Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Something is wrong
Chapter 37
As soon as Ruan Yan arrived at the company in the morning, she found that the atmosphere was not right.
There haven't been any projects that need to be rushed recently, but everyone is sitting upright at their workstations. Unlike before when they chatted and gossiped noisily, it's eerily quiet.
It was as if she was back to the days when she first reported to Zhuo Lu.
Considering the situation yesterday afternoon when Wen Ying and her men stormed into the company, Ruan Yan guessed something.
It really can't be hidden anymore.
She first found Liu Mengmeng and, as usual, gave her a box of Baker's egg tarts that she had bought that morning.
"It's freshly baked this morning and is still hot."
Normally, Liu Mengmeng would immediately hug her and kiss her, eagerly unwrapping the egg tart to taste, but today, she just smiled and pretended to be relaxed: "Ah, thank you, I just had breakfast, I'll eat later. Thank you, Ruan Yan."
The sound becomes increasingly unnatural and hollow towards the end.
Deliberately relaxed and distinctly polite.
No wonder the Yongshou Palace team was unusually silent all night yesterday.
Ruan Yan looked at Zhao Tian again. She was not at her seat. She wondered if she had gone to the bathroom.
When she turned around, she found that there were more than one pair of eyes staring at her. When she looked over, they quickly looked away.
She pretended not to see and continued with what she was doing.
Neither Zhuo Zhongsen nor Zhuang Xiaotong came.
The company called the police directly yesterday and the former has been taken away for investigation.
As for Zhuang Xiaotong... although the company has not yet given her a formal punishment because she voluntarily turned herself in and made amends for her crime, she has resigned on the grounds that she was not feeling well and wanted to take a break for a while.
At noon, Wen Ying asked her to have lunch. She noticed that she was a little absent-minded and had no appetite for even her favorite seafood. So she asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you dealt with that matter yet?"
"No," Ruan Yan hesitated and said, "It's just that I haven't adjusted my mindset yet."
Wen Ying seemed to have noticed something: "It's normal to feel uncomfortable with the sudden change of identity. Give yourself some time, and give everyone else some time to digest it."
Ruan Yan, whose mind was guessed, lowered her head to stir the spoon in the bowl of fish soup. Thinking of their reactions when she arrived at the company this morning, she was still frowning: "Can everyone really get along like before?"
Wen Ying said, "After spending some time together, you should have already made your own choices about who you can become close friends with. Remember what I told you before? It would be best if you could meet a colleague you get along with. If your values don't align, then we shouldn't work together."
On the way back, Ruan Yan kept thinking about Wen Ying's words and was heavy-hearted.
When I returned to the company, I found that people from other groups were also chatting with them.
"I was wondering why Lu University suddenly hired a secretary. It turns out they forced her in through connections. And the connections are so strong that I couldn't refuse her even if I wanted to."
"Yeah, not just anyone can get into our Zhuo Lu. If it weren't for this relationship, with her academic qualifications, she would have been rejected in the first place she submitted her resume."
"No wonder Lu Da has been marginalizing her. He must be a little unhappy with her, so he deliberately ignored her, hoping that she would learn her lesson and give up."
Ruan Yan lowered her head. Although she was unhappy about their sarcasm behind her back, what they said was indeed correct. If she had followed the normal application process, she would never have been recruited into Zhuo Lu. She was the one who cheated and took the back door, so it was normal for them to be dissatisfied.
"Alas, who can blame me for being born into a good family? I have a powerful sister. Unlike us, a bunch of cattle and horses with no backing and no support, we can only rely on our own efforts for everything."
"Since you are so jealous of others, why don't you just commit suicide and be reborn."
It was Zhao Tian's voice. She said coldly and unhappily, "What does her family background have to do with you? She's Lu Da's secretary, not yours. Have you paid her a penny?"
Liu Mengmeng also retorted, "That's right, she's not in direct competition with us. Has Ruan Yan joining the company affected you in any way? Gossiping behind her back, be careful not to get a sore in your mouth!"
"Hey, can't we just talk about it? Is it that serious?"
Chen Jiajia stood up from her seat: "Why, only you are allowed to speak, and we can't refute?"
