Chapter 3

When Yu Wan mentioned “private matters,” she deliberately lowered her voice, sweeping over Fang Nianchen’s ears like wind scattering fallen leaves.

If not for that sound, Fang Nianchen wouldn’t have realized just how close she and Yu Wan were right now.

It struck a middle ground between safe and dangerous—not enough to make her uncomfortable.

She could smell the increasingly intense daisy fragrance, and those light brown pupils gleamed faintly in the sunset.

Fang Nianchen couldn’t help comparing the person before her to the Yu Wan in her memories. She didn’t seem to have changed much.

Seeing Fang Nianchen zoning out, Yu Wan asked again, “Will this hold up your time?”

Fang Nianchen finally snapped back to reality and shook her head, saying honestly, “No.”

She was a lone wolf. After work, it was just walking the dog or scooping shit—pretty damn hard to hold anything in.

Yu Wan seemed somewhat relieved. “That’s good.”

The two left one after the other. As they passed the office area, Qiao Yan’s eyes met hers, instantly filling with terror.

That look was as if Fang Nianchen had been taken hostage by a thug.

The company’s official off-time was six, but hardly anyone left right on the dot. Reasons varied, but overtime was the most common.

With her direct superior beside her now, no one dared to stop them—they had a completely smooth path.

The downside? Everyone was afraid to crowd around the boss, so the elevator ended up with just her and Yu Wan.

She’d shared elevators with other leaders before and felt nothing, but this time it felt like needles pricking her back.

“Long time no see.” Yu Wan stared straight ahead, their reflections showing in the elevator doors.

The classic, unchanging opener.

Fang Nianchen played along. “Yeah, it’s been a while… I never expected the new director to be you. I was shocked when I saw you.”

Polite for polite.

As she spoke, Fang Nianchen even lifted the corners of her mouth. She couldn’t afford to falter now—she had to tough it out and pretend until she could say goodbye to Yu Wan.

“You only found out today?”

Fang Nianchen nodded without a hint of blush, lying through her teeth.

“But Xiao Ning told me she asked you to look after me.” There was a hint of playfulness in Yu Wan’s tone. “And you agreed.”

She’d clearly caught the lie but deliberately went along with it.

How could she have forgotten about Xiao Ning’an…

Fang Nianchen bit her lip, a bit annoyed, unsure how to explain. Any explanation would sound too deliberate.

Luckily, the department floor wasn’t high, and the company elevator was fast. With a ding, Yu Wan stepped out before her—and said nothing more about it.

She followed behind Yu Wan, keeping a polite distance. Toward her boss, her senior, her former crush.

Her emotions were so tangled she wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.

As they walked, a little girl suddenly popped up in front of Yu Wan. She was short, fully geared in mask and hat, holding something in her hands. “Quan Cige! I’m your fan! I lo—love you so much!”

The entertainment company entrance was perennially chaotic. The downside of nurturing so many stars was the rabid fans who often staked out the door—but they usually struck out, since there was a dedicated artist passageway out back straight to the underground garage.

Still, some fans wanted to try their luck, like this little girl.

The instant the girl appeared, Fang Nianchen stepped forward, perfectly blocking between them.

Looks like Qiao Yan wasn’t talking out of her ass that night when she said Yu Wan looked like Quan Cige—someone had mistaken them today.

Hearing it was a fan, and a girl at that, Fang Nianchen relaxed and quietly stepped aside.

The little girl was probably chasing her star to the agency’s doorstep for the first time, nervous enough that her voice shook as she spoke. “I wrote you a letter… and a gift.”

The girl held the items out with both hands but didn’t dare look at “Quan Cige,” her head buried low.

From a distance, she’d thought Quan Cige was just like they said online—icy cold, not one to bother with people.

Even if rejected, it was fine. She’d seen her in person, luckier than most.

But the more she tried to convince herself, the more an inexplicable sense of loss crept in.

The girl stressed earnestly, “This letter is straight from my heart—my feelings for you. Please accept it!”

But she heard “Quan Cige” say, “Sorry, company policy—we can’t accept gifts from fans. As for the letter…”

The girl’s heart sank. She could already picture the other’s icy expression in rejection.

Yu Wan turned her head to Fang Nianchen, her tone softening. “Can you give it to my assistant?”

