Chapter 32 032 She could only ever be his wife.
The weekend went by in a flash.
Besides accompanying Chen Miaoying to the event these past two days, Meng Ran has also been communicating with the owner of the timber store on WeChat.
After comparing and selecting several options, she chose a store she was interested in and initially finalized the type and specifications of the boards.
As an individual customer, Meng Ran ordered small quantities of goods with meticulous requirements, which was not very attractive to brick-and-mortar merchants.
She asked several other shops, and they all seemed rather perfunctory. Some even refused outright after looking at the drawings: "The order is too small, and the requirements are too many. It's too much trouble to work on. We can't take this job."
The owner of this shop was both professional and patient. Faced with her full page of requirements and somewhat complicated design drawings, he not only showed no impatience, but also offered her many suggestions on material selection.
Both parties ultimately agreed that Meng Ran would come to the store on Monday to confirm the details of the raw materials and processes in person.
On Sunday afternoon, Meng Ran asked Uncle Dong to take her to the lumber shop.
The shop owner was a middle-aged woman, and the only female owner among the many timber shops Meng Ran found on WeChat.
The boss in person seemed just as kind and patient as he appeared on WeChat, and kept calling Meng Ran "little girl" when they met.
Meng Ran felt a little embarrassed and told her not to call her that.
The boss insisted, "I'm almost fifty. To me, a girl as young as you is just a little girl."
There weren't many people in the store today, and the owner personally showed Meng Ran several of the boards she had shortlisted.
We went through everything from the texture, grain, and moisture content of the wood to its load-bearing capacity and safety, focusing on whether the boards were suitable for cats to climb on daily and whether they would easily crack or warp.
Meng Ran noticed that the boss was very familiar with the requirements and details of cat trees, and asked her if she had ever taken on a similar order before.
"No." The shop owner smiled. "Your situation is rare. Most families with pets just buy branded ready-made products. Big brands work directly with factories, so small shops like ours don't get a chance."
Meng Ran: "But I think you know quite a bit about pet furniture."
The owner said, "I also have two cats at home, and I occasionally make them a cat bed or something."
“Of course.” The boss pointed to the blueprints in his hand. “None of yours are as complicated. Yours doesn’t look like a cat’s house, it looks like a villa.”
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Actually, this was drawn by my daughter at kindergarten. She calls it the Cat Castle."
The boss was surprised: "You look so young, and your daughter is already in kindergarten? My daughter looks about your age, she just started college, and she keeps telling me that she has no intention of getting married."
After a few casual words, the two returned to their main topic.
After spending two hours confirming the materials for all the parts, Meng Ran discussed the pickup time with the boss.
"You can get all of this done in three days at most," the boss said. "Then you can decide whether you want to come in person or I can send a small truck to your door."
Meng Ran thought for a moment and said, "I'll come over."
Boss: "Alright, the boards you ordered are quite varied. We'll inspect them again in person, so I can fix any problems on the spot."
Meng Ran: "When would be a good time for me to come?"
The owner glanced at the calendar on his phone: "I won't be in the store on Sunday. You can come during the day on Friday or Saturday afternoon."
Meng Ran pondered for a moment: "Then Friday morning, shall we?"
She was going to accompany Chen Miaoying to her physical education class on Saturday, and she was getting a little impatient to wait until next week.
She and Chen Sulin went to pick out rings on Friday afternoon, as the morning was free.
After setting a time, Meng Ran said goodbye to her boss.
In addition to the lumber shop, Meng Ran also needed to go to the hardware store to purchase spare parts.
She confirmed with the shop owner in advance that they had the parts she needed, but the shop and the lumber shop were located at opposite ends of the northern part of the city, and going back and forth would be too tiring, so she planned to go tomorrow.
Meng Ran asked her driver to pick her up and then pick up Chen Miaoying from kindergarten on the way.
Chen Sulin was busy with work, so only she came to pick up her daughter.
On the way home, Chen Miaoying whispered to Meng Ran, "Mom, tomorrow is Dad's birthday."
