PSMD – Chapter 105

The general manager of Wanming Company is surnamed Wen, named Wen Yuan. He only took office two years ago, and when he first arrived, he had just graduated from university but was already the general manager.

He is a year younger than Qiu Yang and, being young, doesn’t like being constrained. He doesn’t come to the company very often, mostly conducting meetings online. However, even so, he still manages the company very well.

Qiu Yang had heard from colleagues that President Wen’s family is in Beijing, and he’s a genuine rich second generation whose family has always been wealthy. Wanming was given to him to gain experience, and if he does well, he’ll likely go back home to inherit a large company.

But Qiu Yang just listened and didn’t get involved because she wasn’t interested at all. All she cared about was climbing the ladder, striving for a higher salary and a bigger year-end bonus.

Now, hearing Gu Lan mention this, Qiu Yang couldn’t help but pause, murmuring, “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Gu Lan immediately unlocked her phone, wanting to find the photo she had seen.

But before she could find it, Qiu Yang’s words interrupted her: “Gu Lan, don’t look for it.”

She paused again before continuing with a slight smile, “There are too many people with the same surname, and mine isn’t that uncommon. There are also plenty of people who look alike. It’s normal for you to think she looks similar at first glance, but there’s no need to look at the photo again.”

Qiu Yang said this, and she also thought this way in her heart.

If President Wen’s mother really looked very much like her, it would only add to her sadness.

Gu Lan said “Oh,” not thinking much of it and not noticing Qiu Yang’s unusual behavior. She responded, “Okay.”

“I just thought the eyes and eyebrows looked somewhat similar.”

Qiu Yang’s lips curved slightly: “There are too many people with similar eyes and eyebrows. If you keep saying that, I’ll start to wonder if my face is very common.”

As Qiu Yang’s dedicated fan, Gu Lan immediately declared: “Of course not! Xiao Qiu Jie, you don’t even know, someone in the company gossip group I joined mentioned you, saying you’re one of the faces of our company.”

“They even quietly suggested that if the company makes a promotional video later, they should find you.”

The company’s small gossip group was anonymous. Qiu Yang knew it existed but never had the idea of joining. With so many people in the company, it was inevitable that all sorts of questionable people would mix in. She just wanted to stay in her own small circle.

Of course, a more crucial reason was the fear of seeing news about herself and her friends. She didn’t care much about what others thought now, but if she saw excessive rumors, arguing with people wasn’t an impossible outcome.

Simply put, she believed it was better to avoid trouble.

She just needed to go to work and home normally to feed her cat; she didn’t want to get involved in anything else.

As soon as she returned to the company and sat down after lunch, she received a message from Qu Yan.

Qu Yan: 【It’s fine, it’s fine. Something came up this morning.】

Qu Yan: 【I’ll be at the company this afternoon.】

Qiu Yang pursed her lips, typed “Okay,” and sent it back, then continued chatting with Shen Ningruo.

Shen Ningruo was talking about Ke Yezi, saying that Ke Yezi looked normal, but when reporting work one-on-one, it felt a bit awkward.

Qiu Yang couldn’t help but smile when she imagined the scene.

It was really awkward, both then and now.

She chatted with Shen Ningruo until the end of the lunch break. Qu Yan arrived at the company on time. Colleagues saw Qu Yan and went up to check on her. Qiu Yang also followed.

At least on the surface, she couldn’t show any awkwardness.

“Qu Jie, are you really okay?” Qiu Yang brought a cup of water and placed it on Qu Yan’s desk.

Qu Yan smiled and shook her head: “I’m fine.”

However, her face was slightly pale, and her hair wasn’t tied up as usual but draped over her shoulders, like a different person. Yet, her expression was as usual, still looking like the older sister.

Qiu Yang didn’t say anything more, nodded, and left the office. But after returning to her seat, she couldn’t help but look up towards Qu Yan’s office.

Qu Yan was organizing documents. As if sensing Qiu Yang’s gaze, she was about to look over, but Qiu Yang lowered her head first.

She didn’t want to make eye contact with Qu Yan right now.

Because thinking about the things Qu Yan might have done made Qiu Yang feel a chill down her spine. She didn’t want this feeling to worsen, so she naturally avoided such moments.

Work continued. Qu Yan hadn’t come in the morning, but the meetings didn’t stop. She was carefully checking the information from the morning meeting she missed, and when something important came up, she called people in.

Qiu Yang wasn’t responsible for anything important and spent the entire afternoon working at her desk.

Peng Kaimiao hadn’t come to find Qiu Yang recently, and she was happy for the peace. But after work, she still ran into Peng Kaimiao at the elevator. Since they were on the same project team, they saw each other in every meeting, but Qiu Yang always felt that something about Peng Kaimiao looked different.

She didn’t know if it was because the May Day holiday really made it hard for people to adjust, but both in the morning and now, he looked very tired.

He was very similar to the two young men she met in the elevator the night she first arrived in Xicheng.

Qiu Yang didn’t like to speculate without reason. She just glanced at him casually and then looked away.

Peng Kaimiao also saw her, but unlike before, he didn’t come forward to greet her warmly. Instead, he dragged his heavy steps into the elevator.

