Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Sister-in-law
Chapter 11
As soon as Ruan Yan got home, Qiao Qianqian called.
"Xiaoyan, how's Luna? Is she okay?"
"The doctor examined her and said there was nothing serious." Ruan Yan replied.
"That's good...ah, what about you? How are you?" Qiao Qianqian looked guilty. "The situation was so chaotic just now. I panicked and didn't pay attention to you. I'm sorry. After all, I brought you here, but I didn't take good care of you."
Ruan Yan chuckled: "I'm fine, it's okay, and besides, you didn't do it on purpose."
"I'm glad you understand," Qiao Qianqian said, her tone changing. "But, I remember your equestrian skills were about the same as mine before. I was shocked to see you riding today. When did you become so good at riding?"
Ruan Yan paused for a moment. It seemed that she was not proficient in horse riding before. Qiao Qianqian brought her there today deliberately to embarrass her in front of everyone.
She also pretended to be surprised: "Really? I didn't know, I just rode up instinctively... No wonder, I almost got thrown off the horse several times. Sister Qianqian, my skills are not good, why didn't you tell me in advance?"
The question was thrown back at her. Qiao Qianqian was slightly stunned, as if trying to find an excuse: "Oh... I haven't ridden a horse in a long time. I was so nervous at the time... I forgot about it. Xiaoyan, you won't blame me, right?"
Ruan Yan followed her words and said, "How could I blame you? If you hadn't taken me to the equestrian field today, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet Luna."
Qiao Qianqian was unhappy when this was mentioned. She originally wanted to make things difficult for Ruan Yan, but by accident, she ended up bringing her and Luna together.
"She's very grateful to me and said she'd treat me to a meal next time," Ruan Yan continued proudly. "It's all thanks to you, Sister Qianqian. Luna herself actually offered to treat me to a meal. I'm so flattered."
“…”
Qiao Qianqian suppressed the regret that was building up in her heart, and managed to maintain a steady voice: "She should have invited you, and you can be considered her savior."
After a few more casual words, they hung up the phone.
Ruan Yan was humming a song and was in a good mood.
Of course it’s not because of Qiao Qianqian.
But it's Luna.
Before leaving today, she did say that she would treat Ruan Yan to dinner next time, and they even added each other on WeChat.
Ruan Yan clicked on Luna's profile picture for the nth time, looked at it again and again, and felt so happy.
…
A week later at noon, Jia Yanyuan came to Ruan Yan's house to pick her up for dinner.
A Chinese restaurant in a busy area in the city center.
As you step through the gate, you will see the lush and vigorous Welcoming Pine, accompanied by the gurgling water in the rockery and the melodious and crisp cry of cranes, which has a unique charm.
Hanging on both sides of the corridor are enamel-carved marble lamps with painted landscapes, and the Dunhuang flying fairy murals on the antique stone brick walls make the environment more quiet and elegant.
In the box, Jia Yanyuan gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her.
"Thank you, Brother Ayan." Ruan Yan smoothed her skirt and sat down with a smile.
Jia Yanyuan also laughed. Ruan Yan in the past was never so sensible and gentle. She was always finding fault with everything, complaining that the food in this restaurant was not tasty or the environment in that restaurant was not good. She would also get angry at others when they were outside and didn't know how to save face for him. Over time, he became less and less willing to go out with her.
But now, just by pulling out a chair for her, he received her smiling thanks, something he had never dared to imagine before.
"Xiaoyan, order whatever you want." Jia Yanyuan opened the menu in front of her.
Ruan Yan looked at the exquisite dishes on the menu and her saliva almost flowed out of the corners of her mouth.
How come every dish looks so delicious?
After flipping through the menu for a while, she closed it and said with a smile, "Brother Ayan, you can order whatever you want. I can eat anything."
Jia Yanyuan's vanity was satisfied.
"You like seafood," he said, looking down at the menu. "Then I'll order a crab meat ball, baked shrimp with Tieguanyin tea, fried matsutake mushrooms with butter, grouper balls with scallions and oil, and seared sea cucumber with black truffles..."
