Life continued peacefully in its usual rhythm.
Every morning, Chen Yan woke Su Qingyuan on time, prepared breakfast, cleaned the villa, waited for her to come home in the evening, and cooked dinner for her.
Sometimes she chatted with him briefly. Sometimes she stood at the kitchen doorway and quietly watched him cook. Sometimes she stayed beside him while he cleaned up after dinner and casually spoke with him about random things.
Without either of them realizing it, these routines had gradually become a natural part of everyday life.
Until that particular afternoon.
It was a quiet Saturday, one of the rare occasions when Su Qingyuan had an entire day off at home.
Chen Yan had just finished preparing lunch, and the two had only just finished eating when the doorbell rang.
Chen Yan walked over and opened the door.
Standing outside was a woman.
She looked around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Her long hair rested softly over her shoulders, and she wore a pale blue cotton dress. Her smile was warm and gentle, and she carried a small gift bag in one hand.
The moment she saw Chen Yan, her smile brightened noticeably.
“Chen Yan.”
Chen Yan paused slightly in surprise.
“Wen Wan?”
Wen Wan smiled and nodded.
“It’s been a long time.”
A complicated emotion briefly flashed through Chen Yan’s eyes before disappearing.
Wen Wan glanced inside the villa past him.
“Am I allowed in?”
Chen Yan stepped aside.
At that moment, Su Qingyuan was sitting in the living room. The instant she saw an unfamiliar woman enter the house, she froze briefly.
Wen Wan also paused when she noticed her.
The two women silently sized each other up for a moment.
Then Wen Wan smiled gently again.
“You must be CEO Su?” she asked while glancing toward Chen Yan. “His current employer?”
Chen Yan nodded.
Wen Wan walked over and extended her hand politely.
“Hello. My name is Wen Wan. I’m an old friend of Chen Yan.”
Su Qingyuan stood and shook her hand.
“Su Qingyuan.”
The moment their hands met, their gazes collided again briefly.
Su Qingyuan noticed something immediately.
Whenever Wen Wan looked at Chen Yan, there was a natural intimacy in her eyes.
It was the kind of familiarity only shared by people who had known each other for a very long time.
“I’ll make tea,” Chen Yan said calmly.
Then he turned and walked into the kitchen.
Left alone together in the living room, the two women sat facing each other.
Wen Wan sat comfortably on the sofa while quietly observing Su Qingyuan.
“How has Chen Yan been working for you?” she asked with a smile.
Su Qingyuan nodded politely.
“Very well.”
Wen Wan laughed softly.
“He’s capable of almost anything, but he dislikes talking. Have you really been able to tolerate his silence?”
Su Qingyuan considered the question for a moment before replying calmly,
“He doesn’t like talking, and neither do I. It works perfectly.”
Wen Wan paused briefly before bursting into genuine laughter.
“How interesting,” she said with amusement in her eyes. “Now I understand why he’s willing to stay here.”
A subtle movement appeared in Su Qingyuan’s brows.
“Willing to stay here?”
Wen Wan nodded.
“He hates staying in one place for too long. Over the past few years, he’s constantly changed locations and jobs. Places capable of keeping him longer than two months are extremely rare.”
Su Qingyuan fell silent for a moment.
“You’ve known each other for a long time?”
“A very long time,” Wen Wan replied casually. “We grew up together.”
Something in Su Qingyuan’s chest tightened unexpectedly.
Grew up together?
At that moment, Chen Yan returned carrying a tea tray and placed the cups neatly on the table.
“What are you two talking about?”
Wen Wan smiled warmly at him.
“We were discussing you.”
Chen Yan glanced at her briefly before sitting down nearby.
Wen Wan picked up the gift bag she had brought and handed it over.
“These are the materials you asked for earlier.”
Chen Yan opened the bag, checked the contents briefly, then nodded.
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me.” Wen Wan stood gracefully. “I should leave now. I still have outpatient duty this afternoon.”
Then she looked at Su Qingyuan and smiled politely.
“Goodbye, CEO Su.”
Su Qingyuan stood and personally walked her to the door.
Just as Wen Wan reached the entrance, she suddenly stopped and turned back toward Chen Yan.
“Oh right, Chen Yan,” she said teasingly, “a new batch of interns recently joined our hospital. One of the girls is especially beautiful. Want me to introduce her to you?”
Chen Yan immediately shot her a warning look.
Wen Wan laughed in amusement and finally left.
The front door closed softly behind her.
The living room instantly became quiet.
Su Qingyuan stood motionless, her gaze fixed entirely on Chen Yan.
Chen Yan calmly picked up the gift bag and carried it into his room.
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later, Su Qingyuan was still standing there.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She looked at him silently for several seconds.
“Nothing.”
Then she turned and walked upstairs.
