After sending off the Zhou family, Yan Nianyi pinched the fork inside the glass bowl held by Yan Pin, and using the momentum of his wrist, speared a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” Yan Nianyi asked while chewing the apple chunk.
“They went abroad. Didn’t they post it in the family chat? Didn’t you look?” Yan Pin helplessly acted as a human scaffold, obediently holding the glass bowl.
“Forgot.” Yan Nianyi swallowed the fruit, glanced past it, and didn’t register it in her brain.
“Forgot? If it were about Yueyi, would you forget?” Yan Pin sighed lightly, glancing down at his mechanical watch. “Back so early, how did you adjust to the Yue Corporation yesterday? Are you still going tomorrow?”
“Rest.” Yan Nianyi put down the fork, leisurely turned around, and walked toward the second-floor stairs. Planting one foot on a step, she rested one hand on the banister, her thick, dark hair cascading down the side of her face.
“It is still unclear how many days,” Yan Nianyi added.
Yan Pin handed the glass bowl to Mother Li, who had walked over, muttered a soft word of thanks, and raised his hand. “You aren’t going after the May Day holiday is over?”
“Unclear.” Yan Nianyi reached the middle of the staircase and paused her footsteps, looking down from top to bottom at the man standing in the living room. “I am going upstairs. Call me when dinner is ready.”
With that, she turned her head, faced the stairs ahead, and stepped one by one onto the sturdy, exquisite steps, her hand sliding along the banister as her posture shifted.
Once in her room, Yan Nianyi tapped her phone screen, and the very first thing that met her eyes was Yueyi’s hand. Her indifferent gaze softened slightly as her fingertip glided across the screen, brushing over the fair skin in the photo.
Sitting on the armrest of the sofa with her legs crossed and straightened out, she tapped open the hidden photo album on her phone, bringing up a series of solo pictures of Yueyi one by one.
Quietly and infatuatedly admiring them for a while, she exited the album, opened her messaging app, searched among her contacts, and quickly tapped on one particular person’s avatar.
“Does Big Sister have any plans today?” Yan Nianyi.
“Director Yue has no plans for today.” The person replied immediately, typing back the second Yan Nianyi’s message went out.
Yan Nianyi tapped her fingers against the back of her phone. Big Sister had mentioned yesterday that she was going out for a meal with friends today, yet she hadn’t even told that person.
Yan Nianyi didn’t reply further. She tossed her phone onto the sofa, took off her glasses, hooked them by her right index finger, and pressed both index fingers against the sides of her bridge, rubbing in circles.
After easing her fatigue, she pinched the frame of her glasses between her index finger and thumb, walked over to one of the decorative walls, pressed her palm into a recessed slot, and shoved it forcefully to the side.
Inside was a small partition measuring about twenty square meters, where various styles of glasses were displayed on racks.
After cleaning the pair she had been holding and placing them into one of the designated slots, Yan Nianyi pointed her fingers virtually through the glass at the other eyewear options. Making her selection, she switched to a pair with angular frames.
They had a bit more decoration than her previous oval ones.
Adjusting to the new glasses, Yan Nianyi twisted her neck from side to side. She stepped out of the partition and pulled the moving wall shut behind her.
“If Big Sister returns to the company, let me know.” Yan Nianyi.
“Understood, Miss Yan.” The person replied.
“Gathering with friends.” Yan Nianyi muttered under her breath. “Why won’t you gather with me?”
She stood up, pulled open the drawer of her custom bedside table, took out one of several identically bound booklets made of white cards stitched together with thread, flipped to a page that was more than halfway used, and opened it.
Then she retrieved a fountain pen from the drawer, uncapped it, and pressed the nib against a sticky note.
Big Sister ate the bread I bought, she said it was very delicious.
Big Sister and I watched a movie and even took pictures.
I secretly kissed Big Sister.
After finishing the entry, Yan Nianyi stared at the three lines of text, the softness in her eyes seemingly capable of melting into a pool of liquid.
She flipped the pages back to the very first one, brushed away some non-existent dust, and capped her fountain pen.
On the front page, a paragraph written in clear black ink was plainly visible.
I am going abroad, I won’t be able to see Big Sister for such a long time, will Big Sister miss me? I hate being away from Big Sister.
Yan Nianyi’s expression grew even gentler. Stroking the edge of the page, she turned to the second page with a sense of memory and emotional reflection.
First day abroad, I miss Big Sister, the distance between Big Sister and me has grown so much. But I received a message from Big Sister today, I am happy.
Yan Nianyi lowered her gaze, stopped reading further, closed the booklet, and put it away along with the pen.
She lay down horizontally on the large bed, pulling a neatly folded quilt over her stomach to catch up on some sleep.
