The Wife From the Contract Marriage Does Not Want to Get Divorced - Chapter 9

Ten o’clock at night.

Lu Yanqing took Xie Siyu to Huakang Hospital for an emergency consultation. The doctor on duty examined the stomach medicine Xie Siyu had taken and found that it did not contain antibiotics. Since she showed no obvious discomfort, the doctor suggested she drink plenty of water to accelerate metabolism.

Lu Yanqing scheduled a gastroscopy for Xie Siyu for the following day, and the two stayed at the hospital for over half an hour before returning home.

Jianghai Lanyuan.

Lu Yanqing opened the refrigerator and paused for a moment; it was packed full of fresh vegetables and fruits.

In the crisper drawer, rows of yogurt cartons were neatly arranged like a phalanx. The production dates were all from today it was her favorite brand, which the supermarket only restocked at five in the afternoon.

The kitchen had also been outfitted with additional cooking utensils.

Her life skills were poor. Even after living in her own apartment for over a year, she had never once used the kitchen.

Xie Siyu changed out of her high heels, putting on slippers that were the same style as Lu Yanqing’s but in a different color. She casually draped her suit jacket over a dining chair and asked, “Do you want some supper?”

Lu Yanqing was leaning against the refrigerator door, having just inserted a straw into a yogurt carton, when Xie Siyu’s gentle voice came from behind. She glanced down at her wristwatch; unknowingly, it was already eleven o’clock.

Tomorrow was Friday, and a shareholders’ meeting was scheduled for the morning.

Seeing Lu Yanqing’s hesitation, Xie Siyu smiled and said, “A little more time won’t hurt. Besides, I have something to tell you.”

With things put that way, there seemed to be no reason to refuse.

Lu Yanqing nodded. She watched as Xie Siyu skillfully tied on an apron and took out green vegetables, tomatoes, and two eggs from the fridge. After a moment of thought, Lu Yanqing walked forward. “Do you need help?”

“No, it’ll be ready soon. You can go wash up first.”

Xie Siyu turned on the faucet over the sink and began washing the vegetables and tomatoes. “The auntie has already washed the unopened clothes in the walk-in closet. If you don’t like the styles, I can accompany you to buy new ones tomorrow.”

The yogurt was a small portion, and Lu Yanqing finished the carton quickly. Hearing Xie Siyu’s words, her fingers tightened around the empty box.

A complex look flickered in her eyes.

Xie Siyu had set aside work to accompany her for a medical check-up, and now she was offering to go clothes shopping. It was one thing to put on a show in front of their grandfather, but was it necessary to be this cautious in their private life?

She opened her mouth to speak, but looking at Xie Siyu’s orderly and busy silhouette, she ultimately asked nothing.

Twenty minutes later.

It was a very simple bowl of tomato noodles, garnished with green vegetables and a fried egg, yet it was inexplicably appetizing.

“Then I won’t be polite.”

Lu Yanqing had finished washing up and was wearing cotton pajamas. To avoid awkwardness, she wore a bra underneath.

Across the dining table, seeing Lu Yanqing eating with great relish, a gentle smile appeared in Xie Siyu’s eyes. She also picked up her chopsticks, blew on the noodles to cool them, and began to eat.

Finally, this apartment felt like a home.

Because it was so late, Xie Siyu was not used to eating much; a third of the noodles remained in her bowl.

Seeing that Lu Yanqing was also nearly finished, she stood up to go to the study to retrieve some documents.

“There is a shareholders’ meeting tomorrow. Here is the information regarding an overseas merger and acquisition; familiarize yourself with it first.”

Lu Yanqing wiped the corners of her mouth and took the documents Xie Siyu handed over. She flipped through them in confusion, discovering that the location was Country W and that the contract for the merger had been signed two months ago.

“When… when did you start preparing this?”

Xie Siyu stacked the two sets of bowls and chopsticks together and turned toward the kitchen, softly answering Lu Yanqing’s question: “Over these years, Grandpa Lu’s health has been declining, and I… couldn’t find you. I had to do something, otherwise, how could I give an account to Grandpa Lu?”

The hand gripping the papers unconsciously tightened. At this moment, the guilt deep within Lu Yanqing reached its peak.

She had originally thought that what Xie Siyu said in front of her grandfather that day was just a casual excuse. She hadn’t expected that she was actually executing this work in secret.

The next day was Friday, and the sun was shining brightly.

Following a long-standing tradition of the Lu Group, a shareholders’ meeting was held every Friday morning at ten. Early that morning, Lu Yanqing contacted Liu Yao on WeChat, asking her to accompany Xie Siyu to the hospital for the gastroscopy.

In the apartment’s underground garage, Lu Yanqing pressed her car key and saw a black Bentley parked by a support pillar. It was a familiar high-end custom model, and she suddenly remembered that this was the “compensation” she had given Xie Siyu back then.

It was the second item in the agreement contract.

Party A shall gift Party B a Bentley worth ten million.

She opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat. The cabin was filled with a faint scent of orange blossoms. Sure enough, she soon spotted an incense box in the center console.

“She seems to have a preference for orange blossom?”

Poking the cute ceramic rabbit ornament on the dashboard, Lu Yanqing buckled her seatbelt and started the engine to head to the company.

She arrived at the Lu Group building exactly at 8:25 AM, five minutes before the clock-in deadline.

In the first-floor elevator lobby.

All four elevators were operating normally. Lu Yanqing swiped Xie Siyu’s card because she hadn’t yet received a specific employee card from the technical department.

The 32nd floor.

Originally, this floor had only one independent office the CEO’s office currently occupied by Xie Siyu.

Next to it was a conference room. Because Lu Yanqing had returned, Xie Siyu had the logistics department convert it into an office, though the renovation was estimated to take a few more days.

