When Han Qian returned to the General Affairs Department, everyone had already left—only Yan Qingqing remained, seated in his chair. Han Qian pointed at Yang Lan, then gestured toward the office. Yan Qingqing nodded silently. Just then, Liu Jiulong appeared in the hallway, half his face peeking in, wearing a look of pity as he gazed at Yang Lan.
Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind.
Yang Lan went off to rest. Han Qian glanced at Yan Qingqing in his seat, then walked over to stand behind Su Liang, softly instructing him to draft some documentation. The text could be rough, he said—what mattered were the drawings. Could they be made a bit clearer and more detailed? Liu Jiulong, too, lingered beside Su Liang, eager to join the bustle.
At that moment, Han Qian turned to Yan Qingqing.
"President Yan, is the compensation for the demolition to be issued by the government, or by us?"
Yan Qingqing frowned slightly and replied in a low voice.
"They said it's just the land value. I'll call to confirm in the morning. But I've heard the residents will be relocated to a developing residential area. I'm not entirely sure about the specifics. Han Qian, have you calculated whether we'll turn a profit?"
"If everything proceeds without mishap, and we keep costs under six million, the return should be solid, and the capital will rebound quickly. There's no way the copywriting will be ready in time. But for tomorrow's senior meeting, I can present it verbally. I'll make a call now."
With that, Han Qian walked out of the department, unbothered by Yan Qingqing's murderous glare. He stepped into a quiet corner, pulled out his phone, and dialed Wen Nuan. She was home already, seemingly eating dinner, and mentioned she felt much better—asking if she could skip her medication.
Of course, the answer was no. He coaxed her gently, urging her to call her mother and let her know she was fine. Wen Nuan murmured her agreement.
After hanging up, she dialed the number saved as "Mom." When the call connected, she squinted slightly and spoke sweetly.
"Mom, what are you doing? Han Qian had to work late, and I'm all alone at home. I just wanted to call you. Hehe."
If Li Jinhe had been there, she would've gnashed her teeth and called Wen Nuan a two-faced little imp. But Qian's mother, holding her phone, beamed with joy and responded in a gentle tone.
"Xiao Nuan, Han Qian left you alone at home just to work overtime? Did he at least cook for you? Are you hungry?"
"He did cook. Mom, I caught a cold."
"A cold? Did you take your medicine? And Han Qian left you at home sick? Lao Han, you better talk to your son! Does he not know what's more important—his work or his wife?"
"Wait, wait, Mom, don't get upset. Han Qian went with me to get an injection yesterday. I just missed you. Mom, I want to eat your dumplings."
"You want dumplings? I'll start making them right now! I'll freeze them tonight, and send them with the morning shuttle. You can just boil them whenever you want."
Hearing her mother-in-law's hurried footsteps through the phone, Wen Nuan couldn't help it. She covered her mouth, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She truly loved her mother-in-law. Li Jinhe met all her material needs, but for everything else, she had to turn to Lao Wen. And now, just for saying she wanted dumplings, her mother-in-law was already bustling about, even planning how to deliver them.
"Mom… Can I come back for the New Year?"
Wen Nuan's voice trembled slightly. There was a brief silence on the other end, as if her words had caught her mother-in-law off guard. Then came a voice brimming with delight.
"Lao Han! Xiao Nuan's coming back for New Year! I need to plan—she loves crab! I'll buy some and keep them alive until she gets here. Xiao Nuan, you better not be teasing me again. Last year, you said you'd come back and didn't!"
Wen Nuan couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears flowed freely as she nodded vigorously.
"Mom, I'll be back by Little New Year. I'll spend it with you. Please take care of yourself. I… I'm going to take my medicine now."
She said she would hang up, but listening to her mother-in-law fuss and coo through the phone, she couldn't bear to. The call lasted half an hour until her phone warned it was about to shut down.
Wen Nuan sat on the sofa, weeping and smiling at once.
Illness makes us all fragile. Even someone like Wen Nuan—so strong at work—became vulnerable when sick and alone at home. Hearing the joy in her mother-in-law's voice upon learning she would come home for New Year's, she was deeply moved.
She didn't know how to express how good her mother-in-law was to her. All she remembered was the first New Year she spent at Han Qian's family's old house. Before dawn, her father-in-law had lit the stove, worried she might be cold. The rooster that crowed was sacrificed for breakfast. When she woke up, her mother-in-law held her hand, chattered about the past, and told embarrassing stories about Han Qian. Wen Nuan would cling to her mother-in-law's arm, coquettishly asking for this and that, and her mother-in-law would beam and send her husband off to fetch it.
Wen Nuan didn't realize that, even then, she had grown used to Han Qian, and had opened her heart to accept his parents.
After her phone was charged, she sent a text to Han Qian:
*"Don't you dare tell your parents we're divorced."*
Han Qian stared blankly at the message. Why had she suddenly sent that? The next second, his phone rang. He answered, only to be immediately berated by the old man. Han Qian slumped into his chair in utter defeat.
He had only asked Wen Nuan to reassure Li Jinhe—how did that get back to his mother?
He could still hear the old man's voice: *"You little brat, just wait till you get home."*
And when the old man said that, it meant trouble—he never went back on those words. Not once had Han Qian escaped a promised beating.
That damned woman was sick and still found time to rat him out?
Han Qian called his mother-in-law next. She seemed to be scolding Lao Wen for secretly drinking again. She told Han Qian not to spoil that little rascal too much. In the background, Lao Wen shouted not to bully their daughter, and then Li Jinhe's furious voice pierced Han Qian's eardrums.
"Bully your daughter? Lao Wen, are you listening to yourself? Don't you know what kind of man Han Qian is? You think it's easy? When Wen Nuan caught a cold, he stayed at the hospital with her all night! Which one of us could do that—her father or me, her mother? Han Qian, don't listen to your dad. All couples argue. It's normal."
"Hey! Li Jinhe, that's not fair. For thirty years, you've always been the one tearing me to shreds. You really think I don't have a temper?"
"Want to test it?"
"You should go play cards."
Han Qian quietly ended the call. His mother-in-law's temper could probably even bring Yan Qingqing to heel. She really would throw hands.
Defeated, he sprawled in his chair, covering his face with a book. All he could think about was whether the old man would forget that dreadful promise by New Year's. Hopefully, he would. God, he'd better.
"I'm going to sleep. Wake me in the morning."
To the stunned stares of those around him, Han Qian propped his legs up on a chair and closed his eyes. Su Liang's eye twitched slightly—was this guy not worried at all? Yan Qingqing's eyes were practically spitting fire. She gritted her teeth and hissed:
"Liu Jiulong, go to the security office and tell them to turn off the surveillance in General Affairs. I… I must stay calm… I mustn't get angry… This is the ancestral spirit I invited in… I let him work at Rongyao… I brought this on myself…"
Liu Jiulong broke into a cold sweat.