Ethan Yin's words suddenly lit up Cecilia Gu's mind!
She had been trying to convince her parents to move back to China from the small island in Indonesia.
But every time she brought it up, her family shot down the idea!
Cecilia Gu really wanted to bring her parents and her foster mother, Jian Xiao, to live with her, but she had just returned to China and only taken the first step to restore the Yun Family.
How could she have the confidence to bring the Yun Family back to China?
But Ethan Yin's words today gave her a new perspective.
Her father had always been devoted to academic research.
Forcing him to stay on that small island in Indonesia was pure torture for him.
Dad is only in his fifties this year, which is the perfect age for academic research!
Even though the library at Saint Diana Academy may not match the Yun Family Archives, everything here is cutting-edge.
Most importantly, the Yun Family's many experiments require ample supplies of raw materials!
The cost of shipping materials from abroad to the island is really too high!
The Yun Family was surviving on old reserves, but how long could they last?
If they moved back to China, they'd save so much money!
And her mother, who loved nature so much, was stuck living on a lonely island surrounded by endless ocean—wasn't that just cruel irony?
If I could use this as an excuse to bring Mom and Dad over...
With her parents' help, wouldn't she be able to restore the Yun Family even faster?
Cecilia Gu's eyes lit up with excitement. She reached out and patted Ethan Yin on the shoulder. "Ethan, thank you so much! You're right, this is definitely a shortcut! I can't believe I missed it! Thank you!"
Ethan Yin was overjoyed to see his suggestion accepted!
Cecilia Gu immediately called her parents with Ethan Yin by her side. "Dad, I want to discuss something with you! Mm, don't worry, just listen to me..."
Right then, Cecilia Gu poured out all her ideas to Mr. Yun.
Cecilia's eloquence had improved a lot these past two years. She pleaded with Mr. Yun, using every trick in the book—even quoting the Yun Family's ancestral teachings!
Her point was clear: if Mr. Yun truly wanted to revive the Yun Family, this was the best shortcut. 'Come on, come on, hurry back to China! I'll set up a private research base and provide all the materials you need!'
While Cecilia Gu was excitedly talking to her family on the phone, Ethan Yin sat quietly nearby, his eyes full of laughter—and a hint of envy.
Cecilia Gu had been through so much hardship, but no matter how tough things got, there were always people who truly cared about her.
On the surface, he was the second young master of the Yin Family, but only he knew what that really meant.
His biological mother wasn't Mrs. Yin—he was just an illegitimate child who couldn't be acknowledged.
His mother was always causing trouble, and he had to clean up after her...
Honestly, Mr. Yun and his wife truly loved Cecilia Gu.
When Mr. Yun heard Cecilia was now Chairwoman of Saint Diana Academy, he couldn't bear to refuse her anymore.
It was his daughter's first time stepping into a leadership role. As her father, how could he not help her out?
So, after Cecilia's persistent persuasion, Mr. Yun finally agreed to return to China as a guest professor at Saint Diana Academy.
Hearing Mr. Yun's answer, Cecilia Gu was so excited she almost jumped for joy!
Even though she was bringing her dad in as backup, whether she succeeded or he did, it was all part of reviving the Yun Family!
She really was silly—why hadn't she thought of this sooner?
After hanging up, Cecilia Gu was beaming, and Ethan Yin's cheerful response instantly made the room feel lighter.
Meanwhile, outside, Charles Yin had just come out of the bathroom and ran into Joe Qi, who was busy flirting. Joe pulled Charles aside for a long chat.
"Charles, I heard you really went all out for the Japan trip!" Joe Qi grinned, slinging an arm around Charles's shoulder. "But you sure are gutsy—aren't you worried something might happen to Cecilia?"
Charles Yin raised an eyebrow, his smile full of wicked charm. "Who do you think I am? I wouldn't do anything unless I was sure of the outcome."
Joe Qi kept teasing him: "Oh, really? Who was it that freaked out when he saw Jiro Hirayama?"
Charles Yin shot him a glare. "Aren't you supposed to be busy flirting? Why are you still hanging around N City? What's your deal?"
Joe Qi rubbed his nose sheepishly. "Nothing, I just suddenly think N City is great. Want to stay a little longer."
Charles Yin just shook his head, speechless.
Suddenly, Joe Qi pointed at Angela Ma in the distance and said to Charles Yin, "That little girl keeps sneaking glances at you. Is she your new admirer?"
Charles Yin followed his gaze, but only caught a glimpse of Angela Ma's retreating figure.
Charles Yin frowned. "Don't talk nonsense! She's Ethan Yin's half-sister, and she's working at Yin Manor now."
