The Lost Lamb's Trap - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Stars

Duan Jiayang never asked Lin Ke if she did it on purpose. In her heart, she was certain Lin Ke did. This was the moment their conflict was cemented. How else could she have copied the paper and gotten first place? By pure stupidity?

From that day on, there was no notion of a “good sisterly relationship” between them. Of course, this also laid a firm foundation for her to storm into Lin Ke’s room to fight her later.

After Lin Ke moved out, the house was plunged into an eerie silence, returning to its original state. The large green areas around the house let in only a few slivers of morning sun, and the wind blew in in cool gusts.

Duan Jiayang sat listlessly at the dining table. She wasn’t picky about her food anymore, just pouring milk over her oatmeal. She chewed on each spoonful as if it were unflavored rice, eating without enthusiasm. Duan Litian watched her from the sofa, glancing at her with an expression of shame. Duan Jiayang’s cheeks were puffed out as she ate. It was a form of revenge.

She hadn’t put herself together much today. Duan Litian had a sharp eye and could tell when she was meticulously dressing herself and when she was just going through the motions. He shook the magazine in his hand and said, “You two aren’t a good match. She’s too shrewd. If you get involved with her, she’ll chew you up and spit out the bones.”

The oatmeal was a mix of soft and hard pieces, utterly tasteless. Duan Jiayang forced herself to swallow it, then took a napkin and wiped her mouth. “You’re thinking too much. I have no intention of getting with her.”

Duan Litian grunted. “You should find someone honest…”

“…And then they’ll scam me out of all my money, and I’ll die depressed and alone.”

Duan Litian could tell she was being sarcastic. “Don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t get a cent. I’ll make sure of that.”

For a few short days, Duan Jiayang had almost forgotten what it was like to be around her dad. Before, she rarely ate breakfast, and her dad went to work on time, so they hardly spoke. With no conversation, there were no arguments, and she could play the part of the good daughter in front of him.

Duan Jiayang kept wiping her mouth with a napkin, knowing she didn’t have the leverage to argue with him. She didn’t have the financial independence. She simply asked, “So, did you have a bastard child?”

Duan Litian’s expression froze.

Duan Jiayang stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed for the door. Duan Litian asked her in a cold voice where she was going. Duan Jiayang replied, “Lan Yao and I are going to see a movie.”

“Cherish that,” Duan Litian said. “Lan Yao isn’t a bad person.”

Duan Jiayang stopped. The blooming flowers in the courtyard came into view. She didn’t know whether to retort. Why was her dad so sure she liked women? Did he think any woman would do? She hated that Duan Litian was her father, yet she was also grateful. Without him, she would never have realized so early in her life that men were not for her, regardless of her orientation. She would never take a step closer to a man.

As she walked out of the villa, she could still hear her dad’s voice. “Put some makeup on. You look so haggard. It’s not a good look.”

“And at the company, you better be careful today. Lin…”

Duan Jiayang didn’t listen to him. She walked quickly for ten minutes and saw Lan Yao waiting for her under a tree not far from her house. Lan Yao was her childhood friend. They grew up together, and Lan Yao was only two years older. Before Lin Ke came into the picture, Duan Jiayang would always follow her around. Lan Yao had a good temper and a sense of responsibility. If Duan Jiayang got into a fight and lost, she would cry and run home, and Lan Yao would hold her hand, find the person who wronged her, and help her get revenge. Later, Duan Jiayang couldn’t survive in her private school, and Lan Yao’s family was focused on her education, so their relationship drifted apart. They only reconnected during a recent matchmaking meeting.

Lan Yao had a twin brother, but Duan Jiayang’s relationship with him had never been close. Lan Yao worked for her family’s company, which made car parts and chips. She was wearing a warm yellow dress suit with her newly styled shoulder-length hair in a sophisticated curl. She smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? You look upset. Did you fight with your dad?”

Duan Jiayang didn’t elaborate. “It’s nothing.”

The two of them walked out of the villa community. Duan Jiayang felt awkward. Dating someone so familiar was pointless. You couldn’t be wild or flirtatious. They had grown up together and knew each other’s personalities inside and out. There was no way to pretend.

The reason for their awkwardness was a recent incident. Duan Litian and Lan Yao’s dad were drinking together. Duan Litian asked, “Are your kids still single? Have they not found anyone?” Lan Yao’s dad vented his frustration. “No, they haven’t found a damn thing. They keep saying they’ll find their true love, but they haven’t found anything yet.” For some reason, the two dads, who weren’t old-fashioned like other fathers, felt a connection. They came back and told their daughters about the conversation, asking for their thoughts. Duan Jiayang flatly refused, saying that rabbits don’t eat the grass around their own burrows. Wasn’t it awkward to date a childhood friend or someone you’ve always seen as a sister?

