Chapter 17 017 "I found this."
Chen Sulin's office is on the top floor of the entire building.
Although Chen Miaoying had been here a few times, neither Meng Ran nor Uncle Dong would feel comfortable letting a five-year-old child lead someone who didn't know the way at all through this high-rise building that housed thousands of people.
Uncle Dong helped Meng Ran contact Chen Sulin's special assistant.
After Chen Miaoying pulled Meng Ran through the revolving doors of the building, they saw a young man in a suit walking towards them.
This was the first time Zhou Cheng had ever seen the legendary wife in person, and his curiosity was practically bursting.
You should know that he has been working with President Chen since he graduated from university. Back then, Miss was just a little girl, but now she's already in kindergarten.
In Zhou Cheng's eyes, his boss was a standout among his peers, a business genius, and a born leader.
After all, Zhou Cheng simply couldn't imagine how someone could possess a meticulous mind, ruthless methods, and unflappable composure before the age of thirty, if not for extraordinary talent.
But even this shrewd, calculating, and ruthless boss, since his wife returned, has witnessed two extremely unusual things happen to him.
First, when the boss received the message from his wife that day, he hung up the phone and canceled all his schedules for the day without saying a word, and took a plane back to China overnight.
Keep in mind that they were abroad at the time to sign a large international contract involving hundreds of millions of dollars.
The two sides had been negotiating this contract remotely for nearly half a year, and any slight mistake could have caused the entire team's efforts over the past six months to go to waste.
Fortunately, Hengyue is strong enough and has an absolute competitive advantage in the industry, so the contract was signed without any major problems.
However, Chen Sulin paid a considerable price for this, ultimately having to give up an extra 10% of the profits to secure the cooperation.
Zhou Cheng knew that, given the boss's accurate prediction of business risks, Chen Sulin must have been aware of these losses from the moment he made the decision to return to China.
But he still couldn't believe that someone like his boss would give up such huge business interests without hesitation for his wife.
The second thing is that the boss, who always has a strong sense of planning and time, actually postponed two meetings within a week due to personal reasons.
Although the boss did not tell him the specific reason for the delay, Zhou Cheng heard from the driver that both times it was for his wife.
The series of unexpected events nearly made Zhou Cheng's curiosity soar to the heavens. The moment he saw Meng Ran, he wished he could install an X-ray scanner on his glasses to analyze her from the inside out and figure out what kind of person she was that could make his boss act so strangely.
However, Zhou Cheng's excellent professional skills prevented him from showing any abnormality. He greeted Meng Ran with a calm smile: "Madam, you've arrived. I'm Zhou Cheng, Mr. Chen's assistant. Uncle Dong has already told me about the situation. I'll take you and Miss upstairs now."
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
Chen Miaoying added in a serious tone, "Assistant Zhou, remember to take us on that glass elevator, okay? I want to show Mom the scenery!"
Zhou Cheng readily agreed, saying, "Okay, I have received President Ying's request. I guarantee I will complete the task."
Meng Ran was amused by their conversation.
Unexpectedly, Chen Sulin's assistant is quite interesting, and he would play this kind of role-playing game with Chen Miaoying.
Moreover, it seems that Chen Miaoying used to frequently visit Chen Sulin's company to see her father, and they had become quite familiar with each other's assistants.
Meng Ran led Chen Miaoying, and the two followed Assistant Zhou into the transparent sightseeing elevator.
For more than a minute, Chen Miaoying kept pulling Meng Ran to look at the scenery in all directions.
Upon reaching the floor where the chairman's office was located, Assistant Zhou led the two into the president's office.
"Mr. Chen is in a meeting. Please wait here for about twenty minutes, madam." Assistant Zhou said. "Don't worry, Madam. These daily meetings, which are controlled by Mr. Chen, always end on time."
Meng Ran nodded and thanked her.
