Stepping out of the agent’s office, Bai Jinge ran straight into Chu Tinglan, a newly signed artist at Yehua and an eighteen-year-old adorable Omega with a cute, girlish vibe.
The two had only crossed paths once before and were hardly acquainted. However, Chu Tinglan was naturally outgoing; recognizing a senior colleague, she enthusiastically stepped forward to greet Bai Jinge and even insisted on treating her to coffee.
Bai Jinge was not particularly talkative and found it difficult to turn down such earnest enthusiasm, so she agreed and accompanied her to the second-floor cafe.
After half an hour of awkward small talk, Chu Tinglan was summoned away by a phone call, finally allowing Bai Jinge to breathe a sigh of relief. Click-clacking in her high heels, she left the cafe and headed straight for the opposite elevator lobby, intending to ride down to the ground floor.
Because there was an imported candy shop right beside the company building, and Bai Nuonuo’s absolute favorite treats were the marshmallows sold there, Bai Jinge decided against heading straight down to the underground parking garage. Instead, she planned to pick up some marshmallows first and circle back afterward.
Since it was currently working hours, no other employees were using the elevators to reach the ground floor, leaving Bai Jinge entirely alone inside the car.
Ding,
A few seconds later, the tightly sealed elevator doors slid open before her, and Bai Jinge stepped out.
At that exact moment, the elevator directly opposite her also chimed open, it was the president’s private elevator.
Involuntarily, Bai Jinge froze in her tracks and looked toward the sound. Two women emerged from the elevator, both of whom she recognized.
Ye Yunwan was dressed in a dark green slim-fit pantsuit, her tall, slender frame boasting a pair of endless legs. Her shoulder-length dark hair hung loose, complemented by subtle, elegant makeup.
Her cold, sharp phoenix eyes stared unblinkingly at Bai Jinge. A step behind her stood Secretary Zhao, carrying a black briefcase.
Even though Bai Jinge was wearing sunglasses, Ye Yunwan had recognized her instantly.
Although an unpleasant little incident had occurred just last night, Ye Yunwan was, after all, her boss. Pausing briefly, Bai Jinge raised a hand to push her sunglasses up onto the bridge of her nose and managed a professional, polite smile.
Good afternoon, President Ye, Bai Jinge greeted politely.
Ye Yunwan did not reply immediately. Instead, she quietly looked Bai Jinge up and down before asking slowly, Where are you heading?
I’m planning to pick up some candy at the nearby shop, Bai Jinge answered.
The Pocket Candy Shop?
There was only one candy store in the immediate vicinity, and Ye Yunwan had a vague impression of it. Though she had never been inside, she had driven past it before.
Yes, that’s the one.
We’ll go together.
With that single statement, Ye Yunwan strode forward a few paces. Noticing that the person behind her had not followed, she halted and turned her head to look at Bai Jinge, who was standing frozen in place.
Let’s go, Ye Yunwan prompted.
Alright, Bai Jinge murmured.
With Secretary Zhao watching, Bai Jinge couldn’t refuse the proposal and reluctantly followed behind the executive. They maintained a distance of over a meter between them; from a passerby’s perspective, the two looked like absolute strangers.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qinchun tactfully kept her distance.
The moment they stepped into the candy store, a female Omega clerk greeted them enthusiastically with a sweet voice, Welcome!
Teacher Bai, you’re here! It’s been so long since your last visit. What kind of candy would you like today? We’ve just received a lot of new arrivals.
Because the shop was located right next to a major domestic entertainment agency, celebrity patrons were a common sight, so the staff didn’t bat an eye at seeing a star.
Thank you, I’m just browsing, Bai Jinge said politely through her sunglasses to the clerk.
Of course. Let me know if you need anything, the clerk replied, gently handing a delicate pink-and-blue mini basket to Bai Jinge with both hands.
Thank you, Bai Jinge nodded slightly, taking the basket.
Withdrawing her hands, the clerk subconsciously glanced toward Ye Yunwan, opening her mouth to speak, but Ye Yunwan spoke first.
We’re together.
The clerk blinked in surprise before bowing slightly. Enjoy your shopping.
As she discreetly retreated to the side, a male Beta coworker walked up, nudged her arm with his elbow, and whispered, Was that Bai Jinge?
Narrowing her eyes, the female clerk gazed infatuatedly at Bai Jinge’s retreating back and answered offhandedly, Yep, that’s her.
Who’s that woman with her? the male coworker continued. Probably not a celebrity, but she looks even prettier than one.
Shaking her head, the female clerk kept her eyes glued to Bai Jinge. Never seen her before.
