Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Beautiful Woman

It was already six o'clock when Qin Qiao got home. Three children came running over to cling to her. Qin Qiao bent down and hugged her sister first, then Zhaoye, and finally Daniel. But the children were still not satisfied. Nanny Lan Jie came running over. Qin Qiao smiled at her, and then Lan Jie took the children to the living room.

Her job isn't a 9-to-5 job, so whenever she comes home early, she texts her mother, Yang Shuhua, who will then prepare dinner for her.

With three children in the family, Qin Qiao initially hired three nannies, but Ms. Yang gently sent them all away, leaving only Lan Jie. Ms. Yang wasn't trying to save her money, but rather believed that even in retirement, she needed to contribute. Since she had put it that way, Qin Qiao had no reason to stop her from continuing her efforts.

After dinner, Qin Qiao called the three children into the room because she had something to say to them.

She completed her overseas projects within six months, so her focus shifted to Lanchuan. This then brought up the issue of the children's schooling.

Qin Qiao sat on the sofa, with Qin Zhaoye and Qin Lexi on either side of her, and Danie on her lap. She stroked Lexi's fluffy head and asked Qin Zhaoye, "Zhaoye, you're the older brother, can you protect your little sister?"

She has already found a foreign language kindergarten that she likes and has contacted the principal there, who can make an exception and put the three children in the same class.

“Xi Xi will protect herself,” Qin Zhaoye said, pouting.

Although he is called the older brother, Zhaoye was only born two minutes earlier than Xixi. They are the same age, so it is unfair to the children to let one take care of the other.

Maybe it was because she was too traditional and believed that boys needed to be able to take on responsibilities, but Zhaoye was sometimes more likely to cry than her sister, and even a little weak. If the tone was a little harsh, tears would fall down. She could never understand why this was so.

until--

Her best friend Chu Yutong once came to visit her in the UK. Chu Yutong had a boy who jumped around, was lively and cheerful, and had endless energy like a little monkey every day.

“Your family is really imbalanced in terms of women. From the time Zhaoye was born, he was raised by either a nanny or Aunt Yang. Boys should be raised by men. Look at Zhaoye, he cries whenever he's unhappy, and he cries when he's bullied. I'm worried that if this continues, he won't have any manliness at all in the future. He's really not like his father…”

Chu Yutong changed the subject, "I think boys and girls should be raised differently. There's a saying that goes, 'Raise daughters with wealth and sons with poverty.' That's how my husband Lao Shen raised his son. He's terrified of his father. He treats Shen Yu like a mouse is a cat. But Lao Shen said that if we have a daughter in the future, he will definitely raise her as a princess. If our son feels it's unfair, then we'll send him to boarding school. There's no room for discussion."

Qin Qiao still tried to refute her argument: "But we can raise him using the same method... Danie is much braver."

"People are different races!"

Chu Yutong always speaks directly, and Qin Qiao was a little resistant at first, but after thinking about it carefully, it made sense. They were both spoiled, but Zhao Ye was even more spoiled than her sister.

"Mom, I'll protect my brother," Xi Xi said, patting her chest.

Danie shifted on her lap, like a little hero: "I'll protect my younger brother and sister."

Tonight, Qin Qiao tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She decided to go to her study to finish the work she hadn't completed during the day. While waiting for her phone to boot up, she remembered Chen Jiashu's words from earlier that day:

"Qiao Qiao, give me another chance."

It is hard to describe her current feelings towards Chen Jiashu in a few words. It can be said that without Chen Jiashu, there would be no her today. In those years, he not only gave her love, but also kindness. However, he... always thought that he was doing it for her own good and pushed her away again and again. Even after they got married... he still did not abandon his personal heroism.

The road of life is long, and we should not always live in gratitude or fear.

She never wanted to wake up one day to find the person beside her indifferent again, saying the most heartless things and driving her away, while she had to thank him again and again.

The screen's bluish light reflected off Qin Qiao's calm face as her fingertips rapidly tapped the screen. At two in the morning, she finished replying to all the messages tagged her in the work groups.

*

The rainstorm has passed, and it is cloudy and cool in Lanchuan today.

Chen Jiashu had just finished a video conference. He rubbed his temples and returned to his desk. Just as he sat down, there was a knock on the glass door.

Secretary Tian Jiayue came in carrying a stack of documents, placed them in their usual spot on the desk, and began her work report.

Chen Jiashu took a document and placed it on the table, then put on his glasses. He listened to Tian Jiayue's report while reviewing the document, interrupting from time to time to ask questions.

