Chapter 9: Debt of Gratitude
In the Ruan family study.
Ruan Ying’s fingertips rubbed the edge of the paper, her nails turning pale from the pressure.
She reached out to rub the center of her brows. Her fingernail gently scraped across her brow bone, making the dark circles under her eyes increasingly obvious.
The optimistic content of the document caused fine wrinkles to appear at the corners of her well-maintained eyes.
Steady footsteps approached.
The man’s shirt was filled out nicely, creating a beautiful silhouette. His sleeves were rolled up casually, and the tight muscle lines of his forearms rose and fell gently with the movement of serving tea.
Hands with distinct knuckles held the bone china tea tray. The silver watch face on his wrist glinted under the light. His movement pushing the door was very light, and the bone china teacup was placed steadily on the table.
“President Ruan, black tea.”
“Little Chen, the Fu Corporation really helped a lot. Ruan Jianming is serious this time.” Ruan Ying was in a poor state, her tone exhausted.
“President Ruan exaggerates. It is merely repaying the help your late father gave to my father.” Fu Jingchen’s tone was cold but polite.
“As for Mr. Ruan Jianming, the news of the cooperation between the Fu and Ruan families has already been released. President Ruan need not be so anxious.”
Ruan Ying had some trouble breathing. Enduring the discomfort, she responded to the person in front of her. “Itās unfair to you, Little Chen. You are still so young. Once this matter is over, I will arrange a clarification.”
After all, Ruan Ying was nearing fifty. Looking at the man in front of her, who appeared to be twenty-eight or twenty-nine, he was just a child to her.
“It is just business cooperation; there is no unfairness to speak of.” Fu Jingchen was exceptionally flat, his words carrying no emotion.
“It is a fact that Iāve caused you to bear an unpleasant reputation.” Ruan Ying’s tone was slightly apologetic.
But there wasn’t much to be apologetic about, as the news had been released by the Fu Corporation in the first place.
After the Ruan and Fu families cooperated, rumors about Ruan Ying and Fu Jingchen spread like wildfire. There was no shortage of people in the circle mocking the Fu Corporation for going crazy, so desperate that they let the young and promising eldest son get involved with the divorced Ruan Ying.
Wealthy families cared most about reputation. Such things were rare. It sounded a bit ugly when spoken aloud. If it weren’t imminent, Ruan Ying wouldn’t have used the debt of gratitude the Fu family owed her father to solve this.
But how could the Fu Corporation not have selfish motives? Since Chairman Fu agreed to let his eldest son make some small sacrifices, it proved that the benefits of this cooperation definitely outweighed the disadvantages.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Being able to latch onto the “fat oil field” that was the Ruan Corporationāwhat did it matter if they were gossiped about in the circle?
Moreover, the Ruan Corporation was currently just undergoing internal strife. The results of a strong alliance between the Fu and Ruan families would only be a sure profit.
“Originally, it would have been best if you and Xiao Yi could get along. That would be a match made in heaven, good for both families.”
“Unfortunately, Xiao Yi is engaged, and the Shen family is completely unwilling to let go. I only have this one precious daughter, so I won’t torment her. It’s enough for me to figure out a way to solve some things.” The discomfort worsened slightly, and Ruan Ying rubbed her temple.
“Xiao Yi and that person from the Shen family… have a good relationship?”
Fu Jingchen’s consistently flat tone seemed to have a ripple.
“If it were good, I wouldn’t be worried. Xiao Yi has tried to break off the engagement repeatedly. I don’t know what’s wrong with that Shen Xun child; he just won’t let go no matter what. Right now, their relationship is as bad as it gets.”
She didn’t know why, but after saying this sentence, she inexplicably felt that the mood of the person across from her seemed much happier, and the atmosphere in the room softened a lot.
If Xiao Yi and Shen Xun got along, would Fu Jingchen need to be here?
If there was a solid marital relationship, the Shen family would naturally help her weather the storm, and she wouldn’t need to use any favor from her father.
