Chapter 6

Yun Yin woke up before eight the next morning, the sky still dim.

The weather’s not great today, she thought with a hint of disappointment as she drew back the heavy blackout curtains. No sunbathing in the garden.

After washing up, she went downstairs for breakfast as usual and found someone already seated at the dining table.

Hearing her approach, the person looked up.

Pei Yu had returned sometime during the night.

Yun Yin paused briefly, then a faint smile touched her lips as she greeted him naturally, “Good morning.”

She had slept well the night before, and her good mood kept her from feeling nervous or intimidated by Pei Yu’s presence—unlike a mouse before a cat.

Pei Yu glanced at her before quickly averting his gaze, offering a curt, “Mm.”

Unfazed by his aloofness, Yun Yin walked to the opposite side of the table and began eating her breakfast.

Neither of them spoke during the meal.

Pei Yu watched as Yun Yin barely touched her food, leaving most of it uneaten. After enduring the silence for a while, he finally asked, “Are you a cat?”

“Huh?” Yun Yin, who had been drinking milk, set down her glass. “What do you mean?”

Pei Yu didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the milk stain at the corner of her mouth, a dark glint hidden in his eyes.

Was she doing this on purpose, or…?

On purpose.

Seeing his silence, Yun Yin assumed he hadn’t heard her and was about to speak again when he said, “Come to the company with me later.”

“Me?” Had she misheard him, or had he misspoken?

“Yes.” Pei Yu’s gaze remained fixed on her. “Is that a problem?”

Yun Yin pursed her lips, hesitating. “I can, but…”

“But what?” Pei Yu pressed.

“Nothing.” Yun Yin thought for a moment, then decided to say nothing at all.

Even if this was a test from the villain, as long as she didn’t harbor such thoughts, no test would work on her.

With this realization, Yun Yin relaxed. She glanced at the wall clock—almost nine. She picked up her glass, drained the remaining milk in one gulp, wiped her mouth, and stood up. “Wait here. I’ll just change.”

Pei Yu glanced at her plate, where more than half her food remained. His brow furrowed slightly. “Finish the rest.”

Yun Yin glanced at the clock again. “It’s almost nine.”

Pei Yu paused. “Don’t worry about it.”

Since Pei Yu had said so, Yun Yin didn’t argue and sat back down to finish her breakfast. After all, he was the boss—he decided when she needed to be at work.

By the time Yun Yin finished her breakfast, it was past nine. Lu Lin was already waiting at the main gate. When he saw Yun Yin, his expression momentarily froze before quickly returning to normal. He greeted her with a smile, “Good morning, Miss Yun.”

As they walked toward Pei Yu, Lu Lin whispered, “President Pei, Young Master Yun has arrived.”

Pei Yu nodded without a word, but Lu Lin understood his meaning perfectly. As he opened the car door, he cast a meaningful glance at Yun Yin.

Pei Yu’s company headquarters were located in the Financial Center in the southern part of the city, quite a distance from Yunman Lake—about an hour’s drive.

The Financial Center was a forest of skyscrapers, dominated by the towering Yujiang Tower. Situated along the Binjiang River in the Capital City, it was the largest and tallest financial building in the area.

Lu Lin drove straight into the Yujiang Tower’s underground parking garage. The three of them entered Pei Yu’s private elevator, which whisked them to the top floor.

The elevator was remarkably fast.

Ding! In moments, the doors opened.

Pei Yu led the way, with Yun Yin obediently following behind. The long corridor was quiet, ending at the President’s office.

Yun Yin took a quick look around. This floor consisted solely of the President’s office, Pei Yu’s private workspace, and supporting facilities like secretarial offices, reception rooms, pantries, and lounges—everything one needed to live at the office.

The moment the trio stepped inside, a female secretary knocked on the door.

“President Pei.”

The secretary’s expression faltered when she noticed another person in the office. Before she could speak, Pei Yu cut in, “What is it?”

The secretary quickly averted her gaze. “Young Master Yun from Yuncheng Group has been insisting on meeting with you.”

“Tell him to wait.”

