Chapter 36: Giving Money

It was the first time Lu Yan had seen his wife so angry with him, and it was over their son. “I brought Su Yang along precisely so he could take on this assignment. Who knew the kid would get so caught up in conversation that he lost track of time? I intended to leave at eight, but then I ran into a journalist. Hoping to hurry back, I only allowed a single photo and refused the interview.

By the time I finally got out, the bus had just left. The next one wouldn’t arrive for forty minutes, and who knows if it’d be on time? So I recalculated the waiting and travel time, and in the end, decided to walk home instead.”

Upon hearing he’d walked all the way back, Shen Qingyi’s tone softened. “Why didn’t you take a cab?”

It was true—the trip from the TV station to the residential compound took over an hour.

Lu Yan hadn’t wanted to explain, but fearing another misunderstanding, he told the truth. “I only had three yuan left in my pocket—just enough for the bus fare until payday.”

Shen Qingyi fell silent.

After a while, Lu Yan ventured, “You’re not mad anymore, are you?”

Shen Qingyi nodded. “No, I’m not angry.”

She realized she’d overthought things; he was always good to An’an. As long as he was sincere toward their son, she wouldn’t harbor any unrealistic hopes for herself—she’d let things take their course.

“Then I’ll go keep An’an company,” Lu Yan said.

“Go ahead!”

Once Lu Yan left, Shen Qingyi sat at the table, her mood much improved. She returned to her sketches. After about half an hour, feeling a bit tired, she stood and stretched.

At half past nine, An’an, freshly bathed, came into the room. “Mom, can I sleep with Dad tonight?”

Shen Qingyi bent down and stroked his head. “Of course.”

“Wait!” she added, turning to fetch ten yuan from her purse hanging in the wardrobe. “Take this to your father.”

An’an took the ten yuan, pulling an exaggerated face. “Wow, Mom, you’re richer than Dad.”

Shen Qingyi chuckled and didn’t deny it. With Lu Yan’s family background, it would be a miracle if he had any money.

An’an clutched the bill and trotted over to Lu Yan’s room, excitedly handing it to him. “Dad, Mom gave this to you.”

Lu Yan stared at the ten yuan, momentarily stunned. She had just bought herself such expensive clothes and was now giving him money, all while managing the household expenses. He grew worried.

“Is your mother really so well-off?”

An’an nodded vigorously. “Of course! There’s no one in the entire staff compound who lives better than Mom and me.”

Lu Yan figured she must have saved up the wages he’d sent home over the years. The thought brought him some relief.

He accepted the ten yuan and lay down to tell his son stories about astronomy.

That night, he slept soundly. The next morning, he woke up punctually to make breakfast—noodles again. Shen Qingyi didn’t wake as early, so he ate alone before heading to work.

Wang Zhifang was already waiting in his office.

“Why so early?” Lu Yan asked.

Wang Zhifang grinned. “What do you want to happen with Wang Chunlian? I’ve already sent the complaint letter and evidence to her superiors.”

Lu Yan nodded. “I want to know the reason. I want her to apologize in person to both me and my wife. She’s no longer fit for her job.”

“I heard her family’s not well off,” Wang Zhifang remarked, feeling that the punishment was a bit harsh.

“You sympathize with her? Then who’s going to sympathize with my wife? She bore all that gossip while raising An’an alone. I spent all my time in the lab, focused on work, never imagining things would turn out this way.

If I’d answered that phone call, none of this would have happened.”

Seeing Lu Yan was determined, Wang Zhifang gave in at once. “Fine, fine, fine!”

“I’ve signed off on Su Yang’s project, by the way,” Wang Zhifang added.

Lu Yan nodded. “Good. I’ve already discussed the risks with him.”

“I just hope if anything goes wrong, it won’t hurt his reputation,” Wang Zhifang said with a laugh. “But I’ve weighed things carefully. The factory’s shareholders have advertised on Y-TV before, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Besides, Su Yang’s not well known—they can’t use him for much. He did get a little TV exposure yesterday, though.

Helping private enterprises develop technology products has official support, and he’s enthusiastic.”

“That’s all right, then,” Lu Yan replied.

After Wang Zhifang left, Lu Yan left his office and went to Su Yang, knocking on his desk. “Your project’s been approved. Bring me a copy of the newspaper from the interview the day before yesterday.”

Su Yang was so delighted by the news he nearly jumped for joy. “That’s fantastic, Lu Yan! I’ll get it for you right away.”

Lu Yan took the paper back to his office and read the interviews from start to finish. Su Yang’s interview was flawless; Chen Haixia, on the other hand, had spoken a lot of empty words, but that was about the extent of her abilities.

At that same time, although Chen Haixia hadn’t received the twenty-thousand-yuan referral fee, the private business owner had still given her two thousand. That was more than a year’s salary for her—Lu Yan really was valuable.

And ever since her friends learned she was connected with Lu Yan, they’d become even more attentive, sometimes even sticking up for her, always saying things she liked to hear.

At noon, a few friends invited Chen Haixia to lunch. With company, she didn’t bother with the regular canteen window where Lu Yan ate, instead heading with them to another cafeteria.

As soon as they sat down with their trays, the flattery began. “Haixia, your relationship with Engineer Lu is so close. If it weren’t for the newspaper article, we’d never have known—so low-key, really rare.”

“No wonder you went to his canteen every day—they never said a word to you.”

“We’re always being hurried out at the door, honestly.”

“How could you compare to Haixia? Look at her relationship with Engineer Lu.”

“Exactly. At the end of the day, he still cares about Haixia. It’s just a pity he married that wife and ruined a childhood friendship.”

“Who knows what tricks she used to ensnare Engineer Lu and even have his child.”

“What tricks? Wasn’t it just her father’s connections?”

“Shameless!”

Chen Haixia smiled, her eyes crinkling, but said nothing. Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted at the table. “If you’re here to eat, then eat. Why gossip like this? What do you know about Engineer Lu’s family affairs?”

Everyone looked up to see Cheng Youqing standing beside them, looking fierce.

“Oh, it’s Youqing! Why are you so worked up? No one was talking about you,” someone retorted.

Cheng Youqing ignored the comment and fixed her gaze on Chen Haixia. “What’s the point of saying all that in the paper? The man’s married. If you really care about Engineer Lu, stop scheming and stirring things up. It’s not good for anyone.”

Chen Haixia wasn’t angered by Cheng Youqing, but instead looked at her with pity, giving a cold laugh. “You! Always trailing after Shen Qingyi—why not mind your own business? Your foot was injured. Has Wang An visited you? Yet you keep fawning over him, knitting sweaters, buying watches…”