Chapter 433: Siqi's Deep Affection
As Ye Fei grew anxious, Liu Yunfei seemed taken aback as well, quickly saying, "That was just a joke, not to be taken seriously!" He even glanced at Ye Fei subconsciously, but Ye Fei, preoccupied with wondering why his mom was acting this way, didn't notice.
Xiao Hanyue was also aware of Ye Fei's thoughts, though she didn't know that Liu Yiru was equally in the know. She quickly chimed in, "Yeah, Yiru, nowadays, young people are all about free love. Why hold on to a mere verbal agreement?"
"I'm not forcing anyone. I just thought they should spend some time together and see how it goes," Liu Yiru said with a smile. "Besides, Yunfei has just returned to the country. He needs someone to show him around. How about this: since you're the same age, Siqi, you can help Yunfei get familiar with Wang Hai City." Without waiting for objections, she called Ye Siqi's office, asked her to come over, and hung up.
While Xiao Hanyue was puzzled by Liu Yiru's sudden assertiveness, Ye Fei felt reassured. He realized that his mom knew about his feelings for his sisters. Given her love for him, she wouldn't do anything harmful.
So, her actions must mean she was trying to help him by using Liu Yunfei to make Siqi realize her own feelings, thus creating an opportunity for him. Although her approach seemed a bit risky, Ye Fei wasn't worried at all. He was confident that with Siqi's feelings for him, nothing bad would happen, no matter how great Liu Yunfei was.
Ye Fei was spot on. Liu Yiru did want to help the somewhat timid Ye Siqi see her true feelings. After observing them closely for a few days, she was certain that Ye Siqi, like herself, had developed special feelings for Ye Fei, and they were strong.
But given Ye Siqi's personality, she'd probably never confess unless something pushed her. That's why Liu Yiru came up with this plan. And this was just her original plan. She hadn't expected her son to be at the company today. This coincidence gave her two additional ideas, which Ye Fei couldn't possibly guess.
As they waited for Ye Siqi to arrive, the four people in the office each had their own thoughts. Xiao Hanyue was worried in secret. Liu Yiru was confident. Ye Fei was simply waiting to see how his mom's arrangements would play out. As for Liu Yunfei, he felt rather helpless.
If it weren't for his mom's insistence that he follow Liu Yiru's lead, and his admiration for Liu Yiru, who had single-handedly built the Liu Corporation into a giant, he would have stormed out already. Date Ye Siqi? That was unthinkable.
It didn't take long for Ye Siqi to walk in, dressed in a professional suit. Ye Fei couldn't help but stare. Although her outfit was slightly less sexy and charming than his mom's and mother-in-law's, the youthful vitality she exuded made up for it.
There are many opinions on when a woman is at her best, but Ye Fei believed that for a top-notch woman, her prime years are actually quite long. From the boundless youth in her teens to the lingering charm in her fifties, it's a span of several decades. During this time, a woman transitions from the purity of youth to the sexiness of maturity, with each passing year bringing a different kind of charm.
And at twenty-four, Ye Fei's sister was right at the midpoint between innocence and maturity. Her unparalleled beauty, combining the two most enchanting qualities in the world, was no less captivating than the extremely sexy allure of his mom and Xiao Hanyue. Besides them, all the other women in Ye Fei's life were of the same caliber, which was why he wanted to cherish them and make their decades together last forever.
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As soon as Ye Siqi walked in, she met Ye Fei's somewhat fiery gaze, and her face turned slightly red. Recently, whenever she was with Liu Yiru, for some reason, they would talk about Ye Fei, sometimes in a very ambiguous way, as if she were no longer a stepdaughter but a daughter-in-law.
This had unconsciously brought out the peculiar feelings Ye Siqi had buried deep inside for Ye Fei. She often found herself recalling the moment in the elevator with her brother. It was a bittersweet feeling, hard to describe but undeniably real.
Now, seeing Ye Fei looking at her like that, Ye Siqi felt her heart race even faster than the day he almost kissed her. She quickly looked away and hurried to sit beside Liu Yiru.
