The Person I Love Who Has Been Missing For Three Years - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Should I… Launch a Surprise Attack?

In the porcelain white bowl, the translucent steamed egg custard lay like congealed fat at the bottom, topped with a few glistening slices of snow-white cod. A few drops of soy sauce dotted the dish like amber.

This Steamed Cod with Egg Custard alone was mouthwatering.

Following that, Cao Xin brought out Chicken Purée with Asparagus, Ginkgo Nut Stir-fried Snow Peas, Creamed Napa Cabbage…

Song Xiangwan’s phoenix eyes were filled with suspicion. She looked at Cao Xin as if she were a thief: “Are you planning to silence me? Is this a farewell meal?”

“If I wanted to silence you, I would have done it ages ago, why wait until today?” Cao Xin scoffed. “Eat more so you can recover properly and go back to the crew to earn money for me.”

“So the crew isn’t planning to replace me, then?” There was a noticeable hint of disappointment in Song Xiangwan’s voice.

Cao Xin: “…” Does the director dare to? The biggest investor behind the scenes is the Ming family. With a word from Ming Jin, who would dare to make trouble for you?

But Cao Xin dared not say any of this.

Even the previous explanation was a carefully thought-out excuse.

The hospital food was truly awful. She tried her best but could barely manage a few bites.

Today’s meals were clearly not from the hospital.

“Although your intention is to treat me like an overworked servant, I still thank you for the food.” Song Xiangwan smiled and picked up her chopsticks.

She believed it… That’s good… Cao Xin breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Song Xiangwan ate most of the meal. Cao Xin took a photo of the empty plates and sent it to Ming Jin.

She then received a reply from Ming Jin: “Good, thank you.”

After closing the conversation with Cao Xin, Ming Jin confirmed the menu for the next meal before putting her phone down.

The ward was quiet. Lin Rong was not around, nor was Xu Zhiyan. Ming Jin glanced at the time, her brow slightly furrowed.

It was late when Xu Zhiyan returned to the hospital. The night was dark and gloomy. The weather had been poor these past couple of days, suggesting rain.

At this hour, Ming Jin should have been asleep. Xu Zhiyan thought about it but still couldn’t rest easy, so she gently pushed open the ward door.

The main lights were off, but the bedside reading lamp was still on.

Her entry was very quiet. She looked up and met Ming Jin’s clear, shallow eyes. Her heart skipped a beat: “Sister…”

“It’s so late, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Ming Jin had a black cashmere cardigan draped over her patient gown. Her slender, fair fingers adjusted the clothing on her body, and she sat up a little straighter.

However, her movements were noticeably stiff and unnatural.

Perhaps from sitting too long, or maybe the bad weather… A momentary shadow of self-loathing flashed in Ming Jin’s eyes, but Xu Zhiyan didn’t catch it.

Xu Zhiyan reached out to help Ming Jin sit up properly, took the book from her hand, and carefully placed it on the bedside table.

“Lin Rong is so unreliable. I leave for just one day, and she slacks off. She should have her salary docked…” Xu Zhiyan muttered in dissatisfaction.

Meeting that pair of light brown eyes, Xu Zhiyan’s heart sank, realizing she seemed to have said something wrong.

“Sister, I didn’t mean it like that…” Xu Zhiyan quickly said.

She felt Ming Jin was a patient who needed constant monitoring, but Ming Jin clearly disliked being viewed that way.

“I’m not blaming you.” Ming Jin curved her lips in a gentle, faint smile. “Don’t blame her. She reminded me to rest several times.”

“It’s just that your plane hadn’t landed yet, so I couldn’t sleep anyway.”

“I should have just sent you a message right after landing,” Xu Zhiyan said guiltily.

Today’s flight was delayed by three hours. She thought Ming Jin would be asleep, so she didn’t send a message.

“It’s alright. The board meeting today, was it not very smooth?”

“If it had gone smoothly, you would have taken the noon flight and wouldn’t have been delayed until this hour.”

When those eyes looked at her, Xu Zhiyan knew there was no chance of successfully lying to Ming Jin.

“It was a little troublesome…” Xu Zhiyan smiled and lowered her head, pretending to be busy adjusting the pillow behind Ming Jin and pulling up her blanket. “But it’s all been resolved, so there’s no major issue.”

“Since I wasn’t there, a few people surely didn’t agree with your proposal,” Ming Jin held Xu Zhiyan’s hand, gently pressing it down on the quilt.

“Ah Yan, you’re not good at lying to me.”

“If there’s anything I can help you with, it will also make me feel that my existence has value, and that I’m not a burden to you…”

“Sister.” Xu Zhiyan immediately interrupted Ming Jin, dissatisfaction written in her eyes. She never thought her sister was a burden.

A slight softness appeared in the light brown eyes. Ming Jin didn’t continue the previous topic: “Then, can President Xu tell me what trouble you encountered?”

“It’s still that acquisition case,” Xu Zhiyan said, a hint of inexpressible frustration in her voice.

“This case was already finalized when we were abroad.”

“My team has also produced the best plan and given the most suitable quote. We’ve worked hard for several months, only needing one final step.”

“But several people on the board wouldn’t approve it, saying my quote and plan had issues.”

“They claim the risk is too great and the investment significance is minor. Subtly, they are implying that I’m not capable enough.”

“I don’t think they’re targeting the case at all; they’re targeting me.”

