“Alright, Mom. She’s yours now,” Crippled Wang said.
Mother Wang bent down and grabbed one of Liu Ronghua’s arms. “Come, help me drag her into the house.”
Crippled Wang walked forward and grabbed Liu Ronghua’s other arm. The lower half of Liu Ronghua’s body, which remained on the ground, rammed into the rocks in the potholes while she was dragged into the house by the duo.
Her body ended up in a mess after crashing into a tall stoned door sill in the house.
The crowd outside the house noticed that the duo had no intention of showing mercy to this poor, unconscious lady and treated her like she was just livestock. They felt sorry for this poor soul but none of them uttered a sound, and they returned home after the fun was finally over.
…
…
Qi Chenglin had his guards up against all possible dangers now that Ruan Danchen was pregnant, and he even wanted Ruan Danchen to quit her job. Ruan Danchen merely felt that it was good enough to be more cautious but not necessarily to such an exaggerated extent.
Moreover, the doctor declared that she was healthy during her antenatal checkup and even advised her to engage in exercises whenever possible instead of rotting at home.
Thus, Qi Chenglin asked Chu Zhaoyang for Director Lee’s phone number and called him personally for a detailed questioning, which he assured repeatedly that working was acceptable as long as she does not do overtime and get over-exhausted.
According to Ruan Danchen’s daily working routine, it was not over-exhausting for her anyway.
Thus, Qi Chenglin was left with no choice but to agree to Ruan Danchen’s request to continue working reluctantly.
In the morning, Qi Youxuan was staring at Ruan Danchen’s abdomen and asked grudgingly, “Why does my sister grow so slow?”
“You were growing quite slow before too. If my stomach is big now, it’s due to fat instead of your sister growing bigger,” Ruan Danchen stroked his hair gently.
The kid caressed Ruan Danchen’s abdomen and sighed heavily. “I want to take a look at my sister.”
“Don’t be absent-minded and concentrate in class later,” Ruan Danchen advised.
The car stopped before the school gate and Qi Youxuan kissed Ruan Danchen and her belly before bidding goodbye. “Goodbye dad, goodbye mom, goodbye sister.”
Qi Youxuan rambled repeatedly about his sister every day after finding out that Ruan Danchen was pregnant. Even though it was impossible to check the fetus’s gender at such an early trimester, Ruan Danchen was almost convinced that she conceived a baby girl.
This was exactly why they said Qi Youxuan’s brainwashing ability was really powerful.
Qi Chenglin ignored Ruan Danchen’s protest upon arriving at the company and insisted to walk with her to the design department. He would feel satisfied only after watching Ruan Danchen going towards her seat safely and unharmed.
Ruan Danchen reminded him softly when they arrived at the entrance. “Don’t forget to keep this a secret until after the first trimester is over. It’s alright for our family members to know about this but don’t spread it to the public. I know this is a little superstitious but since it’s a tradition from our ancestors, best to keep it that way.”
Ruan Danchen trusted Qi Chenglin’s calmness initially, but it was fairly obvious to others that something was definitely wrong by the anxiousness on his face.
The result of Ruan Danchen’s confirmed pregnancy came out only last week, but Qi Chenglin called Manager Zou out of his office first thing they arrived at the company on Monday. Qi Chenglin gave a few instructions for Ruan Danchen’s sake such as no overtime or strenuous work, disallowed extended computer usage, and was only allowed to draw graphic designs for a short amount of time and leave the rest to assistant designers.
Manager Zou was on the verge of crying when that happened, assuming that Qi Chenglin was blaming him for his lack of care that had exhausted the General Manager Qi’s wife. He even presumed that the general manager thought the workload on General Manager Qi’s wife was too much and that Manager Zou himself was acting disrespectful towards General Manager Qi’s wife.
Thus, Ruan Danchen had absolutely nothing to do now and was bored to death after the discussion between Qi Chenglin and Manager Zou.
Occasionally, Manager Zou assigned a few leisurely design drafts to Ruan Danchen so that she could draw just a little each day.
It was fortunate that Manager Zou was a man who remained inattentive to details, so he failed to realize that Ruan Danchen was pregnant.
Since then, Qi Chenglin would give her a call every hour. Initially, Qi Chenglin dialed her cell phone number, but Ruan Danchen was too annoyed at his constant phone calls, so she told Qi Chenglin to quit calling her with the excuse that she was exposed to huge and harmful radiofrequency radiation by holding the phone so close to her.
Qi Chenglin then called her via the landline phone on her office desk.
The first time Qi Chenglin dialed her landline number, Ruan Danchen had no idea that it was him. Thus, she accepted the call and greeted politely. “Hello, this is Qilin’s design department.”
“How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?” Qi Chenglin’s voice traveled through her landline phone.
“…” Ruan Danchen was left speechless.
“I’m fine, I promise. I’ll let you know immediately when I’m feeling slightly unwell. Am I disturbing your work when you’re calling me every hour?” Ruan Danchen asked grudgingly.
