Married The Crybaby Childhood Crush First, Then Fell in Love - Chapter 24.2

The old man snorted: “You said you wanted to marry her, but after marrying her, you don’t give her resources or money. Who would be willing to live a good life with you?”

Yan Qiu rubbed her brow: “I’ll pay attention.”

My little girl is quite capable. She quietly created that emerging perfume brand, and its sales have repeatedly hit new highs.

The old man saw her reluctance to talk and felt frustrated: “I asked your housekeeper. Since the marriage, Lin Wanqing has only stayed in your house for one night. Do you think that’s appropriate?”

Facing the old man’s reprimand, Yan Qiu explained: “She’s busy with work and studies.”

She can’t bear to force Lin Wanqing.

The old man: “In a university full of young men and women, those young people are healthier than you, better at pursuing people, and better at persistent courtship. What if…”

Yan Qiu was stunned: “…I understand.”

The old man’s visit this time, besides work, was primarily to inquire about Yan Qiu’s life. Ever since her parents died in a car accident three years ago, the old man was afraid that something might happen to Yan Qiu, both physically and mentally.

The body is already incomplete; don’t let the not-so-young spirit be broken.

Before the old man left, he said, “You must eat on time. Don’t end up with a stomach illness like your mother.”

Yan Qiu maneuvered her wheelchair to escort the old man down to the cafeteria before returning to the office with peace of mind.

Yu Fei whispered: “What the old man said makes some sense.”

Yan Qiu sipped her coffee, her expression complex.

Yu Fei: “Lin Wanqing has quite a few admirers at school. I heard that a freshman girl has been sending her a handwritten love letter every week.”

Yan Qiu: “…”

Yu Fei: “A freshman girl, just an adult, as fresh as a dewdrop, at the age of innocent first love—who could resist that?”

Yan Qiu: “Are you suggesting I’m old?”

Yu Fei: “Of course…”

Yan Qiu’s eyes were icy.

Yu Fei: “Of course… not.”

She was afraid that if she had stumbled over her words and only said half of her sentence, she would be fired tomorrow for setting her left foot in the office first.

Yu Fei was still shaken and quickly moved past the topic, “Boss, what would you like for lunch? I’ll order for you.”

Yan Qiu: “I don’t want to eat. You should take your lunch break.”

She didn’t really want to see this secretary.

Just as Yu Fei was about to leave the office, the internal phone suddenly rang.

“Someone downstairs wants to see the boss? Ah, quickly invite her up.”

“Wait! I’m coming down to greet her right now!”

Yu Fei, while on the phone, frantically used her eyes to signal: Boss, hurry, hurry, hurry and get ready! The Madam is here!!

…

Lin Wanqing stood at the front desk with the freshly made lunch box. Well-dressed white-collar workers came and went, and the elevator was completely packed.

It was the company’s lunch break, and most employees were in the cafeteria or out for fresh air.

The front desk lady: “I’m sorry, Miss, do you have an appointment?”

Lin Wanqing looked very young, not like an experienced corporate worker.

Lin Wanqing shook her head, her voice soft: “No, I don’t have an appointment. Can I not go in?”

The front desk lady felt a pang of sympathy but stuck to her duties: “I apologize.”

Lin Wanqing pulled up Yan Qiu’s number on her phone. She wasn’t sure if her nominal spouse was still at the company and worried that calling would disturb her.

“Could you please ask Secretary Yu? She knows me.”

Lin Wanqing stood at the front desk for a while, being scrutinized by various gazes.

“That girl looks so innocent. Could she be the mistress of one of our company’s executives? Tsk, tsk, she even found her way to the company.”

“Is that a lunch bag she’s holding? It has a little bunny pattern on it.”

“I haven’t seen this girl before. Could she be Vice President Li’s new girlfriend?”

“I heard President Yan recently got married. Could she be…?”

“No way?!”

“Madam!” Yu Fei rushed out of the exclusive elevator. “It’s too formal for you to call the front desk! The boss has been waiting for you.”

At Yu Fei’s shout, everyone turned to look.

Lin Wanqing’s face instantly turned red. “Is Sister Qiuqiu busy? She made me caramelized pudding before, so I brought some dishes today to return the favor.”

Yu Fei: “The boss is usually very busy, of course.”

A hint of disappointment flashed in Lin Wanqing’s eyes.