The candy store was spacious, with a ceiling height of at least three meters.
Transparent containers lined the shelves, filled with imported sweets from all over the world, transforming the space into a colorful dreamland. A sweet candy aroma permeated the air, instantly lifting the customers’ moods.
Bai Jinge didn’t particularly care for sweets; every trip was strictly to buy treats for her daughter. However, since eating too much sugar was bad for a child’s teeth, her visits were infrequent. Ye Yunwan, on the other hand, was stepping foot into a candy shop for the very first time, as she simply never ate candy.
Making her way to the marshmallow section, Bai Jinge began selecting strawberry-flavored marshmallows, her daughter’s absolute favorite.
Ye Yunwan followed her to the marshmallow section, cast a glance at the colorful display, and breathed in the sweet fragrance floating through the air.
Reaching out, she casually picked up a piece of marshmallow, lowered her long lashes to inspect the colorful candy in her palm, and turned to look at Bai Jinge.
Are these for Nuonuo? Ye Yunwan asked.
Pausing her hand, Bai Jinge answered, Yes.
Turning the candy over in her hand, Ye Yunwan asked, What kind of candy does she like?
Just marshmallows.
Strawberry flavor? Ye Yunwan glanced down at the basket in Bai Jinge’s hand, which was filling up with uniform pink packets.
That’s right.
Neither woman was particularly chatty; once Bai Jinge stopped talking, Ye Yunwan fell silent as well, joining in to drop candies into the basket.
Before long, absent-mindedly, Ye Yunwan tossed a whole batch of strawberry marshmallows into the basket until it was nearly half full of various imported brands.
Wide peach-blossom eyes widening, Bai Jinge fluttered her thick lashes and quickly intervened, President Ye, this is way too much. We can’t buy this many.
Maintaining her calm expression, Ye Yunwan frowned slightly, looking genuinely puzzled. Why not? Doesn’t Nuonuo like them?
Little kids shouldn’t eat too much sugar; it’s bad for their teeth, Bai Jinge explained.
Frowning again, Ye Yunwan conceded, Then let’s just buy these.
Alright.
At the checkout counter, Ye Yunwan offered to pay, but Bai Jinge naturally turned her down. Additionally, the female clerk who had initially greeted them gifted Bai Jinge a colorful lollipop, claiming it was part of a store promotion where purchases over five hundred came with a complimentary treat.
In reality, the clerk had paid for it out of her own pocket, deliberately leaving a trace of her personal pheromone scent on the wrapper.
Looking confused, Bai Jinge accepted the lollipop and offered a polite, Thank you.
The clerk immediately flushed, acting bashful. You’re welcome~
With her arms crossed, Ye Yunwan stood by with an icy expression, watching the clerk blatantly flirt with Bai Jinge right before her eyes. An inexplicable wave of annoyance welled up in her chest.
After paying, the two women exited the shop one after the other.
Ye Yunwan strode ahead in absolute silence.
Carrying a large bag of candy, Bai Jinge trailed behind without any intention of catching up. She could clearly sense that the woman was somewhat annoyed, suspecting it might be because she had rejected her offer to pay.
Making their way back to the company together, just as they reached the main entrance of the building, Ye Yunwan suddenly stopped and turned sideways to wait for Bai Jinge to catch up.
Once Bai Jinge arrived with her heavy bag of treats, Ye Yunwan asked bluntly, When can I see Nuonuo?
Stiffening slightly, Bai Jinge answered, Tomorrow. Tomorrow happens to be the weekend.
Good, Ye Yunwan uttered coldly.
Without another word, she turned and swept into the building ahead of Bai Jinge, widening the distance between them once more.
At the entrance, the two security guards immediately snapped to attention upon seeing the chief executive, offering a standard thirty-degree bow.
Good afternoon, President Ye!
Standing still, Bai Jinge patiently waited for the executive to clear the entrance before following.
Down in the parking garage, Bai Jinge slipped into her luxury car and placed the bag of candy on the front passenger seat. As she pulled her seatbelt across, her peripheral vision caught the colorful lollipop resting right on top.
Reaching out, she picked up the lollipop and brought it to her nose. Sure enough, it carried an unmistakable Omega pheromone scent. No wonder she had caught faint whiffs of it on the way back, it was coming from this very wrapper.
A delicate frown crossed her pretty brows. Carrying the lollipop straight out of the car, she walked over and dropped it directly into the corner trash bin.
Parked diagonally behind her was a large red Bentley.
