72.Whose phone is it?

The next day, when Jiang Nan woke up, Chen Yunsheng had already gotten up. He was sitting on the couch reading a book, his expression calm and peaceful.

Hearing her rustling noises, Chen Yunsheng put down his book and looked up at her: "Awake?"

"Yeah," Jiang Nan looked in his direction with sleepy eyes, "You're up so early?"

"I'm used to it." He walked to the bed, hesitated for a moment, and then naturally reached out and ruffled her hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"It's fine." She answered softly, and the unreal feeling in her heart emerged again - they were starting to get along like real lovers.

Chen Yunsheng withdrew his hand and said in a calm and restrained tone: "That's good. Get up, let's go have breakfast."

Jiang Nan agreed, got up, quickly washed and changed clothes, and followed Chen Yunsheng downstairs.

Breakfast was still served in the side hall. When Old Man Chen saw them, his smile was even kinder than yesterday. He even asked about Jiang Nan's parents' health and asked her to convey his regards. Su Wanrong also chatted with her for a few more moments about home cooking, a rare occasion. Everything about them exuded a gentle feeling of acceptance and recognition.

After breakfast, the two began to prepare to return to their apartment in the city center. Before leaving, Mr. Chen specifically called Chen Yunsheng aside to give him a few instructions, and then stuffed a thick red envelope into Jiang Nan's pocket, saying it was a meeting gift. Jiang Nan couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it with a blushing face.

She finally understood that the previous conversations between Chen Yunsheng and Old Man Chen might have also included some mention of their current situation. She was a little embarrassed, but she also understood that this reflected Chen Yunsheng's seriousness to some extent.

While the Chen family knew of her existence, the two people in her family were completely unaware. She would definitely have to confess to them, but when and how much to say was another question.

Jiang Nan felt confused and bewildered, but he also knew that this matter could not be rushed.

Just as she was lost in thought, her cell phone suddenly rang. It was Jiang's mother, Hong Qiuping, calling.

Jiang Nan glanced at the screen, quickly glanced at Chen Yunsheng before answering the phone: "Hello, Mom."

"Nannan," Hong Qiuping's voice was filled with laughter, "Are you busy?"

"Not busy," Jiang Nan said vaguely, "on the way." She paused briefly, and before Hong Qiuping could speak, she hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? Didn't you receive the item I sent?"

"I got it. The mooncakes are delicious. Your dad ate half of them by himself," Hong Qiuping continued. "It's nothing serious. I just want to tell you that your dad and I are keeping an eye on your train tickets for the National Day holiday. Once you're all set, please set a specific time for your return so we can prepare."

Hong Qiuping's tone sounded the same as usual, with a hint of urgency: "Your dad has been nagging you for a long time, saying that when you come back, show him how you make sweet and sour pork ribs."

Jiang Nan didn't suspect anything. Thinking that the National Day holiday was indeed approaching, she agreed, "Okay, I understand, Mom. My project here is almost finished, so I should be able to take a normal holiday. I'll check the plane tickets and let you know when they're confirmed."

"Okay, then take care of yourself and don't get too tired." Hong Qiuping gave a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.

Jiang Nan put down his phone and was silent for a moment. Then he turned to Chen Yunsheng, who was driving, and said, "My mom called to urge me to schedule a time to go home for National Day."

Chen Yunsheng nodded, his tone calm and gentle: "Well, okay. So when do you plan to go back? I'll ask Zhao Ming to book your ticket."

She thought for a moment and said, "Let's leave on the morning of the 1st. We can stay home for two more days. Can we come back on the afternoon of the 5th?"

"Okay," Chen Yunsheng agreed, paused, and added, "Give my regards to my uncle and aunt."

These words made Jiang Nan's heart move slightly.

She added sheepishly, "I don't know how to tell them this yet."

"Then you can talk to them about this when you feel like it," Chen Yunsheng continued jokingly. "Our past is a bit complicated."

Jiang Nan smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding." Then she immediately reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll tell them as soon as I figure out what to say."

"Okay." Chen Yunsheng actually had a lot to say, but seeing Jiang Nan's complicated expression, he simply agreed and didn't ask any more questions. Rather than aggressively questioning, he preferred to give the other person some space to think and make a choice.

——

Returning to the apartment after several days, Jiang Nan felt a sense of reality when she saw the familiar, deserted sense of order. However, this sense of reality was somewhat different from before. It was as if the apartment was still empty and cold, yet it unexpectedly possessed a warmth of belonging.

This sense of belonging alleviated the loneliness of the apartment and added a bit of tranquility, especially when the two rabbit dolls on the entrance cabinet were still sitting side by side in a naive manner, which brought a little bit of ordinary happiness into the tranquility.

Jiang Nan changed her shoes and looked at the house where she had lived under contract for several months, feeling a mixture of emotions. This was once her workplace, where she carefully maintained boundaries, but now, it seemed to be becoming her and Chen Yunsheng's true home.

Jiang Nan was half expectant and half nervous about this fact.

"If you're tired, go take a rest first," Chen Yunsheng put down his luggage and walked naturally to the center island to pour water. "What do you want for lunch? Takeout or go out?"

His attitude was natural and normal, not awkward or uneasy, and even had a sense of normalcy. Jiang Nan looked at his calm back, and the tangled feeling in her heart suddenly dissipated. She walked over to him, took the cup of water he handed her, took a sip, and then looked up at him with sparkling eyes: "Let's make it ourselves? Are there any ingredients in the refrigerator?"

Chen Yunsheng raised his eyebrows in surprise, a smile playing on his lips: "There should be more. Let me take a look."

Afterwards, the two of them opened the refrigerator together and found that there were indeed vegetables and eggs that Auntie had added earlier. Although it was not rich, it was enough for a simple lunch.

