68. President Cheng was no longer calm.

Madam Xi smiled gently at Cheng Boyan: "Mr. Cheng, are you here to visit a patient?"

Xi Mingyuan's hand remained on Wen Xueyan's waist, his posture so natural as if it were the natural thing for him to do.

"Hello, Mrs. Xi, one of my colleagues is in the hospital." Cheng Boyan replied briefly, his gaze darkening slightly as he glanced at Wen Xueyan.

An hour later, Cheng Boyan guessed that her prenatal checkup might have ended. Sitting in the car on his way to Xingzhou for a business trip, he first sent a concerned message: "How did the prenatal checkup go?"

After sending the message, Cheng Boyan stared at his phone screen, but two hours passed without receiving a reply from Wen Xueyan.

He wondered why she wasn't replying. Was it because Xi Mingyuan was around and it was inconvenient, or did she simply not want to reply?

Remembering Xi Mingyuan's hand on her waist, Cheng Boyan's rationality seemed to vanish for a moment. Suspicion in love is like a vine that grows unnoticed, inadvertently entangleing reason.

The suburban chemical plants flashed past the car window, their gray buildings mirroring his current mood.

She was still holding Mr. Xi's arm at the wedding, and he could resist that day. Why can't he accept it today?

Half an hour later, he added another message: "I saw him. He was very considerate to you." His tone was still restrained, but the jealousy in his heart had begun to ferment.

As the car entered the Xingzhou Chemical Plant, the towering reaction towers looked particularly stark against the gray sky.

Cheng Boyan put away his phone, straightened his suit and tie, and instantly switched back to work mode.

For many years, he has adhered to one principle: work and private life must be kept strictly separate. Even when his heart is churning, when he stands in front of the production line, he remains the meticulous and professional General Manager Cheng.

"This production line was upgraded last year," the factory manager explained, pointing to the equipment in front of him, "and it uses the latest catalytic technology."

Cheng Boyan listened attentively.

The accompanying technical staff quickly took notes. Vice President Fang Xiyi observed silently from the side.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Wen Xueyan's prenatal checkup had just ended.

"The baby is very healthy," the doctor said with a smile, pointing to the ultrasound image. "All indicators are within the normal range."

Several other tests were also conducted, and the results were all normal.

Madam Xi happily grasped Wen Xueyan's hand: "That's wonderful! This is a great occasion for our Xi family. Let's all come to my house for lunch today."

In order to avoid arousing suspicion from Grandma Xi, Wen Xueyan kept her phone in her bag and did not take it out.

Half an hour later, the car slowly drove through an old-fashioned wrought iron gate, passed through a tree-lined avenue with ginkgo trees on both sides, and finally stopped in front of a Chinese-style villa with gray walls and black tiles.

Madam Xi personally led Wen Xueyan on a tour of the mansion, where every detail exuded the weight of time and refined taste.

“This house was designed by someone sent by Grandpa Mingyuan,” the old lady said, gently stroking the display cabinet on one side of the corridor.

The luncheon was held in a waterside flower hall. Exquisite dishes were quietly laid out on the mahogany round table. There was a clear matsutake soup, the broth so clear you could see the bottom, garnished only with a few tender matsutake mushrooms and bright green bok choy; a dish of crab meat lion's head meatballs, the savory aroma of crab meat fully infused into the meat; and a steamed seasonal fresh fish, served only with ham, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, preserving the fish's original flavor to the fullest extent.

"Xueyan, eat more," said Madam Xi, serving her food with loving eyes.

After the meal, the nanny served tea. Madam Xi took a sandalwood box from her side and gently opened it.

On a velvet cushion lies a lustrous and translucent jade bracelet.

"Xueyan, here, take this."

Wen Xueyan knew at a glance that it was quite valuable.

Madam Xi took her hand and said gently, "Child, these bracelets were taken by Mingyuan's grandfather at an auction many years ago. He insisted on buying them. He said that the jade was so clear and he wanted to leave them to his future granddaughter-in-law."

Before Wen Xueyan, Old Madam Xi had arranged many blind dates for Xi Mingyuan, but Xi Mingyuan was always picky and never succeeded. So this time, seeing that Wen Xueyan was pregnant, Old Madam Xi was already very happy and completely forgot about social status.

The old man's eyes revealed deep anticipation and emotion. "I have been looking forward to this day for so many years. Now, not only have you arrived, but we also have a great-grandson. This is simply the best gift that God has given to the Xi family."