"She's not here right now, do you really need to be so eager to protect her and curry favor with her? We're just saying a few words..."
"Enough, you are all boring, huh? Ruan Yan has been doing her job well since she joined the company. Has she ever put on airs with us or snatched any resources? That's enough." Chen Zhong's voice rang out.
The good-tempered Fang Yuan also spoke up: "You have been coming to us since yesterday. You don't have to work, we still need you."
"Let's go back, everyone. Instead of wasting time on gossiping, why not draw some more blueprints?" While Yang Xiao was speaking, Ruan Yan walked in as if nothing had happened.
A few people who were originally unwilling to accept the argument and wanted to continue to refute it fell silent instantly when they saw the person involved coming back, and slipped away with embarrassed expressions.
Ruan Yan returned to her seat calmly, as if she hadn't heard anything that had just been said.
After get off work, Ruan Yan took the initiative to walk towards Liu Mengmeng and Zhao Tian: "Would you like to have dinner together?"
The Yunnan restaurant downstairs from the company was where they would go to change their taste when they didn’t want to eat in the staff cafeteria.
The three people, who usually have a cheerful atmosphere, seemed unusually quiet and awkward today.
Ruan Yan cautiously glanced at Liu Mengmeng, then glanced at Zhao Tian, then clasped her hands together in front of her: "I'm sorry, sisters, it's my fault. I shouldn't have concealed my identity from you and deceived your feelings for so long. I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Please forgive me!"
Ruan Yan's exaggerated and funny tone successfully made Zhao Tian laugh. Then, Liu Mengmeng next to her couldn't help but burst out laughing.
As if it was contagious, the three of them laughed together for no apparent reason. All their previous worries, concerns, and restraints disappeared in this crisp and relaxed laughter.
"Xiao Yanyan, you don't know. The moment your identity was exposed, I truly understood for the first time what it felt like to have so many mixed feelings inside. It was shock, excitement, relief, and a hint of inexplicable sadness. Or maybe it wasn't sadness, I can't really explain it. Anyway, it was a mixture of sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty. Tiantian will definitely understand how I felt."
Zhao Tian took a bite of the stir-fried matsutake mushrooms and nodded in agreement with Liu Mengmeng: "Well, we almost thought that we might lose you as a friend."
But now it seems that maybe they were thinking too complicatedly.
"Why do you think you will lose me?" Ruan Yan asked in confusion.
Liu Mengmeng blurted out, "Because you're the daughter of the Ruan family, you have such a noble status. Visiting the common people to experience life is just a boring amusement. After revealing your identity, you left the lives of ordinary people and returned to your original world to play with people in your upper-class circle. Isn't that how it's played out in TV dramas?"
"Which country's TV series are you watching? Why are they different from mine? Apart from having memberships on all the major apps, I don't feel any more prestigious than before," Ruan Yan said seriously. "Honey, you two are top graduates from prestigious universities and work as architects at top domestic design firms. I'm so proud of having such amazing friends like you that I can't even come and show them off everywhere. How can I bear to leave?"
"Really? Really? Do you really think so?" Liu Mengmeng smiled and was coaxed into a fetus in a second.
Ruan Yan made a heart shape with two fingers and then seriously extended it forward from her chest: "Hmm, should I take out my true heart and show it to you?"
Zhao Tian, who was watching their performance from the side, curled her lips and clapped her hands: "It's a shame you two don't go to Douyin to shoot jokes."
"The atmosphere is so good, how can we not toast?" Liu Mengmeng said with a smile, picking up her glass. "Come on, let's toast to our lost and regained friendship."
Zhao Tian corrected him, "It should be for our still-strong friendship. Cheers."
"Ok, blow the earrings," Ruan Yan touched the cup to them, "I wish to thank the years and my long-lasting friends——"
Friendship between girls is a precious and shining treasure.
She raised her head and drank the wine in the glass, but a hint of guilt appeared in her bright eyes.
*
Wen Ying also rested at home this weekend.
It was a rare opportunity for the two sisters to sit together and have a leisurely breakfast.
"Xiaoyan, how are you planning to celebrate your birthday this year?" Wen Ying asked after chatting about some family matters.
Ruan Yan paused while scooping the porridge: "Is my birthday coming soon?"
