Chapter 14

Shen Siyan didn’t get back until nearly eleven.

At the sound of the door opening, Wei Xiaolu ran out from her room. “CEO Shen, you’re back. I’ll go pour the hangover soup.”

“Why didn’t you go home, sis?” Shen Siyan set her bag on the sofa and walked slowly to the kitchen doorway, leaning a shoulder against the frame as she asked lazily.

Wei Xiaolu caught the faint smell of alcohol on her.

“Wasn’t I worried about the gorgeous lady?” Wei Xiaolu smiled. “You’ve been working so hard lately; there’s not much else I can do, so I hurried back to make you a bowl of soup to show a little sincerity.”

The cool light in Shen Siyan’s eyes softened slightly. She was smiling.

Tonight, she’d worn her hair in a low bun, but by now it had loosened a little, a few strands falling over her shoulders and making her look even more tipsy.

Even so, Wei Xiaolu could tell she wasn’t drunk out of her mind, only pleasantly buzzed. The looseness in her now was just the sort that came from setting aside her work armor.

“Thank you.” When Wei Xiaolu set the hangover soup down in front of her, she caught that faint, almost indistinct note of gratitude.

Shen Siyan took it, braced herself against the counter, and took a small sip. Then she lowered the bowl and gently blew across the surface of the soup.

“Careful, it’s hot.” Wei Xiaolu offered the warning a beat late.

“Mm.” Shen Siyan responded, took a spoon from behind her, and stirred the soup.

The only sounds left were the spoon tapping against the bowl and the city humming busily beyond the window.

Wei Xiaolu stood beside her, watching Shen Siyan’s quiet profile as she drank. The loneliness and grievance that had knotted in her chest all day were, strangely enough, soothed by this stillness.

Suddenly, she felt that being here and sharing this brief quiet with her… didn’t seem so bad after all.

“How does it taste?” Wei Xiaolu asked, intentionally making her anticipation obvious.

Shen Siyan lifted her eyelids. Her eyes were clear and crystalline, as if veiled in a thin mist of water, softer than usual.

“Very good,” she said firmly, though the end of the sentence dragged a little with fatigue. “The sweet-and-sour balance is just right. My stomach feels a lot better after drinking it.”

“As long as you like it.” Wei Xiaolu touched the tip of her nose.

After finishing the last mouthful, Shen Siyan turned on the tap to rinse the empty bowl, then looked back at her. “Our Xiaolu really can do a lot.”

Wei Xiaolu’s heart skipped a beat.

She turned her head away, not even knowing where to look, her gaze darting everywhere. “Of course. Otherwise, how would I have the nerve to work for you, CEO Shen?”

After a soft, cheerful laugh, Shen Siyan stepped forward and very lightly brushed the corner of Wei Xiaolu’s eye with her fingertips.

Wei Xiaolu’s breath caught.

Then she realized the hand that had passed by her eye was moving toward the back of her ear.

She was just tucking her hair back.

Wei Xiaolu stared blankly at Shen Siyan.

“Save the nice words,” Shen Siyan said, pinching her earlobe. Her half-drunk eyes held a teasing glint as she smiled. “Always keeping yourself wound so tight must be exhausting. I feel bad for you.”

Wei Xiaolu could clearly smell the clean, sharp scent of alcohol on Shen Siyan and feel the faint warmth of her breath.

At that moment, Wei Xiaolu, who had just decided she was going to carry flattery and ingratiation through to the end, suddenly couldn’t tell whether Shen Siyan was her boss, her senior, her roommate, or… something else entirely, beyond any category.

She could only stand frozen there, hollowed out, while her heart burned hot; even the spot where Shen Siyan’s fingertips had brushed was pounding wildly.

“It’s late. Go get some rest.” With that, Shen Siyan turned and headed out.

“…” Wei Xiaolu swallowed. “Good night, CEO Shen.”

Her voice was a little tight, as if the very string that had just been mentioned had been plucked; it hadn’t loosened at all, only kept trembling.

Shen Siyan didn’t look back. She simply lifted a hand and waved behind her in acknowledgment.

Phew.

Wei Xiaolu covered her face.

She’d just been wondering how Shen Siyan could drink without it showing on her face; turns out it had all gone straight into her behavior.

