Chapter 590: Wen Wen Ruan and Zhang Yan

November 7, 2023, Tuesday, cloudy turning to light rain.

6:50 AM, the sky was just brightening.

In the bathroom of the presidential suite at the Four Seasons Hotel, water vapor was dense.

Tang Song stood under the shower head, letting the warm water wash over his well-defined body.

Steam rose, and the slightly hot muscles were full of surging power.

He closed his eyes, and the scene under that dim street lamp in Lanxinyuan community last night played repeatedly in his mind uncontrollably.

The first kiss was indeed wonderful.

And Zhang Yan's first kiss gave him an unprecedented, unusually profound feeling.

The "I like you too" he said to her last night wasn't "scum words" to capture her, but the most real thought in his heart at that moment.

Recalling it seriously now, the birth of this emotion wasn't hard to understand.

More than ten years of emotional projection without seeking a response, the gaze that was pure to the point of near-humility, and remembering every tiny detail related to him—this feeling of being cherished for a long time and solemnly was enough to hit anyone's heart in an instant.

And after the reunion, the purity in her that hadn't been carved, mixed with timidity and bravery, was like a clear mirror, letting him see the appearance of the boy he once had.

Getting along with her was very relaxed, very natural.

It seemed he could always easily find back that carefree time in the past.

From her, he could clearly feel a purest "being needed" and "being looked up to."

This emotion progressed layer by layer, finally erupting completely on that night full of ritual, accompanied by her confession and that green kiss.

The shower gradually stopped.

Tang Song walked out of the bathroom slowly, water droplets sliding down his clear mermaid line.

After putting on clothes in the cloakroom, he picked up his phone.

There were already a few unread messages on the screen.

There were Yao Lingling's, Cheng Qiuqiu's, and also Shen Shen Yu Yan's.

【Shen Shen Yu Yan: "Morning, Boss. Luna and I are setting off, will meet you before 10 AM, all materials for 'Smart Chain Future' are ready, looking forward to the next work! Fighting!"】

It is worth mentioning that this scheming school beauty was very sensible and attached a selfie below.

The tight sportswear outlined sexy curves, full of healthy charm.

The project "Smart Chain Future" was approved by the prop 【Tang Song's Draft Paper】, so Tang Song would definitely participate in the investment.

However, he couldn't stay in Yangcheng all the time, so letting Shen Shen Yu Yan, this special assistant, participate and report in real-time on his behalf could be considered as fulfilling the system task requirements.

Replying to them one by one, and chatting for a few sentences.

Seeing the time was about right.

Only then did he return to the master bedroom with light steps.

The big sister Wen Wen Ruan was still lying on the bed, covered only by a light layer of silk quilt.

The quilt clung tightly to her body, from the perky peach-like buttocks to the slender and healthy thighs, outlining a curve that made one's blood boil.

Tang Song walked over, leaned down, and whispered in her ear: "Zhuangzhuang, don't forget what you promised me."

Wen Wen Ruan opened her eyes lazily, her peach-blossom eyes full of lazy and charming style just after waking up.

She rolled her eyes at him impatiently, just stretching out a strong white leg and kicking him lightly, "Bastard~"

Subsequently, she licked her full red lips with the tip of her tongue as if savoring it.

Last night, because Tang Song felt guilty in his heart, he was almost obedient to her.

Wen Wen Ruan turned directly into a "head coach," starting to train, and Tang Song performed very well—obedient, hardworking, letting her have a good time.

It was just a bit hard on the waist.

Tang Song smiled, grabbed her thigh, and patted her perky peach-like buttocks not too lightly or heavily.

"I'm going to order breakfast. This morning, we still have to go to Smart Chain Future again to sign the TS."

Wen Wen Ruan hummed twice and turned over.

Wrapping herself into a silkworm baby with the quilt—it seemed to be

The sound of footsteps faded away.

Wen Wen Ruan lay on the bed for a while longer before lazily sitting up.

Her naked and plump body swayed slightly under the warm-toned lights.

