It was dusk in a private residential area on the western edge of Shanghai. The houses on the street were set back behind high perimeter walls, each with a numbered gate and keypad. Streetlights had started to come on. Everything was quiet, save for the sound of sprinklers spraying behind some fences.
A long, glossy black car idled outside one of the gates, its hood adorned with the Maybach emblem. Inside, pale leather seats and dark wood trim gave the cabin a quiet opulence. In the back, Jin Haoran sat cross-legged, lazily scrolling through his phone with the flick of a thumb.
Chairwoman at 'some company he recognized'. Save for later.
Business administration student at 'some Ivy League college in the US'. Swipe left.
Hotel management student at 'some high-profile university here in China'. Swipe left.
"Young Master," the chauffeur called, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.
"Hm?" Jin Haoran didn't look up from the phone.
"We've been waiting for a while," he sucked in a breath. "Maybe call her again just to be sure she's coming."
Jin Haoran flicked his wrist, glancing at his Rolex Oyster Perpetual. 7:13 pm. In two minutes, they would've been waiting for thirty minutes. His ear twitched slightly. "She's probably taking so long to annoy me."
"Young Master… You're not annoyed?"
"It's fine," Jin Haoran shook his head. "I'm used to this."
The chauffeur frowned, clicking his tongue. "Ah, young master! How can you get used to something like that?" He clicked again. "But you... you call her first."
Jin Haoran glanced at the chauffeur from the rearview mirror. "Sorry about having to wait so long, Andy."
Andy's frown relaxed.
"Do you have somewhere to be?"
"No, young master. This is my job." He frowned again. "It's just… I'm uncomfortable with the way she treats you."
A small chuckle escaped Jin Haoran's lips. Swipe left. "Don't worry, Andy. She'll come out for this."
Several more minutes later, the house's gate slid open with a quiet hum, announcing her presence. Jin Haoran slipped his phone into his pocket. Andy stepped out to open the car door. She slid in without sparing him a glance.
When she settled into the seat beside Jin Haoran, he acknowledged her. "Good evening."
"Hmm," she mumbled without sparing him a glance. Pulling a compact mirror from her purse, she dabbed at her makeup. Andy caught the scene in the rearview mirror as he pulled away from the curb, he shook his head in silent disapproval.
The silence stretched between them.
When she put the compact away, Jin Haoran's voice broke the silence. "What did you think about the meeting this morning?"
She pulled her phone from her purse. "What's there to think? It was like every other meeting, wasn't it?"
"Yes," he paused. Then continued, "Did you think the presentation sat well with the board?"
She scoffed. "What are you? A child looking for praise for a job well done?"
He opened his mouth to speak but she continued. "If I hadn't fixed the presentation, who knows what would've happened?"
Jin Haoran's ears twitched. She hadn't informed him she had modified the slides. Again. If he hadn't double-checked, he might've fumbled the presentation. "I noticed… You didn't have to go through all that trouble."
She closed the compact with a snap. "Your talking points were all over the place. Your statistics were outdated and your closing statement had no impact."
He paused. "You did... Catch some points I missed."
"You're welcome." She reached for her phone.
More silence.
Jin Haoran cleared his throat. "I think the board was particularly pleased with your department's numbers." He watched her. "Yours will be the highest performing department this quarter again."
She scrolled through her phone in silence. A small, inaudible sigh. Her thumb moved in quick flicks.
Andy's eyes darted between them then returned to the road.
Jin Haoran pressed on. "Speaking of numbers... I have some good news."
Silence.
"I reviewed your proposal—"
"What proposal?" She turned her head sharply towards him, her thumbs freezing in place, a frown settling on her face.
"The proposal to implement AI into—"
"Father asked you to approve it?" Her voice rose to a high pitch.
"Review—"
"Approve! Do not sugarcoat it!"
"Well... It's my job."
"Your job?" Her knuckles had gone white around the phone.
"I—"
"He is the CEO and I am his daughter. He can't look over my proposal for me?"
Jin Haoran fell silent, realizing she was too angry to hear him out. His eyes met Andy's sympathetic gaze in the rearview mirror.
"What is so good about you that you have to be my boss?" Each word came out sharper than the last. "I am older than you, Haoran. Is having a penis really all that good that you have to be ahead of me in life no matter how hard I try?"
Silence.
"Jin Haoran. You spineless, soulless—"
"What is the matter with you?" His eyes shot wide. His irritation finally broke through.
She leaned forward and pressed a finger against his forehead. "What is the matter with you?"