“Understood, President Pei.” With that, she withdrew, stealing one last glance at Yun Yin before leaving.

Yun Yin’s beauty was undeniable—even her pale, sickly complexion couldn’t diminish it. Her presence clashed sharply with the cold, austere atmosphere of the office, drawing all eyes to her.

The conversation naturally reached Yun Yin’s ears.

Yuncheng Group, Young Master Yun…

Why did that sound familiar?

After a moment, Yun Yin belatedly realized—could this be the original owner’s family?

It was clear the original owner had also been a wealthy heiress, but the Yuncheng Group’s power and wealth paled in comparison to Pei Yu’s. They barely registered in Capital City’s elite circles.

The “Young Master Yun” mentioned by the secretary was undoubtedly Yun Yang, the original owner’s brother.

Yun Yang wasn’t a particularly crucial character in the story, appearing even less frequently than his sister. At best, he was a minor lackey under the male lead.

In the novel, the Yuncheng Group caused Pei Yu minor trouble—mostly annoyances.

Throughout the story, both Yun Yang and his sister remained loyal to the male lead, Zhou Wenze, with Yun Yang constantly scheming to undermine Pei Yu.

The siblings’ primary tactic was coordinated attacks from both inside and outside.

Pei Yu flipped through the documents submitted that morning and quietly instructed Lu Lin, “Postpone the morning strategy meeting. Prioritize the Capital Suburbs project first…”

After giving his instructions, Pei Yu suddenly changed the subject. “You’ll be coming with me later.”

Yun Yin, still lost in thought about the plot, was startled by the interruption. She looked up at him with a bewildered expression.

She finally understood why Pei Yu had so “kindly” invited her to the office today.

Even knowing his intentions—could she really refuse?

Resigned, she replied, “Alright.”

As they prepared to leave, Pei Yu’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. “Remember what you said.”

Yun Yin: “……”

She had said so many things—how could she possibly remember them all?

Upon entering the reception room, Yun Yin’s eyes immediately fell on a young man seated on a black leather sofa. Dressed in an expensive charcoal-gray suit, he leaned back with his legs crossed, his face etched with impatience.

The impatience faded slightly when he saw Pei Yu. He slowly rose to his feet. “President Pei, you’ve kept me waiting…”

He stopped abruptly when he noticed Yun Yin behind Pei Yu. After a moment of surprise, he relaxed, as if remembering something.

At the same time, Yun Yin instantly recognized the man before her.

Her current “stepbrother”—

Yun Yang.

Pei Yu ignored Yun Yang’s greeting. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Yun Yin’s waist, lowered his head, and asked in an intimate tone, “Why didn’t you say hello?”

Yun Yin’s spine stiffened. She wasn’t used to being this close to anyone.

Even acting didn’t require such genuine intimacy.

Before she could respond, Yun Yang had already composed himself, feigning surprise. “A Yin, what are you doing here?” He then gave them a knowing look, his eyes filled with suggestive amusement.

Yun Yang’s theatrical performance only made Yun Yin want to speak less.

Compared to Pei Yu, Yun Yang’s acting felt slightly exaggerated.

Isn’t this exactly what they wanted to see?

Only then did Yun Yin understand why Pei Yu had insisted she remember that particular phrase.

He was still testing her feelings.

After a moment of awkward silence, Yun Yin softly spoke, “Big Brother.”

Yun Yang seemed pleased with her performance. Feigning ignorance, he asked again, “A Yin, what are you doing here?”

Pei Yu’s hand on her waist tightened. Yun Yin paused, then quietly replied, “I came with him to work.”

Who said I couldn’t act?

After a round of insincere pleasantries, they finally got down to business.

Yun Yin had initially wanted to sit on the sofa farthest from Pei Yu, but he pulled her down beside him. Realizing escape was futile, she gave up struggling.

“President Pei, this is quite underhanded,” Yun Yang said, glaring at Pei Yu with mock indignation. “If not for that banquet the other day, I wouldn’t have known you were seeing our A Yin.”

“We’re not together,” Yun Yin suddenly interjected.

Both men turned to stare at her.

