Chapter 100: Xu Junheng and Wen Haijing's Longing (The regret of President Xu's first marriage and one of the reasons for his later change in mentality)

Three days later.

On a rainy night in Seattle, the hospital building was brightly lit.

Xu Junheng sat in the coffee shop across the street. His phone vibrated as the operating room lights went out.

"The surgery was a success. The doctor said it was early-stage lung cancer, which was discovered very early, so the prognosis is very good," Wen Xueyan texted.

Xu Junheng slowly leaned back in his chair and replied, "Very good. Thank you."

Chen Ran arrived in Seattle three days after Wen Haijing's surgery, after completing the leave application procedures with the school.

He appeared at the ward door with a bright smile, greeted Wen Haijing's cousin Wen Xueyan, and said, "Wen, do you need a caregiver who can tell jokes?"

From then on, Chen Ran became the "joker" in the ward. Especially during mealtimes, it was his "personal show."

"Come on, Wen, please open your precious little mouth." Chen Ran held up a soup ladle, mimicking the tone of a high-end restaurant waiter. "Today's chef's special is 'Chen's Secret Chicken Soup,' which is said to make you incredibly smart. Of course, for someone as already smart as you, the effect might not be very noticeable."

Wen Haijing couldn't help but chuckle, but the laughter aggravated her wound, causing her to furrow her brows slightly.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh," Chen Ran immediately put on a serious expression, carefully blowing on the chicken soup in the spoon to cool it down as he spoke.

When he nearly spilled the soup on the sheets for the third time, Wen Haijing finally couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Chen Ran, you should just give me the bowl, I can do it myself."

"How can that be!" Chen Ran shook his head seriously. "This 'special care' status is something I worked very hard to get. You know, to come to America to take care of you, I even temporarily put aside my planned paper publication. But don't worry," he winked, "I've already thought it through. If anyone asks, I'll tell the professor it's because I went to save a future scientist."

Over the past few days, Wen Xueyan has seen Chen Ran gradually dispel the gloom in her heart in his unique way.

Chen Ran would even magically pull a cute little doll out of his pocket when she was feeling down because of post-operative pain.

"This is the 'Recovery Supervisor'," he said, placing a small teddy bear beside her pillow. "It will supervise you 24 hours a day to make sure you eat and sleep on time. Of course, its main job is to be cute."

This kind of companionship is relaxing, warm, and stress-free.

Wen Haijing could sense that Chen Ran was using all his passion to create a sunny world for her. And this world was exactly what she had always longed for: simple, happy, and free from a heavy past.

Before Chen Ran arrived, it was her cousin Wen Xueyan who was busy taking care of everything. In the past two days, Wen Xueyan felt that her cousin's condition had improved even more.

When asked about the expenses, Wen Xueyan said that after she married Cheng Boyan, he could spend his money as he pleased and she didn't need to worry.

A grateful smile appeared on Wen Haijing's pale lips: "Thank you, sister, and please thank President Cheng for me as well."

However, deep in her heart, a faint voice was questioning her.

What troubled her even more was the bouquet of flowers by the window. Not the usual carnations or lilies, but white irises. They were placed in a simple glass vase, their petals unfurled like pristine wings, forever maintaining a fresh and vibrant appearance, as if forgotten by time.

Wen Haijing couldn't help but ask Wen Xueyan, "Sister, did you really arrange for those flowers?"

Wen Xueyan turned around casually and smiled, "Of course. What, don't you like white irises?"

"No..." Wen Haijing said softly, "It's just that I feel it's too expensive. And, changing it every day..."

Wen Xueyan explained, "I think these flowers are elegant and suitable for your quiet recuperation, so I asked them to send a bouquet every day."

Wen Haijing nodded, but her gaze involuntarily drifted back to the iris.

The white iris symbolizes "innocence," "hope," and... "silent protection."

"Is it him?" The thought crossed her mind several times. She glanced at the ward door several times, seemingly unintentionally, with anticipation and mixed feelings. She clearly remembered that a few months ago, when that man came to Vancouver, he was talking on the phone about having dinner with his wife.

She hoped that familiar figure would walk in, carrying his unique aura of arrogance and profound depth, even if he just stood there, saying nothing. At the same time, she felt uneasy. If he really came, would she be the other woman?

On the fourth day after the surgery, Wen Haijing was in better spirits. After feeding her her medicine, Chen Ran looked at her and his tone became slightly more serious: "Haijing, there's something I want to tell you."

"Hmm?" Wen Haijing looked up at him.