It made a "duang-duang" sound.

She picked up the phone by the pillow and opened WeChat to take a look.

There was a new friend request on it.

The nickname was "Breathing in a Smile," and the note was: Zhang Yan.

Wen Wen Ruan sighed softly and clicked accept.

She rarely saw Tang Song care so much about a person or a matter, which was enough to prove the unusual status this "Zhang Yan" held in his heart.

And well, a girl's crush starting from the stirrings of youth, lasting for over 10 years.

Such a story, even for a philandering scumbag like him, had tremendous lethality.

And the reason she finally compromised and agreed was—

Of course, it wasn't just because she was "slept into submission"; it was mainly because Zhang Yan's appearance gave her some new ideas.

Now that she was caught in the middle of women like Su Yu, Liu Liu Qingning, and Jin Meixiao, like the filling in a sandwich, she was taking heat from both sides.

Introducing Zhang Yan, a "variable" who seemed to have no aggression but held sufficient attraction for Tang Song, might not be a bad move.

Of course, before that, she had to make contact with this "reverse white moonlight" to see if she had any potential to be "developed."

Wen Wen Ruan's lips curled upward as she opened the chat box.

Her fingertips danced rapidly across the screen.

Lanxinyuan Residential Complex.

"Ding-dong—"

The WeChat notification sound on the phone broke the silence of the early morning.

Zhang Yan, who had been lost in thought, jumped and quickly picked up her phone.

First, she saw the notification that the friend request had been accepted, followed by a message.

【Wen Wen Ruan: "Hello there, Zhang Yan, I'm Wen Wen Ruan from Nebula International Group. Tang Song has told me all about your situation, don't worry, and don't feel pressured. You're welcome to come to Nebula International anytime, big sister has got your back (#smiley face)!"】

Looking at the friendly text that carried a hint of street-smart charm, Zhang Yan was somewhat flattered.

Originally, she had been extremely anxious, after all, she was asking for help.

She hadn't expected this big leader of the group to be so... easygoing toward her.

She deliberated for a long time before cautiously replying: "Hello, Director Wen, thank you so much, I will work hard and not let down your trust."

【Wen Wen Ruan: Playful (sticker)】

【Wen Wen Ruan: "Seriously, no need to be so polite. By the way, how is your mother doing now? I'll be staying in Yangcheng for a while, if you need anything, just let me know anytime."】

Zhang Yan was made to blush by the other party's enthusiasm; she typed and deleted, deleted and typed, and finally could only send: "Everything is fine,

thank you, really thank you very much."

Just as she was about to put her phone away, Wen Wen Ruan sent another message.

They chatted "laboriously" like this for over ten minutes.

Seeing the other party's reply of "Going to eat now, bye-bye," she finally exhaled in relief.

However, her favorable impression of this Director Wen had reached its peak.

The other party later directly called her "Little Sister Zhang Yan," was very concerned about her and her mother's situation, and said many comforting words, every sentence revealing sincerity.

Zhang Yan had grown up to this age, and this was the first time she had felt this kind of kindness from a "stranger" without any strings attached.

Just like Lulu said, she really was a very warm person.

The people around Tang Song were indeed all very good.

Immediately, she returned to the main WeChat interface and clicked on the chat box she had pinned.

Above it were the few simple messages they had exchanged last night after he went back.

Looking at those intimate and natural words, Zhang Yan could no longer remain calm.

She quietly pinched her own thigh, the clear pain confirming repeatedly that this was not a dream.

Tang Song not only responded to her confession but also—kissed her mouth.

Her fingertips, beyond her control, gently touched her own lips; that warm and soft sensation seemed to still be clearly lingering there.

She felt as if she had been ignited, unable to sit still any longer; she buried her face in the pillow, her body trembling slightly from excitement.

"Meow-woo, meow-woo~"

The neglected Orange kept rubbing against her with its head, issuing loud protests.

Only then did Zhang Yan wake up as if from a dream; she hurriedly got up and spun around a few times in the small room while holding Orange.

