Chapter 80: Reunion

A woman stood in the middle of the lobby, looking entirely out of place amid the polished marble floors and the immaculate suits of the employees passing through the building.

She wore a plain red dress and a matching red hat. Neither appeared to belong to any designer brand Kira recognized. In one hand, she held a simple white bag without even a logo to distinguish it.

The woman turned when she noticed them approaching.

Her beautiful face brightened, and she offered Kira a warm smile.

"Miss Qing, you’re finally here. I’m sorry to trouble you, but—"

Kira gave her a single, dismissive glance.

Then she looked away.

The woman’s smile faltered slightly, but she continued, "I’ve encountered a little difficulty. I was hoping you might help me sort things out. If you could spare me a few minutes—"

"Do I look like I run a charity?"

Kira’s sharp interruption silenced the surrounding employees.

Kira turned to Julie, her patience already exhausted, "Is this what you’ve been wasting my time over?"

Julie lowered her head.

Kira’s gaze swept over the woman again, lingering briefly on the inexpensive-looking dress and the unremarkable white bag.

A trace of disdain crossed her face, "Julie, have security escort her out. If she refuses to cooperate, call the police. Qing Grand is flourishing in every respect. We don’t need to entertain messy strangers loitering around."

The moment the security guards surrounded the woman, a man appeared out of nowhere, shielding her like an unmovable mountain.

His aura was frosty and unforgiving, "Step back," he warned in a chilling voice.

The security guards looked at each other and hesitated.

The man shielded the woman and escorted her out. His stature was imposing and it looked like if anyone dared to harm the woman, the man wouldn’t spare them.

Julie inched closer to Kira, "Ma’am, they don’t seem like simple people."

"Troublesome, indeed. It’s a good thing we didn’t indulge them. Who knows what they are up to?" Kira scoffed.

Suddenly, a glint flickered in Kira’s eyes. She whispered something in Julie’s ears.

Outside Qing Grand, the woman sighed and looked at her red dress, "Am I dressed too shabbily? Didn’t they tell me there is only one of these in the world?"

The bodyguard stayed silent and poised like a rock, not uttering a single word.

The woman looked at him.

Wen Nian’s brow twitched subtly, "You are overthinking."

At this moment, Kira’s secretary walked towards them, "Hello, Qing Grand has been really busy lately so we couldn’t assist you. Our director feels guilty because of that."

The woman looked at her in interest, "Your director should be that young lady, Miss Kira Qing, right?"

"Yes," Julie smiled politely, "She suggests for you to reside in our branch property, Qing Horizons. The people there will assist you in solving your problems."

The woman looked at her bodyguard, then back at Julie, "Then, thank your director for us."

...

Around 7 pm, Sienna finally closed her laptop and stretched her body.

"Boss, here is your coffee," Flora entered the office room.

Sienna took the mug but then, she put it down, "Forget it. I will cut back on it a little."

"Ah?" Flora was astonished.

In a few days of working for Sienna, one thing she knew was her boss couldn’t continue her day normally without caffeine.

But then again...

"Say what’s on your mind,’’ Sienna sighed.

"Boss, how did you guess I am thinking something?" Flora’s eyes went round.

"Do I need to guess?" Sienna blinked, looking at her face that revealed more than her words did.

Flora took a small step closer to Sienna, "Boss, I feel like you have changed since we returned from Bellhaven."

"Oh?" Sienna was suddenly interested, "How so?"

"You... seem happier," Flora dwelled on it a little more, "I can’t tell but are radiating warmth."

Sienna was amused, "Then, you don’t need winterwear. Just stay close to me."

Flora pouted, ’Boss is teasing me again.’

At this moment, Flora received a call.

After dropping the call, she turned to Sienna, "Boss, someone is looking for you."

"Who?"

"She says her last name is Fan.’’

...

A short distance from the resort, where the paved road gave way to a sandy path leading toward the beach, a young woman stood beneath a palm tree, waving enthusiastically at Sienna.

She wore a loose hoodie with a pair of faded jeans, her hair tied into a casual ponytail.

There was something familiar about her cheerful face.

"Fan Xing?" Sienna walked toward her, "Long time no see!"

Fan Xing’s arm dropped mid-wave. She stared at Sienna for a moment before breaking into a surprised laugh, "You actually remember my name!"

"Why wouldn’t I?"

"I don’t know." Fan Xing scratched the back of her head, looking a little embarrassed, "After university, you practically disappeared. One day, you were everywhere, and the next, nobody could find you."

Sienna smiled faintly without a word.

Fan Xing sighed, "The only time we ever heard your name was when it appeared in the headlines. Or during the reunions where you were nowhere to be seen. Nobody could stop talking about you."

Her animated expression made Sienna laugh.

Fan Xing grinned before looking at her more closely, "But how have you been? "

Sienna smiled, "I’m doing well. What about you? How have things been since graduation?"

"Work keeps me busy, but I can’t complain." Fan Xing paused, suddenly remembering something. Her expression turned serious, though the excitement in her eyes remained, "Actually, I’m here for a special reason."

"Oh?"

"Our college reunion is tomorrow."

Sienna blinked.

"And you have to come," Fan Xing added without waiting for her response.

Sienna opened her mouth, "Fan Xing, I don’t think I’ll be able to—"

"I knew you’d say that!"

Fan Xing hurriedly stepped forward, catching her hand before she could finish, "That’s why I came here in person. You’ve missed every single reunion we’ve had since graduation. Every time we tried to contact you, you were either busy, travelling, or simply nowhere to be found."