33. Night Visit to Crystal Blue Peninsula Apartments

Wen Xueyan wasn't sure how much Xu Junxian knew, so she tried to remain calm. "How did you get my number? What's up?"

Xu Junxian chuckled softly, her laughter devoid of emotion: "If I want to know, I'll find out. How about we meet at the Ya Yun Tea House downstairs from your company?"

Wen Xueyan's tone remained calm: "I have to work overtime tonight, I don't have time."

"Should I say hello to your boss, Mr. Xu?" Xu Junxian's voice remained gentle.

"I have to go to a meeting, goodbye." She hung up the phone decisively.

Wen Xueyan stood up and walked to the French windows. She dialed Cheng Boyan's number. The phone was answered after only one ring, and she heard soft footsteps and the sound of a door closing on the other end.

"Go ahead and speak," Cheng Boyan's voice came through, and the background had become quiet.

Wen Xueyan succinctly stated: "Someone claiming to be Mrs. Cheng called me and asked me to meet her."

Cheng Boyan's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "You don't need to go, I'll handle it. Don't be nervous, I've been busy with work all day and haven't had a chance to tell you. Because of her suspicions, she used her connections to check my call records for the past month, and she called a lot of people."

"Who else did she contact?"

"She went to my secretary, Qiao Lanyue, but didn't get any information. She also wanted to go to Qiao Qianyue, the heiress of the Qiao Group and the current vice president, but she completely ignored her."

Wen Xueyan nodded thoughtfully, even though Cheng Boyan couldn't see her: "I understand. You go ahead and get busy, I have to work overtime tonight too."

Ten minutes later, Xu Junxian sat by the window in the Ya Yun Tea House and dialed her brother Xu Junhang's number.

"Brother, I'm at a teahouse near your company. I'd like to meet Wen Xueyan from your company, but she seems very busy."

Xu Junhang was reviewing documents in his office. Hearing his sister's words, his brows furrowed even more: "What do you want to see our engineers for? You're not a tech person."

Xu Junxian briefly explained her guess.

"Junxian, don't disturb the employees' work. Engineer Wen is a core member of the project team and will be working overtime tonight. Go home and rest; I'll have the driver pick you up." Xu Junhang's eyes were still on the documents.

The phone rang softly with the clinking of cups and saucers. Xu Junxian's voice was filled with suppressed anger: "You've all been hiding this from me, haven't you? Cheng Boyan filed for divorce because of this woman? Does she look like a seductive vixen? Or is it because of another woman?"

Xu Junhang glanced out the glass window at Wen Xueyan, who was diligently working in the office area. "I see that Engineer Wen works conscientiously every day, and I haven't seen anything special about her. She is very strict with her subordinates at work and is even called a 'highly educated shrew' by new employees. Now, please respect the company's rules and do not disturb the employees who are working overtime."

*

Saturday night, as the city lights began to twinkle. Wen Xueyan, wearing a cashmere coat, got out of the car and walked to the hotel to attend her best friend Ning Zhiyi's engagement ceremony.

In the dressing room, Ning Zhiyi sat upright in front of the mirror, with Dr. Qi Wenmu standing behind her, his hands gently resting on her shoulders.

"Are you nervous?" Qi Wenmu asked softly, his fingertips gently brushing Ning Zhiyi's hair.

Ning Zhiyi shook her head: "With you here, I'm not nervous."

Wen Xueyan stood at the door, unwilling to disturb this heartwarming scene.

The banquet was packed with guests. In addition to Ning Zhiyi's colleagues and relatives, many elders from the Qi family and colleagues from Qi Wenmu Hospital also attended.

Beside Wen Xueyan, her college classmate Rao Wanyi took a sip of champagne, her eyes shimmering with a complex light. "I really envy Zhiyi," she said softly. "Chen Mo and I have been in a relationship for seven years, but my family still doesn't approve."

Rao Wanyi comes from a wealthy family; her father owns a factory. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, comes from a poor family and works as a salesman in a mountainous area. This mismatched relationship becomes an irreconcilable conflict between her and her family.

Wen Xueyan listened quietly, thinking to herself, everyone has their own troubles. After a while, her gaze inadvertently swept over the next table. A cool and aloof woman caught her attention. The woman was about thirty years old, wearing an elegant light blue cashmere dress, and her makeup was exquisite.

As Qi Wenmu led Ning Zhiyi onto the stage, enthusiastic applause erupted throughout the hall. Wen Xueyan noticed that the woman in blue was tightly clutching her napkin. Her gaze followed Qi Wenmu intently, her eyes filled with both relief and reluctance. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to fall, as if carrying a thousand unspoken words, yet she remained silent.

Wen Xueyan suddenly remembered that the woman in blue was Dr. Ji, her mother's attending physician when she had surgery three years ago.

In terms of qualifications, this woman is clearly a better match for Dr. Qi. Wen Xueyan immediately stopped thinking about it.

During the engagement ceremony, when the rings were being exchanged, the woman in blue suddenly stood up and quietly left the banquet hall.

