Chapter 44: Grasp

On the first day, Fan Xia woke up in bed, and Wen Lan Sheng was not by her pillow.

After washing up, she came to the dining room. Breakfast was already set out – a bowl of thick black rice porridge, a plate of small dishes, and a fried egg. Xie Cen and Wen Ming Yue’s elderly sleeping habits meant they got up very early. The couple sat at the table waiting for her early, not touching the food on the table.

In the past, Wen Ming Yue and Xie Cen would have already started eating ahead of time.

But now, without their own house, they could only live with her, watching her face. Naturally, they no longer had the qualification to put on airs as elders in front of her. They waited properly for her, only daring to eat once she arrived.

A good mood for the day started from seeing Xie Cen’s cautious expression.

Fan Xia smiled as she sat down: “Lan Sheng, why didn’t you call your parents to eat?”

Wen Lan Sheng brought out freshly fried bacon from the kitchen and placed it in front of Fan Xia. Wiping his hand that had been splattered with oil on his apron, he said: “My parents were waiting for you.”

Xie Cen smiled and said: “Yes, yes, we’re all one family now. We should eat together. That way the food tastes better.”

Fan Xia smiled without exposing Xie Cen’s pitiful self-esteem, and asked: “What about Jing Jing? Why isn’t she coming out for breakfast?”

Xie Cen said: “That child Jing Jing was up all night playing games. She’ll probably sleep until noon. No need to call her. Let’s just eat our meal. Come, come, let’s eat.”

Wen Lan Sheng also sat down next to Fan Xia, thoughtfully handing her chopsticks: “Yes, Xia Xia, you have to go to work soon. I’ve already prepared lunch for you, it’s in the thermos. You’ve been busy with work lately, so I made you some dragon bone soup to nourish your body.”

Fan Xia took the chopsticks he offered, her delicate white hand holding his wrist. Seeing the marks on the back of his hand from hot oil splatters, her fingertips gently caressed them: “Does it hurt?”

Wen Lan Sheng’s fingers trembled. The beautiful corners of his eyes were a bit swollen from crying all night, and now they turned red with excitement just from her casual words of tender concern.

His throat almost choked with tears: “It- it doesn’t hurt. Not at all.”

“You have so many things to busy yourself with at home every day. You don’t need to get up so early to prepare lunch for me. I can eat at the company cafeteria,” Fan Xia said softly, her tone indulgent to the bone.

Wen Lan Sheng felt as if he had returned to the days when Fan Xia held him in the palm of her hand, cherishing him like a treasure. Indeed, without Rong Xiu interfering and sowing discord in their marriage, Xia Xia would wholeheartedly love him.

“It’s no trouble at all. I’m not busy at home, and now that I’m your husband, preparing lunch for you and taking care of the house is what I should do as a spouse,” Wen Lan Sheng said, the corners of his eyes curving slightly. The night’s worth of grievances hidden in his heart instantly dissipated with just one gentle word from her that barely counted as an apology. His whole being radiated joy.

Xie Cen saw this and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Early this morning, when he saw Wen Lan Sheng come out of the bedroom with swollen eyes, he was terrified, thinking they had another fight last night. But now it seemed the couple’s relationship was just fine.

Moreover, if Fan Xia wasn’t extremely good to Wen Lan Sheng, his son wouldn’t be so utterly devoted to her, with his heart completely set on her.

This was good. Considering her affection for Wen Lan Sheng, Fan Xia wouldn’t be too harsh on them either.

“I just don’t want you to work too hard. After a while, when my funds are in better shape, I’ll help you hire a housekeeper to clean the house. That way you can relax a bit and have time to go out and unwind,” Fan Xia said. Her gentle, mild tone was like a slowly unfolding painting, sketching out the life as a husband that Wen Lan Sheng had long yearned for.

He bit his lower lip shyly: “Mm.”

Seeing the couple’s good relationship, and that Fan Xia was even planning to hire a housekeeper to ease Wen Lan Sheng’s burden, Wen Ming Yue finally set her mind at ease and voiced the concern that had been bothering her all morning.

“Fan Xia, have you seen the recent news about Gu Cheng Group? The public opinion about this company doesn’t seem very good.”

Gu Cheng Group was the company Fan Xia had suggested she invest in. Today, someone on a stock forum had brought up negative news about the company, with many others chiming in agreement.

Fan Xia calmly scooped a spoonful of porridge and said: “Auntie, don’t pay too much attention to those unreliable rumors. They’re just venting from small investors.”

“So you’re saying there’s nothing wrong with this company?” Wen Ming Yue asked eagerly.

“As far as I know, there’s no problem. The stock price will see a small increase when the market opens today.”

“Really!” Wen Ming Yue was overjoyed. She knew following Fan Xia’s stock advice would make money, but she didn’t expect to profit so quickly. Indeed, those retail investors without inside information were just leeks, while the major shareholders were the giants at the top of the food chain.

“Mm.” Fan Xia nodded slowly. This was information she had learned from dining with Rong Xiu and the directors of Gu Cheng Group. The company was about to go under, so the shareholders came up with this trick – first inflate the stock price, wait for the leeks to buy in, then cash out at high prices.

