Chapter 44: The Orphanage

Ye Yaoyao retorted with perfect justification—forcing the victim to accept an apology from the perpetrator, isn’t that infuriating in itself?

After their last parting, Shen Yan hadn’t sent her a single message. He had expected that this woman would come to appease him, but reality proved otherwise. Clearly, she hadn’t even spared a thought for him these past few days.

The idea of Qin Miao wanting to apologize also struck Shen Yan as absurd, but since it could provoke this woman, he went along with it. And sure enough, the demand for her to apologize had made her angry. Was her anger a sign of jealousy? That thought soothed him—she still cared about him, after all.

“I’m not going,” Ye Yaoyao refused outright. Work had already drained her; she had no desire to spend her free time dealing with irrelevant people.

“You have to. She’s genuinely trying to apologize,” Shen Yan’s tone softened almost without him realizing it. “It’s true that she was in the wrong.”

He had never given Ye Yaoyao an explanation for the matters entangled in the past. Now, perhaps, it would finally come to a close.

“Have to?” Ye Yaoyao let out a laugh, anger lacing her voice. “Shen Yan, just what standing do you have to order me around like this?”

“I just want to resolve this,” he replied, patting her head as if she were a ruffled cat.

Ye Yaoyao slapped his hand away without hesitation. Was this man mad? What did he take her for?

Shen Yan was nothing if not stubborn; he always found a way to get what he wanted. Not wanting to be pestered any longer, Ye Yaoyao finally agreed.

Qin Miao acted quickly, arranging the meeting for the following day.

When Yu Wanning heard about it, she was shocked and shared Ye Yaoyao’s sentiments. “Is Shen Yan out of his mind?”

“I’d say so.”

“When he said all those things in the cave, I thought he’d changed. Turns out it’s just a case of split personality,” Yu Wanning let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll never understand how these people think.”

Neither could Ye Yaoyao.

“Yaoyao, my damned first love is returning to the country tomorrow. I’ll introduce you when there’s a chance,” Yu Wanning said brightly.

Damned? First love? That didn’t seem like an appropriate adjective.

But Yu Wanning always spoke in such strange ways.

“The one you told me about before?” Ye Yaoyao’s curiosity was immediately piqued.

“That’s right,” Yu Wanning admitted readily. “Now that he’s back, I’m going to win him back.”

“So that’s why you rejected Ji Yanxi?”

“Ji Yanxi? That playboy doesn’t even catch my eye,” Yu Wanning rolled her eyes, clearly full of disdain. “Only Yu Qingqing thinks he’s a treasure.”

“She’s in a bad spot now—everyone’s laughing at her. But her worst days are yet to come,” Ye Yaoyao remarked.

Ji Yanxi and Yu Qingqing were now each doing their own thing. Yu Qingqing was constantly out and about, working hard for her own interests. But sometimes, the harder you try, the harsher the backlash.

...

The next evening.

Ye Yaoyao came downstairs with great reluctance. Right on time, Shen Yan messaged her, saying he was waiting.

She rolled her eyes at her phone. Was he afraid she’d run away?

After telling Ye Shen what was happening, she went downstairs and got into the back seat of the car.

Shen Yan frowned. “Sit in the front.”

“Why?” Ye Yaoyao blinked innocently.

“Are you treating me like a chauffeur?” Shen Yan’s face darkened.

“Oh? Aren’t you?” she deliberately provoked. “Sending regular reminders about my schedule—isn’t that what a driver does?”

“Ye Yaoyao!”

“My mistake…” she said, putting on a thoughtful look. But her answer only made him angrier. “Or maybe you’re an assistant. Or a driver-assistant.”

Shen Yan was always above everyone else, unable to tolerate being belittled. As expected, his face darkened even more at her words.

“Get over here,” he said, his voice dropping several notches, teetering on the edge of losing control. “Don’t make me say it a third time.”

This tactic didn’t work on Ye Yaoyao. She remained perfectly calm.

“With this arrangement, aren’t you afraid Qin Miao will get jealous?”

The next moment, Shen Yan unbuckled his seatbelt, as if about to get out.

Ye Yaoyao was quicker; she knew when to stop. Having achieved her goal, she obediently opened the door and sat in the front passenger seat.

Just as she expected, Qin Miao was waiting at the entrance. Seeing her in the front seat, a flash of hatred crossed her eyes, though she quickly masked it with a smile as she approached.

“A Yan, Sister Yaoyao, you’re here.”

“It’s hard not to come when you’re being watched at work,” Ye Yaoyao replied, fixing her with a smile.

Her words were full of implication, easy to misinterpret.

Qin Miao’s subtle change in expression revealed she had indeed misunderstood.

“A Yan is always so considerate. I’ve known it for years,” Qin Miao fired back, unwilling to lose ground.

“Is that so?” Ye Yaoyao glanced at Shen Yan, then replied with loaded meaning, “Perhaps.”

Just a few words were enough to set Qin Miao’s mind racing with suspicion.

Ye Yaoyao observed all of this with satisfaction. The game of life was played on one’s mentality—if yours wasn’t strong, others would wear you down. She used to care too much for Shen Yan, letting every little thing he did throw her into turmoil. Now, without love, she was free.

Ye Yaoyao strode ahead, but suddenly felt herself yanked back. She turned, puzzled, and saw it was Shen Yan.

At that moment, Qin Miao hurried over to catch up. What was going on? Shouldn’t Shen Yan be lingering behind with Qin Miao?

Qin Miao’s gaze darted between them, anxiety rising within her. She could clearly sense that A Yan was treating Ye Yaoyao differently.

“Walking so fast—are you hungry?” Shen Yan asked.

Ye Yaoyao smiled meaningfully. “I’m just eager to hear someone apologize to me.”

“What’s the rush? The apology isn’t going anywhere.” Shen Yan’s tone held an almost imperceptible tenderness. “Weren’t you reluctant to come before? Now you can’t wait?”

She found this new side of Shen Yan difficult to adjust to. It made her uncomfortable. “Is it any of your business?”

With that, she headed for the private room.

Pushing open the door, she discovered four elders already seated inside. Qin Miao’s parents, Shen Yan’s grandmother, and another elder she didn’t recognize.

At the sight of her, three of the elders’ faces clouded over, though Qin Miao’s parents at least pretended. Shen Yan’s grandmother, on the other hand, turned her head away outright.

Tsk. Could someone like her really be the mistress of the Shen household?

Deliberately, Ye Yaoyao sat right next to the old woman, dragging out the chair with a loud scrape.

“Have you no manners? That’s your seat?” the old lady snapped.

“You’re the one with no manners,” Ye Yaoyao shot back. “Qin Miao is supposed to apologize to me—what are you doing in the place of honor?”

“You—” The old lady was at a loss for words. She glared at the unfamiliar elder next to Ye Yaoyao. “Is this what they teach you in the orphanage?”

Orphanage?

Ye Yaoyao frowned, a suspicion stirring in her mind.

“Those who lack a proper upbringing will never have manners.”