Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 23: Sarcastic Remarks

“Is that so? We’ll talk about it another time! As for you, did you pull over just because you saw me here, or are you here on business?” Li Xiaowan didn’t want to continue the previous topic, so she skillfully changed the subject. “Me? I was on my way to your Company to look for someone. Sister Xiaowan, seeing the documents in your hand, are you heading back to the office too?” Feng Yan said, glancing at the documents in Li Xiaowan’s hands. “Yes, I was just about to head back when I unexpectedly ran into you here.” Li Xiaowan thought to herself, Feng Yan must be looking for her second older brother! “So it seems you’re meant to cross paths with someone from The Feng Family. Let’s walk back together—it’ll save you from having to hail a cab. It’s probably hard to get one at this hour,” Feng Yan emphasized. Li Xiaowan thought for a moment; Feng Yan had a point. “In that case, I’ll gladly accept your offer. Thank you, Feng Yan.” “We’re about to become family—no need to be so formal with me. Come on, let’s get in the Mercedes-Benz and continue our chat.” Feng Yan enthusiastically took Li Xiaowan’s hand and led her to the Mercedes-Benz. Before they had even settled into their seats, Feng Yan continued, “Sister Xiaowan, I feel like we really hit it off. Since I don’t have a biological older sister, would you mind if I treated you like my own?” Feng Yan seemed eager to get close to Li Xiaowan. “I don’t mind, but don’t you have two older brothers who love you so much?” Li Xiaowan hadn’t intended to say anything at first, and she certainly didn’t want to be Feng Yan’s “sister,” but since Feng Yan kept talking, she felt it would be rude not to respond. “Oh, don’t even mention them! They’re always so busy. When I was little, they used to take turns playing with me, but now that they’re grown up, they can hardly spare a single day to spend with me.” Feng Yan’s tone was full of complaint. Haha! It probably wasn’t quite as she described it. Just thinking back to that day at the Feng Family Estate, one could guess that Feng Yan was undoubtedly the apple of their eyes—so why wouldn’t they be at her beck and call? Rich people with nothing to do all day probably just like to let their minds wander. I don’t know if she was just complaining or deliberately showing off in front of me. If it was the latter, it was really unnecessary. “Is that so? Maybe he really is too busy!” Li Xiaowan didn’t want to discuss the person she disliked with Feng Yan any further. “Sister Xiaowan, you really do know how to be considerate. When I get back, I’ll definitely tell my second brother to turn this charade into reality. What do you think?” Feng Yan’s tone carried a hint of sarcasm. “Feng Yan, I appreciate your good intentions, but there’s really no need. I know exactly where I stand.” Li Xiaowan caught the underlying meaning in Feng Yan’s words. She had indeed underestimated Feng Yan—and, more importantly, the outlook on life, values, and social norms held by the wealthy. But what could she do? Was she supposed to snap back, get into an argument with Feng Yan, or even slap her across the face and tell her to stop acting like a self-righteous rich girl? As things stood, none of these solutions made any sense to Li Xiaowan, because she had never even considered getting involved with anyone from The Feng Family in the first place. So she didn’t mind if they continued to belittle her. “Sister Xiaowan, there’s no need to be modest. They don’t understand you, but I do. Since we’re both women, women really do understand each other best.” ” In truth, Feng Yan looked down on people like Li Xiaowan from the bottom of her heart and was even more reluctant to have anything to do with her. As for her half-hearted small talk with Li Xiaowan, it was, first, to assert her own sense of superiority; and second, to mock Li Xiaowan, hoping she would back down and, more importantly, stop daydreaming. If Feng Yan could see through Li Xiaowan’s true intentions—if she knew that Li Xiaowan had never once intended to marry into The Feng Family and that everything she’d done was out of sheer desperation—perhaps she wouldn’t be so sarcastic. But as the saying goes, a woman’s heart is as inscrutable as the depths of the sea; who can say for sure? “You’re right. Oh! We’re at the Company.” As soon as Li Xiaowan saw they had arrived at the base of the Company building, she felt an indescribable sense of relief—finally, she wouldn’t have to endure that oppressive atmosphere in the car any longer. “Sister Xiaowan, time really flies when I’m chatting with you. I feel like we really click. Come on, let’s go in together.” Feng Yan pretended to be enthusiastic as she took Li Xiaowan’s hand, and they got out of the car and walked into the lobby. This scene inevitably caused quite a stir, though none of the people around them recognized Feng Yan. They simply saw a stunningly beautiful woman—who looked like a heavenly being and was dressed in a limited-edition designer outfit—cheerfully leading Li Xiaowan, who was wearing a business suit and exuded almost no presence whatsoever, toward the elevator. To be precise, it was the stark contrast between the two that inevitably sparked intense curiosity among the onlookers. People are easily influenced by novelty, and it is precisely because of these novel elements that one is more likely to lose their original sense of perception and judgment. To Feng Yan, the curious and strange glances from those around her were deeply satisfying. This was exactly the kind of attention she craved—the effect of being “loved by all, making flowers bloom, and cars stop to pick her up.” At the same time, she took even greater pleasure in hearing others disparage and point fingers at the person beside her. As for Li Xiaowan, she