Chapter 13
Xiang Wan remembers that she was only 24 years old that year, and had only been in charge of the Xiang Group for a year.
Although almost everyone knows she is the eldest daughter of the Xiang family, she was not parachuted into the group; instead, she started from the bottom.
At that time, she was just a department manager, but because of her status as the heir of the Xiang family, she was invited to participate in the industry exchange meeting that year.
She was invited by the organizers to sit in the front row. Each seat had a nameplate on the back. Xiang Wan glanced at it and found that her seatmate was the up-and-coming business tycoon.
But even halfway through the exchange meeting, she still hadn't met the person she'd heard about.
Rumor has it that he sold a program he wrote during his sophomore year of college, and the money he earned became the first pot of gold for founding Sirong Technology.
The Xiang family always keeps track of the children they have sponsored. Although Xiang Wan doesn't care about these things, she knows that he was one of the children she sponsored in Lijia Village.
She wasn't the type to expect anything in return and never thought of getting anything from him, but she couldn't help being curious about him. How had he been raised in such a barren land as Lijia Village?
So much so that she was somewhat distracted during the first half of the exchange meeting, and it was at that moment that he appeared.
The doors to the venue were pushed open from the outside. Xiang Wan heard the commotion and glanced over, only to see him surrounded by people.
Unlike his tough business tactics, he himself is a man with a somewhat effeminate appearance, especially his eyes, which are as cold and clear as moonlight.
Because he was late, he chose a seat in the back row and didn't go on stage until it was his turn to speak.
His speech was also very brief. He only showed a few slides of PPT, described their latest technology products, and then directly presented the products.
All eyes were on him. He looked around, but his gaze lingered on her face.
When their eyes met, his explanation paused for a moment, but only for two seconds, before he quickly looked away and returned his gaze to the product.
Xiang Wan didn't understand what that pause meant, but she could sense that he seemed to know her. However, having grown up surrounded by admirers, she didn't take his unusual reaction to heart.
After listening to his speech, she admired him to some extent. She could sense that his business empire was very large, which also made her feel a little pressured.
At that time, Sirong Technology was more like a dark horse that appeared out of nowhere. Although it was not on the same level as Xiang's Group at all, it still made her somewhat wary and scrutinizing.
Her intuition was right. In just two years, Sirong had developed into a giant in the technology industry, and its momentum was even approaching that of the Xiang Group.
At the industry exchange meeting, the up-and-coming business tycoon left shortly after speaking. Not long after he left, Xiang Wan also left early due to matters concerning his group.
There were few people outside the venue, and it was very quiet; she could even hear the rain outside. She glanced through the floor-to-ceiling windows and saw that it was raining heavily, with occasional thunder.
It just so happens to be the rainy season in Beiyi, so it should be showers, and it probably won't stop anytime soon.
But things at the company were quite urgent, so Xiang Wan took out her phone and called the driver, asking him to bring an umbrella and come pick her up.
She had just hung up the phone when she felt someone watching her from behind. She turned around and saw the man standing not far away, the president of Si Rong.
The two were only a few meters apart, and he was walking towards her, as if he had something to say to her.
Xiang Wan didn't move, she just stood there looking at him, thinking about her opening remarks.
He was approaching, and she was waiting.
However, before the two could speak, the sliding door behind them was opened from the outside, and a gust of cool wind blew in, scattering their thoughts.
“Ah Wan.”
The familiar voice belonged to Zhou Chengze.
Xiang Wan subconsciously turned around to look at the person who came, only to see Zhou Chengze quickly stand next to her and put his arm around her shoulder.
His expression showed a hint of panic, which she interpreted as jealousy. She looked at him with amusement and a rare teasing in her eyes.
They weren't engaged at the time, but many people knew about their relationship.
"Why didn't you wear more clothes? Luckily, I was waiting for you outside too."
Xiang Wan said nothing, tacitly allowing Zhou Chengze to put his arm around her shoulder and walk out, but stopped when the driver came over.
