"It’ll be very late today. There’s a team dinner."
Lin Yunsheng replied quickly; as usual, she didn't keep her waiting long.
Chen Jinyue tossed her phone onto the bed and then threw herself after it, the impact sending a small ripple through the mattress that made her body shudder slightly.
*If today doesn't work, there's always another day. If I can wait a month or two, I can wait a day or two,* she comforted herself. But her mind wouldn't stop racing, dwelling on everything between her and Lin Yunsheng.
*Buzz.* The phone vibrated again. She picked it up to see another message from the other woman: "Do you want to come?"
Without a moment's hesitation, she typed back: "Yes."
"Okay. Seven o'clock. Zhao Man will come pick you up."
Seven o'clock. That left three hours.
Chen Jinyue first dialed her mother. "Hello, Mom."
"Yueyue, what is it? Seven of Circles!"
"I'm eating out with Sister Shengsheng tonight. Her team is having a dinner, so I won't be home for food."
"A team dinner? Hey, hey, put that down—Kong! Alright then, just make sure you two come back early."
"Okay, hanging up now." Chen Jinyue pressed the end call button and grabbed her clothes to head for the bathroom. Two seconds later, she doubled back, remembering to plug her phone in to charge.
Showering, applying makeup, picking out clothes—she kept changing, dissatisfied with every combination. She had only brought a few outfits back with her, and now she regretted it bitterly, though there was nothing she could do.
There were only so many ways to arrange those few pieces. In the end, she settled on a Dralon base layer with an academic-style knit sweater over it, paired with brown corduroy trousers...
It would have to do.
Chen Jinyue looked at herself in the mirror. She looked dull, lacking any of her sister's maturity. *Standing next to her is going to look so strange,* she thought.
She glanced at the time—it was already 6:50. Hurriedly, she tidied her hair, grabbed her bag, and clutched her phone, sitting on the sofa with her legs pressed together, looking like a soldier on standby.
Zhao Man arrived right on time. At exactly seven, a message arrived: "I'm downstairs. Take your time, no rush."
"Okay, Sister Man, I'll be right there."
She hurried to the entryway in three steps. Right—she’d forgotten her shoes.
Lin Yunsheng would definitely be wearing high heels today. If she wore sneakers again, wouldn't she look even more like a child?
No, that wouldn't do.
She opened the shoe cabinet, searching for something she could borrow. Her eyes landed on Lin Yunsheng’s pair of Dr. Martens. *You'll do.* She pulled the boots out, slid her feet in, tied the laces, and rushed out the door.
When Chen Jinyue got into the car, Zhao Man happened to be on the phone. She sat quietly so as not to disturb her, buckled her seatbelt, and resumed that "ready for action" posture she’d held on the sofa.
Zhao Man found her both adorable and hilarious, flashing a wide, toothy grin at her while continuing her call.
"Are you nervous?" Zhao Man asked directly once she hung up, skipping the pleasantries.
*Ah? Is it that obvious?*
"A little." There was no point in hiding it.
Zhao Man started the car, signaling to merge into traffic. "Don't be nervous. It's just your sister's team; there aren't that many people."
"Oh, I see. No wonder she didn't have time to pick me up."
"Exactly. So, I'm playing chauffeur for the day."
Chen Jinyue hurried to explain, "I didn't mean it like that, Sister Man..."
Zhao Man kept one hand on the steering wheel and reached over with the other to ruffle her hair. "I'm joking. Relax."
"Oh."
They arrived at the dinner location, a Western restaurant. Zhao Man said she had an important call to make and told Chen Jinyue to go in first.
She obediently got out of the car, only to immediately spot Jiang Haitao smoking with someone by the entrance.
Chen Jinyue rolled her eyes, intending to take a detour to get inside, but Jiang Haitao was sharp-eyed and noticed her instantly.
"Hey—! Yueyue!" he called out with feigned intimacy.
Chen Jinyue thought, *I'm not even that close to you, can't you just use my full name?*
She didn't respond but walked over anyway. Jiang Haitao immediately stubbed out his cigarette and introduced her to the colleague beside him, saying she was Manager Lin's younger sister.
"I'll take you in," Jiang Haitao said.
"Mhm." The smell of smoke on him was so foul it made her brow furrow. She deliberately slowed her pace, trailing two steps behind him.
Lin Yunsheng was sitting on the second floor with several colleagues. The dinner hadn't officially started yet, and they were chatting. Seeing her sister, Chen Jinyue immediately quickened her pace, leaving Jiang Haitao behind.
Only when she reached them did Lin Yunsheng notice her. The older woman looked up at her, then at Jiang Haitao behind her, understanding the situation instantly.
