The image of Luo Yanzhi’s beautiful eyes brimming with tears lingered in her mind, replaying over and over. Those tears felt as if they were dripping onto her own skin, scalding and intense.
With a silent sigh, Ning Ruohuan turned off the shower and changed into the clothes Luo Yanzhi had prepared for her. Her hair was still damp, droplets of water clinging precariously to the ends of her strands as she moved.
Hearing the sound of the sliding door opening, Luo Yanzhi looked up from her documents.
She had put on her glasses. The gold wire frames tempered the softness of her features, and coupled with her solemn expression, she exuded the aura of an unapproachable industry elite.
However, in the next second, a faint smile graced the woman’s lips. In an instant, all her coldness melted away. With eyes full of warmth, Luo Yanzhi capped her fountain pen and set it down parallel to her files.
She called out softly, “Sister.”
Ning Ruohuan’s heart softened immediately, and her stray thoughts vanished into thin air. She walked over while drying the ends of her hair, stray droplets scattering as she moved.
Luo Yanzhi reached out, her thumb brushing away a drop of water from Ning Ruohuan’s temple. “Do you feel better, Sister? Does a shower make you more comfortable?”
Ning Ruohuan gave a slight nod. “You got soaked as well.”
Luo Yanzhi looked down. She hadn’t been hit by much rain, as the umbrella had been tilted almost entirely toward Ning Ruohuan, but her clothes inevitably carried the damp scent of the storm.
She had always been fastidious about such things. Seeing that Ning Ruohuan had been sufficiently coaxed, her willful nature resurfaced. She leaned back, sinking into her office chair.
The casters rolled back a short distance. “Sister, help me wash up.”
Ning Ruohuan paused in the middle of drying her hair. “Alright.”
In a sense, Luo Yanzhi was difficult to serve. The water temperature had to be controlled within a specific range; if it was a fraction too high or too low, she would throw a minor tantrum.
Ning Ruohuan meticulously adjusted the temperature, confirming it was perfect before calling for the person who was waiting nearby, playing on her phone.
Shortly after Luo Yanzhi had finished washing and changing, her secretary knocked on the office door.
At that moment, Ning Ruohuan had just sat down on the side of the sofa in front of the desk.
Upon entering, the secretary first addressed her boss: “President Luo.” Then, seeing Ning Ruohuan, she seemed to hesitate over how to address her, but quickly settled on, “Miss Ning.”
Ning Ruohuan gave a polite nod and lowered her head, indicating she wouldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation.
In truth, such a gesture wasn’t necessary.
When Luo Yanzhi communicated with her secretary, they used the exclusive language of “Evolvers.” Perhaps knowing that Ning Ruohuan couldn’t understand it, they spoke without any reservations.
The secretary said, “President Luo, news has come from the laboratory. The latest research on ‘Acquired Evolution’ has begun to show results…”
Luo Yanzhi’s gaze drifted to Ning Ruohuan.
From her angle, she could clearly see Ning Ruohuan’s superior profile. Her facial contours were distinct and smooth, and her high nose bridge gave her side profile a striking three-dimensionality.
Whether in bone structure or skin quality, Ning Ruohuan was top-tier.
The secretary’s report continued: “Once successful, the subsequent Acquired Evolvers will suffer significantly fewer side effects when gaining abilities. However, by the same token, the power of those abilities will be greatly diminished…”
Ning Ruohuan toyed with her fingers, kneading every joint of one hand before switching to the other.
As the secretary continued her steady report, Luo Yanzhi occasionally hummed in acknowledgment or interjected with a brief question.
“President Luo, perhaps Miss Ning could also obtain an ability through this method,” the secretary added in the Evolver language, her peripheral vision catching Ning Ruohuan.
Luo Yanzhi’s eyelashes fluttered as she looked up, a rare intensity in her eyes as she turned toward the secretary.
Her gaze shot straight at the woman like an arrow.
Sensing the warning in that look, the secretary panicked and quickly lowered her head. “I am sorry, President Luo. I overstepped.”
Luo Yanzhi asked, “Is there anything else?”
The secretary replied, “That is all for the report, President Luo.”
The secretary quietly withdrew from the office, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
The sound of a watch buckle snapping shut rang out. Ning Ruohuan pressed down on the silver strap, the watch face reflecting the shifting light, the dark blue dial beneath emitting a tranquil, cold glow.
Luo Yanzhi withdrew her gaze from Ning Ruohuan’s watch.
That watch had been bought during the year Ning Ruohuan and Luo Yanzhi started living together. They had also bought a pair of rings at the same time.
Ning Ruohuan wore her ring every day, except during specific times. As for Luo Yanzhi’s…
Ning Ruohuan glanced inconspicuously at Luo Yanzhi’s hand. Her fingers were bare, her lily-white fingertips appearing even more delicate against the backdrop of the jet-black fountain pen.
“Sister,” Luo Yanzhi closed her files and took a sip of the tea beside her, “are you bored?”
Ning Ruohuan’s nature remained unchanged: “I’m not bored.”
At 5:00 PM, Ning Ruohuan and Luo Yanzhi shared a car home.
The air conditioning in the cabin was blasting cold air.
The secretary, sitting in the front passenger seat, glanced at the two in the rearview mirror and discreetly raised the privacy partition.
The car was divided into two sections.
Ning Ruohuan turned on her phone. She had sent the photos she took at the scenic area to Luo Yanzhi at noon, but the other woman hadn’t responded.
She opened her gallery, zoomed in on the photo she felt was her best work, and shared it with the person beside her.
