Marriage First, True Love Later

Anran had never given Huang Dexing a direct reply about the technology City project. As for the collapse of the template room and the theft of the design plan, she did mention that she wanted to thoroughly investigate this matter and even proposed to call the police, but all of them were rejected by Huang Dexing because he didn’t want to expose negative news about the company during the sensitive period of the technology City tender.

Although Anran had some doubts about his unreasonable behavior, she didn’t talk about it again.

Due to the ‘Mobile Manor’ case, Anran, who had become extremely busy with her work, now had some free time after the collapse of the sample room and the loss of the design plan. She began to have nothing to do.

Occasionally, he would also hear the gossip of Ling Lin and Xiao Xiao. However, their mouths were theirs. It was their right to speak, but their own choice was to listen. In fact, she had been thinking a lot over the past two days. She already had a vague answer in her heart whether she should continue or not. Although it had been almost seven years, now that she thought about it, there was nothing about ‘Jing Cheng’ that she would miss, be it people or things.

The phone on the table rang at this time, and it was an unfamiliar number. Anran frowned. Because of her mood, she didn’t plan on picking it up, but the other party was obviously very patient, and they called her one after another. In the end, they even sent a text message.

Anran sighed softly and reached out to pick up her phone from the table. She opened the text message, and her eyes suddenly widened. The content of the text message was very simple. With the punctuation, it only had eight words.

The content of the message was like this, sister Gu, this is Chen Cheng.

After recovering from her shock, Anran quickly called her number and called her back. Chen Cheng seemed to have been waiting on the other side of the phone the whole time, and she picked up the phone almost as soon as the call went through.

“Chen Cheng?” An ran was still a little uncertain, and her tone was suspicious and probing. This was because no one would take the initiative to look for the person who had stolen something. This was too unreasonable.

The other side of the phone was silent for a while before Chen Cheng’s sobbing voice came through. She must have struggled for a long time before she called out, ” “Sister Gu …”

Anran tightened her grip on her phone and asked,”did you take the design drawings away?”

Chen Cheng didn’t say anything for a while, but Anran could hear her sobbing on the other end of the phone. She didn’t say anything and just held her phone and waited quietly for her to give her an answer.

After a while, Chen Cheng finally opened her mouth and said, ” “Sister Gu, let’s meet up and talk.”

“Ha.” An ran sneered and didn’t show any mercy. She said, ” “What do you think we should talk about? How did you get the design from my office?” His tone was filled with anger and mockery.

“I’m sorry,” she said. Chen Cheng seemed to be remorseful, but she insisted on meeting her. &Quot; sister Gu, let’s meet up and talk. I have something to tell you. &Quot;

When Anran arrived at the café Chen Cheng had set, Chen Cheng was already there. She was sitting by the window with a cup of coffee in front of her. She turned her head to look at the cars and pedestrians passing by the window. Her eyes were a little unfocused.

Anran walked over to her, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from her. She placed her bag on the seat next to her, looked at Chen Cheng, and said calmly, ” “Give me the design.” His tone was very calm, without any anger or anger, but it was very cold, bone-chilling.

Chen Cheng turned her head and looked at Anran. She lowered her head in guilt and said, ” “I’m sorry!”

Before Anran could say anything, the waiter of the coffee shop came up in time, held the menu, and said with a smile, ” “Do you need an order?”

Anran glanced at Chen Cheng, then turned to the waiter and said, ” “I’ll have a glass of water, thank you.”

“Alright, please wait a moment.” The waiter smiled and nodded.

Anran turned her gaze back to Chen Cheng. She looked at her and asked, ” “Why? Can you give me a reason?”

Chen Cheng lowered her eyes and held the coffee cup tightly with both hands. After a long time, she said,”I needed money. Someone offered me 100000 Yuan if I took the design of the ‘Mobile Manor’ away. I, I really needed the money, so I agreed.”

She knew how wrong she was, but she really had no choice. There was news from her family that her mother’s illness had worsened and she had to continue the operation, but how could her family afford it? last year, because of her mother’s illness, they almost emptied the family’s money. They thought that her illness had improved and she would have no problem living for a few more years, but suddenly they called to say that her illness had worsened again. The hospital urged her to have the operation every day. In the end, her father and brother had no choice. Only then did he call her. Just as she was in a hurry to raise the money, the man said that as long as she took the design of the ‘Mobile Manor’ away and disappeared for a few days, he would give her 100000 Yuan in one go. She really needed this money. With this 100000 Yuan, her mother could have the operation. Although she didn’t know how long her mother could live after the operation, maybe a few years, maybe a few months, if she had to watch her mother suffer and not think of a solution, how could she do it as a child? she had hurt Anran for her mother.

Anran didn’t say anything. She just stared at her, as if waiting for her to continue.

&Quot; I’ve been back to my hometown for the past few days. I came back to Jiang city today and only found out that something happened to the sample room on the morning I left. &Quot; Chen Cheng said in a low voice. The guilt she felt made her feel uneasy. She knew that Anran was the most innocent in this matter, and those people were doing this to leave Anran no way out. She felt that she needed to tell her what she knew so that she could at least be on guard.

“Who allowed you to take the blueprint?” Anran asked lightly. In fact, she had a vague guess in her heart.

Chen Cheng looked at her for a while before saying, ” “It’s the director.”

One day, Huang Dexing called her into his office. It seemed that he had already hired someone to investigate her family’s situation. He said that he was willing to give her 100000 Yuan. As long as she took the design from Gu Anran and handed it to him, he would give her the cash on the spot. In addition, even if something happened, he would protect her and not let the public investigate the matter. So, under the constant urging of the phone calls from home, she really had no choice. That night, her brother called again to say that if she didn’t go for surgery soon, the hospital would send out a notice of critical condition. She was so upset that she could only hide in the stairwell and cry. That night, after Anran left, she called Huang Dexing and told him that she could steal the blueprint as he said, but he had to prepare 100000 Yuan for her that night, because she really couldn’t wait any longer.

