After Becoming a Full-Time Employee, I Signed a Romance Contract with My Ice-Cold Boss - Chapter 21

I Want to See Even More Different Sides of You

“No! I have to tell Jiang Fengyi immediately!”

Xu Que instantly dialed her number, only for the ringing to come from her own person—Jiang Fengyi’s phone had never been taken out of her bag! No matter how anxious she was, it was useless; she could only continue to keep her eyes fixed on Zhao Ruxuan.

The distance between them was too great, and as soon as Zhao Ruxuan appeared in the crowd, the bodyguards she had pushed aside to keep watch over her earlier now followed close behind.

This completely shattered Xu Que’s plan to simply dash forward and snatch the item away.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

After learning from a waiter that Jiang Fengyi had been called away by her own grandmother, Zhao Ruxuan’s expression was no longer contorted. With a faint, mocking sneer playing on her lips, she unhurriedly made her way toward the main residence where her grandmother was located.

Inside the main residence, unlike the bustle of the banquet hall, it was sparsely populated and felt quite desolate.

After following the butler inside, Jiang Fengyi discovered that Zhao Ruofei was also there.

“Good child, you’ve come,” Zhao’s grandmother smiled amiably. “Sit, sit quickly.” As she spoke, she nudged Zhao Ruofei. “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you have something to say to Fengyi?”

“Now that she’s right in front of you, you don’t know how to move.”

Zhao Ruofei replied, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen her, I have so much built up in my heart that I don’t know how to start.” As she spoke, she exaggeratedly clutched her chest, putting on a show of distress.

Jiang Fengyi didn’t say a word, quietly watching the grandmother and granddaughter finish their performance.

The butler had withdrawn at some unknown point, leaving only the three of them in the room.

Once the two finished their act, Zhao Ruofei finally revealed her purpose. She gazed at Jiang Fengyi with feigned deep affection: “Can’t we just go back to the way we were before?”

“The Jiang and Zhao families can cooperate to make money together. You take the lion’s share, and we’ll just take a small cut.”

“What happened last time was indeed Ruxuan’s fault. She has been reflecting at home for over a month and knows she was wrong. You know her personality; her temper is just a bit explosive, but she isn’t actually a bad person.”

Zhao Ruofei explained point by point, while the old Mrs. Zhao didn’t forget to chime in occasionally, essentially painting Zhao Ruxuan as nothing more than an innocent child with a bit of a temper.

Yet, she had clearly been an adult for a long time.

“I am not interested in what kind of person Zhao Ruxuan is.”

Noticing Jiang Fengyi’s expression, Zhao Ruofei cleverly changed the subject.

“Then let’s not mention her.”

Like a magic trick, she produced a stack of contracts from behind her and pushed them in front of Jiang Fengyi. “Take a look at this first. This is the sincerity of our Zhao family.”

Old Mrs. Zhao also spoke at the right moment: “If the two families continue to cooperate, the Zhao family is not only willing to yield profits, but the decision-making power will also be in your hands.”

This was undoubtedly a massive concession.

If it were anyone else standing there, they might have agreed due to the immense profit. But the person standing there happened to be Jiang Fengyi.

She was completely unmoved. In fact, she was thinking: If she had known the old lady only called her here for this, she would have rather stayed in the banquet hall to accompany Xu Que.

Jiang Fengyi’s patience quickly ran out; she was unwilling to stay here and deal with these insincere pleasantries.

“I suddenly remembered I have some work that hasn’t been handled yet, I’ll go first…”

Old Mrs. Zhao stopped her. “Work can wait until you get back. Let’s handle the matter at hand first.”

She only appeared kind; in reality, she was using her seniority to subtly pressure Jiang Fengyi.

With the contract placed before her and Zhao Ruofei and the old lady standing in front of her—one on the left and one on the right—Jiang Fengyi’s path was completely blocked.

Old Mrs. Zhao spoke up, “Look at the contract first.”

“If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, you can bring it up.” As she spoke, the wrinkles on her face deepened. “My Zhao family simply wants to restore our previous cooperation.”

“Why not continue such a win-win situation?”

Jiang Fengyi pursed her lips tightly. Anyone familiar with her would realize she was already angry. She hated being told what to do most of all—not even her biological mother was allowed, let alone outsiders.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said calmly, “What if I say no?”

The atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.

“I hope you will consider carefully before answering.”

Old Mrs. Zhao also pulled back her smile and spoke to Zhao Ruofei, “I’m tired. You send Fengyi back, and remember to give her some good advice.”

Zhao Ruofei made a gesture toward the exit. “President Jiang, let’s go.”

The main residence was some distance from the banquet hall. This area was very quiet, indeed suitable for an elderly person who preferred tranquility.

Few people passed by the secluded path. Jiang Fengyi and Zhao Ruofei walked one after the other. The further out they went, the closer the brilliant lights and noisy voices became.

Soon, this stretch of road would end, and Jiang Fengyi would return to Xu Que’s side.

