Chapter 9: and

Chu Yan said, "Aren't there synthetic diamonds these days? I heard that without professional equipment, you can't tell the difference between those and real ones with the naked eye."

Chu Yan switched to holding Bo Fan's hand and spun around in front of him. "Bo Fan, does this dress look good on me? How about I wear this one for the toasts at our wedding?"

Chu Yan then looked at Yuan Xi. "Sister, will you be my bridesmaid at our wedding?"

Yuan Xi declined, "I'm afraid I can't; I'm quite busy with work."

Bo Fan wasn't joking about wanting to poach Yuan Xi. "Secretary Yuan, I heard from Hanchen that you're resigning. Have you found a new place yet? Fanyan Entertainment is currently looking for a vice president."

Chu Yan looked at Yuan Xi with a nervous expression.

Yuan Xi said, "I haven't found a new place yet, but I'm not considering Fanyan Entertainment either. I want to find a job that's a bit more relaxed."

Bo Fan said, "That's a pity. I thought I might be able to become colleagues with Secretary Yuan."

Chu Yan wrapped her arms tightly around Bo Fan's arm and looked at Yuan Xi with concern.

Yuan Xi pointed to a red dress on display and said to the shop assistant, "I'd like to try that red dress."

The assistant took down the red dress for Yuan Xi to try on.

Chu Yan pulled Bo Fan, wanting to leave; she didn't want Bo Fan to spend too much time with Yuan Xi. "Bo Fan, let's go."

Bo Fan looked at Chu Yan and said, "Aren't you going to change out of that dress?"

"No, I'll just wear it today. I have plenty of other haute couture pieces anyway."

As Bo Fan and Chu Yan exited the shop, Bo Fan saw a young man entering.

The young man was wearing casual clothes that didn't seem to have any logos, and the watch on his wrist was a plain Apple Watch, yet he exuded an indescribable air of nobility.

As soon as Chu Yan saw the Apple Watch on the young man's wrist, she scoffed, "These days, anyone dares to come to a luxury mall. But with 520 coming up, maybe he's been scrimping and saving to buy a luxury bag for his girlfriend as a 520 gift. Bo Fan, let's go."

Huo Shiyan entered the shop just in time to see Yuan Xi walk out wearing a strapless silk red dress.

He had never seen Yuan Xi in a dress; for the past year, whenever he saw her, she was either in a blouse or a suit, or even in the heat of summer, a work skirt.

Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi's fair shoulders, his breathing deepening.

Yuan Xi looked at herself in the mirror and then at Huo Shiyan. "How is it?"

"Very beautiful."

Huo Shiyan took out his phone and snapped a photo of Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi asked, "Why are you taking a picture?"

Huo Shiyan smiled faintly, "To show my grandmother her granddaughter-in-law."

Yuan Xi raised her eyes to look at Huo Shiyan. "Your family knows we're married?"

Huo Shiyan nodded. "Something as big as marriage naturally needs to be told to the family. My family originally wanted to come and see you, but they were all busy, and I was afraid of scaring you, so I stopped them."

Yuan Xi said, "How could I let the elders come to see me? It should be me visiting them."

Huo Shiyan smiled lightly, "After you resign, I'll take you to meet my family."

Yuan Xi nodded, "Okay."

When they returned to Ruohu Mansion, it was already dark.

Yuan Xi looked at the table full of dishes and turned to Huo Shiyan. "Who made this food?"

Huo Shiyan: "The chefs made it. They live in the small villa in the back and usually only come to the main house when there's work to do. They didn't ask what you liked, so they just made a bit of everything."

Yuan Xi said, "So much food; it'll be a waste if we can't finish it."

Huo Shiyan said, "I won't have them make so much in the future. Let's just waste it for today."

As Yuan Xi ate, she wondered where Huo Shiyan had hired the chefs; the flavors were perfectly suited to her.

Yuan Xi: "It's delicious, especially this sweet and sour pork ribs. It's rare to find this authentic way of cooking it outside nowadays; most places just use pre-made, processed ribs. This is the sweet and sour pork ribs I loved as a child."

Huo Shiyan said, "If you like it, eat more."