"Well, it's next Saturday." Wen Ying said.
Wen Ying was so busy that she almost forgot about it. When she remembered, she found that the time was almost up, but there was no movement from Ruan Yan. Only then did she realize that she had lost her memory.
Wen Ying asked her opinion: "How about it? Do you have any ideas?"
"I don't have any ideas yet," Ruan Yan stretched her chopsticks towards the plate of steaming meat patties, "How did I get by in the past?"
Wen Ying thought about it and realized that in recent years, Ruan Yan’s birthday parties were mostly arranged by herself. She liked lively occasions and cared about her face, and paid attention to the pomp and circumstance. Ruan Xingkun also doted on her, and each birthday party was grand and magnificent.
"For the past two years, you've held birthday parties at Aman and JW. Dad's friends, your friends, our relatives, and some media will be invited to the parties. Afterwards, you'll take Yanyuan, Qianqian, and a bunch of friends on vacation abroad."
"So formal?"
Ruan Yan was shocked. It was just a birthday, was there any need to make such a big fuss? Not only did he have to invite his father’s friends, but what about the media? Wasn’t it a bit too exaggerated?
Wen Ying drank a sip of milk and said calmly, "It's a birthday, and the most important thing is that the birthday person is happy. You can tell me what you think, and I'll help you prepare. As for the hotel, it's time to start booking it now, and also the invitations..."
"Sister, I don't want to make things so complicated," Ruan Yan raised her eyes and interrupted her. The thought of socializing and chatting with so many strangers made her feel very troublesome. "I haven't fully recovered yet, and I can't remember anything from the past. Suddenly I have to face so many people. I feel a little..."
Wen Ying understood her feelings: "It's okay, if you don't want to see me, then don't see me. It's okay to keep it simple. Everything is based on your comfort and happiness."
Ruan Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
"As for hotels, do you want to book an Aman or JW this year? Or any other hotel?"
"Hotel..."
Ruan Yan was in a dilemma. The two hotels Wen Ying mentioned were both very famous and located in the best locations in the city center. It was just a birthday, so she felt there was no need to be so lavish.
It’s better for her to keep a low profile now.
"Actually, I think it's good to be at home. It's warm and comfortable, and there aren't so many things to do..." She looked at Wen Ying for her opinion.
"Are you sure?" Wen Ying asked.
Ruan Yan nodded.
Wen Ying always respected her decision: "Okay, then do as you say."
"Okay, then I'll trouble my dear sister to make the arrangements for me."
Looking at Ruan Yan's expression, Wen Ying also smiled: "So happy."
"Yeah, I'm happy." Ruan Yan blinked slowly, "So my birthday is November 18th."
It was the first time she knew about it.
Wen Ying thought of something and comforted her: "You will remember it later."
"Yeah, I remember." She lowered her eyes, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow.
A fleeting emotion, faint and fleeting.
When she was at work, Ruan Yan told Zhao Tian and Liu Mengmeng about the birthday party as soon as possible.
After coming to this city, she only confided in a few of her friends.
So when Wen Ying asked her to invite friends, the first people she thought of were the two of them.
"So, you two, would you like to come?"
Liu Mengmeng glanced at Zhao Tian and exclaimed excitedly, "Wow!" But then, she became concerned: "Xiao Yanyan, are you sure you want to invite me to such a high-end show? I've never seen much of the world, and I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself and embarrass you..."
Ruan Yan gently poked her forehead and said, "What are you thinking about? I'm just throwing a small party at home. A few people I know will get together to eat, play, and have some fun. If you don't come, the birthday party will be so boring. There will be no atmosphere at all."
"Is that so?" Liu Mengmeng was slightly relieved. "Then I'll go. I'll go. What birthday party would be complete without someone like me, a master of creating an atmosphere?"
Ruan Yan turned her gaze to Zhao Tian again: "Tiantian, will you come?"
Zhao Tian peeled a candy and put it in his mouth, nodding: "Of course."
Ruan Yan smiled broadly and joked, "Then I'll be relying on you two to hold the fort for me then."
"Ok, no problem," Liu Mengmeng said happily. "Who else did you invite?"
"Besides you, the only ones who have responded so far are my sister and two or three other friends."