Duan Litian then said, “Then why are you dating Lin Ke?”

Duan Jiayang was speechless.

Over the past month, they had gone out for a few meals, and each time, their once-close childhood friendship became dull and felt spoiled.

The area outside the villa lacked green vegetation for shade, and the temperature was getting hot. Duan Jiayang held up a hair tie and asked Lan Yao if she wanted it. Lan Yao said no. Lan Yao’s shoulder-length hair was styled, and it wouldn’t look good tied up. Duan Jiayang’s hair reached her chest. She didn’t care and just tied it up, revealing her narrow shoulders.

After a while, Lan Yao asked if she wanted to see a movie. She scrolled through an app. “There are no good matinees, but there’s a popular one tonight. Do you want me to take you?” It was too hot to be outside. Lan Yao drove her to her company, and they arrived at eleven-thirty. They could have gotten a meal, but Duan Jiayang wasn’t hungry after her oatmeal. Lan Yao was about to get out and open the door for her, but Duan Jiayang waved her off, pushing the door open and jumping out herself.

The company was scorching, like an oven. Duan Jiayang was in a hurry to get out of the sun. “I can go in myself. You should get back to your company.” Lan Yao smiled at her. “Jiayang, if you’re this way for your dates, it’s going to be very hard to succeed.”

“Huh?” Duan Jiayang didn’t understand what she meant. She ran toward the shade, waved to Lan Yao at the main gate, put her bag on her head, took out her employee card, and swiped herself into the company.

…

Duan Jiayang worked at her family’s car company. It was her maternal grandfather’s business, and the brand was named Xuetang after him. Her grandfather was a car enthusiast in Hong Kong in his early years, and that’s how he met her grandmother. Her grandfather was a pure Hong Konger. He and a group of people would modify cars. They were one of the first people to do so, and they achieved great success in the Hong Kong market, rising several classes and becoming a well-known leader in the city. At that time, the car market on the mainland was still in its infancy. Her grandfather firmly believed the Hong Kong market was limited and the mainland had huge potential. He moved his entire family to the mainland. At first, he found a mainland car manufacturer, and they reached an agreement to produce a market-friendly SUV. Because of his pursuit of excellence in design and manufacturing, the car was quickly loved by consumers, and sales skyrocketed.

Duan Litian didn’t manage to grow any of Dai Xuetang’s other businesses, but this one alone secured him a firm spot on the rich list. It was ironic that Duan Jiayang’s grandfather made his fortune from cars but also had his life taken by one. Duan Jiayang sometimes wondered that if her grandfather were still alive, he would have had Duan Litian torn apart for bullying his precious daughter.

Duan Jiayang came to the company before she even graduated. She floated around and now worked in the automotive design department, mostly just slacking off. The department wasn’t a leisure position, but for her… it was pretty much a vacation.

Duan Jiayang got on the elevator and ran into a colleague who pressed the button for her floor. When she got to the door, she frowned, took out her compact mirror, and looked at her face. Her eyeliner wasn’t right. She rummaged through her bag for an eyebrow pencil to fix it. The colleague lowered his voice. “Duan Jiayang, the new director is here. She finalized the procedures today and officially moved in.”

A new director? Duan Jiayang’s first thought was the person inside. “Last name Lin?”

“You know?” The colleague clicked his tongue and whispered his guess. “As expected, she has a powerful background.” Everyone at the company knew Duan Jiayang was the owner’s daughter. Since the owner’s daughter knew the new director, she must have a lot of influence. The male colleague had no advice for Duan Jiayang, but he reminded himself several times not to offend the new director.

“What about the old director?” Duan Jiayang’s only memory of the old one was him bringing her tea and water. She couldn’t imagine Lin Ke being a director inside. Would she bring her tea and water, too? It felt unlikely.

“Your eyeliner pencil, you drew on the back of your hand…” the male colleague pointed out.

Duan Jiayang put the pencil away and used a makeup wipe to clean the back of her hand. The male colleague went in and pushed the door open. She looked inside but didn’t see Lin Ke. She took a step back and quickly undid her messy hair to re-tie it into a neat bun, pulling out a few strands of bangs on both sides to frame her face.

…

Duan Jiayang reached her desk and put her bag down. Her colleagues’ desks were piled high with files, but hers was spotless, with only a car magazine from her own company. Duan Jiayang turned on her computer and entered her employee number. She tried to remember what work she had to do. The last time she was at work was a week ago. Since she went to pick up Lin Ke, she hadn’t come to the office, and she had completely forgotten about work.