These shareholders weren’t afraid of punishment either, as most had already emigrated overseas with their families. By the time the investors realized they’d been duped, they would already be leisurely enjoying their wealthy retirements in high-end vineyards.

So she went along with the flow, inviting them into the trap.

“I’m done eating. I’m leaving,” Fan Xia said, putting down her chopsticks, wiping the corner of her mouth as she stood up to leave.

“Xia Xia, you forgot your lunch,” Wen Lan Sheng said, bringing out the thermos from the kitchen and jogging over to the elevator.

Fan Xia kissed the corner of his lips, long and tender, her eyes filled with deep affection: “I’m sorry for speaking harshly to you last night. Will you forgive me?”

Her gentle words revived Wen Lan Sheng’s dying heart. He nodded excitedly, trembling as he hugged her waist, like a nearly frozen person frantically seeking warmth from her body.

“I was wrong too, Xia Xia. I’ll definitely listen to you from now on. But please don’t treat me like that again, okay? I’d rather you hit me or scold me than not speak to me at all.” In an instant, all his grievances poured out, bitter tears soaking his heart soft and rotten.

“Alright, I understand,” Fan Xia said, lightly kissing his forehead.

The elevator arrived. Amid the neighbors’ ambiguous gazes, Fan Xia left.

Wen Lan Sheng watched her leave reluctantly, his watery eyes brimming with emotion. Only when the elevator doors closed did he turn back towards home, one step at a time, covering the forehead she had kissed, his cheeks flushed red – completely the image of a young husband immersed in newlywed bliss.

However, in the top floor office of Shan Hai Group, dark clouds pressed down on the city, storm clouds rolling, the air pressure so low that Zhuang Nian wanted to find a down jacket to keep warm.

He handed an unimportant document to Fan Xia and gestured with his chin: “Executive Assistant Fan, this document needs the CEO’s signature.”

Why was Rong Xiu’s mood so low? In the past he might not have known, but since stumbling upon their ‘illicit affair’, Zhuang Nian could tell with his eyes closed that it definitely had to do with Fan Xia.

Although Fan Xia had skipped her wedding for the CEO’s sake, staying with him at Yun Shui Bay, after all, the wedding was just a formality. Legally speaking, Executive Assistant Fan was a married woman.

Today she even brought a thermos to work, clearly made by her lawful spouse. It showed that last night she hadn’t stayed at Yun Shui Bay, but had left the CEO to go home.

Abandoning the beautiful young master to accompany her old ball and chain – no wonder the CEO was angry.

Come to think of it, the CEO had sacrificed quite a lot for Executive Assistant Fan.

The esteemed chairman of Shan Hai Group, a top-tier rich and handsome man with billions in assets, stooping to be a kept man for Executive Assistant Fan’s sake. If this got out, the entire Shan Hai Group would be dragged down with him.

What a twisted fate.

Zhuang Nian sighed inwardly, but didn’t forget his place. As a competent subordinate, the necessary professional ethics were to play deaf and dumb, and to lend a helping hand when the CEO needed it.

Fan Xia nodded, took the document, and knocked on the tightly closed door.

“Come in.” Rong Xiu’s icy voice came from inside, but Zhuang Nian heard a hint of eagerness in the cold tone.

Fan Xia pushed open the door and went in. The light inside suddenly dimmed.

Rong Xiu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his cold bright eyes gleaming with an indecipherable light: “Close the door.”

Fan Xia turned around to close the door, meeting Zhuang Nian’s “God help you” expression.

When she turned back, Rong Xiu had already closed his laptop. His cold eyes were filled with a thread-thin resentment as he silently looked at her. His long, alluring eyes revealed a redness completely different from usual, his complexion paler than normal, his gaze like a broken water mirror.

Fan Xia walked to his side, her voice like a thin ray of light in the morning mist: “Have you been crying?”

Rong Xiu turned away, ignoring her, like a sulking young husband. The clean lines of his back wrapped in his suit were like a slender young bamboo, straight and tall, yet now appearing so haggard and fragile.

She pressed on the chair to turn it, rotating Rong Xiu to face her. Her fingertips brushed the corners of his eyes: “Why were you crying?”

“You still ask.” Rong Xiu’s eyes glistened with faint moisture: “You actually video called me while doing that.”

“I didn’t expect you to video call at that moment, and we didn’t actually do anything,” Fan Xia explained, suddenly feeling more and more like a scumbag.

“Really?” Rong Xiu’s heart leapt with joy. His hand unconsciously covered the back of hers, his palm warm and dry, fine threads of delight seeping through his shallow, cold gaze.

Fan Xia chuckled softly: “Not angry anymore?”

Come to think of it, when Wen Lan Sheng cried last night, she couldn’t even be bothered to comfort him, feeling not the slightest bit moved. But with Rong Xiu’s eyes just reddening, she told him the whole truth.

Rong Xiu’s thick lashes lowered.

“Actually, thanks to your phone call, I have another reason to postpone getting the marriage certificate with him,” Fan Xia smiled.

Rong Xiu raised his eyes, his fragmented gaze revealing a hint of tender entanglement under the thin light of his gold-rimmed glasses: “As long as I can help you, forget about one phone call – I’d even go to your house directly.”

“Come to my house?” Fan Xia smiled slightly: “Good idea.”