Zhao Ruofei, who had been silent the whole way, finally spoke.

“Are you really not going to consider it?”

“We are people from two different worlds,” Jiang Fengyi said without stopping her pace. “You know better than anyone that my coming here was not of my own will.”

“People from two different worlds can’t walk together in the end. Even this brief walk right now is happening under duress.”

Finally reaching the end of the path she never wanted to step on again, Jiang Fengyi intended to leave without any lingering attachment. Behind her, Zhao Ruofei just watched, unable to stop her.

“Sister!”

“So you guys are here!”

Zhao Ruxuan suddenly appeared from around a corner.

She greeted Zhao Ruofei with her mouth, but her purpose was extremely clear as she charged toward Jiang Fengyi.

It happened so suddenly that no one could react. Not only did Jiang Fengyi have no time to dodge, but even Zhao Ruofei was caught off guard and stood frozen in place.

Xu Que, who had followed her all the way here, rushed out without a second thought.

“Jiang Fengyi, look out!”

With a few long strides, she reached Jiang Fengyi’s side, pulling her into her arms to dodge Zhao Ruxuan’s suspicious liquid.

Zhao Ruxuan was also surprised to encounter Jiang Fengyi halfway through, but she immediately pulled out the spray she had just obtained from her handbag.

The bottle in her hand was a small spray. She took off the cap and aimed the nozzle at Jiang Fengyi.

Her older sister was still out of the loop, questioning her: “Aren’t you supposed to be in your room? Why are you here?”

Failing her first strike and seeing Jiang Fengyi being pulled away by someone who appeared out of nowhere, Zhao Ruxuan didn’t bother answering her sister and exerted all her strength to run toward the two of them.

“Zhao Ruxuan! What do you think you’re doing!”

Facing Jiang Fengyi’s scolding, Zhao Ruxuan turned a deaf ear, single-mindedly chasing after her.

“You Zhao family people are truly crazy!”

Now Zhao Ruxuan was indignant: “Scold me if you want, but why bring my family into it? What era is this? We don’t do collective punishment anymore!”

The completely bewildered Zhao Ruofei also started chasing after them. She had no idea what was happening. She had been worrying about Jiang Fengyi’s refusal to cooperate, and then her sister suddenly appeared and started chasing someone with an unknown object.

“What are you holding in your hand? Stop right now!”

“Sister, stay out of this!”

She had been nursing her energy for over a month just for today; she happened to have a lot of strength with nowhere to spend it.

“I told you, I’m going to vent this frustration for you!”

These words made Zhao Ruofei scream at the bodyguard: “What are you just standing there for? Stop her right now!”

The range of the small spray bottle wasn’t long. Although Zhao Ruxuan was chasing closely behind them, they managed to dodge every time with good luck.

“Running faster than rabbits!”

While criticizing others, she herself was slipperier than an eel; the bodyguard couldn’t even touch the corner of her clothes.

Jiang Fengyi was panting for breath: “What exactly do you want!”

“I want you to listen to my sister and agree to the cooperation!”

To appease her, Jiang Fengyi said, “We can discuss the cooperation later. Stop first.”

She was about to run out of breath. Her upper body was being pulled along by Xu Que, and her legs felt like they no longer belonged to her.

Fortunately, Zhao Ruxuan hadn’t gone completely insane and could still understand human speech. As soon as she stopped, everyone was spared from continuing the marathon. The bodyguard was also relieved to have saved his salary.

“Sign the contract now then.”

She turned her head to Zhao Ruofei: “Sister, bring the contract. I’ll watch her sign it.”

She acted completely like a mob boss.

Zhao Ruofei looked at her for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh.

“Sister, don’t keep staring at me, it’s a bit scary.”

“I was wrong. Being locked up at home for a long time really does make a person go crazy.”

Jiang Fengyi sensed that the other party intended to discipline her sister behind closed doors and was pulling Xu Que away, hoping to escape as soon as possible.

Abnormally alert in this regard, Zhao Ruxuan immediately acted. Her movement was so fast that even the bodyguard couldn’t stop her. She sprayed the remaining liquid toward Jiang Fengyi.

Although most of it was wasted in the air, a small amount still landed on Jiang Fengyi’s nose and was inhaled.

Xu Que, who was beside her, was not spared either, catching a share of the mist. She immediately wiped it away with her sleeve, desperate to avoid it.

The mist floated by, colorless and odorless. If Xu Que hadn’t overheard Zhao Ruxuan’s conversation with someone else, she would have mistaken it for ordinary water.

Xu Que pulled Jiang Fengyi back repeatedly and made a firm decision: “We’re going to the hospital.”

“No!”

If they went to the hospital, the drug would surely be detected. She couldn’t let them go.

Because the Zhao family was hosting a private family banquet, Jiang Fengyi’s security team and driver were waiting in the outer hall and had not entered with her.

Zhao Ruxuan naturally commanded the bodyguard who had blocked her: “Stop the two of them!”

