After Divorcing the Beautiful Richest Woman, She Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 27

Lin Feiruo had grown accustomed to Jian Xiaomin’s habit of saying startling things. Fortunately, since they were only chatting through a screen, it wasn’t as awkward as a face-to-face encounter.

Still, she hadn’t expected that her casual request to Jian Xiyan this morning would be taken so seriously. The fact that Jian Xiyan gave the instructions as soon as she reached the office showed she truly prioritized it.

Comparing this to the way the original owner used to pressure Jian Xiyan into helping Yan Shan score roles, Lin Feiruo felt that Jian Xiyan’s attitude had actually become more sincere after the partnership ended.

At the time, she only thought of it as a backup plan in case she couldn’t buy tickets in the future. She never imagined that with one word, Jian Xiyan would reserve tickets for all the events. Truly a power move.

Rich people really are different; their first instinct is always: I want them all.

While Lin Feiruo focused on the first half of the thought, wondering if she should show some appreciation for Jian Xiyan’s attentiveness, Jian Xiaomin’s mood on the other side of the screen was quite different. She was dying to know if “Sister Feiruo” was touched. When no reply came for a long time—even though the conversation had been flowing smoothly—Xiaomin felt a bit anxious.

She selected a smiling emoji but hesitated before hitting send. I should give her some time and space; even finding a way to bridge the gap requires mental preparation, she thought, waiting patiently.

Lin Feiruo, meanwhile, was still thinking about her email. She wanted to take advantage of Xiaomin’s “slacking off” at work to gather more details about Jian Xiyan’s situation, so she wouldn’t have to ask Jian Xiyan directly and risk being intrusive.

[Is your sister still in the meeting?]

Jian Xiaomin waited a long while, and although she didn’t get the emotional confession she hoped for, Lin Feiruo was clearly starting to care about her sister. This was a great sign.

She asked Xu Liqing with a grin: “Sister Liqing, what time is my sister’s meeting scheduled to end?”

“The plan was to finish before noon, but the client hasn’t agreed to the terms yet, so it’s hard to say.”

“So it might not even be over by the end of the workday?”

Xu Liqing made a helpless face. “President Jian has it hard.”

“Are there any social obligations tonight?”

“There was a routine dinner, but President Jian had me cancel it at noon.”

Xiaomin felt a pang of pity. “So my sister knew at noon that today was going to be a long one.”

She tapped her screen vigorously to relay the message to Lin Feiruo: [My sister is going to be in meetings all day; her body is definitely going to suffer again.]

That much of a grind? She only slept a few hours last night, yet she had a full day of meetings and only a sandwich for lunch. Even a person made of steel would have to call Jian Xiyan “Big Sister.”

[Do you think it’s convenient to prepare some afternoon tea?] Lin Feiruo asked.

Lin Feiruo flipped through yesterday’s notes. She remembered Dr. Yu saying that one shouldn’t underestimate the afternoon tea period, nor was it recommended to consume high-calorie, low-nutrition foods during this time.

[What do you want my sister to eat?]

Lin Feiruo cross-referenced the key points in her notes with Jian Xiyan’s diet for the day and sent Xiaomin a modified afternoon tea list: [A hard-boiled egg, half a bowl of peas, and a portion of cold bean sprout salad. Then prepare half a plate of freshly cut fruit—more apples and grapes, but only a tiny bit of orange.]

Jian Xiaomin was shocked. She expected milk tea, cake, or biscuits. After reading it carefully, she asked in confusion: [Are you sure these count as ‘afternoon tea’?]

[If it’s what’s suitable for your sister to eat in the afternoon, then regardless of what it is, it’s afternoon tea.]

Xiaomin froze again. After chewing on that sentence a few times, she detected a hint of romance in it—a sort of dominant, exclusive care. Truly, to touch her sister’s eternally frozen heart, one had to have something unique.

In the past, her sister never explained why she had to choose Lin Feiruo. Now, Xiaomin was starting to understand.

She copied the message and forwarded it to Xu Liqing: “Sister Liqing, could you please prepare this afternoon tea for my sister? She ate too little at lunch; I’m worried she won’t hold up.”

Xu Liqing hadn’t had a chance to look at the message yet. “Afternoon tea is always prepared; we send it to the conference room at the usual time.”

“No, look at what I just sent you. Follow that instead.”

Xu Liqing finally read it seriously. “Is this… requested by President Jian?”

Xiaomin stammered slightly, not wanting to spread the word about the crisis between her sister and Lin Feiruo. She could only say: “I learned it from Sister Feiruo. She knows my sister best.”

Xu Liqing raised an eyebrow, seemingly unable to find an argument. She couldn’t help but look at the list again, starting to wonder if she truly knew Jian Xiyan after all these years. Xiyan rarely eats these things for tea. Fruit is one thing, but what on earth are peas and bean sprouts doing here?

Xiaomin urged her softly: “Sister Liqing, please, please. Let me have a little sense of accomplishment on my first day of interning.”

It was difficult for Xiaomin to find achievement in business tasks, but delivering a unique afternoon tea was much more doable. Xu Liqing sent someone to prepare it according to the list, but she confirmed one last time: “Are you sure President Jian will actually eat this?”

Xiaomin felt this was a gesture from Lin Feiruo; as long as it reached her sister, the mission was accomplished. Whether she ate it or not wasn’t the point; what mattered was that she felt the care and love that clearly still existed!

She nodded firmly. “My sister will definitely love it and be very moved. Trust me!”

Lin Feiruo assumed Xiaomin didn’t approve of her suggestions since she hadn’t replied for a long time. She felt a bit of regret; Dr. Yu had mentioned in her speech that many people are misled by established ideas and are unwilling to accept new pairings.

