Chapter 22-022 "You know this kind of person very well?"
After returning home and having dinner, Chen Miaoying went to her English class according to her schedule.
As far as I can remember, Chen Miaoying had to take English classes at least twice a week, so she was a child who was connected with the international community from a young age.
Meng Ran once sat in on the class for ten minutes out of curiosity and found that although the content was simple and easy to understand, and was a fun combination of cartoons and reading and writing games, the professionalism of the teacher was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Those who can be hired as tutors for wealthy young ladies are certainly not ordinary people.
Meanwhile, Chen Sulin went to his study to handle some work.
Meng Ran discovered that he actually worked overtime quite frequently at night, but it was probably to make it easier to spend time with his daughter, so he usually arranged to complete his work at home in the evenings.
The other two people in the family either go to work or attend classes.
Meng Ran wasn't idle either.
While she was out and about during the day, she jotted down some inspirations that came to her mind in her memo, which she could then organize in the evening.
Another thing is—
Meng Ran looked at the crayon drawing her daughter had given her, lost in thought.
When she got home, Chen Miaoying drew a "Cat Castle" which gave her a new idea.
However, this idea is still in its early stages, and she needs to carefully consider it before she can implement it.
There was a table and chairs in the secondary bedroom, where Meng Ran used to write whenever she felt like it.
But today's task is more demanding, and she wants to find a more suitable place to work.
Logically speaking, the study in this villa is large enough that she and Chen Sulin could work together at the same time, but Meng Ran doesn't want to share a room with him unless absolutely necessary.
After thinking for a moment, Meng Ran took her tablet and paper and pen to the living room on the first floor.
She had noticed before that the open space next to the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows was quite spacious, with tables, chairs, and an adjustable floor lamp, making it perfect for writing and drawing.
That spot happened to be close to the pet room, making it convenient for her to gather materials from the available space.
After moving all her belongings to the living room, Meng Ran focused on her work.
An hour later, Chen Miaoying finished her international education and get out of class was over.
Meng Ran had already heard the "thump-thump" sound coming from the stairs, which she recognized as the impatient footsteps of a child.
However, she pretended not to hear until a pair of chubby little hands covered her eyes.
Aunt Zhang's voice came from beside me: "Madam."
Meng Ran chuckled: The little girl actually managed to convince Aunt Zhang to join her in performing a duo act.
She stopped what she was doing and deliberately dragged out her question, "Who blindfolded me? Was it a talking kitten?"
Chen Miaoying chuckled, quickly moved her hands aside, and scurried over to Meng Ran on her short legs: "It's the little kitten's older sister, Princess Miaoying!"
As she spoke, Chen Miaoying stared curiously at the paper on the table; "Mom, what are you doing? Do you have homework to do like me?"
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Yes, it's homework that Mom assigned herself."
Chen Miaoying said "Oh": "Mom, you talk just like Dad. Dad also said that he would give himself homework."
Meng Ran was surprised: "Really?"
“Yes!” Chen Miaoying nodded vigorously, her little voice enunciating each word clearly, “Daddy said that everyone has their own homework to do. Before you grow up, the homework is assigned by the teacher, but when you grow up, you assign it to yourself.”
Meng Ran's heart stirred slightly.
She had always known that Chan Miu-ying had been well-educated by Chan Suk-lam, but hearing her daughter recount it this way still gave her an indescribable feeling.
She could almost picture the man speaking those words to Chen Miaoying in a gentle, calm voice.
So what is Chen Sulin's "homework"?
How can Hengyue Group continue to grow and strengthen, and remain firmly at the top of the industry for decades to come?
Chen Miaoying's voice pulled Meng Ran back from her thoughts.
"But doing homework is so tiring!" Chen Miaoying said. "Every time the teacher assigns me homework, I have to work really, really hard to finish it. Mom, are you tired? Do you want to take a break?"
Meng Ran was amused by her: "You just want your mom to play with you, don't you?"
Chen Miaoying wasn't annoyed when she was exposed; instead, she smiled and asked coquettishly, "Will Mom stay with me?"
Meng Ran closed the notebook: "Okay, how would you like Mom to spend time with you?"
...
Spending time with Chen Miaoying at the villa until 8:30 pm was equivalent to doing half an hour of high-intensity exercise.