Chen Miaoying waved to Assistant Zhou, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Zhou, bye-bye, Uncle Zhou!"
Except when she deliberately imitates her father and gives orders, Chan Miu-ying is usually a very polite child.
After watching Assistant Zhou leave and close the door, Meng Ran finally took a look at Chen Sulin's office.
Assistant Zhou led her directly into the office. Meng Ran was actually a little surprised, but she didn't show it.
She thought Assistant Zhou would take her to a meeting room or a lounge or something similar.
Meng Ran had no doubt about Chen Sulin's authority in front of his subordinates. The fact that Assistant Zhou dared to do this meant that it was with Chen Sulin's tacit approval.
Although Chen Sulin had given her unexpected trust, Meng Ran decided not to touch anything of his without permission and to stay away from his drawers, cabinets, and computer.
Respect and trust are mutual. If it were her, she certainly wouldn't want her partner to go through her work files.
Compared to Meng Ran's caution, Chen Miaoying looked eager to try.
"Mommy, Mommy!" Chen Miaoying exclaimed eagerly, "I'll show you Daddy's office!"
Chen Sulin's office was a small suite, and its entirety could not be seen at a glance, so the word "visit" was indeed appropriate.
Seeing Chen Miaoying's excited expression, Meng Ran thought that since she had nothing else to do while waiting, she nodded and said, "Okay."
It was supposed to be a tour, but it was really just Chen Miaoying holding her mother's hand and talking about whatever she saw, like pointing to a metal cabinet on the wall and saying, "This is Dad's filing cabinet."
When Meng Ran arrived at the coffee table, she saw two cups on it. The one with the sky-blue cup and the Elsa sticker on it was obviously the owner of.
Sure enough, the next second Chen Miaoying said, "Mom, look, that blue one is my cup, and the black one is Dad's!"
At this point, Chen Miaoying suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, Mom, there's your cup here too!"
Meng Ran looked around in surprise: "Really? Where is it?"
There were clearly only two cups on the coffee table.
Chen Miaoying: "It's not outside; my dad put it away."
Meng Ran: "Are you sure... that's Mom's cup?"
She instinctively couldn't believe it, thinking it was a child making a mistake.
Chen Miaoying became anxious upon hearing this: How could her mother suspect her of lying?
She exclaimed, "I'm sure! Dad told me himself! I even remember where it was; it was in Dad's desk drawer!"
To convince her mother, Chen Miaoying ran to Chen Sulin's desk and tried to pull open the drawer.
Given that Chen Miaoying is among the tallest children her age, she can easily reach the top drawer of her desk by raising her arm, so she didn't need her mother's help.
But Meng Ran was worried that she might accidentally bump her head or fall, so she quickly went over and said, "Mom, come here."
Pulling open the top drawer on the right side of the desk, I immediately saw a white ceramic cup.
Meng Ran took out the cup, but before she could speak, she was interrupted.
Chen Miaoying: "Yes, it's this white cup. Dad said it was the one Mom used to use!"
Meng Ran paused slightly, picked up the porcelain cup in her hand, and examined it for a moment.
Actually, there's nothing special about it; it's just an ordinary cup with a rather elegant design.
Meng Ran had never seen it before; it might have been bought by her later, or it might have been bought for her by Chen Sulin after their marriage.
Just thinking that she was in this room five years ago, drinking water from the same cup she's holding now, still gives Meng Ran a magical feeling of traveling through time, as if she's looking at her past self across time.
Seeing her mother staring at the cup in her hand, Chen Miaoying asked, "Mom, do you want to drink water from this cup? Can I get some water from the water dispenser for you?"
Meng Ran snapped out of her daze and smiled gently: "Can you do it?"
Chen Miaoying: "Mom, don't underestimate me! Dad taught me how to use the water dispenser!"
Meng Ran: "This cup hasn't been used in a long time, so we need to wash it before using it."
Chen Miaoying proudly chimed in, "I can wash cups too! I'll wash them for my mom!"
