After they got off the highway, Assistant Chen asked, “President Zhou, where are we heading first?”
Zhou Mingshi replied, “We’ll take Yi’an back to the Lin residence first.”
After confirming that she would be returning today, Lin Yi’an had called her parents. Knowing she was coming home, neither of them had gone to work that day.
Zhou Mingshi still had business to attend to. After having lunch at the Lin residence, he took his leave and headed back.
Once he was gone, Lin Yi’an’s mother, Wang Yuehua, took her daughter’s hand and asked, “How are things between you two?”
Lin Yi’an replied, “They’re okay.”
Relieved, Wang Yuehua nodded. “As long as things are okay. Aunt Tan called me last night and said we should all have a meal together when everyone’s free. You’re already engaged, so the two families should spend more time together.”
Lin Yi’an gave a quiet hum. “Before I came back from Changping, Aunt Tan bought gifts for me, Mom and Dad, and Grandma, and had them sent over. Now that I’m back, I should go visit her.”
“Your Aunt Tan only has Mingshi as her child. Naturally she’d be concerned about his marriage.” Wang Yuehua gently stroked her daughter’s silky black hair. “I’ll call her tonight and arrange a time.”
Just then, Wang Yuehua’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw it was her younger brother calling. She answered, “Taihua, what’s the matter?”
Wang Taihua asked, “Sis, where are you?”
Wang Yuehua replied, “At home. What’s wrong?”
Wang Taihua said, “I’m not busy today. I’ll bring Jiarui over to see you.”
Wang Yuehua frowned slightly.
Wang Taihua continued, “Sis, that’s it for now. We’ll talk when we get there.”
Wang Yuehua turned to her younger daughter. “You’ve been in the car all morning. Go take a nap and get some rest.”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “Okay.”
While Lin Yi’an went back to her room for an afternoon nap, Zhou Mingshi left the Lin residence, got into the car, and said, “To the office.”
Assistant Chen acknowledged the order. Thinking back to how the two had parted just now, they had been even more indifferent than ordinary friends. After spending several days together, they still hadn’t sparked even the slightest chemistry?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt frustrated on his boss’s behalf.
‘How could he be this hopeless? He couldn’t even win over his own fiancée.’
Leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed, Zhou Mingshi rested quietly, completely unaware that his assistant was inwardly lamenting how utterly hopeless he was.
After arriving at the company, the two of them went straight up in the elevator. The moment Zhou Mingshi stepped into his office, Secretary Shen came over to brief him on work.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chen headed to the tea room to brew him a pot of tea.
After Secretary Shen finished reporting on work and came back out, he didn’t leave right away. He waited until Assistant Chen had taken the tea inside and come back out before stepping forward and asking curiously, “So? How did things go these past few days?”
Assistant Chen shot him an indifferent glance. “How did what go?”
Lowering his voice, Secretary Shen asked, “How are President Zhou and Miss Lin getting along?”
Assistant Chen replied, “Focus on your own job. Stop prying into the boss’s private affairs.”
Secretary Shen clicked his tongue. “…What’s with the act?”
Assistant Chen said, “Don’t expect to learn anything about President Zhou’s private life from me.”
Secretary Shen took another step closer. “I just want to know whether Miss Lin is easy to get along with. After all, she’s our future Madam President.”
Assistant Chen looked at him as though he were an idiot. After giving him that look, he turned and walked toward the tea room.
Secretary Shen called after him, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Assistant Chen glanced back over his shoulder. “President Zhou even praised your work ability. Looking at you now, I really can’t see how someone with your brain could be good at their job.”
Even after being looked down on, Secretary Shen wasn’t annoyed. Instead, he excitedly asked, “President Zhou really praised me like that?”
Assistant Chen replied, “…I was lying.”
Secretary Shen grinned. “I never thought President Zhou would compliment me to someone else.”
Assistant Chen was speechless.
After laughing, Secretary Shen couldn’t help adding, “President Zhou himself said I’m good at my job. You don’t believe him?”
Assistant Chen stopped and looked at him. “I told you your brain doesn’t work, and you still won’t admit it. With President Zhou’s judgment, if Miss Lin weren’t a good person, would he have gotten engaged to her? What was there to ask?”
Secretary Shen smiled. “Looks like Miss Lin’s pretty great.”
Then he patted Assistant Chen on the shoulder. “See? Now I know exactly what I wanted to know.”
Assistant Chen was rendered speechless.
Adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Secretary Shen imitated Assistant Chen’s earlier mannerism and cast him an equally casual glance. “You should learn a thing or two from President Zhou. Don’t let people get information out of you after just a few words.”
With that, he strode away.
Assistant Chen: “…”
Snapping back to his senses, he hurried after him. “Has it ever occurred to you that I told you on purpose? After all, you’re President Zhou’s secretary, one of the people closest to him. Once you know there won’t be any problems with President Zhou’s engagement, you can work with peace of mind instead of messing something up and making President Zhou angry.”
After saying that, he ignored Secretary Shen, walked past him, and strode away.
Secretary Shen: “…”
Meanwhile, Wang Taihua and his wife arrived at the Lin residence with their daughter and young grandson.
The housekeeper brought them fruit and tea.
