If heaven ever gave Wen Ya a chance to start her life over, she would definitely think things through, weigh her options carefully, and study hard!
"You're only a junior right now, so you still have the chance to learn other things. Once you graduate, you'll find you just don't have the energy to learn anything that isn't directly related to your job!"
Wen Ya spoke with earnest sincerity to the company's summer intern. The young girl, too embarrassed to know how to respond, could only nod and murmur in agreement. Fortunately, a colleague in her thirties who had just given birth to her second child was sitting at the opposite desk and stepped in to break the awkward silence.
The colleague rolled her eyes. "Wen Ya, can you stop lecturing every college student you see about studying hard? Don't you know you're making them uncomfortable?"
"Don't listen to her. While you're still in college, enjoy yourself. Once you start working, you won't have time for that kind of fun anymore."
Hearing this, Wen Ya could only put on a look of deep distress. "You're leading the youth astray."
Her colleague scoffed. "And you're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Why don't you worry about your own future instead?"
"You're twenty-five. Find a boyfriend, date for two years, then get married and have kids. That's the perfect timeline."
This was reality. Her colleague had hit the nail on the head. Aside from waving the banner of the independent woman, Wen Ya really didn't have any other path.
Wen Ya watched wistfully as the twenty-year-old girl, wearing a yellow backpack, slowly walked away. She picked up her cup of goji berry tea and took a sip.
She was clearly only twenty-five years old, still in the prime of her youth.
Why did it feel like she was already going downhill?
Wen Ya had graduated from a mediocre university with a degree in Chinese. She had drifted through graduation and drifted through three different jobs. Six years had passed since she first entered college at nineteen, but those six years felt as though they had been swallowed up by some strange void. Whenever she tried to recall any meaningful memories, her mind went completely blank.
There was absolutely nothing.
Nothing in her past, and apparently, nothing in her present either.
Her third and current job was serving as the general manager's secretary. It sounded grand, but in reality, she only handled mundane tasks like drafting official documents, looking up files, receiving guests, pouring tea, and occasionally booking flights and hotel rooms. The actual core business was handled by executive assistants; she didn't even get a chance to see what the real work entailed.
Sometimes she would ask herself what on earth she was doing and what she actually wanted, but no matter how hard she thought, she could never find an answer.
And so, her life continued to drift by in a haze. Occasionally, Wen Ya would comfort herself with the thought that at least she was still capable of self-reflection—she hadn't gone completely numb yet.
Surely, her chance would come.
Chance, my foot!
Wen Ya set down her teacup, covered her eyes with one hand, and ran her other hand through her hair.
As soon as her bangs were pushed back, they quickly fell forward again, hiding a hairline that had begun to recede slightly.
Her colleague craned her neck to glance at her, then let out a quiet sigh.
This girl thought too much and did too little.
By the end of the workday, Wen Ya felt completely drained. The moment she got home, she didn't want to lift a finger.
She sprawled out on the sofa like a salted fish drying in the sun.
In the kitchen, Mother Wen skillfully poured scallion oil over the fried fish, the aroma and sizzling sound filling the entire room.
Wen Ya deeply admired her "esteemed mother." Back then, her mother hadn't just been a housewife; she had worked, raised her child, and managed the household all at once—she was truly a superwoman.
At six-thirty, dinner was "served" right on time. Mother Wen's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light, and quick as lightning, her chopsticks smacked the hand Wen Ya was reaching toward the plate of stir-fried chicken with chili.
"Eat, eat, eat, all you know how to do is eat! Your face is breaking out like crazy, and you're still eating spicy food? You're not allowed to eat that!"
Wen Ya protested indignantly, "I only have two pimples!"
"Oh please, 'only two pimples'! Look at other people's daughters. Is there anyone as careless about their appearance as you?"
"I'm only eating a little bit of spicy food, what's the big deal?"
Father Wen had always remained neutral. He looked at Wen Ya gently and said, "For the time being, you should avoid spicy food. I have a friend whose son just returned from abroad. You two should meet up this Saturday and get to know each other."
Because of this blind date topic, the table full of delicious food instantly lost its flavor.
Wen Ya paused her chopsticks and said, "I don't want to go on a blind date."
Mother Wen looked at her and said, "Then find someone yourself and show me."
"I'm perfectly fine living on my own."
"More like you're perfectly fine staying at home with us."
Wen Ya couldn't eat anymore. She set down her bowl and chopsticks and said, "I've wanted to move out for a long time, but you wouldn't let me."
That old argument again. Mother Wen frowned, and Father Wen quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Silly girl, with your meager monthly salary, don't waste it on rent outside. Stay at home so you can save a bit more."
The mother and daughter temporarily dropped the subject. Father Wen added, "But you should still go this Saturday. I already promised my friend, so don't make it hard for me to face him."
Wen Ya pushed back her chair. "I got it."
Her rice bowl on the table was still half full, and even the piece of fried fish in her bowl was only half-eaten.
