Chapter 78

Jian Xiyan paused for a moment, her ears suddenly warming up as if her previous composure had been completely seen through. She was about to give Xu Liqing a look to stop her, but the other woman beat her to it by leaning in.

Xu Liqing whispered in her ear with a light chuckle, “Eat when you should eat. Otherwise, if you’re hungry, you’re the only one who suffers.”

Without waiting for Xiyan’s response, she straightened up and said goodbye to Lin Feiruo. “I’ve delivered her back safely! You two take your time and enjoy the meal.”

“Hey, Liqing…” Lin Feiruo started to speak, but two pairs of eyes immediately shot toward her.

Xu Liqing’s gaze was normal, mostly curious about what she had to say. In contrast, the gaze projecting from the wheelchair felt intense, as if saying: Try saying another word and see what happens.

Lin Feiruo instinctively responded to the intense gaze first. “I’ll see Liqing out.”

“No need for formalities, it’s just my job,” Xu Liqing waved, turning to leave. “Don’t bother, it’s not like it’s my first time here.”

Seeing that she had already reached the door, Lin Feiruo didn’t persist.

The person in the wheelchair was unusually quiet. Even though Xu Liqing had been gone for a while, Lin Feiruo still hadn’t heard her speak.

She had no choice but to ask, “What do you want to eat? Or should I heat everything up before you choose?”

Jian Xiyan pursed her lips, struggled for a moment, and said calmly, “Whatever.”

Lin Feiruo pushed her toward the dining room. ” ‘Whatever’ is the hardest puzzle to solve. Why has President Jian started making things difficult for people too?”

The person in the wheelchair didn’t see it that way. “Is it that difficult?”

Lin Feiruo parked her in her usual spot and prepared to go to the kitchen to heat up the food. “Making people keep guessing—does that not count as making things difficult?”

By the time she finished the sentence, she was already out of the dining room. Jian Xiyan watched her back and felt a flash of guilt for no reason. But quickly, she felt there was nothing to be guilty about; she wasn’t making things difficult on purpose.

Lin Feiruo brought out the heated dishes one by one. The presentation was much [bailiantales.com]better than before; it had clearly been prepared with great care.

“How is it?” Lin Feiruo put her hands on her hips, waiting for Xiyan’s initial review.

“Not bad,” Jian Xiyan said with a faint smile. “You didn’t go off-script.”

“How could I go off-script with a celebration feast? I’m not a child.”

Lin Feiruo sat down and helped set her utensils, signaling that she could begin tasting. Jian Xiyan, however, didn’t move, as if she were still waiting for something.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Lin Feiruo thought her praise had been just empty words.

“Wasn’t there fried fish?” Jian Xiyan recalled. “And should there be a vegetable dish?”

Lin Feiruo didn’t expect her to remember those details and laughed. “The fried fish is too oily; it’s not suitable to eat this late. I didn’t stir-fry the greens.”

Jian Xiyan nodded. “Mm.”

“If you want vegetables, I can go blanch a plate for you?” Boiled vegetables were simple and avoided the issue of being too greasy.

“That works.”

Lin Feiruo rushed into the kitchen, boiled some water in a small pot, picked a handful of fresh vegetables, and tossed them in. Once they were cooked, she added a bit of soy sauce and olive oil, sprinkled a little salt, and brought them back.

“Freshly made. Please, have a taste.”

Jian Xiyan tried a bit of everything, remaining quite disciplined. She actually ate the most of the blanched vegetables, as they helped offset the greasiness of the dinner she’d had earlier.

Lin Feiruo sat beside her, at some point resting her chin on one hand.

Jian Xiyan looked sideways. “You’re not eating?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Wasn’t this a celebration?”

“It is. A celebration for you.”

Jian Xiyan looked at her again. “I recall someone saying last night that it was a joint celebration?”

Lin Feiruo laughed. “No need to be so literal, it means the same thing.”

The same thing? Jian Xiyan didn’t think so, but she didn’t want to appear overly pedantic. She tightened her grip on her chopsticks and continued eating her vegetables.

Lin Feiruo suddenly mused, “Why do you look so good even when you’re just eating boiled vegetables?”

Jian Xiyan paused, not following.

“Just watching you eat makes me feel like this dish is delicious and exquisite,” Lin Feiruo said, her fingertip lightly tapping her cheek. “If you went to film a commercial, you’d definitely make the product sell out.” ​bailiantales.com​Following the thought, she laughed even harder. “If you did it yourself, the effect would be better than a celebrity endorsement.”

Jian Xiyan gave her a look that wasn’t too heavy or too light, then casually tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Better than a big star like Jiang Wanru?”

“Does that even need to be said?”

“If Xiaomin heard that, you’d be in for a lot of trouble.”

Lin Feiruo had no intention of taking it back. “I’m stating a fact. Even if Xiaomin were here, I’d still think so.” She added, “Even if Jiang Wanru asked, I’d still think so.”

Jian Xiyan gave her a deep look.

“But I wouldn’t undermine her like that. I know you’re the boss and just spent big money to sign her. I definitely won’t say to her face that her endorsement isn’t effective, don’t worry.”

The way she patted her chest to guarantee it was honestly a bit silly. Jian Xiyan criticized her silently, yet couldn’t help but steal another glance.

Lin Feiruo suddenly asked, “Did Director He officially apologize today?”

“Mm, in a way.”

“How was it? Did it feel incredibly satisfying and vindicating?”

Jian Xiyan laughed softly. “It was alright.”

“Just ‘alright’?” Lin Feiruo thought for a moment. “Then his apology must not have been sincere enough.”

Actually, it was sincere enough. For someone in Director He’s position, taking the initiative to make such a gesture was rare. It was just that for Jian Xiyan, she didn’t seem to care much about it.

