Because Jiang Nan Fang's physical condition was special, and she had experienced premature labor early in this pregnancy, she had only recently been discharged from the hospital after being on bed rest. Her condition was still a cause for concern, so the old man absolutely refused to let her stay in the hospital.
Zhan Bei Jue and Hu Jia Sheng also had a lot of affairs to manage and couldn't stay in the hospital to care for her full-time. As Tang Nan Nan was idle, she volunteered to stay and look after the old man.
The old man was overjoyed, his smile reaching his eyes.
"Nan Nan and I hit it off immediately, and I liked her at first sight. It's wonderful for her to stay and keep me company. Ah Sheng, you don't have any objections, do you?"
Hu Jia Sheng certainly didn't dare to have any objections.
However, he and Tang Nan Nan were not in a romantic relationship, and it felt a bit awkward asking her to stay in the hospital to care for a patient.
Tang Nan Nan understood his thoughts perfectly. With a glance, Hu Jia Sheng understood.
He owed her a favor from before, and now she wanted to repay it. He should give her an opportunity.
So, for the next few days, Tang Nan Nan went out early and returned late, staying at the hospital to care for the old man.
She cooked for him, chatted with him, discussing everything from domestic affairs to international matters, culture, politics, and history. She kept the old man so entertained and invigorated that he didn't seem like a patient who had just been rescued.
Even the doctors couldn't help but praise her.
"When good fortune smiles upon you, your spirits soar." The old man's remarkable recovery was undoubtedly due to the devoted care of his family. The Zhan family were truly filial descendants.
A week later, the old man was cleared to be discharged from the hospital.
Thinking that Tang Nan Nan had spent all her time accompanying him in the hospital and hadn't had a chance to date Hu Jia Sheng, and feeling too embarrassed to keep her any longer, he urged Tang Nan Nan to go back and rest.
The household had a housekeeper, a nanny, and a caregiver. Tang Nan Nan's role there was indeed diminished, so she obediently went home.
Before Hu Jia Sheng got off work, she had already prepared dinner. Seeing him back, looking thinner after a week in the hospital, Hu Jia Sheng felt very guilty.
He pushed a sky-blue box across the dining table, a token of his gratitude for her recent efforts.
Tang Nan Nan disliked his approach.
It felt like she was being repaid for her services, a clear sign that he wanted to draw a line between them.
In the hospital, despite everyone else's teasing, Hu Jia Sheng had remained non-committal. Tang Nan Nan hadn't dared to think too much about it.
Looking at the necklace from a certain luxury brand that she used to be very familiar with, she said softly to Hu Jia Sheng.
"Actually, your family is quite nice. Although you didn't grow up together, they don't seem to have any reservations about you."
"I can tell Mr. Zhan isn't very good at expressing his emotions, but his wife has a truly wonderful personality, and the children are all exceptionally lovely. It's evident they really like you."
Hu Jia Sheng couldn't refute this, because the children were innocent and their affection was genuine, not feigned.
As for Jiang Nan Fang, whether you called her meticulous, emotionally intelligent, or good at putting on a show, she gave him a very comfortable impression.
Perhaps they truly didn't have any objections to him; it was his own mind playing tricks on him.
Seeing his silence, Tang Nan Nan continued.
"I know that living one's life peacefully alone can be a very poetic way of living, but have you ever considered this?"
"If you find someone to love, even if you can't have a brood of children like Mr. and Mrs. Zhan and fill your days with sunshine and shared moments, wouldn't it be wonderful to at least have someone to share the sight of blooming flowers or the sound of rain with?"
"How can you know you can't do as well as them if you don't even try?"
How can you know you can't do as well as them if you don't even try?
This sentence truly touched Hu Jia Sheng.
He had held a pessimistic view of marriage since childhood, but now, perhaps after seeing so many happy people, he felt less resistant to the idea.
However, he still hadn't made a commitment.
He knew what Tang Nan Nan's words implied, and he wasn't ready to give her any promises yet, for fear of disappointing her.
"You must be exhausted from your time at the hospital. Go and rest, don't rush back to work."
The next day, Tang Nan Nan slept in.
After waking up, she tidied the house until noon and then received a call from Jiang Nan Fang.
She was invited to have dinner at the Zhan residence and was told that a driver had already been sent to pick her up.
The two of them had dinner like close friends, then took a long stroll around the Zhan family villa. Afterward, Jiang Nan Fang suggested they go to a beauty salon for facials.
"I have a friend who owns a beauty salon. Getting a spa treatment and chatting comfortably sounds quite nice."
"I'm not working right now, and staying home all day is so boring. Would you mind coming with me as a companion?"
As Tang Nan Nan was idle, she naturally didn't refuse. The two of them went to Chen Jiao Jiao's beauty salon together.
In reality, Jiang Nan Fang had an ulterior motive.
She wanted the two of them to interact beforehand, without knowing each other's relationship with Hu Jia Sheng, to see if they could become friends based on their first impressions.
If they could accept each other peacefully, then when they later found out about their respective relationships with Hu Jia Sheng, it wouldn't be too difficult to accept.
When Jiang Nan Fang brought her friend, Chen Jiao Jiao naturally welcomed them warmly.
The three of them happily got facials, had spa treatments, and chatted. Madam Gao and her friend were in the adjacent room.
Upon hearing that Tang Nan Nan and Jiang Nan Fang were getting along so intimately, it was clear to Madam Gao that her relationship with Hu Jia Sheng was not simple.
Madam Gao was furious.
Tang Nan Nan, she thought, had great ambitions and couldn't be dissuaded with just a few words.
She had tried subtle hints and warnings, but instead of deterring Tang Nan Nan, it seemed to have emboldened her. She was even associating with Zhan Bei Jue's wife. Madam Gao had underestimated her.
Despite her youth, she was quite adept at manipulation.
Throughout history, the most common path for women seeking to marry into wealthy families was to rely on their children.
Their appearance today served as a stark warning to Madam Gao.
Time was of the essence, and the situation was pressing. She couldn't afford to be soft-hearted any longer.
If she delayed any further, by the time Tang Nan Nan became pregnant, given Old Master Zhan's current health condition, he would undoubtedly let her have the baby and increase the Zhan family's lineage.
At that point, Hu Jia Sheng would be in a difficult position.
Therefore, she absolutely had to get rid of Tang Nan Nan before the situation became irreversible.
Pretending to be unaware of anything, Madam Gao called Tang Nan Nan the next day, inquiring about her recent situation and inviting her out for a meeting.
Tang Nan Nan didn't want to go.
She had been unemployed for too long, and that day she had an interview with an institution to become a piano teacher.
She couldn't just wander around idly day after day.
Hearing that she had an interview today was exactly what Madam Gao had hoped for.
"Let me tell you, you shouldn't bother becoming a piano teacher. It has no future."
"Besides, we're both women, and the intentions of the lady of the house are crystal clear. Someone as young and beautiful as you will be viewed with suspicion no matter whose house you go to, and you certainly won't receive good treatment."
"Why don't you take my advice and let me introduce you to a job?"
Tang Nan Nan believed this.
Working as a tutor or a domestic helper was similar; both involved interactions with the male and female heads of the household.
If the employer was young and attractive, even if the male employer had no intentions, the female employer would be wary.
She didn't want to play palace intrigue just to go to work.