The manager's office in the mall was spacious, yet the air felt strangely thin at that moment.
Shen Yihan found it hard to breathe, staring in shock at the girl who had just yanked his ear. The girl was strikingly beautiful, with peach-blossom eyes—round at the inner corners, shimmering brilliantly when she smiled. But when angered, those same eyes seemed to spit fire, a sight that instinctively terrified him every time. Like right now.
Yet, his fear was momentarily overshadowed by disbelief. He couldn’t believe what was happening before him.
Manager Zhao, too, was struggling to catch his breath, his eyes bulging like copper bells.
This woman had some nerve!
Daring to pull the CEO’s ear!
Who did she think she was?!
"Let go of our CEO!" Manager Zhao shouted, reaching out to forcefully drag Lin Mo away.
But before his hand could make contact, another palm intercepted it, and an icy voice sounded from above.
"Get out."
Manager Zhao looked up in disbelief, pointing at himself. "Get out? Me?"
Assistant Jiang nearly laughed out loud, pulling him away. "Who else? Let’s go!"
Assistant Jiang knew the CEO needed to speak with this girl alone.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this girl was the CEO’s sister.
She had interned at Xing Shan during her junior year, starting as a regular assistant and rising to become a capable executive assistant over four years.
Once, when the CEO was drunk, she had escorted him home.
Pointing at a photo on the bedside table, his eyes reddened, he had said, "This is my sister. Beautiful, isn’t she? But she passed away a long time ago."
So the current situation was beyond bizarre, but she knew better than to ask questions.
The security guard, who had just arrived panting, was stunned.
Why was the manager the one being kicked out?
This was madness!
The office door slammed shut, and the pain in his ear was unmistakable.
Shen Yihan’s eyes gradually reddened, his voice choked with emotion. "Sister?"
His sister, who had been dead for eleven years, had suddenly reappeared.
Was this real?
Her voice had sounded familiar earlier, but he hadn’t dwelled on it.
Who would believe someone dead for over a decade could come back to life?
Lin Mo released Shen Yihan’s ear and plopped down onto the executive chair, immediately bossing her little brother around.
"Get me some water! I’m exhausted from running!"
After Shen Yihan hung up on her, Lin Mo had no choice but to ask the security guard where the manager’s office was.
The guard refused, afraid she’d cause trouble.
So she searched floor by floor, with the guard chasing after her.
But her stamina proved superior, and she eventually found the office on the top floor.
Shen Yihan, the ruthless and untouchable "Buddha of Beijing’s elite," who commanded fear and respect in the outside world, obeyed Lin Mo’s order almost instinctively, immediately fetching her a glass of water.
Their different surnames came from Lin Mo taking their mother’s last name, but they were full-blooded siblings.
Seeing the sweat on her forehead, Shen Yihan subconsciously picked up a document from the desk and began fanning her—despite the office being air-conditioned.
Lin Mo gulped down the water and set the glass aside. "Oh, and call off the mall shutdown immediately! Keep it open for business!"
Shen Yihan’s usually cold eyes glistened with tears. "Sister… is it really you?"
Lin Mo slapped him without hesitation. "Just do what I said!"
The stinging slap confirmed it—this was definitely his sister.
His sister was back!
His sister wasn’t dead!
His mind was flooded with overwhelming excitement, leaving no room for further thought.
He stood up, walked to the door, and opened it, addressing Manager Zhao outside. "Cancel the shutdown. Resume operations."
Before Manager Zhao could get a clear look at Shen Yihan’s face, the door closed again.
Blinking, he turned to Assistant Jiang. "Jiang, did I just see… the CEO’s eyes were red?"
Assistant Jiang kept a straight face. "You saw wrong. Now hurry up and call off the shutdown!"
Manager Zhao was still baffled about the girl’s identity, but he quickly relayed the order in the group chat and over the walkie-talkie to all security personnel.
"Sister… you’re saying you time-traveled from eleven years ago?" Shen Yihan asked in amazement, still fanning Lin Mo.
The black Buddhist beads on his slender but strong wrist swayed gently.
Lin Mo knew this would be hard to hide.
Eleven years had passed, yet she looked exactly the same as the day she died. She had no choice but to be honest.
"Yeah. Didn’t you notice I’m wearing the same clothes from that day?"
Shen Yihan studied her for a moment, his gaze dimming. "Right… this was the outfit you wore for your date with Gu Jingchuan."
He would never forget that day.
She had tried on countless dresses at home, asking him which one looked best.
He had never approved of her dating, so he’d muttered, "None of them look good."
She slapped him, and he quickly corrected himself, pointing to the black dress.
It was Gu Jingchuan who had invited her out that day—the drive that led to her death.
That was why he had resented Gu Jingchuan all these years.
