Volume 1 Chapter 14: Ex-Husband Picks Her Up from Work
“What time do you get off work tonight? I’ll come pick you up.”
This sentence, broadcast through the speaker, reached the ears of everyone present.
The so-called “homewrecker theory” that couldn’t stand the light of day was instantly debunked.
“It seems that Team Leader Ruan’s husband had something urgent come up, which is why he temporarily dropped her off by the roadside.”
“Yeah, and now he’s going back to pick her up.”
“He sounds handsome. Well, of course—our Team Leader Ruan is so beautiful, so her husband must be quite the catch too.”
“…”
The colleagues whispered among themselves, making Gao Yue increasingly irritated. “Who knows if you hired someone to put on a show.”
Ruan Wan: “…”
After a moment, Ruan Wan smiled. “Team Leader Gao, your imagination should be put to writing vertical short dramas—you’d definitely have a bright future. However, you’d better be cautious with costumes, makeup, and props, lest you cause another ‘replacing Chinese culture with Japanese elements’ scandal.”
Gao Yue: “…”
She gritted her teeth. “Fine. Since your husband is picking you up after work today, why not introduce him to us? Let us see what kind of outstanding young man managed to win our Team Leader Ruan’s heart!”
Although the colleagues didn’t like Gao Yue, her words resonated with everyone.
People live for gossip.
They had always been curious about what kind of man could marry Ruan Wan.
After all, the magazine often invited male celebrities and models to shoot covers, during which photos with a high degree of skin exposure were inevitable.
Yet Ruan Wan never blushed or flustered, like a little nun who had renounced worldly desires.
So, what kind of man could make Ruan Wan fall in love? This remained an unsolved mystery at the magazine.
Seeing everyone’s expectant gazes, Ruan Wan nodded. “Alright.”
Gao Yue sneered. “Good, then I’ll be waiting to see!”
The commotion died down.
Only Lin Yuying seemed distracted.
Li Minglan was personally picking Ruan Wan up from work…
Li Minglan’s face frequently appeared in major financial news outlets, so everyone had heard of him to some extent.
Even though the public wasn’t aware of the engagement between the Li and Ruan families, as a fashion magazine, there were always people with connections who knew about high-society affairs.
What if they recognized Li Minglan and discovered Ruan Wan’s identity…
Wouldn’t the “Ruan family heiress” persona she had painstakingly maintained be exposed?!
Instantly, a suffocating feeling enveloped her heart.
Lin Yuying immediately took out her phone and opened Shen Zhizhi’s WeChat.
[Lin Yuying]: Mr. Li is coming to pick up Miss Ruan from work today. It seems their relationship as husband and wife has improved quite a bit. I’m really happy for them~
Time ticked by.
Just before the two-minute mark, she recalled the message.
[Lin Yuying]: Sorry, Senior Shen, I sent the wrong message. It was meant for my mom [tongue-out emoji]
Of course not.
That message was deliberately meant for Shen Zhizhi to see.
As a junior who attended the same high school as Shen Zhizhi and Li Minglan, she knew that Shen Zhizhi was Li Minglan’s white moonlight.
Ruan Wan had a peaceful day.
Neither clients nor Jiang Song or Su Tongan contacted her.
Based on her understanding of them, they were likely employing a “hot-and-cold” strategy.
Since they were “cold,” she was “cold” too.
“Boom—”
A clap of thunder rang out, and raindrops suddenly began to fall, tapping against the windows.
Li Jing quickly stood up to close the ventilation window, muttering, “Strange, the weather forecast said no rain today. I didn’t even bring an umbrella.”
The magazine office was housed in a small Western-style building, originally a newspaper agency established during the Republic of China era. The old structure was difficult to renovate, lacking an underground parking garage. Colleagues who drove mostly chose to park in a lot a five or six-minute walk away.
“Why don’t I have someone deliver an umbrella?”
“But the rain is too heavy. Even with an umbrella, you’d get drenched like a dog.”
“Take a taxi? It’s rush hour, taxis are hard to come by…”
The colleagues debated endlessly. Li Jing hated rainy days the most, and she slumped listlessly in her chair.
