Chapter 27: Are you married

Seeing the man's reply, An Ling was momentarily stunned.

She sat on the sofa, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

An Ling: [What brand is the fountain pen in your office? I want to buy a similar one as a gift.]

Shen Linyan: [If you like it, I'll have Secretary Chen deliver one home tomorrow.]

An Ling: [Okay~ Thank you, hubby.]

Having achieved her goal, An Ling hovered her fingertips over the screen, hesitating for a few taps.

Recalling what Jiang Mai had said earlier that day, she sighed silently.

"How exactly am I supposed to 'teach' him casually?"

As long as she didn't mention Zhou Wen, right?

She hesitated for a moment before typing:

[I heard you're at a business dinner, so go ahead and get back to work. Remember to say 'no' to the offers, okay? ^^]

Shen Linyan: [Thank you for the reminder, Madam. I almost said 'yes' just now. ^^]

Seeing that Shen Linyan's mood had suddenly improved, President Sun was about to speak when he saw the man suddenly stand up and unhurriedly button his suit jacket, looking as if he were about to leave.

He quickly forced a smile and said, "Chairman Shen, we can still talk about the cooperation, and about those shares..."

"My apologies."

The man chuckled, his tone leisurely and calm.

"I'm no longer interested."

The next day, An Ling received the fountain pen delivered by Secretary Chen.

"I apologize, Young Madam. The one Chairman Shen uses is a Montblanc limited edition. I could only get my hands on this one for now, but it's also a limited edition from the same series."

She took the gift bag and looked inside. "It's fine, this works."

No wonder she couldn't find it in the mall; it was a limited edition.

Secretary Chen was about to leave after delivering the item, but the woman's voice sounded from behind him.

"Secretary Chen, wait a moment."

He turned around to see her eyes curving as she gave him a playful wink.

"I want to ask you something, and you mustn't tell Shen Linyan."

"..." Why was there another hurdle?

Secretary Chen's expression instantly stiffened. "...What... what do you want to ask?"

Seeing his nervous expression, An Ling raised her hand to reassure him. "Don't be nervous. I won't ask anything that puts you in a difficult position."

She stood by the door for a moment before asking, "Do you know Zhou Wen? Lu Jingshen's wife. I remember she used to be a secretary."

Secretary Chen paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind.

Why was the Madam asking about her?

He thought for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I know her. The Second Madam used to be... my colleague."

Before marrying Lu Jingshen, Zhou Wen had indeed worked at the Shen Corporation. Otherwise, how would the two of them have met?

An Ling nodded thoughtfully, leaning her head against the door, and suddenly asked:

"So she was Lu Jingshen's secretary?"

Secretary Chen nodded and then shook his head, answering casually, "The Second Madam used to be President Lu's personal assistant. After Chairman Shen returned, she followed Chairman Shen for a period of time..."

As he spoke, his voice suddenly caught in his throat, and he looked at An Ling with uncertainty.

The Madam wouldn't misunderstand something, would she?

Surely not? Didn't the Madam like Young Master Lu?

Secretary Chen swallowed hard. "Um... Madam, why are you... asking this?"

An Ling blinked, looking as if she didn't understand the fuss. "Just asking out of curiosity. Why are you so nervous?"

Seeing that she didn't look angry, Secretary Chen felt a little more at ease.

Just as he was about to say something, An Ling glanced at the wall clock. "It's getting late, and I have an appointment later. You should get back to work."

"Yes, Madam."

Once the door closed, the smile on the woman's face slowly faded. Her fingertips rested on the door lock, and her eyelashes cast a shadow over her eyes. She pursed her lips slightly, lost in thought.

After a moment, she ruffled her hair and laughed. "Quite the melodrama."

That girl Jiang Mai actually had a point.

Looking at the gift bag in her hand, she took a photo with her phone.

An Ling: [Received it~ Thank you, Chairman Shen~]

The man replied quickly.

Shen Linyan: [You're welcome. As long as you like it.]

An Ling had intended to say she would be eating out tonight, but in the end, she silently deleted the message and didn't mention it.

There was no need for a couple in a marriage of convenience to report their whereabouts, right?

Shen Linyan hadn't told her yesterday either.

She put away her phone and went to change clothes to head out.

The appointment with Ms. Chen was for the evening. An Ling brought the gift and drove to the restaurant.

Standing before the private room, she took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The woman inside was in her early forties, wearing a black tracksuit with sharp, shoulder-length short hair. A pair of rimless glasses sat on her nose, giving her a capable and highly intellectual aura.

Hearing the sound, she looked up, a joyful smile appearing on her face.

"Ah Leng is here."

"Ms. Chen."

An Ling walked over and placed the gift on the table, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry. Some things happened over the past two years, and I disappeared without having a chance to tell you."

"Lin Ya told me. It's alright, I know you're not that kind of child. You must have run into some trouble to act that way."

Ms. Chen's tone was gentle, without a hint of blame. She even smiled as she spoke, "I'm truly happy to know you're coming back to work with me."

"I'm also very happy to be working with you again."

An Ling pushed the gift bag forward. "I know you like fountain pens. I asked my husband to get this for me. I don't know much about them, but I hope you like it."

Ms. Chen was about to decline the gift when she suddenly noticed the words the woman used. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her refusal took a sharp turn.

"You're married??"

Wasn't this girl still single two years ago? How did she end up married?

An Ling nodded somewhat shyly. "Yes... I got married this year. It's a family alliance."

An alliance???

Ms. Chen's face froze for a second before she reached an instant realization.

So it was an arranged marriage.

Though rare nowadays, they still existed in some circles.

She hadn't realized Ah Leng's family was so traditional. No wonder the girl used a pseudonym and didn't show her face; she probably didn't want her family to find out.

After all, some traditional customs dictated that women shouldn't show their faces or be too high-profile after marriage.

This explained everything—her sudden disappearance two years ago might have been because her family was struggling and forced her into marriage.

Such a talented child, forced to marry someone she didn't love.

Thinking of this, her gaze filled with pity and heartache. She gently took the girl's hand.

"I understand now. You should have told me sooner if that was the case. Now that you've come out and said you want to be an executive producer, didn't your family object?"

Her gaze fell on the gift bag, and recalling what An Ling had said, her eyes showed a bit more relief. She patted the back of An Ling's hand and sighed deeply.

"Fortunately, your husband seems decent and reasonable for supporting you in this. I support you too. Whatever difficulties you have, you can tell me. I'll help you."

A bewildered An Ling: "??"

What was wrong with Ms. Chen?

She paused. Although she was a bit confused, she picked the part she understood to answer: "Um... Ms. Chen, actually, my husband doesn't know. I didn't tell him who the gift was for, nor did I tell him I was coming to see you. I just asked him to buy the gift."

Ms. Chen's expression changed drastically.

"What!!?"

So, this fountain pen was actually something Ah Leng had gone to such great lengths to obtain just to please him?!

Her expression turned solemn as she shoved the bag back. "Then I definitely can't accept this! Ah Leng, if your husband finds out, will he... will he get violent with you??"

Ah Leng’s expression went blank.

Shen Linyan... getting violent?