Chapter 6

The man glanced at the only illuminated number “20” on the elevator panel, then turned to look at the person beside him, recalling his impeccable memory: “Shang Zhi Yi?”

He asked in Mandarin.

Shang Zhi Yi was momentarily confused. “Do you know me?”

The man took off his sunglasses. “I saw the photo on your resume.” He introduced himself, “Jiang Sixun.”

Before Shang Zhi Yi could react, the elevator reached the twentieth floor.

Jiang Sixun pressed the elevator button, waiting for her to exit first.

Shang Zhi Yi had no time to think of a response, so she simply greeted her boss before stepping out of the elevator, glancing once more at the color of his shirt.

Jiang Sixun, with his long legs, quickly passed by her, leaving behind a trace of the crisp scent of cedarwood.

“Luna,” he called a young woman over, gave her a brief set of instructions, then turned to Zhi Yi and said, “This is your mentor, Luna. You can ask her if you have any questions.”

He added, “Luna speaks Chinese, so communication won’t be a problem.”

Later, Shang Zhi Yi learned that Luna was of mixed Chinese and British heritage and was the only colleague in the team besides Jiang Sixun who spoke Chinese.

However, Luna mostly used her Chinese skills to chat about gossip.

Her temporary workspace was next to Luna’s. On her first day of the internship, she was ready for errands and miscellaneous tasks, but Luna didn’t waste any time. After familiarizing her with the company and completing her onboarding paperwork, Luna began assigning tasks. She placed a stack of documents on Zhi Yi’s desk and said, “Get this to me by the end of the day tomorrow.”

To express her gratitude, Zhi Yi planned to buy Luna a coffee.

Luna smiled and said she wouldn’t have a chance to accept, as someone was treating them to afternoon tea every day.

Zhi Yi looked at a document and realized that organizing project drafts was still somewhat challenging for her as a newcomer.

Around three in the afternoon, a coffee and a piece of dessert appeared on her desk.

She looked up in confusion.

Luna said, “It’s for you. Everyone in the company gets one.”

“Thank you.” Shang Zhi Yi remembered Luna’s earlier comment about daily afternoon tea and asked curiously, “Who’s treating every day?”

Luna spoke in less-than-perfect Mandarin, “An outgoing and attractive lady who is pursuing the boss. They were introduced through family arrangements. The lady is busy with a project in London and can’t pursue him in person, so she’s expressing her affection this way.”

Zhi Yi recalled the gossip about Jiang Sixun. There was a rumor about a wealthy girl from Hong Kong who set up a family fund managed by Yuanwei Capital to pursue someone.

It might be this rumored person who was treating them to afternoon tea.

When tea time was over, Luna had to meet a client, so she left Zhi Yi with a completed project file and instructed her to deliver it to the boss after 4:30 PM.

As for why not to deliver it right away, Luna kindly imparted some workplace survival wisdom: It’s okay to be diligent, but don’t outshine your team members. If the boss wants it by five, delivering it half an hour early is sufficient, but there’s no need to deliver it too early.

She left Zhi Yi to figure it out.

Worried about missing the time while looking at the documents, Zhi Yi set an alarm for 4:30 PM.

When the alarm rang, the setting sun’s light was shining through the window onto her desk. She drew the blinds and took the documents out.

Meanwhile, in Jiang Sixun’s office:

Xu Ningwei came to pick up concert tickets and put three guest seats’ worth of tickets in her bag. “I asked my mom, and she said she won’t go. Mr. Sixun, why don’t you come with us? After the concert, we can go to my brother’s place for a late-night snack.”

Jiang Sixun, who was looking at his computer, nodded. “Sure.”

“Mr. Sixun, you’re busy. I’ll go out for a bit.”

“Where are you going? Let the driver take you.”

“No need, my mom is coming to pick me up.”

Xu Ningwei said her goodbyes, walking out with a light step, and took a sip from Jiang Sixun’s iced coffee on the way.

As she walked towards the elevator, she opened the coffee lid and suddenly froze as a tall figure entered her line of sight. The person also looked up, and their eyes unexpectedly met.

Shang Zhi Yi was also visibly startled.

Neither of them greeted the other, as if they didn’t know each other, and both averted their gazes.

Quickly, they passed each other without further eye contact.

Xu Ningwei felt unsettled and tried to calm herself. She hadn’t expected to see Shang Zhi Yi at Yuanwei Capital, and with her ID badge, she must be interning there.

It was probably arranged by her father.

Feeling a mix of emotions, she put the lid back on her coffee.

She forgot how she made it to the elevator or got inside.

On the other side, Shang Zhi Yi walked down the long corridor. The boss’s office was at the southern end.

After knocking and receiving a response, she pushed open the door. Her attention was easily drawn to the two large floor-to-ceiling windows with an expansive view. Jiang Sixun was in front of his computer, and the burgundy shirt looked especially striking against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds.

