“Where are you going again?” Yan Pin diverted his gaze from his tablet to look at the person who had picked up the thin jacket hanging nearby and was preparing to head out. He pressed his brow. “Are you coming back tonight?”
“Unsure.” Yan Nianyi came to a halt. With one hand pressed against the doorknob, she turned her body sideways. “Though you don’t need to wait up for me for dinner.”
“Got it.” Yan Pin withdrew his gaze, swiped across his screen, and asked again, “Where are you going?”
“Brother, you really should focus more on company matters, after all.” Yan Nianyi intentionally paused. Amused, she lowered her head to look at the thin jacket draped over her arm. “I’m not even sure where I’m heading myself.”
Yan Pin was momentarily stunned, then raised his head in surprise. “What do you mean?”
His nervous expression successfully amused Yan Nianyi, the corners of her eyes curving upward: “Wherever Elder Sister goes, I go.”
“Oh?” Yan Pin understood the meaning behind her words. The corners of his mouth twitched, he rolled his eyes, and let out a cold snort. “Such a hopeless love addict.”
“Brother, you got it wrong.” Yan Nianyi smiled and corrected the mistake in his words. “I haven’t won Elder Sister over yet, so I can’t be considered a love addict. At best, I’m merely a pursuer.”
“And a pursuer who has to stay hidden in the shadows.” Yan Nianyi’s last sentence was spoken in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. As she stroked the metal handle, it was the first time she felt its chilliness so distinctly.
“What did you say?” Yan Pin didn’t catch the tail end of her sentence.
“Nothing, I’m heading out.” Yan Nianyi waved her hand and twisted the doorknob.
She exerted a slight force with her fair palm, making the clear, purplish-blue veins even more prominent.
She unlocked her phone, opened the map application, and watched the blinking red dot moving continuously at a speed visible to the naked eye. She zoomed in on the area around the red dot, revealing a bustling commercial street.
Was Elder Sister having a gathering with friends right here?
She wanted to go.
But would it be inappropriate for her to suddenly show up there?
Pondering this, Yan Nianyi opened another app and tapped into her chat box with Shao Yihan.
[Where are you right now?] Yan Nianyi.
[At home.] Shao Yihan.
[Get out here and help me provide cover.] Yan Nianyi stated her purpose without beating around the bush.
[Going to find President Yueyi again?] Shao Yihan sent a helpless sticker. [Come pick me up.]
[Alright.] Yan Nianyi.
Her car key ring was hooked onto the joint of her index finger, spinning casually a few times. Yan Nianyi pulled open the car door, fastened her seatbelt, inserted the key, and turned the steering wheel.
Ten minutes later, Shao Yihan appeared in the front passenger seat, pointing at herself with a full face of bitter resentment. “I’m such a tragic scapegoat. Tell me, what are we doing this time?”
“Elder Sister is gathering with friends, and I want to go see which friend it is.” Yan Nianyi groped along the steering wheel.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the phone clipped into the mount; the red dot blinking on it had stopped moving.
“No way, you have to go keep watch even when President Yueyi is meeting up with friends?” Shao Yihan clicked her tongue. With her arms crossed, she leaned against the car window at ease, her probing gaze falling on the woman in the driver’s seat. “I remember you weren’t this clingy toward President Yueyi before. How is it that after taking a trip abroad, you can’t bear to be apart for even a single second?”
“What do you know?” Yan Nianyi stared straight ahead at the road.
“Yes, yes, yes, I don’t know.” Shao Yihan nodded perfunctorily, letting out a deliberate sigh. “Poor Eldest Miss Yan, having to find someone to provide cover just to go see the person she wants to see. How tragic.”
“Watch out.” An electric scooter suddenly darted out in front of them. Yan Nianyi imperceptibly frowned and eased up on the accelerator.
Upon arriving at the area where the red dot was located, Yan Nianyi found a spot to park. She glanced through the rearview mirror to make sure no vehicles or pedestrians were passing by before pulling open the door and getting out.
She picked up her phone, zoomed in on the red dot area once more to pinpoint the exact shop, memorized the name, and only then explained, “Secretary Wang doesn’t even know who Elder Sister is meeting.”
“So?” Shao Yihan was curious.
Yan Nianyi didn’t answer. She hooked the glasses on the bridge of her nose, pulled a pack of facial tissues from her pocket, drew out a sheet, and wiped the lenses.
“Secretary Wang, if I recall correctly, she seems to have worked by President Yueyi’s side for six or seven years now.” Not getting a response, Shao Yihan raised an eyebrow and continued. “Are you worried that President Yueyi has made some other friends behind your back that you don’t know about?”
“Pretty much.” Yan Nianyi put her glasses back on. A trace of bewilderment filled her eyes; even she didn’t know why, but she had a persistent feeling that the person Yueyi was meeting today was extraordinary.
She pushed her thoughts aside, raised her chin, and looked toward the cafe not far away.
