Ye Fan looked at Ye Juanjuan, stunned, a figure welled up from the depths of his heart and overlapped with the person in front of him. From the name and outline, he already had a general judgment; the woman before him was his sister, the only daughter of his father's only brother.
Ye Juanjuan was also dumbfounded, looking at Ye Fan incredulously, as if her heartstrings were plucked, her emotions became unusually uncomfortable.
Ye Fan hadn't seen the cousin he used to play with since he was seven years old. He had disappeared from the world for seventeen years. Even though they hadn't seen each other all these years, some unchanged shadows led him to discover some clues.
He never expected to see his cousin again in the vast sea of people.
At this moment, Ye Fan and Ye Juanjuan were examining each other, and their emotions obviously changed. It was a complex feeling of wanting to cry but not knowing why, the longing and concern in their hearts had turned into a persistent attachment over the years. The dark connection rooted in blood, after suddenly meeting, was like seeing someone they had longed to meet but could never see.
"To the outside world, when my parents had their accident, I was already dead. I can't just suddenly appear in her world, much less reveal my identity. Let her think I am already dead; with time she will completely forget me. I don't want anyone to know the life I've lived, nor do I want to intrude into the life of the only relative I care about. It would be too unfair to her."
Ye Fan pondered, and after a brief consideration, he had made a decision.
"What's wrong with you?" Ye Fan tried to make himself appear a bit more kind.
"Oh, nothing." Ye Juanjuan was startled back to her senses and apologized, "I lost my composure just now. I saw a family member's shadow in you."
Ye Juanjuan was very clear that her uncle's family of three had an accident a long time ago. Her cousin couldn't suddenly appear in front of her; if he were alive, he would've appeared long ago, not by coincidence at this moment.
With a professional smile, Ye Juanjuan led Ye Fan to pick out some underwear. Considering Ye Fan's attire, she led him to the cheapest section, thinking it was for Ye Fan's own good, fearing he wouldn't be able to pay.
Ye Fan casually looked at Ye Juanjuan and discovered that her eyes were filled with intense inferiority that she pretended to mask with pride, along with some grievances and sorrows hidden deep in her gaze. On the surface, Ye Juanjuan seemed cheerful and optimistic, but in reality, he could sense her inner anguish. With just a slight observation, he discovered many secrets unknown to outsiders.
"She must have endured a lot of hardships, perhaps even some significant troubles. I need to find an opportunity to discover where she lives," Ye Fan thought to himself, already having an idea, deciding to do something secretly.
"Sir, may I ask you a question?" Ye Juanjuan hesitated before speaking.
"What do you want to ask?" Ye Fan asked calmly.
"What is your surname?" Ye Juanjuan asked hurriedly.
"Surname Ye, single given name Fan." Ye Fan was forthright, thinking there was nothing to hide.
"What a coincidence, I once had a brother, also named Ye Fan." Ye Juanjuan was quite surprised. There are plenty of people with the same name, so naturally, she wouldn't equate the man before her with her deceased brother.
"Really, what a coincidence. So where is your brother?" Ye Fan asked without a hint of emotion.
"He's no longer with us, he had an accident many years ago." Ye Juanjuan said sadly.
"Life is unpredictable; it's fate. If your brother's spirit is in the sky, he wouldn't want to see you upset. Try to open your mind." Ye Fan offered some comfort.
"Thank you." Ye Juanjuan smiled wryly.
"Oh well, isn't this our Salesperson Ye? How come you're getting cozy with a customer here? What, have you taken a fancy to him?" At this moment, a sharp voice rang out, and a heavily perfumed woman appeared.
The woman was Wu Xiuer, the manager's niece, and she was sharp-tongued. Utilizing her connection with Manager Wu, she became a sales clerk, often bullying Ye Juanjuan with her arrogance.
The Zhenshanmei Mall, as a subsidiary of the Chu Group, sells all high-end goods. People without money don't even have the guts to browse here, and becoming a salesperson here isn't easy; it requires a rigorous selection process.
"Salesperson Ye, aren't you usually quite aloof? My uncle invited you to dinner, and you didn't give him any face. So how come you're here whispering sweet nothings with a customer now? Your taste is really something, associating with such a shabby beggar. Do you even want to work here? Get lost and go serve other customers. If you slack off again, I'll have my uncle fire you."
Wu Xiuer covered her nose disdainfully, as if Ye Fan's shabby attire made her particularly nauseous.
Usually, Wu Xiuer would bully Ye Juanjuan relying on her status. Sales clerks earn a bonus for the items they sell, but Wu Xiuer would count others' sales as her own, and others could only swallow the grievance in silence, not daring to speak out. Only Ye Juanjuan dared to confront her directly and didn't give her face, causing Wu Xiuer to harbor a grudge and resent Ye Juanjuan deeply.
More importantly, Ye Juanjuan was young and beautiful, which made Wu Xiuer even more dissatisfied. Her uncle had taken a liking to Ye Juanjuan's beauty, but Ye Juanjuan showed no interest in him. Wu Xiuer especially hoped that a proud woman like Ye Juanjuan would be toyed with by her uncle, that would make her happy, and she would have a sense of superiority in front of Ye Juanjuan, able to show off her strength.
Ye Fan looked at Wu Xiuer with displeasure, unwilling to engage with such an ignorant woman.
"Didn't you hear what I said? What are you standing there for? Get lost and go attend to other customers." Wu Xiuer berated venomously.
"But I have a customer here." Ye Juanjuan suppressed her displeasure, stubbornly replying.
She didn't want to engage with Wu Xiuer from the bottom of her heart, but there was no avoiding it, so she helplessly faced her.
"Are you deaf? I told you not to mind him, didn't you hear me?" Wu Xiuer stared at Ye Juanjuan with anger, scolding loudly, "Ignorant country bumpkin, if you dare to disregard my words again, be careful of the consequences."
Ye Juanjuan was extremely aggrieved, Wu Xiuer's words made her grind her teeth in anger.
Wu Xiuer looked at Ye Fan with disdain and mocked, "You couldn't afford a strip of cloth here with everything valuable on you. You look like a poor loser who came here just to see the world. I've seen plenty like you. Can't afford anything, just want to ask this and that, get lost and stop disturbing other customers. The way you're dressed is an embarrassment to Zhenshanmei Mall."
Ye Fan's expression hardened, a flash of anger appearing in his eyes.