Cheng Ran took Jiang Wanqing's hand down, gently held it, looked at her, and his eyes flickered slightly, as if he was still a little conflicted.
She noticed his hesitation at a glance. After so many years of marriage, she knew the meaning behind every expression he made, and immediately frowned.
"Has something happened?"
Work? Or...
"Du Ming came to ask me for leave today," Cheng Ran began, introducing the topic. "His brother is bringing his girlfriend home tomorrow."
"Du Heng has a boyfriend?"
Her voice sounded slightly surprised, but quickly returned to normal; she pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.
"What's the big deal? You still care about him?"
Jiang Wanqing thought he was still holding a grudge against Du Heng for offending him, so she patted his shoulder and smiled gently to comfort him.
“I have no business dealings with him now. Whether he gets married or not, or who he marries, is none of our business.”
“But you know his fiancée, and... you have some history with her.”
He was referring to the origins of their relationship, not the source of their conflict, and planned to explain it to her gradually.
However, Jiang Wanqing was incredibly clever; she guessed what he meant from just one sentence.
"Does she have a grudge against me? Recently or in the past?"
Cheng Ran didn't answer, and was just about to choose his words carefully when Jiang Wanqing's eyes immediately darkened, and all her smile disappeared.
"Su Su, right?"
“That’s right, it’s her. I was also surprised when Du Ming told me. I didn’t expect her to have this kind of relationship with Du Heng. I was thinking…”
"Is this a coincidence or intentional?"
A mocking smile, not reaching her eyes, curled at the corner of her lips. Su Su had been targeting her in the capital, playing a game of chess. Then, as soon as she arrived in the southwest, the other party came too, and even got engaged to Du Heng, someone with whom she had some grudge. Coincidences can't be explained!
"Perhaps it really is a coincidence... but what's done is done. We can't interfere with who the Du family marries. I'm telling you this just to make you pay attention and be careful. Don't take it to heart."
"I know, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Luckily you told me, it seems I really need to be careful lately."
Jiang Wanqing's hand tightened slightly. Her new factory was about to open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, at which time the first batch of products would be launched, firing the first shot and spreading the name. Yang Chang from Beixin would be there to lend his support...
"I'll let you know if there's any further news. Let's eat."
Food is the most important thing for people. People are made of iron, and food is the foundation of life. No matter what's on your mind, you have to eat first.
"Um."
Her emotions were indeed affected to some extent; she wasn't as excited as when he first returned. Cheng Ran carefully observed her.
That night, she had another nightmare. The doctor had recently added a sedative to her medication, which had helped, but the nightmare returned.
Cheng Ran felt guilty, so much so that he couldn't sleep well. But he didn't regret telling her about Du Heng and Su Su. It's always good to be prepared.
When he woke up the next day, he found that no one was beside him. When he went out, Jiang Wanqing had already prepared breakfast and left a note.
I'm going for a walk. You can go to work after you finish breakfast. Don't worry about me, I'll be back in a bit.
She left that message to reassure him, and also to avoid letting him notice too much of her emotions, so as not to affect him.
When they each consider the other's feelings, it can easily lead to this situation.
Helpless, Cheng Ran finished breakfast and took a detour to the small park where he could take a walk. He was relieved to see Jiang Wanqing doing her morning exercise.
He was wearing a military uniform, and he waved to her as a greeting.
"Go home early, don't stay outside too long, it's still chilly."
"Okay, I'll go back now. Be careful on your way to work."
She waved to him and watched him walk away until he disappeared from her sight. Her face immediately fell, and a deep cloud of sorrow settled over her.
The old comrade who had just been chatting happily with her wanted to practice Tai Chi with her, but Jiang Wanqing waved his hand.
"I'll practice with you again next time. I have something to do today, so I'll be going now."
"Hey, remember to come next time! I'll be waiting for you!"
Jiang Wanqing smiled and walked away. Wherever she went, she always managed to get along well with people. Anyone who was hostile to her from the start either had a prejudice against her or had an old grudge against her, she always thought.
Instead of going home, she hailed a rickshaw and went straight to Beixin to find Yang Chang.
Her trip was sudden and she wasn't notified in advance. Fortunately, the security guards at Beixin all recognized her, and when they saw it was her, they didn't stop her and just let her in.
She went directly to Yang Chang's office. Just as she was about to knock, she heard someone making a phone call inside, so she waited at the door for a while until it quieted down before pushing the door open and going in.
Upon hearing the voice, Yang Chang turned around and saw Jiang Wanqing, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Comrade Wanqing, what brings you here? Perfect timing... I was just about to contact you..."
He put down the phone receiver. He was just about to call Jiang Wanqing, and now she was right in front of him. It was as if his wish had come true.
Jiang Wanqing smirked, "I also have something to ask you, so I'll be frank with you."
"you say."
"I'm planning to open the business and cut the ribbon ahead of schedule. Will you have time then?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Chang swallowed hard, propped himself up on the table with one hand, and looked up at Jiang Wanqing.
"Why so suddenly? Did something happen? Or do you already know...?"
He said half of what he was saying, then continued looking at her.
Jiang Wanqing pursed her lips: "It's a bad feeling, I guess. I want to prevent some people's schemes by opening the business early."
She narrowed her eyes, not saying anything explicitly. Just then, Yang Chang took out a newspaper and handed it to her.
"Take a look at this first. I was just about to call you about it. This is today's freshly printed daily newspaper. I don't know if you've already seen it, but it says that a batch of civilian electrical appliances has been urgently launched in southern Xinjiang. It's such a coincidence that it overlaps with your thoughts by more than 85%. Look..."
Yang Chang shook his head. He didn't want to be pessimistic, but the facts were undeniable: the business world is like a battlefield, and whoever seizes the initiative wins.
She flipped through a few pages and, sure enough, saw what Yang had said. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“How could this be…” Her fingers trembled slightly. “I’ve never told anyone my thoughts, except…”
She looked at him, and Yang Chang returned her gaze openly and honestly, without the slightest hint of guilt.
"Comrade Wanqing, I know what you're thinking, but I swear on my life and my integrity that I have absolutely not done anything to betray you. You have helped me so much, it is impossible for me to betray you! Moreover, based on the timeline of the information I received from you, even if I leaked it to Jiangnan, they would not be able to release such a forward-thinking propaganda in such a short period of time!"
Yes, Jiang Nan placed an advertisement in the newspaper and even used the gimmick of "pre-sale". Jiang Wanqing has never taught anyone this!
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