The little girl was very cautious, speaking close to her mother's ear, and wouldn't even let Uncle Dong, the driver in the front seat, hear her.
Meng Ran played along, whispering back, "Mom knows. I've already prepared the birthday present you asked for, but I haven't let your dad know."
"And you?" Meng Ran teased her deliberately, "You didn't secretly tell your dad, did you?"
Chen Miaoying pouted: "No way! I'm the best at keeping secrets in the world, Mom, don't underestimate me!"
Meng Ran was amused by her appearance and ruffled her hair: "Alright, alright, it's Mom who underestimated our Princess Yingying."
Chen Miaoying was satisfied: "That's right! Mom, you can't let it slip, you have to surprise Dad!"
Meng Ran: "Okay, Mom promises you, let's pinky swear."
We returned home amidst laughter and joy.
Chen Sulin unusually worked overtime at the company tonight and didn't come home for dinner until after 8 p.m.
After saying goodnight to his daughter and leaving the children's room, Chen Sulin called out to Meng Ran.
Meng Ran clenched her fingers: "What is it?"
After last night, being alone with Chen Sulin late at night made her a little nervous.
Chen Sulin: "Tomorrow is my birthday."
Meng Ran was surprised to hear this, and a look of astonishment flashed in her eyes.
Chen Sulin: "Miaoying takes her birthday very seriously. I ordered a cake and will pick her up on time after get off work tomorrow."
“If you’re not busy,” he said, “we can pick her up from kindergarten together tomorrow, and then go home to eat cake.”
Meng Ran: "Okay."
Considering that Tuesday is Chen Sulin's birthday, she made sure to set aside the afternoon and evening of the next day when planning her shopping trip.
Chen Sulin subtly changed the subject: "Did you go to a wood processing shop today?"
Meng Ran: "Mm."
When she asked Uncle Dong to pick her up, she knew that Chen Sulin would find out her whereabouts.
Originally, there was no intention to completely hide it from him. When the processed timber was delivered to his home, Chen Sulin would inevitably be unaware of it.
Meng Ran: "I plan to make a cat tree myself and have the shop customize the wood for me."
As for her plan to try selling in small batches if the results are good, it's still far from being finalized, and she doesn't plan to talk about it for the time being.
Chen Sulin: "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Meng Ran: "I haven't encountered any problems yet, I can manage on my own."
Chen Sulin: "If you need anything later, you can come to me."
Meng Ran: "...Okay."
Deep down, she preferred to do it independently, but there was no harm in agreeing.
She did want to prove herself, but she wasn't so stubborn as to insist on bearing all the difficulties alone.
Chen Sulin nodded: "I still have a few emails to reply to, you should get some rest."
Meng Ran: "..."
Chen Sulin's eyebrows twitched slightly: "What?"
Meng Ran: "It's nothing, you go ahead with your work."
Back in her bedroom, Meng Ran let out a sigh of relief.
Why is she so nervous?
She was actually afraid that Chen Sulin would do something intimate to her again, and she didn't know how to deal with it.
Actually, he's extremely busy with work and has no time to pay attention to her.
...
The following morning, at the Zhao family's old residence.
Zhao Yanzhou was having tea with his mother in the courtyard.
Aside from discussing serious matters, Zhao Yanzhou usually presents a carefree and irreverent image. Only in front of his mother does he consciously restrain his true nature.
From childhood to adulthood, his mother was the person who worried about him the most and treated him the best.
When Zhao Yanzhou was born, his father was already over forty years old. From the time he could remember, he had an older brother who was more than ten years older than him.
Perhaps it was due to her innate personality, or perhaps she realized early on that she could never compare to her outstanding older brother in any way, and that the right to inherit the family business would ultimately not fall to her.
In short, he was rebellious and playful from a young age, and his father was very disappointed in him, scolding him countless times.
Only his mother always stood by his side and never argued with him.
Even seven years ago...
Because of Meng Ran, he had a huge fight with his family. His grandfather, who was nearly ninety years old and still alive at the time, was unusually angry with his grandson.
