Chapter 3
Late at night, Ye Zhiqing lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The name Edith kept circling through her mind.
Judging by the patterns embroidered on her clothes and the Egyptian cat she had seen a few days ago, could Edith be Egyptian?
For some reason, Ye Zhiqing found herself associating Edith with the mysterious Egyptian merchant who had never shown her face on the program.
Could they be the same person?
With that thought, Ye Zhiqing reached toward her bedside cabinet and felt around until she retrieved a black wooden box. Under the bright moonlight, the box gleamed with a dark, metallic luster.
It was as mysterious as the inscription engraved upon it. Khonsu—the Egyptian moon god.
Ye Zhiqing slowly opened the box, revealing an extraordinarily exquisite gold bracelet. To be precise, it should have been called a gold wrist cuff.
She had carefully examined this bracelet before. There was no doubt that even the box containing it was worth a fortune.
Strangely, however, although it was easy to tell that the bracelet had been crafted using ancient Egyptian techniques, its design did not conform to the artistic characteristics of any ancient Egyptian dynasty.
Despite consulting countless historical documents and research materials over the past two days, Ye Zhiqing still hadn’t found the slightest clue.
Staring at the bracelet with a complicated expression, Ye Zhiqing grew somewhat exasperated. She put it back into its box and shoved the box forcefully into the cabinet.
Then she forced herself to close her eyes and go to sleep.
Early the next morning, Ye Zhiqing’s internal clock woke her promptly at seven-thirty.
Breakfast was simple: a cheese sandwich and milk.
Ruan Bai was remarkably adaptable, well-behaved, and exceptionally good at acting spoiled. After finishing breakfast, he called sweetly, “Auntie Zhiqing, Baibai wants a hug~”
After quickly tidying the table, Ye Zhiqing pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned the milk stains from around Baibai’s mouth.
Then, feeling thoroughly satisfied, she picked up the soft, adorable little boy. “Baibai, let’s go find that little airplane that got lost yesterday, and then I’ll take you to school, okay?”
“Okay.” His soft little hands wrapped around Ye Zhiqing’s neck. Ruan Bai clearly enjoyed being close to her.
Still, carrying a four-year-old child for too long was somewhat tiring.
After setting him down in front of Edith’s house, Ye Zhiqing rubbed her aching arms and pressed the doorbell.
This time, Edith appeared very quickly.
Her assessing gaze swept briefly over the two of them before she opened the gate.
While Ye Zhiqing was still considering how to phrase her request, Edith crouched down and spoke first.
“Little one, do you remember roughly where your airplane landed?”
Ruan Bai raised his small hand and pointed into the distance, answering in his childish voice, “It’s stuck on the window in that wall.”
The two women walked over, and sure enough, the little airplane was there. No wonder they hadn’t found it in the courtyard last night. One of its wings was caught on the window frame, leaving it dangling precariously.
Everything was much easier after that. Edith went upstairs and quickly retrieved the airplane.
“Here you go, little one. Your airplane.”
“Thank you.”
Although Ye Zhiqing couldn’t help feeling that Edith seemed deliberately awkward whenever she spoke to Ruan Bai, the woman’s perfectly composed demeanor made her feel considerably more at ease.
“Thank you so much for going to all this trouble.”
Edith nodded without saying anything.
Ye Zhiqing glanced at the time. They had to leave quickly, or Ruan Bai might be late for school.
“Miss Yi, I’ll be taking the child to school now.”
Just as Ye Zhiqing was about to lead Ruan Bai away, Edith took two steps and positioned herself directly in front of her, blocking her path.
Ruan Bai stood silently beside Ye Zhiqing, his large, round eyes shifting between the strange auntie who had helped retrieve his airplane and Ye Zhiqing.
“Miss Yi?”
“Call me Edith.”
“Edith?”
“I helped you. Don’t you intend to show your appreciation before leaving?”
Edith’s expression remained impassive, her black eyes deep and unfathomable. Ye Zhiqing could only feel her face beginning to grow warm again.
“I don’t have enough time today. How about I treat you to a meal another day?”
“There’s no need. Just give me a ride.”
With that, Edith turned and went back inside without giving Ye Zhiqing any chance to refuse.
Ye Zhiqing had no choice but to wait in the courtyard with Ruan Bai. Privately, she thought Edith was truly a strange woman. She needed to repay this favor as soon as possible and keep her distance afterward.
Edith moved quickly and didn’t keep Ye Zhiqing waiting long. She emerged wearing a dark suit from TIE FOR HER. Although suits were standard workplace attire, Edith somehow managed to make hers look extraordinarily imposing and magnificent.
Rather than the clothes enhancing her beauty, it was her beauty that elevated the clothes.
“Let’s go.”
“All right.”
Neither of them spoke as they walked. Ye Zhiqing carried Ruan Bai while Edith walked beside them, a barely perceptible smile resting on her face. Its faint, elusive quality happened to conceal the almost imperceptible sadness beneath it.
Golden plane leaves fluttered down around them. Two adults and a child walking together—it was a scene that looked warm and beautiful no matter how one viewed it, evoking a sense of peaceful, idyllic happiness.
The garage wasn’t far away. As soon as Ye Zhiqing unlocked the car, Edith took the initiative to open the door and settle into the front passenger seat.
