"President, Mrs. Yin is here," Alex whispered softly.
"Mm." A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Please invite her to the dining room."
"Yes, sir." Alex couldn't hide the excitement and joy in his eyes.
Cici stood at the door and knocked three times. Someone quickly opened it.
Cici beamed and said, "I'm your neighbor next door. I just made some dumplings and wanted to share them with you."
The other person greeted Cici with unusual respect. "Please come in, Madam."
Cici was a little puzzled. Madam? Oh right, she admitted yesterday she was the mother of those two kids. Since those kids are hers, it's normal for people to call her Madam.
So Cici smiled and replied, "No need, I'll just leave this here and head back..."
"Madam, please come in. The chef in the dining room is already prepared, just waiting for you to take a seat," the person said respectfully.
The chef in the dining room...
Why did it feel like they were just waiting for her to come eat?
The other person didn't take the plate from Cici, so she had to carry it herself as she walked in.
Under the person's guidance, she went downstairs.
Yes, that's right. On the surface, this little house looked just like the one Cici bought. But inside, it was a whole different world.
The ground floor was just like Cici's little house, but the basement... there were two huge floors underground, each over 200 square meters!
Cici couldn't help but marvel as she walked: The people living here were seriously living in luxury.
Just the decor and the quality of this place—she could easily buy a nice little apartment in downtown Paris with that.
The person who opened the door led Cici to the steps, and then someone else came to greet her.
Cici could tell at a glance—the newcomer was a classic English butler.
"Madam, please." The butler respectfully took the plate from Cici and invited her to continue downstairs.
Cici glanced at him and slowly walked down.
After walking down the long staircase, even though it was underground, the lighting was surprisingly good—there was none of that usual basement gloom.
"Miss Cici." Alex greeted her with a smile from the end of the hallway. "The President has been waiting for you for quite a while."
"It's you?" Cici immediately recognized Alex. "Is this house Charles Yin's?"
"Yes." Alex answered with a smile.
What Alex didn’t tell Cici was that all the houses in this area actually belonged to the President. Even the little house she bought—she only got it with his permission...
Cici slowly walked over and arrived at the dining room.
Right in front of her, she saw that handsome, tall, and elegant figure walking toward her.
Four assistants followed behind Charles Yin. As they approached the dining room, they all stopped and stood to the side.
Charles Yin walked up to Cici, pulled out a chair for her, and said, "Please, have a seat."
Cici was stunned for a long moment before she finally spoke. "Why are you here? And yesterday..."
"I just arrived today." Charles Yin's gaze was calm, his voice low. "What? You still haven't dealt with what happened yesterday?"
Cici opened her mouth, but quickly looked away.
So last night really was just her imagination?
He didn't actually show up?
But why did that illusion feel so real...
"Please, have a seat." Charles Yin repeated with a smile. Only then did Cici snap out of it and sit down.
Charles Yin walked to the other side. Alex pulled out a chair for him.
"I... I never expected my neighbor to be you. I just came to drop off the dumplings and should head back—my kids are waiting for me to eat." Cici was about to get up and leave when her phone suddenly rang.
"Sorry, let me take this call first." Cici glanced at the number, apologetic.
Charles Yin nodded with a smile, folding his hands on the table, calm and composed.
Cici answered the call, and soon Ethan Yin's voice came through: "Mom, the uncle next door just sent someone over and said he wants to invite you to dinner. You don't need to come home—just eat at Uncle's house. Rona and we have already decided to start eating. Don't worry about us, we'll finish all the food under Rona's care!"
Cici: "Seriously...?"
Rona Muir quickly grabbed the phone: "Cici, just take your time and eat over there. The food there is way better than ours. Don't worry about us, we'll eat everything! Okay, that's settled, don't come back! Hanging up now!"
Click—the call ended just like that!
Cici sat there holding her phone, completely dazed, unable to snap out of it for a while.
Was she just abandoned by Rona and her two sons, all at once?
"Can we start now?" Charles Yin looked at Cici, half smiling.
"Huh? Uh..." Cici replied, confused. "I think... my sons just abandoned me..."
Alex stood to the side, unable to hide his grin.
"Mm." Charles Yin actually replied with a straight face, "It's fine. I want you."
Uh... Wasn't that answer a little... ambiguous?
The butler immediately called the chefs, and the food was brought out.
As soon as the food was served, a faint buzzing sound came from above.
