Chapter 348 - This Is My Girlfriend, and I Plan to Marry Her (1/2)

Chapter 348: This Is My Girlfriend, and I Plan to Marry Her

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Are you at the company now?” asked Ruan Danchen softly. She had walked to the opposite side of the staircase and spoke, facing the wall.

“I’m at the office, but it isn’t too busy.” Qi Chenglin remembered that Ruan Danchen was at Qilin and could instantly guess her motive for being here. So he asked, “Where are you now?”

“As a requirement of my job application, I sat for a written examination. It was just nearby,” Ruan Danchen said softly. Keeping it a secret from him made her feel quite uneasy. It was as if she was committing something criminal.

“Then why not look for me,” Qi Chenglin said tenderly.

“I’m not bothering you?” Ruan Danchen asked, smiling happily.

“You called to ask me where I am, so you must miss me. Do you want to come up?” Qi Chenglin said, cocking a brow. He then said, half-smiling, “I’m not busy now. You’re not going to be bothering me.”

“Okay.” Ruan Danchen hung up and took the elevator straight to Qi Chenglin’s office.

At his office, she ran into Jiang Yuan.

“Special Assistant Jiang.”

Jiang Yuan did not seem at all surprised to see her there. “Miss. Ruan, looking for the general manager?”

Ruan Danchen blushed, “Mmhmm.” Jiang Yuan then opened the door for her.

She saw Qi Chenglin look up in silence; his gaze was warm.

Ruan Danchen, drawn in by his eyes, drifted to him without realizing it.

She circled his desk and sat beside him.

Ruan Danchen looked at him shyly and lowered her gaze, resting it upon his hand that lay atop the arm of his executive chair. His suit jacket hung on the clothes rack, leaving him in only his dress shirt. The shirt, molded to his frame, revealed the muscles that lay beneath.

She gulped, as her mind was consumed with the sole desire of running her hands across him. She remembered how sturdy and firm those muscles of his hands were.

Qi Chenglin had lifted his hand and reached over to hold hers. He pulled her onto his lap.

Ruan Danchen’s hands instinctively went around his shoulders. She thought it would have been outrageous for her to seat herself on his lap whilst he was in the office, as she had viewed this space to be the domain of all things serious and professional.

Qi Chenglin, however, did not seem to care one bit. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, and his fingers curved just enough that his fingertips found purchase on her slim waist.

“How was the exam today?” Qi Chenglin smiled and asked.

Ruan Danchen felt a tinge of guilt, as she was still keeping the company she was applying to a secret from him. “It’s okay. I can definitely pass this round.”

Qi Chenglin smiled and grasped her fingers gently. “You’re not telling me which company?”

“Wait till I get through. Then I’ll tell you.” Ruan Danchen was firm in her resolve. She could not possibly keep it a secret forever, not when she would be in the same company as him, if she landed the job. Then she would be seeing him every day.

But, she was unaccustomed to hiding things from him.

The last thing she wanted was for him to give her preferential treatment; thereby, making her status known to everyone in the company. If she really made it through and started working there, telling him would be no big deal.

Qi Chenglin did not press further. Ruan Danchen then told him about Director Zhao’s call.

“Why did he change his tone so suddenly? Director Zhao was nice to me when you sent Jiang Yuan to Chengshi the last time, but he’s even nicer now,” Ruan Danchen said curiously.

“Grandma called me in the afternoon. She went there with Mom.” Qi Chenglin smiled.

Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she nearly jumped out of his lap. “Did they really go there because of me? That can’t be. It isn’t nice to make them show up for such a small matter.”

“It’s not entirely because of that. Remember when you brought Youxuan to the playground and met Yang Yunshu? Youxuan told Grandma about it. The boy is smart: He recorded Yang Yunshu’s words.” Qi Chenglin’s expression darkened when he mentioned Yang Yunshu. “Whether it is you or Youxuan, Grandma won’t just sit around doing nothing.”