"70%? How long will the delay be? Have they provided a specific recovery timeline and alternative solutions? How long can our safety stock last?"

Tian Jiayue turned to the next page. "According to the preliminary assessment in the letter, full recovery will take at least three months. They said they would prioritize long-term strategic customers, but the specific allocation plan has not yet been determined and is under negotiation..."

Finally, Chen Jiashu gave a decision-making plan on the main supplier and locking in the second supplier. Tian Jiayue efficiently repeated the instructions and waited for Chen Jiashu to nod.

Chen Jiashu looked up, nodded, and said, "You will chair this emergency meeting."

Tian Jiayue put away the documents. Just then, there was a knock on the glass door. Before Chen Jiashu could say "Come in," the person outside had already pushed the door open and entered.

Seeing it was Zhu Ao, Tian Jiayue was a little surprised. The man looked anxious and walked straight towards her. This gentle and steady man had never been so anxious before. What kind of serious problem had he encountered?

"Chairman Chen,"

Zhu Ao stood beside Ding Tian Jiayue and said, "Something happened at the Dongting factory. Two hours ago, a father and son jumped from the administrative building. Now the media have blocked our factory gate."

Chen Jiashu jumped to his feet: "Jump off the building?!"

Jumping off a building?

Manufacturing demands a large workforce, and accidents of all sizes are common, such as hand injuries, leg injuries, and even amputations... But the horrifying story of an employee jumping off a building is unheard of. Tian Jiayue's hand, gripping the document, tightened unconsciously.

Zhu Ao: "The factory has been sealed off, and all the employees have been housed in the staff dormitory after get off work."

Chen Jiashu's face turned pale. "How are they?" He took off his glasses and threw them on the table. "Who gave you the authority to block off the factory? Do you think this is a criminal scene?!"

Zhu Ao was taken aback.

Then, he immediately took out his phone and found the phone number of Mr. Ding, the person in charge of the factory area. However, no one answered after he made two calls.

At the same time, Chen Jiashu's cold and calm voice came from the left:

"Immediately notify the security department to do four things: First, all media outlets should come to the conference room, where tea and a full statement of the incident will be provided; second, the medical team should coordinate with the hospital to provide the best possible care while also calming the family members; third, all employees should remain on standby at their original posts, and the public relations department should bring recording equipment to the workshop; fourth, all factory employees should return to get off work as normal."

After saying these words, Chen Jiashu walked out with his blind stick, and Tian Jiayue followed closely behind him.

Zhu Ao remained standing there, slowly processing Chen Jiashu's words. He found his secretary's number, dialed it, and asked her to relay Chen Jiashu's instructions.

*

"At 8 PM last night, a strike of over 1,000 employees broke out at Cree Technology's Guangming factory in City B. This is the first sustained factory-wide protest in my country's manufacturing industry in nearly a decade..."

At 9:30 a.m., during the live broadcast of "Finance Frontier," anchor Qin Qiao, dressed in pearl white, sat at the anchor desk, facing the camera with a serious expression, and reported at a brisk pace.

This was the last piece of news. As soon as Qin Qiao said, "I am Qin Qiao, see you on Financial Frontier tomorrow at the same time," the staff immediately cut off the live broadcast, turned off the power, and dismantled the gimbal on the camera.

Qin Qiao on the stage closed the document, took off the radio from the lapel of her suit jacket, and handed it to the staff member next to her. She said a few words to the staff member before getting up and leaving the stage.

The assistant brought Qin Qiao the leather notebook from her desk. Qin Qiao took it and took the elevator to the sixteenth floor, where she entered the conference room.

As the meeting was nearing its end, someone knocked on the door. Lu Tai said, "Come in," and a woman with short, shoulder-length hair, wearing a fuchsia suit dress, walked gracefully in and stood beside Lu Tai.

Lu Tai stood up and introduced, "Everyone, please welcome Huo Lanke, our new colleague."

They are all in the same circle. Anyone who is a little famous may not have met her, but they must have heard or seen her. Half of the people present today know this anchor - the ratings queen of Jingshan Province's legal program "Legal Companions".

Huo Lan Ke bowed twenty degrees to everyone as she arrived for the first time. "I'm Huo Lan Ke. I'm very happy to work with you all."

After the others left, only three people remained in the conference room. Lu Tai said to Qin Qiao, "Anchor Huo will temporarily take over your position. Director Qin, you can focus on administrative matters from now on." He paused, then added, "Of course, you will still be responsible for the overall coordination of financial affairs."

