Chapter 8, Unexplained Concealment

In the few seconds it took to pick the thinnest rib and place it into Ruan Tingjian's bowl, Mei Shi's arm severely cramped, her movements stiff as wood

"No, my company has some matters to attend to," Ruan Tingjian said indifferently, his emotions unreadable.

As Ruan Tingjian stepped out of the car, Mei Guohua walked over to shake hands, exuding an overwhelming passion as if greeting a lover. Upon seeing her mother, Mei Shi noticed that even Mei Yi followed closely behind. The household's maids and workers stood at the door, their faces beaming with smiles, suppressing their curiosity. Mei Shi had no interest in examining their expressions in detail. Among these people, Mei Yi appeared to be the most normal, his face full of sarcasm. Whenever Mei Guohua boasted in a particularly classic manner, Mei Yi would let out a light snort. Mei Shi noticed her mother frown and shoot him a glare.

Although Ruan Tingjian has returned from abroad, his demeanor while drinking Kung Fu tea is quite skilled and elegant. Mei Shi appears a bit flustered and hurriedly says: "I am quite happy!"

There should be no problem. Mei Shi smiled, feeling a strange sensation in her heart; Xue Qin's invitation made her feel somewhat scrutinized. ... As Xue Qin got out of the car and turned back to wave at her with a smile while entering the community gate, Mei Shi also nodded with a smile, such a bright and warm smile ... . ... She really should not doubt that he had ulterior motives

As they watched Ruan Tingjian's car drive away, the couple from the Mei family turned back in confusion. Mei Shi, who was swatting away mosquitoes, said: "Did you upset President Ruan today?"

Shi Shi simply does not have any compassion for others! Mei Guohua, feeling delighted, began to speak nonsensically again, his slick tone resurfacing, "Just pick the leanest piece."

Mei Shi looked at him, utterly at a loss for words

Mei Shi patted her arms with a slap, "Oh dear, so many mosquitoes." Saying this, she hurried back into the house. Ruan Tingjian was unhappy that she didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt; she simply couldn't understand why he would help her cover up this lie. Could he really be afraid of her being scolded by her parents? That was absolutely impossible. Could it be that he really has feelings for her? ... This ... could be possible.

Her hands gripping the steering wheel were unexpectedly sweaty; she was very tense from being frightened by Ruan Tingjian, yet she did not understand why she felt this way. From their first meeting until now, Ruan Tingjian had not uttered a single threatening word to her. Moreover, the sensation of him sitting beside her was both chilling and strange, making it nearly impossible for her to concentrate on driving.

Mei Shi was disgusted by her father's words, causing her to break out in goosebumps. She ran upstairs as if fleeing for her life, colliding with Mei Yi at the corner and causing him to stumble.

As her car drove into the small courtyard, she already saw a group of people appearing on the porch. Her mind went blank, as neither her parents nor Ruan Tingjian seemed to intend to allow her to maintain a healthy mental state

Mei Guohua furrowed his brows and shook his head repeatedly, "Then that's strange, why didn't he give us a chance to speak?"

How was your day today?" Zhao Shuyuan shot a glare at his daughter, then smiled and asked Ruan Tingjian

The green light. The Nguyen Electronic Navigation is operational again

Indeed, indeed. Mei Guohua found a topic and rambled on for more than ten minutes about the scenery and history of Mingyue Mountain, just as the dishes were set and everyone took their seats

Ruan Tingjian is actually very polite in his speech, yet it always carries an air of condescension. Mei Shi looks at her parents' smiles; is this feeling something only she experiences

"Why not have some fruit?" Zhao Shuyuan stood up, signaling everyone to return to the hall. Mei Shi frowned slightly; the conversation that was about to take place was the main topic of the day. She was truly very annoyed by the eavesdropping, as if she were listening to her family and Ruan Tingjian haggling over her sale and price.