Cici looked up and saw a dazzling sunset overhead—it was breathtakingly beautiful.
The whole dining table was bathed in the glow of the sunset—it was just so romantic.
The head chef respectfully uncovered the dishes, and the butler, wearing pure white gloves, personally served the food.
Cici looked at the setup—she felt like royalty.
Even though she knew the Yin family was rich, powerful, and influential, she never imagined they could be this extravagant.
In such a tiny place, even a meal was conducted with strict aristocratic etiquette.
Cici thought to herself, good thing she’d learned these manners, otherwise she’d have embarrassed herself today.
After the butler finished serving, Charles Yin raised his wine glass to Cici. "Thank you for bringing the dumplings."
"You're welcome, and thank you for your hospitality." Cici smiled and raised her glass, poised. "I only brought a plate of dumplings, but ended up with a lavish dinner from President Yin. Strictly speaking, I got the better end of the deal."
"Dining with you is my greatest honor." Charles Yin's eyes sparkled with a smile. "Try this bottle of Romanée-Conti. I've treasured it for years and never found the right person to share it with—until today."
Cici's expression froze for a moment as she clinked glasses with Charles Yin. "Thank you."
Cici glanced at the color and texture of the wine—it really was top-notch!
She could smell its fragrance even before tasting it.
Only wine aged for a hundred years could have such a rich aroma.
It looked like this bottle had definitely been aged for over a century.
A Romanée-Conti aged for more than a century—it's truly priceless. Even money can't always buy it.
Cici took a gentle sip—the taste was smooth and fragrant, lingering on her lips and teeth.
It really was excellent red wine.
Seeing Cici take a sip, Charles Yin finally drank his own wine, his gaze never leaving her—his eyes were intense and direct.
Alex and the butlers quietly withdrew, leaving the space to the President and Mrs. Yin.
Three years. After three years apart, they could finally sit at the same table and quietly share a meal again.
Seeing the light in Cici's eyes, Charles Yin's smile grew even warmer.
To go with Cici's plate of dumplings, all the dishes tonight were Chinese cuisine.
Every dish was a feast for the senses—color, aroma, and taste all perfect.
After a little wine, Cici's cheeks turned rosy—she looked adorable.
Maybe it was the wine, but Cici felt braver. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Charles Yin. "So I shouldn't hold back, right?"
"Please." Charles Yin's smile was radiant.
Cici picked up her chopsticks and slowly savored the food in front of her.
Mmm, it was really delicious.
Mmm, just as tasty as before.
Wait, before? Why did she have that thought?
It was strange—these dishes tasted just like she’d had them before, the flavor hadn’t changed at all.
But she really didn’t remember ever eating such delicious Chinese food before.
The Chinese restaurants in France weren’t nearly as authentic—most of them had adapted their recipes to suit French tastes.
You couldn’t find food this authentic in France.
So when had she ever tasted it before?
Charles Yin didn’t eat anything else—he only ate the plate of dumplings Cici had brought.
Even though it was just dumplings, he made it feel like a grand feast.
Cici couldn’t help but admire him.
He just had that aura—even eating a plate of dumplings, he could make it feel aristocratic.
Since this was a private dinner, with no outsiders to disturb them, the conversation between the two gradually deepened.
Cici hadn’t expected Charles Yin’s interests to be so broad—no matter the topic, he was at ease.
Cici’s gaze toward Charles Yin softened; she no longer saw him as a business partner, but as a friend she’d instantly clicked with.
Charles Yin was secretly amazed as well.
Three years had changed more than just her memories—it had changed so many things he didn’t know about.
The Cici before him was still as earnest, kind, hardworking, and resilient as ever.
But now, she also had a confidence and composure she’d never had before.
Once, his Little Mole had been so insecure, so afraid of being hurt.
But now, his Little Mole seemed free of those worries—she radiated confidence and warmth.
"By the way, you mentioned you'll be going to England in a few days. May I make a small request?" When Charles Yin brought up England, Cici hesitated, then spoke: "As you can see, I’m a mother—I don’t want to be away from my children for too long."
"Mm, and?" Charles Yin looked at her calmly.
"Can I bring my children with me to England? Don’t worry—I promise they won’t interfere with our work schedule, I’ll make sure they’re taken care of. I just want to see them when I come home from work." Cici looked at Charles Yin expectantly. "I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m willing to take half the pay for this trip if I can bring them along. Is that okay?"