Shi Nian had informed her chauffeur, who had already parked the car in front of the park waiting for her.
"Brother Youlin, I'll have to leave now," Shi Nian said as soon as she reached Cheng Youlin.
Before Cheng Youlin could respond, Cheng Yuemin quickly asked, "Sis, come with us to Grandma's, please."
Before Shi Nian could reply, Cheng Youlin yanked him by the collar and turned to her. "Nian Nian, you rode here with your chauffeur, right?" When she nodded, he continued, "Alright, I'll inform you later about everything we discussed. You go ahead."
They watched her walk toward the car. Once she was out of sight, he released Yuemin's collar.
"Brother, if you hadn't interrupted, Sister Nian would have joined us tonight," Yuemin complained.
"Didn't you notice how exhausted she looked? You're still so insensitive." Cheng Youlin tapped the back of his head lightly.
"Nian Nian already said she'll come next time." Seeing the car disappear, he added, "Let's go home."
…
It didn't take long for Shi Nian to arrive home. Since it was already late, the drive back was smooth.
After washing up, Shi Nian relaxed on her bed.
She had planned to work tonight, but in the end, she decided to rest. Her mind refused to settle.
Earlier today, when she met Fang Yan, something inside her stirred.
She didn't want to watch a woman like Fang Yan fall into the abyss of regret.
Fang Yan didn't just look into her eyes—Shi Nian looked back as well. And as they said, the eyes were the mirror to one's soul.
In Fang Yan's eyes, there was no light. Whatever spark had once lived there had been extinguished.
Before meeting her, Shi Nian had reviewed her information. Fang Yan entered the music industry at sixteen. Everything she achieved came from her hard work. Now at twenty-six, at the peak of her career, she had fallen so hard.
Shi Nian was clueless about the entertainment industry; in all her lifetimes, she had never involved herself in it.
She knew its influence was not to be underestimated. Even Cheng Youlin, despite hiding his identity as a member of the Cheng family, still had to use family influence occasionally.
She was curious about the inner workings of the industry, but she never planned to involve herself in it. No matter how influential it was, it wouldn't bring her closer to Si Yehan. What she needed was a different kind of influence—something that would allow her to reach him.
Lost in thought, her determination to help Fang Yan grew stronger.
Am I developing a savior complex? First Shi Nian, now Fang Yan, she thought dazedly.
Maybe if I can't save myself, I can save others.
Before she could process her thoughts further, she fell asleep. As usual, her hand curled around the book beside her.
It was a moonless night, but the stars shone brightly, as if for her alone. Their light fell over her, quietly nourishing the sleeping Shi Nian.
Unaware, she only let out a soft groan of comfort and slipped into deeper sleep.
…
Next Morning — 7:30 AM
Ring… Ring…
Shi Nian woke slowly to the alarm on her bedside table. She planned to work from home today, so she set the alarm to wake her early.
She would typically wake at exactly 7:30 AM without one, but setting the alarm helped her feel grounded in reality.
Getting out of bed, she picked up the book beside her and placed it on the lampstand.
Shi Nian walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pushed it open, and stepped onto the balcony. Settling into her usual spot, she began her daily exercise.
Knock, knock…
"Young Miss, are you in?" Wanwan's voice came from outside.
"Come in," Shi Nian called.
Seeing Shi Nian sweating, Wanwan realized she had interrupted her exercise, though unintentionally.
Shi Nian motioned for her to speak.
"Young Miss, the chef wanted to know if you'd like something different for breakfast.
Also, Mr Ping informed me that the car needs to be taken for maintenance. He wants to know if you'll be leaving early for the office today."
Shi Nian paused her exercise and replied,
"Tell Mr Ping I won't be going to the company today. He can take the car for maintenance, but he should remain on standby—I may need to go out later.
As for breakfast, ask the chef to prepare something simple."
"Okay, Young Miss… Uhm…" Wanwan hesitated.
Seeing her lingering, Shi Nian asked, "Is there something you want to say?"
"No… yes, Young Miss."
"I'd like to… ask for leave later today," she said softly. "I want to visit my parents. I haven't seen them in a while."
After Shi Wang fired all the staff—including herself—she had chosen to stay behind. But she'd been too scared to visit her parents, afraid Shi Nian might think she was meeting someone from the Shi family.
Shi Nian nodded. "You're permitted."
Before Wanwan left, Shi Nian added, "There's nothing wrong with meeting your parents—as long as you're careful."
"I understand, Young Miss. I'll get back to work right away," Wanwan said and hurried out.
Shi Nian refreshed herself and went downstairs for breakfast.
After finishing her meal, she received a text from Cheng Youlin:
"Nian Nian, I secured a meeting with Fang Yan. It's scheduled for 2:00 PM. Meet us at NianXing."
I didn't expect Brother Youlin to move so quickly, Shi Nian thought. But this is good.
Like her, he disliked delays. He was a man who acted once he decided on something.
This was why she had told Wanwan to keep the chauffeur on standby—she knew she would be heading out today, even if she wasn't sure when.
Without wasting time, she texted Mr Ping, informing him of her plans.