Chapter 57: Two Sleepless Souls

Jiang Fan changed the subject, and only then did A Ping remember why they were here. She pointed toward the factory gate and said, "The boss and the driver went out for some errands, but something happened. Barely a minute or two after leaving the factory, their car was stopped by the security patrol. They said the driver had just harassed a woman, so not only was the car impounded, but the driver wasn't allowed to leave. He ran back to the office to ask Vice President Tang for help, and Vice President Tang sent me to find you."

Hearing that the security squad had stopped Chen Anlong, Jiang Fan felt little sympathy for either party. He wanted to use his injury and current leave as an excuse to stay out of it. As long as he didn't get involved, he thought, it wouldn't matter how ugly the situation got; it was none of his business.

"That troublemaker—what woman did he provoke this time? Doesn't Vice President Tang know I have bad blood with the security squad? Yet he wants me to handle it? I'm injured, it's inconvenient for me to move. Let Vice President Tang deal with it himself. I can't help."

With that, he lay back down and pulled the covers over himself, pretending to go back to sleep.

A Ping came to his bedside, stomped her foot, and whipped the covers off him, annoyed. "You’re the boss’s right-hand man, and you have the nerve to nap when something happens? Get up! Vice President Tang is waiting for you downstairs at the factory office."

Jiang Fan had no choice but to get up again. He looked at A Ping and said, "Don’t they usually call me on the internal line or broadcast? Why did they send a girl to the men's dorm this time? Are they trying to use a beauty trap, hoping I'll become their lackey?"

"I thought in your eyes I'm just a woman, that you couldn't see any beauty in me. It's just an emergency—Vice President Tang sent me, not some beauty trap. Hurry up, don't keep Vice President Tang waiting."

Jiang Fan led the way downstairs, sluggishly, A Ping's words about not keeping Vice President Tang waiting echoing in his ears.

He frowned and turned to scrutinize A Ping. "You’re the boss’s secretary, but it seems you care more about Vice President Tang than the boss himself. Is it..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

A Ping stared at him, flustered. "Why stop? Do you think I’m having an affair with him?"

Seeing her stunned, Jiang Fan gave an awkward, forced laugh. "That’s your own interpretation, I never said that."

Afraid she’d press the issue, Jiang Fan quickened his pace, heading for the factory gate and nodded to Vice President Tang in greeting.

Vice President Tang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

The two walked out together.

Chen Anlong’s car was parked just outside the factory, blocked at both ends by two security motorcycles. About forty meters ahead, a police car was parked.

Jiang Fan ignored Chen Anlong’s predicament and asked Vice President Tang beside him, "What time is it?"

Vice President Tang glanced at his watch. "Three minutes past eleven. Why?"

"Damn, I overslept. That hag—she didn’t even bother to wake me when she came," Jiang Fan muttered to himself, then hurried toward the police car.

He had barely taken two steps when the police car door opened. Wang Wenyu, who had been watching, stepped out and called out sharply, "Slow down! Don’t forget you’re injured!"

Because there were so many onlookers at the gate, Wang Wenyu only cautioned him and didn’t walk over.

Jiang Fan felt the ache in his injured ribs as he reached Wang Wenyu. He held his side and said, "How long have you been here? Why didn’t you have someone call me when you arrived?"

Wang Wenyu wrapped her arm around his waist, supporting him, and took his hand from his ribs. "I couldn’t sleep all night. Only closed my eyes just before dawn, so I got up late. I’d just arrived and ran into a pervert from your factory, so I didn’t have a chance to look for you yet.

You’re holding your ribs—is it hurting again? Want me to massage it?"

Jiang Fan noticed the dark circles under her eyes and teased, "I’m fine. Just got too excited seeing you, ran a couple of steps, and now it’s a bit sore. It’ll pass.

We’re truly connected—I couldn’t sleep last night either, kept thinking about you. Did you lose sleep thinking of me too?"

Hearing that Jiang Fan spent the whole night thinking of her, a blush flashed across Wang Wenyu’s cheeks. She protested, "I couldn’t sleep because I haven’t gotten used to Dongguan’s climate. Don’t flatter yourself. We’ve only known each other three days, met three times, and you say you thought of me all night? You’re fooling no one."

