58
Wen Xueyan did not answer immediately.
Her gaze fell on the phone lying on the table. Five minutes earlier, her ex-husband, Song Tiancheng, had sent her another message.
"Xueyan, I've returned from my business trip tonight. The first thing I did upon my return was to see you. My company is sending me abroad. But the distance will block my way back to you. I've heard you're getting remarried soon, and I'm willing to give up my job for that."
Her marriage with Song Tiancheng, after the initial period, was filled with prolonged emotional abuse, arguments, and even beatings, and she did not want to experience it again.
Now that she's pregnant, if she remains single, dealing with Song Tiancheng's persistent advances will be a very difficult situation. No matter how meticulous Cheng Boyan is, he's still married and can't interfere in everything, nor can he predict everyone's actions.
She never expected that her mother would be sought after this time.
Besides, my pregnancy will start to show next month.
After a long silence, Wen Xueyan looked up and said, "Okay. Tomorrow then."
Xi Mingyuan dialed his assistant's number, his tone regaining its businessman's crispness: "Send out the prepared e-invitations. Time is short, so how many guests come is up to fate."
After hanging up the phone, he looked at Wen Xueyan: "I will cover the cost of the banquet myself. The wedding gifts from both families tomorrow will also be collected separately. Also, please be careful when you wear the haute couture wedding dress tomorrow. The dress is rented, not bought."
He specifically emphasized the word "rent," and continued, "It needs to be returned after the wedding ceremony."
Wen Xueyan nodded. She had gradually gotten used to President Xi's stingy style.
At this point, his tone shifted, becoming more casual and generous: "As for the jewelry my mother and grandmother gave you a couple of days ago, just keep it. It's yours now, and you don't need to return it to me." He saw a hint of surprise flash across Wen Xueyan's eyes, and his smile deepened. "They are very satisfied with you and genuinely approve of you as their daughter-in-law."
Xi Mingyuan shrugged, his tone almost bluntly honest, "You really did help me solve my biggest problem right now, giving me a lot of peace and quiet. Consider those jewels as your due reward; you don't need to return them."
“Okay,” she replied, “but we have a technical proposal from Jinyuan Engineering Company to submit tomorrow, so the timeframe is a bit tight.”
"So, do you think you can work overtime tonight? I can pay overtime according to the labor law. If not, I'll have the sales department negotiate to adjust the project schedule. After all, your current health isn't suitable for strenuous work. My mother and grandmother are both looking forward to the birth of this grandson or granddaughter."
“Then my colleagues and I will work overtime tonight. The project is nearing completion,” Wen Xueyan replied calmly.
"Okay. I've heard some colleagues might not be convinced by you, since they feel you're less experienced than them. Especially Lin Shuya, although she's more experienced, even if you weren't here, her level still wouldn't meet the requirements of a technical director. I appoint people based on merit. If you need my help with interpersonal relationships with your colleagues, just let me know. No matter what they say, just know your own abilities."
After Xi Mingyuan finished speaking, he walked out of Wen Xueyan's office.
After he left, Wen Xueyan convened a project meeting, where she once again sensed obvious hostility in the meeting room.
She sat down in the head seat, her gaze calmly sweeping across the room. Lin Shuya, the technical deputy director, sat at the other end of the long table, almost at the furthest diagonal, her head down, flipping through documents, not even glancing at her.
Lin Shuya's face remained expressionless. She had been working in the male-dominated field of chemical engineering for over a decade. She had assumed that she would naturally take over the position of technical director when it became vacant, but she never expected to be replaced by Wen Xueyan, who had "parachuted in."
The private office that Lin Shuya originally wanted was also occupied by Wen Xueyan.
The other core engineers were also sitting scattered around.
For the past five days since starting the job, this isolation has been like a damp, chilling breeze, seeping into every nook and cranny, but Wen Xueyan could still ward it off somewhat by closing her office door. Now, in this meeting space that needed to foster cohesion, this chill had solidified into frost.
"Everyone, let's begin." Wen Xueyan turned on the projector behind her. "Our project team has completed the preliminary plan for optimizing the reactor feed system of the polyolefin unit. We'll discuss the core area again tonight..."
The screen displays a complex process piping and instrumentation diagram.
At that moment, Lin Shuya closed the folder in her hand with a soft "snap." The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to draw everyone's attention away from the screen and onto her.
“Director Wen,” Lin Shuya began, with a deliberate air of distance, “please forgive my bluntness, but regarding your proposal to add a buffer tank before the reactor inlet, I believe it is out of touch with actual working conditions.”