“My parents are coming to Vancouver to see me at the end of next month.” Chen Ran observed her expression and continued, “Could you come with me and have a simple meal with them?”

"No," Wen Haijing refused outright.

Meeting the parents? That was too distant and too heavy a thought for her. She could almost immediately picture her own vampire-like parents and the trouble they might cause. She didn't want Chen Ran's bright and clean family to be tainted by the filth of her own.

Seeing the panic and resistance in her eyes, Chen Ran quickly waved his hand, his tone becoming even gentler, even pleading: "Don't misunderstand, don't worry! It's just a very ordinary meal, really! I've explained everything to my parents. I told them I'm still trying to pursue you, but I haven't succeeded yet, so we're just ordinary friends for now. They're just curious and want to see what a girl I care about so much is like. I promise I won't put any pressure on you, and I definitely won't say anything about 'daughter-in-law'!"

He looked into her eyes, sunlight dancing on his face through the window: "Haijing, just let my parents know how wonderful the girl their son likes is. It'll also give me more opportunities to shine, okay? Besides, my mom is very interested in your research area; you two happen to be in the same major."

His words were sincere, and his eyes were clear. As Wen Haijing looked at him, the defenses she had built up in her heart began to soften little by little.

The sunshine Chen Ran brought was something rare in her gloomy life. Perhaps it was just a meal, nothing more? Her weary and fragile heart needed this kind of warmth to support it.

Wen Haijing glanced at her cousin, Wen Xueyan, who was working remotely from the sofa. Wen Xueyan smiled at her.

Finally, under Chen Ran's expectant gaze, she nodded, her voice very soft: "...Okay."

That afternoon, when Xu Junheng called Wen Xueyan to inquire about her post-operative condition, Wen Xueyan hesitated for a long time before finally telling her, "Chen Ran is really dedicated. He flew all the way from Vancouver to take care of her. He also invited Jingjing to have dinner with his parents next month, and Jingjing accepted."

Before Wen Xueyan went abroad, Xu Junheng told her that a boy named Chen Ran was pursuing Wen Haijing, and told her not to interfere.

At this moment, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Xu Junheng's usually slightly upturned lips were now tightly pursed, revealing a forced arrogance and loneliness.

What does meeting the parents mean? He certainly knows.

A voice inside him urged him to fly to her side immediately, to tell Chen Ran to stay away from her, to tell Wen Haijing not to agree, and even to use more forceful methods to make the boy back down. For Xu Junheng, who was used to being in control, this impulse was almost an instinct.

Then, instead of the expected displeasure or interference, Wen Xueyan heard a very soft sigh on the other end of the phone. Then, Xu Junheng's deep, slightly hoarse voice came through, surprisingly calm: "That's... fine too."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, or perhaps trying to convince himself: "Chen Ran comes from a respectable family, is a cheerful person, and can give her... things I can't. If she's with him, she can slowly forget her bad past and not always have to carry such a heavy burden. After all, traveling light is better for her life and growth."

Wen Xueyan was stunned. She used to dislike Xu Junheng very much, thinking that he was scheming and that his help to her cousin was tinged with some dangerous motive.

But as time went on, especially after this surgery, she witnessed firsthand how he subtly used his connections to contact the best hospitals and doctors, pay all the expenses, and insist on having them paid in her and Cheng Boyan's names, just so that Wen Haijing wouldn't feel guilty.

Although he came to the United States, he has not visited the ward even once in the past few days.

He did it discreetly and thoughtfully, which moved her, an observer.

Hearing his words, Wen Xueyan felt a mix of emotions. For the first time, she detected a hint of suppressed pain and genuine reluctance to let go in this usually domineering man's voice.

"President Xu..." She didn't know what to say for a moment.

“Take good care of her.” Xu Junheng interrupted her, his voice regaining its usual calm. “If she needs anything, just contact me. The doctor said she’s recovering well, and if there are no problems, I’ll be back in China next week.”

After hanging up the phone, Xu Junheng remained standing there, motionless for a long time. The sky outside the window was a clear, bright blue, yet he felt a tightness in his chest. He had once again given up a possible opportunity to get closer.

The day after Xu Junheng returned to China, shocking news broke in the business world: the land in Xingcheng that had been put up for bidding was found to have serious geological subsidence problems, resulting in heavy losses for the winning bidder, Hongtian Group.

The afternoon sun slanted into the spacious CEO's office.

There was a knock at the door, and the secretary brought in Lin Wanru. His ex-wife, with whom he still has many connections in the family business.

