The Down and Out CEO’s Pursuit of Her Wife [GL] - Chapter 12

Is she the type An Ruoning likes?

“You really don’t need to call so many times. I have nothing to say to you.” An Ruoning’s voice remained weak, as if she were hiding from something.

“You think I want to? I’d love to only call once, so how about you actually pick up!” Mu Shan grumbled angrily.

“You!” An Ruoning wanted to retort, but she held back. Talking more was useless. “Do you have something to say? If not, I’m hanging up.”

“Try hanging up and see what happens.” Mu Shan’s tone turned even more aggressive than before.

“What exactly do you want?” An Ruoning hissed in a low voice.

Mu Shan: “Where are you right now? At the kennel or at home?”

An Ruoning: “…”

Mu Shan: “Not talking, are you?!”

An Ruoning: “What does where I am have to do with you?!”

“At this hour, I doubt you’re home. I’ll wait for you at the kennel. Whether you come out now or after work is up to you.” Mu Shan switched on her turn signal and started the car.

An Ruoning: “Don’t go there!”

Mu Shan: “If I don’t see you, I’m not leaving.”

An Ruoning: “I’m not at the kennel!”

Mu Shan: “Then where are you??”

An Ruoning: “I’m in the city. Anyway, don’t go to the kennel and don’t come looking for me…”

“Babe, all paid up!” A sweet, crisp voice reached An Ruoning’s ears, and simultaneously drifted through the phone to Mu Shan.

An Ruoning turned around in a panic. She saw Jian Qing holding several white receipts, only two or three steps away from her. She became increasingly flustered, completely unable to decide which side she should try to cover up first.

A series of rapid beeps suddenly came from the phone. An Ruoning lowered it to see the words “Call Ended” displayed prominently on the screen. Did she hang up? Was it because she heard Jian Qing’s voice? Or did An Ruoning just press the wrong button, and the other woman heard nothing at all? Would she call back? If something went wrong, what was she supposed to do?

The erupting anxiety was smoothed over slightly by the warmth of Jian Qing’s palm on the back of An Ruoning’s head. Jian Qing gently brushed a few stray hairs back. When her hand slid near An Ruoning’s chin, she paused, perhaps wanting to stroke her cheek, but ultimately refrained from any overstepping.

Jian Qing took An Ruoning’s arm and waved the receipts, giving instructions as if speaking to a kindergartner. “Come on, let’s go to the first floor to get your medicine. Once we get back, you have to take it on time according to the doctor’s orders, whether I’m there or not. Got it?”

An Ruoning gave a stiff smile. “I know. I’ve always taken it on time, don’t worry.”

Jian Qing had noticed An Ruoning’s poor mood long ago, so she asked nonchalantly, “In a bad mood? Who upset my girl?”

An Ruoning: “No… no one. I probably just woke up too early, I feel a bit dizzy now.”

Jian Qing tactfully dropped the subject and looked out at the clear blue sky. “The weather is so nice, want to go out and have some fun in a bit?”

“Uh… I…” An Ruoning worried that Mu Shan wouldn’t let things go. If she agreed to go with Jian Qing, it would be extremely inconvenient to handle the situation with Mu Shan later.

In the midst of her internal struggle, Jian Qing’s phone vibrated, giving An Ruoning a momentary reprieve. Jian Qing looked at the caller ID, let go of An Ruoning, and handed her the receipts. “Work call. Can you go pick up the medicine by yourself first?”

An Ruoning: “Of course. Go ahead and get back to work, don’t worry about me.”

Jian Qing flashed a bright smile at An Ruoning, turned, and walked out of the hospital entrance to answer the phone. “Hello, Director Mu.”

Mu Shan gave a cold greeting. “Hello, Lawyer Jian.”

Hearing Mu Shan’s tone, Jian Qing immediately adopted a professional, detached attitude. “Hello, Director Mu. Is there something you need? Is there something the company needs to communicate regarding Babulon?”

Mu Shan: “Oh, no. Are you free tonight, Lawyer Jian? I’d like to have dinner with you privately.”

Jian Qing’s mind raced. While it was common for a company seeking funding to treat an investor to dinner, it was a bit strange for a Vice President to ask for a private meeting with the investor’s representative lawyer. Strange as it was, she couldn’t just reject her without knowing the reason, especially since there was potential for long-term cooperation. Better to accept the invitation and see what it was about. “Sure, I’d be honored. I’ll arrange the restaurant. Which area is most convenient for you, Director Mu?”

Mu Shan: “That works, the location is up to you. Also, please bring An Ruoning along for dinner tonight.”

“An Ruoning???” How did Mu Shan know An Ruoning’s name? Jian Qing suddenly ran back toward the hospital lobby, staring doubtfully at An Ruoning’s back as she waited in line for the medicine.

Mu Shan: “What’s wrong?”

Jian Qing: “Why bring her?”

Mu Shan: “Is it inconvenient for you, Lawyer Jian?”

At that moment, An Ruoning happened to look back, and their eyes met. Jian Qing tilted her head at An Ruoning and blew a little kiss, while a complex mix of suspicion, jealousy, resentment, and desire quietly ignited in her heart. Then, Jian Qing told a calm, calculated lie. “It’s not inconvenient for me, but I’ll need to double-check my girlfriend’s schedule before I can give you an answer.”

There was a long silence on Mu Shan’s end. When she spoke again, her voice was terrifyingly cold. “Girlfriend?”

