My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: First Meeting. “Black Orange”

Although I don’t particularly like discussing personal matters during work, Feifan calls every day to bother me with a few words. Occasionally, when she truly runs out of excuses, she starts acting shamelessly, insisting on discussing the children’s development. If I don’t have much on my plate, I’ll follow her lead and chat for a bit. But when meetings come one after another, I have to suppress my urge to lose my temper just to protect her feelings.

Long ago, we reached a consensus: I would be responsible for working diligently, and she would be responsible for taking care of Qingfan. This way, our home would remain balanced. But Feifan didn’t realize that as time passed, we were moving in opposite directions—drifting further and further apart.

I neglected Feifan’s feelings. She molded herself into the perfect “housewife,” keeping the household in impeccable order and raising Qingfan to be healthy and chubby. She even arranged my daily life and meals perfectly. Everything looked like the kind of steady, long-term happiness the world hopes for, but after losing a certain spark, we were both faintly at a loss.

Occasionally, when I worked late into the night at the office and she appeared at the door carrying home-cooked soup, I would be moved. This touch didn’t stem from her appearance or companionship at that hour, but from the fact that she could love me so consistently and unchangingly—and within that love, she was slowly losing herself.

Whenever she brought the thermos, eagerly laying out the carefully prepared food so I could have a good meal, or massaged my shoulders while wondering why work was so hard, I would remember the old, unrestrained You Feifan. She used to have a bit of a rebellious edge and an attitude; she would argue when she was upset and fight when she was angry, possessed by a reckless, hot-blooded energy. Now, she is as gentle as a lamb that needs constant affection.

…

I walked into the meeting room somewhat dazed. The person before me gave me a slight shock. She wore a long, black, belted coat with a beautiful bow tied at the side, paired with a black knit turtleneck. Her hands were clad in black leather gloves, and her long, straight black hair draped over her shoulders, one side casually tucked behind her ear. Her silhouette looked even thinner than mine.

Her back was to me. Her gloved left hand touched the floor-to-ceiling window, and she was slow to turn around. I walked to the table and placed the documents down. This woman felt like a black hole—unfriendly and far from simple. That was my first visceral impression of her.

“The view from Jieshi卓越 (Zhuoyue) Tower is truly excellent. Any angle allows one to overlook the prosperity of the entire downtown area. I imagine this land alone is worth a fortune. Am I right, President Lan?”

Before seeing her face, I heard her voice. The woman slowly turned to face me and then walked toward the table with her hands behind her back. She pulled out a chair and sat down. Every minute movement was deliberate, filled with a deep-seated, calm elegance. Her demeanor was far from ordinary. I smiled and tapped the documents on the table: “Your surname?”

“How rude of me; I forgot to introduce myself. Hello, President Lan. I am the Chairwoman of the Guan Group, Guan Shuyun. I don’t care much for formalities, so there’s no need for business cards.”

I nodded knowingly. The Guan Group was not unfamiliar to me; “arch-rival” would be a more accurate description. “The relationship between Guan and Jieshi doesn’t seem like the type that would bring President Guan here specifically for tea.”

Guan Shuyun laughed at my words and pointed at the file: “It’s normal for enterprises to be ‘frenemies.’ If President Lan doesn’t mind, it would be quite nice to visit the Guan Group for tea sometime. Moving toward each other is better than staying as still as a mountain.”

Not wanting to waste time on pleasantries, I asked directly: “What is the meaning of this document?”

Even for a first meeting, Guan Shuyun carried an aura of inscrutable malice that made me very uncomfortable. She explained with a smile: “If I recall correctly, your firm participates in many government bidding projects. But the situation over the past year hasn’t been optimistic. We took the construction contract for the High-Tech Industrial Park. My apologies.”

“So, President Guan came here just to flaunt her achievements?”

“My achievements can’t compare to yours, President Lan. Looking across this city, all the major prosperous commercial districts belong to you. Our Guan Group naturally can’t compete. This document is a ‘meeting gift.’ A heads-up: this project covers five sectors—a tourist resort, local residential housing, a cross-sea bridge, an artificial beach, and an island ring road. Most importantly, the authorities have decided the project will be contracted to three companies. Two must be local firms with full qualifications and strong capital, and the third will be a state-owned enterprise responsible for supervision and coordination.

I can tell you without reservation: Guan Group is already one of the internal choices. President Lan, you’d better spend some effort and time working your connections. Although you could choose not to participate—after all, your firm doesn’t rely solely on engineering for revenue—it would be a shame. Tourism and resorts are Jieshi’s strength. It would be painful to think of such a good opportunity slipping away.”

I was somewhat incredulous and responded with suspicion: “Only three companies for such a massive project? That sounds like a fantasy.”

“You don’t have to believe me. You’ll know when the project is posted online. After all, there aren’t that many companies with the required qualifications, but there aren’t so few that it’s just the two of us. There are still many people breaking their necks trying to get a piece of the pie.”

Guan Shuyun displayed a very nonchalant attitude and stood up to leave. I hesitated. No one leaks company secrets to a competitor this way for no reason. But I spoke up to keep her: “President Guan, let’s be open. What is your goal?”

“Given our relationship, participating in collusive bidding is simple. Instead of dealing with unfamiliar companies, I prefer those I know well. Jieshi’s strength is obvious to all. Sharing resources is better than bearing risks alone. Even if your firm doesn’t win the bid, we can reach a partnership agreement to complete the project together. I won’t lose out, and you’ll make a profit. It’s a win-win.”

