The glass doors of the Ye Conglomerate slid open silently as *Li Xinyue* stepped inside, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floor. Dressed in a white blouse and a pair of black trousers, she exuded a quiet elegance that made the receptionist unconsciously sit straighter.
Heads turned as she passed, her presence like a cold breeze—beautiful, composed, but untouchable.
"I'm here to see Ye Chenyan," she said with her usual calm poise, her voice enough to silence the murmurs behind the front desk.
Just as the receptionist nodded to make the call, a bright, cheerful voice interrupted from behind.
"Li Xinyue?"
She turned.
A young woman with a sweet, glowing face stood near the elevator, her hair tied into a neat ponytail, her clothes a blend of youthful fashion and corporate neatness. She looked surprised—but delighted.
"It's really you!" the girl grinned and stepped closer. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks. You probably don't remember me. I'm Ye Shanshan—Chenyan-ge's younger sister."
Li Xinyue blinked for a moment. She did remember the girl, faintly—from one of the Ye family's charity galas years ago. She had been just a teenager then.
"You've grown up," Li Xinyue said, offering a polite smile.
Ye Shanshan laughed lightly. "I hope so. I'm twenty-three now and being trained to take over one of our subsidiary branches. And you… wow, you were trending all over Weibo last night."
Xinyue's smile dimmed. "I'm sure I was."
Ye Shanshan stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I just want you to know… I thought what you did was amazing. Honestly. Everyone was too used to seeing you silent and composed. Watching you flip the whole script at your engagement—iconic."
Li Xinyue blinked. She hadn't expected that.
"I mean it," Ye Shanshan said. "That red gown, the way you walked away from all of them... And then proposing to my brother like that? I nearly choked on my wine."
Li Xinyue raised a brow. "So, you're not here to talk me out of it?"
Ye Shanshan giggled. "Why would I? Honestly, I think you're perfect for him. He's arrogant, cold, and thinks emotions are optional. You're the first person who's ever managed to throw him off balance."
Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and Ye Chenyan stepped out.
His gaze landed on the two women at once. His features were unreadable, but his stride didn't falter as he approached.
"Ge," Shanshan greeted, stepping aside. "Look who I found downstairs."
Ye Chenyan's eyes moved to Li Xinyue. "I see."
Li Xinyue gave him a nod. "Good morning."
"Are you here to make another public proposal?" he said dryly, hands in his pockets.
Shanshan groaned. "Ge, don't be rude."
"I'm not," he said, but his eyes hadn't left Xinyue. "Are you here for business or to stir the press again?"
Xinyue looked completely unbothered. "If I wanted to stir the press, I would've worn red again."
Shanshan stifled a laugh.
Ye Chenyan's mouth twitched.
Xinyue continued, "I'm here because you said 'yes.' I don't make reckless decisions, Mr. Ye. If this engagement is going to move forward, we need to speak."
Ye Chenyan gave a short nod. "Then let's speak."
Shanshan stepped back, suddenly serious. "I'll leave you two to it. But sister-in-law—" she turned with a wink, "I'm rooting for you."
"Sister-in-law?" Ye Chenyan asked in disbelief
Xinyue allowed a brief smile as Shanshan disappeared into the elevator.
Once alone, Ye Chenyan gestured for Xinyue to follow him toward his private office.
But before they walked in, he paused by the glass wall overlooking the city.
"You didn't come here just to talk about the engagement," he said. "What's your angle?"
Xinyue looked at the city with him. "Does there need to be one?"
He turned to her. "With you? Always."
She met his gaze calmly. "Then I guess you'll just have to find out."