Jian Qing intentionally played it off. “Mm, yes. You don’t mind, do you, Director Mu? I rarely mention it in professional settings, but since you said this was a private gathering and even thoughtfully asked me to bring her along, I figured I shouldn’t hide it from you.”

Mu Shan: “Then please send me the restaurant address in a bit.”

Jian Qing: “Sure, see you tonight.”

Mu Shan hung up without any further pleasantries.

Jian Qing walked toward An Ruoning step by step, recalling the impression Mu Shan had left the last time they met. She was definitely “one of them,” no doubt about it. But… was she the type An Ruoning liked?

Jian Qing paced over to An Ruoning and reached for the paper bag of medicine in her hand, maintaining an air of casualness. “Do you know Mu Shan?”

An Ruoning jerked the bag back to her chest just as Jian Qing was about to take it. She gripped the edges of the bag so tightly that the smooth kraft paper quickly crumpled into a ball, the area near her fingertips even beginning to tear.

Jian Qing tried to slowly reach out and take the bag from her, but An Ruoning’s hands were icy and rigid, refusing to budge. Jian Qing’s heart ached, but she couldn’t just pull An Ruoning into her arms here. She could only blame herself inwardly for being too direct.

“What did she say to you?! That was her on the phone just now, wasn’t it?! How can she be so despicable? What does she want, is she going to drive everyone away one by one?!” An Ruoning collapsed into a crouch on the floor, her voice trembling.

Passersby inevitably stopped to stare at the scene. Jian Qing hurried to help An Ruoning up; if more people gathered, it would only make things more embarrassing for her.

Halfway through helping her, the weight in her arms lightened. Jian Qing looked up to find Dr. Yang, who usually treated An Ruoning, lending a hand.

Jian Qing: “Thank you, Dr. Yang. I’ve got her, don’t let us keep you.”

Dr. Yang helped them out of the building before stopping. He patted An Ruoning’s shoulder and joked lightly with a smile, “Not happy? Want to go back and chat some more? I’ll give you half-off this time.”

An Ruoning forced a small smile and bowed slightly to both of them. “I’m sorry, I lost control of my emotions. I’d like to be alone for a moment.”

With that, An Ruoning walked quickly toward the small garden outside. Jian Qing started to chase after her, but Dr. Yang immediately stopped her. “It’s fine, leave her be. Give her some time to herself.”

Jian Qing: “Sigh, alright. Dr. Yang, what did she say to you today?”

Dr. Yang shook his head with a smile. “Patient confidentiality.”

Jian Qing: “She’s usually fine. I thought she had fully recovered.”

Dr. Yang: “Don’t rush it, take it slow. Try to avoid triggering her, but you don’t need to be overly cautious either; she has her own ways of coping. I expect she’s calmed down by now. Go find her, I’m heading back to work.”

Jian Qing thanked the doctor and headed into the small garden. An Ruoning was sitting on a stone bench, showing no outward signs of distress, appearing as if she were simply enjoying the view. Jian Qing approached and placed a hand on her shoulder, asking softly, “Where do you want to go now?”

An Ruoning shifted to make room and gestured for Jian Qing to sit. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

Jian Qing: “You’re not allowed to keep saying ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you.’ It’s meaningless and makes us feel like strangers.”

An Ruoning pursed her lips and gave a slight smile. It was cute, but frail. Jian Qing habitually pulled a small pack of gummy bears from her bag and handed them over. “Special snacks made just for kids. Here, eat up.”

An Ruoning: “You don’t always have to bring these things… you’re going to make me fat.”

Jian Qing: “Then be fat. At worst, I’ll eat one too and we can be fat together.”

An Ruoning: “You’re too good to me…”

Jian Qing understood the weight behind those words, so she pretended not to hear. Chewing on a gummy bear, she stretched out her legs and arms, soaking in the afternoon sun.

An Ruoning: “Did she… say anything to you?”

Jian Qing pulled her arms back and propped herself up on the bench. “She said we’re having dinner tonight, nothing else. I think explaining our relationship to others is exhausting, so I just told her you were my girlfriend. That’s okay, right?” Jian Qing looked straight ahead, but her peripheral vision was locked on An Ruoning. Her heart was in her throat.

An Ruoning’s breathing hitched for a second, but she quickly covered it up. “Oh, that’s fine. That’s actually quite good.”

Jian Qing: “I didn’t give her a definite answer, though. If you don’t want to go, don’t go. I’ll just have a quick meal with her and come back to find you. Mainly, she’s the VP of the target company and we might have to work together for a while, so it was hard to refuse.”

An Ruoning stared at her with wide eyes. “You two know each other?”

Jian Qing: “I suppose meeting once counts as knowing each other, but it’s strictly professional. No personal connection.”

An Ruoning gripped the paper bag again. She kept her head down, but her voice was firm. “I’ll go with you.”

A pang of bitterness rose in Jian Qing’s chest. She had already gathered that there was something between An Ruoning and Mu Shan. The question now was: was An Ruoning so determined to go to dinner just to see Mu Shan?

Jian Qing didn’t want to voice her jealousy. Her relationship with An Ruoning had to be built inch by inch. Suddenly revealing her admiration and possessiveness would only push her away.

An Ruoning: “Aren’t you going to ask me what my relationship with her is?”

Jian Qing turned to look at her. An Ruoning was carefully clutching her medicine, asking the question with extreme caution. Seeing her like this, how could Jian Qing possibly interrogate her? She slid closer on the bench, nudged An Ruoning’s arm with her shoulder, and said with a grin, “Why ask that? How boring. Want to go shopping for a bit before dinner?”

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