Adopting Myself from the Young Heiress - Chapter 25

The combined weight of their gazes was negligible, as light as a drizzle—a single drop unnoticed.

The stares lingered briefly before drifting into a daze. For a moment, they even forgot why they had turned their heads in the first place.

Their vision was empty; they saw only a mass of air.

It wasn’t until An Chixu took another breath, calming herself, that the illusion shattered.

She inhaled ink, starting from her feet, saturating herself with pigment.

An Chixu raised her head, meeting the gazes of the two women, no longer staring fixedly at Yan Ciwei, the culprit.

The two women blinked simultaneously, as if jolted awake.

A stranger had suddenly entered the private room.

He Yuyan also turned to look at An Chixu.

Having speculated about the relationship between An Chixu and Yan Ciwei, seeing Yan Ciwei here inevitably stirred her suspicions.

Yan Ciwei remained seated in the host’s chair, twirling her teacup without even glancing up, as if she had anticipated this scene or simply didn’t care.

Strangers always leave eventually. She was the true master of this place, and whether it was Yang Xuan’an or Chi Xu, they would have to yield to her dominance.

Yan Ciwei’s posture remained nonchalant. Her teacup appeared empty, and she held it at an angle as if about to pour out the remaining dregs.

Leaning her head against one hand, a tablet lay on the table. From Chi Xu’s angle, it was impossible to tell whether the screen displayed work documents or a recipe.

Chi Xu blinked wearily, exhaling her frustration.

If I don’t want to see her, then I don’t want to see her.

After all, Yan Ciwei probably didn’t want to see her either.

“Excuse me,” Chi Xu said with a slight bow, turning to leave the private room.

He Yuyan trailed behind her like a chick, clutching the hem of her dress nervously as she hurried out in small, hesitant steps.

Yan Ciwei’s two companions finally stopped staring, their peripheral vision sweeping over Yan Ciwei, who remained motionless.

Yan Ciwei was still focused on the tablet. Though her teacup clearly held a sip of tea, she now shook it impatiently, nearly spilling the liquid.

No one could decipher Yan Ciwei’s thoughts, and no one dared to ask. Since she remained silent, they could only pretend nothing had happened.

An Chixu had already retreated outside the private room with He Yuyan.

They double-checked: this was indeed Room 203. The restaurant had no other Room 203, and the manager had also confirmed the same three digits.

“What do we do, Sister An…?” He Yuyan’s face had gone pale, her ears burning hot.

Despite having worked for a year, this was the first time she’d encountered such an awkward situation.

An Chixu pulled out her phone, ready to contact Yang Xu’s manager.

He Yuyan fell silent, afraid to speak loudly lest the people inside the room overhear. She leaned closer, trying to gauge An Chixu’s plan.

She noticed An Chixu hesitate.

Then, she silently put her phone away.

No way… He Yuyan had a sinking feeling.

And sure enough, An Chixu hadn’t yet exchanged contact information with Yang Xu’s manager.

She could only send a message to Yang Xu’s previous planner, though she didn’t expect an immediate reply.

“Wait,” An Chixu said, pulling He Yuyan closer to the door.

Ultimately, this wasn’t something An Chixu could resolve. Yang Xu and her team had chosen the location; they would have to confront Yan Ciwei themselves.

An Chixu lowered her head, and He Yuyan followed suit. The two of them stood pressed against the wall, pretending to be waitresses. If they changed into uniforms, they could easily be mistaken for staff and called over to serve dishes.

“Come in,” Yan Ciwei’s voice drifted from inside the private room, as if she genuinely believed they were waitresses.

An Chixu glanced up, momentarily surprised.

The door to the private room remained ajar.

“Won’t we be disturbing you?” An Chixu’s voice entered the room first, followed by her steps as she approached Yan Ciwei.

Yan Ciwei finally looked up, setting aside her teacup.

She gazed at An Chixu, her peach-blossom eyes devoid of emotion, her smile shallow. Yet the corners of her lips curved upward like a fox’s.

It had always been Yan Ciwei sitting while An Chixu stood. Even looking up at An Chixu, Yan Ciwei never seemed at a disadvantage.

A smile that didn’t reach her heart could crush An Chixu completely.

A smile could serve as an answer.

An Chixu led He Yuyan to sit down.

