Chapter 100

The next morning, the sun was fully up, yet Kong Xiyan still hadn't stirred. She tossed and turned in bed, and finally, roused by the firecrackers outside, she opened her sleepy eyes with a deep sigh.

On the first morning of the new year, all she wanted was to sleep in.

But that was easier said than done.

Yanyan, seeing her awake, padded over from somewhere and hopped onto the bed, its azure eyes fixed on Kong Xiyan: "Meow!"

Kong Xiyan looked down at it. "Yanyan?"

The cat nuzzled its head into her palm, all docile and sweet.

A smile curved her brows, warmth softening her gaze.

The door slid open, and Chi Wanzhao appeared. "Awake?"

Kong Xiyan turned to her. "Mm."

"Want to sleep a bit longer?"

Kong Xiyan listened to the relentless firecrackers and sighed. "No point. Can't fall asleep anyway."

Chi Wanzhao walked over to the bed, looking down at her. "Want me to keep you company?"

Kong Xiyan pressed her lips together. "With you here, I'd get even less sleep."

Chi Wanzhao: "..."

Having gotten that jab in, Kong Xiyan smiled, picked up Yanyan, and went to wash up.

Wang Haining was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Seeing Kong Xiyan come out, she smiled. "Xiyan, happy new year."

Kong Xiyan stopped, hoisting Yanyan up. She lifted the cat's paw in a wave. "Happy new year."

Yanyan let out a meow, its round eyes darting around.

"Go wash up," Wang Haining called. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

Kong Xiyan nodded, set Yanyan down, and headed for the bathroom.

She paused as she passed Chi Xuan's door. Through the half-open doorway, she saw Chi Xuan trying to fold her quilt, clearly not doing it right. She kept smoothing out the wrinkles and muttering under her breath, her delicate brows furrowed in a helpless sort of way.

Kong Xiyan glanced over, lowered her eyes, and went into the bathroom.

The routine was familiar: brush teeth, wash face, stare into the mirror. But Kong Xiyan felt something was off. She looked at herself for a long while before her gaze drifted to her neck, where a necklace now gleamed.

Her brushing slowed, and she looked down at it.

The chain was platinum, and the pendant was a small key with delicate engravings. It was fine and intricate. She studied it, a frown forming.

It hadn't been there yesterday.

Had Chi Wanzhao put it on her last night?

Why hadn't she said anything?

Kong Xiyan touched the pendant, turning this way and that in the mirror. A knock at the door startled her, and her hand fell, the pendant landing back against her skin.

It was ice-cold.

Chi Xuan's voice came from outside. "Second sister-in-law? You done?"

Kong Xiyan quickly rinsed her mouth, washed her face, and opened the door.

Chi Xuan was all smiles. "Second sister-in-law."

She was clearly in a good mood.

Kong Xiyan gave a soft hum and stepped aside.

The door closed behind her.

Kong Xiyan stood at the bathroom entrance, looking toward the living room. Seeing Chi Wanzhao on the balcony, she walked over and whispered, "Did you put this necklace on me?"

Chi Wanzhao turned to look at her, eyes full of affection.

She nodded. "Do you like it?"

Kong Xiyan bit her lip. "I like it a lot."

"Good."

Kong Xiyan's fingertips brushed the pendant, and a touch of joy brightened her brow.

Before long, Wang Haining called them to breakfast. The table was laden: steamed buns, small mantou, dumplings, and an array of side dishes. Wang Haining had clearly prepared it all in advance. Kong Xiyan sat down and sighed at the spread. "I really wish I had your cooking skills."

Chi Wanzhao's expression flickered, and she said lightly, "Then keep wishing."

Kong Xiyan: "..."

She shot Chi Wanzhao a reproachful look.

What a way with words!

Wang Haining handed them both chopsticks. "Alright, alright, let's eat."

Chi Xuan had just come out of the bathroom, and Chi Wanzhao waved her over. Chi Xuan walked to the table with a relaxed air.

Near the end of the meal, Chi Wanzhao turned to Wang Haining. "Have you packed everything?"

Wang Haining glanced at her, then at Kong Xiyan, and smiled. "All packed."

Chi Xuan murmured from the side, "Packed for what?"

Before Chi Wanzhao could answer, Wang Haining spoke to Chi Xuan. "I plan to go to Country A with you all."

Both Kong Xiyan and Chi Xuan were stunned.

Kong Xiyan recovered quickly, but Chi Xuan frowned and set down her chopsticks. "You're coming with us to Country A?"

"To see my father?"

Seeing her lose composure, Chi Wanzhao chided, "Chi Xuan."

Wang Haining lowered her gaze, smiling but silent.

Chi Xuan had lost all appetite. She pushed back from the table, grabbed Chi Wanzhao's hand, and demanded, "Second sister, why didn't you tell me?"

"What is she going to Country A for?"

"To see father?"

Chi Wanzhao turned to her. "And if she is?"

"Xiaoxuan, you're not a child anymore. I thought you'd understood the relationship between Wang Haining and us by now. If she wants to go, she has her reasons—even if it means going back to see father."

"And so what?"

Chi Xuan, having been scolded, opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

Yes, whether Wang Haining went to Country A was her own choice, and whether she visited her father was her freedom too. But for no reason, a weight lodged in Chi Xuan's chest, heavy and unsettling.

