After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 118

Chapter 118: As Expected, She Is…

“You rarely get to come to Yuncheng with Mu Ziyu. Take some time off to spend with your girlfriend.”

During the meal, Tang Yin abruptly said this to Zou Yue.

Zou Yue was naturally happy, but remembering the work at hand, she worried, “But there are still two reports we need to submit to CEO Ming.”

Tang Yin paused her action. “After you submit them tonight, take your vacation.”

She made a mental note to tell Ming Jing not to overwork her assistant and to find her own. That way… her gaze swept towards Xia Shinan, who was chatting warmly with Mu Ziyu.

After the meal, Zou Yue and Mu Ziyu left. Xia Shinan tidied the kitchen and then walked to the sofa to face Tang Yin.

“You are too petty. Why were you so harsh on Ziyu? She went out of her way to bring you your phone. Otherwise, a certain someone would still be disconnected from the outside world.”

Tang Yin tilted her head at Xia Shinan. “Who told her to cling to you all the time? I remember you even called her your girlfriend back then.”

Xia Shinan was startled. “Ahem, I used her as a shield back then because I didn’t want to get involved with you. You knew that later, didn’t you?”

Tang Yin raised an eyebrow. “I knew, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be jealous.”

Jealous…

“Then you’ve been holding onto that jealousy for quite a while.”

Tang Yin: “Haven’t you heard the saying? Aged vinegar smells even better.”

Xia Shinan shook her head and smiled helplessly. “Fine, then keep soaking in your vinegar jar. I need to go back to the company.”

Tang Yin immediately said, “I’ll drive you.”

“Drive me how? Even if you have a car, you can’t drive it. Stay home and rest properly. If you’re bored, watch TV or read. You have snacks if you’re hungry. Tell me what you want for dinner, and I’ll… order takeout.” Xia Shinan gave instructions while packing her bag.

“Alright.”

The sound was utterly forlorn. Xia Shinan turned back to see her sitting on the sofa, clutching a small cushion, looking pathetic. Her hair drooped, covering her eyes and hiding all her sadness.

Xia Shinan sighed, walking over to stroke her head. “Be good. I’ll be home as soon as possible.”

Tang Yin looked up and hummed in acknowledgment. “I’ll wait for you.”

In that moment, she was just like a little pet, whose world only contained its owner, waiting for her to come home from work every day.

Xia Shinan felt a pang of heartache but also a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness. The old Tang Yin would never have been this clingy.

Tang Yin could only see her to the door, watching Xia Shinan step into the elevator. Then she closed the door and returned to the apartment.

Her smile faded considerably. As she slowly walked back to the sofa, she picked up her phone and called an unsaved number.

“I can now consider the deal you mentioned earlier, but… the bargaining chips aren’t enough.”

Back at the company, Wen Juan’s attitude towards Xia Shinan was still a bit cold. Xia Shinan knew it was her fault and tried to coax her not to be angry, reassuring her again that she would work diligently, just as she had promised on the phone.

Wen Juan finally relaxed a little and nodded. “Then show some sincerity. If there are no issues with these two contracts, sign them.”

“Okay,” Xia Shinan immediately took them and read carefully. One was a filming contract for a modern romantic comedy. She had auditioned for it a month ago and, hearing nothing, assumed she hadn’t gotten the role.

But the other one… A reality show about home life?

“Sister Juan, another variety show?” Xia Shinan smiled awkwardly.

“This is a new program. I’ll be honest, the producer is Shicheng, so having you participate is keeping the good stuff in the family. Of course, SN is also an investor… You must sign the filming contract and go shoot the drama, but for this variety show, you can think about it before giving me an answer.”

Xia Shinan lowered her eyes, thought for a few seconds, and nodded. “I’ll sign both, but I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“After this drama is finished, I want to film a movie. The one directed by Duan Xiaofei.”

Wen Juan spun her pen. “The classmate you mentioned from your university film club?”

“She’s a director now. If it weren’t for her invitation, which made me fall in love with acting, I might not have entered the acting profession today.”

“I can agree, but I also want to remind you of something: be careful not to regret wasting time on things that aren’t worthwhile.”

“Thank you. I won’t.”

Wen Juan nodded. “Good. The commercial shoot that wasn’t finished yesterday will be rescheduled for tomorrow morning.”

“No problem.”

Wen Juan looked up at her. “For the charity gala in two weeks, there will be an event at an orphanage during the day, where you’ll play games with the children and such.”

“Can do.”

She’s so agreeable? Wen Juan looked at Xia Shinan with renewed curiosity. “Good news? You seem so happy…”

Xia Shinan smiled softly. “Mhm. I’m happy because you’re not angry with me, Sister Juan.”

Wen Juan laughed exasperatedly. “Fine, I have nothing more for you here. Go rest.”

“Thank you, Sister Juan. Starting tomorrow, I will be Shicheng’s best workhorse, working diligently!” Xia Shinan said lightheartedly, joking. With the work matters settled, a weight was lifted from her heart, and her thoughts immediately turned to what to eat for dinner.

In the car ride home, Xia Shinan called Tang Yin. “Have you decided what you want to eat yet?”

Tang Yin: “What about you? What do you feel like eating?”

Xia Shinan: “I’m fine with anything. It depends on what you want.”

Tang Yin chuckled. “How about you come home first? You must be tired. Lie down on the sofa when you get back, and then we’ll discuss what to eat.”

Xia Shinan imagined the scene and felt it sounded quite nice. She couldn’t help but reflect that just moments ago, she was guaranteeing Wen Juan she would be a hardworking workhorse, and now she was already dreaming of going home to be a couch potato.

“Okay, I’ll be home soon.”

