LRAB Chapter 29 Let's see who speaks first
Chapter 29 Let's see who speaks first
The sharpest cracks in an emotional bond arise from the most precise defensive postures of two people when it comes to their own interests.
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Zhang Zihao felt like he lived like a piece of paper, with no presence at home. His parents would only pay attention to him when he got into trouble and the teacher called his parents. Otherwise, they were completely invisible to him.
"Actually, Mr. Yu cares about you quite a bit." Wang Haowen blurted out, his throat tightening slightly. "I'm not trying to evade the question. My mom used to be really domineering. She could discipline me however she wanted, and if she got angry, she'd even grab a rolling pin and beat me. I don't know how many of those pins she used broke... But now..." He paused, his voice choked with emotion, "Now, I want to take care of my parents, but they're no longer there. I can't even imagine getting another beating."
Zeng Jia hadn't expected him to suddenly open up like this, and she felt a pang of sadness. Back when Wang Haowen was pursuing her relentlessly, he'd said her smile reminded him of his mother. He loved it when she'd occasionally grumble at him; it made him feel incredibly safe.
But Zhang Zihao was still in the throes of his rebellious phase and couldn't empathize at all: "Alright, alright, stop! Enough with the sentimentality. You two, just tell me, are you going to help me or not? Give me a straight answer, or I'm calling you two and reporting you for badmouthing me!"
"Help! Help! I'll definitely help!" Zeng Jia surrendered even more readily than Wang Haowen. Faced with significant losses to her own interests, her hesitation was as fragile as a crisp rice crust. "But at least we should cut it into a holiday, right? You can't skip classes for too long."
"It's not like we'll go right away. I'll let you two know in advance, and I'll make sure everything is planned out." Zhang Zihao grinned slyly, his little tiger teeth gleaming with the light of a triumphant scheme.
He pulled out his earphones from his pocket, put them on, and shrunk back into the seat like a human phone stand: "I'm wearing earphones, I can't hear anything. You two can chat whatever you want, don't worry about me, just treat me like air, the really thin kind."
He made a quick retreat after achieving his goal, leaving Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen staring at each other in disbelief.
But the two of them were like dumb geese that had been acupunctured, standing there not knowing what to say. The resentment and grievances they had felt before being exposed welled up in their hearts, and they were all waiting for the other to speak first.
As a result, the two of them just stared at each other, their gazes shifting from awkwardness and helplessness to a stubborn refusal to yield to each other.
Zeng Jia was puzzled. Wang Haowen was all about getting married at first, but then he turned around and started digging for information from her, and she got upset about it? Actions speak louder than words, doesn't he ever reflect on himself?
Wang Haowen bit his tongue, filled with resentment. Who was he working so hard for? Why was he always the one to apologize first?! Besides, ever since she became Zhang Zhishan's secretary, she'd stopped being as supportive as before, acting like a completely different person, utterly forgetting about him. He couldn't even figure out if Zeng Jia was marrying for a house or for him.
The two stared at each other for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion: tomorrow, let's keep things strictly business and not act like we owe each other eight million.
The next morning, Wang Haowen rushed to the company as soon as he felt a rush. Zeng Jia and the Maybach first took Zhang Zihao to school.
Before getting off the bus, she sneakily stuffed a large bag of junk snacks that Yu Li had explicitly forbidden.
"I have a total of 8000 yuan left here, which you can use as pocket money anytime, anywhere. But I can't let you squander it all at once, otherwise you'll get carried away with gacha pulls in games, which would be too wasteful." Indulgence is one thing, but we can't let a spendthrift develop bad habits.
Zhang Zihao was overjoyed, his eyes practically popping out of his head. He never expected to find two more people to team up with during the holiday; it felt like he'd struck gold.
"Don't worry, I won't be coming home at all these nights. You two can just enjoy yourselves together. I promise I won't be a third wheel and ruin your mood."
Zeng Jia glared at him reproachfully: "You little brat, what are you thinking about all day? If you're not going back, what are we going back for? Who wants to live in that big cage? It's so big that we're scared of the wind at night."
"What could I possibly be thinking about? Of course, I'm thinking about improving my physical fitness and getting into the Chinese mountaineering team." Zhang Zihao was full of confidence and no longer as dejected as before. "You don't need to give me the 8000 yuan. Just keep it with you for now. If my mom kicks me out of the house one day, I'll come to you for help. Consider it an advance payment for my food."
After seeing Zhang Zihao into the school gate, Zeng Jia turned around, got into the car, and headed straight for You Tang International. The moment her bottom touched the leather seat of the Maybach, her hands were already busy, frantically scrolling through the screen.
While she was having a video conference with the operations department, she was also organizing documents and materials for Zhang Zhishan. With just a few words, even the driver, Lao Liu, felt that she was a female version of Zhang Zhishan.
At this very moment, Wang Haowen was also busy.
He got the latest financing news from Zhang Zhishan's side early in the morning from his "own people" in the operations department. After reporting to Yu Li in the office, he went out and bumped into Zeng Jia face to face.
