"Stop talking!"
She hung up the phone.
His body was trembling.
Luan Yenan watched the whole process. Whenever Zuo Baixuan turned her head during that time, she would rush over without any attempt to hide it and stand beside her.
But Zuo Baixuan didn't.
At this moment, Luan Yenan wanted to step through the emergency exit door, give this frail figure a warm hug, and comfort her, telling her that he was there and it was okay.
Luan Yenan knew that even if the emergency exit door in front of him was open, the door in Zuo Baixuan's heart was not.
She was merely a link in Zuo Baixuan's plan, or even a link she obtained by exchanging "freedom".
She could only watch Zuo Baixuan's back from behind through the door.
The moment Zuo Baixuan turned her head, she unleashed her true acting skills.
"You're here too! These flowers are for you. Perfect timing, take them while I go wash my hands." Luan Yenan held up the flowers and handed them to Zuo Baixuan, who had just come in from outside.
Zuo Baixuan couldn't see Luan Yenan's expression, let alone her emotions; it was as if she was wearing a mask.
But aren't I wearing a mask myself?
Zuo Baixuan looked at herself reflected in the glass next to her.
The look of astonishment was still on his face.
One's mask is worn in the heart.
Zuo Baixuan touched her chest, then looked at the bunch of flowers in her hand that had a very peculiar appearance and fragrance, and a slight wavering appeared in her eyes.
This is a bunch of honeysuckle.
Not the kind usually used in medicine, but fresh honeysuckle.
Two flowers on one stem, in pairs, looking like a flock of birds attracting each other when viewed from the side.
Among the scattered, fond memories of her childhood, Zuo Baixuan's mother introduced her to honeysuckle.
My mother said that honeysuckle symbolizes true love and represents dedicating love wholeheartedly to you.
When she was little, she didn't understand what these words meant.
As she grew up, she wondered, who else in this world, besides her mother, could selflessly give all their love to one person?
But the moment Luan Yenan handed her the flowers, she felt that, apart from her mother, perhaps only a madwoman could be so wholeheartedly crazy.
A note from the author:
Luan Yenan: I am.
P.S.: Why are my update times getting later and later? (Self-reflection) I'll adjust tomorrow and update promptly at 9 PM (Setting a flag) QAQ
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-06-30 22:49:02 and 2022-07-01 23:30:38!
Thank you to the little angel who launched the rocket: Huoweizhiri (1);
Thank you to the little angel who threw the grenade: Luo Xiao (1);
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: I love sugar 4; Discipline.True Self 3;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Beihai 28 bottles; Yinhe Luojiutian 10 bottles; Jianseqiyi and sho2010 3 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 60
The popular hot pot restaurant has private rooms, but they are not separate rooms; they are simply separated by screens and curtains.
The space was separated, but the sound was not.
It was as if several loudspeakers had been set up, and noise was pouring in from all directions.
But for some reason, when a hot pot is placed in front of me, and the surrounding noises are accompanied by the gurgling sound of boiling water, I become quiet.
Zuo Baixuan was lost in thought while waiting for the hot pot to boil. It took her a while to come out of this indescribable "noisy tranquility" and look up to see Luan Yenan sitting in the mist.
Luan Yenan held chopsticks to his side for a long time, while scrolling through his phone in the other hand.
It's clear she's still very busy these past few days, and today she only managed to squeeze in some time to be with me amidst her hectic schedule. She must be worried about me after what happened.
As if sensing something, Luan Yenan suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up.
The mist in the air and the warm-colored lights from the ceiling cast a soft glow in my eyes.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?"
"Eat up, but you've been looking at your phone the whole time. Aren't you going to eat?" Zuo Baixuan said, taking a spoonful of mutton from the pot, standing up, and placing it across the hot pot into Luan Yenan's bowl.
Luan Yenan simply enjoyed Zuo Baixuan's service, seeing himself reflected in her eyes, growing larger until he filled every space in her eyes.
Seeing that Luan Yenan was staring at her without saying a word, Zuo Baixuan simply kept quiet and gave Luan Yenan some more vegetables.
Luan Yenan waited until Zuo Baixuan sat back down and looked away from her phone. He glanced at the contents of his phone one last time, replied with a couple of sentences, and then put the phone down.
He ate what was in his bowl while looking at Zuo Baixuan.
Zuo Baixuan didn't know if the woman was looking at her like that, hoping to hear something from her. She simply dipped the mutton she had taken out of the pot into the sauce.
She decided to start a conversation. She glanced casually at Luan Yenan's phone, as if it were just a normal chat: "You didn't look too happy when you were looking at your phone just now. Did something bad happen at the company?"
This boss lady is really dedicated to the company; she only asks questions related to the company.
Luan Yenan said casually, "I don't know who introduced this potential business partner. She's a girl from Jiangcheng who claims her family is in the logistics business. She's very interested in the Internet of Things we're talking about and hopes to cooperate with our 'Yituan'. I'm somewhat interested now."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that all our projects are progressing well. Luan Lizheng is actually creating obstacles in various ways, so I can only try to cooperate with other cities first. If it works out, I will personally make another trip to Jiangcheng."
This is what she has been doing all along, and she has explained it to Zuo Baixuan without reservation.
"What's your name?" Zuo Baixuan asked casually.
“Si Ruxin,” Luan Yenan replied.
Zuo Baixuan tightened her grip on the chopsticks, then wiped her mouth with a tissue before giving Luan Yenan a helpless look: "Why would I need that girl's name? Tell me, I don't know who she is. I just want to know what company she works for."