Hearing the bedroom door close, Father Wen let out a sigh, his gaze toward his wife carrying a hint of reproach. "Stop nitpicking her all the time. She's already stressed enough. Can't you see she's upset because of this?"
Mother Wen also felt aggrieved. "I'm doing this for her sake, who else? She's already so grown up, yet she's still so immature. I don't even know what she's so gloomy about. She's an only child, her salary is decent enough compared to her peers, and our family's financial situation isn't the worst. We don't need her to support us financially either. Tell me, what does she have to be unhappy about?"
"She has her own thoughts. You told me to contact my old classmate, and I swallowed my pride to do so. If she doesn't think they
"That's right, that kid has finally decided to turn over a new leaf and contribute to the motherland. It's just a pity he doesn't want to join our company—his ideological awareness still isn't high enough!"
A returnee, huh? Not exactly the most genial type of person.
Since the boss had spoken, Wen Ya naturally had to agree. "Yes, sir. What is your cousin's name?"
"Lin Xuehe. He's very easy to recognize. If you take one look at him and immediately want to take a second look, that's him."
That description... Wen Ya found it a bit challenging.
"Anyway, I'm meeting a client here. Just pick him up and bring him to the office."
"Boss..."
*Beep.*
The call disconnected, leaving Wen Ya without even a chance to ask for a photo.
Oh well, it was fine. She would just bring a pickup sign, a slightly larger one.
It was already ten in the morning. In just two minutes, Wen Ya finished writing her hundred-word official document. Then, holding a stack of red A3 paper, she headed to the printing room. Right at twelve o'clock, she clocked out, carrying a sheet of red paper in her hand, and hurriedly drove to the airport.
It only took an hour to get to the airport from the office, which meant she still had an hour to enjoy a leisurely lunch.
After "planning" her schedule so reasonably, she still felt that her job was wonderful.
Of course, when she thought this, she had no way of anticipating that she would be panting like a dog two hours later.
Wen Ya was about to go crazy.
Why was her luck so terrible? To think she would run into a multi-car pileup! Why was the traffic so bad that they could barely budge an inch? And why on earth did she wear high heels today!
Enduring the pain in her feet, Wen Ya clutched the stack of papers under her arm and sprinted through the airport terminal. She ran like mad, praying to God, the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and the Guanyin Bodhisattva in heaven to please protect her, turn this crisis into a blessing, and let her successfully pick up her boss's cousin!
The main terminal was a chaotic mess. She scanned the crowd, and finally, her gaze locked onto a tall, slender figure leaning against a pillar not far from the exit.
This man was both handsome and cool, radiating an air of exquisite refinement from head to toe. She wondered if she was hallucinating, but his features actually bore a thirty percent resemblance to her boss.
Wen Ya swallowed hard. Handsome as he was—the kind where one look made you want to take a second—he also looked rather cold and arrogant.
He was just short of wearing a sign that read, "Do Not Approach."
Feeling a wave of nervousness, she reminded herself that her lateness was due to an unforeseen accident, which was understandable. Wen Ya gathered her courage, approached him, and asked, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Lin Xuehe?"
Lin Xuehe glanced at her, his expression remaining cold. "Yes."
Wen Ya immediately apologized, "I'm so sorry for being late, Mr. Lin. There was an accident on the road..."
"I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour."
Wen Ya hurriedly explained further, "I am truly sorry. It only takes an hour to get here from the office, and I left two hours early to prepare, but there was an accident on the road and the traffic was backed up, so I couldn't make it in time..."
"Is that your excuse?"
"...No."
"Not only did you waste your own time, but you also wasted mine."
Wen Ya bowed deeply. "I am terribly sorry!"
She pursed her lips, her face puckered like a dried plum. There wasn't a trace of genuine remorse on her face; instead, one could detect a hint of suppressed anger and defiance.
Lin Xuehe sneered, "What are you just standing there for?"
"Huh? Oh, right. Please follow me."
“What do you mean 'oh'? Can't you see how much luggage I have?”
“...Yes.”
She certainly had good self-control. Lin Xuehe looked down at the petite, pretty girl. Even with high heels that were seven or eight centimeters tall, she only came up to his ears. Seeing her straining with all her might to drag two incredibly heavy suitcases, he reached out and grabbed one of them.
“Who told you to pull both of them?”
“...”
“What is that you're holding?” That roll of red paper was incredibly eyesearing; just one look at it made Lin Xuehe's eyes ache.
“This?” Wen Ya unrolled the paper in her hand. Written on it in massive, incredibly crude black characters was... *Lin Xuehe*.
Lin Xuehe stared expressionlessly at the paper for three seconds. “It seems I have that traffic accident to thank.”
“...”
She really was late, so she couldn't blame him for being so harsh.
Wen Ya took a deep breath, crumpled the red paper roll, and forced a smile. Dragging one of the suitcases, she quickly walked ahead. “Please follow me.”
Still, to be this cold—one star!