“Not really, I can rest while giving you a phone call. Besides, how do you even make a phone call when you’re feeling unwell?” Qi Chenglin figured that he killed two birds with one stone using this method.
“…” Ruan Danchen did not expect his excuses to be so ‘logical’. “Don’t I have a whole office of colleagues to help me if I can’t make a phone call?”
“…” Qi Chenglin remained silent on the other end of the phone.
However, he did not attempt ending the conversation. Ruan Danchen figured something out suddenly and asked, “Am I right to assume that you’ve set alarms to ring every hour?”
“…” Qi Chenglin failed to muster a reply.
“…” Ruan Danchen took his silence as a sign of a guilty conscience. “You really set alarms?”
“Well, I’ve set alarms for myself to rest every hour. Don’t you remember that you’re the one telling me to limber up occasionally instead of constantly working?” Qi Chenglin’s mellow voice sounded especially serious and made others feel embarrassed to even doubt him upon hearing such tone.
“I’m walking around my office now while giving you a call since there’s nothing for me to do.” Qi Chenglin was really strolling around in his office.
“…” Ruan Danchen said helplessly, “I’m fine, really. Are you feeling more assured now?”
“Yes.” Qi Chenglin delayed the phone call for a while before continuing, “I’m going to a meeting later and it might take some time, so I won’t be able to call you an hour later.”
Ruan Danchen let out a sigh of relief. “I feel really good right now, so don’t worry.”
Ruan Danchen finally managed to coax Qi Chenglin and hung up the phone call.
Then, she continued her leisurely work assigned by Manager Zou.
Qi Chenglin’s secretary exited the secretary’s room and came down to the design department an hour later. She was the secretary who replaced Jiang Yuan during his period of absenteeism.
“Madam, this is from the general manager.”
It was a carton of milk and various desserts.
“The general manager was worried that you may be hungry,” the secretary explained.
Then, Xiao Fan arrived with an insulation pot in his hands after the secretary finished the sentence.
“Madam, this bird’s nest was prepared under Old Madam’s instruction,” Xiao Fan placed the insulation pot on Ruan Danchen’s office desk.
Dumbfounded, Ruan Danchen stared at them, and that was when she received Grandmother Qi’s phone call.
“Grandma,” Ruan Danchen greeted.
“Xiao Fan called me just now stating that he had arrived at the company. Did you receive the bird’s nest?” Grandmother Qi asked.
“Yes, I’ve received it. Xiao Fan just arrived a few seconds ago,” Ruan Danchen smiled at Xiao Fan.
“Good, don’t forget to eat it quickly. Send me a picture of the empty pot once you’re done with it so I won’t get worried,” Grandmother Qi said. She came up with this idea since she could not stare at his granddaughter-in-law until all the bird’s nest was finished.
“…” Ruan Danchen felt that Grandmother Qi was really quick-witted. “Alright.”
“I’ll let Xiao Fan deliver bird’s nest to you every day from now on. Don’t just work and neglect your health. You need to replenish your nutrients after exhausting yourself at work,” Grandmother Qi advised. She figured that it was good enough for her granddaughter-in-law to enjoy it leisurely at work.
“Grandma, there’s no need to deliver every day.” Ruan Danchen felt extremely stressed all of a sudden.
“No can do. There’s no one else in the in-laws to take care of you so naturally, that’s our responsibility now. That way, you won’t feel aggrieved,” Grandmother Qi explained earnestly.
Grandmother Qi figured that the Qi family must take over the in-laws’ responsibilities now. Normally, the mindsets between the husband’s family and a woman’s family were different. Their intentions were good but there would be some treatment differences between a daughter and a daughter-in-law. Most mothers-in-law would focus their attention solely on their daughters. They meant no harm to the daughters-in-law but would neglect them somehow.
Thus, Grandmother Qi felt the need to take this as a warning, especially when Ruan Danchen had no one else left other than the Qi family. She would treat Ruan Danchen as her own granddaughter instead of granddaughter-in-law so that she would do her very best to take care of Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen put on a warm smile after listening to Grandmother Qi, no longer rejecting her kind offer. However, there was so much food now and she could not finish them all. Thus, she had decided to share them with Qi Chenglin instead of wasting Grandmother Qi’s kindness.
Subsequently, Xiao Yang arrived with a big bag in his hand before Xiao Fan even left the office.
Ruan Danchen’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped, feeling speechless at the moment.
Xiao Yang shifted his gaze between the secretary and Xiao Fan and smiled embarrassingly. “Mrs. Guan instructed me to deliver bird’s nest to you. She said she purchased bird’s nests for both Mrs. Qi and you so she sent me here to deliver them.”
Xiao Fan and Xiao Yang left together after Ruan Danchen accepted the food.
After that, she asked the secretary, “Is the general manager in a meeting now?”
“No, the meeting will start in half an hour,” the secretary answered with a smile.
