Chapter 9

“Haha, you old woman! We’re the same age. If I’m an old hag, then aren’t you one too?” Nash Hampton immediately lost his composure, his usual carefree expression returning to his face. Then he frowned again, frantically scratching his hair. “Damn it! My parents must be waiting for me at home. If they find out I messed up the blind date, I’m done for tonight! Come on, let’s go to your place and sleep there to avoid trouble.”

Evan Thorn rolled her eyes helplessly, but still nodded. “Fine, fine. After all, I’m your best friend. But my little rental place doesn’t have as comfortable beds as yours. Don’t complain later.”

The two of them laughed and chatted their way back to Evan Thorne’s rental apartment. They slept peacefully through the night. The next morning, Evan Thorne got up on time for work. As soon as he sat down at his desk, the internal phone rang. Zhang Yan’s cold, yet familiar voice came through the receiver: “Evan Thorne, come here for a moment.”

After spending a month together, Evan Thorne had already figured out Zhang Yan’s personality—typical of someone who seems cold on the outside but kind at heart. Despite Zhang Yan’s icy demeanor and seemingly aloof attitude, he never made things difficult for his subordinates, as long as they didn’t commit any fundamental mistakes. Having spent two years navigating the corporate world, Evan Thorne knew exactly what was acceptable and what wasn’t. So, overall, the past month had been smooth sailing for him.

She adjusted her clothes, gently pushed open the door to the manager’s office, and stood neatly in front of the desk. “Manager, may I ask what your instructions are?”

Zhang Yan leaned back in the sofa chair, her long, peach-shaped eyes slightly raised. She stared at her silently, her gaze deep and intense. Evan Thorne felt uneasy, with sweat breaking out on his palms. Just as she was about to ask something, Zhang Yan finally spoke: “Next week, I’ll be going on a business trip with the department. Your task is to take the literary materials I gave you last week, and use the references I provided to organize and summarize them properly.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze still fixed on Evan Thorn. His tone softened slightly. “Your skills are decent, but you’re still far from being able to establish yourself and take on responsibilities at NK. First, you must continue with your 30-minute listening practice every day. Also, develop the habit of jotting down key words as you listen. Second, keep expanding your vocabulary. Don’t just memorize words by rote; try to understand them. Third, make sure to complete your daily reading comprehension exercises on time.”

After saying that, he picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Then, he gave the stunned Evan Thorn a slight nod with his chin. “You may go now.” With that, he buried himself back into the pile of documents, returning to his usual indifferent demeanor.

Evan Thorne stood there frozen in place, taking a while to react. She quickly stepped back quietly, making sure to close the office door behind her. She was completely shocked. Over the past month, Zhang Yan had always been brief and to the point, never saying more than necessary. Today, he had gone out of his way to give her so many instructions—it was like the sun coming up in the west!

Justin Bloom had told her before that Zhang Yan graduated from a prestigious university. He overcame numerous obstacles to make it to NK from among thousands of competitors. Starting from the lowest-level positions, he worked his way up to the position of manager through hard work and talent. He was aloof and rarely smiled. He was very reserved in his speech. He led a highly disciplined life, avoiding any kind of entertainment or social activities. In the four or five years he’d been at the company, she’d never seen him show any interest in any woman—whether they were innocent beauties or sexy girls. He completely ignored them. He was like a monk, free from worldly desires.

As soon as Evan Thorne sat back down at his desk, Wu Na rushed over to him, her face full of concern. “Evan, what’s wrong? Why do you seem so distraught after going in there? Did Director Zhang scold you?” As she spoke, she waved her hand in front of his face, thinking to herself, “Oh no, has this kid been scared silly by Zhang Yan’s icy expression?”

“Nana, I’m fine.” Evan Thorn snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at Wu Na. “Minister Zhang said he’s going on a business trip next week and gave me some instructions regarding work.”

“On a business trip?” Wu Na’s eyes dimmed instantly, her tone carrying a barely noticeable hint of hurt. “Why didn’t I know?”

Evan Thorn was momentarily stunned, not knowing what to say. He could only scratch his head awkwardly. “Uh… maybe the minister hasn’t had a chance to inform everyone yet?”

“It’s nothing, really,” Wu Na quickly regained her composure and forced a smile. “As long as it’s nothing serious, then I’ll go back to work. Remember to translate those poems for me so I can polish them later.” With that, she turned around and walked back to her desk. Luo Wei Reeves seemed a bit lonely behind her.

“Oh, okay.” Evan Thorn glanced at Wu Na’s back and thought to himself. Luo Wei Reeves was very perceptive. How could she not notice Wu Na’s awkward behavior? Over the past month, every time Wu Na mentioned Zhang Yan, her admiration was evident in her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It was easy to notice if one paid close attention.

But matters of the heart are something that outsiders should never meddle in. Wu Na has worked alongside Zhang Yan for so long; surely she understands Zhang Yan better than anyone else, and also knows better than anyone whether this relationship has any future. Evan Thorn shook his head slightly, pushing his scattered thoughts aside and focusing on his work.

Meanwhile, in the minister’s office, Zhang Yan stared intently at Evan Thorn and Rowley Reeves through the blinds. An gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. That smile held endless longing and tenderness, completely different from his usual cold demeanor.

The floodgates of memory suddenly opened—That winter, it snowed heavily. A little girl with pigtails held a picture in her hands. She tilted her head up and asked the handsome boy beside her curiously, “Brother Yanyan, what’s this?”

The boy carefully tilted the umbrella toward the girl and patiently explained, “This is a wolf.”

“What are they doing then?” In the painting, one wolf lies on the snow, seemingly wounded by a hunter. Another wolf stands by its side, with a sad look in its eyes.

“That wolf is injured, and the other one is protecting it.” Although the boy didn’t quite understand either, he still carefully told the girl what he had seen.

The little girl opened her big, bright eyes and looked at the boy, saying seriously, “Just like Brother Yanyan standing behind me to protect me, right?”

“Yes,” the boy nodded firmly, his face filled with sincerity. “Yan Yan will always be by Xiaoxiao’s side, protecting her.”

“Will Brother Yanyan always be with Xiaoxiao?”

“Yes.” Even though he didn’t understand what “forever” meant at that time, the boy agreed without hesitation.

Zhang Yan gently closed his eyes and thought to himself, “Xiaoxiao, I’ve found you. Big Brother Yanyan is right here. Do you still remember me?”

Back then, Evan Thorne followed his mother to her new husband’s home and moved to another city. From then on, he rarely visited his grandmother’s house. Firstly, his family was busy, and secondly, the distance was too great. Shortly after Evan Thorne left, Zhang Yan also moved to the big city with his parents. The two lost touch with each other, and over a decade passed in that way.

Until that day, he had never seen Evan Thorne’s resume by chance. When he saw that familiar yet strange face, and read the name “Evan Thorne”, he immediately recognized her. This girl with her ponytail and bright smile was none other than Xiaoxiao, whom he had been searching for over a decade. So, out of selfish motives, he arranged that interview on purpose and hired her without hesitation.

He didn’t dare to reveal his identity rashly, fearing that he might scare her or that she might no longer remember him. So, he could only remain by her side as her manager, quietly watching as she gradually adapted to life at the company. Seeing her work hard was enough for him.