He looked up at her briefly, said nothing more, and indicated that she could just leave the documents.

Shang Zhi Yi placed the documents down, closed the door, and left. By the time she got to the hallway, Xu Ningwei was no longer in sight.

Downstairs in the building, Xu Ningwei was waiting under a tree for He Yian.

She held the iced coffee in her hand, her thoughts drifting far away. She didn’t remember to take a sip until the car stopped in front of her.

The car window rolled down, and He Yian smiled. “Ningwei, get in.”

Xu Ningwei came to her senses, squeezed into the car next to her foster mother, and asked plaintively, “Mom, you’re not working late today, are you?”

“Hmm, not working late.” He Yian patted her foster daughter’s head.

In the few days since arriving in New York, she had slowly calmed down. Xu Xiangyi’s comment, “I just feel really sorry that I personally sent my daughter back to her adoptive parents’ home,” had made her reflect and feel guilty.

Additionally, with Shang Tongxu and his wife here, she had only spent the first day in New York accompanying Ningwei for the morning and had then begun working, using it as a way to adjust herself.

“Are you hungry?” He Yian asked.

Xu Ningwei replied, “I wasn’t hungry, but now that you mention it, I am.”

“I’ve made a reservation. I’ll take you out for Italian food.”

“Okay.”

Xu Ningwei hesitated about whether to bring up Shang Zhi Yi. Since her father had arranged for her to intern at Yuanwei Capital, her mother would surely know about it.

“I saw Shang Zhi Yi at Yuanwei. Mom, aren’t you going to check on her?”

He Yian was surprised. “Zhi Yi is interning at Yuanwei?”

It turned out her mother was not aware. Xu Ningwei nodded in response.

He Yian had heard about the internship from her husband on the phone but hadn’t inquired further about where Shang Zhi Yi was interning. Her husband’s view was that since Zhi Yi had secured the offer, she should see it through to the end and do future internships at their own company.

Now that she was downstairs at Yuanwei, she naturally wanted to see her daughter.

In these days, whenever she had some quiet time alone, she thought about Zhi Yi and wondered how much she would have spoiled her if the child had grown up beside her.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Shang Zhi Yi came out of the building.

“Zhi Yi.” He Yian called out.

Her daughter, dressed in a simple and neat commuting outfit—a plain white blouse with a flowing ribbon and a khaki skirt—wore no jewelry. Her long legs and glowing skin made even this plain outfit look gently beautiful.

The clothes seemed well-made but didn’t quite suit her daughter’s temperament; the color choice was off. It seemed that Xiaomei Hua rarely taught her how to improve her fashion sense.

Shang Zhi Yi looked over, and He Yian got out of the car.

Seeing her biological mother downstairs at the company, Shang Zhi Yi was momentarily dazed, unable to call out “Mom” as it caught in her throat.

Some people have an innate icy demeanor that creates an invisible distance between themselves and others. He Yian was one of those people.

In her subconscious, He Yian was Mrs. He, the wife of the richest person, someone unreachable, and there was a profound sense of unfamiliarity that made closeness difficult.

He Yian approached and said gently, “Ningwei mentioned that you’re interning here.”

“Yes, at Yuanwei Capital.”

“It’s quite a coincidence. You sent your resume to Sixun’s company. Sixun is quite familiar with our family.”

Shang Zhi Yi guessed as much, otherwise, Xu Ningwei wouldn’t have appeared in his office.

He Yian observed her daughter closely, noting that she looked thinner than she had in the hospital, with faint dark circles under her eyes. “Don’t overwork yourself and make sure to rest. I planned to wait until you adjusted to the time difference before coming to see you, but I didn’t expect you’d be working today.”

It was hot outside, and she pointed to the car by the roadside. “Let’s get in the car. Ningwei is in there too. Tonight, I’ll take you both to a new Italian restaurant.”

If He Yian had come specifically to take her to dinner, she would have gone even with Xu Ningwei present. But since He Yian was coming to pick up Xu Ningwei and happened to know she was interning at Yuanwei, joining them would disrupt their plans.

Shang Zhi Yi politely declined, “I won’t go. I have plans with my roommate.”

At this point, He Yian couldn’t insist. “Well, when you have some free time, I’ll take you out for a meal.”

She then asked, “Where are you headed? Let me take you there first.”

Shang Zhi Yi answered without thinking, “No need, I can take the subway.”

“It’s hot outside. Please get in the car.” He Yian said as she said goodbye.

Just then, Jiang Sixun’s car drove by.

Seeing He Yian, he got out to greet her.

“Hello, Auntie.”

He Yian smiled, “You’re off work early today. Come visit us this weekend if you have time.”

“Sure, I’ll come over when I’m free.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, He Yian introduced Shang Zhi Yi.

Actually, no further introduction was needed. Seeing them together, Jiang Sixun already knew who Shang Zhi Yi was. He took another look at her and noticed she resembled Xu Heng, though he hadn’t seen the resemblance in the elevator that morning.