They chose seats as far from Yan Ciwei and her two subordinates as possible, careful not to intrude on their space.

The wait stretched on endlessly. An Chixu kept her head bowed, her expression unreadable. He Yuyan nearly picked off her manicured nails.

Finally, Yang Xu and her manager entered the private room.

Yang Xu was fully armed, wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a hooded cloak that concealed her figure. Her manager followed closely, glancing at the people in the private room. Her glasses nearly fell off.

The manager looked again in disbelief, even removing her glasses for a clearer view.

Yan Ciwei remained indifferent, not giving anyone so much as a glance.

An Chixu, however, met the manager’s gaze and subtly gestured, sending her a clear signal.

Reacting swiftly, the manager pinched Yang Xu, who was about to glare at An Chixu, and forced a nearly fawning smile.

“Little President Yan! Are you here for Yang Xu?”

Yang Xu finally understood. She quickly removed her sunglasses and mask, standing straight and proper like a model student, her face radiating a sweet smile.

She had recently starred in a breakout drama. Though she played the second female lead, her character had captivated audiences even more than the protagonist, resulting in better viewer engagement.

Could there be changes at the board level? Was Yan Ciwei trying to win hearts and minds ahead of time?

Yang Xu’s eyes flickered. She had heard rumors that Yan Ciwei herself had personally orchestrated her new image strategy. She had dismissed it as gossip, but now…

“Well said,” Yan Ciwei remarked, lifting her head to give Yang Xu a cursory glance.

Yang Xu’s smile widened.

“Who are you?” Yan Ciwei asked, her voice sharp and concise.

The agent and Yang Xu froze in place.

There was no room for An Chixu to maneuver here. Her position was still too junior; who would even notice her?

But An Chixu wasn’t idle. She was calculating how to get her people out of this situation.

If Yan Ciwei was simply trying to make things difficult… then they were in a real bind.

An Chixu glanced up at Yan Ciwei, but their eyes didn’t meet.

She found herself increasingly unable to decipher Yan Ciwei’s thoughts.

Perhaps this was only natural. They had been apart for two years. The past week hardly counted for anything.

“I’d also like to know how you managed to book my usual private room,” Yan Ciwei said, now looking directly at Yang Xu. But her gaze was nothing like the agent had imagined.

Yan Ciwei seemed to be looking at a stray cat or dog.

The agent was certain that if Yang Xu ever appeared before Yan Ciwei again, Yan Ciwei wouldn’t even recognize her.

“Let’s go ask at the front desk,” An Chixu suddenly stood up, grabbing He Yuyan.

“We apologize for disturbing you,” she said, bowing to Yan Ciwei once more.

Without needing a signal from An Chixu, the agent understood immediately. She grabbed Yang Xu and prepared to leave.

Yan Ciwei finally made a move.

Her demeanor was playful, her face still bearing that slightly mocking smile.

She tapped her teacup against the table.

“Since you’re all here, why not stay and eat with us?” Her invitation carried an ambiguous undertone.

An Chixu’s grip on He Yuyan’s wrist involuntarily tightened.

“Sister An…” He Yuyan struggled slightly, prompting An Chixu to release her.

The four of them settled into their seats.

He Yuyan, Yang Xu, and her manager all fidgeted uncomfortably.

Only An Chixu maintained an air of detached calm, going about her business as usual, even pouring tea for Yang Xu and her manager.

Naturally, she also poured tea for Yan Ciwei.

Yan Ciwei had already suppressed her smile, cradling her teacup with an inscrutable expression.

She didn’t let anyone else order.

About five minutes later, all the dishes arrived.

An Chixu gazed at the familiar dishes Yan Ciwei often prepared, now laid out before her, and sighed inwardly.

She hadn’t been wrong after all. She still understood Yan Ciwei so well.

Or perhaps, in certain matters, Yan Ciwei remained as naive as a young girl.

The moment Yan Ciwei’s peach-blossom eyes flickered upward, An Chixu knew exactly what she was thinking.

Yan Ciwei was trying to keep her here.

Why bother?

An Chixu didn’t touch that particular dish throughout the entire meal.

After the dishes were served, Yan Ciwei’s side continued their negotiations smoothly.

An Chixu’s side, however, remained as quiet as if they were taking an exam.

Halfway through the meal, An Chixu finally broke the silence.

