Chapter 65: Sense of Security

Even on the weekend, Wen Jianan did not rest. Early in the morning, she made a video call to her parents to share her recent life and work, and inquired about their well-being. Learning that everything was fine and that Wen Shaoru and Tan Fang were in a rush to head to the park for Tai Chi, they reluctantly hung up the phone. For some reason, during this trip away, Wen Jianan felt a distinct surge of homesickness. She had not been like this before; she used to be carefree, going half a month without calling home, leaving her parents chasing after her to call, send messages, and report that she was safe. Back then, Wen Jianan always found her parents terribly annoying, but only now did she realize how unfilial and rebellious she had been. People always experience a sudden awakening at a certain stage in life, and she was no exception.

After finishing her personal matters, she planned to start catching up on work. Although Oglivy did not pressure employees much for overtime, was lenient with attendance, and imposed no rigid constraints on working hours, Wen Jianan still did not dare to be too complacent since she was new to the company. She had to spend more time than others to adapt to everything and become more proficient, otherwise she would constantly be trapped in a state of anxiety. She was accustomed to keeping everything under her control; since she had not yet reached that state, she dared not lower her guard or slack off.

At noon, Wen Jianan planned to order takeout. In truth, she disliked cooking and detested the smell of cooking oil; aside from the years she spent at the Liang family household, she had basically never stepped foot into a kitchen. However, just as she opened the delivery app, Cheng He arrived. Catching sight of him through the peephole, Wen Jianan was quite surprised. As soon as she opened the door, she blurted out, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital taking care of Xiaofeng?"

Cheng He used a smile to mask the profound depth and probing look in his eyes. "It's not like I can stay at the hospital twenty-four hours a day."

Wen Jianan was briefly at a loss for words and opened her mouth to speak, but Cheng He cut her off first. With a half-smile, he asked, "Aren't you going to invite me in to sit down?"

Wen Jianan hesitated slightly before stepping aside to let him enter. Ironically, this was actually only the second time Cheng He had set foot in this place; the first time was the day Wen Jianan first arrived in Yancheng, when he brought her here. Every time he dropped her off afterward, Cheng He had tentatively wanted to come up for a visit, but Wen Jianan always refused. Cheng He had assumed she was worried, evading him, and afraid that he wanted to take their relationship a step further. Looking at it now, however, that might not necessarily be the case. Although he was her fiancé and remained by her side, it seemed he simply could not walk into her heart. Cheng He had once believed that given enough time he could manage it, but now he suddenly began to doubt.

Could he really?

Cheng He sat down in the living room, his gaze wandering around, though it was unclear what he was looking at. Wen Jianan didn't think much of it and asked, "Water or coffee?"

Cheng He pulled back his gaze. "Coffee."

Considering that Wen Jianan loved coffee, Cheng He had prepared a coffee machine for her right from the start. When Wen Jianan went to make the coffee, Cheng He stood up and followed her, looking like an old married couple who had lived together for many years. Cheng He quite liked this feeling; in his youth, he would have sneered at such a domestic life, but now he felt that if it was with a woman like this, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Have you eaten?" he asked Wen Jianan.

Wen Jianan was pouring coffee beans and didn't turn back. "Not yet."

Cheng He naturally chimed in, "Neither have I. Let's eat together later."

Wen Jianan's instinctive reaction was to refuse, but as the words reached her lips, she realized she had no reason to say no.

"What would you like to have?" Cheng He had already taken out his phone to search for nearby restaurants.

Wen Jianan thought for a moment without offering any opinion, and ultimately Cheng He selected a Cantonese restaurant.

After finishing the coffee, it was almost time to leave. Wen Jianan went to change her clothes and headed out with Cheng He.

On the way, Cheng He praised the coffee Wen Jianan had made, saying, "I think your skills are comparable to any coffee shop out there."

Wen Jianan laughed despite herself. "I'm not that good. You're giving me too much credit; I'm completely flattered."

