Chapter 40: Can

Rong Ci instinctively refused: “No need to trouble yourself—I can go pick it up myself.”

She refused so bluntly that the other side fell silent for a moment.

Rong Ci: “Mr. He?”

“Alright, I’ll send you the contact details for that auto repair shop soon.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

He Zhangbai said nothing and hung up the phone.

With her foot injury this severe, she obviously couldn’t go pick up the car herself.

After thinking it over, she still asked Yu Moxun to help.

Yu Moxun agreed to come get the car for her once he finished his work.

That evening, Rong Ci ordered takeout; barely finished eating when Feng Jingxin called, asking when she’d be coming home.

Rong Ci said directly: “Mom twisted her foot, can’t walk well—she’s staying outside to rest, won’t be coming home. You go to bed early.”

Feng Jingxin immediately asked: “What? Mom, your foot’s injured? Is it serious? Does it hurt?”

“It hurts, but it’s not serious—it’ll heal in a few days.”

“Alright.”

Hearing this, Feng Jingxin relaxed a little and asked gently: “Then where are you now? When Dad gets back, we’ll find time tomorrow to visit you.”

Rong Ci replied directly: “No need. I can take care of myself. Just focus on your studies.”

“Alright then…”

After a few more minutes of chatting, they hung up.

A little later, Feng Tingshen returned.

Feng Jingxin saw him and called out, “Dad!” Before he could speak, she hurried on: “Dad, Mom hurt her foot and is resting outside!”

Feng Tingshen grunted, took off his high-quality suit jacket, handed it to the butler, and said: “I know.”

“Huh?” Feng Jingxin looked up in surprise: “How do you know? Did Mom tell you?”

Feng Tingshen sat down, accepted the water cup from Liu Shen, and said: “No—I saw it with my own eyes.”

“With your own eyes?” Feng Jingxin blinked: “So you were there when Mom got hurt?”

“Mm.”

Feng Jingxin seemed to remember something: “Oh right—Mom used to work at your company, so you saw her get hurt, right?”

“No,” Feng Tingshen said coolly. “Mom doesn’t work at my company anymore.”

“Huh?” Feng Jingxin looked up, puzzled: “Then where does Mom work now?”

“Somewhere she likes.”

“Oh…”

After finishing her water, Feng Tingshen set down the cup, stood to go upstairs, and rubbed his pale hand over her head: “Go rest early.”

Feng Jingxin: “Got it.”

…

At around eight that night, Yu Moxun brought the car back for Rong Ci.

Rong Ci took the keys and asked: “How much was the repair total?”

She meant to repay him.

Yu Moxun sat on the sofa and said: “How would I know?”

“Huh?” Rong Ci: “If you didn’t pay, how did they let you take the car?”

“No one told me to pay. When they heard it was your car, they let me drive it away.”

Rong Ci froze.

So He Zhangbai paid for the repair?

She hadn’t expected that at all.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Moxun noticed her expression and asked.

Rong Ci shook her head: “Nothing.”

“Then let’s get started on our ‘homework’—I need to go rest. I’ve been busy all day—I’m exhausted!”

The “homework” he meant was the exhibition review Nanzhizhi had assigned them that morning.

Rong Ci: “Alright.”

Thinking of the repair cost, Rong Ci said: “I’ll make a call first.”

“Mm.”

Rong Ci dialed He Zhangbai on a whim.

He answered almost instantly: “Hello.”

“Mr. He, it’s me, Rong Ci.”

He Zhangbai: “I know. What is it?”

Rong Ci said: “I’ve picked up the car. Was the repair fee paid by you? How much was it? I’ll transfer it to you right away.”

He Zhangbai paused, then said: “I’ll send you my account details soon.”

“Alright,” Rong Ci said politely. “Sorry to bother you. And thank you so much for today.”

He Zhangbai replied coolly: “No need to thank me.”

Then he hung up first.

Yu Moxun had been listening nearby and asked: “The person who helped you with the car today?”

At that moment, He Zhangbai had already sent the bank account number and a photo of today’s repair invoice.

Rong Ci glanced at it, opened her mobile payment app, and said: “Yes.”

From the tone of Rong Ci’s conversation with He Zhangbai, Yu Moxun could tell they weren’t close.

As for He Zhangbai, Yu Moxun naturally knew him and was aware Rong Ci knew him too.

According to what he knew, Rong Ci and He Zhangbai had almost no relationship.

So even though she’d just called him “Mr. He,” he hadn’t thought of He Zhangbai at all.

Rong Ci transferred the exact amount back to He Zhangbai.

Then, after sending a final thank-you message, she and Yu Moxun began working on Nanzhizhi’s assigned “homework.”

They marked the core technologies of all today’s exhibits in a PPT format.

Even so, due to the sheer number of exhibits, by the time they finished and sent the content to Nanzhizhi, it was already past two in the morning.

Yu Moxun was utterly exhausted, but since he had no spare clothes there, Rong Ci didn’t ask him to stay.

After Yu Moxun left, Rong Ci hobbled to the bathroom for a shower, then went to bed.

Her injury wasn’t serious, but Yu Moxun still hoped she’d rest for a few days before returning to work.

So the next morning, Rong Ci stayed home and worked remotely, not going out.

But shortly after waking, she received a call from Feng Jingxin: “Mom, is your foot feeling better?”

Rong Ci lightly tested her foot as she prepared breakfast: “A bit better.”

“That’s good,” Feng Jingxin said, still eating. After that, she didn’t know what else to say.

Rong Ci sensed it.

It hadn’t always been like this.

In the past, Feng Jingxin always had endless things to tell her.

Over the past two years, their communication had dwindled; even when she had something to say, she immediately turned to Lin Wu. Slowly, they simply ran out of things to say to each other.

This time, her injury seemed to worry Feng Jingxin.

In truth, her concern was superficial.

She cared, but not deeply.

Because before, whenever Rong Ci got hurt or fell ill, Feng Jingxin would burst into tears, cling to her, comfort her endlessly, refuse to leave her side, and refuse to be shooed away.

Back then, she truly was a warm little cotton-padded jacket.

But without Rong Ci knowing, she’d given all that to Lin Wu.

Like last time when Lin Wu fell ill—after Feng Tingshen rushed over mid-breakfast, Feng Jingxin secretly messaged Lin Wu to check on her, then had the driver take her straight to Lin Wu after school…

So if she’d truly been deeply worried, she could’ve simply insisted on her address last night and had the driver bring her here.

But she never came.

Not knowing what to say to Rong Ci, Feng Jingxin turned to Feng Tingshen across the table and asked: “Dad, do you want to talk to Mom on the phone?”