53

When Shi Yue woke up, it was already noon. She lay nestled in the softness of the large bed and, by habit, reached out to the side. The spot that belonged to Leng Yanmi was already cold.

She rolled over, burying her face in Leng Yanmi's pillow and taking a deep breath.

Her phone displayed a few unread messages, most of them from Leng Yanmi.

Perhaps unsure whether Shi Yue was awake yet, Leng Yanmi had sent straightforward text messages. However, even through the words on the screen, Shi Yue could sense her excitement.

[I've confirmed with the research institute staff—there's no error in the data!]

[Our pheromone compatibility is 96%. If you round it up, that's 100%! Shi Yue,

our compatibility is 100%!]

[Are you awake? Breakfast is in the warming cabinet, make sure to eat!]

A little later, Leng Yanmi had continued sending messages, apparently in between her busy schedule, squeezing in time to text whenever she picked up her phone.

[Zhang Zhuo said the moment he saw us, he thought we were a perfect match. He's always had a sharp eye.]

[Honestly, I should've realized sooner that our compatibility wouldn't be low. We're in sync about everything.]

[Are you awake? Hungry?]

As Shi Yue scrolled down the messages one by one, the curve at the corner of her lips grew wider and wider, so much so that she could hardly suppress her smile.

Once she had finished reading, she started to reply.

[I'm awake.]

[I can't believe the data is real. It feels like a dream.]

Leng Yanmi immediately responded:[This isn't a dream—it's reality. We're the most compatible partners there could ever be!]

After briefly basking in this warm exchange, Leng Yanmi urged Shi Yue to freshen up and eat breakfast.

Shi Yue replied with a simple [Okay], then went to the kitchen to retrieve the food Leng Yanmi had prepared for her. As she ate, filled with joy, she felt the urge to share her happiness with someone. However, not wanting to disturb her mother just yet, she found Zhou Leya's contact information instead.

Shi Yue: [Do you have time this afternoon?!]

Zhou Leya, possibly in the middle of a meal, replied quickly.

Zhou Leya: [I should be free. Why?]

Shi Yue extended an invitation: [There's something I don't understand. Can you come over to my place?]

Thinking Shi Yue genuinely needed help, Zhou Leya agreed immediately: [No problem.]

At 2:30 in the afternoon, Zhou Leya arrived at Leng Yanmi's apartment, following the address Shi Yue had provided. As soon as they met, Zhou Leya couldn't help but marvel, "You're living in the most high-end residential complex in the city? Have I been misjudging you all this time? Are you secretly a rich heiress?"

Shi Yue smiled faintly. "It's not mine."

As the head of Shi Nuo, Shi Yue wasn't exactly short on money, but given Shi Nuo's declining profits in recent years, the value of Leng Yanmi's apartment was something she couldn't afford at the moment.

Zhou Leya was puzzled. "Huh?"

Shi Yue didn't hide anything. "It's my partner's place."

Zhou Leya nodded in understanding.

Shi Yue led her to the living room and offered her a seat. Noticing the chubby ragdoll cat on a climbing frame in the corner, Zhou Leya exclaimed, "Wow, you've already started living together and raising a cat?"

Shi Yue blushed but said nothing, though the undeniable smile on her face revealed everything.

She went into the kitchen and brought out a tray of fruit and snacks she had prepared for her guest.

After chatting idly for a bit, Zhou Leya got to the point. "What did you want to ask me about?"

Shi Yue nodded and, after thinking for a moment, left behind a quick "Wait here." She ran back to the bedroom, retrieved the test report, and dashed back to Zhou Leya.

Seeing the name of the institution on the cover, Zhou Leya raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Your pheromone compatibility report?"

"Mm-hmm." Shi Yue nodded eagerly and pushed the document toward her.

Taking it, Zhou Leya adopted the demeanor of a seasoned pro. "That's right—testing is important. Once you have the data, it's easier to analyze your compatibility. If you need to take suppressants, you take suppressants. If you need fertility meds, you take fertility meds."

As soon as she opened the report, even before flipping to the later pages, she noticed the names of the two individuals being tested.

"Leng Yanmi?!" Her eyes widened as she looked at Shi Yue. "Is this the same Leng Yanmi I know?"

