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◎ Let’s hear you call me ‘sister’ ◎
Lu Shiyin returned to the company to deal with proper business first. Except for the previously scheduled lab tour which had to be canceled, everything else proceeded as usual.
Since she had essentially obtained the grandfather’s official approval, she no longer felt frustrated facing those senior staff who didn’t respect her.
She listened to their conversations in good spirits, even joking along now and then.
However, after those old employees left, they still mocked her behind her back.
When the official work hours ended, she didn’t leave. Instead, she started drafting a proposal.
Once she got busy, she completely lost track of time. By the time she realized she was hungry, it was already 10 PM. Only then did she finally put her work down and check her phone.
At 5:15 PM, Cheng Jinghe had messaged:
[Lu Shiyin, what time do you get off work? I’ll come pick you up.]
Seeing it five hours late made her feel quite guilty. She immediately called him, and he answered quickly.
“Just saw your message—sorry.”
Cheng Jinghe chuckled softly, sounding a bit relieved. “You’ve been busy all this time? I’ll come pick you up.”
She heard the rustling sound of him putting on clothes through the phone—it seemed he was already home. She hurriedly said, “No, no, don’t bother.”
Though she said that, she’d already let Qian Mu (the driver) go home earlier and didn’t want to trouble the older man again. But she also didn’t have a car, and silently regretted not having Qian Mu bring it back this afternoon.
With that thought, her tone became somewhat uncertain.
“It’s no trouble. Wait for me.”
That’s all he said before hanging up.
Lu Shiyin stared blankly at her phone’s home screen, then chuckled quietly and started packing up her things.
She calculated his travel time—about 30 minutes—and headed downstairs accordingly.
The night air was heavy with dew, and the moon was nearly full, hanging high in the sky. When she opened her calendar, she realized the Mid-Autumn Festival was just around the corner.
Another year had nearly passed.
She stood there alone, back straight, looking up at the moon.
It was nearly 11 PM. Occasionally, a passerby walking a dog would go by. One fluffy Alaskan dog wagged its tail and approached her.
The owner, a casually dressed young man, allowed her to pet the dog. She did so, and thinking of that terrifying robotic dog at home, she asked its name and age. The two of them ended up chatting about dogs.
When Cheng Jinghe arrived, he saw her chatting and laughing with another man. Beside them was a big, silly-looking Alaskan dog.
Just then, he overheard the man asking Lu Shiyin for her contact information. Before she could even respond, Cheng Jinghe interrupted.
He gently placed an arm around her shoulder and asked softly,
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all.”
“Then let’s go.”
He nodded politely at the man, opened the car door for her, and soon drove off.
In the car, he remained silent while Lu Shiyin checked her emails on her phone.
Eventually, he asked,
“Who was that guy?”
She didn’t even look up, still typing:
“Just a stranger… I pet his dog.”
“Maybe we should get a dog too.”
Still focused on her phone, she responded after a beat, her tone teasing,
“What did you say?”
Cheng Jinghe chuckled, “Nothing.”
She didn’t press further. Turning her head, she noticed they were passing the bustling university food street, full of students getting late-night snacks.
She could practically smell the barbecue. It reminded her of her brief two years in college.
“Can we stop for a bit? I want to grab something to eat.”
Her voice softened.
Cheng Jinghe glanced over and said “Sure,” pulling into the nearest mall parking lot.
As they walked back toward the food street, she finally noticed he was still wearing a suit. She asked, surprised:
“Did you come straight from the office?”
“Yes.” He didn’t hide it.
She suddenly felt guilty.
“You didn’t… wait for me this whole time, did you?”
Cheng Jinghe laughed, “There’s always too much to handle at work. Our timing just happened to align.”
Lu Shiyin felt a little awkward. Looking around, she realized they stood out too much among the college crowd—him in custom-made formalwear, her in designer brands.
She stopped walking. He asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t eat here.” She turned back.
Thinking he’d upset her somehow, he caught up quickly to explain.
She said,
“It’s just… inappropriate.”
“What is?”
“We’re too overdressed for this place.”
Cheng Jinghe let out a breath of relief and nodded:
“Then how about we go home and ask Auntie to cook?”
She shook her head. It was too late to trouble Aunt Zhang.
“I haven’t been back long, so I’m not sure where’s still open at this hour. You’d probably know better—can you recommend something?”
On the road, after hearing she wanted Chinese food, he took her to a place called Yinquan Garden.
The manager greeted them at the door, respectfully calling him “President Cheng” and addressing her as “Mrs. Cheng,” then led them to a private dining room.
Lu Shiyin asked,
“You come here often?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. That explained the familiarity.
The food arrived quickly—spicy, rich dishes suited to her taste.
She ate happily and eventually wanted to drink.
Cheng Jinghe refused, asking the server to bring champagne instead.
Champagne was fine; she wasn’t picky. She hadn’t had a proper meal all day, just a sandwich at noon, so even though she was starving, she didn’t eat ravenously. Instead, she chewed slowly and elegantly.
He asked about her visit to Songcheng earlier, how the talks went, and if there was any outcome. From his few words, it was clear he wanted to know if she ran into the same kind of trouble as the previous night.
But Lu Shiyin didn’t pick up on that.
She said casually,
“The talks went well. I had Grandpa start preparing for the wedding. As for our cooperation, he’ll likely agree. I’m drafting the proposal and will report to him again once it’s done.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need any help—I’ll cooperate.”
Lu Shiyin looked at him, cheeks slightly flushed, and giggled:
“Okay, you’re actually pretty nice.”
She raised her glass to him and downed it in one go:
“Thanks, President Cheng.”
Cheng Jinghe glanced at the nearly empty champagne bottle, then at her flushed cheeks, lifting an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to get tipsy from this.