Yuan Xi rubbed her lower abdomen and said, "I've already eaten quite a bit. I'll put the rest in the fridge and take it to the company for lunch tomorrow. I've been eating at the Michen cafeteria for five years and I'm sick of it."

Huo Shiyan said, "You're pregnant now, you have to be careful about Listeria. It's better to eat less from the fridge. Tomorrow at noon, after the chef cooks it fresh, I'll bring it to you."

Yuan Xi quickly said, "No need, what if I run into Gu Hanchen?"

Huo Shiyan said, "You can come to the underground garage to get it; you won't run into him."

Yuan Xi looked at Huo Shiyan. "President Huo, it's one thing for you to drive me every day, but if you bring me food at noon, that's over a hundred kilometers round trip. Won't that affect your work?"

Huo Shiyan shook his head. "It's fine, it won't affect it. After all, the child in your belly is what's important."

Yuan Xi looked at her lower abdomen; she was indeed benefiting from the two children.

After becoming pregnant, Yuan Xi became particularly sleepy. After showering and working on some business in the study for a while, she realized it was only nine o'clock, yet she was already drowsy.

Huo Shiyan stood beside Yuan Xi, scooped her up, and placed her on the bed. "If you're tired, just sleep."

Yuan Xi noticed the movement, glanced at Huo Shiyan before her, and drifted into a deep sleep.

Huo Shiyan tucked the quilt around Yuan Xi and kissed her forehead lightly. "Good night."

...

With Michen approaching its IPO, Yuan Xi's work was quite busy. She couldn't just abandon Michen and resign without a care.

She started working as soon as she arrived at the company in the morning and was busy until noon. If it weren't for Huo Shiyan's call, she wouldn't have realized it was almost twelve.

Yuan Xi took the elevator to the garage and saw Huo Shiyan's Maybach. She walked to the back seat, where Huo Shiyan opened the small table and set out the food.

Seeing the steaming sweet and sour pork ribs, Yuan Xi's appetite was piqued.

Huo Shiyan peeled shrimp for Yuan Xi. "These shrimp were caught in Ruohu Lake this morning. Try them."

Yuan Xi took the peeled shrimp from Huo Shiyan and smiled faintly. "Delicious. The shrimp and crabs from Ruohu Lake are the best."

Huo Shiyan said, "I also think the shrimp and crabs from Ruohu Lake are the best. During the years I studied in the United States, I missed them very much."

Yuan Xi coughed and said, "What a coincidence, I had a friend who also studied in the United States. When he first went there, he would call me every day saying he wanted to eat Ruohu Lake's shrimp and crabs."

Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi. "Your friend?"

Yuan Xi nodded: "A childhood friend. After he went abroad for middle school, we gradually lost touch. It's been nearly thirteen or fourteen years without a word. I wonder how he's doing now."

Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi. She didn't recognize him?

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The Maybach door was knocked on. Huo Shiyan rolled down the window and saw Gu Hanchen standing outside.

Gu Hanchen saw Yuan Xi sitting in the back of the Maybach, biting into a rib, and was stunned. "President Huo, it really is you. I said this license plate looked like yours. Why is Yuan Xi in your car... eating?"

Huo Shiyan said, "Secretary Yuan is reporting the June budget report and new game data to me. To save time, we're eating while she reports."

"There's no need to squeeze into a car to eat, is there?" Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi. "Why didn't you notify me when President Huo arrived? And you let President Huo accompany you to eat in the underground garage? How rude!"

Gu Hanchen then looked at Huo Shiyan fawningly and smiled, "President Huo, let's go to my office to talk."

Huo Shiyan looked at Yuan Xi and said, "Wait until Secretary Yuan finishes her meal. She's a pregnant woman and can't go hungry, which is why we're reporting and eating in the underground garage."

Gu Hanchen looked at Yuan Xi and said, "You know Secretary Yuan is pregnant too? Sigh, Yuan Xi only cares about her and that wild man's child now, abandoning me and our child."

"Cough, cough, cough."

Yuan Xi coughed, spraying food all over the back seat.

Huo Shiyan raised an eyebrow at Gu Hanchen outside the car. "Where did you get a child?"

Yuan Xi coughed twice: "Gu Hanchen, where did we get a child?"