When she woke up again, it was to the sound of knocking at her door. Yan Nianyi knitted her brows slightly, a fleeting flash of morning crankiness from an interrupted sleep crossing her face. She pressed two fingers against her temples, taking a moment to wake herself up before standing up.
She picked up her glasses from the bedside table, put them on, got out of bed, folded the quilt neatly, and pulled open the door. “Mother Li.”
Yan Nianyi used a calm, polite tone to address the middle-aged woman standing before her.
“Miss, lunch is ready,” Mother Li said with affectionate warmth.
“Alright.” Yan Nianyi nodded. “I am heading down now.”
She closed the door behind her, followed the stairs down to the first floor, and walked briskly toward the dining room.
At the dining table, Yan Pin was browsing information on a tablet, his fingers swiping across the screen from time to time. A set of tableware was placed in front of him, along with a goblet filled with a purplish-red liquid.
Yan Nianyi sat down next to him, glanced at the two empty seats across from them, and pressed against the tip of her tongue. “When are Mom and Dad coming back?”
“Didn’t say. You suddenly rushed back to the country, overseas matters always require handling.” Yan Pin put down his tablet, pinched the slender stem of the goblet, and said, “Have a glass.”
“No.” Yan Nianyi refused. “Doesn’t the branch office have other people? Do Mom and Dad need to handle it personally?”
“Taking a vacation along the way.” Yan Pin smiled. He gently swirled the goblet, lowered his head intoxicatedly to sniff the emanating wine aroma, took a sip, and set it down.
“Oh.” Yan Nianyi scooped a bowl of soup and sipped it slowly.
“What position did Yueyi put you in? Presidential assistant?” Yan Pin was curious.
“Tagalong.” Yan Nianyi.
“What?” Yan Pin thought he had misheard, looking startled. “The Yue Corporation has that position? What is it for?”
“For chasing someone.” Yan Nianyi cast him an expression that didn’t reach her eyes.
Yan Pin was left speechless.
After finishing her meal, Yan Nianyi walked over to the living room sofa to rest. Lazily leaning back on the sofa cushions, she casually tapped open a video app. Just as she scrolled past one video, a message popped up.
Director Yue has arrived at the company.
Yan Nianyi stirred, correcting her posture to sit up straight, and tapped open the message.
“Did Big Sister say anything?” Yan Nianyi.
“Director Yue handed over the next ten days of responsibilities to the vice president.” The person replied.
“You mean Big Sister will not be going to the company for the next ten days?” Yan Nianyi.
“Yes, Director Yue took ten days of leave. But she didn’t say specifically what she intends to do.” The person on the other end replied.
“Find a way to install the thing I gave you earlier onto Big Sister’s phone.” Yan Nianyi.
“I will do my best.” The person replied.
“Sorry to trouble you.” Yan Nianyi.
Yan Nianyi exited the messaging app, narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, and curved her lips with leisure as she waited for the program to connect.
Inside the Yue Corporation, Yueyi was reviewing documents, signing her name on the final piece of paperwork with her fountain pen.
She tapped her phone on the desk and checked the time.
With a sharp click, the fountain pen cap was snapped back on.
“Director Yue, please take a look at this document.” Wang Lin stood off to the side, handing over a blue folder.
“Alright.” Yueyi reached out to take it without lifting her head.
However, the folder wasn’t placed directly into her hand. Instead, it slid past her fingertips, knocking over a glass cup with an uncovered lid. Warm water instantly poured out, wetting Yueyi’s clothes.
“Director Yue.” Wang Lin’s pupils dilated as she hurriedly propped the cup back upright and pulled out tissues to wipe down Yueyi’s shirt. “I am sorry, I…”
“It is fine.” Yueyi interrupted her unconcernedly. “I will go inside and change.”
She shook her head gently and walked over to the resting lounge separated by a single door.
Emerging in a spare set of clothes, she found that the spilled water on the office floor had already been mopped dry.
Yueyi stood and finished reading the document. “Regarding the specific details of the entertainment company acquisition, this document is written very thoroughly. In terms of current and future development, the entertainment industry is a promising sector.”
“Understood, Director Yue.” Wang Lin caught Yueyi’s meaning. “I will go notify the strategy and legal departments to handle it.”
“Mhm.” Yueyi put down the document and reached out to pick up the phone resting on her desk.
Her palm paused in mid-air before she grabbed the device. “I am leaving first.”
“Have a safe trip, Director Yue.” Wang Lin.
“Miss Yan, I have installed it successfully.” A message popped up.
“Saw it.” Yan Nianyi.
Unblinkingly staring at her phone, Yan Nianyi adjusted her glasses, watched the small red dot moving on the map, and curved her lips.