After a moment’s thought, Xu Nanyin sent another message, a blessing.
Secretary Jiang Chen glanced at the time. Although it was a private plane, scheduled trips rarely delayed.
Having been Song Huaixu’s secretary for six years, he couldn’t always predict the boss’s mood but was good at reading signs.
He watched the screen light up and go dark.
In Port City, aside from business matters, only one person could make this man wait for a message.
The screen lit up again.
Xu Nanyin: [Safe travels.]
Jiang Chen was dazed and distracted, then suddenly saw the man already stepping out and immediately followed.
For the week after Song Huaixu left Port City, Xu Nanyin hardly went out, conveniently avoiding Zheng Yuze.
Recently, Xu’s father planned to expand their stores.
This time the target was inland, and he and Xu’s mother were discussing the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
“Lately, many influential people have come for private custom orders,” said Xu’s mother.
“I think it’s thanks to Song Sheng being the spokesperson.”
Xu’s father said, “Our family’s brand was already good.”
Xu’s mother retorted, “You just haven’t let go of the grudge from last time. So petty. I think refusing was the right move; otherwise, you’d have been lured away to Southeast Asia by now.”
Xu Nanyin walked over to look at the files on the table.
This time, the new stores were in several municipalities and provincial capitals.
She skimmed through and saw Ning City.
She stopped the couple from arguing.
“Mom, Dad, if you’re not going, I’ll go have some fun.”
Perfect. She didn’t have to deal with Zheng Yuze.
Her mother glared at her father.
“Fine, but I’m worried if you go alone. You have to bring a bodyguard.”
Xu Nanyin didn’t refuse.
Two tall, sturdy bodyguards skilled in martial arts were assigned.
A Li felt very safe.
This wasn’t unusual in Port City, but once in Ning City, Xu Nanyin felt a bit conspicuous.
Fortunately, she didn’t plan to wander around randomly.
She came to Ning City on impulse and now felt there wasn’t much to do.
The person in charge thought she would participate in the ribbon-cutting, but Xu Nanyin declined.
She watched the event quietly that morning, then went with A Li to buy the delicious Plum Blossom Cake they had tried last time.
A Li ate heartily but was puzzled.
“Zhuzhu, we came all this way just to eat?”
You could find a chef who cooked Ning City cuisine in Port City too.
Xu Nanyin didn’t know how to answer.
Her eyes caught the luxury brand store they’d visited before.
The SA named Ke Wei immediately recognized her.
This was her skill, and also because of Xu Nanyin’s face.
“Miss Xu, what would you like to buy this time?” she greeted her.
“You recognized me?” Xu Nanyin immediately noticed the difference in address; last time, she seemed to have used the English name Anya.
Ke Wei realized and apologized, “Sorry, I saw some news before and knew your identity, so I called out without thinking.”
Xu Nanyin shook her head.
“It’s fine.”
She asked, “It’s not some ridiculous Port City gossip about someone spending a fortune on me, is it?”
In Port City, it was her turf.
Suddenly hearing gossip about herself and Song Huaixu here was a bit embarrassing.
Ke Wei nodded slightly.
Of course, it was that.
After all, the other party involved was the famous Song General Manager, who attracted the most attention in Ning City.
But few took the Port City media seriously.
That news was the only thing worth writing and didn’t even have photos of them close together.
“Rest assured, I haven’t told anyone about you and Song General Manager,” she promised.
“The mainland media don’t dare write nonsense like that.”
Nowadays, except for the official outlets, media were no fools.
They knew who they could and couldn’t offend.
“It’s nothing.”
Xu Nanyin picked two beautiful bags.
“There hasn’t been any Port City news coming over here recently, right?”
“No.”
Ke Wei hesitated but finally said, “Around noon today, a piece of news came out somewhere about Song General Manager.”
Sure enough, she saw the girl glance at her.
Ke Wei joked, “I don’t know if it’s true. The Song family supposedly leaked that the Song General Manager is going to have a union marriage.”
Union marriage?
So soon?
Xu Nanyin was surprised.
Could such a thing really happen to Song Huaixu?
Thinking carefully, the news of Liang Jiamin and Dai Hongshu’s union marriage had also suddenly surfaced.
Two employees happened to come out and whispered.
“It was leaked from the Song family. I have a friend whose classmate’s sister knows a servant there.”
“I heard the original news was about finding a suitable match for a union marriage.”
Ke Wei said, “Personally, I think this might be one-sided. Song General Manager doesn’t have a good relationship with those family members.”
Of course, she couldn’t guarantee it, so she added, “But in wealthy families, things are really a mix of truth and lies…”
Xu Nanyin blinked slowly.
After a while, she said slowly, “If it’s true, then I’ll have you help me pick out a gift to wish him a happy wedding.”
Huh?
Had her perception failed her?
Did it really not matter?
Ke Wei doubted herself and nodded silently.
Unsure if Xu Nanyin truly didn’t care, she changed the subject and asked for an address.
Xu Nanyin didn’t give one and had the bodyguards carry the shopping bags.
Since the last mishap with running errands, she had little trust in these delivery services.
Just before leaving, Xu Nanyin remembered something.
“Do you know any of the Song family members my age?”
Ke Wei knew some, either female customers who had come alone or males who had brought girlfriends.
But her knowledge was limited.
“Miss Xu, with your question, it seems they haven’t been in Ning City lately. Their social media check-ins are abroad or in other provinces.”
The atmosphere in Song Mansion was tense.
“Anyone to explain?”
As the man in the hall spoke, the middle-aged and elderly all exchanged looks, focusing their gaze on one person.
Counting all the main and branch family members, there were naturally more people than those present today, but this was a special situation.
By generation, Song Huaixu could call the man Thirteenth Uncle.
“Didn’t I say, don’t meddle in affairs?”
Thirteenth Uncle forced a smile but regretted having read the recent news from Port City and drunkenly letting slip something that caused trouble.
“Huaixu, it’s nothing, just an elder caring about your lifelong matters. Not meddling at all. You’re not young anymore. Having a confidant at home is quite… quite…”
His stumbling words were swallowed back under a cold glare.
Song Huaixu scanned him.
“My biological parents don’t care; why should you? The money I send to the family every year isn’t for raising freeloaders.”
His uncle’s face stiffened.
Especially since others were watching, glaring in disbelief that he dared say those words so bluntly, yet no one dared to retort.
Because now he was the one in charge.
A few days after returning from Port City, all the young people in the family who had no business were sent to work in other cities and countries.
Everyone panicked, thinking they’d done something wrong, but later realized it was just to make them work elsewhere.
Jiang Chen waited in the courtyard.
He vaguely heard some of the conversation but pretended not to. When the man came out, he followed.
These elders, retired early and idle, were looking for trouble.
They happened to catch the boss on a bad mood.
Now they had to move out.
They used to get dividends every year based on seniority, but now they got nothing.
“It’s all been clarified and resolved,” Jiang Chen reported.
After leaving the ancestral home, he brought up another matter.
“Miss Xu came to Ning City last night and returned to Port City this afternoon.”
The man glanced at him.
Because Xu Nanyin hadn’t stayed at a hotel under the Song Group and only went out for the ribbon-cutting, Jiang Chen had only just learned.
The false news was cleared up in less than an hour.
Yet the timing was uncanny.
Jiang Chen looked down.
“Just happened to hear your union marriage rumor, and then she said…”
He stopped.
Song Huaixu: “Say it.”
Jiang Chen: “She wished you a happy wedding.”