Adopting Myself from the Young Heiress - Chapter 34

Yan Ciwei’s eyes filled with shimmering light.

A thick layer of tears blurred her vision. As a doll who had lost the ability to blink, she could only mechanically tilt her head and stare at An Chixu, oblivious even to the single tear that overflowed from her saturated eyes.

She seemed to be biting her lip, clenching down with all her might, yet she didn’t notice the metallic taste. Her entire being was consumed by the person in her arms.

She held An Chixu tightly, binding her close and forcing her to sit on her lap.

After two years of separation, after enduring so many moments of closeness and distance, she heard An Chixu’s confession of love once more.

A single “I love you” struck Yan Ciwei’s heart with the force of a divine pillar, anchoring itself deep within her soul.

Her desire for An Chixu to hate her had been nothing more than a compensatory mechanism born of fear.

Fear that they would truly become strangers, fear that An Chixu would abandon her and move on to a new life without her.

How could life be good without her? Yan Ciwei dreaded all the possibilities, preferring An Chixu to live in the pain of hating her.

But what if An Chixu still loved her?

Yan Ciwei instinctively closed her eyes as An Chixu raised her hand.

Then, a warm touch brushed against her cheek.

An Chixu gently wiped away the tear, tracing it across her lower eyelid and brushing against the pink mole beneath her eye.

“Tuantuan…” Yan Ciwei’s voice trembled, barely forming a coherent word.

She knew that if she spoke again, she would shatter like a porcelain doll, a sight too humiliating. Yan Ciwei desperately wanted to avoid appearing pathetic in front of An Chixu.

All her deceptions had been to maintain the image of a perfect older sister.

She longed to be An Chixu’s ideal sister—her only friend, family, and lover.

She had been striving for this for nearly a decade.

“Take me, Tuantuan,” Yan Ciwei pleaded, lowering her gaze to hide her shame and surrendering completely to An Chixu’s will.

She would rather weep in An Chixu’s arms than anywhere else.

An Chixu had always cherished her tearful, dazed moments. She would love her even more then.

“Please?” Yan Ciwei took An Chixu’s hand, which rested on her cheek, and gently rubbed it against her skin.

“You must miss me too…”

She was like a guilty golden retriever—cautiously testing the waters, hoping for her master’s forgiveness.

“Here?” How could An Chixu not miss her?

An Chixu would never tell Yan Ciwei how many erotic dreams had brought her back into her body after she had driven her away.

The sticky, oppressive heat was more suffocating than S City’s monsoon season, slowly seeping into her fingertips.

Yan Ciwei’s eyes shone brighter than ever, as if the past decade had never worn her down. She looked exactly as she had at sixteen, the day they first met. An Chixu would forever remember the autumn sunlight, the rain outside the school building, and Yan Ciwei’s sixteen-year-old face.

The plea in her eyes wasn’t for s3x.

The desperate longing for affection in her gaze burned into An Chixu’s heart.

If they still loved each other, why couldn’t they be together?

Yan Ciwei longed to be with An Chixu. Forever and always.

An Chixu averted her gaze slightly.

She thought she could forgive Yan Ciwei for taking Orange away—for protecting her by keeping her out of the company’s power transition.

She could also forgive Yan Ciwei for not knowing how to treat her. She could wait for Yan Ciwei to learn; they had at least four more decades together. She could afford to wait.

“I don’t want to wait,” Yan Ciwei said during An Chixu’s moment of hesitation.

She pried open An Chixu’s fingers, her grip still forceful, carrying the domineering air of someone accustomed to authority.

Yet her touch was gentle and humble as she licked An Chixu’s fingertips, cleaning them with the most basic care.

Yan Ciwei could wait until they finished work. Today, An Chixu would surely want to go home with her.

She could take An Chixu to their new home, where they could bathe each other in the new bathroom and tumble together in the new bed.

Yan Ciwei was simply impatient.

“…Aren’t you going to deal with Yan Zhaoyin?” An Chixu knew who had orchestrated Yan Zhaoyin’s final phone call.

She also knew Yan Ciwei had been prepared, having even stolen a USB drive from her.

“I don’t want to bother with it.” The young heiress, born into wealth, was naturally willful.

Her kiss deepened, almost reaching past An Chixu’s fingernails.

The fierce wolf had abandoned all pride, disregarding her noble lineage.

She was only begging her lowly master for a kiss, a demonstration of her loyalty.

An Chixu abandoned her resistance. Yan Ciwei’s gentle persistence always worked on her soft-hearted nature.