While the conversation continued, Kong Xiyan took Wang Haining's hand and led her out to the balcony. With a puzzled look, she asked, "You're coming with me to Country A?"

Wang Haining had told her before that Chi Wanzhao had asked if she wanted to tag along, and she had refused. Now she was volunteering to go, and Kong Xiyan didn't understand why.

Wang Haining met her worried gaze and smiled. "Mm. There are things I haven't finished dealing with, so I need to go take care of them."

Kong Xiyan thought for a moment. "Do you want to see him one last time?"

Chi Wanzhao had told her about Chi Chao's illness. They had planned to leave on the third day of the new year, but Chi Wanzhao's older brother had called, hoping they'd return earlier. That was why Chi Wanzhao had Zhou Sheng rebook the flights.

When she'd taken the call, Kong Xiyan had been right next to her. Frowning, she'd asked if they shouldn't go back immediately. What if...?

Chi Wanzhao had only replied lightly, "What if is what if. Life is never meant to be without regrets."

Those words replayed in Kong Xiyan's mind, and she asked Wang Haining, "Is that it? You want to see him one last time."

Wang Haining met her eyes and sighed. "It does have something to do with him."

She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either.

Kong Xiyan was about to press further, but Wang Haining patted her on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Not far off, Chi Wanzhao and Chi Xuan had finished their talk and came out. Chi Wanzhao looked at Kong Xiyan, their gazes meeting in the air, then quickly shifting away, each lost in their own thoughts.

Around ten-thirty, Zhou Sheng drove up. The snow that had fallen through the night had stopped, leaving a world of silver. Even the treetops were frosted white. At a glance, the scene could have been a painting.

But no one coming down was in the mood to admire it. With grim faces, they all got into the car.

Zhou Sheng opened the doors for them, greeting Chi Wanzhao and Kong Xiyan. Chi Wanzhao, her face set, gave a detached hum. Kong Xiyan nodded at Zhou Sheng. "Happy new year."

Zhou Sheng glanced at the expressions of the other three, offered a faint smile, and said nothing more.

On the first day of the new year, the roads were quiet. The snow from the night before made driving treacherous, so Zhou Sheng was careful and slow. The mood in the car was heavy; no one spoke first. It was as chilly inside as the biting wind outside.

Zhou Sheng first drove them to the apartment to pick up Kong Xiyan's and Chi Wanzhao's luggage, then to the Old Mansion for Chi Xuan's things. Yanyan couldn't come along, so it stayed behind at the Old Mansion.

The back-and-forth wasted a lot of time, and by the time they neared the airport, it was past two in the afternoon.

None of the five had eaten lunch. With time still to spare before boarding, Zhou Sheng parked and asked, "CEO Chi, should I arrange for lunch?"

Chi Wanzhao looked at Kong Xiyan, who smiled. "Anything's fine. Chi Xuan, what do you think?"

Chi Xuan had been lost in thought for a long while. Startled by Kong Xiyan's voice, she hesitated, then said, "Okay."

Zhou Sheng caught on quickly. "Understood."

Even as he spoke, he was already dialing. A moment later, he hung up and told Chi Wanzhao, "CEO Chi, there's a place nearby."

Chi Wanzhao hummed in acknowledgment.

Zhou Sheng got out and opened her door, and the other four followed. Kong Xiyan had already put on her hat, mask, and glasses, bundled up from head to toe.

If her popularity after her comeback had been modest, now it was the opposite. "Breaking the Cocoon" had brought her back into the audience's view, the press conference incident had made her a known name, and with her recent injury plus her confirmed role in "Dawn," calling her a rising star was hardly an exaggeration.

So for safety's sake, it was better to be well covered.

Chi Wanzhao only raised an eyebrow at her getup, then looked away.

They had lunch at a restaurant near the airport, mostly empty. They took a private room, and the meal passed in silence. Occasionally Chi Wanzhao and Chi Xuan exchanged a few words, while Wang Haining ate quietly, never speaking up.

At the table, Kong Xiyan squeezed her hand and whispered, "What's wrong? You seem down."

Wang Haining was rarely like this. In all the time Kong Xiyan had known her, she had seldom seen her in such low spirits. Even when she'd met Chi Wanzhao in Changning or run into Chi Xuan at the apartment, she had never been like this.

It was as if she were making a monumental decision.

Her face was grave.

Feeling Kong Xiyan's grip, Wang Haining hesitated, then turned and gave her a faint smile. "It's nothing. Eat up."

They hurried through lunch and headed for the airport. As they approached, Kong Xiyan got a call from Tong Yue. She let the others go ahead and took the call.

The cold wind howled by, making Tong Yue's voice hard to hear.

"Xiyan? You still there?"

Tong Yue's question snapped Kong Xiyan back. "I'm here. Go ahead, Sister Tong."

"It's not much. About those people you asked me to look into who left the company—I found out. They all left about two years ago."

Two years ago.

Kong Xiyan's expression darkened.

Tong Yue continued with a reminder. "Oh, and your week-long break is almost up. Need a few more days?"

Kong Xiyan came back to herself. "Mm, maybe four or five more."

"Fine," Tong Yue said. "I'll push back the scheduling notifications."

"Thanks, Sister Tong."

Her voice was cold, carried by the wind.

Tong Yue offered a few more words of concern, then hung up.

Kong Xiyan clutched her phone, staring at the name "Guan Xiaoying" in her contacts, a complicated feeling stirring in her chest.