"Tomato and egg noodles?" Jiang Nan suggested. This was her specialty.

"Okay." Chen Yunsheng had no objection.

Soon, the empty, quiet kitchen was filled with the sounds of washing vegetables, chopping them, and beating eggs. Jiang Nan, wearing an apron, expertly worked, while Chen Yunsheng assisted, passing plates and peeling garlic. His movements weren't particularly skillful, but his attitude was serious.

For a moment, there was not much talking in the kitchen, only the sound of spatulas colliding and the aroma of cooking food.

Jiang Nan occasionally gave Chen Yunsheng some instructions, and he followed them one by one, looking very serious and not showing any impatience. She couldn't help laughing when she saw him walking around the kitchen in a shirt and trousers.

She suddenly felt that this feeling seemed pretty good.

After the noodles were out of the pot, the two of them sat at the center island and had lunch.

"How does it taste?" she asked Chen Yunsheng with some anticipation.

"Very good," Chen Yunsheng affirmed, adding, "Better than what I did."

Jiang Nan was amused: "Oh, you can cook?"

"I still know how to cook noodles," he admitted frankly, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, "but the taste might not be... very good."

"I'll teach you," Jiang Nan said with a smile, "I didn't know how to cook before, I just learned from my dad."

Chen Yunsheng tilted his head to look at Jiang Nan's smiling face and softly agreed, "Okay."

When Jiang Nan wanted to say something else, Chen Yunsheng's cell phone suddenly rang.

Chen Yunsheng glanced at the caller ID and his brows knitted together almost immediately. He tilted his head to Jiang Nan and said, "Sorry, I have something to do." After that, he took the phone and walked towards the study.

Jiang Nan looked at his back as he left, a thoughtful expression on his face.

She thought that the phone call that could make Chen Yunsheng look like this was probably not an ordinary business matter.

Jiang Nan continued to eat his noodles slowly, his ears alert to the sounds coming from the study. However, the sound insulation was very good, so he couldn't hear the specific content clearly. He could only vaguely feel that the call lasted for quite a while.

More than ten minutes later, Chen Yunsheng finally emerged from his study. His expression had returned to normal, but Jiang Nan was still keenly aware of the change in his aura.

"Is there something going on at the company?" She put down her chopsticks and asked him in a calm tone.

Chen Yunsheng walked over to her and sat down again, his tone relaxed: "It's nothing, just a small problem, Zhao Ming will take care of it."

His answer was evasive, and Jiang Nan, knowing he didn't want to discuss further, didn't press the issue. But she knew it wasn't that simple. Thinking back to the incidents her uncle, Chen Minghui, and Liang Yue had stirred up before the birthday party, and Chen Yunsheng's previously allusions to his uncle's shady business dealings, she had a hunch that the call might be related to those matters.

"What are your plans for the afternoon?" Chen Yunsheng changed the subject.

"I want to finish writing the final report," Jiang Nan echoed his words, "and then there's nothing else to do."

"Yeah," he nodded, "I have some paperwork to deal with this afternoon. So tonight—shall we go out for dinner? To celebrate?"

He spoke the last few words slowly, with a hint of tentativeness and anticipation.

Jiang Nan nodded: "Okay."

So in the afternoon, the two of them each occupied a corner of the study, one busy handling official business and the other busy writing a project report.

Jiang Nan was feeling a little tired from writing the report. When he raised his head to stretch his shoulders and neck, he happened to see Chen Yunsheng looking at the computer screen, frowning slightly, and tapping his fingers lightly on the table. He looked serious and bored.

The doubts she had about the phone call surfaced again. She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Is it...about Second Uncle?"

Chen Yunsheng looked up at the sound, and his hands stopped tapping on the table. He was a little surprised that she would answer directly, but there was no displeasure in her eyes, instead a hint of complex emotions flashed across them.

He was silent for a few seconds before he slowly spoke: "He has been... a little anxious recently."

He didn't say what it was, but Jiang Nan could guess it was no small matter. She recalled what Chen Yunsheng had found out before the birthday party about Peter and Liang Yue colluding to smear her. It wasn't as if Second Uncle had been behind the scenes, and he had mentioned the murky business dealings between Second Uncle and the Liang family.

"Will it have a big impact on you?" Jiang Nan was a little worried.

Chen Yunsheng saw the worry in her eyes and his brows softened: "Not for now. It's just a little annoying."

"Grandpa, do you know?" Jiang Nan asked again.

"I know a little," Chen Yunsheng said calmly. "Grandpa is old, and I don't want him to worry too much about certain things. Besides, as long as Second Uncle doesn't go too far, Grandpa will still give him some leeway for the sake of our blood relationship."

The words were spoken calmly, but Jiang Nan could sense a chill in them. The so-called leeway was probably limited. If Second Uncle touched upon core interests, or did something even more outrageous, neither Chen Yunsheng nor Old Master Chen would show mercy.

The undercurrent within the family was far more complicated and dangerous than she had imagined.

And now, she was probably also dragged into this. Not only because of her identity as Mrs. Chen, but also because Second Uncle had obviously regarded her as a target for attacking Chen Yunsheng.

"Don't worry." Chen Yunsheng noticed her uneasiness, stood up, walked to her side, and ruffled her hair again. "I will take care of these things. Just do what you want to do with peace of mind."

Jiang Nan protested: "Chen Yunsheng!"

Chen Yunsheng paused for a moment, then continued to rub Jiang Nan's hair as if he didn't notice. "Well, I'm here."

Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Chen Yunsheng with an incredulous tone: "Is that what I meant?"

"Isn't it?" Chen Yunsheng asked back, pretending to be innocent, and then continued to rub her hair. He felt that this behavior seemed to have inadvertently ignited something that made him unable to let go.