Yun Yang’s gaze carried a warning, which Yun Yin pretended not to notice. Under Pei Yu’s intense scrutiny, she forced herself to remain calm. “He’s pursuing me, but I haven’t agreed yet.”

The warning in Yun Yang’s eyes instantly transformed into delight. For Yun Yin to say this in front of Pei Yu meant she must truly adore his sister.

It seems Zhou Wenze was right after all.

Pei Yu’s gaze deepened as he looked at Yun Yin. After a long pause, he drawled, “A Yin is right.”

Even as he said this, Yun Yin maintained her haughty demeanor, yet strangely, it didn’t provoke irritation. It was as if she was meant to be proud, incapable of bowing to anyone.

Yun Yang’s satisfaction grew. He turned to feign a scolding tone. “A Yin has always been spoiled by us.”

Pei Yu waved it off casually. “It doesn’t matter.”

Seizing the opportunity, Yun Yang pressed further. “While Yun Cheng can’t compare to Yu Jiang, A Yin is the Yun Family’s prized pearl. She can’t remain without proper status by President Pei’s side indefinitely. Don’t you agree, President Pei?”

Prized pearl?

If Yun Yin hadn’t read the novel and inherited the original owner’s memories, she might have believed Yun Yang’s lies.

The Yun Family was a classic example of patriarchal favoritism. While they wouldn’t mistreat the original owner in ordinary times, they would unhesitatingly sacrifice her when real interests were at stake.

After the original owner completed her studies, her father—Yun Cheng, the true power holder—had been eager to use her in a political marriage.

Later in the plot, the Yun Family even abandoned their “prized pearl” without hesitation, severing ties and leaving her to face the villain’s revenge alone.

Now, they wanted to use her to secure resources. Beauty was a rare and valuable asset—many would seek an alliance for her sake.

This was likely why the original owner had relentlessly pursued Zhou Wenze. Otherwise, someone so calculating would never have chosen the male lead willingly.

Escaping the Yun Family might have been her true objective all along.

Hearing Yun Yang’s words, Pei Yu lowered his gaze and smiled faintly.

In his previous life, Yun Yang had said the exact same thing on a similar occasion—but this time, Yun Yin was present.

He was curious to see what she would do.

After a moment, Pei Yu asked calmly, “So, Young Master Yun, what’s your proposal?”

Yun Yang sensed that Pei Yu seemed unusually agreeable, which made him uneasy. After a brief hesitation, he revealed his true purpose: “President Pei, I heard you’re bidding on that plot of land in the Capital Suburbs?”

Sure enough, even after reincarnation, the Yun Family’s ambitions remained unchanged. Did they still believe they could manipulate him through Yun Yin?

In his previous life, he had refused to collaborate with Yuncheng Group on this project, but things were different now.

Pei Yu reached out and encircled Yun Yin’s slender wrist. He could feel her pulse throbbing beneath his fingers, his calloused fingertips casually stroking the wrist bone.

After a moment, he replied softly, “I do have that intention.”

Yun Yang immediately seized the opportunity. “Yun Cheng is also very interested in this project. We have numerous patented technologies. President Pei, would you be interested in collaborating?”

Listening to their back-and-forth, Yun Yin understood Yun Yang’s true purpose. He wasn’t seeking genuine collaboration—he just wanted a share of the pie.

But this pie wouldn’t be so easily divided.

Pei Yu’s hand remained on Yun Yin’s wrist, as if considering the possibility.

Yun Yin felt a ticklish sensation and instinctively tried to move her hand, but Pei Yu firmly held it in place.

After what seemed like deep contemplation, Pei Yu slowly spoke, enunciating each word: “It all depends on A Yin’s wishes.”

Yun Yin’s breath hitched. She turned to Pei Yu, as if trying to decipher something from his dark eyes.

But there was nothing to be found.

Yun Yang’s heart surged with elation at these words. Only then did he notice their clasped hands, dispelling nearly all his lingering doubts.

Turning to Yun Yin with a brotherly air, he said, “It seems President Pei is truly sincere about you. What do you think, A Yin?”