After reading out a few dishes, he asked, "Is that ok? Do you want to order anything else?"
Ruan Yan smiled and said, "That's enough."
After ordering the dishes, Jia Yanyuan chatted with her casually, most of the content was about what new projects he had recently contacted, what new progress he had made, and how he broke through the obstacles he encountered.
He spoke with saliva flying and his face flushed, not caring at all whether the people in front of him understood him or were interested.
But Ruan Yan didn't mind. She supported her chin with one hand and began to apply the universal formula for supporting the actor and chatting that she learned on the Internet.
"Oh? How do you mean?"
"What? You said he actually suspected you?"
"Oh, is this true? I don't believe it!"
…
Suddenly, the phone that Jia Yanyuan had casually placed on the table rang. Ruan Yan glanced at it and saw Qiao Qianqian's name flashing on the screen.
Jia Yanyuan subconsciously hesitated for a second before picking up the phone.
Upon learning that Qiao Qianqian was also working nearby, Jia Yanyuan had no time to say anything before Ruan Yan spoke first.
"Is that Sister Qianqian? Let her come and eat with us. The food has just arrived, and we can't finish it all by ourselves."
Ten minutes later, Qiao Qianqian pushed open the door of the box and saw Ruan Yan eating a shrimp and holding a grouper with chopsticks in her hand.
Seeing Qiao Qianqian coming, she said a little embarrassedly: "Sister Qianqian, I'm very hungry, so I'll eat first. Do you mind?"
Qiao Qianqian sat down next to Jia Yanyuan. She was still brooding over what happened at the racecourse, so she found a chance to chat again. "It's okay. I'm just an insignificant person anyway. You don't have to wait for me."
Ruan Yan sighed silently. Why did he start attacking as soon as he arrived? She hadn't even taken a few bites yet.
She could only fight back, putting down her chopsticks exaggeratedly, widening her eyes, and hurriedly explaining: "Sister Qianqian, are you angry with me? I didn't mean to look down on you. I didn't know you minded... I'm sorry..."
Then, he turned his bewildered gaze to Jia Yanyuan: "What should I do? Sister Qianqian seems to have misunderstood me. Brother Yan, I really didn't mean it..."
Jia Yanyuan immediately said to Qiao Qianqian, "You really misunderstood Xiaoyan. She was just afraid that you would be unhappy, so she didn't touch her chopsticks even though she was so hungry. I persuaded her for a long time, saying that you are not so petty, and then she ate a few bites."
He frowned slightly: "It's just such a small matter, I didn't expect you to take it so seriously."
There was a slight dissatisfaction in his tone.
Qiao Qianqian: “…”
Ruan Yan's combination of punches caught her off guard.
Originally, she was just acting as she always did, casually playing the victim in front of Jia Yanyuan to make him feel sorry for her. Who knew that this time, Ruan Yan would actually fight back, exaggerating and making a big deal out of a small matter, using a series of moves that left her with no chance of fighting back.
Even Jia Yanyuan was unhappy with himself.
Qiao Qianqian knew she had no choice but to endure it. She put aside her anger and said with a smile, "What are you doing? I was just joking, but you took it seriously. If I were really so petty, I wouldn't have come here."
The "misunderstanding" was resolved and everyone started to eat.
Today Qiao Qianqian went to Wanlai to go through the employment procedures and will officially start work tomorrow.
Ruan Yan bit her lipstick and said halfheartedly, "I envy you guys so much. Brother Ayan is gradually gaining a foothold in his own company, and Sister Qianqian has successfully joined Wanlai, a company that countless people are vying for. Your careers are all on the rise, but I'm the only one who has nothing to do all day, like a useless person."
Although he said this, he was actually enjoying the meal in his heart.
Qiao Qianqian said calmly, "Your Ruan family is wealthy and powerful. Whether you have a job or not, you'll have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life. If you want to work, just find an easy position in your own company. A career is just a spice of life for you, something to add to the fun. Unlike us, we don't need to work hard to gain a foothold. So, we should be the ones who envy you."
