Jiangyu Trading Company.
The employees who arrived at work in the morning thought today would be a fresh start. Training was over, and it was time to get into work mode. But to their surprise, the boss didn’t show up, the director didn’t show up, and neither did the deputy general manager. It was bizarre—had the company’s leadership all decided to take the day off? What on earth happened?
The older employees remained calm, but the younger ones were restless. They hadn’t even started officially working, and already the entire leadership had disappeared?
It wasn’t until nearly eleven o’clock that Zeng Yu walked into the office. No one noticed him come in; some were chatting, some were online watching dramas, and others were playing games. Seeing this, Zeng Yu couldn’t help but cough, causing an instant commotion. No one dared to look at him, afraid to be the one who stood out.
Zeng Yu frowned and walked into Jiang Nan’s office.
Not long after, he came out, clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, and said, “On behalf of President Jiang, I announce that Li Geng will be the sales supervisor. From now on, all reimbursement forms for business trips must have Li Geng’s signature before the finance department will review them, and then they will be sent to President Jiang or me for final approval. Remember this process; I don’t want to repeat it. Additionally, the company’s cashier will be in place by next Monday. If anyone has financial difficulties and needs to advance their salary, you can get Li Geng’s signature for amounts under 500 yuan.”
Li Geng hadn’t expected to be promoted and felt a pang of guilt.
When it came to company personnel arrangements, if Zeng Yu opposed something, it would never get approved. Li Geng wondered if this promotion was actually Zeng Yu’s suggestion to President Jiang.
Li Geng was overthinking it. The appointment was something Zeng Yu had decided on the spot. Zeng Yu thought, “Even though the company isn’t large, Jiang Nan and I can’t always be here.” During this time, Zeng Yu had noticed that Li Geng was the most familiar with the business among the employees and, based on his resume, the most suitable for the role. That’s why he called Jiang Nan, explained the situation, and suggested Li Geng be appointed as sales supervisor.
Jiang Nan agreed it was a good idea; it would motivate the employees and fill a management gap. As the company’s business developed, Jiang Nan knew Zeng Yu would have to be out in the field frequently, and she herself wouldn’t always be in the office. As for Yuan Lei, she wasn’t to be relied upon. The actual manager of the company was Zeng Yu, and he indeed needed an assistant.
Since Li Geng was now the supervisor, he needed the corresponding authority. This was something Zeng Yu had learned at his previous job. Hiring a cashier was Jiang Nan’s suggestion, but as for who the cashier would be and where they’d be recruited from, Zeng Yu had no idea.
Jiang Nan hadn’t thought too much about it; she just felt that doing the cashier’s job herself was too much hassle.
Her solution was simple—she called Han Liren: “Uncle, find me a reliable cashier. Today is Friday, and I want them to start on Monday.”
Han Liren was delighted to receive her call and hung up with a smile. He thought, “In such a crucial moment, Jiang Nan still trusts her uncle. Family is family, after all.”
When Jiang Nan got home and parked her car, she saw Han Jiayi getting ready to go out, dressed to the nines.
“Mom, are you going out?” Jiang Nan asked.
Han Jiayi was surprised to see her back, “Weren’t you going to work? Why are you home?”
Jiang Nan didn’t dare say anything to upset her mother, so she walked over and linked arms with her, “Dressed so beautifully, are you planning to fly to the heavens?”
“Nonsense. You came home so late last night, I didn’t have time to talk to you. And you left so early this morning, I didn’t get a chance to tell you that your father is coming back today. I’m going to the airport to pick him up.” Han Jiayi seemed normal, which made Jiang Nan feel relieved.
“Perfect timing, I don’t have much to do this morning. I’ll go with you to the airport” Jiang Nan decided, planning to spend the day with her parents.
To her surprise, Han Jiayi pushed her away disdainfully, “Why are you messing things up? I’m picking up your dad, and we’re going to a farm stay for a vacation. If you come along, how will we enjoy our couple’s getaway? Shoo, shoo, don’t follow me.”
Hearing this, Jiang Nan became worried again. What kind of parent wouldn’t welcome their daughter to join them? It wasn’t normal.
“Alright, how about I just go to the airport with you, and I’ll leave after we pick up Dad. Is that okay?”
“Fine, but I don’t like driving, so you drive.” Han Jiayi tossed her the car keys.
Jiang Nan pulled out her own keys, “Let’s take my car. I’m more familiar with it.”
Wang Zheng, carrying a paper bag, returned to his rented apartment.
Because of her work schedule, Ye Xiyan usually didn’t get up until nearly noon. Wang Zheng was also a night owl, so their schedules never clashed.
When Wang Zheng opened the door, Ye Xiyan was in the bathroom washing up. Hearing the noise, she cracked the door open, saw it was him, and then continued getting ready.
Wang Zheng often stayed out late, and Ye Xiyan didn’t think much of it, though she did worry about him.
Because of her personality, Ye Xiyan was somewhat submissive in front of Wang Zheng. If he didn’t come home at night, she wouldn’t call to ask where he was because once, when she did, he yelled at her. Though he apologized later, Ye Xiyan never forgot it. Since then, she would quietly wait for him to come back.
When she finished washing up, Ye Xiyan came out and saw Wang Zheng sitting on the bed smoking.
She noticed the paper bag on the table and, with a hint of joy, opened it and started admiring the contents, “A new limited edition Hermes bag? The knock-offs are out already?”
Wang Zheng was taken aback. He thought, “This is the real deal!” But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
In all the years they’d been together, he had never bought her a piece of branded clothing. Even during seasonal sales, Wang Zheng never had the spare money.
