One Year After Her Sister-In-Law Was Widowed - Chapter 3

Xiao Shuangyu did not object, or rather, she had no way to object.

She forced herself to stay awake to dispel her drowsiness, yet she couldn’t convince herself to stay downstairs. However, as she walked up the stairs with a heavy heart, she stopped at the corner, peeking from the height at Ji Zhuozhou, who had returned to the living room.

The protruding wall blocked almost the entire view of the living room. Ji Zhuozhou sat with her back to her; only a small portion of her side was visible. She seemed to have placed something on her lap and was looking down at it.

Her silhouette was slender and lonely.

Xiao Shuangyu didn’t even need to think to know what Ji Zhuozhou was looking at. She deliberately pushed the thought away. Seeing that Ji Zhuozhou remained motionless for a long time, she simply sat down herself, resting her forehead against the handrail of the stairs.

Her dark gaze felt almost physical, crawling and spreading inch by inch, wrapping around Ji Zhuozhou with a damp, silent clamor.

Suddenly, Ji Zhuozhou looked up.

Xiao Shuangyu reacted instantly. Before Ji Zhuozhou could turn her head, she swiftly moved two steps higher, hiding completely behind the wall. Her heart thundered against her ribs.

That was close.

She wanted to go back, but she feared Ji Zhuozhou was still looking toward the stairs. She remained frozen in place, caught in indecision.

From the distance of the living room, a slight rustling sound drifted over. It seemed Ji Zhuozhou had stood up and was walking toward her.

Startled, Xiao Shuangyu turned and sprinted lightly back upstairs, stuffing herself into her room.

Leaning against the door, her heart was still beating vividly.

Although her room and Xiao Mingyi’s were both on the second floor, they were separated by the stairs and a corridor. Even pressed against the door, she couldn’t hear Ji Zhuozhou’s voice.

Ji Zhuozhou’s footsteps were too light.

She felt a bit dejected, yet she wasn’t sure if she would feel happy. After all, this meant she wouldn’t have to hear the sound of Ji Zhuozhou entering Xiao Mingyi’s room.

What she didn’t know was that downstairs, when Ji Zhuozhou put down her work and looked back, she saw a dark shadow flash away at the corner of the stairs. The shadow didn’t retreat far enough; a section of trouser leg failed to hide in time.

Ji Zhuozhou easily recognized it as Xiao Shuangyu. Thinking of something, she rose to walk over, but the trouser leg vanished again.

By the time Ji Zhuozhou stood at the base of the stairs, there was nothing left.

Ji Zhuozhou turned back to scan the first floor, her gaze lingering in the direction of the offering table in the living room. A sudden realization dawned on her.

Reserved, silent, and introverted, she truly was the opposite of her sister.

But…

Ji Zhuozhou rubbed her fingertips. The cool sensation of being tightly held that morning still felt vivid.

Perhaps because she was back home, Xiao Shuangyu’s sleep was restless.

The June sun rose early. Even though it wasn’t even six o’clock, the light was clear. Xiao Shuangyu climbed out of bed, her eyes still listless and framed by heavy dark circles.

She stepped out of her room and stood at the top of the stairs for a moment. Hearing no sound from her mothers, she walked down quietly. She circled the area but didn’t see Ji Zhuozhou.

It was indeed quite early.

After standing blankly in the middle of the living room for a while, she walked back up the stairs to the room on the other side of the second floor.

Just standing in front of Xiao Mingyi’s door made her unhappy. The tightly shut door, which blocked out all scents and sounds from within, fueled her dissatisfaction.

Despite her displeasure, Xiao Shuangyu leaned in close, pressing her ear and nose to the crack of the door, sniffing deeply, trying to catch a scent or a sound.

From downstairs, the sound of shuffling footsteps approached the stairs.

It sounded like Auntie Tong.

