On her drive back, Jiang Nan received a call informing her that Zeng Zhanhao’s surgery was scheduled for next Monday. The doctor assured her that all indicators were very good, and the surgery had a high success rate.
“Thank you, Doctor. I’m driving right now, but I’ll be there on the day of the surgery.” Jiang Nan said politely before hanging up to focus on the road.
When she got back to the company, it was already past four in the afternoon. She quietly pushed the door open and saw that a meeting was in progress.
Zeng Yu was speaking, “Li Geng, follow up on the business with Feixuan Restaurant and keep an eye on customer feedback. This restaurant is well-known, and it’s the first branch they’ve opened in the country. We can’t afford any mistakes. We also need a new promotional flyer, clearly stating in large letters that ‘Sophie Wine—Michelin Three-Star Feixuan Restaurant’s Top Recommended Wine.'”
“Mr. Zeng, why not just say it’s the only recommended wine?” The atmosphere in the meeting was good, and someone in the audience raised their hand to suggest.
“I like your thinking, but it’s not realistic. If a restaurant like this only had one recommended wine, they might as well close down.” Zeng Yu joked, making the young man who suggested it blush and sit down, scratching his head.
“Mr. Zeng, I’ll take a team around the high-end restaurants in the city on Monday.” Li Geng said, now highly motivated and eager to start working.
“Yes, it’s good to make contact, but take it slow. Patience is key in sales.” Zeng Yu said, noticing Jiang Nan’s presence and smiling. “President Jiang is here, let’s welcome her for some guidance.”
Zeng Yu started clapping, and the others followed suit.
Jiang Nan walked over gracefully, smiling, “Mr. Zeng has covered everything, so I’ll just add something else. If the company’s sales meet expectations by the end of the year, we’ll organize a trip abroad for everyone. The exact destination will be decided later. That’s all, everyone get ready for a company dinner tonight—on me.”
“Thank you, President Jiang!” Li Geng led the applause, and everyone was excited.
Jiang Nan made a gesture, “That’s it then. Zeng Yu, anything else to add?”
Zeng Yu shook his head, “No, that’s it. Dismissed. Please tidy up the office a bit.”
Jiang Nan gave Zeng Yu a look, and he understood, following her into the office.
Jiang Nan sat down in a chair, “My dad’s back from abroad. I told him about my mom’s situation, and he’s going to handle it. By the way, after dinner tonight, let’s catch a movie to unwind.”
“I have no objections. Where are we having dinner? Should we make a reservation?”
“There’s a nice buffet nearby. Let’s go there, no need to reserve.” Jiang Nan had already made up her mind.
“Strange, I haven’t seen Director Yuan for two days.” Zeng Yu suddenly remembered and asked.
Jiang Nan shook her head with a smile, “She never planned to take this job seriously, just tagging along for the fun. Don’t worry about her. Now, tell me, what’s the deal with Feixuan Restaurant?”
Zeng Yu thought for a moment, “I’m not entirely sure. The restaurant owner probably tried Sophie, liked the price and quality, and thought it suited their restaurant, so they reached out. Other than that, I can’t think of any reason.”
Jiang Nan was stunned, “Is that really the case? Is there a lottery nearby? You should go buy a ticket.”
Zeng Yu shook his head, “I think it’s your good luck, not mine. If anyone should buy a ticket, it’s you.”
Jiang Nan teased, “I’ve heard from Yuan Lei that the foreigner specifically asked for you by name.”
Zeng Yu was puzzled, “Yes, I assume he got my name from Hongda. But if they were going to report a name, it should have been yours.”
“Enough with the modesty. You take a break while I call Yuan Lei to see if she’ll join us for dinner.”
Before Yuan Lei could speak, a man’s voice shouted in the background, “Get lost! My daughter almost had a nervous breakdown because of you, and you have the nerve to come here and propose?” This was followed by the sound of something being thrown.
Jiang Nan thought she had dialed the wrong number and stared at her phone in confusion when Yuan Lei hurriedly said, “I’m dealing with something right now, I’ll call you back.”
Jiang Nan explained what had happened on the phone, and Zeng Yu, rubbing his chin, guessed, “Someone must be proposing, and Yuan Lei just happens to be there.”
Meanwhile, Yuan Lei was holding two bottles of Maotai, watching as Wang Chengfu remained calm.
Seeing Wang Chengfu, Yuan Lei’s father flew into a rage, tossing everything they had brought to the door.
“Alright, calm down, don’t embarrass yourself in front of outsiders.” Yuan Lei’s mother tried to calm him down, but Yuan Lei’s father grabbed a rolling pin from the kitchen and started swinging it at Wang Chengfu.
Wang Chengfu didn’t dare dodge, and Yuan Lei didn’t intervene. After Wang Chengfu took three hits, she clapped and said, “Well done! If you kill him, our child won’t even have a father before it’s born.”
“What did you say?” Her father stopped in his tracks, looking at Yuan Lei in shock.
Yuan Lei patted her stomach, “If you don’t want a grandchild, then hit me here instead. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you—the baby will have my last name, Yuan.”
Her father was speechless, finally letting out a grunt as he dropped the rolling pin and sat down on the couch.
Yuan Lei calmly picked up the things from the floor, then turned to Wang Chengfu, “Aren’t you going to kneel and call them ‘Mom and Dad’?”
With a thud, Wang Chengfu knelt and said, “Mom, Dad, your son-in-law Wang Chengfu is here to pay his respects.”
Yuan Lei’s father glared at him for a long time before finally speaking, “Yuan Lei might forgive you, but I can’t.”
Yuan Lei’s mother tried to persuade him, “It’s come to this, you should let it go.”
