65 Double Standards
Song Tiancheng was leaning against the gatepost of the residential area, the cigarette between his fingers flickering.
The driver, following Cheng Boyan's instructions, drove the car to the underground parking garage. As Wen Xueyan unbuckled her seatbelt, Cheng Boyan placed his hand over hers: "Let me know when we arrive."
After entering the room, Wen Xueyan put down her shopping bags, took out her phone, and sent a text message to Cheng Boyan: "I've arrived." Shortly after the message was sent successfully, her phone screen lit up again: "Okay."
She knew that only after that word was spoken would the car downstairs truly leave.
Taking off her coat, Wen Xueyan changed into soft slippers and walked into the living room.
Xi Mingyuan slumped lazily in the sofa, a wisp of smoke rising from the slender cigarette between his fingers. Seeing Wen Xueyan return home, he deftly stubbed out the cigarette in the crystal ashtray.
Xi Mingyuan looked up at her and asked, "Is your ex-husband Song Tiancheng? Is he still hung up on you?"
"He's my ex-husband, so what?" Wen Xueyan wondered why Xi Mingyuan was asking him.
“Last night, there was a little unpleasant incident, and I felt I should let you know. Last night at the Platinum Moon Club, I ran into your ex-husband, Mr. Song Tiancheng.”
Wen Xueyan sat down on the other side of the sofa.
“You know, it was a necessary social occasion. I was in the private room with a lady on each side, one of whom was quite enthusiastic.” Xi Mingyuan shrugged, his expression a little mocking. “The interesting thing is that Mr. Song seemed quite indignant when he saw that I had female companions. He had seen me at the wedding, and he questioned me righteously, as if I had done something heinous and wronged him.”
Wen Xueyan's eyelashes trembled slightly: "President Xi, he cheated on me before, and we are already divorced. His words and actions have nothing to do with me. You don't need to pay attention to him anymore."
Xi Mingyuan leaned forward slightly, the warm yellow light casting a shadow on his handsome profile, softening his usually cold and hard features: "To be honest, his anger seemed quite intense, not fake at all. His fists were clenched tightly, and he really looked like someone who was furious for a woman. But I'm a practical person, and there's one thing I can't understand. If he truly considered you his irreplaceable white moonlight, why did he cheat on you in the first place? Does his job require him to socialize at clubs?"
Wen Xueyan responded: "Perhaps, what he's doing isn't caring, but rather an instinct to mark ownership and prevent others from coveting it. He can wallow in the mud himself, yet he expects others to love only him forever. This isn't affection, it's constraint."
Xi Mingyuan listened, then leaned back lazily on the sofa, regaining his slightly nonchalant demeanor. "Okay, I understand. He's a hypocrite. In that case, if he tries to bother you again with this 'he's going to stand up for you' act, remember to tell me. After all, even though he's just a temporary worker under your 'legal husband' title, ensuring his partner's peace and quiet is his duty."
"Thank you, Mr. Xi," Wen Xueyan said softly. This humorous promise eased her tense nerves a little.
“No need to be polite,” Xi Mingyuan said slowly. “We each get what we need. As for President Cheng… if he can’t resolve Song Tiancheng’s troubles, I don’t mind stepping in. After all, you are now nominally my man, Xi Mingyuan’s man. Anyone who bothers you is disrespecting Shiming Group.”
"Okay. Also, at the company..."
“I’ve also heard that some people at the company are questioning you. Is that what you’re referring to? I’ll be a bit more welcoming to you at the company tomorrow. Please invite me to your next prenatal checkup, and I’ll also visit your mother while I’m at it.” Xi Mingyuan directly addressed her concerns.
“We were just talking about exes today,” he said, a rare seriousness flashing in his eyes, “and I should let you know. Back in China, I do have an ‘ex,’ her name is Qiao Qianyue.”
He deliberately added a subtle pause to the word "ex".
"It was a blind date arranged by my family. We've met a few times," he said casually. "The Qiao family's daughter is top-notch in both looks and family background. She's very proactive and her family is happy to see it happen."
He leaned back slightly against the soft sofa back.
"So what method did you use to reject her later?" Wen Xueyan asked.
He chuckled softly, "I made up a rather unseemly excuse to decline. But I never revealed my sexual orientation. Besides you, only my parents in China know about this. I haven't told Qiao Qianyue or any other woman."
Then, he looked at Wen Xueyan and said, "Speaking of which, before she met me, this young lady from the Qiao family seemed to have a good impression of your CEO Cheng and even tried to get close to him."
"Yes, I know. He told me."
"It seems your CEO Cheng has given you very detailed instructions." After saying that, Xi Mingyuan got up and walked towards the study.
Wen Xueyan returned to her bedroom, and her phone rang.
She stared at the name as if gazing at a past she didn't want to revisit. She didn't answer, letting it fade into silence.
However, messages followed in quick succession. She clicked on them, and Song Tiancheng's text was filled with accusation and resentment: "Xueyan, I saw it with my own eyes last night. Your current husband, Xi Mingyuan, was seen with women on both sides of a woman in a brothel, his manners practiced and adept. It was not a casual fling, but rather a habitual habit of frequenting such places. Did you know he was acting this way? Or did you choose to tacitly condone it?"
