Why Did My Ex-Wife’S Aunt Treat Me Like That? Chapter 14

Chapter 14 She Hopes Yuan Yi Can Live a Better Life…

[Little Yuan Waiting for Riches: [File]]

[Little Yuan Waiting for Riches: Director Cheng, how does the contract look? I don’t have anything else to add. /rose/handshake]

[Little Yuan Waiting for Riches: Director Cheng, I have already added Assistant Nian’s WeChat and phone number! It will be very convenient for Assistant Nian to contact me if there are any issues in the future.]

Peng Cheng: [Understood.]

After sending the reply, Peng Cheng looked at the two system emojis Yuan Yi had sent, feeling puzzled.

It was subtle; this was the first time Peng Cheng had seen a young person so fond of those two expressions.

She sat in the back seat of the car, a blanket—the one she had intended to return to Yuan Yi—covering her knees. When she got into the car, Peng Cheng had tried to give it back, but Yuan Yi insisted on placing this blanket over Peng Cheng, only taking the light blue one for herself.

Stuffing the blanket into her backpack, Yuan Yi waved goodbye and said that the company dormitory wasn’t too far, and she would just walk there.

Peng Cheng didn’t insist.

Assistant Nian said, “I didn’t expect Miss Yuan to be so focused on health and wellness at such a young age.”

Health and wellness? Yuan Yi? The Yuan Yi who could set off at five in the morning to pick something up?

Yuan Yi was walking. Not long after the car pulled out, they passed her again. Yuan Yi was eating a packaged ice cream—the one she had said wasn’t that tasty.

She clearly recognized their car and waved from the roadside.

There was no traffic jam this time.

Assistant Nian couldn’t help but smile. “It’s almost winter, and Miss Yuan isn’t afraid of the cold at all.”

That must be why they kept running into her at the ice cream shop.

Assistant Nian was used to Peng Cheng’s silence and assumed her boss wouldn’t speak this time either, but a faint reply came from the back: “She really likes eating ice cream.”

Assistant Nian looked at the rearview mirror in surprise and saw that Peng Cheng had closed her eyes, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Some people’s tastes change as they grow up; for example, those who love sweets start disliking them.

Others, after experiencing extreme hardship, might completely reject foods they once had to enjoy, simply because they don’t want to recall their past destitution.

It wasn’t just food.

It included the people from that time, too. Seeing them again served as a constant reminder of the shame and poverty of that era.

Peng Cheng and Yuan Yi’s first meeting happened in just such a setting.

That was the first time Peng Cheng had grown tired of her parents’ control and committed the most rebellious act. In the year she was supposed to be learning the ropes of the corporation, due to frequent leg problems, she resolutely left London and briefly stayed in Shuyuan City, which was perpetually spring-like.

Her food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all top-tier, but apart from the name Peng Cheng, she had nothing; everything was controlled by her family.

It was an endless agony, and this pain exacerbated her leg condition, tormenting her every night.

Yuan Yi was just a part-time worker hired by the hotel where she was staying, the first to arrive and the last to leave. One ordinary late night after the rain, Yuan Yi was trapped at the parking lot exit, huddled against the wall to shelter from the rain, willing to let her shoulder get wet just to protect the small bowl of ice cream scoops in her hands.

Peng Cheng had to admit that even though she had seen countless beautiful faces, Yuan Yi’s clarity and transparency stood out strikingly among the dazzling beauty of the high life.

She was down on her luck.

Peng Cheng gave her an umbrella.

Yuan Yi had said then, “I just really like sweets, because eating them always makes me happy.”

The ice cream she bought back then wasn’t this kind, but the type made with artificial sweeteners, which looked so sticky it made your throat feel coated. But Yuan Yi ate it happily.

When Yuan Yi came to return the umbrella, Peng Cheng realized that Yuan Yi didn’t recognize her at all and was completely unfamiliar with the name Peng Cheng.

Later, they met a few more times sporadically. Each time, Yuan Yi was working. From morning till night, sometimes even holding a book on the roadside, struggling to keep her drooping eyelids open.

And every time Peng Cheng saw Yuan Yi, she felt a slow, dull ache.

Those eyes were so bright, as if they held the moon reflected in a lake. No matter how life ground her down, hardship was like a stone thrown into the water—the ripples spread out in circles, but once the surface calmed, the clear moon remained.

Peng Cheng didn’t understand her worries, her joys, or her tastes.

She only knew that the large sum of money Yuan Yi needed was something she happened to possess.

That 300,000 yuan was transferred from Peng Cheng’s personal account, representing all the assets she could access that year.

After returning to London, she completed her studies as scheduled and took over the corporation. Perhaps it was related to that period of recuperation, but since then, except for special circumstances like rainy days, her leg problems began to improve.

Peng Cheng’s period of recuperation hadn’t been long. When she left, she didn’t even say goodbye to Yuan Yi. The money was transferred later. She received a letter from Yuan Yi the first year, but then she became too busy, and the contact ceased.

Later, Yuan Yi was admitted to a university in Jing City, and Peng Cheng saw her again one ordinary morning.

She was wearing new clothes, her face looked no different from when she was fifteen or sixteen, but her hands were rougher. She had grown taller and more slender, like a bamboo pole. Her eyes were still the same as they were years ago, looking over with a bright, gentle gaze, filled with the anticipation of entering a new environment.

She spoke a lot of rambling, disorganized, and grammatically inverted words. It was clear she was embarrassed but desperately wanted to say something to express her gratitude.

Peng Cheng didn’t need Yuan Yi’s gratitude.