Ruan Danchen nodded and took a pot of bird’s nest before going up together with the secretary.
Jiang Yuan noticed Ruan Danchen and put on a joyful expression immediately, which gave Ruan Danchen quite a shock. She looked around at the surroundings and found out that they were alone here.
This was the first time Jiang Yuan expressed such joy and even felt touched upon seeing Ruan Danchen.
Jiang Yuan had always been a calm and steady person who appeared very trustworthy. One would feel that he could accomplish anything and his presence could easily induce confidence in others.
However, such a man was grinning at Ruan Danchen like a blooming flower, as if Ruan Danchen had descended as a lifesaver. This was unsettling and made her feel anxious.
“Special Assistant Jiang, what happened to you?” Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and asked curiously.
“Enter the office quickly, there’s a ‘nymph’ inside,” Jiang Yuan struggled for a moment before continuing, “The ‘nymph’ brought backup this time. The general manager didn’t want to trouble you and wanted to solve this himself without telling you.”
However, Jiang Yuan figured that it was more appropriate for a woman to settle a woman’s issue because a man would have trouble fighting back sometimes.
“…” Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words.
She did not know Special Assistant Jiang had the potential of a patron saint who guarded home and warded off evil spirits.
Ruan Danchen coughed and nodded in response, but when she was about to knock on the door, Jiang Yuan stopped her.
The glance Ruan Danchen gave Jiang Yuan conveyed a message. “Didn’t you want me to enter the room quickly? Why are you stopping me now?”
“There’s no need to knock on the door. That only shows that you’re not on intimate terms with the general manager. The general manager announced that no matter what he’s doing, you can enter the room directly without knocking.” Jiang Yuan smiled. Even though his smile appeared faint, the curvature in his eyes was not.
This way, the ‘witch’ in the room would realize how close and stable the relationship between the general manager and his wife was, and that General Manager Qi’s wife had high authority in the company.
Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and tapped on his shoulder gently with a wide smile on her face. “I didn’t expect Special Assistant Jiang to be a friend of women.”
“…” Jiang Yuan choked upon hearing the nickname Ruan Danchen gave him.
How did the name ‘a friend of women’ sound nice at all?
Ruan Danchen was amused by Jiang Yuan’s dispirited look and tapped on his shoulder again. Jiang Yuan normally had a calm and well-controlled impression but once he started acting humorous, his good image shattered immediately.
Initially, Ruan Danchen only had respect for Jiang Yuan—there was no closeness between them. That was because of her feeling that Jiang Yuan’s style and temperament was considered on a higher level than the rest. However, looking at Jiang Yuan’s current confusion, she felt that he was actually a humorous guy. Thus, she dared to make jokes with him.
Ruan Danchen took Jiang Yuan’s suggestion and barged into the room. Two women were sitting opposite Qi Chenglin with their backs facing Ruan Danchen.
It was fairly obvious that one of the women was older than the other. They had no idea that Ruan Danchen had entered the room so the older woman continued talking. Her voice sounded familiar but Ruan Danchen had trouble recalling its owner.
Qi Chenglin was facing the door with an impatient look on his face, but it was soon replaced by unconcealable jubilation as soon as Ruan Danchen barged in. “Why did you come suddenly?”
Normally, Qi Chenglin had to call Ruan Danchen for her to reluctantly come up to his office. It was rare for her to take the initiative and visit him in the office, and when she did, it was mostly for some issue that required his attention.
Zhao Fengchun was talking to Qi Chenglin initially but he remained expressionless and inattentive, not even trying to answer her. If it was not for the fact that she was Guan Liya’s childhood friend and Qi Chenglin had to protect Guan Liya’s reputation, she figured that Qi Chenglin would not even let them enter Qilin’s main entrance.
Even so, Zhao Fengchun remained indomitable in continuing the conversation. The office was full of Zhao Fengchun’s voice without a moment of awkward silence at all.
However, this man who had on an annoyed expression initially suddenly lifted his gaze towards the door with exhilaration. Zhao Fengchun was taken aback by his sudden change in expression.
Zhao Fengchun heard the door open without any prior knockings and wondered who was acting unruly to barge in when they were having a conversation in the office.
Zhao Fengchun turned around and saw Ruan Danchen entering the room with an insulation pot in her hand. Zhao Fengchun frowned upon noticing a pair of flat shoes on Ruan Danchen’s feet which appeared incompatible with the formal outfit she wore. Judging by the looks of it, Ruan Danchen seemed to be working in Qilin instead of visiting Qi Chenglin purposely from outside.
Zhao Fengchun did not know much about Ruan Danchen because of her prolonged stay in Italy—even the huge commotion on the internet happened before her arrival to B City. Since there was no resentment between her and Ruan Danchen, there was naturally no need for her to investigate Ruan Danchen’s past on purpose. Thus, she knew nothing about Ruan Danchen at all.