An Chixu curled her fingertips, but Yan Ciwei caught them again, repeating the kiss.

Should I ask Yan Ciwei why she’s so prepared?

“Did you lock the door?” An Chixu adjusted her position, already leaning forward, resting in Yan Ciwei’s arms, her hand tugging at Yan Ciwei’s bow tie.

The hand hovering in the air looked as if it were wearing a glove.

The crisp scent of jasmine snow buds enveloped An Chixu’s face. The sudden intimacy had caught Yan Ciwei off guard, leaving her no time to change her perfume.

Yan Ciwei’s throat bobbed.

She bit down on An Chixu’s collar and recklessly tore off a button.

The die was cast.

If the door isn’t locked, does that mean we stop?

An Chixu released Yan Ciwei’s bow tie, pressed a hand to her chest, stepped over Yan Ciwei’s blocking leg, and walked toward the door.

“Tuantuan?” Yan Ciwei whispered, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple. She didn’t dare blink.

An Chixu merely checked the door lock. Yan Ciwei hadn’t locked it, as she knew.

“This isn’t a good place. Can we go to the break room?” An Chixu had returned.

“Sister.” She brought a kiss, a gift and a reward.

Yan Ciwei’s eyes narrowed, dazed by the kiss. Her hands gripped An Chixu’s waist, too weak to pull her onto her lap.

“No… right here, my sweet Tuantuan. I love you…” Even so, Yan Ciwei longed to hold An Chixu.

To hold her beloved and let her treat her as she pleased. Yan Ciwei was captivated by this feeling.

“Alright, Sister.” An Chixu sat back down on her own.

Another wave of kisses followed, passionate and intoxicating.

The floor-to-ceiling windows remained undrawn. The office chair’s back concealed all the intimacy, leaving only the bright summer sunlight to flood the room in white.

An Chixu was more measured than Yan Ciwei, exercising greater restraint in this regard.

She indulged in their folly for only half an hour, taking a shallow taste before stopping.

Yan Ciwei held her close, letting her rest against her chest. Their bodies rose and fell together, breaths intertwining, strands of hair tangled between them.

“Call me ‘Sister’,” Yan Ciwei murmured, her lashes brushing against An Chixu’s cheek. In truth, it hadn’t been long since their last intimate moment.

Compared to two years, a few weeks was nothing.

Yan Ciwei simply missed her terribly.

“Sister…” An Chixu murmured stickily, her lips almost catching on Yan Ciwei’s hair.

The scent of jasmine filled her mouth, unfamiliar yet gentle.

She rubbed against Yan Ciwei again before straightening up. It was time to get back to work. The upper management’s affairs wouldn’t affect her directly; her team still needed to advance their three projects step by step.

But after today, she knew she would be under increased scrutiny.

Gossip spread quickly in entertainment companies. An Chixu guessed that by the time she returned to her desk, her team members would already know about her recent “heroic deeds.”

Let’s talk later, An Chixu thought, wanting to savor this tenderness for just five more minutes.

“I should get back,” An Chixu said, truly giving herself only five minutes.

“Wait a moment. I need to change,” Yan Ciwei said, deliberately tearing off a button from An Chixu’s blouse and leaving a kiss mark beneath her collarbone.

All for this moment.

Yan Ciwei entered the dressing room and locked the door. Only then did she dare open the wardrobe, where a worn red wedding gown hung.

Two years had passed.

Yan Ciwei gently stroked the gown before picking up the brand-new suit beside it.

An Chixu waited outside the dressing room, sitting idly in Yan Ciwei’s office chair. Her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a corner of a personnel transfer decision document peeking out from beneath a stack of papers.

She couldn’t casually rummage through Yan Ciwei’s files, so she leaned forward, hoping to see the names of those being transferred.

Being reassigned to this position… it must have been planned beforehand. Is it Zhou Qian, Yan Zhaoyin, Yan Ciwei herself? Or… me?

Before An Chixu could reach a conclusion, Yan Ciwei emerged from the dressing room, handing her the suit.

It was the style Yan Ciwei had once loved to dress An Chixu in.

An Chixu recognized the brand immediately; her closet still held several outfits Yan Ciwei had bought for her in the past.

The sizes still fit her perfectly.

As An Chixu buttoned the jacket, she sighed inwardly.

She had lost considerable weight since two years ago, necessitating a change in sizes. When had Yan Ciwei noticed?

“Don’t rush, Tuantuan,” Yan Ciwei said, pulling An Chixu back into her arms as she tried to leave. She straightened An Chixu’s collar and hem, smoothing out any creases and adjusting asymmetrical details.

