That night, Shen Bin walked out of the hotel with his luggage, wiping away tears as he went. He happened to bump into Bai Yin who was coming back from soaking in the hot springs with the actresses from the crew.
He quickly turned his face away to wipe the tears off his face.
Seeing him in such a sorry state, Bai Yin looked surprised. "Assistant Shen, are you...crying?"
"No, no, I just got something in my eye." Shen Bin wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
Bai Yin knew something must have happened, so she told the actresses to go back first. After everyone had left, she asked him sternly, "What exactly happened?"
With a tear-stained face, Shen Bin finally confessed to Bai Yin, "Madam, I really shouldn't have asked for your ring. I shouldn't have lied. My financial situation isn't actually that dire, I just wanted to buy a house earlier because my girlfriend's mother requires that I have a four-bedroom house before getting married, and housing prices in Beicheng are just too expensive. I really don't know what got into me..."
From his disjointed account, Bai Yin roughly understood: "So you mean your current salary is at a normal level?"
"Yes...yes, President Chen did not withhold anyone's salary."
"Then why did you say you couldn't make ends meet?"
"That was a misunderstanding." Shen Bin looked at her pitifully. "Madam, I owe you an apology. I took advantage of your feelings for President Chen and caused him to misunderstand."
"If it were me, I'd probably fire you too," Bai Yin said indifferently. "Because I would never keep someone with ulterior motives around me. Today it was an emerald ring, but tomorrow it could be an important contract or business secret."
Seeing Bai Yin's resolute expression, Shen Bin knew that once Madam Chen hardened her heart, she was much more ruthless than Chen Huaixiao.
It was too late to make amends.
"I'm very sorry again." The man bowed deeply to her, then dragged his suitcase away.
Behind him, Bai Yin added, "But I also know it's not easy to make money. I've struggled in Beicheng before."
Shen Bin turned back in surprise and looked at her.
"I've had the experience of desperately wanting something I just couldn't afford. It's not easy starting from scratch in Beicheng," Bai Yin said calmly. "You've worked with him for so many years. If you have to start all over again, it would surely be even harder."
"Madam, this is all my own doing."
"I can talk to him for you, though I can't guarantee success. He has his own considerations." After thinking for a moment, Bai Yin said, "But you must promise me that you will never deceive him again."
Hope instantly appeared in Shen Bin's eyes. "Madam, I promise you! I can swear it! If there is a next time, I'll walk out the door..."
"Alright, I'll try. You go back to your room and wait for news," Bai Yin interrupted.
Having tasted hardship herself, Bai Yin was especially understanding of his moment of weakness when it came to money.
Seeing her step into the elevator, Shen Bin chased after her and said, "President Chen really cares a lot about you."
Bai Yin's footsteps faltered for a moment.
"This time he was distracted while skiing because he thought you casually gave away the ring he gave you."
She lowered her eyes and walked into the elevator. "I know, Shen Bin."
...
That night, Bai Yin carried a steaming bowl of egg fried rice into the room.
Chen Huaixiao had just finished an online meeting and happened to be hungry.
He couldn't get used to the taste at the resort cafeteria, so he rarely had dinner there. The egg fried rice Bai Yin brought was just in time.
"The kitchen staff have all gone off work. I tipped the chef so he'd let me use the kitchen," Bai Yin placed the golden egg fried rice in front of Chen Huaixiao. "Here, I know you didn't eat much for dinner."
Chen Huaixiao took the plate and tried it with his chopsticks. He commented, "Your cooking skills haven't changed over the years."
"If you get tired of it, I won't make it next time."
Chen Huaixiao readily admitted, "I'll never get tired of Ah Yin's cooking."
"You sure know how to sweet talk."
In good spirits, Bai Yin propped herself up on the desk with both hands and hopped onto it, crossing her long legs casually. "I went downstairs just now and saw Shen Bin crying."
"Crocodile tears," Chen Huaixiao said coldly.
"Once you get used to someone, it's hard to fire them and find new people."
Chen Huaixiao suddenly felt the egg fried rice didn't taste so good. He put down his chopsticks and looked at Bai Yin indifferently, "You made me dinner just to plead for Shen Bin?"