“It was pleasing to hear at the time, but once it was over, it passed.”

Lin Feiruo was curious. “Then what can stay in your heart for a long time?”

Jian Xiyan’s grip on her chopsticks tightened, and she turned to look at her.

Lin Feiruo was still smiling. “You seem so calm about everything, as if nothing can truly move you. When I saw you smile last night, it was really beautiful. I thought the Qinghe Project was your true love, but I guess I guessed wrong again.”

Although the sentence wasn’t long, Jian Xiyan felt the information density was quite high, leaving her momentarily speechless.

She looked beautiful smiling last night? She’s calm about everything? Is that how Lin Feiruo sees her?

Questions popped up one after another, but she didn’t want to ask any of them. Jian Xiyan took the initiative to change the subject. “Besides preparing this feast, what else did you do today?”

“Busy with my ‘new love’.”

Her originally good mood suddenly felt a jolt, like a car hitting a speed bump. Lin Feiruo seemed even more energized now, clearly more interested in this topic. Jian Xiyan lowered her eyes; the contrast was truly a mood-killer.

“I planned to wait until you were done being busy to tell you, but if you have time now, I’d like to share it with you.”

Jian Xiyan had no choice but to look up again. Seeing Lin Feiruo’s sincere and joyous expression, her feelings were complex. Lin Feiruo was starting to trust her and was ​bailiantales.com​willing to share personal matters; Xiyan felt quite happy about that.

But… she didn’t really want to hear about a “new love.” The mere phrase made her inexplicably irritable. She thought it was probably because of the precedent set by Yan Shan; she didn’t want to get involved in Lin Feiruo’s romantic life.

But with Lin Feiruo’s bright eyes looking at her, she couldn’t bear to say something disappointing to her face. Jian Xiyan could only take a breath and curve her lips slightly. “Alright, tell me.”

“I asked Dr. Qiu, and your recovery is ideal. You can start practicing standing and walking very soon. The end of our agreed time is also approaching, so I thought…”

Jian Xiyan heard that she was making plans for after the cooperation period ended, and her mood became even gloomier.

Lin Feiruo, seeing she didn’t have much of a reaction, continued, “So, I want to go do my own thing.”

Jian Xiyan nodded. “I understand. You should have your own life.”

“I’ve done a lot of research during this time and considered it carefully. I’m planning to open a wellness center. What do you think?”

Jian Xiyan hadn’t expected that she not only had a new love but had even finished ​bailiantales.com​her career planning. A wellness center—even her career development was so closely tied to Yu Qingci.

Jian Xiyan was a bit depressed, but she couldn’t find a reason to object. Opening a wellness center wasn’t a massive business, but at least it was a proper undertaking—much better than the old Lin Feiruo who only knew how to stare at her phone and text Yan Shan.

“The idea is good. But do you understand anything about wellness?”

Lin Feiruo couldn’t explain too much, only saying, “I’ve planned it out. I’ll attend training first and then get a certificate. For the details, I can consult professionals.”

Jian Xiyan knew exactly who she intended to consult without even asking. She thought to herself: Finding someone who can help you is better than finding someone who drags you down. But she felt even more annoyed, even wanting to stop listening.

The food had become unpalatable. She simply put down her chopsticks, ending her meal.

Lin Feiruo saw she was finished eating and that Xiyan’s acceptance of the premise was decent, so she got to the point and mentioned her idea. “So, can I ask you for a favor?”

Jian Xiyan was surprised. “I’m really not very skilled in wellness.” She pondered. “However, if you have needs regarding funding, I can…”

“No, no, don’t worry about money. You’ve already helped me a lot.” She already had money saved, and now that Yan Shan was willing to pay her back, she’d have even more for the startup. “I was thinking… you’re a master in business. Could you find some time to give me some pointers?”

Jian Xiyan understood. Yu Qingci was a doctor; her professional knowledge was great, but she likely wasn’t well-versed in business.

Jian Xiyan was conflicted. She certainly had no objection to guiding Lin Feiruo, but the thought of potentially hearing Lin Feiruo mention her and Yu Qingci even more frequently gave her a sense of resistance. She attributed this feeling to a lack of interest in other people’s relationships, not wanting to waste time and energy on such gossip.

“Is it too much of a waste of your time?” Lin Feiruo cautiously observed her reaction, noticing that Jian Xiyan didn’t seem very enthusiastic. “It’s fine, I was just asking. It’s normal if you don’t have time.”

Compared to Jian Xiyan’s daily business dealings, a wellness center was indeed the size of a sesame seed. Wanting Xiyan to worry about it during the planning stage felt a bit extravagant. Lin Feiruo figured she could ask again when the preparations were closer to completion; that would be more efficient.

Jian Xiyan originally didn’t want to get involved, but hearing Lin Feiruo say “it’s fine” made her feel it was better to intervene after all. Lin Feiruo was so easily fooled, and this sudden whim to start a business was a bit unusual. Thinking of Lin Feiruo’s performance lately, she couldn’t bear to see her suffer again. It was only right to ask more questions and see if there were any traps.

“You’ve never done business. Why the sudden desire to open a wellness center?”

“Actually, I was thinking about it when I left Pear Orchard,” Lin Feiruo gave a helpless laugh. “But then you suddenly had the accident, and it was put on hold.”

So she had planned it early on; it seemed she was the one who had affected her.

“Now that you’re getting better, it’s time for me to return to my own life.” Lin Feiruo couldn’t help but feel a bit of lingering attachment. Taking care of the patient had been exhausting, yet it was also fulfilling—she had even made quite a few special memories.

Time to return to my own life…

Jian Xiyan’s breath hitched, and she actually felt a wave of reluctance. She discovered a very strange thought popping up: Can time just stop at this moment?