Originally, Xing Wen was supposed to drive them back as Yan Muyu’s assistant. But Yan Muyu didn’t like letting anyone else behind the wheel of her newly bought car.
She had a peculiar habit when it came to new rides like this one.
No matter how dog-tired she felt, she could always muster the energy.
Right now, Assistant Xing Wen sat in the back seat, feeling as if she’d just overheard some earth-shattering secret.
She hadn’t been with Yan Muyu for long, but she already felt like she had a front-row seat to all the juiciest gossip.
To think that these two—aunt and niece-in-law—had gotten along so well during their cohabitation days that they’d kept each other’s photos in their bedrooms?
Well, they were family, after all. Nothing to hide there.
So why had Young Boss Yan bristled like an angry cat?
After speaking, Yan Tianxing turned her gaze back to Qiu Chao.
Though young, she was already a pro at surfing the web. She had some idea of the messy history between Qiu Chao and her own father.
Even without deliberately searching, her chatty classmates at school loved to gossip about it—mostly the nasty bits—which was why she no longer wanted to go to class.
The woman standing outside the car didn’t seem to belong to the same season as Yan Muyu. Summer had arrived, yet Qiu Chao wore a skirt made of woolen yarn. Its hollow neckline revealed just enough pale skin to spark the imagination.
Everyone loved a beauty, and Qiu Chao’s silhouette alone perfectly embodied the word. Up close, her face was even more captivating.
Yan Tianxing stared, transfixed, already daydreaming about growing up to be a world-shaking stunner herself.
“Kids say the craziest things,” Yan Muyu remarked.
She turned her head toward Qiu Chao outside the window. “Miss Qiu, surely you can afford a meal?”
Just then, Xia Yuanyuan came chasing after them. Qiu Chao had an appointment to visit Mai Chen at the hospital.
But the scene unfolding gave her pause about whether to butt in.
“I have nowhere to stay,” Qiu Chao said.
Yan Muyu let out an “ah.” “Come on, don’t play coy. No way that’s true. So where’ve you been crashing the past few days?”
“A hotel.”
Yan Muyu snorted. “And that’s nowhere to stay?”
Xia Yuanyuan took a deep breath. She decided against giving Mai Chen a blow-by-blow report.
Mai Chen would probably die of rage.
How had she never noticed before that Sister Qiu was so hopeless at romance? If you like someone, just say it outright. And hadn’t they already connected on a deep level?
Qiu Chao seemed to realize her excuse was flimsy. She curved her brows into a faint smile. “Forget it.”
There was no awkwardness in her expression. She simply gave Yan Muyu a long, deep look before turning to Xia Yuanyuan. “Let’s go.”
She hurried after Xia Yuanyuan, staying close at her side. Yan Muyu found it odd.
Now it felt even stranger. Qiu Chao walked away briskly, as if their exchange had been nothing more than idle chitchat.
Yan Muyu muttered under her breath as she started driving. “What a weirdo.”
Yan Tianxing, from the back seat, asked, “Auntie, is she really my dad’s ex-girlfriend?”
Irritated, Yan Muyu replied, “Yeah. Who knows? She might end up as your stepmom.”
Xing Wen was utterly shocked. Do you all just talk like this so casually?
Yan Tianxing huffed. “Well, that’s still better than Mom remarrying some ugly guy.”
Yan Muyu realized her niece—though young—had already grown into a superficial little monster who only cared about looks. But she couldn’t exactly call her out on it.
After all, she was cut from the same cloth. Her head throbbed even harder.
“Don’t you think Qiu Chao’s kind of strange?”
Yan Muyu paused before adding, “And what nonsense is that? Why would my room have her picture? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
The car’s audio played Yan Muyu’s playlist—mostly foreign songs or orchestral pieces.
Xing Wen thought to herself, I figured Young Boss Yan for a wild rock ‘n’ roll rebel type. Turns out she’s more into moody ballads?
“Strange?” Yan Tianxing shot back. “You’re the strange one, if you ask me.”
The little girl pouted. “Auntie, you’re being so snarky. It ticks me off.”
Yan Muyu feigned innocence. “Snarky? Me? How?”
Yan Tianxing pressed on. “Do you have a grudge against this sister? Wow, take a look in the mirror—your glare at her was ferocious.”
Now Yan Muyu was the annoyed one. She stomped the accelerator, and the car shot out of the parking lot.
The recording studio’s perimeter had been cleared by security. No fans around to snap photos.
The location was remote, and the boulevard stood empty at this hour.
She sighed. “Adult stuff. Stay out of it.”
Yan Tianxing retorted, “Fine. Then stay out of my not-wanting-to-go-to-school stuff.”
Yan Muyu said, “If I don’t manage you, no one will.”
Her voice was always even-keeled, devoid of ups and downs, as if she never got mad.
But just then, Xing Wen happened to glance up from the back seat. In the rearview mirror, she caught Yan Muyu’s expression.
