Chapter 45

"If you don’t mind, how about having some as a late-night snack?" With a bright smile, Ruan Xinyi extended the container toward her.

Seeing Ruan Xinyi's hand still hovering in mid-air, Wen Xihan pursed her thin lips without accepting it. Instead, she asked, "Have you eaten?"

In certain situations, this question could carry a subtle, polite invitation.

At least, that was how Ruan Xinyi understood it.

Suppressing the smile on her face, she cleared her throat and replied in the most casual tone possible, "I just had a little bit, but I can still have some snacks."

Unexpectedly, Wen Xihan did not respond as expected. She gently pushed Ruan Xinyi's hand back and outright refused, "Then you can eat it yourself."

Ruan Xinyi: "???" What kind of response was that!

Hurriedly trying to salvage the situation, she said, "No, no, sister~, I have another portion in my room. This one is specially for you!"

Wen Xihan leisurely glanced at Ruan Xinyi as if waiting to see what other excuse she could come up with.

"It's true! Just take it, please." Afraid that Wen Xihan would reject it again, Ruan Xinyi directly shoved the fresh-keeping box into her hand. "I know you haven't had dinner— oh wait, I mean, you did have dinner, but just take this as a late-night snack, alright?"

Wen Xihan: "…"

Did this little brat really think she wouldn't notice how quickly she changed her words?

"Sister, please accept it, okay? Pretty please~"

"Ruan Xinyi, thank you."

They both spoke at the same time.

Ruan Xinyi scratched her head awkwardly and, rare for her, smiled a little shyly. "Sister, you really don't have to be so polite."

"Huh?" Wen Xihan was a little surprised by Ruan Xinyi's demeanor and unknowingly lowered her guard.

"Because I'm pursuing you, of course." Ruan Xinyi finished the sentence in one breath. "Anyway, sister, get some rest early. Goodnight~" Without giving Wen Xihan any time to react, she quickly retreated into her room and closed the door with a crisp "click."

The first half of Ruan Xinyi's words were clear, spoken in a steady and confident tone without a hint of joking. However, the second half came out hastily, with her words slightly slurred, especially when she said "Goodnight," which sounded a lot like "I love you."

By the time Wen Xihan processed what had just happened, Ruan Xinyi was already gone from sight.

Looking down at the fresh-keeping box in her hand, Wen Xihan gritted her teeth and mumbled, "This little brat—"

Returning to the living room, Wen Xihan poured herself half a cup of warm water, the rim of the cup gently tapping her lips. Her gaze then fell upon the two-tier fresh-keeping box resting quietly on the coffee table.

After a moment of hesitation, she sat down in front of the table. Her slender fingers lightly tapped the lid of the box before slowly opening it.

Inside was shredded chicken and yam porridge, a few steamed dumplings, shumai, and a mini meat bun.

The dumplings and shumai looked especially familiar — the wrapping method and pleats at the top were identical to the ones in the photos Ruan Su had sent in the morning.

Opening the second tier, she found steamed Osmanthus cakes drizzled with honey-Osmanthus syrup. The subtle fragrance of Osmanthus mixed with the rich sweetness of honey, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

Pushing the mug aside, Wen Xihan picked up the small ceramic spoon that came with the box and took a bite of the yam and chicken porridge.

The porridge was thick and flavorful; the yam was soft and slightly sweet, while the chicken was tender and not dry. The seasoning was just right, and the taste lingered pleasantly. Although the food had slightly cooled, it did not compromise the texture or flavor.

The dumplings and shumai were the same. Despite being slightly cold, the skin still retained its original chewiness without becoming soggy or dry.

The familiar taste of the porridge spreading across her tongue instantly told Wen Xihan who made it.

If she still couldn't recognize that this was Ruan Xinyi's cooking after so many days of eating her lunchboxes, she must have been eating for nothing.

However, when she tasted the Osmanthus cake, she could immediately tell it wasn't made by Ruan Xinyi — nor was it bought from a shop.

The texture was soft and fluffy, the sweetness was light, and the distinctive flavor of the Osmanthus syrup was unlike anything from a commercial store. This must have been made by a family member.

She finished most of the food, but the words Ruan Xinyi said earlier kept replaying in her mind, making her feel conflicted and confused. There was hesitation, withdrawal, and hesitation — but there was no rejection.

With a heavy sigh, Wen Xihan pressed her temples, stood up, and carefully cleaned the fresh-keeping box along with the previous lunchboxes Ruan Xinyi had given her. She then packed them securely into a cloth bag.

Ruan Xinyi wasn't lying to Wen Xihan — she did have one more portion of food in her room, which she had originally planned to save for breakfast the next day.

But the moment she saw Wen Xihan, she changed her mind.

Heading out to throw away the trash at this hour probably meant that Wen Xihan hadn't stepped out of her house all day. As for what she ate, it was easy to guess — either she had been snacking on the pile of junk food she kept at home or she ordered takeout.

However, Ruan Xinyi rarely saw Wen Xihan order takeout. Firstly, Wen Xihan was picky about food, and secondly, ordering takeout meant she'd have to go out and get it — something Wen Xihan would rarely do unless she had something important or an appointment.