Yu Fei: “But when Madam comes, the boss is free anytime.”

Lin Wanqing was taken aback by her words, “Is that true…?”

The surrounding employees stared at Lin Wanqing in shock, then began to whisper:

“I heard that President Yan’s clothes are chosen by Madam every day!”

“Not just that, I also heard that President Yan has trouble with her legs, and Madam carries her out the door every day!”

“I heard a rumor that Madam even helps President Yan bathe every night!”

“Madam is so beautiful. I have a bold idea…”

“No, you don’t.”

Lin Wanqing entered the elevator, her face completely flushed, “The things those employees were saying just now…”

Yu Fei felt guilty, “Just idle gossip after hours; Miss Lin shouldn’t take it to heart.”

Lin Wanqing felt something was odd. She felt that gossip wasn’t entirely baseless.

Of course, Yu Fei wouldn’t admit that the boss had tacitly allowed her to spread true and false details of their life together.

“The boss just finished a meeting. If Miss Lin hadn’t come, the boss wouldn’t have eaten lunch today.”

Lin Wanqing stammered: “I hope the boss likes what I made.”

Yu Fei: “She will, of course, she will.”

After walking down a long corridor, Lin Wanqing, alone, knocked on the door of Yan Qiu’s office.

The door wasn’t locked; a gentle push opened it.

In the quiet office, the only sound was the rustling of papers being turned. Lin Wanqing, of course, didn’t know that Yan Qiu had been chatting with her secretary moments ago, and a mountain of files had suddenly appeared on her desk two minutes later.

She wore gold-rimmed glasses on her nose, flipping through pages of densely packed documents.

She looked busy, almost driven crazy by work.

Lin Wanqing felt a pang of sympathy: “Sister Qiuqiu, I made some simple home-style dishes. Please eat a little before you get back to work.”

Yan Qiu tiredly took off her glasses, “Tiantian feels sorry for me?”

Lin Wanqing placed the still-warm lunch box from the lunch bag in front of Yan Qiu, “I feel sorry for Elder Sister.”

The lunch bag had a small, white, red-eyed rabbit on it, holding a plump carrot.

Yan Qiu: “…I thought Tiantian would only care about the freshman girl who sends a love letter every week.”

Lin Wanqing felt uneasy, “Ah… not very concerned.”

Yan Qiu coughed twice and opened the pink lunch box. Inside was mushroom and oyster sauce choy sum. Each mushroom had a cross-cut, and the greens were fresh and crisp, clearly purchased this morning. The other vegetable dish was pine nut and corn stir-fry. The sweet corn was aromatic, making the mouth water. The two vegetable dishes filled two small compartments.

The larger compartment held a steamed mandarin fish, and a separate portion of pork rib and winter melon soup was kept in a thermos.

Lin Wanqing reached out to tidy the documents on the table for Yan Qiu, “Elder Sister works so hard every day. I really feel sorry for you.”

Her face was completely red as she spoke, and she dared not look up at Yan Qiu.

Yan Qiu had been very good to her. Lin Wanqing felt obligated to repay her to the best of her ability.

The white-jade colored steamed mandarin fish was very fresh and sweet. Every piece of flesh came off easily with chopsticks, and the taste was astonishing.

Yan Qiu suppressed a smile: “Just trying to make a living, a necessary evil.”

Lin Wanqing, unaware of the complexity of the human heart, pulled a bank card from her wallet, “If Elder Sister is short of money, you can use mine.”

Yan Qiu stopped her chopsticks, “What?”

Lin Wanqing felt embarrassed being stared at: “The new products have sold for quite a bit recently. If Elder Sister doesn’t mind, you can take this first…”

Yan Qiu had only been joking and hadn’t expected the little girl to take it seriously.

Little fool.

Yan Qiu: “I don’t take a child’s money. You earned that money with difficulty. Keep it safe.”

The bank card was slipped into Lin Wanqing’s shirt pocket.

The lunch box, which had been packed full, was completely emptied. The pork rib and winter melon soup was flavorful. Every piece of winter melon melted in the mouth, and the ribs were evenly balanced between lean and fat, easily coming off the bone with a light pull of the teeth.

It was even better than what a restaurant would make.

Yan Qiu felt warm and comfortable after eating, like a large cat being happily stroked. “It tastes good. I didn’t expect you to know how to cook.”