“President Yueyi is in there?” Shao Yihan caught on, understanding the woman’s intent. “Planning to pretend you ran into her by coincidence?”
“Mm.” Yan Nianyi replied.
She strode toward the cafe, her hand holding the phone trembling slightly. The closer she got, the more pronounced an invisible sense of oppression became, like a giant hand gripping her neck and continuously squeezing the air out of her chest.
However, before she even fully approached the cafe, a familiar figure entered Yan Nianyi’s field of vision. Her gaze locked onto the woman sitting inside behind the floor-to-ceiling glass.
The woman’s profile was flawless, her cascade of hair simply gathered behind her with a hair clip. Her fingers held a coffee spoon, gently stirring the liquid as if amused by something her companion said, occasionally revealing a soft, faint trace of a smile.
It was a picture of serene tranquility.
“Nianyi.” Shao Yihan also noticed the scene. She looked in astonishment at the young man sitting opposite Yueyi whom she had never seen before, stunned for a fraction of a second before turning her head to look at the person beside her.
Sure enough, the other’s expression had turned gloomy, and the chill in her eyes through her lenses was still enough to strike fear into people’s hearts.
Shao Yihan couldn’t help but shiver. Having known Yan Nianyi for so many years, she was still occasionally frightened by her gloomy aura.
“Nianyi.” Shao Yihan tugged at Yan Nianyi’s wrist. “Do you want to go inside and take a look?”
Yan Nianyi’s chilling gaze shifted to the person sitting across from Yueyi. With a blank expression, she raised her arm, lifted her finger, snapped a photo of the young man, and sent it to Yan Pin.
[Look into this. Who is this person?] Yan Nianyi.
After sending the message, her arm dropped limply, her thin lips pressed into a tight line, and her fair face displayed a flush of pink under the sunlight.
Yan Nianyi silently watched the two chatting and laughing away. After a long while, she took a step forward. “Let’s go take a look.”
The cafe had a total of two doors for free entry and exit. Calming herself down, Yan Nianyi gripped her phone and entered through the door further away from Yueyi, which fell into the other person’s blind spot.
After entering the cafe, Shao Yihan cast a quick glance at the man and woman sitting in the corner, hurried over to the service counter to order two cups of coffee, and then followed Yan Nianyi along the passageway behind Yueyi, taking a seat in the booth directly behind Yueyi and the man.
Yan Nianyi sat with her back to Yueyi, using the soft padding of the backrest to shield her figure.
As long as Yueyi didn’t deliberately turn around, she wouldn’t notice them.
“Yueyi, it’s been a long time since we last met. If possible, I’d like to invite you for a few drinks tonight.” The young man’s words drifted through the air and drilled straight into Yan Nianyi’s ears.
“A few drinks?” Yan Nianyi’s complexion darkened to the point where it could almost drip water, the purplish-blue veins on the back of her hand bulging.
“Tonight?” Yueyi released her spoon, the pattern on the surface of the coffee disrupted. Her peripheral vision swept across her phone, a fine softness welling up in the depths of her eyes. “Sure.”
Hearing Yueyi’s reply, Yan Nianyi clenched her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms and leaving four crescent-shaped marks of varying depth.
“Your coffees, both of you.” The waiter carried a long tray, bent down while wearing white gloves, and placed the two cups of coffee in front of the respective guests.
Fearing discovery, Shao Yihan remained silent and politely nodded in acknowledgment to the waiter.
“Enjoy your coffee, you two.” The waiter turned and left.
The rich aroma of coffee saturated the space, yet Yan Nianyi could only smell the bitterness within.
Her finger bones exerted too much force, emitting a crisp sound of friction.
“Though you’ll have to wait just a little bit.” Yueyi’s smiling voice rang out once more.
The suppressed displeasure in Yan Nianyi’s heart was soothed somewhat by the woman’s gentle tone. She picked up her cup and took a small sip, the taste upon entry entirely bitter.
“What is it? Wait a moment.” The man watched as the woman sitting straight before him suddenly stood up, and just as he wanted to say something, he saw the stunningly beautiful person opposite him shake her head at him. The rest of his words caught in his throat.
Yueyi tapped the back of her phone, her risen figure turning around to face the back.
“Shh.” Yueyi pressed her index finger against her lips, making a shushing gesture toward the table behind her where Shao Yihan sat right in front of her.
Shao Yihan hurriedly lowered her head, picking up her coffee with a guilty pretense of normalcy.
Yan Nianyi’s mind wasn’t on her, so she failed to notice her change in demeanor.
“If you don’t add a little sugar, won’t it be far too bitter?” The woman’s warm voice echoed by her ear once again.
The bitterness at the bottom of Yan Nianyi’s heart grew even deeper; Elder Sister actually went as far as to care whether that person found it bitter or not.
“Bitter to death.” Yan Nianyi muttered in a low, quiet complaint using only breath.