CHAPTER 856: CHAPTER 503 MU CHANGQING_2

"If you want, I can ride my mountain bike tomorrow." Anyway, he doesn’t get tired from cycling.

"Great, great." Xue Yuantong felt a sweetness in her heart; even though the mountain bike’s seat wasn’t as soft as the electric bike’s, she liked how Jiang Ning listened seriously to her thoughts.

Jiang Ning: "Since I agreed to do something for you, you have to agree to do something for me too."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yuantong became instantly alert: "What is it?"

Jiang Ning said: "I won’t be eating at home tonight."

He hadn’t had dinner with Shao Shuangshuang for a while, and it was time to discuss the development of Changqing Liquid Company.

"Hmph." Xue Yuantong, "Go ahead, why tell me, even if it’s tonight, tomorrow morning, or tomorrow noon, and you’re not eating at home, it’s nothing."

She maintained a proud demeanor of indifference towards Jiang Ning.

Afternoon.

Xue Yuantong woke up from her nap at 3:30.

After clearing her head a bit, she washed her face, grabbed her tablet, and took a can of pistachios, happily looking for Jiang Ning to play games.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Jiang Ning tying his shoelaces.

Xue Yuantong felt something unusual was happening, and sure enough, the next moment Jiang Ning said:

"I’m leaving, I’ll be back after dinner."

Xue Yuantong suddenly remembered that he had mentioned not eating dinner at home; feeling uninterested, she waved her hand:

"Go ahead."

"No pistachios for you."

Jiang Ning: "Oh."

Xue Yuantong settled onto her exclusive throne and logged into the game.

Once Jiang Ning walked out the door, she couldn’t help but remind him: "Be careful on the road."

"Got it." Jiang Ning responded, choosing not to bike and walked all the way to the river dam.

After he left, the room instantly felt deserted.

Xue Yuantong stared at the 4K resolution monitor, and for some reason, suddenly felt uninterested.

She slumped onto her throne, gazing at the empty room, losing interest in all the worldly riches.

These recent times, she followed Jiang Ning every day, and whenever she wanted, she could play games, watch movies, read books, eat snacks with him, or even... do nothing at all, just daze aimlessly, and still feel happy.

Suddenly he left.

Chuchu next door had class in the afternoon, and her mom wasn’t home either; it felt like going back to old times.

Xue Yuantong had no interest in playing on the computer, the phone, or the tablet.

Bored, she emptied the can of pistachios onto the desk, spreading them everywhere, but Xue Yuantong wasn’t happy.

"1,2,3,4..." she counted the pistachios to pass the time.

Back in middle school, when her mom went out to work, she used to play with marbles at home, spilled them all out, then picked them up one by one, repeating countless times.

Until her mom came home.

Three years later, Xue Yuantong was still counting things as if nothing had changed.

Only she had switched from cold, hard marbles to edible pistachios.

...

Urban area.

In Dacheng District, Shao Shuangshuang changed her clothes.

In the living room, a 45-inch LCD TV was playing the drama ’Parents Love.’

In front of the sofa, a middle-aged woman was skillfully making dumplings while a middle-aged man lent a hand.

Shao Shuangshuang looked in the mirror, quite satisfied with the youthful woman reflected, her smile accentuated by her almond-shaped eyes, the teardrop mole making her appear vibrant.

Finishing her mirror check, confident her current look was flawless, she stepped out of the bedroom.

"Mom, your birthday is coming up. What do you want? I’ll buy it for you." Shao Shuangshuang said.

She hadn’t been able to before, but now that she had the means, her parents were on her mind first.

Mrs. Shao: "I want a son-in-law."

Shao Shuangshuang was speechless: "..."

She didn’t say another word; although her career was impressive, her parents still wanted her to get married and live a good life.

Mrs. Shao’s expression shifted; she continued:

"Oh, you remember our old neighbor’s road?"

Mr. Shao replied: "I remember, I remember, his son is 28 this year."

Mrs. Shao teased her daughter: "Same age as our girl. I met him on the road the day before yesterday, guess what?"

Mr. Shao pretended to be concerned: "What happened?"

"Oh dear, their kid has become successful." Mrs. Shao praised, speaking with a disappointed look towards her daughter.

While Shao Shuangshuang might be the CEO of Changqing Liquid outside, shining brightly, at home she was still their little girl.

Still, having been trained outside for a long time, Shao Shuangshuang said: "Your girl can be successful too."

Mrs. Shao was so upset that her dumplings turned out crooked.

"I won’t be eating at home tonight." Shao Shuangshuang said.

Mrs. Shao returned to normal: "Another meeting?"

Shao Shuangshuang: "Yes."

"I’ll save some dumplings for you to eat when you come home."

After Shao Shuangshuang left, Mrs. Shao sighed immediately: "She’s 30 and still not married."

Mr. Shao: "She’s not 30. She’s not even 28 yet, you keep making her older!"