Ruan Yan truly experienced her prowess. She was practically a wordless person, inserting herself into every situation with a few subtle, sarcastic remarks. How on earth had she cultivated such a masterful skill...
But at this time, Ruan Yan was enjoying her meal and was busy dealing with the delicious dishes on the table. She had no time to compete with her in cooking skills, so she just chuckled perfunctorily and had no intention of continuing the topic.
However, Qiao Qianqian didn't seem to think so. She looked at Ruan Yan and said, "Do you remember the famous 'Zhuo Lu Construction'?"
Ruan Yan shook her head lightly as if she didn't care, and picked up another piece of shrimp with her chopsticks.
This was the first time she had eaten shrimp cooked in this way. When she bit into the crispy fried shrimp with both the shell and the meat, the shell was crispy and the meat was chewy. The sweetness of the shrimp blended with the rich and refreshing taste of Tieguanyin. It had a wonderful and delicious taste, and it was so fragrant.
Jia Yanyuan, who was standing nearby, continued, "It was formerly known as 'ZL Architectural Firm.' Lu Peishi was one of the earliest partners. Shortly after he returned to Wanlai, Wanlai acquired ZL, and two years ago, it was officially renamed 'Zhuo Lu Engineering Construction Company.'"
"Yeah." Qiao Qianqian nodded.
Jia Yanyuan recalled something and said, "I remember you interviewed Zhuo Lu before, right?"
"Well," Qiao Qianqian couldn't help but feel a little unwilling when she thought about it, "but I was eliminated in the first round of interviews."
Zhuo Lu is one of the most famous companies in the country, and many young designers aspire to display their talents there.
Qiao Qianqian is no exception.
Although I had heard before that Zhuo Luli was basically composed of top students who graduated from the old eight universities, her stepping stone was far inferior to others.
But she still wanted to try her luck, but the miracle did not happen.
She was sad for a while because of this, but she didn't expect that now she has successfully joined Wanlai.
Now that I think about it, my luck isn't that bad.
However, when she was looking up Lu Peishi's information, she pieced together an important piece of information from gossip from all sides.
"Zhuo Lu's other partner, Zhuo Ming, is a highly sought-after design talent in the domestic architectural community. However, he is very low-key and never appears in the media, so apart from his work, there is very little information about him."
Qiao Qianqian leaned forward slightly, as if to convey some confidential information: "But guess what, I accidentally discovered--"
Her gaze fell on Ruan Yan's face. "That Zhuo Ming and Sister Wen Ying have actually been in a relationship for several years, but they've never made it public on any occasion. Furthermore, Ruan holds a 10% stake in Zhuo Lu."
She guessed that Ruan Yan didn't know about this. Wen Ying hid her relationship with Zhuo Ming so deeply that she would definitely not let her sister know.
The relationship between the two sisters has been broken for so many years, and this kind of thing will only make Ruan Yan explode.
Due to her previous instigation, Ruan Yan gradually began to suspect that Wen Ying wanted to monopolize all of Ruan's assets and completely remove herself from the system. Whenever she wanted to cause trouble for Wen Ying, she would ask her for advice.
Qiao Qianqian herself only learned about this news recently, so Ruan Yan probably doesn't know about it either.
It would be strange if Ruan Yan didn't have any thoughts when she was told this by a third party.
Qiao Qianqian waited quietly for Ruan Yan's expression to change, but after waiting for a long time, she watched her eat the sea cucumber and then the matsutake mushrooms, and then the sashimi, and then she continued to clear the plate of shrimps that were left.
There was no expression on her face, from beginning to end she looked like... how should I put it, maybe she was pretending to be stupid, but the look of her eating with her head down and her face as if she had never seen the world was too real.
Qiao Qianqian couldn't help but frown in disgust.
Is this person the reincarnation of a starving ghost? She practically ate up the entire table of food by herself!
Jia Yanyuan, completely clueless about Qiao Qianqian's inner thoughts, was even more shocked than Ruan Yan. "What? Sister Wen Ying and that Zhuo Ming?"