Judging by Ruan Danchen’s current appearance now, Zhao Fengchun figured that she probably worked in Qilin, and she despised Ruan Danchen for that. Was Zhao Fengchun right to assume Ruan Danchen used her relationship with Qi Chenglin, depending solely on her man to work here?
It would be a joke if the public realized that Ruan Danchen’s in-laws provided a job for her.
Moreover, how bad the influences would be for her to work in Qilin?
Ruan Danchen could come up casually just to find Qi Chenglin without distinguishing between public and private interests, and she even entered the room directly without knocking on the door. What would Qi Chenglin’s subordinates think when they saw this?
The Qi family’s reputation would be damaged. Zhao Fengchun figured that the Qi family prioritized nepotism only instead of one’s ability at work. How would Qi Chenglin maintain his prestige when he permitted his wife’s capricious acts in the company?
Zhao Fengchun sized Ruan Danchen up without expressing her disdain.
Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise when the two women were actually Zhao Fengchun and her daughter, Wu Qiaoyin. A grin then broke across her face as she recalled Jiang Yuan referring to them as a ‘nymph’ with a backup just now.
The corner of her lips curled up involuntarily, but Ruan Danchen realized this smile was inappropriate in this current situation. Thus, she quickly readjusted her facial expression and put on a decorous and polite smile before greeting them. “Mrs. Wu, Miss Wu.”
“Haha, what a coincidence, Qi Chenglin’s wife. You’re here too?” Zhao Fengchun remained seated and merely lifted her gaze to meet Ruan Danchen’s and smiled.
The reason why Zhao Fengchun asked that question was to probe for information whether Ruan Danchen was indeed working in Qilin, and if not, why did she was she there for no reason.
Zhao Fengchun maintained a polite smile but deep down, she felt disdainful towards Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen smiled and answered, “Yes, I didn’t expect Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu to be here too.”
Zhao Fengchun’s smile froze for a moment and figured that Ruan Danchen was terrible in engaging a conversation. Anyone who heard her question would answer, right?
Who would throw the question back at her like how Ruan Danchen did?
“What are you holding in your hand?” Qi Chenglin stared at the insulated pot in her hand.
Ruan Danchen walked forward without pretending to ask if she was interrupting them since her very presence here was indeed meant to disturb them.
“Grandma instructed Xiao Fan to deliver bird’s nest just now, but I want to share it with you since I can’t finish them all by myself. I asked your secretary just now, and she told me your meeting starts half an hour later, so here I am. Since you’re calling me every hour, I might as well come up here personally to let you have a look, so you’ll feel assured that way,” Ruan Danchen placed the insulated pot on the table.
Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin stared at Ruan Danchen in shock and doubt. Did Qi Chenglin really give Ruan Danchen a call every hour? Qi Chenglin really valued Ruan Danchen this much?
Even Grandmother Qi instructed her driver to deliver bird’s nest to Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen was here to work, and it was not labored work too. Was it really necessary for Grandmother Qi to do so?
Qi Chenglin knew that it was inappropriate for the pregnant Ruan Danchen to stand for long periods of time, but opposite them sat Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. Qi Chenglin would surely accompany Ruan Danchen to the couch if they were alone in the office.
However, those two women remained ignorant at the fact that Ruan Danchen entered the office and made no attempt in leaving them alone. They even sat comfortably on the couch while Ruan Danchen stood by Qi Chenglin’s side.
Qi Chenglin’s expression turned as cold as ice due to annoyance at those two women, but as soon as he faced Ruan Danchen, his cold expression melted immediately. Such a drastic change in his expression darkened Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin’s expressions.
“Don’t just stand there,” Qi Chenglin stood up and said. One of his hands held onto Ruan Danchen’s hand while another grabbed the insulated pot, leading Ruan Danchen to the couch and sitting down together with her.
Qi Chenglin ignored Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin and opened the insulation pot without needing Ruan Danchen to move a muscle. Then, he poured the bird’s nest into the insulated pot’s cap which also functioned as a small bowl for Ruan Danchen. “Drink it first, I’ll drink the rest if you can’t finish it.”
Ruan Danchen did not attempt inviting Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. To be honest, she did not want to associate herself further with these two women.
Not just Ruan Danchen, even Qi Youxuan was fully aware of the Wu Qiaoyin’s thoughts, and since Zhao Fengchun was a smart woman, she must be aware of her daughter’s mindset as well.
Zhao Fengchun brought Wu Qiaoyin over to Qi Chenglin’s office even though Wu Qiaoyin’s intention was very obvious, so Ruan Danchen figured that Zhao Fengchun was not a good person either.
However, there was no need for Ruan Danchen to bicker with Zhao Fengchun and her daughter since Qi Chenglin’s attitude was more than enough to embarrass them.
Ruan Danchen agreed with a smile and started drinking the bird’s nest with a spoon.
Qi Chenglin then looked up at Zhao Fengchun calmly without even glancing at Wu Qiaoyin. “I won’t take up your time now, you may leave us.”