Knowing that Auntie Tong rarely came upstairs at this hour, Xiao Shuangyu still turned away in a panicked, guilty flurry. She walked down the stairs with exaggerated casualness and gave Auntie Tong a muffled greeting.

Auntie Tong greeted her with a smile and asked, “Does the Second Young Mistress want breakfast? Miss Ji left so quickly she didn’t eat; there’s some ready in the kitchen.”

Xiao Shuangyu froze, murmuring in disbelief, “She left?”

Auntie Tong confirmed, “Miss Ji woke up early. Perhaps the guest room hasn’t been used in a while and she wasn’t comfortable…”

Xiao Shuangyu didn’t hear whatever else Auntie Tong said.

Her mood suddenly soared, far outweighing the annoyance of her failed eavesdropping.

So, Ji Zhuozhou didn’t stay in Xiao Mingyi’s room. She stayed in the guest room last night.

She didn’t refuse the breakfast Auntie Tong offered. She stuffed all the food intended for Ji Zhuozhou into her own stomach and hurried out of the house before her mothers could wake up and come downstairs.

She didn’t return to her rental apartment. Before the morning rush hour, she boarded the subway and squeezed her way to a skyscraper on the edge of the CBD—specifically, to the cafe diagonally opposite it.

As usual, she ordered a handmade latte and a slice of mousse cake. As usual, she sat in the corner by the window, half-hidden by greenery, and stared intently at the office building.

That was the Huari Fragrance and Flavor Company. It was said to be very famous internationally, with products covering perfumes, daily chemicals, and food dominating the mid-to-high-end foreign markets. This building was merely their domestic branch.

But for Xiao Shuangyu, the only thing she cared about was that Ji Zhuozhou worked there.

A perfumer—a profession that uses various fragrances and additives to create scents. Ji Zhuozhou seemed to hold that role at Huari, primarily responsible for the formulation and identification of various perfumes.

In this world where Alphas and Omegas have their specific pheromone scents—and Betas have none and cannot smell them—the meaning of perfume was somewhat different.

However, one thing remained the same: creating a beloved scent was no easy task.

Whenever Xiao Shuangyu thought about it, she felt an inexplicable sense of pride for Ji Zhuozhou. Even without a signature, the perfumes released by Huari were highly popular.

Of course, Xiao Shuangyu didn’t come here out of admiration for the company. As she said, the only thing she cared about was Ji Zhuozhou working inside.

She was here to wait for a “meeting” with Ji Zhuozhou.

The villa was further away than Ji Zhuozhou’s usual residence, but since Ji Zhuozhou had left so early, it was possible she had detoured back to her own place before coming here.

Because of that possibility, Xiao Shuangyu had come straight to this spot.

Though the cafe was a short distance from the Huari building, being diagonally across meant employees still came by for coffee and breakfast.

She knew Ji Zhuozhou wasn’t among them yet, so she didn’t mind. When the waiter brought her order, she began to eat the cake slowly with a small spoon.

Her eyes, however, never wavered from the entrance of Huari, waiting for Ji Zhuozhou to appear.

The cafe gradually grew quiet, and the flow of people into the Huari building thinned out, but Ji Zhuozhou still hadn’t appeared.

Xiao Shuangyu slowly finished the remaining half of her cake and checked her phone. It was already thirty minutes past the start of the workday.

It seemed she had missed her chance to see Ji Zhuozhou today.

Xiao Shuangyu turned her gaze to the iced latte; the walls of the glass now covered in condensation. After a moment’s thought, she picked it up and took a small sip.

It was bitter.

Even after drinking it for so long, she still wasn’t used to it.

The order she placed and the seat she chose were based on a choice Ji Zhuozhou had made once when Xiao Shuangyu had watched her from afar; she had confirmed this with the staff. Although Ji Zhuozhou didn’t often visit the cafe, she had continued the habit.

She finished it in small sips, set the glass down, stood up, grabbed her backpack, and walked out.

A short while later, she appeared in the lobby of Huari.

