Chapter 46

Wen Xihan didn’t respond to Ruan Xinyi. Instead, she furrowed her brows and tossed her phone aside with a heavy sigh.

She wasn’t sure why she felt so uncomfortable. Maybe she had grown used to Ruan Xinyi’s casual, sometimes pushy demeanor in private. Or perhaps it was because she was accustomed to hearing Ruan Xinyi call her “sister” after work hours, and now suddenly addressing her formally as “General Manager Wen” felt strangely distant and insincere…

But regardless of the reason, Ruan Xinyi shouldn’t have been calling her “sister” in the first place.

Wen Xihan had realized this issue a long time ago. However, by the time she considered correcting it, not only had Ruan Xinyi grown used to saying it, but Wen Xihan herself had become immune to it.

Wen Xihan felt a headache brewing.

Sighing, she rubbed her temples and decided to drop the matter. Grabbing her laptop, she sat cross-legged on the sofa and began reviewing the summit materials Li Mo had sent her earlier.

---

Although Wen Xihan had left the flight booking to her, Ruan Xinyi still carefully researched the available options for Tuesday. She understood why Wen Xihan wanted to leave early— it was simply to avoid wasting a workday.

After confirming that booking a 10 AM flight on Tuesday wouldn’t conflict with any important company matters, Ruan Xinyi went ahead and purchased the tickets.

Once the booking was done, Ruan Xinyi checked the summit location Li Mo had shared in the group chat and started comparing nearby hotels.

Since the summit was approaching, most good hotels in the area were either fully booked or had limited options — no suites, no standard rooms, and only themed king-sized rooms left.

Ruan Xinyi couldn’t help but imagine the consequences of booking one of those — Wen Xihan would probably throw her and her luggage out of the room.

That thought sent a chill down her spine. Reflexively, she moved her mouse and closed the page showing the king-sized bedrooms.

Taking a deep breath, she expanded her search radius and finally found a hotel that ticked all the boxes — except for the price. It was a bit expensive, but still within her acceptable range.

A closer look revealed that it was the best five-star hotel in S City, situated in a prime location. Not only was it close to the summit venue, but it was also near shopping malls and tourist attractions.

Without hesitation, Ruan Xinyi booked a presidential suite for three days. Then, resting her chin on her hand, she started browsing local food specialties and sightseeing spots.

What she thought would be a quick search turned into a deep dive. Before she knew it, she had compiled a full travel guide for S City.

Realizing that this trip was mainly for work, she regretfully capped her pen, spun it idly between her fingers, and sighed as she pushed the paper aside.

Reopening her chat with Wen Xihan, she typed:

[General Manager Wen, do you have the summit materials? Is there anything I need to prepare?]

Wen Xihan’s reply was brief yet meaningful:

[No, just bring yourself.]

“…”

Ruan Xinyi’s lips twitched. After a moment of silence, she pulled her travel guide back in front of her and circled a few key places with her pen.

Tapping her slender finger twice on the desk, Ruan Xinyi stood up, grabbed a light jacket, and went for a slow jog around the neighborhood under the pretense of a night run. Taking advantage of the darkness, she discreetly circled back to her car and fiddled with it out of sight of the security cameras.

A few minutes later, she stood up, dusted her hands off, and left with a satisfied expression.

---

The next morning, Ruan Xinyi was up early as usual. After preparing two lunchboxes, she lounged on the sofa with a cup of hot milk, leisurely sipping it with her legs crossed.

About twenty minutes before work, she finally heard the door across the hall open.

It was roughly five minutes earlier than usual.

Raising a delicate brow, Ruan Xinyi stretched lazily, revealing a glimpse of her slender waist before quickly tugging her shirt back down.

She adjusted her clothes, grabbed the lunchboxes, and stepped out just as Wen Xihan locked her door.

Their eyes met. Wen Xihan didn’t seem surprised at all. Her finely sculpted brows still carried traces of sleepiness, her cold expression even more prominent than usual. Yet her peach blossom eyes shimmered faintly, radiating a kind of softness she didn’t seem aware of.

“Morning, sister~,” Ruan Xinyi greeted playfully, leaning against the doorframe with a grin.

Wen Xihan lowered her gaze, nodding lightly in response without saying a word.

Unfazed, Ruan Xinyi sighed softly and offered one of the lunchboxes. Putting on her best pitiful tone, she asked, “Sister, could you give me a ride? My car tire got slashed, and all the air leaked out…”

Wen Xihan’s gaze shifted slightly. She looked up, her sharp eyes narrowing as if she could see right through Ruan Xinyi.

Although Wen Xihan didn’t say anything, her silence alone made Ruan Xinyi feel like her little scheme had been exposed.

Wen Xihan squinted slightly, her sleepiness giving way to clarity. Her husky morning voice carried a hint of suspicion.

“Slashed?”

“…It was fine last night, wasn’t it?”

Wen Xihan might have morning grumpiness, but she wasn’t gullible. She distinctly remembered that when she went upstairs after chatting with Uncle Cheng last night, the car was perfectly fine. Besides, it was already late — who would sneak out in the middle of the night just to slash a tire?

Suspicion flickered in Wen Xihan’s eyes.