It was just a pity that, judging by Xiao Yi’s current state, this marriage probably wouldn’t happen, and they might even offend the Shen Corporation.
Ruan Ying hoped her daughter’s marriage would be happy.
She still felt guilty toward Ruan Yi. When her daughter was young, she couldn’t be by her side. She hadn’t even attended parent-teacher conferences or sports meets, yet Xiao Yi had always been so well-behaved.
When she was divorcing Cheng Huaiyuan, the little Ruan Yi was so sensible it made one’s heart ache.
Ruan Ying remembered it vividly. Back then, she asked Ruan Yi, “Xiao Yi, do you want Mom to forgive Dad?”
The tiny Ruan Yi hugged her doll, her big round eyes holding back tears. First, she nodded slightly, then she hurriedly shook her head.
“I don’t want Mom to settle! Xiao Yi… Xiao Yi doesn’t want to see Mom sad.”
The soft little doll cried and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
Ruan Ying’s heart was about to melt. A simple term like “little cotton-padded jacket” was no longer enough to describe her daughter’s goodness. Ruan Yi was simply a little angel bestowed upon her by heaven.
Thinking of the warm memories, Ruan Ying realized her physical discomfort had alleviated a lot.
“By the way, I apologize to you on Xiao Yi’s behalf.” Ruan Ying’s tone was full of indulgent helplessness.
“That child’s little brain… You saw her attitude that day. It should be that the identity of ‘stepfather’ spread by the cooperation made her reject you a bit. Don’t mind it.”
Fu Jingchen’s lips hooked slightly.
“How could I? Xiao Yi is very cute.”
The cute Xiao Yi was currently suffering.
“Lin Han, stop picking.” Ruan Yi helplessly pulled the girl, who was staring back and forth at several male models, back to her side.
“Alright, alright, you can all go down.”
The girl called Lin Han lazily waved her hand at the row of male models, whose shoe soles were thicker than the last.
“Every single one of them… taking off their shoes would be comparable to walking down a flight of stairs.” The girl speaking had a pair of shimmering almond eyes, the tails slightly upturned. The tip of her straight nose was embellished with faint pearl highlights, and her makeup was exquisite.
A smile always played on her lips. A head of fluffy chestnut curls rested on her shoulders. She was about the same height as Ruan Yi but had a slimmer, more frail figure, looking like a well-behaved doll.
“You mean to say, anyone who gets close to your brother will turn homosexual? Then what about you, baby? You won’t fall in love with me, right~”
“If! I said if!”
Ruan Yi didn’t reveal more information, and it was even more impossible to say that this world was actually a novel; otherwise, she would just be sent to the psychiatric department by Lin Han.
“My little Yi-Yi~ I say, have you been reading too many novels? To come up with this kind of hypothesis, your family needs to hire a master exorcist.”
Ruan Yi wanted to argue a couple more sentences, but her cheek was pinched hard by Lin Han. “Ruan Yi, if you insist on making such a retarded hypothesis, then I can tell you, the point doesn’t lie with the people around your brother, but only with… one person!”
“What do you mean?” Ruan Yi was a bit confused.
Lin Han mysteriously leaned into Ruan Yi’s ear. “There are only two possibilities.”
“Which two? Tell me, tell me.” Ruan Yi blinked her eyes, expecting her to wake the dreamer with a single word.
“The first possibility: your brother… is an incubus.”
A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory. Ruan Yi was so angry she slapped the sofa.
“Don’t rush, I haven’t said the second one yet~”
Lin Han hugged Ruan Yi closer, her expression exceptionally serious. “This second one is extremely likely!”
Ruan Yi trusted her one more time and actively leaned her ear toward her lips.
“Actually, all of this is…” she said faintly, pretending to be mysterious.
“Your silly-ass fantasy!”
Haha, Ruan Yi felt her life was truly bitter. Her only best friend she could ask for help thought she was crazy.
Fine, Ruan Yi accepted the first possibility.
Gu Zhi was probably an incubus.
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