The Devoted Female Supporting Lead and the White Moonlight’s Sister Got a Happy Ending (GL) - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Not Late

“What a coincidence, we meet again,” Shao Peiran said.

“Ah…” Perhaps the impact of “wishes coming true” was too great, as He Baizhou’s reaction was slightly sluggish. It took her a beat to reply, “Yes… quite a coincidence.”

It was hard to describe her current feeling—it felt surreal, almost like a dream.

“Are you here for the conference too?” she asked.

Shao Peiran smiled again. This time the smile was broader, and that sweet, shallow dimple appeared on her cheek once more. Though it was gone in a flash, He Baizhou felt as if it were filled with honey, making it impossible to look away.

So, when Shao Peiran answered with a “More or less,” she didn’t think much of it.

Or rather, she was no longer capable of thinking deeply; all that remained was an uncontrollable joy, like a nimble bird circling and singing in her heart. “I’m here for the conference too—well, I have a private hospital under my name. I heard there was an announcement regarding a specialized drug for a rare disease. If it’s true, it will surely bring good news to many patients.”

Shao Peiran nodded with a smile.

Just as He Baizhou was about to say more, she saw the organizers’ staff stepping onto the podium to test the equipment, indicating the meeting was about to begin. Seeing this, the guests returned to their seats, and she could only say hurriedly, “Are you free today? Since we’ve been lucky enough to cross paths, shall we have dinner together after the meeting?”

She stared at Shao Peiran until she saw a nod of agreement, then hurried back to her seat.

Gao Yiwen had noticed her strange behavior long ago and was dying of curiosity. Before He Baizhou could even sit down, she asked urgently, “Is it her?”

He Baizhou gave a reserved “Mm” and stole another glance at Shao Peiran.

Gao Yiwen was looking at her too and couldn’t help but say, “I can tell you for sure now, falling for someone else is perfectly normal.” Actually, she wanted to say that this woman looked much better than Shao Qingran in every way, but she felt there was no need to keep mentioning that name at a time like this.

Over the last few days, she had been wondering what kind of person could make He Baizhou so obsessed after just one meeting. In her heart, she hoped this person was good in every way—ideally not someone like Shao Qingran who would lead He Baizhou on—but such things weren’t within her control. Occasionally, she worried: what if the person she liked was still the ‘Shao Qingran’ type?

But now, seeing her in person, Gao Yiwen could finally announce with relief: Shao Qingran was a thing of the past!

“I think you two really do have fate on your side,” she continued to egg He Baizhou on. “How about taking her to dinner after the meeting to build some rapport? Most importantly, you must remember to get her contact information this time!”

He Baizhou nodded, already starting to plan how to ask for it.

Thank goodness for the era of mobile internet! Thank goodness for scanning codes to add friends! When the time came, she would just show her QR code. Given the other woman’s upbringing, even if it was just out of politeness, she likely wouldn’t refuse.

Adding her as a friend was only the first step, but having that contact info was like holding a thread connecting the two of them. She wouldn’t have to worry about the person vanishing without a trace after a single meeting.

While she was lost in thought, Gao Yiwen suddenly began nudging her frantically with her elbow.

He Baizhou snapped back to reality and looked up, immediately seeing Shao Peiran standing on the stage. Only then did she finally realize, with hindsight, what Shao Peiran’s earlier “More or less” had meant.

She was indeed at the conference, but not as a participant—she was the host, the one in charge of this meeting.

“Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here…” The person on stage was poised and graceful, speaking in fluent English. After finishing the opening remarks, she quickly pivoted to the day’s theme. After a brief introduction of the current situation regarding this rare disease, she introduced the people sitting on the stage one by one. They were from a certain biomedical laboratory and were the developers of the specialized drug.

The microphone was soon passed to the developers to let them share their experiences and stories from the R&D process, while Shao Peiran herself took a seat in an empty chair on the stage.

“She’s the head of the pharmaceutical company,” Gao Yiwen whispered.

He Baizhou was also surprised, but then she became happy. If Shao Peiran was the head of the pharmaceutical company, they would surely have more interactions in the future. Moreover, being in roughly the same field meant they wouldn’t have to worry about lacking a common language.

Gao Yiwen was still studying the nameplate in front of Shao Peiran when she suddenly noted in surprise, “Shao Peiran… how come her surname is also Shao?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? She is Qingran’s cousin,” He Baizhou answered.

Gao Yiwen: “???” You’re only mentioning such an important detail now?

She truly believed Shao Peiran was “the one” now. After all, the status of being an ex-lover’s relative was quite awkward; given He Baizhou’s upbringing and grace, she would usually avoid such awkwardness. Otherwise, it wouldn’t sound very good.