Shi Yue blinked innocently. "Which Leng Yanmi do you know?"

Zhou Leya grabbed her shoulders. "What other Leng Yanmi could there be?"

Shi Yue shrugged with feigned nonchalance. "Then I guess it's that one."

Zhou Leya took a moment to process this. "Wait, are you serious? Leng Yanmi of the Leng Corporation? The very one who's the major backer behind the design competition we were in?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You snagged her?!"

"Mm."

"Damn!" Zhou Leya grinned, revealing her teeth, while Shi Yue couldn't stop laughing.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Zhou Leya. "No wonder President Leng suddenly showed up at our competition. I thought she cared about the event itself, but turns out she was there for you."

"Hehe."

"All right, then." Taking a deep breath, Zhou Leya picked up the report again. "She's gorgeous and loaded, and you two make a great match. Even if your compatibility wasn't that high, she could still afford to support you with top grade suppressants for the rest of your life."

Flipping straight to the second-to-last page with practiced ease, she began to read: "Pheromone compatibility, ninety-si—what? Ninety-s…"

The rest of the number got caught in her throat as she stared at Shi Yue in disbelief.

Shi Yue felt like she had found a kindred spirit. "You think it's weird too, right? When I first saw it, I didn't even think it was a compatibility score."

She continued, "Isn't it usually fifty or sixty percent? I was fully prepared to see something like thirty percent or even twenty percent. But ninety six? I was terrified they made a mistake!"

Zhou Leya glanced at the envelope and pointed at the name on it. "Do you know this research institute?"

Shi Yue shook her head. "Never heard of it."

Zhou Leya took a deep breath. "It's a high end research institute. They normally don't even bother with something as simple as compatibility reports. If they issue a report, it's based on cutting edge analysis. If they got this wrong, they might as well close shop for good."

Shi Yue blinked in realization. "Oh, I see."

She let out a breath of relief. "She—uh, President Leng—called them this morning to confirm, and they said the data wasn't wrong."

Furious, Zhou Leya bit her lip. Suddenly, she swung one leg over and straddled Shi Yue, grabbing her by the neck and shaking her. "Shi—Yue! So why did you call me over?! Huh?!"

Pouting, she complained, "Did you have to shove a mouthful of dog food down my throat?!"

"No, no," Shi Yue said between laughs, unable to stop.

The two of them broke into a playful scuffle. Finally catching her breath, Shi Yue spoke, "But—but isn't there something important to note about this level of compatibility? Can you tell me?"

"Tell you my ass!" Zhou Leya huffed. "Wu Xuan and I don't even have a compatibility of 90%. What could I possibly tell you?"

Sniffing dramatically, she pretended to be deeply wronged. "I'm going home."

"Don't go!" Shi Yue grabbed her hand. "It's such a boring afternoon. You're not busy anyway, so stay. Let's watch a movie together."

"Hmph." Zhou Leya, clearly not actually planning to leave, pouted at Shi Yue's words. "Who wants to watch a movie with you?"

She shuffled step by step toward the door, but Shi Yue quickly clung to her leg, playing the role of a clingy friend. The two began a dramatic tug-of-war right there in the living room, giggling like children.

Just as Zhou Leya was about two meters away from reaching the entryway, there was a knock at the door.

The two 'big kids' playing house immediately froze, snapping back to reality. Zhou Leya bent down to pull up her socks, which had slipped down to her ankles during their antics, while Shi Yue scrambled up from the floor, brushing herself off.

"Who could it be?" Shi Yue murmured.

Zhou Leya glanced at her curiously.

Shi Yue explained, "No one usually visits."

Walking toward the entryway, she adjusted her disheveled clothes from their earlier horseplay and called out, "Who is it?"

A vaguely familiar voice answered from the other side of the door, "Miss Shi Yue?"

The voice continued, "I'm President Leng's assistant. We've met before. The gifts President Leng ordered for you have arrived. Could you please open the door to receive them?"

"Wow," Zhou Leya said, following Shi Yue to the door. "A gift from President Leng? What is it? Must be something fancy, right?"

Recalling that Leng Yanmi had mentioned this the night before, Shi Yue smiled and said, "Just a few fashion magazines."

