Chapter 36

After paying, Lu Qianchuan carried a large bag of things and put them in the car.

Noticing that Qin Yan hadn't followed, he turned his head to see Qin Yan standing not far away, her gaze fixed on an elderly couple selling sweet potatoes at the supermarket entrance.

Does she like eating sweet potatoes?

He put the things away, strode toward the elderly couple, bought four sweet potatoes, and handed them to Qin Yan.

"You had a lot of activity this afternoon, eat something to pad your stomach first."

Qin Yan stared blankly at the sweet potatoes he handed over, and then watched him take one, break it open, and hand it to her. Only then did she come to her senses.

"I am a bit hungry, thank you for the reward, Mr. Lu."

She took the sweet potato and got in the car with him, her gaze still fixed on the elderly couple, her thoughts drifting far away.

"When I was a child, I loved eating roasted sweet potatoes the most. They were roasted over a stove fire, which made them very easy to burn. My grandmother would help me break them open. I couldn't wait and would always burn my mouth, and then..."

As she spoke, she suddenly paused, her eyes stinging.

Perhaps seeing that elderly couple made her think of her grandparents, and inadvertently, she thought of the scene of eating sweet potatoes with them.

But both elders were gone.

Her grandmother passed away in an accident. She was studying away from home, and by the time she rushed back, her grandmother had already been placed in a coffin; she hadn't been able to see her one last time.

When her grandfather passed away, her father, Qin Sen, was worried that her grandfather would leave the family's good things to her, so he didn't let her see him. By the time she saw her grandfather again, he had already been placed in an urn.

"Then, did you burn yourself again?" Lu Qianchuan saw her lower her head and tears fall, and he furrowed his brows.

She wouldn't have really burned herself, would she?

He worriedly lifted her chin to check, but saw her red-rimmed eyes and was stunned in astonishment.

"Did you really burn yourself?" He took a tissue to help her wipe, then went to get water, unscrewed it, and handed it to her. "Drink cold water, quickly."

"I, I'm fine." Qin Yan wiped away her tears messily, trying her best to hide the emotions that had emerged, and then pretended to be indifferent and took a bite of the sweet potato, laughing happily. "Mr. Lu is very good at picking sweet potatoes, this tastes especially sweet."

Perhaps this was the first person other than her grandparents who would give her roasted sweet potatoes to eat, making her a bit sentimental.

Lu Qianchuan realized it wasn't the sweet potato that burned her, but that she had thought of some unhappy things.

He wanted to ask, his throat rolled, but he still didn't ask.

Returning to the large flat, Qin Yan cooked two bowls of noodles. Perhaps because of the added side dishes, the noodles smelled especially fragrant.

She had just placed the noodles on the table when her phone kept ringing.

Seeing it was a call from Xu Lan, she pressed answer.

"Minister Qin, the situation online is getting more and more heated. Didn't you say you were going to apologize this afternoon? Why did you run to the hospital to hit someone? I really don't understand what you want to do anymore?"

Qin Yan looked at Lu Qianchuan and said, "Kitchen, get the chopsticks."

Lu Qianchuan wanted to agree, but seeing she was on the phone, he didn't make a sound and walked straight into the kitchen.

Only then did Qin Yan answer Xu Lan, "If you don't understand, then don't bother. Thank you for your concern, but I don't need your concern."

Xu Lan sneered, "I don't want to care about you, I'm worried that the company's new product launch will be affected. I heard that because you hit Miss Gu, the CEO wants to divorce you? Minister Qin, you are so miserable. If this matter isn't handled well, there will be no place for you in the Gu Corporation."

Listening to her schadenfreude, Qin Yan clicked her tongue, "You know how Jiang Tong was kicked out of the Gu Corporation, right?"

"..." Xu Lan was silent.

Qin Yan said with a smile, "Minister Xu, you must be married too, right? Is your relationship with your husband not good? That's why you're so free to pay attention to my affairs.

Or are you jealous of me for marrying a rich and handsome man? Jealousy makes people become ugly and old."

Snap.

The other party hung up the phone.

Qin Yan sneered; with just this much ability, she still dared to come and argue with her.

Lu Qianchuan, who had brought the chopsticks over, heard her retort like that, and he found it novel.

In front of him, she was talkative, but never sharp.

