Chapter 25 Chapter 25 He thought
After more than ten minutes of struggling, Wen Yu finally got Pan Xianchen back into the car. The designated driver, not wanting to be part of their play, had already gotten out and sped off on his electric scooter. Wen Yu got behind the wheel and drove to the neighboring villa complex. Her leg wasn't fully healed yet, but it didn't hurt to drive slowly.
When they reached the villa entrance, the security guard on duty came over. Wen Yu pointed at Pan Xianchen in the back row and said to the security guard, "This is your owner. He's drunk, and I'm taking him back. Do you know which building he lives in?"
Pan Xianchen folded his arms, looked out the window, and said, "I don't live here."
Wen Yu turned around and said, "Your home in the city center is a bit far from here. My legs may not be able to drive for a long time. Can you stay at your parents' house tonight?"
Pan Xianchen didn't say anything, but answered her with his actions - not good.
He got out of the car and stood aside stubbornly, facing Wen Yu with his back.
The security guard had never seen such a scene before and scratched his head in confusion, not knowing what was going on. Wen Yu smiled sheepishly at the security guard and told him to leave it to her and go back to work.
Wen Yu walked over to Pan Xianchen and tilted her head to look at him. "I didn't expect you to be like this when you're drunk."
Pan Xianchen didn't want to pay attention to her, but he was very curious and couldn't help asking, "What's going on?"
"Not like you normally are. You're like a little kid."
“…”
Wen Yu walked closer to him and coaxed Pan Xianchen in a child-like tone: "It's a little late now. I'll take you in first. Can you lie down and sleep early?"
Pan Xianchen looked at her: "What about you?"
"I'm a little tired too. I'll go back to bed early, okay?"
“…”
Pan Xianchen said nothing. He swept his arms around Wen Yu and easily pulled her into his arms. Even in her childish state, Pan Xianchen still possessed immense strength, holding her tightly. His face buried in Wen Yu's neck, Wen Yu had to stand on tiptoe to hold Pan Xianchen like a container.
They hugged quietly.
A car passed by, the other owners of the villa returning, and the automatic sweeper lifted the barrier and drove into the villa area. The driver drove very steadily, and Yan Qianqian, sitting in the back seat, had a clear view of the two people hugging each other at the entrance. As the car slowly moved forward, she followed it with a startled gaze.
Are you seeing things?
The car was driving very slowly, so I was definitely not dizzy.
That man and that woman seem to be her acquaintances?
Isn't that right? Even after the car drove away and the cuddling couple disappeared from view, Yan Qianqian was still confused. Pan Xianchen and Sister Wen Yu? Were they in a relationship? Pan Xianchen was fine, but didn't Sister Wen Yu have a boyfriend?
Yan Qianqian recalled in shock - she first met Wen Yu and her boyfriend in a Turkish restaurant; later she was trapped in a bar by Jiang Jin, and it was Wen Yu's sister's boyfriend who accompanied Wen Yu's sister to pick her up; the last time she went to Wen Yu's house to use the bathroom, the various furnishings in the suite revealed that there was another male owner in the house.
What's going on?
Yan Qianqian recovered from her shock and pulled out her phone to question Pan Xianchen, typing and deleting repeatedly. When did Pan Xianchen get together with Sister Wen Yu? They worked in the same company, so they must have known each other for a long time. Yan Qianqian had even been to Pan Xianchen's office and seen them both at the same time. What happened then? Yan Qianqian tried to recall. It seemed like nothing.
Then what?
Giving her chocolates? Twice! And coming over late at night to lecture her about Jiang Jin's situation for Wen Yu? Wow. All of this happened right under her nose. Yan Qianqian's chaotic mind gradually formed a clear thread.
The driver continued driving steadily, completely unaware that Yan Qianqian in the back seat was experiencing a mental storm. Yan Qianqian rubbed her chin and clicked her tongue, her mind constantly roaring: "Amazing Pan Xianchen! He's actually a third party for love?!"
Pan Xianchen arrived at the office fifteen minutes later than usual. After drinking so much the previous night, he woke up with a throbbing headache. He rubbed his temples and settled into his office chair. His assistant, Xiaobai, knocked on the door to remind him of a meeting at nine o'clock sharp. He nodded in understanding. Five minutes later, he took the elevator upstairs, his meeting notebook in hand.
The silver metal interior of the elevator reflected Pan Xianchen's listless face. Xiaobai, standing to Pan Xianchen's right, glanced at his reflection and asked, "Mr. Pan, would you like me to make you a cup of coffee?"
