"Hello, we are the interns here to report. Could you tell us..."
"Sorry, I'm busy. Ask soone else."
Compared to Ye International, where the temperature was inexplicably and bizarrely low, the Golden Lion Group's side was bustling with a gathering of exceptional individuals, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds.
Ye International's business scope was already considered quite broad, but compared to the Golden Lion Group, it was still like a small sorcerer eting a great sorcerer—completely overshadowed. And this was true even though the building standing here was rely a branch office.
Because of this, staff mbers who seed to belong to completely different industries could be seen gathered under one roof.
On the first floor of the Golden Lion Tower, Sakuramiya Hitomi stood amidst the crowd, wearing a simple work suit skirt.
However, due to her petite stature, the skirt that should have stopped around her knees ended up fitting her like a long dress.
"Excuse , coming through! We have equipnt, let us take the elevator first, thank you."
At this mont, she was sowhat helplessly extending a hand, trying to stop a staff mber.
But the Golden Lion Group employees in front of her were so incredibly busy that they completely ignored her, entirely focused on moving equipnt into the elevator.
"This is way too busy... And why are there so many people standing outside? They don't look like employees here either."
Sakuramiya Hitomi helplessly rubbed her forehead as she looked at the large crowd being blocked by security guards outside the lobby's check-in point, voicing her confusion.
"It seems like a very famous variety show under Golden Lion Entertainnt is shooting promotional photos for its second season today. Several famous idols are coming over. Those fans at the entrance probably just want to catch a glimpse of their idols."
Beside her, Ashley and Yabashi Ki, who were also here for their internships, stood together.
Yabashi Ki was looking at his phone, so it was Ashley who explained the situation to Sakuramiya Hitomi.
"So that's how it is..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but think of her younger cousin who loved chasing celebrities. Therefore, she adopted an attitude of 'I don't understand, but I respect it.'
"Ahhhh!!! Lina-chan!!!"
"Miss Lina!! You're so cute!!!"
"Miss Lemon!!!! I love you!!!"
Right at that mont, a deafening, tsunami-like roar of cheers erupted from the fans over there.
The noise was so piercing it felt like it would tear through the roof. Sakuramiya Hitomi quickly covered her ears and looked toward the lobby entrance.
She saw several young female artists wearing sunglasses and face masks getting out of their cars under the escort of security guards. They waved their hands as they walked into the Golden Lion Tower.
"I love you too~"
"Thank you, thank you."
It seed those were the "idols" Ashley had ntioned.
However, Sakuramiya Hitomi had no idea how the fans managed to recognize them when they were bundled up so tightly.
But soon enough, she understood why.
As the first few highly popular girls walked into the lobby, the last young artist stepped out of her car, similarly wearing sunglasses and a face mask.
This ti, the fans outside didn't erupt in cheers. Instead, they began murmuring in confusion.
"Who is that?"
"No idea."
"..."
And that final artist... who was none other than Bai Yi, had originally wanted to imitate the other artists and subconsciously waved her hand in greeting as she got out.
But upon realizing that no one recognized her after she stepped down, she puffed out her cheeks beneath her mask and awkwardly retracted her hand.
Filled with a bit of resentnt, she silently walked into the lobby, comforting herself with the thought that she was an aloof goddess swimming upstream amidst a sea of unrecognition.
"Bai Yi?"
But in the very next second, a female voice rang out from beside her, calling her na directly.
'Oh my, it seems soone still has a keen eye for talent and recognizes this lady after all!!'
Hearing the only fan who recognized her, Bai Yi instantly broke her aloof character. Subconsciously, her eyes curved into crescents as she turned her head to greet the girl.
"Hello~"
Yet, upon turning her head, she found that the person who called out to her was a petite girl with hair that faded from black to pink.
It was Sakuramiya Hitomi!!
"..."
Seeing that out of everyone present, the only person to recognize her was actually Sakuramiya Hitomi, Bai Yi's face imdiately darkened.
Her smile collapsed instantly. Beneath her mask, she shot her a sour, glaring look before indignantly retracting her gaze.
"Hmph!"
"..."
'What's wrong with her?'
Watching Bai Yi perform an instant face-change and then strut past her with her head held high, Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked.
Still, it looked like Bai Yi also had work to do at the Golden Lion Group over the sumr vacation.
"Excuse , are you Miss Sakuramiya, Mr. Yabashi, and Miss Ashley?"
Right on cue, a voice finally called out to them from behind.