She glanced back at the up-and-coming business tycoon and instructed the driver, "Go and give the umbrella to Si Rong's president."
"Yes, Miss."
The driver was about to go over with a long black umbrella when Zhou Chengze stepped forward and stopped him: "I'll go."
Zhou Chengze stopped the driver, but turned to Xiang Wan to speak. Xiang Wan thought for a moment. They were both from Lijia Village, and Zhou Chengze was also an employee of Xiang's Group, representing the company, so she did not stop him.
Instead of waiting for the two to talk, she went back to the car with the driver.
It was pouring rain, and Xiang Wan stood in the rain, with the driver holding an umbrella for her behind her.
From a distance of more than ten meters, she couldn't see what the two were saying; she could only see two men standing face to face, seemingly talking about something.
A few seconds later, Xiang Wan saw the look in the eyes of that up-and-coming business tycoon as he looked at her through the glass door.
She couldn't tell if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that there was a hint of loneliness in his eyes.
Even now, when she thinks back to that look in her eyes, she still feels a sense of loss.
For some reason, it stirred up some emotions within her as well...
*
In the car, Xiang Wan was still recalling the man's gaze from her previous life when the sudden braking interrupted her thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
"It's Li Xia, Miss."
Xiang Wan glanced out the window and saw a black car blocking their way. It was a car belonging to the Xiang family. Not long after, Li Xia got out of the passenger seat and walked quickly to her car.
"Young Miss, the journey was bumpy."
She rolled down the car window and looked at the butler outside, who looked worried. She didn't say anything, but stared at him intently for a while.
After a long silence, she parted her lips slightly and said, "You've gotten a tan."
Upon hearing this, Li Xia's expression turned slightly helpless, but seeing that the young lady was safe and sound, his expression relaxed considerably. He had originally thought she would be scared, but it turned out he had been overthinking it.
The last time he went abroad was two years ago. Back then, the little girl clung to him, refusing to let go. Little did he expect that in just two years, the little girl who cried while clinging to him had grown into a young lady.
He felt a mix of emotions, including trepidation, until Xiang Wan told him he had gotten a tan, which put his mind at ease, knowing that the young lady still remembered him.
After confirming that she was safe, Li Xia returned to his car and slowly followed behind their car.
"Who is he?" Chen Yan asked curiously.
The person who answered was Wang Yidong: "He is the Xiang family's butler, Li Xia."
Xiang Wan rolled up the car window and looked at the thoughtful little devil beside her, her gaze lingering on his eyes for a few seconds.
Perhaps it was because people from Lijia Village were all related in some way, but she noticed that the little devil and that upstart business tycoon shared some similarities in their eyes and brows.
However, the CEO of Si Rong had a colder look in his eyes.
Uncle Zhang drove very smoothly the whole way, with almost no bumps, but everyone looked very tired after two long days of driving.
The car slowly drove into the Xiang family's villa. Looking at the familiar courtyard, Xiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling better than ever before.
She glanced at Uncle Zhang, the driver, who was also very tired, in the rearview mirror and told him to go to the housekeeper's place to take some annual leave.
"By the way, apply for another bonus according to the business trip standard."
The Xiang family has a standardized reward and punishment system for maids, drivers, and other employees. 12-year-old Xiang Wan did not understand these systems, but 26-year-old Xiang Wan was very clear about them.
Although she is picky about details, she is never stingy when it comes to rewards. She was the same way with her employees in her previous life. She knows that money is the best reward.
As expected, upon hearing about the bonus, Uncle Zhang's fatigue vanished, and he instantly beamed: "Thank you, Miss."
Xiang Wan smiled but didn't say anything.
It was already evening when they arrived at Beiyi. After dinner, Xiang Wan was leaning on the sofa, watching the financial channel, when she saw Li Xia coming down from upstairs.
I thought Li Xia was here to convey my parents' message, but to my surprise, he said, "Uncle Zhang, the driver, applied for a bonus, saying that you gave him permission."
