Max Mo and Rona Muir both started laughing.
"But your temperaments are really very different, so it's not easy to mistake one for the other," Max Mo added.
Cecilia Gu nodded.
That’s for sure. Nora Yun was like an orchid in a secluded valley, while I’m just your everyday fresh face.
"If Nora were still alive, she’d be twenty-three now. She was a Cancer," Max Mo said softly.
Cecilia Gu’s body suddenly stiffened!
She was a Cancer too. And twenty-three!
"From the moment she was born, Nora showed amazing talent. By four, she was fluent in two languages and could copy classic works of art. By ten, she could create her own. She started college early and got her master’s degree at sixteen. Because of her health, her family wouldn’t let her study abroad, so she stayed in China. But even so, in her sophomore year, she went to the US as an exchange student for half a year. During that time, Nora Yun became a legend in the Chinese-American community," Max Mo said, his eyes and voice full of deep emotion as he spoke about Nora’s past.
Cecilia Gu and Rona Muir looked on with envy written all over their faces.
Priceless treasures are easy to find, but a true soulmate is rare.
Max Mo’s feelings for Nora Yun were truly enviable.
"I met Nora when she was just a kid. The next time I saw her, she was already a goddess," Max Mo sighed. "I waited so long for her to grow up. We finally got engaged when she was nineteen. But her health kept getting worse, and in her final year, she couldn’t even get out of bed. She always told me she owed her little sister, that her whole life was spent trying to make it up to her."
Sister?
Cecilia Gu and Rona Muir’s eyes instantly widened.
Last night, the two of them were bored out of their minds, so they started searching for Nora Yun online.
She was the campus goddess at Monroe University, so it was super easy to find info about her online.
The Yun family only had one daughter, Nora Yun. Where would a sister come from?
"Back then, we all thought she was just delirious from a fever, but Nora was always certain—she insisted she had a little sister, lost somewhere in the world," Max Mo said, giving Cecilia Gu a complicated look.
Cecilia Gu looked completely innocent.
"When Nora passed away, she held my hand and told me I had to find her sister. Her life was short, and she made me promise to protect her sister for the rest of my life," Max Mo said, his blue eyes deep and intense, making Cecilia Gu shiver.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Cecilia Gu finally couldn’t hold back and frowned. "I just happen to look like Nora Yun, that’s all. I have nothing to do with her! The Yun family is super prestigious—if they had twins, they’d know about it. It’s not like they’re poor and had to give one away because they couldn’t afford two."
Rona Muir totally agreed with Cecilia Gu: "Exactly! The Yun family is a literary dynasty, they could easily support ten kids, let alone two. There’s no way they’d lose track of one. And Cici is healthy, not disabled or anything. If she were a Yun, why would they send her away?"
Cecilia Gu nodded. "Exactly! And besides, it’s not like identical faces don’t exist. We’ve all seen news reports—this kind of thing happens all the time."
Max Mo’s eyes grew darker. "Sorry, I just couldn’t control my longing for a moment," he said.
Cecilia Gu waved it off, showing she didn’t mind.
Max Mo continued, "Is there anything else you want to know? Why don’t you ask, and I’ll answer."
With that, Cecilia Gu and Rona Muir perked up.
Cecilia Gu couldn’t help asking, "She was so smart—did you ever test her IQ?"
"Yes," Max Mo replied confidently. "She was so smart, people noticed even when she was three, so we took her for an IQ test."
Cecilia Gu’s eyes lit up as she looked at Max Mo.
Even though she wasn’t related to Nora Yun, just knowing they looked alike made Cecilia Gu feel like she was basking in some of that glory too.
Max Mo chuckled softly. "Her IQ nearly reached 200. She was a true genius."
Genius doesn’t even begin to cover it!
Einstein’s IQ was only 165!
But Nora Yun’s IQ was almost 200!
Rona Muir sighed, "Beautiful and brilliant—no wonder fate was jealous. The brightest flames burn out the fastest."
Max Mo and Cecilia Gu both wholeheartedly agreed!
After saying that, Rona Muir turned to Cecilia Gu. "What about you? What’s your IQ?"
Cecilia Gu blushed. "One-ten. That’s just average, right?"
Max Mo smiled and said, "There’s no second Nora Yun in this world."
Rona Muir immediately asked a second question: "Did you love her very much?"
Max Mo’s blue eyes grew even softer as he smiled gently. "Vice President Muir, what do you think?"
Rona Muir threw out her next question: "Are you planning to hold onto this love for life, or will you eventually bury it deep inside?"
Cecilia Gu turned to look at Rona Muir—wasn’t that a bit much?
