Chapter 11

When Uncle Cheng noticed that Ruan Xinyi hadn’t spoken for a while, he asked in a slightly disappointed tone, "Miss, do you not like it?"

"No, no," hearing Uncle Cheng's cautious tone, Ruan Xinyi quickly denied it. "I really like it. Thank you, Uncle Cheng!"

Uncle Cheng smiled warmly, his eyes filled with affection. "I’m glad you like it, Miss."

"...” Taking a deep breath, Ruan Xinyi reassured herself and repeated, "Yes, I really... really like it."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Cheng’s smile grew even more benevolent. With his hands clasped behind his back, he asked with a smile, "Would you like to go upstairs and see if anything’s missing? I can have it arranged."

Ruan Xinyi lightly responded and pulled the apartment key from her bag, following Uncle Cheng toward the apartment building.

The apartment was a spacious, classic four-bedroom, two-living-room setup, decorated in minimalist Nordic style. One bedroom featured a walk-in closet, another was a guest room, and the last had been converted into a study.

Ruan Xinyi was very satisfied as she toured the rooms. Finally, under Uncle Cheng's gaze, she entered the kitchen.

The kitchen was clean and tidy, fully stocked with all the essential utensils. Ruan Xinyi glanced around quickly, then smiled lightly at Uncle Cheng. "Uncle Cheng, could we stock the fridge with more food, like vegetables and meat?"

Uncle Cheng was momentarily stunned before he suddenly understood. "Miss, how about I call an aunt over to cook for you?"

Ruan Xinyi’s face darkened. "Uncle Cheng, there’s no need to go through all that trouble. I just want to be able to cook a little for myself when I have free time."

She wasn’t someone who couldn’t cook; it wasn’t like she couldn’t even prepare a meal.

Although, in Uncle Cheng’s eyes, it seemed like that was exactly how he perceived her...

Uncle Cheng raised an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "Miss, can you tell the difference between salt and sugar?"

Ruan Xinyi forced a smile and gently emphasized, "Uncle Cheng, I can cook. I’m not as clueless as you think."

"Besides, I can eat at the company cafeteria during work, and I always go home on the weekends."

Uncle Cheng hesitated, still unwilling to relinquish his concerns. "Alright, but if you’re missing anything, you must tell me. If you need something while you’re at work, just let me know, and I’ll have someone bring it to you. If you’re not comfortable staying here, you can always move back home, and I’ll have Ah Feng drive you in the morning..."

Ruan Xinyi lightly interrupted Uncle Cheng’s ongoing worries. "It’s fine, Uncle Cheng. I already know all of this. There’s nothing I’m missing for now. Didn’t you say Mom’s waiting for me for dinner? Let’s head home."

Uncle Cheng smiled helplessly, his eyes full of affection.

---

It was rush hour, so there was some traffic on the road. It took an hour to get from the apartment back to the Ruan family.

When Ruan Xinyi entered the house, Ruan Su was sitting on the sofa watching the evening news. Upon hearing the noise, Ruan Su glanced up casually and asked, "Ruan Ruan, how was your first day at work?"

Ruan Xinyi picked up an orange from the coffee table. She squeezed it lightly, and the peel came off easily, releasing a fragrant scent.

Without pausing, she quickly finished peeling the orange, cleaned off the white pith clinging to the fruit, and split it into two halves.

She handed one half to Ruan Su and popped a slice into her mouth, speaking with a slightly muffled voice. "It was fine, not too busy."

Ruan Su gave her a look and asked faintly, "The logistics department, how busy can it be?"

Ruan Xinyi gave a sheepish smile but didn’t mention that she had left the logistics department to become the new assistant of the general manager.

The orange was sweet and juicy. Ruan Su slowly swallowed the slice she had in her mouth and asked, "Are you moving into the apartment tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Ruan Su grabbed a tissue to wipe her hands, and as she stood up, placed a bank card on the coffee table. "For your pocket money. Let me know if you need more."

Ruan Xinyi beamed. "Thank you, Mom!"

Ruan Su exhaled, her lips slightly parted but saying nothing more. She placed her hand on Ruan Xinyi’s shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.

---

At 7:30 p.m., Wen Xihan finally finished her online meeting and began packing up to leave work.

By this time, almost everyone had already left, except for the cleaning auntie.

Wen Xihan, with her bag in hand, glanced over at Ruan Xinyi’s location as she closed the door. Without thinking, she furrowed her brow. She quickly typed a reply to Qi Jingning: [A few minutes, I’m coming down now.]

Qi Jingning: [No rush, take your time. I just arrived.]

Wen Xihan pressed the button for the elevator, squeezing the bridge of her nose as she quickly went over the meeting’s details in her mind.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of Ruan Xinyi when she was little.

When Ruan Xinyi was about three or four years old, she was always obedient, sweet, and adorable. When she wore her little dress, she looked just like a doll. She’d babble with a soft voice, calling out “Auntie, Auntie” joyfully, and she’d cling to her all the time. She even made her own sister a little jealous...

Who would have thought, after more than ten years, that Ruan Xinyi would turn into this rebellious young woman?

The more Wen Xihan thought about it, the more frustrated she felt.

"Wen Xihan, what are you thinking about?" Qi Jingning’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She teased, "You’re not thinking about your little niece, are you?"

Wen Xihan sighed and denied, "No, I was thinking about work."