It was a photo of a sea of clouds. The ethereal mist made one feel as if they had accidentally wandered into a celestial palace. Sunlight pierced through the cloud layer, scattering light in a soft palette of colors that left one dazed by its beauty.
Ning Ruohuan said, “When I took this, the light was perfect. I didn’t even need a specific angle or composition technique to—”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Luo Yanzhi gave the photo a cursory glance, pushed Ning Ruohuan’s hand away, and said perfunctorily, “It’s very pretty, Sister.”
Ning Ruohuan: “…Mm.” She still felt the urge to share. “Actually, if the weather were a bit better, with a cool breeze… if I shot it then, the effect might be even better.”
Luo Yanzhi showed little interest. “You’re right, Sister.”
She responded to every sentence, but every response was hollow.
Ning Ruohuan turned off her phone. “You’ve worked hard all day; it must be mentally draining. We won’t be home for another half hour. Why don’t you sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Luo Yanzhi smiled, turned her body, and leaned against Ning Ruohuan’s right shoulder.
The road was smooth, the driver’s skills were excellent, and the car was stable, traveling without a single bump.
Ning Ruohuan reopened her phone, switched to her left hand, and logged into a social media app. She selected a few photos, left them unedited, clicked “original image,” and uploaded them.
She glanced at the follower count displayed at the top; without her realizing it, she had accumulated over 200,000 followers.
Within seconds of the upload being successful, comments from fellow enthusiasts appeared.
Where were these taken? So beautiful!
Love it! It looks like smoke or mist, as if an immortal is rising on the clouds.
God-tier. I love every photo you take. Please update more often! Also, begging for the parameters and equipment used.
Ahhh! Hand over the location! I want to go there and take pictures, it’s so gorgeous!!!
In just one minute, there were over a dozen comments. Ning Ruohuan read every one of them, answered a few questions regarding her gear, and then turned off her phone.
Luo Yanzhi knew about her social media account, but she didn’t follow her, let alone like or share her posts.
As for Ning Ruohuan, she didn’t even know Luo Yanzhi’s social media handle.
These things were trivial. Everyone had their own privacy and their own little secrets. Ning Ruohuan had no desire to pry into the parts Luo Yanzhi kept hidden.
She maintained full respect and understanding for Luo Yanzhi.
The pitch-black car drove low-profile through the villa gates, and the doors slowly opened.
The secretary stood at the side of the car, eyes fixed straight ahead.
Ning Ruohuan gently patted Luo Yanzhi’s arm. “Yanyan, we’re home.”
Because the secretary and driver were present, Luo Yanzhi didn’t linger. A flash of impatience flickered in her eyes, her brow nearly furrowing as she got out of the car and whispered a few instructions to the secretary.
Ning Ruohuan exited from the other side.
Once inside the house, the irritation of having her rest interrupted began to surface in Luo Yanzhi. She bit the soft flesh inside her cheek, took a deep breath, and exhaled. Her mood stabilized slightly.
Ning Ruohuan knelt down to change her shoes, then placed Luo Yanzhi’s slippers by her feet.
However, just as Luo Yanzhi was about to change, a phone call came through.
Ning Ruohuan caught a glimpse of the caller ID—it was Luo Yanzhi’s mother.
She immediately averted her gaze.
The phone rang several times before Luo Yanzhi pressed the green button.
“Mom,” Luo Yanzhi greeted.
The person on the other end said something. Luo Yanzhi gave a few “mhm’s,” walked past Ning Ruohuan, and headed back toward the door. “I understand.”
Hanging up, she remembered there was someone else there. She turned and said, “My mom wants me to go back for a bit. Be a good girl and wait for me at home, Sister.”
It sounded like she was coaxing a child. Ning Ruohuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Go ahead and handle your business.”
Luo Yanzhi thought for a moment. In her high heels, she was half a head taller than Ning Ruohuan in her flat slippers. She leaned down and placed a kiss on Ning Ruohuan’s lips. “I’ll be back tonight.”
Ning Ruohuan replied, “I’ll wait for you.”
Ning Ruohuan rarely saw Luo Yanzhi’s family. The cousin she had encountered at lunch would have been a total stranger to her if Luo Yanzhi hadn’t addressed her by title.
As for Luo Yanzhi’s mother, she had only met her a few times—on the day the engagement between the Luo and Ning families was finalized and on certain specific occasions. They had only exchanged a few simple words.
In her memory, Luo Yanzhi’s mother was sophisticated and elegant, treating her only daughter like a precious pearl.
Luo Yanzhi’s current willful personality was largely spoiled into existence by her mother; the remaining portion had been nurtured by Ning Ruohuan herself.
The driver, who had just left, circled back around.
That night, Ning Ruohuan didn’t see Luo Yanzhi return. Instead, she saw her in Wan Yunxin’s “Moments” on social media.
Wan Yunxin had posted a nine-grid gallery of photos. Luo Yanzhi occupied only a corner of one grid—it wasn’t even a deliberate shot, but rather an accidental appearance in the frame.
The woman stood tall and slender, her long fingers gripping a wine glass, the crimson liquid tilting within. She stood under hazy, ethereal lighting, the warm glow casting a pale gold aura around her.
Even in the dimmest corner, Luo Yanzhi was like a focal point, making it impossible for one to look away.
Ning Ruohuan leaned her elbows on the table. Having stayed in one position for too long, her upper body felt numb and stiff. She stomped her feet and massaged her arms to soothe the muscles.
Twenty minutes ago, she had sent a message to Luo Yanzhi.
Yanyan, do you want me to make you a late-night snack?
Luo Yanzhi’s reply was:
No need, Sister. I’m still at my mom’s place. I might not come back tonight.
Ning Ruohuan darkened the screen.