After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 16

The turn this conversation took was so far outside Jian Xiyan’s expectations that, beyond mere surprise, she fell into a minor state of fluster.

This was not the reaction Lin Feiruo should have had, and that warning was even less like something she would consider.

Did Yan Shan coach her?

Jian Xiyan pondered repeatedly, trying to find suspicious points to help her judge the situation.

Jian Xiyan had handled many sudden crises—deliberate provocations, despicable plots by rivals, and even “pig teammates” appearing in her own camp. No matter the scenario, she could resolve it calmly.

But faced with Lin Feiruo’s sudden change in attitude, she hesitated.

Jian Xiyan had experienced firsthand over the past two years how fiercely Lin Feiruo protected Yan Shan. She was currently more exhausted than she had been the last time they spoke; she had to socialize with President Bu soon and didn’t want to waste mental energy on roundabout probing.

“Lin Feiruo, if you have any dissatisfaction, you can tell me directly,” Jian Xiyan said in a low voice, taking a breath. “As her sister, I apologize to you on Xiaomin’s behalf.”

Huh? She actually proactively apologized!

Lin Feiruo realized Jian Xiyan was treating her like that brainless “simp” who would throw away her logic for Yan Shan. She found it a bit funny, yet felt an inexplicable sense of injustice for Jian Xiyan.

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m not angry.”

Sure enough, the other end of the line went silent. But judging by the sound of her breathing, Jian Xiyan’s emotions were far from silent.

“I’m not lying to you. I really didn’t get angry because of what Xiaomin said.”

Jian Xiyan didn’t actually believe her, but since Lin Feiruo had said twice that she wasn’t angry, she wasn’t foolish enough to insist on proving the other woman was being duplicitous.

“Thank you for your generosity.”

Lin Feiruo noticed that Jian Xiyan’s tone was much more formal than yesterday, carrying a deliberate sense of distance.

She awkwardly added: “Xiaomin wasn’t wrong. Leaking fake news to leech heat is indeed an improper tactic. It’s not worth defending.”

Jian Xiyan raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by those words. For Lin Feiruo to back down on a topic regarding Yan Shan was rare enough, but for her to actually agree that Yan Shan was in the wrong? It was practically surreal.

Regardless, the crisis seemed temporarily averted, and no appeasement conditions were necessary. Jian Xiyan’s mood improved slightly; she prepared to exchange a few pleasantries and hang up.

Lin Feiruo, however, suddenly circled back: “Xiaomin has a bit of a short fuse; you should have a serious talk with her. You spent a personal favor to get Yan Shan that role. If things get messy and it traces back to you, it’ll look bad on your reputation and you’ll still have to pay back the favor. That’s losing twice.”

Lin Feiruo felt quite powerless about this. It was a pity she had transmigrated too late; otherwise, she never would have blackmailed Jian Xiyan like the original owner did.

Jian Xiyan was truly at a loss now. What is wrong with Lin Feiruo?

The question was on the tip of her tongue, but she realized that asking would just be looking for trouble. They were no longer in a partnership; how Lin Feiruo chose to handle her romantic life was her own business.

“I’ve already reminded her. She won’t go looking for you lately, nor will she interfere with the filming.”

“That’s good then.”

Lin Feiruo also felt it was time to hang up. The atmosphere had suddenly become awkward. She didn’t have much to talk about with Jian Xiyan, so she stuck to the topics she was familiar with: “Watch your rest, try to drink less alcohol, and take care of yourself.”

Recalling Xiaomin’s teasing, Jian Xiyan’s earlobes suddenly felt hot.

“Thank you for your concern,” she said, her voice a bit stiff. “You take care as well.”

Xu Liqing knocked and entered, seeing Jian Xiyan lost in thought with her phone. She assumed there was news from the company.

“Xiyan, is there an update?”

Jian Xiyan shook her head. “It was Lin Feiruo.”

Xu Liqing let out an “oh” and joked with a smile, “You’ve only been apart for half a day and she’s already calling. Which one of you is actually the clingy one?”

Jian Xiyan forced a faint smile, too lazy to explain the misunderstanding.

“By the way, President Bu just got off the boat. He needs to shower and change first. He said to meet in an hour at the Cuiyu Restaurant on the sky bridge.”

Jian Xiyan leaned back on the sofa and opened her laptop to review data. Xu Liqing sat beside her, complaining: “President Bu knew you were arriving today, yet he still scheduled a sea fishing trip. He’s taking his sweet time, completely disregarding the fact that people are waiting for him!”

Jian Xiyan understood perfectly. she knew exactly why these people acted this way.

