23. Undercurrent
Jiang Nan returned to Jiangcheng on the afternoon of the last day of the holiday.
When the plane landed, the sky was hazy, an opaque, slightly opaque gray. As Jiang Nan walked out onto the corridor bridge, she glanced at the night outside, feeling deeply uneasy. She wanted to ask how Chen Yunsheng's rumor-mongering would be resolved, but she felt she had no right to ask since she had already caused trouble.
She walked out of the gate with her suitcase in a panic, and then she saw the driver Zhang Lei waiting there.
"Ms. Jiang, thank you for your hard work on the journey." Old Zhang said a few polite words and was about to take her luggage.
"Thank you, I can do it myself." Jiang Nan smiled, but his eyes subconsciously glanced behind him.
Apart from the hurried strangers, there was no familiar tall figure.
Jiang Nan breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a sense of loss crept into her heart. She forced herself to shake off the dangerous feeling and turned to chat with the driver, Zhang Lei.
But as she got into the car, the familiar cool scent of cedar mixed with the smell of leather enveloped her, and she felt a strange sense of nervousness, which broke her feigned calmness. Jiang Nan hesitated several times, and finally pretended to be casual and asked, "Master Zhang, is Mr. Chen busy lately?"
Zhang Lei started the car and replied, "He was very busy. He took a last-minute flight to Singapore yesterday afternoon for a very important meeting." He added briskly, "But he called before he boarded the plane and asked me to pick you up."
"Oh, is that so? That's really troublesome for you." Jiang Nan responded, not knowing what else to say. She turned her head to look out the window, her expression indifferent. The inexplicable expectation in her heart suddenly turned into a needle and turned to pierce herself.
This kind of pain was not heart-wrenching, but it was sharp, enough to make her already slowly shrinking heart lose all its vitality and completely wither away.
Jiang Nan immediately felt her emotions were inexplicably strange. How could someone like him come all the way to pick her up? Last time, she had only benefited from his friend's influence, but she seemed to be relying on him, and she had some inappropriate expectations.
In such silence, the car drove smoothly back to the luxury residential area.
After going upstairs, Jiang Nan calmly entered the password and opened the door to enter the house.
As the darkness filled the room, an air of emptiness and silence came over.
Jiang Nan dragged her luggage into the house and suddenly felt that the scene was a bit similar to her first time here, except that the driver didn't help her with her luggage this time, and she didn't feel as nervous as before. Then, she turned on the light, found her slippers, and glanced around casually.
All the items were kept as they were when she left, meticulous and spotless, as if this place was independent of time, and she was quietly watching everything like a passer-by in the world.
However, when Jiang Nan's eyes swept across the cabinet in the entrance hall, she suddenly found a simple sticky note next to the box full of expired sticky notes. She nervously tore off the sticky note and read it:
Jiang Nan, I have to go abroad for some urgent matters and my return date is uncertain. If you have any trouble, just call me directly.
Don't worry, I'm here anytime.
Chen Yunsheng
Because of this note, Jiang Nan's withered heart suddenly became full of energy, becoming full and round again, almost excited.
She stood quietly at the door for a moment, then gently put the sticky note into the box.
Then, she put the cans of chili sauce and meat jerky she had brought from Jichuan, along with the Jichuan strawberries Wenwen had specifically requested, into the refrigerator. The imported mineral water and premium fruit still neatly stacked in the refrigerator made her things look awkward and out of place, almost overwhelming the main attraction.
——
Jiang Nan did not sleep well that night.
Her dreams were filled with recurring scenes of her colleagues pointing fingers at her, the gloating faces of Peter and Wang Paopi, and Chen Yunsheng's cold and bored eyes.
It can be said that she was awakened by a nightmare in the morning.
This uneasiness extended to Jiang Nan's choice of clothing.
She stood in front of the wardrobe, staring at the velvet box containing the jade bracelet for a long time before making a decision.
She deliberately chose the most conservative and low-key commuting outfit, and simply tied her hair into a bun. She tried to make herself look more professional, more ordinary, and more impeccable.
But her heart was still shrouded in anxiety.
On the way, Jiang Nan rehearsed various possible rumors and then offered various responses to them. Her responses were sharp, sarcastic, and nonchalant, striving to hit the mark and avoid becoming a tongue-tied, incompetent debater in the middle of an argument.
When she walked into the company building, she almost instinctively straightened her chest and raised her head, being wary of anyone who approached her.
But the reality was very different from what she expected.
In the elevator, she met some colleagues from the same department, who greeted her as usual: "Good morning."
"Well, good morning." She tried to make her smile look natural.
It seemed that everything now was no different from the past. There was no whispering to her, no frequent strange looks, just polite greetings and regards.
Jiang Nan walked to his workstation with a feeling of panic, sat down and turned on the computer.
Li Lan, who was standing next to her, leaned over and handed her a small bag of snacks: "Try it, I brought it from my hometown."
"Thank you, Sister Lan." Jiang Nan took it and felt a little relieved.
It wasn't until Wang Papi came out of the office with a cup of tea, his eyes swept across the office area and finally landed on her that Jiang Nan's heart instantly lifted.
However, Wang Paopi just spoke in his usual uncomfortable manner: "Xiao Jiang is here, which is great. You should deal with the pile of emails. Several clients are pressing for payment."
"Okay, Director, I'll take care of it right away." Jiang Nan agreed quickly, while looking at Wang Baopi's face.
Wang Papi nodded, said nothing more, and walked back to his office.
