Chapter 44: All Good Again?

Clearly, just a second ago she had been trying to find an excuse to slip away. What a naughty girl.

But Yu Wan had always been magnanimous. With her goal achieved, she wouldn’t deliberately expose it and embarrass the other person—especially since that person had such thin skin.

“Then wait for me a moment. I’ll pack my things.”

“Oh… okay.” Fang Nianchen stood stiffly at the door, her expression extremely unnatural. Fortunately, the sunset glow shone in, covering the blush on her face.

It was hard to stay calm around Yu Wan. She was really afraid that in her fermenting confusion, she’d do something offensive.

She needed to sober herself up a bit.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

Yu Wan nodded slightly, and Fang Nianchen quickly opened the door and left, her back like that of someone fleeing.

With a click, the door closed, and the office fell quiet. Only then did Yu Wan press her palm to her chest. Through her clothes, she felt her heartbeat had finally calmed.

She hadn’t expected Fang Nianchen to sit so close. Turning her head, she was met with that brilliant smile.

After years in the workplace, she’d seen plenty of fake smiles. Catching a glimpse of pure joy by chance had scorched her heart hot.

Like a grassland after a big fire, a breeze passing over made tender green sprouts grow again, full of vitality.

In that moment, it was as if she’d been fixed in place. Her mind was clear, yet it clearly clamored for her to get closer.

Closer, and then what?

Fang Nianchen’s eyes were extremely light-colored—clear, bright, sparkling like gems. Drawn in, she got even closer, but she couldn’t tell if it was her own initiative.

The atmosphere just now had been a bit ambiguously intimate, nearly making her lose control and do something she’d despise herself for.

Yu Wan let out a long breath and carefully put away the gift from Fang Nianchen. She returned it to its original bag without damaging a single corner.

More than the gift, what touched her was that Fang Nianchen still remembered her birthday. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but she didn’t dare to expect too much from herself.

Sure enough, once expectations were lowered, anything could bring immense delight.

Golden light filled the gaps between the buildings. When Fang Nianchen returned, Yu Wan had already put on her coat.

The misty blue suit was the most eye-catching outfit Yu Wan had worn among all her uniforms—light and coldly glamorous.

“Any cravings for dinner?”

“It’s your birthday, so we’ll do whatever you want.” Fang Nianchen brushed the hair at her temple; it was still damp from water.

Yu Wan searched her mind but came up empty. “We’ll think about it on the way.”

In the office, there had been some distance between them, but in the elevator, with someone else joining, they were pressed extremely close. Even though Fang Nianchen stood properly, she couldn’t help stealing glances.

After peeking, she felt embarrassed and touched her nose tip in a futile cover-up, like someone with ADHD.

North City’s temperatures over the past few days were pleasant. After weekend rain, there was no more scorching sun—everything felt relaxed and at ease.

Stepping out from the office building with AC cranked to 18 degrees, it still felt warm.

Fang Nianchen shrugged her shoulders up and then down, her whole body relaxing with a tingling numbness.

As expected, she needed more time close to nature. With a broadened mind, those dark or weird little thoughts got suppressed out of sight.

With her mindset leveled, chatting became natural. “You weren’t planning to celebrate your birthday today?”

She’d only just realized that Yu Wan didn’t know many people in North City and had no ideas for dinner, clearly not preparing any big celebration.

Besides herself, she hadn’t met many who disliked birthdays. Because on that day, the birthday person got all sorts of privileges.

No need to mention Qiao Yan and Tao Zhixing—they always dragged her along to celebrate. Xiao Ning’an’s parents doted on her so much, buying her tons of gifts every year.

By comparison, spending it alone was too heartbreaking.

“No plans.” Yu Wan shook her head lightly. “I haven’t celebrated my birthday in a long time.”

She meant the precise date on her ID. Getting birthday wishes right after midnight, receiving a liked gift, and eating a custom birthday cake that night.

Quan Cige, Xiao Ning’an, and some friends remembered her birthday, but they weren’t around. Birthday wishes traveled across oceans and arrived the next day.

Even so, having someone think of her was enough to make her happy, so she no longer demanded more.

Besides, birthdays felt like alarm bells to her, reminding her that after thirty, life needed squeezing like a sponge—compress, compress, compress—to make every bit of time count and delay aging.

Once the number crossed three, it brought an inexplicable sense of crisis. Looking back, the first thirty years had been busy and hectic with nothing saved up—just vast emptiness—which made her uneasy.

Looking further back was even more frightening.

So facing young people in their early twenties, she always felt both envious and emotional.

As she thought this, the early-twenties young person asked, “So I’m the first to give you a gift?”