“Alright, Mom. She’s yours now,” Crippled Wang said.
Mother Wang bent down and grabbed one of Liu Ronghua’s arms. “Come, help me drag her into the house.”
Crippled Wang walked forward and grabbed Liu Ronghua’s other arm. The lower half of Liu Ronghua’s body, which remained on the ground, rammed into the rocks in the potholes while she was dragged into the house by the duo.
Her body ended up in a mess after crashing into a tall stoned door sill in the house.
The crowd outside the house noticed that the duo had no intention of showing mercy to this poor, unconscious lady and treated her like she was just livestock. They felt sorry for this poor soul but none of them uttered a sound, and they returned home after the fun was finally over.
…
…
Qi Chenglin had his guards up against all possible dangers now that Ruan Danchen was pregnant, and he even wanted Ruan Danchen to quit her job. Ruan Danchen merely felt that it was good enough to be more cautious but not necessarily to such an exaggerated extent.
Moreover, the doctor declared that she was healthy during her antenatal checkup and even advised her to engage in exercises whenever possible instead of rotting at home.
Thus, Qi Chenglin asked Chu Zhaoyang for Director Lee’s phone number and called him personally for a detailed questioning, which he assured repeatedly that working was acceptable as long as she does not do overtime and get over-exhausted.
According to Ruan Danchen’s daily working routine, it was not over-exhausting for her anyway.
Thus, Qi Chenglin was left with no choice but to agree to Ruan Danchen’s request to continue working reluctantly.
In the morning, Qi Youxuan was staring at Ruan Danchen’s abdomen and asked grudgingly, “Why does my sister grow so slow?”
“You were growing quite slow before too. If my stomach is big now, it’s due to fat instead of your sister growing bigger,” Ruan Danchen stroked his hair gently.
The kid caressed Ruan Danchen’s abdomen and sighed heavily. “I want to take a look at my sister.”
“Don’t be absent-minded and concentrate in class later,” Ruan Danchen advised.
The car stopped before the school gate and Qi Youxuan kissed Ruan Danchen and her belly before bidding goodbye. “Goodbye dad, goodbye mom, goodbye sister.”
Qi Youxuan rambled repeatedly about his sister every day after finding out that Ruan Danchen was pregnant. Even though it was impossible to check the fetus’s gender at such an early trimester, Ruan Danchen was almost convinced that she conceived a baby girl.
This was exactly why they said Qi Youxuan’s brainwashing ability was really powerful.
Qi Chenglin ignored Ruan Danchen’s protest upon arriving at the company and insisted to walk with her to the design department. He would feel satisfied only after watching Ruan Danchen going towards her seat safely and unharmed.
Ruan Danchen reminded him softly when they arrived at the entrance. “Don’t forget to keep this a secret until after the first trimester is over. It’s alright for our family members to know about this but don’t spread it to the public. I know this is a little superstitious but since it’s a tradition from our ancestors, best to keep it that way.”
Ruan Danchen trusted Qi Chenglin’s calmness initially, but it was fairly obvious to others that something was definitely wrong by the anxiousness on his face.
The result of Ruan Danchen’s confirmed pregnancy came out only last week, but Qi Chenglin called Manager Zou out of his office first thing they arrived at the company on Monday. Qi Chenglin gave a few instructions for Ruan Danchen’s sake such as no overtime or strenuous work, disallowed extended computer usage, and was only allowed to draw graphic designs for a short amount of time and leave the rest to assistant designers.
Manager Zou was on the verge of crying when that happened, assuming that Qi Chenglin was blaming him for his lack of care that had exhausted the General Manager Qi’s wife. He even presumed that the general manager thought the workload on General Manager Qi’s wife was too much and that Manager Zou himself was acting disrespectful towards General Manager Qi’s wife.
Thus, Ruan Danchen had absolutely nothing to do now and was bored to death after the discussion between Qi Chenglin and Manager Zou.
Occasionally, Manager Zou assigned a few leisurely design drafts to Ruan Danchen so that she could draw just a little each day.
It was fortunate that Manager Zou was a man who remained inattentive to details, so he failed to realize that Ruan Danchen was pregnant.
Since then, Qi Chenglin would give her a call every hour. Initially, Qi Chenglin dialed her cell phone number, but Ruan Danchen was too annoyed at his constant phone calls, so she told Qi Chenglin to quit calling her with the excuse that she was exposed to huge and harmful radiofrequency radiation by holding the phone so close to her.
Qi Chenglin then called her via the landline phone on her office desk.
The first time Qi Chenglin dialed her landline number, Ruan Danchen had no idea that it was him. Thus, she accepted the call and greeted politely. “Hello, this is Qilin’s design department.”
“How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?” Qi Chenglin’s voice traveled through her landline phone.
“…” Ruan Danchen was left speechless.
“I’m fine, I promise. I’ll let you know immediately when I’m feeling slightly unwell. Am I disturbing your work when you’re calling me every hour?” Ruan Danchen asked grudgingly.