Only his mother supported him, and despite the pressure, she helped him persuade his father and grandfather not to force him to get engaged to Shang Yue.
Because of this incident, Zhao Yanzhou decided that from now on, he would never let his mother be sad, no matter what.
"Mom," Zhao Yanzhou smiled, "this tea is quite delicious today. Where did you get it?"
Wang Peiyun smiled and said, "You've come to the right place. It's Pu'er tea that your nephew got from your uncle when he went to Yunnan a few days ago."
Zhao Yanzhou raised an eyebrow: "Really? That kid has grown up and become quite sensible."
Wang Peiyun: "Absolutely, time really flies. It's all thanks to your brother having children early; that kid is already eighteen this year, and I can finally enjoy the blessings of having a grandchild."
Zhao Yanzhou took a sip of tea, remaining noncommittal.
He knew that his mother had always wanted him to get married and have children as soon as possible.
Especially in recent years, I have brought up this matter to him intentionally or unintentionally.
He didn't want to disappoint his mother, but he really wasn't interested in those women, so he avoided these topics whenever possible.
Seeing that her son didn't respond, Wang Peiyun slowly stroked the rim of her cup.
"By the way, A-Zhou," Wang Peiyun said, "your Uncle Shang is hosting a banquet in a while, are you really not going?"
Zhao Yanzhou declined, saying, "Mom, I've been too busy lately, I really don't have time."
Upon hearing this, Wang Peiyun sighed softly.
“I know you don’t want to see Shang Yue, so try not to go to events where she’s present,” Wang Peiyun said. “But it’s been seven years. Shang Yue was only twenty years old then. It’s normal for her to be immature at such a young age.”
Zhao Yanzhou smirked: "Ranran was only twenty-three when she broke up with me. How much older is she than Shang Yue? Because of Shang Yue, Ranran lost her job and was kicked out by her landlord. She suffered so much that she shouldn't have had to."
Seeing her son's righteous indignation, Wang Peiyun fell silent.
Zhao Yanzhou realized that he had spoken too harshly to his mother, so he stopped talking and took a sip of tea.
After her son put down his teacup, Wang Peiyun said softly, "A-Zhou, it's not that I'm speaking up for Shang Yue, but you can't blame her for all this. It's Meng Ran's parents who are causing trouble because of money."
Zhao Yanzhou frowned: "That's also related to Shang Yue. If she hadn't complained to Grandpa about Ranran, why would Grandpa have forced us to break up?"
If his grandfather hadn't kept a close eye on him after the incident, preventing him from personally helping Meng Ran, how could Chen Sulin have had the opportunity to take advantage of the situation?
Wang Peiyun: "You can't say that. Even without Shang Yue, what if you wanted to break up later? Meng Ran would still have gone through all those messy things."
Zhao Yanzhou: "Impossible!"
Why would he break up with Ranran on his own initiative?
Seeing this, Wang Peiyun sighed inwardly again.
Over the years, Zhao Yanzhou has never looked for a girlfriend again, and he has rejected all the blind dates arranged by his family, all of which she has noticed.
She didn't think her son was deeply in love with that girl surnamed Meng; she just felt resentful because he couldn't have her.
Her youngest son had grown up in luxury since childhood, and everything he wanted was always within his reach. He had never tasted the bitterness of defeat.
Furthermore, the fact that the girl married her son's childhood friend just a few months after breaking up with him had an even greater impact on him.
Over time, it became an obsession.
If she had known this would happen, she would have let her son date that girl for another two years. After all, her son was still young then and there was no rush for him to get married.
Now the son is almost thirty-one, and the merchant's youngest daughter, Shang Yue, is already twenty-seven.
In recent years, the business has been developing rapidly and its strength has gradually surpassed that of the Zhao family. There are many people in the entire North City who want to form a marriage alliance with the business.
If Shang Yue hadn't been so devoted to her son, she probably would have married someone else long ago.
Wang Peiyun truly felt it would be a great pity to miss out on this marriage.
Thinking of this, Wang Peiyun advised again: "A-Zhou, you must know that everyone has their own fate, and some things cannot be blamed on outsiders."