Feeling guilty, Ruan Xinyi muttered under her breath, “Well, yeah… it was fine last night… but when I checked this morning, it was already flat…”

Wen Xihan remained unconvinced. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. She wasn’t about to be fooled by a few words.

Ruan Xinyi knew that too. With exaggerated frustration and exaggerated grievance, she led Wen Xihan to the “crime scene.” Pointing at the flattened tire, she declared, “See? All the air’s gone. I wasn’t lying.”

Wen Xihan’s eyelid twitched. Her gaze swept the area, and sure enough, not far from the car, she spotted a ten-centimeter-long iron nail on the ground.

The corners of Wen Xihan's almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. She withdrew her gaze, letting it linger for two seconds on Ruan Xinyi's slender, well-defined hands. Her expression gradually became unnatural. She averted her eyes and said indifferently, "Call the 4S shop to change the tire."

"Oh." Ruan Xinyi also noticed the nail lodged in her tire. She instinctively tugged at her pant leg, quickly let go, and pulled out her phone. Right in front of Wen Xihan, she dialed Uncle Cheng's number. Without realizing it, a hint of grievance crept into her voice. "Hello, Uncle Cheng—"

"My car tire got punctured…"

A flicker of complex emotion flashed through Wen Xihan's eyes. She turned away, glanced at the time, then took out her car keys and unlocked the vehicle. Without saying a word, she shot Ruan Xinyi a quick glance before pursing her lips and getting into the car. Her index finger tapped the steering wheel absentmindedly.

"Huh? Your tire got punctured? Are you hurt, young miss?" Uncle Cheng asked with deep concern. In his eyes, nothing was more important than Ruan Xinyi's safety.

"I'm fine, Uncle Cheng. I just don’t know who punctured my front tire last night." Ruan Xinyi still sounded a bit guilty.

Her gaze accidentally met Wen Xihan's, who was already seated in the car. Flustered, Ruan Xinyi quickly averted her eyes. Afraid that Uncle Cheng would ask too many questions and accidentally expose her, she hurriedly added, "That's pretty much it, Uncle Cheng. Could you help me take care of it? I'm on my way to work right now."

"Young miss, how are you getting to the company? Should I send A-Cheng over to pick you up—"

"No need." Ruan Xinyi quickly declined his offer. "I'll hitch a ride with my neighbor. She's waiting for me. Uncle Cheng, I need to go now."

Without waiting for a response, Ruan Xinyi swiftly hung up the phone, walked briskly to the silver-gray Mercedes-Benz, opened the passenger door, and got in.

Seeing that Ruan Xinyi had fastened her seatbelt, Wen Xihan finally started the car. She turned the steering wheel and slowly pulled out of the neighborhood.

As soon as they exited the area, Ruan Xinyi fished a box of yogurt from her coat pocket.

She opened the oatmeal sachet on top, poured it into the yogurt, and then straightened the small plastic spoon to stir it. Casually, she asked, "Did you have breakfast, sister?"

The oatmeal was crisp, and when coated with yogurt, the mixed aroma of grains and milk quickly filled the car. The sound of her crunching down made it almost impossible for Wen Xihan to ignore.

Her throat moved slightly, and her grip on the steering wheel tightened a little. Trying to sound indifferent, she replied, "Yes."

"Oh." Ruan Xinyi scooped another spoonful of yogurt into her mouth. Her lips were stained with a bit of white yogurt as she sighed regretfully, "What a pity. I even brought an extra box for you."

For a moment, Wen Xihan's chest visibly rose and fell. She smoothly brought the car to a halt, maintaining a safe distance from the car ahead.

Reaching for the water bottle in the armrest compartment, she glanced at the remaining two minutes on the traffic light countdown. Moistening her throat, she spoke in a voice as flat as discussing the weather, "You're going to be late."

Their delay in leaving the neighborhood had already cost them two minutes, and now they were stuck in traffic. Being late was inevitable.

"Huh?" Ruan Xinyi licked the corner of her lips nonchalantly. "It’s fine. After all, I'm accompanied by General Manager Wen."

Wen Xihan took another sip of water, her thin lips glistening slightly as she replied matter-of-factly, "I don't need to clock in."

"Interns who arrive late get their daily wage deducted."

"Absent without cause means a full week's wage deduction."

Ruan Xinyi: "???"

Was it her imagination, or did she detect a hint of schadenfreude in Wen Xihan's blank expression?

Frustrated, she stuffed another spoonful of yogurt into her mouth and countered sarcastically, "So that's why General Manager Wen always arrives just in time every morning?"

Setting the water bottle back, Wen Xihan let out a faint chuckle, her tone as steady as ever. "What? Jealous?"

Ruan Xinyi gritted her teeth. Her tone was exaggeratedly bitter, "Yeah, I'm envious, jealous, and resentful."

Hearing that, Wen Xihan gave Ruan Xinyi a strange look. Just as she was about to respond, a spoonful of yogurt was suddenly brought to her mouth.

Ruan Xinyi held the small spoon, blinking innocently. Pointing to the now-green traffic light, she said in a seemingly naive but undoubtedly sly tone, "It's green."

Wen Xihan: "…"  

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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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