Jiang Wan’s cheeks flushed slightly, and as if to conceal her shyness, she patted Du Du’s head: “Mm.”
Wen Qing was dressed in a form-fitting black t-shirt and pants, looking both sharp and cool, yet she was actually a casual and easygoing person by nature.
“Young Madam, don’t be shy. The master is like an old cucumber painted green—trying to appear young again. Finally, at the age of thirty, he’s brought home a mistress of the house. We’re all happy for him.”
Jiang Wan: “…”
She couldn’t help but wonder how Wen Qing had managed to keep her job with that mouth of hers.
After chatting for a while, Jiang Wan returned to her room, changed out of her outdoor clothes, and headed to the studio.
Gu Shilan seemed to know her preferences inside out. He had placed the desk by the window, where the flowing European-style sheer curtains gently brushed against the corners of the wooden desk with its natural grain.
Outside the window stood a lush phoenix tree, its golden leaves visible with just a glance upward.
Jiang Wan placed a cup of warm water beside the computer. The newly booted laptop emitted a soft blue glow.
A moment later, she looked at the half-finished illustration.
Mulling over her progress, she thought that the events of the past few days had been too sudden, leaving her somewhat overwhelmed and even delaying her work.
Now that she had sorted out her thoughts and things were back on track, everything had settled down.
She steadied herself and focused on her work, determined not to miss the submission deadline.
Completely unaware of what was happening at the villa’s entrance.
“Mr. Jiang, who are you looking for?”
Wen Qing’s previously casual demeanor had vanished, replaced by an expression that kept others at arm’s length.
Jiang Yi suppressed his anger: “Is Xiao Wan here? I have some matters to discuss with her.”
After leaving the Gu Corporation, he had tried calling Jiang Wan, but the automated voice kept saying the line was busy. He tried twice, both times with the same result, forcing him to visit in person.
Wen Qing’s expression remained unchanged: “There’s no Xiao Wan here, only Madam Gu.”
Jiang Yi was taken aback, never expecting a bodyguard to dare speak to him like that.
He could barely maintain his usual composure, his face darkening like the bottom of a pot as he replied coldly: “It’s your Madam Gu, then.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jiang, but Madam is resting right now. The master specifically instructed that she not be disturbed during her rest.”
“You—” Jiang Yi snorted through his nose, but he was accustomed to putting on airs.
He couldn’t bring himself to tear off that elite facade, and in the end, he refrained from losing his temper and cursing.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Wen Qing wanted to quickly send him away. She turned and called into the yard: “Du Du, come here.”
Almost instantly, the black-and-white shepherd dog sprinted over from a distance. As soon as it stopped, the highly trained and alert Du Du began barking fiercely at the stranger.
Jiang Yi’s expression shifted slightly, his back stiffening.
Seeing that he wasn’t leaving, Du Du barked even louder.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!!”
After a tense standoff, Jiang Yi finally gave in.
He glanced back and forth between Wen Qing and Du Du, his eyes filled with unwillingness but helpless in the face of reality. Without another word, he turned and left.
Watching Jiang Yi’s calm yet slightly flustered retreat, Wen Qing curled her lip dismissively: “The master was right—Mr. Jiang really is afraid of dogs.”
What kind of CEO is afraid of dogs? He should go home and dig for sweet potatoes instead.
She patted Du Du, who had performed admirably: “Young Madam has been working for half a day. Go remind her to take a break.”
So Du Du wagged his furry little bottom and ran off without a backward glance.
Wen Qing pouted, “Ungrateful little thing, after all the effort I put into raising you. Just like that heartless, ungrateful President Jiang.”
Jiang Wan, with her fair skin, beautiful features, and long legs, had even won Du Du’s affection at first sight.
Hearing footsteps approaching in the hallway, Jiang Wan turned toward the door.
Then, through the slightly ajar door, she spotted a fluffy little head.
Du Du panted with his tiny tongue out, tilting his head as he looked at Jiang Wan.
It was as if he were asking, “May I come in?”
She beckoned to Du Du, and like a gentleman granted permission, he slowly trotted over to her side.
He affectionately nuzzled his head against Jiang Wan.
“Woof, woof, woof…”
Translated, it meant, “Miss Wanwan, it’s time to rest.”
“Du Du is so well-behaved,” she said, stroking his fur with her slender fingers. “Would you like some pet biscuits?”
Du Du, a purebred Border Collie, was exceptionally clever. At the mention of biscuits, his eyes lit up, and he licked Jiang Wan’s fingertips with his little tongue, gazing at her expectantly.
Jiang Wan was also planning to rest for a while, so she took Du Du downstairs.
Aunt Zhang was busy making dumplings.
Worried that leek filling might cause heartburn and trigger morning sickness for Jiang Wan, she had specially prepared dumplings with cabbage and shrimp filling.
Jiang Wan asked Xiao Wang, who was taking care of Du Du, to fetch some dog food for her.
“Aunt Zhang, are we having dumplings for dinner?” Jiang Wan walked over and asked.
“Yes,” Aunt Zhang replied, pressing the edges of a dumpling together with both hands. In one firm squeeze, a plump, round dumpling was formed. “Young Madam, do you like cabbage filling?”
Aunt Zhang’s hands moved swiftly, her speed unaffected as she chatted and wrapped.
Jiang Wan placed a plate of pet biscuits in front of Du Du and crouched down to watch him happily munch away.
“I do.”
Jiang Wan rarely ate dumplings in the Jiang household because Meng Fenyu and her daughter disliked stuffed foods. As a result, the chefs usually didn’t make dumplings, except on New Year’s Eve for tradition’s sake.
Once, a new chef, unaware of the situation, prepared shrimp dumplings for dinner, which infuriated Jiang Ting.
In the midst of her tantrum, Jiang Ting saw Jiang Wan returning from outside and willfully demanded that Jiang Wan buy her KFC.
It happened to be snowing that day, and the roads were treacherous. The villa area was remote, and no delivery drivers were accepting orders.
Jiang Wan didn’t want to go, but Jiang Ting had her locked outside the gate, refusing to let her in.
Standing in the vast expanse of snow, Jiang Wan was soon covered in a layer of snowflakes.
Without a key, lingering there would only waste more time, so she had no choice but to go buy KFC for Jiang Ting.
Wearing a thin cotton coat, cold and hungry, Jiang Wan collapsed in the snow halfway there.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted passerby rescued her.
Suppressing her emotions, Jiang Wan washed her hands in the kitchen and went over to help.
“Young Madam, please rest. We can handle these tasks,” Aunt Zhang quickly said.
Jiang Wan smiled and replied, “Aunt Zhang, I don’t know how to make dumplings. Could you teach me? Yours look like little ingots—so pretty.”
Aunt Zhang thought it over and decided the task wasn’t too strenuous.
“Alright then, Young Madam. You’ve come to the right person. I learned this skill from my mother, and no one in the surrounding villages can match me. Once you learn from me, you could even set up a stall.”
“Young Madam,” Sister Chen, who was helping nearby, chuckled. “Aunt Zhang loves to boast about her glorious past. Old Madam has heard it countless times.”
“What, you still don’t agree? Aunt Chen, tell me, is my skill good or not?”
Jiang Wan listened to their banter with a smile, realizing that a group of people gathered together to make dumplings could be so lively and fun.