Zeng Jia hadn't even finished her video conference when she glanced at Wang Haowen and instantly dashed off to Zhang Zhishan's office.
The two brushed past each other, their sleeves making a soft "rip" sound. Zeng Jia entered the office, closed the door, and deftly pulled the blinds shut.
Wang Haowen stood there, a chilling smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was quite familiar with this scene; the last time it was Zhang Zhishan who played this role, and this time, it was his girlfriend's turn to be on guard against him.
The two didn't exchange a single word all day, not even a few secret "code words" on WeChat, as if they had signed a silent agreement beforehand.
She was busy until evening when Zeng Jia finally looked up from her desk. She felt the air in the office area was too stuffy, so she went to the stairwell to cool off and get some fresh air.
She had just strolled over when she heard two people talking. Zeng Jia quickly hid to the side, straining her ears. Could it be Wang Haowen and Wang Chao?
"The investment that Mr. Yu has agreed on should be fine. I have to head to Shanghai now. I'll be back the day after tomorrow if I don't return tomorrow. I'll report back to Mr. Yu as soon as I see those two people you mentioned. I'll let you know as soon as I have any news. We'll work on two fronts simultaneously."
"Assistant Wang is truly a pillar of this sector now. It's rare to find a handsome and capable young man like you in Beijing. No wonder all the young women in the company are swarming around you," Wang Chao said jokingly.
"Hey, it's all for work, and I don't get involved in company romances, it's too much trouble."
"Not bad, you see things clearly. When choosing a woman, choose one from a good family background. None of the rotten apples in our company are good enough for you. I heard that ULUL President Su is quite fond of you? Her daughter just graduated with a master's degree this year."
"Everyone wants to be a rich husband, but the key is that he has to be interested in us..."
Hearing this, Zeng Jia turned and left, feeling both cold and sullen. No wonder he'd been so arrogant lately; it turned out he'd already started plotting to climb the social ladder and was preparing to keep her as a backup option. Before, he'd even said that if they had a conflict at work, he'd simply quit and become a delivery driver—he sounded so sincere and responsible then. But all those sweet words were just empty platitudes; when it came to personal gain, all promises became meaningless and worthless.
She suddenly felt like a fool, offering her heart and soul while the other person had already secretly begun weighing the pros and cons.
Beijing after New Year's Day was bitterly cold; even the smallest hole in your clothing was chilled to the bone, letting the cold seep through and making you shiver. Zeng Jia regretted giving her Maybach a break and sending it home early. The key point was that she hadn't expected it to become so susceptible to the cold after only three months in this new job. Was it because going from luxury to frugality was too difficult, or was it because working overtime and staying up late had weakened her body?
She hurried home and soon decided to order some takeout hot pot to warm herself up. But before she even touched her phone, it suddenly started buzzing incessantly. Zeng Jia scoffed; it must be Wang Haowen. He'd just finished bragging about climbing the social ladder, and now he's reporting he's going to Shanghai? He really is always busy with something.
She slowly picked up her phone, then froze for a moment. It wasn't Wang Haowen calling, but Wang Haowen's father!
Zeng Jia didn't dare to delay and quickly answered the phone, "Hello, Uncle."
She was always very polite to her elders. Besides, Wang Haowen's father treated her really well, always secretly slipping her pocket money whenever they met. It's just that the two of them never got along, like a collision of planets; they'd only exchange three sentences before their conversation ended.
"Oh dear girl, it's Aunt Li from next door! Old Wang is lying in bed in so much pain he can't move. His face is as yellow as sesame paste. Your family needs to come home right away!" The neighbor's voice was so urgent it was split in two.
Zeng Jia's heart sank. The old man usually seemed quite healthy, so how could he suddenly be unable to function?
"Did you call 120? Are you the only one taking care of him?"
"Call now, call now, the car'll be there in no time, but a family member has to come along!"
"I'm coming right now! When the ambulance arrives, just give them my phone number and I'll handle it!" Zeng Jia quickly put on her clothes and stuffed a stack of N95 masks into her bag. These days, hospitals are like virus hotspots, so you can't afford to be careless.
Less than five minutes later, an ambulance arrived. Fearing something might go wrong, they wanted to take him to the nearest Guang'anmen Hospital for a check-up first.
"Why send him to Guang'anmen Hospital? He looks like he has suspected pancreatitis and jaundice. Guang'anmen is no good. Get him to Friendship Hospital right now. I'm on my way there!" Zeng Jia said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.
"Friendship Hospital? It's packed with people, the ICU is overflowing!"
"Send them there and then turn them away? Leave them to die? Forget all that, just do as I say!"
Zeng Jia hung up the phone and immediately started using a ride-hailing app, her fingers swiping rapidly through her contacts. She pulled out the connections she'd built up while helping Chen Dewei's mother with her medical treatment. "...Director Liu, I'm so sorry to bother you so late. I'm Zeng Jia, the secretary from Tianyi Group. It's an urgent matter at home, and I have no choice but to ask for your help..."