Yan Jiaojiao stepped outside and saw an unfamiliar woman holding a takeout box. The woman hurried over upon seeing her about to leave. “Miss Yan, President Xie asked me to prepare this for you.”
Yan Jiaojiao paused for a moment. The aroma alone told her it was her favorite durian pizza. She glanced around to make sure no crew members were nearby before opening the box and taking a slice.
Seeing her stop after one piece, Liu Wen immediately urged, “Why not have a few more slices?”
Yan Jiaojiao was already full and waved her hand in refusal. “No, no, that’s enough. Could you please take it away for me? Make sure no one finds out, okay?”
After speaking, she neatly wiped her mouth and turned to head back inside, only to be called back by Liu Wen. “Miss Yan!”
She looked up, puzzled. “What is it?”
Liu Wen cleared her throat. The girl’s glass-bead-like clear eyes stared straight at her, making Liu Wen avert her gaze to a nearby tree trunk.
“President Xie asked me to ask… if you’ve missed him?”
The air suddenly fell silent. Yan Jiaojiao’s lips twitched, and she snorted through her nose, tossing her head proudly. “No!”
She wished she could stay as far away from him as possible. Miss him? Not a chance!
Hearing this answer, Liu Wen felt her heart skip a beat. Yan Jiaojiao had already gone back inside and was sitting on the sofa, chatting quietly with Ling Yi.
Liu Wen stood outside the house for a full minute until her phone rang. With trembling hands, she swiped to answer.
“Assistant Hao.”
“Did you deliver the item?”
“Yes.”
“Did you pass on the message?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t just say ‘yes.’ What did Miss Yan say?”
Liu Wen looked up at the sky, where clear blue stretched as far as the eye could see. She pressed a hand to her forehead, her voice tinged with bitterness, mirroring her current mood.
“She said no.”
No one spoke further, but they could all feel the suffocating tension in the air.
After returning to the cottage, Yan Jiaojiao took Ling Yi back to his room. The child’s room was next to theirs, making it easier to look after him.
Ling Yi seemed a bit tired. Without waiting for Yan Jiaojiao to say anything, he climbed into bed and lay down, even pulling a small blanket over his chest on his own.
Suddenly, a child’s crying came from the room opposite. Judging by the sound, it was probably Nana.
The cries grew increasingly piercing. It had to be said that children really knew how to raise their voices. Yan Jiaojiao rubbed her ears and closed Ling Yi’s door.
Liu Jinzi happened to come upstairs to comfort the child. Nana was in her arms, likely missing her mother, as she kept crying, “Mommy, Mommy, I want Mommy…”
“Nana, Mommy will come pick you up in a few days. How about I play with some toys with you?”
Liu Jinzi tried to distract her with a toy car, but Nana paid no attention, pushing it away. Her cries grew several times louder than before.
Watching Liu Jinzi’s flustered expression, Yan Jiaojiao felt a small sense of relief.
In comparison, Ling Yi was actually quite good—independent, sensible, quiet, and easy to take care of.
She thought back to his lonely figure sitting on the sofa earlier and sighed softly. At his age, he should be lively and energetic like Xiao Hu and Xiao Hu.
But Ling Yi gave off an unapproachable distance, a feeling that should only belong to adults, yet it inexplicably surrounded him.
She stood outside Ling Yi’s door for a while before returning to her own room. Even with the door closed, she could still hear Nana’s cries.
With nothing to do and no phone to play with, Yan Jiaojiao lay there bored, staring at the ceiling and counting sheep until she fell asleep.Until the alarm rang at two o’clock, Yan Jiaojiao tidied up briefly and went to Ling Yi’s room to call him. Opening the door, she found it empty, though the small blanket on the bed had been neatly folded.
Yan Jiaojiao found Ling Yi downstairs. Xiao Hu and Xiao Hu were noisily playing with a remote-controlled car nearby, while Ling Yi still sat in his original spot, fiddling with a Rubik’s Cube. “Why don’t you play with them?”