Leveraging her naturally soft voice, she spoke clearly enough for those around her to hear without disturbing Yan Ciwei’s conversation.

“Let’s exchange contact information. We can discuss the details later. Our team will be working until around 9 PM tonight to draft a preliminary proposal for you.”

With others present, even Yang Xu, who had been trying to make things difficult for An Chixu, had to moderate his tone.

An Chixu seized the opportunity to speak frankly, aiming to resolve the matter quickly.

“Fine. Let me be blunt: I’m not impressed with you. Your current resume doesn’t convince me you’re capable of handling this job. But since the higher-ups assigned you, they must have their reasons. I won’t make things too difficult for you. I’ll give you three days. By then, I expect the workflow for the next program to be finalized.”

Yang Xu abandoned her earlier evasiveness and dropped her usual innocent act. Instead, she spoke with surprising sincerity, her emotions barely wavering.

He Yuyan, standing nearby, scowled.

Three days isn’t difficult? she thought. Especially since their team had just undergone personnel changes, and the members didn’t trust An Chixu, making cooperation difficult.

Yang Xu’s next performance wasn’t until mid-next month.

He Yuyan glanced at An Chixu, hoping for assistance, but An Chixu immediately agreed.

As they exchanged contact information, a piece of food appeared in An Chixu’s bowl.

Only after receiving the materials from Yang Xu did An Chixu notice it.

Yan Ciwei had somehow taken the seat beside her. Even with nearly a meter between them, they were now sitting quite close.

An Chixu stared at the piece of food—a dish Yan Ciwei had specifically ordered for her—that she hadn’t touched. After a moment of silence, she obediently ate it.

Later, when An Chixu turned back, another spoonful of food had been added to her bowl.

When she got up to refill her water and returned, a piece of meat was waiting in her bowl.

Even when she glanced at her phone and looked up, two slices of fish, meticulously deboned, had been placed in her bowl.

An Chixu couldn’t help but turn her head to study Yan Ciwei for a long moment.

She never managed to catch Yan Ciwei’s movements or make eye contact with her.

Even after An Chixu finished his discussion, Yan Ciwei didn’t once meet his gaze.

“Little President Yan, we won’t bother you any longer. We’ll be going now,” the manager said, his voice still dripping with flattery as he bid farewell to Yan Ciwei, not forgetting to keep Yang Xu in the spotlight.

Fifteen minutes later, Yan Ciwei finally released her two subordinates and stood up to settle the bill.

“Strange… President Yan, it seems someone already paid for Room 203,” the waiter said after swiping the card twice without finding a bill. A quick check revealed the bill had indeed been settled.

“…Was it a woman, slightly taller than me, about my age, with a ponytail?” Yan Ciwei asked.

The waiter struggled to recall, eventually managing a hesitant “Yes.” She had somehow forgotten what the person who paid looked like.

“Refund the money to her account. Charge mine,” Yan Ciwei said, clenching her fist.

She hadn’t come here to let An Chixu treat her.

How pathetic.

An Chixu returned to the office with the itinerary for Yang Xu’s upcoming event.

She had only three days to prepare, and coordinating her team members proved even more challenging than completing Yang Xu’s assignment.

Simultaneously, they were also following up on the survival reality show and Shen Jibai’s situation.

The bulk of Shen Jibai’s case still rested on An Chixu’s shoulders, with no opportunity yet to delegate it.

An Chixu planned to select just two people. For such a small-scale event, three would suffice. He Yuyan was unsuitable, so she needed to find another candidate.

As An Chixu reviewed her team members’ resumes, she felt a genuine headache coming on.

To be honest, if she were Yang Xu, she wouldn’t be pleased either. An Chixu’s team was the lowest of the low, with no capable members to speak of.

Assigning a second-tier star to such a group felt like a deliberate attempt to sideline her.

But An Chixu wasn’t Yang Xu. She had no say in the matter and simply had to get the job done.

She decided to let her subordinates compete for the team positions themselves.

She booked a conference room for 7 PM and brought her team members to the meeting to finalize the roster.

However, despite the system showing the conference room as vacant, when they opened the door, they found Yan Ciwei standing inside, surrounded by a group of senior executives from the branch.

The executives’ gazes swept over An Chixu and her team members behind her.

An Chixu could feel the resentment radiating from behind her.