Fine. A drunk person has the final say; there was no need to argue with a drunk fool’s antics.

Her mood had been too complicated tonight, and she couldn’t sort it out for the moment, so she escaped into bed and started scrolling short videos.

But close to midnight, Tang Xiaofen conducted a surprise inspection and sent a message in the family group chat: [Girl, why are you still online on Douyin? Haven’t slept yet?]

[Wei Xiaolu: Sleeping, sleeping! Going to sleep right now]

[Wei Jialuo: Don’t listen to her bullshit]

[Wei Xiaolu: Mind your own business]

[Wei Jialuo: Can you speak a little more decently, young lady?]

[Wei Xiaolu: Since when have you big brothers been all that decent yourselves? Come on, Mom, look at him; he started with the dirty talk and now he’s judging me @Sister Tang]

[Tang Xiaofen: Enough, enough. All of you, go to sleep. Whoever doesn’t sleep can come keep me company while I listen to Old Wei snore]

Under Tang Xiaofen’s overwhelming authority, the siblings at least didn’t end up fighting.

Wei Xiaolu’s attention shifted a little because of that. After putting down her phone, she stopped thinking about Shen Siyan and instead started plotting how to kick Wei Jialuo, that bastard, out of the human race.

In the end, she drifted off in a haze like that.

The next time she opened her eyes, the room was already bright with daylight. Wei Xiaolu lay there dazedly pretending to sleep a little longer, and only when she heard a knock at the door outside did she suddenly sit up with a start.

“Who is it?” Wei Xiaolu rushed out. “Coming.”

She opened the door and a takeout bag was handed in.

“I didn’t order anything. Was it delivered to the wrong place?” Wei Xiaolu blinked, then suddenly grabbed the receipt and looked at it. “No, no, it’s right. Thanks, bro.”

“Is this her lunch…” Wei Xiaolu muttered as she turned back.

Then she saw Shen Siyan leaning against the folding screen, a smile at the corner of her lips. “It’s twelve. Just waking up now?”

Wei Xiaolu froze in surprise and answered reflexively, “Ah… twelve? My God, I overslept.”

Shen Siyan didn’t comment on her laziness. She walked over, took the takeout from her, and tipped her chin toward Wei Xiaolu. “Wash up and come eat with me. I ordered a pretty big portion.”

The early bird catches the worm; the late bird still gets to eat.

Wei Xiaolu immediately brightened. “Okay, thanks, gorgeous!”

They had already eaten together many times, and Wei Xiaolu had slowly grown familiar with Shen Siyan’s eating habits. While Shen Siyan was untying the takeout bag, Wei Xiaolu went to the fridge and brought out two yogurts.

“You have one too.” Shen Siyan reached out with one long arm and took an identical bottle from the fridge.

Wei Xiaolu glanced at it and took it. “My favorite is blueberry flavor.”

“Mm.” Shen Siyan nodded. “Last time we bought snacks, you picked up several blueberry-flavored ones.”

Wei Xiaolu paused slightly as she inserted the straw. She looked at Shen Siyan. “CEO Shen, your memory is amazing.”

“Mm-hm.” Shen Siyan smiled. “I also remember you said last time that you wanted to buy new clothes. Did you get them?”

“Not yet.” Wei Xiaolu’s shoulders drooped a little.

Did this woman have some kind of supermemory? Even she had forgotten what nonsense she’d blurted out in the heat of the moment, and yet Shen Siyan still remembered.

“Still haven’t picked?” Shen Siyan asked.

“Mm… I don’t know what style would suit me,” Wei Xiaolu said, this time thinking faster than she spoke. “I feel like no matter how I dress, I still end up looking like a student. Not like you; everything you wear looks so refined, elegant, and beautiful.”

“You can come over and try some on first. See how the style looks on you.” Shen Siyan said.

Wei Xiaolu couldn’t quite follow the logic at first. It took her a while to realize where she was supposed to try what.

Wait, was she talking about trying on Shen Siyan’s clothes in Shen Siyan’s room?

No, seriously, was that reasonable? A boss inviting a subordinate to come try on her clothes?

“You don’t mind me…” Wei Xiaolu began, then worried she was reading too much into it and suddenly bit her tongue, falling silent.