“Not really, I can rest while giving you a phone call. Besides, how do you even make a phone call when you’re feeling unwell?” Qi Chenglin figured that he killed two birds with one stone using this method.
“…” Ruan Danchen did not expect his excuses to be so ‘logical’. “Don’t I have a whole office of colleagues to help me if I can’t make a phone call?”
“…” Qi Chenglin remained silent on the other end of the phone.
However, he did not attempt ending the conversation. Ruan Danchen figured something out suddenly and asked, “Am I right to assume that you’ve set alarms to ring every hour?”
“…” Qi Chenglin failed to muster a reply.
“…” Ruan Danchen took his silence as a sign of a guilty conscience. “You really set alarms?”
“Well, I’ve set alarms for myself to rest every hour. Don’t you remember that you’re the one telling me to limber up occasionally instead of constantly working?” Qi Chenglin’s mellow voice sounded especially serious and made others feel embarrassed to even doubt him upon hearing such tone.
“I’m walking around my office now while giving you a call since there’s nothing for me to do.” Qi Chenglin was really strolling around in his office.
“…” Ruan Danchen said helplessly, “I’m fine, really. Are you feeling more assured now?”
“Yes.” Qi Chenglin delayed the phone call for a while before continuing, “I’m going to a meeting later and it might take some time, so I won’t be able to call you an hour later.”
Ruan Danchen let out a sigh of relief. “I feel really good right now, so don’t worry.”
Ruan Danchen finally managed to coax Qi Chenglin and hung up the phone call.
Then, she continued her leisurely work assigned by Manager Zou.
Qi Chenglin’s secretary exited the secretary’s room and came down to the design department an hour later. She was the secretary who replaced Jiang Yuan during his period of absenteeism.
“Madam, this is from the general manager.”
It was a carton of milk and various desserts.
“The general manager was worried that you may be hungry,” the secretary explained.
Then, Xiao Fan arrived with an insulation pot in his hands after the secretary finished the sentence.
“Madam, this bird’s nest was prepared under Old Madam’s instruction,” Xiao Fan placed the insulation pot on Ruan Danchen’s office desk.
Dumbfounded, Ruan Danchen stared at them, and that was when she received Grandmother Qi’s phone call.
“Grandma,” Ruan Danchen greeted.
“Xiao Fan called me just now stating that he had arrived at the company. Did you receive the bird’s nest?” Grandmother Qi asked.
“Yes, I’ve received it. Xiao Fan just arrived a few seconds ago,” Ruan Danchen smiled at Xiao Fan.
“Good, don’t forget to eat it quickly. Send me a picture of the empty pot once you’re done with it so I won’t get worried,” Grandmother Qi said. She came up with this idea since she could not stare at his granddaughter-in-law until all the bird’s nest was finished.
“…” Ruan Danchen felt that Grandmother Qi was really quick-witted. “Alright.”
“I’ll let Xiao Fan deliver bird’s nest to you every day from now on. Don’t just work and neglect your health. You need to replenish your nutrients after exhausting yourself at work,” Grandmother Qi advised. She figured that it was good enough for her granddaughter-in-law to enjoy it leisurely at work.
“Grandma, there’s no need to deliver every day.” Ruan Danchen felt extremely stressed all of a sudden.
“No can do. There’s no one else in the in-laws to take care of you so naturally, that’s our responsibility now. That way, you won’t feel aggrieved,” Grandmother Qi explained earnestly.
Grandmother Qi figured that the Qi family must take over the in-laws’ responsibilities now. Normally, the mindsets between the husband’s family and a woman’s family were different. Their intentions were good but there would be some treatment differences between a daughter and a daughter-in-law. Most mothers-in-law would focus their attention solely on their daughters. They meant no harm to the daughters-in-law but would neglect them somehow.
Thus, Grandmother Qi felt the need to take this as a warning, especially when Ruan Danchen had no one else left other than the Qi family. She would treat Ruan Danchen as her own granddaughter instead of granddaughter-in-law so that she would do her very best to take care of Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen put on a warm smile after listening to Grandmother Qi, no longer rejecting her kind offer. However, there was so much food now and she could not finish them all. Thus, she had decided to share them with Qi Chenglin instead of wasting Grandmother Qi’s kindness.
Subsequently, Xiao Yang arrived with a big bag in his hand before Xiao Fan even left the office.
Ruan Danchen’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped, feeling speechless at the moment.
Xiao Yang shifted his gaze between the secretary and Xiao Fan and smiled embarrassingly. “Mrs. Guan instructed me to deliver bird’s nest to you. She said she purchased bird’s nests for both Mrs. Qi and you so she sent me here to deliver them.”
Xiao Fan and Xiao Yang left together after Ruan Danchen accepted the food.
After that, she asked the secretary, “Is the general manager in a meeting now?”
“No, the meeting will start in half an hour,” the secretary answered with a smile.
