Ye Yanxi froze in place, stunned. Jin Yan and Xiao Yu—were they engaged? She had been a diehard fan of Jin Yan for years and had never once heard a whisper of an engagement. And Jin Yan was exactly the kind of woman Xiao Yu should have married. The questions crowded her brain so fast she couldn’t form them into a single thought.
Jin Yan sat down as if nothing was amiss. Seeing Ye still standing there in a daze, she called out, “One coffee, extra sweet, please.”
Ye Yanxi snapped back to herself, plastered on a smile, and hurried to make the coffee. Even when she set the cup before Jin Yan she felt as if she were moving through a dream. She bowed her head, trying to keep her voice steady. “Ms. Jin— you look even better in person than on TV.”
A small smile tilted Jin Yan’s mouth. “Thank you. I have some matters to discuss with your CEO. You can go now.”
Hearing that she still had to leave, Ye felt a little disappointed but obediently stepped back. She didn’t want to give her idol a bad impression.
Back on the first floor of Xiao Group, Ye paced the lobby, jittery. After what felt like countless elevator doors opening and closing, Jin Yan finally emerged. Ye’s breath caught; she transformed into the eager fan she’d been since she was a teenager, clutching a notebook as she darted forward.
“Ms. Jin, hello.” She hurried her greeting, keeping her voice low so as not to startle her idol.
Jin Yan recognized her immediately. For a moment her eyes brightened, then a sliver of caution returned. “Oh—you. What is it?”
Ye produced her notebook and pen without hesitation. “Ms. Jin, I heard you graduated from S University. I go there too. I’ve always admired you.”
“Admire me? For what?”
“For how you face everything—no matter the pressure or obstacles—you handle it with calm and dignity. You defend our country’s interests. You prove women can be as capable as men. Your poise and competence—men could never match you.” Ye said it earnestly, without a second thought.
For a beat, a shadow passed over Jin Yan’s face—something like sorrow. “In others’ eyes, I appear unflappable, invulnerable. But…men never want a woman like that.” Her voice carried a quiet, bewildered sadness.
Ye hadn’t meant to ruffle anything. She laughed awkwardly. “Ms. Jin, I didn’t mean—”
The expression lasted only seconds before Jin Yan smoothed it away and reached for the notebook. “What’s your name?”
“Ye Yanxi—Ye, like ‘leaf.’”
Jin Yan wrote quickly, then looked up at her. The instant she saw her autograph, a grin spread across Ye’s face—pure, childlike joy. She hesitated, then added in a small voice, “My birthday’s in two weeks. Could—”
Before Ye could finish, Jin Yan scribbled two more lines on the page.
Happy birthday, Jin Yan.
She handed the notebook back, pen tucked away. Ye couldn’t stop thanking her. “Thank you, Ms. Jin.”
“No need,” Jin Yan said coolly. Then, as composed and effortless as on-screen, she clicked her heels and strode out of the Xiao Group lobby.
In Ye’s mind, Jin Yan was almost divine—flawless, untouchable. Only after Jin’s figure disappeared from view did Ye tuck the notebook away and step into the elevator, grinning still.
That afternoon, at the office, people on either side of her kept whispering that the CEO’s notoriously foul temper had mysteriously eased. Ye couldn’t help but think it was because Jin Yan had been at the company—that seeing her might have put Xiao Yu in a better mood.
At the same time, the thought that Xiao Yu had once been engaged ate at her. He had a fiancée in his past, yet he still tangled himself up with her. The knowledge left a sour knot in her chest, and she spent the whole afternoon half-distracted.
When it was finally time to go, Ye was packing up her things. Suddenly, He Qiuyang barreled into her from behind, the collision taking her by surprise. If she hadn’t learned taekwondo—if her lower stance and reflexes weren’t still in decent shape—He’s unexpected shove might have sent her sprawling to the floor.