This was her first time entering the interior of Huari. The bright, glaring lights washed over her, making her blink uncomfortably.

This was the place Ji Zhuozhou passed through every single day.

It had a faint fragrance, but it was nowhere near as pleasant as the misty rain scent on Ji Zhuozhou.

It was a pity, however, that no trace of Ji Zhuozhou’s aura remained here.

After a moment of recovery, she took a deep breath and stepped forward to explain her situation to the receptionist. Soon, she was led upstairs.

The interview process was quick and smooth. After a short wait, the HR representative handed her over to the security captain. “This girl is very talented; take good care of her.”

The security captain agreed and turned to Xiao Shuangyu. “Wang Ran. You can call me Ran-jie; everyone does. Follow me first to get familiar with the place.”

The capable, short-haired Beta was a retired soldier, about forty years old, with a strong physique. She extended her hand bluntly.

Xiao Shuangyu was already feeling stiff because of the HR representative’s words. She shifted the uniform she was holding to her left hand and reached out her right to give a light, tentative shake. “Xiao Shuangyu.”

Wang Ran watched her movements, gripped her hand firmly, and gave it a vigorous shake. “Xiao Yu, don’t be nervous. Everyone here is easy to get along with.”

Xiao Shuangyu looked down at the hand Wang Ran had released. The discomfort in her chest intensified at the name “Xiao Yu.” She tried to suppress it and opened her mouth to mimic Wang Ran’s style of introduction. “Call me LianLian. Everyone calls me that.”

Wang Ran, who had turned to lead her to the security breakroom to change, laughed again. “Why ‘LianLian’? It’s quite cute, actually suits you.”

Xiao Shuangyu gave a vague response and didn’t pursue the topic.

Before changing, Xiao Shuangyu went to the restroom. She gagged a few times but didn’t throw up. She splashed cold water onto her face at the sink.

The foundation covering the dark circles under her eyes didn’t wash off, but her complexion looked poor.

She had been complimented.

It felt uncomfortable.

Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, she forced herself to perk up.

She hadn’t seen Ji Zhuozhou yet; she couldn’t retreat now.

After changing into the uniform, Wang Ran took her through the internal areas and routes of Huari, floor by floor. The higher they went, the more tense Xiao Shuangyu became.

According to Xiao Shuangyu’s investigation, floors seven through nine were the core R&D areas, meaning Ji Zhuozhou was likely on one of those floors.

Upon entering the seventh floor, the access control became much stricter. Security usually didn’t have the authority to enter. Wang Ran simply stood outside the gate and explained the general layout to her.

Xiao Shuangyu nodded as she listened, peeking through the last glass window she couldn’t pass through.

Occasionally, employees in white lab coats passed through the hallway. Xiao Shuangyu’s gaze would dart toward them, only to fall back in disappointment.

The seventh floor, the eighth… the ninth.

No Ji Zhuozhou.

Wait.

On the ninth floor, just as Wang Ran’s introduction was coming to an end, a slender figure carrying the scent of misty rain stepped into the hallway. Unaware, she walked deeper into the corridor with her back turned.

Xiao Shuangyu suddenly seemed to forget how to breathe. Unconsciously, she took a step forward, pressing nearly against the cold, emotionless glass of the security gate, sniffing deeply without thinking.

It was her.

It was Ji Zhuozhou.

Today, finally, they met.

Beside her, Wang Ran had finished. “Alright, let’s keep going. LianLian?”

Xiao Shuangyu heard nothing. Her eyes were glued to Ji Zhuozhou’s back, mesmerized by that beautiful figure even when wrapped in a white lab coat.

Suddenly, as Wang Ran waved a hand in front of her eyes, the Omega in the hallway turned around to open another door. At the moment her wrist pressed down, she turned her head toward the gate.

Click.

Ji Zhuozhou let go of the door handle and walked quickly toward her.

Thump.

Xiao Shuangyu took a panicked half-step back, her heart racing.