Ruan Yan looked at them and said, "Actually, I really want to invite the people in our group to come along, but I'm worried they won't want to..."
Liu Mengmeng clicked her tongue and shook a finger: "Oh! You're worrying unnecessarily."
Ten minutes later, Liu Mengmeng clapped her hands and stood in the middle of the group in a serious manner: "Ruan Yan is having a birthday party at home next Saturday. Do you want to go?"
As soon as the words fell, everyone's voices instantly followed.
"It's Ruan Yan's birthday, so of course we have to go!" Fang Yuan said.
"Of course I went. It happened to be the weekend, so we could have some fun together."
Chen Jiajia was very excited: "Okay, okay, I haven't attended a birthday party in a long time."
…
Liu Mengmeng winked at Ruan Yan at the door in the crowd and smiled triumphantly.
*
The weather was great over the weekend, with sunshine and a gentle breeze.
The freshly mowed lawn was lush green, and the potted plants used for decoration were temporarily moved to the corner of the stairs.
The garden was decorated yesterday, and the main color scheme is Monet's color scheme of blue, pink and light purple.
Outside the villa, several people got out of the car.
Looking at the luxurious villa behind the black iron gate, Yang Xiao couldn't help but widen his eyes: "How luxurious."
Each of them held an exquisite invitation in their hands. The pink and gold envelope was like sparkling sand, decorated with dried flowers and white feathers.
Liu Mengmeng looked around excitedly, her fingertips touching the embossed gold-plated pattern on the invitation, and an indescribable joy surged in her heart.
She never thought that one day she would be able to make friends with a rich second-generation girl, a very approachable and humble young lady. With such a dramatic plot, she felt as if she was filming a TV series.
A servant came out to invite them in and politely led the way.
They crossed the gravel path and came into view a spacious and beautiful garden courtyard.
In the middle of the lawn, there are three long white tables with neatly laid out tableware, and colorful pearlescent balloons are tied behind the chair backs.
There are clusters of flowers everywhere, and the curtain arch is wrapped with purple vines. A gust of wind blows, and the hanging branches and flower strings sway gently in the wind.
Like a dream.
Liu Mengmeng couldn't help but squat down and touched a soft petal on her left hand: "It's a real flower."
"Well," Zhao Tian pulled her back and said helplessly, "Don't run around."
Among them, Tan Xinyi and Zhao Tian came from the best families and looked the calmest.
Tan Xinyi led the team in the lead, while Zhao Tian was responsible for holding back Liu Mengmeng, who would occasionally run away from the team.
Walking into the villa, several people whispered quietly, discussing the famous art paintings hanging on the walls on both sides.
When the servants brought tea and snacks, Ruan Yan happened to come down the spiral staircase.
"You guys are here."
Today's protagonist was not dressed too formally, wearing a casual shirt and short skirt, with a belt around her waist loosely tied into a bow, and her soft long hair was braided into a single fishbone braid, casually falling on her shoulders.
Even the makeup is light.
But she is full of youthful and charming aura.
"Happy birthday, Ruan Yan!"
"Dear Xiao Yanyan, you are so beautiful today!"
Chen Jiajia jokingly added, "When has our Ruan Yan ever not been beautiful?"
"Then today is even more beautiful!"
Everyone started chatting and laughing as usual, but when they saw Ruan Yan appear, their nerves, which had been tense since they got off the car, finally relaxed.
They took out the gifts one by one and gave them to Ruan Yan.
Ruan Yan solemnly handed it to the servant to put away: "Thank you for coming, I'm so happy."
Compared to a crowd of people she doesn't know, she prefers this simple and relaxed atmosphere.
Liu Mengmeng walked up to her and said, "You said it was just a small party, but it turned out to be so beautiful and gorgeous, like a large banquet."
Fang Yuan shook his head and said, "Is there a possibility that for the Ruan family, this scale is just a small matter."
"It seems so." Liu Mengmeng said with a look of understanding.
Ruan Yan smiled bitterly. Although she had said in advance that the birthday party would be simple, Wen Ying's "simplicity" was still different from what she had imagined.
"Can I have a good look around this beautiful house?" Liu Mengmeng rested her hands on her chin and spun on her toes.