"Fashion magazines?" Zhou Leya's eyes widened. "President Leng, the wealthy mogul, got you magazines as a gift?"

Shi Yue shouted "One moment!" toward the door, then smoothed her hair as she said to Zhou Leya, "I think it's great."

She even offered a logical explanation: "Don't you think it's a thoughtful gift? I'm studying design, and she's giving me fashion magazines—exactly what I need."

Zhou Leya burst out laughing and poked Shi Yue's forehead. "That's it. Diagnosis confirmed—you've got a love-struck brain. There's no saving you!"

Shi Yue stuck out her tongue playfully, satisfied that her clothes were now in order, and unlocked the door.

Outside in the hallway, the assistant was busy instructing two delivery workers. "The items in these boxes are fragile and valuable, so please handle them with care."

When Shi Yue opened the door, the assistant immediately stepped forward and greeted her, "Miss Shi Yue." He moved aside, revealing three large boxes on the ground. "This is just the first batch. Where would you like them placed?"

Shi Yue: "..."

Zhou Leya, standing behind her, poked her in the back and whispered, "Three boxes... of fashion magazines?"

Coming back to her senses, Shi Yue quickly moved aside with Zhou Leya to make way. "Please bring them in and just set them in the living room. Thank you."

"Got it," the assistant replied.

The team moved swiftly. In less than half a minute, the boxes were placed neatly in the living room, and the assistant handed Shi Yue a receipt to sign. After confirming her signature, he departed with the delivery workers.

In the now-quiet house, only Shi Yue and Zhou Leya remained, staring at the three large boxes.

Zhou Leya let out a long sigh of amazement. "…What the heck is all this?"

Shi Yue admitted, "I have no idea."

She casually opened the nearest box. "Let's find out."

Zhou Leya wasn't one to stand idly by, so she joined in to help.

Moments later, the living room was filled with excited exclamations.

"Isn't this Qnuo's new winter collection?! I just saw it in WD.F magazine a few days ago, and it hasn't even been released yet!"

"Huh? Yesterday, the store clerk said these shoes were a limited edition and completely sold out!"

"Oh my god, so this is what that dress looks like on a normal body type? The design is insane—I feel like I'm being suffocated!"

"This hat is…&*%#…"

"These boots…!"

The supposed 'movie-watching' plan was replaced by an impromptu fashion haul review. The two of them spent the entire afternoon gleefully unpacking and admiring the treasures in the boxes.

By the time Zhou Leya was ready to leave, Shi Yue insisted on giving her several items. If not for the fact that Zhou Leya's hands were already completely full, Shi Yue would've added two pairs of snow boots to the haul—there was simply too much, and Shi Yue couldn't possibly use it all herself.

Carrying a bag overflowing with luxurious gifts, Zhou Leya left with a grin that stretched wider than the weight she carried in her arms.

"Don't you dare give President Leng the cold shoulder again!" Zhou Leya teased as she left. "Just look at how much thought she puts into you!"

Shi Yue laughed, gently pushing her out the door. "Alright, go on. Be careful on your way back and don't get robbed."

After Zhou Leya left, Shi Yue went into the kitchen to drink a glass of water. She then picked up her phone to message Leng Yanmi and give her a quick update about the gifts. While the items were technically hers to handle as she pleased, Shi Yue still felt it was proper to let Leng Yanmi know.

As expected, Leng Yanmi didn't seem to mind at all: [As long as you like them, you can handle them however you want.]

Seeing that Leng Yanmi was free enough to reply, Shi Yue guessed she wasn't too busy and sent another message: [Auntie, what are you doing right now?]

Leng Yanmi, at that moment, was overseeing a project.

Standing in front of her assistant's computer, she had been about to give feedback on a design draft. But seeing Shi Yue's message, she paused, thought for a moment, and then turned on her phone's camera.

[We're preparing some banners to hang around the office. Take a look at these preliminary designs. What do you think?]

Shi Yue frowned slightly, confused by the message.

Why would Leng Yanmi's company banners have anything to do with her? Why was her opinion being asked?

But before she could think further, Leng Yanmi sent over several images in succession. Shi Yue instinctively clicked on one to view it, and the moment the image loaded, she nearly jumped out of her seat.

Immediately sitting up straight, she grabbed her phone with trembling hands and called Leng Yanmi directly.

