◎ He was certain that every time in the past, protection had been used. ◎
13
This was the first time in Ning Ye's memory that she could consume without any need to consider money.
Although using Bian Xun's card mostly bought things needed for raising a child, it undeniably also improved her life. Most importantly, it gave her a sense of security.
Now, even Taobao dared to recommend items costing over a hundred thousand yuan to her—such flattery! Ning Ye righteously added them to her favorites.
On this night of passionate pre-sale orders, Ning Ye held Taotao's chubby little hand in one hand and Bian Xun's black card in the other.
For our family of three, living well together is more important than anything.
The next day at the company, the team leader held a routine meeting.
Hearing about the smart eco-home park opening next week, Ning Ye paused, remembering the matter.
The area behind the main building of Wujiang Group had been developed into an ecological digital smart hub, integrating technology with nature and placing smart home products among greenery, flowers, and birds, like a large amusement park. It would open to the surrounding kindergartens, primary, and middle schools, with several elementary schools already scheduling it for their children's autumn outings.
Xialu Kindergarten was among them.
This meant Taotao would finally get to see her still-alive-and-well father.
But it also meant the son of the movie queen, Gu Zixun, would appear as well.
Ning Ye remembered the plot description: after arriving at Wujiang Group, the movie queen's son displayed remarkable intelligence. While other kindergarten children were looking at flowers, birds, and fish, Gu Zixun showed an extraordinary understanding of the tech products, leaving a deep impression on Bian Xun.
And just as they were leaving, the little boy suddenly hugged Bian Xun's leg, crying and asking if he was his daddy—causing that consistently icy, aloof, handsome man to show signs of a thaw for the very first time.
In contrast, the Ning Zhitao in the plot was portrayed as having a peculiar personality, a bad temper, being willful, and having too many schemes.
—Nonsense, Ning Ye thought. How could her child be happy?
Her own father was being claimed by another child, and her father most likely didn't even recognize her anymore.
Ning Ye's slender, pale fingers unconsciously tightened around the pen in her hand. Thinking of the sad and wronged expression that might appear on Ning Zhitao's always-smiling, chubby face made her feel quite upset.
She wouldn't target another person's child. Before having a child herself, she didn't understand, but now Ning Ye knew deeply that a child's words, actions, and thoughts are projections of the adults in their life. She wouldn't do anything to Gu Zixun, but she also couldn't just stand by and watch others use her own child as a stepping stone.
After the meeting ended, Ning Ye returned to her workstation and, shielded by her monitor, pulled out a food delivery app. After a few purchases, she strengthened her resolve to rebel.
Then she filled in the company's front desk address, listed Bian Xun as the recipient, and used Assistant Zhang's phone number.
Half an hour later.
Assistant Zhang, with a serious expression, carried the delivery bag up to the 30th floor.
In the vast, cold, and quiet CEO's office, Bian Xun sat leaning back in his black leather chair, arms crossed, eyes slightly closed.
Faint shadows lingered under those narrow, sharp black eyes—the CEO probably hadn't rested well last night. The person who had fraudulently used the funds still hadn't been caught. The bank president requested a meeting every day to apologize in person, but the CEO refused to see him.
On his desk lay the proposal for the kindergarten and school autumn outing at the eco-park.
Assistant Zhang knew that CEO Bian had always detested children, but this proposal had been approved before he took over, so it couldn't be canceled now.
Of course, from Assistant Zhang's personal perspective, his own daughter, Zhang Sijie, and her good friend were both looking forward to this outing, so he didn't want it canceled either.
"CEO Bian, your items." Assistant Zhang opened the delivery bag and presented it.
Although it didn't seem like something the CEO would buy, similar incidents had happened before, so Assistant Zhang dutifully brought it up.
Bian Xun looked up, first instinctively checking his phone.
He was now wary of anything that appeared suddenly.
But, no new bill appeared on his phone.
"?"
Only then did he take the bag.
Inside were several popular science books and some craft material packs. The titles read: "Little Science Inventions," "Make a Boy Fall in Love with Science in One Minute," "100 Things for Dad to Teach His Son," "Children's Sci-Fi Bedtime Stories"...
Bian Xun lowered his gaze expressionlessly for a long moment, a clear trace of scorn and impatience rising at the corners of his eyes and brows. "—Burn them."
If someone's child loves technology that much, the parents are advised to donate a hundred million for R&D.
"Understood." As expected, Assistant Zhang slowly retreated.
Bian Xun frowned, his pale fingertips tapping the sandalwood desk.
Strangely, his life had suddenly become filled with many "children" lately.
He, who had always been completely disconnected from children, had inexplicably been exposed to a lot of child-related information in recent days.
And why was Ning Ye buying children's items?
Although the final step remained unconfirmed, if the person using the card really was her, what connection could she possibly have with a child?
—This was the part of the whole affair that Bian Xun found most difficult to reconcile.
Bian Xun's gaze slid toward the calendar on his desk.
He was certain that for every single sexual encounter in the past, he himself had strictly taken precautions. He checked for damage both when opening the package and afterwards. The procedure was correct; there was no possibility of an accidental pregnancy.
Therefore, first and foremost, it was impossible for her and him to have a child together.
Secondly, Ning Ye hadn't been in another relationship all these years—Bian Xun was very clear on that point. As for other possibilities, Bian Xun was unwilling to dwell on them and did not allow them to happen.
Yet, somehow, Bian Xun felt as if some force was compelling him to discover something.
...Today was Friday again.
