Chen Man'er still had some sense. She knew that Xuan Mohan was currently infatuated with Lan Qianqian. If Lan Qianqian went to whisper in his ear, she would be in for a bad time.
So, she gave Lan Qianqian a bottle of medicine. The medicine could quickly make the redness and swelling on Lan Qianqian's face disappear before work ended. She predicted that Lan Qianqian wouldn't go to that man to say anything. She had already said such unpleasant things; anyone with pride would feel something.
Was this a case of slapping someone and then giving them a sweet date? It was quite satisfying!
Lan Qianqian indeed didn't mention it again. At this moment, she mechanically walked to the bathroom, stiffly opened the small bottle, and smeared it bit by bit onto her burning face…
Compared to the disarray on her face, she felt even more humiliated, as if a fig leaf had been ripped away.
One reason she hadn't allowed Xuan Mohan to make their relationship public was her desire for discretion. More importantly, she was insecure. She was afraid of being found out. If no one knew, she could still enjoy this fleeting happiness.
Why was she an orphan? Why hadn't she even graduated from high school? Why had that man assaulted her five years ago? If she were… clean, would they have accepted her a little more? Was it wrong for her to just want happiness?
Lan Qianqian knew she shouldn't have these thoughts, but she felt as if she had run into a dead end…
She didn't know how many times she had splashed cold water on her face, but Lan Qianqian finally calmed down. She quietly returned to her seat. Glancing up, she saw that everyone else was focused on their work, so no one noticed her. Li Ai, who was next to her, looked up at her during a break.
Miss Lan is truly beautiful. After taking a few days off, she looks even more beautiful. Her fair skin with a rosy blush is delicate and radiant, feeling sweeter than the peaches she speaks of. And she's so outstanding. No, no, I need to work hard and strive to stand alongside her. But why would she want to stand with Miss Lan?
If she achieved something in her career, would that give her a chance to be with him?
Thinking of this, Lan Qianqian lowered her hand, which had been covering her face, and began to focus on the design on the computer. However, she still let her hair down to cover half her face.
The deadline was next month. Originally, there was plenty of time, but a major collaboration was also scheduled for that time, so it had to be moved up. However, all the schedules were very tight, so the pressure could only be pushed onto the less important project.
Lan Qianqian didn't want to rely on Xuan Mohan. Even though a casual word from him could resolve this difficulty. Just as the woman said earlier, if it weren't for Xuan Mohan, she wouldn't even have the qualification to enter Xuan Shi.
She couldn't rely on Xuan Mohan either. Some paths had to be walked alone to grow.
Thus, Lan Qianqian didn't move for the entire afternoon, nor did she drink a single drop of water.
Seeing this, Li Ai felt a sense of crisis. Qianqian was already so capable, yet she was working so hard. When would she ever catch up? So, she also didn't drink a drop of water. After several hours, she was parched, her back ached, and she was filled with admiration for Qianqian.
"Thump~" Li Ai's head hit the desk. She was dying, especially of thirst. She abruptly sat up and ran towards the bathroom.
"Ding dong~" a message sounded on her phone.
Lan Qianqian knew it was almost time to get off work because the department was starting to stir. She picked up her phone to check the message.
"I'm waiting for you in the underground parking lot."
Pursing her lips, Lan Qianqian put down her phone. It seemed he always waited for her. For someone like him, it was always others who waited for him. Compared to the three little treasures, he was the one she had accumulated blessings over several lifetimes to meet, know, and love.
She looked in the mirror and realized that the red marks on her face had disappeared at some point.
After everyone in the department had left, Lan Qianqian turned off her computer and stood up. She avoided the crowd and walked to the underground parking lot. As expected, she saw him waiting there. Seeing her approach, his face broke into a dazzling smile.
Xuan Mohan walked quickly to her, put his arm around her waist, and kissed her forehead. They had only been apart for half a day, but he missed her dearly. He knew they had been together every day for the past few days. If she were his assistant, he would tie her to his side every day.
"How was it? Tired today?" Xuan Mohan lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers as he asked in a low voice. "Hmm, good, no fever anymore."
"Mmm~ Not tired," Lan Qianqian replied with a slightly coquettish tone, and then she threw herself into his embrace.
It was still as warm as ever, making her linger. She buried her face greedily in his chest.
Xuan Mohan raised an eyebrow. Why was this girl hugging him so proactively today?
"Hehe!" Was it because she had kissed him proactively today and discovered she liked him even more?
But he enjoyed it immensely. He wrapped his arms around the small woman in his embrace and buried his head in her fragrant hair, taking a deep breath.
Soon, a low-key and distinguished car drove towards the old residential area of An Ya Ju.
Xuan Mohan had intended to take her to his place, and he hadn't told her about that matter yet, but she insisted on going back…
After the car stopped, Xuan Mohan followed Lan Qianqian inside. When they reached the doorstep, Lan Qianqian turned to look at the tall man. "I'm here."
She thought he would leave after dropping her off, but she didn't expect…
"Are you that heartless? Not inviting me in for a bit?" Xuan Mohan teased, then took the key from Lan Qianqian's hand, opened the door, and pulled her small hand inside, acting as if he owned the place.
Since they were already inside, Lan Qianqian had no choice but to follow his steps. After entering, she realized the house was very quiet…
"Mom, Tong Tong~" It was still very quiet. Didn't Xuan Mohan say he had sent someone to pick up the children? Could it be that Mom wanted to pick up the children herself today?
As she was thinking this, the man beside her pulled her to sit on the sofa. Lan Qianqian stared blankly at Xuan Mohan's slightly serious little face, a bad feeling rising in her heart.
"What… is it?"
"You should see this first." Saying that, Xuan Mohan took out a letter. She had seen him taking something in the car earlier. Was it this?
She had a gut feeling that this was not good. Lan Qianqian didn't know why her mood felt a little heavy and stifled.
However, she still took it. The envelope had nothing on the outside, but she looked at it for a long time.
The second hand ticked by…
A slender, white hand slowly opened the envelope and took out the folded paper inside. A few black imprints indicated that there weren't many words.
"Qianqian, Mom has something to attend to and needs to go out for a trip. Take good care of yourself and the three treasures. Mom will always love you!"
This was the first sentence Lan Qianqian saw when she opened it. She stared blankly, reading each word in her heart. Memories of her mother, point by point, involuntarily surfaced in her mind:
"Qianqian, it's cold. Mom sewed you a padded jacket. Try it on and see if it's warm?"
Back then, they were short of money, so her mother used discarded clothes to fill the clothes.
"Qianqian, Mom doesn't need to eat so well. Save the money for the children's education."
This was when her mother's health had started to decline. She would use the money she earned from her part-time jobs to buy her something nutritious.
"Qianqian, the children are taken care of by Mom. You just focus on your own matters."
This was when she was abroad. She was very busy every day and didn't have time to take care of the family, so her mother took on all household responsibilities, including all the children's daily routines, travel, and education.
Hadn't she seen her mother in a long time? She missed her a little…