Chapter Forty-Eight: The First Acknowledgment of His Identity

After finishing the move, Cheng He’s call came through again.

Since the incident earlier that morning, Wen Jianan hadn’t had the chance to answer his calls, only leaving him a brief message on WeChat in haste.

Perhaps seeing that Wen Jianan had not reached out, Cheng He grew anxious.

He understood the gravity of the situation.

When Wen Jianan finally picked up, she heard the concern in his voice: “Jianan, how are you?”

“I’m fine,” she replied.

But how could that be true?

Cheng He had already heard from Xiao Jiang that Wen Jianan had been dismissed from her position.

Although she had submitted her resignation long ago, being officially removed at such a time was a different matter entirely. This could very well stain her career record.

The industry might be small or large, but if this “charge” stuck, Wen Jianan would find it impossible to stand firm within it.

Cheng He had known about this from early on and was so worried he nearly flew straight over from Yancheng.

Wen Jianan felt genuinely cared for and was deeply moved.

“Thank you,” she said.

Cheng He didn’t have time for polite exchanges.

“What are you planning to do? If you need anything from me, just say the word.”

“No need. You’re not part of Feidu; there’s little you can do to help,” Wen Jianan answered, then added, “Of course, if I do need something, I won’t hesitate to ask, boyfriend.”

That was the first time Wen Jianan acknowledged his identity.

Cheng He was caught off guard, momentarily speechless.

“I’ll take leave and come be with you,” he suddenly said.

Wen Jianan refused, “Don’t let me affect your work, and Xiaofeng still needs you.”

Someone was approaching nearby. Wen Jianan looked up to see Xiao Jiang stop and wave at her.

She nodded, signaling she’d come quickly, then hurriedly said goodbye to Cheng He and ended the call.

Back in the office area, she learned that Zhang Yufei had completed the onboarding process and was now gathering the entire Quantum Project team for a meeting.

Zhang Yufei had been a Feidu employee until just over half a year ago, and now having returned, she seemed quite at ease.

Wen Jianan quickly packed her things and joined everyone heading toward the conference room.

She ignored the strange looks cast her way.

The meeting began with Zhang Yufei briefly reviewing the project’s background, then conducting individual interviews with each team member.

Wen Jianan didn’t know what Zhang Yufei was thinking but felt like she was being interrogated as if she were a criminal, which annoyed her greatly.

“Yufei...” Wen Jianan started to speak but was interrupted.

“I’m team leader Zhang now.”

Wen Jianan took a deep breath. “Alright, Team Leader Zhang, isn’t it a bit improper to treat us like suspects? Don’t forget, I have investigation rights too.”

Zhang Yufei paused while flipping through documents, then looked at Wen Jianan with a slight smirk. “I think it’s appropriate. No one else objects, only you. Are you feeling guilty?”

Wen Jianan felt her reasoning was flawed but didn’t want to argue.

“I just think you should respect us a bit more and not act as if you’re already convinced I’m at fault.”

Zhang Yufei’s smile deepened, shaking her head with a confident gleam in her eyes, clearly sure of her decisions and judgments.

“Wen team leader—oh no, Jianan—Mr. Wei instructed me to take full charge of this investigation. You have the right to participate, but only as an observer. You cannot intervene directly. Do you understand?”

Wen Jianan hadn’t expected such a stance and felt indignant.

“How can I be sure you won’t manipulate things behind the scenes and pin the blame on me?”

Zhang Yufei’s tone was firm. “I have no interest in doing that.”

She chose not to say more.

By the end of the day, Wen Jianan felt like a powerless emperor stripped of authority.

All she could do was try to recall every detail from the past month, searching for a way to break through.

After work, she left the company in a low mood.

She vaguely remembered that the South China Technology Expo was opening tomorrow. Xinrui’s sudden move had caught everyone off guard. She wondered what Quantum would do.

The more Wen Jianan thought, the more worried she became. She wanted to call Liang Yuxiu but felt it was inappropriate given her current situation and position.

If they suspected her of espionage, it would only backfire.

She suppressed the urge.

At home, Wen Shaoru and Tan Fang were surprised to see her back since they had known she was supposed to be on a business trip all day.

Tan Fang hurried over in shock, grabbing her arm. “You weren’t supposed to be home. What happened?”

“Oh, there was an unexpected change, and the trip was canceled,” Wen Jianan forced a smile. “Alright, Mom, I’m exhausted from today. I’m going to rest.”

Wen Shaoru and Tan Fang exchanged a glance, sensing something was off, but out of respect for their daughter, they said nothing.

That night, Wen Jianan barely slept, caught between wakefulness and dreams. By dawn, she was wide awake despite her tired eyes, her mind racing with countless flickering images.

For a moment, she almost rummaged through her things to find leftover medicine to help her sleep.

But after hesitating, she got up, tidied herself, changed into workout clothes, and went for a run.

After five kilometers, she stopped by the roadside, hands on her waist, gasping for breath, exhausted but finally feeling some relief.

The morning light was bright, the orange-red sun casting its glow, and a gentle breeze blew. Wen Jianan lifted her face, closed her eyes, and savored the warmth and wind.

Thirty minutes later, she returned home, drank some warm water, then took a refreshing shower. When she stepped out, Wen Shaoru and Tan Fang had already brought back breakfast.

“Nannan, breakfast is ready.”

“Okay!”

Wen Jianan came out of her room, grabbed her bag, planning to eat quickly and head to work.

Wen Shaoru turned on the TV, then sat down at the table with his wife and daughter.

The screen displayed the South China Morning News. Wen Jianan wasn’t paying attention at first, mechanically sipping her soy milk.

But when she heard the words “South China Technology Expo,” she snapped back to attention, her gaze fixed intently on the screen.

The news was reporting the opening of the expo today. Wen Jianan watched for a long moment and felt her heart tighten when she saw the name “Quantum” among the brands.

It was strange—she wasn’t surprised because this was typical of Liang Yuxiu’s style.

He wouldn’t back down from a setback or obstruction.

Though Xinrui Technology wasn’t participating in the expo, Liang Yuxiu’s move would undoubtedly thrust Quantum into the spotlight.

Wen Jianan felt an inexplicable worry.

She pursed her lips, thought carefully, then hurriedly finished breakfast and left.

On her way to the company, she mustered the courage to call Liang Yuxiu.