Lin Yunsheng remained seated. She took her sister's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze in her palm, and smilingly guided her to the empty seat beside her.
Jiang Haitao followed, eyeing the seat on Chen Jinyue's other side. Just as he was about to sit...
"That seat is reserved for Zhao Man," Lin Yunsheng said.
"Ah, Director Zhao is coming too?" Jiang Haitao said, then consciously moved to another empty spot.
Chen Jinyue secretly counted; there were five people between Jiang Haitao and Lin Yunsheng.
*That's fine. Barely acceptable.*
"This is my sister, Chen Jinyue," Lin Yunsheng introduced her simply to the small group.
Everyone chimed in with welcomes, calling her cute and saying she was just as beautiful as Manager Lin.
Chen Jinyue’s face flushed instantly. She looked down at Lin Yunsheng’s feet; as expected, she was wearing stiletto heels.
*Sister is much more beautiful.*
Zhao Man returned about half an hour later, just as the food was being served.
When she arrived, she naturally sat down next to Chen Jinyue and greeted the others. They joked that she had arrived at the perfect time. She laughed heartily.
Chen Jinyue remembered that Zhao Man was from the Marketing Department, while her sister was in the Business Analysis Center. Since Zhao Man had joined the team dinner and no one seemed surprised, they must truly be very close.
"Oh my, it looks like Director Zhao doesn't get to sit next to Manager Lin today," a female colleague whose name Jinyue didn't know teased.
"You guys don't understand. Little Jin is much cuter than your Manager Lin," Zhao Man replied, ruffling Chen Jinyue’s hair again. She leaned in and whispered so only the two of them could hear, "Still nervous?"
"No... not anymore," she whispered back.
At that moment, Lin Yunsheng let go of her hand.
Chen Jinyue turned her head to look at her, but she didn't respond.
"What? Is my favorite CP going 'BE' already?" The teasing continued, mostly revolving around Lin Yunsheng and Zhao Man, with Chen Jinyue occasionally serving as a prop in the middle.
"But Sister Lin, don't be sad. Look at me, I'm always here waiting for you!" A girl sitting across the long table said this, sparking another round of cheering and jeering.
Zhao Man immediately picked up the thread. "Hey, Xiao Yao, you've got it all figured out, don't you? Too bad your Sister Lin is a hardcore straight woman—she's not like me. If I can't have a taste, you can forget about it too." She finished with a mischievous grin, raising her wine glass to clink it against the air. "Cheers!"
Lin Yunsheng laughed along.
Chen Jinyue, however, was stunned by those words.
*What does that mean?*
*Zhao Man is gay? And she's openly out at work?*
*Then what exactly is going on between her and Lin Yunsheng?*
A mountain of questions piled up in her mind, but before she could process them, someone walked over to toast Lin Yunsheng.
Lin Yunsheng picked up her glass and stood. The other person said some polite words about how hard Manager Lin had worked this year, then clinked glasses and drained their drink.
She only took a sip, not drinking much, and didn't rush to sit back down. Instead, she turned to the table. "Everyone has worked hard this past year. And to the two newcomers who joined the team—it’s been so busy at the end of the year that I haven't always been able to look after you, but I'm very grateful you chose to work with me."
She smiled at the two of them and continued, "Sometimes business fluctuations are too great, forcing us to respond passively over and over. Part of that is because I haven't yet gained enough of a voice in management to influence their decisions. I hope you'll give me some time; next year, I'll strive to make things less painful for everyone."
The people below laughed. She paused for two seconds, then continued, "With the New Year approaching, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year in advance. Let's work hard together next year. Thank you all for your trust and support."
As Lin Yunsheng finished, she raised her glass. Someone from the table shouted, "Sister Lin is the best leader I've ever had! Cheers!"
Everyone stood up in response, raising their glasses to clink with hers one by one.
Chen Jinyue hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, yet she felt intoxicated by the tone of Lin Yunsheng’s voice.
Her sister, Lin Yunsheng, was humble and gentle, her words neither servile nor overbearing, without a trace of arrogance. She was powerful and radiant.
*I'm so envious that you all get to work with her.*
*I'm so jealous that she told you 'let's work hard together next year.'*
*I love her so much.*
Chen Jinyue also stood up, reaching for her glass, but even though Lin Yunsheng’s gaze was elsewhere, she accurately caught Jinyue’s hand.
The message was clear: she didn't have to drink.
Zhao Man was quick too, inconspicuously pushing over a tall glass filled with Minute Maid Pulpy Orange. And so, in a room full of people holding red wine, Jinyue awkwardly raised a glass of bright orange juice, clinked with the others, and drank.