Mrs. Shao: "Still not young, and you’re not even urging her."

Mr. Shao lay back on the sofa: "Guess what our daughter did when she left today?"

"Didn’t she say meeting?"

Mr. Shao chuckled dryly: "When has she ever not worn makeup to a meeting? Guess why she didn’t put any on in front of the mirror today?"

Mrs. Shao thought carefully, and it was true. She speculated: "Are you saying our daughter went on a date?"

...

Huqishan Villa.

The Spirit Boat drew an elegant curve, landing on the third-floor terrace, and Jiang Ning’s figure gradually appeared.

In the sunset, Hu Qi Mountain had a faint mist rising, like a fairyland.

The residents here were long accustomed to it, and because of it, the price of the Huqishan Villa rose significantly.

Jiang Ning descended to the second-floor lounge, and Shao Shuangshuang noticed the movement, catching sight of Jiang Ning’s figure.

He was still the same as before, tall and slender, with the glow of the setting sun scattering through the window, making him radiate light. His features were as refined as ever, and his deep black eyes gazed at her, as clear as the distant Qingyu Lake, as bright and pure as the moon.

For that moment, Shao Shuangshuang felt as if she had returned to twelve years ago, that most beautiful age when she and Lin Han both liked the same boy.

But the result was not what she wished, as she lost to Lin Han.

In the decade since, Shao Shuangshuang never found that feeling again. Last year she saw that man again, but unfortunately, he had changed from the one in her memory.

Shao Shuangshuang gazed at Jiang Ning’s figure, silently wondering if he would still possess his current charm in ten years.

"You’re quite early." Jiang Ning said.

Shao Shuangshuang: "I arranged for the chef to prepare some dishes. See if they suit your taste."

Because of her status, she could no longer casually go out for grilled fish with Jiang Ning like before.

Shao Shuangshuang had been on news broadcasts and interviewed by various local TV stations, making her somewhat of a celebrity.

Jiang Ning: "No rush."

"Tell the chef I left some rice in the fridge, and have her make rice."

Shao Shuangshuang: "Okay."

Even though she hadn’t tasted it, there was already a look of anticipation on her face.

Jiang Ning had brought her no shortage of fruits before, with flavors so good that each time Shao Shuangshuang returned home, her mother refrained from urging her about marriage, showing the great effect it had.

While they were chatting, a chef brought over some appetizers.

Jiang Ning tasted a bit of dessert and said: "Has the land around Snowflake Lake been acquired?"

Shao Shuangshuang replied: "Currently in negotiations, that plot was taken by Hanwu Real Estate, which is backed by Rui Fang Group. It’s not a small-scale operation, intending to develop high-end real estate in Yuzhou."

As Shao Shuangshuang mentioned, Jiang Ning clearly remembered that years later, the estate by Snowflake Lake indeed became the most upscale in Yuzhou, with prices soaring to seventeen or eighteen thousand in this fourth- or fifth-tier small city of Hui Province.

"Behind it is a businessman named Li, with quite extensive connections, seemingly reluctant to make a move." Shao Shuangshuang explained.

Jiang Ning: "Keep raising the price, that land is very important to me."

Seeing him say it was important, Shao Shuangshuang perked up.

"If necessary, I’ll handle it." Jiang Ning said calmly without a ripple in his expression.

Seeing his demeanor, Shao Shuangshuang felt a sense of respect.

She knew too well Jiang Ning’s capabilities. Previously, when she negotiated materials acquisition and encountered someone trying to extort exorbitant sums, even attempting to seize their Changqing Liquid regional sales agency rights.

After reporting to Jiang Ning, the next day that person was hospitalized, went to Xiehe, and then to the reputedly world’s best Mayo Clinic, all told to cherish their remaining days.

Then, Changqing Liquid Company reached out to provide internal medicine, curing his ailment and securing a huge sum along the way.

At that time, Shao Shuangshuang was still worried, fearing the official investigations couldn’t be avoided.

However, now, looking at the first and second quarter export volume of Changqing Liquid, she no longer had any worries of that sort.

As long as Changqing Liquid Company remained steady, as long as she didn’t commit any heinous crimes, Shao Shuangshuang had almost no need to worry about official scrutiny.

Thinking of this, Shao Shuangshuang was curious: "The new product, Mu Changqing, our R&D department couldn’t find any replication leads after analyzing it, the technology is just too advanced."

Jiang Ning became intrigued, saying: "Do you want to know what technology it is?"

Shao Shuangshuang wanted to know but knew even more that it wasn’t something she should concern herself with.

She smiled and did not ask.

Jiang Ning leaned back on the sofa, resting his hands behind his head, looked at the grand décor of the lounge, and said, "If we went out to eat today, you’d know what technology it is."

Shao Shuangshuang thought, "If I were to go out to eat with Jiang Ning now, it would definitely be reported by the media. Isn’t he worried?"