Chapter 8 Refusal to Recognize Relatives

Jiang Tingwan stepped into the Shen Group building in high heels. The entire hall seemed to freeze in time and the mute button was pressed instantly.

She was wearing an off-white turtleneck sweater, which perfectly outlined her elegant and slender swan neck. Under her black A-line skirt, a section of her slender white calves was faintly visible. Every step she took seemed to carry an invisible magic, accurately stepping on everyone's hearts.

The greeting that the receptionist was about to say seemed to be blocked by something and was stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.

"On the top floor, looking for your CEO Shen." Jiang Tingwan opened her red lips slightly, her voice soft but clear to everyone's ears.

The front desk hurriedly called to confirm, and sure enough, she was Mr. Shen’s distinguished guest.

For a moment, the people around couldn't help but whisper to each other, speculating what kind of relationship there was between this woman with extraordinary temperament and Shen Guan.

When the office door slowly opened, the morning sun shone brightly on Shen Guan.

The man was wearing a well-tailored suit. The silver cufflinks reflected a cool light under the sunlight. The pen in his hand drew sharp arcs on the documents, showing his decisiveness.

At this moment, the hand of an employee holding the coffee pot trembled violently, and the brown coffee liquid rippled violently at the mouth of the cup and almost spilled out.

Jiang Tingwan couldn't help but marvel at this when she saw this.

"It seems that I came at the wrong time." She said in a playful tone, crossed her arms, and there was a hint of ridicule in her eyes, "Is President Shen and the secretary performing a morning theater?"

When the employee heard this, he quickly turned around, and Jiang Tingwan then realized that it was Ruan Yue she was looking for.

The tips of the little girl's ears turned bright red in an instant, like ripe cherries.

Shen Guan didn't even raise his head, the pen tip still rustled on the paper, and he said slowly: "I can smell Miss Jiang's perfume from three floors away."

Nonsense, her perfume smells very light and elegant.

Jiang Tingwan was not annoyed. She walked straight to the desk and sat down, her slender fingertips gently stroking the edge of his document.

"Jasmine scent, do you like it?"

Shen Guan finally raised his eyes slowly, his gaze met hers, and was about to speak.

At this moment, Ruan Yue seemed to be tripped by something and stumbled. The coffee pot in his hand hit the corner of the table with a crisp sound.

Jiang Tingwan was quick to act and quickly leaned over to steady Ruan Yue's body.

In an instant, the delicate fragrance of jasmine and the rich aroma of coffee intertwined and filled the air between the three people.

"Be careful, it's hot." Jiang Tingwan pushed the cup steadily in front of Chen Guan, and her nails tapped lightly on the edge of the cup, making a series of sounds.

"After all, those who can serve Mr. Shen..." Jiang Tingwan glanced at Ruan Yue's knuckles that turned white due to nervousness, and then showed a soothing smile, "They are all outstanding people who have been selected through layers of screening and stood out."

Ruan Yue hurriedly packed her things, lowered her head, and hurried out. But Jiang Tingwan slowly reached out and stopped her.

"Ms. Ruan." Her voice was soft, but she calmly grabbed the other person's wrist.

Ruan Yue raised her head abruptly, her almond eyes instantly filled with panic. Perhaps she had misunderstood Jiang Tingwan's meaning, and stammered, "Ms. Jiang, Mr. Shen and I are not what you think..."

Jiang Tingwan couldn't help but smile when she saw this, and gently stroked her wrist with his fingertips.

"Don't be afraid, it's not what you think." She curved her eyes slightly and smiled, "I just want to talk to you about something."

Ruan Yue was stunned, looked at her timidly, then glanced at Shen Guan, and seeing that he looked calm and had no intention of stopping her, she bit her lip, nodded slightly, and then fled out of the office.

After the door closed, Shen Guan's slightly lazy voice sounded slowly: "Miss Jiang, are you planning to poach my people?"

Jiang Tingwan turned around slowly, her high heels stepping on the soft carpet.

She walked to Shen Guan, placed her hands on his desk, leaned forward slightly, and the distance between them was instantly shortened: "That's right."

Jiang Tingwan nodded seriously, her hair brushing against his documents inadvertently, "The person I want to dig up is Mr. Shen."

Shen Guan raised his eyes slightly, and his deep eyes collided directly with her gaze. It seemed as if countless tiny electric currents were running through the air, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he said with a half-smile, "The price is very high."

"So what, but—"

She leaned forward and lightly tapped his tie with her fingertips, her movements were ambiguous and wanton, "I'm more curious now, is this the one Mr. Shen likes?"

The woman pretended to think, her head tilted slightly to one side, "Well-behaved, timid, pitiful and yet a bit innocent..." Jiang Tingwan curled her red lips and revealed a meaningful smile, "Very cute indeed."