He grabbed her wrist and held onto it. She struggled to pull it and failed. When he spoke again, his voice filled the car—deep, commanding. "We're not alone. You will respect yourself and stop behaving like a child."
He released his grip on her hand and she gave a small bitter laugh.
Jin Haoran drew in a deep breath and released it. He pinched the bridge of his nose and hissed a little.
She turned to face him fully. Her voice came out soft and gentle. "I really hate you, you know that?"
He readjusted his tie and stared straight ahead. His ear twitched.
A grin crept across her face, slow and crooked. Each word she spoke came out of her mouth well enunciated. "I have hated you since we were kids. And I will always hate you."
"Your hatred won't change anything, Wanrou," he said in a neutral tone. His gaze fixed ahead. "No matter how hard you try, how much you think you deserve it, you'll only ever be beneath me."
She stared at him, her back slouched, her mouth open.
He maintained his composure. "Make an appointment with my secretary to confirm what time I'll be free to see you tomorrow."
She blinked to stop a tear from falling.
"We're almost there, sir," Andy said, his voice spirited. If Jin Haoran had looked in the rearview mirror right at that moment, he'd have seen a satisfied smirk on Andy's face.
Jin Haoran continued. "If you don't come by tomorrow to hear my recommendation, then you can go to the board."
She gave a bitter chuckle. "Good." A small nod. "Good." She wiped a tear from her eye. "That's really good."
The car slowed to a stop. Jin Haoran adjusted his tie as cameras flashed through the tinted windows. He waited for Andy to open the door, then stepped out. Reporters yelled out their names. Cameras clicked at them in rapid succession.
His ear giving that same small twitch, Jin Haoran extended his hand toward the car.
Jin Wanrou emerged from the car with a bright smile. Her fingers interlaced with his as he led her down the red carpet that stretched from the curb to the entrance.
"Who are you wearing today, Wanrou-jie?" A popular influencer appeared as they posed in front of a banner, a cameraman beside her.
Jin Wanrou rattled off luxury designer brand names from head to toe, her voice animated and soft, her smile warm and inviting.
"Your taste is so elite, Wanrou-jie. If you have some clothes you don't wear anymore, please send them to me," the influencer said, gushing.
Jin Wanrou's eyes swept over the girl, eyes pausing briefly on her curves. "Of course, Lili. Just remind me later."
Lili blushed under Jin Wanrou's gaze. Her eyes reluctantly darted to Jin Haoran. "How about you, Haoran-ge? Who are you wearing today?"
"Same as always."
Lili turned to her camera. "So guys, Haoran-ge has been using the same tailor since he was twelve. His shoes and wristwatch? Same ones he wore through uni." She faced him again. "My fans really want to know… why haven't you updated your style this whole time?"
"I'm lazy."
Jin Wanrou leaned into him and laughed. It's sound light and musical. "Next time, I'll shop for you."
"Wanrou-jie, I want a big sister like you," Lili swooned, then grew slightly more serious. "Now, we know you both are here to support your childhood friend, Sun Weiming. Unfortunately, the gallery doesn't allow cameras to go in there." She gestured with her palm. "We think it's great that you siblings have had the same close-knit friendship circle since childhood. Haoran-ge, how does it feel to be here together?"
"Actually, Sun Weiming is my childhood friend. And Chen Xinyan is Jie's childhood friend," Jin Haoran gestured towards Jin Wanrou, who nodded with a smile. "It's only in adulthood that the friendship dissolved into each other."
"Oh, and Xinyan-jie didn't come today?"
Jin Haoran cocked his head at Lili and she laughed nervously. then spoke. "Yes, Xinyan-jie must be so busy. You don't become the world's youngest CEO of a major conglomerate by flitting around like the rest of us."
Jin Haoran nodded. "Chen Xinyan is something alright. As for your question…" He fixed a meaningful gaze on Jin Wanrou's face as he spoke. "I honestly wish my Jie and I could always be this close." He felt her pull away ever so slightly as she smiled a little wider at the camera.
"That's so sweet. You guys really make me wish I wasn't an only child. How about you Wanrou-jie? How does it feel to be here with Haoran-ge?"
"It's amazing. I'm glad it's Haoran by my side. Even after I get married, I'll still choose to go to these events with Haoran." Pulling him closer to her, she looks at him with a smile, then turns back to the camera. "I'm very proud of his accomplishments and I'm very protective of him." She sniffed and wiped an invisible tear from her eye. "I just…" She smiled. "I just love him the most."