Chen Miaoying's physical education classes were not for nothing. Taking advantage of the fact that the detached villa would not disturb the neighbors, she jumped around in the house the whole time, just like a monkey in a primeval forest.
Meng Ran followed behind. Although she didn't have to go through the same trouble as Chen Miaoying, she still had to stay on her guard at all times to make sure the girl was always within her sight.
When Aunt Zhang came to call Chen Miaoying to take a bath, Meng Ran breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Fortunately, this kind of companionship activity doesn't have to be done every day, otherwise she could easily lose ten pounds without even having to diet.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on her body. While Chen Miaoying was taking a shower, Meng Ran also went back to her room and took a hot shower.
After washing up, we went to the children's room, where Chen Miaoying was already lying obediently in bed, ready to meet the Duke of Zhou (a figure in Chinese mythology associated with dreams).
Because she had just vented her energy, when Meng Ran arrived, the little girl's eyelids were drooping and her tongue was almost unable to straighten.
"Mom, you're here," Chen Miaoying said sleepily. "Baby needs to go to sleep."
Meng Ran smiled and kissed Chen Miaoying's forehead: "Goodnight, baby."
After leaving the children's room, Meng Ran went downstairs to continue her work.
The previous sketch was only half-finished when Chen Miaoying interrupted it.
Meng Ran wanted to finish the drawing while her skills were still sharp today.
Not long after I sat down at the table, I heard footsteps.
Meng Ran looked up and saw Chen Sulin walking over with a plate of fruit.
Chen Sulin placed the plate on the table: "Miaoying said you've been writing here all night."
Meng Ran responded with a slightly flustered "Mmm".
She had never told Chen Sulin about her desire to make money. If he asked, she would probably say it was to fulfill her daughter's wish.
Otherwise, from Chen Sulin's perspective, he would probably think that her little fuss was completely unnecessary.
She couldn't say directly that she wanted to earn her own money so that she could live independently after leaving him.
Meng Ran glanced at the plate of fruit Chen Sulin had brought over, then changed the subject, saying, "Thank you, I was just thinking of having some fruit."
There were three kinds of fruit on the plate, all of which were her favorites.
She picked up a strawberry with a fork and caught a glimpse of the man sitting down on the sofa next to her.
Meng Ran's hand paused.
Why did this person sit down?
Is this because you agreed to treat her like a normal married couple, so you're putting on an act in every way?
Meng Ran coughed and asked, "Are you done with your work?"
Chen Sulin: "Yeah, what about you?"
Meng Ran: "I... I should need another hour or two."
She put the strawberry in her mouth and noticed that Chen Sulin didn't seem inclined to ask what she was busy with.
Chen Sulin glanced at his watch and said calmly, "It will be eleven o'clock in two hours."
Meng Ran glanced at him, unsure of his meaning.
She didn't know when Chen Sulin went to sleep each day, but she figured 11 p.m. wasn't particularly late for an adult.
Needless to say, Meng Ran herself often stayed up until the early hours of the morning, whether she was studying or just starting out at work.
Was he worried that she would come upstairs too late and disturb his and his daughter's rest?
After a moment's thought, Meng Ran was about to say that she would try to speak as quietly as possible.
Chen Sulin: "The housekeeper is already resting. What would you like for a late-night snack? I'll make it."
Meng Ran was dumbfounded.
The last time she looked at Chen Sulin with such surprise was when he suddenly offered to go shopping with her.
Meng Ran didn't know what to say: "You..."
Chen Sulin: "I used to make you midnight snacks when you stayed up late."
Meng Ran almost blurted out, "How come I didn't know?" before belatedly realizing that he must have been referring to the period when she had amnesia.
But she still couldn't believe it.
Even though Chen Sulin said that they had feelings for each other after marriage, in Meng Ran's mind, their relationship was probably limited to "treating each other with respect".
Is it really true that I would personally make her a late-night snack?
Meng Ran almost suspected that the man was just spouting nonsense, taking advantage of her complete forgetfulness to talk rubbish.
Seeing that she didn't respond for a while, Chen Sulin asked again, "What's wrong?"
Meng Ran moved the corners of her mouth: "I..."
I think you're lying to me.