Chen Guan smiled lightly, that smile was somewhat teasing, he stretched out his slender fingers and clasped her wrist, but did not accept it.

"Miss Jiang, are you testing my taste or are you jealous?"

She did not flinch, but met his gaze directly, not only did she not dodge or evade, but her smile became even more bright and charming, "Boss Shen, guess what?"

He stared at her for two seconds, his eyes seemed to see through her, and suddenly let go of her hand and said casually: "Remember to bring me a cup of coffee for lunch."

"What? Mr. Shen is afraid that I will bully your secretary?" Jiang Tingwan raised his eyebrows, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"No," he picked up the pen again and looked back at the document, "Shen is just curious about what tricks Miss Jiang is trying to play."

Jiang Tingwan stood up and picked up her bag elegantly: "Then Mr. Shen should look forward to it."

"Don't embarrass your secretary anymore in the future."

——————

In the afternoon, the warm sunlight is like a golden gauze, gently falling on the edge of the coffee cup.

Jiang Tingwan sat elegantly in the corner of the coffee shop, stirring the latte in the cup gently with the silver spoon in her hand, creating layers of delicate milk foam.

Ruan Yue sat awkwardly opposite her, her hands subconsciously clutching the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, standing out particularly against her fair skin.

"So..." Ruan Yue's voice trembled slightly, like a candle flickering in the cold wind, "You mean, I was the child who was taken away from the Jiang family back then?"

Jiang Tingwan looked calm as she raised her eyes to look at Ruan Yue, her gaze showing no doubt: "The birthmark, the DNA test results, and the records kept by the hospital where you were born, everything matches. At the banquet that day, my mother took one look at you and was sure that you were the long-lost child of the Jiang family."

As she spoke, she took out a document from her handbag and gently pushed it in front of Ruan Yue, "This is the relevant report, you can take a look at it yourself."

Ruan Yue did not reach out to take it, but just stared at the document. His eyes changed from initial shock to a complicated and resistant expression.

Suddenly, she laughed at herself, and that smile was full of bitterness, as if all the sadness over the years was poured out in this smile.

"More than twenty years...it's been so long, and you only found me now?"

Jiang Tingwan frowned slightly: "Things back then were complicated, and the Jiang family has never stopped looking for you over the years."

"Really?" Ruan Yue's voice was as soft as a whisper, as if it would be drowned by the dust in the air in the next second, "But I don't need it anymore."

Jiang Tingwan was slightly startled, somewhat surprised by her answer, but she quickly regained her composure and simply asked, "Why?"

There was a flash of pain in Ruan Yue's eyes, as if a scar that had been buried deep in her heart for many years was uncovered.

Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the coffee cup, and she spoke slowly: "Do you know how I have survived the past twenty years? I was adopted by different families, and then abandoned again and again. In the end, I almost didn't even have the opportunity to go to school. I could only work hard to support myself. It was not easy for me to get into college through my own efforts."

She paused, her eyes full of confusion and helplessness, "Now, you suddenly tell me that I am the daughter of the Jiang family?"

Jiang Tingwan was silent for a moment, and tried to persuade: "The Jiang family has enough ability to provide you with a better life. The Jiang family can satisfy everything you want."

"But I don't want it anymore!" Ruan Yue suddenly raised her voice, "I've gotten used to this ordinary life now, and I don't want to... be involved in those so-called grudges among the rich and powerful again."

Jiang Tingwan frowned, with a puzzled look in his eyes: "What do you think the Jiang family is?"

The girl bit her lip, her eyes full of stubbornness: "I just... don't want to be involved in your life."

In the coffee shop, soft and soothing music flowed in the air like a gurgling stream, but the atmosphere between the two people was like frozen ice, heavy and depressing.

Jiang Tingwan finally took back the document slowly, her tone still calm: "Okay, I respect your choice."

Ruan Yue looked up at Jiang Tingwan in surprise, as if she had not expected her to give up so easily.

Jiang Tingwan slowly stood up and looked down at Ruan Yue with a scrutinizing look in her eyes: "But you'd better think clearly. Rejecting the Jiang family means you are rejecting all possible shelter and resources."

She paused, took out a business card from her bag, and gently placed it on the table. "If you change your mind, you can always contact me."

After saying that, she turned and left. Her high heels stepped on the ground, making a crisp sound that gradually disappeared from Ruan Yue's ears.

Jiang Tingwan was somewhat confused. She had thought that finding this "sister" who had been away from home for so many years would be a very touching story, but she had not expected that the other party would be so resistant and avoid her.

However, she was not in a hurry, after all, there was still a long time to come.

Thinking back to Ruan Yue's crying face just now, she felt that the girl would eventually understand the pros and cons.

After walking out of the coffee shop, she bought another cup of coffee at a nearby coffee shop, handed it to the front desk of Shen’s Building, and told them to pass it to Shen Guan.