It carried a rare hint of loneliness, so at odds with her usual poised image. It was almost as if those words were meant for Yan Muyu herself.
Or as if she’d once had a day like that.
Yan Tianxing said, “Fine. Until you find a girlfriend, I’ll keep an eye on you. After that, go bother her when the urge strikes.”
Her words came out surprisingly thoughtful. Yan Muyu let out a chuckle.
“What do you want to eat? We’ll grab it, then head home.”
Yan Tianxing blinked. “You’re not coming home?”
Yan Muyu replied, “I’ve lined up a tutor. Classes start tomorrow. You better buckle down.”
With that, she ignored Yan Tianxing’s wails. If anything, she seemed to enjoy it, chuckling again.
~~~
By the time Xia Yuanyuan and Qiu Chao left the hospital, it was well past midnight. Qiu Chao still hadn’t eaten.
Xia Yuanyuan worried about her state.
Or maybe it was her imagination, but Qiu Chao seemed to harbor a deep obsession with Yan Muyu.
For instance, right now, Qiu Chao’s finger tapped the screen relentlessly, refreshing Yan Muyu’s search results who knew how many times.
The latest hits were all about Yao Xilou’s interviews mentioning Yan Muyu, reigniting netizens’ curiosity about the four legendary directors from back in the day.
Scrolling down brought up a bit of salacious gossip about Yan Muyu.
Further still, a clip from Xuan Zhelu’s variety show appearance. When asked who she’d most like to collaborate with, Yan Muyu was among the options—instead of just actors—which had CP fans sharing it like crazy.
Even as a semi-insider now, Yan Muyu had more name recognition than your average struggling artist, and plenty of clout.
Her photographic talent was the stuff of dreams for countless actors’ fans, even if she never pursued the field full-time.
Yao Xilou, that fierce rival of hers, still gritted his teeth at the mere mention of Yan Muyu. He didn’t hide his admiration, jealousy, or even a touch of regret.
Then he stormed off, muttering about her not taking things seriously.
Xia Yuanyuan asked softly, “Sister Qiu, you haven’t eaten since heading to the site this afternoon. How about we…”
The car was en route to the hotel where Qiu Chao was staying.
Her schedule wasn’t packed, yet she still hadn’t visited her sister.
Mai Chen had even pressed her earlier: What could possibly be more important than seeing your sister?
Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, didn’t mind. She knew Qiu Chao was back and diving into work again. Her message was simple: Come by when you have time.
She was living in a villa manor on the outskirts of S City, nestled amid a tea garden—quiet, with few visitors.
Perfect for her creative pursuits.
Still, Xiao Yuan had asked: Sister, are you really set on being with that person this time?
Even the team knew about Qiu Chao’s twisted fate with Yan Muyu.
But no one knew it was the driving force that had propelled her into this industry all those years ago.
Xiao Yuan surfed the web but never touched her sister Qiu Chao’s tabloid fodder.
In her mind, the radiant superstar and her sister Qiu Chao were two different people.
Her sister Qiu Chao had harbored a crush for many, many years.
Xiao Yuan assumed it was on a man.
Qiu Chao always used neutral pronouns like “ta” for them. And back in her school days, anything to do with same-sex romance was worlds away.
Xiao Yuan had even asked: Sister, have you ever thought about marrying that person?
Of course not.
Qiu Chao didn’t even dare dream of it. All she hoped for was more than four months of Yan Muyu’s affection.
Qiu Chao shook her head. “Not hungry.”
Her finger paused on the phone screen. “I want to switch hotels.”
Xia Yuanyuan blinked. “Huh? But the one we’re at is already…”
“I want the Yan Family Premier Hotel.”
Yan Muyu had the top floor. Qiu Chao wanted it too.
Xia Yuanyuan nodded and made the arrangements.
~~~
Yan Muyu coaxed Yan Tianxing back home and checked the latest on Yan Kai’s condition from the hospital.
Finally, she returned to her own place.
Lately, Xing Wen had been shadowing Yan Muyu so closely that wherever the boss stayed, she did too.
When colleagues learned she’d become Yan Muyu’s assistant, plenty warned her that this flirtatious butterfly might poach from her own nest.
On day one, Xing Wen got a taste of Young Boss Yan’s discerning palate.
Even Lou Haiyan, the standout beauty secretary at headquarters, hadn’t earned a second glance.
Yan Muyu’s flings were selective—even among lookalikes, she didn’t go just anywhere.
After confirming the next day’s schedule with Yan Muyu, Xing Wen noted how utterly drained she looked.
Yan Muyu slumped onto the suite’s sofa and took a deep breath. “You say that variety show proposal got approved? How come I didn’t know about it?”
Xing Wen scrolled down the tablet and showed it to her.
“Secretary Lou sent it personally. She said your signature means it’s a go.”
Yan Muyu groaned. “Yeah, I signed it. But couldn’t they give me a breather? Back-to-back like this—who’s lost it, them or me?”