“…”
Yan Jiaojiao was already accustomed to his silence. Maintaining the mental reminder not to argue with a child, she patiently whispered, “Do you want me to play with you?”
Ling Yi lifted his eyes, his indifferent expression seeming to refuse. Yan Jiaojiao, unable to understand the cube, simply rested her chin on her hand and watched. Freshly awakened and drowsy, watching the left and right turns soon made her sleepy.
Forcing her eyes open, she was amazed to discover that Ling Yi could always restore the six scrambled sides of the cube in under a minute.
“Ling Yi, you’re amazing.”
Yan Jiaojiao couldn’t help but praise him, drawing everyone’s attention. The children also fell silent, seemingly stunned. They hadn’t had much exposure to Rubik’s Cubes, and seeing Ling Yi’s smooth moves made them eager to try.
“I want to play, give it to me.”
Xiao Hu, being younger, immediately tried to snatch it, and Ling Yi offered no resistance, letting him take it.
Seeing this, Yan Jiaojiao frowned and pulled Xiao Hu back. “Xiao Hu, that’s not polite.”
Xiao Hu, watching the cube being taken from his hands, pouted pitifully and looked at Yan Jiaojiao.
Ling Yi looked at the cube placed back in his palm, the warmth of her hand brushing against his briefly before leaving. He raised his eyes to look at Yan Jiaojiao.
Yan Jiaojiao was patiently explaining to Xiao Hu, looking quite reliable and possessing a unique charm when serious.
“You should first ask if your brother can lend it to you. Only when he agrees should you take it, not just grab it directly, right?”
Xiao Hu nodded blankly, unsure if he understood.
“Then apologize to your brother first, okay?”
Yan Jiaojiao was gently guiding Xiao Hu, and he slowly walked up to Ling Yi as she suggested. However, before he could speak, a boy’s voice burst into tears.
The tears welling in Xiao Hu’s eyes spilled over, his features scrunching up as he wailed loudly, clutching his clothes tightly and twisting them into a ball.
The adults hadn’t expected things to go this way. Yan Jiaojiao was also stunned—why was he crying now? Weren’t we just talking fine? Should I start crying too!?
Zhong Qing quickly pulled him into her arms. Xiao Hu, as if finding a safe haven, sat on her lap with teary eyes, staring at Yan Jiaojiao.
Liu Jinzi, already sleep-deprived all afternoon thanks to Nana, felt annoyed thinking about Yan Jiaojiao’s two-hour nap. Feigning concern for Xiao Hu, she said, “Xiao Hu, Sister Jiaojiao meant well. She didn’t mean to scold you.”
Then, turning to Yan Jiaojiao, she added, “Jiaojiao, you too—children this age don’t understand these things. Take it slow. Xiao Hu, don’t cry, okay? Even your little sister isn’t crying anymore.”
Xiao Hu sniffled, unsure if he heard. Yan Jiaojiao found Liu Jinzi’s provocation irritating and didn’t indulge it at all. Instead, she waved to the child in her arms. “Come here, Nana, come to me.”
Nana hesitated for a few seconds, then fearlessly walked over to her, her dark eyes fixed intently on Yan Jiaojiao as she sweetly called out, “Sister.”
Yan Jiaojiao chuckled softly and hugged her. Nana’s little pink face flushed even redder as she nestled into her arms, clutching her doll. This sister is so pretty and smells nice.”Nana, do you like the crystal necklace on that sister’s neck?”
Liu Jinzi felt a chill run down her spine at the tone of her voice, instinctively protecting her neck.
Nana looked up, immersed in her gentle smiling eyes, and simply nodded, her soft voice drawing out the end of the word, “Like it.”
“Then go ask her for it. Sister Jinzi probably wouldn’t have the heart to refuse you, right?”
Liu Jinzi knew Yan Jiaojiao was up to no good. This necklace was a limited edition she spent two million to get—how could she possibly give it to a child!
She gritted her teeth, suppressing her slightly angry expression.
“Yan Jiaojiao!”