The place where Ye Qian lived was in Ye He Ping’s dormitory. After all, as a girl, it was not suitable for her to squeeze in with others. Besides the infirmary, there were no women in the company. So Ye He Ping stayed with the employees, and Ye Ling lived there herself. The dormitories where the leaders stayed were mostly adjacent, and Ye Ling’s single room was right at the end of the row of bungalows, which was quite convenient.
After separating from Zhang Linong and the others, Ye Ling went into the room. The door wasn’t locked, so she pushed it open and went in. Ye Ling replaced the bedsheet and duvet cover she brought with her. The room was neatly arranged, and after she flattened the quilt that had been folded like tofu after putting on a duvet cover, it made the excessively neat room look a lot cozier, with a bit of a homey feel.
Just after Ye Ling took the books out of her backpack and placed them on the table, she heard someone knocking on the door. She found it quite strange—since when did Zhang Linong and the others become so polite? But when she went out, she saw Shen Bin standing outside, which truly surprised her.
Without waiting for Ye Ling to invite him, Shen Bin came in on his own, placing the thermos he was holding on the side of the table. After glancing at Ye Ling’s books placed on the table, he finally spoke, "I heard you got first place in the city exam. Do you always study by yourself in advance ?"
"Thanks for bringing the thermos." Ye Ling felt that Shen Bin wasn’t suited for chatting. After all, it’s always odd when you’re staring at a block of ice but it doesn’t melt in the midsummer, "Captain Shen, is there something you need?"
Considering that in her past life, Ye Ling was the one who made mistakes, her attitude towards Shen Bin wasn’t too harsh, even somewhat courteous.
Shen Bin had a great physique, and wearing a suit accentuated his masculine aura. He turned to look at Ye Ling, "Are you afraid of me?"
Ye Ling was taken aback. This guy had a sharp eye; just a few brief interactions, and he could already tell? But he misunderstood. It wasn’t fear, it was guilt. After all, in her past life, she made this man lose face both in the compound and the company. In the end, when she was down on her luck and met him, he didn’t add insult to injury, and even showed some concern. So upon being reborn, every time Ye Ling saw Shen Bin, she felt guilty, believing she could never atone for her sins in this lifetime.
However, Ye Ling would never admit to this, so she quickly put on a look of surprise, "Captain Shen, why would you ask that? At the company, I call you Captain Shen, and in private with my father, I should call you Uncle. During the middle school entrance exam, you even gave my sister and me cookies. How could I possibly be afraid of someone so kind?"
Ye Ling didn’t notice that when she said "Uncle," the corners of Shen Bin’s lips twitched. As he examined the girl before him, only sixteen years old, full of youthfulness, and himself ten years her senior, her calling him Uncle wasn’t incorrect. But it was indeed the first time Shen Bin had been called Uncle by someone so old, creating a bit of awkwardness. Fortunately, he was accustomed to not showing his emotions, so his expression remained cold.
"Your sister didn’t take the middle school entrance exam. How is she doing now?" Shen Bin asked casually.
He knew that Minister Ye had two daughters. One he had seen a few times during the New Year, a sweet and gentle little girl, fair and polite. As for the eldest daughter, Ye Ling, he only met her once during this year’s New Year. She sat there quietly, and if she didn’t speak, she almost faded into the background.
Clearly two sisters, yet as different as night and day. One was like a bright sun attracting everyone’s attention, while the other was like a star in the dark night, too ordinary in the night sky.
Thinking of the girl like the sun being overshadowed by her less capable sister, she must feel uncomfortable, right?
Ye Ling observed Shen Bin, "Familiar with Ye Qian?"
Shen Bin directly replied, "She appears gentle but is actually strong-willed. Not taking this exam must have made her feel bad."
"You seem to understand her well." Ye Ling wondered why she hadn’t noticed this in her past life.
Couldn’t help re-evaluating Shen Bin. Compared to youthful teenage boys, Shen Bin, who was now a captain and divorced, looked steady yet exuded the aura of someone in authority. Logically, this man could attract women, but speaking from Ye Ling’s perspective of living again, for the girls of this era, Shen Bin might just seem too rigid and unromantic.
As Shen Bin was being scrutinized and just about to speak, Ye Ling interjected, "You pay a lot of attention to Ye Qian?"
Remembering Zhao Guodong’s words on the road today, Zhao Guodong admitted to liking Ye Qian. Ye Ling didn’t feel upset, the only irritation coming from Zhao Guodong speaking behind her back saying Ye Qian was gentle and demure, while referring to her as his buddy. Could it be that her strength was seen as masculine?
Though not exactly jealous, Ye Ling didn’t pay any mind to Zhao Guodong the entire way, who usually threw childish tantrums with her, whom she sometimes still considered as a child not worth her quarreling. But now, it seems she really had been overthinking. How could someone with feelings for another be a child? Reflecting on the times spent together with Zhao Guodong, Zhao Guodong often complained about his mother being biased but never mentioned Ye Qian. Ye Ling secretly blamed herself for being too foolish to have overlooked such obvious matters, yet still generously let Zhao Guodong have his way.
But now it’s not too late to know. Ye Ling decided never to give Zhao Guodong an inch again or even keep such a close relationship in the future. After all, the middle school entrance exams had concluded, and during the exam period, Song Mei often tried to trouble her, but Zhao Guodong would always step in, causing no one to bother Ye Ling at school due to her closeness with Zhao Guodong.
Now stepping into high school, with her first-place results proving her capabilities, no one would dare look down on Ye Ling or say anything harsh about her again.
Knowing about Zhao Guodong’s situation, seeing Shen Bin, this cold man, being so concerned about Ye Qian inevitably made Ye Ling overthink. It seemed unlikely, Shen Bin being ten years older than herself, and eleven years older than Ye Qian. Could this man possibly have a penchant for younger individuals?
Shen Bin was taken aback by the question, pausing before responding coldly, "Just concerned."
Concern is just attention, isn’t it?
Ye Ling thought she’d be foolish not to consider more. In her past life, Ye Qian married Liu Zhiyuan, quite impressively, as Liu Zhiyuan was from a high-ranking family within the company, having smoothly climbed to become the CEO. Ye Ling recalled that when she died, Ye Qian came over, saying Liu Zhiyuan had already been promoted.
And Ye Qian liked Liu Zhiyuan; it was apparent now. If that’s the case, with Shen Bin liking Ye Qian, doesn’t that make him the fall guy? (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to cast a recommendation or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)