"Look at Meng Ran. Her mother passed away when she was young, and her father is an incompetent man who has been struggling in a small, run-down city like Yunxi for decades without making a name for himself. With a family like that, Meng Ran is destined to be entangled in all sorts of messy troubles."
Zhao Yanzhou pursed his lips and remained silent.
He didn't want to argue with his mother, but he couldn't force himself to agree with her, so he could only remain silent.
Zhao Yanzhou silently picked up his teacup and took another sip, then suddenly frowned.
"Mom," Zhao Yanzhou looked at his mother, "how did you know that Meng Ran's father had lived in Yunxi for decades?"
Yunxi is an inconspicuous little city near Shanghai. He only knew about this place because it was Meng Ran's hometown.
Even if her mother heard about Meng Ran's family background from others when her grandfather and father forced her to break up seven years ago, how could she remember Meng Ran's name so clearly for seven years in an obscure small town?
Zhao Yanzhou stared at his mother, his eyes filled with inquiry.
Wang Peiyun's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, then a wistful smile appeared on her lips: "A-Zhou, she was the first girl you liked so much that you wanted to get married. How could I not want to know about her?"
Zhao Yanzhou: "..."
Wang Peiyun: "Alright, Azhou, since you're unhappy, let's not talk about this anymore. You said you've been busy lately, is it about investments? I heard—"
The second half of the sentence was interrupted by a cell phone ringing.
Zhao Yanzhou stood up: "Mom, I'll take this call first."
After walking a few steps, Zhao Yanzhou answered the phone.
It was his friend's voice on the other end: "Yanzhou, I went out to run some errands today and just randomly picked a restaurant to eat at. Guess who I ran into?"
Zhao Yanzhou: "I'm at home with my mom. Stop beating around the bush and just say what you want to say."
"Alright, alright, I'll just say it then," my friend said. "I ran into the one you've been thinking about for so many years, Meng Ran."
Knowing that he disliked the words "Mrs. Chen," his friend addressed him by his given name.
Zhao Yanzhou: "Where?"
My friend gave me the address.
Zhao Yanzhou: "She's alone?"
My friend said, "That's right, there was no one else here! I had just sat down and hadn't even ordered yet when I saw a pretty girl walk in. I was going to strike up a conversation with her since she was alone, but then I looked closer and realized it was her."
"I remember the Chen family's villa is near the city center, right? She came here alone to eat Western food in the middle of the day, I don't know what's wrong with her."
Zhao Yanzhou remained silent for a second.
"Send me your detailed location on WeChat," Zhao Yanzhou said. "Also, keep an eye on her for me. Let me know if she's leaving."
My friend laughed: "Goodness, are you using me as a spy? Is there any benefit to it?"
Zhao Yanzhou: "Take any wine you like from that private club in the west of the city."
Friend: "Okay, it's settled then. I'm eating here anyway, so I'll just help you out."
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yanzhou returned to the seat opposite his mother, but didn't sit down: "Mom, something came up at work, I have to go now."
Wang Peiyun asked in surprise, "They're leaving already? Lunch is almost ready."
Zhao Yanzhou: "There was a last-minute problem with our partner, so I have to go and oversee things personally. Mom, I'll spend more time with you in a couple of days if I have the chance."
...
In the morning, Meng Ran ordered the parts at the hardware store.
Since the specifications of the accessories are fixed, unlike the secondary processing of the boards which is prone to errors, she simply asked the shop owner to mail the items to her home.
After traveling such a long distance for two consecutive days, Meng Ran finally finalized the main and secondary materials and chose a decent-looking Western restaurant to treat herself.
After leisurely finishing lunch and paying the bill, my phone rang in my pocket. It was Jiang Yuqing calling.
Meng Ran answered: "Hello?"
"Ranran!" Jiang Yuqing asked, "Where are you now?"
Sensing the anxiety in Jiang Yuqing's tone, Meng Ran replied, "I came out to buy hardware accessories today. I'm in the north of the city. What's wrong?"