didn’t care; after all, it was the truth, and besides, how could she possibly control what others thought? “Sister Xiaowan, I’m taking the private elevator, so let’s say goodbye here for now. Let’s hang out again next time!” Feng Yan said with a look of satisfaction. “I don’t think we need to say goodbye just yet, since I’m also taking the private elevator up,” Li Xiaowan replied calmly. However, Li Xiaowan’s reply made Feng Yan feel a bit embarrassed. To her, it was like being slapped in the face, though she didn’t let it show. Instead, she put on a cheerful act and said, ““That’s just perfect! I was actually worried that once we parted ways this time, I wouldn’t know when we’d see each other again, so I was really reluctant to leave. I never expected we’d get to spend a little more time together. Maybe fate doesn’t want us to part so soon, hehe! Sister Xiaowan, what are you doing on the top floor?” “I work on the top floor—I was just transferred there two days ago,” Li Xiaowan said casually. As for Feng Yan’s attitude or behavior, she didn’t care in the slightest at that moment. “Really? Well, congratulations! As far as I know, the people who work on the top floor are the cream of the crop at the Company. To celebrate your promotion, I’ll treat you to a meal sometime!” Feng Yan said with a straight face. “Thanks, but I’ll pass!” Li Xiaowan couldn’t help thinking to herself: A meal like that would probably be uncomfortable to sit through. The moment Li Xiaowan finished speaking, the elevator had already reached the top floor. Stepping out, the two walked one in front of the other toward the same direction. “Miss, are you looking for someone? Can I help you?” Fu Xiyue noticed the sudden appearance of a beautiful stranger and felt a twinge of curiosity. However, as part of her duties as a secretary, she quickly set aside her curiosity, walked up to Feng Yan with a smile, and asked respectfully. Anyone who could reach the top floor was no ordinary person. The private elevator required a special Company-issued access card to operate, and aside from those escorted up by reception staff for business meetings, it seemed no one had ever gone up to the top floor alone—except, of course, for Feng Lingzheng and Ye, who had appeared not long ago. However, they kept a very low profile; even Li Lingling and Fu Xiyue, with their keen eyes, still had no idea who they really were. Of course, they hadn’t failed to notice that Li Xiaowan was trailing behind; it was just that their intuition told them this beautiful woman before them had certainly not gained access through Li Xiaowan’s assistance. This wasn’t because they looked down on Li Xiaowan, but rather a judgment based on the experience they’d accumulated over many years of working as secretaries. Li Lingling, standing nearby, gave Li Xiaowan a subtle nod, but Li Xiaowan couldn’t bring herself to reveal Feng Yan’s identity at that moment. What if Feng Yan didn’t want anyone at the Company to know? Wouldn’t that mean she’d be causing trouble? So, she could only shake her head helplessly at Li Lingling. “Thanks, but no thanks,” Feng Yan replied bluntly. After speaking, she ignored Fu Xiyue’s professional attempt to block her way, simply shoving Fu Xiyue aside and walking straight into Yu Feilan’s office. That single shove nearly caused Fu Xiyue’s lower back to collide with the corner of the desk. Fortunately, Li Xiaowan was quick on her feet and reached out to steady Fu Xiyue just in time, saving her from the danger; otherwise, that collision would have certainly been excruciating. Fu Xiyue shot Li Xiaowan a grateful glance and said, “Xiaowan, thank you.” Li Xiaowan smiled back and replied, “Don’t mention it—it’s only natural!” Li Lingling and Fu Xiyue had originally intended to ask a few questions, but realizing this wasn’t the time for small talk, they both decided to go back to their work. Li Xiaowan hadn’t wanted to go back into the assistants’ office, but when she remembered she still had important documents to hand over to Yu Feilan, she steeled herself and walked in. Judging from what she’d just seen, Feng Yan must have come to find Yu Feilan—she’d misjudged the situation earlier. It made sense, though; as her brother’s close friend, it wasn’t surprising that she’d come looking for him. However, the moment she stepped into the assistants’ office, she witnessed a rather unsightly scene—though she couldn’t entirely blame herself, since the door to Yu Feilan’s inner office was wide open. Li Xiaowan looked up and saw Feng Yan with her arms tightly wrapped around Yu Feilan’s neck. Her feet were off the ground, shifting her entire weight onto Yu Feilan, as she asked in a coquettish voice, “Brother Lan, did you miss me a lot? I missed you so much,I actually wanted to come see you at Company the very day I got back to the country, but my older brothers wouldn’t let me. They said I should unpack the things I brought back first before coming. Brother Lan, you’re not mad at me, are you?” “Yan'er, how could Brother Lan possibly blame you? Come down quickly—otherwise, you’re going to break my old back,” Yu Feilan said helplessly. If he hadn’t been so absorbed in his work just now, he would have heard Feng Yan’s voice. Had he heard her, he certainly would have stopped her in time and prevented her from making such an intimate gesture right there in the office. “Oh, I’m sorry!” Feng Yan quickly released her arms from around Yu Feilan’s neck. “That’s not right, Brother Lan. You’re teasing me again. What do you mean, ‘old back’? You’re only a few years older than me.” After saying this, Feng Yan reached out her “claws” once more—though this time, she chose to wrap both arms around Yu Feilan’s arms. Deep down, Feng Yan knew her limits; she wouldn’t do anything that might make the person she cared about feel uncomfortable.