"Okay." Before Derek Tang could finish speaking, Cherry Miller agreed to his invitation without hesitation.
Derek Tang was clearly stunned.
He had already prepared himself for Cherry Miller's rejection, even coming up with several arguments to persuade her.
But now, it seemed none of that was necessary.
Cherry Miller agreed to his invitation without a second thought.
"Then... I..." Derek Tang was so excited he could barely speak.
"You pick the place. I'll just head over," Cherry Miller said calmly.
"Okay, okay, I'll choose a place right now. Once I've decided, I'll message you."
Derek Tang's voice was filled with joy and excitement.
After hanging up, Cherry Miller turned to Miles Gu with a straight face and said, "Mr. Field, could I trouble you to look after our Miss Yin tonight? I have a date."
Miles Gu's red eyes landed on Cherry Miller, and he gave a meaningful smile. "Of course. Go handle your own business. You can rest assured, Yina's in good hands with me."
Ethan Yin, sitting nearby, hadn't looked up the whole time. He didn't say a word while Cherry Miller was on the phone, but the air around him grew noticeably colder.
Cherry Miller acted as if she hadn't noticed anything and said to the driver, "Could you drop me off at the intersection up ahead?"
Driver: "..."
What should I do?
Who should I listen to?
Yina Yin glanced at her older brother and sighed helplessly. "Listen to Cherry."
"Yes, ma'am." The driver obediently stopped at the intersection, and Cherry Miller bent down to get out of the car.
Just as she was getting out, Sharon Yun suddenly reached out to steady Cherry Miller. "Sis Cherry, here's a talisman for you."
It was a navy blue talisman embroidered with a little bird, and Sharon stuffed it into Cherry Miller's hand.
Cherry Miller smiled at Sharon Yun, accepted the gift, and said, "Thank you, Miss Yun."
Sharon Yun smiled back at Cherry Miller and said nothing more.
After Cherry Miller closed the car door, the RV sped away from the spot.
Ethan Yin instinctively turned to look back. Cherry Miller stood by the roadside, her face showing no joy or anticipation, only a heavy heart. Ethan felt a strange jolt inside.
The younger brothers, who had been quiet as quails, glanced at each other but didn't dare say a word.
Everyone was thinking: What's going on between Ethan and Cherry?
"Let's go home," Ethan Yin said coolly, as if nothing had happened. "It's rare for you all to visit, so enjoy yourselves at the house."
The younger brothers immediately responded, "Yes, Ethan."
Miles Gu shook his head in silence and exchanged a look with Yina Yin.
After Cherry Miller got out of the car, it didn't take long for Derek Tang to send her the address.
Cherry Miller took a deep breath, flagged down a taxi, and headed straight to the place Derek Tang had chosen.
"Sorry I'm late." Cherry Miller hadn't even changed her clothes—she showed up in hiking gear with her backpack.
Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail, making her look sharp and capable.
It was a rare look for her.
Derek Tang immediately stood up and said, "Not at all, I just sat down myself. Did you have fun today?"
"It was pretty fun." Cherry Miller put on her professional smile. "If you get a chance, Mr. Tang, you should check it out too. It'll be open to the public soon."
"If you're not there, even the most beautiful scenery feels dull." Derek Tang couldn't help but confess to Cherry Miller.
Cherry Miller's eyes flickered as she remembered Ethan Yin approaching her earlier that day. She lowered her gaze and said, "Mr. Tang, you're always so witty."
Sorry, Derek Tang. Since you're the one who came to me, don't blame me for using you.
For the first time, Derek Tang saw that Cherry Miller didn't reject him outright, and it felt like a dream come true.
Could it be that Cherry Miller was really moved by his charm, that she really loved him?
Just thinking about the possibility made Derek Tang even more excited. He reached out, trying to grab Cherry Miller's hand. "Cherry, you know how I feel..."
Cherry Miller quickly pulled her hand back, keeping Derek Tang hanging but not letting him get close. "I'm hungry. Can we order now?"
"Ah, sure, sure, let's order now." Derek Tang's eyes flickered as he pretended nothing happened and quickly ordered a table full of dishes.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Cherry Miller smiled, nodded, and got up to leave.
Derek Tang watched Cherry Miller's back, his eyes sharp with determination.
He was already twenty-eight years old.
His family had been urging him to go on blind dates.
He refused to marry someone who wasn't his equal.
So he had to seize this chance and make Cherry Miller fall in love with him!
If he married Cherry Miller and had the Yin family backing him, he could become the hottest aristocrat around!
Cherry Miller went to the restroom and let out a sigh of relief.
She knew exactly how Derek Tang felt about her.
But right now, her only option was to use Derek Tang to separate herself from Ethan Yin.