Jiang Fan, as if to declare his claim to her, let go of his ribs and wrapped his arm around Wang Wenyu’s waist. "You agreed to be my wife—no backing out. Does it matter how long we’ve known each other?

Even if I lied to a ghost, I wouldn’t lie to my wife. That proves I’m a good man. When I see you, my heart races. You can check if you don’t believe me—it hasn’t calmed yet. With a man caring for you this much, you call me insincere. Have a heart."

Jiang Fan’s insomnia was due to youthful longing and a surge of hormones.

Wang Wenyu pouted, "You’re so sweet-talking." Remembering last night, how she’d lost sleep because of this man, she contentedly leaned her head against Jiang Fan’s shoulder.

Calmness allows one to think clearly, and Wang Wenyu’s sleeplessness was complicated. Not only the joy of newfound love and the shy reserve before living together, but the anticipation for their shared future, and disbelief that someone so concerned with reputation could make such a hasty decision after only three meetings.

Last night, lying in bed, the quiet around her gave Wang Wenyu space to reflect. She thought about many things, knowing that tomorrow they’d rent a place together, feeling it was all happening too quickly, too wildly, and her heart continued to waver.

But whenever she thought of Jiang Fan’s gaze—full of allure, resting on her constantly—it fascinated her.

And his shameless sweet talk, whether true or false, she liked hearing it, making her want to dote on Jiang Fan even more.

All night, Wang Wenyu wrestled between reason and emotion. As dawn crept in, she found her excuse, murmuring to herself, "He’s injured and needs care. I’m his girlfriend, I should look after him. As long as I don’t let him cross the final line when we sleep together, he’s already gotten away with most things anyway, so let him have his way."

Having made up her mind, the scene of them together among the reeds surfaced in her memory, and she smiled to herself.

Hearing Wang Wenyu teasing his sweet words, Jiang Fan pouted his still-swollen lips, suggestive. "No matter how sweet I am, only you get to taste it. Want to review it again now?"

Wang Wenyu pointed at the crowd watching at the Dafeng factory gate, including Vice President Tang and A Ping, who were watching them closely. "Behave, you rascal. Don’t you see everyone staring?"

Jiang Fan, focused entirely on Wang Wenyu, only now remembered why he was here. He recalled A Ping saying Chen Anlong had troubled a woman and was in some mess. Pointing to Chen Anlong’s car in the distance, he asked, "The pervert you mentioned—was it the guy in that car?"

"Yes," she replied. "He wanted your wife to have lunch with him, even got out and tried to grope me. But the security patrol saw him before he could touch me. They blocked his way and called for backup, saying they’d take him to the security squad."

Hearing Wang Wenyu’s explanation, Jiang Fan’s face darkened with anger. "That bastard—I took a knife for him, and he tries to hit on my wife." He turned, ready to confront Chen Anlong.

Chen Anlong’s harassment truly angered Wang Wenyu. Seeing Jiang Fan about to start trouble, she remembered Hao Meng’s advice, quickly grabbing Jiang Fan. "He didn’t really do anything—never even touched me before the security patrol saw him. Right now you need stability, to spend some time at the factory. Let’s just let it go."

Hao Meng had warned Wang Wenyu not to rush things, a reminder she kept close. If she hadn’t overslept and feared Jiang Fan might wait too long, she wouldn’t have arrived in a police car, symbolizing special privilege.

To keep things low-key, she parked away from the factory and walked to the Dafeng gate, asking the security guards to help find Jiang Fan.

At that moment, two guards were busy opening the gate for Chen Anlong’s car. Seated in the passenger seat, Chen Anlong noticed the strikingly beautiful Wang Wenyu. Attracted by her looks and believing money was all-powerful, he told his driver to park by the roadside.

Getting out, he walked over to Wang Wenyu, pretending to check the time, showing off his Rolex, and then addressed her directly, "Beautiful lady, I have an important lunch engagement today, with many key town officials attending. I need a companion—would you join me? I’ll reward you generously afterward."

Wang Wenyu didn’t know Chen Anlong, but seeing his car, she figured he was either the boss or a senior manager. Knowing Jiang Fan was working here and not wanting to cause him trouble, she held her temper and politely replied, "Sorry, I’m waiting for a friend here. I don’t need your reward. Please respect yourself."