"By the way, Wanrou, how is your brother's son?" Su Nianzhu, recalling a story Wang Wanrou had told her, asked with concern.
Wang Wanrou's expression stiffened, and she smiled, "Alas, my nephew is still in the ICU! Didn't his mother use him as a bargaining chip to threaten my brother? He got sick while picking mulberry leaves, and now he's not doing well."
"Oh, the poor child," Su Nianzhu frowned. "If you hadn't told me about your brother's ex-girlfriend, I would have foolishly believed that Huo Rou was just a simple country woman."
"Aunt Su, you can't equate them. The person who got off work with Brother Qin today is the Technical Director of Yuda Security. If it really is Huo Rou, she must be very capable, unlike my brother's ex-girlfriend who lived off my brother." Wang Wanrou comforted her.
Director? Su Nianzhu felt a doubt in her heart. Huo Rou was Zhong Hua! You Lan Gongzi.
"Perhaps you're overthinking it after hearing my brother's story? Huo Rou is so capable, she will definitely treat An'an very well," Wang Wanrou said with a smile.
Zhong Hua becoming a cybersecurity director? Su Nianzhu couldn't believe a person could make such a drastic change. It seemed she needed to have someone investigate.
The next morning, Brother Wang and Brother Yang received instructions from Duan Rui and went to the storage room to get installation disks and packaging from Xiao Lin, then headed to Qin Group.
Qin Ningyi went to the site to take a look. Huo Rou really didn't come, and Yuda Security was indeed too far away.
He stood in his office and looked at the building next door. The more he looked, the closer and lower it seemed. It looked quite similar to Huo Rou's company, with a garden in the back.
"Assistant Xiao," he pressed the phone and called Xiao Konglin in.
"Go negotiate for the building next door. I want to buy it," Qin Ningyi said, pointing downwards through the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Is this for a new development?" Xiao Konglin walked over and leaned down to look. It was a rather short building. Did President Qin see a business opportunity?
But for so many years, President Qin had never intended to develop the adjacent building. Why the sudden decision? Was the situation changing?
"Just do it. The money will come from my account," Qin Ningyi's words served as an explanation. If it came from his personal account, it was for personal reasons.
Xiao Konglin asked no further questions and went out to buy the property.
Before work ended, Su Nianzhu called.
"Ningyi, I've always heard that An'an's mother is in Yuchang City, but I've never met her. Let's have dinner together tonight so we can get acquainted."
Qin Ningyi hesitated when he heard her say that. Ever since Wang Wanrou came to their home, Su Nianzhu had become increasingly fond of her, clearly intending to set them up.
The sudden invitation to Huo Rou for dinner now seemed strange.
"Mom, why dinner all of a sudden?" he asked calmly.
Su Nianzhu took a deep breath and said what Wang Wanrou had taught her, "I haven't seen An'an in a long time, and I really miss him. Huo Rou doesn't bring An'an to our home, so I have to invite you both for dinner so we can get to know each other better and have more contact in the future."
Qin Ningyi knew Su Nianzhu's fondness for An'an and didn't think too much of it. "Then I'll pick her up after work."
"No need, I'll have Old Zhou pick her up now. Old Zhang is already waiting at An'an's school. By the time you pick her up, An'an and I will be starving," Su Nianzhu said with a laugh.
"You know where to pick up Arou?" Qin Ningyi's doubts resurfaced. He had never mentioned it to Su Nianzhu.
Su Nianzhu had already asked Old Zhou to investigate. She not only knew where Huo Rou's company was but also that Huo Rou had become a technical director by being a mistress, which was an open secret at Yuda Security.
She had initially thought that even if they couldn't get along, adopting her as a goddaughter would be a compromise for An'an's sake. But now...
She couldn't accept someone so morally depraved entering the Qin family.
However, she dared not say any of this to Qin Ningyi. She had promised not to interfere with his affairs.
Fortunately, Wang Wanrou, standing beside her, mouthed "An'an." Su Nianzhu immediately understood.