Mei Guohua scoffed and said authoritatively: "This is how fake foreign devils are; they have seen plenty of crazy girls abroad, yet they find the refined young ladies in our country much more appealing"

I am very happy today, but I regret not being able to invite you to dinner. How about tomorrow?" Xue Qin smiled

Upon entering the room, they first took their seats to drink tea. Mei Shi wished to sit on a separate sofa, but her mother secretly took the initiative and pushed Mei Yi over to sit down, leaving her with no choice but to sit together with Ruan Tingjian

Wherever Ruan Tingjian is present, the atmosphere is destined to be oppressive

"It is acceptable," Ruan Tingjian remarked lightly as he set down his teacup, "Mingyue Mountain is indeed a place worth visiting"

Ruan Tingjian listened and smiled faintly, this was his first smile of the day, which startled Mei Shi and made her break out in a cold sweat, as she felt that he harbored a hidden danger

Ruan Tingjian did not give them a chance to hold him back and walked straight to the door. The sky outside was already dim, and Ruan Tingjian's car was parked on the road outside the Mei family's courtyard, its headlights very conspicuous in the night. Mei Shizhen did not know when his car had arrived; perhaps it had followed her back all the way.

Mei Shi trembled as if she had been electrocuted, and the piece of meat she was holding fell back into the bowl. Fortunately, he said to change it, making it seem as though she was simply very obedient to him. ... Shi Shi ... . ... It was fortunate that he could call it out, as just hearing it made her feel nauseous.

She immediately scorned her ambition to become a boss lady, impossible!

I think he has a very good impression of Shishi" Mei Shi heard her mother happily say from behind

Mei Guohua and Zhao Shuyuan exchanged surprised glances, both revealing smiles at the corners of their mouths

Mei Shi took a deep breath this time, steadied her mind, and focused on driving. Ruan Tingjian's electronic synthetic tone was driving her nearly insane, and she no longer wanted to hear his prompts.

Ruan Tingjian calmly set down his bowl and chopsticks after finishing his meal. In fact, everyone at the table was disinterested in dining, and upon seeing him put down his chopsticks, they all pretended to have finished eating as well

Oh, oh. Mei Shi suddenly realized that she had almost run a red light, and she slammed on the brakes. Yuan Tingjian's entire body lurched forward, and she supported him, only for him to bounce back into his seat. Throughout the entire process, his expression remained unchanged, as if what was being shaken was merely a substitute doll for him. Mei Shi observed this and for the first time, the fear she felt towards him etched itself into the deepest nerves of her heart; this person was too terrifying! A normal person would at least roll their eyes at her. ... Wait a minute, she widened her eyes, because while observing him intently, she discovered that he was actually wearing casual clothes ...? Mei Shi observed this and for the first time, the fear she felt towards him etched itself into the deepest nerves of her heart; this person was too terrifying! A normal person would at least roll their eyes at her. ... Wait a minute, she widened her eyes, because while observing him intently, she discovered that he was actually wearing casual clothes ...? ... Was it not to cooperate with her lie?

"Shishi, change to another piece," said Ruan Tingjian

Ruan Tingjian had already settled into the car, his entire figure concealed in the darkness. Even so, Mei Shi still felt as if he had glanced at her. She heard his cold, unvarying voice say: "We will discuss this issue in my office another day"

Zhao Shuyuan and Mei Guohua were both taken aback, their expressions revealing difficulty. Hadn't they yet had the chance to express their primary purpose before he was about to leave

I bought an orchard in the suburbs, and the fruits are quite good. I will bring some for you, please don't laugh at me. " Ruan Tingjian glanced at Mei Shi again, and Mei Shi immediately opened the trunk with great awareness. Aunt Bi was the first to come over and start moving the fruits, while Mei Guohua and Zhao Shuyuan wore broad smiles, clearly very pleased with his gesture.

"Miss Mei, I am Mr. Ruan Tingjian's secretary. Please wait a moment, Mr. Ruan will be down shortly." The handsome man maintained a smile, while Mei Shi continued to wear a blank expression. She was quite suspicious that Ruan Tingjian had printed her photo in multiple copies, distributing them like wanted posters to his numerous humanoid answering machines, each of whom seemed to be quite familiar with her. "Please open the trunk," the handsome man spoke again in a broadcaster's tone. Mei Shi reflexively pressed the switch to open it, and only after doing so did she realize with shock, was Ruan Tingjian planning to sit in the trunk?