Lin Wanqing tidied the lunch boxes, feeling shy: “In high school, I accidentally caused my younger sister to fall. My mother got angry and took away all my allowance. I had no money for tuition, so I worked part-time at a restaurant after school.”

Yan Qiu frowned: “She’s not fit to be a mother.”

Lin Wanqing packed up the greasy lunch box, “It’s all in the past.”

Yan Qiu: “Leave the lunch box. I have time this afternoon to clean it.”

Although she never did manual labor, she knew that the person who cooked shouldn’t have to do the dishes.

Lin Wanqing: “But Elder Sister is so busy…”

Yan Qiu glanced at Yu Fei, who often gave bad advice and created old, unnecessary documents, feeling guilty: “I’m not that busy…”

She suddenly pulled the girl closer. A sudden exclamation broke the silence of the quiet office.

Lin Wanqing placed her hands on Yan Qiu’s shoulders, afraid to sit on Yan Qiu’s fragile legs.

She struggled to maintain a kneeling posture on the wheelchair.

“Mmm…” Lin Wanqing was startled. A strange hand suddenly touched her neck. “Sister, let go of me quickly!”

Yan Qiu rubbed her lips against Lin Wanqing’s neck, “This morning, when you helped me put on the stockings, did you not notice that one was torn? I’ve been wearing a torn stocking all morning. It’s very uncomfortable.”

Yan Qiu’s slightly lowered voice made her sound genuinely aggrieved.

Lin Wanqing was surprised: “Where is it torn?”

She had clearly seen a pair of brand-new black stockings that morning.

Yan Qiu pointed it out to her. There was a small tear on the inner side of her thigh.

Lin Wanqing was confused. Could she have accidentally torn it?

Yan Qiu suppressed her calculated smile: “It’s a good thing no one saw it and laughed at me. There’s a new pair in the cabinet in the lounge. Tiantian, could you help me take this one off and put on a new one?”

The cool stockings felt hot in her hands. Lin Wanqing’s fingers trembled, and she nearly dropped the stockings on the floor.

Lin Wanqing: “Shouldn’t we?”

Yan Qiu paused for a moment, “Everyone at the company considers you the Madam. No one believes we have a contractual marriage.”

Lin Wanqing was on the verge of tears. She picked up the stockings and walked to Yan Qiu, lifting her skirt…

Slowly pulling down the intimate garment that held Yan Qiu’s body warmth, Lin Wanqing’s breathing was rapid, and her heart felt like it was leaping out of her throat.

Yan Qiu smiled, “Does this make Tiantian very awkward?”

Lin Wanqing: “It’s my duty.”

Yan Qiu smiled and said no more. She watched Lin Wanqing kneel on one knee, one hand taking off her high heels.

Lin Wanqing caressed Yan Qiu’s warm foot, her thumb tracing the sole of her foot.

Even though Lin Wanqing was about to faint from shame, she still had to admit that Yan Qiu’s feet were indeed very beautiful.

To touch them even once more felt like “eating tofu” (taking advantage).

The process of changing the stockings was tender and intimate, making the heart race. Lin Wanqing’s head was steaming hot. Her soft fingertips brushed against Yan Qiu’s legs, which were both scarred and exceptionally pale.

It was as if those legs held a strange kind of magic that made her fingers want to cling to them.

She touched them once, and then Lin Wanqing touched them again.

Her skin is really nice.

Yan Qiu: “Tiantian?”

Lin Wanqing suddenly withdrew her hand and properly pulled the stocking up to the middle of her thigh.

The overly tight nylon pinched the softest flesh on her thigh, causing it to bulge slightly.

Yan Qiu’s demeanor was unlike a girl’s shyness; it was the composure of a mature woman, calm and sometimes fearless.

Yu Fei knocked on the door and entered: “Boss, there’s a document you need to sign…”

She opened the door and saw Lin Wanqing kneeling on the floor, lifting the boss’s skirt—

“Ah! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry—”

Yu Fei immediately closed the door. Even through the door, one could hear her reprimanding others not to come in.

Lin Wanqing was confused, “What just happened?”

Yan Qiu held her walking stick and stood up, now properly dressed.

“She probably thought you were doing something… loving with me.”

Lin Wanqing: “?”

