Jiang Xian’s scalp went numb as he admitted, “Uncle, yes, I did ask around.”
Xuan Shi’an gave a light laugh. “You’re quite honest.”
Jiang Xian let out a breath. “Uncle…”
“Old Mr. Xuan, Old Madam, Madam — Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Jiang have come to visit. They’re just outside the main hall.” Xiao Wan came forward and said respectfully.
Xuan Shi’an glanced at Jiang Xian, then at Xuan Zhaoران sitting beside him. “Ask them in.”
“Yes.”
Half a minute later, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang arrived in the main hall carrying gifts.
“Uncle Jiang, Auntie Jiang.” Yan Yunning smiled and rose to greet them.
“Ningning.” Mr. Jiang looked at her with an appraising yet approving gaze. “Young and accomplished.”
Yan Yunning smiled, took a teacup from Qiuci’s hands, and passed it to Mr. Jiang. “Uncle, you flatter me.”
“Oh?” Mr. Jiang was not satisfied with that response. “That jewelry endorsement a couple of days ago — our company had been trying to get a collaboration deal with the brand for ages. And then it got taken by you, just like that.”
Yan Yunning smiled modestly. “Uncle, it was only because the artist from our company happened to fit the brand’s image. Otherwise that endorsement would surely have gone to your company. I’ve also been hoping to give Uncle an opportunity — our company has long wanted to collaborate with you.”
“Ha ha ha! The young are truly to be feared!” Mr. Jiang laughed and looked over at Xuan Shi’an. “Old Xuan, you really have good fortune — your daughter-in-law and your daughter are both so outstanding.”
Xuan Shi’an laughed out loud. “Have a seat.”
Seeing both sets of parents chatting warmly, Xuan Zhaoران scooted closer to Yan Yunning and whispered very quietly, “Sister-in-law, there shouldn’t be any problems now, right?”
Yan Yunning put down her phone and glanced at the four of them deep in lively conversation. “They seem quite pleased.”
Xuan Zhaoران let out a sigh of relief. “That puts my mind at ease.”
“Alright then, the two of you chat. I’m going to pick up your brother from work.” Yan Yunning picked up her bag and prepared to leave.
Jiang Xian leaned forward, resting his chin on Xuan Zhaoران’s shoulder, and asked curiously, “Sister-in-law, why are you going to pick Yuer-bro up from work? What about Ye Jian and the others?”
“Your Yuer-bro requested it.” Yan Yunning tucked her hair back behind her, gave them a little wave, and turned to go.
“Wait — sister-in-law, take us with you!” Xuan Zhaoران blinked at her sincerely.
Yan Yunning: “?”
In the end, Jiang Xian and Xuan Zhaoران quietly slipped out of the main hall after Yan Yunning.
As Yan Yunning opened the car door, she overheard Jiang Xian squeezing Xuan Zhaoران’s hand and grumbling softly, “Ranran, don’t worry — in the future, I’ll only ever pick you up.”
She tugged at her ear, turned around, and looked at the two of them wrapped around each other. “Are you getting in? Let me just say — I have an appointment with Tony to get my hair dyed, so it might take a while.”
Xuan Zhaoران blinked her long lashes twice. “Sister-in-law, aren’t we going to pick up my brother?”
“We are — but it’s still early. Picking your brother up from work in three hours will be just right.” Yan Yunning tilted her head. “If you’re following along, get in the car.”
Jiang Xian put his arm around Xuan Zhaoران and walked to the front of the car, hesitating between the front passenger door and the rear door, not knowing which to sit in.
He wanted to sit with Ranran, but he couldn’t let the sister-in-law act as the chauffeur.
Just as Jiang Xian reached out to open the front passenger door, Yan Yunning opened the rear door.
Jiang Xian pressed his lips together. “Sister-in-law, that won’t do.”
“Here.” Yan Yunning pointed at the front passenger seat and put on her sunglasses. “That’s your Yuer-bro’s exclusive spot. If anyone else sits in his seat and adjusts the recline angle even slightly, he can tell the moment he gets in — and then I have to coax him for a long time.”