Ruan Danchen nodded and took a pot of bird’s nest before going up together with the secretary.
Jiang Yuan noticed Ruan Danchen and put on a joyful expression immediately, which gave Ruan Danchen quite a shock. She looked around at the surroundings and found out that they were alone here.
This was the first time Jiang Yuan expressed such joy and even felt touched upon seeing Ruan Danchen.
Jiang Yuan had always been a calm and steady person who appeared very trustworthy. One would feel that he could accomplish anything and his presence could easily induce confidence in others.
However, such a man was grinning at Ruan Danchen like a blooming flower, as if Ruan Danchen had descended as a lifesaver. This was unsettling and made her feel anxious.
“Special Assistant Jiang, what happened to you?” Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and asked curiously.
“Enter the office quickly, there’s a ‘nymph’ inside,” Jiang Yuan struggled for a moment before continuing, “The ‘nymph’ brought backup this time. The general manager didn’t want to trouble you and wanted to solve this himself without telling you.”
However, Jiang Yuan figured that it was more appropriate for a woman to settle a woman’s issue because a man would have trouble fighting back sometimes.
“…” Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words.
She did not know Special Assistant Jiang had the potential of a patron saint who guarded home and warded off evil spirits.
Ruan Danchen coughed and nodded in response, but when she was about to knock on the door, Jiang Yuan stopped her.
The glance Ruan Danchen gave Jiang Yuan conveyed a message. “Didn’t you want me to enter the room quickly? Why are you stopping me now?”
“There’s no need to knock on the door. That only shows that you’re not on intimate terms with the general manager. The general manager announced that no matter what he’s doing, you can enter the room directly without knocking.” Jiang Yuan smiled. Even though his smile appeared faint, the curvature in his eyes was not.
This way, the ‘witch’ in the room would realize how close and stable the relationship between the general manager and his wife was, and that General Manager Qi’s wife had high authority in the company.
Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and tapped on his shoulder gently with a wide smile on her face. “I didn’t expect Special Assistant Jiang to be a friend of women.”
“…” Jiang Yuan choked upon hearing the nickname Ruan Danchen gave him.
How did the name ‘a friend of women’ sound nice at all?
Ruan Danchen was amused by Jiang Yuan’s dispirited look and tapped on his shoulder again. Jiang Yuan normally had a calm and well-controlled impression but once he started acting humorous, his good image shattered immediately.
Initially, Ruan Danchen only had respect for Jiang Yuan—there was no closeness between them. That was because of her feeling that Jiang Yuan’s style and temperament was considered on a higher level than the rest. However, looking at Jiang Yuan’s current confusion, she felt that he was actually a humorous guy. Thus, she dared to make jokes with him.
Ruan Danchen took Jiang Yuan’s suggestion and barged into the room. Two women were sitting opposite Qi Chenglin with their backs facing Ruan Danchen.
It was fairly obvious that one of the women was older than the other. They had no idea that Ruan Danchen had entered the room so the older woman continued talking. Her voice sounded familiar but Ruan Danchen had trouble recalling its owner.
Qi Chenglin was facing the door with an impatient look on his face, but it was soon replaced by unconcealable jubilation as soon as Ruan Danchen barged in. “Why did you come suddenly?”
Normally, Qi Chenglin had to call Ruan Danchen for her to reluctantly come up to his office. It was rare for her to take the initiative and visit him in the office, and when she did, it was mostly for some issue that required his attention.
Zhao Fengchun was talking to Qi Chenglin initially but he remained expressionless and inattentive, not even trying to answer her. If it was not for the fact that she was Guan Liya’s childhood friend and Qi Chenglin had to protect Guan Liya’s reputation, she figured that Qi Chenglin would not even let them enter Qilin’s main entrance.
Even so, Zhao Fengchun remained indomitable in continuing the conversation. The office was full of Zhao Fengchun’s voice without a moment of awkward silence at all.
However, this man who had on an annoyed expression initially suddenly lifted his gaze towards the door with exhilaration. Zhao Fengchun was taken aback by his sudden change in expression.
Zhao Fengchun heard the door open without any prior knockings and wondered who was acting unruly to barge in when they were having a conversation in the office.
Zhao Fengchun turned around and saw Ruan Danchen entering the room with an insulation pot in her hand. Zhao Fengchun frowned upon noticing a pair of flat shoes on Ruan Danchen’s feet which appeared incompatible with the formal outfit she wore. Judging by the looks of it, Ruan Danchen seemed to be working in Qilin instead of visiting Qi Chenglin purposely from outside.
Zhao Fengchun did not know much about Ruan Danchen because of her prolonged stay in Italy—even the huge commotion on the internet happened before her arrival to B City. Since there was no resentment between her and Ruan Danchen, there was naturally no need for her to investigate Ruan Danchen’s past on purpose. Thus, she knew nothing about Ruan Danchen at all.