Turning around, they saw two blonde, blue-eyed won walking over.
Sakuramiya Hitomi waved her hand and spoke up.
"Ah, yes we are."
"Mm, please co this way. I will show you where to report."
"Alright."
Yabashi Ki and Ashley walked over, and Sakuramiya Hitomi was just about to follow when the other blonde woman, who was still standing in place, suddenly reached out and stopped her.
"Miss Sakuramiya, they will head to their internship departnts first. As for you, please co with ."
"Eh, ? What's going on?"
Yabashi Ki and Ashley both turned back to look at her, but the blonde woman in front of them rely stated in an impartial, business-like tone.
"Our boss has specifically requested to see you."
"Your boss? Wait, Madam Elvira?!"
Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked, instantly realizing sothing as she voiced her surprise.
anwhile, on an upper floor of the Golden Lion Group, a banquet appeared to be taking place inside a restaurant.
At a glance, the room was filled entirely with blonde, blue-eyed people from the Ying Country. Furthermore, they were impeccably dressed and clearly possessed considerable wealth.
"Madam Elvira, I guarantee this is a project with an incredibly promising future..."
Elvira rested her cheek on her hand, taking a sip of red wine as she watched the Ying Country man talking confidently across the dining table.
Letting the man boast his extravagant claims, Elvira already had a vague judgnt in her heart, yet she still turned her head to glance at the person beside her.
Beside her sat a blonde, blue-eyed teenage girl holding a pair of chopsticks—which she had learned to use at so unknown point in ti. Pouting, the girl was currently challenging herself with the high-difficulty task of picking up spaghetti.
She was wearing a Golden Bomb Pig T-shirt that one would normally only wear at ho, looking extrely casual.
It was none other than Aria Spencer.
Seeing her mother turn to look at her, Aria imdiately shot a glance at the man across the table.
Then, she put on a fierce expression and frantically shook her head.
"..."
Seeing this, Elvira smiled helplessly. She then turned back to the man and waved her hand dismissively.
"Alright, I understand. I will consider it. I have other guests to entertain, so please be quiet for a while."
"Eh, wait, El— Alright. Enjoy your al."
The man didn't invite further humiliation. He rely gave a sheepish smile and stood up to leave, carrying his wine glass.
Elvira had discovered long ago that ever since her daughter's ntal illness was cured during childhood, she possessed an exaggerated ability to identify other people's lies.
Every ti Aria told her a statent was a lie, it would ultimately be proven true upon verification.
Although this ability was incredibly useful in the business world, Elvira had never allowed Aria to participate in her work.
Today was no exception; it was Aria who had volunteered to help.
"..."
Looking at Aria's proud expression that practically scread, 'Aren't I super amazing?', Elvira smiled faintly and patted her head.
But as she thought about it, she seed to recall sothing else, and her smile gradually faded.
Because the increasing number of ssages arriving from the Ying Country these days all served to remind her:
She couldn't stay in Linn forever.
Everything had been going well for Aria recently. Logically speaking, there was no need for her to worry as much as she used to.
But...
"Boss, we found her. The young lady from the Sakuramiya family is downstairs."
"Mm, please take her to the top floor. I will head over shortly."
"The one nad Bai Yi has also arrived. Should we bring her along..."
"No need. I'll see them one by one. We'll deal with her later."
"Understood."
Upon hearing this, Elvira's expression remained calm. She didn't look at her secretary, but instead glanced at her mobile phone.
Playing on the screen was...
The live broadcast recording of Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi leading the dance at the High Table Dinner.
Naturally, she understood the significance of leading the dance.
Which was to say...
In everyone's eyes right now, this boy's girlfriend was Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Furthermore, she hadn't even seen her own daughter present that night.
When she later asked Aria about it, the girl acted like a teenager hitting her rebellious phase and hoarding her own little secrets, absolutely refusing to say what had happened that evening.
It nearly made Elvira's lungs explode with anger.
'The enemy is already pushing to the high ground, and you, the rightful claimant, aren't in a hurry at all?!' "..."
At this thought, she took another sip of red wine, letting the liquid roll between her teeth as if she were chewing on soone's flesh and blood.
She turned her head and surveyed the many young talents from the Ying Country around them, only to see that they had absolutely no intention of greeting Aria. They didn't even dare to get close to her.
Clearly, long before arriving in Linn, Aria's reputation had already spread far and wide within the circles of the Ying Country.
Elvira had long since grown accustod to this.
