My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Villain K · “Unstained”

Since Sister Hong and Sister Lian had successfully hooked Lan Feichun, it was time to put them to work. I dialed Yu Xiao’s number; she never disappointed with her speed in answering.

“Big player, is your wound healed yet?”

“More or less.”

“Speak then—what are today’s orders?”

“Have the contact person reach out to Sister Hong. Tell them I need a list of Lan Feichun’s network. The more inconspicuous the person, the more important they are. Don’t miss a single one, and get it to me as fast as possible. Also, they must solidify their relationship with him. There’s a gala at the end of the month; tell the two sisters to strive to attend as his dates. I’ll find an opportunity to meet them there.”

“Actually, Old A could handle this alone. Why drag Sister Hong and Sister Lian into it? Going into the tiger’s den is dangerous.”

“Old A isn’t just tracking Qiao Xin anymore. I’m afraid he’ll miss details, so it’s better to divide the load. Besides, he hit a snag with Feichun and hasn’t made progress. Having two ‘insiders’ as bedfellows will yield more gossip and faster intel than Old A ever could.”

“Fine, you’ve thought of everything. I’ll go inform them.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

I was about to hang up when Yu Xiao stopped me. “Feifan.”

“Something else?”

“Um… you haven’t asked about Qingfan in a long time. Don’t you miss the child at all?”

I fell into a confused silence, lit a cigarette, and thought something was off. My relationship with the child had nothing to do with Yu Xiao—why was she asking? I countered, “What’s wrong with the kid?”

Yu Xiao hesitated, stammering, “Well… there’s a bit of a problem. Remember Children’s Day recently? Qingfan was crying and throwing tantrums, saying she’s waited so long for you. She asked why you aren’t home—no gift, and no you. The kid’s condition is worrying.

She’s stopped going to school and won’t eat or drink. Yumeng and I went to the Lan ancestral home yesterday; the little girl has a fever for no clear reason and is nothing but skin and bones. We suggested you come visit, but President Lan… she was adamant.

She even threatened that if anyone leaked word to you about the kid, they’d pay for it. I’m using up all the courage I have for my next life to tell you this, but the child is innocent. Her birth was tragic enough, and now that you and her mom have split… anyway, we’re friends, and I didn’t want to keep it from you.”

I closed my eyes in distress, rubbing my temples. “Okay, I understand. Thank you.”

After hanging up, I paced the room. After a long internal struggle, I decided I had to go to the Lan home to see Qingfan, my poor child. I wondered how I could go openly without Guan Shuyun getting suspicious. Time for another performance.

I changed my clothes, grabbed my keys, and called Qiao Xin as I walked toward the living room. Just as I reached the door, I heard Qiao Xin answer in French: “Allo~ You Feifan, what do you want?”

“Your dear niece is sick. I’m going to the Lan house to see her. Want to come?”

“How strange. She has nothing to do with you now. Why are you meddling with the Lans? Are you looking for a way to make yourself miserable?”

“Do you Westerners even understand human sentiment? I raised that girl; I changed her diapers and fed her. I’m practically her second mother. Just because I fell out with Lan Feiyi doesn’t mean I have a grudge against the child. You’re her aunt—could you show a little heart?”

“To be blunt, besides blood, I have no connection to that child. Besides, the people in that house look at us like they want to skin us alive. Go suffer by yourself; I’m staying out of it.”

Click. Qiao Xin hung up. Simultaneously, Guan Shuyun heard my side of the conversation. This was exactly the effect I wanted. She watched me with her arms crossed and asked nonchalantly, “What’s wrong with the child?”

“Yu Xiao just called to ask how our wounds were. We ended up talking about the kid and I found out Qingfan has been sick for a long time. She’s crying to see me, but Lan Feiyi is being heartless and won’t allow it. I’m going to the Lan house. I worked hard to raise her; I have to see her.”

Guan Shuyun nodded. “Yes, you should. The child is likely sick because she misses you so much it’s become a fixation. It seems you’re a better mother than the biological one for her to love you this much. Your injury isn’t fully healed; I’ll have the driver take you.”

Guan Shuyun went along with it naturally. I teased, “You’re surprisingly reasonable.”

She rolled her eyes at the compliment. “You act like my house is a prison. Where you go is your business; why do you feel the need to report to me?”

I scratched my head with an awkward smile. “If I went to the Lan house without saying a word, who knows what you’d think? Better to be honest and keep things transparent.”

