Chapter 26: The Proprietress

The appearance of Jiang Wenfei was undoubtedly like a depth charge dropped into the calm waters of the Quantum branch office.

Xiao Jiang, who possessed a formidable talent for gossip, quickly mingled with the client’s staff and ferreted out her identity.

"One of the partners at Quantum?"

This was something Wen Jianan had not anticipated. It turned out that after they parted ways all those years ago, Liang Yuxiu had gone abroad with Jiang Wenfei to establish Quantum Technology.

In that case, their current relationship was likely even more intimate than she had imagined.

Wen Jianan couldn't quite put a name to the feeling in her heart. Grief and sadness were no longer relevant; after all, she and Liang Yuxiu were a thing of the past. Perhaps for someone as outstanding as Liang Yuxiu, only someone equally brilliant, with a family background to match, like Jiang Wenfei, could be a suitable match. As for herself, she could neither offer him any assistance nor would she ever have a place in his life plans.

Xiao Jiang nodded and continued sharing the information she had gathered with her colleagues. By this time, they had already enjoyed the afternoon tea Jiang Wenfei had treated them to and were walking out of the Quantum building.

"She’s not just a Quantum partner. Rumor has it that the senior management at Quantum accepts her as the 'lady of the house,' and they say she’s here this time to conduct a surprise inspection."

"An inspection of what?" a male colleague asked, looking confused.

Xiao Jiang rolled her eyes at him. "What else could she be inspecting? Obviously, all the 'butterflies and bees' around Director Liang. Put yourself in her shoes—if your girlfriend were in a long-distance relationship with you for so long, would you feel at ease?"

The male colleague shook his head decisively.

"Exactly. And I suspect that this Director Jiang has already identified a target since she got back," Xiao Jiang said, adjusting her glasses with the poise of a master detective.

"Who?"

"Team Leader Lin from the Quantum operations department. I lagged behind a few steps earlier and saw Director Jiang call her into the office."

Xiao Jiang sounded certain.

Everyone simultaneously recalled the time Liang Yuxiu had invited them out for dinner and the gym session. No one had been comfortable going back then, except for Lin Li and two male colleagues. It seemed they had been targeted quite quickly; it appeared that Director Jiang had eyes and ears in the country! Furthermore, she seemed highly possessive, leaving no room for others to lay a finger on her man.

The women in the office collectively decided that, from now on, they would keep their distance from Liang Yuxiu.

Wen Jianan felt the same way. However, she believed her involvement this time was purely for work, devoid of any personal feelings, and thus her conscience was clear.

Yet, Jiang Wenfei still sought her out.

It was on a Sunday morning. Wen Jianan was in her room looking up information when she received a call from an unfamiliar number. She assumed it was a courier, as the parcel sent by Tan Fang was scheduled to arrive that day. To her surprise, when she answered, it was the voice of Jiang Wenfei.

"Miss Wen, it’s me."

She wanted to meet with Wen Jianan. Although her tone was gentle, it carried an air of refusal that left no room for negotiation. Knowing that Jiang Wenfei had already sought her out, Wen Jianan realized there was no avoiding it.

After setting a time, Wen Jianan tidied herself up and arrived at the café half an hour later.

"Miss Wen, I didn't know what you liked to drink, so I haven't ordered for you yet. Please, take a look." Jiang Wenfei smiled and handed over the menu.

Wen Jianan nodded, called the server, and ordered an oat latte.

Until the server walked away, Jiang Wenfei kept her eyes on Wen Jianan with a constant smile. How to put it—it was proper, but subconsciously, Wen Jianan didn't find her very polite. It was just like it had been years ago. She had never felt any affection for people like Jiang Wenfei, yet her own demeanor remained courteous.

"Miss Jiang, you asked to meet with me—is it just to stare at me like this?"

"Of course not." Jiang Wenfei took a sip of her coffee. "I didn't expect Quantum would ultimately choose to work with your firm. It’s truly a coincidence—after all this time, you and Ah Xiu have met again, and you're even working together..."

Wen Jianan’s expression grew cold as she interrupted her. "And so? What is it you want to say, Miss Jiang? You might as well be direct."

The corners of Jiang Wenfei's mouth stiffened, though she tried to hide it.

"Very well. I’ll get straight to the point. Our families have decided to put our engagement on the agenda. I know that since he’s back, you two were bound to meet again, and I allowed him to return because I trust him, so I don't mind. But you know his parents."

"Miss Wen, I haven't told Uncle and Auntie Liang about these matters yet, so I hope you can voluntarily withdraw from this project. Of course, the project will still be handled by your company, just by someone else. What do you think?"

She spoke slowly, without any overtly insulting language, yet Wen Jianan felt as though she had been slapped across the face; her cheeks burned. She gritted her teeth in silence and steadied herself. "Liang Yuxiu and I have been divorced for a long time. This is strictly for work."

"But you promised Auntie Liang back then that you would never set foot in Yancheng again."

"I said, it is for work. Before this, I didn't know Liang Yuxiu was in the country, let alone that he was the person in charge at Quantum." Wen Jianan’s expression turned icy. "I don't have the power to reach the heavens, nor do I have the ability to foresee the future."

The server arrived with the coffee, and Jiang Wenfei stopped speaking. Perhaps sensing that Wen Jianan was impervious to her pressure, her own expression lost its earlier softness.

Wen Jianan took a sip of the hot coffee, her emotions settling down somewhat. She did not want to be entangled in any more trouble; she only wanted to do her job well.

After careful consideration, she brought up Cheng He. "Miss Jiang, you and the Liang family can rest assured. I have a boyfriend now; there is absolutely no possibility of anything happening between Liang Yuxiu and me again."

Jiang Wenfei clearly had not expected this, and her face showed surprise. "Really? Is he from Yancheng as well?"

"Yes, and you know him," Wen Jianan said calmly, stating Cheng He's name.

After making her stance clear, she didn't wait to see if Jiang Wenfei believed her or not; she simply stood up and left the café. She knew how much they had hoped for her to divorce and separate from Liang Yuxiu back then. It was only natural that seeing her close to him now would make them suspicious of every shadow. But she was upright and had nothing to fear.

On the way back, she received another message from Cheng He. He had been reaching out to her frequently these past few days, but she hadn't replied because she was busy. Today, finally having some free time, she had run into this unpleasant business instead. The more Wen Jianan thought about it, the more annoyed she felt.

Just then, the package from Tan Fang arrived.

Wen Jianan pondered for a moment, then called Cheng He back to ask where he was. Upon learning that he was at the hospital looking after Cheng Zifeng, Wen Jianan said, "I'll come over in a bit."

Cheng He sounded delighted.

Wen Jianan thought that their little charade would have to continue for now, and she needed to get on the same page with Cheng He.

She returned to her apartment intending to retrieve the parcel Tan Fang had prepared for Cheng He and take it to the hospital. To her shock, when she entered, she was stunned. Tan Fang had sent over dozens of pounds of goods; the courier box was so large it could almost fit two Wen Jianans inside.

Chen Ling, standing nearby, described it vividly: "The two delivery guys could barely carry it up. Your mother really went all out."

It was as if she was terrified her daughter would starve to death in Yancheng, Wen Jianan thought to herself.

After opening the box and finding the portion for Cheng He, she asked a male colleague to help her carry it downstairs, stuffed it into the trunk of a ride-share vehicle, and headed to the hospital.