Although Ye Qiu had blocked Shi Nian, she still managed to get a glimpse of the man's face.
In that brief moment, her eyes met his. In those cold eyes staring at her with unfamiliarity, she knew — that was her man.
Si Yehan also lived in this world.
Shi Nian almost rushed to him, but she bit her lip in determination and turned away.
She absentmindedly followed the assistant to Cheng YouLin's private room.
As they walked, Shi Nian tried to steady her shaking hands. Even her thoughts refused to calm down.
"Nian Nian, why are you still at the door?" Cheng YouLin spoke softly.
Only then did Shi Nian notice that the assistant had already brought her to the private room. He opened the door, but she stood there dazed.
"Brother YouLin, I was lost in thought for a moment," Shi Nian said quietly.
"Alright, I invited you here tonight because I wanted you to relax," Cheng YouLin said as he pulled her to a seat.
"Did you notice it?"
Shi Nian blinked, confused — what was she supposed to notice?
Finding her blank expression, cute and naive, Cheng YouLin patted her head affectionately.
Shi Nian had no idea how her confusion became "naivety" in his eyes. He was definitely looking at her through some filter.
"You've always enjoyed admiring Chinese architecture. I specifically chose this restaurant because of its details."
Hearing Cheng YouLin mention this, Shi Nian remembered that the original Shi Nian had studied architecture in university.
"Brother YouLin, I didn't pay attention to the details," she admitted softly.
Cheng YouLin nodded thoughtfully, knowing she had too much on her plate.
Just then, the servers brought in their meal.
Shi Nian noticed that the food Cheng YouLin ordered also matched her preferences. She wasn't very surprised — she'd come to realize how many similarities she shared with the original Shi Nian.
The two enjoyed their dinner together, and Shi Nian was finally able to shift her attention to the conversation.
She had expected Cheng YouLin to be like her eldest cousin — cold and stoic — but to her surprise, he was calm and warm.
Cheng YouLin worked as a top manager in the entertainment industry. The Cheng family had refused at first, but he was stubborn as a bull, and in the end, they had to let him do as he wished.
He had since built his own entertainment company and now worked behind the scenes.
Cheng YouLin went on telling Shi Nian about a few artists in his company.
Shi Nian found it all interesting; she had never been involved in the entertainment industry before. These details seemed to open a new world for her.
As they continued their conversation, Shi Nian's phone rang.
She reached for it and saw that it was a call from Ding Shun. Wondering why he would call at this hour, she answered.
"I'm sorry, Director Shi. I was unable to accomplish the task you gave me," Ding Shun said regretfully.
"The HQ refused to approve the investment proposal. Their response was that 'BaiYue doesn't meet the requirements for investment.'"
He hadn't expected such a blow to hit BaiYue, especially with Director Shi handling things. After all, she was the incoming Shi Consortium Chairwoman.
"You no longer have to bother with the investment proposal. Forward all the details to me," Shi Nian said softly.
"Director Shi…"
"Don't worry, I'll handle this," she interrupted.
Shi Nian didn't need to think twice to know this was Shi Wang's doing.
She had expected this after her altercation with him.
A show of power? Well, right.
"What happened, Nian Nian?" Seeing Shi Nian's expression turn focused after the call, Cheng YouLin asked.
"BaiYue's investment proposal was unapproved by the Shi Consortium," Shi Nian replied as if unaffected by the outcome.
"How much do you need for the investment? Don't worry — Brother can handle that much," Cheng YouLin said warmly.
"Brother YouLin, I can handle this."
Seeing a frown appear on his face, Shi Nian quickly added, "I'm not being stubborn. If I need help, I'll unhesitatingly come to you. But this is a test. Getting your investment might give Shi Wang something to use against me in the future."
Cheng YouLin understood she was right. BaiYue was a test by the shareholders, and they couldn't hold her back.
"Okay, Nian Nian. Remember what you said — you'll come to us when you need help."
This episode caused the duo to lose their mood for dinner. After a few more bites, they got ready to leave.
At the door of the restaurant, Cheng YouLin's assistant received a call and hurriedly signaled to him.
Shi Nian noticed and spoke up before he could.
"Brother YouLin, my driver brought me here. You can go handle your work."
Seeing Cheng YouLin still hesitate, Shi Nian pointed to the car her driver had parked at the entrance and hurriedly left.
Watching her car drive off quickly, Cheng YouLin shook his head dotingly before leaving with his assistant.
Neither of them knew that this little episode was witnessed by two different groups — both interpreting what they saw in their own way.
The first group was Shi Ning and Ye Qiu, who had just come out at that point.
Shi Ning noticed Shi Nian first and easily recognized Cheng YouLin — though she acted as if she couldn't.
"Isn't that sister Nian?" she asked Ye Qiu, feigning uncertainty.
Ye Qiu, oblivious to Shi Ning's scheme, instantly recognized Shi Nian but not Cheng YouLin. She turned toward the direction Shi Ning pointed to.
"That's Shi Nian! I still have to talk to her — her attitude has become so rude lately."
She pulled Shi Ning toward Shi Nian.
"Qiuqiu, we can't just rush over. Sister Nian is with someone! What if we interrupt them?" Shi Ning spoke softly.
Ye Qiu noticed Cheng YouLin standing beside Shi Nian but didn't recognize him as her cousin.
"Why is she standing so ambiguously with a man? Doesn't she know she has a fiancé?" Ye Qiu snapped.
This time, she didn't let Shi Ning stop her.
Not that Shi Ning intended to — how else would she enjoy a good show?
Shi Ning knew Ye Qiu had a crush on Shi Nian's fiancé. It was a little secret she had uncovered — and now, she would use it to her advantage.
Unfortunately, they missed Shi Nian and only saw the back of Cheng YouLin as he was leaving.
"Argh! How could we miss her?!" Ye Qiu angrily stomped her foot.
"Qiuqiu, you could be wrong. After all, she didn't leave with the man earlier. Maybe he's just a business partner…"
"What partner! Did you not see them together? With how intimate they looked, they couldn't be just business partners!" Ye Qiu interrupted harshly.
Seeing how her tone intimidated Shi Ning, Ye Qiu softened her voice.
"Ning, you're too innocent sometimes." She poked her forehead dotingly.
Shi Ning covered her head and stuck out her tongue.
"Qiuqiu, you've misunderstood Sister Nian."
She smiled sweetly and naively.
"You…" Ye Qiu shook her head at Shi Ning's foolishness.
The second group was the man in the wheelchair.
He had come out just in time to see Shi Nian standing in what appeared to be an ambiguous moment with Cheng YouLin.
Seeing her act so intimately with another man, his heart ached.
He spoke coldly to his accompanying group, "Let's go."