Being “first” always sparked useless vanity.

Fang Nianchen had won countless “firsts” growing up and never cared, but here, she felt an inexplicable competitive spirit.

“Yes.” Yu Wan nodded. “You’re also the first to say happy birthday to me.”

Fang Nianchen felt smug, her heart bubbling with delight. The curve of her lips bloomed, then she suppressed it.

In great spirits, she walked toward Yu Wan’s car, but spotted someone by the car, craning their neck to look over. On eye contact, they clearly froze.

Getting closer, Yu Wan was a bit surprised. “Why are you here?”

“To celebrate your birthday!” The voice gave it away as Quan Cige.

Quan Cige’s voice was very distinctive, like glass shattering on ice—crisp and pleasant. If not pitched so high, it’d be standard aloof beauty tone.

“But… seems like bad timing.” Quan Cige pushed up her sunglasses and grinned warmly at Fang Nianchen. “Hey, nice to see you again.”

Calculating carefully, she hadn’t spoken to Fang Nianchen since last month. Last time, she’d seen her with Yin Chi from afar—her sister’s face had been so sour, it even soured the pickled fish.

Who knew if they’d resolved their issues now or if her sister never mentioned it, letting them get along so harmoniously.

“Hello, Teacher Quan.” Fang Nianchen greeted.

“Aiya, no need for ‘teacher’—it’s so formal, and it makes me sound old.” Quan Cige tilted her head, mischief brewing. “From now on, just call me…”

“Quan Cige.” Yu Wan cut her off. “Didn’t I tell you to focus on work today?”

Her prank foiled, Quan Cige looked unhappy. Hearing Yu Wan’s tone like she’d disobeyed, she grumbled, “You mind your own business. The money’s right there; it won’t fly away if I don’t go.”

Quan Cige glanced dismissively and turned back to Fang Nianchen with a smile. “You’re celebrating my sister’s birthday?”

She’d thought her sister’s social skills were so poor even her crush wouldn’t care about her birthday.

Fang Nianchen nodded yes, and Quan Cige got even more excited.

She winked at Yu Wan. “Should I leave?”

Maybe the two wanted to get all sweet and lovey. It was a shame not to celebrate Yu Wan’s birthday, but thinking it concerned her sister’s lifelong happiness, a little self-sacrifice wasn’t a big deal.

Yu Wan knew she was brainstorming nonsense again. Sending her off now would just make it more conspicuous and hard to explain.

With a light sigh, “You’re already here. Join us.”

“Oh oh, great! I booked a place—wanna go? Or do you two have something else in mind?” Hearing she wasn’t being chased off, Quan Cige didn’t mind being the third wheel.

“Let’s go to the place you booked.” Yu Wan turned to Fang Nianchen for input. “That okay?”

“I’m fine with anything.”

“Alright then, I’ll navigate.” Quan Cige went to open the car door.

She was standing at the passenger side. Normally, if it was just her, passenger seat was hers by right—but things were different now.

Door open, Quan Cige dramatically stepped back with a courteous gesture. “Please, take it.”

Fang Nianchen was flustered by the action, scalp tingling.

She frantically checked for paparazzi. If caught with an A-list star opening the car door for her, she’d be flamed online.

Fang Nianchen looked troubled at Quan Cige. Should she say thanks?

“I get carsick; gotta sit in the back.” Quan Cige’s excuse didn’t help much.

“Okay… thank you.”

Yu Wan watched Quan Cige with a headache. Would it have been better to just send her away?

Fortunately, on the road, Quan Cige behaved, no more chattering to stir things up. The car was quiet for a while.

Near the restaurant, Quan Cige finally seemed unsealed and started talking more.

“How should I address you?” Quan Cige patted the passenger seat. “Xiao Fang? Nianchen?”

She was two years older than Fang Nianchen and wanted to add “little sister” to the end of the address, but she knew Yu Wan wouldn’t be happy about it.

“Then how does my sister usually call you?”

“Full name.” Fang Nianchen stated this somewhat sad fact.

President Yu only ever called her by her full name, both in the past and now.

She wanted her own form of address to be a little more unique, but her name wasn’t pleasant-sounding, and neither combining nor splitting it would produce anything cute—instead, it just came off stiff and rigid. A full name was still better.

“Ah? So fierce?” Quan Cige completely treated Fang Nianchen like one of her own, complaining without any reservations. “Don’t you feel like the moment she says someone’s name, the next second she’s about to curse them out?”

This was a death question. Fang Nianchen smiled awkwardly and shook her head.

