The next morning at eight-thirty, Wan Yunting and Duan Yingying finished their meditation and were stretching when Ouyang Fanmeng's voice called out from behind, "Brother…!"
Wan Yunting turned to see his sister on the second-floor balcony of her villa. Ouyang Fanmeng, dressed in a long homewear dress and a thick cotton cloak, was having breakfast with their mother, Xia Xiangyun. Spotting Wan Yunting on the rooftop, a bright smile lit up her delicate face as she called out, "Come over for breakfast!"
Looking at his sister and mother, Wan Yunting smiled and replied, "Okay."
He glanced down, then stepped onto the railing and leaped off. This startled Ouyang Fanmeng and Xia Xiangyun, who cried out, "Be careful…!"
Wan Yunting landed on a second-floor window, then performed an aerial somersault, landing steadily in the small garden behind the villa. The sun was shining brightly, making it very warm. In front of his sister's villa was a garden filled with winter-blooming flowers, and along the west wall, a plum blossom garden and a Chinese-style sunroom tea room had been built. The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance…
Miraculously, the air was no longer filled with that nauseating, foul smell of rotten fish. Even inside the villa's first floor, the stench was very faint. The servants specifically attending to Ouyang Fanmeng could tolerate the smell without wearing masks.
"Brother…"
As Wan Yunting entered the second-floor balcony, Ouyang Fanmeng warmly greeted him, linking her arm through his and saying, "You scared us just now, jumping down like that."
Looking at his sister, with whom he didn't interact much despite their blood relation, Wan Yunting didn't find her demeanor strange, perhaps due to their kinship. Instead, he smiled and said, "Big brother is very skilled. I can jump from ten stories without any problem."
"Really?"
Perhaps it was because her fish odor syndrome was improving day by day that Ouyang Fanmeng, who had previously suffered from depression, was now becoming more lively and cheerful. She led Wan Yunting to a seat and smiled, "I see you get up early every day to sit on the rooftop. Are you practicing martial arts? Can you teach me, Brother? I want to practice too."
"Sure."
Wan Yunting took a fried dough stick handed to him by his mother, Xia Xiangyun, and said with a smile, "Once you're completely recovered, I'll teach you."
"Okay, thank you, Brother."
Ouyang Fanmeng smiled happily…
The happiest of all was their mother, Xia Xiangyun. Seeing her daughter's health improve and her lost son return filled her heart with immense joy and relief. She had been devoted to the Buddha for over ten years, and finally, the Buddha had opened its eyes and brought an end to all their suffering.
Ouyang Fanmeng's bright laughter echoed around them. It was the first time she had laughed so happily, and she had never imagined her illness could be cured. Now, she eagerly looked forward to the day when she could leave the house and see the outside world.
She had been confined within the gates of this villa for twenty years…
At ten o'clock, Wan Yunting arrived at the Beijing Chinese Medicine Association's office on time. With the Spring Festival approaching, he decided to put aside the bothersome matters involving Ouyang Liqun and Sima Boyong and dedicate himself to the association's work, aiming to stabilize it. After the new year, he would settle scores with Sima Boyong.
After lunch, Wan Yunting was in a tea room with Gu Yuanbai, Xue Dongshan, and others, enjoying tea and chatting about association affairs. At that moment, Shangguan Huier stood at the doorway and softly called out, "Chairman Wan, someone is looking for you."
Wan Yunting turned around, recognizing Chen Qiuyun. He excused himself from Gu Yuanbai and the others and followed Shangguan Huier downstairs. Indeed, he saw Chen Qiuyun, still wearing her red down jacket, her black hair tied simply at the back. Her stunning beauty, even standing in a corner, radiated like a peony in a field of flowers, drawing all eyes.
"Sister Chen is here."
Wan Yunting greeted her. Chen Qiuyun turned, a gentle smile on her face as she nodded and said, "Mr. Wan, I'm here to apply for a job."
Wan Yunting nodded and asked, "Did you find a place to live nearby?"
"I found one and plan to move this afternoon," Chen Qiuyun replied.
"I'm free this afternoon. What time is the move? I can drive over and help you move some things," Wan Yunting offered.
"No need, Mr. Wan. I've already contacted a moving company. I don't have many things to move…"
Chen Qiuyun politely declined, but Wan Yunting waved his hand and smiled, "If you don't have many things, there's no need to spend money hiring a moving company. I can drive over and help you."
Seeing his sincerity, Chen Qiuyun no longer refused, nodding with a smile and thanking him. Wan Yunting then turned to Shangguan Huier and said, "Huier, please help Sister Chen with the onboarding procedures and show her around our work processes these few days."
"Yes, Chairman Wan."
Shangguan Huier nodded, then called out to Chen Qiuyun. Chen Qiuyun responded with an "Mm," smiled and nodded at Wan Yunting, and then followed Shangguan Huier downstairs…
Wan Yunting watched Chen Qiuyun's retreating figure, his eyes narrowed as if in thought, before turning to go back upstairs to join Gu Yuanbai and the others for tea and conversation…
After completing the onboarding procedures, Chen Qiuyun familiarized herself with the work environment with Shangguan Huier. Since she was new, Chen Qiuyun had to start from the bottom, handling tasks like organizing files, delivering documents, and serving tea and water.