Seeing the expressions on the siblings' faces, Liu Yiru inwardly chuckled but pretended not to notice. She introduced Liu Yunfei to Ye Siqi and then mentioned her idea of having Ye Siqi show Liu Yunfei around Wang Hai City, not even hiding the verbal engagement between the Ye and Liu families.
Upon hearing Liu Yiru's words, Ye Siqi's face, which had been slightly flushed from seeing Ye Fei, turned pale in an instant. What did her mom mean? Was she trying to push her out of the family?
Would she never see him again? At that moment, she felt an intense pain in her heart. It was also at this moment that she realized just how important her brother was to her. If she had to leave him, she might as well die!
"Sorry, I'm not feeling well today. Mom, you should find someone else to accompany Mr. Liu," Ye Siqi said, though usually gentle, she was firm now. Her excuse was obvious to everyone, but she had to refuse.
"Since my sister isn't feeling well, I'll be Liu Tianlin's guide instead!" Ye Fei quickly volunteered. Although he trusted his mom wouldn't do anything harmful to him or his sister, he didn't want his sister to be with another man, even just as a guide.
"Alright then, make sure to take good care of Yunfei. He's just back from abroad and might not be used to life in Wang Hai City yet," Liu Yiru reluctantly agreed with a nod.
"Got it, Liu Tianlin, let's go. I'll show you the best of Wang Hai City!" Despite feeling odd about touring with a man, Ye Fei invited Liu Yunfei to join him, not wanting his sister to be upset by seeing someone with a supposed engagement.
Liu Yunfei didn't refuse and readily accepted, though his look at Ye Fei was filled with a strange mix of admiration and something else, too complex to define.
"Alright, you two 'brothers' have fun!" Liu Yiru emphasized the word "brothers" strangely, then added to Ye Siqi, who was about to leave, "Siqi, wait a moment. I need to talk to you."
Ye Fei was curious about what his mom wanted to say to his sister, but his job was to accompany "Liu Tianlin." He gestured for Liu Yunfei to go and left his mom's office with him. Xiao Hanyue, knowing Liu Yiru wanted a private chat with Ye Siqi, also got up and followed them out.
Once the three left, Liu Yiru looked at Ye Siqi, who was sitting quietly, and asked softly, "Siqi, are you upset with me?"
"Ah? No, I'm not!" Ye Siqi first responded with a puzzled "ah," then quickly denied it. She wasn't lying. Although she felt uneasy, she didn't blame Liu Yiru at all. Not only had Liu Yiru been like a mother and a sister to her for over a decade, but the so-called engagement should have been hers in the first place. She could only blame her unreliable dad.
Having raised Ye Siqi for over a decade and watched her grow up, Liu Yiru knew she wasn't lying. She inwardly sighed at her understanding nature and thought, How could such a good girl end up with someone else?
Gently sitting beside Ye Siqi, Liu Yiru took her hand and asked, "Ye Siqi, do you remember the promise we made when you were little?"
Back when Liu Yiru first came to the Ye family, Ye Siqi was only seven. Like any child, she was extremely resistant to the idea of a "stepmother" and refused to speak to Liu Yiru. Even Ye Lingyun, who was still alive at the time, couldn't change her mind. Eventually, Liu Yiru came up with a way to get close to her by assuming another identity. She told Ye Siqi that she didn't want to be her stepmother but rather a confidante, someone Ye Siqi could talk to about anything.
Only then did Ye Siqi gradually accept her, and they eventually became as close as real sisters. Ye Siqi would share her little secrets with Liu Yiru, her "confidante." How could Ye Siqi forget any of this? Hearing Liu Yiru mention it, she felt a soft spot in her heart being touched and nodded gently, "Of course I remember."
"But lately, I haven't been a very good confidante, have I? You don't share your secrets with me anymore," Liu Yiru said with a slight smile. "Today, let's be even better sisters. Will you tell me your secrets?"
Seeing Ye Siqi nod, Liu Yiru immediately asked, "So tell me, why don't you want to be with Liu Yunfei? Who is it for?"