Qin Qiao nodded slightly, and when she looked up, she met Huo Lanke's gaze. They smiled at each other. She didn't know Huo Lanke. This woman looked to be in her early thirties, perhaps younger than her. She had a large oval face, bright makeup, and a capable look between her eyebrows.

Qin Qiao couldn't help but think of the anchor who was always in a rush and rush in everything she did for many years. She is now the mainstay of Haicheng Satellite TV. She remembered that they had fierce competition in those days, but at the beginning of this year, she met her in a training class in Haicheng. They put aside their grudges and even went to the hotel to have dinner together.

In the words of this anchor, "People are competing from birth. When they are young, they compete for little red flowers; when they are in school, they compete for first place; and when they are adults, they compete for academic achievements and prime-time opportunities. But isn't that just life?"

Yes, that's life.

*

The following evening, a black Bentley slowly pulled up in front of the Foreign Language Kindergarten.

Crimson clouds floated in the sky, and orange-yellow rays shone on the car roof, creating a dazzling display of color.

The driver's door opened and a man in a neat suit ran to the back seat and opened the door.

The man who came out of the car had a neat and tidy hairstyle, a strong face, deep eyes, and especially his tall stature, which attracted the attention of many people around him. But when they saw the man open his blind stick and land on the ground, their amazed looks turned into surprise.

It's just a moment. Parents who can send their children to international kindergartens are at least middle class. In other words, the upbringing acquired through high education is engraved in their bones.

Chen Jiashu stood at the end of the crowd, with Xiaojun beside him, following him as they moved forward little by little in the group picking up their children.

"Zhang Yicheng's godfather, the child is here."

The speaker was Zhang Yicheng's teacher.

Including this time, Chen Jiashu came to pick up Zhang Yicheng three times in total. His features were so easy to recognize that it was hard for the teacher not to remember him.

Zhang Yicheng walked up to Chen Jiashu, who bent down, ruffled his hair, and asked gently, "What would you like to eat tonight, Chengcheng?"

"His grandmother called me in advance. Mr. Chen, please take Zhang Yicheng away." The teacher said to him.

Chen Jiashu nodded slightly and said thank you, "Thank you, teacher." Then, he took Zhang Yicheng's hand and walked towards the car.

After getting in the car, Zhang Yicheng opened his schoolbag and took out the space painting he had drawn in kindergarten to show Chen Jiashu.

"Godfather, this is the astronaut I drew."

Chen Jiashu smiled slightly and asked, "Can you tell my godfather what kind of astronauts are?"

Zhang Yicheng knelt directly on the leather chair and placed the sand painting on Chen Jiashu's legs. Then he held one of Chen Jiashu's fingers and guided him to touch the raised particles on the drawing paper.

"Let me guess?" Chen Jiashu asked while sliding his fingertips across it.

This is a sand painting, clearly created under the guidance of a teacher. The sand is smooth and has no pits. Chen Jiashu guessed, "Is this a schoolbag? An astronaut carrying a schoolbag?"

Zhang Yicheng shook his head vigorously: "No, this is an astronaut's oxygen pack."

Chen Jiashu laughed and continued to touch and guess, but he couldn't get any of the answers right. Zhang Yicheng stuffed the drawing paper back into his schoolbag: "I'll show it to Grandma when I get back."

The car was driving on the road, and Xiao Jun drove very steadily. If he didn't occasionally stop at traffic lights, it was as if the car was stationary.

Chen Jiashu patted his head and said, "Chengcheng, you'll have to sleep here for the next few days. Grandpa and Grandma have gone on a trip." He lied to the child; in fact, Grandma was hospitalized for gallbladder surgery, and Grandpa was taking care of her at the hospital.

travel?

Zhang Yicheng's cheeks puffed out even more: "I don't like grandpa and grandma anymore."

"Godfather will take you to eat pizza."

His grandparents never let him eat this kind of food. Zhang Yicheng grabbed Chen Jiashu's arm and shook it happily: "Okay, okay, I want to eat pizza."

Chen Jiashu couldn't take care of Zhang Yicheng alone, so he called for help.

Tian Jiayue was already waiting at the restaurant door with a box of toys.

"Brother." Tian Jiayue bent down when she saw the handsome boy: "Chengcheng, we meet again."

Xiaojun didn't follow him in, but took the escalator downstairs. He also needed to have dinner.

The Western restaurant was recommended by Zhu Ao. It was his first time there, and he didn't expect the lighting to be so dim. As soon as Chen Jiashu entered, he could only see a faint light and couldn't even make out the general outline of the restaurant's layout.