Pan Xianchen looked down at his watch and said, "Okay. Send it over before the meeting starts."
Xiaobai got off the elevator.
Pan Xianchen arrived at the conference room early. The interactive conference screen in front of him displayed the title "2025 International Buyer Recruitment Work Deployment Meeting." He found his seat and placed his conference notebook on the table. A black gel pen was stuck in the leather cover, where it had been left hanging since last time he'd used it.
He suddenly remembered the pen Wen Yu had given him yesterday, which he had left in the car's center console and forgotten to bring with him. He also thought of Wen Yu's expression and words when she gave him the pen; he remembered them clearly. Later, he was drunk and dazed, and found Wen Yu by the small wooden bridge next to the bamboo fence. She was on the phone. He didn't know who was on the other end of the line, but he just didn't like the way Wen Yu looked so defensive, with her back to him. Then he walked out of the fence and found a tree... Then they took a car back to the villa together. He insisted on carrying the things to her house, but she didn't agree...
He remembered everything that happened after he got drunk, without any blackouts. That was why he was bothered by Wen Yu's reaction. The way she blocked his way at the door seemed to be rejecting the possibility of their relationship going any further.
Pan Xianchen was in a bad mood.
Xiaobai was a very capable assistant, punctually brewing coffee for Pan Xianchen and bringing it to him before the meeting. He even returned to Pan Xianchen's office midway through the meeting to empty the water from Pan Xianchen's cup and replace it with freshly brewed coffee. The attendees of the special work deployment meeting were all branch managers, and they all used veteran cadre cups filled with expensive tea. Pan Xianchen's cup sat unobtrusively on the table.
The meeting revolved around Trafigura Trading, which has an annual purchasing volume of up to 2 billion.
Downstairs in the office, Peng Yan instructed Wen Yu to prepare various materials. The government department attached great importance to the subsequent buyer meeting, and this matter had to be successfully negotiated. To this end, most departments in the group were working overtime, and Wen Yu's department was particularly important. After 5 o'clock, all colleagues stayed, and no one dared to complain.
Nearly an hour later, Peng Yan and Xiao Zheng went downstairs to pick up their takeout, their four hands full. They placed their lunch boxes on the table, and Peng Yan greeted everyone, "Mr. Pan's treat, everyone, come and eat."
Wen Yu and Ye Yinuo sat together, eating without distinguishing between themselves and others, taking turns to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Ye Yinuo complained quietly: "I'm so exhausted today. I feel like I can't recover even if I watch my brother's concert live video three more times. Fortunately, the food is okay. I'm starving."
Wen Yu said, "There seem to be extra lunch boxes. If you're not full, take another one."
Ye Yinuo nodded, picking up a piece of tender and juicy vinegar fried chicken and observing: "These dishes are different from the takeout we ordered ourselves. They don't feel like pre-prepared dishes. The portions are very large and very fresh. Mr. Pan has invested a lot of money."
"Yeah." Wen Yu buried his head in his food and casually replied, "I haven't seen Mr. Pan all day today."
Ye Yinuo didn't answer. Wen Yu raised her head and saw Ye Yinuo staring at her with cunning eyes and a sly smile on his lips.
Wen Yu: "...What are you doing?"
Ye Yinuo said cunningly, "Are you missing your lover? Look at your face full of longing."
Wen Yu thought there was something wrong with Ye Yinuo's eyes: "How can I look lovesick?"
"Listen to your tone—" Ye Yinuo imitated Wen Yu with a wink, "I haven't seen my Pan Lang all day today. I miss him so much."
Wen Yu: “…”
"You should enter the entertainment industry and act as a colleague with your brother." Wen Yu was too lazy to pay attention to her.
“…Hey, look!”
Ye Yinuo suddenly nudged Wen Yu excitedly. Wen Yu looked up. Pan Xianchen came around the corner and walked towards them. Peng Yan was the first to greet him, followed by the other colleagues. Pan Xianchen nodded at everyone and asked casually, "Is it ok?"
Someone shouted: "It's delicious!"
"Then eat more." Pan Xianchen smiled. "This period will be very hard, so everyone, hold on."
He crossed the aisle, passing Wen Yu, his eyes flickering across her face. While his colleagues continued to eat and drink, Pan Xianchen had already left the office and was waiting by the elevator.
After a while, Wen Yu's WeChat message rang. Pan Xianchen texted: "Come to the elevator."