She even remembered to roll down the window and explain to Ye Zhiqing, “It’s unsafe for children to sit in the front passenger seat.”
…
Whatever makes you happy.
Ye Zhiqing was a steady driver, and they soon arrived at the kindergarten entrance. Before getting out, she politely informed Edith, “I’ll take Baibai inside first.”
Edith turned her head to look. Ye Zhiqing was lifting the little boy out of the car, her movements gentle and that familiar faint smile resting on her face. Edith’s gaze darkened. Her index finger curled slightly as she tapped against the car door in a steady rhythm.
Zhiqing had lost so much weight.
When Ye Zhiqing returned to the car, Edith suddenly remarked, “Your son doesn’t look anything like you.”
She enunciated each word distinctly, sounding exceptionally serious.
After a moment of surprise, Ye Zhiqing quickly realized that the son Edith was referring to was Ruan Bai. She smiled and explained, “Ruan Bai is my friend’s child. Of course he doesn’t look like me.”
Edith’s fingers immediately stopped tapping.
Her hand slowly relaxed, then settled on her sleeve, where she carefully smoothed out the wrinkles.
It was as though a beam of light had suddenly illuminated the depths of her dark eyes, completely dispersing the gloom and shadows she had kept hidden.
Edith looked happier than she ever had before. Her lips curved upward, and her eyes seemed filled with starlight, its shimmering brilliance slowly descending like something from a dream.
“Oh.”
The single word carried a wealth of unspoken meaning.
Ye Zhiqing was thoroughly bewildered. Clearing her throat softly, she asked, “Edith, where do you need to go? I’ll drive you there.”
“Wherever you go, I’ll go.”
She drew out the words, her tone carrying a slightly mischievous undertone.
Ye Zhiqing’s eyelashes fluttered. For no apparent reason, hearing those words made her feel inexplicably restless and hot.
She didn’t ask any further questions. Ye Zhiqing was well aware that whenever she was around Edith, her reactions became noticeably slower and less sharp. She might as well go along with the woman’s wishes, repay the favor as soon as possible, and be done with it.
The feeling was strange. Ye Zhiqing instinctively wanted to escape from it. Her hands unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel, and a faint dampness formed in her palms.
Just as Ye Zhiqing was about to start the car again, Edith spoke once more, interrupting her movements.
“Wait. You haven’t fastened your seat belt properly.”
Edith’s next move caught her completely off guard.
Leaning halfway across the center armrest, Edith bent over her. From outside the car, it would have looked as though Edith had turned sideways and was half-pressing Ye Zhiqing beneath her.
The position was far too intimate and suggestive. Ye Zhiqing was completely at a loss, her body stiffening as she sat perfectly still.
They were so close that she could clearly see the fine, delicate hairs on Edith’s face, along with the smooth expanse of skin exposed at her chest. The deep V-neck design didn’t make her look frivolous in the slightest. On the contrary, within the cramped, quiet confines of the car, her cool fragrance and subtly seductive charm were almost intoxicating.
Ye Zhiqing turned her face slightly away, her hands clenched tightly together as she deliberately slowed and controlled her breathing.
Edith’s cool wrist seemed to brush against Ye Zhiqing’s cheek by accident as she slowly pulled the seat belt across from the other side and fastened it.
It was a long, private torment.
Even after securing the seat belt, Edith didn’t immediately retreat to the passenger seat. She supported herself with one hand against the seat, while the other rested beside Ye Zhiqing’s ear. Her warm, moist breath brushed against Ye Zhiqing’s neck, sending a faint, tingling itch across her skin.
With extraordinary patience, she smoothed Ye Zhiqing’s hair and tucked it neatly behind her ear.
She seemed particularly fond of arranging her hair.
“I’m going to drive now.” Ye Zhiqing lowered her head slightly, struggling to maintain her composure. Her voice was faintly hoarse.
Edith chuckled softly. “All right.”
She withdrew at an unhurried pace and sat upright in the passenger seat, her straight-backed posture and seemingly effortless calm concealing everything that had just happened.
Ye Zhiqing turned her head to glance at Edith, then quickly straightened again. She let out a long breath, trying to steady her already disordered breathing.
When they resumed their journey, the car was traveling much faster than before. Tall buildings lined the streets outside the windows, and Edith appeared genuinely interested as she observed everything around her, all of it unfamiliar to her.
A sudden, sharp application of the brakes sent both women pitching forward involuntarily.
After parking the car, Ye Zhiqing turned to Edith. Her body was rigid, and every aspect of her manner conveyed a deliberately cultivated coolness and distance.
“Edith, I’ve arrived. You’re free to go wherever you like.”
She grabbed her bag and hurried away.
As soon as she reached the company entrance, Ye Zhiqing spotted Executive Assistant Wen waiting there. She casually asked, “Assistant Wen, who are you waiting for?”
Wen Wen gestured with her eyes for Ye Zhiqing to look behind her.
“President Ruan personally instructed me to wait for the company’s new partner, Edith from Egypt.”
“Edith?”
Ye Zhiqing turned around and, sure enough, saw Edith following leisurely behind her.
Author’s Note:
Edith: I’m the very definition of a clingy person you just can’t shake off.
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