Zhao Man chuckled softly beside her, and Jinyue could only accept it helplessly.
After that, Lin Yunsheng was occupied. The dozen or so team members chatted with her one after another, coming up in turns to toast her. Lin Yunsheng drank quite a bit, but she seemed to be in high spirits.
Chen Jinyue temporarily yielded her sister to these people, quietly eating the short ribs in front of her and occasionally exchanging a few words with Zhao Man.
"Bored?" Zhao Man leaned in to ask.
"Hmm?"
"Want to step out with me while I have a cigarette?"
Chen Jinyue first looked at her sister, who was still standing and talking to someone, then answered "Okay." She stood up and followed Zhao Man outside.
It just so happened she had something she wanted to ask Zhao Man as well.
She followed her all the way to the balcony smoking area. There was no one else there; just the two of them standing in the wind.
Zhao Man took out a slim cigarette and lit it. She didn't ask Jinyue if she wanted one; instead, she unfolded the coat she was carrying and draped it over Chen Jinyue’s shoulders.
"Do you know how to drive?" Zhao Man’s topic was quite a leap.
"Huh? I... I don't have a domestic license."
Zhao Man exhaled a puff of smoke to the side, her long, slender fingers holding the cigarette looking exceptionally elegant. "Then we'll have to call a designated driver for your sister later."
She brought the conversation back to Lin Yunsheng.
"Mhm..."
"Sister Man."
"Yeah?"
"Um..." Chen Jinyue hesitated slightly.
"Ask away." Zhao Man glanced at her sideways with a hum of a laugh.
Chen Jinyue felt that she probably already knew what she wanted to ask.
"Are you... gay?"
The other woman looked at her through the drifting smoke, smiling.
"Mm-hmm," she hummed, confirming it.
Chen Jinyue’s fingers toyed with the corner of the coat draped over her, wondering how to phrase the next question.
Zhao Man wasn't in a hurry. She calmly flicked the ash and lightly bit the filter of the cigarette.
"Then, you and my sister...?" She asked this with her head down, not daring to look at her.
Zhao Man had been leaning against the wall, but upon hearing this, she took the cigarette out of her mouth, let her hand drop to her side, and moved closer to Chen Jinyue.
"What are you thinking?" Zhao Man burst out laughing.
"Your sister and I are just friends."
Now it was Chen Jinyue’s turn to blush. "Oh... I just thought you two were very close..."
"Well, I've known her for six years. How could we not be close?"
"But speaking of which, it's been six years and I'm only just finding out she has a sister? Does that even make sense?"
"Ah..." How did it turn back to her?
"Did you meet through work?" Chen Jinyue hurriedly steered the topic back.
"Yeah, I met her back when she was still a workplace rookie."
*I'm so envious of her, being able to know the rookie Lin Yunsheng.*
"Your sister wasn't as composed as she is now, able to just pick up a glass and drink with people. Back then, whenever she drank until she threw up, I was the one who took her home to look after her."
Envy turned into heartache.
"I've worked all these years and your sister is my only true confidante. I think it's the same for her. The two of us have struggled and crawled our way to where we are now, trusting each other completely. And yet you're asking if there's something between us?"
Zhao Man laughed so loudly that Chen Jinyue suspected the people dining inside could hear her.
"I'm sorry... Sister Man, I was just curious," she apologized quickly to stop the laughter.
"Your sister hasn't had it easy. Now that you're back, you should look after her more." Zhao Man’s tone suddenly softened. She used her free hand to pat Chen Jinyue’s arm.
"Mhm..."
"Chen Jinyue." The sudden use of her full name made her startle.
"Yes?"
Zhao Man lifted her foot and tapped the tip of her high heel against the surface of Jinyue’s shoe.
"Why did you sneak into your sister's boots?"
At this, Chen Jinyue’s face turned red once more. She was trying to think of an explanation, wondering how Zhao Man could even recognize the shoes.
A sound drew their attention—the balcony door was pushed open again.
Both of them looked over at the same time.
It was Lin Yunsheng.
Her hair was draped over her shoulders, the strands caught by the wind and looking slightly disheveled.
She saw Zhao Man’s coat draped over Chen Jinyue, and her sister’s two feet pressed together.
Her sister, Chen Jinyue, was leaning against the wooden planter railing, her cheeks slightly flushed despite not having drunk any alcohol.
She saw the half-burned cigarette still in Zhao Man’s hand, staining the air with the scent of tobacco.
Without reason, Lin Yunsheng suddenly wanted to take it and have a puff herself.
***
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