Xu Zhiyan felt wronged. Three years ago, she was still the little princess protected under her sister’s wing. How could she compete with the cunning of these old foxes?

Although Ming Jin retained the title of Chairwoman, she had essentially withdrawn from company affairs. The power she yielded was a huge piece of fat.

Who wouldn’t want it? Who would want to watch Xu Zhiyan, a little girl, take all the benefits in the end?

Since joining the company, Xu Zhiyan had been under siege, like a novice surrounded by wolves and tigers, constantly under intense scrutiny.

“It’s not easy for Ah Yan, I know…” Ming Jin raised her hand and cupped Xu Zhiyan’s cheek, gently caressing her with her thumb.

The little girl’s eyes were red, but she didn’t cry.

Her tone was stubborn: “The more they think I’m doing a bad job, the better I have to do it, to show them that a child raised by Ming Jin is not easily bullied.”

“Good,” Ming Jin smiled slightly and said softly, “Don’t worry, your sister is still here. No one can bully you.”

“You must have brought the case files, right? I’ll help you look through them tomorrow.”

“Since they think it’s not perfect, then we will create a perfect one.”

“We’ll mitigate all risks, win the bid brilliantly, and leave them speechless.”

“Sister…” Xu Zhiyan’s first reaction was to refuse. She didn’t want Ming Jin to continue exerting herself for her sake.

“The only thing I can help you with is paper-based work,” Ming Jin said softly.

Xu Zhiyan pursed her lips. She no longer had the luxury of refusing.

A sister is a sister. She probably anticipated this outcome the moment her flight was delayed, setting a trap for her to willingly walk into.

Song Xiangwan was quite puzzled, always feeling like Cao Xin was hiding something.

With Cao Xin’s salary level, she couldn’t afford to arrange such excellent meals every day…

As for company reimbursement? How could that be? The company no longer included someone like her in their plans.

Until… she saw the Steamed Fish Fillet with Green Apple and Lily today…

It was a dish that completely broke the tradition of steamed fish. Sliced green apples lined the bottom, fish fillets were layered with lily bulbs, and instead of steamed fish soy sauce, a drizzle of honey water was used.

The blend of fruit aroma and the sweet moisture of honey, combined with the fresh sweetness of the fish, created a soft, fresh flavor with very low calories.

Song Xiangwan picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. The moment the flavor blossomed, a warm sensation traveled up, and tears instantly fell from her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Cao Xin was startled, quickly pulling out a tissue. “Why are you crying while eating?”

“It’s so good, it made me cry,” Song Xiangwan sniffled and buried her head, eating the dish seriously.

Cao Xin: “…” That’s ridiculous.

It made it seem like she had starved her before, not letting her eat enough. How undignified.

Song Xiangwan found a way to send Cheng Cheng away, saying she ran out of her facial oil and that the brand she usually used had a counter in Shan Cheng, which was a city away from the hospital.

A celebrity’s face is her greatest weapon, and she couldn’t be careless with it.

Cheng Cheng didn’t think twice and embarked on the long journey to buy the oil for Song Xiangwan.

After dinner, Song Xiangwan chatted with Cao Xin for a bit and then said she was going to sleep.

She lay down and closed her eyes. Hearing Cao Xin leave, she swiftly bolted up, quickly put on her shoes, and quietly opened the door.

She wasn’t very skilled at stalking, looking furtive and obviously sneaky.

The medical staff passing by gave her strange looks.

But Cao Xin hadn’t expected Song Xiangwan to follow her, so she didn’t notice anything.

Song Xiangwan watched as Cao Xin walked to the ward at the end of the third-floor corridor, greeted the person guarding the door, and then went inside.

Song Xiangwan was afraid of being discovered, so she scurried back, flipped onto the bed, and tightly covered herself with the blanket.

She could hear her heart pounding. Her breathing was rapid and wouldn’t calm down. Her body temperature was rising inside the tightly wrapped blanket.

This was partly due to the intense movement just now, but also because she had an outrageous suspicion.

The first time she ate that Steamed Fish Fillet with Green Apple and Lily was during a film shoot.

To match the character’s image, the director asked her to lose two and a half kilograms. Time was tight. To lose weight quickly, she hadn’t eaten a single bite for three full days.

On the third day, she fainted from low blood sugar and was rushed to the hospital.

When she woke up, Ming Jin was sitting by her bed, her face cold enough to freeze water.

Song Xiangwan insisted that eating would make the last three days of starving useless and buried herself under the covers, refusing to eat.

Ming Jin gently coaxed her for a long time, promising that these dishes wouldn’t make her gain weight.

She still refused to eat.

Finally, Ming Jin lost her temper and gave her an ultimatum: if she didn’t eat, she didn’t need to film the drama, and she would stay home for the next half year.

That was the first time she had eaten this Steamed Fish Fillet with Green Apple and Lily.

Since then, she had never seen this method of cooking fish anywhere else.

Song Xiangwan closed her eyes, feigning sleep, listening to the rapid thump of her heart, her mind a mess.

She heard Cao Xin return briefly. Seeing her asleep, she just tucked her blanket in and left.

Song Xiangwan opened her eyes. The light was dim. In the dark room, light and shadows seemed to flicker.

Were those meals arranged by Ming Jin?

Was she in that ward?

Should she… launch a surprise attack on 3602?