Only she remained in the car, and she immediately felt suffocated, as if she could hardly breathe. Lowering the car window was of no use; instead, it filled her nose with dust. She certainly understood that today was a good opportunity to clarify things. As long as she expressed her thoughts in front of her parents and Ruan Tingjian, she would probably find peace and be able to live her life as she wished. ... But ... The usually composed mother specifically mentioned business matters over the phone, and the urgency in her tone suddenly made Mei Shi feel anxious. Would the situation be clear on the 23rd? If she could just hold on for another half month, and if Guoyuan had a breakthrough, would it be the best of both worlds to bring up her lack of feelings and desire to end things then? ... The usually composed mother specifically mentioned business matters over the phone, and the urgency in her tone suddenly made Mei Shi feel anxious. Would the situation be clear on the 23rd? If she could just hold on for another half month, and if Guoyuan had a breakthrough, would it be the best of both worlds to bring up her lack of feelings and desire to end things then?

The Mei couple kept sending Ruan Tingjian off to the car, both appearing as if they had much to say yet hesitated to speak. Mei Shi and Mei Yiyuan followed them from a distance, and they heard Mei Guohua finally unable to hold back and say, "Regarding that project..."

Mei Shi seemed to be jolted by an electric shock, standing dazed for two seconds before mechanically reaching for the communal chopsticks. She deliberately moved slowly, giving Ruan Tingjian the opportunity to say "I'll do it myself," but instead of speaking, he not only put down his chopsticks but also held the bowl, appearing ready to eat. Mei Shi felt despair and randomly picked up a piece.

Mei Shi stomped her feet, afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes. She straightened her neck and stubbornly said, "No... there isn't. If he wasn't happy, would he still come back to have dinner with me?"

Lost in her thoughts, she unknowingly arrived at the Dingyi Building. Although she had passed by it once or twice, being close to it truly astonished her with its extravagant atmosphere. She inhaled sharply, unable to fathom that Ruan Tingjian's office style could be so lavish. Just as she was about to look for a parking space near the entrance, she noticed a handsome man in a suit waving at her. Mei Shi shook her head slightly, pretending to faint a little; Ruan Tingjian must have an exceptionally peculiar taste, even the security guards had to be this good-looking. The suited gentleman directed her to drive to the entrance's reception lane and politely tapped on Mei Shi's side of the car window. Mei Shi rolled down the window, maintaining a stern expression, appearing unfazed, but in reality, she was unsure how to face such a handsome man so close to her.

The handsome man waved his hand, as if summoning comrades to charge forward. Several young people, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, quickly filled her trunk with various boxes of fruit. Mei Shi felt the car sink a position and numbly got out to look at the neatly stacked boxes of fruit and supplements; this should be a gift prepared by Ruan Tingjian. It must be said that his courtesy was indeed very thoughtful.

After a few minutes of profound silence, Mei Guohua smiled and said to Mei Shi: "Please serve the sweet and sour ribs to General Ruan, this is our family's specialty"

The dining table of the Mei family has always been tumultuous, either with Zhao Shuyuan coldly complaining about Mei Guohua's various misdeeds, or with Mei Guohua reprimanding Mei Shi for being lazy and useless, or scolding Mei Yi for his reckless spending. Today, in an attempt to present a harmonious family atmosphere and a joyful meal, it is not just about the presence of Ruan Tingjian; even in his absence, the members of the Mei family are powerless.

Mei Yi let out a sound, probably wanting to spit out his food but finally held it back. He lowered his head and took a big bite of the dish, and no one paid attention to him

Ruan Tingjian seemed to have timed her descent perfectly, as the handsome secretary over here slammed the trunk shut for her, while over there, "President Ruan" leisurely walked out from the doorway

Mei Shi sent Xue Qin to the entrance of the community. Before getting out of the car, Xue Qin smiled gently and bid her farewell. Although Mei Shi's heart was in turmoil due to the matter concerning Ruan Tingjian, seeing his smile still lightened her mood.

"Red light." Ruan Tingjian's tone in reminding her was also calm and unperturbed

"Let us depart." Ruan Tingjian glanced at her, and Mei Shi, loathing her own submissiveness, instinctively sat back in the car after being swept by his gaze. Even more shameful was the fact that "President Ruan" exuded an almost innate air of a slave owner, and she, accustomed to serving Young Master Mei, nearly scampered to open the car door for him. Fortunately, the handsome secretary was quick and attentive, opening the door for his boss and preserving her dignity. Even more shameful was the fact that "President Ruan" exuded an almost innate air of a slave owner, and she, accustomed to serving Young Master Mei, nearly scampered to open the car door for him. Fortunately, the handsome secretary was quick and attentive, opening the door for his boss and preserving her dignity. Mei Shi cast a grateful and appreciative glance at him; if she could truly become their boss's wife, such an employee must be retained!