Chapter Five: Cockroaches

“Look,” Liu Yiran said, opening the refrigerator. Inside, a variety of snacks and fruits were neatly arranged. The dates and the glossy freshness of the fruit made it clear she replaced the contents regularly.

Ye Qiu was at a loss for words; his heart was already overflowing with emotion.

“Big sis,” he called softly.

“Oh, silly me! You must be starving. Let me cook for you—your favorite, egg fried rice.” Without waiting for a reply, Liu Yiran strode out, but after a few steps, she turned back, pointed at the wardrobe, and added, “I’ve prepared some clothes for you in there. They’re all washed. I wasn’t sure how tall you’d be by now, so I got every size. Go ahead and change.”

Ye Qiu opened the wardrobe. Inside were casual home clothes, sportswear, and even formal suits for attending banquets, all in various sizes and all from top brands. This wardrobe alone must have cost hundreds of thousands.

He ran his hand over the clothes Liu Yiran had bought for him over the years. Scenes from childhood flashed vividly before his eyes.

“Why haven’t you changed yet? I’ve already finished cooking.” Without waiting for his reply, Liu Yiran continued, “Never mind, you can change later. Come and try your sister’s cooking first.”

The golden, fragrant egg fried rice was a feast for both the eyes and the nose, showing the care and effort Liu Yiran put into this dish.

Ye Qiu devoured two large bowls, barely setting his bowl down before Liu Yiran rose to serve him more.

“Sis, I’m not a pig,” he protested.

“Oh? Are you saying you don’t appreciate my cooking?” she teased.

“It’s not that.” Ye Qiu rubbed his stomach, indicating he was truly full, but seeing the eager anticipation on Liu Yiran’s face, he quickly changed the subject. “Big sis, about the bug in your company’s signal…”

“It’s nothing. I’ve already had the tech team trace the source, and I know who’s behind it,” she replied, exuding poise and confidence, as if the schemers behind the surveillance were beneath her notice.

Ye Qiu asked calmly, “Who was it?”

To dare bug his big sister’s office—these people were courting disaster.

“I’ll handle it myself. Dealing with such fools isn’t worth troubling you,” Liu Yiran said, her gaze steady. “Since you don’t trust your previous company, why not come work for me instead? The PR department still needs a manager.”

“Big sis…” Ye Qiu had meant to refuse, but recalling the bug in her office, he realized someone must be plotting against her. Staying at her company would allow him to protect her.

He nodded.

“That’s more like it.” Liu Yiran grinned and ruffled his hair affectionately before springing from her seat. “As it happens, your second sister is in Linhai. Let me change clothes and we’ll go see her.”

“Second sister?”

As a child, Second Sister had been a tomboy, fond of martial arts and swordplay. Of the eight siblings, Xiao Yuru was always the most energetic, and when it came to protecting him, she was always in front.

He wondered how she would react upon seeing him again. Would she, as in their childhood, grab his head in the crook of her arm and ruffle his hair?

Lost in thought, he was startled by a sudden exclamation from the upstairs bedroom.

Without a second’s hesitation, Ye Qiu leapt up the stairs and burst into the bedroom.

The spacious room held only Liu Yiran, half-changed into new clothes.

Their eyes met.

Sparks crackled in the air.

A sharp yelp followed.

Blushing furiously, Liu Yiran yanked her clothes up to shield her chest, her cheeks as red as ripe autumn apples.

Ye Qiu was stunned. In his rush, he hadn’t thought twice before barging in.

“There’s a cockroach!” Liu Yiran stammered, pointing to the corner where the insect scuttled, the icy CEO now reduced to a flustered young woman.

Relieved, Ye Qiu moved in a flash; a golden card swept the cockroach away.

If the cockroach was embarrassing, its swift demise made things even more awkward. Though they’d grown up together and seen each other naked as children, that was then—now, as adults with no blood relation, the atmosphere was suddenly charged and ambiguous.

Ye Qiu, quick on his feet, hurriedly shut the door and, in an effort to ease the tension, said, “I didn’t see a thing.”

He shouldn’t have said that.

Now even Liu Yiran’s ears were crimson.

How mortifying.

That annoying Ye Qiu.

Yet, for reasons she couldn’t explain, Liu Yiran felt as if a lively little deer had taken up residence in her heart.

Ye Qiu’s own heart pounded. Childhood and adulthood—there was a world of difference.

He gulped down a large glass of water. At that moment, Yunyan’s holographic projection appeared in midair.

“Master, I’ve duplicated Zhang Jun and Chu Shu’s communication systems. I overheard Chu Shu contacting several directors of the Yeliu Group. They’re preparing to remove the primary master from the position of president.”

As the words faded, the directors’ profiles floated in the air.

After several rounds of financing, Liu Yiran now held only 25% of Yeliu Group’s shares. Tong Tiexing had 20%, Directors Chen and Qian owned 15% each, and the largest remaining shareholder, Zhang Yu, had 5%. Together, their shares exceeded 51%.

“Courting death,” Ye Qiu muttered coldly, his face dark as a storm, the temperature in the room seeming to drop with his mood.

“Priestess, buy out all their shares under the identity of the MZ president,” he ordered, sending the files on Directors Chen, Qian, and Zhang Yu.

In a blink, the Priestess’s hologram appeared before Ye Qiu. “Leader, do you need me to come to Huaxia to assist you?”

Her eyes were full of longing. Compared to being acting leader, she would far rather remain by Ye Qiu’s side, serving in even the smallest way.

“No need. Stay in Star City and keep an eye on 001. The Beautiful Nation has already broken through the gene sequence—I want to know where they plan to use it.”

A flash of disappointment passed through the Priestess’s eyes, quickly masked. “Understood, Leader.”

Ye Qiu ended the call, his gaze frosty. Tong Tiexing, you’ll be in for a shock at the board meeting.

Just then, Liu Yiran, now changed, descended the stairs.

“Let’s go find your second sister.”

Ye Qiu nodded, about to warn his big sister about the board’s plan to impeach her, but before he could, Liu Yiran winked mischievously, her dark eyes dancing with light. “Little Yezi, shall we give your second sister a surprise?”

“Uh?” Ye Qiu was baffled.

“Don’t just stand there—I’ll fix you up so she won’t recognize you.” Without waiting, Liu Yiran began applying makeup.

Ye Qiu could only sit still as his big sister wielded her brush.

A perfectly straightforward man, transformed by his sister’s makeup, became as sweet as a peach.