Provoking the Obsessive, Cold, and Overbearing CEO - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: She Used Mud to Plant Lotus Flowers

The black Maybach drove smoothly. The March sunlight was warm, and golden light streamed in through the half-open car window.

The wind lifted her long black hair, revealing a fair, reserved stretch of jawline. Behind her gold-rimmed glasses, her light-colored, glazed eyes were as deep and dark as the ocean floor.

A long, fair hand rested casually on the leather seat. Beneath the sleeves of her tailored, dark suit, a diamond-encrusted platinum wristwatch was revealed.

Ruan Taoran glanced at it, then again, turning the name over in her head seven or eight hundred times, but she genuinely couldn’t recall who this person was.

Ruan Taoran had given the address, but the car drove accurately to the villa area where the Ruan family lived—Longhua Tianyu.

The main gate of the villa area was tightly closed. High-end communities always had strict security.

Before Ruan Taoran could roll down the window, the gate automatically opened.

The license plate was registered. Was this a neighbor living in the same complex?

But that was a large area. Longhua Tianyu had twenty-eight villas in total, with quite a few residents.

The car stopped about thirty to fifty meters away from the Ruan family’s house.

The driver asked, “CEO Ji, should I drive you to the door?”

“No need. Here is fine,” Ji Qingyun said indifferently.

The Ji Group’s newly constructed large shopping mall, Xingyue City, was currently in the process of signing tenants. The Ruan family’s Seraphine had submitted its application materials.

However, Xingyue City was exclusively for high-end luxury brands. Seraphine had been virtually non-existent in the jewelry industry for the past two years and clearly did not meet the requirements.

If she went to the Ruan family’s door, the matter would likely be brought up, and Ji Qingyun temporarily didn’t want any interaction with the Ji family.

CEO Ji, Ji… Ruan Taoran’s eyes narrowed.

Where else in Jiangcheng was there a second ‘Ji’?

The Ji Group—one of Jiangcheng’s foremost massive and long-established capital groups, rivaled only by the Lu family’s Lu Di Group.

Lu Di primarily focused on high-end luxury and tangible industries, while the Ji Group concentrated on real estate and investment. They were neck-and-neck in Jiangcheng.

A few years ago, the Lu Di Group replaced its head with the young CEO Lu. Lu Di had experienced ups and downs, showing momentum to surpass the Ji Group, but ultimately failed to completely do so.

This was because the Ji Group also changed its head—Ji Qingyun. She was resourceful and determined, quickly stabilizing the situation.

Ji Qingyun was not known for scandals. What people discussed most was her history of turnaround and success.

The Ji family was vast, especially since the previous president was notoriously unrestrained. There were four public wives and over a dozen children, not to mention illegitimate sons and daughters.

Ji Qingyun was one of those illegitimate daughters. Her mother died young, and when she was brought back to the Ji family, she was a complete nobody, overlooked by everyone.

But she stubbornly became the most outstanding among all the Ji children.

From childhood, she constantly won various competitions, entered the Ivy League Business School early at age 15, and after returning home, turned an obscure project entrusted to her into a huge success.

After her father passed away, relying on her own ability and the old Chairman Ji’s favor, she used ruthless methods to sort out the chaos in the Ji family and became the person in charge.

The Ji Group and the Ruan family had few business dealings. If it hadn’t been for the driver’s “CEO Ji,” Ruan Taoran wouldn’t have thought of the name Ji Qingyun even by next year.

Ruan Taoran couldn’t help but size up Ji Qingyun. She vaguely remembered the little Ji Qingyun from her childhood.

She was thin and small, quiet in the corner, and very inconspicuous, completely unlike the person she was today.

The current Ji Qingyun stood out in a crowd. She was the one you saw immediately, possessing a noble demeanor more eye-catching than any female celebrity.

“Don’t you want to leave?” Ji Qingyun turned her eyes to look over.

Ruan Taoran didn’t want her staring gaze to meet Ji Qingyun’s, and she nervously averted her eyes: “No, no… right away…”

Ji Qingyun seemed to have smiled faintly, but when Ruan Taoran looked up again, she didn’t see her smiling face.

“I don’t have… your contact information yet,” Ruan Taoran tentatively offered.

Ji Qingyun didn’t speak. She took out her phone, skillfully entered a string of numbers, and Ruan Taoran’s phone rang.

The driver had already taken Ruan Taoran’s suitcase down. Ruan Taoran quickly called out “Wait,” then opened the suitcase and rummaged through it.

There wasn’t much inside: a few clothes, a few books. The clothes were well-worn.

Ji Qingyun’s gaze fell on Ruan Taoran’s clothes—a white casual set, very clean, but she could see signs of wear on the cuffs.

The Ruan family hasn’t gone bankrupt yet, have they?