Jiang Yuqing: "My mom twisted her back on her way back from picking up a package at the delivery station. She can't move at all. I told her to call an ambulance, but she won't. I'm so worried! I'm in a meeting with my boss in the suburbs today. Even if I rush back right away, it will take at least two hours. Could you go check on my mom for me?"
Without hesitation, Meng Ran said, "Send me the address of your mother's apartment complex and her apartment number."
Jiang Yuqing: "Okay! I replaced the lock for my mom with a combination lock, and I'll send you the password!"
Meng Ran: "Okay, don't worry, I'll go take Auntie to the hospital right now."
Jiang Yuqing: "That's great, thank you Ranran!"
Meng Ran: "It's okay, you can come back after the meeting. I'll take care of things here."
After hanging up the phone, Meng Ran entered the address Jiang Yuqing had sent into the app; it would take about twenty minutes by taxi to get there.
Calling Uncle Dong to pick me up would definitely waste even more time.
After thinking for a moment, Meng Ran first called Uncle Dong and asked him to drive his car to that residential area to wait for her.
Then he hailed a taxi and headed towards the neighborhood where Jiang Yuqing's mother lived.
When I arrived at the building, Uncle Dong had just arrived as well.
Meng Ran asked Uncle Dong to wait for her while she went upstairs and opened the door.
Jiang's mother was leaning against the sofa in the living room, her upper body slightly forward, one hand on her waist.
Two unopened delivery boxes were lying on the ground not far away. One of the boxes, which contained laundry detergent, was tilted to the side, probably because the person had strained their back while moving the box.
Hearing the door open, Jiang's mother looked up: "Ranran, it's you. Yuqing is really something. I told her I was fine and just needed to rest, but she wouldn't listen and even told me to call an ambulance."
"Calling an ambulance for twisting your waist is embarrassing enough if word gets back to the neighbors."
As she was saying this, Jiang's mother tried to change her position, but as soon as she moved, she hissed in pain.
Meng Ran quickly walked over and held her arm to stop her from moving: "Auntie, it's easy to develop a chronic back injury if you try to tough it out. Yuqing will have to hire someone to take care of you then. I've already called the family driver. The car is downstairs. Let's go to the hospital for an X-ray. It'll be quick."
Jiang's mother was a strong-willed woman, and even after hearing the news, she was unwilling to go, saying that she didn't want to trouble her or waste money.
Meng Ran tried to persuade him several more times, and finally managed to convince him.
She called Uncle Dong up, and the two of them helped Mother Jiang into the car.
Although Uncle Dong did not know the cause and effect of the matter, he could roughly guess what had happened based on the situation.
“Madam, how about we go to a private hospital?” Uncle Dong suggested. “There are fewer people there, and the treatment will be faster.”
Before Meng Ran could reply, Jiang's mother refused repeatedly: "No, no, no, there's a People's Hospital nearby, we can go there. Private hospitals are expensive, and the doctors aren't necessarily as good as those in public hospitals."
After finally persuading Jiang's mother to get into the car, Meng Ran didn't want to cause any more trouble.
So she said to Uncle Dong, "Let's go to the People's Hospital."
Half an hour later, at the People's Hospital.
Meng Ran sat with Jiang's mother in the waiting area of the emergency room.
The nurse came out and asked a few simple questions, then told them that there were two patients ahead of them and they might have to wait a while.
While waiting, Meng Ran told Jiang Yuqing about the situation on WeChat, reassuring her that the person had been successfully taken to the emergency room.
Jiang Yuqing replied that she was already on the highway back and should arrive around five o'clock.
After putting down her phone, Jiang's mother quietly nudged Meng Ran's arm.
"Ranran," Jiang's mother said softly, looking at Uncle Dong standing not far away, "look how much this is taking up his time. Why don't you let him go back and rest first? The two of us can stay here."
Meng Ran understood that Jiang's mother was strong-willed and didn't want Uncle Dong, whom she didn't know well, to accompany her for a long time, so she asked Uncle Dong to go back to the car and wait, and to call him if needed.