Usually, the office was a gossip hub. When the director wasn’t around, people would talk. Today, it was quiet. The colleagues on her left and right were working. She opened the work chat and sent a message: [Where’s the new director? What’s she like? Is she easy to get along with?]

No one replied. After a while, Yang Ruiqi, who sat next to her, leaned over and whispered, “The new director is in the work chat.” The message she had just sent was now sitting awkwardly alone in the chat. In the past, when Duan Jiayang sent messages, the old director would flatter her, making the serious work chat a casual place for chatting.

Yang Ruiqi leaned back and kindly sent her a private message. She also said, “I’ll give you the files from the product side later. You just need to organize them.” Duan Jiayang lowered her head and typed furiously on her computer. She was a fast typist. Yang Ruiqi was surprised by her work efficiency and leaned over to look. What she saw on the screen was: “How dare she. She tricked me and now she’s parading around in front of me. How dare she how dare she so annoying so annoying so annoying going crazy going crazy again and again…”

Yang Ruiqi was bewildered but didn’t dare to ask more. Duan Jiayang was, after all, the owner’s daughter, and no one dared to speak ill of her. Duan Jiayang saw her looking at her computer and immediately closed the document. She frowned. “What’s wrong?” The two looked at each other, both unsure of what the other was thinking. A colleague in front of them, Xiao Li, coughed. They both looked away, and a moment later, they saw the director’s office door was open.

Their gazes focused on the door. Lin Ke came out, wearing an elegant white suit jacket and white flared pants with white stilettos. She had her hair tied up in a neat ponytail and her hands in her pockets. She had class, and she had a great figure. The new director was a sight to behold. A few colleagues’ eyes were fixed on the floor, following her as she walked by. When she passed, she left a lingering scent of jasmine.

Duan Jiayang looked at the director’s office. The office took up half of the design department’s space. In the past, Duan Jiayang used to slack off there. The window allowed a clear view from the inside, but from the outside, it was a pure, solid glass panel. Yang Ruiqi was also looking. “I wonder if the director is strict,” she mumbled. “When old Zhang was here, we could secretly slack off and be a ‘salted fish’.” The colleague across the aisle stretched. They used to complain about old Zhang, but now that he was gone, they were a little nostalgic. “If she’s strict, we’ll have to work overtime this month.” Because of Duan Jiayang, old Zhang would often cut them slack, and management would turn a blind eye. Even if their work wasn’t satisfactory, they wouldn’t get scolded.

The male colleague stretched. “…She probably won’t be too strict. No one’s been called in yet. She’s young. The ‘three fires of a new official’ probably won’t burn here. She seems easy to get along with.”

Duan Jiayang scoffed to herself. Don’t be so optimistic. From what she knew about Lin Ke, she was calculating, nitpicky, and held grudges. She used to tattletale on her all the time. We haven’t even seen each other yet, and she’s already given me a ‘big gift.’ She made me get first place.

Not only was Yang Ruiqi thinking this way, but everyone in the office was. Duan Jiayang didn’t work much, but with her here, everyone’s benefits were multiplied. Now, they were all putting their faith in her.

“Afraid of her? She’s probably afraid of me. She’s lucky I haven’t gone to get my revenge.” Duan Jiayang’s lips curled into a cold smile. Lin Ke had tricked her so badly. She just wanted to have nothing to do with Lin Ke and avoid her whenever possible. Otherwise, with her temper, she would have stormed in and slapped Lin Ke, demanding to know if it was fun to lie to people.

Duan Jiayang looked at her computer. She had drawn a hand-drawn goat and a realistic pink pig in the design program. Old Zhang had replied to her drawing: “good good Very good Xiao Duan, your design has improved.”

Half an hour later, the office was so quiet you could only hear the sound of keyboards being furiously typed. Duan Jiayang flipped through a magazine and searched for information, trying to find a famous designer who had drawn inspiration from goats and pigs to design a car.

Everyone worked hard until it was time to leave. Since Director Lin had left and hadn’t come back, and she held all their weaknesses, no one dared to pack up early. Everyone was watching the clock. Three minutes before closing, Director Lin returned to the department, holding a document. She stopped at a coworker’s desk. Everyone held their breath. The feeling was strange. They felt her presence was intimidating.

Duan Jiayang’s fingers tightened on her mouse. She felt goosebumps. She was truly uncomfortable with Lin Ke’s sudden change in identity. Director Lin? My boss? In the same office? Her feelings for Lin Ke were stuck in the past.

“A pen,” Lin Ke said, bending and straightening up. The colleague nervously replied, “Thank you, Director.” Lin Ke walked a few more steps and stopped at Duan Jiayang’s desk. She tapped the car magazine on the table and said, “Duan Jiayang, come into my office.” She glanced at her. “Let’s discuss the relationship between goats, pigs, and cars.”