Chen Yan watched her figure quietly.
He noticed something unusual.
Her pace climbing the stairs was noticeably faster than usual.
That evening during dinner, Su Qingyuan remained completely silent.
Chen Yan also said nothing.
Halfway through the meal, she suddenly put down her chopsticks.
“That woman, Wen Wan… what exactly is your relationship with her?”
Chen Yan looked up.
“She’s a friend.”
“What kind of friend?”
Chen Yan thought briefly.
“Someone I grew up with.”
Su Qingyuan nodded slowly before continuing to eat.
But Chen Yan clearly noticed something.
The speed at which she picked up food with her chopsticks had noticeably increased.
After dinner, she prepared to head upstairs.
But when she reached the staircase, she suddenly stopped.
“Chen Yan.”
“Yes?”
“That hospital intern she mentioned… is she really very beautiful?”
Chen Yan froze briefly in surprise.
Then a slow smile appeared on his face.
Su Qingyuan’s back was turned toward him, so she did not see it.
But the moment he smiled, the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
“I don’t know,” Chen Yan answered calmly. “I’ve never seen her.”
Without replying, Su Qingyuan quickly walked upstairs.
Chen Yan stood alone downstairs watching the empty staircase.
He suddenly realized something.
Today’s Su Qingyuan was acting very differently from usual.
The next morning, Su Qingyue called her sister immediately.
“Sister! Emergency situation! I heard a woman went to the villa looking for Chen Yan yesterday! What happened? Tell me everything right now!”
Su Qingyuan sat at her office desk reviewing documents. The moment she heard the noisy voice from the phone, her brows furrowed deeply.
“How do you know what happens inside my house?”
“I have sources, obviously! Hurry up and explain! Is she pretty? What’s her relationship with Chen Yan?”
Su Qingyuan remained silent for several seconds.
“She’s an old friend.”
“What kind of old friend?”
“They grew up together.”
The phone suddenly fell silent.
Then Su Qingyue screamed loudly enough to shake the speaker.
“Sister! You’re jealous!”
Su Qingyuan’s expression darkened instantly.
“I am not jealous.”
“You absolutely are! Your tone is completely different right now! You’ve been thinking about her ever since yesterday, haven’t you?”
Su Qingyuan inhaled deeply.
“I haven’t.”
“Then why did you hesitate before answering me?”
“I was simply choosing the most accurate wording.”
“That’s nonsense! You’re clearly bothered by how close she is to Chen Yan! Sister, you’ve completely fallen!”
Su Qingyuan immediately hung up.
Leaning back against her chair, she stared silently at the ceiling.
Jealous?
How could she possibly feel jealous?
Her relationship with Chen Yan was nothing more than employer and employee.
And yet…
Her thoughts kept returning to the moment he smiled yesterday.
The moment he said, “I’ve never seen her,” there had been a faint trace of amusement in his eyes.
That tiny expression had caused an inexplicable disturbance deep inside her chest.
Shaking away her thoughts, she forced herself to continue reviewing documents.
But none of the words entered her mind.
That evening, when she returned home, Chen Yan had already prepared dinner.
The two sat down to eat quietly.
After several minutes, Su Qingyuan suddenly spoke again.
“That hospital intern from yesterday… have you really never seen her before?”
Chen Yan looked directly at her.
“Never.”
Su Qingyuan nodded briefly.
A moment later, she asked another question.
“You and Wen Wan… are really just friends?”
Chen Yan met her gaze calmly.
“Without question.”
She nodded once more and lowered her head to continue eating.
Chen Yan watched her for a moment before smiling softly.
“What’s wrong with you today?”
Su Qingyuan immediately looked up sharply.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been asking about Wen Wan ever since yesterday.”
Su Qingyuan froze instantly.
Then she quickly lowered her gaze again.
“It’s nothing.”
Chen Yan did not continue teasing her.
Silence returned to the dining room once more.
After dinner, Su Qingyuan headed upstairs.
But at the staircase, she stopped again.
“Chen Yan.”
“Yes?”
“If you really want to meet that beautiful intern, you’re free to go. I won’t interfere.”
Chen Yan turned to look at her.
Her back remained facing him.
But her voice sounded strange.
As though she was trying very hard to remain calm.
After a short silence, Chen Yan replied evenly,
“I have no interest in meeting her.”
Su Qingyuan froze and immediately turned around.
“Why?”
Chen Yan looked directly into her eyes and smiled faintly.
“Because there’s nothing worth seeing.”
She stared at him quietly.
There was a complicated emotion in her eyes, something even she herself could not fully understand.
Then she quickly turned around again and hurried upstairs.
Chen Yan remained standing alone in the living room, listening to her footsteps gradually disappear.
A soft laugh escaped him.
Today’s Su Qingyuan truly was acting unusually.