Wen Yu rolled her eyes and looked around at the people around her. Except for Ye Yinuo who gave her a mysterious aunt's smile, no one else noticed anything unusual.
Wen Yu: “…”
You're the only one who knows how to knock. She glared at Ye Yinuo without any momentum, and when no one was paying attention, she sneaked into the elevator.
Pan Xianchen leaned against the wall, waiting, without pressing the elevator button. Wen Yu walked up to him and called him, "Mr. Pan."
Pan Xianchen looked at her face and asked, "Is the food delicious? I ordered according to your preferences, mostly meat."
Wen Yu pursed her lips: "Mm. It's delicious. Thank you, Mr. Pan."
"Really?" Pan Xianchen's gaze shifted downwards, landing on her mouth. "It was so delicious that the food spilled out of her mouth."
"Um?"
Wen Yu reached out to touch it, but couldn't get it off. Pan Xianchen helped her remove the rice grains that were covered in vegetable broth.
"This is made by Ning Kai's newly hired chef. It's a good opportunity for you to try the dish."
"Oh." Wen Yu nodded in understanding.
Pan Xianchen asked, "How long will you continue to work overtime?"
"Two hours of foundation."
"Yeah. I can't take you home today. I have to leave now. I have something else to do."
"Okay." Wen Yu said, "Have you eaten yet?"
Pan Xianchen pressed the elevator button: "I'm going back to eat."
The elevator door closed, and Pan Xianchen exited the parking lot and drove to the villa. His parents had invited a chef to cook dinner for a small gathering of classmates and friends tonight. Yan Zhiwen's family was already there, along with several uncles and aunts who worked in government offices. Civil servants couldn't violate the eight regulations, so they didn't dare entertain or spend money outside. Gathering at Pan Qing's house, they treated it as a private gathering of friends, taking off their work uniforms.
But the topic of conversation at the dinner table was still about the recent investment promotion campaign. Yan Zhiwen took this very seriously. The country's open-door policy, the government's leadership, and the group's market-oriented operations. Success is the norm; failure would be a disgrace to the district, city, and province.
Yan Qianqian was not interested in these things at all, but she knew that this occasion was important, so she just focused on eating and occasionally looked up.
When she looked over for the nth time, Pan Xianchen finally gave her a look. He filled Yan Qianqian's nearly empty glass of orange juice and said in a low voice, "What are you looking at?"
Yan Qianqian turned her face away: "Nothing."
Pan Xianchen ignored her.
A few minutes later, Yan Qianqian couldn't help but look at Pan Xianchen's face again. Pan Xianchen couldn't stand it any longer: "If you have something to say, just say it."
Yan Qianqian didn't dare say anything. She could only sigh to herself: So this is the face of a male mistress. He looks so bright and beautiful on the outside, but who would have known that he's secretly meddling in other people's relationships, quietly being a mistress.
"Tsk tsk tsk." Yan Qianqian couldn't help but sigh, "You really can't judge a person by his appearance."
Pan Xianchen frowned and looked at her.
baffling.
Yan Qianqian looked at him as if he was a street rat.
The night deepens.
It was already late when Wen Yu left work, so she took a taxi home. Wen Yu was true to his word and stayed at his parents' house as promised. Wen Yu collapsed on the living room sofa, listening quietly to the ticking of the wall clock, her mind blank. She expected to work overtime like this for the next few days.
She planned to lie down for ten minutes before washing up.
Ten minutes later, she still wasn't bothered to get up.
Then stay paralyzed for another five minutes.
Five minutes later—no change.
At this moment, her mother suddenly called. Wen Yu was startled and finally jumped off the sofa.
"Why don't you agree to go to Wen Yu's house for dinner next Saturday?" Wen Yu's mother asked with a reproachful tone.
Wen Yu said, "I've been having to work overtime lately. I'm so tired."
"You have to eat when you work overtime, right? It would be convenient to go to Wen Yu's house for a meal before you go back to work overtime, right?"
Where is it convenient? Eating with Wen Yu's family is the most tiring.
Wen Yu's mind flashed to the faces of Wen Yu's parents. Simple, honest, and seasoned. They were only slightly older than Wen Yu's parents, but looked much older. Different life experiences marked different marks on people's faces.