By the time work ended, Gu Yuanbai and Xue Dongshan had left. Wan Yunting was still in his office. A gentle knock sounded on his door. "Come in," Wan Yunting called out without looking up.
The door opened, and it was Chen Qiuyun, holding a stack of folders. Seeing Wan Yunting engrossed in writing, she carefully approached and softly called out, "Mr. Wan, Huier asked me to bring you these files…"
Hearing that it wasn't Shangguan Huier's voice, Wan Yunting looked up in surprise. "Sister Chen, why haven't you left yet?"
Chen Qiuyun placed the files on his desk and said, "I wanted to familiarize myself with the work. I'm just about to leave."
Upon hearing that she had been working there since noon, Wan Yunting smiled and nodded. He closed his fountain pen, stood up, and said, "It's time for me to leave too. I'll drive you home and help you move."
Chen Qiuyun politely said, "Please don't, Mr. Wan. You really don't need to help; I can manage on my own…"
"Don't be polite. It'll be faster with an extra pair of hands, and besides, you have Youle to take care of. It'll be inconvenient. Let's go." Wan Yunting brushed aside her refusal, gently nudged Chen Qiuyun's back with his hand, and they left the office together, closing the door.
Everyone else had already left. Only they two and Shangguan Huier, who had just finished her shift, remained in the association. Wan Yunting took Chen Qiuyun to the underground parking lot to get his car, and they drove towards the hutong where she lived.
By the time they reached Chen Qiuyun's home, it was past seven in the evening. Her son, Liang Youle, had been looked after by a neighboring aunt all afternoon. After picking him up, Chen Qiuyun busied herself with packing to move.
Although she claimed not to have many things, packing still took a considerable amount of time. Wan Yunting was responsible for carrying the items out and loading them into the car. He had specifically driven a large SUV to make it easier to transport their belongings.
After more than an hour of packing, they had finished. Wan Yunting then drove them, mother and son, to their newly rented apartment. Along the way, they stopped at a noodle shop for a simple meal. Upon arriving at the new place, Wan Yunting once again busied himself with carrying things up and down the stairs, working up a sweat.
Chen Qiuyun also had beads of sweat on her forehead. Seeing Wan Yunting's exertion from carrying things up and down the stairs, she felt too embarrassed to voice any further requests.
"Phew, finally done moving."
After carrying the last item, Wan Yunting sank onto the sofa in the small living room, taking in the one-bedroom, one-living-room rental. Being an older building, the renovation and furniture were quite dated, but it was still much better than the hutong Chen Qiuyun had lived in before. It had a private bathroom and kitchen, a small balcony for drying clothes, and many pieces of furniture.
Chen Qiuyun, wearing the floral print dress from yesterday, emerged from the bedroom and carefully closed the door. She had just put the child to sleep. Seeing Wan Yunting sitting in the living room, she quickly opened a bottle of water and offered it to him, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Wan. This has been such a hassle for you. Please, have some water first."
"Thanks," Wan Yunting accepted the water she handed him, drinking it down in large gulps before letting out a satisfied sigh. He then turned to look at Chen Qiuyun sitting beside him. Her V-neck dress revealed her fair, delicate skin, and due to the exertion of moving, her graceful swan-like neck and exquisite collarbone were adorned with tempting beads of sweat.
"Here, Mr. Wan, this is a new towel. Let me wipe the sweat off for you…"
Chen Qiuyun stood up, went into the bathroom, and returned with a new towel. Without waiting for Wan Yunting's reaction, she leaned in and personally wiped the sweat from his forehead. The glimpse into her neckline caused a sudden surge of suppressed desire within Wan Yunting. Snapping back to awareness, he quickly grasped Chen Qiuyun's right wrist, which she was using to wipe his sweat, and stood up awkwardly, smiling, "Sister Chen, I can do it myself…"
"Mm…"
Chen Qiuyun's face flushed slightly. She didn't struggle against his grip on her wrist, instead lowering her head shyly. Wan Yunting, realizing his action, quickly tried to release her wrist…
But he suddenly felt something, and his grip on her wrist tightened involuntarily. Chen Qiuyun immediately sensed the change in his action and made to pull away. Wan Yunting promptly let go of her wrist and, looking at the visibly uncomfortable Chen Qiuyun, smiled and said, "Sister Chen, it's getting late. I should be heading back."
Chen Qiuyun lowered her head, remaining silent. Before Wan Yunting could leave, she reacted, her lips pursed slightly. She stepped forward and grabbed Wan Yunting's left arm with both hands!
This made him stop and turn back, his gaze questioning the blushing Chen Qiuyun. She looked up slightly, her alluring phoenix eyes fixed on Wan Yunting. The subtle movement of her biting her lip expressed pure innocence and seduction to the extreme. Even Wan Yunting's expression froze, his heart pounding wildly. He smiled awkwardly and asked, "Sister Chen, what's wrong?"
"I…"
Chen Qiuyun's face was flushed like a peach blossom. She shyly lowered her head again, but her hands held tightly onto Wan Yunting's arm. Her voice, soft and enchanting, said, "I want you to stay…"