Chapter One Hundred: Seeking Refinement of Mind and Spirit

Ruan Mianmian’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at that remark.

“Your woman?”

Jian Yanzhi’s thin lips pressed together slightly as he said indifferently, “She’s my employee, and you’re the one I like. Of course you’re both mine.”

“.....”

Vulgar. Unbearably vulgar.

Corny. Insufferably corny.

Faced with Jian Yanzhi’s sudden declaration, Ruan Mianmian made a retching face and said coldly, “Do you really have to disgust me this much just for Wang Yue?”

With that, she turned on her heel and was about to leave.

Jian Yanzhi hurried after her again, smiling in surrender. “All right, all right, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s talk business.”

Ruan Mianmian said impatiently, “What business is there between you and me?”

“Then let’s talk about something not so businesslike?”

Ruan Mianmian pressed her lips together and looked at him in silence, her temper clearly nearing its boiling point.

If he said one more useless word, she would explode on the spot.

The corner of Jian Yanzhi’s mouth lifted faintly. “Grandfather’s birthday banquet is coming up soon. He’s been talking about you these past few days, too. Come earlier that day.”

Ruan Mianmian’s expression turned serious, then she nodded. “I remember. I won’t be late.”

“Good.”

Jian Yanzhi looked hesitant, then made an expression as if he had something to say but could not bring himself to speak.

Ruan Mianmian disliked that drawn-out, dithering manner, so she said bluntly, “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t drag it out. It’s annoying to look at.”

“Fine, fine.”

Jian Yanzhi nodded with a bright smile, indulging her completely, and said in a pleasant voice, “I remember your birthday was in July, right? I didn’t keep you company then, so I prepared a gift now and wanted to make it up to you.”

A cold smile touched Ruan Mianmian’s lips. She licked her red lips and looked away.

“Jian Yanzhi, could you stop being this ridiculous? My birthday was in July, and now it’s already September. Bringing it up now just to embarrass me?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I know you must feel uncomfortable, but I’m trying my best to make it up to you, all right?”

As he spoke, Jian Yanzhi reached into his trouser pocket and fumbled around.

“Take a look. Do you like it?”

In his hand was a small red velvet box. Judging by the size, it ought to contain a ring or something of the sort.

Ruan Mianmian suddenly had a premonition that she had seen this thing before.

Seeing that she did not take it, Jian Yanzhi opened the box on his own.

Inside lay a delicate little diamond ring, simple and elegant, glimmering brilliantly under the light.

“Didn’t you used to like the ring I wear a lot? So I specially bought another one. It’s a pair with the one on my hand. I’m giving it to you.”

After speaking, Jian Yanzhi lifted his hand slightly. The ring on his middle finger shone brightly and dazzlingly.

Ruan Mianmian seemed struck dumb. She froze at once.

Back then, the original owner had secretly bought one long ago, wanting to wear the same ring as Jian Yanzhi.

Afraid that if Jian Yanzhi saw it, he would throw away the ring on his own hand, she only dared to wear it in secret, cherishing in her heart the beautiful dream of the two of them wearing matching rings.

But later, in the hospital, when Ruan Mianmian went to find Jiang Ce, she gave that ring to a taxi driver to cover the fare.

She had not expected Jian Yanzhi to be holding such a ring up before her now.

How ironic.

Ruan Mianmian’s eyes were icy. Her gaze was calm, and facing Jian Yanzhi, she suddenly felt boundless emotion welling up inside.

She looked at the ring on Jian Yanzhi’s hand and said quietly, “If the old Ruan Mianmian were still here, seeing this scene, she’d probably be overjoyed to the point of madness.”

“What do you mean? Don’t you feel happy seeing it now?”

Ruan Mianmian pursed her lips, looked into Jian Yanzhi’s eyes, and said coldly, “Jian Yanzhi, I don’t care what motive you have for treating me well now, but I can tell you clearly: I don’t like you anymore, and I won’t be happy. That’s all.”

With that, Ruan Mianmian sidestepped him and strode straight to the door.

The main door opened, and Duan Lingyue’s astonished face instantly came into view.

From her expression, she had probably heard most of it.

Ruan Mianmian did not pay her any mind and left directly.

Duan Lingyue was stunned. Her mind was filled with only one thought after another.

The general manager actually really fell for Director Ruan!!!

And Director Ruan actually rejected the general manager’s confession!!!

Oh heavens!

Big news!

Carrying that mindset, Duan Lingyue, still dazed, walked into Jian Yanzhi’s office with the documents in her hands.

Ruan Mianmian’s mood was rather complicated. After returning to the design department, she sat quietly by herself at her desk.

Everyone could tell she was in a bad mood. Added to the matters involving Wang Yue and Meng Xueying, not a single person in the office dared provoke her at the moment.

Her formidable presence had already intimidated everyone.

Ruan Mianmian angrily pulled out her phone and sent Jiang Ce a message.

She said: I want to commit a crime.

Jiang Ce did not reply. He called directly instead.

The abrupt ringtone sounded through the quiet office, and everyone looked up, searching around with reproachful faces.

Only after nearly everyone’s gaze had gathered in one place did they hurriedly pretend they saw nothing and turn their heads away again.

Ruan Mianmian took her phone and went straight into the pantry.

The pantry was a separate room. It had originally been a conference room, later converted into a tea room, with a place to rest as well.

Ruan Mianmian found a corner to sit in and casually answered the call.

“What is it? Why did it take you so long to answer?”

Jiang Ce’s deep voice, tinged with a hint of urgency, came through the phone and settled fully into Ruan Mianmian’s ears.

“Ah.”

Ruan Mianmian sighed to herself and said softly, “I’m in a bad mood. I want to do something to cultivate my mind and spirit.”

“Why are you in a bad mood? What happened?”

“The main point is actually the second half.”

Far away at Sea Star Bay, Jiang Ce immediately stepped out of the room.

A Kuan was startled by the sharp force of his bearing. “Boss, what’s wrong?”

“Prepare the car. We’re going to the Vast Sea Group.”

“Huh?”

A Kuan was surprised.

Ruan Mianmian heard everything on the other end of the phone.

She curved her lips and said without changing expression, “Jiang Ce, why are you in such a hurry?”

“What do you think?”

Having been talked back to, Ruan Mianmian covered her mouth and tried hard not to laugh.

Switching the phone to her other hand, Ruan Mianmian said calmly, “I want to skip work. I want to go cultivate my mind and spirit.”

Jiang Ce sighed helplessly, yet his voice carried a trace of indulgence as he said, “Say it like a human being.”

“I want to go drink!”

“.....”

Jiang Ce froze for a moment, then a few lazy traces of a smile rose at once on his face. He asked, “That’s what you call cultivating your mind and spirit?”

“If not, then what?”

Jiang Ce lowered his voice on purpose. “Just you wait!”

Wait then.

Ruan Mianmian hung up, her mood improved at once, and returned to the office, where she began packing her things.

Beside her, Xiang Nuan watched in a daze and asked, “Director, are you going to...” go do what?

Before she could finish, Ruan Mianmian answered directly, “Skip work and go drinking.”