Sitting off to one side, Wang Yuehua asked, “What brings you here today?”
Wang Taihua smiled. “Sis, listen to yourself. Can’t I come over unless I have something to do?”
Wang Yuehua replied, “Knowing you, if there’s nothing going on, you probably wouldn’t come.”
Wang Taihua laughed awkwardly, then looked at his daughter beside him. “Sis, did Xiujun upset you? Why did you have her move back home?”
Just as he finished speaking, Lin Yi’an came downstairs. The moment he saw his niece, his eyes widened in surprise. “Yi… Yi’an? Why are you home?”
Wang Yuehua rolled her eyes at him. “She just got back today. If she’s not at home, where else would she be?”
Wang Taihua said, “Didn’t you say she’d be staying in Changping for a week?”
Wang Yuehua replied, “Plans never keep up with changes. This is her own home. She can come back whenever she wants.”
Lin Yi’an greeted them, “Uncle, Aunt.”
Then she sat down beside her mother.
Wang Yuehua nudged the fruit platter toward her. “Have some blueberries. These ones aren’t sour.”
Lin Yi’an gave a quiet hum and picked up a blueberry, popping it into her mouth.
Wang Taihua watched the interaction between the mother and daughter before asking again, “Sis, why did you have Xiujun move back home? Did she do something to upset you?”
Only then did Wang Yuehua look up at him. “Haven’t you and your wife been complaining all the time about how much you miss Xiujun? Since you miss her so much, I figured she might as well move back home. That way you won’t think I’m trying to steal your daughter from you.”
Wang Taihua let out an awkward laugh. “Well, that’s not…”
“Not what?” Wang Yuehua asked.
Changing his tone, Wang Taihua said, “Sis, Xiujun graduated from university but still hasn’t found a job. We came today hoping you could help us think of a solution.”
Wang Yuehua frowned. “What kind of solution could I possibly come up with? You know perfectly well that none of our relatives work at the Lin Group. I’m not going to break that rule for her.”
Wang Taihua said, “You know a lot of people. You could introduce her to another company. It doesn’t have to be the Lin Group.”
Wang Yuehua turned to her niece. “Do you have any plans of your own?”
Wang Xiujun glanced at Lin Yi’an before saying, “I want to start my own business like Third Cousin did. If I worked for a company, that tiny salary wouldn’t even be enough to cover my spending.”
Over the years, her aunt had given her spending money every month. She had long grown accustomed to spending lavishly and simply couldn’t get used to living frugally.
Especially after moving back home. Her parents had told her that now she had graduated from university, they couldn’t keep supporting her forever. They wanted her to find a job and earn her own money. The thought alone threw her into a panic. With her average education and ordinary abilities, there was no way she could rely on herself to live comfortably and buy whatever she wanted. She had no choice but to find another way.
Wang Yuehua nodded. “That’s certainly possible. Discuss it properly with your parents. Decide what you want to do, do your market research thoroughly, and don’t act blindly…”
Wang Taihua immediately disagreed. “Start a business? She should just get a proper job. That’s the right path. Do you really think someone with your abilities can succeed by starting a business?”
Wang Xiujun retorted, “Third Cousin’s traditional Chinese medicine clinic has been very successful.”
Wang Yuehua said, “That’s because your Third Cousin is capable. She’d been studying medicine with her grandmother since she was little. On top of that, she hired a renowned traditional Chinese medicine physician to see patients at the clinic. What can you do?”
Wang Xiujun replied, “I want to open a beauty salon. I know it sounds like a pipe dream, which is why I need Auntie’s support.”
The moment Wang Yuehua heard that, she frowned. “If you know it’s a pipe dream, then stop daydreaming.”
But Wang Taihua’s eyes lit up instead. “If you support her, Sis, then it won’t be a pipe dream anymore. Don’t wealthy young ladies and rich housewives all go to beauty salons?”
Wang Yuehua asked, “How much have you budgeted?”
Wang Taihua gave an embarrassed smile. “We just bought a house, and we also bought Wang Hong a car. We don’t have any money left…”
Wang Yuehua straightened in her seat. “So you’re saying you don’t have any money?”
Wang Taihua said, “If you could help us out a little, Sis… just a little…”
Wang Yuehua cut him off. “Is this a matter of helping out a little? Do you have any idea how much it costs to invest in a decent beauty salon?”
In a low voice, Wang Taihua said, “Sis, before Mom and Dad passed away, they told you to look after me. We’re the only siblings left. If I have a problem, who else am I supposed to turn to if not you? I’m only asking this one time. As long as you help invest in a beauty salon for Xiujun, I won’t ask you for anything ever again…”
At that moment, Lin Yi’an suddenly spoke up from the side. “Isn’t this just living off your sister?”
Everyone in the room turned to look at her.
Lin Yi’an continued, “I’ve always heard of people living off their parents. Is living off your sister the new trend now?”
Wang Taihua snapped, “You…”
The moment he opened his mouth, Lin Yi’an interrupted him.
“You’re already in your fifties, and you’re still living off your sister? Not only that, you’re dragging your daughter along to live off her too? Uncle, your sister really got the short end of the stick. Can someone return a brother like you?”