Qiu Yang also took this elevator. She stood on the left side, but summer was approaching, and the smell inside the elevator was gradually becoming less pleasant. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to reach the basement level.

Shen Ningruo had Lao Yu pick her up from work again, giving the reason that Monday traffic was worse and she was worried her phone might be stolen again.

Qiu Yang didn’t refuse Shen Ningruo’s kindness, especially since she had something she wanted to talk to Lao Yu about.

After getting in the car, Lao Yu drove the sedan steadily forward. It wasn’t until they drove out of the parking lot and into the light that Qiu Yang looked at his gentle profile and asked, “Uncle Yu, has Ruoruo’s relationship with her father been very strained these past few years?”

Actually, she could have inferred this information from Shen Ningruo’s previous accounts; otherwise, they wouldn’t have argued on Qingming Festival.

And at the end of the phone call Shen Ningruo took from her father in Xicheng, she clearly said she would visit him after returning to Yuncheng.

But Shen Ningruo hadn’t gone yet, and Qiu Yang couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

She definitely hoped Shen Ningruo could have a good talk with her father. Qiu Yang had never experienced familial affection, so she hoped others could have it properly.

And this ‘other’ wasn’t just anyone, but Shen Ningruo.

Qiu Yang didn’t want to interfere with Shen Ningruo’s thoughts and actions; she simply hoped that the shadow in Shen Ningruo’s heart could lessen.

“Yes,” Uncle Yu sighed as soon as Qiu Yang asked about this. “Old Shen has regretted countless times over the past ten years, but it was all too late. Communication with Miss also became more difficult. They occasionally had peaceful moments when they met, but more often than not, they argued.”

“Old Shen often came to my place to drink. He used to drink and not go home, but now he knows to go home after drinking, but there’s no one waiting for him anymore.”

Qiu Yang listened intently, pursing her lips, unsure what to say.

Lao Yu sighed: “This May Day holiday, Old Shen came to find me again. He wasn’t drinking. He took my granddaughter for a walk around the neighborhood, and finally asked me helplessly if he had been using the wrong method to show care for Miss all these years. He wanted Miss to have a happy family, hoping to make up for the past, but the more anxious he seemed, the more uncomfortable it made Miss.”

“Ah, the relationship has always been strained. I don’t know when it will ease up.”

Qiu Yang lowered her gaze, looking at her hands, unsure how to help Shen Ningruo.

“Miss Qiu,” Lao Yu called out to Qiu Yang at this moment, asking with some curiosity, “Are your parents well? How is your relationship with them?”

Hearing this, Qiu Yang looked out the window. Yuncheng was sunny today. Now that the May Day holiday was over, it wouldn’t be lazy anymore. The weather forecast showed sunshine for the next week, and the temperature would get higher and higher, but it would still be a while before the sunset could be seen.

“I…”

“My father unfortunately passed away before I was born.”

“My mother is… probably doing well now, I don’t know.”

Lao Yu immediately switched to an apologetic tone: “I’m sorry, Miss Qiu, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Yu, thank you for telling me this.”

Some things are inconvenient to ask the person directly, so asking someone else is a good option. Qiu Yang got a lot of information from Lao Yu. After getting out of the car and saying goodbye to Lao Yu, she thought about how to remind Shen Ningruo of her promise from Xicheng first.

Since she said she would meet after returning to Yuncheng, she should follow through, right?

But unexpectedly, Qiu Yang didn’t even need to say anything. Shen Ningruo called after work, saying she was going home to see her father first.

Qiu Yang certainly hoped she would go: “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

“Okay, wait for me patiently.”

“Last night was just collecting the remaining balance, I still need to collect the previous debts.”

Qiu Yang’s lips curved into a smile. She said “Okay,” but thinking about last night’s position, she still felt her face heat up. Fortunately, she was at home now, with only Pingzi the cat watching her.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Ningruo let out a breath. She was a little nervous about going home to face Shen Yuankai.

From their previous call, she could guess some of her father’s thoughts, but wasn’t sure. If they argued again tonight…

She didn’t want to argue anymore.

Shen Ningruo drove home. She rummaged through her bag to find her keys. Just as she was about to open the door, Shen Yuankai had already heard some noise and came over and opened the door for her.

Her hand holding the keys was still suspended in the air. Seeing her father appear before her, she paused for a moment before lowering her hand, blinking, and saying, “Dad.”

Shen Yuankai was wearing an apron, his face wearing a gentle smile that Shen Ningruo rarely saw. He responded, “Ruoruo, hurry and wash your hands and eat.”

Shen Ningruo straightened her back, stiffening slightly, then nodded: “Okay.”

She changed her shoes and washed her hands. As she passed the dining room, Shen Ningruo saw the four dishes and one soup laid out on the table, all her favorites.

She couldn’t help but subtly rub the hem of her clothes with her fingertips before pretending not to be surprised at all and going into the bathroom to wash her hands.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw Shen Yuankai also placed the bowl full of rice on the table.

The dining table was a long one. The father and daughter sat on opposite ends.

Shen Ningruo sat down. Just as she picked up her chopsticks, she heard Shen Yuankai ask, “Ruoruo.”

“That girl you had Lao Yu drive, what’s your relationship with her?”