Seeing her daughter's confident expression, Meng Ran couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm and handed the cup to Chen Miaoying.
While handing it to him, he reminded him, "Be careful, hold the cup steady, walk slowly, and don't run."
Chen Miaoying said confidently, "Mom, don't worry, I'm already a senior kindergarten student, and I'm very capable!"
As she spoke, Chen Miaoying picked up the cup and walked towards the restroom in the inner room.
Meng Ran watched Chen Miaoying go inside before turning back.
Before she could close the drawer, Meng Ran's hand touched the drawer handle, and her fingertips paused.
In the half-open drawer, you can vaguely see a Polaroid photo inside, and the person in the photo...
It seems to be herself.
For a moment, her mind went blank. Before Meng Ran could figure out what was going on, her hand had already taken the photos out of the drawer for her.
The person in the photo is indeed her, and the location where the photo was taken is clearly where she is now—Chen Sulin's office.
Meng Ran held her breath and brought the photo closer.
The outline of her eyebrows and eyes in the photo is almost exactly the same as it is now, only the expression on her face is so unfamiliar that it makes her heart tighten.
Compared to most women her age, Meng Ran is not particularly enthusiastic about taking photos.
When she was little, she really liked taking pictures. She remembers that back then, cameras still used film, and her mother always liked to hold up an old-fashioned camera and have her pose in various ways in front of parks and scenic spots.
After her mother passed away, the camera disappeared, and no one took her picture anymore.
Later, people started taking photos with their phones. Occasionally, when her father or stepmother took a picture, she would accidentally appear in the frame and be mocked.
Over time, Meng Ran developed a habit of consciously stepping aside whenever she saw a camera.
In situations where she had to be on camera, her expression always seemed somewhat stiff.
But the Polaroid camera in her hand right now—
Meng Ran had no idea that she could have such a friendly and relaxed expression when facing the camera.
No one knows her better than she does.
She must have been looking at someone she trusted and liked to have that expression on her face.
Meng Ran could barely think, her fingertips trembling as she flipped the photo over.
On the back of the photograph was her own handwriting, a total of three lines:
Model: Meng Ran
Photography: Chen Sulin
Five months before the baby is born.
...
When Chen Miaoying brought over the clean, filled cup of water, Meng Ran was still in a daze.
She has always believed that there was no affection between her and Chen Sulin in the past, and that their marriage was a matter of mutual benefit.
Everything around her—Chen Sulin's attitude, Jiang Yuqing's words—seemed to confirm her suspicions.
At this moment, this completely opposite perception exploded in her mind like a thunderbolt, leaving her at a loss.
She took the cup and took a sip. Then she heard Chen Miaoying's puzzled voice: "Mom, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Meng Ran forced a smile: "No, Mom is fine."
Unconsciously, his fingertips caressed the photographic paper—
She couldn't resist and pulled the Polaroid photo out of the drawer before closing it, putting it in her pocket.
Chen Miaoying looked at her mother strangely: she only went to get a glass of water, why did her mother seem to have something on her mind?
"Mom," Chen Miaoying asked, "did someone make you angry?"
Meng Ran: "No, Mom really isn't feeling unwell."
Chan Miu-ying: "Then... is it because Mom waited for Dad for too long, so she's tired?"
Meng Ran never expected that children could be so sensitive and persistent.
For the time being, she couldn't adjust her expression to be flawless, and she couldn't find a better reason.
He could only nod: "Yes, a little."
Chen Miaoying blinked, thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Mom, wait for me, I'm going to find Uncle Zhou."
Meng Ran: "Hey, wait a minute—"
Before she could stop her, Chen Miaoying had already dashed off to open the door and peer inside.
Assistant Zhou was not far from the office door.
His work ability is usually excellent, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to work for Chen Sulin for so long.
But he really lacked experience when it came to entertaining his boss's wife.
