"Don’t be nervous if it’s nothing important, just speak up," Lu Yuan was extremely busy, overwhelmed with things yet to be handled, and he had no time to waste with her here.
"Uh..." She gritted her teeth, no longer concerned about whether people might suspect she had learned about this important secret through some channel, and blurted out, "I heard that a research institute in Shanghai has a backlog of a special fabric."
"What are you trying to say?" Lu Yuan was confused by her.
"This fabric has excellent insulation against cold and frost. Even in our freezing weather, just wearing one layer is warmer than wearing down jackets or cotton-padded coats."
Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up, finally understanding what she was getting at.
"You’re serious? You’re not lying to me? How can there be such a great thing?"
Hearing Lu Yuan’s response, Sheng Ning finally relaxed, "Dean, I swear it’s true!"
"Good! I’ve got it. If it really has this function, I’ll credit you with a major contribution," Lu Yuan said excitedly, pacing around the office before finally calming down enough to pick up the phone on his desk and call the logistics department.
Sheng Ning, seeing his reaction, finally felt at ease and quietly left the office. She had already done what she could; she just hoped that the tragedy of the past would not repeat itself this lifetime.
That evening, Su Yun returned home early. She had given the babysitter the night off, so the kitchen was cold and unused. She sat on the sofa in her oversized loungewear, waiting for Meng Xingzhi.
From seven in the evening until eleven, Meng Xingzhi still hadn’t come home.
Gradually, she ran out of patience. She and Xingzhi hadn’t been intimate for some time now, due to issues regarding their so-called daughter. She missed him terribly, but was frustrated by the increasingly cold way he treated her.
Meng Ping, drunk and carrying his clothes, stumbled through the door. Spotting Su Yun on the sofa, he paused, his half-drunk eyes sobering up considerably.
"Why have you been drinking again?" Su Yun, like an ordinary mother waiting for her son to come home, busied herself with making tea, fetching clothes, and slippers.
Once Meng Ping had changed into his clothes and shoes and was sitting on the sofa with his tea, she finally settled down.
"Enough, stop fussing!" Meng Ping put down his teacup, "Why aren’t you sleeping? Waiting for my dad?"
"Yes," Su Yun said in a low, aggrieved voice.
"Don’t wait. My dad won’t be back tonight; he’s staying at the rescue center these days."
"What?" Su Yun could no longer remain calm and stood up angrily, "That’s too much, how can he show so little respect for me?"
By tomorrow morning, the entire district would be abuzz with rumors that she, the President’s wife, had driven her husband to live in the office due to their marital dispute.
"Hahaha..." Meng Ping laughed joyfully at her misfortune.
"I need to find him." Su Yun couldn’t stand being ignored ; she hurried to her feet, intending to go upstairs to change her clothes, but Meng Ping stopped her.
"If you have the time, you might as well think about how to officially recognize your biological daughter!"
Su Yun paused, turned her head in surprise to look at Meng Ping, "She’s doing quite well, isn’t it enough that my dad, my brother, and my other brothers recognize her? Do I need to as well?"
Meng Ping couldn’t help but scoff. He had previously thought his stepmother was quite clever, but now she seemed pitifully stupid.
"If you don’t recognize her, a lot of people won’t recognize you."
"Really?" Su Yun thought about how ever since Sheng Ning appeared, her father and brothers no longer paid attention to her. Even her husband, who loved her deeply, had started to distance himself. She already had a hunch about much of it.