"Of course you can, just look around and stroll around." Ruan Yan put her right hand on her shoulder. When she first came to Ruan Mansion, she was more curious than her.
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat something first."
Not long after they arrived, Jia Yanyuan and Qiao Qianqian also arrived.
Ruan Yan was eating dessert and chatting with her colleagues in the courtyard when she saw two people walking in from the door side by side from a distance.
The man is tall and handsome, and the woman is beautiful and tall. At first glance, they seem to be a good match.
Ruan Yan narrowed her eyes and thought.
"Xiaoyan, happy birthday." Jia Yanyuan walked over and gave Ruan Yan a hug first.
Qiao Qianqian next to her smiled gently: "Happy birthday, Xiaoyan. Sorry, we are late."
It's easy to tell that he was delayed on the way to pick up Qiao Qianqian because of this and that. The same scene has been played out countless times.
Ruan Yan really admired her. She could always come up with different tricks without getting tired of it.
Ruan Yan smiled and introduced herself to everyone.
"This is my boyfriend, Jia Yanyuan, and this is my good sister, Qiao Qianqian."
"They are my colleagues and good friends."
The greetings were a bit awkward.
Jia Yanyuan didn't even bother to pretend to smile. He nodded to them in a very cold and perfunctory manner, not even looking at them directly, with an extremely arrogant look.
Qiao Qianqian's smile only stopped at the corner of her lips, and she was arrogant and looked down on others.
What a great couple, the husband and wife follow each other and are proud of each other no matter how big or small they are.
Ruan Yan rolled her eyes in her heart.
"I'm taking my colleagues for a walk over there, you guys feel free to do whatever you want." She was a protective person, so she led a group of people in the opposite direction.
"Xiao Yanyan, they are right. Your boyfriend is really handsome." Halfway through the walk, Liu Mengmeng tried to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Yang Xiao couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "He's handsome, but it seems like his eyes are on top of his head."
Chen Jiajia, who was standing next to him, nudged him with her elbow and used her eyes to stop him from continuing.
Yang Xiao, however, was still upset about Jia Yanyuan's attitude and the intimacy he showed with the woman beside him. He complained, "That's how it is. He doesn't know how to respect others at all. He's totally unworthy..."
"Stop talking," Zhao Tian interrupted him in a low voice, "Do you think the atmosphere isn't awkward enough?"
Tan Xinyi glanced at Ruan Yan who was walking in front and warned her, "Today is Ruan Yan's birthday, don't cause any trouble."
Yang Xiao then reluctantly fell silent.
…
"Ayan, is Xiaoyan angry again?"
After they left, Qiao Qianqian looked concerned and asked, "Did you have a fight with her?"
Looking at Ruan Yan's departing back, Jia Yanyuan tugged at his tie and said, "No."
"She just left you like that. They're just a few colleagues, but how come they seem more important than you, her boyfriend?" Qiao Qianqian seemed to be feeling sorry for him.
Jia Yanyuan looked unhappy. In the past, they were always inseparable on Ruan Yan's birthday. She would introduce him to Ruan Xingkun's friends and help him build connections with all kinds of people.
Being by her side, who was so radiant, he also benefited a lot from it.
After Ruan Xingkun passed away, not only did her birthday parties become much quieter, but her friends also became more distant. The sensitive girl clung even more tightly to him, and demanded that he must be with her at all times on every holiday, big or small. She would lose her temper with him if she was even slightly unhappy. Over time, he got annoyed and was always perfunctory in front of her.
But he felt very unhappy because Ruan Yan ignored him at his birthday party today.
In the past, he should have felt relieved.
"Xiaoyan is definitely different now," Jia Yanyuan couldn't help but blurt out the words that had been pent up in his heart for a long time. "It's not just her personality and preferences, she feels weird as a whole, like..."
"Just like what?" Qiao Qianqian asked.
Jia Yanyuan recalled the last time he sent her home from her company dinner, and thought about her completely different attitude and reaction towards him after she disappeared and came back, and he felt something was wrong.
Even if he has lost his memory, his basic personality wouldn't be that different.
"Just like you said before, it's like he's become a completely different person." Jia Yanyuan said thoughtfully.
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The author has something to say: I’m stuck, alas
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