Over the years, no matter how much of a shut-in Aria was, the sheer number of peers visiting them was bound to be high due to Elvira's status and position.
But because of Aria's tendency to view people as birds, her miraculous lie-detecting abilities, and her emotionally stunted habit of firing off blunt remarks, practically no one could withstand it.
Coincidentally, only that Yan Huan was the exception.
This gave Elvira a massive headache.
That Yan Huan truly was an anomaly.
Just looking at the girls around him, including her own daughter, Ye Lan's Ye Shiyu, and the Sakuramiya family's Sakuramiya Hitomi...
Even Elvira, who previously thought 'her own daughter's condition was already severe enough', could only exclaim in shock upon seeing them:
"There are masters even more extre?"
Yet Yan Huan could bizarrely mingle with them seamlessly and help them get better.
And to top it off, he actually didn't run away?!
It wasn't like he didn't have legs.
This was proof enough that Yan Huan's willpower was completely extraordinary.
However, Yan Huan was perfect in every aspect except for one thing:
He was simply far too greedy.
He wasn't just good to her daughter; he was also good to that Sakuramiya family's miss...
Furthermore, according to her inquiries, he apparently also had two little girlfriends with ordinary family backgrounds but far-from-ordinary relationships with him?
Thankfully, that Yan Huan wasn't so degenerate as to make a move on his sworn older sister. That fact alone brought Elvira a sudden sense of comfort.
She believed that the head of the Sakuramiya family also knew these things and harbored the sa thoughts as her:
If only he were exclusively devoted to their own daughter.
So that was why that woman, Sakuramiya Lily, was trying every possible sche to arrange for her daughter and Yan Huan to intern together, right?
Unfortunately for her, she had likely miscalculated...
"Aria, I have so matters to attend to. I'm stepping out for a bit. Eat plenty for lunch."
"Okay~"
Watching Aria nod, Elvira turned and left expressionlessly, intending to head to the top floor to et Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Naturally, she also intended to issue a stern warning to Yan Huan.
In order to prevent the day when she would see her own daughter's face covered in tears with an aggrieved expression, she was willing to play the villain in advance.
Yan Huan was going to co here later anyway, so the order didn't matter.
"..."
"Ding~"
As the elevator doors opened, Elvira appeared at the entrance of the sprawling penthouse suite on the top floor where she and Aria usually resided.
At this mont, Sakuramiya Hitomi was sitting on the living room sofa, waiting.
The mont she saw Elvira, she imdiately stood up and politely greeted her.
"Auntie Elvira..."
Elvira cast a glance at her and softly comnted,
"You don't seem as confident today as you were when preparing for the High Table Dinner. What's wrong? Are you sick?"
"..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's small face instantly paled slightly.
It was only because she knew that back then, it was Perfect Sakuramiya replacing her and executing everything.
She forcefully maintained her composure, clutching the hem of her skirt as she spoke.
"Auntie Elvira also paid attention to the High Table Dinner planned by our Student Council? I feel truly honored."
Elvira sat down on the sofa. After sweeping a glance over her, she said coolly,
"You really don't need to speak as euphemistically as your mother does. Just like Aria, I don't mind straightforwardness."
Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips. Just as she was about to speak, Elvira crossed her legs and suddenly shifted the topic.
"Conversely, I hope you won't mind it either."
Sakuramiya Hitomi swallowed a mouthful of saliva, knowing full well that Elvira must have called her up here for a reason.
"...Of course."
"Good. Then I'll get straight to the point. I heard about you and Yan Huan dancing at the High Table Dinner. I want to ask: do you know about Yan Huan having his feet in multiple boats?"
"..."
Of course Sakuramiya Hitomi knew. In particular, she knew about An Le and the President...
At this thought, Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but take a deep breath.
But she also understood that the President might have known about the superpowers long ago and suffered deeply because of them.
Sakuramiya Hitomi had witnessed what An Le had done with her superpowers in Tokyo. That terrifying scene of almost destroying the entire world was still fresh in her mind.
Because of this, even soone as powerful as Perfect Sakuramiya had exhausted all avenues of thought but still couldn't find a way to defeat all the superpower users and monopolize the President.
Continuing to fight would only destroy everything.
Therefore, the completely out-of-options Perfect Sakuramiya had settled for the next best thing, choosing coexistence.
This was also why Perfect Sakuramiya had said those rebellious and unorthodox things to them:
Everyone staying together, living a harmonious and happy life.
It absolutely wasn't because Perfect Sakuramiya was afraid her constitution was too weak to handle the President's desires!!!!
