In other words, she and Chen Yuan could be considered friends.
"Of course I couldn’t just ask Yaoyao to contact you... Let’s just say, the only reason I took such a roundabout way is because I wanted to keep her in the dark."
Chen Yuan sighed.
He had gotten drunk in the early hours of the morning and, in a hazy state, had seen the chat history between Jiangg Yao and Wan. That was when he was shocked to discover that Yaoyao was actually planning to travel to Edo Prefecture and get away from him for a while.
Of course, he couldn’t accept that. And he couldn’t figure out what Jiangg Yao was thinking, either.
He thought about it long and hard.
Only Wan knew the inside story.
But Chen Yuan didn’t dare to act rashly, fearing that going straight to Wan would alert Jiangg Yao and make things even more complicated. Fortunately, a friend from the maid cafe gave him the address of her company. As luck would have it, this same company had previously expressed a strong desire to partner with Bauhinia Company.
He didn’t even have to look for contact information; he just made one phone call and came straight over.
It was a stroke of luck in a bad situation.
Chen Yuan imagined how frantic he would have been if Jiangg Yao had just left without him knowing a thing.
"I still don’t understand what you mean," Wan said, looking at him with a bewildered expression.
"Jiangg Yao is planning a trip to Edo Prefecture. You knew about that, right, Wan?"
"I..."
With that one sentence, she understood exactly why Chen Yuan was here.
"You must know, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to find you..." Chen Yuan said abruptly. "So can you tell me why she suddenly wants to leave? Is she going alone? Or are you or other friends going with her? Is she leaving all of a sudden to get away from me?"
He was desperate for the answers to these questions. He didn’t press her, but simply stared intently into Qi Xiaowan’s eyes.
"I’m very sorry," she said after taking a couple of deep breaths and hesitating for a moment. "I can’t tell you that, Yuan. Yaoyao is my best and most cherished friend. I can’t betray her."
"It’s not a betrayal. Wan, don’t worry, I’ll never tell her it was you. I just want to know why... Do you understand where things are at with me and Yaoyao? I’m worried about her, that’s why I came to you. If she’s really traveling alone, that’s too dangerous. If you were with her, I could rest a little easier."
Chen Yuan’s words hit a sore spot for Wan.
She immediately avoided his gaze.
When he’d glanced at the chat, Chen Yuan had caught a snippet of it. He’d seen Jiangg Yao say something about going even if she had to be alone, that her mind was already made up.
Qi Xiaowan was silent for a long moment. Neither of them spoke, and the office fell quiet.
He didn’t press her, but his expectant gaze made Wan feel terrible. She was, in a sense, a deeply involved observer in their relationship, whether it was helping Jiangg Yao strategize in the past or helping her decorate for Chen Yuan’s birthday.
She had done everything a best friend should. Knowing the full picture, she naturally felt a certain indignation, but out of respect for their relationship, she didn’t feel it was her place to say too much.
"There is one thing I can tell you. I won’t be going with Yaoyao. We had indeed planned to travel to Edo Prefecture together—that was a long time ago. Lately, her desire to go has become very strong, but I really can’t get away because of work... To be honest, I don’t want her to travel alone either."
"So she’s really going alone?" Chen Yuan’s brow furrowed.
The situation was far worse than he had imagined.
Dr. Zhao had once told him that between the two sisters, the younger sister’s detachment was the most dangerous signal. Because she had given the most, once she became completely disheartened, it would be difficult to rekindle that hope. He had advised Chen Yuan to pay more attention to the details. Chen Yuan had felt something was off with Jiangg Yao these past few days, but he never expected she was already preparing to escape.
"Um... I actually wanted to ask you something, Yuan. You know that Yaoyao treats you very well and loves you very much, right?"
"I know."
"But she doesn’t ask for much, just to be treated like a normal girlfriend. Why do you always have to hurt her?"
"Because it’s not just Yaoyao I love. I love Jiangg Ning, too. And they won’t accept that."
To Wan’s surprise, Chen Yuan said it so naturally, as if it wasn’t an embarrassing thing to admit at all.