"Yes, I was also shocked at first. I heard that they were classmates. Zhuo Lu encountered a financial crisis a few years ago, and it was Sister Wen Ying who provided the funds to help them out of their immediate difficulties." Qiao Qianqian said with a hint of meaning, "I didn't expect Sister Wen Ying to have so many secrets."
"In that case, Sister Wen Ying and Lu Peishi must have a good relationship," Jia Yanyuan said, looking at Ruan Yan in sudden realization. "No wonder he lives next door to your Ruan Mansion."
Now it was Qiao Qianqian's turn to be surprised. Lu Peishi was actually Ruan Yan's neighbor. When did this happen? She had never known about it...
Ruan Yan, who was obsessed with food, finally diverted her attention to the two people in front of her.
She took a tissue, wiped the corner of her mouth, and said with embarrassment: "I'm sorry, I can't remember a lot of things clearly. The 'Zhuo Lu' you mentioned sounded very powerful."
Qiao Qianqian chuckled. "We talked a lot about Zhuo Lu when we were in school, but it seems you've even forgotten that the three of us graduated from the same Z University."
In fact, she had talked about it with Jia Yanyuan, but Ruan Yan had never been interested in these things.
"I really don't remember much," Ruan Yan said with a smile after taking a sip of soup. "Since Zhuo Lu is so awesome, it means my sister has great foresight and a keen eye. Besides, dating seems to be a personal freedom. If you want to make it public, you can make it public. If you don't want to make it public, you can keep it private. I'm not a morally corrupt third party. What's wrong with shamelessly interfering in other people's relationships?"
Qiao Qianqian's face turned blue and red after being stabbed by the boomerang, and the corners of her mouth trembled slightly with anger, but she could only hold it back and not get angry.
After the meal, everyone was in different moods and had their own thoughts.
After dinner, Jia Yanyuan sent them home.
They first arrived at Bijiawan. After Ruan Yan got off the car, Qiao Qianqian said casually, "Just now you said Lu Pei also lived here. Is it the building on the left?"
"No," Jia Yanyuan pointed to the older house on the other side, "it's this one."
Qiao Qianqian was a little surprised. This house looked quite old, especially compared with several luxurious mansions around it, it looked even more dull.
As the car drove farther and farther away, her eyes were still fixed on the old house through the rearview mirror for a long time.
Although she had a full meal, Ruan Yan didn't eat to her heart's content.
There was a table full of delicious food in front of her, but because of the presence of the two people just now, she could only be reserved and restrained. She couldn't open her stomach and let go to feast on it. It was so uncomfortable.
But even though most of her attention was focused on the food, she was still able to smell something.
Jia Yanyuan and Qiao Qianqian both care about Zhuo Lu Construction Company, although their concerns may be different.
Dating for several years, holding shares...
Thinking of this, she immediately went into the study, rummaging through boxes and drawers, and typing on the computer, tinkering like this for several hours.
*
After the meeting in the afternoon, Wen Ying saw an unexpected figure in the office.
Just now, the secretary carefully told her that Ruan Yan was waiting for her inside, and she subconsciously paused.
Ruan Yan has come to the company only a few times, and the scene was not very good every time she came.
Everyone in the company is afraid of her, so the secretary's expression is so cautious and awkward.
"Xiaoyan, why are you here? Is there something wrong?" The heavy door of the office was pushed open and Wen Ying walked in. The assistant behind her put the documents in her hand on the table, greeted Ruan Yan, and then tactfully left.
Ruan Yan stood up from the sofa, holding an insulated box in her hand, and smiled: "I know you are busy, so I brought you a loving lunch box."
She opened the box and said to Wen Ying, "Sister, come here quickly. This fish soup is at the perfect temperature. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Wen Ying didn't have time to eat lunch, and she was really hungry at this time, so she walked over and sat down.
Watching Ruan Yan speaking enthusiastically while skillfully scooping soup for herself, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly.
After a while, a bowl of hot soup was stuffed into my hand.
"Try it, how does it taste?" Ruan Yan looked at her.