"I can't help but ask, why couldn't you accept my 'absence' back then? Was it simply because Xi Mingyuan has a more prominent wealth and status than me? You must understand, Su Yunzhu was merely a fleeting moment of mental wandering in the long journey of our marriage. My heart has never truly strayed from yours. You have always been the most important person in my life. I'm still waiting for you at the entrance of your apartment complex. Can you come out?"
Wen Xueyan was speechless at his narcissism and did not reply.
Ten minutes later, he sent another message: "I'll pick you up when you get off work tomorrow night, and we can have dinner together and have a good talk, okay? I believe you'll be moved by me."
Wen Xueyan put down her phone, intending to take a nap.
At dusk, Wen Xueyan awoke from a deep sleep.
Dusk, like a veil, filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a hazy, warm gray hue over the room. The lingering warmth of her dream still lingered on her eyelashes, so real, so tender; she had dreamt of Cheng Boyan.
In his dream, his fingertips gently brushed her cheek, the touch delicate and precious.
Then, Cheng Boyan bent down and carefully tucked the blanket around her. The sense of security from being wrapped up was so tangible, spreading from her dream into her awakened body.
The air seemed to be tinged with twilight, carrying a sense of tranquility. For a moment, she was in a daze, thinking it was just a short afternoon nap, as if she had only closed her eyes for a moment.
She checked the time and realized she had slept all afternoon.
The unresolved issues from before were still there, but they had eased somewhat. She recalled that in the car, Cheng Boyan noticed her anxiety, realizing it might be due to her pregnancy, and took her hand: "If you need to contact me these days, besides me, you can also contact Fang Jing. Xueyan, in life, after you climb one mountain, it's not necessarily a smooth plain ahead; it might be another mountain. Although we must work hard, the only thing we can control is our current state of mind. Try to live well in the present moment, and try to relax as much as possible."
She lay quietly in the deepening twilight, not wanting to get up, wanting to feel time slowly flowing by.
*
On Monday morning, after the morning meeting, Cheng Boyan called Vice President Fang to his office.
"Xi Yi, how is Secretary Qiao doing now?"
Fang Xiyi responded, "I'm still in the hospital. The doctor said my condition is temporarily stable, but my body is very weak from the strain."
Cheng Boyan nodded slightly. Secretary Qiao was not only his capable subordinate, but also Fang Xiyi's cherished girlfriend, yet she was innocently caught in the eye of his storm.
“I’m going on a business trip for the next few days,” Cheng Boyan said as he walked to his desk. “You’ll come with me to the hospital to visit her this noon.”
In the private hospital room, Secretary Qiao lay on the pale sheets, her face almost blending into the pillow, her former radiance replaced by trauma and weakness. She saw them and tried to force a smile.
Fang Xiyi quickly walked to the bedside and carefully placed her exposed hand back under the covers. He asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling any better?" His voice was filled with suppressed heartache.
Qiao Lanyue nodded slightly, then turned her gaze to Cheng Boyan with a hint of apology: "President Cheng, I may need to ask for a few more days off."
Cheng Boyan shook his head and said gently, "Rest well and don't worry about work."
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door. Two men dressed in formal suits and carrying briefcases entered, their demeanor respectful.
"Mr. Cheng, Vice President Fang, Ms. Qiao." The middle-aged lawyer at the head of the group bowed slightly. "We have been entrusted by Ms. Xu's family to visit Ms. Qiao and express our sincerest apologies."
He gestured to his assistant to place a folder on the table. "We are deeply saddened by the immense harm this unfortunate incident has caused Ms. Qiao. This is our preliminary compensation plan, covering all medical expenses. The figures fully demonstrate our sincerity. We only hope to make up for Ms. Qiao's losses and earnestly request Ms. Qiao and Vice President Fang's understanding. Ms. Xu is suffering terribly inside."
The lawyer used careful and tactful language, downplaying a deliberate act of harm as an "unfortunate incident."
Fang Xiyi's body tensed abruptly. He slowly straightened up and stood in front of the hospital bed. He didn't look at the so-called compensation plan; his gaze, like a cold blade, pierced straight at the lawyer.
“We will not issue any form of letter of understanding. Please leave and do not disturb her rest.”
"Miss Xu is having a hard time inside. Do you think your girlfriend will be safe?" the assistant asked.
"What do you mean?" Cheng Boyan asked coldly. From the first day Qiao Lanyue checked into this ward, he had arranged for Fang Xiyi to install a recording device in the corner.
Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
I enjoy reading it. Write more.
The Xu family is wicked! They even dared to threaten us!
Okay, thank you for your comment.
Yes, that's why President Cheng won't give in, and Lan Yue is such a good opportunity! Thank you for your comment.
Mr. Cheng is so charming! He's full of sexual tension, yet he has principles and is tough.
How heartwarming, thank you for your message.
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