After returning to the rented house, Xiao Yufan and Yu Yihan both tacitly avoided mentioning the job interview, as if nothing had ever happened.
Xiao Yufan gradually eased his worries. Yu Yihan hadn’t asked him to move out, although he certainly didn’t think she had shown him any mercy. Most likely, she probably believed he had no chance of completing the task assigned by the company.
Sitting alone on a rocking chair in the bedroom, Xiao Yufan pondered how he should handle the upcoming challenge. An eight-million-dollar contract was no small sum. Even if Hu Yingluo could assist him, it would still be a tough task.
A noise came from outside the bedroom, followed by a knock on the door. Xiao Yufan didn’t need to guess to know it was Yu Yihan outside…
“If you don’t mind the mess, you can come in…” Xiao Yufan now had no sense of superiority left. Despite having been deceived by Yu Yihan for so long, he still dared not show any anger. Come on, this woman held his livelihood in her hands—if he angered her, he wouldn’t just end up back at square one, he might even lose his place to live.
“You must really want to yell at someone… Well, go ahead and curse if it’ll make you feel better…” As Yu Yihan entered Xiao Yufan’s room, she clearly paused in surprise. In just two short days, Xiao Yufan had managed to clean the room so thoroughly that it was completely unlike the messy dwelling of a fallen survivor.
Xiao Yufan’s inner monologue was, “I really do want to yell at someone, and that someone is you…” But how could he ever say that out loud? If he did, he probably wouldn’t have a career left.
“How dare I act rudely in front of our CEO? But I just don’t get it—how can you, a grand company president, live in such a desolate place? Do you have a masochistic tendency or something?”
“You’re the one with masochistic tendencies!” Yu Yihan’s face flushed red as she quickly retorted. She had moved into this rented house entirely based on a suggestion from a wise person, who told her she would meet her benefactor there. Since arriving, she had only encountered Xiao Yufan and no one else. Could it really be him? Yet the whole idea felt so absurd!
Giving Xiao Yufan the eight-million-dollar contract was less about making things hard for him and more a test of his abilities. In Yu Yihan’s eyes, aside from his decent looks, Xiao Yufan had absolutely nothing going for him—how could he possibly be the so-called “benefactor” the wise person had mentioned?
“If you don’t have a masochistic tendency, then why come here and fight over this dump of a house with me? Could it be that you have a crush on me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself! I just like quiet places. Isn’t that a good enough reason?” Although she had grown somewhat accustomed to Xiao Yufan’s usual audacity, Yu Yihan still found his blunt words difficult to handle. But the awkwardness lasted only a moment before she thought of something and continued, “You must be really angry that I lied to you and didn’t reveal my true identity.”
“We have no ties of any kind, so you had no obligation to tell me everything. Why would I be angry?” Xiao Yufan was a bit surprised. It seemed Yu Yihan was unusually talkative today—could it be that she really wanted to have a heart-to-heart with him?
In response to Xiao Yufan, Yu Yihan gave a faint, bitter smile. She wasn’t a cold-hearted person. Due to certain reasons, she actually valued every person around her. However, from the very beginning, there had been a significant rift between them, one not easily mended…
“Do you mind hearing my story? I think you must be quite curious…” The atmosphere grew a bit awkward, so Yu Yihan broke the silence first.
“Please, I’m all ears!” Yu Yihan’s behavior today completely threw Xiao Yufan off guard. Instinctively, he still felt some resistance, but seeing the look in her eyes, he agreed. He was curious to hear her story too…
…
The company’s origins trace back to my father, who built it almost entirely with his lifelong efforts. Because he devoted so much time to his career and not enough to our family, my parents eventually separated.
Since I was little, my father treated me like a boy, expecting me to inherit his company. He decided every path I took in life! In other words, the cold version of me was shaped by my father. Perhaps the real me—the one with feelings, capable of joy and sorrow, is the true Yu Yihan.
Listening to Yu Yihan’s now softer tone, Xiao Yufan realized he had truly known very little about this woman. Perhaps, as she said, this gentle and refined side of her was indeed her true self—delicate, soft-spoken, and strikingly beautiful.
A glimmer of tears appeared at the corner of Yu Yihan’s eyes. She had never felt happiness and had few friends. Without realizing it, she had somehow come to see Xiao Yufan as someone relatively close—though that closeness was only relative.
The air was heavy with a somber mood. Xiao Yufan felt somewhat at a loss. Seeing this unexpectedly emotional side of Yu Yihan, he realized she wasn’t as strong as she appeared on the surface.
“I’m telling you this only because it’s been hard keeping it all inside. I just wanted to talk to someone!” Yu Yihan quickly returned to her usual demeanor. After glancing at Xiao Yufan, she continued, “But don’t think this changes anything. If you want a place in our company, you’ll have to give it your all!”
“What the hell…” Xiao Yufan had been about to comfort Yu Yihan, but seeing how quickly her expression changed—faster than turning a page—he couldn’t help but think she must have some sort of split personality, acting completely unpredictably.
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