Wen Ying drank three spoonfuls in a row: "Hmm."
It tastes good, but the flavor seems a little different from usual.
"Compared to Aunt Wang's cooking skills, it's not too bad, right?" Ruan Yan asked expectantly.
Huh? Wen Ying looked surprised: "It wasn't Aunt Wang who did it?"
Ruan Yan was overjoyed. "Sister, are you kidding me? Are my cooking skills really that good as Aunt Wang's?"
Wen Ying was even more shocked: "You did it?"
As he said this, he couldn't help but drink a few more spoonfuls, feeling incredible.
"I learned it specially from Aunt Wang." Ruan Yan was so happy that her cooking skills were recognized by her sister that she grinned.
It was worth it for her to rush into the kitchen early in the morning and get two big blisters on her hand from the hot oil.
"You've been so busy lately that you haven't been around. Aunt Wang said you only come home in the middle of the night every day. You only eat a few bites at home, so you definitely don't have time to eat properly when you're out. So, I brought this to you."
Ruan Yan chattered on and on, placing several home-cooked dishes on the table one by one: "These are the dishes you usually like to eat. Aunt Wang made them, so I won't take credit for them."
After saying this with a smile, he handed a pair of clean chopsticks to Wen Ying.
Seeing that she was in a daze, Ruan Yan called her again: "Sister, what are you in a daze about? Come on and eat!"
"Oh... okay." Wen Ying took the chopsticks and picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork tenderloin.
After just two bites, she habitually picked up her phone and swiped the screen: "While I have some time now, I'll reply to a few emails to avoid..."
Before he could finish his words, Ruan Yan snatched his phone away.
"Oh, my dear sister, haven't you heard the saying, 'The sky is big, the earth is big, but eating is the most important thing'? Now forget about your work, can you please eat your meal first? Your health is the capital of revolution, don't lose the most important capital..."
Wen Ying was helpless: "Okay, okay, I got it."
She really hasn't sat down to have a proper meal for more than half a month. Every day at noon she just has a sandwich or a croissant and a cup of coffee.
Every time she gets busy at work, she always compresses her meal time again and again. She has become accustomed to it over the years.
At this moment, there were a few very common home-cooked dishes in front of him: tomato beef, assorted fried shrimp, minced meat tofu, sweet and sour pork tenderloin...
But Wen Ying felt that today's meal tasted particularly delicious.
She couldn't tell whether it was because of the contrast between the warm home-cooked meals and the cold sandwiches and croissants, or because of the "loving" fish soup that Ruan Yan learned specially for her.
But she suddenly felt again the long-lost care and concern from her family.
This feeling makes people feel light and soft in their hearts.
"Sister, will you be at the company tomorrow? Aunt Wang said she'll teach me how to make stuffed green peppers with meat tomorrow. I'll bring it over to you to try."
Wen Ying: "I have to go out early tomorrow morning. I don't know if I can make it back to the company by noon..."
"That's okay, I can send it to you tomorrow night." Ruan Yan said.
"I received your kindness, but you really don't have to send me a meal. I'm not sure how long I'll be in the company next time, so don't make a wasted trip." She was not being perfunctory to Ruan Yan. She would fly to H City in two days, and she didn't know how long it would take to deal with the matter there.
"Then remember to eat on time," Ruan Yan thought for a moment, "How about this, I'll send you a message every day to remind you."
Wen Ying was a little amused and said, "My assistant will remind me."
How could the assistant be the same? If the assistant's reminders were useful, Wen Ying wouldn't be so irregular in her meals. Ruan Yan thought.
"Xiaoyan." Wen Ying spoke.
"Um?"
Wen Ying took another sip of soup, her drooping eyelashes fluttering in the heat of the bowl. "You've grown up."
Ruan Yan looked at her, with an indescribable emotion surging in her heart.
I feel a little sad and guilty.
She stood up and sat next to Wen Ying.
"Sister, I want to admit something to you first," she lowered her head, "I learned cooking from Aunt Wang and then happily brought it to you. Actually, there is a little selfish motive behind this."