She rushed into the kitchen with light steps and began to cook skillfully, adding a treat for Orange by boiling a piece of chicken breast.

Steam rose from the pot, and the aroma of food permeated the small space.

It allowed her heart, which had been drifting due to happiness, to gradually settle back into place.

After finishing breakfast, she made a video call to her mother.

She quickly tidied herself up, changed into clean clothes, said goodbye to Orange, and headed to the company.

The subway carriage, which used to be so crowded it was suffocating, didn't seem so unbearable today.

Standing in the crowd, a silly smile she hadn't even noticed herself always lingered on her face, and from time to time, she would stare blankly at the scenery flashing past outside the window.

She got off at the Nongjiangsuo station, walked to the Huiming Building, and took the elevator directly to the seventh floor.

The elevator doors opened, and Zhang Yan took a deep breath and stepped into the familiar office.

This was likely her last day at the company.

Although there was a slight reluctance in her heart, there was more longing for the future.

Her life had never seemed so bright and sunny.

"Good morning, Brother Wang."

"Oh, morning, Zhang Yan."

"Morning, Sister Chen."

This time, she didn't walk quickly toward her workstation with her head down as she usually did.

Instead, she took the initiative to greet the colleagues she passed along the way.

This small change enveloped her entire being in a halo of confidence.

She arrived at her workstation and sat down; Lulu next to her immediately leaned over in surprise, as if she had discovered a new continent.

"Zhang Yan! Why are you so happy today?"

Zhang Yan pursed her lips, leaned into Lulu's ear, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Lulu, I—I've decided to go to Nebula International Group, we'll be colleagues again soon."

"Wow—" Lulu couldn't help but let out a huge cheer.

Seeing the strange looks from surrounding colleagues, she hurriedly covered her mouth in an exaggerated manner.

She grabbed Zhang Yan's arm in excitement and lowered her voice: "That's great! I knew you'd be able to figure it out! From now on, we'll both be employees of a big firm! The serfs have turned over and are singing, hehe!"

She began to excitedly imagine the wonderful life they would have after joining the company.

"Let's submit our resignations together! But the handover probably won't be easy to handle." Lulu analyzed quietly: "You submit yours first, after all, you still need to be busy with your mother's situation. My offer is for next Monday, so I'll help you stall for two days, no rush."

Although Shuocheng Technology was in a state of crisis and planning to gradually lay off staff to survive, for the same department and same position, it was best to stagger the resignations to avoid the company blocking people.

"Thank you, Lulu."

"And you need to confirm your offer as soon as possible too, get things settled, don't be shy about the position and salary, you have to take the initiative to ask!"

Zhang Yan nodded gently, not saying anything more.

She directly submitted her resignation application on DingTalk.

Then she began to organize the handover of the projects on hand.

9:50 AM.

Nebula International Group, Yangcheng Branch,

In the temporary director's office, the air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee.

"So, the core of the TS clause dispute is mainly focused on the board seat, but our sincerity is very sufficient, they shouldn't have any objections..."

"Hmm, Nebula International Group is about to go public, being acquired by us at this time is too beneficial for them, they absolutely won't refuse."

Wen Wen Ruan leaned lazily on the sofa and raised her wrist to check the time.

"Let's get this straight first," she extended a slender finger painted with crimson nail polish and tapped his lips lightly, "You promised me, you're still sleeping with me tonight."

"Rest assured, I guarantee to complete the mission, absolutely making the leader satisfied."

"Hmph-hmph~"

Just then, a "knock-knock-knock" sound came at the door.

"Director Wen, the two distinguished guests have arrived." Assistant Wang Wang Dandan's voice came from outside the door.

Wen Wen Ruan sat up straight, returning to a serious demeanor, and said in a calm voice: "Please come in."

Tang Song's heart stirred, a brilliant smile appeared on his face, and his gaze turned toward the door.

"Oh my—" The heavy office door was pushed open slowly.