Wang Chengfu said earnestly, “I wronged Yuan Lei back then. I didn’t know when I’d be back, and I was afraid of holding her back. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I ended up hurting her deeply. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but please let Yuan Lei marry me.”
Yuan Lei couldn’t stand it anymore. She put the two bottles of Maotai heavily on the table and said, “Enough already. Wang Chengfu went through a lot of trouble to get these bottles, just to please you.”
Her father lowered his head and said nothing, his expression softening.
Yuan Lei then took out a box from the gifts Wang Chengfu had brought and handed it to her mother, “Open it and take a look.”
When her mother opened the box, she found a pair of diamond bracelets, covered in tiny diamonds, glittering beautifully.
Her mother was instantly delighted, though she feigned modesty, “How much did this cost? It’s too expensive.”
Wang Chengfu quickly said, “They’re just small diamonds, not worth much. As long as you like them, that’s what matters. I also brought a five-carat diamond, which I’m having made into a ring. It should be ready in a while.”
“What’s so great about diamonds? They’re just things foreigners like. For Chinese people, jade is better.” her father said, indicating that he had finally let it go.
Her mother, however, beamed and said, “Don’t listen to him. I love diamonds.”
Wang Chengfu quickly took out the other gifts, “These are supplements for Dad, straight from Peru—maca root.”
As he introduced each item, her mother smiled wider, and her father’s expression softened even more.
Wang Chengfu had come well-prepared, starting with her father’s favorite liquor. After that, everything else was just a bonus.
“This old packaging wasn’t sealed properly, so I had it wax-sealed.” Wang Chengfu emphasized, referring to the Maotai.
Her father nodded approvingly, “Yes, this vintage liquor is hard to come by. You must have spent quite a bit.”
Wang Chengfu smiled, “It wasn’t so much the money. I just had to make some concessions on mineral rights.”
“Mineral rights? You own a mine?” Her father finally returned to a normal state.
Wang Chengfu smiled, “I just do whatever makes money. I have a copper mine in Africa.”
Her father looked at him in surprise, “You have connections like that?”
“Not really. I just went abroad with a few friends and happened to help the country a little.”
Wang Chengfu spoke humbly, but her father wasn’t fooled. He nodded and said, “Got it, no need to explain.”
“I also brought two dried abalones. I had them sent to the restaurant to be prepared. Please join us for dinner tonight.” Wang Chengfu said, sensing the time was right to extend the invitation.
With Yuan Lei as the “inside agent” things went fairly smoothly.
Wang Zheng received a call from Wang Chengfu, inviting him to dinner and saying it was an opportunity to meet his aunt’s family. Wang Zheng thought this was a family matter, so he told Ye Xiyan and went by himself.
This only added to Ye Xiyan’s worries.
As she watched Wang Zheng leave, she sighed deeply. No matter what choice Wang Zheng made, it wasn’t something she could influence. If he stayed with her out of pity, she’d rather he didn’t.
The atmosphere at Jiangyu Company’s dinner was lively. Everyone was holding their plates, picking out their favorite foods, gathering in small groups, eating, and chatting. Jiang Nan and Zeng Yu sat together, but just as they started eating, Yuan Lei called.
“Hey beauty, come meet my husband.” Yuan Lei’s tone was full of pride.
Given Yuan Lei’s age, her family had pressured her into many blind dates.
“Stop kidding around, the company dinner is happening. You should hurry over to the buffet on Linglong Road.”
Yuan Lei paused for a moment, then said seriously, “I’m not joking. My dear, I’ve finally made it through the storm and seen the light. That man has come back, knelt before my parents, and begged them to let me marry him.”
In Jiang Nan’s memory, “that man” was usually mentioned alongside curses like “bastard.” She never expected there to be a twist.
“Let’s talk tomorrow. I’m busy right now.” Jiang Nan teased, “I’ve been working hard to earn your dowry, and you’re out enjoying yourself with a man!”
Yuan Lei laughed, sounding even more triumphant. Jiang Nan quickly responded, “Okay, enough. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Jiang Nan muttered indignantly, “Hmph, no wonder Yuan Lei, the money-grubber, hasn’t been taking advantage of anything lately. She’s getting married! Today must be the future son-in-law’s big entrance, and that was probably Uncle Yuan throwing a fit.”
Seeing Zeng Yu’s confusion, Jiang Nan explained, “Yuan Lei might seem capable and savvy, but she’s actually very single-minded when it comes to relationships. Back in college, she was with a graduate student, and they were inseparable. Then one day, the guy just disappeared. That hit Yuan Lei hard—she nearly lost it. Just think, after all these years, this guy suddenly reappears and says he wants to marry her. It’s no wonder Uncle Yuan didn’t break his legs.”
Jiang Nan waved her fist, making Zeng Yu break into a cold sweat.
Noticing his reaction, Jiang Nan looked at him with a teasing smile, “What, do you think I’m too fierce?”
Zeng Yu wouldn’t dare admit that, so he quickly shook his head, “No, I think it’s adorable.”
Jiang Nan smiled and asked, “What movie should we watch tonight?”
“You decide. I don’t watch movies often.” Zeng Yu replied.
Jiang Nan pressed, “Not even when you were with Xiao Xiao?” She immediately regretted bringing up Xiao Xiao.
Zeng Yu responded calmly, “A few times. We lived separately, so I didn’t really know if she went to the movies or not.”
“Why didn’t you live together? You could’ve saved on rent.” Jiang Nan said casually.
Zeng Yu shook his head, “I suggested it once, but she didn’t agree, so I didn’t bring it up again.”
Jiang Nan didn’t ask further.
When it comes to relationships, there’s no right or wrong—just choices. That’s Zeng Yu’s belief.
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