Cherry Miller stood at the doorway, her face clouded with guilt.
Just now, she wanted to apologize to Yina Yin and admit her mistake.
But then she reconsidered.
In the end, she decided not to admit her mistake!
Let Yina remember this, so she won’t make the same mistake again.
Cherry Miller turned and went to Shawn Yan’s room, knocking on the door: “Young Master Shawn, may I come in?”
"Come in," Shawn Yan’s voice came from inside, muffled, as if he’d just been crying.
Cherry composed herself, pushed the door open, and set the tray she was carrying on the table. "The kitchen just made some osmanthus cake and candied lotus root. I brought them for you to try."
Shawn Yan’s face was still wet, clearly showing he had just washed up.
As for what he was trying to hide, Cherry knew perfectly well.
"Thank you." Shawn Yan glanced at the food Cherry Miller brought, but he didn’t seem to have much appetite.
"Something on your mind?" Cherry asked knowingly, though she already understood.
After all, she was the one who started all this.
Shawn Yan was completely open with Cherry Miller. When she asked, his eyes reddened and he nearly burst into tears again.
Cherry sighed inwardly.
No wonder Yina always treats Shawn Yan like a girl. He really is just so, so, so much like a girl—crying whenever something happens, hiding away and refusing to see anyone.
Isn’t this exactly what a girl would do?
No wonder Shawn’s two older brothers won’t let him get involved in the family business—how could someone with this personality handle company matters?
He’d probably get upset and cry every other day because of something at work.
If word got out, how embarrassing would that be?
If Shawn Yan were younger, people could just say he’s still a kid.
But he’s already in his twenties and still acts like this…
Honestly, the Yan Family has spoiled him so much he’s lost all ability to take care of himself.
It’s partly her fault, too.
She should’ve thought of this from the start.
But she got caught up with other things and let it slip.
She figured Shawn Yan’s personality meant that even if something happened, it wouldn’t be too serious or too soon.
Besides, Shawn Yan is so introverted—he doesn’t like anyone, nobody can get close to him, and nothing would ever happen between him and Yina. At most, he’d just show up for appearances, making both the Yan and Yin families look good.
Everyone would just go through the motions and that’d be it.
Who’d have thought that Shawn Yan, who’s always been so extremely introverted, would suddenly fall for Yina?
Totally miscalculated.
Of all the things I considered, I never thought Shawn Yan would fall for Yina.
So now I need to fix things—I absolutely can’t let this get any worse.
"Young Master Shawn, are you comfortable staying here? If there’s anything you’re not happy with, just let me know and I’ll do my best to accommodate you." Cherry Miller sat down with a smile. "Sorry I’ve been so busy lately. Yina and Mr. Fan just started a new company, and as chief assistant, I have to be involved. Plus, I’m juggling other company affairs and some decisions for the Yin Consortium. I’ve been stretched so thin, I even forgot to check in on you. The Yan and Yin families have been close for generations, and Mr. Yan and our chairman are old friends. You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me!"
Hearing Cherry Miller say all this, Shawn Yan couldn’t hold back anymore.
He didn’t have any friends here—every day he just stayed lost in his own world.
Then one day, a girl named Yina Yin barged into his world and lit it up.
Before he could even chase that light, he was coldly told he wasn’t qualified to pursue Yina Yin.
He felt so stifled!
He really wanted to talk to someone, but couldn’t find anyone.
Now, someone he could talk to had come right to him.
"Assistant Miller," Shawn Yan said, aggrieved, "do you also think I’m not good enough for Yina Yin?"
Cherry paused.
Good, this is the perfect opening—straight to the point.
"You’re being too hard on yourself, Young Master Shawn," Cherry said carefully. "The Yan Family is a legacy family, just like the Yin Family—both carry heavy responsibilities and push forward. You know how close Mr. Yan and our chairman are. So how could there be any question of who’s good enough for whom?"
"But everyone says I’m not good enough for Yina Yin. I’m useless—I’m not qualified to inherit the family business and I don’t understand how the world works. Not only can’t I help, I’m always holding people back. Assistant Miller, am I really just a useless person?" The more Shawn spoke, the more dejected he became.
Cherry Miller couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
She started to wonder if she’d gone too far.
"Yeah, what’s Miss Yin’s status compared to mine? What do I have besides the title of Young Master Yan?" Shawn Yan said, eyes red. "Last time, Yina Yin asked me if I’d ever studied business management or finance, and I said no. I didn’t think anything of it then, but today I finally understand what she meant. I’ve lived in a closed world, don’t know how to work, don’t know anything about real life. It’s not just Miss Yin—even an ordinary woman wouldn’t want me, right?"
