Ye Tian stared, memories of his childhood flooding his mind. "You're Sister Hua'er!" he exclaimed in surprise.
Sister Hua'er, whose real name was Tian Xiaohua, had lived in the same village as Ye Tian. Their houses were only tens of meters apart, and she was a year older than him. As a child, Tian Xiaohua was quite wild and often played with Ye Tian. Among the children, her prestige was second only to Ye Tian's, and she had even briefly served as Ye Tian's "bandit queen."
Tian Xiaohua rolled her eyes at him. "My name has changed. I'm Tian Yi now."
Ye Tian chuckled. "I always said your name was too rustic, but you never believed me back then."
"Get lost," Tian Xiaohua glared at him. "You've grown so tall, kid. What have you been up to?"
Ye Tian replied, "No proper job, just a barefoot doctor."
Tian Yi smiled. "You barefoot doctor seems to be earning quite well, dressed in designer clothes and flying business class."
Ye Tian retorted, "Aren't you the same?"
Tian Yi explained, "Not quite. I'm on a business trip, so it's reimbursable."
Ye Tian asked, "Where are you heading for this business trip?"
Tian Yi inquired, "Do you know a company called Baozhi in Haicheng?"
Ye Tian laughed. "Yes, I do. It's quite a large company that sells cosmetics."
Tian Yi elaborated, "I work for a domestic media company, specializing in advertising and promotion. Our boss sent me to discuss cooperation with Baozhi."
Ye Tian commented, "Impressive. Entrusting such a big project to you means you must be a manager."
Tian Yi said proudly, "Of course. I'm the manager of the business department."
Ye Tian added, "Sister Hua'er, it's been a long time. I'll treat you well when we get to Haicheng."
Tian Yi smiled. "Sure. I thought I'd never run into you again. Since we've met, I'm going to have to bleed you dry a few times."
Ye Tian chuckled heartily. "No problem."
As they were chatting, Tian Yi's phone rang. She apologized and answered it. Ye Tian's hearing was excellent, and even though Tian Yi was using earphones, he could still hear the conversation.
"Where are you?" a man's voice asked, tinged with arrogance.
Tian Yi replied with a smile, "I'm on a business trip to Haicheng. Darling, aren't you in Haicheng too? Perfect, I'll come find you."
The man responded, "Mm. I have a social engagement tonight, and you can help me entertain guests."
Hearing about entertaining guests, Tian Yi's expression became a little unnatural. She said, "I have something on tonight."
"Then cancel it!" the other party's tone immediately turned firm. "I'll be waiting for you there at seven."
They spoke a few more words before hanging up.
Tian Yi let out a soft sigh, her expression one of helplessness.
Ye Tian asked with a smile, "Your boyfriend?"
Tian Yi confirmed, "Yes, he's in Haicheng too."
Ye Tian inquired, "What does your boyfriend do?"
Tian Yi explained, "His family is originally from Haicheng, and he has factories in both Haicheng and Beijing. His family background is good, but he has a terrible temper, and his parents look down on me at heart."
Ye Tian recalled, "I remember Uncle Tian and Auntie moved to Beijing. Are they doing well?"
Tian Yi replied faintly, "When I was ten, they divorced and both remarried."
Ye Tian was somewhat surprised. He remembered Uncle Tian as a very kind person, always smiling. He divorced?
Tian Yi continued, "It was my mother's fault. She had someone else outside, a businessman. Heh, after the divorce, that man swindled all her savings. Later, she wanted to reconcile with my father, but my father had already started a new family and couldn't possibly agree."
Ye Tian asked, "How were you doing back then?"
Tian Yi said, "My father treated me very well, and my stepmother was also good to me. However, after my mother's request for remarriage was rejected, she committed suicide."
Ye Tian offered, "I'm sorry to bring up painful memories."
Tian Yi replied indifferently, "There's nothing to be sad about. It was her own choice. But honestly, my taste in men is as bad as hers."
Ye Tian knew she was referring to her boyfriend, but he didn't press further.
They reminisced about their childhood experiences, often bursting into laughter. Ye Tian had been incredibly mischievous back then, and even he felt like slapping himself when he thought about it now.
During their conversation, Ye Tian learned that Tian Yi was very capable in her work, otherwise, she wouldn't have secured the position of business manager at a large company.
As the car neared the station, Tian Yi received another call from her boyfriend. He yelled into the phone, "Tian Yi, hurry up! I'm cornered at the factory by them. If I don't pay them back today, they're going to cut off two of my fingers! You need to prepare fifty thousand immediately!"
Tian Yi's face was filled with despair, then turned deathly pale.