As He Baizhou’s friend and assistant, Gao Yiwen didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. She even couldn’t help but think: if only this cousin had appeared earlier. Seriously, why was Shao Qingran hiding such an impressive relative? If He Baizhou had met her sooner, Shao Qingran likely would have been out of the picture long ago.

So her focus quickly shifted: “The sister is really beautiful…”

He Baizhou’s wary gaze immediately fell on her.

Gao Yiwen couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I don’t like women. What on earth are you being wary for?”

He Baizhou then turned her gaze away and said in a deep voice, “Focus on the meeting.”

Gao Yiwen: “…” As if you’re focusing on the meeting.

But she could only grumble internally. That was how it always was—He Baizhou, the boss, could afford not to listen, but as the employee responsible for specific tasks, she couldn’t afford a single slip-up. So she quickly put the little interlude behind her and listened intently to the speeches on stage.

The meeting went smoothly. Most people there were genuinely interested in the specialized drug, so after the presentation, everyone was very active. Consequently, after the meeting ended, the lab personnel left early, but Shao Peiran stayed behind and was surrounded by people seeking consultations.

He Baizhou sent the others away and stayed to wait.

She wasn’t in a hurry. Today’s Shao Peiran was a bit unfamiliar to He Baizhou, but she was also a delightful surprise. She liked the way Shao Peiran looked when sitting alone in a corner where no one dared approach, but she also admired her standing in the crowd now, where every gesture and movement commanded the attention of everyone around her.

This was a person completely different from herself, and it filled He Baizhou with an investigative interest.

Shao Peiran expertly handled everyone. It was only when she turned to pack her things that she noticed He Baizhou was still there. She was a bit surprised but quickly packed up and walked over. “Sorry, have you been waiting long?”

“It’s only right; business comes first,” He Baizhou said, reaching out to take the bag of documents from her hand.

The gesture was so natural that Shao Peiran didn’t react until the bag was already in He Baizhou’s hand. She pursed her lips and smiled, not insisting on taking it back, and walked lightheartedly beside He Baizhou. “You are the guest; I’ll handle the arrangements today.”

“Of course,” He Baizhou said. “This is actually my first time in Australia.”

It was quite strange when she thought about it. She had been to many places—the British Isles and the European continent went without saying, she had visited several famous Asian countries, and had even left her footprints on the African savannah—but she had never been here.

Fortunately, it wasn’t late.

Shao Peiran asked about her dietary restrictions and quickly chose a seafood restaurant, and they drove there.

“Is work at the pharmaceutical company very busy?” He Baizhou asked suddenly on the way.

“Hm?” Shao Peiran was a bit puzzled. “It’s alright. Most of the time is spent traveling and socializing, but the schedule is reasonably balanced. Why do you ask?”

“I remember you saying your stomach isn’t good,” He Baizhou said. “Is it because of irregular eating habits and too much socializing?”

Shao Peiran laughed; this time her smile was much more sincere. “It is indeed because of that, but not because of the pharmaceutical company.” She glanced at He Baizhou. “This company was founded by my mother, and she managed it alone. However, she just had a minor surgery and is currently recuperating, so I was forced into the role.”

“Ah…” He Baizhou let out a surprised sound. She had thought a related profession had continued their connection, but she hadn’t expected the person to thank most was actually Shao Peiran’s mother’s illness. However, being happy because someone else was sick was completely against He Baizhou’s moral character, so she said apologetically, “I didn’t know. How is your mother doing now?”

She originally wanted to ask if it was convenient to visit, but then realized that as strangers who had just met, asking that was a bit intrusive.

—It seemed that ever since she met Shao Peiran, she was constantly and unconsciously trying to intrude upon the other’s privacy.

He Baizhou took a deep breath to calm herself. This wasn’t right. Even if her feelings for Shao Peiran were special and she was eager to know her better, she couldn’t overstep; she had to take it step by step.

“It was just a small surgery, very successful. She’ll recover in about a week of rest,” Shao Peiran said.

He Baizhou nodded and pivoted the topic. “The pharmaceutical company is your mother’s business, but what about you?”

“Me? Right now, I’m unemployed,” Shao Peiran joked. “Because I had nothing to do, I was drafted by my mom to fill the numbers here.”

“In that case, I seem to be much the same.” He Baizhou heard that she was joking, but also heard her subtle refusal.

Though a bit disappointed, she realized it wasn’t appropriate to keep asking about the other woman’s affairs. It was better to let the other woman know her first, so she smiled naturally. “Even though I initiated the creation of that hospital, I rely on everyone’s concerted efforts. I personally haven’t put in much work, and I’m not responsible for specific management right now.”

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