Chapter 23

Once Yan Wenshu’s fever subsided, Zang Ling called the doctor to check on him again. After confirming there was nothing serious, she went to handle the discharge procedures.

The system sighed, [Zang Ling is so thoughtful. She’s pretty, rich, funny, and loyal. And Yuan Haolang still doesn’t like her? He must be blind.]

[Don’t tie her together with Yuan Haolang.]

[Then does the host like her?] The system changed the subject gossipily, [When you break away from the plot later, but Zang Ling ends up going bankrupt because of the male lead, unable to escape her fate, will you help her?]

After a pause, Yan Wenshu replied, [She helped me, so of course I’ll help her.]

The system felt that what he really emphasized was the first half, like he needed to give himself a reason.

Not long after, Zang Ling returned. By now, Yan Wenshu had already packed up, and was holding the bouquet of flowers she gave him in one hand.

Zang Ling’s lips curled slowly into a smile. She walked over, linked arms with him, tilted her head, and said with a bright grin, “Yan Wenshu, let’s go!”

Yan Wenshu couldn’t help but reply, “Okay.”

After he answered, he was a little surprised at himself. Why did he agree so quickly?

Yan Wenshu found the answer not long after. It’s because he didn’t like hospitals and just wanted to leave here as soon as possible.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Not quite sure what he was feeling relieved about.

Zang Ling drove Yan Wenshu home. She stopped at the door and reminded him, “Remember to rest well tonight, eat properly, and if you feel uncomfortable at all, you must tell me.”

Yan Wenshu nodded, then couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you coming in to sit for a while?”

Zang Ling really wanted to, but remembering the vice chairman’s endless barrage of urgent calls, she regretfully said, “Next time. I still have things to handle. See you the day after tomorrow.”

Yan Wenshu: “…Why the day after tomorrow?”

“Come back to work after your body has recovered. If two days still isn’t enough, just let me know and I’ll ask for leave on your behalf.”

Zang Ling thought of something and added, “Don’t worry, Tianhai prides itself on being humane. We don’t encourage employees to come to work sick. So this isn’t anything special.”

Yan Wenshu smiled faintly.

Rationally, he knew Zang Ling meant well. But emotionally… hearing her say that, he couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable.

He couldn’t control himself from thinking, in her heart, he still wasn’t special enough.

Seeing him staring in the direction Zang Ling left, the system couldn’t help but ask, [Why didn’t you try harder to convince her just now? Maybe if you said a bit more, she would’ve stayed.]

Yan Wenshu closed the door. “I didn’t want her to stay.”

The system let out a long ooh, then turned to see Yan Wenshu chatting with someone else, curiously asking, [What are you chatting with Chen Wenting about?]

[Host, don’t tell me you’re two-timing?!]

Yan Wenshu turned off his phone. “You’re overthinking.”

It turned out Zang Ling didn’t dislike his place. She really had to work overtime to deal with the tasks delayed from the morning.

He could go back tomorrow.

Thinking this, Yan Wenshu opened WeChat and sent a message.

——

The Next Day

Zang Ling finally put on makeup again. The dark circles under her eyes were way too obvious. She had worked until dawn yesterday.

Never working overtime again!

Yan Wenshu was coming back, and there was no way she could let him see her looking like a ghost.

Maybe it was because of the makeup, but more people in the company seemed to be looking at her today.

Zang Ling kept a calm expression, but was secretly very pleased. Looks like she did pretty well today. The makeup was perfect. Surely Yan Wenshu would scream and declare his love for her!

Her high heels clicked crisply on the floor. Today, I am the queen.

Whether Yan Wenshu was amazed or not was unclear, but right now, he was feeling a little complicated.

“How is it? Don’t I look even prettier today?” Zang Ling looked at him with a hopeful expression, her face like a painted cat.

Yan Wenshu thought for a moment. “Pretty is pretty.”

“But… I prefer your usual look.”

Zang Ling felt like thunder had struck her: “So, you’re saying I look ugly like this?”

“No, just… very distinctive.” He answered tactfully.

Zang Ling was heartbroken.

Thinking back on all the stares she’d gotten on the way here, she awkwardly covered her face. “I really thought I did well this time… sigh, clumsy hands like mine really can’t change that easily. The company group chat is probably roasting me right now.”

“They won’t say anything.” Seeing her so downcast, Yan Wenshu couldn’t help but reach out and gently pat her head. “I think it’s very cute.”

Zang Ling sighed. “I thought I could crush everything in my way, but in the end, I’m just a clown. The image I’ve maintained all these years has completely fallen apart.”

“Maybe you’ll discover something different. For example, your charm isn’t just in your appearance, but also in your heart.”

“You mean… inner beauty?”

Yan Wenshu nodded, pushed the lunchbox in front of her, and said, “Go wash your face and eat.”

Zang Ling pouted. “I knew it, you do despise me!”

The corner of Yan Wenshu’s lips curved up slightly. “I’m helping you restore your beauty.”

As soon as he said that, he froze for a moment. How did he end up teasing her so naturally? This kind of conversation had nothing to do with his mission at all.

Zang Ling, unaware of his thoughts, happily said, “Looks like that book you’ve been studying from really worked. Recommend me a few next time. I’m about to fall for you.”

She opened the lunchbox Yan Wenshu had prepared. There were three dishes inside: stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, braised pork with green peppers, and two chicken drumsticks.

Just from the smell alone, she could tell how delicious it was.

Zang Ling exclaimed in amazement, “Yan Wenshu, did you make this?”

Yan Wenshu humbly replied, “I used to cook for myself all the time, but this is the first time I’ve cooked for someone else. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

But what caught Zang Ling’s attention was something else entirely. “Since when did you start cooking for yourself?”

