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墨書 Inktalez
"Why are you here when the couple is arguing?"
"I'm not here to mediate; I'm here to comfort my aunt."
Jian Yunong lowered her head, looking at her toes. "Anyway, I can't help with anything here."
Her tone was somewhat downcast. Huo Jincheng didn't know what had happened to her; she had seemed quite happy just a moment ago.
It was indeed boring to stay here. Huo Jincheng understood Jian Yunong's feelings. He brought her along just to ensure her safety, at least during this special time, he wanted to avoid any contact with people she might not get along with.
"Alright. I'll send someone to take you there."
...
Although Mist Shenshen was pregnant, she was really busy when Jian Yunong arrived; she was practicing prenatal yoga.
Ji Shaoli had hired a special instructor for one-on-one guidance.
Mist Shenshen's belly looked like an inflated balloon, which surprised Jian Yunong. Usually, when Mist Shenshen wore winter clothes, her belly wasn't as noticeable as it was in the tight-fitting sportswear. With the belly in comparison, the rest of Mist Shenshen's body appeared very slender, especially from behind; it was hard to tell she was pregnant.
Her movements were also quite agile, except for bending backward; during those moments, she would slow down.
At that moment, Jian Yunong saw the maternal instinct in her aunt.
Her aunt probably loved the child in her belly just like Ji Shaoli did.
"What are you doing here? I'm busy and don't have time to entertain you," Mist Shenshen said with a hint of disdain in her tone.
Jian Yunong threw herself onto the sofa and, once lying down, didn't want to get up. That feeling of dejection enveloped her body. "Aunt, I just went to work at the company with Huo Jincheng. But I couldn't even handle the simplest task of organizing files."
Mist Shenshen exhaled, ignoring her.
“Huo Jincheng probably sees me as a key person to protect now. In the past, he would criticize me for not doing well, but now... I can't even handle such a simple task, and he hasn't said anything.”
Jian Yunong leaned to one side, feeling like a salted fish; what difference was there between a life without dreams and abilities and that of a salted fish?
Mist Shenshen completed the last action and then walked over to the sofa where Jian Yunong was sitting. With her belly getting bigger, it was inconvenient to bend down and poke her, so she could only look down at her with disappointment. “What’s there to be so dejected about? You should be happy that Huo Jincheng treats you like his wife rather than just wanting a capable secretary. Being a secretary is something anyone with money can do; there are countless people who can fill that role. But can a wife be replaced like that? You are being unclear about your own position.”
Jian Yunong pouted, “I don’t think I’m that weak.”
Mist Shenshen laughed, hands on her hips, not holding back her amusement. “What? You’re not that weak? Nong Nong, you’re just a little woman. Why do you have to force yourself into something that doesn’t suit you? No matter how hard you try, even if you manage to climb up to a supervisory position in the workplace, it will take many years. Especially in the hotel industry, if you don’t have any background, there’s hardly any room for promotion. Those frontline employees start as room attendants, get promoted to team leaders, then to supervisors, and they can’t even have children in between; otherwise, their positions might be taken by someone else. I’ve seen women who finally became team leaders lose their positions due to pregnancy and have to start all over again as attendants when they return.”
“Well, that’s the hotel industry... it’s a bit special.” Jian Yunong was somewhat incredulous as she sat up straight from the sofa. “Other industries can’t be that harsh, right?”
Mist Shenshen looked at Jian Yunong as if she were a very naive child. “The whole society is like this. Do you know why there are feminist movements? Do you know how many difficulties women face when job hunting? Not to mention the inherent advantages men have; isn’t there also mutual harm among women? When I was at Dynasty Hotel, while I was seriously discussing with clients, someone actually said I was selling myself? The person spreading those malicious rumors was my superior at the time; she was afraid I would take her position.”
Jian Yunong’s small face drooped as she listened, feeling scared. She wasn’t particularly smart or resilient and didn’t handle pressure well... it felt like she couldn’t find a single advantage in herself.
Mist Shenshen sat down on the nearby sofa with an assertive posture. “Auntie says all this just to tell you: everyone has their own way of pursuing happiness. Some are suited for the workplace, while others are suited for family life.”
“Isn’t there anyone who can balance both?”
“Difficult.” Mist Shenshen wiped the sweat from her forehead. “And it can be very hard. Auntie doesn’t want you to have a tough time.”
There was something Mist Shenshen didn’t say: did Jian Yunong really think she could manage both work and life? Dream on!
In Mist Shenshen’s eyes, Jian Yunong was just an oversized child; although she had become more obedient than before, she still managed to get into trouble.
But Mist Shenshen’s tone softened. “I hope you don’t get stuck in your own thoughts. Your current mental state needs you to work on calming your mindset.”