Whether it was good luck or something else, as soon as Uncle Dong left, a doctor called them in.
Meng Ran and Jiang's mother exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.
The nurses just said it would take a while, but they called them so quickly.
However, it would be good to see a doctor as soon as possible, so Meng Ran didn't think too much about it and helped Jiang's mother to the clinic.
The doctor was very patient and polite, carefully inquired about the situation, and asked Jiang's mother to get an X-ray.
...
At the hospital entrance, Uncle Dong dialed his boss's private phone number.
When his wife asked him to go to the community, he had already reported it to General Manager Chen once, but at that time he did not know exactly what his wife wanted him to do.
This time, Uncle Dong explained the details of how he brought his wife to the hospital.
Chen Sulin said "I know": "You are on standby at any time. Go and help her if she needs it."
"Okay," Uncle Dong replied. "Oh, by the way, Mr. Chen, there's one more thing..."
Chen Sulin: "Speak."
Uncle Dong hesitated: "I just saw a silver Maybach in the parking lot...it looks like the car of the second young master of the Zhao family."
There are already few luxury cars in public hospitals, and since that Maybach happened to drive into the parking lot one after the other, Uncle Dong couldn't help but take a few extra glances.
After leaving the hospital, he made a point of checking the license plate number again, and it was indeed Zhao Yanzhou's car.
Uncle Dong: "There's no one in the car now. That second young master should already be in the hospital..."
After hesitating for a moment, Uncle Dong swallowed back the second half of what he was about to say.
What a coincidence! The second son of the Zhao family just happened to arrive at the People's Hospital at this exact moment.
He had some doubts, but he didn't dare to speculate about his wife, and he didn't want to upset President Chen.
Uncle Dong changed his question: "Mr. Chen, should I go back to the hospital and look for Mr. Zhao?"
The man on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds: "No need."
After a pause, Chen Sulin added, his tone becoming more serious: "Keep an eye on the situation at the hospital, and report to me immediately if anything happens. As for that car, just pretend you didn't see it."
In the office, Chen Sulin put down his phone, his expression gloomy.
If he stops her from meeting someone she wants to meet once, he will stop her a second time.
He couldn't control who she was thinking about, whose birthday she remembered, or who she was willing to carefully choose a gift for.
There's only one thing he can do.
No matter who the person in her heart is, she can only ever be his wife.
...
Meng Ran waited outside the radiology department for Jiang's mother to have her X-ray taken, her phone vibrating in her pocket.
She thought it was Jiang Yuqing sending another message, but when she opened it, she realized it was from Chen Sulin.
Chen Sulin: [I heard from Uncle Dong that you're in the hospital?]
Meng Ran: [Yes, Jiang Yuqing's mother twisted her back, so I accompanied her to the emergency room.]
Chen Sulin: [Have you taken a liking to it? Do you need any help?]
Meng Ran: [No need, we were lucky today, the doctor let us in quickly.]
Meng Ran: [They said it's not serious, but just to be on the safe side, let's get another X-ray to confirm.]
Chen Sulin: [Shall I pick you up after this?]
Meng Ran thought for a moment and typed: [Jiang Yuqing might not be back until after 5 o'clock. I have to stay with Jiang's mother before then. If you come, neither of us will be able to pick up Miaoying in time.]
Meng Ran: [I promised Miao Ying I'd pick her up, but now nobody's going. She must be so heartbroken.]
Meng Ran: [You go pick up Miaoying first. I'll go straight home from the hospital, and we'll meet at home.]
This time, it took the other end a minute to reply: 【Okay.】
...
Evening, at the kindergarten gate.
Chen Miaoying came out of school excitedly, but looked around in confusion when she saw her father.
"Dad," Chen Miaoying asked, "didn't you say this morning that you and Mom would come to pick me up today?"
Chen Sulin said gently, "Mom has something important to attend to, so Dad has to come pick you up. Mom will eat cake with us after she's done."
Chen Miaoying pouted.
She's a sensible child; she knows she shouldn't be angry with her mother at this time.
But today is her father's birthday, and she has been looking forward to it for so long. Her mother had promised to come and pick her up.