"Click, click, click..."

Accompanied by the crisp and rhythmic sound of high heels.

Two tall and beautiful figures appeared at the door, one after the other.

Lin Empress Mu Xue walked in front, her makeup exquisite, her red lips like fire.

She wore a well-tailored white suit set, with a black silk camisole underneath; the simple black-and-white color scheme looked exceptionally bright and beautiful.

Shen Shen Yu Yan, who followed closely behind, wore a soft, light khaki slim-fit dress, with a short trench coat of the same color family over it.

She looked gentle and intellectual, like a cup of warm, mellow milk tea.

"Director Tang, Director Wen." The two greeted them in unison.

Having not seen each other for a while, these two assistants, who were originally at each other's throats, seemed to have forged a subtle and special tacit understanding.

Standing side by side, one bright and stunning, the other gentle and intellectual, they formed a visually striking and pleasing picture.

"Luna, Shirley." Tang Song smiled and waved at the two assistants, "Thank you for your hard work, making you rush over so early."

In order to attend this important TS signing meeting on time, the two had set off from Xiangjiang at the break of dawn, rushing all the way, and had only just arrived.

When Lin Empress Mu Xue's gaze met Tang Song's, it instantly became as soft as water, "It's our duty."

Shen Shen Yu Yan, standing to the side, wore a perfect, flawless smile, "It is our honor to be able to participate in such an important decision-making process at the first opportunity."

After simple pleasantries, the four took their seats.

Lin Empress Mu Xue and Shen Shen Yu Yan immediately entered work mode, reporting on their work in Xiangjiang concisely.

Wen Wen Ruan, sitting to the side, raised her eyebrows imperceptibly.

She subconsciously glanced at Tang Song beside her.

She wasn't close with Shen Shen Yu Yan, but she had dealt with Lin Empress Mu Xue several times and had chatted quite a bit on WeChat.

Seeing her this time, she could clearly feel that this "sharp-edged" and vain female assistant had become much more mature and restrained.

Shen Shen Yu Yan, standing to the side, was also more composed and capable than in her impression, with an excellent temperament.

Two such top-tier female assistants—I have to say, this scumbag Tang Song really knows how to pick them!

Just then, the knocking sound came again.

Assistant Wang Wang Dandan pushed the door open and reminded: "Director Wen, Director Tang, it's about time, the cars are already waiting downstairs."

"Okay." Wen Wen Ruan nodded and stood up.

The group walked out of the office and took the elevator directly to the B1 parking garage of the building.

Three black business cars were already waiting there, and the due diligence team of Nebula International's Yangcheng branch had also arrived in full.

Everyone got into the cars one after another, and the motorcade drove steadily out of the Fuli Yingkai Plaza, merging into the endless stream of traffic in Zhujiang New Town, heading toward the Tianyu Business Building located in the Yuexiu District.

10:30 AM.

Zhilian Future headquarters conference room.

The atmosphere was tense and solemn.

On both sides of the long conference table, one side was the investment consortium led by Tang Song and Nebula International, and the other side was the core executive team of Zhilian Future led by founder and CEO Li Hao.

The TS signing meeting officially began.

1:00 PM.

Seeing Zhang Yan returning from the restroom, Lulu whispered: "The fat white guy is at the company!"

"Hmm." Zhang Yan nodded and walked straight toward a simple glass-partitioned office.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

"Come in." Bai Rui inside clearly saw her, his voice somewhat impatient.

Zhang Yan took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

Bai Rui leaned back in his office chair, not even looking up as he said: "What is it? Speak."

It was very clear that Zhang Yan's tough attitude on the phone earlier had thoroughly angered him.

Zhang Yan pursed her lips, mustered the courage to look at him, and said in a calm voice: "Director Bai, I already submitted my resignation application on DingTalk this morning, please approve it."

Bai Rui raised his eyelids and glanced at her, "I know."

"I have already handed over my work to Zhang Lu, I want to finish the resignation process today, and I have to go to the hospital this afternoon."

