“Do I get compensated with whatever I want?” Yan Nianyi’s gaze shifted, a cool, moist sensation lingering just beneath her eyes.
“As long as you are not angry anymore,” Yueyi withdrew her hand.
Yet what if what I want is you? Yan Nianyi murmured inwardly.
She bit the inside of her lip to keep her wits about her, arriving at a compromise. “Give me your phone, Sister.”
Though perplexed by the request, Yueyi handed it over regardless.
“It needs to be unlocked,” Yan Nianyi added.
Yueyi raised an eyebrow, flipped the device over, and unlocked the screen with facial recognition.
Taking the phone, Yan Nianyi gave the main interface a quick scan. It was clean and straightforward.
The screensaver was the system’s default initial interface, and the applications were limited to a few absolute essentials.
Finding the one she was looking for, Yan Nianyi tapped it open.
It was the camera.
She then tapped the flip icon at the bottom of the screen and quickly pressed the central circular button.
Accompanied by a shutter click, a photo popped up on the phone screen.
Curious about what she was up to, Yueyi watched as the other girl handed the phone back.
“Sister, open WeChat and go to our chat interface,” Yan Nianyi instructed.
Yueyi obediently complied, only to watch as Yan Nianyi used her hand to set that very photo as the chat wallpaper for their conversation.
“All done.” Yan Nianyi looked at the updated chat interface with satisfaction. “Now, whenever Sister chats with me, you will get to see my face. Consider that my compensation.”
Amused by her antics, Yueyi shook her head with a helpless smile. “Alright.”
A faint curve played at the corners of Yan Nianyi’s lips.
Looked at that way, it was not too much of a loss. It was just that Sister hadn’t gotten to eat her bread, so she would just have to go buy her another one tomorrow.
Right as she was thinking this, she heard Yueyi mutter in passing, “How did we run out of water?”
Yan Nianyi lifted her gaze to see that inside the glass cup Yueyi had just set down, only a few droplets of liquid remained clinging to the inner walls.
“I will go pour some water for Sister,” Yan Nianyi reached out and took the cup.
“There is no need. We are getting off work soon anyway, no need to rush right this second,” Yueyi stopped her.
“There are still ten minutes left before get-off-time,” Yan Nianyi persisted. “Besides, I am drawing a salary here, and if I do nothing at all, I am bound to get fired.”
With that, she made to leave the office.
Her fingers had barely brushed against the doorknob, not even exerting any pressure, when the door was pushed open from the outside.
“What is going on here? Bringing things back after someone already took them?” Before she could see who had arrived, the voice reached them first.
“Yan Nianyi?” Zhou Ruomu blinked in surprise upon recognizing the person standing behind the door.
Yan Nianyi swept a calm gaze over Zhou Ruomu, her eyes finally coming to rest on the bread the other was holding. After a brief pause, she stepped past her and walked out.
“Give me the bread,” came Yueyi’s gentle voice from behind.
“What is the matter?” Zhou Ruomu closed the door, looking bewildered.
“That bread was bought for me by Nianyi. She waited in line for over an hour. I did not know earlier, which was why I let you take it,” Yueyi explained honestly.
“So what if Yan Nianyi bought it for you?” Zhou Ruomu was unfazed.
Yueyi raised her gaze to look at her.
“Wait, she bought that bread for you personally?” Zhou Ruomu registered the fact, her eyes widening in astonishment as she stared at the item in her hands. Realization dawning on her, the corners of her mouth twitched as she muttered to herself, “If you had just told me earlier, I wouldn’t have taken it even if you shoved it in my arms.”
Yueyi missed the tail end of her muttering and simply said, “Once the little one finds out, she will be a bit unhappy and sulk with me.”
Zhou Ruomu fell silent.
She simply could not associate Yan Nianyi with the words “little one” and “sulking.”
“Cough.” She cleared her throat. “Yan Nianyi? The little one?”
“Mm,” Yueyi confirmed.
“She is only younger than you by five years, you know,” Zhou Ruomu attempted to point out that the girl wasn’t as diminutive as she imagined.
“Is that so?” Yueyi caught herself, though she merely tapped her fingertips against the desk. “Perhaps because she has been pampered in the Yan family, she inevitably gives off a sense of being innocent and very young.”
“Innocent.” Zhou Ruomu felt a bit triggered by the word.
Was Yan Nianyi’s image really that pristine in Yueyi’s eyes? She was momentarily struck dumb, at a loss for words.
“Never mind, I am leaving.” Zhou Ruomu set the bread down, beating a hasty retreat before Yan Nianyi could return.
As it turned out, she hadn’t even walked two steps past the corner when she ran into Yan Nianyi, who was walking back after fetching water from the pantry.
“Junior Director Zhou,” Yan Nianyi held her cup in one hand while using her other hand to nudge her gold-rimmed glasses upward by the bridge. The eyes hidden behind the lenses were steeped in chilling coldness.
“Eldest Miss Yan,” Zhou Ruomu greeted back.
“Has Junior Director Zhou ever heard a saying?” Yan Nianyi lowered her arm.