“My clothes have all been washed; try whatever you like.” Shen Siyan took a sip of yogurt and lifted a brow at her. “You can figure out your style first and prepare a few outfits in that direction for work.”

Oh. So that was the trap.

She was saying Wei Xiaolu dressed too juveniley and needed to pay more attention to formal workplace clothes.

“Sure thing, CEO Shen.” Wei Xiaolu worked hard to keep up the act and fawned with enthusiasm. “So when are you free to let me try on the gorgeous lady’s clothes?”

“After breakfast.” Shen Siyan’s hand flicked out and skimmed over her cartoon pajamas. “No need to change. Just come over like that.”

“Yay.” Wei Xiaolu answered with a grin.

After they finished eating, Wei Xiaolu helped clear the table, went to wash up, and then thought it over. She put on a bra, then, under the righteous banner of “evil does not prevail over justice,” slipped into her superior’s bedroom.

“This one suits you.” Shen Siyan took two pieces from the closet and held them up against Wei Xiaolu to compare. “Try it on.”

Wei Xiaolu took the clothes and hugged them to her chest, suddenly feeling at a loss.

“I’ll wait outside.” Shen Siyan pointed toward the door and carried her computer out.

That uneasiness vanished again.

Wei Xiaolu took off her pajamas. She didn’t feel right putting them on Shen Siyan’s bed, so she hung them over the back of a chair.

When she picked up Shen Siyan’s shirt and trousers, the familiar scent of wood and flowers rushed over her.

Now, she was going to wear Shen Siyan’s scent on her body.

Shen Siyan was only about seven or eight centimeters taller than her, but their builds were similar enough that, aside from the trousers being a little long, the fit was pretty good overall.

After straightening the collar at last, Wei Xiaolu knew she should open the door and let Shen Siyan take a look.

But her legs just wouldn’t move.

What would Shen Siyan say about it?

A bright, expectant anticipation gradually rose in her heart, along with a trace of dark unease that even she didn’t quite believe.

Wei Xiaolu walked over to the full-length mirror and saw the result of combining herself with Shen Siyan’s aesthetic.

She actually looked completely different from Shen Siyan.

Shen Siyan in this outfit looked sharp, elegant, and commanding, like a team leader who could dominate the office.

But in the mirror, Wei Xiaolu looked like a high schooler who had stolen an adult’s clothes, no matter how you looked at her. Her already not-very-sharp features seemed even younger in this outfit.

So even after putting on her clothes, she still couldn’t become her.

Wei Xiaolu tugged at the hem of her shirt and pushed the door open.

“CEO Shen,” Wei Xiaolu said, shoulders slightly hunched. “What do you think?”

Seated on the sofa and busy at her computer, Shen Siyan lifted her head.

Her gaze moved from bottom to top, first the trouser cuffs dragging on the floor, then the neat, body-skimming shirt.

Then Wei Xiaolu’s face, and finally, they met each other’s eyes.

Both of them froze.

Only very quickly did Wei Xiaolu realize Shen Siyan’s brief stillness wasn’t the same as hers; she wasn’t shocked by a gaze that pierced straight into the soul, but simply stunned by how wrong this outfit looked on her.

Shen Siyan folded her arms and leaned back into the sofa.

“Little sister,” she seemed to be trying not to laugh. “Go change again.”

“Hey, wait,” Wei Xiaolu said, hands on her hips. “The way you’re laughing makes me think your store mannequin came alive just to leave a bad review.”

This time Shen Siyan didn’t even bother hiding it; she laughed outright, with no mercy at all.

“Come here.” She stood and walked over to Wei Xiaolu, patting her back twice in a soothing gesture. “Let’s give you a complete makeover.”

“Okay,” Wei Xiaolu said as she followed her back into the room. “Today I’m at your mercy, CEO Shen.”

“Fine, then I’ll do as I please.” Shen Siyan shook her head helplessly with a smile and took a knit dress from the closet to hand to her. “First, take off these pants that are about to sweep the floor.”

Wei Xiaolu immediately rose onto her toes to prove herself. “I’m not short-legged; I just wasn’t wearing heels. Give me a pair another day and I’ll look fine.”

“No need to wear them.” Shen Siyan was still smiling without restraint. She gave the top of her head a light pat and, with her eyes lowered, said, “This height is just right.”