19 Suspicion
"Xueyan, I'm going on a business trip for a week. Call me if you need anything."
Concise and to the point is Cheng Boyan's consistent style; there wasn't even a single mention of the tenderness of the previous night.
Wen Xueyan felt the chill of the autumn morning creep up her fingertips and into her heart. The passionate kisses and whispered words of love from last night seemed like an unreal dream in the cool morning light.
After washing up, Wen Xueyan went to work.
The intense pace of the new project launch meeting quickly immersed Wen Xueyan in her work.
At noon, after the meeting, Wen Xueyan called the landlord, who promised to arrange roof repairs as soon as possible and try to complete them in three days.
Ning Zhiyi sent a message: "I'm doing some business near your company. Are you free to have lunch together?"
Wen Xueyan readily agreed.
In a restaurant near the company, the September sunlight, like a pot of perfectly warmed sake, streamed through the glass windows of "Liulixuan," making the white porcelain plates on the table shine.
Five minutes later, a slender figure entered the restaurant. Ning Zhiyi had arrived.
She wore an oatmeal-colored belted trench coat. The champagne-colored silk shirt underneath shimmered with a pearlescent sheen. But the most eye-catching element was the brand-new LV bag draped over her arm, quietly exuding its presence.
Ning Zhiyi sat down opposite her. "This meal is on me! Thank you for lending me the money before."
Wen Xueyan was amused by her adorable "nouveau riche" appearance: "Looks like the God of Wealth is knocking on the door? Not only did she pay back the money readily, but her outfit has also been upgraded to the level of a luxury brand spokesperson."
Ning Zhiyi transferred an extra two thousand yuan, speaking solemnly, "I have no way to repay your kindness in helping me in my time of need, so I can only repay you with interest and let money corrupt our pure friendship."
Wen Xueyan returned the extra money and leaned forward with concern: "Are you still going to pull this on me? Your ex-husband's lawsuit is going to be a long battle, don't you really need to prepare funds? I don't want you to be eating dirt tomorrow."
"Don't worry!" Ning Zhiyi waved her hand, her eyes sparkling. "Life is like this menu. You can't just not order cream of mushroom soup because you're afraid of gaining weight, right? The lawsuit will still go on, and life will still go on! Take the money first, otherwise it will affect my performance of cooking later."
The two finished ordering with smiles. Ning Zhiyi cut her pan-fried cod: "Seriously, Xueyan, I wasn't just making things up yesterday when I advised you not to give up on President Cheng so easily."
Her tone carried a hint of worldly wisdom and sarcasm, "Think about it, these days, quality men are like subway seats during rush hour. If you hesitate even slightly, they're gone! Someone like Mr. Cheng, a 'triple-high product'—tall, good-looking, and with a high income—is rarely available. He's currently single because of an 'uncontrollable factor'—his wife who's been sleeping for many years."
Wen Xueyan smiled helplessly: "What kind of analogies are those..."
Ning Zhiyi picked up her teacup. "This 'barrier' objectively helped filter out many bidders for you. Otherwise, with his qualifications, there would definitely be a lot of young women lining up. You meeting President Cheng is like winning the lottery, especially since he was originally planning to divorce his wife because of her infidelity."
Wen Xueyan was both amused and exasperated by her explanation, and her gaze fell back on the LV bag: "Okay, so you're buying such an expensive bag now, is it because your ex-husband has had a change of heart, or did your company give you a bonus?"
Ning Zhiyi laughed: "My ex-husband's conscience? That thing is probably as long gone as his hair." She said frankly: "It was given to him by President Xu. Xu Dechuan, the father of your company's general manager, Xu Junhang."
Wen Xueyan was genuinely surprised. "That Mr. Xu, who's almost old enough to be your father?"
"Watch your words!" Ning Zhiyi feigned displeasure. "At most, he's... an uncle who looks older than his age. He still focuses on planning and strategizing. He deliberately sent his second son, Xu Junhang, to a subsidiary of your Cheng Group to train and experience life at the grassroots level. He has his own reasons for doing this."
Wen Xueyan's expression turned serious: "Zhiyi, this gift is too unusual. What does he mean by this?"
Ning Zhiyi's eyes held a clear understanding: "Don't worry, my emotional firewall is open 360 degrees without any blind spots."
She paused, her gaze drifting to the autumn light streaming through the window. "Look, Xueyan," she said, "everyone in this world has old wounds in their hearts. Accepting a gift doesn't mean agreeing to anything. It's just that as a single mother, life is already hard enough. If someone insists on giving you a piece of candy, even if the wrapper is a bit hot, tasting its sweetness isn't a sin, is it? Besides, I had a good sales performance this month, and he said it's a bonus. The key is to understand that candy is candy, and the road is the road. However, if his son were to pursue me, I'd be very likely to say yes. I heard Xu Junhang is still unmarried and has had many girlfriends, but I don't know why none of them worked out."
