Chapter 113: Are They Already Preparing to Strike Back?

Until the end of her workday, Xu An'an never received a reply from Jiang Li. Her mood grew increasingly gloomy and irritable. She knew she shouldn't let herself spiral like this, but she simply couldn't control it.

The photo her colleague had secretly taken left her imagination running wild. They must have deliberately chosen a seven-star hotel for their meal—after all, a full stomach makes it so convenient to head straight to a room. How convenient indeed!

Especially thinking of Jiang Li, who acted like a ravenous wolf whenever he caught her—relentless and insatiable. Xu An'an had good reason to suspect that she alone could never satisfy him.

He was certainly not afraid of burning out, was he? Had he been secretly taking supplements or drinking tonics?

Buzz. Buzz.

Her phone vibrated.

Xu An'an hurriedly checked, thinking it might be Jiang Li's reply. Instead, it was Wen Huairou, asking her to come to the hospital to discuss the new medication.

Forcing herself to focus, before heading out, Xu An'an called Shen Ying, instructing her to deliver the treatment plan and other documents she’d prepared earlier to the magazine office.

“Have it delivered within half an hour.”

Shen Ying was annoyed by the commanding tone, but she had no choice. “Fine, I’ll bring it to the magazine myself.”

Hearing the gritted teeth in Shen Ying’s voice, Xu An'an felt a surge of satisfaction. But with a woman as venomous as Shen Ying, would she really be content to have swapped places with Xu An'an? Of course not—she’d have to stay on guard against Shen Ying’s counterattack.

Soon, Shen Ying appeared at the magazine office. To Xu An'an’s surprise, she came bearing gifts—smiling sweetly, playing the role of Xu An'an’s stepmother, offering snacks and drinks to the office staff.

“Thank you all for looking after An'an. I hope you’ll continue to take good care of her in the future.”

There’s a saying: it’s hard to refuse a gift, and even harder to speak ill of someone who’s been generous. Many colleagues responded warmly.

Xiao Mei came over and whispered, “An'an, I never knew you had a stepmother. She seems really nice.”

Xu An'an smiled, but her eyes were icy cold.

So, the counterattack had begun? Xu An'an wasn’t in a hurry; she’d just watch the clown perform. When Shen Ying finished distributing everything, Xu An'an casually picked up a sandwich.

“Three yuan each, and the drinks are two yuan a bottle.”

“Don’t take it the wrong way—my mother isn’t stingy. It’s just that she spent over ten million on my sister’s variety show promotion recently. Next time she visits, she’ll definitely bring snacks from Su Fang Zhai—she’s a VIP there, after all.”

With just a few words, Xu An'an ripped away Shen Ying’s mask of false kindness, making her think twice before pulling this stunt again—especially since the treats from Su Fang Zhai were notoriously expensive. At the same time, everyone present was reminded: a stepmother is still a stepmother. A few snacks wouldn’t fool anyone into thinking she was a good one.

Sure enough, Shen Ying’s smile froze on her face. The initial enthusiasm faded; some people even put their snacks and drinks back. Their gazes turned curious and cautious.

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Shen Ying said, “An'an, let’s go. Your father’s waiting for us to have dinner.”

Xu An'an’s lips curved in mockery. “I thought you were planning to work overtime here.”

With that, she turned and walked out first.

Still determined to keep up appearances, Shen Ying exchanged a few more polite words with the staff before leaving, feigning elegance with every step. She was already planning to have Xu’s father teach Xu An'an a lesson when they got home.

If An'an wouldn’t listen to her stepmother, surely she’d listen to her own father, right?

But when she reached the door, Xu An'an was nowhere to be seen.

Anxious, Shen Ying called her. Xu’s father was eager to see An'an, wanting to ask about her progress with Jiang Yu. He was growing impatient, hoping she’d marry Jiang Yu soon. Even without a ceremony, just obtaining the marriage certificate and the bride price from the groom’s family was what mattered most.

Recently, he’d set his sights on a new project, but funds were tight. He couldn’t bear to let a golden opportunity slip away, so he racked his brains for ways to raise money. The best solution was to marry Xu An'an off.

Ring... ring...

Xu An'an glanced at the caller ID and answered at the last moment. “You’ve got one minute. My patience is limited.”

“Your father wants you home for dinner.”

“When has a seat ever been missing at the Xu family table? You need something from the Jiang family, don’t you?”

Pierced straight through by Xu An'an’s words, Shen Ying dropped the act. Still, some things were better left unsaid. Xu An'an was not someone to cross lightly these days.

“In any case, your father wants you home. He’ll tell you himself. He says it’s important.”

Xu An'an rolled her eyes. In the past, if Shen Ying summoned her home, she would never have dared delay, but things were different now. Did they really think she was a gullible child?

“Got it.”

With a casual dismissal, Xu An'an hung up and went to meet Wen Huairou.

Wen Huairou had arranged to meet at the café downstairs. As soon as Xu An'an entered, she spotted her easily—a delicate beauty who was impossible to overlook. Several men sat nearby, each hoping for a chance to approach.

Xu An'an walked over. “Director Wen.”

Wen Huairou looked up, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze. “Please, have a seat, Miss Xu. I hope I didn’t disturb you by asking you here on such short notice?”

“Not at all, I just finished work.” Xu An'an handed over the treatment plan and related documents. “Here, take a look. As for the doctor who treated my mother, I haven’t been able to reach him. I heard he resigned and returned to his hometown. No idea what happened.”

Not being a professional herself, Xu An'an couldn’t tell if the materials Shen Ying provided were problematic. So she made up an excuse.

Why would a doctor suddenly leave a big city and return to his hometown? It was certainly suspicious. Xu An'an was sure Wen Huairou would be on alert. If there was an issue with the documents, she’d hear about it soon enough.

Wen Huairou’s eyes flickered as she accepted the thick stack of files.

“This will take some time to review. Once I’ve gone through everything, I’ll discuss it with you in detail.”

“Thank you, Director Wen.”

“No need to be so formal. You’re A-Li’s friend, which makes you my friend as well. But why didn’t A-Li come with you today?” Wen Huairou asked with a gentle smile.

Xu An'an shook her head. “I’m not sure. We don’t see each other all that often.”

Wen Huairou nodded and dropped the subject, instead explaining the new medication thoroughly, covering every detail. Time passed quickly and the two of them ended up ordering simple dinners at the café.

Xu An'an was deeply grateful for Wen Huairou’s detailed explanations. “Then I’ll leave everything to your arrangement, Director Wen.”

Wen Huairou teased, “You can just call me Huairou. I think we could be very good friends, don’t you?”

Just then, Xu An'an’s phone rang. But Wen Huairou was even quicker to react, immediately glancing at the phone, as if curious to know who was calling.