An Chixu stood obediently, like a well-behaved doll, gazing into Yan Ciwei’s eyes.

Sixteen, eighteen, twenty years old.

Every day in the past, Yan Ciwei had meticulously groomed An Chixu, caring for her like a mother before taking her “little cat daughter” out.

Now, An Chixu was perfectly capable of leaving on her own.

Yet she stayed, waiting for Yan Ciwei to finish.

When Yan Ciwei reached the final step—smoothing stray hairs—she gently touched An Chixu’s cheek.

Their eyes met as Yan Ciwei watched An Chixu leave.

Her retreating figure looked forlorn, like an aging mother watching her grown daughter depart.

An Chixu returned to her workstation and, as expected, found all her team members watching her.

Her actions today had been quite reckless. Under normal circumstances, someone would have made sarcastic remarks or refused to cooperate, ignoring her orders.

But after holding a meeting, An Chixu noticed that her team members were unusually quiet, even docile.

As she sat at her desk, editing documents and pondering, she wondered if it was because her relationship with Yan Ciwei had been exposed.

Judging by today’s meeting, Yan Ciwei hadn’t lost her influence.

On the contrary, Yan Zhaoyin’s hasty moves had revealed many of her schemes.

A storm was brewing at the top, poised to cleanse the mold left by the rainy season.

The lower ranks should have been largely unaffected, but…

The team members watched An Chixu calmly revise the proposal, unsure of what to say.

They had to admit that in the month since An Chixu took over, she had given them opportunities they hadn’t seen in years.

Both new projects had been successful, Yang Xu’s popularity had soared, and the variety show had even secured the coveted first-episode planning slot.

Not to mention An Chixu’s ambiguous relationship with Yan Ciwei.

“Team Leader, please review this,” the team members said, now more eager to submit their proposals and less inclined to make snide remarks.

“Thank you. Just leave it there for now. Remember to send me the electronic version; I’ll give you feedback tonight,” An Chixu replied, glancing up briefly as a polite gesture.

These were the team members planning the second episode of the show. With six episodes in total and the first episode already secured, they couldn’t afford to slack off on the second.

After a moment of hesitation, the team members returned to their workstations.

Around 6:30 PM, He Yuyan, who had stayed late for overtime pay, moved closer to An Chixu.

“I can’t disclose anything about the director’s affairs,” An Chixu said, glancing at her before resuming typing.

“N-no, Sister An, you’ve misunderstood!” He Yuyan stammered, wondering where she’d gotten the nerve to ask.

She was grateful that, despite her gossipy nature, she understood the importance of timing and hadn’t pressed An Chixu about her relationship with Yan Ciwei earlier.

Now, after witnessing their interactions, He Yuyan realized Yan Ciwei’s feelings for An Chixu went beyond a simple superior-subordinate dynamic—there had at least been some romantic tension.

Terrified of being torn apart by Yan Ciwei, she dared not utter another word.

“This is what I found out—the names of ‘that person’s’ people,” He Yuyan said, delivering her intel.

She knew exactly why An Chixu kept her around. While her planning skills were lacking, her interpersonal skills were her greatest asset.

An Chixu gave her another look, paused, and accepted the handwritten list. “…Thank you.”

Scanning the list, she noticed that several individuals who had clearly sided with Yan Zhaoyin during today’s meeting were conspicuously absent.

Including Zhou Qian.

Everyone assumed Zhou Qian was Yan Zhaoyin’s ally, a strong contender for the director’s position. But what if… this was just a smokescreen orchestrated by Yan Ciwei?

An Chixu had no idea how He Yuyan had obtained this list. The girl was not only well-informed but also possessed an uncanny sixth sense—perhaps she had simply intuited it.

The list seemed about 80% reliable. An Chixu trusted that Yan Ciwei had more detailed and accurate information.

Having this list was merely a precaution.

An Chixu planned to burn it after reviewing it.

Before she could stand up, a shadow suddenly fell behind her.

The familiar yet long-missed scent of geranium filled the air.

An Chixu froze, slowly turning her head to meet Yan Ciwei’s peach-blossom eyes.

Though still backlit, Yan Ciwei’s expression was now clear: a smile without malice.

Her eyes, reflecting the overhead light, were luminous and brimming with affection.

“Tuantuan,” Yan Ciwei murmured, leaning closer. Ignoring the countless eyes fixed on her, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“When are you planning to leave work? We should go home now,” she invited her little cat under the public gaze.

Someone suddenly realized that when An Chixu had returned from Yan Ciwei’s office earlier, she had changed her clothes.