Early in the morning, Huo Rou, with her hands in her pockets, called Luo Chen and Shen Sitong to accompany her to a signing.
"Director Huo, where are you going so early in the morning?" Duan Rui had waited at the company yesterday for Huo Rou to be tormented by people from Xin Ye Company before she returned. To his surprise, he had heard good news instead.
This morning, he had found another small company and planned to have Huo Rou go to it, but she seemed to be heading out.
"To sign a contract," Huo Rou replied with a slight smile. She didn't feel the need to give too much attention to someone so stubborn.
"Sign what contract? How come I don't know about it?" Duan Rui looked confused. He clearly held all the channels and documents, so how could Huo Rou be going out to sign a contract on her own?
Luo Chen, packing up his things, happened to overhear this and felt displeased. Had Duan Rui really started to think of himself as the director after being acting director for a while? He was even questioning Director Huo's affairs.
"What Director Huo is doing, and when she needs to report to the Deputy Director?" Luo Chen couldn't help but retort.
"Exactly." Brother Wang had long disliked Duan Rui's petty tactics. Under him, one could only get good projects by flattering him; otherwise, they were left with thankless tasks.
It was already too much to have Director Huo negotiate a small company's cooperation yesterday, and now his tone made it sound as if he were the boss.
"Heh." Huo Rou ignored him, waved goodbye, and led Luo Chen downstairs to meet Shen Sitong.
The Ren family's residence.
"Wow, this, this is the legendary castle?" Shen Sitong exclaimed, seeing the castle complex from afar. It was like a fairytale come to life.
She pulled out her phone and started taking pictures. "This is too dreamy."
Luo Chen, being a tech enthusiast, remained relatively calm, but when the gate opened and he saw the vast courtyard and the castle complex, his eyes widened involuntarily.
"Wow. The flowers and plants in this courtyard are so well-kept, it's beautiful!" Shen Sitong's eyes were filled with envy.
Passing through the front yard, in front of the castle gate, Madam Ren sat in a wheelchair, waiting quietly.
"Boss!" Ren Zhen stood behind the wheelchair, his shirt casually slung over his shoulder, and with his glasses, he embodied the sophisticated scoundrel to perfection.
Huo Rou nodded, then looked at the woman in the wheelchair. "Hello, Madam Ren." She offered a demure smile, having already deduced Madam Ren's identity.
Upon seeing Huo Rou, Madam Ren found her familiar and felt an inexplicable pang of tenderness. Huo Rou appeared well-behaved, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"You are Xiao Rou, aren't you?" Madam Ren smiled with a gentleness like flowing water and beckoned Huo Rou. "Come here and let me see you. Not many people can impress my son."
She spoke slowly and deliberately, making one feel tranquil.
Huo Rou walked up to her. Madam Ren's smile widened. "Would you like to take a walk with me? Let your companions go meet my old man with my son."
"I'll go in and greet Uncle first." Seeing that Madam Ren was a learned and sensible person, Huo Rou decided to be thorough with her etiquette.
"You're not an outsider, but if you'd like, go ahead." Madam Ren gently patted her hand, letting Ren Zhen push her inside.
Ren Xiangtian observed Huo Rou carefully. To him, she still looked like a soft and fragile young girl. Was she truly capable?
"Alright, let these two children chat with you and your son. Xiao Rou, you come out with me for a chat." Madam Ren smiled at Huo Rou. Ren Xiangtian yielded to her in all matters, and seeing how fond she was of Huo Rou, he was happy to please her.
"Xiao Rou, let's go." Madam Ren, with Huo Rou pushing her wheelchair, headed to the garden.
"Listen Zhen Zhen said, you've known each other for a long time?" Madam Ren asked Huo Rou curiously. "You were very young then, weren't you?"
"Around fifteen or sixteen." Influenced by Madam Ren, Huo Rou's tone also softened.
"You were already so capable at such a young age?" Madam Ren's eyes sparkled as she pointed to a nearby bench. "Quick, sit down and tell me how you managed to win Zhen Zhen over."
Seeing Madam Ren's genuine interest, Huo Rou sat down and recounted how she had teased Ren Zhen and led them in accomplishing several significant things.
"Zhen Zhen has been very happy lately. I can feel it, it's as if he's in love. Do you know?"
"With my best friend," Huo Rou nodded. "Hasn't he told his family?"
"His father and I don't want to hear about such things from him. He just has an appearance that easily attracts romantic attention. So, we made an agreement with him that he should tell us when he gets married." Madam Ren smiled. "But, looking at him lately, it's hard not to be curious."
Huo Rou hadn't expected this. She said, "Then, shall I tell you about my best friend?"
"Okay." Madam Ren smiled mischievously. "It'll be enough for me to know alone. Don't tell your Uncle Ren."
Huo Rou smiled faintly. As if influenced by Madam Ren's cultured aura, her own state of mind broadened.
Madam Ren watched her with a smile, observing every expression on her face, nodding and smiling gently when something amusing came up.
Her hands were a little cold, but she kept holding Huo Rou's hand, like an elder showing affection and pity to a grandchild they hadn't seen in a long time.
A breeze blew, and the weather was a bit chilly. A corner of the blanket on Madam Ren's lap was lifted by the wind.
Under Madam Ren's affectionate gaze, Huo Rou reached out to adjust the blanket on her lap.
As she bent down, a strand of hair slipped from her ear, hanging in front of her eyes and swaying alone in the wind.
Huo Rou hadn't paid it any mind, but Madam Ren suddenly reached out.
Huo Rou instinctively became defensive at such close proximity from a stranger, her body stiffening.
Thinking of Madam Ren's gentle gaze, she forcefully suppressed her body's natural reaction, not flinching away. She allowed Madam Ren's hand to reach her face and tuck the stray hair behind her ear.
Huo Rou adjusted her expression and was about to look up to thank her when she felt a slight weight on her temple, as if something had been added.
She looked up in surprise, and in Madam Ren's satisfied gaze, she saw a shimmering hairpin clipped to her hair.
She reached up to touch it. It was shaped like a leaf, with visible veins. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and the inlay technique was complex.
"Madam Ren, this..." Huo Rou looked at Madam Ren with confusion.
Was this a meeting gift on their first encounter? But why would she give it to her for no reason?
Huo Rou saw a brilliant gleam in Madam Ren's eyes, further confirming that this was no ordinary item. She believed that one shouldn't accept favors without reason, and even as Ren Zhen's friend, it seemed excessive.
Hesitantly, she reached to remove it.
Madam Ren, however, held her hand, stopping her movement. Her cool hand stroked gently, like a loving elder.
She looked at Huo Rou wearing the hairpin with a serene expression, her eyes slowly reddening.
"What's wrong?" Huo Rou asked softly.