Looking at her, Wen Xueyan sensed a vitality that seemed to have grown stronger despite the storms she had weathered.
After Ning Zhiyi finished speaking, she picked up the lemonade on the table and took a sip: "Xueyan, don't you think that life isn't a multiple-choice question? It's more like a complex multi-threaded operation. Look, I'm currently dealing with a very difficult lawsuit with my ex-husband, like running a high-energy-consuming background program; I also can't slack off at work, as that's the main thread for making a living."
"As for relationships," she smiled, a smile brimming with self-assurance, "I naturally yearn for a warm home. So if there's a suitable blind date opportunity, I'll gladly go. If not, I'll live my life to the fullest on my own. Humans are inherently contradictory beings, sometimes craving the peace and freedom of solitude, and sometimes yearning for the warmth and security of companionship. This isn't shameful; on the contrary, it proves that our senses are still vibrant."
Ning Zhiyi's calm and positive demeanor made Wen Xueyan feel that the slight sense of desolation brought about by Cheng Boyan's sudden departure in the autumn chill that morning had completely disappeared.
In the afternoon, Wen Xueyan continued to immerse herself in data and solutions, discussing and revising details with her team members.
Around 6 p.m., the sky suddenly darkened, and the inky clouds hung low. Soon after, a torrential downpour began again without warning.
The phone screen suddenly lit up: "Xueyan, it's raining heavily, stay at my place tonight."
Although he was a man of few words, Cheng Boyan still cared about her even though he was in a different place.
As Wen Xueyan looked at the message, her fingertips trembled slightly. Scenes from last night flooded her mind uncontrollably. In the darkness, his hot breath burned her earlobe, and his deep voice carried an undeniable possessiveness. His hardness and his forceful strength captivated her.
That aggressiveness made her ears burn just thinking about it.
She found herself enjoying the feeling, and in that instant, she was glad she had been bold.
Wen Xueyan put down her phone and focused on her work.
Because the analysis report for the new project needs to be completed by tomorrow, everyone worked overtime until 10 p.m. tonight.
When she looked up again, the rain was still pouring down outside the window.
"This rain is really heavy!" exclaimed colleague Chen Jing. "Luckily, I drove here. How are you getting there?"
"I'll just take a taxi," Wen Xueyan smiled. However, on a rainy night like this, getting a taxi was by no means easy.
The team members left one by one. Soon, only she and Xu Junhang, who came out of their private office, remained in the office area.
He walked up to Wen Xueyan's workstation: "Engineer Wen, you're still here? The rain is so heavy, where are you staying? I'll give you a ride. Are you hungry? Want to grab a late-night snack together?"
"I'm not hungry. No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Xu, I'll take a taxi."
Xu Junhang responded, "At this time, in this weather, waiting in line for a car would take at least an hour." He then added an irrefutable reason, "Perfect timing, I wanted to hear your analysis of the new project on the way, but I didn't have time to ask you in detail at the meeting."
Having said all that, further refusal would seem deliberate. Wen Xueyan nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Xu."
Sitting in Xu Junhang's car, the warm, dry environment felt like a completely different world from the raging wind and rain outside.
"What is your address?"
Wen Xueyan realized that the person who gave it to her was Xu Junhang, and that President Cheng was his brother-in-law.
An indescribable sense of embarrassment and guilt instantly gripped her again. She couldn't let him know that she had gone to President Cheng's private residence alone late at night.
So, Wen Xueyan checked her phone map and told her the name of a shopping mall that was one kilometer away from Jinglan Peninsula.
After starting the car, Xu Junhang indeed asked about chemical technology issues, and Wen Xueyan focused her attention and answered attentively.
The exchange of ideas in their respective fields dispelled the slight awkwardness in the carriage.
"Mr. Xu, let's stop here. Just park at the mall entrance up ahead!" she suddenly said, her voice a little urgent.
Xu Junhang parked the car at the temporary parking spot in the shopping district as instructed, looked out the window at the Waihai International Shopping Center with a puzzled expression, and then looked at Wen Xueyan: "You live nearby? How far is it to walk after getting off the car? It's still raining heavily."
"Yes, it's the residential area behind the mall. The alley is very narrow and it's hard to turn around. I can walk in quickly by myself. Goodbye, Mr. Xu!" Wen Xueyan hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt.
Before Xu Junhang could say anything more, she pushed open the car door, opened her umbrella, and rushed into the dense rain, jogging towards a small alley on the side of the mall.
Xu Junhang frowned slightly as he watched her somewhat hurried departure. He sensed that Wen Xueyan was being wary in her speech tonight.
Song Tiancheng will be released from the detention center in a few days. As Wen Xueyan walked, she thought about urging the landlord to repair the roof again tomorrow.
Xu Junhang knew that the residential area in the alley behind the shopping mall had been demolished last month, and he still didn't understand why Wen Xueyan would lie.
He was suspicious and didn't drive away immediately. His eyes darkened slightly.
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