"What?"
Ruan Yan said directly: "I don't want to stay here doing nothing every day anymore. I want to go to work."
Although it was unexpected, Wen Ying thought about it and quickly said, "Of course it's no problem for you to come to work in the company. Don't worry, I will make arrangements for you."
"No," Ruan Yan looked into her eyes, "I want to ask for your help to let me into Zhuo Lu."
"Zhuo Lu?" Wen Ying was stunned. "This..."
Ruan Yan continued, "I know this request sounds a bit excessive, but I really want to join Zhuo Lu. Although I can't remember many things now, I won't forget all the professional knowledge, right?"
She put her arm into Wen Ying's: "I'm willing to do odd jobs, starting from the most basic level. If you can let me in, I can work as a receptionist. I just want to learn something from those powerful people there. Maybe it will help me recover my memory..."
Wen Ying hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Tell me honestly, is your desire to join Zhuo Lu related to Lu Peishi?"
"Huh?" Ruan Yan was startled by the question.
"Of course not! Sister, did you misunderstand something?"
Wen Ying looked at her and smiled, not pursuing the topic any further: "Okay, I'll give you an answer within two days regarding entering Zhuo Lu."
…
The next night, the entire third floor of Zhuo Lu Company was empty, with only one of the conference rooms brightly lit.
Zhuo Ming has been working on a project day and night recently. His obsessive-compulsive disorder makes him extremely strict about his work. He has been working overtime for nearly half a month and still has no intention of stopping.
Lu Peishi, who knew his friend's temper, knew that persuasion was useless because he was no better off than his friend when he was busy at work. He had wanted to bring some midnight snacks to "comfort" his friend tonight, but he never expected to hear such news.
"Huh? You're kidding? Are you planning to let Wen Ying's sister in?"
Zhuo Ming nodded, lowered his head and took a few more bites of salmon fried rice, his voice gradually becoming quieter: "She rarely asks me for help, but this time she asked me, asked me..."
He scratched his head: "It makes me quite happy, hehe."
Lu Peishi: “…”
I really can't stand men in love. They always give off a sour vibe.
Seeing Lu Peishi's expression, Zhuo Ming added, "I saw Xiaoyan's graduation project. It's actually pretty good, but it lacks a bit of innovation. It's good for her to come here and practice."
“…”
"Xiaoyan's life has been really tough. Both her parents are gone, and now she's lost her memory and can't remember anything," Zhuo Ming began to play the emotional card. "Fortunately, she's strong and unyielding. She's also very motivated and wants to fight for her career..."
Lu Peishi held the coffee in his hand, his face sullen and silent.
Zhuo Ming continued: "Don't worry, I will personally take care of her when the time comes. I will be responsible for any problems and will definitely not cause any trouble for the company."
Hearing this, the silent Lu Peishi was no longer indifferent. He frowned and said, "You kid, just to get your sister-in-law in, you threw away all your principles, right?"
"What...what sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense, it's not the time yet..." The man's cheeks turned red again, and he smiled embarrassedly, with a bit of joy that was hard to conceal in his smile.
“…”
They just denied this, which is obviously a display of affection...
There's really no hope.
Lu Peishi asked this question unnecessarily. He had already experienced it before. When facing Wen Ying, all of Zhuo Ming's iron-clad principles were invalid.
So he knew that it was useless for him to oppose.
"If she really wants to come to Zhuo Lu, she can." Lu Peishi said.
Seeing his attitude soften, Zhuo Ming quickly stood up: "I will guide her well and help her get started as soon as possible. I won't let her hold us back."
Lu Peishi sat down on the sofa behind him, his slender arms resting lightly on the edge: "I haven't finished yet - but I have a condition."
Zhuo Ming nodded. As long as he agreed, he could propose any conditions. "You name it."
"Just concentrate on drawing your drawings and don't be distracted by other things," Lu Peishi raised his eyes slightly. Under the snow-white light, his clear eyes looked particularly dark, and the corners of his mouth raised like a smile.
"I will take care of your sister-in-law myself."
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