Actually, she really didn’t mind it much. Mainly because she’d never done anything with a guilty conscience, so she wasn’t afraid of being scolded.

Quan Cige, refusing to believe it: “Don’t be scared. I’m right here. If you’re being bullied, just tell the truth. I’ll stand up for you.”

Noisy.

Yu Wan’s brows gradually furrowed as she glanced at the navigation and pressed down a bit harder on the accelerator.

Fortunately, they soon arrived at the restaurant. Quan Cige hadn’t gone for extravagance and booked some fancy high-end place. The crew had brought her here before—it was a seafood spot with great value for money.

They were seated in a private room at the end of the hallway. After the server left, Quan Cige took off her sunglasses and pulled Yu Wan to sit in the middle, making it fair for both Fang Nianchen and herself.

“Ta-da! Birthday gift~” Quan Cige provided her own sound effects as she handed over the bag she’d been carrying since they met.

It couldn’t exactly count as a surprise.

Yu Wan glanced up at her and said flatly, “No need.”

“You think after I bought it, I’m gonna go return it?” Quan Cige hated it when she put up this polite front with her. “I want my face, okay? Plus, I went to the counter myself to pick it out for you. Going back again would be a huge risk.”

Perhaps she felt there was some truth to her words, or maybe she’d just grown used to her nonsense and taken it in stride.

Yu Wan accepted it.

Fang Nianchen recognized the packaging on the box—it was from a famous luxury brand, probably a bag or something like that.

She thought of the aromatherapy diffuser she’d given, and comparing the two, it really did feel a bit lacking.

Expensive, in a certain sense, reflected the level of importance. Would Yu Wan feel like she hadn’t placed enough importance on her? After all… she deserved something better, more valuable.

Fang Nianchen looked at Yu Wan with some distress and saw her placidly set the bag aside, a faint smile on her face—she must be quite happy too.

Having dinner with the boss, and a big star present to boot—this lineup made Fang Nianchen feel a little strange no matter what.

She was nervous at first, but when Quan Cige started chatting with Yu Wan, with the two of them exchanging bits of daily life trivia, she felt out of place, like she’d stumbled into their family gathering.

And so she picked up her cup and drank some water to ease the awkwardness.

Seafood took a long time to prepare, so the wait was naturally a bit drawn out, but thankfully the taste in the end was pretty good.

During the meal, Quan Cige clamored to drink alcohol, but Yu Wan cited having to go to work tomorrow and didn’t agree.

Midway through, Yu Wan’s phone rang, and she got up to take the call outside.

Fang Nianchen watched her go, and the spot beside her was instantly filled.

“Ahem.” Quan Cige cleared her throat dramatically a couple of times. “What do you think of how my sister looks?”

This out-of-the-blue… Fang Nianchen didn’t get what she meant but nodded honestly. “Good-looking.”

From the first time they’d met—even before she’d started liking Yu Wan—she could praise her to anyone. Yu Wan was sophisticated and mature, the top choice in the ji circle.

“Then what about me? Is she better looking, or am I?”

“Well… it’s not really fair to compare.” Fang Nianchen smiled helplessly. She really had to hand it to her for asking such a death question.

She got it—people who asked this sort of thing were ninety percent just fishing for compliments on their own looks. But when Yu Wan was involved, Fang Nianchen wasn’t willing to sacrifice fairness just to please someone.

What she did was all to maintain relationships, but if it meant deliberately buttering someone up, it depended on whether that person carried enough weight in her heart.

Clearly, even with the title of “Yu Wan’s little sister,” Quan Cige didn’t weigh even a tenth as much as Yu Wan in her heart.

“What’s so unfair about comparing? Here, let’s say an example: If you’re traveling and have to room with one of us, who would you pick?”

This example was even weirder… As expected of someone in the arts—her thought process was utterly bizarre.

Fang Nianchen’s head started to hurt.

Over here, Quan Cige kept pressing her, and Yu Wan’s call still hadn’t ended—it didn’t look like she’d be back anytime soon.

No one to save her; she’d have to rescue herself.

“If I absolutely have to choose… President Yu, I guess.” After saying it, Fang Nianchen didn’t forget to explain. “We’re relatively familiar with each other, so rooming together… wouldn’t be as awkward.”

Quan Cige nodded thoughtfully, let out an “oh,” and said: “Got it. You still like her, huh.”

Seeing her so understanding, Fang Nianchen breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

Quan Cige suddenly burst out laughing, her tone light and playful as she enunciated each word: “Ah~ You. Like. My sister.”

Uh… Huh?

Fang Nianchen’s eyes widened as she stared at her, hurriedly waving her hands. “No, no… That’s not what I meant!”