Thus, as long as she figured this point out, Sakuramiya Hitomi could sowhat empathize with Yan Huan's pain.
She lowered her gaze and stated firmly,
"Auntie, I know what you want to say. But the President... is absolutely not the kind of person you think he is."
"..."
Yes, Sakuramiya Hitomi had predicted Elvira's line of attack.
To break up two people, there were no more than three paths:
The environnt is bad, he is bad, or you are bad.
And as for the 'he is bad' card that Elvira threw out first, Sakuramiya Hitomi completely refused to buy it.
Ignorant of the inside story regarding the Modifiers, Elvira was like soone looking at flowers through a fog, only able to suspect that Yan Huan had fed these girls so sort of magic potion.
But it all ca back to that sa sentence:
If only that Yan Huan could control his desires and cease his greed.
As such, Elvira could only strike from the other two angles.
"I understand what you an, but surely there must be a rule of first co, first served in this matter?
"After finding out about you dancing with Yan Huan, Aria hasn't been able to eat or sleep. It genuinely worries ... You can understand that, right?"
anwhile, downstairs, Aria Spencer had just finished her fourth steak.
"One more, please! Thank you!"
"..."
But upstairs, hearing those words, Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but frown, instinctively retorting,
"First co, first served? The President and I joined the Student Council right when the school year started, keeping each other company every single day. If we're talking about who ca first, it should be . Aria ca later!"
"But Yan Huan invited Aria to dance a long ti ago. Right after he returned from the Sakura Country..."
"Eh?"
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but freeze slightly.
While Elvira simply rested her cheek on her hand and asked flatly,
"Besides, does knowing him earlier really count as 'coming first'? If we're really talking about knowing him, doesn't Yan Huan have a childhood sweetheart? Are you telling
you've known him longer than she has?"
"..."
Without intending to, Elvira had landed a critical hit.
Because Sakuramiya Hitomi knew all about what was between An Le and Yan Huan.
She had, indeed, lost to An Le by far too much...
"Furthermore, if you really did co first, how could there have been zero progress for an entire year, allowing Aria to successfully 'co later'?"
"..."
This rapid succession of remarks made Sakuramiya Hitomi instantly purse her lips.
At this mont, all her past mistakes and oversights filled her with regret.
If she hadn't entertained those kinds of thoughts back when she was in the Sakura Country, resulting in so much trouble...
If she had just been a bit earlier...
Seeing that the 'you are bad' approach was working, Elvira narrowed her eyes, adding fuel to the fire.
"Also, regarding Yan Huan... I absolutely will not allow him to break Aria's heart by keeping his feet in multiple boats. If he continues like this, he will inevitably be punished."
"!!"
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's pupils shrank.
Naturally, she knew that with Elvira's resources, teaching a lesson to a backgroundless Yan Huan would be as easy as flipping her hand.
And even if she poured out all her strength...
"So, I really just want to confirm sothing with you. What exactly is the relationship between you and Yan Huan right now?"
Elvira's icy, demon-like voice instantly chilled Sakuramiya Hitomi's petite body to the bone, but it also brought her a sliver of hope.
If she stubbornly insisted right now that she had no relationship with the President, Elvira would definitely have no excuse to act.
Besides, Elvira was right. She...
She clearly had so many opportunities, yet she had consistently wasted them all, utterly failing to accomplish anything.
Even yesterday...
She couldn't even manage to dress up beautifully for her date with the President...
She wanted to kiss the President, but ended up sleeping for hours, leaving him waiting all alone until the evening before departing by himself...
Soone like her...
"Yesterday's lead dance is a tradition for every Student Council... As for why Aria wasn't present to dance with the President, I don't know..."
If she said that, it would definitely protect the President.
Sakuramiya Hitomi originally wanted to say just that...
But...
She suddenly thought of everything that happened that night. She thought of that sea of flowers, and she thought of the disagreent the President had voiced...
Even though she was like this, the President had still firmly chosen her...
Even though she was like this, she still equally loved the President...
If she caved in for any reason now, everything that happened before would have been for nothing.
Therefore...
"Auntie Elvira... I..."
Gritting her teeth, Sakuramiya Hitomi spoke softly, trembling slightly.
Just as Elvira was assuming that this girl was about to crumble under the pressure and submit...
Sakuramiya Hitomi raised her eyes and enunciated every word with absolute clarity.
"I am currently Yan Huan's girlfriend.
"That is an undeniable fact!"
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