Chapter Eighty-Four: The First Day of Missing Mianmian

Jian Yan looked into Ruan Mianmian’s eyes; he could not believe that years of infatuation would vanish overnight.
Therefore, she must still have feelings for him.
“Heh—”
Ruan Mianmian let out a cold laugh and asked, “Jian Yan, can you stop indulging in your own fantasies? I stopped liking you ages ago. If you keep saying things like that, I’ll leave right now.”
“Alright, alright.”
Jian Yan conceded, “No matter what, I believe you need time to adjust. You’re here today to visit Grandpa—let’s talk about this later.”
“Later? Who cares about having a ‘later’ with you?”
Ruan Mianmian muttered under her breath as she left her seat and settled down in another single chair.
“Just sit over there, yes, keep your distance.”
She furrowed her brow with a look of deep grievance, warning Jian Yan not to cross any boundaries.
Jian Yan quietly took his seat, his eyes soft and bright, never ceasing to watch her.
How had he never noticed the abundance of little expressions on Ruan Mianmian’s face before?
She’s quite adorable.
Ruan Mianmian, unaware of Jian Yan’s inner musings, continued her verbal sparring with A-Kuan on her phone.
[Boss and the others are back. Qing-ge accompanied Shen Ting to the hospital. The atmosphere at home is really awkward!]
[Ruan-ge, when are you coming back? Why are you visiting that kid’s grandpa from the Jian family? Is there something going on between you two?]
[Boss is in a terrible mood! I’m doomed!]
[Day one of missing Ruan-ge…]
Reading A-Kuan’s endless chatter, Ruan Mianmian took the last two lines and quietly sent them to Jiang Ce.
Jiang Ce: [?]
Meanwhile, A-Kuan, holding the screenshot, asked Ruan Mianmian:
[Ruan-ge, Boss sent me a question mark. What does it mean? Did you sell me out?]
Ruan Mianmian ignored him and messaged Jiang Ce directly:
[I think you’re too dull. A-Kuan is much more fun. You should learn from him.]
Jiang Ce: [?] I think you don’t want to have a serious conversation.
Ruan Mianmian pressed her lips together, fighting back a smile.
A-Kuan: [Ruan-ge? Boss says he should learn from me. What does that mean? Ahhhhh! What did you tell him?]

Ruan Mianmian: [Calm down, he’s praising you.]
A-Kuan, crying emoji: [Do you see me calming down?]
Staring at the chat box with A-Kuan, Ruan Mianmian saw another message pop up and clicked back to check.
Jiang Ce: [Day one of missing Mianmian.]
“Hehehehahaha—”
Unable to help herself, Ruan Mianmian hugged her phone and collapsed onto the sofa, laughing until her whole body shook.
Jian Yan glanced at her; his look was easy enough to interpret.
“Can you…” act like a normal person?
He paused, then changed his approach, “Did you see something funny?”
Ruan Mianmian shot him a look, as if to say: Don’t think I don’t know you’re about to mock me again.
“I’m not telling you!”
“Oh…”
Thus, their conversation drifted aimlessly as time ticked by. At three in the afternoon, the old gentleman finally emerged from his room.
“That medicine knocks me out for half the day, I barely got to talk to my girl Ruan,” he complained, laughing as he spoke to Ruan Mianmian, clearly fond of her.
“We can chat anytime, but your health matters most, Grandpa Jian,”
Ruan Mianmian said a few pleasant words, making the old man beam.
Jian Xiu said, “If Yan had a personality as likable as yours, I wouldn’t have to see him with that stiff face every day!”
Ruan Mianmian replied, “You’re not alone. In the company, everyone has to deal with his sour mood—he’s the general manager, after all. But to be fair, he’s a decent GM; the company is well managed.”
A look of satisfaction flashed in the old man’s eyes, “He only amounts to something at work. The rest is a mess!”
“Oh, right, my girl Ruan.”
Suddenly remembering something, Grandpa Jian turned to ask, “You work at Yan’s company, right? What’s your current position? I recall you were a supervisor before?”
Ruan Mianmian smiled, “Times have changed. I’ve been promoted—I’m now a director!”
“Good, good, good!”
Grandpa Jian patted her hand in praise, “With you by Yan’s side, I feel at ease. You must help Grandpa and keep an eye on him.”
Ruan Mianmian’s heart skipped; she replied frankly, “He’s a grown man. He hardly needs me to watch over him.”
The disdain in her tone was unmistakable.

The old man picked up his cane and jabbed it twice at Jian Yan’s leg. Jian Yan didn’t dodge, simply smiling and accepting it.
“You rascal, don’t bully my girl Ruan! She works in your company; don’t let her suffer!”
With the old man acting so protective, Jian Yan could only shake his head in resignation. Ruan Mianmian seemed more like his own granddaughter.
Jian Yan gave a wry smile, “Grandpa, look at her sharp tongue—who could make her suffer? Even I’m on the receiving end these days.”
“Hahaha.”
Grandpa Jian laughed heartily, praising Ruan Mianmian, “Excellent, you’ve got spirit. I hope you’ll be Yan’s right-hand at work. That way, this old man can rest easy.”
You’re resting easy a bit too soon.
Ruan Mianmian thought to herself, planning to sell her shares someday and enjoy a life of leisure.
But in front of Grandpa Jian, she had to nod obediently.
“Don’t worry, Grandpa Jian.”
Jian Yan lifted his gaze, his eyes brimming with laughter as he looked at her.
Evening descended, darkness gathering.
The villa welcomed several more friends and relatives from the Jian family, though Ruan Mianmian didn’t recognize a single one—not even their faces were familiar.
While everyone bustled about, vying for the old man’s attention, Ruan Mianmian quietly retreated to the side.
After all, compared to these people, she was just an outsider.
“Ruan Mianmian? You actually came?”
A young woman, dressed in a short skirt and meticulous makeup, looking about twenty, abruptly blocked Ruan Mianmian’s path.
Ruan Mianmian studied her carefully, searching her memory for any information about this person—but found nothing.
“And you are?”
Zhao Qingfei looked at her in surprise and asked, “You don’t recognize me?”
Ruan Mianmian had little patience; she sensed the hostility in Zhao Qingfei’s eyes and knew instantly this was no friend.
“Are you Chairman Mao? Does everyone have to know you?”
With a scornful turn, she prepared to walk past, but Zhao Qingfei stubbornly blocked her way.
Mocking, she sneered, “Well, you’ve got an attitude now. What, did my brother treat you nicely so you’ve forgotten your own name?”