Chapter Twenty-Five: The Wealthy Heiress

Once in the hospital room, Cheng Zifeng climbed back into his bed and sent the nanny away.

Wen Jianan understood his intention. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him with a gentle smile. "What did you want to tell me, Xiaofeng?"

She could not help but reach out to smooth the hair she had ruffled on his head, but Cheng Zifeng caught her hand instead.

His eyes were clear. "Auntie, are you the wife that Grandma and Grandpa found for Dad?"

Wen Jianan was taken aback, then amused by the word "wife."

"You’re only so young; do you even know what a wife means?"

"I know. A wife is someone who will spend her whole life with Dad," Cheng Zifeng said with great seriousness, displaying a maturity that belied his years.

Wen Jianan reflected on her own childhood. She hadn't been that mature; she had been like a wild monkey, climbing trees and digging holes. Because her parents doted on her, she lived a carefree life. But Cheng Zifeng was clearly different.

In his words and actions, she sensed a subtle sense of caution.

"So, do you not want me to spend my life with your father?"

Cheng Zifeng shook his head without hesitation, denying it. "No, I hope you will spend your life with my dad."

"Why?" Wen Jianan was surprised.

"Because Dad likes you, Auntie. I saw it yesterday. The way he looks at you is completely different from the way he looked at the other ladies Grandma and Grandpa introduced before." Cheng Zifeng seemed quite proud of this observation.

But a moment later, his eyes dimmed. "If you don't like that Dad has a child, I can stop being his child."

Rationally, Wen Jianan knew that there was likely no future between her and Cheng He, but hearing Cheng Zifeng say this, she was emotionally moved, her heart aching deeply.

"I know everyone thinks I'm a burden," Cheng Zifeng said with a small smile, letting go of her hand.

He was seven years old, already so sensible.

Wen Jianan felt as if a heavy stone had been lodged in her chest, making it hard to breathe. She had not expected a child so young to be this sensitive.

After a moment, she took his thin, small hands in hers again, infusing her touch with a healing warmth. "How could that be? Auntie thinks you are very likable."

A faint light flickered in Cheng Zifeng’s eyes. "Really?"

Wen Jianan nodded firmly.

The two smiled at each other, unaware of the person standing at the door.

Li Yuxiu felt as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer. A surge of turbulent emotions washed over him, leaving behind nothing but an indelible sense of complexity.

He instinctively reached for his phone to make a call, but in the end, he only twitched his fingertips and did nothing.

He gave a bitter smile and turned to leave before anyone noticed him.

***

Not long after, Wen Jianan came out.

Back at the apartment, it was already late. Wen Jianan handed the documents to Xiao Jiang and returned to her room.

There was still work to be done, but Xiao Jiang and the others saw that she was in a foul mood and dared not speak up.

Yet, fifteen minutes later, Wen Jianan emerged from her room again.

The preoccupied woman of fifteen minutes ago seemed to have vanished into thin air, replaced by her usual efficient and capable mask.

"Let’s continue," she told Xiao Jiang and the others.

The group looked at each other, astonished by the speed of her transformation.

Following that day, Wen Jianan was tied up with various chores at work, working late into the night for two consecutive days, leaving her no time to deal with her situation with Cheng He.

On Saturday morning, she attended the old dean's funeral and then headed to Kunteng.

There was an impromptu meeting today, organized by Li Yuxiu.

When Wen Jianan arrived, the small conference room was almost full. She scanned the room quickly.

Li Yuxiu had not appeared yet.

She had hoped to slip in unnoticed, but her striking beauty and undeniable cool-headed aura drew everyone's attention.

After sitting down next to Chen Ling, Wen Jianan tucked her chestnut-brown hair behind her ears. Noticing people staring, she gave a sheepish, light cough.

Soon after, Li Yuxiu appeared.

The moment he stepped into the conference room, he noticed Wen Jianan. His eyes darkened, becoming bottomless.

The meeting lasted for three hours. By the end, everyone was exhausted.

Wen Jianan couldn't help but quietly stifle a yawn.

At that moment, Li Yuxiu finally announced the end of the meeting.

Relieved, everyone packed their things. Just as they stepped out of the conference room, they saw a woman walking toward them.

Wen Jianan and the others had just packed up and hadn't left yet when they heard a chorus of gasps at the door.

Li Yuxiu was still there. As the group looked toward the sound, the footsteps stopped right at the conference room entrance.

The woman wore a Burberry plaid dress, carried a signature Hermès Birkin bag, and wore high heels. She had a distinguished temperament, exuding the aura of a wealthy socialite—the kind who was both intelligent and poised.

People at the door instinctively made way for her, allowing Wen Jianan a clear view of her appearance.

She was momentarily stunned, as she had known they would meet sooner or later, but she hadn't expected it to be this soon, or this sudden.

***

"Surprise, Ashiu."

Jiang Wenfei's smiling gaze landed on Li Yuxiu's face. After greeting him, her eyes quickly fixed on Wen Jianan among the crowd.

"Miss Wen, long time no see."

She didn't seem surprised at all, as if she had known Wen Jianan would be there.

Fortunately, Wen Jianan had nothing to be guilty about. She didn't speak, but gave a faint nod in response.

Li Yuxiu quickly pulled himself out of the reality of Jiang Wenfei's sudden return and gave Wen Jianan a fleeting look.

The surrounding people’s gazes darted back and forth between the three.

Xiao Jiang leaned toward Chen Ling, whispering, "Sister Ling, why do I smell something unusual?"

"Do you? I don't smell anything. What kind of nose do you have?" Chen Ling teased.

Xiao Jiang shot her a glare.

"Everyone, you may leave," Li Yuxiu finally spoke.

Just as the group was about to leave, Jiang Wenfei called out to them. Smiling with the air of a lady of the house, she said, "Thank you all for working overtime on a weekend. I’ve ordered afternoon tea; it will be here soon. Everyone, please have some."

She looked at Wen Jianan and the others. "I assume you are Miss Wen, representing the partner company, Feidu, for this new project, right? Please stay and have some as well. I hope everyone will do their best to cooperate with Kunteng to make this project a success."

"I ordered a lot, so you must eat. Otherwise, you wouldn't be giving me face."

The refusal stuck in Wen Jianan's throat. After checking with Chen Ling and the others, she nodded. "Then thank you, Miss Jiang."

Wen Jianan then signaled for the others to pack up quickly and left the conference room, thoughtfully leaving the space to Li Yuxiu and Jiang Wenfei.

Throughout the entire process, she didn't look at Li Yuxiu once, her expression so calm it was unbelievable.

"Why are you back so suddenly? You didn't tell me."

The conference room fell silent, leaving only Li Yuxiu and Jiang Wenfei. His brows were furrowed imperceptibly, as if he were interrogating her.

Jiang Wenfei merely chuckled. From start to finish, her smile never faded; her poise seemed carved into her bones.

"There were some family matters, a last-minute decision, so I didn't have time to notify you. Did my sudden return ruin something for you?"

"That’s not what I meant."

Li Yuxiu disliked the way she spoke—like his mother, full of passive-aggression and thorns, which made people feel repulsed.

Jiang Wenfei nodded indifferently. As she chuckled, she glanced in the direction where Wen Jianan had left.