If anyone had asked Yan Shudan and her mother if someone was the bane of their existence, they would not have hesitated to answer: Yan Yarin. She was the object of their scorn.
That afternoon, after she received a call, Yan Shudan's already sinister face became even more devious than usual. "Is what you're saying really true?"
"I'm 70% sure. The president suddenly put her in charge of a huge project, and this morning she came to work with a bouquet of roses. If she had a boyfriend, why would she try to keep everything under wraps and not have him meet everyone?"
"I dunno. But stay on it. It'll be better if you can take some photos as proof." Yan Shudan didn't want just to catch Yan Yiren in an uncompromising situation but to ruin her reputation.
After all, Mr. Chen, the president, was a family man with a wife and children. If someone ever found out that Yan Yiren was associated with him, imagine what that would do to her reputation.
Although not many in Ning City knew Yan Yiren as the younger daughter of the Yan family, with that face of hers, it was inevitable she'd end up with someone from upper-class society. Yet she seemed disarmingly unaware of her beauty.
What she had to do was to protect herself from what might happen in the future.
All these years, Yan Shudan had always acted and looked upon Yan Yiren as an inferior being. She would never be able to tolerate it if the day came where Yan Yiren surpassed her.
...
In the afternoon, Yan Yiren got a call from Yan Shudan.
Suppressing the feeling of disgust, she took the call. "What are you calling me about?" she asked.
"Don't be so hostile." Yan Shudan couldn't resist mocking her. "You are a wild brat who has never learned any manners. You don't even have basic respect for others. You'd better not let anyone know you're a member of the Yan family, such a disgrace."
"And you, having been brought up by your mother, I'm sure she taught you how to become a mistress to tear the family apart."
"Yan Yiren, you have some nerve!"
"Thanks for the compliment." Yan Yiren said flippantly, preparing to hang up.
"Don't be in a rush to hang up."
Yan Yiren replied, "Then cut to the chase. I have no time to chit-chat with you."
Yan Shudan sipped her coffee. At the thought of the sensitive topic of the relationship between Mr. Chen and Yan Yiren, she smiled. "Grandma wants to see you. Come this afternoon."
"Okay, I will." Uh oh. Something was up, but Yan Yiren had no way of saying no to Yan Shudan.
Grandma...
She was her soft spot.
As for the lunch date she had planned with Ji Hanjiang, she had no choice but to come up with an excuse to call it off.
If he knew that she was planning to visit the Yan family, he probably would have been furious.
Without even having lunch, Yan Yiren hailed a taxi to take her to the Yan family's residence.
Indeed, she was well aware that Yan Shudan had bad intentions when she asked her to come over. Just as expected, Yan Shudan did have something up her sleeve.
The windows in Madam Yan's bedroom were open, and with the curtains drawn, light flooded into the room.
It could be because Madam Yan had dreamed of her obedient granddaughter last night that she was in high spirits today.
At the sight of Yan Yiren coming to visit, she was unable to contain her joy. She pulled on Yan Yiren's hand, refusing to let go as she held her.
"Grandma, did you sleep well last night?" So long as the old lady was happy, Yan Yiren felt at ease.
"I slept very well. I even had a dream about you, Yiren."
Yan Yiren smiled; her eyes were bright and clear. "Did you dream of me sneakily eating snacks again?"
When she was young, her mother was strict. She absolutely was not allowed to eat snacks or junk food.
Sometimes, she would let Yan Yiren have some in small quantities.
But how can a child resist such temptation?
The old lady felt sorry for her. And so, she always bought snacks and hid them...Just so that Yan Yiren would be able to enjoy them, sneakily.
Madam Yan caressed her face, shaking her head. "Take a guess, Yiren."
Yan Yiren pouted. "Don't tell me it was about the time I wore my mother's high heels secretly and had a nasty fall?"
"It isn't that either." Madam Yan shifted her gaze to the windows as if looking at something far away. "Grandma dreamt that you got married, Yiren. I dreamt that you got married to a fine man."