“What saying?” Zhou Ruomu asked.
“Taking other people’s things casually brings bad luck.” Yan Nianyi tilted her head, shooting her a cryptic look.
“Is that so?” Zhou Ruomu chuckled with amusement. “Perhaps. But right now, I am rather looking forward to Eldest Miss Yan’s performance. After all, in Yueyi’s eyes, you are an innocent little one.”
She deliberately emphasized the last few words.
“Junior Director Zhou need not concern herself with that,” Yan Nianyi lowered her eyelids and walked straight toward the office.
As she neared the door, she took a deep breath, plastered a light, gentle smile back onto her face, and pushed it open. “Sister, I have poured your water. It is lukewarm.”
“Sorry to trouble you.” Yueyi accepted the cup.
“It is no trouble at all.” Yan Nianyi lowered her gaze, feigning sudden discovery of the bread resting on the desk. “Sister, did Junior Director Zhou bring the bread back?”
“Mm.” Yueyi took a sip of water, finding the temperature just right.
She reached out to grab the outer packaging bag, hooked her finger around one of the satin ribbons, and gave it a slight tug to smoothly untie it.
The off-white wrapping fell away. Seeing that Yueyi was still holding her water cup in her other hand, Yan Nianyi proactively stepped forward to pinch the other end of the ribbon, cooperating with her.
She lifted the bread out, pulling the ribbon out from underneath.
Once the outer layer of packaging was removed, a cardboard box lay inside.
Yan Nianyi inspected it carefully to ensure the opening faced her side. Pressing a single finger into the slot at the lid’s opening, she curled her knuckle and popped the box open from the inside.
Using her thumb and index finger to grip the base, she slid the bread out along with its plastic tray.
An exquisite pastry came into view. Atop the white bread, a decorative border was printed in black lettering, and right in the center was the name of the treat.
“It looks quite nice,” Yueyi smiled.
Yan Nianyi rummaged through the outer packaging and shortly produced a plastic spoon.
“There is only one spoon,” Yan Nianyi pinched the tail end of the spoon and held it out.
“You eat first.” Yueyi set her water cup down and refused to take it.
“How can I do that? I bought this specifically for you,” Yan Nianyi chuckled, instead scooping a portion from the center of the bread and extending it forward. “Sister, open up.”
The fragrant, soft cake was held right at Yueyi’s lips, the air thick with sweet aroma, close enough to brush against her with the slightest opening of her mouth.
“I can do it myself,” she turned her head away.
However, the spoon seemed magnetized to her, following right in front of her lips.
“Sister,” Yan Nianyi drew out her tone, unconsciously injecting a hint of spoiling petulance into her voice as she puckered her lips, looking entirely prepared to refuse to budge unless the other ate.
Helpless, Yueyi conceded, parting her lips to take the small piece of bread off the spoon.
“Is it good?” Yan Nianyi asked.
Yueyi chewed for a moment, her throat rolling as she swallowed. “Delicious.”
“As long as it is delicious.” Yan Nianyi’s eyes curved into crescent moons, validating all the time she had spent waiting in line.
She scooped up another bite. After Yueyi ate that one as well, seeing the girl try to feed her again, Yueyi quickly urged, “Do not just focus on me, have a taste yourself.”
Yan Nianyi blinked, lowering her gaze to the spoon. A tiny crumb that Yueyi hadn’t finished eating still clung to the edge. Her gaze deepened, sending ripples spreading outward.
The gold-rimmed frames of her glasses caught the light, refracting a bright flare.
The girl’s pure features were rendered all the more tender by the glow.
She scooped up a bite from the edge and slowly slid it into her mouth, rolling her tongue to locate the leftover crumb, pressing against it as she savored the taste.
“The flavor is good, no wonder so many people line up for it,” Yan Nianyi set the spoon down, a hint of regret in her voice. “Though I find it cloying if I eat too much.”
“Perhaps you are just not used to sweets.” Yueyi didn’t pay it much mind, naturally picking up the spoon and eating a few more bites on her own.
Yan Nianyi’s gaze traced upward from Yueyi’s wrist, slowly shifting to the curved knuckles holding the spoon.
“Sister, are you heading straight home after get-off-time?” Yan Nianyi inquired.
“Mm,” Yueyi nodded. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was just past six o’clock, and she pulled out a tissue to wipe the corner of her lips. “And you?”
“I am meeting a friend for dinner,” Yan Nianyi replied.
“Then I will give you tomorrow off. Since it is Labor Day, everyone in the company is on holiday except those who volunteered to work overtime.” Twirling the spoon handle between her fingers a couple of times, Yueyi set it down and added.
“Is Sister also volunteering to work overtime?” Yan Nianyi propped her chin in her hand, looking as though she couldn’t quite fathom it.
“I had some unfinished work left over, so I came in to handle it today,” Yueyi nodded.
“Will Sister be coming in tomorrow as well?” Yan Nianyi asked again.
“Resting,” Yueyi answered.
“As Sister’s personal little attendant, I naturally follow in Sister’s footsteps.” Yan Nianyi straightened up. “Then I will rest too.”