The room fell quiet for a moment. Ming Lan looked up, sensing something, and caught sight of Yi An walking downstairs beside Chairman Ye. Even from a distance, she could tell Yi An was looking at her.
Their eyes met across the crowd. Ming Lan did not stand. She rested her chin on her hand and quietly watched as Yi An stepped into the spotlight, returning to the life that had always been meant for her.
While Ming Lan’s gaze remained fixed on Yi An, Li Jue, standing nearby, also saw her. His eyes widened in shock. He stared at Ming Lan, remembering what had happened that morning, especially her words: “She’s my friend.”
How had the Ye family become so close to Ming Lan in such a short time? Was there something going on behind the scenes that no one else knew about?
If so, this could become very complicated.
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Chairman Ye’s voice echoed through the hall. Though old, his tone was steady and full of authority. The crowd quieted immediately and turned their attention to him. “I have gathered you all here today because the Ye family has something important to announce. Twenty-five years ago, a tragic accident took the lives of my grandson and his wife. Their young daughter went missing, and I’m sure many of you still remember what happened.”
The incident had been a major event in the city at the time. The Ye family had done everything they could to search for their granddaughter. News of the search had spread across City A. Everyone remembered how they nearly turned the entire city upside down trying to find her, but in the end, she had never been found.
“More than twenty years have passed. To my surprise, fate has brought my great-granddaughter back to me. For the Ye family, this is an incredible blessing. Today, I want to formally introduce to all of you the treasure we lost and have now recovered. Please meet Yi An, the future head of the Ye family.”
There was no name change, no new surname, but none of that mattered. What belonged to Yi An still rightfully belonged to her.
Even Ming Lan was caught off guard. This was different from how things had unfolded in the previous life. Maybe this time, Yi An’s fate would be different too.
She hoped that would be true. Looking at Yi An standing calmly in front of the crowd, Ming Lan felt that she was even more capable and composed than she had imagined.
“The Ye family is in for some excitement,” Bai Fuling said quietly beside her. She looked at Yi An, then slowly turned her eyes toward the rest of the Ye family.
Ming Lan followed her gaze. In such a formal setting, everyone’s expressions were well-controlled. Nothing seemed unusual at first glance. But anyone paying attention would understand exactly what was going on behind those polite smiles.
After years of working hard and holding everything together, many of the Ye family members had expected a reward. Now, all those years of effort were being handed to someone who had been missing for more than two decades. Who would truly be willing to accept that without resentment?
Still, there was one benefit to the current situation. If any of them did try to harm Yi An now, they would have to think very carefully. If anything happened to her, suspicion would immediately fall on them.
Ming Lan pulled her gaze back. There was no way to predict what would happen next. Everything would have to be taken one step at a time.
Yi An still had to accompany Chairman Ye and continue greeting guests. She could not come over just yet. Ming Lan had no intention of interrupting her, especially with Bai Fuling still sitting beside her.
Right now, the people coming forward to offer their congratulations were all well-known figures in City A. The Li family was among them, represented by Li Jue’s parents. He was probably staying away because of what happened earlier that day.
The Xiao family was also present. President Xiao stood with his eldest son. Ming Lan had not seen Xiao Shaoyan around yet.
After waiting a little longer, Bai Fuling stood up and spoke to Ming Lan.
“I need to go over there for a bit. See you later.”
Ming Lan nodded and watched as she walked toward her parents. The three of them exchanged a few words and looked around as if searching for someone. When they did not find who they were looking for, only Bai Fuling and her parents approached Chairman Ye and Yi An to introduce themselves.
That was when Ming Lan noticed that Bai Tingqiu was not here. Unlike Xiao Shaoyan, who had always been on the outskirts of his family, Bai Tingqiu had been given every opportunity. Even though he often felt his parents favored his sister, he had never lacked anything. He joined the company right after college and had already risen to the role of director. To outsiders, he had always been seen as the heir to the Bai family business.
There was no good reason for him to miss this kind of event.
Across the room, Yi An remained by Chairman Ye’s side. She had just finished greeting another group when she looked over at Ming Lan. Seeing her still sitting comfortably where she had been, she relaxed. Just as she turned her head, Bai Fuling approached to introduce herself.
Listening to the elders speak, Yi An finally realized who she was. She was Bai Tingqiu’s younger sister, the one who had died young in the previous life. That also explained why Yi An had never met her before. At the previous banquet, she had been so nervous that the old master had skipped the formal introductions. She left for overseas shortly after, and by the time she returned, Bai Fuling was already gone.
No wonder she knew Ming Lan.
They exchanged polite greetings and a few words. While Yi An quietly observed Bai Fuling, Fuling was doing the same in return. Both were thinking carefully about the other.
The banquet was just getting started, but Ming Lan had little interest in the event itself. She stayed in her quiet corner and glanced toward the entrance. A man in a white suit arrived, rushing inside. It was Bai Tingqiu. He accepted his father’s scolding without complaint, nodding in apology.