Xiang Wan looked up from the financial channel, nodded at him, and said, "It's me."
"..." Li Xia said helplessly, "Uncle Zhang has already applied for an extra bonus this month."
He was also a little surprised, as the young lady had never cared about these things before, but three people had come to apply for bonuses this month.
He was the next designated housekeeper, and he was responsible for all matters, big and small, in the Xiang family. When he heard that the driver had come to apply for a bonus for the second time, saying that it was at the young lady's request, he thought the driver was making it up for the bonus, so he came to ask Xiang Wan.
Upon learning of Li Xia's purpose, Xiang Wan seemed somewhat unconcerned: "Li Xia, as the next housekeeper of the Xiang family, you need to learn to be more magnanimous."
"..."
These words, spoken by a 12-year-old girl he had watched grow up, were undeniably funny, leaving Li Xia speechless and unsure whether to laugh or cry.
He returned empty-handed, leaving Xiang Wan watching his departing figure thoughtfully.
'Li Xia's nagging and motherly nature hasn't changed at all...'
'They're even a little stingier now.'
*
On the other side, Wang Yidong took Chen Yan to his room and then to the bathroom.
She handed him a change of clothes and patiently asked again, "Are you sure you don't need me to give you a bath?"
Seeing that Chen Yan was shaking his head violently, she didn't say anything more. She explained to him again how to turn on the shower head, and then left.
When she returned to the living room, Xiang Wan, who was on the sofa, saw her come out alone and asked, "Where's that brat?"
“It seems that apart from you, he is quite resistant to other people getting close to him.” Wang Yidong also said with some helplessness.
"Then I'll go see him again before he goes to sleep."
Another hour passed, and after Xiang Wan finished drinking the milk that Wang Yidong had brought her, she took the milk to Xiao Gui's room.
The little devil's room was right next to hers, which she had arranged specifically. She only knocked twice before Chen Yan opened the door.
She placed the milk she had brought on the bedside table, but then noticed the pillow on the floor. She asked, puzzled, "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"
"The bed is too soft, I'm afraid I'll break it."
Xiang Wan smiled and handed him the milk, looking at him with amusement: "Don't worry, I'll replace a hundred of them if you break a hundred."
"..."
Chen Yan was somewhat unaccustomed to such extravagance. He picked up the milk from her hand and drank it all in one gulp without a second thought.
Seeing that he finished the milk in a few bites, Xiang Wan couldn't help but tease, "What if I gave you poison?"
Chen Yan looked up at her, quickly wiped the milk stains from his lips with his sleeve, and said nothing.
"Little devil, what did you say your name was before?" Xiang Wan remembered him saying it, but she had forgotten.
"Chen Yan".
"Which one? The one with the 'woman' radical, Yan?"
He remained silent for a long while, as if he had made up his mind: "Hmm, the character '妍' with the 'woman' radical."
If Xiang Wan previously thought he was a girl because she misunderstood, now it seems he is deliberately misleading her, making her believe she is a girl.
Chen Yan knew that what he was doing was lying, something only a bad kid would do.
But when he thought of Xiang Wan's words, "I don't like boys because they can't be tamed," and when he thought of his mother-in-law who wouldn't live for more than a few years in the hospital, he struggled for a long time, but finally decided to keep it a secret.
He was ridiculed by the village children for many years. They said he looked like a girl, was effeminate, and was a weirdo. They said only bastards would be neither boys nor girls.
He had hated his face countless times, and hated why he looked like a girl, but at this moment, he hated himself for not being a girl.
If he were a girl, he wouldn't have to lie to her. Besides his mother-in-law, she was the last person he wanted to lie to, but he could only lie to her.
He lay in bed, letting Xiang Wan tuck him in, but he didn't dare look at her because he had lied.
As she was about to leave, he couldn't help but murmur, "I'm sorry."
He spoke very softly and unclearly, and Xiang Wan didn't hear him clearly: "What?"
Chen Yan shook his head and forced a smile: "I said goodnight."
Goodnight, kid.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
