Are you okay?

"You may proceed," Haocheng nodded.

Song Yinan started explaining the differences between the old operations of Changsu as compared to the new one, before delving into new services and the benefits they could allow Fei International. His voice was strong and firm and his hands made gestures in the air as if to give a more visual touch to the words that flowed from his lips.

Ying Yue hardly listened -- she didn't even dare to look at him. She was worried she would start tearing up if she did.

The thickness of his eyebrows, the sharp curve of his nose, even the dimple that appeared on his right cheek when he spoke was exactly how she remembered her brother. The only difference between him and the man across her was that he spoke too formally, like a true businessman -- something which Ying Shen was not.

But how could this be?

She bit her lip to try and reason with herself. His name was Song Yinan, not Ying Shen. But then again, could it be possible that Ying Shen was alive and took up a new identity? After all, six years was enough to learn business.

The emotions overwhelmed her like a massive wave that crashed on the shore. And just like that, her vision started to blur and her eyelashes began to get wet.

COO Song was still speaking when she suddenly stood up, taking her purse with her. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

A short silence punctured the air as the three men on the table watched her scurry away. Song Yinan frowned. He had noticed that she had been refusing to look at him and he had aptly seen her tear-filled eyes from across the table. "Did I say anything wrong?" He glanced at Su Jianjun for clarification.

"No, no. It just seems like Miss Ying was a bit emotional just now." Su Jianjun grinned back.

Fei Haocheng could only watch his sister-in-law's back with worry. Oh no, he thought, if someone reports to brother Huang that he hadn't taken good care of his wife, he was surely going to get a good beating from him!

***

Ying Yue splashed cold water on her face and gazed at her reflection in the restroom mirror. As siblings, she and Ying Shen had the same set of eyes. It was unnerving and painful to see those same eyes stare back at her from across the table after all these years. It was as if the metaphorical knife that had been stabbed through her six years ago came back for a second time.

She sighed. She had long accepted Ying Shen's death. But now she was confronted with the possibility that he was alive, after all. A new wave of tears threatened to spill over her cheeks and she extended her neck back in an effort to keep them in.

Knock. Knock.

Someone was waiting to use the restroom. She'd been taking up too much time in there, and she hurried up with patting her face dry and putting up a convincing smile on her face.

That smile froze on her face when she opened the door to find Song Yinan on the other side.

She blinked twice. "Mr. Song."

"Miss Ying," his eyebrows lifted up when he saw that she was calm and collected. "Are you okay?"

Her breath caught. Ying Yue bit down on her lower lip as hard as she could muster until she could almost taste the blood seeping out from it. She had heard this question one too many times since she was a child.

"Brother! Brother!" A 7-year-old child rushed out of her classroom, hurrying towards a boy about twice her age. "Brother!"

As always, he was here to pick her up. And as always, the little girl would run out as soon as she spotted him. "Xiao Yue, careful!" He chided.

Usually, she'd throw herself to his legs, wrapping herself around them before squealing in glee. But that day, the hallway floor seemed a tad too slippery, and before she knew it, her feet had slipped and she landed face-down on a plop on the floor.

Ying Shen immediately helped her up, sighing to suppress his amusement at the way she looked. Her eyes were tear-filled and her braids were in a mess. She looked like a little piglet that had a roll in the mud. "Are you okay?" He asked.

The tears that were pooling in her eyes stayed where it was, and she lifted up her head as if trying to suck them back in. "Uh-huh," she squeaked.