“I need to talk to you about something” Wang Zheng said softly.
Seeing his serious expression, Ye Xiyan put the bag down and sat beside him, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“I haven’t told you much about my family before. Something happened a few days ago, and I think it’s time I explained everything.” Seeing how formal Wang Zheng was being, a sense of unease washed over Ye Xiyan; she had a bad feeling.
“That night, I got drunk and called Zeng Yu to pick me up, and then…” Wang Zheng recounted the events, skipping the part where he drank with Zeng Yu.
At first, Ye Xiyan’s expression was normal, but as he continued, her face turned pale. Wang Zheng didn’t notice her change in expression, still immersed in his own story.
“In a few days, I have to go pick up my dad. You’ll be on your own here, so take care of yourself.”
Ye Xiyan nodded silently, “Okay, don’t worry about me. You can go without any concerns.”
“Alright, I’ll spend the next couple of days with you until I get the call from my uncle.”
Wang Zheng thought he had explained everything, not realizing he had made a huge mistake. He should have taken Ye Xiyan with him to pick up his father, or at least explained why she couldn’t go. But he didn’t. So, the sensitive Ye Xiyan interpreted his words differently: “It’s time to break up. If I don’t get the hint now, I’ll just be making a fool of myself.”
“You sit tight, I’ll go make some food.” Ye Xiyan said as she stood up. But she wobbled, and only managed to steady herself by holding onto Wang Zheng’s shoulder.
After talking with her, Wang Zheng felt a sense of relief. Next time he saw Zeng Yu, he would dare him to scold him again. Lifelong brothers—they couldn’t possibly break up just like that.
Wang Zheng felt grateful to Zeng Yu, whose harsh words had pulled him back from the wrong path.
In the kitchen, leaning against the wall, Ye Xiyan felt a mix of emotions. She was happy for Wang Zheng, but worried about their future.
There was something she had been hiding from him—she no longer worked at the supermarket. Every day when Wang Zheng dropped her off, she would go into the store, wait until he left, and then head to her job at the nightclub.
If Wang Zheng ever found out, she knew what the consequences would be.
After thinking it over, she decided she would quit today, even if it meant not getting paid.
But there was something else that troubled her—Wang Zheng was going to pick up his father, yet he hadn’t even considered taking her with him. When Wang Zheng was down and out, they could be together, but now that he was on the rise? Given Wang Zheng’s habit of flirting around, she couldn’t help but expect the worst.
Seeing Jiang Ziliu at the airport, Jiang Nan finally felt at ease.
“Dad, let’s find a chance to chat alone later.” Jiang Nan whispered quickly in his ear as she hugged him.
The family walked out of the airport together. Seeing a convenience store, Jiang Ziliu said, “I’ll go get a bottle of water.”
As expected, Han Jiayi took the bait, “I’ll go. You two keep talking.”
But there were still people following Jiang Ziliu. As soon as Han Jiayi left, Jiang Ziliu turned and said, “You all can leave now. Take a week of paid leave, rest up, and we’ll deal with everything after the holiday.”
The group wisely dispersed.
Jiang Nan glanced toward the convenience store, then hurried to report what was on her mind—her concerns about Han Jiayi’s recent mental state.
“Dad, I watched a science program on TV recently, and afterward, I thought Mom might be showing early signs of depression. We really haven’t been paying enough attention to her. I’ve already talked to my partner, and he’ll take on more of the workload so I can spend more time with her. Now that you’re back, take this vacation to rest well. There’s always more money to be made.”
Seeing the worry on Jiang Nan’s face, Jiang Ziliu felt both satisfied and touched. His daughter had grown up, she now knew how to care for her parents.
Being reserved, Jiang Ziliu didn’t show his feelings, but he reached out and patted his daughter’s head, smiling, “Got it, leave it to me.”
Jiang Nan nodded, “Alright, let me know when you get there, and if you need any help, I’ll be there.”
“You don’t need to come. Your mom’s been dreaming about a couple’s getaway.” Jiang Ziliu joked.
Jiang Nan gave up, “Fine, once your vacation is over, I’ll make sure to leave work on time every day to spend time with Mom.”
When Han Jiayi returned with the water, she smiled at the father and daughter, “What were you two talking about that was so funny?”
Jiang Ziliu laughed, “Xiao Nan’s company is doing well, I’m really pleased.”
The three of them headed toward the parking lot. Jiang Ziliu’s driver, who had been waiting in the distance, approached to help with the luggage.
Jiang Nan drove back to work while her parents went off on their vacation.
Before leaving, Jiang Nan put on a pitiful face and said, “Seeing how sweet and loving you two are, I feel like I’m being abandoned.”
Seeing her pretend to wipe away tears, Han Jiayi playfully shook her fist, “Get lost!”
As they watched their daughter drive away, Jiang Ziliu couldn’t help but feel his eyes moisten. He rubbed his eyes a few times, and when he saw his wife’s questioning look, he smiled sheepishly, “Jiayi, our daughter has grown up. Just now, she asked me to send you away because she’s worried you might be depressed.”
“Why would she think that?” Han Jiayi was quite surprised.
Jiang Ziliu explained with a smile, and only then did Han Jiayi bitterly share what she had recently discovered. She concluded, “Do you think she’s ever treated her own parents this well?”
“That’s an exaggeration. She just said she’d make more time to spend with you from now on.”
The couple, deeply in love, had endless things to talk about on the way.
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