23

That night, Shi Yue was busy until very late. It wasn't until she was lying in bed after taking a shower that she remembered the events of the day. She took out the slip of paper and, after a moment, dialed the number on it.

It was an international call.

She waited for almost thirty seconds before the call was answered, but there was only the sound of soft breathing on the other end—no one spoke.

Shi Yue thought for a moment and asked proactively, "You knew my number, so why didn't you call me yourself?"

Why go through the trouble of having Leng Mingchuan pass along this new contact?

"You're not the one I'm looking for." Leng Yanmi's familiar voice came from the other end, void of any emotional fluctuation. "Weren't you the one running around asking for my contact information?

"I saw you were in such a rush, so I had Mingchuan give you the number."

"Pfft." Hearing her speak in a serious tone but with an undertone of petulance, Shi Yue couldn't help but laugh.

"..." Leng Yanmi was silent for two seconds. "Isn't that the case?"

"Yes, it is. I was looking for you." Shi Yue indulged her, "I was so worried when I couldn't reach you, I didn't know what to do."

This time, Leng Yanmi was silent for even longer.

Shi Yue thought she might have detected the pretense in her voice, and her heart nervously tightened. But just when she was about to apologize and make amends, Leng Yanmi finally spoke.

"Mm." Her voice held a hint of pride that she tried to suppress but couldn't hide, "I got it."

Shi Yue asked, "Where are you?"

"In Country Y." Leng Yanmi seemed to find a chair and sat down. "On the morning of the 13th, I received news that there was an issue with the cooperation in Country Y, so I flew over directly. The trip was urgent, so I left my personal phone with my assistant and didn't get the chance to tell you. This is my work phone; you can save it. If not, it's fine. I'll use my regular phone to contact you once I'm back in the country.

"I've only been away for less than a week. Were you that anxious? But even if you were anxious, there was nothing you could do. I'm not in the country. Well... or you do have a passport, right? I can have my assistant book a ticket for you, and you could..."

"Wait!" Shi Yue had no idea Leng Yanmi could say so much in one breath.

It was late now, and she had used all her energy drawing designs throughout the day. Feeling overwhelmed by all the information, she took advantage of a pause to interrupt. Taking a deep breath, she said, "So, you're just on a business trip abroad. Got it."

After a moment, she added, "Thank you for your hard work, Aunt. I wish you success in your work."

"..." Leng Yanmi was silent for two seconds, "And then?"

Shi Yue lay back in the covers, staring at the ceiling. "And then what?"

There was a long silence on the other end before she heard two knocks on a door, followed by the voice of an unfamiliar man, who seemed to be reminding Leng Yanmi to hurry to an important meeting.

But Leng Yanmi wasn't concerned, dismissing him with a simple, "I know."

Shi Yue yawned. "I almost forgot that Country Y has a time difference with us. It's afternoon over there, right?"

Leng Yanmi replied, "Mm."

Shi Yue felt a bit sleepy. "Then you go ahead and get busy. We can talk about anything else when you get back."

With that, she asked casually, "By the way, Aunt, when will you be back?"

"Heh." Leng Yanmi let out a sneering laugh as if mocking her for only now thinking to ask such an important question. After a deliberate pause, she finally replied, "Two months if it goes fast, maybe three or four months if it takes longer."

Shi Yue woke up a bit from her shock. "That long?"

Leng Yanmi hummed, "After handling the urgent matters in Country Y, I'll probably make a round to inspect our European businesses.

"It's usually like this; I'll be very busy during this period."

Realizing they would be apart for such a long time, Shi Yue couldn't help but feel a bit down, responding with a muffled "Oh."

"You're such a hassle." Despite the harshness of her words, Leng Yanmi's tone was much more cheerful than before. "Even Mingchuan wasn't this clingy as a child. Is it that hard to go two months without seeing me?

"I'm not saying you're bad. It's normal for Omegas to be a bit delicate. But the work schedule is set; it's not like I can change my itinerary just for you. However..."

Shi Yue quickly said, "No, no, that's not what I meant."

She took a deep breath. "Aunt, you focus on your work. I'm not clingy."

Leng Yanmi chuckled softly, "You don't have to pretend with me."

Shi Yue: "???"

What am I pretending about?

Leng Yanmi continued, "I'll have my assistant contact you. You can give her your ID information so she can book your ticket."

"No way!" Shi Yue mustered her tired body to explain, "I'm really busy during this period. I have to prepare for my final project and the upcoming designer competition. Where would I find the time to go abroad?"

She then tried to console Leng Yanmi instead, "It's fine, we both have things to do. Whether we meet soon or not doesn't matter. Aunt, focus on your business trip, and I'll concentrate on my studies."

"You mean we won't see each other for two, maybe three months?" Leng Yanmi's tone was filled with disbelief, as if the situation wasn't caused by her business trip but rather that Shi Yue, the heartless woman, was abandoning her in a foreign land.

"Uh..." Shi Yue was baffled, unable to understand how she could ask such a question, "Isn't that your schedule?"

"...Yes," Leng Yanmi responded.

"Right." Shi Yue sniffled, "You probably had a mental preparation for this when you boarded the plane, right?"

Leng Yanmi: No, I didn't.

She stared at her phone in disbelief, imagining Shi Yue casually shirking the responsibility back onto her. Leng Yanmi gritted her teeth in anger.

Shi Yue remained oblivious to all this and even tried to lighten the mood. "It's okay. They say when people get busy, time flies. It's just two or three months, right?"

She made a joke she thought was funny, "Haha, by the time you return, the designer competition will just be starting, and I'll still be busy. Maybe even when you're back, we won't have time to meet."

Leng Yanmi: "..."

No, she's even angrier now.

"Aunt, it's too late. I have an early class tomorrow." Shi Yue couldn't hold on any longer. "I'll go to sleep first."

"Mm." Leng Yanmi resumed her indifferent tone, "Good night."

"Good night in advance to you too." Shi Yue yawned after speaking, then ended the call and fell asleep.

On the other side of the ocean, Leng Yanmi stared at her phone, now beeping with the dial tone, in silence for a long time.

Outside her office, the assistant, in a state of anxiety, knocked again to remind her. Finally, Leng Yanmi gave a brief acknowledgment, stood up, and followed him toward the meeting room. On the way, she made a quick call.

Leng Mingchuan: "Hello? Aunt?"

Leng Yanmi: "Move your designer competition to next year... or the year after."

"Huh?" Leng Mingchuan was so startled he nearly fell off his bed. "Why?! We've already prepared most of the promotional materials for the initial stages, and changing the schedule now would cause incalculable financial losses!"

Leng Yanmi: "Forget I said anything."

With that, she swiftly ended the call and followed the assistant into the elevator.