Chen Miaoying couldn't help but ask, "What's so important? Is it more important than Dad?"
Chen Sulin: "..."
Chen Miaoying looked at her father strangely. Why wasn't he saying anything?
"Dad?" she called again.
Chen Sulin seemed to come to her senses, and bent down to touch her daughter's head: "A good friend of mine fell down and hurt herself so badly that she couldn't walk. I went with her to the hospital."
Chen Miaoying responded with an "Oh".
Chen Sulin added, "If you fell down and were in so much pain that you couldn't get up, and there were no parents around, wouldn't you also wish that a good friend would come to help you?"
Chen Miaoying thought for a moment and nodded: "I understand. My teacher taught me that when others encounter difficulties, we should try our best to help them."
Chen Sulin: "Are you still angry with your mother?"
Chen Miaoying: "I'm not angry anymore. Mom is kind and brave; she went to help those in need!"
Chen Sulin: "Okay, let's go home together and wait for Mom to come back so we can eat cake, okay?"
Chan Miu-ying: "Okay!"
...
The silver Maybach was parked in a secluded corner of the parking lot. Zhao Yanzhou leaned back in his chair, fiddling with a piece of cardstock in his hand.
He had looked at the four characters "平安顺遂" (peace and prosperity) on the screen countless times.
Every time, I can't help but imagine what her expression was when she wrote those four words, and what kind of feelings she had for Chen Sulin.
She definitely didn't love him; it was just gratitude, and that so-called gratitude was built on lies.
She was the one she truly loved.
However, Chen Sulin was right when he said that if he appeared in front of Meng Ran without any preparation, he would only push her further away.
He had to wait for the most opportune moment and the most suitable place to appear before her.
This time, all he could do was contact the hospital's emergency room for her and watch over her from a distance, staying with her until she left.
But one day...
He will stand openly and honestly beside her.
...
It was nearly six o'clock when Meng Ran finally returned to the villa.
Chen Sulin has already picked up Chen Miaoying and taken her home.
Upon seeing her mother return, Chen Miaoying rushed to greet her: "Mom! You're finally back!"
Meng Ran bent down and pinched Chen Miaoying's cheek: "I'm sorry, Mom had something come up today and couldn't pick you up from kindergarten."
Chan Miu-ying: "It's okay, Mom. Dad told me that you were trying to help others, you didn't do it on purpose!"
Meng Ran gave Chen Sulin a grateful look.
Chen Miaoying couldn't wait to drag Meng Ran to the restaurant.
The cake had been set out in advance, with a few candles sticking out of it, crooked and crooked, clearly the work of Chen Miaoying.
At Chen Miaoying's urging, Chen Sulin lit the candles.
Chen Miaoying ran to turn off the restaurant lights and urged her father to make a wish.
After making her wish, Chen Miaoying tried her best to wink at her mother.
Meng Ran couldn't help but laugh.
"Excuse me," she said to Chen Sulin, "the gift is upstairs. You and Miaoying wait for me."
As she spoke, Meng Ran went upstairs and took the pen and gift box that she had placed in the bedside table drawer downstairs.
It was the first time Meng Ran had given Chen Sulin a proper gift, and she felt a little awkward.
"Happy birthday," she said softly, handing the box to Chen Sulin.
The man took the gift box, his gaze lingering on the outer packaging for a long time, lost in thought.
Meng Ran grew increasingly puzzled.
Does he not like this brand? Or does he not like fountain pens as gifts?
Meng Ran couldn't help but explain: "I asked Miao Ying what you liked, and she said you liked working, so I went to the store with Jiang Yuqing and picked out this pen. Oh right, the shop assistant said it could be engraved, so I wrote a few words and had them engraved inside the cap."
Chen Sulin remained silent.
Meng Ran couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"
Chen Sulin finally looked up and smiled slightly: "Yes, I'll look now."
Meng Ran stared blankly at the man's smile.
He seemed...quite happy?
Why didn't he say anything just now?
Surely he couldn't be... so happy he went crazy?
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