“Huh?” The girl’s face lit up instantly. “Of course!”

Assistant???

Out of nowhere, a letter was stuffed into her hands. Fang Nianchen frowned and looked puzzled at Yu Wan, only to find her looking right back.

Yu Wan spoke to Fang Nianchen, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” The girl immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at her, her tone brimming with irrepressible delight.

Having successfully delivered her items, the girl turned and jogged away, her silhouette light and bouncy as if she might take flight.

Silence hit suddenly.

A moment later, Yu Wan spoke calmly, “Got any questions?”

“None.” Fang Nianchen immediately pulled her gaze away, realizing she’d been staring at Yu Wan for too long.

Yu Wan saw right through her and said unhurriedly, “Curiosity isn’t a bad thing. You don’t have to hold back.”

Fang Nianchen didn’t think her emotions showed on her face—Yu Wan was probably just bluffing to test her.

But once suspicion took root, evidence was only a matter of time.

Holding it in further would just make her look stubbornly evasive, leaving no real impression on Yu Wan.

“This letter’s for Quan Cige. If she finds out it went to the wrong person, she’ll be devastated. Why not just tell her it was a mix-up and have her come back tomorrow? Ah…” Fang Nianchen tended to be dead serious when speaking to others, her tone gravely earnest.

She suddenly realized who she was talking to and faltered, her momentum collapsing. “I mean, just saying…”

“I get it.” Yu Wan nodded patiently and explained, “What if I tell her now that I’m not Quan Cige—what would she think?”

“Kids are sensitive and prone to overthinking. Normally, she couldn’t even see Quan Cige. No response to her feelings, and she’d be heartbroken.”

When something you like goes unreciprocated, it’s disheartening. When it’s the person you like, the disappointment doubles.

Hearing this, Fang Nianchen put herself in the girl’s shoes in an instant.

Rushing over straight after school by bus, too rushed to even change out of her uniform. Spending weeks or months pouring her heart into the letter, preparing the gift, waiting forever—only to miss her idol.

If it were her, she definitely wouldn’t sleep tonight.

She’d never chased stars, but she’d crushed on someone and knew the letdown of unreturned anticipation.

Impulsively, she asked Yu Wan, “If you know the outcome won’t be good, would you still respond to someone’s expectations?”

In terms of today, there was no absolute good or bad—but she wanted to use it to confirm certain things.

Yu Wan seemed stumped. She pursed her lips in thought, silent for a long while.

The atmosphere froze solid. Neither she nor Yu Wan spoke, and who knew how long they’d stand there.

If company folks trickled down from the elevators and saw them planted at the entrance, it’d look weird.

Fang Nianchen nervously hunted for a topic. “Actually…”

Yu Wan spoke at the same time. “If it’s necessary, I’ll respond—no matter the outcome.”

Her voice was soft, but resolute.

If it’s necessary…

Fang Nianchen’s voice trailed off and vanished, as if she’d never spoken.

She mulled it over, then gave a helpless smile.

So, could that mean when Senior Yu didn’t even bother responding, it was because she deemed it unnecessary?

Oh. She was that unnecessary person.

“What were you about to say?” Yu Wan noticed the sudden smile tugging at Fang Nianchen’s lips and looked puzzled.

“Nothing,” Fang Nianchen feigned nonchalance and waved the letter in her hand. “What do we do with this?”

Since some things had become irrelevant in her heart, why keep agonizing?

She really hadn’t expected Yu Wan to drag her in as an extra to round out the lie.

It had worked like a charm—she was still dazed.

“We can pass it on to Quan Cige for that kid. That way, her feelings still get delivered.”

Fang Nianchen caught the “we” in her words—it wasn’t entirely referring to just the two of them.

She averted her eyes. The earlier exchange had left her a bit sulky; she didn’t want to look at Yu Wan. The excuse was already out. “But I’m in HR—no chance to…”

“I just got here and don’t know the departments well yet. Can’t you take care of me a little?”

Fang Nianchen’s unfinished words caught in her throat.

Take care… of me?

She shifted her gaze back to Yu Wan’s face in surprise, scrutinizing her with awkward curiosity.

Saying something so coquettish in the most flat tone—it felt off no matter how you sliced it.