Xi Mingyuan sat to the side and said, "Please accept Grandma's kind offer."

Looking into the old lady's earnest gaze, Wen Xueyan felt a heavy weight settle on her wrist as the cool jade bracelet slid across her wrist.

Grandma Xi also instructed, "Mingyuan, I heard that Xueyan is very dedicated to her work, but you should be careful not to let her work too hard."

After dinner, Xi Mingyuan drove Wen Xueyan back to her company. "Grandma truly likes you; she's treasured this jewelry for many years."

"I know," Wen Xueyan said softly, "but..."

"Just feel unworthy?" Xi Mingyuan chuckled. "Don't overthink it; it's part of our agreement."

After finishing their meal, Xi Mingyuan and Wen Xueyan went back to work.

The car drove smoothly toward Shiming Group, the afternoon sun shining through the windows, bringing a touch of lazy warmth.

Wen Xueyan leaned back in her chair, her eyelids growing heavy. She took out her phone from her bag and glanced at it; it showed a message from Cheng Boyan, the words tinged with a subtle bitterness.

In her memory, Cheng Boyan had always been steady and composed, and wouldn't be bothered by such appearances. A wave of weariness washed over her, and thinking she would reply properly later, she drifted off to sleep, phone in hand.

Back at Shiming Group, Wen Xueyan woke up the moment the car came to a stop. She quickly tidied her hair. As soon as she stepped into her office, her assistant approached and whispered, "Director Wen, the client from Dangying Technology has arrived and is in conference room number two. The technical specialist is already giving a preliminary presentation."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Wen Xueyan nodded, put down her handbag, picked up the technical plan she had personally reviewed on the table, and walked towards the conference room.

Inside the meeting room, young technical specialist Li was standing at the front, explaining the preliminary data for the proposed solution in detail. Wen Xueyan sat down at the back, nodded slightly to the client representative, and then focused her attention on the presenter.

When Xiao Li mentioned the key technical parameters, his tone hesitated slightly, and he subconsciously glanced in Wen Xueyan's direction. Wen Xueyan gave him an encouraging look, signaling him to continue.

When the technical director of Dangying Technology raised a question about the pressure on the directional valve, Xiao Li's answer failed to fully address the key points of practical application. A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

At this moment, Wen Xueyan spoke gently: "Engineer Li's theoretical basis was very accurate. Regarding the question you raised, I suggest using a directional valve with a damping device."

"But regarding costs..." The client's representative looked troubled.

"We've calculated it," Wen Xueyan pulled up a data chart, "that although raw material costs have increased by 15%, the overall cost has actually decreased because the service life has been extended by 40%."

The discussion lasted for more than three hours, and the client finally accepted the proposal with satisfaction. In the evening, the client suggested having dinner with the technical department staff. Considering that Wen Xueyan was quite tired, Xi Mingyuan arranged for the dinner to be at a hotel next to the company, and then accompanied Wen Xueyan to the dinner.

During dinner, Wen Xueyan took out her phone and saw several unread messages from Cheng Boyan on the screen, as well as two missed calls. Her heart tightened slightly.

At that moment, in the conference room of Xingzhou Chemical Plant, Cheng Boyan had just finished a negotiation. He closed his folder and gave his client a professional smile: "Then, let's proceed with the specific details of the cooperation as we just discussed."

After seeing the client off, he stood alone by the window. His focus at work had temporarily eased his anxiety, but the unease returned as soon as he had a moment to himself. He glanced at his phone; still no reply from Wen Xueyan.

"Mr. Cheng, the dinner arrangements for tonight are complete," Fang Xiyi said as he walked in.

"You guys go ahead," Cheng Boyan waved his hand, "I want to get some rest."

He needs time alone to sort out his thoughts. As the head of a company, he's used to being in control, but matters of the heart have repeatedly slipped beyond his grasp.

Dusk was deepening. He was usually restrained, well aware of Wen Xueyan's delicate situation, and rarely made phone calls on her own initiative. But today, for some reason, he felt uneasy and made two calls in a row, which was an exception.

But no one answered the phone, and there was no reply whatsoever.

He put down his phone, his thoughts in turmoil. Was she truly so busy that she had no time for anything else, spinning like a top between work and social engagements?

Or had Cheng Boyan become dispensable with Xi Mingyuan by his side? The image of the old lady's loving smile and their harmonious scene involuntarily surfaced in his mind. That perfect harmony made him seem like an untimely intruder, a superfluous shadow.