"An'an told me. I asked him," Su Nianzhu said, holding her breath for fear of being found out.
"Give me the address, and I'll be there after work."
Qin Ningyi agreed, and Su Nianzhu hung up the phone, relieved.
"Aunt Su, when did Old Zhou go?" Wang Wanrou asked.
Su Nianzhu patted her hand, finding her truly naive and adorable.
"How can he really pick her up? This is an opportunity for you and Ningyi to spend time alone!" Su Nianzhu smiled and pointed at her nose.
Wang Wanrou lowered her gaze, her eyes rolling. She said casually, "But what if Brother Qin calls her and asks? Won't it be exposed..."
"Will she take the opportunity to complain and make Brother Qin misunderstand you?"
Every word Wang Wanrou said was for Su Nianzhu's sake.
Su Nianzhu heard this and thought, it was indeed possible!
"Then what should we do? We can't pick her up, and we can't not pick her up!" Su Nianzhu hadn't expected such a loophole.
"Let's not deceive Brother Qin. Just let Uncle Zhou pick her up," Wang Wanrou said as if by accident. "That company is quite far away. If we don't leave soon, and there's traffic, it will be difficult to get back."
Su Nianzhu had an idea upon hearing this. She called Old Zhou and told him to pick up Huo Rou downstairs at her company and take the most congested route.
Wang Wanrou, standing by, smiled triumphantly with her head lowered, and excused herself to go to the restroom.
"Hello, Brother," she dialed a number.
A man's carefree voice came from the other end, "My dear sister, how's it going? You've made your brother sound like that. Did she believe it?"
"Oh, my dear brother, it's for your sister's happiness!" Wang Wanrou said coquettishly.
"I know. Otherwise, would I cooperate with you?"
"She doesn't like country bumpkins anyway. With your previous experience, she'll be more inclined to believe Huo Rou is an ambitious woman! She's even planning to set me up with Qin Ningyi! Later, when my non-existent nephew dies, I'll use that to stimulate her."
Wang Wanrou then put on a high-pitched voice, "But Brother, don't you know some people in the underworld in Yuchang City? Help me out again..."
"You tell me," her brother said generously, willing to do anything for his most pampered sister.
"I'll be having dinner with Qin Ningyi later. After we finish eating, have someone pretend to surround us and cause trouble..." Wang Wanrou explained in detail.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it for you."
Finally, Qin Ningyi finished work. Su Nianzhu chose a restaurant in a garden some distance from the city.
As expected, Qin Ningyi called Huo Rou at the end of his workday. Huo Rou, seeing the unfamiliar driver in front of her, confirmed with Qin Ningyi via video call.
Old Zhou was the one sent to scout the company. He squeezed the bank card in his pocket, recalled Wang Wanrou's instructions, and went over the lines in his mind.
After Huo Rou got into the car, Old Zhou led her through the congested traffic, stopping and starting. Huo Rou looked at the navigation route on her phone and sensed something was wrong.
Qin Ningyi hung up the phone, feeling relieved, and drove over.
Su Nianzhu and Wang Wanrou were already waiting in the private room. Wang Wanrou held Su Nianzhu's hand with a worried expression, "Will Brother Qin be angry when he sees me? If I cause any unpleasantness between you, I'll feel too guilty..."
"You, don't worry," Su Nianzhu held Wang Wanrou's hand and patted it, looking at her with affection. She felt even more certain that this was the right decision. With such a sensible and kind Wanrou, Ningyi would also like her if he interacted with her properly.
The waiter opened the door for Qin Ningyi. Inside, there were only Su Nianzhu and Wang Wanrou.
As if the night wind was too cold, the temperature in the room instantly dropped by several degrees as Qin Ningyi walked in.
The waiter felt goosebumps on his arm and walked to the wall to turn up the air conditioning.
Qin Ningyi's face was ashen as he stared at Su Nianzhu without a word.