On an autumn evening, night had already descended early.
His physiological functions almost habitually stirred in response, a familiar restlessness.
Bian Xun suddenly grabbed the light purple earphone case by his hand, clenching it in his palm. Although his expression remained cool and detached, the faint blue veins on the back of his hand momentarily bulged and pulsed.
He had already checked the serial number of these earphones. The Cloud Sound Pro, developed and manufactured by Wujiang, had anti-counterfeiting technology. Therefore, each unit's serial number should be unique.
Unless external forces intervened.
He stood up, picked up an internal Wujiang device testing instrument, and strode out of his office.
As the elevator doors opened on the business department's floor, he saw Ning Ye, having just finished work, hurriedly walking down the stairs toward the exit with her bag. It was the direction leading to the back door of the group's main building, near the parking lot entrance and exit.
Her crystal grape bag charm and light purple earphones hung outside her bag, swaying gently as she walked.
Bian Xun followed her downstairs to the first floor near the back door. With his height and long legs, he caught up to that figure in a few strides. Amidst Ning Ye's startled gasp, he grabbed her new earphones and pressed them against the testing instrument.
Beep.
The serial number was verified.
It was identical to the one in his hand.
Bian Xun slowly raised his dark eyes.
When Ning Ye turned around, she saw countless inscrutable emotions in his eyes, like the deep sea with churning waves, threatening to swallow her whole. It was hard to tell if it was suppressed anger or excitement.
? What now.
Ning Ye didn't know what he was up to this time, but from the parking lot exit not far behind her, a soft honk sounded, signaling to her.
Looking back, it was Jiang Xinghe.
She had asked him for a favor and was now rushing to pick up Taotao to take him to the children's hospital. Before getting off work, Teacher Youzi had sent her a message saying the baby had a bit of a toothache, and listening to Ning Taotao's voice message, he did indeed sound a little mumbly.
Who knew that just as she reached the door, she was stopped by the child's father.
Bian Xun's gaze shifted back from the car in the distance, his expression gradually darkening.
Ning Ye finally got a taste of what it felt like to have a useless partner in a widow-style marriage.
But she didn't know that the urgency in her almond-shaped eyes held a completely different meaning in Bian Xun's view.
Ning Ye didn't care anymore and pushed past him to walk out.
"Fine," came Bian Xun's icy voice, slightly gritted, from behind her. "Go ahead and compare properly."
Which kind of man is better.
In the end, she'd still have to use his money anyway.
...
"What?!" Back in the office, Assistant Zhang abruptly stood up. "You mean, you already know who the person illegally using the funds is?"
"Then, should I contact the police right now to locate and apprehend them?"
"No need." Bian Xun suddenly spoke up.
The distinguished man closed his eyes indifferently, occasionally glancing at his phone, his demeanor regaining its composure.
The car picking her up outside wasn't bad, but it was nothing special either.
Meanwhile, the core department under Bian Xun's group, the latest chip R&D project, had already raised 8 billion through share allocation.
This was Wujiang's real main event.
It was also the foundation that would establish this generation of leader's true future wealth.
As for Ning Ye's little shenanigans of hundreds of thousands last night, to him, it was utterly insignificant. As long as she remained within his sphere of control, it didn't matter.
Assistant Zhang, observing the silently exuding aura of authority, understood that the boss already had a plan in mind and knew how to deal with the other party.
A weight lifted from his heart, and a smile appeared. "So, President Bian, any other arrangements for today?"
Bian Xun gave his phone another casual glance. "You can go home."
Assistant Zhang happily agreed and couldn't help chatting a bit more. "My wife at home has been pestering me non-stop, constantly calling me back to make a payment. My daughter has a good friend; whatever Taotao buys, she has to get the matching 'bestie' version too."
Something in this remark seemed to strike a chord with the CEO.
His stern brow lifted slightly, his lips curling indifferently. "Can't your wife pay for it herself?"
So they all have to spend their partner's money, is that it?
Assistant Zhang picked up his briefcase with a resigned smile. "Yes, because the final payment amount is quite large."
Bian Xun paused, raising his dark eyes. "Final payment?"
Assistant Zhang realized that President Bian, of course, wouldn't be involved in common shopping activities and naturally wouldn't know about things like deposits and final payments.
"The deposit is to reserve the item, usually just thirty or fifty yuan. Tonight is when the actual final payment is due..."
Assistant Zhang left.
Bian Xun sat quietly for two seconds, then suddenly stood up and strode out a few steps.
It was too late.
Mobile bill notifications had already arrived like a flurry of snow.
Within seven steps, over a dozen messages; tens of millions vanished into thin air.
...
Ning Ye soon brought Taotao back. The child was fine, just had eaten too many sweets without supervision. While shopping, Ning Ye added a few tubes of children's toothpaste to her cart.
Of course, all paid for with the useless teammate's money.
Swish, swish, swish—over a dozen orders paid their final payments simultaneously, all with one click.
A 3,288-yuan robot vacuum, a 1,499-yuan underwear washing machine, and various other bits and pieces...
Bought it all in one go!
Bliss.
In the afterglow of her shopping spree, Ning Ye suddenly remembered that Bian Xun would probably receive notifications for the things she bought with his card.
So what? Bian Xun wouldn't know who sent them to him.
They were all gifts from heaven.
Feeling thoroughly content, Ning Ye walked out of the room, stood on the balcony, and gazed peacefully at the clear night sky.
Dear child's father, Taobao is raining from the sky.