He moved the bottle over to his side,
“Eat more food. No more drinking.”
Lu Shiyin realized she shouldn’t drink more either—her head was already foggy.
She shook her head and waved her finger:
“Who are you underestimating here?”
Cheng Jinghe smiled silently, speaking gently: “I’m not looking down on you, but your face is red—you really shouldn’t drink anymore.”
She touched her cheek. It was indeed warm, but she still said, “No it’s not. It’s not red.”
Cheng Jinghe nodded. “Mm, not red. Not red at all.”
“There you go!” She clapped her hands and reached out. “Hand it over.”
“What?” He pretended not to understand.
“The wine! Why are you keeping it on your side?” One hand on the table, she leaned across him, trying to grab the champagne.
Cheng Jinghe moved the bottle even farther away. “Nope.”
She grew a bit anxious and weakly sat down—right next to him. Then, as he was distracted, she made another grab for it, but accidentally caught her foot on the table leg and fell right into his lap.
Finally staying still, Lu Shiyin successfully grabbed the champagne, poured herself a glass, and downed it in one gulp.
When she turned her head, she realized she was sitting on someone’s lap. She blinked and asked, “How did I end up sitting here?”
He chuckled. “What do you think?”
Lu Shiyin held his face in her hands, studying him closely, completely unaware of how flustered Cheng Jinghe was becoming.
“You used to be obedient when you were little. You even called me ‘sister.’ Why don’t you call me that anymore?” she asked.
Cheng Jinghe didn’t know what to do with his hands, hovering awkwardly around her waist to keep her from falling.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “That was when I was a kid. Now that I’ve grown up… you don’t really look older than me.”
Lu Shiyin shook her head. “Wrong answer. Call me sister—let me hear it.”
Cheng Jinghe frowned and looked away, still refusing to say it.
Lu Shiyin grabbed his face and made him look straight at her. “Say it.”
“Say what?”
“‘Sister.’”
“You’re not my sister.”
…
Lu Shiyin felt that made sense—but then again, not really. Unable to refute him, she just said unreasonably, “But I want to hear it right now. Just say it.”
Cheng Jinghe licked his lips, cursing himself silently. When he looked into her slightly hazy, drunken eyes, he realized she’d probably forget all of this by morning anyway.
After a moment of hesitation, he mumbled so softly that Lu Shiyin had to lean in close to hear:
“…Sister.”
Lu Shiyin tapped her cheek. “Too quiet.”
“I said it.”
“Say it again. Louder.”
She was being completely unreasonable, but he didn’t hate it—and had no strength to argue. This time, his voice was louder: “Sister.”
Lu Shiyin beamed, utterly delighted.
Cheng Jinghe saw her smiling and couldn’t help but laugh too, a low vibration rumbling from his chest.
Suddenly, she said, “Don’t move!”
He froze. “What is it?”
She leaned back to grab her phone, and Cheng Jinghe quickly supported her waist to keep her from falling.
She opened the camera and snapped a photo of his face. “Nice. Handsome. This one’s a keeper.”
She held the phone up to show him.
He leaned back and saw… a close-up of his nostrils.
“This… is handsome?” he asked.
Lu Shiyin nodded confidently. “Yeah, super handsome!”
Well, maybe he just didn’t have good aesthetic sense. He was speechless.
Lu Shiyin stared at the photo thoughtfully. Then she raised her left hand in a “8” gesture under her chin. “I feel like this could be improved.”
“I agree,” he said seriously.
“Alright, let’s do this!” She stood up, made him get up, and pulled him to the middle of the private room, circling around him twice.
“In fact, I, your sister, am a professional photographer. I specialize in shooting handsome guys and beautiful girls. Today’s your lucky day—I’m giving you a free photoshoot!”
Cheng Jinghe laughed. “No thanks. You’re too professional. I’m afraid I’m not worthy of your photography skills.”
Having been rejected, Lu Shiyin felt defeated and sulked. No amount of persuasion got him to agree.
Later, she sat down sulking, refusing to speak, eat, or drink.
“Okay, fine. You can take pictures,” Cheng Jinghe gave in.
Her eyes lit up with stars. She was thrilled.
Five minutes later, Cheng Jinghe regretted it.
He’d thought she’d just snap a couple of silly nostril or eyeball photos.
But instead…
Now, Lu Shiyin had taken off his suit jacket, undone the top two buttons of his shirt, loosened his tie, and made him hold it while twisting his torso to face the camera.
She praised his “photogenic aura,” completely unaware that Cheng Jinghe was silently suffering. Every time he didn’t follow her exact directions, she looked like she was about to cry or throw a tantrum.
He could only cooperate—and silently swear to himself that he’d never let Lu Shiyin drink again.
She even dragged a chair over, and while he wasn’t paying attention, unbuttoned his shirt completely and made him sit in it.
Meanwhile…
Lu Jingfan and Yan Qianzhe happened to be dining at Silver Spring Garden that night as well. The manager mentioned that President Cheng and Mrs. Cheng were also dining here, so the two decided to stop by and greet them—just for a moment.
The manager led the way to the private room “Yuanshui Pavilion.”
After a knock, Yan Qianzhe pushed the door open—only to see Cheng Jinghe sitting in a chair while Lu Shiyin tried to take off his shirt.
She said very seriously: “Just take it off—just for a bit! I’ll let you put it back on after I’m done taking pictures!”
Cheng Jinghe’s voice was firm: “No!”
Lu Shiyin was about to throw a fit, but then she turned and saw two handsome men at the door.
Excited, she called out, “Hey! Two more handsome guys! Come join—”
Before she could finish, Cheng Jinghe covered her mouth, face icy cold, and asked the three men at the door:
“Do you need something?”
Yan Qianzhe: “Sorry to interrupt…”
Then the door closed.