Cherry Miller genuinely regretted using such a tough approach.
See? I pushed him too far.
"Young Master Shawn, you shouldn’t talk like that," Cherry sighed. "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Success isn’t about living up to someone else’s standards. We all have our own paths—there’s no right or wrong way. You might not be great at running a business, but you’re romantic, talented, gentle, and sensitive. You’d make a wonderful husband. Lots of girls would like you."
"But I’ll never be Yina Yin’s husband, right?" Shawn Yan asked.
Cherry Miller was silent for a moment, then answered, "Yes."
Shawn Yan couldn’t hold back any longer—tears streamed down his face, and he started crying so suddenly that Cherry Miller was at a loss.
Oh my god, how does this little prince cry so easily?
No wonder Yina always treats him like a girl.
He really does act just like a girl.
"I know this sounds harsh, but since we’re talking openly, I have to ask: When you came here with Mr. Yan, did he tell you it was all just for show?"
Hearing this, Shawn Yan cried even harder.
Cherry Miller sighed. "People outside say things that aren’t pleasant, but they don’t know the real you—they only see things from a superficial perspective. Still, some of it does reflect real issues. Yina… it’s not that she doesn’t like you, it’s just that she can’t let go of her past relationship yet."
Shawn Yan’s sobbing quieted a bit, and he looked up at Cherry Miller.
Cherry Miller said, "You know she just broke off her engagement with Miles Gu. Twenty years of feelings—how could she just cut that off? It’s not that you’re not right for her, it’s that right now she’s not right for anyone. If her heart still belongs to someone else, dating you wouldn’t be fair, would it?"
Shawn Yan gradually calmed down. "Did Yina Yin ask you to talk to me?"
"No," Cherry Miller replied, thick-skinned. "I just heard the rumors outside and wanted to come talk to you myself."
"Who will Yina Yin choose?" Shawn Yan asked.
"Maybe no one," Cherry Miller answered honestly. "She’s really stressed out right now and only wants to focus on work, not relationships."
Shawn Yan didn’t say anything.
"I’m sorry you had to hear so many negative things. As chief assistant, that’s my failure," Cherry Miller quickly admitted. "But no matter what happens between you two, we’re still friends, right?"
Shawn Yan bit his lip and nodded.
Who knows what the future will bring, or how things will turn out? For now, let’s focus on ourselves and take things one step at a time. The rest—let’s just let it happen, okay?" Cherry Miller looked at Shawn Yan carefully.
"Thank you for coming all this way to talk to me," Shawn Yan said, turning away. "I’ll think about it seriously."
"Alright, get some rest. I’ll head out now—if you need anything, just ask." Cherry Miller stood up and left politely.
As soon as she left, she saw Yina Yin pestering Ethan Yin: "Brother, real brother, you have to help me."
Ethan Yin looked at her helplessly. "What do you want?"
"Aren’t you working on a big project, reclaiming farmland? How about I come along too! I already told Cherry—if she’s going, I’m going. It’s not like I’ll make a difference. Cherry totally chewed me out today. I’ve thought it over—if I stay here, I can’t help but treat Shawn Yan like a girl. If I leave, problem solved, right?" Yina Yin said earnestly.
Ethan Yin laughed at his sister, leaning against the wall, relaxed. "You’re not just trying to avoid Shawn Yan, are you? I heard Miles Gu’s been bombarding you with messages these days."
Yina Yin replied glumly, "Yeah, he’s got issues."
Ethan Yin couldn’t help but laugh. "So you just want to get away and not be bothered, right?"
"Exactly. Things here are way too stressful—I just need to clear my head." Yina Yin admitted bluntly.
"It’s not impossible, but—" Ethan Yin thought it over. "The conditions over there are pretty tough, and you’ll need to be ready for a long haul."
"If Cherry’s not scared, why should I be?" Yina Yin said, unconcerned.
"Alright, I’ll think about it," Ethan Yin said seriously. "This project is huge—the initial investment is over a hundred billion. We can’t afford any mistakes. Whether our family can really establish itself in X Province depends on this."
"I know, I’ll be careful," Yina Yin nodded.
She’s a board member herself, so of course she understands how important this project is.
"What about the project you’re working on with Winston Fan and the others?" Ethan Yin frowned. "I heard you already got authorization from Uncle Mo, and you’re about to start building the factory and lab. Who’s going to handle that?"
Yina Yin chuckled, "I’ve pretty much finished everything I need to do for the early stages. The rest will be handled by other people—I’ll just check in from time to time."