Joe Qi smirked meaningfully. "Oh, I see..."
Joe Qi finished the sentence, then asked, "How's Emma been lately?"
"My mom's heading to South America soon," Charles Yin answered coolly.
"What? Emma's going to South America?" Joe Qi's expression changed slightly.
Joe Qi quickly covered up his reaction and exclaimed, "What's so great about South America? If Emma wants a quiet vacation spot, she should go to Australia! I have a bay there—beautiful and safe!"
Charles Yin's eyes flickered, as if he'd guessed something but wasn't sure.
He didn't say anything, just smiled at Joe Qi.
Joe Qi rubbed his nose and said, "Alright, alright, I still have flirting to do. Let's grab a drink another time!"
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With that, Joe Qi turned and left.
Watching Joe Qi's back, Charles Yin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Could Joe Qi really be...
Angela Ma hid off to the side, patting her chest nervously.
She'd almost been caught just now—so dangerous!
What should she do? Wherever Charles Yin was, she just couldn't help but want to sneak a look at him!
Even if it was just a glimpse from afar, Angela Ma felt completely satisfied!
Angela Ma knew it wasn't right, but she just couldn't stop herself!
Angela Ma had always been so well-behaved—she'd never felt this way about anyone before.
But that day, the moment she saw Charles Yin for the first time, Angela Ma knew she was done for.
Just one look, and she was already falling for him.
Angela Ma was trapped in a painful, tangled crush she couldn't escape.
She hid her feelings well, never daring to ask Ethan Yin anything about Charles Yin.
She always listened in quietly to the other workers, carefully picking up anything about Charles Yin.
Whenever she heard others talk about the high and mighty 'emperor' with such awe, Angela Ma couldn't help but feel a strange pride.
See? The man she had a crush on was just that amazing!
But the more outstanding he became, the more unreachable he seemed—and Angela Ma couldn't help but feel powerless and insecure.
She'd dreamed about Charles Yin more than once—dreamed he smiled at her, dreamed he said he liked her too...
But every time she woke up, she just felt even more lost.
She never expected Charles Yin to show up at dinner tonight!
It was her first time eating at the same table as him.
She was so nervous, her palms were sweating. She carefully copied Cecilia Gu's eating order and etiquette, terrified of making even the tiniest mistake in front of that 'god on high.'
She liked him in such a humble way.
But the emperor already had his queen—what could she possibly be to him?
Maybe, in this lifetime, the emperor would never spare her a second glance.
The queen was so outstanding, so confident, so elegant—how could she ever compare?
Angela Ma sighed inwardly. Just getting to eat at the same table as him once in her life was already her greatest luck!
Maybe she really shouldn't hope for so much.
Angela Ma took a deep breath and turned to leave.
She spun around, but almost crashed right into a man's arms.
The man quickly stepped back, putting distance between them.
Angela Ma stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.
Angela Ma awkwardly straightened up, about to angrily demand an explanation—then she looked up and saw Charles Yin standing there, frowning.
"What are you doing here?" Charles Yin's tone was tinged with annoyance.
Angela Ma opened her mouth, but a thousand words got stuck in her throat.
What could she say? Could she admit she'd been hiding here, spying on him?
Charles Yin didn't care about her answer and continued, "Go inside. Don't keep Cecilia waiting. Cecilia always thinks of others—if you don't eat enough, she won't leave the table."
With that, Charles Yin turned and walked back into the room.
Angela Ma watched Charles Yin's tall, imposing figure, her throat tight with emotion.
She was so envious of Cecilia Gu!
That 'god on high'—his heart and eyes were all for Cecilia!
He only cared about Cecilia!
Angela Ma felt her eyes well up—a feeling called jealousy was slowly growing inside her.
Why did fate let her meet such a perfect man, and why, when she finally met him, had he already been given his leading lady?
What did she even count as?
Angela Ma sniffled and lowered her head, slowly returning to the room.
She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down before walking in.
Ethan Yin looked up and noticed Angela Ma's mood had changed. He frowned. "Angela, what's wrong? Who called you just now? Was it Mom asking for money again?"
In Ethan Yin's mind, the only thing that could put Angela Ma in a bad mood was their mother.
May Yan, who only ever cared about losing at mahjong!
Every time she lost, May Yan would ask Angela Ma for money!
Angela Ma hurriedly looked away, lying to Ethan Yin for the first time: "Mm..."
For the first time, these always-honest siblings had a bit of distance between them.
Angela Ma saw it clearly—Ethan Yin was definitely on Cecilia's side...