Even if it made her sick, she had to tough it out.
Cherry Miller splashed some water on her face to calm down, then returned to her seat with a flawless professional smile.
By the time Cherry Miller sat down, most of the dishes had already been served.
"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I ordered all the house specialties." Derek Tang's gaze grew even gentler.
"I'm not picky." Cherry Miller smiled perfectly, her eyes clear and without a trace of emotion.
Just as Derek Tang was about to start a romantic topic, Cherry Miller spoke first: "About the game company proposal, Mr. Tang, do you see any issues with it?"
"I call you Cherry, can you call me Derek?" Derek Tang looked at Cherry Miller with a possessive gaze, clearly implying that if she didn't agree, he wouldn't discuss business.
Cherry Miller's lips twitched. "I'll stick with Derek Tang."
"Alright." Derek Tang didn't push it. Being called Derek Tang was still better than Mr. Tang—progress was progress.
Sooner or later, he'd get her to call him Derek.
"Derek Tang, that proposal is the best I can offer. The price really isn't high." Cherry Miller came alive whenever work was mentioned. "Honestly, according to our Mr. Yin, the game company could be sold or not—headquarters can afford to keep these people idle for years. But I'm all about efficiency, so I prefer to sell. We haven't known each other long, but we hit it off, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have had so many meals with me. Since we're friends, I'll be straight with you: is there anything you're not satisfied with? If I can compromise, I'll do it. If not, I'll have to look for another buyer."
(This chapter isn't finished yet~ Please click next page to continue reading!)
Derek Tang said, "No business talk tonight. That outfit isn't exactly business attire, is it?"
Cherry Miller bit her lip and smiled. "Alright."
Besides business, what else was there to talk about?
Derek Tang switched topics, chatting with Cherry Miller about celebrities and fashion. Cherry just nodded along, never sharing her own opinions.
"Cherry, you're the chief executive assistant—you can't be totally uninterested in fashion trends, right?" Derek Tang said dramatically. "I was even thinking of inviting you to a brand's new product launch."
Cherry Miller put down her chopsticks. "Sorry, I probably can't go. All my clothes are provided by the company. Every season, someone from the Yin Group's luxury boutiques comes by to take my measurements and let me choose styles for custom tailoring. So for years, all my clothes have been Yin Group brands—no other labels. I don't really know much about other brands."
Derek Tang felt a wave of jealousy.
The Yin Group was just that loaded.
Even the chief assistant's clothes, shoes, and bags were all custom-made.
No wonder people everywhere were fighting to work at the Yin Group.
"It's fine, other brands are pretty good too. Sometimes it's nice to change things up." Derek Tang said, unwilling to give up. "Look at my outfit—it's the latest from the famous Blue Blood brand. Not bad, right?"
Cherry Miller glanced at him and nodded. "It does look nice."
Still, she had no interest in switching brands.
As an employee of the Yin Group, of course she wore Yin Group brands.
That made perfect sense.
"Well..." Derek Tang tried to find another excuse to keep Cherry Miller around, but she spoke up first. "I'm pretty much done eating. I had a great time tonight."
"You're leaving already?" Derek Tang looked at Cherry Miller with reluctance. "You just got here. I even booked two movie tickets—how about we watch a movie before you go?"
"No, thanks." Cherry Miller declined. "I have to work overtime tonight. I'll treat you next time, okay?"
Derek Tang couldn't hide his disappointment. "Alright, I'll drive you home."
Cherry Miller hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."
"It's no trouble at all. It's my pleasure." Derek Tang's eyes lit up when Cherry Miller didn't refuse his offer.
It seemed Cherry Miller really was busy, not just making excuses to turn him down.
Derek Tang eagerly paid the bill, then followed Cherry Miller to the underground garage, opened the car door for her, and drove off with a smile.
Cherry Miller sat in the passenger seat, staring at the neon lights outside, her mind a tangled mess.
Her behavior tonight was so obvious—Ethan Yin must have noticed, right?
Was it really going to come to a complete breakup?
She didn't want that...
If that happened, how would she face Yinuo, how would she face Madam?
Cherry Miller was lost in thought when the car suddenly came to a stop.
Just as Derek Tang was about to speak, someone outside opened Cherry Miller's door.
"You finally decided to come home?" Ethan Yin's voice drifted in.
Cherry Miller realized Ethan Yin hadn't even changed clothes—he'd been waiting by the roadside for her to return.
"Mr. Yin..." Derek Tang started to speak.
"Thank you for bringing Cherry home, Mr. Tang. Goodbye." Ethan Yin pulled Cherry Miller out of the car, slammed the door, and dismissed Derek Tang. "Drive safely."