The mention of Gu Jingchuan darkened Lin Mo’s expression.
Back in high school, she had been the campus belle, with countless admirers.
Gu Jingchuan had pursued her relentlessly since freshman year.
At first, she hadn’t been impressed by the carefree rich kid.
But he persisted for three whole years, and certain incidents gradually softened her stance, leading her to accept his invitations for meals and chats.
After graduation, he gathered a crowd of classmates and staged an extravagant confession.
She had agreed to date him that night.
The day of the accident was supposed to be their first official date.
If she were honest, she hadn’t been head over heels for Gu Jingchuan.
She had simply thought, Why not? We’re out of school now.
Her last two years of high school had been a battlefield—she studied relentlessly, terrified of losing her rank as the top student.
From her dreams, she later learned that Gu Jingchuan had entered the entertainment industry, where he became notorious for his string of scandals.
It wasn’t until he met the female lead, Li Huanyu, that he finally settled down.
They co-starred in a drama, their on-screen chemistry exploding in popularity—and their off-screen romance followed.
But one day, Li Huanyu overheard Gu Jingchuan’s friends mention the girl he had loved in high school, the one who died.
She confronted him: "Between me and her, who do you love more?"
His two-second hesitation enraged her, and she broke up with him on the spot.
Gu Jingchuan, now a wildly popular actor and still a wealthy heir, initially dismissed her reaction as drama.
But when Li Huanyu, to spite him, started getting close to Shen Yihan—even starring in a film he financed—Gu Jingchuan lost his mind.
He begged for reconciliation, though Li Huanyu was still playing hard to get.
In the end, Lin Mo and her little brother were just pawns in their lovers’ quarrel.
"Let’s not dwell on the past," Lin Mo said abruptly. "I’m starving—let’s get lunch!"
Shen Yihan frowned at her expression.
She looks upset… Did she find out about Gu Jingchuan’s reputation?
Gu Jingchuan was a household name now. Anyone could tell her about his endless tabloid scandals and revolving door of girlfriends.
She must be heartbroken…
After all, in her mind, Gu Jingchuan was still her boyfriend.
Suppressing his irritation, Shen Yihan didn’t press further. Standing up, he asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Lin Mo didn’t hesitate. "Hot pot."
Shen Yihan followed Lin Mo out of the office.
The usually cold and aloof CEO trailed behind the girl, who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, like a mere lackey.
Perhaps this was what they called bloodline dominance.
The Assistant stifled a laugh internally but maintained a professional demeanor as she approached. "CEO Shen."
She then turned to Lin Mo, extending her hand. "Hello, I’m Jiang Tang, CEO Shen’s Assistant. You can call me Assistant Jiang."
Jiang Tang was dressed in a sharp business suit, tall and poised, with striking features and an air of cool elegance.
Lin Mo adored beautiful women of this type and grinned brightly, her eyes curving into crescents. "Hello, Sister Jiang Tang! I’m Lin Mo."
Shen Yihan froze, glancing between his eighteen-year-old "sister" and Jiang Tang, who was actually a year younger than him.
Jiang Tang noticed Shen Yihan’s expression darkening slightly.
Though she quite liked Lin Mo as a younger sister, professionalism compelled her to say, "Please just call me Assistant Jiang."
Lin Mo knew Jiang Tang had been by Shen Yihan’s side for a long time.
Even when Shen Yihan went bankrupt, she had stayed loyal, never leaving his side.
Jiang Tang must know some things about her.
Without hesitation, Lin Mo declared, "It’s fine! From now on, we’ll address each other separately—he calls me 'sister,' and I’ll call you 'sister'!"
Jiang Tang: "..."
Shen Yihan: "..."
Shen Yihan had objections, but he didn’t dare voice them.
His slender fingers fiddled with the Buddhist beads on his wrist. "Let’s go eat first."
Manager Zhao had already been discreetly dismissed by Jiang Tang—the CEO’s private matters were best kept from too many eyes.
"You two go ahead. I’ll wait here," Jiang Tang said.
Lin Mo grabbed Jiang Tang’s hand. "Come with us! It’ll be livelier with three people!"
Jiang Tang was momentarily stunned and glanced at Shen Yihan for direction.
Shen Yihan had no objections.
Jiang Tang was his most trusted Assistant—there was no need to exclude her.
"Come along," Shen Yihan ordered.
The mall was still bustling with people, which put Lin Mo at ease.
No matter what, you should never turn down a free meal!
They entered an old-style hotpot restaurant and had just taken their seats when Shen Yihan’s phone buzzed. He checked the screen.
It was a message from Li Huanyu.
[Brother Yihan, I’ve arrived. But there are so many people here—hasn’t the place been cleared out yet?]