The call connected after just one ring. Leng Yanmi's warm voice came through, tinged with amusement. "Hello? What's wrong?"

Hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the line, Shi Yue's heart softened for a brief moment.

But she quickly snapped back to reality, her voice rough with disbelief as she asked, "What's the deal with those banners?"

"What deal?" Leng Yanmi sounded puzzled by the question. "It's for publicity, of course."

As she spoke, she gave instructions to her secretary nearby: "Increase the font size by two points. It's too small—people won't be able to read it from a distance."

"Auntie—" Shi Yue's voice was a mix of embarrassment and urgency. Covering her face, she protested, "Why are you putting up banners in the Leng Corporation building that say, 'Congratulations to the President and her partner for achieving a pheromone compatibility of 96%'?"

"Don't you think that's weird?!"

Leng Yanmi straightened up. "Weird?"

She paused, not wanting to dismiss Shi Yue's concerns outright. Casting a sidelong glance at her team, she answered, "It was Zhang Zhuo's suggestion."

Standing nearby and deeply regretting his life choices, Zhang Zhuo stared intently at his shoes, wishing he could disappear on the spot.

Having worked his way up from being a fresh graduate to his current position, he had never been involved in such an utterly mortifying project before. But since the idea was being attributed to his boss, he dared not utter a word in defense.

"Zhang Zhuo?" Shi Yue sounded doubtful. "Are you sure? Was it really his idea?"

Leng Yanmi: "Yes."

Shi Yue gritted her teeth. "Then why did you approve such an utterly ridiculous plan?

"Shouldn't you have rejected it outright?"

Her voice had risen a little, and every word of her critique reached Zhang Zhuo's ears. Startled, he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes practically shining.

Although Shi Yue wasn't physically present, he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward her. Miss Shi Yue, you're like a modern-day hero! Finally, someone has dared to speak the truth to President Leng!

Leng Yanmi brought a hand to her lips, her tone calm as she replied, "Actually, the plan has its merits."

Shi Yue was on the verge of a meltdown. "What merits?!"

She couldn't even bring herself to imagine the scene. "No! Stop it right now! I don't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone at Leng Corporation! Waaah…"

At that, Leng Yanmi finally showed a hint of displeasure. "Embarrass yourself?"

Clenching her jaw, she asked, "Why? Are you saying it's embarrassing that our pheromone compatibility is as high as 96%?"

"No!" Shi Yue was nearly ready to throw herself at Leng Yanmi to stop her. "I just think… putting up banners about it is embarrassing!"

Leng Yanmi fell silent for a moment, casting an icy glance at Zhang Zhuo.

Zhang Zhuo immediately lowered his head again, resuming his intense examination of his shoes.

With a quick look, Leng Yanmi signaled her secretary to pause the project for the time being.

The secretary, nearly overwhelmed with relief, stiffly nodded. In that moment, tears of gratitude were practically welling up in their eyes.

Ignoring the two subordinates, Leng Yanmi coolly turned away, her phone still in hand, and headed back toward her office. "You don't like banners? How about a digital ad? I could make a video and play it on the elevator screens on loop."

Shi Yue slumped, defeated.

She didn't want to completely crush Leng Yanmi's enthusiasm, so she quickly came up with a delaying tactic. "I just think… now's not the right time for this kind of thing."

"When would be the right time?" Leng Yanmi asked.

"Uh…" Shi Yue's mind raced. "How about… we talk it over when you come home tonight?"

Leng Yanmi responded in a tone that was simultaneously indifferent and obedient. "Oh. Alright." She sounded almost too agreeable. "Fine."

Of course, the matter didn't end there. That evening, when Leng Yanmi brought it up again, Shi Yue had to exert considerable effort to calm her down and 'convince' the still-indignant President Leng to let it go.

"Someday, um, we can print it on wedding favors and hand it out to everyone," Shi Yue suggested as a compromise, her voice soft and slightly breathless.

Lightly licking the gland on Shi Yue's neck, Leng Yanmi whispered back, her breath warm against Shi Yue's skin, "Okay."

It was only then that Shi Yue finally relaxed, sinking into Leng Yanmi's arms and drifting into a deep, peaceful sleep.