Jiang Nan was stunned for a few seconds before picking up her phone. Before she could explain the current situation to Wenwen, Wenwen's WeChat message immediately popped up:
How about it?
Is there anything going on?
Followed by an anxiously waiting emoji.
Jiang Nan typed quickly:
Everything was calm, as if nothing had happened.
Wenwen replied to several messages in a row:
???
Is this true or false?
Oh, yes!
Pete's grandson was really quiet as a chicken today. He even took a detour when he saw me. I thought he was up to something bad again.
Jiang Nan glanced at Wang Paopi's office and continued typing:
Wang Baopi didn't mention it, but urged me to work.
Wenwen sighed:
Oh my God, what on earth did Boss Chen do?
Jiang Nan didn't know either.
This complete and utter calm made her feel even more uncertain, as if she was stepping on unknown ice. She didn't know whether the ice under her feet was solid or thin ice that could collapse at any time.
During lunch break, Jiang Nan couldn't help but wander around the company, but found nothing. Frustrated, she went to the tea room to make coffee and happened to overhear two girls from other departments chatting.
"Hey, did you hear? That bootlicker Pete seems to have gotten into some big trouble."
"What's wrong? Isn't he a big hit with Director Wang? He just orders people to make coffee when he has nothing to do."
Another girl laughed and continued, "What's the big deal? I heard he offended someone he shouldn't have offended. It seems like he spread some random words and it got to the real target. I don't know the details, but it's pretty serious anyway. I don't think he'll be here long."
Jiang Nan tightened his grip on the cup, lowered his head, and quickly left the tea room.
In the afternoon, Jiang Nan finally couldn't help but send a WeChat message to Chen Yunsheng, using the words as businesslike as possible:
Mr. Chen, I have returned to Jiangcheng to work.
Thank you for addressing the rumors.
Sorry to trouble you.
Thank you very much.
The message was sent successfully, but it fell on deaf ears. She didn't receive a reply until she got off work.
Jiang Nan took one last look at his phone and started packing up.
Whatever method he had used, at least for now, this hurdle seemed to be over. The lingering feeling of unease finally faded, replaced by a heavy sense of fatigue and a sense of apprehension that he owed a favor to someone important.
She turned off the computer, stood up, and walked towards Wenwen who was waiting on the side. On the one hand, she had to go back and give her the specialties she had brought to her, and on the other hand, the two of them needed to review what had happened recently.
——
Seeing Jiang Nan hurriedly walking towards him carrying something, Wenwen couldn't wait to rush over and give her a bear hug.
"I've been missing this so much! Let me see my spiritual food!" She took the bag, opened it and took a look, taking a satisfied breath. "Yes! This is the taste!"
Jiang Nan looked at Wenwen's exaggerated reaction and couldn't help laughing. Then he said, "I'm sorry, I can't bring you home for a visit."
"I totally understand. Even if you asked me to go up there, I wouldn't dare sit there," Wenwen said, holding her arm as they walked. "I know there's a new pickled fish place that just opened. They say it's super delicious!"
"Okay, it's my treat."
"It's my turn this time," Wenwen raised an eyebrow, "as a human courier's fare for you."
The restaurant was not far away, and the two of them arrived quickly. Since Wenwen had made a reservation in advance, they got a seat without having to wait for a turn.
While waiting for the food, Wenwen finally couldn't help but lower her voice and asked, "How was your day? Did anyone give you any trouble?"
Her face was filled with worry and curiosity.
Jiang Nan shook her head, frowning slightly: "No, it's very calm." She recounted everything she had observed today and the rumors she heard in the tea room.
The more Wenwen listened, the wider her eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, what's going on? What kind of magic did Boss Chen use?"
"I don't know either," Jiang Nan said, stirring the juice in the cup with a straw, his mind in turmoil. "I just called him, and he said he would take care of it, and then it turned out like this."
"How domineering," Wenwen sighed. "Just one sentence and it was resolved? Wang Pa Pi and Peter were also speechless. Your cheap husband... has too much power..."
At this time, the pickled fish came up, steaming hot, and the sour and fragrant smell instantly filled the nose.
But neither of them was in a hurry to pick up their chopsticks.
"But then again," Wenwen leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "this is a bit scary. Nannan, you and him...really, there's nothing wrong with you? We don't seek to gain too much advantage, but we absolutely cannot risk our lives."
Wenwen's words touched upon the vague uneasiness in Jiang Nan's subconscious mind.
Chen Yunsheng's way of handling the matter was so thorough and silent that it made her feel as if she was getting even more deeply involved in some kind of network of relationships that she wasn't aware of yet.
"I guess he's just going to take care of it," Jiang Nan lowered his head and picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks. "For someone like him, this is probably just a matter of a few words, not worth making a fuss about."
"That's right," Wenwen thought for a moment, then nodded. "People from different social classes definitely have different ways of dealing with problems. Forget it, forget it. I won't think about it anymore. Anyway, the trouble has been solved, so it's a good thing! Come on, eat!"
The conversation turned to something more lighthearted. They then began chatting about their high school classmates, mentioning who got married and who even had children.
The two of them ate and chatted, and the atmosphere gradually became cheerful.
As the delicious food went down his throat, the gloom that had been hanging over Jiang Nan's heart dissipated a lot. But in reality, there was still a little doubt and uneasiness buried deep in Jiang Nan's heart.
After witnessing Chen Yunsheng's absolute control over things and his swift and decisive way of doing things, she began to worry about whether she could get away with it after the agreement was concluded.
Because now it seems that this marriage by arrangement, which seemed to be an advantage for her, has far more hidden dangers than she imagined.
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