“President Lu, the materials you requested are being printed and will be bound shortly.”

Wei Jie knocked on the door of the CEO’s office. Only after hearing the words “Come in” from inside did she push the door open and place a freshly brewed cup of coffee on the desk.

“Mm.”

Xie Siyu had sent the login password for the CEO’s computer via WeChat early that morning. However, Lu Yanqing did not have the habit of prying into other people’s computers, even for work. She instructed Wei Jie, “Bring me a laptop.”

Last night, she had crammed information on the development of Shuangqi Yunjing over the past three years. The Xijiao branch mall had been open and operating for two years, and the corridor connecting the tops of the Twin Towers was renovated exactly according to the blueprints she had finalized three years ago.

The “Forest in the Sky” had become a popular internet-famous landmark in Rongcheng, attracting countless tourists from across the country.

Wei Jie unconsciously pinched the corner of her clothes. Because Lu Yanqing had not touched the latte she prepared, she suppressed her internal unease. As she turned to leave, she remembered something and hesitated: “President Lu, Manager Zhang of the Xie Group’s marketing department is visiting for the third time this week. Hearing that you have returned, they wish to schedule a meeting.”

Extracting the keyword from Wei Jie’s words, Lu Yanqing put down her pen and raised an eyebrow slightly. “A third visit? President Xie didn’t see them the previous two times?”

The Xie family of Rongcheng.

Xie Siyu’s father had founded the light luxury clothing brand “Elis” over a decade ago. Its target demographic was young people between 20 and 35, and many of Lu Yanqing’s friends wore the brand.

Three years ago, due to a break in the capital chain, they had entered a marriage alliance with the Lu family. Lu Yanqing was not yet very clear on the current state of the Xie family’s business.

“President Xie refused.”

Wei Jie wanted to say that the relationship between Xie Siyu and the Xie family was not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface, but the words stopped at her lips. She had received professional training upon joining the company; one of the rules was not to speculate on the boss’s thoughts.

Lu Yanqing nodded nonchalantly. “Alright, I understand.”

She didn’t say she would see them, nor did she say she wouldn’t.

Wei Jie understood Lu Yanqing’s meaning: this would be handled once Xie Siyu returned to the company.

After Wei Jie left the office, Lu Yanqing continued to flip through the documents submitted by various departments. She prioritized those marked with red sticky notes. An hour passed quickly, and she began to understand why Xie Siyu used Liu Yao.

The young woman was very meticulous and cautious.

Fifteen minutes before the meeting.

Lu Yanqing received a call from Xie Siyu: Director Liu and Director Fang support your second uncle. Directors Zhang and Yang have remained neutral over the years. The remaining two directors are Grandpa’s people. If they say anything too unpleasant, you don’t have to endure it.

The subtext of this sentence was: no matter what happens, she would back her up.

Lu Yanqing took a shallow sip of the latte, a bright smile rippling in her eyes. “Are you afraid I’ll be bullied?”

Xie Siyu seemed to have forgotten that her surname was Lu.

She was the only successor to the Lu Group publicly recognized by the old man.

Rotating her office chair, she looked at a half-human-tall dragon blood tree by the floor-to-ceiling window; its branches were lush and its leaf tips sharp.

From the receiver came that person’s gentle voice: Yes.

Even though she knew what Xie Siyu would say, at this moment, the softest part of Lu Yanqing’s heart was touched.

Her breathing hitched for a beat.

The laptop on her desk was logged into WeChat, synced with her phone messages. Zhong Wanyi had sent a business card it belonged to a tea shop owner whose store sold not only various precious teas but also various flower and fruit teas.

“Okay, I’ve got it.”

Lu Yanqing’s eyes curved into a smile. She glanced at the time in the corner of the computer screen and asked, “Is the gastroscopy over? Any discomfort?”

It’s over.

A bit of lightheadedness, nothing major.

Recovery time from anesthesia for a painless gastroscopy varies by individual. Lu Yanqing had asked the doctor last night; slight dizziness was a normal phenomenon.

“Then stop playing with your phone. Lie down and rest for a while. Don’t leave the hospital until you’re sure you’re fine.”

Mm. Contact me anytime if there are issues during the board meeting.

Hanging up the phone, Lu Yanqing leaned against the back of her chair and closed her eyes. After graduating from university and entering the company, the old man had thrown her into the planning department to gain experience. Although he spoke harshly, he had protected her many times behind the scenes.

Now… it was Xie Siyu protecting her.

Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed into a ball; she couldn’t describe the sensation.

The only thing she could be sure of was that it felt quite good.

The feeling of having someone to back you up.

It was quite good.

Ten o’clock in the morning, the large conference room on the 31st floor.

The atmosphere was more somber than ever before.

Sitting on either side of the oval conference table were the directors of the Lu Group. Including Lu Yanqing and her second uncle, Lu Hongyi, there were eight people in total, but currently, there were nine people in the room.

Lu Yanzhao was not a member of the board, but he held 5% of the group’s shares, so he was qualified to attend.

“President Lu, don’t you plan to explain to the directors the reason for your three-year disappearance?”

Lu Yanzhao was confrontational, a provocative smile hooked at the corner of his mouth. He was waiting to see Lu Yanqing make a fool of herself.

“Yanqing, you really should give us an account.”

Beside him, Lu Hongyi also had his brows furrowed. He had thought this niece of his had died in a foreign land. Over these three years, let alone the people sent by the old man and Xie Siyu, even he had arranged many people to search for her in secret.

All had come up empty-handed.

Yet at this critical juncture, she had returned.

Lu Yanqing nonchalantly fiddled with the wedding ring on her ring finger, a calm and composed smile on her face. “Second Uncle, don’t be in such a hurry. First, allow Yanqing to show you all something.”

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