Chapter 13

Director Zhou was already waiting for them in front of her apartment when Pei Yueran drove in. She helped them carry the luggage into the house. Director Zhou's apartment had three rooms.

The room she had cleaned out for Han Yichen was just opposite hers. It was decorated in warm tones and equipped with a study desk, chair and other essentials.

It had an in-built bathroom and a small closet, very suitable for Han Yichen to stay in. They spent some time arranging his clothes in the closet and his toiletries in the bathroom.

Director Zhou had already put in clean curtains and made the bed, so the bedsheets that Pei Yueran bought were folded and kept in the wardrobe.

Han Yichen also arranged his books on the desk and his frames on the headboard. He looked around and nodded, satisfied with the layout.

When they finished, they relaxed and talked while sipping the freshly squeezed orange juice Director Zhou served them. When it was getting late, Pei Yueran stood up to leave. Han Yichen and Director Zhou stood up to walk her to her car.

"Thank you so much Mum. I really appreciate your love, care and help." She said, hugging Director Zhou.

"It's my pleasure Ran'er, always. Do take good care of yourself and don't worry, Chen'er will be fine with me. I'll take very good care of him. Do keep in touch, and let us know when you get to City M. Don't forget all we discussed."

"I have heard you Mum. I will do as you've said. I love you."

"I love you too Baobei."

Pei Yueran then went to hug Han Yichen. "My Chen, I'll miss you very much. I'll call you often, so be a good boy, study hard and take time to play as well. I love you very much." Han Yichen stood stiffly as she hugged him.

He then said, patting her back "It's okay Mom. Take care of yourself, I'll miss you too. Enjoy your trip and be happy in City M. See you soon. Love you too."

Since he had his winter holidays coming up soon, they agreed he would join her in City M for a few days.

Pei Yueran then drove off, getting home around 9pm. She looked round the living room as she walked in. The house was bare and felt lonely already without Han Yichen, and due to the imminent move, there were boxes stacked around the room.

She sent a message to Director Zhou and FaceTimed Han Yichen to let them know she was home. She then warmed up the left over dishes from lunch and ate.

She took herself to bed afterwards, planning to wake up early for her journey the next day.

*****

Pei Yueran woke up early, readied herself and ordered a taxi using the Uber app. While waiting, she did her makeup and double checked that she had all she planned on taking to City M. When the driver arrived, she loaded her two boxes and carry-on bag into the taxi.

She then locked up the house and took the keys. She had given a key to Su Qianhua the other day, who had promised to come back to supervise the moving company workers who would come to transport the rest of their belongings, and also take care of the house from time to time.

Pei Yueran had decided to leave the bulky fixtures in place, as she would be back in a year according to the terms of her new job. Her lease on the house would not expire for two more years, so there was no issue with that.

She got to the airport, checked in and boarded the flight in record time. As the plane taxied, she looked out the window, silently saying goodbye to City A, the land of her youth and dreams.

Although she was going to come back, it was the first time she was going to live outside City A and she was already feeling homesick. She hoped City M will help her find what she wasn't even sure she was seeking.

The plane touched down in City M at twelve thirty, but it took her about forty-five minutes to get her luggage.

Coming out of arrivals, she saw a young man dressed in a formal suit carrying a placard with her name and the city she was coming from on it. Pei Yueran walked up to him.

"Hello, I am Pei Yueran", she said, showing him her ID. Fang Bo, who had already recognized her from the picture the chairman's secretary sent him, slightly bowed as he introduced himself.

"Hello Special Assistant Pei. My name is Fang Bo, and I'm your chauffeur assigned by the company. How was your flight?"

"It was good, thank you." She also recognized him as Min Shiyi had sent her his picture. He collected her luggage and led her to the car. It was a brand new silver SUV. Pei Yueran wasn't a sucker for cars, but she loved sleek vehicles like this, regardless of the brand.

Fang Bo opened the door of the passenger seat and Pei Yueran went it and sat down. He then proceeded to drive her to her new home.

The three-bedroom apartment was located some kilometers away from the city center, which was where the headquarters of the Li Conglomerate stood.

The headquarters was a massive thirty-storey building, fully showcasing the affluence and innovation the Li Conglomerate was renowned for.

As he drove, Pei Yueran looked out the window. At first glance, City M was a particularly prosperous city. A true metropolis, it was second probably only to the Capital.

Thankfully, the traffic wasn't serious, so they got to the apartment a little over an hour later. Fang Bo put in the security passcode and opened the door. Pei Yueran made a mental note to change it later.

When she walked in, she felt a burst of delight. Everywhere looked beautiful and tastefully furnished.

The living room was painted cream. The sofas were the color of chocolate, with throw pillows of various colors on them. The table and stool set were mahogany. Ornamental bonsai adorned the window sills. It all looked very warm and welcoming.

She wondered who the interior decorator was, then remembered that one of the companies under the Li Conglomerate was an interior design company. It's good to be rich, she mused.

Fang Bo confirmed her thoughts, "The apartment was designed by LY design firm. I was told to inform you that you could call them if there's anything you want redone. Here's their card", he gave her a complimentary card.

"Thank you very much for your help today. I'll be expecting you by 7:30am tomorrow." Pei Yueran said as she collected the card. It had the logo of the firm, embossed in golden letters, and the name Xu Kexin as Head Designer on it, as well as a phone number.

"No problem Special Assistant Pei. See you tomorrow." Fang Bo bowed and left.