Yan Wenshu thought for a long time before answering, “Since I was ten.”

Zang Ling immediately turned around and hugged him, patting him on the back heavily. With a serious expression, she said, “Shushu, you’ve had it rough.”

“It’s okay. From now on, I will take care of you.”

Hearing that, Yan Wenshu raised his eyes, paused, and said, “Okay, Zang Ling…”

Zang Ling’s heart skipped wildly, and she took a deep breath. “Let’s not use that title too often.”

“Why?”

“Because if you say it again, I’m afraid I might have a heart attack and die on the spot.”

As they chatted, Zang Ling picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. The moment she bit down, her head slammed onto the table. It felt like she had ascended to heaven…

“Zang Ling? Zang Ling?”

Yan Wenshu frowned tightly. Did it taste that bad?

Zang Ling instantly looked up and grabbed his hands, her eyes shining brightly. “Kitchen God! You must never give up on cooking!”

Yan Wenshu relaxed and laughed. “Alright, from now on, I’ll only cook for you.”

“That’s even better!” Zang Ling’s eyes lit up. “As expected of my boyfriend. You’re just as good at cooking as I am!”

Yan Wenshu didn’t comment on that, and instead, took a piece of paper from his pocket and started reading it like there was no one else around.

Zang Ling glanced up casually and asked curiously, “What’s that?”

“A speech draft. My alma mater invited me to give a speech tomorrow morning.” Yan Wenshu’s brows furrowed slightly. “I’m a bit worried I won’t do well.”

“You totally can! I’ll go with you tomorrow!”

“But will you be free tomorrow?”

Zang Ling immediately sat up straight. “Of course!” Overtime was just forever repeating anyway. It doesn’t really matter.”

Yan Wenshu reminded her, “This event might be a little boring.”

“No way, if I’m with you, it won’t be boring at all.”

Zang Ling replied seriously, “I’m definitely going this time. I want to understand more about you.”

Then she quietly added, “Is that okay?”

“…You might be disappointed. I’m just an ordinary person at university.”

Yan Wenshu said, “The only reason the school invited me this time is because I got into Tianhai and became the secretary to the CEO of the group.”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“I’m honored. Feel free to ride on my coattails.”

Zang Ling winked at him and pushed her food toward him. “Yan Wenshu, eat more.”

“I already had two pieces.”

“Don’t try to hide it from me. I know your appetite.” Zang Ling grinned slyly. “Oh! I think I know what I should call you now… how about piggy?”

“Stinky pig?”

“Stinky piggy?”

“Little pig?”

“……”

Zang Ling shook her head regretfully. “Fine, forget it if you don’t like it.”

——

The two chatted for a while. In the afternoon, a document suddenly needed to be sent to a relevant department for revisions. Yan Wenshu went to deliver the message. As he entered the PR department, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

His first instinct was to turn around and leave.

But it was already too late, that woman had already appeared in front of him.

“Wenshu, I finally see you!” Han Lanmeng half-complained, half-acted coy. “You’re so busy, it’s hard to run into you at the company.”

“Today I’m really lucky!”

But for him, it was pure misfortune.

Yan Wenshu felt her voice still affecting him. Right now, he was alone, with a freedom level of only forty-five, he had no choice but to respond.

“What are you doing here?”

Hearing his questioning tone, Han Lanmeng’s eyes reddened. “Wenshu, you… don’t seem to want me here. The cinema fired me, and I didn’t know what job to look for. But when I thought of you being at Tianhai, I wanted to give it a try.”

Yan Wenshu’s gaze landed on her name tag. “You’re part of the PR department now?”

“Yeah, I used to do graphic design, and Manager Yan said I was qualified.”

Case closed — it was Yan Feng who brought her in.

Yan Wenshu placed the documents on the desk and turned to leave, but Han Lanmeng called out to him again, “Wenshu, could we talk alone after work?”

“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

Without hesitation, Yan Wenshu left.

Han Lanmeng stared gloomily at his back, biting her lip hard. Why was Yan Wenshu treating her so coldly?

What had changed him?

“Lan Meng.” Yan Feng strolled over slowly and patted her shoulder. “Snap out of it. He’s already gone.”

Han Lanmeng shrank back in fear. “Manager Yan…”

Seeing her looking like a timid little rabbit, Yan Feng felt a strange itch in his heart. For some reason, from the moment he first saw this newcomer, he had been drawn to her.

Her pure and simple aura was completely different from Zang Ling’s. To put it bluntly, she somehow felt even more charming than Zang Ling.

Yan Feng hinted, “You and Secretary Yan are pretty close?”

Han Lanmeng replied vaguely, “Yeah, we grew up together. We’re very close. In fact, his mom even said she wanted me to be her daughter-in-law when we were little.”

“Oh—” Yan Feng replied meaningfully, “So that’s how it is.”

“Secretary Yan is currently dating our boss. Did he lie to you? If he ever wrongs you, you have to speak up. I can help you.”

Han Lanmeng didn’t deny it, looking shocked. “He’s dating our boss? But…” Isn’t he dating Zang Ling?

Wenshu had gone astray. She had to save him, only she could do it.

Yan Feng curled his lips. “Yeah, he won over the boss’ heart as soon as he came in. Lanmeng, you need to watch out for this kind of man. I noticed he’s treating you pretty coldly. Be careful he doesn’t hold a grudge and get you kicked out of Tianhai.”

“No way… he used to treat me so well…”

“Silly girl, you’re overthinking it. Men change.”

Han Lanmeng caught the implication in his words and lowered her eyes. “Then what should I do? I just want to talk things through with him. He wouldn’t be so heartless, would he?”

Seeing her helpless expression, Yan Feng’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but lift her hand gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”