“Do you want to cause even more trouble? Why were you locked up at home for a month? Didn’t you learn your lesson?”

“Hold her! Don’t let her keep committing crimes!”

“Sister, I just want to help you!”

The bodyguard looked at her, then turned to look at Zhao Ruofei, and finally chose to follow the more rational command of Zhao Ruofei.

Zhao Ruofei directly snatched the spray bottle, which only had a tiny bit of liquid left, from her sister.

“Where did this come from!” The anger between her brows became fully visible.

On the other side, Xu Que had already notified Jiang Fengyi’s staff to meet them. As soon as they picked her up, they headed straight for the hospital.

Inside the banquet hall, others who were unaware of the truth whispered among themselves, wondering what had happened for the young CEO Jiang to leave in such a hurry before the dinner had even officially begun.

In the private hospital room, Jiang Fengyi’s consciousness was gradually fading. She gripped Xu Que’s arm tightly and wouldn’t let go. At the same time, her body began to sweat profusely without warning. Her meticulously styled hair from earlier was now damp and clumping together.

An abnormal flush appeared on her face, and her breathing was rapid.

Jiang Fengyi felt her throat swelling and had difficulty breathing, as if there were a foreign object blocking her airway. Her head was also heavy and dizzy.

“Is it just an allergy? But hasn’t she already been given medicine?” Xu Que was full of anxiety. “Why isn’t she better yet?”

The doctor explained, “The medicine doesn’t work that quickly.”

“According to your description, the patient must be allergic to the inhaled drug, which caused such a severe series of reactions in her body.”

“The anti-allergy medication has already been administered. Now we need the family member to pay close attention to the patient’s condition. Find me immediately if there are any problems.”

“Okay.”

Xu Que smoothed out Jiang Fengyi’s furrowed brows over and over again. Seeing her pained face, Xu Que’s heart felt as though it were being gripped tightly.

“But she still looks very uncomfortable. Is there any way to ease her pain?”

She firmly held onto Jiang Fengyi’s hand, which was about to slip away. The person lying on the bed was also running a fever; her body temperature was much higher than usual.

Xu Que wished she could endure the pain in her place.

“We still need to observe with the medication. I understand your feelings, but all we can do now is wait.”

“I… I’m fine…”

The semi-conscious Jiang Fengyi heard the conversation between Xu Que and the doctor and struggled to speak to comfort her.

“I’m already… much better. Don’t… don’t worry…”

“Yeah, I’m not worried. You’ll be better soon.”

Xu Que stayed by her side the entire time, providing gentle companionship.

She reached out to tuck Jiang Fengyi’s sweat-drenched hair behind her ear. Seeing that her breathing had stabilized significantly, she finally regained her calm.

After the doctor left, only the two of them remained in the private room.

Jiang Fengyi’s condition slowly stabilized; at least she could open her eyes.

The weight in Xu Que’s heart finally lifted. She rotated her neck, which had grown stiff from staying in one position for so long, to relax.

Only then did she see her messy reflection in the clean, bright window. Xu Que, whose neck had just been stiff, now felt her entire body go rigid.

After the chase with Zhao Ruxuan and the subsequent worry over Jiang Fengyi’s condition, she hadn’t had the chance to tidy herself up.

The styling she had spent half the day on was now unrecognizable. Her hair was as wild as a madwoman’s, her face was covered in dust, and there were even blades of grass stuck to her dusty pant legs.

She had actually been fluttering about in front of Jiang Fengyi looking like this!

The hand covering the back of Jiang Fengyi’s hand suddenly moved, coming to rest over Jiang Fengyi’s eyes, which had regained their clarity.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice was still a bit weak as she spoke. “Why are you covering my eyes?”

“I… don’t look very good right now…”

Jiang Fengyi’s slender hand reached up and rested on Xu Que’s arm that was covering her eyes.

“No, I want to look. Right now, you are a different Xu Que.”

She said seriously in a faint voice.

“I also want…”

The thin flush that had just receded from her face began to climb back up.

“I also want to see even more different sides of you.”

At that moment, Xu Que felt as if she had been struck by a meteorite. The massive impact caused a brief ringing in her ears, drowning out all other sounds until only Jiang Fengyi’s sentence—“I also want to see even more different sides of you”—echoed in her mind forever.

“You…”

Xu Que’s lips opened and closed.

“I…”

Normally sharp-witted, for the first time she couldn’t find the right words to respond. No words could match the Jiang Fengyi of this moment.

Surprises that come too suddenly often lead to a loss for words.

Xu Que’s lips moved several times before she finally managed to choose her words: “No matter which Xu Que it is, I will always be by your side.”

“Whenever you want to see me, I will appear in your sight.”

She offered her heart, full of burning passion, unreservedly to Jiang Fengyi.

After speaking, she looked up toward the hospital bed.

The corners of Jiang Fengyi’s lips held a smile, and at some point, she had drifted off into a dream.

Xu Que smiled as well.

She thought, finally, Jiang Fengyi didn’t have to suffer the pain anymore.