Wan Yi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least she had chosen correctly.
The changing room was very private, clean and tidy like a showroom. There were no windows around; the ceiling had a large golden round chandelier, and the light evenly filled every corner.
The floor-to-ceiling dark walnut wardrobe was full of her brother's clothes, arranged from dark to light by color, the fabric crisp and the shoulder lines distinct.
One entire wall was made into a built-in cabinet, not for clothes, but specifically to house his expensive mechanical watches—it was a large watch winder.
Through the dark glass surface, she could see the interior divided into individual small square compartments, each intricate movement watch slowly rotating at a very slow speed, like a flowing, colorful ring of stars.
A foggy blue changing stool sat in the center, next to a full-length mirror with a clean surface that clearly reflected the meticulous furnishings of the room.
Cheng Buxi sat on the velvet stool, silently watching the woman bustle about.
After a while, she said, "Um... what should I call you?"
A soft, delicate voice came from behind; Wan Yi's heart beat a few extra beats, but her expression remained unchanged.
She moved skillfully and neatly, hanging up the clothes one by one: "Just call me Wan Yi."
Cheng Buxi opened her lips to say "Wan..." but then decided she couldn't say it.
Wan Yi didn't expect her to use any intimate term to address her. Not resisting her was already very good; not kicking her out of the room was already satisfying.
After finishing tidying up, Wan Yi prepared to withdraw and said, "Call me directly after you've changed."
Seeing her about to leave, Cheng Buxi suddenly said, "I want to tie up my hair..."
"Can you help me tie my hair?"
Her voice was sticky with saliva, like a little fawn begging.
Wan Yi forcibly stopped her retreating steps.
...
Cheng Buxi sat in front of the mirror, watching the woman who was combing her hair. This was the first time she had observed her so closely. She was beautiful, but not her brother's type, it seemed.
In her memory, her brother liked fair skin and long faces, but the woman before her had healthy wheat-colored skin, and her face wasn't long; it was diamond-shaped.
"Are you my brother's secretary?" she asked.
Wan Yi nodded, saying yes. She said that President Lu had a total of three secretaries—two men and one woman—and she was one of them.
Cheng Buxi shifted her gaze to her eyes. The woman's eye sockets were relatively wide, completely opposite to her own inward-tapered eyes. She continued to ask calmly, "During the time my brother was in the Special Region, were there any women?"
Wan Yi's wrist, which was tying her hair, paused. She said, "No."
"Can you guarantee that?"
"I can guarantee it."
A brief silence.
"My brother will... in the future marry a young lady of matching family background and appearance."
Her speech was not fast, as if reminding her of something, or as if she had been repeatedly numbing and reminding herself over the years.
Her pupils narrowed slightly: "Have you heard the term 'marriage connection'? Mm, and 'business marriage' too."
Wan Yi wasn't stupid; she immediately caught the subtext. The noble young lady had clearly misunderstood the relationship between her and their chairman: "Little Miss, I've been divorced."
At these words, Cheng Buxi was taken aback. Her mind buzzed, and her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, but not a single syllable came out.
What was this...
She hadn't meant to expose anyone's scars!
"My relationship with President Lu is purely that of superior and subordinate," Wan Yi continued. "That day I went to President Lu's house dressed like that... there was actually a reason."
In reality, it was to see you, but unfortunately it backfired.
"I'm sorry," Cheng Buxi said. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The pretentious toughness she had put on instantly dissolved. "I jumped to conclusions. Because since I was little, I've seen many such cases." Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Those colorful, heavily perfumed women, each with their own high-handed tactics, stopping at nothing to covet her brother and the overwhelming power of the Lu family behind him.
Wan Yi said, "I understand."
Cheng Buxi lowered her guard toward her, and her posture became much softer and more affectionate. Whether it was a sigh or something else, her young voice carried a bitter tone: "Don't look at my brother like this; actually, he's really tired, having to manage so many things..."
Wan Yi's heart softened, and she comforted her: "President Lu is an exceptionally wise superior. We are all honored to be his subordinates."
Cheng Buxi pressed her lips together tightly, as if she wanted to say something more, but thinking of her own situation, including the mistakes she had made in her ignorant youth, she ultimately said nothing.
After changing clothes, the sleeve length and fit were just right, neither too big nor too small. It seemed the person who bought the clothes knew her measurements and size better than she did.
Looking down, she suddenly noticed a jewelry box on the table. It was entirely black, square-shaped, and she showed rare astonishment.
The lid was already open, revealing a gold Chanel straw hat brooch lying quietly in the corner, unassuming, as if eagerly waiting for her to favor it.
"Mm... so beautiful." Cheng Buxi couldn't help but touch it.
She remembered that Second Sister also had many high-end jewelry brooches, but she had never seen one like this—very unique. It instantly struck a chord with her.
"Would you like to wear it?" Wan Yi asked, barely suppressing the dizzy excitement within her.
Cheng Buxi generously said, "Sure."
Wan Yi took a deep breath, solemnly took the brooch out of the box, and carefully helped her pin it onto the front of her clothes.
Looking at her refreshed self in the mirror, Cheng Buxi thought to herself that indeed, fine feathers make fine birds. She was like day and night compared to when she had arrived—two different people.
Moreover, she especially loved this brooch. It was exquisitely made, shaped like a straw hat, with a woven edge texture so realistic it was almost identical to a real straw hat brim, complete with small camellias.
She couldn't help but marvel that her brother's taste had changed; she didn't know that this was Wan Yi's personal addition, bought with her own money as a gift, not part of this work order.
Cheng Buxi assumed it was just one of her brother's extravagant shopping items.
...
The clothes were changed, the brooch was pinned, and her hair was tied into a very beautiful side braid, secured at the end with a blue lace butterfly hair tie.
Cheng Buxi found her skillful and patient, and her temperament... gentle as water.
As she was about to leave, she subconsciously called out, "Sister Wan Yi..."
The moment the words left her mouth, even she was surprised.
She had naturally called her 'sister,' almost effortlessly. Back then, Lu Siyu—the Second Sister of the Lu family—had used all her wits and efforts, spending over half a month just to get a reluctant 'sister' from her, not to mention coercion and bribery. It had taken over half a year for her to truly accept Second Sister.
But this woman... had managed it so quickly.
Was her skill really... too high?
"Uh..."
The word 'sister' came from her lips, soft and sweet. Wan Yi felt the world spin, her ears ringing, as if struck by a pink bubble electric current, her chest swelling with a huge warm current.
She tried hard to control herself, but she didn't forget her job as a secretary, maintaining a professional and steady stance.
"Second Miss, I'm here."
"I..." Cheng Buxi's face reddened. "Don't misunderstand, I...
Actually, I didn't really want to call you sister."
But thinking it over, she just gave up and said, "Sister Wan Yi, you're a good person."
--------------------
Author's note:
Rest assured, Secretary Wan is a super big helper and one of Little Sister's loyal followers.
I'm always super nervous when slacking off, with the team leader next to me ( :3 )
Begging for nutrient solution[empty bowl][pitiful]