Ruan Wan patted Li Jing’s shoulder. “It’s fine. I’ll give you a ride home after work. It’s on my way.”
“Ah, but won’t that inconvenience you?”
“Not at all.”
“Yay, thank you, Guangguang~”
Across the room, Gao Yue shot the two a chilly glance and muttered, “Just fishing for fame and currying favor.”
She then turned to Lin Yuying with a sycophantic smile. “Yu Ying, did you bring an umbrella? I have an extra one. You can take it.”
Lin Yuying smiled, her eyes curving. “No need. My family’s driver is picking me up.”
My. Family’s. Driver.
It sounded so upscale.
A flicker of longing appeared in Gao Yue’s eyes before she smiled again. “Alright. If you’re not in a hurry to go home, you could have the driver wait a bit. You could leave after meeting Ruan Wan’s husband.”
“Sure.” Lin Yuying’s lips curved.
Unfortunately, Li Minglan wouldn’t be coming.
Lin Yuying’s gaze shifted to her phone screen.
It was a post Shen Zhizhi had just shared on social media.
Shen Zhizhi had fallen off a ladder while moving lab materials, and a nail had gouged a deep cut in her calf, causing blood to flow incessantly.
In the blink of an eye, it was time to leave work.
As expected, the rain hadn’t let up—instead, it had intensified. The sky seemed to have sprung a leak, turning the city upside down.
The colleagues gathered under the eaves of the small Western-style building with unspoken agreement, waiting both for the rain to ease and to catch a glimpse of Ruan Wan’s husband.
Time ticked by.
Ruan Wan still didn’t see the familiar Rolls-Royce.
“Maybe he’s stuck in traffic,” Li Jing offered, trying to smooth things over.
The next moment, a Rolls-Royce slowly emerged from the curtain of rain and stopped at the company entrance.
Just as everyone thought it was Ruan Wan’s husband’s car—
A middle-aged man walked up to Lin Yuying.
“Miss, please get in.”
Lin Yuying smiled. “Uncle De, wait a moment. I still have some things to take care of.”
The driver nodded. “Yes, miss.”
The driver clearly noticed Ruan Wan, paused for a second, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Gao Yue’s bootlicking tendencies kicked in. “Ruan Wan, how much longer do we have to wait? Yu Ying isn’t in the best health. What if she catches a cold?”
Hearing this, Li Jing was baffled. “Who asked you to wait? If you’re cold, just leave.”
“It’s fine, I’m not cold.” Lin Yuying was understanding. “Guangguang, if your husband can’t make it, why don’t I have my driver take you home instead?”
Ruan Wan shook her head.
This sudden downpour was likely a plot device to advance or dramatize the conflict between the male and female leads.
Li Minglan wouldn’t be coming.
Ruan Wan wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary, this was a perfect opportunity to prove that the “at-fault party” in the marriage was Li Minglan, not her.
She dialed Li Minglan’s number in front of everyone, “accidentally” putting it on speakerphone.
“Hello? Minglan, are you here yet?”
There was silence on the other end before Li Minglan finally replied, “I have an urgent matter here. Take a taxi to the airport first.”
“But the rain is too heavy, it’s hard to get a taxi…” Before Ruan Wan could finish, a woman’s voice came through the receiver:
“A-Lan, I’m fine. Go take care of your business.”
Oh my!
The colleagues were all adults, and instantly a story of “husband cheating with a mistress, wife drenched in the rain” sprang to mind.
Everyone kept their eyes downcast, pretending not to hear, but inwardly they sympathized with Ruan Wan and cursed the scumbag husband and the mistress.
Even Gao Yue was taken aback for a moment.
Why was this different from what she had expected?
Ruan Wan was supposed to be the shameful mistress, so why was she playing the role of the wronged wife?
Could it be that the person on the other end of the phone was actually the wife?
Gao Yue fell into a fixed mindset. Pretending to stand up for Ruan Wan, she actually probed by shouting into the phone:
“Hey? Are you Ruan Wan’s husband? It’s pouring rain, and instead of picking up your own wife, you’re off with another woman—are you an idiot?”
“And that woman, knowingly being a mistress without any shame, seducing someone else’s husband—how despicable is that?”