“President… President Wang, hello.”
“No need for honorifics.”
“…Oh, okay.”
Jiang Xiaoyue’s smile stiffened on her face, and Chen Ting noticed her emotional shift, finding it somewhat strange.
At the same time, Wang Ziyue’s attitude left her even more puzzled; it felt as though…
President Wang seemed to be treating Jiang Xiaoyue like family?
Wang Ziyue suddenly turned to look at Chen Ting, who tactfully stepped out of the office on her own initiative, closing the door behind her.
Thinking back to Jiang Xiaoyue’s respectful demeanor toward her earlier, Chen Ting felt a bit uneasy.
She didn’t stand at the door for long before leaving thoughtfully.
The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat stagnant—or more accurately, it was Jiang Xiaoyue’s unilateral awkwardness.
She never could have imagined that the person her daughter constantly mentioned would one day suddenly become her ultimate superior.
No matter how composed Jiang Xiaoyue usually was, at this moment, she was too nervous to speak.
Wang Ziyue, on the other hand, sat leisurely on the sofa and patted the empty spot beside her.
“Auntie, have a seat.”
Auntie? Jiang Xiaoyue frowned, her hands hanging by her sides tightly clutching the hem of her skirt, wrinkling the neat fabric.
“This ‘Auntie’…”
“I’m friends with Jiang Cheng, and you’re her mother, so naturally, you’re my elder too.”
Shouldn’t you be her elder as well? Jiang Xiaoyue grumbled inwardly.
Wang Ziyue’s face was very youthful, but the steady aura she exuded diluted the immaturity of her features.
Those long in positions of power naturally carried an intimidating presence.
Even though she spoke to Jiang Xiaoyue in a friendly manner, for Jiang Xiaoyue, it was still hard to handle.
Their relationship was unequal.
Whether between Jiang Cheng and her, or herself and her.
“Have a seat.” Wang Ziyue didn’t quite understand why Jiang Xiaoyue looked as if she were facing a formidable enemy.
Jiang Xiaoyue chose to sit on another sofa, and Wang Ziyue simply smiled casually at that, then proactively offered to pour her some tea.
“Let me do it.” Jiang Xiaoyue stood up and first picked up the kettle on the table.
The water inside must have just been added; it was still a bit hot.
Watching Jiang Xiaoyue skillfully rinse the cups, brew, and pour the tea, she couldn’t help but ask one more question.
“Do you often make tea at home too?”
“…” Jiang Xiaoyue paused her actions, then casually handed the poured tea to Wang Ziyue. “Her father used to like it.”
It was a very soft sentence; if the two weren’t so close, Wang Ziyue probably wouldn’t have heard it clearly.
Realizing her slip, Wang Ziyue annoyedly bit her lower lip.
“You know about my family situation, right?”
Jiang Xiaoyue paid close attention to Wang Ziyue’s every move.
“I know a little bit…”
Wang Ziyue scratched the tip of her nose; she couldn’t exactly say she’d read the background check report three times.
“Little Cheng… sigh, this child… if her father hadn’t passed away so early, maybe her personality could have been a bit more cheerful.”
“Jiang Cheng is pretty good.”
“Little Cheng is sensible.” Jiang Xiaoyue took a half-sip of tea; she felt something off about the topic with Wang Ziyue. “Did you call me here today for something specific?”
“There are some things I’d like to understand from you.”
“What could I possibly know… is it related to Little Cheng?”
Jiang Xiaoyue’s expression instantly became wary, and Wang Ziyue blinked, finding it hard to say what she originally intended.
After thinking for a moment, she asked circuitously: “You only have Jiang Cheng as your daughter, right?”
“Of course, she’s my only one… do you know something?”
Jiang Xiaoyue’s breathing hitched; only then did she realize Wang Ziyue had tricked her into talking.
But on second thought, such an outlandish matter—even if she said it, the other might not believe it.
“I don’t know.” Wang Ziyue spoke very slowly, her serious tone impossible to ignore.
“Jiang Cheng never intended to tell me, but I can understand; it’s a very private matter. But… calling you here today, you should understand my stance.”