Bai Rui chuckled, put down his phone, leaned forward, and sized her up with a scrutinizing gaze.

A moment later, he said slowly: "That won't do, the clients you're responsible for are still quite important; according to company regulations, I have to give you a one-month handover period."

Hearing this, Zhang Yan's expression changed, "The company's resignation process isn't that complicated, is it?"

"I've done everything completely according to the Labor Contract Law. Employees resigning must give thirty days' notice, is there a problem? If you're not satisfied, you can go apply for labor arbitration, right?"

He emphasized the word "arbitration" with a mocking tone; Zhang Yan's lips trembled, and her heart sank bit by bit.

The other party was indeed correct.

But in reality, most companies, after an employee completes their work handover, will negotiate a reasonable resignation date to part on good terms.

Especially for an enterprise like Shuocheng Technology that is undergoing massive layoffs, they are eager for employees to resign voluntarily.

It was very clear that Bai Rui was using the rules to deliberately make things difficult for her.

Bai Rui felt a sense of pleasure watching her look of daring to be angry but not daring to speak.

He pulled open a drawer, took out a document, and threw it onto the desk.

"This is the 'Agreement to Terminate Performance Agreement by Mutual Consent,' sign this, and then apologize to me for your absence last Friday and yesterday. I'll approve your resignation application immediately."

When he hires subordinates, he has a most basic assessment standard, which is to see if their personality is honest and obedient enough.

Those who look like "troublemakers" are weeded out by him during the interview stage.

What he needs are these "tools" that can be manipulated at will and work without complaint.

In his eyes, Zhang Yan was the most honest one, especially hardworking and serious.

So he handed all the bitter and tiring work to her with peace of mind.

Now that the company is in a "crisis" moment, wanting to keep his position and salary, he inevitably needs to "perform" in front of the boss; letting department employees give up performance bonuses, "share weal and woe" with the company, and then appropriately reducing staff is the "achievement" he uses to claim credit from his superiors.

Combining the frequent leave taken by Zhang Yan and Lulu recently with their sudden tough attitude, he was certain they must have found a new place.

As long as he blocks them on the resignation process, he isn't afraid they won't submit.

Zhang Yan's gaze fell on that so-called "agreement."

In those beautiful eyes, a clear calmness and firmness emerged.

From childhood to adulthood, she had lived in the shadow of inferiority.

Her childhood inferiority came from being "abandoned" by her parents, living under someone else's roof, and having to watch the expressions of her aunt's family even when eating.

Her later inferiority came from Liu Liu Qingning, who was as dazzling as the sun, and her long, hopeless crush on Tang Song.

She was always accustomed to retreating, accustomed to enduring.

But now it was different.

She could already support herself in this huge city with her own hands, and could even support a greedy cat named "Orange."

The boy she had looked up to for over ten years had responded to her confession and given her a kiss more beautiful than any dream.

Her heart had never been as filled with a huge, solid sense of happiness as it was at this moment.

She looked at Bai Rui and said seriously: "My performance and travel reimbursement expenses total 18,327 yuan.

This is what I deserve, I won't ask for a penny less, and I won't sign this agreement."

"As for arbitration, of course I will go." She paused, her tone becoming increasingly clear and powerful.

"I have already screenshotted and saved all my attendance records, all evidence of overtime, as well as the company's promised performance calculation method,

my assessment rating sheet, and relevant chat records—I have already organized all the materials."

She didn't speak quickly, but every word was like a small stone, hitting the ground with a sound.

Bai Rui's face became increasingly ugly.

He never expected that Zhang Yan, the most honest and obedient person in his department, would be such a troublemaker.

"You really think highly of yourself?!" In a fit of shame and anger, he slammed the table, stood up from his chair, and his voice rose accordingly, "I'm telling you, Zhang Yan! The company hasn't treated you poorly, now that the company is in trouble, you don't think about sharing weal and woe, but instead think about stabbing us in the back?"

His voice was somewhat loud, immediately attracting the attention of many people passing by outside.