Qi Jingning leaned casually against her car with one hand in her pocket. She wore a white tank top and a deep gray shirt that was loosely buttoned, tucking one side into her work pants. The other side fluttered in the wind, and her slender waist was subtly visible.

"Now that it’s time to clock out, our General Manager Wen should be thinking about what to have for dinner instead," Qi Jingning said with a playful smile, rolling up her sleeves and tucking her hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate wrist.

Wen Xihan opened the passenger door without hesitation and said, "Let’s just order takeout. It’s easier."

Qi Jingning raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

After they returned to Wen Xihan’s place and parked the car, Qi Jingning noticed a black Phaeton parked in the neighboring spot. With a knowing look, she whistled. "If I’m not mistaken, that’s your neighbor’s parking spot?"

She had helped Wen Xihan move recently. The two units on each floor were split by a hallway, and the unit across from hers had been under renovation for a while. There were always people coming and going, but she had never seen the owner. Based on the situation, it seemed like the person living there was someone well-off.

Wen Xihan paused as she took off her seatbelt. She furrowed her brow and said, "Yes."

"Well, that’s interesting." Qi Jingning analyzed confidently, "There aren’t many people driving a Phaeton these days. Generally, it’s a car for successful, mature men in their thirties or forties. Based on the renovations and furniture, I’d say the person across from you is probably a young woman in her twenties."

"So?" Wen Xihan didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Qi Jingning’s words.

Qi Jingning shook her head with a regretful look and said, "So that little girl is probably a rich family’s kept mistress, a golden canary—"

Wen Xihan: "…"

She felt something was off but couldn’t figure out how to argue.

Still concerned, Qi Jingning reminded her, "Xihan, even though you two are neighbors, you should try to minimize contact with her."

Wen Xihan gave her a "you’re overthinking it" look, then opened the car door and got out.

"Hey, Xihan, I’m serious..." Qi Jingning locked the car, hurried to catch up with Wen Xihan, and walked alongside her.

Wen Xihan tapped her phone twice and casually handed it to Qi Jingning, "Want to eat something? Little crawfish or hotpot?"

Qi Jingning swallowed, her eyes lighting up, and asked, "How about two drinks tonight?"

"…"

---

The next day, Ruan Xinyi was once again driven to work by the driver, as instructed by Uncle Cheng.

At the familiar intersection, Ruan Xinyi opened the car door, quickly got out of the Bentley's backseat, waved to Uncle Cheng, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and swiftly blended into the crowd.

Uncle Cheng watched with envy. "Young Miss has really grown up."

The driver silently remarked, "Young Miss is already twenty-three..."

---

Barely sitting down at her desk in the office, an HR personnel came over.

She handed Ruan Xinyi a plastic-covered card, her voice exceptionally gentle, "Ruan... Assistant Ruan, here’s your work ID. Your fingerprints have already been recorded. Starting tomorrow, you’ll be clocking in and out as usual."

Ruan Xinyi politely responded, "Thank you."

Surprised she said, "You're too kind, Assistant Ruan."

Ruan Xinyi felt a little puzzled, but before she could think more, she excused herself and left.

With about ten minutes left before work started, Ruan Xinyi, feeling bored, took a piece of gum from her bag and started chewing to pass the time, not forgetting to hand Zhou Xuan a piece as well.

As the time to clock in approached, the office colleagues gradually arrived.

Ruan Xinyi rolled the gum on her tongue and grabbed a tissue to spit it out. Just as she was about to, she spotted a familiar figure, one she would recognize even if it turned to dust.

When Wen Xihan walked in, the noisy office gradually quieted down until it was completely silent.

Ruan Xinyi quickly crumpled the tissue in her hand. The gum she was about to spit out was pushed to the side of her mouth, and she started chewing again.

Wen Xihan really set a good example, arriving punctually on her second day of work. Ruan Xinyi had thought the woman had already been here...

Ruan Xinyi propped her chin up, scanning Wen Xihan from head to toe in just a few breaths. The woman’s steps were a bit unsteady, and the light blue striped shirt tucked into her trousers suited her figure perfectly—slim waist, long legs, graceful curves. Her makeup was heavier than the day before, her jawline sharp and thin. Silver-rimmed, frameless glasses perched on her straight nose, her cold and aloof brows and eyes gave off an aura of "don’t approach me."

Ruan Xinyi's gaze was direct and bold, and Wen Xihan couldn’t ignore it. She furrowed her brows and glanced back, hoping that Ruan Xinyi would tone it down a little.

It was at that moment that Ruan Xinyi noticed the weariness in Wen Xihan’s eyes. Her gaze seemed a little unfocused, and there was a faint, hard-to-detect shadow under her eyes.

Wen Xihan gave off the impression that… she must have drunk quite a bit last night.

Ruan Xinyi secretly gritted her teeth, and with her own speculation, couldn't help but stretch her neck, trying to see if there were any suspicious marks under Wen Xihan's shirt collar.

Little did she know, this gesture, seen by Wen Xihan, gave off a completely different impression, as though she were some shameless pervert waiting to take advantage of the situation.

"..." Wen Xihan took a deep breath, cast a cold look at Ruan Xinyi, and, as if unconsciously, adjusted her collar before quickening her pace back to her office.

Ruan Xinyi, who had been silently glared at: "???"

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