Of course, Rona Muir knew she was pushing it, but if she didn’t ask, how could she figure out why Max Mo was getting close to Cecilia Gu?
Max Mo was stumped by Rona Muir’s question and didn’t answer right away.
Rona Muir’s eyes flickered, showing a hint of change.
Max Mo seemed to notice and answered softly, "The future is unpredictable. Anything I say now is just wishful thinking. All I can say is, up to now, my feelings for her have never changed."
Under the table, Cecilia Gu reached out and tugged Rona Muir’s hand, signaling her not to push too hard.
Rona Muir squeezed Cecilia Gu’s fingers in return, telling her to chill.
Rona Muir laughed and said, "So that’s the reason! I thought Max Mo chose to work with Yin Enterprises just because Cici looks like Nora Yun."
[Irrelevant system message skipped.]
Cecilia Gu couldn’t listen anymore.
These questions just kept getting sharper!
Why did everything have to revolve around her?
She was totally innocent here!
A complex look flashed in Max Mo’s blue eyes, but again, he didn’t answer.
"If you ever meet the Yun family, please be understanding," Max Mo said seriously to Cecilia Gu. "They’ve never accepted Nora’s death. If anything awkward happens, please, for my sake, be generous and forgiving."
Cecilia Gu thought the Yun family was pretty tragic too. Their beloved daughter only lived to twenty-one.
So it was only natural that seeing someone who looked so much like Nora Yun would stir up their emotions.
If it came down to it, she could always patiently explain things again, right?
Cecilia Gu nodded to show she agreed.
But when Cecilia Gu actually faced the Yun family, she realized she’d been way too hasty in agreeing!
She really was too naive!
While they were chatting, the food arrived.
Cecilia Gu realized she was a little hungry.
Now that she was in her second trimester, her appetite was getting better. The morning sickness was over, and she found herself hungry more and more often.
Seeing how well Cecilia Gu was eating, the other two couldn’t help but eat a lot more too.
After the meal, Cecilia Gu said goodbye to Max Mo, feeling satisfied, and was taken home by Rona Muir.
This time, Rona Muir had learned her lesson and brought back a ton of snacks and drinks.
Settling into Rona Muir’s favorite chair, Cecilia Gu felt totally satisfied.
Forget all that messy drama—just being a happy mom-to-be was actually a pretty great choice.
Rona Muir handed Cecilia Gu a peeled apple, and Cecilia didn’t stand on ceremony—she just took it and started eating.
Rona Muir looked at Cecilia’s petite frame and couldn’t help but marvel, "I have no idea where you put all that food! You eat and eat, but you never get fat!"
"What do you mean? I’ve been gaining weight for a while now. Look!" Cecilia didn’t hesitate—she showed Rona her little belly. As soon as she looked down, she cried out, "Oh my gosh, my belly’s popped!"
"Is it just stuffed?" Rona Muir poked Cecilia’s belly with her finger. "It’s so amazing! That’s how babies grow!"
Cecilia pointed to her stomach and said, "My stomach’s here! The baby’s here! I swear, I didn’t look for two days and my belly’s already bigger!"
Cecilia stood up and checked herself in the mirror, her face full of delight. "See, my belly really has popped out!"
Rona Muir just shook her head, speechless.
It’s been over three and a half months—what’s so surprising about finally showing?
While Cecilia Gu and Rona Muir were chatting leisurely, on the other side, Si Chen Yin had just left Lady Yin’s place.
Soon, Little A delivered a report: "Boss, you guessed right! Not long after Max Mo left, he met up with the young madam and President Rona. The three of them had lunch together, and after lunch, the young madam left with President Rona."
A meaningful smile crept onto Si Chen Yin’s lips. "Just as I thought... I knew Max Mo wouldn’t be so easy to deal with! He’s using the company partnership as a distraction, but he’s really after Cici. But that’s fine—anyone who dares challenge me should be ready for a fight! Lady Yin’s side is settled, so let’s start putting pressure on the Mo family."
"Yes, Boss," Little A replied immediately.
Si Chen Yin looked up at the bright blue sky, his lips flattening as the ambiguity in his eyes slowly turned into absolute determination.
After eating, Cecilia Gu had a peaceful nap at Rona Muir’s place.
During that time, Lin Xiaoya called Cecilia Gu, but Rona Muir turned her down every time.
That shameless woman just kept pushing her luck!
Rona Muir, who usually minded her own business, couldn’t stand it anymore!
How could someone who was supposedly dying still be so lively?
So Rona Muir hung up on Lin Xiaoya without a second thought.
But Lin Xiaoya wasn’t about to give up that easily.