He had completely overcome any psychological hang-ups about the situation.
Now, he felt no burden telling his friends, his family, or anyone else. He was simply caught in this twisted, three-person romance, unable to break free, and he found happiness in it. It wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Everyone had the right to pursue happiness and the life they wanted.
"You really are blunt, Yuan."
"There’s nothing to hide," Chen Yuan said, then paused. "So, Wan, it’s work that’s stopping you from going?"
"Yeah. I’m working on a proposal, but the drafts I submit keep getting rejected. And it’s not like you can get a flight to Edo Prefecture whenever you want. At first, I thought we could just go later, but it seems Yaoyao can’t wait... *Sigh*."
"I see. Maybe I can help with that."
"How could you possibly help???"
Chen Yuan let out a light breath and said nonchalantly,
"On my way here, I looked over your company’s projects. The previous partnership talks didn’t work out, not because your work is bad, but because you’re too small-scale and lack a solid angle for profitability. I could actually have... well, let’s say one of President Pei’s planners take over this project of yours. If President He is willing, we could then discuss a potential investment. Of course, it wouldn’t be an outrageous sum—it would be based on a win-win situation for both sides. I can’t be too selfish... That way, you could get some vacation time approved to go with Yaoyao."
He activated his "money power."
’So this is the world of the rich...’
Wan was suddenly struck by a very distinct feeling. Chen Yuan really wasn’t in the same league as her. ’A single word from him about investment could mean tens of millions, while my monthly salary, even with a perfect attendance bonus, is only seven thousand six hundred. And all this just so I can take a vacation... The investment our company has been desperately chasing after... is just... settled?’
’What kind of reality is more fantastical than an anime series?!’
However, Qi Xiaowan wasn’t happy at all. She looked at Chen Yuan with a complicated expression.
She hadn’t seen him in nearly half a year. Chen Yuan seemed a little taller than before, and the boyishness in his face was gone. He now carried the air of someone in a position of power, something he’d completely lacked back when he attended cosplay conventions. It seemed no phrase described him better than "dashing and confident."
’No wonder Yaoyao likes him,’ Wan thought to herself.
He was a good person, too, willing to go to such great lengths just to help her go with Yaoyao on her trip.
And while she couldn’t understand his views on this twisted love, Wan was, after all, a thoughtful and sensitive person.
"Yuan, I don’t know if it’s my place to say this... I’m a little older than you, so if what I say is out of line, please don’t take it to heart. I know I can’t afford to offend you..."
"Don’t say that. Just speak your mind. I won’t be offended. You’re Yaoyao’s best friend, so of course I respect you."
"Okay then. To be honest, you need to understand that Yaoyao going to Edo Prefecture isn’t a good thing for you... It’s because she can’t see her own feelings clearly right now. She’s given you so much that she’s starting to lose herself, so she wants to go somewhere far away from you, hoping to break free from this emotional struggle. I don’t know what she’ll think afterward. Maybe she’s hoping this will make you face the reality of life without her, or maybe she’ll decide to give up on the relationship. You’re not a bad person, Yuan. I just hope you can do right by her, okay? This is... her first real relationship, after all."
"So... that’s how it is."
"And forget about the investment. That’s company business, and it doesn’t really benefit me. As Yaoyao’s friend, I just want her to be happy. I know you come from a very wealthy family, but your advantages should be a tool to cherish the one you love, not a cage to imprison them... Okay, that sounded a little dramatic, but I’m a huge geek, after all," Wan said, scratching her head in embarrassment. "That’s all I have to say. You do what you think is best. I need to get back to my desk."
"Alright, then."
He had to admit, Qi Xiaowan had shown him what it meant to be a person of principle, unswayed by wealth.
She had revealed these secrets because, from the bottom of her heart, she just wanted what was best for Jiangg Yao.
Chen Yuan felt that for Yaoyao to have a friend like her was truly a rare thing.
But the urgent question now was this: should he try to quash Jiangg Yao’s desire to leave, or should he just let her go?