Chapter Thirty-Four: If Her Years Had Never Been Dazzled

This left Cheng He both amused and exasperated. He slightly bent forward, maintaining eye contact with Wen Ganan, and gently reached out to pat her head—as if teasing a child.

The one who became caught between laughter and tears was Wen Ganan herself. Her usually cold and composed facade cracked slightly, and an involuntary smile spread across her face.

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

“You’re not a child, but to me, you’re something even more special. So don’t overthink it, or blame yourself.”

Cheng He’s voice was low and tender. At work, he was meticulous and immersed, utterly professional; in life, however, he was the complete opposite.

Such contrast was undeniably captivating.

If Wen Ganan had never met Liang Yuxiu, if her time had never been so astonishingly stirred...

“Don’t worry. I won’t fall out with Yuxiu over this. I’ll handle it with him. You don’t have to shoulder the blame. If I had to choose between the two of you, I would definitely choose you.”

Cheng He’s tone left no room for doubt.

Wen Ganan could not meet his unwavering gaze; her eyes flickered, evasive.

Liang Yuxiu took in the scene without missing a detail. He couldn’t quite articulate what he felt—only a deep irritation.

Wen Ganan shouldn’t be with Cheng He. Not at all.

If it had to be Cheng He, he’d rather she be with Wei Ming.

A phone rang, pulling Liang Yuxiu back to reason.

He took out his phone, seeing the caller’s ID and instinctively wanting to hang up. But this time, the caller seemed determined to make him answer.

Liang Yuxiu had no choice but to pick up.

He remained silent. The person on the other end, apparently used to his reticence, spoke without waiting for a response.

“Come home for dinner this weekend. Your father is there—he specifically wants to see you.”

The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman, calm in tone yet unmistakably sharp beneath the surface.

Liang Yuxiu knew without asking what expression she wore—stern and unyielding.

Subconsciously, he did not want to go.

But the woman seemed to have anticipated this, swiftly cutting off any protest: “If you don’t come, I will personally come to your company to fetch you. By the way, I heard that woman is also in Yancheng? It’s been years—I want to see her too.”

Liang Yuxiu’s face and eyes changed instantly, though the woman on the phone couldn’t see.

“Who told you that? We’re no longer connected. Don’t disturb her,” he said, anger tinting his voice.

He hated being controlled, hated being threatened. That feeling of being trapped returned like a cold wave, making him very uncomfortable.

The middle-aged woman scoffed dismissively. “It’s not hard to find out things in Yancheng.”

Her words carried a second meaning.

Liang Yuxiu understood perfectly. Clenching his phone tightly, he barely restrained his anger.

In the end, he agreed to come home for dinner that weekend.

***

After work that afternoon, Wen Ganan held a small meeting with Lin Li to discuss and address Lin’s issues.

Only after four o’clock did she return to the elegant residence at Yayi Garden.

The filming process was complete; the colleagues responsible for shooting were now negotiating post-production with Mian City, trying to expedite the release.

On Monday, they were scheduled to do a special interview video for Liang Yuxiu.

Tonight, overtime was likely. Wen Ganan considered waiting until the work was done to take her colleagues out for a late-night meal.

At that moment, Wei Ming appeared.

Everyone was surprised to see him, including Wen Ganan, who had thought he had long since left Yancheng.

Wei Ming made a perfunctory inquiry about the progress of the Quantum project, then shifted to express concern about the incident yesterday when Wen Ganan and others were stranded at the Quantum factory on the outskirts.

“Our company, Fidu, values humanity. We don’t require employees to risk their lives. Next time something like this happens, safety comes first.”

Everyone applauded in agreement.

Wen Ganan tugged at the corner of her mouth, a bitter smile creeping in.

So apparently, all the kindness was reserved for him. She, who led the charge on the front lines, was the one who supposedly didn’t care about her employees’ lives.

How had she never noticed this side of Wei Ming before?

Suddenly, she felt she had misjudged people, chosen the wrong boss. Fortunately, she had never been mistreated over the years, or else she would have torn down Fidu’s very ceiling.

After his speech, Wei Ming called Wen Ganan aside for a private talk.

Curious about his true intentions, she followed him out.

“Ganan, I saw your resignation letter,” Wei Ming began, his tone heavy with concern.

Having been repeatedly rebuffed by Wen Ganan, he no longer wore the kindly expression of before. The admiration in his eyes had vanished, replaced by the cold authority of a boss.

Wen Ganan couldn’t care less about his attitude; she only focused on her own matters.

“Once I finish this project, I’ll return to the company to hand over my duties. You can use this time to find someone suitable to replace me.”

“You’ve misunderstood,” Wei Ming said calmly. “I don’t agree with your resignation.”

Wen Ganan had expected this, but her face still darkened with irritation.

“Don’t be so quick to get angry.”

He reached out to gently touch her shoulder, but this did nothing to calm her—instead, it was like pouring fuel on the fire.

Wen Ganan stepped back.

Wei Ming refrained from touching her, composing himself before continuing: “If this is about what happened before, then I apologize. It was narrow-minded of me, and I crossed a line. I’m sorry. I promise I won’t bring it up again. Let’s just pretend it never happened.”

Wen Ganan fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wondered how he had the nerve to say such things.

“You know I value talent. As long as you’re willing to stay at Fidu, we can sign a new contract. Not only will I promote you and increase your salary, but I’ll also give you shares.”

“Mr. Wei, I’m not in this for the money.”

With Wen Ganan’s abilities, she could thrive anywhere.

Wei Ming nodded, smirking: “Yes, yes, I’m not trying to buy you off. I’m just showing sincerity. So? Think it over?”

“No thanks, Mr. Wei. That’s all.”

Wen Ganan barely hesitated. Once she set her mind on something, she was determined to see it through.

Besides, this was a decision long made—not something his few words could change.

Having worked with Wei Ming for so many years, Wen Ganan thought she understood him well enough to see this was a temporary ploy.

Whether it was sincere or not was hard to say.

She didn’t want to listen to his insincere talk any longer. What had passed was enough to save face for both sides; she didn’t want matters to escalate.

She turned and walked away.

Wei Ming stood there, face darkened, chest heaving heavily.

After a moment, he followed her back, saying he had already reserved a place and wanted to take Wen Ganan and the others out for dinner.

Wen Ganan clenched her anger: “Mr. Wei, we still have work to finish.”

She thought this boss was sometimes utterly clueless!

They had argued about work before; Fidu’s employees were used to it, but this time felt different.

Everyone exchanged stunned glances, dumbfounded.

The situation now seemed to suggest that if Wen Ganan didn’t speak up, no one dared to agree to Wei Ming’s request.

Wei Ming felt his authority as a boss slipping away.

He scowled and made a decision: “The work isn’t urgent right this moment. Besides, the results aren’t due tomorrow. I’ve checked—the timeline is sufficient. Ganan, you don’t know how to show consideration for your subordinates!”