Satisfied with the answer, she leaned back lazily on the sofa. “If only I had a child, you could raise it for me. This house would certainly be livelier. I’m actually a bit jealous of Lan Feiyi! Sit for a moment; I’ll have the butler prepare some snacks and fruit from the storehouse as gifts. You can’t visit a child empty-handed.”

Seeing her so enthusiastic, I couldn’t help but give her credit. “You really are thorough. You think of everything.”

Guan Shuyun raised her brows smugly. “I appreciate your sincere evaluation.”

…

I had the Guan family driver park a good distance away from the Lan ancestral home. I walked the rest of the way alone, carrying the fruit and snacks. After a moment, a car honked behind me. I didn’t stop, but I instinctively looked back. Phoebe’s Mercedes G-Wagon looked like a square little tank.

She rolled down the window and looked down at me. Though her face was expressionless, her tone was light: “Here to see Qingfan?”

I snapped back, “If I didn’t come now, she’d probably burn her brain out with that fever.”

Muttering about who had such a big mouth, she parked the car on the curb and slammed the door. The clack-clack-clack of her heels followed closely behind me. When she caught up, she silently snatched the bags from my hands. “Your wound isn’t healed; why are you carrying such heavy things?”

She glanced at the fruit. “Like a guest coming for tea, bringing a gift out of courtesy. When did we become so formal…”

I turned slightly to look at Phoebe’s profile. Her straight nose still had that beautiful line, but her eyes, aside from exhaustion, had lost their spark. I answered honestly, “This was Shuyun’s idea. She heard I was coming and said I shouldn’t come empty-handed. Since it was sudden, the butler just grabbed some ready stock. Luckily, the Guan house always overstocks on food.”

Phoebe remained silent. She listened to me calmly; her expression didn’t change at the mention of Guan Shuyun. She kept a faint smile, her right hand swinging her bag in a wide arc. These tiny movements suggested she was in a relatively good mood.

The long, shaded path outside the Lan home was lush in the summer. Sunlight filtered through the leaves like mischievous spirits, landing on our shoulders, dancing near our eyes, or hiding behind our ears in dappled patterns.

Phoebe reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing the beautiful contour of her cheek. This was her at her gentlest: smiling, lips pressed together in silence, eyes curving like crescent moons, her heels clicking in a light rhythm.

I didn’t want to waste this rare private time, so I started a conversation. “Why are you off work so early today?”

She shook her head. “Qingfan is so sick, I wasn’t at ease. I came back to check on her.”

“If it gets worse, take her to the hospital. Don’t delay her treatment. So… is the company busy lately?”

At my question, Phoebe brightened up a bit, like an honors student giving a report. She answered truthfully:

“Originally, I wanted Tingzhi to help find some large importers to weather the storm, but there was no word from her. Beisheng International couldn’t hold out much longer. I figured if it came to it, I’d have to abandon the import business or sell all my shares and give up. But then you gave me Qin Yan’s contact info. She is incredibly reliable—a dark horse in the trade world. I didn’t expect your prison mate to be so outstanding.”

Knowing the path was set, I felt a secret relief. I shifted the topic: “Why didn’t you help Qiu Qi and He Mu in the end?”

Phoebe froze, looking as if she’d just woken up from a dream. She gave a bitter smile. “How could I? They were hell-bent on making a scene regardless. My grudge with Guan Shuyun is deep enough; I didn’t want to wade into more muddy water. By the way, I heard that after the incident, Yumeng had He Mu put on a plane and sent home to lay low, fearing Guan Shuyun wouldn’t let it go. But Qiu Qi stayed. I don’t know where she’s living now; you can ask Yu Xiao. Also, Duo Ran went back to Germany to handle company business, so I haven’t seen her in a while…”

I watched her continue to earnestly report everyone’s status. It was a far cry from her serious, scolding persona in the boardroom. It was almost comical. I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing.

I bent over, laughing harder. Phoebe was bewildered by my behavior. She reached out to rub my head, coughed once, and muttered with an expression that was both innocent and fighting a smile: “What are you laughing at… I didn’t tell a joke!”

“I just feel… you really like talking now. You went through that whole speech without a single pause or breath… Hahaha!”

Teased like this, she immediately regained her usual cool, darkening her face and ignoring me as she walked ahead. Looking at her back, I realized she was becoming less and less like the old herself.

Seeing I wasn’t catching up, Phoebe stopped. She turned around and glared at me indignantly, then marched back toward me, her heels clicking rapidly. “What are you dazing off for? Do you want to see Qingfan or not!”

She put on a mask of impatience and grabbed my wrist, pulling me along tightly, as if she were afraid I’d slip away the moment she let go…