She added a thought to her notes: [The Wellness Center needs to strengthen the promotion of correct concepts and help people correct outdated thinking first.]

Only then did Xiaomin remember to reply, apologizing quickly: [Sorry, I was busy getting it ready and forgot to reply.]

Lin Feiruo was already starting on her email. When she focused, she disliked chatting as it was easy to get distracted. She replied honestly: [Xiaomin, I have to get to work. Let’s talk next time.]

Xiaomin calculated her remaining summer break: she had to visit the film set, resolve her sister’s situation, and squeeze in a few more days of interning. It was a busy schedule. But she was determined to squeeze out time to ensure her sister and Lin Feiruo saw each other more often. Without meeting, there would never be a chance for reconciliation.

[Then I won’t hold you up. But Sister Feiruo, you owe me a meal for the tickets from last time, right?]

[I haven’t forgotten.]

[How about in the next couple of days?]

Xiaomin decided to strike while the iron was hot. The longer the cooling period, the lower the chance of a turnaround. Since Lin Feiruo wasn’t living at He Garden, they had to meet more often outside.

[Sure, just let me know in advance.]

Lin Feiruo also wanted to get this meal out of the way so it wouldn’t be weighing on her mind; she was uncomfortable owing favors. Besides, she felt quite at ease dining with Xiaomin; she didn’t have to be on guard about being discovered as an impostor. Xiaomin and the original owner had limited contact and didn’t know each other well.

Lin Feiruo turned her attention back to the email, revising and polishing it until it was just a few hundred words. At the moment she hit send, her heart was full of anticipation. Although she knew the probability of Yu Qingci replying was low, she felt that as a more “professional” listener, she might have a chance to stand out.

Last night, when she went to ask questions, she was much more professional than the others; otherwise, she wouldn’t have received Yu Qingci’s business card so easily.

That academic confidence came from being repeatedly praised by her supervisor—though those praises usually led to even more grueling lab tasks, which eventually made her conflicted. She wanted expert validation, yet she resented being praised. If you’re good at suffering, you’ll have endless suffering to do. That was the most valuable lesson Lin Feiruo learned in the lab. She refused to suffer anymore, so she didn’t want to show off too much.

But after hearing Yu Qingci’s speech, her “salted fish” heart was stirred again, and she couldn’t resist wanting to discuss topics further with a professional. Since she had no other vested interests with Yu Qingci, a bold exchange should be fine, right? She kept convincing herself not to miss such a rare opportunity.

The client Jian Xiyan met today was extremely difficult, but she had to patiently grind it out. With President Bu stalling, she had to expand her list of candidates for the Qinghe Highway project; she couldn’t allow herself to remain entirely passive.

Changing partners for such a large project at the last minute was a major shock to the company. Under immense pressure, Jian Xiyan personally screened the candidates, feeling she had to oversee every high-potential company herself.

The meeting dragged from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM—stuck in a deadlock, with one issue after another needing resolution. Jian Xiyan felt a burning sensation in her chest and her stomach was empty; although she had no appetite, she knew she had to replenish some energy.

She had someone bring in tea and snacks, wanting a moment of space to breathe and adjust her mood. While the others were served the company’s standard snacks and drinks, Jian Xiyan’s portion was delivered personally by Xu Liqing.

When Jian Xiyan saw the items being set down, a look of surprise flashed across her face.

Xu Liqing explained in a low voice: “President Jian, Xiaomin specifically prepared this for you.”

Jian Xiyan raised an eyebrow. “Is she acting out because of the internship?”

Seeing her misunderstanding, Xu Liqing quickly said: “She said she learned it from Lin Feiruo, and that you would love it.”

Learned it from Lin Feiruo? Jian Xiyan’s first reaction was disbelief. They had been in a contract marriage for two years, and she had never seen Lin Feiruo eat things like this. But last night she had mentioned a recent interest in wellness; could this have come from Yu Qingci’s speech?

Jian Xiyan had a great memory; although she didn’t know Dr. Yu, she had remembered the name after Lin Feiruo mentioned it a few times. During the tea break, she decided to look into this Dr. Yu.

Unsure of the exact characters for the name at first, she tried typing “Wellness Yu,” and sure enough, Yu Qingci appeared near the top of the search suggestions. Clicking on her profile and reading through her credentials, her authority was indeed impressive.

Xu Liqing, watching from the side, was shocked. “Xiyan, are you really obsessed with wellness now?” In the near future, would the couple walk the path of ‘cultivation’ together?

Jian Xiyan read through the titles of Yu Qingci’s published books and finally glanced at her photo. She looked too young for such achievements. Hearing Xu Liqing’s confusion, she chuckled. “Do I look like that kind of person?”

Xu Liqing looked at the contents of the afternoon tea and remained silent.

At first, Jian Xiyan was repulsed by the plate of cold bean sprouts and barely touched them. But strangely, after eating the egg and the peas, she developed an inexplicable appetite for the bean sprouts—a strong one at that.

After finishing the sprouts, the sweetness of the fruit reinforced her sense of fullness, and the fructose lifted her mood.

When the meeting resumed after the break, the participants clearly noticed that President Jian’s combat power had upgraded. She countered several rounds with sharp, precise, and powerful strikes; the issues that were previously circular were resolved one by one.

Jian Xiyan finally concluded the lengthy meeting just before the end of the workday. Only when the battle ended did she realize how exhausted she was, but she felt more supported than usual, not as if she were about to collapse.

It seemed it was the merit of the afternoon tea. After thinking seriously for a few seconds, she sent a message to Lin Feiruo.

[The afternoon tea was very unique and effective. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.]