Unable to shake off his frustration, he almost defiantly dialed a third number. This time, it was answered after a few rings.

"Hello?" Wen Xueyan's voice came through, with the sounds of clinking glasses and indistinct laughter in the background.

Before Cheng Boyan could speak, she quickly added, "I'm having dinner with a client. Send me a message if you need anything."

The polite yet distant tone in her voice froze all the words he had prepared, leaving only anger. "It's nothing," he uttered stiffly, then hung up the phone.

Wen Xueyan held her phone, listening to the busy tone of the sudden disconnection, and frowned slightly.

"It's been almost a whole day, are you really that busy?" Wen Xueyan received a questioning message from Cheng Boyan.

She sensed that something was wrong with his mood. After a moment's thought, she gave the customers and Xi Mingyuan at the table an apologetic smile, excused herself to go to the restroom, and quickly left the private room.

Under the soft glow of the corridor lights, she dialed the number back. However, the ringing was cut off after only one ring; Cheng Boyan had simply pressed the reject button.

"This silly boy..." Wen Xueyan couldn't help but scold him softly. But she immediately remembered the doctor's advice during her prenatal checkup. Emotions need to be stable during pregnancy, and for the sake of the baby, she couldn't let herself fall into negative emotions.

She decisively turned off her phone, as if temporarily sealing away the troubles on the other end. She returned to the private room, continuing to be the professional and poised technical director and Mrs. Xi.

On the other end of the phone, within two minutes of Cheng Boyan pressing the reject button, his anger was replaced by overwhelming regret. What was he doing? Knowing her difficulties, why was he acting so impulsively? He immediately dialed back, only to hear the system message: "The user you dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

At nine o'clock, Xi Mingyuan greeted the client and took Wen Xueyan home early, leaving the other company staff to continue the meal with the client.

Today's non-stop prenatal checkups, work, and social engagements have almost exhausted her energy, and the drowsiness brought on by pregnancy is overwhelming her like a tidal wave.

Wen Xueyan didn't even have the energy to wash up, so she didn't take a shower and just covered herself with the blanket next to the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Cheng Boyan, who was on a business trip in Xingzhou, dialed that familiar number again and again, but all he heard was a message that the phone was switched off.

Cheng Boyan regretted it. He felt he shouldn't have refused to answer Wen Xueyan's call out of spite.

"When will things reach their full potential? Only by knowing when to stop can one truly stop." Cheng Boyan used this saying to comfort himself.

Then, he unconsciously scrolled through his WeChat Moments, and a post from the technical director of Dangying Technology, which had appeared more than ten minutes earlier, caught his eye.

"A pleasant dinner with senior executives of Shiming Group; a truly enjoyable collaboration!"

Below the text was a nine-grid photo. The first few photos showed panoramic views of the banquet hall, exquisite dishes, and moments of people raising their glasses, but Cheng Boyan's gaze was fixed on the last photo.

That was a snapshot taken casually near the end of the banquet.

Wen Xueyan wore no makeup, but a smoky gray cashmere dress with a light-colored shawl. She turned slightly to listen to Xi Mingyuan speak, two small pearls adorning her earlobes, gleaming warmly under the light.

Sitting next to the tall Xi Mingyuan, she appeared even more petite and delicate.

Xi Mingyuan was leaning over and whispering to her, "Okay, okay, I know you're sleepy, I'll go back right away." But it wasn't clear what they were saying in the photo. From this angle, however, the two appeared very close. One of his hands was casually resting on the back of her chair, a gesture that, to an outsider, seemed possessive.

Even if Xu Junxian had really cheated on him before, Cheng Boyan was quite calm and didn't feel as upset as he does now.

Cheng Boyan decided to call Fang Xiyi.

"Vice President Fang, effective immediately, all cooperative projects with Shiming Group are suspended."

Fang Xiyi cautiously confirmed on the other end of the phone: "President Cheng, does this include the polyolefin project? What's the current progress of the trial production..."

"All projects. Especially the polyolefin project." He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the twilight outside the window. "Complete the entire handover process within three working days."

Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.

Hahahaha, let's watch them argue!

Haha, okay, thank you for your message.

The plan to win back his wife is on the agenda.

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I want to see them all

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Haha, even President Cheng can be so irrational sometimes. Love really can turn people into fools.

Yes, thank you for your message.