There was nothing he could do; the role simply didn't exist during the nearly five years he worked there.
So after leaving President Chen's office, Assistant Zhou belatedly realized: why didn't he ask his wife if she needed anything before he left?
Assistant Zhou hurriedly turned back, but hesitated when he reached the door.
He had no idea about his wife's personality, nor did he know that going back to bother Meng Ran at this time might upset her.
Just as they were in a dilemma, the office door opened.
Without hesitation, Zhou Cheng jogged over and quickly got to his post: "What's wrong, Miss?"
Chen Miaoying spoke in an adult's tone, "Assistant Zhou, my mother... no, Mr. Chen's wife is looking for you."
Zhou Cheng hurried inside: "Madam, you wanted to see me?"
Meng Ran cleared her throat: "Nothing much, just asking when President Chen will finish his meeting?"
Zhou Cheng immediately replied, "It should be soon, at most five minutes."
Meng Ran: "...Oh."
To be honest, her mind was still a mess, and she found it hard to focus on dealing with other people.
However, Assistant Zhou was looking at her respectfully, seemingly certain that she had summoned him because she had something important to say.
It wouldn't be right to call someone over, ask them a single question, and then send them away.
Meng Ran had no choice but to make conversation: "I haven't asked you yet, how long have you been working for President Chen?"
Assistant Zhou: "It will be five years in two months."
Meng Ran: "I see."
Seeing that the conversation was about to fall flat, Meng Ran remembered the topic she had discussed with Jiang Yuqing during the day: "By the way, do you know... is President Chen allergic to cat fur?"
Zhou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his wife's hesitation was not because she was dissatisfied with him, but because she was concerned about President Chen's health.
“Mr. Chen was indeed allergic to cat fur a few years ago,” Assistant Zhou said. “But don’t worry, when I first started working for Mr. Chen, he had already undergone desensitization treatment for a period of time. Now the treatment is complete, and Mr. Chen can interact with pet cats normally.”
Meng Ran was stunned.
She felt as if she had touched upon some truth, but her thoughts were in a jumbled mess and she couldn't make sense of them.
Chen Miaoying, standing next to her, also seemed to understand but not quite.
Some of the words her mother and Uncle Zhou used were so complicated that she couldn't understand them.
Just as she was about to ask, Assistant Zhou suddenly said, "Madam, Mr. Chen's meeting has ended. He should be here in a few minutes. I won't disturb you and Miss any longer."
The wife and daughter-in-law were preparing a surprise for the boss, and he couldn't possibly be the third wheel.
Zhou Cheng wisely left the scene quickly.
Looking at the office door that Assistant Zhou had casually closed, Meng Ran felt a surge of panic: she hadn't had time to compose herself.
But turning around and running away at this point is obviously not realistic.
Moreover, Chen Miaoying was with her.
...
Two minutes later, though brief, felt like an eternity. The office door was pushed open.
As soon as the door opened, Chen Miaoying rushed over and hugged Chen Sulin's leg.
"Dad, surprise!"
Chen Sulin patted Chen Miaoying's head, and the father and daughter said something to each other.
Meng Ran was in a state of confusion and couldn't hear what was being said.
It wasn't until the man stood in front of her that she realized Chen Miaoying was no longer in the office.
Only the two of them remained in the office, with Chen Sulin standing just a step away from her.
"Your daughter said you weren't in a good mood," Chen Sulin said, looking at her. "Did something happen during the day?"
Meng Ran shook her head absentmindedly: "No."
Her reaction seemed to make Chen Sulin's eyes even more unfathomable.
Chen Sulin remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, a barely perceptible tension in his voice: "Then...did you see someone?"
Meng Ran: "..."
She didn't know what Chen Sulin meant by asking that question, and she no longer had the energy to think about his implied meaning.
Meng Ran simply took the photo out of her pocket and handed it to Chen Sulin.
“I found this,” she said.
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