"Here." Lu Qianchuan handed her the chopsticks.

Qin Yan took the chopsticks he handed over and said thank you with a smile. Just as she was about to eat the noodles, her phone rang again.

It was annoying to listen to.

It was the assistant, so she pressed answer.

"Minister Qin, I saw online that you were bullied at the subway station. Those people are too crazy. It's not enough to scold you online, they even dare to clamor in front of you. Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine, do you need something?"

"Haven't you seen the video online? Su Jing actually posted a video of you hitting Miss Gu. Didn't you say you were going to apologize and solve the problem? Why did you make the problem even bigger!

Now the attacks on you are increasing, and there are even sexual rumors. Those comments are unbearable to look at!"

Qin Yan ate her noodles and didn't answer for a moment. The assistant urged her nervously, "Hello, hello, Minister Qin, are you listening to me? What should we do now? Have you talked to the CEO about this?"

"I'm listening, it's not a big deal, I'll handle it tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, Qin Yan ate her noodles quietly.

Lu Qianchuan saw her head down and didn't disturb her. When the meal was over, he went to wash the bowls.

Returning to the dining table again, he brewed a pot of tea.

"Let's talk about the current situation. Do you have any ideas?"

Qin Yan took the cup of tea he handed over, smelled the tea fragrance, and was just about to speak when her phone rang again.

She clicked her tongue impatiently and checked the caller ID: Shi Laoshi.

Her university mentor.

Previously, the teacher had kept urging her to pursue a postgraduate degree, but she didn't listen, entered the hospital to work, and then quit her job at the hospital, which made the teacher furious.

She put down the teacup, straightened her back nervously, and then pressed answer.

"Qin Yan."

"Teacher, do you need something?" Qin Yan's tone was very careful.

Lu Qianchuan, who was drinking tea, looked at her. Her small face was tense, like an elementary school student caught doing something bad by a teacher—the obedient yet guilty look was quite rare.

"What could I need? I heard it from a student, that's how I found out about those rumors online. What kind of heaven-defying thing have you done that those people dare to spread such rumors!"

Listening to the teacher's complaints, Qin Yan was even more careful. "It's a work matter, I will handle it as soon as possible."

"Your work, where are you working?" Shi Laoshi's tone was a bit sharp.

"I am currently working at the Gu Corporation." Qin Yan explained cautiously.

"Heh, can you handle it?"

"..." Qin Yan.

Shi Laoshi said again, "If you can't do it, then resign and come to the school to teach. I've already looked into it for you: one year as an intern lecturer, then publish one or two papers, and I'll promote you. You can even be assigned a house; the benefits won't be worse than that job of yours."

"Teacher, I'll consider it."

"You're brushing me off again." Shi Laoshi sighed. "A grown woman doesn't stay at home; you've gone crazy over a man, and you don't even want the skills your grandfather taught you for so many years."

Qin Yan picked at her fingers guiltily and didn't dare to speak.

Her mentor, Shi Han, was also a friend of her grandfather.

Back then, she didn't want to study at the medical university, but Shi Laoshi kept urging her, saying it was her grandfather's wish. After entering university, the teacher took great care of her, training her directly as his closing disciple and pouring a lot of effort into her.

"Qin Yan, there are many paths in life. Teacher is not forcing you to take this path."

"Looking at the public opinion online now, the Gu family's attitude toward you doesn't look like they are good to you. Out of thousands of paths, whatever path you take, you must not wrong yourself and lose your confidence and pride."

"..."

Qin Yan's nose stung, and her eyes turned red again.

She knew Shi Laoshi was good to her, but she seemed to have let him down.

Hanging up the phone, the tea beside her had long since gone cold.

The teacup was taken away by the man, and he poured a fresh cup of hot tea and handed it to her.

"Jinjunmei, the taste is not bad. Good tea should not be wasted." He clinked his cup with hers, making a crisp sound.

Drinking tea should be elegant and quiet; this way of clinking cups was rude and strange, completely inconsistent with his usual style of conduct.

But this crisp sound seemed to call Qin Yan's sanity back. She looked up at him.

She picked up the teacup, her eyes becoming sharp, and said to Lu Qianchuan, "Mr. Lu, let's coordinate. Together with me, let's punish the evildoers!"