Seeing no response, Yu Wan asked, “Am I troubling you?”

It was the second time today she’d asked that. It had to mean something.

Feeling like she was almost begging her, Fang Nianchen had a soft spot and couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright. In the end, she muttered, “It’s not much trouble… I’ll give it a try.”

She thought to herself: It’s purely because she’s my boss—might as well do her a favor.

Yu Wan’s car was parked in a spot right at the company entrance, easy to spot.

When Fang Nianchen walked up to the car, Yu Wan opened the driver’s door, bent down to rummage for a moment, then came over with a box of stomach medicine.

Yu Wan handed it to her. “Next time you feel unwell, speak up early. Don’t tough it out.”

Fang Nianchen felt a little embarrassed. After all, she’d lied just to avoid interacting with Yu Wan on her very first day, but she’d ended up shooting herself in the foot and delivering herself right to her door.

Not only that, she’d been forced to take on a huge hassle.

If it were Qiao Yan, she could’ve come clean right then and admitted she was fine.

But it just had to be Yu Wan, her direct superior.

A work blunder was already a major taboo; faking an illness to deceive the boss was even worse.

Fang Nianchen could only keep up the act. She furrowed her brows as if in real pain and took the medicine. “Thank you.”

Her hand was clutching both the letter for Quan Cige and the medicine box—like two hot potatoes. “Then, Director Yu, I’ll head out first. See you tomorrow.”

Uncharacteristically, Yu Wan didn’t reply right away. Instead, she gave her a meaningful look. “After work, how do you usually address Qiao Yan?”

“Just… Xiao Yan, or her name directly.” Fang Nianchen didn’t understand why she was suddenly asking this. “Why?”

“Then why do you keep calling me Director Yu?” Yu Wan gazed at her inquiringly. “I told you, no need to be so formal after hours.”

Fang Nianchen was at a momentary loss.

If not Director Yu, then what—call her by her full name?

Was she tired of her peaceful life and looking for some excitement? She wasn’t that stupid.

But if she couldn’t bring herself to call her boss by name, then between her and Yu Wan, there was only one other option left—the one she least wanted to say out loud.

Unable to come up with anything, she tossed the question back. “How do you want me to call you?”

“Yu Wan,” Yu Wan said, as if introducing herself. “My name.”

Yu Wan didn’t make her try it out right then. Instead, she asked, “Let me give you a ride home?”

“You’re not feeling well—don’t squeeze onto the subway. Besides, the air conditioning there is blasting, and your stomach won’t handle it.”

Yu Wan’s reasoning made her concern seem perfectly natural. Anyone else probably would’ve accepted with 100% gratitude, but Fang Nianchen’s situation was a bit special.

“No, no, no need!” Caught off guard by the invitation, Fang Nianchen flailed a little. “I have plans. I… I’m meeting Qiao Yan for hotpot nearby. No need to trouble you!”

Her one and only wish all day had been to avoid any contact with Yu Wan. Sure, that wish had shattered half an hour ago, but it didn’t mean she’d suddenly flipped her personality and wanted to get this close to her.

She spoke with such agitation that she even panicked and took two steps back, as if the person in front of her were some kind of man-eating monster. Her energy level hardly screamed “stomach pain patient.”

Yu Wan hesitated for a second, then smiled faintly. “Alright then, I won’t insist.”

She was surprisingly agreeable.

Her gaze lingered behind Fang Nianchen. “Qiao Yan’s here. Are you two heading out together?”

Fang Nianchen turned around and saw Qiao Yan, who was staring at her in utter confusion. Without a word, she dashed over and grabbed her arm.

Qiao Yan: ?

What the hell?

Finally, rescue had arrived. Fang Nianchen couldn’t wait to say goodbye to Yu Wan. “Then we’ll head out first, Yu—”

Back in college, she’d never called Yu Wan by name directly. When talking about her to others, she’d always used “Senior” instead. For some reason, it always felt awkward.

And now Qiao Yan was right there. She didn’t want her friend grilling her—like when they’d met, or why she’d pretended not to know her that day.

Put together, those questions would easily unravel her lies and her unsightly past.

After thinking it over, she steadied herself and didn’t change her words. “Director Yu.”