She hoped Yuan Yi could live a better life, so good that when she saw Yuan Yi, she would no longer be reminded of those painful days.

So good that when she saw Yuan Yi’s hopeful gaze, she wouldn’t feel like she was looking at a past version of herself.

Later, Yuan Yi did start living better.

She reappeared before Peng Cheng as He Xun’s new girlfriend. Because He Xun liked slender physiques, Peng Cheng never saw her eat dessert again.

Peng Cheng also avoided meeting her multiple times, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.

The moon in the lake had shattered, the ripples spreading wider and wider, never settling.

Suddenly.

As if after a long recovery period, those ripples vanished.

The bright moon hung high once more, the lake surface returned to calm, and the gentle, bright scenery once again fell into Peng Cheng’s eyes.

As if nothing had ever changed.

Yuan Yi quickly ran back to the dormitory, smacking her lips at the lingering taste, and muttered regretfully, “Peng Cheng is so wasteful.”

Peng Cheng’s ice cream was still half-eaten when she left. It was Yuan Yi’s favorite raspberry chocolate flavor because it was very sweet. Fearing Peng Cheng might find it too presumptuous, Yuan Yi restrained herself from offering to help finish it.

She had barely sat down when the work group chat exploded.

Peng Cheng was indeed an efficiency expert. In such a short time, she had already contacted the company, and Li Yujun and Zhong Beili had both received notifications.

Li Yujun was beaming with success and immediately praised Yuan Yi in the internal group chat for the New Games Department: [Great job. The General Manager said we can promote you to full-time early. We’ll sign the formal contract next month. You’re truly amazing for meeting Director Cheng and finalizing the contract. Just as you requested, the development rights for your own demo work will remain in your hands, and all future products will be labeled accordingly. The project currently underway with the investors is brand new development, and the copyright must belong to the company.]

Li Yujun: [@Zhong Beili, the General Manager said this personally. You don’t have any objections, right?]

Zhong Beili: […]

Yuan Yi: [@Li Yujun, Sis, I want to internally recommend someone to our games department. Is that okay? She’s very good at scene design, and she’s my roommate.]

Li Yujun happily agreed.

Wei Xingjie posted: [Who knows who else you’re going to drag into the company? The embarrassment you caused this afternoon has already spread to other companies. Given all that, Director Cheng meeting you was probably out of necessity. Isn’t this tarnishing our image?]

Oh? It seemed the news about her sending out photos of He Xun cheating had spread throughout these social circles. Yuan Yi could only say she was very satisfied.

Yuan Yi didn’t reply to her but immediately kicked Wei Xingjie out of the internal group.

She didn’t like what Wei Xingjie said, so she was getting rid of her first.

Wei Xingjie, abruptly removed, immediately started ranting at Yuan Yi in a private message. Yuan Yi blocked her.

Then, she tagged Zhong Beili in the group: [@Zhong Beili, Director Zhong, here’s the thing: we game developers are easily stressed. For the smooth completion of the work, I don’t want to argue with Wei Xingjie. You wouldn’t want me to tell Director Cheng that someone insulted me, causing me to be heartbroken and unable to finish the work, would you?]

Zhong Beili never expected Yuan Yi to be someone who could talk such blatant nonsense. Even if she was angry, she could only grimace and say she understood.

She was truly out of options.

The main issue was that this girl actually met Peng Cheng and secured the collaboration.

The other side also specified that they would only recognize Yuan Yi as the person in charge; otherwise, the collaboration would fall through.

That’s why the General Manager was so eager to make Yuan Yi full-time. If this game was successfully developed, Yuan Yi might become her peer.

Ostensibly, she was still an intern, but in reality, she was already walking sideways.

Yuan Yi didn’t know how to hide her capabilities or be humble. If she hadn’t secured the collaboration with Director Cheng, who would give her face?

As if she knew what Zhong Beili was thinking, Yuan Yi tagged her again: [Director Zhong, why aren’t you saying anything? I know you really want to meet Director Cheng. It’s okay. When I report to Director Cheng in the future, I will relay this message for you: I miss you very much here at Qisheng’s New Games Department.]

Zhong Beili felt faint.

Yuan Yi happily rolled around on her bed and immediately messaged Qin Wei with great fanfare: [A job opportunity! Come for an interview tomorrow, just go through the motions.]

Qin Wei: [/thumbs up, you actually managed to secure Director Cheng. I knew you could do it. If you ever decide to rebel and become emperor, I’ll be the first to support you.]

Yuan Yi: [Don’t always speak so vaguely.]

It made her recall being seen by Peng Cheng while exchanging those suggestive messages with Qin Wei at the ice cream shop.

Fortunately, Peng Cheng hadn’t said much, only causing her a moment of embarrassment.

While they were chatting, Yuan Yi’s phone suddenly displayed a payment notification showing that Sun Xueyu had transferred 50,000 yuan from an old account.

Yuan Yi immediately perked up.

She proactively called, but strangely, Sun Xueyu didn’t answer.

How bold.

[If you don’t answer the phone, I’m coming to find you, okay.] Yuan Yi edited the text and sent it. Less than five seconds later, Sun Xueyu immediately called back.

Yuan Yi hung up.

The other side called again; she hung up again. As she was about to answer the third call, Li Yujun’s call cut in, her tone serious: “Little Yuan, hurry up and come over. Your ex-boyfriend is here at the company looking for you, insisting on helping you resign.”

Yuan Yi’s spirits lifted. She grabbed her backpack and headed out: “I’ll be there right away.”