Chapter 16

On her third day of work, Ruan Xinyi noticed that Wen Xihan arrived just on time again.

Compared to yesterday, she looked much better. Her makeup was more refined, and the frameless glasses perched on her straight nose gave her an air of aloofness and detachment, laced with a subtle allure of restraint.

Sipping her yogurt, Ruan Xinyi silently admired the woman who had captivated her at first sight. Wen Xihan was a perfect match for her heartstrings.

Wen Xihan walked straight ahead, indifferent to her surroundings. She acknowledged her colleagues’ greetings with only a slight nod—cold but impeccable.

When passing by Ruan Xinyi, Wen Xihan paused momentarily.

After swallowing her yogurt, Ruan Xinyi licked her lips lightly and greeted her with a smile. “Good morning, General Manager Wen.”

Wen Xihan’s gaze lingered for two seconds on Ruan Xinyi’s glistening lips before shifting silently to the yogurt in her hand. Her tone was cool as she replied, “Mm.”

Noticing the fleeting attention, Ruan Xinyi lowered her eyes slightly, her smile deepening. As Wen Xihan lifted her foot to continue walking, Ruan Xinyi called softly, “General Manager Wen, the documents you asked me to copy yesterday are ready. Should I bring them to you now?”

Wen Xihan’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion. “Bring them in if they’re ready.”

Smiling sweetly, Ruan Xinyi replied, “Of course, General Manager Wen.”

Without another word, Wen Xihan returned to her office.

---

Finishing her yogurt, Ruan Xinyi waited until the milky taste faded before picking up a stack of documents from her desk. Her right hand brushed across the edge of the desk as she boldly knocked on Wen Xihan’s office door.

Inside, Wen Xihan was rubbing her temples, leaning heavily against her chair. Hearing the rhythmic knock, she furrowed her brow instinctively and reached for her glasses, slipping them back on. Straightening her posture slightly, she said in a cool tone, “Come in.”

As expected, it was Ruan Xinyi with the documents.

“Just leave them here,” Wen Xihan said without looking up, pointing to a spot on the desk.

Ruan Xinyi placed the documents as instructed but remained standing, showing no intention of leaving.

Puzzled, Wen Xihan looked up, her brows knitting slightly as she glanced at Ruan Xinyi.

Ruan Xinyi beamed, her delicate eyes curving. She gently pulled out the yogurt tucked in the crook of her arm and offered it to Wen Xihan like a treasure. “Here, for you, Sister~”

Wen Xihan froze—not because of Ruan Xinyi’s sudden gesture, but because it stirred memories from long ago.

Back then, the little girl was not even five years old—soft, adorable, and well-behaved. As the youngest in the family, she was pampered like a little princess by everyone.

That afternoon, Wen Xihan had just returned home from class and was changing her shoes in the hallway when the little girl ran to her excitedly from the living room, her voice sweet and childlike. “Auntie, you’re finally back~”

Wen Xihan ruffled the girl’s soft hair, smiling as she replied gently, “Yes, Auntie is back.”

The little girl nuzzled her hand and pouted, murmuring, “But I waited so long for you, so long… You’re such a bad Auntie for coming back so late!”

Wen Xihan couldn’t help laughing. Squatting down, she patiently comforted her. “It’s Auntie’s fault. How about I apologize to you?”

The little girl huffed playfully, grabbing Wen Xihan’s hand as she said in her soft, sweet voice, “I want Auntie to play with me.”

“Alright.”

After setting her bag down on the couch, Wen Xihan hadn’t been sitting for more than two minutes before the girl came over again. Resting her small hands on Wen Xihan’s knees, she looked around cautiously before whispering conspiratorially, “Auntie, I have something good for you.”

Curious, Wen Xihan asked, “What good thing?”

“Shh.” The girl raised a tiny finger to her lips and said seriously, “It’s a secret—Mommy can’t know.”

Then she reached into her little pocket, struggling for a moment before pulling something out.

“Here, Auntie~” She held out a handful of candies like a treasure.

It was imported milk candy—strawberry flavored.

There were only about four pieces, but with her tiny hands, it looked like she was offering a whole handful.

“What’s this?” Wen Xihan asked, picking up one piece.

The little girl tilted her chin proudly and said expectantly, “Grandma gave it to me, but I didn’t eat any. I wanted to save it for Auntie~”

The memory blurred into reality, and the little girl’s face overlapped with Ruan Xinyi’s. The eager look in her eyes, her anticipation for praise—it was all too familiar. Yet, there was something different now: a hint of hesitation and cautiousness, as if she feared rejection.

---

Wen Xihan was slightly distracted. By the time she regained her focus, she had already reached out and grabbed the bottle of yogurt.

It was strawberry-flavored yogurt.

Her throat felt a little smoother, and she awkwardly said, "Thank you."

Ruan Xinyi immediately broke into a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with joy. Her tone was light and cheerful: "I'm glad you like it, sister."

"Ruan Ru-" Wen Xihan hesitated for a moment, still trying to catch up with her thoughts. Hearing Ruan Xinyi's playful words, she frowned and said, "Ruan Xinyi, it's work hours right now."

Ruan Xinyi shrugged, her smile undiminished, but her tone turned more serious: "Okay, then, General Manager Wen, I'll go now."