Shang Zhi Yi also glanced at him briefly, and they shared a half-second of eye contact.

Jiang Sixun said to He Yian, “Zhi Yi looks more like Uncle Xu but still resembles you.”

He Yian laughed. “I think so too. Your uncle insists she looks more like him.”

For some reason, although they were discussing her, she felt like an outsider, as if she were listening to someone else’s story.

Between her unfamiliar biological mother and her unfamiliar boss, Shang Zhi Yi stood in the middle, struggling to endure the moment. She took the opportunity to say goodbye, “I’ll head back now.”

Jiang Sixun suggested having dinner together, and he would arrange it.

He Yian didn’t want to put her daughter in an awkward position and declined. “Zhi Yi has other plans. Next time, let your uncle treat us.”

Shang Zhi Yi looked at Jiang Sixun and said, “Goodbye, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Sixun nodded, then remembered something and asked, “How will you get back?”

Shang Zhi Yi: “I’ll take the subway.”

Jiang Sixun: “I’ll give you a ride. Wait for me in the car.”

He Yian chimed in, “That’s perfect. You can ride with Sixun.”

Shang Zhi Yi initially wanted to decline but met his calm and understated gaze and decided not to insist.

Once her daughter was in the car, He Yian sighed, “Zhi Yi can be quite stubborn and doesn’t like to trouble others.”

Since they weren’t close, Jiang Sixun didn’t comment.

He Yian had watched Jiang Sixun grow up and was always comfortable with him. “Please take Zhi Yi home for me.”

Her phone rang with an incoming call. Jiang Sixun used the excuse to get in the car and leave.

The car slowly drove past her, and she waved at the car, watching it as it drove away.

She watched the departing car while Xu Ningwei, in another car, looked at her sadly.

The phone rang again after ending the first call, and He Yian finally answered it, turning to walk towards her own car.

It was her husband calling, and she calculated the time difference; it was now 5:15 PM in China.

“You’re up so early?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Xu Xiangyi was sitting in the courtyard smoking. “Once I’m done with the company’s work, I’ll go see Zhi Yi.”

Her husband must be missing their daughter. He Yian said, “Just come over directly. The company’s work is never-ending; take a break for now. When you get here, we’ll take Zhi Yi out for a meal. She’s interning at Sixun’s company.”

Xu Xiangyi was momentarily stunned and exhaled smoke. “Zhi Yi is at Yuanwei?”

“Yes.”

He Yian stopped about seven or eight meters from her car. “Why didn’t you arrange for a driver for Zhi Yi? Or did you forget? She’s been taking the subway to work.”

Xu Xiangyi’s voice was low. “I didn’t forget; she refuses to accept any help.”

He Yian fell silent.

Xu Xiangyi extinguished his cigarette. “I’ll visit Zhi Yi this week.”

“Good.” He Yian turned her head casually and noticed Xu Ningwei’s expectant face in the car. She smiled warmly at her and said into the phone, “I have to go now. Ningwei is waiting for me to have dinner.”

She said this while walking over.

“Is that Dad?”

“Yes.”

“I want to say a few words to Dad.”

He Yian handed the phone over.

“Dad, why are you up so early? You should sleep a bit more and take care of your health.”

The car passed two intersections before Xu Ningwei finished the call.

She handed the phone back and leaned against He Yian’s shoulder.

Thinking about how He Yian had watched Shang Zhi Yi leave made her heart ache.

He Yian looked down. “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Xu Ningwei hugged her arm tightly, silent for a moment. “These days, when I can’t sleep, I keep wondering how you two suddenly aren’t my parents anymore. It’s really too painful to bear. I just tell myself it’s a dream, and I’ll be okay when I wake up.”

“But I know it’s not a dream.”

He Yian turned her face toward the window, her heart feeling like it was being sliced.

What about Zhi Yi?

Does she also find it hard to part with her adoptive parents?

In the other car, Shang Zhi Yi sat upright, quietly watching the sea of people and traffic outside.

As the car was about to turn left, she turned to Jiang Sixun. “Mr. Jiang, I’ll get off here. There’s a subway station nearby, so it’s convenient for me to take the subway back.”

Jiang Sixun was replying to messages and turned his head to look at her face. “It’s still work hours. Don’t treat me like a boss; just relax and sit.”

He had no intention of letting her off early, and Shang Zhi Yi decided not to refuse his kindness.

Jiang Sixun continued to reply to messages and then asked her, “Do you need a few days off?”

“No, thank you.”

“If you need a break, just ask Luna directly. You and Aunt Xu are too distant; try to spend more time together during a long holiday.”

Shang Zhi Yi was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Thank you.” It wasn’t that she was deliberately distant or unwilling to get along; she had missed many years with her biological parents, and they had feelings that were hard to let go of.

The current situation was quite good. They knew she had grown up well, and she knew who they were, whether they were healthy, and how they were living their peaceful lives.