Ruan Taoran had found what she was looking for: a red velvet jewelry box.

She pressed it into Ji Qingyun’s hand: “Sister, this is… for you.”

“For me?” Ji Qingyun was surprised to receive a gift since she hadn’t announced she was picking someone up today.

That meant Ruan Taoran had been thinking of her all along? Regardless of whether she came today or not, there was a gift set aside for her?

Ruan Taoran nodded, her smile radiant: “It’s for Sister. I was so happy you came to pick me up today.”

Her smile was sunny and bright, expressing her joy and delight boldly. Her whole demeanor radiated happiness.

Such a small thing made her so happy.

Ji Qingyun accepted the jewelry box: “Got it. Go home now.”

Having exchanged contact information and given the gift, the sentiment had been conveyed. Lingering any further would be overly clingy.

Ruan Taoran said goodbye, then pulled her suitcase and walked away, looking back over her shoulder repeatedly.

After reaching a point where she couldn’t see the Maybach anymore, Ruan Taoran couldn’t help but rub her neck, which was sore from twisting it.

The car door closed. Ji Qingyun opened the jewelry box. What came into view was a small brooch.

The brooch was inlaid with shattered diamonds. The overall pattern was of auspicious clouds (Xiangyun). It shimmered brightly, looking delicate and small.

The lining fabric of the jewelry box bore a designer’s signature—Aling.

This brooch was probably the most expensive thing in her suitcase.

Ruan Taoran had been sneaking glances at her the whole way, thinking she hadn’t noticed. She was a girl who couldn’t even hide her affection.

Ruan Taoran stood at the gate. While waiting after ringing the doorbell, she saved Ji Qingyun’s phone number.

The corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve slightly. She had only made one finished product from her spring/summer design series: Auspicious Clouds… Qingyun…

Some things didn’t need to be said aloud. She believed Ji Qingyun would figure it out herself.

The Ruan family’s mansion was huge, but there was no one passing by, and no one answered the doorbell. This was clearly abnormal.

Ruan Taoran wasn’t anxious, though. She just waited patiently until the sun began to set.

Finally, a butler in a suit, appearing to be around forty or fifty, walked over: “Hello, do you have an appointment?”

“No,” Ruan Taoran smiled brightly. “Hello, Uncle Butler. I am Ruan Taoran. I’m home.”

The butler was momentarily stunned. After waiting for three hours, she still looked so energetic and enthusiastic.

“Oh, it’s Miss Ruan,” the butler said, looking suddenly enlightened, and quickly opened the door. “Miss Ruan, please come in.”

She was given a cold reception immediately upon returning. Ruan Taoran didn’t get angry at the butler. He was just an employee, clearly instructed by someone else.

Entering the living room, she heard a gentle woman’s voice: “Is that Ranran back? Why didn’t you call ahead so we could pick you up?”

“Hello, Auntie. The airport isn’t far, and Uncle and Auntie are busy, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

The truth was, she had sent messages to Ruan Feng and Rao Man beforehand, but neither of them arranged a pickup.

Ruan Feng was busy with work and probably didn’t pay attention to such small matters. Rao Man, however, probably intentionally forgot.

As a junior, Ruan Taoran couldn’t dwell on such an issue and could only gloss over it.

Rao Man was wearing apricot-white loungewear, seemingly just awake from an afternoon nap, wrapped in a cashmere shawl. Her demeanor exuded nurtured elegance.

Rao Man sat down on the sofa and said casually, “Steward Zhou, you kept Miss Ruan waiting for so long. Deduct your performance bonus for next month and reflect on it.”

“It’s not Uncle Butler’s fault…” Ruan Taoran began.

But before she could finish, Rao Man interrupted: “Ranran, the family has its rules. Wrong is wrong.”

“Yes,” Ruan Taoran nodded, the light in her eyes obscure.

Rao Man was just as she had been in Ruan Taoran’s childhood—putting on a show while simultaneously setting traps for her.

By punishing the butler, the matter was considered closed.

When Ruan Feng returned, Ruan Taoran couldn’t complain further without seeming overbearing.

Moreover, by doing this, Ruan Taoran had offended the family butler immediately upon returning, ensuring her life here wouldn’t be easy in the future.

Ruan Taoran followed Steward Zhou upstairs and opened the door to the room prepared for her.

It was a suite, and the room was quite spacious.

The room contained only a bed and a desk, nothing else.

However, there were signs of cleaning. There was no dust, and the bed and desk were brand new, but it felt impersonal.

Steward Zhou put down her luggage and said, “Miss Ruan, you can rest for a while. Mr. Ruan will be back for dinner tonight.”

“Did Uncle Butler come within the last two years? I hadn’t seen you when I lived here before,” Ruan Taoran said naturally, as if making small talk.