Gazes were cast toward this office.

Facing his roar and the watching gazes, Zhang Yan's expression was calm, and then she mustered her courage and said: "If we are really sharing weal and woe, then Director Bai, will you take the initiative to apply for a salary cut and give up all your performance bonuses for this year?"

Bai Rui's expression froze, his eyelids twitching, "You—"

Zhang Yan pursed her lips, no longer arguing with him, "Director Bai, there are still things to do at the hospital this afternoon, I'm leaving first."

After saying this, Zhang Yan turned and walked straight out of the office.

Returning to her workstation, she submitted her leave application for the afternoon on DingTalk in front of everyone, then picked up her backpack and said a word to Lulu.

Leaving the company under the surprised looks of all her colleagues in the entire office area.

Her steps became faster and faster, as if she had shed an invisible shackle.

2:30 PM, special care ward.

The attending physician walked into the ward with a smile, holding a stack of reports just received from the testing department.

"Yesterday's test results are all out, the situation is better than we expected. Although the tumor shows signs of transformation, the degree of malignancy is not high, and no distant metastasis has been found. All physical function indicators are also within the normal range, fully meeting the enrollment criteria for CAR-T therapy."

Hearing this news, the hearts that Zhang Yan and Zhou Hui had been holding up all day finally settled back into place.

Zhang Yan's eyes grew hot, and she almost cried out in excitement on the spot.

The doctor gave a few more instructions on precautions and then turned and left.

Zhang Yan sat by her mother's bed, peeling an apple while pondering how to successfully resign from the company.

Just then, the phone rang suddenly.

On the screen, it showed two words—【Director Wen】.

Zhang Yan hurriedly put down the fruit knife and answered the phone, "Hello, Director Wen?"

On the other end of the phone, Wen Wen Ruan's voice, with a smile, sounded: "Zhang Yan, I've just finished my work, and I checked the location, I happen to be near your Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Hospital. If you don't mind, I'd like to come over to see your mother, and by the way, formally meet the talent who is about to join our company."

This was the first time Zhang Yan had heard her voice; it was very pleasant and exceptionally kind.

She stood up straight almost subconsciously, "This, this is so embarrassing, I should be the one to go see you."

"No need to be so polite, I just want to come see you, is it convenient?"

Zhang Yan was silent for a moment and said: "Okay, okay! It's really too much trouble for you."

Hanging up the phone.

Zhou Hui next to her asked curiously: "A-Yan, is someone coming?"

Zhang Yan took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her wildly beating heart, and said in a low voice: "It's the new job Tang Song introduced to me, a big leader from the company, and also a good friend of his."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hui immediately struggled to get up, "This, this is so embarrassing to have someone come see an old woman like me? Should we go—"

"It's okay, Mom." Zhang Yan hurriedly pressed her down and comforted her softly: "Don't move around, she's a big leader, she's just stopping by to see you."

Although she said that, her own heart was in her throat.

Less than ten minutes later, the phone rang again.

Wen Wen Ruan had already arrived at the rest area outside the special medical center.

Zhang Yan gave instructions to her mother and the caregiver again, then, with an anxious mood, ran out of the ward.

Arriving in front of the familiar lounge, she pushed open the heavy glass door.

At a glance, she saw the figure standing by the sofa, with a girl who looked like an assistant beside her.

Zhang Yan's throat moved, looking at the Director Wen before her with some amazement.

The Wen Wen Ruan before her eyes was the same as the one she saw in news photos, yet different.

She was wearing a black backless knit top, outlining her proud curves to the fullest.

She only wore very light nude makeup, but her skin was fair and firm, and her features were soft and charming.

Her dark brown wavy hair was casually tied into a high ponytail, looking both capable and full of vitality.

She wasn't as cold as in magazines, but instead like a kind big sister.

She just stood there casually, yet she exuded an indescribable aura, full of the charm of a mature woman.

? C〇

In front of her, Zhang Yan felt like an underage little girl.