“It really hurts me that you, as my wife, don’t pay attention to the women who get close to me.” Luan Yenan raised her eyebrows.
There wasn't a trace of sadness or distress on her face.
Zuo Baixuan then imitated her, refusing to put in any acting effort, and said in a completely soulless tone, "Aren't I concerned about her family situation right now?"
“I remember, Jiang Lingdan is from Jiangcheng, right? Maybe I’ve heard of her.” Luan Yennan said casually, “But I don’t know the specifics, so I’ve already sent a message to Luo Yun to ask. She has a wider range of information than I do.”
As soon as Luan Yenan finished speaking, his phone vibrated.
Luan Yenan still turned on the speakerphone.
Luo Yun seemed quite excited, and as soon as the call connected, she started chattering away: "Great, Luan Yenan! Si Ruxin! Although she's not as famous as the number one ice beauty in Jiangcheng, she's still renowned for her stunning beauty, and she's an S-class Omega. Lots of Alphas want to get to know her. But she said she wanted to find a 100% compatible Alpha to marry, so how come she's contacting you so quickly? Tsk tsk tsk, just like the ice beauty, she's just making up an excuse! Hey, say something, can't you hear me? It's so noisy on your end!"
Luo Yun was always a fun person.
How could I possibly miss something this fun?
Therefore, her reaction was within Luan Yenan's expectations.
"I heard you, I'm eating hotpot. You can talk, it's fine," Luan Yennan replied, then asked, "How's the strength of her family's logistics company?"
"Let me put it this way! The Si family of Jiangcheng and the Zhong family of Xiamen are somewhat similar. They are both ruthless characters who have suddenly risen to prominence in recent years. They also have a common feature: Si Ruxin's parents, who started from scratch, had a lot of connections during their school days, and both of them have beautiful Omega girls in their families. Many other families are eyeing them! I heard that at last year's Jiangcheng Chamber of Commerce gala, there were always some people from other provinces who went there just to see these two."
As soon as Luo Yun finished speaking, before Luan Yenan could even frown, he heard another serious and dissatisfied voice coming from the other end of the phone.
"Is this the same attitude you're using now?"
I initially thought it was Luo Yun's new girlfriend, and I was upset that Luo Yun was talking about other women, but upon closer listening, I realized it was Secretary Zhang.
That's true. Even if she were Luo Yun's new girlfriend, she probably wouldn't dare to make a big deal out of this funny guy.
"I didn't say anything, did I? I was just stating the facts... Ah, okay, okay, if you don't like it, I won't talk about these gossips anymore."
“It’s not a matter of whether I like it or not, it’s that your mother doesn’t like it. Your mother entrusted me to take care of you. They used to turn a blind eye to you, but now that they really want to treat you as their heir, some things have to be changed.”
"Right now, I'm actually envious of Luan Yenan. She can do whatever she wants. In an interview, she didn't give her own grandfather any face at all. That's really amazing." Luo Yun's amusement hadn't ended yet.
Luan Yenan didn't pretend not to hear and replied, "Because I didn't want to inherit the company."
“You don’t want such a big company? I suspect you’re an idiot!” Luo Yun said, turning to the microphone.
All these years she's played the role of a good girl in front of her elders, isn't it just because she wants to inherit the family business?
This is something that generations have worked hard for; it would be foolish to just throw it away.
Otherwise, Luan Yenan wouldn't have been ridiculed by so many rich kids over the years after being kicked out of the position of heir by Luan Lizheng.
Luo Yun was very clear-headed.
She knows her own limitations. She's good at running a racing team and using her cunning, but it's impossible for her to build a large company entirely on her own.
Even with Zhang Wanjun's support, and luckily seizing the opportunity when Luan Yenan offered himself up, she was still fortunate enough to succeed.
How many people in the world would have a lucky break like Luan Yenan needing funds and having them conveniently delivered to their doorstep? And how many Zhang Wanjuns would even be interested in their meager resources?
Moreover, she was well aware that Zhang Wanjun was essentially following her because she wanted to help Luo Yun become the head of the family business and have more room to maneuver.
However, she soon heard Luan Yenan's next reply: "Because I am not prepared to inherit 'front-end,' I am prepared to acquire it directly when necessary."
Luo Yun remained silent for five seconds before coming back to her senses. In the past, she would have already cursed him out, but now, all of Luan Ye Nan's changes made her just want to roll her eyes.
Only a lunatic like Luan Yenan would dare to say something like that!
Even if respectable people have internal power struggles, they do so within their own homes. They don't start a new company to claim they're going to acquire their own company.
She could only pretend that she hadn't heard a word of Luan Yenan's crazy talk, too lazy to get involved in the fight between the grandfather and grandson.
Even though Zhang Wanjun explained it to her several times, she still couldn't understand why Luan Lizheng was constantly creating obstacles for Luan Yenan's business development.
As for Luan Yecha, that good-for-nothing, he's alright as a technician, but as a manager, he's no match for Luan Yenan. A few days ago, Luan Lizheng took him to do a "front-end" internship, and he almost made a fool of himself by arguing with the department manager.
Luo Yun sighed and said, "Luan Yenan, stop asking about gossip, I'm going to talk to you seriously about company matters!"
"You're quite good at slandering people. Who's interested in gossip? My wife was listening the whole time," Luan Yenan replied.
There was another two seconds of silence on the other end.