Lin Wanqing’s hands were covered in Yan Qiu’s bitter orange blossom scent, and her fingertips had also touched the most intimate fabric…

Was she overthinking it?

Yan Qiu’s eyes were calm, as if she had only just poured her a glass of water and hadn’t done anything embarrassing.

Since confessing her perfume brand to Yan Qiu, Lin Wanqing no longer hid things from her.

Sitting in Yan Qiu’s office, she boldly took out a small notebook and wrote down her inspiration and material ideas for the new product.

Yan Qiu turned to the private washroom and thoroughly cleaned the lunch box, not missing a single spot.

She wiped the water droplets dry with a handkerchief, placed it in the lunch bag, and tied the two strings into a bow.

Yan Qiu: “I’ve asked someone to set up a laboratory for you on the twenty-third floor. It will be more convenient than renting a studio outside.”

Lin Wanqing rotated her pen and politely declined: “No need. Sister Qiuqiu is not my investor.”

Yan Qiu was unusually speechless for a moment, “As your nominal other half, I have the responsibility to support your career.”

Lin Wanqing was silent for a while, “There’s no rush.”

She had secretly started her business precisely to have more security for the future while remaining independent.

If Yan Qiu helped her now, how could she repay her? She couldn’t possibly sell herself, could she?

Yan Qiu was subtly rejected, and the corner of her mouth drooped slightly, “The laboratory still needs some time to be built. We don’t need to discuss it in a hurry.”

Lin Wanqing finished writing the marketing focus for the next perfume in her small notebook, hummed a little tune, and opened her class notes to study.

The melodious tune distracted Yan Qiu from her work, concentrating her attention entirely on the girl.

Yan Qiu: “Did you intentionally curl your hair today? It’s beautiful.”

Lin Wanqing let out a surprised “Ah,” touched her hair, and indeed found it slightly curly. “My hair is fine and soft. I tossed and turned in my sleep last night; I didn’t curl it.”

She found it a little strange that Yan Qiu would care about such a small detail.

Nearly half an hour later, Yu Fei finally knocked on the door again, cautiously asking from outside: “Boss, are you free now?”

Yan Qiu: “Come in.”

Yu Fei dared not lift her head: “It’s my fault for interrupting the boss and Miss Lin with trivial work, but this document truly cannot be delayed. Please sign it.”

Was the scene from a moment ago something a working-class person like her was allowed to see?

Yan Qiu: “…What you saw just now was not what you think.”

Yu Fei was overly observant: “What the boss says is correct. My knocking was too quiet; I will be more careful next time.”

Yan Qiu: “…”

…

Lin Wanqing saw that she was busy with work, so she picked up the lunch bag and her small personal bag and stood up.

“I have class this afternoon. I’m leaving now. Bye, Sister Qiuqiu.”

As she put her notebook back in her bag, a light pink envelope fluttered out.

The pink envelope, adorned with a small heart sticker, landed near Yan Qiu’s foot.

The office instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yu Fei: “Miss Lin and the boss have such a good relationship. She even writes love letters.”

Lin Wanqing was shocked and quickly grabbed the love letter, looking like a rabbit whose carrot had been stolen.

“A freshman girl sends one every week. I used to give them back, but she refused to take them. I had no choice but to burn them.”

Yan Qiu’s mood visibly darkened: “Today is Monday.”

Lin Wanqing covered her face in despair, “I want to refuse, but she finds different people to give them to me every time.”

Yan Qiu closed her eyes for a moment, “Yes, a freshman girl, just an adult, as fresh as a dewdrop—who could refuse that?”

She was seven years older than Lin Wanqing. Seven years! Walking outside, she would be called “Auntie.”

Lin Wanqing was on the verge of tears, her lower eyelids turning red in panic.

Yu Fei frantically signaled with her eyes: Miss Lin, hurry and explain! The boss couldn’t possibly blame you.

Lin Wanqing took the hint, steeled her heart, and declared:

“I don’t like young girls. I only like people who are older than me. The older, the more I like them!”

Yu Fei silently gave her a thumbs-up.

Yan Qiu opened her eyes and looked at her seriously: “Really?”

Lin Wanqing was flustered, stammering, and opened her arms to hug her aunt—no, wait, her sister.

Yan Qiu was not so easily placated: “Leave the love letter. I want to see how others pursue my wife.”