The sea breeze in September was exceptionally chilly. After Ye Siyu stepped ashore, a stretched Bentley Grand Limousine was already parked at the harbor.
The starry sky hung over Victoria Harbour, and the air was filled with the damp, salty scent of seawater.
The narrow stiletto heels of her diamond studded shoes clicked against the ground, producing a crisp rhythm.
“Clack, clack, clack, clack.” The sound traveled far across the quiet harbor, echoing alongside the crashing waves.
The ocean breeze made Ye Siyu feel a bit cold. She took a few steps, then turned around to look at the person following her.
Under the dark, gloomy night sky, the black hair of the woman behind her was blown into disarray by the wind.
She stepped out from the shadows, bathed in the cool light of the streetlamps.
Her silhouette gradually came into clear view. In her bright, slightly elongated, narrow eyes, a dark tide seemed to surge, matching the deep, shadowy sea behind her.
The wind howled, tangling both of their hair.
Carrying heavy moisture, the sea breeze dampened both of their hearts.
In that fleeting moment, Ye Siyu felt as though this scene resembled a cliché romantic movie.
Yet looking back later, it wasn’t a romance at all, it felt more like a cliche mob exchange.
The black haired beauty raised her eyes, her silky black hair floating gently in the breeze.
“Sister, do you not want me anymore?”
Just those few short words, paired with her distinctively Oriental features on a mixed race face, as her bright red lips lightly parted. Her eyes were filled with the insecure dread of abandonment, striking Ye Siyu straight in the heart.
Truth be told, although Ye Siyu played along, she had never taken any of this seriously.
For one, she disliked all these messy entanglements. Secondly, her original plan was simply to get the girl out of that kind of venue and then part ways.
Though the last few words of the woman’s sentence were swallowed by the wind, Ye Siyu still felt her heart thump heavily inside her chest.
She raised a hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Where are you going? I can have someone drive you back.”
Her car was parked not far away. The driver had already stepped out, holding a neatly folded shawl. He walked over, handed it to Ye Siyu, and respectfully stepped back.
The ocean breeze blew past again, tossing the black haired woman’s tresses.
She lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes concealing the dark emotion that flickered briefly across her eyes.
She looked so aggrieved, carrying a frail, anxious sense of sorrow.
“Sister, you said you would give me a name.”
Ye Siyu frowned slightly, preferring to view it as a convenient excuse for playing along.
“Do you really not know your own name?”
Hearing this, the woman shook her head. “I don’t.”
Ye Siyu began to feel the cold. Unsure if the breeze at Victoria Harbour was unusually chilly tonight, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself.
Such a hassle… (Feishi…)
“Sister…” The woman raised her eyes once more. Her gaze was shimmering with moisture, reflecting the stars above the harbor. “What name do you want to give me?”
This reminded Ye Siyu of a small pet she used to keep, gentle, harmless, with water glistening in its eyes, looking thoroughly endearing…
“A hassle…” (Feishi…)
Ye Siyu suddenly found it quite amusing. The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile. “How about… I call you Fei… Fei Shi?”
The woman’s black hair blew in the wind, her cheeks and the tip of her nose tinged with a soft pink hue.
“Thank you, Sister.” She suddenly smiled. “From now on, my name is Fei Shi.”
Their eyes locked. It was as if the cool night breeze had been painted over with an affectionate, warm color.
The electric fan hummed, accompanied by a faint buzzing electrical sound.
Whenever it rotated to a certain angle, it would let out an ear grating squeak.
Ye Siyu snapped her eyes open, thin beads of sweat clinging to her temples.
Inside the cramped dormitory, the air was barely circulating. Outside, rain poured down heavily, making the tiny room feel even more stifling.
Ye Siyu sat up. What met her eyes was still this tiny dorm room.
She was lying on her bed. The surreal, hazy feeling had vanished, but the headache was very real.
It felt like waking from a grand dream, an exhausting, powerless sensation.
Ye Siyu threw off the blanket, stepped out of bed, put on her cheap slippers, and walked to the desk to pour herself a glass of water.
The fan blew a gust of air over, fluttering the hem of her nightgown.
Gulp, gulp. Ye Siyu downed the entire glass of water, feeling as though she had only just broken free from the dream’s grip.
“Xiaoyu, you’re awake.”
Xiao Ai returned from the balcony, holding a pile of laundry she had just pulled in.
Ye Siyu gave a delayed “Mm,” looking over. “How… did I get back?”
Xiao Ai sat down to fold the clothes. “You got smashed last night! Ah, so many people were wasted last night.” Xiao Ai spoke without much logic, chattering away. “Anyway, everyone just helped each other back. You have no idea, Old Zhang was so drunk that no one could move him. Someone even suggested calling a freight truck…”
Ye Siyu lowered her gaze, walked back to her bed, and sat down.
She was still a bit dazed. Picking up the retro red alarm clock on her nightstand, she checked the time, only to realize she had slept for a very long time, it was already past seven in the morning.
The rain was still falling heavily, tapping against the eaves. The world outside remained dark and gloomy, making it hard to tell morning from evening.
Ye Siyu had assumed Xiao Ai was the one who helped her back.
However, Xiao Ai’s next sentence made her freeze.
“Oh right, after you got drunk yesterday, that customer who came to the shop before helped me carry you back.”
Ye Siyu: “…Customer?”
“Yeah! The customer who came to the coffee shop after you went upstairs that day. And guess what? She’s our new shareholder!”
When they were drinking last night, Old Zhang had mentioned something about the coffee shop being acquired, and that this shareholder was only providing funds without interfering in operations.
Ye Siyu hadn’t been drunk yet back then, so she still remembered those words.
“I don’t remember meeting… the shareholder.”
“Oh, I told you, so many people were drunk yesterday.” Xiao Ai picked up the folded clothes to put them into the wardrobe, then suddenly remembered something and turned around. “By the way, Xiaoyu.”
“Have you really never met the shareholder? But when she was holding you last night, the way she looked at you… I felt like I was watching a GL novel come to life! I was so excited I almost died.”
“Oh, right! The shareholder said she’s coming to the shop today. Old Zhang swallowed his hangover and personally notified everyone one by one. He wants us lined up at the shop at 10:00 AM to give her a proper welcome.”
Ye Siyu felt her head aching again. She rubbed her temples, unable to fully process what Xiao Ai meant by “holding her back.”
In her daze, she muttered a complaint, “Lined up to welcome her? That sounds so silly…”
“Hahaha! When Old Zhang said that, we all said the exact same thing! So then Old Zhang said everyone can just go about their work in the shop and there’s no need to be overly deliberate, just super casually display our outstanding professional spirits.”
Xiao Ai leaned in with a secretive look. “You’ll get to see our new boss then, the very person who carried you back last night~”
Ye Siyu’s fingers paused. She suddenly looked up. “Last night… did you change my nightgown for me?”
She clearly hadn’t been wearing this long white nightgown last night.
“Oh, not me. I was helping haul Old Zhang back yesterday. I even borrowed a courier handcart…”
“It was probably the new boss who changed your clothes for you.”