Tian Jiayue: "We've arrived."

Outside, even with a blind stick, Chen Jiashu could not avoid all obstacles. Tian Jiayue kept an eye on him all the way.

The waiter pulled out a chair for them. Chen Jiashu reached forward, grabbed the back of the chair and sat down. Tian Jiayue gave the Lego toys she brought to Zhang Yicheng and turned around to see this scene.

Although she was her brother's secretary and had seen all the inconveniences he faced at work, no matter how many times she saw it, she felt uncomfortable every time she saw him groping.

In her heart, her brother is very capable. He is the genius since the founding of their No. 1 Middle School and a gold medalist in the International Mathematical Olympiad. He started his own business and worked his way up from being the owner of a repair shop of more than ten square meters to his current position step by step.

I also witnessed his eyesight deteriorating rapidly in the middle of last year... For more than a month, he relied on assistants to support him when traveling, but after a long period of adaptation and adjustment with them, now when he goes out, they only need to give directions out loud, and my brother can walk independently.

Before the meal started, Tian Jiayue went to the bathroom. When she came back, her eyes were red. A waiter carrying a steak passed by her. The steak was placed in front of a little boy of seven or eight years old.

The little boy picked up the knife and fork, cut the steak skillfully, cut off a piece and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Please give Mom some."

Chu Yutong, who had been staring at her phone screen, raised her chin and, starving, asked her son for food. It was during this glance that she caught sight of an old acquaintance across from her—Chen Jiashu.

It was truly bizarre. She had rarely come to Lanchuan, and the first person she saw was him. What did the ancient poem say, "There is no place in life where we don't meet each other"?

Now she just wants to reply, "Enemies often meet on a narrow road."

The steak poked Chu Yutong's lips. Her good son was the most filial to his mother. Chu Yutong bit the beef, stretched her neck back, pulled the meat off the knife and fork, chewed it twice and swallowed it.

Chu Yutong also secretly took a few photos with her mobile phone, which were naturally shown to Qin Qiao.

That night, the two best friends who hadn't seen each other for almost a year were lying on the bed chatting. After yawning three times, Chu Yutong couldn't help but talk about Chen Jiashu. She couldn't help but pick up the mobile phone on the bedside table and flipped to the photo of the family of three.

She said angrily: "Look, the child is already so big."

Qin Qiao didn't want to deal with this, but her eyes involuntarily drifted to her phone screen.

In the photo, Chen Jiashu is facing Chu Yutong, but his eyes are looking at the little boy next to him. There is a gentle smile on the corner of his mouth, and there is an indescribable look - kindness.

Look at the little boy again. He has a clean and handsome face, wears a light blue school uniform shirt, and has thin arms. He doesn't look like he is three years old. He is probably four or five years old, and is about the same height as her son Zhaoye.

The boy's features looked somewhat familiar. Qin Qiao seemed to have seen him somewhere before, but couldn't remember where.

“My friend’s child, I suppose.” she said instinctively.

Chu Yutong pointed his finger at the blurry light yellow figure on the screen.

Qin Qiao had already seen the long hair, thin back and slim waist, but so what? It could be a senior executive of the company, or a partner, but no matter who it was, it had nothing to do with her.

"Let me make a guess. A child this big might not be Old Chen's, but could it be brought by a woman?"

Chu Yutong's fingertips slid twice, and this time in the photo, a woman appeared standing beside the boy. She bent down, took a tissue and wiped the stain on the boy's collar affectionately.

This photo is very clear. The man's smile deepens, the child is sensible and well-behaved, and the woman loves her son dearly and is virtuous... Just looking at the photo, they really look like a family.

"It's a pity I didn't get a clear picture of the woman's face. I didn't dare to take pictures openly, but I did see what she looked like. She was very pretty, and most importantly, young, probably in her early twenties." She sighed. "Men, no matter how old they are, always like young women."

This time, Qin Qiao turned her head away. Beautiful, young, with children...that was Chen Jiashu's business, she had no right to interfere.

Seeing that Qin Qiao seemed unhappy, Chu Yutong turned her phone face down in her hand, leaned over and nudged her arm. "What's wrong? Are you upset that your ex-husband found someone younger and prettier?"

Qin Qiao was speechless at her words. She slid into the covers, pulled them up to her chin, and closed her eyes to sleep.

Chu Yutong pursed his lips, glanced at the woman who was pretending to be asleep with her eyes tightly closed, and swallowed back what he wanted to say.

After a long pause, the woman's eyelids twitched, and she added, "The higher-ups are inspecting tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep."