20
Buying lottery tickets certainly doesn't count as an investment.
In the backseat of the Maybach, the CEO's expression was unfathomable as he calculated deeply in his mind.
After all, the lottery ticket Ning Ye bought was a physical object, so he could also obtain it simultaneously. The cashed-out money would also be physical, not a data transfer, so that mysterious multiplier naturally couldn't be realized.
But what if it was virtual currency, equity, or something else...
When Assistant Zhang looked back, he saw his boss's pitch-black eyes gleaming faintly in the car. That movie-star-like bone structure was hidden in the boundary between light and shadow, as if carrying countless philosophical thoughts.
Bian Xun: How to recoup the investment still required careful consideration.
But the relationship between Ning Ye and that child should be objective and easily verifiable.
"Go look into Ning Ye's parents," the man's deep voice sounded in the car.
Looking at the little girl's age, she was probably born about five years ago.
Did Ning Ye's parents really have the time and resources for this?
Assistant Zhang no longer showed any surprise at his boss's attention toward Miss Ning. He lowered his head and replied, "Yes, sir."
Bian Xun half-closed his eyes.
After a long while, he lowered his gaze, looked at the cardboard lottery ticket in his palm, and clicked his tongue.
She deliberately didn't cash it in and gave it to him?
She wanted him to experience the sudden wealth of a commoner winning the lottery while walking down the street.
...Quite generous of her.
The CEO chuckled softly. With a cold expression, he took out his wallet from the inner pocket of his overcoat and placed the winning lottery ticket in the compartment next to his silver-stamped black card.
This was the first thing she had given him in six years.
...
After returning from the conference in the suburbs of Beijing, Ning Ye's work truly became busy.
Her department was currently working on an intelligent interactive service system. Last time they attended a conference, and next time they would be hosting one. There was also the possibility of out-of-province business trips. Ning Ye hadn't figured out how to arrange things for Taotao yet.
The difficulties of a single mother could truly only be understood through personal experience. Fortunately, the mother and daughter had the child's father's money, so they could always solve any problems they encountered.
As for little Ning Zhitao, she took things as they came and lived happily every day.
This week, she started her little crayon interest class.
Taking this class was different from the classes her dad used to make her take. In the past, Ning Zhitao's time was strictly scheduled seven days a week, but now it wasn't necessary. Her mom said she could go to class whenever she wanted, and she didn't have to go if she didn't want to.
Whenever this happened, Ning Zhitao felt like she didn't miss her dad that much anymore.
The location of the little crayon interest class was not far from Ning Ye's company. She usually got off work, picked up Ning Zhitao, dropped the child off at the interest class, and then returned to her desk to work for a while longer. They would go home together after the child's class finished.
While waiting for her child, she could conveniently work overtime.
And she could even ask the child's father for overtime pay ^^
The class hours could be chosen independently. Because Ning Zhitao had enough tuition for a full two semesters, she currently went to class two or three times a week, dedicating an extremely high level of focus to drawing.
Consequently, Ning Ye inevitably fell into one of the top ten fantasies of human parents.
Could my child be gifted in this area?
If she really had talent, it couldn't be buried!
Of course, after a few days, Ning Ye temporarily hadn't seen any talent in Ning Zhitao's drawings.
But little Ning Zhitao herself was very confident in her drawing skills, waving her small fists.
"Daddy said I'll be Picasso in the future!" The child had starry eyes.
"..." Ning Ye hesitated to speak, "Um, right!"
For Bian Xun to be able to say such doting nonsense, his conscience was truly corrupted.
Children's drawings are displays of their lives. After Taotao's first class, she came back and gave her masterpiece to her mom. From the child's brushstrokes, Ning Ye abstractly felt the picture of the "future" for the first time—
On a green grassland, there were several small houses in the distance. Each house had its own name. Ning Zhitao couldn't recognize all the words yet, but she could write a few crookedly. Some were "Happy Home," some were "Happy Family," looking like the names of family chat groups.
And in front of these small houses stood three people, or more accurately, three people stacked together.
A tall man stood on the ground. On his left shoulder, he held up a little girl drawn in purple crayon, and on his right shoulder sat a slightly older woman drawn in warm yellow. Both were lifted up by the man, and they were all smiling stick figures.
Very immature brushstrokes, but brimming with a warm atmosphere unique to childhood.
Ning Ye held it in her hands and admired it carefully for a long time, gently stroking the back of the child's round head with a loving expression.
Your dad will actually be a double-door refrigerator in the future.
And he even learned weightlifting.
He's really amazing (?)
On the other end.
Assistant Zhang, who had begun investigating Ning Ye under his boss's orders, had also learned about the past relationship between the CEO and Miss Ning.
Assistant Zhang's heart was a stormy sea. He quickly reflected on every past interaction he had with Miss Ning, and then very flexibly adjusted his policy in a timely manner.
Therefore, every day after reporting on work, Assistant Zhang would voluntarily broadcast what Miss Ning was doing.
"After getting off work today, Miss Ning went out for half an hour and came back carrying a brand-new bucket of oil paintbrushes."
"Today, Miss Ning worked overtime for another two hours and didn't leave the office until around 7:40, but she didn't go directly to Xialu Community..."
The young CEO flipped through the project contract, raised his cool dark eyes, and said in a flat tone, "Is your annual salary for you to pay attention to this every day?"
Sweat immediately appeared on Assistant Zhang's forehead. Had he misunderstood?
After sweating profusely for a long time, he saw the CEO retract his gaze, his eyes falling back onto the contract.
"And then?"
Assistant Zhang paused, a heavy stone lifting from his heart.
"And then Miss Ning went to the fourth floor of the nearby mall, which is the children's goods sales area..."
Bian Xun's lowered gaze paused slightly, his brows furrowing as a faint light tinted his eyes.
Ning Ye was too attentive to this child.
Why?
Was it necessary just because of blood relations?
Next to Bian Xun's hand was casually tossed Old Master Bian's birthday invitation.
For the sake of the family fortune in this old man's hands, for a single birthday, everyone surnamed Bian and not surnamed Bian would cross the sea like the Eight Immortals, using all their skills to organize and prepare gifts.
All the younger generation, especially those with children, would intentionally bring their children to Old Master Bian, because children were scarce assets in this family. Before their talents and intelligence were revealed, every child could temporarily receive a tilt in the family's attention. Once they grew up, they would be ranked according to seniority and divided into different classes.
Disgusting family values.
His cold dark eyes swept over the gold-stamped paper, his mood not fluctuating in the slightest.
Bian Xun was born into such a family, stood out from such a family, seized power, and secured his position.
He had no expectations for the concept of "family."
Nor did he ever believe that a family was happy.
...
Ning Ye rushed back and forth between several places every day, while also having to attend to her increasingly busy work. Although it was a bit tiring, looking at the little girl's dirty hands and excited eyes, she also felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
With more and more of the child's drawings appearing, some taped to the walls of the rented apartment, Ning Ye gained a deeper understanding of their future life.
In most of the pictures, a family of three stood together. Sometimes they were sharing a roast duck, other times they were enjoying the breeze on a mountain. The father's dedication to spending time with his child was probably even greater than the mother's.
To Ning Ye, this was an unfamiliar future.
But to the little girl, it was everything she had genuinely experienced.
Unfortunately, the plotline was cruel to four-year-old Ning Zhitao. From the moment the little girl was pulled out of her most familiar environment, the future she knew would never happen again.
However, as things stood, Ning Ye had already altered their plotline to the greatest extent possible. She would not let herself and her child fall into such a situation.
When Friday evening arrived, Ning Ye dropped the child off at her extracurricular class as usual. Just as she walked back to the entrance of Wujiang Group, a dark, vintage sedan blocked her path.
"Miss Ning, our Old Master invites you to attend his eightieth birthday banquet. He specifically instructed that you do not need to bring any gifts."
Ning Ye paused slightly.
She didn't entirely believe the driver's words.
But she knew she couldn't avoid this encounter. Ning Ye glanced down at the time; she should be able to make it back before the child's class ended.
Sitting in the car heading toward the Bian family's old residence, Ning Ye absentmindedly recalled that she had been there once, many years ago.
Back then, she had inevitably felt fearful and uneasy. She knew Bian Xun's family background was extraordinary, but she was still left breathless by the immense, deep-rooted wealth.
Going there again this time, her state of mind was completely different.
First of all, this naturally stemmed from the fact that she had started making money, earned a decent salary, and achieved her own career success.
But undeniably, the black card the child brought from the future gave her a significant amount of confidence to face the various impending issues.
With a calm mind, Ning Ye also recalled some details of the plot. She raised her eyes, caught the driver's scrutinizing gaze in the rearview mirror, and understood a few things.
Tonight, it wasn't Old Master Bian who sent someone to pick her up; it was the female lead who needed her to be present.
For Bian Guohua's eightieth birthday, as Bian Xun's ex-girlfriend, she simply wasn't important enough to warrant a car being sent to fetch her.
This car was sent by Xu Lanyi. Her goal was to make Ning Ye mistakenly believe that her status had been accepted. Once she joyfully took the child to the Bian family, she would fall right into the trap, and the matter of the illegitimate daughter would be exposed in public.
This scheme not only framed her but also directly degraded Bian Xun's status. The always elite, outstanding, and flawless eldest young master of the Bian family actually had an illegitimate daughter wandering outside—how terrible would that sound if word got out? Could an esteemed and noble family like the Bian family accept such a thing?
Bian Xun would naturally be reprimanded by Old Master Bian, and the core of this matter lay in the fact that Xu Lanyi would be accompanying Old Master Xu.
It was well known that the two families intended to form a marriage alliance. If the matter of the illegitimate daughter was exposed right in front of Old Master Xu, the Bian family would have no way to explain it to the Xu family. And at that moment, the female lead would be perfectly positioned as the victim.
Only then would she confess to Bian Xun the fact that she also had a son, understanding him, guiding him, and telling him that she had experienced the same feelings, allowing the two to achieve a resonance of souls.
Having thought through the entire process, Ning Ye saw the car drive into the familiar alleyway entrance.
She couldn't imagine what Ning Zhitao must have felt in the original plot when facing everyone's verbal attacks and condemnation.
She was clearly the child of her own father and mother, yet suddenly her existence became unjustified, and everyone looked at her with disgust.
What did a four-year-old child do wrong?
"Miss Ning, please."
The driver got out and opened the car door for her.
The Bian family's old residence was hidden deep within an alleyway in a bustling district of Beijing. On a map, it only appeared as a massive, unnamed shadow covering a large area, with no location pin and no specific address. Outsiders simply couldn't find it.
This was the epitome of low-key refinement, a truly prestigious place.
For such a meticulous family, the layout of the residence was perfectly aligned with feng shui. Every corner featured a carefully crafted arrangement, and many of the antiques guarding the trigram positions had been passed down through generations of branch ancestors skilled in geomancy. Connected to the dragon's vital energy, it was a genuine feng shui treasure land, deeply concealed yet profound.
From such prominent wealth and glory, only a person like Bian Xun had been produced in the last two generations.
The expression of the driver following behind Ning Ye was hard to describe.
Although he had said she didn't need to bring anything, who would actually come empty-handed to Old Master Bian's birthday banquet? The courtyard was full of celebrities, and the gifts presented were all priceless, rare treasures that couldn't be bought on the market. Yet, this girl truly brought nothing.
Ning Ye had originally wanted to bring something, but Bian Xun had stopped her.
Before entering the main gate, she finally paused. Under the driver's "you finally get it" expression, she went to the small convenience store at the alley entrance and picked up a carton of milk.
"Let's go." Ning Ye officially stepped through the doors.
In the covered corridor, a tall and slender man lowered his eyes to look at a bill.
He was in a bad mood.
Although it was only randomized by 10 times, it was enough to make the CEO, who was already impatient with the birthday banquet, even more impatient.
Today, the Bian family's old residence had been completely refurbished. It was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, with joyous red "Longevity" characters pasted everywhere.
As a feudal old-timer, what Old Master Bian loved most was a thriving, populous family with endless generations of descendants. For his birthday, both the main and branch lines of the Bian family could attend. It was even better if the younger generation came; the most important thing was a lively atmosphere.
Every child the family could gather had come to the old residence today.
This kind of scene was what Bian Xun hated the most.
The man lowered his gaze and walked around the corridor. Seeing a cluster of children running wildly in the bluestone courtyard in front of the main hall, he furrowed his brows.
His uncle's youngest son, who looked to be about four or five years old, was laughing and running all over the courtyard. He accidentally bumped into the man's knee and raised his head, speaking in an incredibly arrogant tone: "You dare bump into me!—"
He met a pair of placid, dark eyes.
Bian Xun's expression was indifferent, his eyes cold, as he stared at the little boy for two seconds.
The child, who was used to acting like a tyrant at home, suddenly began to tremble. He took several steps back, retreating to his parents, before bursting into loud wails.
Bian Xun didn't care at all. He shot them a dismissive glance from the corner of his eye and stepped into the main hall.
Kids were all annoying.
Little boys were even more deserving of a beating.
Ning Ye was guided all the way in. As she entered the backyard, she saw from afar the place where Bian Xun was seated. However, she was not led into the banquet hall where the Bian family was, but rather into an open-sided lakeside tea pavilion.
Stepping into the pavilion, the fragrance of tea curled upward in the air. Old Master Bian, dressed in a neat Tang suit, looked over with sharp, vigorous old eyes.
She knew it. Xu Lanyi's goal was for her to bring the child and bump directly into Old Master Bian.
Ning Ye was very calm and offered her birthday blessings.
She had a slender and thin figure, yet her back was straight. Standing under the eaves by the lake, she looked just like a purely blooming lotus, an unbending stem.
It was undeniable that Bian Xun had good taste. Old Master Bian could also tell that this girl was hardworking, ambitious, excelled in her studies, and possessed top-notch looks. Placed among ordinary people, she would naturally find a good match.
But given her family background, comparing it to the Bian family was like comparing clouds to mud, if not the heavens to the earth.
To match with Bian Xun, she was simply not enough.
"Have you been doing well these past few years?" Old Master Bian's tone was relatively mild.
Ning Ye knew what the other party wanted. On the way here, she had already sorted out her thoughts.
If she wanted to avoid getting dragged into the female lead's muddy waters, the most important thing was not to let the Bian family know that Ning Zhitao was Bian Xun's child.
First of all, she really wasn't born to her and Bian Xun.
The two of them hadn't had a child together at all.
Xu Lanyi wanted to use her as a foil to safely land her own hidden marriage and childbirth scandal, trying to pin the title of "illegitimate daughter" on her and Taotao first. So, Xu Lanyi would have to find evidence that she and Bian Xun had produced this child.
However, such evidence did not exist.
The child was by Ning Ye's side every day, and she couldn't possibly let someone randomly grab her for a paternity test. If they couldn't find out what day and time she gave birth to the child, it wouldn't even reach the paternity test stage.
Xu Lanyi's goal today was to expose her and the child to the public, turning them into stepping stones.
Then what if this child had nothing to do with Bian Xun at all?
Ning Ye turned her head, looking from the pavilion in the middle of the lake to the front of the distant banquet hall. Under a bronze carved lantern, the young favored son of heaven and the highly anticipated female star were standing together.
Xu Lanyi looked up, the lighting making her exquisitely made-up face even more translucent. With a certain tenderness and self-pity, she said something to Bian Xun.
Bian Xun frowned, then leaned in closer to listen, looking as if he was taking it in.
From a distance, Ning Ye didn't know what they were talking about, but she knew the main plot was already advancing.
Perhaps Bian Xun would always become someone else's male lead. This was a truth Ning Ye had understood many years ago.
She gently withdrew her gaze and answered Old Master Bian's question.
"Pretty well," Ning Ye's almond eyes were clear and calm. "My deceased boyfriend treated me very well."
Old Master Bian's brow twitched.
Even with his years of experience and deep thoughts, he never expected this kind of answer.
For someone celebrating their birthday, hearing words like "deceased" was the ultimate taboo.
Ning Ye had noted the various feng shui arrangements on her way in, so she already knew how to quickly extricate herself from this situation.
But old men like him cared most about saving face. Even if displeased, on such a joyous occasion, he had to pretend to be amiable. "Oh? What kind of person... was he?"
Ning Ye recalled the future Bian Xun as described by Taotao. "When he was alive... he really liked children. He was very loving, responsible, had a gentle personality, and was very generous."
Old Master Bian's temples throbbed, his expression peculiar, but he could be certain of one thing.
This description couldn't possibly be his grandson.
Old Master Bian's forehead twitched again, still probing, "You and Bian Xun were separated for six years, and now you've met again. Haven't you two..."
"We won't," Ning Ye smiled gently. "The posthumous child of my boyfriend and I is already four years old."
Go investigate.
They wouldn't be able to find this person, but they also wouldn't be able to find any connection to Bian Xun.
This was something that could neither be proven nor disproven.
Old Master Bian's cheek twitched, feeling a headache coming on at the back of his head.
What on earth, what posthumous child?
Four years old? She and Bian Xun had been separated for six years.
On the day of his eightieth birthday, how could he listen to such unlucky things?
Ning Ye still had a warm and nostalgic look on her face. "The child grows to look more and more like him. Sometimes I feel like he's right around us, watching us..."
Old Master Bian: "............"
At this moment, Xu Lanyi happened to be supporting Old Master Xu as they pushed the door open and entered.
Her eyes carried a calm and elegant amusement. From a distance, she had already seen Old Master Bian's ugly expression, presumably because he already knew about Bian Xun's illegitimate daughter. Just one more step—as long as everyone knew, her own mistakes wouldn't seem so abrupt.
Ning Ye had been brought into the Bian family by a special car to attend the old master's birthday banquet. Under such courteous treatment, she must have thought she was accepted. However, her expectations would fall through, as Old Master Bian would definitely hold onto the matter of that child now.
As soon as Xu Lanyi entered, she feigned surprise perfectly. "Ning Ye, why didn't you bring your child—"
"Enough!" Old Master Bian suddenly shouted in a low voice. "This matter is not to be mentioned again."
What dead person, what posthumous child, what ghost still lingering around.
Too unlucky!
Xu Lanyi's face stiffened slightly. She had to make everyone witness it today. "But that child—"
"What child?" Old Master Bian stood up with the help of his cane, only feeling a chill down his spine. "Old Xu, it's time to start the banquet."
Xu Lanyi still didn't give up. "But she clearly..."
"Child?" Ning Ye also stood up with a smile and suddenly said, "Gu Zixun often says that you are his mother."
Xu Lanyi's expression changed abruptly. That instantaneous reaction was so obvious that both Old Master Bian and Old Master Xu noticed the anomaly.
She would leave the mess for the female lead to handle herself.
After all, who could verify a child's words?
If he said you were his mother, was he wrong?
—"Gu Zixun? Who is that."
Xu Lanyi's goal for tonight was shattered to pieces. She hastily stepped forward to support the two elders, smiling to cover it up.
Ning Ye put her hands behind her back and checked the time. If she went back now, she could perfectly pick up the child.
"Anyway, Bian Xun and I have nothing to do with each other anymore," she gently informed everyone.
"I hope we won't need to see each other again in the future."
As she turned around, those cold black eyes happened to stop behind her.
Having heard her words of cutting ties loud and clear.
Bian Xun looked at her with cold mockery, giving a short scoff after a long while.
...
After the birthday banquet, Ning Ye's life briefly returned to peace as expected.
Both old men were shrewd; they couldn't possibly not investigate Xu Lanyi's reaction further, which would be something the female lead had to worry about.
As for her side, no matter how the Bian family investigated behind her back, she and Bian Xun indeed had no relationship six years ago.
In these six years, there had been no contact between them. They hadn't even stayed in the same city, let alone left any records of meeting, getting a room, or fooling around.
Ning Ye continued to pick up and drop off Ning Zhitao as usual, navigating her daily routine between home, kindergarten, the company, and extracurricular classes.
With the conference affairs approaching, the team leader thought highly of her and assigned her a lot of work. The kindergarten activities were also becoming more diverse, often requiring parental cooperation. Ning Ye sometimes really couldn't free her hands and could only work overtime at night after the child went to sleep.
Ning Zhitao was already a very easy child to take care of, but raising her alone, Ning Ye still felt the pressure of being a single mother.
But even so, compared to being swept along by the plot, Ning Ye still chose this kind of free exhaustion.
As for Bian Xun.
Since that day, he had been wearing a deadpan face.
But his usual debt-collector face had a similar effect, so Ning Ye was used to it.
Recently, little Ning Zhitao had a sudden burst of interest and started taking drawing classes seven days a week.
She mysteriously refused to tell Ning Ye, but it seemed she had some big project to complete.
Because of this, the old mother could only work overtime five days a week.
Working overtime so intensely, some colleagues began to look displeased.
After five-thirty, Ning Ye was sitting in front of her computer continuing to work, showing no signs of moving. Some whispers began around her.
"Just for the fourth-quarter performance? There's no need to put on such an act."
"Working overtime every day, who is she trying to show off to."
After the previous incidents, a few cliquey little groups in the department secretly found Ning Ye displeasing. First, she had secured a huge order right in front of President Bian, and later, during the team-building event, she had cleverly managed to get President Bian to chase after her to settle the bill.
Every time Yan Li saw Ning Ye, she felt that her hidden, unfathomable aura was particularly an eyesore.
"Maybe she heard that President Bian has been working overtime every day recently, and she wants to show off again," Yan Li said.
They were all corporate slaves; they all knew how the game was played.
Although they weren't on the same floor as the big boss, if they could time it right to catch the same elevator when he got off work and show their faces more often, over time it would naturally create the image of a dedicated employee who worked overtime every day.
Yan Li got some water and deliberately walked past Ning Ye's workstation, saying in a sarcastic tone, "You work so hard, but I haven't seen President Bian promote you to the CEO's office."
Before Ning Ye could say anything, Sister Zhou, who was sitting next to her, slowly looked up.
Girl, if you knew what her relationship with President Bian was, you'd probably be slapping your own mouth right now.
With Sister Zhou's ability to sniff out gossip, she would devour everything from major social news to minor scandalous rumors. After that day at the hospital in the Beijing suburbs, a sudden flash of insight hit her regarding the only commonality between Ning Ye and President Bian—their alma mater.
They were both from Jinghua University.
Jiang Xinghe was able to think of this mainly because he was a fellow alumnus and had a vague impression.
But Sister Zhou, relying on her incredibly strong senses, turned Jinghua University's campus network upside down. She just felt that with their looks, it was impossible for them to have had no influence at school. Sure enough, she found the key point.
At this moment, Sister Zhou looked at the side profile of the girl sitting in front of the computer seriously writing materials. From her full forehead to the bridge of her nose and the bead of her lip, the beautiful and elegant lines became more attractive the longer she looked. Pale and clean, she possessed a hazy, simple, and pure beauty. Sister Zhou could completely imagine this face back in her student days—
First love, that was a first love face!!!
This low-key beauty sitting next to her was the big boss's first love!
Good heavens, Sister Zhou would never dare to introduce blind dates to Ning Ye again.
Yan Li and the others made sarcastic remarks for a long time, but ended up working overtime themselves. To put it bluntly, everyone wanted to get a performance rating of B or above at the end of the year. After all, year-end bonuses would be distributed after the new year. With only so many colleagues, everyone was in competition.
Ning Ye focused on her work, quickly submitted another document, and then gently stretched her sore neck and shoulders.
She didn't care what others were doing or thinking.
She was like this in school. When she first enrolled, everyone was dazzled by the activities of the student union and clubs, but she knew she had to get a scholarship. Because of that, she didn't join the student union from the beginning and only participated in clubs related to credits.
As graduation approached, all her classmates hesitated repeatedly between pursuing further studies, taking the postgraduate entrance exam, taking the civil service exam, or finding a job. But she knew she had to start working and making money as soon as possible, so she didn't waste a single second and focused entirely on sending out her resume to find a job.
And now, she knew that what she had to do was take good care of her and her child's life, and avoid becoming the cannon fodder foil in the plot.
Ning Ye checked the time, preparing to pick up Taotao and send her to her extracurricular class.
As soon as she moved, Yan Li and the others moved too.
When they realized Ning Ye didn't grab her bag, many colleagues sat back down.
Suddenly, there was a small commotion near the department's elevator. Yan Li turned her head, her eyes lighting up. "President Bian?"
Thank goodness they all worked overtime today!
Bian Xun was followed by his assistant, and the department director respectfully led him toward the conference hall.
The man had a sharp and tall figure. His lead-gray suit made him look aloof and solitary, tightly wrapping up an aura of asceticism.
He passed through the workstation area right as Ning Ye happened to be standing.
Bian Xun's gaze swept past her, icy cold, without a trace of pause.
Like complete strangers.
Yan Li saw this and instantly felt great. Once Bian Xun and the others entered the conference room, she let out a snort and laughed at her desk, neither too loud nor too soft.
"And here I thought she and President Bian were so close."
"Turns out she's still just a nameless, ordinary little clerk."
Ning Ye turned her head and left to go pick up their child.
Sister Zhou looked at Ning Ye's completely unbothered back, stroked her chin, and then looked back toward the direction the CEO had left.
Tsk tsk, you didn't have this kind of expression that day at the hospital.
Besides.
What kind of meeting requires him to specifically come down to their department to hold it?
...
Bian Xun's indifferent gaze swept across the glass of the conference hall, watching Ning Ye's figure disappear into the elevator.
...Quite stubborn.
She hadn't swiped his card at all recently.
She spent all her time on that child and wouldn't even spare him a glance, huh.
Her parents' whereabouts were very difficult to trace; the records from five years ago still hadn't been found.
What exactly was her relationship with that child?
To make her so exhausted?
When Ning Ye returned after dropping off the child, she leaned against the elevator in slight exhaustion. Upon reaching the department, almost everyone was still there; seventy percent of the people were sitting at their desks, typing away at their computers.
She glanced at the conference hall, which was still brightly lit, and understood.
When the capitalist showed up, the beasts of burden automatically returned to their pens. Everyone was the same.
She originally wanted to take a short nap while there were fewer people around after work.
She hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. At night, she sometimes had to deal with the little girl's high energy, accompanying her to watch cartoons and learn English.
But now that most of the department was still here, Ning Ye had no choice but to go buy two cups of coffee, sharing one with Sister Zhou. Sister Zhou had also just ordered milk tea and shared a cup with Ning Ye.
Two cups provided double the refreshment. Ning Ye drank the coffee and then the tea while handling the department's meeting preparations. As she drank, she suddenly felt her head getting heavy.
At first, she thought her vision was just blurring, but unexpectedly, the back of her head suddenly dropped backward uncontrollably, and she started feeling dizzy with a racing heart.
Ning Ye's vision swam. She looked closely at the milk tea and suddenly remembered that it was a brand famous for its off-the-charts levels of tea polyphenols and caffeine.
Could it be caffeine poisoning...
Ning Ye's last thought was that she still had to pick up Taotao, and then with a thud, she passed out and her head hit the desk.
Sister Zhou was so frightened that she jolted, sharply turning her head: "Babe, are you okay?!"
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Xinghe quickly stood up and ran over to Ning Ye's desk in a few strides. "Is it a caffeine overdose?"
He hurriedly signaled to Sister Zhou, "Let's go to the hospital."
"Okay, okay, okay. Oh no, oh no," Sister Zhou's mind was full of worry that the milk tea she gave had caused a problem. In a panic, she directly dialed the emergency number. "The ambulance should be here soon."
Other colleagues gathered around; some were worried, while others were suspicious.
"No way, fainting from working overtime? How hard is she pushing herself?"
"I haven't heard of her having any underlying conditions, and her complexion looks normal. Did she just fall asleep?"
"Even to leave a hardworking impression, there's no need to go this far, right?"
Yan Li glanced at the conference hall and curled her lips. "She didn't faint earlier, didn't faint later, and didn't faint on any other day she worked overtime. How come she fainted right when President Bian arrived?"
With her saying that, the few people beside her also felt it was a bit suspicious.
It wasn't that they lacked humanity; it was just that this incident was indeed very coincidental.
Moreover, fainting is an easy act to put on. After all, if her life were truly in danger, she would be purple in the face, foaming at the mouth, and convulsing all over—you can't fake that. She wouldn't be as peaceful as Ning Ye was when she passed out.
Jiang Xinghe's usually gentle and handsome face frowned. "If you're jealous, you can try it too."
Yan Li curled her lips. Hooking up with President Bian wasn't enough; it seemed Ning Ye hadn't spared the other eligible male colleagues either.
Inside the conference room.
Bian Xun frowned and looked up. "What's going on outside?"
A team leader stood up and opened the blinds. "President Bian, it seems a team member has fainted. I'll go take a look."
Assistant Zhang took a few quick steps forward, observed briefly, and turned back to inform his boss.
"President Bian, it's Miss Ning."
Outside.
Jiang Xinghe and Sister Zhou had already helped her up. "The ambulance has arrived downstairs."
Yan Li stepped aside, smiling brightly. "Yes, yes, have a good look and get a thorough checkup. If there's really a problem, the company will count it as a work injury."
"But she'll probably have to pay for the ambulance herself, haha."
Before she could finish her sentence, the conference room door banged open.
The man in the tailored suit strode forward, his cold gaze sweeping over Yan Li, his aura bearing down.
"Who told you that?"
Yan Li froze, muttering, "P-President Bian."
Bian Xun lowered his eyes to sweep over Ning Ye's desk, noting the two cups of coffee and tea, and immediately understood.
Sister Zhou quickly explained, "President Bian, we are sending Xiao Ning right away—"
However, amidst a chorus of gasps, Bian Xun hooked his arm and directly scooped the unconscious Ning Ye up into a bridal carry.
"If a health condition occurs during work hours, the company will take care of it."
Sister Zhou: "But the ambulance has already—"
Bian Xun: "I'll pay."
The expressions on Yan Li and her group's faces instantly became spectacular.
Sister Zhou: "!"
At this moment, her heart was already screaming.
First love! This is first love! He just can't let go, ahhhhh—
Having spoken, the CEO coldly held the person in his arms, turned, and strode outwards.
He didn't mean anything else. An ambulance costs ten yuan a kilometer, and it was 15 kilometers from here to the city center hospital.
He didn't want to bear the consequences of 1.5 million.
Nor did he want to hand the sick her over to anyone else.
Inside the ambulance, the medical staff put Ning Ye on an ECG monitor; it was indeed a caffeine overdose. After being sent to the hospital for blood tests, the severity wasn't too bad. A proper supplement of vitamins and electrolyte water would be enough for her to recover.
After all the tossing and turning.
Bian Xun sat by the hospital bed, coldly crossing his arms, looking down at the sleeping Ning Ye.
Her lip color was a bit pale, and she seemed to have been sleeping poorly, as her eye sockets were somewhat sunken. Her porcelain-white skin lacked any rosy complexion, making her look a bit more exquisitely fragile.
In just a few short weeks, she had been admitted to the hospital twice.
And despite this, she still wanted to draw a clear line with him.
What on earth was she doing to exhaust herself like this?
Bian Xun sneered coldly, looked down, and saw an incoming call on her phone.
Who was caring so much about her again?
Bian Xun answered expressionlessly, his brows already showing a cold aloofness.
"Hello? Taotao's mom, why haven't you come to pick up Taotao yet—"
Bian Xun suddenly lost all expression.
Ahhhh it's here!
If there's enough time, I'll add another update at midnight. If not, I'll post a big chapter at this time tomorrow.