Before Jian Yunong arrived, Mist Shenshen received a call from Huo Jincheng.
The man, who was very arrogant and had the qualifications to be so, told Mist Shenshen over the phone that he hoped she could guide Jian Yunong a bit more, preferably in a gentle manner, and not poke her in the forehead.
Huo Jincheng actually emphasized this point quite strongly.
Mist Shenshen snorted inwardly; she had been poking Jian Yunong since she was little.
"You can't eat too much at once. The world doesn't need that many heroes; being a happy ordinary person is also good."
That made sense. Jian Yunong nodded, "Alright."
It sounded a bit reluctant. Mist Shenshen looked down on her, "Marrying Huo Jincheng means you are destined to be anything but ordinary. Don't cling to your old thoughts; living day by day like a little monk banging a bell won't do. Do you know why fairy tales always end with the prince and his beloved girl living happily ever after? Fairy tales are deceptive; marriage is just the beginning of life's journey. Starting tomorrow, you will take various etiquette courses."
Anyone who has graduated instinctively feels a headache at the mention of classes and covers their head. "Auntie, I think I might be sick. I want to go home and lie down."
"The business of Mr. Huo is getting bigger, and so will the company. When there are internal parties in the group or other occasions requiring a partner, who will he take? If you don't know anything, what will you do then? Will you come running back to me? Haven't you weaned yet?"
Jian Yunong glanced at her aunt's chest and shivered.
Mist Shenshen patiently reasoned with her, "You can't always let the secretary accompany him."
"But Auntie... we agreed at the beginning to have a secret marriage! This is a secret marriage!"
Mist Shenshen elongated her voice while rubbing her big belly, "But didn't you say you hated Huo Jincheng back then? Now you've fallen in love with him."
Jian Yunong pointed at her fingers and whispered, "Auntie, what if I can't even learn these courses well?"
Mist Shenshen was really about to blow her top if she had one, "You haven't even started learning yet, and you're already backing out! Your grandfather would rise from the ground to scold you."
"You'll hit me first. You refuse to marry the child's father, leaving his grandson without a dad!"
Mist Shenshen's bravado instantly faded as she leaned back on the sofa. "I really miss him. It’s only when you reach a certain age that you realize how many of Dad's words actually made sense. By the time I understood, he was already gone."
Mist Shenshen actually cried.
Jian Yunong was startled and immediately jumped up from the sofa, no longer pretending to be indifferent, and hurriedly handed over a tissue.
Mist Shenshen pressed her eyes and lowered her head. Jian Yunong couldn't see her expression and could only hear her heavy tone filled with deep longing. "Auntie doesn't want you to become like me."
Jian Yunong smiled cheerfully. "I've already gotten married! My baby can't possibly be without a legal father."
Mist Shenshen's movements paused. Her temper had become even more unpredictable since becoming pregnant. Just moments ago she was crying, and now she wanted to give Jian Yunong a good beating. "What I mean is, I don't want you to understand my good intentions only after I'm gone. I don't want you to take the wrong path."
"Auntie, you will live a long life." Jian Yunong pouted her face against Mist Shenshen's knee in a playful manner. "We're not that far apart in age; we'll both be very happy."
Mist Shenshen ruffled Jian Yunong's hair until it became a mess before stopping. "Hmph, my goal isn't to live to a hundred."
Jian Yunong covered her mouth and laughed. "So your goal is to live for a thousand years?"
"I wish I could live for a thousand years!"
"That will happen, of course! After all, disasters live for a thousand years; someone as beautiful as you will definitely live for a very long time."
"…"
At seven o'clock in the evening, the doorbell rang at Mist Shenshen's house.
There were three servants in the house, all hired to take care of Mist Shenshen. One of them went to open the door and was momentarily stunned when they saw the man standing outside.
The male head of the household was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen, but she didn't expect this man to be even more attractive, though he seemed a bit cold in demeanor.
"Hello, may I ask who you are looking for?"
"I am the... nephew-in-law of Mist Shenshen."
This was the first time he had said that title out loud, and he felt a bit unaccustomed to it, almost tripping over his words.
Upon hearing Huo Jincheng's voice, Jian Yunong immediately ran over and joyfully threw herself into his arms for a warm hug.
Huo Jincheng patted her messy little head, feeling a warmth in his heart; it seemed that Mist Shenshen had successfully cheered up Jian Yunong.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes."
Jian Yunong pulled away from him and noticed that Huo Jincheng was holding expensive skincare products. As if he knew what she was thinking, Huo Jincheng's pleasant voice rang out, "This is for Mist Shenshen."
It was better to call her by her name; referring to her as "your aunt" seemed a bit distant.
Huo Jincheng thought there was nothing wrong with visiting a capable subordinate in his capacity as a leader.
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