Still, with Pei Shiqing suddenly appearing, she couldn't be too sure of anything. After all, in this new life, she was already married to Wen Yujing.
At the time, Jing Yinian wasn't in his office but in the conference room.
Just as he wrapped up a meeting, his assistant came running over, blurting out,
"Boss Jing, Master Jing* is here!"
(*"璟爷" → Wen Yujing's nickname, literally "Lord Jing," feared in the capital.)
Jing Yinian frowned slightly, sighing helplessly in his heart.
Turning at the corner, he caught sight of Jing Yuan's figure. Walking forward, he patted her shoulder.
"What are you up to, Xiaoyuan?" he asked in puzzlement.
Sigh… sure enough, just like her past life.
She turned around, half-smiling, half-teasing.
"Hehe, brother, nothing… nothing at all!"
"You came together with Master Jing?"
Jing Yuan nodded vigorously. She wanted to say no—originally, she had planned to surprise her brother. But things hadn't gone the way she'd imagined.
Reality proved it: what had happened in her last life was bound to repeat again, only at a different time—and this time, Wen Yujing was involved.
"You didn't go to school today? Or… did you skip class again?"
Jing Yinian frowned, his gaze softening with the familiar indulgence of an older brother.
Ever since that car accident, her personality had shifted drastically—as if she'd become someone else entirely.
"I… Brother, I just missed you!" she blurted, suddenly hugging him.
Maybe it was because of that dream she had last night. As she clung to him, warm tears welled up and slid down her cheeks.
Around them, the staff on this floor couldn't help but steal glances.
None of them had ever seen Jing Yuan before, so naturally they assumed she was President Jing's girlfriend—or perhaps even his secret lover.
"Hey, look, our President Jing is hugging a woman!"
"Yeah, who is she? Do you know her name?"
"Nope."
"Me neither!"
A few moments later, a woman in a rose-red sleeveless dress came clicking over in sleek black heels. Her slightly wavy hair framed her sharp face—Assistant Chief Ai.
Her voice dropped low, tinged with irritation as she tugged her throat, "You're all this nosy?"
The employees immediately turned, stiffening when they saw her.
"Ch-Chief Assistant…"
"What exactly are you gossiping about?" she snapped, her expression flipping instantly.
One employee hurried forward, whispering in her ear, "Chief Assistant, look over there."
Following his gaze, she only let out a casual "Oh."
"President Jing and the Second Miss? What's so surprising about that?"
Second Miss?
The employees all froze, whipping their heads toward her in unison.
"Second Miss? She's not his girlfriend?"
Assistant Chief Ai gave one employee a firm slap on the shoulder, half helpless, half scolding.
"Girlfriend? You can say that nonsense in front of me, but never in front of President Jing. That's the Jing family's Second Miss—the heiress of Longcheng Group!"
As soon as her words fell, she strode off toward them with her long, graceful legs.
"President Jing, Second Miss," she greeted with a smile.
Jing Yinian turned, his gaze sharp, his tone cold and strict:
"Two coffees. One hot milk tea."
Without another word, he took his sister's hand and led her into his office.
Inside, Wen Yujing was already lounging on the sofa, legs crossed lazily. Between his slender fingers was a half-burned cigarette, smoke curling in the air.
Jing Yinian's office was simple and austere—gray-white walls, gray furniture, gray sofa. Opposite the sofa stretched a transparent glass wall; from the inside, you could see out into the hall, but from the hall, no one could see in.
"Brother, I want to study in the company. Is that okay?"
The moment the words left her mouth, a deep, magnetic voice cut across the room:
"No."
The way Wen Yujing said it—just two words—dripped with disapproval and possessiveness.
"Wen Yujing, don't go too far! I… you—"
She stormed toward him, eyes burning crimson with anger.
"Xiaoyuan, be good. You're married now. It's time you learned some proper etiquette."
Jing Yinian tugged lightly at her sleeve, his tone uncharacteristically solemn.
"Brother, I'm your sister! How can you—"
Before she could finish, Wen Yujing stood up, striding toward her. He pulled her straight into his arms.
The force made Jing Yuan stumble right into his chest.
Her brother, standing there, had no choice but to choke down a mouthful of dog food*.
(*Chinese slang for "public display of affection" that makes single people suffer.)
Why? Why was it that the same events from her past life were happening all over again, just at different times?
Was it really because of Wen Yujing?
She arched a brow, her gaze sharp as she silently warned him: My brother doesn't need your acting here.
Wen Yujing answered her in kind: But I do.
"Cough, cough." Jing Yinian cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Wen Yujing, let go!" she hissed under her breath.
"Ahem… Master Jing, about the property development project—" Jing Yinian tried to cut the tension.
But before he could finish, Wen Yujing's low, velvety voice interrupted:
"Brother-in-law, we're not talking business today."
It was the first time Wen Yujing had called him that—no longer polite, no longer distant.
Brother-in-law?
Jing Yinian froze, utterly dumbfounded.
Jing Yuan stared at him wide-eyed, shocked. Has he lost his mind?
This was Wen Yujing—the man feared across the entire capital—and he was actually calling her brother "Brother-in-law"?
Or… had he gotten addicted to acting?
"Wen Yujing, maybe I should take you to the hospital. If you're sick, you need treatment. Don't worry, I'll never tell Grandpa Wen."
Right in front of her brother, she dared to tease him.
"Relax, Xiaoyuan. Your husband's just fine." Wen Yujing played along smoothly.
Not long after, a girl appeared at the office door. She wore a sea-blue blouse and dark jeans, her long hair softly curled. She knocked lightly on the door, her voice sweet:
"President Jing, may I come in?"
All of them turned their heads at once.
Jing Yinian's first reaction was:
"What are you doing here?"
Something felt off between these two.
Jing Yuan stepped forward, smiling faintly as she greeted the girl.
"Come in! Don't mind my brother—he's always like that. No need to be nervous."
She said this because the girl before her was her future sister-in-law.
Her name was Kim Soomin, the cherished daughter of the Kim family.
In her past life, many things had happened between them. But Soomin's parents disapproved of her brother, so in the end, the two missed their chance at happiness.
This time, Jing Yuan vowed things would be different. For the sake of her brother's happiness, she would make sure their paths didn't part again.
Turning toward her brother, she teased,
"Brother, aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Kim family. Kim Soomin." That was all Jing Yinian said, his voice flat.
The Kim family?
Wen Yujing hadn't intended to look at her at all. In his eyes, only Jing Yuan could ever hold his attention.
If not for Jing Yinian mentioning the Kim name, he wouldn't have spared her a glance.