Of course, Meng Ran couldn't say that out loud, so she changed the subject: "I didn't expect that someone like you would actually make a late-night snack yourself."
Chen Sulin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, his tone devoid of emotion: "Someone like me?"
Meng Ran realized that she seemed to be making more mistakes by saying too much.
“You are like this…” she said carefully, “someone from a very wealthy family who has been well taken care of since childhood.”
Chen Sulin looked at her: "You know this kind of person very well?"
Meng Ran: "..."
She thought Chen Sulin might have just mentioned it casually, but since he asked the question, she couldn't help but think of only one answer.
Yes, Zhao Yanzhou never cooks. He can't even tell the difference between salt and sugar, let alone make a late-night snack.
Zhao Yanzhou specifically told her, "Ranran, you don't need to cook when you're with me. We can just enjoy the food together."
Meng Ran twitched the corner of her mouth: "No, I was just saying."
She quickly changed the subject: "What do you usually make for late-night snacks?"
Chen Sulin: "I should know all the foods you like to eat."
Meng Ran was deeply skeptical of his words, and for some reason, a thought of going against him popped into her mind: "Then... fermented rice balls?"
It wasn't that she was deliberately making things difficult for Chen Sulin. This dessert was something her mother often made for her when she was little, and she loved eating it since she was a child.
This dish is not common in the north, and Meng Ran herself rarely eats it after moving to Beicheng.
Chen Sulin: "Okay."
Meng Ran watched the man's retreating figure as he stood up, feeling a sense of unreality.
Do you have any materials at home?
It's so late, it's not convenient to shop online or buy it in person, is it?
So...did he really go and make sweet fermented rice balls for himself?
Could it be that he's just pretending to agree and actually has no intention of doing anything?
Meng Ran didn't come to her senses until the man's figure completely disappeared from sight.
She stared at the plate of fruit in front of her, and involuntarily recalled Chen Sulin's words from earlier.
Someone of Chen Sulin's status would definitely know everything about her background before getting married.
Therefore, he should be well aware that she has never been well-off since childhood and it is impossible for her to know any wealthy people.
As she grew up, the classmates and friends she was relatively close to were all ordinary people, with the only exception being her ex-boyfriend.
So what exactly did he mean by saying, "You know this kind of person very well"?
...
After finally managing to get everything related to Chen Sulin out of her mind, Meng Ran threw herself back into her work.
She wanted to draw a first draft of the cat tree tonight so she could send it to Jiang Yuqing for reference tomorrow.
Chen Miaoying's painting of a "cat castle" inspired Meng Ran, making her want to replicate a similar cat tree in real life.
It wasn't entirely because she wanted to be a good mother; Meng Ran felt more that there might be a business opportunity involved.
Just as Jiang Yuqing said, she has always been interested in painting and design since she was a child.
Moreover, based on her own observations and Jiang Yuqing's statement, the pet economy has developed very rapidly in recent years. Just by browsing her WeChat Moments, she found that more than half of her former classmates now own cats.
In shops on every street corner, even those unrelated to pets, there is often a dedicated shelf for pet supplies, demonstrating the huge market demand.
The pet room in this villa now also has a cat tree, but apart from being made of more sturdy materials than the ordinary ones, its structure and design look quite ordinary.
Meng Ran thought that if she wanted to make money, she might be able to start with pet furniture and supplies.
Of course, all of this is just a preliminary idea; she is just trying it out, and she doesn't know how far it will eventually go.
Perhaps once the design drawings are actually completed and the actual costs of materials and customization are understood, she will find that many of her ideas are unrealistic.
After finishing the last stroke of the drawing, Meng Ran rubbed her neck.
I glanced at the time and realized it was already past eleven o'clock.
She had already eaten the plate of fruit on the table while she was drawing.
And the legendary late-night snack—
Meng Ran looked around and silently curled the corner of her mouth.
They even said things like "she should know everything she likes," but in the end, they just disappeared without a trace.
Meng Ran took out her phone and took a picture of the drawing she had made, then closed her notebook.
Just as I was about to get up, footsteps sounded.
A small white porcelain bowl was placed in front of her.
Meng Ran looked up in surprise and met the man's gaze.
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Author's note: Chen Sulin is a man who can always get jealous from all sorts of tricky angles.
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