Chapter 212: A Door Apart

Chapter 212: Chapter 212: A Door Apart

"Do I look like that kind of person?"

Jiang Fan wanted to roll his eyes into the back of his head.

"You don’t. But if you really help me get through this ordeal, I’ll give you a raise. You can do whatever you want at the company."

"Do I look like I care about your money? I’m here helping you because I cherish our friendship!"

"Can you really put a price on feelings!!!"

Jiang Fan declared righteously.

His words made Li Muwan feel a bit ashamed of herself.

"Just give me back my bonus."

The very next second, Jiang Fan’s righteous facade crumbled.

Li Muwan: ...

"Fine, fine, fine! It’s yours!"

Li Muwan gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Alright then. Don’t just stand there gawking. Let’s go."

"They’ll be here any minute."

Jiang Fan was very happy to be getting his bonus back.

The two of them pushed open the door and went inside.

A single sentence from Li Jiaxiang made them both freeze in place.

"How about we go out for a walk in a bit?"

"It’ll be a good chance to see what your life together is usually like."

"What!!!"

They were both stunned.

’If the four of them went downstairs, they’d see Mengmeng come running, shouting "Daddy!" and crashing right into Jiang Fan’s arms.’

Li Muwan couldn’t even bear to imagine the scene.

There would be no coming back from that.

"Ahem... Uncle, Auntie, I have some work I need to handle. I have to go down to the car and grab my laptop for a bit."

"Can I spend time with you two after I come back up later this evening?"

"Something urgent came up at work. You saw how long I was on the phone..."

Jiang Fan put on an apologetic expression.

"Oh, I see. That’s all right, you go ahead and get to work. Wan can take us for a walk."

Zhou Jing was very understanding.

But right now, her understanding had become an insurmountable mountain standing between Jiang Fan and Li Muwan.

"Jiang Fan, you go handle your work. It’s fine, I have something I want to talk to my parents about anyway."

"Hurry, but come back soon. We’ll wait for you here."

Li Muwan shoved Jiang Fan out the door as quickly as she could.

’She really came through in a pinch.’

The moment he was out the door, Jiang Fan called Yin Ruxue as he sprinted downstairs.

He knew Yin Ruxue too well. If she said she’d be there in 20 minutes, she would likely arrive in 10.

She always gave herself a buffer.

After that delay, he was terrified Yin Ruxue might come straight upstairs.

Meanwhile, inside the apartment, Li Muwan was left to face the pressure from her parents all by herself.

"What is it you wanted to tell us? And why haven’t you told us about something this important?"

"If we hadn’t backed you into a corner this time, you wouldn’t have told us at all, would you?"

Zhou Jing sat down next to her daughter, asking angrily.

Her tone, however, revealed just how close the mother and daughter were.

They weren’t like a traditional parent and child.

"Mommm... It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I just didn’t think the time was right."

"Then when *would* be the right time? When you come home with a baby bump?"

Li Jiaxiang snorted heavily.

"That would be a complete disgrace! How could I face your grandfather? How could I face Mr. Liu?"

Seeing her father’s furious expression, Li Muwan didn’t dare to argue. She just shrank back and hid in her mother’s embrace.

"What are you doing? Stop scaring our daughter."

Zhou Jing shot Li Jiaxiang a fierce glare, like a tigress protecting her cub.

"I was against it from the beginning! You were the one who insisted on this arranged marriage, this betrothal made before they were even born."

"Going on and on about how wonderful the Liu family’s eldest son is. So what? Are we any less than them?"

"I don’t care. My daughter will not be mistreated. Whoever she likes is the best choice."

Seeing the signs of his wife’s rising anger, Li Jiaxiang’s expression remained unchanged, but he subtly edged away, creating a little distance between them.

Li Muwan was struggling so hard to hold back her laughter.

She had always known her father was obsessed with his pride but terrified of his wife. She just never had the chance to see it in action. Now that she had, it was impossible not to laugh.

"Wan, where is this young man from? He seems so distinguished, and he’s already the manager of the planning department. He must be quite exceptional, right?"

But doting aside, there were still questions that needed clear answers.

At this, Li Muwan’s face lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "He’s incredible! He’s organized several major marketing campaigns, and every single one was a complete success."

"On the campaign we collaborated on, he even nearly tanked Fengming Group’s stock price."

"He managed to fleece them for over two hundred million, nearly three hundred million."

Seeing their daughter’s expression, the old couple exchanged a glance. ’Looks like she’s really fallen in love,’ they thought.

After decades together, they shared a deep, unspoken understanding.

Jiang Fan’s appearance had been too coincidental, and though they’d harbored a sliver of doubt, they hadn’t voiced it. But now, their sudden probing had yielded a definitive answer.

Their daughter’s blissful expression, combined with the deep admiration in her eyes, was something they had never seen before.

"Dad, Mom, let me get you..."

...

While Li Muwan was doing her utmost to stall her parents in the apartment, Jiang Fan had already met up with Yin Ruxue. Just as he’d expected, the mother and daughter were already there.

"Daddy~!"

With a sweet, happy cry, Mengmeng dove into Jiang Fan’s arms like a little bird returning to its nest.

"Daddy, Mengmeng missed you so, so much."

"Did you miss me?"

Mengmeng threw her arms around Jiang Fan’s neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"I did, I did. But why are you being such a little crybaby today?"

"Did you really have to come find me? Daddy’s at work, you know."

He said, nodding a greeting to Yin Ruxue.

"I just missed my daddy. But you’re always busy with work and never come to see me, so I came to find you."

"Daddy, from now on, if you’re busy with work, just tell Mengmeng, and Mengmeng will come find you."

Seeing the longing filling his daughter’s eyes, Jiang Fan’s heart softened in an instant.

’What bad intentions could a little kid have? She just missed her dad.’

"I remember Mu Wan lives in this building, right? I’m going to go say hi; there’s something I need to talk to her about."

"You can stay here and play with Mengmeng for a bit."

"Don’t go."

Jiang Fan grabbed Yin Ruxue’s hand.

He let go a second later, slightly embarrassed.

"What’s wrong?"

"Why are you so tense? Your palm is all sweaty."

Yin Ruxue was exceptionally perceptive.

"It’s nothing. It’s just hot out."

"Don’t go find her. Let’s... the three of us can take a walk over there. I still have work to handle soon."

"I still haven’t finished the project proposal for the National Day holiday."

Jiang Fan swore this was the fastest his brain had ever worked in his entire life.

He’d even let the phrase "family of three" slip out.

"Jiang Fan!"

Just then, a bright, cheerful voice called out from a distance.