"It's not really pleading, just a suggestion. Firing people now is not suitable for Xingxing Media's current situation."
"So you'd go to such lengths for some insignificant person, yet for me..."
Chen Huaixiao almost couldn't breathe again. He said coldly, "You care about everyone."
Seeing Chen Huaixiao sulking, Bai Yin frowned, "Chen Huaixiao, it seems like you interpret everything I do wrongly. I gave the ring to Shen Bin and you felt I didn't cherish your gift. I cooked you a late night snack with my own hands and you think I did it just to plead for an unimportant person... If it's not misunderstanding, is there nothing left between us as husband and wife?"
"So what's left? Don't tell me you've really fallen in love with me after all this time."
"It's not after all this time, I..."
"Loved me long ago." Bai Yin almost blurted it out, but stopped herself just in time.
Chen Huaixiao stood up, his dark eyes like the night as he looked at her calmly, as if waiting for her to continue.
There was hope in his eyes.
"Go on, Ah Yin, long ago you felt how about me?"
Bai Yin pushed him away with her knees to stop him from coming closer. "Chen Huaixiao, I hate Qin Yao flitting around in front of me, I hate it to death. If you're sincere, resolve all issues and have a fair and aboveboard relationship with me after time."
...
The next afternoon after filming, Bai Yin heard the actresses gossiping by the floor-to-ceiling windows. They said they just saw Chen Huaixiao and Qin Yao having coffee at the cafe—
"They really look perfect together."
"Wasn't there an online rumor before that they were a couple?"
"There must be something between them, otherwise why would Qin Yao eagerly come to observe the crew if not to accompany President Chen?"
"So sweet, they even hugged each other."
...
Hearing this, Bai Yin's scalp tingled. She looked at the gossiping actress, "Hugged?"
"Yeah, Qin Yao hugged Chen Huaixiao from behind, too sweet!"
Bai Yin's ears buzzed as if needles had been stuck in them. Her temples throbbed nonstop. She didn't want to hear anything about them at all.
This was so annoying!
She turned and went to the front desk to borrow a snowboard, then headed to the slopes. She didn't want to think about this mess anymore.
What a load of bull about "falling in love after time"!
Go to hell, Chen Huaixiao.
...
Chen Huaixiao suddenly asked Qin Yao out for coffee. Qin Yao felt both nervous and excited. She spent two hours in her room slowly getting dressed up and putting on makeup. She changed into a black dress and went to the resort cafe.
The man sat leisurely on the cafe chair in a comfortable white shirt, expressionlessly flipping through a magazine.
"Brother Huaixiao, what did you want to..." Qin Yao didn't get to finish her sentence before Chen Huaixiao interrupted her.
"I don't remember ever agreeing to let you address me that way."
These words directly doused the enthusiasm in Qin Yao's heart with a basin of ice-cold water.
"Are you still angry that I left back then? I had a reason to leave. Grandpa used the Qin family to threaten me..."
"You're mistaken." Chen Huaixiao finally looked up, staring coldly at her. "I no longer care what your reason was for leaving. Because we spent some time together as children, I've always been patient with you. But that doesn't mean you can offend my wife."
Qin Yao hurriedly stood up, her eyes already red. She anxiously explained, "I never intended to ruin your marriage. I came back only for family and my own career."
Chen Huaixiao's black eyes were frigid. His voice was even colder and sharper. He didn't leave the woman before him an ounce of face. "I know very clearly what your grandfather wants to use you for. I also know your objective very clearly. The Qin family is on the verge of bankruptcy, but if you remain so ignorant, say or do anything in front of Ah Yin to upset her, I will make the Qin Corporation disappear from this world tomorrow."
"In your heart, I'm already that kind of person." Qin Yao's face was deathly pale, she was a bit stunned, and clumsily sat down in the chair: "Is our past friendship really worth nothing to you? Didn't you used to like me?"
"Qin Yao, because when we were young you saw me at my lowest point, for a long time after that I felt like I could probably bare my heart to you, that we could understand each other. I was also very happy when we were able to reunite in high school," Chen Huaixiao looked at her expressionlessly, words that should have been gentle, but were said in an extremely cruel and cold tone: "But if you say there was any deep liking or affection, I'm sorry, my wife now is the only one in my heart."