Psychological warfare. From the very beginning, they wanted to seize the upper hand and maintain a position of looking down on her.

“From the moment I decided to come to Tara Island to see him, I already planned to let him ‘win’ this round.”

“Xiyan, if he still refuses to budge this time, what do we do?”

“As long as the contract isn’t signed, variables exist. He knows this, and I know it too. I’ve done my best to salvage it; if it still fails, we’ll just have to switch partners.”

Xu Liqing frowned, clearly unwilling to see that outcome. “This project is the first major one since you officially took over. The shareholders are waiting to see your performance. If we really have to switch, you’ll probably have to explain it to the board all over again.”

Jian Xiyan wasn’t as anxious. “The Jian Group has shown plenty of sincerity in this cooperation. If President Bu still isn’t satisfied, then we have to switch, like it or not.”

Xu Liqing met her eyes, reading a deeper meaning in that meaningful gaze. “Are you trying to use this to prove that President Bu’s interest isn’t actually in the business?”

Jian Xiyan stood up to wash her face and touch up her makeup. “No matter how good the delicacy is, if it’s poisoned, it cannot stay.”

Xu Liqing followed and leaned against the doorframe. She watched Jian Xiyan take off her wedding ring, finish her makeup, and then put the ring back on.

“Xiyan, you work so hard. Can Lin Feiruo really not help share the burden even a little?”

Jian Xiyan didn’t answer. She went straight to pick out a set of casual clothes to change into.

She didn’t care what Lin Feiruo could or couldn’t share. Instead, she was wondering: What is up with Lin Feiruo?

It was great not having to actively appease her, but Lin Feiruo’s sudden, baseless change was still very suspicious. Jian Xiyan felt uneasy and decided she would go see her in person after returning from the trip.

Jian Xiaomin was indeed obedient. The next day, she didn’t look for Lin Feiruo, nor did she even send a single message.

Lin Feiruo was idle and relaxed. According to her previous plan, she prepared to scout out rental environments in person. Having learned her lesson yesterday, she moved her search area further away; she had no desire to run into any members of the Jian family or the Jian Group during a post-meal stroll.

Convenient transportation, easy living, and a preference for older neighborhoods with more elderly residents over trendy high-rises. These were Lin Feiruo’s rental principles. She liked a safe, stable environment; neighbors who changed constantly made her feel insecure.

The central districts of Shanghai had many neighborhoods that met her needs, though the rent range varied significantly. But she wasn’t as tight-fisted as she used to be; a few thousand extra in rent made her heart ache slightly, but it was affordable.

After walking until she was tired, she bought a bento at a convenience store and sat in a corner by the window to eat quietly. She had considered her business plan yesterday and decided to do something she was familiar with.

The original owner had married right after getting her undergraduate business degree and had virtually no practical work experience. While Lin Feiruo’s Master’s in Nutrition wasn’t officially in hand yet, she felt her knowledge and internship experience were quite rich. Unfortunately, the original owner’s degree didn’t match.

She bit into a chicken leg numbly, opening her phone to search for information on professional certification. Since her undergraduate degree was a mismatch, she either had to change majors for a Master’s or rely on certifications plus work experience to make up the gap.

She didn’t want to turn a hobby into a living anymore; that would take the joy out of it. With the money sitting in her account, she wanted to do something that made her happy and gave her a sense of purpose.

She scrolled through many pages. Most were ads, and the remaining relevant recruitment info was the kind she used to pay close attention to. But she didn’t need that now; she could choose what she truly wanted. Lin Feiruo marveled at how having money gave her the confidence to be willful.

By the time she finished her bento, she still hadn’t found any clear leads online. Continuing her stroll leisurely, she wandered into a small park. It didn’t have major equipment but had many trees and a running track—perfect for the local residents to get some light exercise.

To Lin Feiruo’s surprise, there was actually an old man exercising in the middle of this sun-drenched afternoon. At first glance, she thought he was being unhygienic in public and debated whether to stop him. Then she noticed he was dressed neatly but was repeating the same movement against a large tree, making her worry about his mental state.

Before she could reach a final conclusion, an old lady arrived to call him home and revealed the answer.

“Had enough for today?” The old lady carried two plastic bags printed with bold words: Longevity and Strength. The bags were stuffed full.

Lin Feiruo recognized the packaging. It was the starch-filled “health supplements” sold to seniors at exorbitant prices!

The old man stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and reported his score like a child: “Sixty reps.”

“Fine, let’s buy some groceries and head home.” The lady hefted the bags. “I just stocked up on another three months’ supply.”

Seeing that the direction they were heading was very close to the neighborhood she liked, Lin Feiruo felt a bad premonition and decided to follow them to see.