Wen Xueyan's heart was inexplicably stirred. She couldn't help but wonder if this woman and Qi Wenmu had some unknown past? Was she his ex-girlfriend? However, having an ex-girlfriend at this age didn't seem like an unacceptable thing, but she had never heard Ning Zhiyi mention it before.

After the ceremony, Ning Zhiyi took Qi Wenmu's hand and toasted him. When they reached Wen Xueyan's table, Ning Zhiyi hugged her.

"Xueyan, thank you for coming," Ning Zhiyi whispered in her ear.

Wen Xueyan raised her glass in blessing: "May you always be happy."

Qi Wenmu nodded with a smile.

Wen Xueyan gazed into Qi Wenmu's eyes; his gaze was clear and open, revealing nothing unusual.

After the banquet, the crystal chandeliers in the hotel lobby were dazzling. Wen Xueyan, wearing a camel cashmere coat, was about to leave when she saw Song Tiancheng get up from the sofa in the lounge area, clearly having been waiting for a long time.

A hint of unease flickered in his eyes as he clutched a velvet jewelry box tightly in his hand.

"Xueyan," he said in a low voice, "did you come alone today? I saw Ning Zhiyi's post on WeChat Moments announcing the engagement banquet." Before she could answer, he added urgently, "Let me drive you home; it's so late. Also, that new house is for you. When are you free to complete the transfer of ownership?"

Wen Xueyan didn't stop walking, her gaze cold: "No need. As for the transfer of ownership, we can talk about it when I have time later."

Song Tiancheng caught up a few steps and handed the jewelry box to her: "This is the necklace you used to really like. I was too stingy to buy it back then, so I specially..."

“Mr. Song,” Wen Xueyan interrupted him, her tone distant, “we are already divorced.”

A flicker of pain crossed his eyes, but he stubbornly followed her to the revolving door: "I promise I will never have anything to do with Su Yunzhu again. That domestic violence incident was my fault; I can write a guarantee..."

Wen Xueyan decided not to go to the subway station anymore. There were taxis at the entrance, so she simply hailed one and got in.

Song Tiancheng stood alone in the cold wind at the hotel entrance, smoking, feeling resentful.

It was late at night.

Wen Xueyan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mind filled with the image of Cheng Boyan strategizing at the negotiating table. She also recalled the sight of his muscular chest beneath the slightly open collar of his shirt as he loosened his tie.

In her memory, the moment Cheng Boyan embraced her came flooding back. The shiver that ran through her when his warm palms touched her back still seemed to ignite in her spine.

She simply got up, opened her laptop, and began revising the drawings, letting the cold light from the screen dispel the loneliness of the room.

Work is no longer just a means of making a living, but also a path to self-realization and a good way to forget troubles and longing.

*

At 10 p.m. that night, Cheng Boyan returned to his apartment in Jinglan Peninsula from the company. The busy week had left him almost exhausted; the crisis of the plummeting stock price had not yet been completely resolved, and the pressure from the board of directors was increasing day by day.

He took off his suit jacket and was about to pour himself a glass of water to rest when the doorbell suddenly rang.

As he approached the door, his brow furrowed even more when he saw the person standing outside through the security camera footage. Xu Junxian, wrapped in a thin cashmere coat, stood pale under the corridor lights.

On her way here, Xu Junxian thought a lot. After she woke up, she learned that Cheng Boyan waited until the fifth year before filing for divorce. In those five years, he had almost no scandals, while Gu Mengzhou had three children.

These past few days, every time she closes her eyes, the scenes from their wedding day appear before her: how Cheng Boyan meticulously remembered all her preferences, how he stayed by her bedside all night when she was sick. Those actions that she had scorned as "the duty of a husband in a marriage of convenience" now seem like silent tenderness in retrospect.

What she regretted most was that, in the period leading up to the car accident, she had actually begun to be attracted to Cheng Boyan's handsome appearance. However, at the time, she was still dating her ex-boyfriend, Gu Mengzhou, and couldn't bring herself to end things.

Now, she realized that Cheng Boyan might know about what happened between her and Gu Mengzhou back then.

Cheng Boyan didn't open the door, but asked through the access control system, "How did you know I live here? Is there something important you can't tell me over the phone, coming to my house so late?"

Xu Junxian looked up and gave the camera a bitter smile: "I called you, but you didn't answer."

“I’m busy in a meeting, you can send me a message.” Cheng Boyan’s voice was calm and distant.

A gust of cold wind swept through the corridor, and Xu Junxian shivered. She hugged her arms tightly, her voice trembling slightly, "Honey, it's cold outside. Can you let me in to talk?"

Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.

Mr. Cheng gets extra points for answering the female lead's call instantly.

I can't get enough of reading, so I'll write more.

Thank you for your comments, readers.

I love it so much, I can't wait to read the next chapter!

I'm so glad you're both doing well! I hope you can overcome this difficult time soon so we can be together openly and honestly!

Thank you for your comments, readers.

Yes, both of them are very rational. Thank you for your comment, reader.