Qin Yao held the cup of coffee in her hands that had already gone cold, the corners of her mouth curved up into a self-mocking smile.
That year at a family gathering for her birthday party, Qin Yao saw that boy wearing a little suit, with an expression as solemn as a little adult, and she wanted to get to know him from then on, she wanted to be friends with him.
But the boy was silent and taciturn, keeping everyone at a distance of a thousand miles, as if he had a lot on his mind.
Later, by coincidence, the nanny took her to a dove garden near the funeral home to see the doves, and she actually saw Chen Huaixiao and a girl sitting on the swings, chatting away.
For several days in a row, she was able to run into them.
At that time, Qin Yao had always secretly hid behind a tree to listen to their conversations.
Half a month later, the little girl stopped coming, but Chen Huaixiao still insisted on coming every day, sitting silently on the swing, waiting day after day for her.
But she never appeared again.
After starting high school, Qin Yao was in the same class as Chen Jingye, and at a class gathering singing karaoke, she heard Chen Jingye jokingly mention that his older brother had always been lovesick over a little sweetheart, it was a pity they'd never seen each other again, and he didn't know if she was still in Beicheng.
At that time, Qin Yao felt her chance had come.
She finally had the opportunity to get to know him again, and could occupy a different position in his heart.
Qin Yao found Chen Huaixiao, and the first thing she said when they met again was: "Long time no see, do you still remember me?"
At that time, Chen Huaixiao was as cold as the icy rocks on a snow capped mountain, with a backpack over one shoulder, he brushed past her without even glancing at her.
Qin Yao forcibly suppressed the thumping of her heart and chased after him: "You're ignoring me? Do you still remember the dove garden?"
Chen Huaixiao suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at her incredulously.
"You are..."
"It's me!" She said with a smile: "When we were little we used to swing together in the dove garden, and even fed the doves."
Qin Yao would probably never forget the tenderness in Chen Huaixiao's eyes in that moment, it made her soul tremble and melt.
The girl who he looked at with such gentle eyes must have been so happy.
Qin Yao was so jealous she nearly went crazy.
She was determined to occupy the softest spot in his heart.
Later, they went to and from school together every day. Because she could recite the general content of their conversations back then, even if there were some details she couldn't recall, Chen Huaixiao didn't doubt her.
How could he doubt, how could he imagine, that Qin Yao had harbored this for so many years...all because of her love at first sight for him and how much she cared.
Qin Yao felt this was the chance given to her by heaven.
No matter whether that girl was dead or alive, or where she was, she would never be able to come out and confront Qin Yao. She could occupy the softest spot in Chen Huaixiao's heart forever.
But she didn't expect that just when things were going most smoothly between her and Chen Huaixiao, Elder Chen would suddenly intervene, threatening the survival of the Qin family and forcing her to leave Chen Huaixiao.
Elder Chen had high hopes for Chen Huaixiao, he needed to find the most suitable daughter-in-law for his grandson.
And that person absolutely could not be the one Chen Huaixiao liked the most.
Emotions could disrupt clear thinking, and as the decision maker, one had to always maintain composure, and place interests first rather than personal feelings.
So Qin Yao had no choice but to leave.
This time, Elder Chen finally agreed to let her come back, so of course she went all out, wanting to regain the "half of the territory" she had lost in this game.
She just overestimated her past with Chen Huaixiao, and underestimated Bai Yin.
...
While she was in a daze, Chen Huaixiao had already gotten up, gone to the front desk to settle the bill, and was about to leave the cafe.
Qin Yao staggered over and hugged Chen Huaixiao from behind: "Brother Huaixiao, please, for the sake of our childhood...don't treat me like this, I really do love you."
Chen Huaixiao's eyes were icy cold, he pried her hands off his waist finger by finger, finally grabbing her hand and shaking it off completely: "If you insist on destroying my family, I'll make sure you end up right back where you came from. Even grandfather won't be able to save you."
Hearing his completely emotionless, icy words, Qin Yao unbelievingly slumped back into the chair.
At this moment, she finally truly understood.
The person Chen Huaixiao cared about...was never her, from beginning to end.