"That's probably because I view you through rose-colored glasses. Whatever you do, I think it's wonderful." Cheng He said with a faint, enigmatic smile.

Wen Jianan didn't know how to respond to that. With a soft smile, she fell silent.

Cheng He glanced at her sideways, his eyes and the depths of his gaze growing inscrutable.

Her palms had already broken out in a cold sweat, yet she forced herself to maintain a calm and composed demeanor. "Mr. Shang, I don't understand what you mean."

Shang Jin extended two fingers and tapped on the desk to remind her, "If it's not Yin Wanwan, it will be someone else. But if you dare to harbor ambitions you shouldn't have, you simply aren't qualified. Understood?"

Jiang Li immediately understood. So he assumed she had run into Yin Wanwan, was feeling upset, and was throwing a tantrum. Yet what qualification did she have to throw a tantrum? Shang Jin was her boss, her master; everything she possessed today was given to her by Shang Jin. The moment she angered him, she would find it difficult to secure a foothold in Ningzhou ever again. She had figured this out a couple of years ago: on the surface, she remained diligent and dutiful, fulfilling her role as a secretary to perfection, while in private, she possessed all the appropriate compliance expected of a qualified bed partner.

That was why Shang Jin had been thoroughly satisfied with her services over the years.

Stunned into silence, she stood there without responding. Shang Jin had no intention of wasting any more time and issued his final ultimatum. "In short, know your place, do your job well, and get out."

However, he was utterly determined not to approve Jiang Li's leave.

Walking out of the president's office, Jiang Li looked ashen-faced. She didn't know what to do next. Even if getting an abortion was a quick procedure and she could squeeze out the time for it, the subsequent recovery and medical treatments would also require time. If she really waited until these three months of busyness were over, she might have lost her life long ago.

It wouldn't hurt to tell Shang Jin about her illness, but the crucial point was that once he knew about the sickness, the pregnancy definitely could not be hidden either.

After turning the matter over in her mind, Jiang Li decided to carve out some time first to undergo the surgery. She hid in the stairwell to make an appointment and then called the doctor who had examined her yesterday—her college classmate, Song Ling.

Upon hearing Jiang Li say she still had no time to treat her illness, Song Ling grew so furious that she couldn't help launching into a fierce tirade against Shang Jin. "Is your boss an absolute beast? Do capitalists never rest until they've squeezed every last drop of blood and sweat out of the working class?"

"......"

Jiang Li found herself speechless in rebuttal, considering that over the years Shang Jin truly had squeezed her dry—not just at work, but in bed as well. Fortunately, though, he had never shortchanged her.

Song Ling reined in her temper slightly. "Then what about the child in your stomach? Does he not intend to take responsibility for that either?"

Covering her mouth, Jiang Li lowered her voice. "No, I haven't let him know about this. You must help me keep it a secret; don't tell a single soul, understand?"

Song Ling couldn't fathom what game she was playing, but her physical condition genuinely could not be dragged out any longer. "I can stay out of this matter, but I cannot ignore your health."

"I know. I'll resolve this issue first, and then figure something out."

She had to deal with the time bomb in her stomach before Shang Jin found out.

Out of options, Song Ling conceded, "Then you must at least undergo some interventional therapy first. How about this: I have a senior schoolmate from a traditional Chinese medicine family who is an expert in cancer research. Come out at noon, and I'll introduce you to him."

"......"

Song Ling had already mentioned yesterday that given her current condition, Western medical treatments could not guarantee a hundred percent cure. However, having spent recent years by Shang Jin's side and dealing extensively with the upper class, Jiang Li had witnessed cases where ailments incurable by Western medicine were ultimately cured by traditional Chinese medicine. After a brief internal struggle, figuring she had nothing to lose by treating a dead horse as a live one, Jiang Li agreed.

Satisfied at last, Song Ling said, "See you at noon, then. I'll send you the address later."

Jiang Li acknowledged, pushed open the fire door, and walked out, failing to notice that someone was standing further up the stairwell.