After hanging up, the sun outside was bright. Xia Shinan felt incredibly happy. Home… for the first time, that apartment truly felt like home to her.

Two weeks later, Tang Yin’s leg was getting better day by day. Slow walking was no longer an issue; as long as she didn’t run or jump, she was fine.

Xia Shinan was getting increasingly busy, but no matter how late she came home, Tang Yin was always waiting for her. Her hair had grown longer, so she had simply tied a low ponytail at the back of her head using one of Xia Shinan’s pink hair ties.

These two weeks felt like they were genuinely back in the rental apartment five years ago. Aside from classes, it was just the two of them.

“I might be home very late today. If you get sleepy, don’t wait up for me. Go to bed early.” Tao Yi was already waiting for her downstairs. Xia Shinan quickly changed into comfortable clothes, her makeup very light.

The work schedule for the day was tight. She had an event at the welfare center during the day and the charity gala at night. It was hard to say when she would be back.

“It’s okay, I’ll wait for you,” Tang Yin said, watching a variety show Xia Shinan had participated in on her tablet. “I can’t sleep without you.”

Xia Shinan glared at her. Good thing Tao Yi hadn’t come up; how embarrassing would that be to hear?

They still fell asleep in each other’s company every night. Even if it was just kissing and hugging, both their sleep qualities had noticeably improved. “I know, then I’ll try to come back as early as possible.”

Despite the reluctance to leave, Xia Shinan and Tang Yin kissed before she finally walked out the door.

The welfare center was in the suburbs of Yuncheng, a remote location. It took about an hour to get there.

Xia Shinan got out of the car, looking at the welfare center, which had been renovated this year. The exterior was clean, and the facilities seemed good, but a closer look revealed signs of rush work. She guessed it was likely done for this program recording and shooting.

The moment Xia Shinan arrived, the program had already begun recording. After filming the exterior of the center, Xia Shinan was led by a staff member to meet the director.

The director was a kindly woman in her fifties. “Thank you, Miss Xia, for coming to our center today to play with the children.”

Xia Shinan smiled gracefully. “Just call me Shinan. Today is not just about work. I also hope to use my small effort to spend time with the children and make friends with them.”

After the pleasantries, the work began.

The morning involved making kites with the children. Lunch required making dumplings together, and the afternoon concluded with everyone jointly creating a painting.

The schedule looked simple, but the actual execution proved challenging.

Most of the children at the welfare center were quiet and reserved. Xia Shinan tried hard to communicate with them but received little feedback. Even when working on the crafts together, she was the only one talking.

Her throat was dry from talking, and after more than half an hour, progress was slow. Even the director sighed.

During the break, the director pulled Xia Shinan aside to the office to explain: “I’m sorry, Shinan. The children are all quite introverted. Actually… most of the children with good personalities or who are physically healthy have already been adopted.”

Xia Shinan was startled. She understood the implicit meaning of the director’s words and felt a lump in her throat. “But that’s not their fault. The ones to blame are the parents who abandoned them in the first place.”

Since they chose to bring the child into the world, why did they abandon them? She lowered her eyes, thinking about herself. She wasn’t entirely sure if she had been abandoned by her mother or taken away by Xia Tong.

But whenever she thought it was the latter, she felt better. Did these children know they were abandoned?

“Yes, Director, none of this is the children’s fault.” Suddenly, a clear female voice rang out as someone entered the office.

Xia Shinan turned to see a tall woman in a loose shirt and trousers stride in. Her chestnut curly hair was tied back, and she exuded a gentle and elegant aura.

The woman glanced at Xia Shinan and immediately walked over. “Hello, I’m Emma.”

Emma? Xia Shinan looked at her, smiling slightly. “Hello, I’m Xia Shinan.”

The director smiled and introduced her. “Emma is the painting teacher here. She will join the filming this afternoon… but why are you here this morning?”

Emma waved the backpack in her hand. “I was worried the children might not be used to the cameras, so I came over to check and brought the paintbrushes I bought for them.”

The director sighed, mentioning the morning’s filming. “They aren’t very used to it.”

Emma nodded after listening and turned to Xia Shinan. “How about I stay with the children during the filming? They are more familiar with me, and we can communicate about any issues.”

Xia Shinan was certainly agreeable. The production team was also happy to have extra help, so Emma was brought in.

Indeed, with a familiar person accompanying them, the children, although still reserved, were willing to cooperate with the production team, and the filming proceeded smoothly.

By the time the painting session ended in the afternoon, two children were even reluctant to see Xia Shinan go, giving her a quick hug before running away.

“Honestly…” Emma smiled and shook her head at the sight. “They’re just like that. They aren’t very good at expressing what they want to say or how they feel, but their fondness for you is genuine.”

“I’m honored to have earned their affection,” Xia Shinan said with a smile. She turned to face Emma and extended her hand. “Thank you. Without you today, this work would have been very difficult.”

“Not at all. I should be thanking you,” Emma said, shaking her hand.

Xia Shinan was puzzled. Thank her for what? But the other woman withdrew her hand and turned to the director’s office.

“Sister Shinan, let’s go!” Tao Yi jogged over. “We need to rush back for hair and makeup for the evening gala!”

“Oh…” Xia Shinan glanced back at the office, then withdrew her gaze and followed Tao Yi out.

Inside the office, the director smiled. The woman before her let down her hair. The wavy curls made her look more alluring. She sat on the sofa, took lipstick from her bag, and touched up her makeup.

“How do you feel after seeing the person you wanted to see?” the director asked.

“As expected, she is wonderful.” Emma curved her lips into a smile.

“You didn’t exchange contact information?”

“No need. We’ll see each other again soon.”

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