Ming Lan shifted her eyes toward Bai Fuling. She showed no smugness or satisfaction. In fact, it looked like she even said a few words to defend her brother, which only earned him more scolding.
It seemed like Ming Lan could just sit back and watch. Unlike the complicated situations with the Li and Xiao families, her conflict with the Bai family involved only Bai Tingqiu. If she did end up working with Bai Fuling, it might turn out to be a smart move. But everything depended on what kind of person Bai Fuling truly was.
After what she had been through in her last life, Ming Lan fully understood what it meant to know someone’s face but not their heart. Only time would tell what the truth really was.
Sitting alone, she was content with the peace. No one came to disturb her. Yi An had even arranged for someone to bring her snacks and refreshments. Ming Lan passed the time by nibbling on pastries. But when she saw the champagne placed beside her, she was reminded of that scene from the book involving someone getting drunk at this very banquet.
Although she normally drank no more than a single glass, it was better to be careful tonight.
She asked for the champagne to be swapped for juice and ended up drinking a bit more than she usually would.
Not long after, Yi An was finally able to excuse herself and came to sit beside her.
“Are you feeling bored?” Yi An asked as she glanced at the empty glass in front of Ming Lan. “Why don’t you go upstairs and rest for a while? I might be tied up for a bit.”
For most people, banquets like this were about networking. But Ming Lan had spent the evening relaxing and snacking. She nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll go rest for a bit, then head home. Don’t worry about me.”
Yi An looked at her. Ming Lan’s cheeks were lightly flushed. Her soft eyes looked misty and shiny, and the smile on her lips made her look sweet and relaxed. She had clearly had more to drink than she realized. Letting her go home like this did not sit well with Yi An.
“Why don’t you rest in my room for a while?”
“No need. My parents are coming back tomorrow, so I’d rather sleep at home,” Ming Lan said, not sensing anything unusual and still thinking about her plans for the next day.
“Then at least rest upstairs for a bit. I’ll take you home later.”
Yi An helped Ming Lan to her feet. She only felt a bit dizzy for a moment, thinking it was just from sitting too long. After a short pause, she felt fine and walked steadily alongside Yi An to the elevator.
When Yi An pressed the button for the third floor, Ming Lan glanced at it and quietly switched it to the second floor. The third floor was where Yi An’s room was located, but it was also where Elder Ye and his private study were. On such an important night with many significant guests, it was very likely that Elder Ye would be meeting with people there. If Ming Lan accidentally overheard or saw something, it would be inappropriate.
The second floor, on the other hand, was where guest rooms were set up for rest. It was a more suitable choice.
Seeing Ming Lan insist, Yi An agreed.
When they reached the second floor, which was mostly quiet, Yi An arranged for Ming Lan to rest in a private lounge and instructed the staff to take care of her.
“Ming Lan, wait for me to take you home later, okay?”
“Got it. Go on, don’t worry about me. I’m not a three-year-old.”
Ming Lan didn’t understand why Yi An seemed so worried and gently urged her to go back downstairs.
After Yi An left, a servant brought in some tea and snacks. Ming Lan barely glanced at them and asked the maid to close the door so she could rest.
Once the door was shut, all the noise from downstairs was sealed off.
Ming Lan slouched on the sofa and pulled out her phone, playing a simple mobile game to pass the time. The repetitive gameplay started to bore her, and sleepiness crept in.
Her eyelids grew heavier. She casually set the phone on the table beside her, leaned into the armrest of the sofa, propped her head on her arm, and closed her eyes—just intending to rest a bit. But she soon drifted into sleep.
The banquet downstairs lasted a long time. As the host of the evening, Yi An couldn’t leave halfway, though she kept glancing toward the upper floor whenever she had a chance.
As the event drew to a close and night grew deeper, she glanced at the time and finally let out a breath of relief. Just as she relaxed, a loud crashing noise came from across the banquet hall.
Startled, she rushed over and saw that someone who had drunk too much had knocked over some glasses and dishes. It wasn’t a big issue, and Yi An had staff clean it up quickly.
With guests beginning to leave, she made sure the intoxicated ones were taken care of and escorted out with their companions. Once everything was under control, she hurried upstairs to check on Ming Lan.
Meanwhile, Ming Lan, who had fallen into a deep sleep, was curled up against the sofa’s armrest. She hadn’t expected to sleep so soundly.
Suddenly, a loud bang came from the door being pushed open.
Startled, Ming Lan snapped awake. Her heart pounded so violently it felt painful, and her vision was still blurred. She was gasping for air, trying hard to regain her senses.
“Yi An?” she called weakly.
But there was no reply.
She looked toward the door and saw a dark figure walking slowly in.
Something felt wrong.
Trying to sit up, she leaned against the sofa for support, but her body was too weak to move properly. She could barely lift her head.
Her vision began to clear, and the shadowy figure came closer.