Steward Zhou, however, remained reserved, standing at the door and keeping his distance: “Yes, I’ve only been here for five years. Miss Ruan hasn’t been home, so we haven’t met.”

Ruan Taoran’s eyes flickered slightly. She wondered what Rao Man had been saying outside, perhaps that she hadn’t come home for five years and had become an ungrateful wretch?

The fact was, she sent a message every year during the New Year saying she wanted to come back, but Rao Man always said they were traveling and no one was home, so she shouldn’t bother returning.

“This is for you, Uncle,” Ruan Taoran said, taking a brown paper envelope from her bag.

It was clearly cash, and the thickness suggested several tens of thousands of yuan.

The brown paper envelope was offered to Steward Zhou, but he didn’t reach for it: “Miss Ruan, you’re being too formal.”

He knew he had his bonus docked today and that Ruan Taoran intended to compensate him, but this money… felt too hot to handle.

“This isn’t being formal, this is treating you like family,” Ruan Taoran said, offering it closer. “This is five years’ worth of New Year’s hongbao.”

“Mom and Dad used to give hongbao to the family butler, saying it was treating him like family.”

“So, this isn’t being formal. I’m treating you as family.”

Steward Zhou paused, seemingly surprised by Ruan Taoran’s words.

But he still firmly declined: “Miss Ruan, your sentiment is enough. Please keep the hongbao. You’re still just a recent graduate.”

Ruan Taoran looked around the room: “My room doesn’t even have a vase, Uncle. Please take this money and buy me one.”

Steward Zhou continued to demur: “No need, Miss Ruan. There are vases in the warehouse. I can find two and bring them to you.”

Although Rao Man disliked Ruan Taoran, she was still a Ruan family child. If she asked for things and was denied, it would be spread that the family was treating her harshly.

In the end, Steward Zhou still did not accept Ruan Taoran’s money.

This was within Ruan Taoran’s expectation. It was impossible for someone loyal to Rao Man to accept her money on the very first day.

Steward Zhou quickly returned with vases—a pair of ordinary glass ones.

Rao Man had gone out. Ruan Taoran tidied her things, then found a pair of small scissors and went to the garden to pick flowers.

The Cineraria and camellias in the garden were blooming beautifully. She snipped a few green branches and arranged them in the vases. The arrangement was layered and elegant.

When Steward Zhou came back to deliver toiletries to Ruan Taoran, he saw the two additional vases on the desk.

Ruan Taoran had also gone to the warehouse herself to find a tablecloth and a fluffy rug.

The entire room had been empty, like a snow cave. Now, the desk was covered with a new tablecloth, adorned with flowers and plants, and the floor had a fluffy rug…

The whole room looked cozy and stylish. Two fragrant sachets were hung on the bedpost, making the room smell sweet.

Ruan Taoran wove the excess branches into a wreath and handed it to Steward Zhou with a smile: “Uncle, take this for your daughter to play with.”

Her hands were skillful, and being a design student, her aesthetic was impeccable. A few small flowers and green leaves transformed under her touch.

Steward Zhou had prepared himself not to accept anything from Ruan Taoran today.

But seeing the wreath, he guessed his little daughter would love it. After hesitating, thinking it was only a wreath, he accepted it.

“How did Miss Ruan know I have a daughter?”

Ruan Taoran replied: “The gardener told me, Uncle. He said your daughter loves flowers every time she comes to the garden, but you never let her pick them.”

“Children will be children. They like everything they see and make people laugh.” Steward Zhou examined the wreath, still unable to put it down.

The flowers in the garden were the owner’s property, so they couldn’t be picked, but this was a gift from Ruan Taoran, so no one could find fault.

The butler looked around and said, “There’s a small flower stand in the storage room. I think it would look nice under that window. Would Miss Ruan like to see it?”

“Yes, thank you, Uncle Butler.” Ruan Taoran gave a bright smile, her sparkling fawn eyes full of vitality.

“Alright, please follow me to take a look,” the butler said, leading the way.

Miss Ruan didn’t seem to be the ungrateful wretch who didn’t recognize her family after growing up, as Madam had described.

She had charm and enthusiasm for life. She didn’t dwell on being put in a difficult position; instead, she decorated her room to look vibrant and thriving.

The butler couldn’t help but recall a saying: Someone throws mud at her, and she uses the mud to plant lotus flowers.

Ruan Taoran’s intention was to make her room comfortable and beautiful.

After tidying up, Ruan Taoran rewarded herself with a peach-flavored sparkling water and stretched contentedly, looking at the room.

Not only was she comfortable living here, but anyone who saw it would have a good impression of the room’s owner.

People are drawn to warmth, enthusiasm, and thriving vitality. If she spent all day sighing, no one would like her.

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