"The supplementary documents for the Xinling project need your review and signature." Lin Wanru placed the folder on her desk in a businesslike manner, but her gaze fell on him with a hint of inquiry. "Speaking of which, it is said that your company was determined to win that piece of land in Xingcheng. How did you have such foresight to give up the bid? Now that it has collapsed, Hongtian Group may even go bankrupt."

Xu Junheng took the document and said in a flat voice, "I just happened to be unavailable that day."

Lin Wanru took the document, leaned forward slightly, and a hint of genuine surprise flashed in her eyes: "Xu Junheng, you..." She paused, as if confirming something, "How come you don't smell of smoke at all? Before, even if you had just rinsed your mouth, I could smell it from two meters away. You've changed so much."

Quitting smoking is not easy. Especially in that marriage where both parties indulged in their own ways, smoking was a standard way to numb one's senses and demonstrate decadence.

He looked up, his tone still indifferent: "Take another look at the project documents and see if there are any problems?" He abruptly cut off her attempt to delve deeper into the topic.

Lin Wanru raised an eyebrow, wisely refraining from asking further questions, and instead began discussing the details of the document.

Why quit smoking?

The answer was clear and stubbornly entrenched in his heart: Wen Haijing had undergone lung surgery. He still remembered Wen Xueyan mentioning how weak she looked after the surgery, and the purity and hope symbolized by that bouquet of white irises.

He worried that, in the unlikely event that fate might give him another chance to get closer to her and pursue her, he couldn't allow himself to carry any aura that might pose even the slightest threat to her health.

Around 7 p.m., the bustling city quieted down. Xu Junheng didn't leave immediately. He stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding his phone. On the screen was a photo Sun Ting had unintentionally taken of Wen Haijing walking through the UBC campus carrying books.

As he looked at the photo, his thoughts drifted back to more than ten years ago. At that time, he had just graduated from university and was arranged by his family to marry Lin Wanru.

It wasn't that he had no expectations at all; the young man who had just left school had once harbored a vague longing for married life.

But reality was cold and harsh. Lin Wanru, a woman three years older than him, drew clear lines from the beginning, demanding that they "each do their own thing," as long as her heart was at home. She often stayed out all night, and he even witnessed her kissing her then-boyfriend in the company parking garage.

From then on, his pitiful aspirations were completely shattered, and he naturally became a well-known playboy in the industry, using cynicism to cover up the emptiness in his heart.

Until Wen Haijing appeared.

He craved the rare peace he felt when he was near Wen Haijing; it was a feeling of his soul being cleansed.

Therefore, before checking into the hotel that day, he asked the same question repeatedly.

However, at that time, his mindset was far from being so prudent.

Now, for this unattainable love, he is willing to give up his long-standing habits, be more cautious in the business world, and quietly, in a way she may never know, become a better version of himself.

The secretary knocked lightly on the door and entered, placing a neatly bound document on the desk. "Mr. Xu, this is an urgent due diligence report on Hongtian Group. The data shows that they suffered heavy losses because of the land in Xingcheng, causing suppliers to panic and demand payment. The company's liquidity crisis continues to worsen, and its core assets have started to have problems due to excessive leverage. The preliminary assessment has reached the bankruptcy threshold of insolvency."

She paused briefly before continuing, "On the board side, several directors have expressed high regard for your risk management capabilities in informal communications, especially your father, Chairman Xu, who said he has a very good impression of you. They hope you can lead the special meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

After the secretary left, Xu Junheng raised his water glass, recalling the song by Jonathan Lee that he had heard on the car radio that morning: "Someone asked me what was so good about you, that I still can't forget you after all these years... No matter how beautiful the spring breeze is, it can't compare to your smile... But all of that is no longer important, if you can come back into my arms."

He whispered to the smiling girl in the photo, "You helped me. But I miss you so much."

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

I still think Mr. Xu is more suitable for Haijing.

Thank you for your message and careful reading. It's true that Mr. Xu is aware of her family background, but Chen Ran's parents might not be able to accept it, or they might not be able to withstand Wen Dongping's unreasonable demands.

It's so beautiful, I can't get enough of it!

Thank you for your message, it always warms my heart.

Mr. Xu and Haijing are clamoring for each other.

Thank you for your message and the flowers, I'm so touched.

Hengjing, Hengjing, together! Together! Steamed buns! Steamed buns! Sprinkling sugar! Sprinkling sugar! Hahahaha

Thank you for your message. What does "so warm steamed buns" mean?

Having a baby, haha, maybe that's a bit of a pipe dream, but you should still have wishes, what if they come true?