Young Boss Yan, with her black-and-gold hair, didn’t have a domineering bone in her body.
After all, Yan Muyu was just a temporary president, nothing like her own brother Yan Kai. You could tell they weren’t the same type of person just from their styles of dress.
Yan Muyu scratched at her hair until it was a total mess. She even yanked out one of her real diamond stud earrings and didn’t bat an eye.
“It’s the promotional period, right? Doesn’t a variety show need at least some time to build hype? Have the celebrities all been lined up?”
“Have you done the site visits? What’s the script like? There is a script, isn’t there?! Who’s the director? How come I don’t know anything about this?”
She actually had a bit of comedic talent—at least, Xing Wen was fighting hard not to laugh right now.
Yan Muyu’s pained expression might just become the next viral sensation.
After all, she was gorgeous, a rich second-generation who’d never wanted for money growing up. The idea of her going off to raise pigs, feed chickens, and till the fields? That had to be entertaining no matter how you sliced it.
No wonder the company was in such a rush to film.
Yan Muyu had just shared a late-night snack with Yan Tianxing that felt more like dinner. The kid had ordered fried ice cream, which had nearly choked her to death. Her throat still tasted sweet.
She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Under the lamplight, that hand of hers looked like something sculpted by the gods themselves. You could lose yourself just staring at it.
Xing Wen’s mind wandered off on a tangent: No wonder everyone said Young Boss Yan was a top.
She definitely had the makings for it. Every time she posted on social media, her comments section filled up with fans—whether they were teasing her or dead serious—spamming “top me” day after day.
It got so bad that Xing Wen felt awkward even glancing at Yan Muyu too much.
Xing Wen said, “The celebrities are all lined up. We’ve got three pairs of guests tentatively: Xi Xi and Liu Song, Pei…”
Yan Muyu interrupted. “Wen, no need to list them out.”
She perfectly embodied that student-era creed of slacking off, laced with a lazy reluctance to deal with things: “We’ll worry about the future when it comes…”
Xing Wen’s phone rang.
It was Lou Haiyan, who couldn’t get through to Yan Muyu and had called her instead.
Xing Wen answered. “Secretary Lou.”
Yan Muyu muttered, “What now?”
Xing Wen handed the phone to Yan Muyu.
On the other end, Lou Haiyan said, “Young Boss Yan, I got a call from the manager at the district hotel. Miss Qiu Chao has booked the top-floor suite in B Block on your side.”
The Yan Family owned plenty of businesses, including a bunch of luxury hotels—that was one reason Yan Muyu preferred not to stay in an apartment.
Hotels were way more convenient. The top floor of a single hotel? She could live there long-term without issue.
The rates were sky-high anyway. Casual guests couldn’t afford more than a few days.
B Block’s top suite was even pricier than A Block’s.
Last time, it had housed a foreign movie star on a tourism visit.
Yan Muyu asked, “Who did you say?”
She thought she’d misheard.
Lou Haiyan repeated herself. “Qiu Chao. Miss Qiu Chao.”
“She said she’s an artist with Whale Entertainment and asked for the eighty percent discount.”
Yan Muyu shot up from her seat and strode to the window on the other side. A connecting corridor ran between A and B Blocks, with a flower-lined walkway in the middle—a public area.
No keycard needed to access it.
The curtains were open at that moment, and Yan Muyu spotted Qiu Chao stepping out from indoors.
She was still wearing that tight long skirt. Even bundled in an outer coat, her curvaceous figure was unmistakable.
It was like the woman had a radar on her body—she zeroed right in on Yan Muyu’s gaze.
Even without hearing a word, Yan Muyu could make out the greeting from those red lips parting—
“Young Boss Yan.”
Yan Muyu took a deep breath. Lou Haiyan said, “Can we block her?”
The secretary replied, “No.”
Yan Muyu asked, “Can we raise the price, then?”
Lou Haiyan chuckled. Yan Muyu could swear there was a hint of mockery in her tone.
“Young Boss Yan, she’s an important partner for our company.”
Yan Muyu sighed. “What can I do, then? You decide.”
Her tone softened again, almost affectionately natural. That was when Lou Haiyan finally understood why this Young Boss Yan had so many lovers.
She made it all too easy for people to read into things.
And yet, people like that were often the most heartless.
Lou Haiyan said, “I don’t have the authority for that. But as you know, ours isn’t a standard artist-company control dynamic with Miss Qiu Chao.”
Yan Muyu said, “Got it.”
She tossed the phone back to Xing Wen and was about to head for a shower when the doorbell rang the next second.
Sure enough, it was Qiu Chao’s assistant.
The woman peered inside and said to Xing Wen, “Our Sister Qiu would like to invite Young Boss Yan to join her for a meal.”
Xia Yuanyuan chimed in, “She said it’s the meal allowance.”
She thought to herself: But I haven’t even placed the order yet. What are they going to eat?
~~~