Wen Xueyan did not shy away from the question: "Engineer Lin, please give me specific guidance."
Next, every question Lin Shuya raised seemed to be from a technical and engineering standpoint, and reasonable. However, Wen Xueyan heard the deep-seated discontent beneath her words. It was a disregard for her qualifications and dissatisfaction with her sudden appointment.
Lin Shuya didn't seem to be discussing the issue; she was defending something she believed should belong to her.
The surrounding colleagues remained silent, but that tacit acceptance itself was a form of pressure.
Before Wen Xueyan arrived, almost everyone thought Lin Shuya would become the new technical director.
Even after she took office, there were rumors that she wouldn't last long.
Wen Xueyan could feel those gazes on her, some scrutinizing, some observing, and even some with a hint of anticipation, hoping to see how she, the new director, would lose her composure in this situation.
Wen Xueyan suppressed the surging emotions in her chest. Arguing would only lead to a battleground predetermined by the other side, getting bogged down in endless technical details.
She needs to step outside of this level.
Wen Xueyan turned her gaze back to the projection screen, pulled up the data from a paper in a cutting-edge international journal, and attached a case study of the latest application in a foreign chemical plant.
The meeting room fell silent. No one expected Wen Xueyan to respond to technical questions in this way, nor did they expect her technical knowledge to be so solid.
Li, the engineer sitting next to Wen Xueyan, whose initially indifferent gaze gradually changed, subconsciously adjusted his posture. He discovered that this new director was not only exceptionally beautiful, but also possessed a level of professionalism that surprised him. The rumors circulating these past few days about her being just a "pretty face" seemed utterly powerless in the face of rigorous technical analysis.
The meeting ended in a tense atmosphere. Li picked up his phone and saw a message from the administration department saying that President Xi was getting married tomorrow.
When everyone saw that the bride's name was Wen Xueyan, the atmosphere in the conference room changed instantly. Some people immediately became more enthusiastic when they saw Wen Xueyan, while others whispered among themselves. Only Lin Shuya remained expressionless as she organized the documents.
The meeting ended after 8 p.m. Wen Xueyan rubbed her temples and took a moment to check her phone. A WeChat message appeared on the screen, sent over an hour ago.
The sender was Cheng Boyan.
"Xueyan, I've received the invitation. There are some things I want to say to you in person. I'll be waiting for you in section C of the underground parking garage downstairs from your company."
Without urging or questioning, Cheng Boyan waited quietly for more than an hour.
During the hour or so that he was waiting for her, a thousand thoughts surged through Cheng Boyan's mind.
Cheng Boyan wanted to question her about why she suddenly decided to marry Xi Mingyuan, what their relationship was, and whether she still remembered the kiss in the hospital room a few days ago.
He instinctively reached for the cigarette pack, but stopped when his fingertips touched the outer casing. He didn't know if he would ever see her again, and he didn't want her to smell the cigarette smoke.
He swallowed back all the questions that were about to spill from his mouth. He himself hadn't been able to get a divorce; what right did he have to question her choices?
Xi Mingyuan is single and younger than him, which is an advantage he doesn't have.
Cheng Boyan tried his best to compose himself, making sure that when they met later, he wouldn't say anything that would hurt her or that he would regret.
Because Cheng Boyan was worried that he wouldn't even have a chance to apologize.
When Wen Xueyan saw the message, her heart clenched, and she grabbed her coat and headed for the elevator.
When she arrived at the garage, she immediately recognized the familiar black sedan.
Before she could even settle into her seat in the back, a pair of strong arms pulled her into a hug.
Wen Xueyan was forcefully lifted up by Cheng Boyan and sat on his lap.
Cheng Boyan's kiss carried an air of forceful possessiveness, coming urgently as if he wanted to pour out all the longing he had felt over the past few days.
His hand slipped under Wen Xueyan's wool skirt...
Wen Xueyan quickly sensed Cheng Boyan's physical reaction.
"No!" She woke up with a start, instinctively protecting her lower abdomen and stopping Cheng Boyan from making any further moves.
Wen Xueyan was worried about harming the baby in her womb, even though it was not yet three months old and it was barely noticeable.
Cheng Boyan's movements came to an abrupt halt.
A hint of hurt flashed in his deep eyes.
"Xueyan, are you sure you want to marry him tomorrow?"
Wen Xueyan lowered her eyes: "Yes."
