"I don't want to know anymore," Shu Yi immediately replied. She hadn't agreed to meet Chang Zhiyuan's sister.
"We'll meet someday," Chang Zhiyuan said with inexplicable confidence.
He made this solemn promise to Shu Yi.
What could Shu Yi do? She could only pretend she hadn't heard.
"I'm tired. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."
Chang Zhiyuan walked out onto the balcony, gazed at the bright moon outside the window, and called Chang Ningjing.
"Hello, sis."
"Who are you calling sis?" Chang Ningjing's tone was particularly unpleasant on the other end of the line.
"Sis, I was wrong," Chang Zhiyuan said coyly.
"Wrong about what?"
"I shouldn't have gone so long without calling my dear sister. I shouldn't have left Rong City without a word during the holiday and not gone home. I made you worry. It's all my fault. I'll definitely bring you some local specialties when I come back."
"Get lost. Stop sweet-talking me. Do you know that Mom and Dad complain about you to me every day? They say you don't care about them, that you're unfilial, that you don't come home. Every day they pester me, asking when you'll be back. Can't you just give them a call?"
Chang Zhiyuan wanted to say that if he called his parents, what would be left for Chang Ningjing to do? He didn't know what his parents were thinking. Was a son a child but a daughter not? Boys and girls were the same. He didn't know who had indulged them in this habit of favoring sons over daughters. He just couldn't stand it. When these two changed their habit of favoring sons over daughters, that's when he'd go home again.
"Where are you? I've never seen you away from Rong City during holidays before. Don't tell me you're on a business trip. I haven't even settled accounts with you about you running off to act in a film a few months ago!"
"I'm in Tibetan City. I'll bring you some air-dried beef from here when I return. I've tried it, it's really good!"
"Why on earth did you go to Tibetan City? It's so dangerous. What if you get altitude sickness? You could lose half your life."
"I didn't want to come to Tibetan City. It's far and remote. But my wife is here, so of course I came."
"Your wife? Chang Zhiyuan, you've got some nerve. When did you get married? The household register is at home. How did you get married? Did you sneak back home and steal the household register when Mom and Dad weren't paying attention?"
"Sis, sister, keep your image. You need to maintain your image. Bring out your usual efficient and decisive style instead of yelling at me. Stay cool, keep up that domineering female CEO image."
"Stop sweet-talking me. With you, I can chase you around and beat you with my shoe, no problem. Hurry up and explain what's going on with this wife business. Don't mess around again. Think about how many ex-girlfriends you've had. Then think about how many times those ex-girlfriends cheated on you. Don't you know yourself? Those eyes of yours are just for show."
Chang Ningjing started rambling on.
"Sis, I was wrong. They don't count. This time I'm serious."
"Shut up. You say you're serious every time."
"Sis, this time I swear on my life and my character. If I'm not serious, may I be hit by a car when I go out, choke on water when I drink, and choke on food when I eat."
Chang Zhiyuan held up three fingers with one hand while holding his phone with the other.
Shu Yi came out of the bathroom to see Chang Zhiyuan making these vicious vows.
"What are you swearing about? I'm done showering. You can go in now."
"Alright, I'll go right in."
Chang Zhiyuan lowered his three fingers when he saw Shu Yi come out.
"Chang Zhiyuan, Chang Zhiyuan, is that..."
Before Chang Ningjing could finish her question, Chang Zhiyuan hung up the phone.
Chang Ningjing sat in her bedroom, fuming. She hadn't found out anything before the call was cut off. Indeed, the little brat had grown up and learned to hang up on people.
Chang Ningjing dialed another number.
"Hello, I'd like to ask who the female lead is in the drama Chang Zhiyuan acted in. What's her background?"
The person on the other end spoke for a while, then Chang Ningjing hung up.
She and Chang Zhiyuan had grown up together. How could she not understand him? He wasn't the type who would willingly act in a drama unless there was someone in the crew he was interested in.
This inquiry had indeed yielded results.
The female lead was Shu Yi.
Chang Ningjing remembered her. She was the one they had met during dinner last time.
If she wasn't mistaken, that was in May or June, right? Now it was already past October 1st. It had been quite a while. Could it be that this time he was really serious?
Chang Ningjing opened Baidu and searched for Shu Yi's entry. She was one of their own artists. Currently, there was no negative news about her, and her values seemed quite proper. Not bad. This time, his taste seemed normal.
A message popped up on her phone.
[Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!]
Chang Ningjing immediately became as excited as a young girl, showing no trace of her powerful businesswoman demeanor.
[Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Thank you for last time.]
Xue Jingrui had asked Chang Ningjing for help last time, wondering if she could contact the captain of the Rong City Special Police Force to rescue someone.
When Chang Ningjing heard that Shen Yin was in danger, she immediately contacted Tan Xiao and asked for his help.
[No need to thank me. It's our duty, what we should do.]
[That won't do. Thanks should be given when due. Let me treat you to a meal sometime when you're free.]
[Haha, senior, how many times have we planned to have a meal together? We've never succeeded. It's always either you're busy or I'm busy.]
[That's true. Well, there's no time like the present. You should have a day off for Mid-Autumn Festival, right? Let's go eat now. We can even enjoy the moon while we're at it.]
[Sounds good. Where shall we meet?]
On this lovely Mid-Autumn Festival night, the full moon shone brightly.
Everyone was looking at the same moon.
Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe were staying in a hotel that night.
This was Shen Yin's first Mid-Autumn Festival since arriving here.
Isn't the Mid-Autumn Festival a time for family reunions? In the past, before her uncle had returned to his hometown, she had always spent holidays at her uncle's house. Now, looking at the moon, Shen Yin felt a bit melancholic. Were they celebrating the festival too?
Shen Yin picked up her phone and called Fang Yue.
"Hello, Mom, did you receive the mooncakes and the cardigan?"
"Yes, I did. The clothes are beautiful. The embroidery is so exquisite. My daughter is really amazing."
Shen Yin had made a formal dress for Fang Yue before. A few days ago, when autumn began, she made a cardigan for Fang Yue with numerous embroidered patterns.
The patterns were diverse, yet when combined, they were incredibly harmonious and not at all incongruous. It looked more like a work of art.
It could be said that because of this embroidery, the price of this cardigan had immediately skyrocketed. It would easily be worth over a million.
However, in Fang Yue's eyes, this cardigan was priceless. It was embroidered by her daughter's own hands, something that money simply couldn't buy.
"Mom, I'm glad you like it. We're almost at Yun City now. Who would have thought we'd be spending this year's Mid-Autumn Festival away from home?"
"It's alright. You and Xiuhe work so hard all the time, it's good to get out and relax a bit. Next year's Mid-Autumn Festival, we'll spend it together - the whole family, lively and warm."
Shen Yin agreed. The idea of spending a holiday together with the whole family, in a lively and warm atmosphere, sounded quite nice indeed.