President Qin?”
Meeting Qin Yanchuan’s indifferent gaze, Wen Yunsheng steeled herself and said, “No, I don’t.”