Wen Xihan irritably waved her hand, signaling her to leave quickly.

After Ruan Xinyi left, Wen Xihan couldn't help but compare her to the "Ruan Ruan" from her childhood. She still couldn't figure it out—after all these years, not only had Ruan Ruan failed to recognize her, but why had she turned into this... shameless version?

---

At lunch, Ruan Xinyi went to the cafeteria with Zhou Xuan.

Until they finished their meal and returned, Ruan Xinyi hadn't seen Wen Xihan in the cafeteria.

Was she not having lunch today?

Suppressing her doubts, Ruan Xinyi made a big purchase at the convenience store on the first floor on their way back.

Zhou Xuan looked surprised. "Xinyi, why are you buying so much food?"

"I want to stock up on snacks to satisfy my cravings when I don’t feel like eating," Ruan Xinyi said, picking one of each type of gummy from the shelf, followed by fruit-flavored hard candies, various lollipops, and finally some biscuits, small breads, and other snacks for hunger.

Zhou Xuan found this reasonable and grabbed a shopping basket to pick some items.

---

After finishing the last bit of work on her desk, Wen Xihan glanced at the time. It had only been ten minutes since the afternoon break.

She stood up, massaged the aching back of her neck, and picked up her phone to text Qi Jingning: [I'm done. Have you arrived?]

Qi Jingning quickly replied: [Just arrived, come down.]

Wen Xihan: [Okay.]

After saving important files on her computer, Wen Xihan tidied her desk and walked out of the office, pressing the elevator button for the first floor.

---

In the company parking lot, Qi Jingning leaned against her car, holding a lollipop in her mouth. With one hand in the pocket of her brown work pants, her long hair cascading down, she exuded a relaxed vibe.

When she saw Wen Xihan approaching, her lips curled into a smile, and she handed over the last lollipop from her pocket.

"Thanks," Wen Xihan said. She noticed the lollipop was strawberry-flavored, and her expression stiffened for a moment.

Qi Jingning saw the change in her face and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Aren’t you the one who likes this flavor the most?"

Wen Xihan's expression returned to normal. "No, I just suddenly remembered something."

Qi Jingning chuckled, nudging Wen Xihan with her shoulder. She glanced at the black Phaeton parked diagonally opposite. "If I remember correctly, that seems to be your neighbor’s car?"

"Mm."

Qi Jingning tapped her chin thoughtfully, with a knowing tone. "Works at Li Hai Group and drives a car like that—her position must be pretty high."

She winked at Wen Xihan, asking in a gossiping manner, "So, my dear General Manager Wen, any suitable candidates?"

Wen Xihan rolled her eyes, walked around her, and sat in the passenger seat. "I don't know her well."

"Heh. Gossip is in everyone's nature," Qi Jingning said casually as she started the car, adding with a smirk, "I don’t believe you're not curious at all. You just got here and already heard a juicy story."

"..." Wen Xihan massaged her temple. "I'm not like you."

"Plus, that's someone’s private life. We shouldn’t discuss it too much."

"I know, I know." Qi Jingning responded in a mock-serious tone. "Our Teacher Wen has spoken."

Her tone was almost identical to Ruan Xinyi’s when she pushed boundaries, and Wen Xihan gave her a side-eye before turning to look out the window. She couldn't help but wonder if Ruan Ruan had been spending too much time with Qi Jingning, picking up these bad habits, which was why she had turned out like this now...

After parking, Qi Jingning gave the server the last digits of her phone number. "I made a reservation earlier."

"Two people, right? This way, please." The server led them to the reserved table and handed them the menu with a smile.

Qi Jingning casually handed the menu to Wen Xihan. "Xihan, you order. By the way, we don’t have much time for lunch, and hot pot makes you smell afterward. If you want, we can go for it tonight. Their spicy hot pot is pretty good."

Wen Xihan ordered the spicy hot pot and a soup, along with some stir-fried vegetables. "Do you want to add anything?"

"Just these," Qi Jingning said, adding a snack and handing the tablet to the server.

The server left, and Qi Jingning cleared her throat before asking, "Xihan, how have you been settling into work these days?"

"It’s fine," Wen Xihan replied, taking a sip of tea. Her tone was calm. "Still adjusting."

"That's good." Qi Jingning cleared her throat again before asking indirectly, "Didn't you say your little niece is working as your assistant? How is she? After all these years, has she changed a lot?"

Wen Xihan didn't answer, staring intently at her.

Qi Jingning felt a bit nervous under her gaze and half-jokingly said, "No way! She still hasn't recognized you?"

Putting her tea cup down, Wen Xihan pushed her glasses down, her expression unreadable, and said in a strange tone, "Mm, she still hasn’t recognized me."

Qi Jingning couldn’t help but laugh. "Your little niece is impressive. After all these years, she doesn't even know what she's turned into."

"I remember one time she was picking you up from school. She was wearing a little dress, all soft and delicate, looking like a little princess with a sweet mouth. Watching her, I almost wanted to go home and ask my mom for a little sister."

Perhaps recalling the past, Wen Xihan’s expression softened for a brief moment, but it only lasted a few seconds. She rubbed her temples and said in a somewhat strange tone, "She... um... has changed quite a bit."

After a pause, she looked at Qi Jingning meaningfully. "You’ll know when you meet her."

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