C15 Chapter 15

“Yimo, even if Dad cut ties with you, we’re still sisters. I’m not going to take it out on you because of him. No matter what you did before, I’ll forgive you. We’ll always be sisters.”

Yimo spoke earnestly, her eyes brimming with tears, looking so pitiful it could’ve softened anyone.

But the three people in the room weren’t the type to be moved by tears. Mingyi gave an amused little smile, glanced at Yan Jin, then at Yu, and finally let his gaze settle on Yimo, thinking to himself:

“This is getting good. Wonder how the kitten’s going to handle it.”

Just imagining what might happen next was enough to make Mingyi feel like showing up today was already worth it.

“Sisters? More like Dad regrets it and sent you here.” Yu said calmly, taking a slow sip of coffee.

“Yu, don’t be like that. Dad’s hurting too. For the company, for the family—he didn’t have a choice.”

“Mr. Lin, Yan Jin and I are busy right now, so it’s not a good time to receive Miss Hee—no, Ms. Yimo. Please see her out.”

Lin Mowen glanced at Yan Jin.

“Miss Hee.”

“It’s Ms. Yimo. My last name is Hee too. If you say ‘Miss Hee,’ people might think you’re talking about me and that I’m the one who has to leave.”

Yu corrected him seriously, her big eyes wide and sincere as she looked at the butler.

“Ahem… Please leave, Ms. Yimo,” Lin repeated.

Yimo’s face flushed. She’d never been “shown out” like this before. Yes—shown out. The polite phrasing didn’t change the humiliation. She spun on her heel and walked out without looking back.

Mingyi snorted with laughter.

“Kitten, is this how you usually treat Yan Jin? Now I get why he wanted to ‘marry’ you.”

Mingyi’s flirtatious eyes swept over Yu from head to toe. This seemingly ordinary girl didn’t match his taste in the slightest—not his type at all.

The way his gaze lingered on her for so long.

“Lin, pack up. We leave tomorrow,” Yan Jin said, his tone crisp and final.

“Yes, sir.” Without sparing Hee Yu a glance as she ate, Lin started clearing the food from the table.

Hee Yu shoveled down the rest before it could be taken away, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as she stared at Yan Jin in silent protest.

“Bali’s actually a pretty great place to vacation,” Hee Yu thought, relaxed.

She had no idea how rough and complicated that trip would turn out to be—but that was a story for later.

At night, time flies no matter what you’re doing—watching a movie, working out, gaming, catching up on work. Of course, the fastest way to make it disappear is sleep.

No one woke Hee Yu early, but the pull of Bali had her up at dawn.

It was a place she’d once planned for with her mother, back when she was still alive. Hee Yu couldn’t help feeling drawn to it, full of anticipation.

She boarded the Yan family’s private jet.

Soaking up the VIP treatment, Hee Yu figured that no matter what happened later, at least she was coming out ahead for now. After leaving the Hee family, her true personality started to show again.

She looked left, then right, taking everything in, until Yan Jin finally couldn’t stand how embarrassing she was being and ordered her to sit properly in her seat.

Seated at last, Hee Yu watched Yan Jin reading through documents. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before she knew it, she’d leaned against his shoulder and fallen asleep.

Yan Jin was in the middle of reviewing a file when he felt the weight on his shoulder. He glanced down and saw Hee Yu’s sweet sleeping face, so close to his.

He could kiss her with just a tilt of his head. The thought crossed his mind—and he did it. Yan Jin had always been the type to act, and the kiss slowly deepened.

“Mmm...” At her soft murmur, Yan Jin pulled back, reclined Hee Yu’s seat, and lifted a hand. Lin brought over a blanket, and Yan Jin gently draped it over his “wife.”

“Sir’s almost here,” Yan Jin thought, having wanted to let this woman sleep a little longer.

“Wake her up,” Yan Jin said, his voice cold.

“Man, you really don’t know how to treat a lady,” Jiaang Mingyi joked.

The sun was sinking toward the horizon. A wash of red shimmered in the seawater along the shore, and the clouds looked like they were burning. It was the kind of view that made that old line feel true: sunsets are beautiful—just too close to nightfall. Hee Yu couldn’t help thinking of the promise she’d once made with her mother.

She never expected that promise would come true… and yet her mother would never come back. Tears blurred Hee Yu’s eyes.

“Let’s go.” As if he hadn’t noticed her sadness, Yan Jin said it flatly, then walked ahead.

“After you, kitten.” Jiaang Mingyi, ignoring Yan Jin’s dark expression, made an exaggerated gentleman’s gesture toward Hee Yu.

“Thank you, sir. You’re a lot better than a certain guy who has zero romance in him.” Hee Yu lifted her hands as if pinching the hem of a skirt, then skipped along after them.

The house was a seamless blend of styles—romantic and imposing at the same time. A three-story villa with a soaring entryway and an impressive front door. Black marble floors, glossy white tile, a lavish crystal chandelier. In the study, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves packed with all kinds of literature from around the world. And yet, there were still subtle traditional touches throughout. The mix felt effortless—grounded in classic design, accented with Western architectural cues—everything complementing everything else.

Out back was a riding stable with top-quality horses raised by the Yan Family. Beside it sat a vegetable garden, full of homegrown organic produce for the villa’s residents. Out front was a lounge area for relaxing. To Hee Yu, it was all absurdly spacious. In all her years with the Hee Family, she’d never lived in a place anywhere near this big.

“This is the Yan family’s private property here in Bali, bought for the family to vacation and recuperate,” Mr. Wenn explained, as if he could read Hee Yu’s mind.

“Heh…” Hee Yu let out an awkward laugh. There was no way she was going to admit she’d been completely captivated by everything here. She was just feeling a little down because she missed her mother—yeah, that was it.

As she thought it over, Hee Yu nodded to herself, as if sealing the conclusion. Jiaang Mingyi saw and gave her head a light pat.

“What are you doing? Your head’s about to drop off.”

Just when Hee Yu thought she was finally going to have some freedom, that one sentence wiped out every last fantasy.

I want afternoon tea. I want to go horseback riding. I want a house with a garden. Hee Yu screamed it all in her head, but she still didn’t have the nerve to say any of it out loud.

Day by day, time passed. Yan Jin acted like he’d forgotten she even existed. And honestly, Hee Yu was fine with that—comfortable, even. It almost felt like she really was on vacation.

“Kitten, come on. Yan Jin’s busy. I’ll take you out and show you around.” Jiaang Mingyi walked up to Hee Yu, talking as he grabbed her and tugged her toward the door.