Jiang Xian’s lips parted, shock almost spilling from his eyes.
“I know about this.” Xuan Zhaoран pulled Jiang Xian into the back seat and sat him down, her eyes curving with amusement as she explained to the bewildered Jiang Xian.
“About a year ago, I went to the company to visit sister-in-law. It happened to be the day sister-in-law was going to the airport to pick up my brother who was returning from a business trip. By coincidence, that same day, sister-in-law’s company’s hottest male artist was arriving back in the country, and fans had surrounded his car.”
“Sister-in-law remembered he had an endorsement shoot coming up, so she called her assistant. The assistant then contacted his manager and had him come hide in sister-in-law’s car for a bit after he landed.”
“They then arranged a different car to take him to the company. You have no idea how sweetly he called her ‘Sister’.”
Jiang Xian looked at Xuan Zhaoران’s nostalgic expression and let out a long, drawn-out sigh at her.
Xuan Zhaoران gave a light cough and continued, “My brother appeared in the parking lot ten minutes later, and then — my brother saw the handsome guy in the front passenger seat and was furious the whole time, his face stone-cold.”
“Tsk.” Jiang Xian shook his head. “So in other words, that day another man was sitting in the front passenger seat of sister-in-law’s car — what, leaving Yuer-bro to sit in the back? Of course he’d be angry. If it were me, I’d be angry too.”
Xuan Zhaoран pouted. “He was only hiding in the car for a moment.”
“Hiding for a moment still meant sitting in the front passenger seat.”
Xuan Zhaoران pinched his cheek, leaned close to him, and said, “Let me ask you this — sister-in-law is the boss, right? So you’re saying an employee shouldn’t sit in the front passenger seat, but go sit in the back? Treating sister-in-law as the chauffeur?”
Yan Yunning couldn’t help but speak up. “Alright, you two — change the subject.”
If they started bickering, she’d have to play mediator.
Xuan Zhaoران shot a glance at Jiang Xian and said under her breath, “How can you men be so petty?”
The distance between them was close, and the warm breath of the girl fell on his lips. Jiang Xian swallowed, lowered his head without meaning to, and as expected, their lips met.
Xuan Zhaoران’s eyes went wide. Jiang Xian’s arm tentatively settled around her waist.
Yan Yunning, who had just happened to glance up at the rear-view mirror without thinking: “……?”
She suddenly understood the feelings of Ye Chen, Ye Jian, and Ye’an.
——
Three and a half hours later, Yan Yunning came out of the salon with her hair freshly dyed. Xuan Zhaoران, who had been waiting for a long time, was stunned for a full second.
Yan Yunning had dyed her hair a western-sleeve pink-brown. In the sunlight, the pink-brown light and shadow played in turn, and her long wavy hair hanging over her shoulders shimmered with a soft pinkish-brown through every single strand from root to tip — natural and seamless.
It made her already fair and delicate little face even more flawlessly radiant. A pair of bright eyes like dark grapes, a pert nose, water-red lips gleaming with a dewy sheen.
The pink-brown hair colour paired with the white blazer she wore on top.
Underneath she wore a white camisole, revealing a lovely neckline, matched below with a high-waisted short skirt of the same colour palette. Her fair, slender long legs, and on her feet a pair of sparkling high heels.
Simply elegant and softly beautiful.
Xuan Zhaoران couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Oh my goodness!!
What kind of blessed life was her brother living?!
Since she needed to drive, Yan Yunning changed out of her heels. Seeing Xuan Zhaoران still in a daze, she snapped her fingers in front of her. “Where’s Jiang Xian?”
“Sister-in-law~” Xuan Zhaoران hugged Yan Yunning’s arm, pressing her cheek against it, and said softly, “Sister-in-law, today marks yet another day of envying my brother.”
“……” Yan Yunning laughed helplessly. “Sweetheart, Jiang Xian — if we don’t go pick up your brother soon, he’s going to…”
“Ah!” Xuan Zhaoران’s eyes lit up, and she bounced exaggeratedly in place twice. “Sister-in-law, you called me ‘sweetheart’~”
Yan Yunning: “?”
No fever, right??