Judging by Ruan Danchen’s current appearance now, Zhao Fengchun figured that she probably worked in Qilin, and she despised Ruan Danchen for that. Was Zhao Fengchun right to assume Ruan Danchen used her relationship with Qi Chenglin, depending solely on her man to work here?
It would be a joke if the public realized that Ruan Danchen’s in-laws provided a job for her.
Moreover, how bad the influences would be for her to work in Qilin?
Ruan Danchen could come up casually just to find Qi Chenglin without distinguishing between public and private interests, and she even entered the room directly without knocking on the door. What would Qi Chenglin’s subordinates think when they saw this?
The Qi family’s reputation would be damaged. Zhao Fengchun figured that the Qi family prioritized nepotism only instead of one’s ability at work. How would Qi Chenglin maintain his prestige when he permitted his wife’s capricious acts in the company?
Zhao Fengchun sized Ruan Danchen up without expressing her disdain.
Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise when the two women were actually Zhao Fengchun and her daughter, Wu Qiaoyin. A grin then broke across her face as she recalled Jiang Yuan referring to them as a ‘nymph’ with a backup just now.
The corner of her lips curled up involuntarily, but Ruan Danchen realized this smile was inappropriate in this current situation. Thus, she quickly readjusted her facial expression and put on a decorous and polite smile before greeting them. “Mrs. Wu, Miss Wu.”
“Haha, what a coincidence, Qi Chenglin’s wife. You’re here too?” Zhao Fengchun remained seated and merely lifted her gaze to meet Ruan Danchen’s and smiled.
The reason why Zhao Fengchun asked that question was to probe for information whether Ruan Danchen was indeed working in Qilin, and if not, why did she was she there for no reason.
Zhao Fengchun maintained a polite smile but deep down, she felt disdainful towards Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen smiled and answered, “Yes, I didn’t expect Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu to be here too.”
Zhao Fengchun’s smile froze for a moment and figured that Ruan Danchen was terrible in engaging a conversation. Anyone who heard her question would answer, right?
Who would throw the question back at her like how Ruan Danchen did?
“What are you holding in your hand?” Qi Chenglin stared at the insulated pot in her hand.
Ruan Danchen walked forward without pretending to ask if she was interrupting them since her very presence here was indeed meant to disturb them.
“Grandma instructed Xiao Fan to deliver bird’s nest just now, but I want to share it with you since I can’t finish them all by myself. I asked your secretary just now, and she told me your meeting starts half an hour later, so here I am. Since you’re calling me every hour, I might as well come up here personally to let you have a look, so you’ll feel assured that way,” Ruan Danchen placed the insulated pot on the table.
Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin stared at Ruan Danchen in shock and doubt. Did Qi Chenglin really give Ruan Danchen a call every hour? Qi Chenglin really valued Ruan Danchen this much?
Even Grandmother Qi instructed her driver to deliver bird’s nest to Ruan Danchen.
Ruan Danchen was here to work, and it was not labored work too. Was it really necessary for Grandmother Qi to do so?
Qi Chenglin knew that it was inappropriate for the pregnant Ruan Danchen to stand for long periods of time, but opposite them sat Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. Qi Chenglin would surely accompany Ruan Danchen to the couch if they were alone in the office.
However, those two women remained ignorant at the fact that Ruan Danchen entered the office and made no attempt in leaving them alone. They even sat comfortably on the couch while Ruan Danchen stood by Qi Chenglin’s side.
Qi Chenglin’s expression turned as cold as ice due to annoyance at those two women, but as soon as he faced Ruan Danchen, his cold expression melted immediately. Such a drastic change in his expression darkened Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin’s expressions.
“Don’t just stand there,” Qi Chenglin stood up and said. One of his hands held onto Ruan Danchen’s hand while another grabbed the insulated pot, leading Ruan Danchen to the couch and sitting down together with her.
Qi Chenglin ignored Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin and opened the insulation pot without needing Ruan Danchen to move a muscle. Then, he poured the bird’s nest into the insulated pot’s cap which also functioned as a small bowl for Ruan Danchen. “Drink it first, I’ll drink the rest if you can’t finish it.”
Ruan Danchen did not attempt inviting Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. To be honest, she did not want to associate herself further with these two women.
Not just Ruan Danchen, even Qi Youxuan was fully aware of the Wu Qiaoyin’s thoughts, and since Zhao Fengchun was a smart woman, she must be aware of her daughter’s mindset as well.
Zhao Fengchun brought Wu Qiaoyin over to Qi Chenglin’s office even though Wu Qiaoyin’s intention was very obvious, so Ruan Danchen figured that Zhao Fengchun was not a good person either.
However, there was no need for Ruan Danchen to bicker with Zhao Fengchun and her daughter since Qi Chenglin’s attitude was more than enough to embarrass them.
Ruan Danchen agreed with a smile and started drinking the bird’s nest with a spoon.
Qi Chenglin then looked up at Zhao Fengchun calmly without even glancing at Wu Qiaoyin. “I won’t take up your time now, you may leave us.”