This simple answer made Cheng Boyan close his eyes briefly; he was doing his best to control his emotions.
When he opened his eyes again, he gently cupped her face and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.
"I'll give you one last gift, and then I won't bother you anymore."
He took a blue velvet ring box from the inside pocket of his suit.
The moment the box was opened, a uniquely designed diamond ring shone brightly in the dimly lit car interior. The main diamond was flanked by tiny, intricately set diamonds, resembling a dazzling star in the night sky.
"This ring was specially handcrafted by an Italian designer," he said, his fingertips gently tracing the ring's surface. "I originally planned to put it on your finger myself after my divorce proceedings were over, so you could rightfully become my Mrs. Cheng."
He shook his head with a wry smile: "It seems that this wish cannot be fulfilled now."
Wen Xueyan looked down at the ring.
"Please accept this." Cheng Boyan placed the ring box in her palm. "Consider it my final memento of our relationship. Now that you're married, it won't be convenient for me to bother you anymore."
His gaze was as deep as the sea, brimming with emotions she could understand but couldn't reciprocate: "Xueyan, I respect your choice. Not because I don't love you, but because I love you too much. If you ever need my help, you can still contact me anytime."
"What happened to Qiao Lanyue afterward?" Wen Xueyan asked. In the past few days, she had even thought that Qiao Lanyue's being reported and taken away for investigation might also be related to Cheng Boyan's divorce case.
"She's fine now. She's rested for a few days and will be back at work next week. We're thoroughly investigating the whistleblower; I won't let them get away with it easily." Cheng Boyan's tone turned ruthless as he said this.
Seeing his sharp gaze, Wen Xueyan felt that if she told him about her pregnancy, he would definitely stop her from marrying another man.
Wen Xueyan clutched the ring box tightly. How she wanted to tell him that she was carrying their baby and that he was already a father; how she wanted to rush into his arms and tell him all the things she had to do.
But she couldn't.
The reality was too heavy; she carried the weight of more than just one person's future. For the sake of their baby's safe birth, for the mother to be undisturbed, and for the sake of preventing any unforeseen circumstances, she buried this secret deep in her heart.
Cheng Boyan lowered his head again and placed a final kiss on her forehead.
The kiss carried a sense of farewell, gentle yet restrained.
He slowly released his hand, the soft touch of her wool dress still lingering on his fingertips. His voice regained its composure: "There's one more thing. Your ex-husband, Song Tiancheng, heard that you're getting married soon and risked being fired from his job to rush back from a business trip. He might show up at the wedding tomorrow."
He looked at her gently: "Does Xi Mingyuan know anything about your ex-husband?"
Then, Cheng Boyan couldn't resist and gently stroked her hair with his hand.
“I haven’t told Xi Mingyuan yet,” Wen Xueyan replied. After all, Xi Mingyuan didn’t love her, and she hadn’t thought of such a detailed aspect.
Cheng Boyan nodded slightly, and after careful consideration, replied, "If you feel it's inconvenient to speak openly with President Xi, I will secretly arrange for people to strengthen security at the wedding venue tomorrow. In any case, we cannot allow Song Tiancheng to take any extreme actions that would disrupt your wedding."
Upon hearing this, tears instantly filled Wen Xueyan's eyes, blurring the familiar figure before her—something she hadn't even considered. Unable to hold back any longer, she buried her face in Cheng Boyan's arms, her warm tears soaking his suit collar.
Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
While writing these chapters, I had so much to say that I kept changing the title and haven't settled on one yet, so the title is currently empty.
When will Mr. Cheng find out he's pregnant?! Is there anything we can't face together? Sigh.
I hope there won't be a time-lapse technique in a few chapters. I don't want to find out only after I've already had my child. Ugh.
Thank you for your comments, Mr. Cheng will know in a few days! Mr. Xi is the one who helped! If we tell him now, Xueyan is worried that Mr. Cheng might do something rash; she knows he definitely wouldn't tolerate his child being born in someone else's home. Mr. Xi and his entire family will also be protecting their baby during this time, making things safer.
What is Falun Dafa?
It's just that a few months have suddenly passed, and the timeline has been stretched out, so I still want the male and female leads to communicate as soon as possible, so that it won't be too late to talk things out after my baby is born! Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and I don't mean to give you any guidance.
I want to see more! Please update soon, I love it!
Okay, thank you for your suggestions, reader. The outline was already finalized, and minor adjustments may be made to the later content. Thank you for your careful reading.
Okay, thank you for your comments, reader.
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