Guan Shuyun did not linger; her departure was even quite stylish. I sat in the meeting room staring at the document for a long time. Xiao Du walked in: “President Lan, are you going back to your office?”

I stood up and walked to the window, ordering after a moment of thought: “Xiao Du, find the records of projects Guan Group has participated in over the last few years, their annual reports, partners, and Guan Shuyun’s personal profile. The more detailed, the better.”

“Yes, President Lan.”

Overlooking the commercial district from the same angle where Guan Shuyun had stood, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself: “The view here… isn’t for everyone to see.”

…

Back at home, Feifan was wearing an apron, holding Qingfan’s hand, waiting at the garden gate. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the little one ran toward me: “Mama!”

This girl has definitely put on weight; she felt very solid in my arms. Feifan smiled and took her from me, her tone laced with concern: “Mama had a hard day at work, let’s be good and not tire her out~”

I teased: “Xiao Fan, don’t give the child extra snacks at night anymore. The little one has grown another ring of fat; any more and she’ll look like the Michelin Man.”

As soon as I said it, she retorted with an expression that said ‘absolutely not’: “How can you say that! She’s in her growing stage. I wish I could put a funnel in her mouth and feed her to death! Cutting meals is absolutely out of the question! Rejected!”

“Fine, fine. Whenever it involves the child, you get all serious. I won’t interfere, okay?”

Feifan took my handbag and followed behind me while carrying Qingfan, her mouth never stopping: “Tonight’s Xinjiang meal is guaranteed to satisfy you. Last time you said the ‘Big Plate Chicken’ was good, so I specially improved it today. Back in university, the Xinjiang food at the school gate was legendary, especially the belt noodles mixed with the sauce…”

I stopped and turned to look at her, saying crossly: “Hiss… I’ve realized something…”

Feifan thought something was wrong and quickly bit her tongue, asking weakly: “What did you realize?”

“Whenever you open your mouth, it’s either about the kid or cooking.”

She scratched her head sheepishly and whispered: “This is my joy in life; you can’t kill it!”

Seeing her looking like a wronged little wife, I decided to seize the opportunity to tease her further. I darkened my expression and said: “Oh~ So after all that, your joy… doesn’t include me!”

Qingfan bit her ear and joined in the heckling: “Oh~ No Mama~”

Feifan’s face turned red. She reached out to cover the little one’s eyes, leaned in close to my ear, and whispered provocatively: “You are my ‘passion’… my only interest…”

With that, she bit my lip, making a move to deepen the kiss. I pushed her shoulder and complained: “The child is right here.”

…

A house without Feifan feels like it has lost its soul; even the indoor temperature seems to have dropped several degrees. It was so oppressive and unbearable that I sat in the garden in my nightgown just to breathe.

Xiduoduo kept pawing at his bowl. I realized it was empty, as was his water dish. I searched for a long time but couldn’t find the dog food. Holding the water bowl to fill it, I naturally called out: “Xiao Fan, where did you put Duoduo’s food?”

Only the breeze brushed through the plants in the empty garden, making a rustling sound. I knelt down and stroked Duoduo’s head, stunned… She, who would never leave me, was truly gone.

…

“President Lan, these are several proposals for the Island Construction Project. President Guan had someone send them over early this morning. She said you must choose one today, otherwise, construction entry will be delayed. She said the higher-ups are asking, and it would be hard to explain.”

I toyed with my fountain pen and signaled Xiao Du to put the files aside. Guan Shuyun had indeed played a beautiful hand; she is the only person to date who has made me stumble. Just as I was about to flip through the proposals, my phone rang. The name Lan Yueru appeared on the screen.

It was Duoran. I felt an unprecedented panic: “Duoran! What is Xiao Fan doing?”

“I’ve been watching her apartment all night. She’s at the high-speed rail station now. If you don’t come to stop her, Feifan is probably really leaving!”

“Leaving? Where is she going?”

I frowned and hurried out of the office, nearly colliding with Xiao Du. She held me and asked in a panic: “President Lan, where are you going?”

I turned away and responded hastily: “Cancel all of today’s arrangements…”

“But President Guan’s proposal… and there’s a three-party meeting this afternoon…”

I repeated with a sharp, certain aggression: “I said, cancel them.”

Because of work interests, childcare issues, lack of communication, and so on… we would argue endlessly over countless conflicts. She would get angry but was always the one to compromise. But for some reason, a sense of impending loss gnawed at my heart, causing a dull ache.

Why was the road to the station so long? It felt like the whole city was against me, trapping me in traffic, refusing to move an inch. I ran through the station hall in a state of extreme disarray, looking everywhere for her. But in the end, I only found Duoran walking toward me with an expressionless face: “Go back. She’s gone.”

I grabbed her shoulders, unable to suppress a low, angry growl: “Why didn’t you stop her? Where did she go? Tell me!”

Mu Duoran coldly brushed my hand away and said calmly: “Watching her walk away, I suddenly felt that Xiao Fan hasn’t had a good life these past few years. She only enjoyed it because she loved you. Phoebe, let her go. She isn’t your accessory.”

Stabilizing my emotions, I questioned her, refusing to believe the truth: “You mean, it’s over between her and me?”

Impossible. You Feifan could never not want me… Shaking my head, I walked forward in my high heels. There is nothing I can’t handle, nothing I can’t do. I sniffed, turned back, and pointed at Mu Duoran, saying fiercely: “No one is going to make her leave me! Not you, not Guan Shuyun, not anyone… not even You Feifan herself!”