Qi Chenglin had been fuming after hearing Yang Yunshu say all those vile things about his own son. He did not act on it immediately. Instead, he held a grudge; Yang Yunshu won’t be forgiven so easily.

“It’s all my fault. I should’ve just taken Youxuan away. I shouldn’t have argued with her,” Ruan Danchen said softly. She had not only dealt with the situation incorrectly, but it was because she was Qi Youxuan’s mother, that Yang Yunshu had something to say.

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t make sense for you to have left anyway, after all she did say plenty of vile things. But you should’ve just used my name at the time; don’t always keep a low-profile. Next time, if something can be solved easily by using my name, use it. It’s much easier that way, and it also stops people from wronging you. You saw the instant results after Grandma showed up, right?” Qi Chenglin gently remarked.

“Okay, I know now,” Ruan Danchen nodded and said.

Qi Chenglin did not dwell on it, and the topic was abandoned. His lips curled into a gentle smile, and he looked at her warmly, “I’m really glad that you thought of visiting me when you were nearby.”

“I was worried I’d bother you at work.” Ruan Danchen was glad she came too.

“Of course not. If you’re in the area next time, always remember to drop by,” Qi Chenglin said, giving her a peck on the lips.

Ruan Danchen was so excited, and she hoped that she managed to land the job. When the time comes, she would tell him the good news.

She did not stay there and wait for him to finish work. Despite his assertion that he was not busy, Jiang Yuan came in twice and had a mountain of matters that required his attention. Hence, Ruan Danchen left early, accompanied by Xiao Yang, who had been instructed by Qi Chenglin.

…

…

Friday was the day that Huanghua joined the auction. Xu Haode went to the auction venue filled with confidence. He was fortunate to have reacted quickly in the “Ruan Danchen Incident,” and lodged a complaint against her, before she could undermine him with her own complaint. Although, even if she had been the first one to lodge the complaint, there was a huge chance that the company would not have believed her version of the events.

Xu Haode sat with his colleagues at the specially reserved seats for Huanghua. Not long after they were seated, they heard shuffling and whispers coming from behind them. Xu Haode turned around and was shocked to see Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan.

Xu Haode even heard the bewildered murmurs from the people seated around him.

“Why did General Manager Qi personally come to this auction?”

“That’s not right. Qilin has never participated in auctions for small lots of land. Didn’t they just acquire a piece of land in the northern part of the city? Now that’s what you call a big piece of land. That’s probably the largest land allotted for commercial development in City B at the moment, and Qi Chenglin didn’t even show up that time. It was Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushu who went. Today’s auction is for smaller land allotments, so why is he here?!”

Everyone was beginning to wonder what could possibly compel Qi Chenglin to attend such an auction.

In the midst of all the murmurings, Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan had entered the building and were steadily making their way towards him.

Then, he saw Qi Chenglin standing in front of him. He stood up immediately and greeted the unexpected visitors, “General Manager Qi, why are you here? Is Qilin interested in this piece of land?”

Qi Chenglin’s cold gaze landed on Xu Haode before he retorted, “Just having a look.”

He sat down.

‘It’s as if he is window shopping. Doesn’t he have more important matters to attend to?! Is he coming to these auctions simply to have a look?!’

Jiang Yuan glanced briefly at Xu Haode and sat down.

It was only then that Xu Haode dared sit down. He had never expected Qi Chenglin to sit beside him. ‘Shouldn’t a man like him be sitting in front of me?’

He soon spotted Qi Chenglin’s slender fingers taking his cell phone out and placing it onto the table.

Xu Haode at once motioned to his colleagues, and they all respectively left to make some calls.

After a few minutes, Xu Haode received a call from the colleagues that had just left.

Xu Haode picked it up. “I’ve just made a call to confirm. Qilin is not interested in the auction. We have no idea why Qi Chenglin is here,” reported the caller.

Xu Haode hung up and sneaked a glance at Qi Chenglin. He was still sitting upright and had not said a single word. He still wore the austere expression that gave away nothing.