So when Ruan Xinyi was watering the tuberose on her balcony and saw Wen Xihan returning after throwing out the trash, she figured Wen Xihan probably hadn't eaten much that evening.

Ruan Xinyi placed the portion of food on the table into the fridge, then finally had time to sort through the things she had brought from her dorm.

Since she had already categorized everything in storage boxes when she packed, all she needed to do now was place them where they belonged. Aside from her suitcase full of clothes, the heaviest item was the box of professional books.

After putting away her clothes, Ruan Xinyi dragged the box to the study.

The study was empty. Several dark wooden bookshelves stood bare, and the natural wood-colored desk only had a solitary computer on it — nothing else.

Ruan Xinyi neatly arranged her professional books on the shelves, tucked the storage boxes into the cabinets, clapped the dust off her hands, and walked over to the bar to pour herself a drink. Then, she leisurely strolled back to the study desk.

The computer that Uncle Cheng had gotten for her had the highest possible specifications, and even the chair was a high-end gaming chair with a built-in massage function.

Ruan Xinyi leaned back in the gaming chair, hung her headphones around her neck, and logged into her chat account. Before she could even move the mouse to open a game, a notification popped up in the work group chat, and the bright red "@" caught her attention.

With her left hand holding the cup to her lips, she skillfully clicked open the message with her right hand.

The message was from the Big Boss, Li Mo.

The moment Ruan Xinyi read it, she choked on her orange juice before she could even swallow.

“Cough, cough—”

There was no tissue paper on the computer desk, so Ruan Xinyi could only cover her mouth and quickly rush to the living room to grab some tissues and wipe herself off.

Still feeling unclean, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and wipe off the water droplets dripping from her chin. Then, she returned to the gaming chair and reread Li Mo’s message, word for word, several times.

Li Mo: [The summit held in S City this year will be attended by @Wen Xihan on behalf of the company. The meeting is at 9 AM on Wednesday. [Location]...]

Li Mo: [@Ruan Xinyi, the assistant, will accompany her.]

So… it was just the two of them going on this business trip?

What kind of blessing was this?!

Ruan Xinyi bit her lower lip and stared at the screen for a few minutes, then saw another message pop up. It was Wen Xihan replying with a simple "Received."

Ruan Xinyi quickly followed with a "Received" as well.

But after that, she lost her mood for gaming. Instead, she opened a private chat with Wen Xihan, hesitated for a while, biting her hand, and finally typed: [Sister, did you see the message in the group chat?]

A few minutes later, Wen Xihan replied curtly with a single "Mm."

Ruan Xinyi: [When should we leave?]

Tapping into her professional assistant instincts, Ruan Xinyi immediately started checking flights from City A to City S for the next two days, as well as the best hotels near the summit venue.

[I checked. It takes a little over two hours to fly from City A to City S. There are six flights on Tuesday — the earliest at 6 AM and the latest at 9 PM. The others are at 10 AM, 12 PM, 1 PM, and 5 PM.] She then sent screenshots of the flights to Wen Xihan.

Wen Xihan: [Book the 6 AM flight on Tuesday.]

Raising her eyebrow, Ruan Xinyi asked with interest: [Can you even wake up that early, Sister?]

A 6 AM flight meant they had to arrive at the airport at least an hour in advance — not to mention the long distance from their place to the airport.

Ruan Xinyi could easily wake up early, but it was a different story for Wen Xihan, who always showed up to work at the last minute and rarely left her house unless necessary.

Wen Xihan replied with a line of ellipses.

Ruan Xinyi chuckled lightly and propped her chin up, watching the little "typing..." notification appear and disappear several times in the chat box.

After a long while, Wen Xihan still didn’t send anything.

So, Ruan Xinyi tentatively asked: [How about I book the 10 AM flight on Tuesday instead?]

Just then, Wen Xihan’s message finally came through: [Do as you see fit.]

[Typing…]

Wen Xihan: [Remember to let the company reimburse you.]

Ruan Xinyi was just about to book the ticket when she saw that message. She took a sip of her orange juice, smiled subtly, and half-jokingly typed: [Is this a personal reimbursement from you, General Manager Wen?]

Wen Xihan: [?]

Swallowing the juice, Ruan Xinyi grinned and typed single-handedly: [If it's a personal reimbursement from you, I have a pending reimbursement of 600,000 yuan.]

It took Wen Xihan a moment to process before she responded: […Through the company's official channels.]

Ruan Xinyi couldn't hold back her laugh: [Alright, I’ll keep my receipts and submit them to the logistics department after we return.]

[By the way, General Manager Wen, how many days is the summit? I need to book the hotel.]

Switching into business mode so quickly made Wen Xihan uncomfortable. After taking a deep breath, she checked the documents from Li Mo and replied formally: [Three days.]

Ruan Xinyi: [Got it, General Manager Wen.]

Staring at the words "General Manager Wen" on the screen, Wen Xihan suddenly felt an inexplicable awkwardness.  

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Translator's Note:

If you like my translation, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi. One coffee is equivalent to one extra chapter. I hope you enjoy reading!

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