Whenever they met Wen Yu, her parents were always incredibly welcoming, asking about her well-being and every other topic, as if afraid to let the conversation slip. They always smiled at Wen Yu, their smiles clearly flattering. She was the younger generation, and they were the elders, but when interacting with her, they didn't seem to consider themselves the elders. This pattern made Wen Yu uncomfortable, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud, as it would be embarrassing for both of them.
Wen Yu didn't want to deal with Wen Yu's parents, so she discussed it with her mother: "I've already told Wen Yu that I won't be going to eat."
"Yes, you're not going to eat, so Wen Yu called me!" Mom raised her voice. "His parents invited you out of kindness, so why don't you go? You'll eventually marry into his family as a daughter-in-law, so wouldn't it be nice to get to know your in-laws better? He called me and invited your father and me to go too, and he had to take you with him!"
Wen Yu frowned.
It was clearly a matter between her and Wen Yu, so why did he have to involve her parents? He was so despicable to use her parents to pressure her!
Wen Yu said, "Dad is going too? He hasn't been home for days, is he going too?"
Mom hated the way Wen Yu talked about her father and couldn't help but teach her a lesson: "He's your father after all. Don't be so impatient. Respect him a little."
Wen Yu didn't say anything.
Mom knew this was Wenyu's way of showing resistance, but she couldn't care less about it right now. She sighed and said, "Wenyu, I've already made an agreement with your dad. He'll show up next Saturday. For your sake, Mom and Dad will stick up for you."
Wen Yu found it funny and couldn't help but ask, "What are you trying to save face for?"
"Go to your parents-in-law's house. Mom and Dad will be there to keep you company!" Mom said matter-of-factly. "Wen Yu's parents are here. If your dad and I don't go, won't it seem like you're all alone?"
Wen Yu muttered, "It's all fake."
"Everything is fake? Are mom and dad fake?"
"Your relationship is fake."
“…”
Mom was speechless for a moment before continuing, "Don't talk nonsense! Especially in front of Wen Yu!" She felt a little uneasy and asked Wen Yu tentatively, "You didn't tell Wen Yu about Mom and Dad, did you?"
Wen Yu said angrily: "...No."
"That's good." Mom breathed a sigh of relief. "Xiaoyu, you should know what to say and what not to say."
Wen Yu felt sad and lowered her voice: "But this is a lie. Wen Yu thought I was good, so he got along with me. He thought I had a happy family, but this was all his imagination. Every time I faced him and talked about my parents, my heart was blocked. Why couldn't I tell him? If he couldn't even accept the true relationship between my parents, then we should just break up."
"Wenyu!" her mother stopped her, "Don't be silly! You must never tell Wenyu about Mom and Dad! Many people don't accept single-parent families. If you tell, what if Wenyu doesn't want you anymore? Mom and Dad haven't divorced yet! Why would you tell him and cause trouble for yourself?"
“…”
Yu Xianyun's chatter lasted for a long time before she ended. Wen Yu put down his phone tiredly. Thinking about the dinner party he had to attend next Saturday, he wished he could collapse on the sofa from now on.
It's been over an hour and she still hasn't gotten up from the sofa.
The second call was from Pan Xianchen.
Wen Yu could tell he was washing up; the buzzing of an electric toothbrush followed by the sound of spitting water filled the phone. Pan Xianchen wiped his mouth clean, moved from the sink to the bedroom, and said to Wen Yu, "Are you ready for bed?"
Wen Yu replied weakly: "I haven't taken a shower yet."
"So late? Why?"
"I'm too lazy to move."
"Are you tired from working overtime today?" Pan Xianchen asked. "As far as I know, you never volunteer to work overtime. But when you do, you can't even take a shower?"
In fact, this is not the main reason, but Wen Yu couldn't tell him the real reason.
She skipped the topic: "Are you ready for bed?"
"Um."
Pan Xianchen tucked himself into bed and leaned against the headboard. He wondered if Wen Yu sat on the bed like him, or even lay there. He knew Wen Yu's work life, but he had no idea about her personal life. Did she sleep on her back or on her side? What kind of pajamas did she usually wear? He always slept shirtless. If Wen Yu were in his arms, she would definitely be able to hear his heartbeat clearly.
He took a deep breath. He thought.
Wen Yu was speaking on the other end, oblivious. Through the phone, her voice was shrouded in cotton, not as crisp as in person, but alluring in a different way. Pan Xianchen closed his eyes, took two deep breaths, and then talked about something else: "Ning Kai's private restaurant is opening a branch next Saturday. That's what you're having tonight. He asked me to invite you to the grand opening. I'll pick you up that evening."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