Wang Ziyue made no effort to hide the obsession in her words; though it sounded polite, Jiang Xiaoyue could still sense the inner restlessness and unease.
Why? Why was she so eager to know about Little Cheng?
From her words and actions, combined with Little Cheng’s evaluation of her, Jiang Xiaoyue did indeed feel that Wang Ziyue was a person of excellent character.
In other words, a good person.
But if there was something hidden behind this kindness, it was something Jiang Xiaoyue couldn’t accept.
“President Wang, how do you view my daughter?”
“Just call me Ziyue.”
Jiang Xiaoyue smiled but neither agreed nor directly refused.
“I think your daughter is very worth investing in.”
“Investing?”
“Yes… have you ever raised flowers? I like tinkering with them at home, though I keep them in a flower bed. I think a flower blooming in a wider space would be more beautiful.”
Jiang Xiaoyue pondered her words.
“You want to sponsor my daughter?”
“Sort of? I feel like before, she was like sinking into the deep sea, with an inexplicable oppression about her; I want to pull her up.” Wang Ziyue turned her body sideways and continued, “Before, I thought she and Jiang Cheng might be in a romantic relationship, but later I couldn’t figure it out.”
“So you admire her a lot and want to help her?”
“Yes.”
“What else?” Jiang Xiaoyue pressed step by step, their roles reversing.
Wang Ziyue carefully recalled every little moment of interacting with Jiang Chen. Her heart suddenly contracted uncontrollably, blood rushing upward.
The image of Jiang Chen in her mind seemed stuck on that night.
A black lace slip dress, slender white legs stepping into a pair of pointed high heels; her face very plain, but her lips coated with a layer of lipstick… that bit of red imprinted in Wang Ziyue’s eyes.
Jiang Xiaoyue watched as Wang Ziyue’s cheeks flushed with a strange peach pink.
She furrowed her brows and softly reminded: “President Wang?”
“Oh… sorry, otherwise, I just think she’s quite interesting. She has a certain spirit about her that I like.”
Jiang Xiaoyue fell silent, the obscurity in her eyes not escaping Wang Ziyue’s notice.
She didn’t understand; she had just praised Jiang Chen, yet Jiang Xiaoyue’s reaction seemed especially strong.
“Hmm, I can tell there are some misunderstandings about her on your part…”
Wang Ziyue’s breathing tightened; just when she thought Jiang Xiaoyue was about to tell her the whole truth, Jiang Xiaoyue suddenly stopped the topic.
“But the misunderstandings between you two—I can’t mediate unilaterally… that depends on Little Cheng’s thoughts. Besides, if she wants to tell you something, just listen to what she has to say. As her mother, I’ll unconditionally support her ideas. If you two can’t come to an agreement, then I’ll choose to leave Nancheng Real Estate.”
A smile lifted on Jiang Xiaoyue’s face; this near-breaking-the-boats confession was delivered in the calmest tone.
It was clearly a peaceful gaze, yet Wang Ziyue felt a sense of shame, like a mouse caught by a cat.
Mother and daughter were very similar in their restraint…
Wang Ziyue took a deep breath: “Then could you help me contact her? I’d like to meet her alone.”
If Wang Ziyue were some punk kid, Jiang Xiaoyue would definitely refuse outright.
She stared quietly at the empty cup, thinking about how to respond to Wang Ziyue’s words, when the other suddenly poured her another cup of tea.
“Take your time thinking.”
With a hint of pleading.
Jiang Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow, as if resigning herself: “I’ll call her after school, but only if she agrees. The location is…?”
“Lihua Hotel, there’s a members-only restaurant upstairs.”
“Isn’t the evening gathering place also…” Jiang Xiaoyue’s eyes widened.
“Don’t worry, it’s on separate floors.”
Afterward, the two discussed some work matters, and Wang Ziyue’s displayed professionalism impressed Jiang Xiaoyue.
By the time she left, Wang Ziyue sprang up from the sofa, her spirit in a state of extreme excitement.
She clenched her fists tightly and swung them wildly at the air.
yes！yes！yes!!
Jiang Jiang, just tell your secret to big sister~