Sitting in the backseat, Ye Yunwan had instructed her driver to wait while she watched Bai Jinge’s movements in the garage. Seeing this scene unfold, the corners of her mouth twitched upward in a subtle smile.
In truth, Ye Yunwan had already caught the scent of the Omega’s pheromones, a faint almond-blossom trace, on the lollipop earlier. Crinkling her nose in disgust and picturing the clerk’s face had only made her angrier, prompting her to walk ahead in silence and distance herself from Bai Jinge.
With nothing left on her agenda after leaving the agent’s office, Bai Jinge drove straight to the kindergarten gates and waited in her car for Bai Nuonuo to be dismissed.
With over half an hour remaining until dismissal time, she turned on the car radio to listen to a broadcast.
Bai Jinge enjoyed listening to emotional talk radio programs in her spare time, as they helped her analyze human nature and better understand various character roles.
Welcome our third caller today. Hello, how should I address you? the host asked.
Hello, hosts. My surname is Xie, the caller replied.
Hello, Ms. Xie. Please go ahead and share your story with our listeners.
Hello everyone. I’m a single mother, and I’m currently facing a dilemma: should I allow my child to have contact with her father? Honestly, I still resent my ex-husband very much because our divorce was caused by his infidelity…
Yet whenever I think about how my child is growing up without a father’s presence, I feel so sorry for her. I understand that a father’s mistakes shouldn’t be paid for by the child, but I really, truly don’t want to look at my ex-husband’s face…
Hearing this, Bai Jinge’s calm expression shifted slightly before smoothing out again instantly. Glancing down at her Chanel ladies’ watch, she noted that less than ten minutes remained until dismissal time.
The rectangular watch face was refined and solemn, its bezel embedded with sixty-four white diamonds. The milk-white quilted leather strap accentuated her slender, fair wrist, exuding a cold, noble elegance with every movement.
The weather today was splendid; a patch of sky outside the window was clear and bright blue, dotted with drifting white clouds. Raising her gaze casually, Bai Jinge noticed a familiar red Bentley parked diagonally across from her.
The license plate number looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before. For a moment, however, she couldn’t quite place it.
Given that children attending this international kindergarten came from wealthy and prestigious families, with many being the children of celebrities, luxury vehicles like Bentleys were hardly uncommon. Dismissing the thought, Bai Jinge looked away without dwelling on it.
As soon as her gaze retracted, the tinted window of the red Bentley slowly rolled down, revealing Ye Yunwan’s exquisitely contoured profile, her expression cool and indifferent as she stared straight ahead.
The woman looked completely composed, her usual aloofness bordering on coldness. A pair of amber-like jade eyes fixed upon the kindergarten gates, filled with anticipation for the appearance of a tiny figure.
Slender fingers toyed with a pair of black binoculars, the sharp joints tapping rhythmically against the casing: one, two, three…
Over the years, Ye Yunwan had always quietly kept watch over the lives of the mother and daughter. She stayed in the background like a colorless sketch of a passerby, solely to ensure Bai Jinge wouldn’t feel threatened, allowing her to stay securely at Yehua, focus on her acting career, and film in peace.
Now that Bai Jinge had achieved true stardom, Ye Yunwan felt she no longer needed to hold back. She was ready to step openly into the lives of the mother and child and spend more time with her daughter in the capacity of a friend.
Ten minutes later, two teachers from the junior class led a line of uniformed children out of the school gates.
Holding their pick-up cards, parents lined up in orderly fashion to collect their little ones from the teachers, waving goodbye before departing.
Holding the nanny’s hand with one small grip and waving with the other, little Bai Nuonuo called out in her sweet, childish voice, Goodbye, Teacher Li! Goodbye, Teacher He!
Far away, sitting inside her car behind sunglasses and a face mask, Bai Jinge waited as the nanny led Bai Nuonuo toward the vehicle.
This entire scene played out right before Ye Yunwan’s eyes. Holding her binoculars, she watched until the tiny figure climbed safely into the car before finally lowering the optics and placing them on the passenger seat beside her.
Casually picking up her Hermès handbag, she pulled out her phone and dialed Secretary Zhao’s number.
The call connected instantly. Before the person on the other end could speak, the woman’s red lips parted, issuing a direct command in an authoritative tone:
The Pocket Candy Shop near the company, I want it.
Go buy it.
Secretary Zhao on the other end froze completely, only snapping back to reality when the president spoke a second time. Understood! President Ye, I’ll take care of it right away.
Before the call was disconnected by the boss, Zhao Qinchun stood frozen in utter disbelief, murmuring to herself, Buying a candy shop?
Doesn’t the president traditionally hate sweets?