Huang Dexing agreed readily. They met at the café opposite the company at around nine O ‘clock that night. When she handed the drawings to him, he also gave her the money as promised. That night, she directly resigned from her job and took a train back to her hometown the next morning. Her mother’s condition had improved slightly over the past two days, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss, so she returned to Jiangcheng. The first thing she did when she returned was to the office was to send a message to her assistant, Xiaoli. After asking about the company’s status for the past two days, he found out that on the day he left, the sample room had collapsed in the morning, and the event Manor case had officially been declared a failure. She didn’t understand why Huang Dexing did this. The event Manor was such a big project. If it succeeded, not only would it be a key project for the company in the second half of the year, but it could also expand the company’s scale and open up the overseas market. But he actually planned it himself and destroyed this project! It was really puzzling and unbelievable.

“Hehe.” An ran sneered and said, ” “Is that so?” She only guessed that Huang Dexing must have known about this, but she didn’t expect that he was the one who had planned and orchestrated this whole thing. It was really ridiculous.

“Sister Gu?” Chen Cheng looked at her and asked worriedly,”You … Are you alright?”

Anran turned her head, glanced at her indifferently, and said, ” is the drawing in Huang Dexing’s hands now? ” His tone was very calm, so calm that no one could hear any emotion.

“I don’t know, but I gave the drawing to the director.” She had no idea who he handed the drawing to after he got it.

Anran didn’t speak again. She took the cup of hot water that the waiter had brought to her and took a sip. Then, he stood up and looked at her indifferently. He only said, ” “Thank you for telling me everything today, but I’ll give you a piece of advice. Don’t do anything against your conscience for money in the future.” After he finished speaking, he turned around and left without looking back.

When he returned to the company and entered the office lobby, he happened to run into Huang Dexing, who was about to go out.

Before Anran could even speak, Huang Dexing smiled at her and greeted her first. &Quot; just rushed back? ”

Anran nodded and didn’t say anything else. She looked at his indifferent expression and immediately became distant. He seemed to really have something to do and was in a hurry to go out. He only reminded her that he wanted her to give him a reply as soon as possible about the matter he had asked her to consider.

When she returned to her office, Anran sat at her desk in a daze and thought about a lot of things.

She wouldn’t even consider Huang Dexing’s offer. She hated such improper dealings and had always felt that she should be realistic. If you had the ability, you should fight for it directly. As long as you had the ability, you wouldn’t be afraid of not being able to get it. Using connections behind the scenes to get in through the back door was simply a violation of the principle of fairness and justice. She knew that many people would do this, but they were others, and she didn’t want to rush them like this. It didn’t matter if you said they were old-fashioned or inflexible. She had to admit that she was actually quite an awkward person.

She started to think about leaving, but if she did,’sincerity’ would probably hold her responsible for the collapse of the template room and the loss of the design.

Huang Dexing’s move was very despicable, but it was also very clever. At this moment, she was in a dilemma. If she didn’t move, she would have to listen to him and ask Shu Yicheng for the technology City project. If she was determined to leave, then all the time she had spent in the construction industry would be for naught, and her reputation in the industry would be ruined because of this project. If her guess was right, with Huang Dexing’s current attitude of not willing to publicly investigate, she would probably be fully responsible if she left. By then, the sample room would probably not have collapsed because someone had tampered with it, and the design drawings would not have been stolen and disappeared. It would probably become her design failure. And then deliberately destroy the map to shirk responsibility!

She pinched her sore eyebrows. She really hated such calculations and guesses. She had said that she was not stupid. There were many things that she did not understand because she did not want to understand or know. She just wanted to draw and design in peace. She didn’t want to have anything to do with the company’s operations at all because she had to deal with unnecessary people and she could win more. However, this wasn’t the life she wanted. However, it was obvious that she didn’t want to have unnecessary trouble for the sake of profit. However, she really hated and didn’t like it when others tried to force her to do so for the sake of profit!

“AI!”

He sighed softly, not willing to think about these annoying things. At this moment, she seemed to be an extra idle person in the company. Rather than saying that she was here to work, it was more like she was sitting in the office and daydreaming.

With nothing to do in the company, it was better to go to the hospital to see if her mother’s test report was out. With this in mind, Anran picked up the briefcase on the table and was about to leave, but when she raised her hand, she saw the ring on her ring finger, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

When she arrived at the hospital, Anran didn’t go directly to the ward on the eighth floor. Instead, she went directly to the office of Lin xiaofen’s attending doctor on the seventh floor. She wanted to ask Lin xiaofen if her physical condition was normal before she went to see her.

Because su Yicheng had talked to the director, and the director had specifically instructed his subordinates to pay special attention to Lin xiaofen’s condition, all the tests were done in extra detail. Lin xiaofen, who originally only planned to stay in the hospital for observation for two days, had already stayed in the hospital for a full five days. During this period, her company was also worried, so they specially came to see her. After looking at it, he realized that she had insisted on staying in the hospital for a detailed full-body examination because she couldn’t persuade her husband, daughter, and son-in-law.

Knock, knock, knock. &Quot; Anran knocked on the door and went in. She saw Lin xiaofen’s attending physician, Doctor Zhang, standing under the fluorescent light and staring at the CT scan with a serious expression. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

“Doctor Zhang,” An ran called out softly and entered the room.

Doctor Zhang turned around and saw her come in. He said, ” you came at the right time. Have a seat. I think I need to have a good talk with you about your mother’s condition. &Quot; As he spoke, he took the two CT scans from the fluorescent light and returned to his desk.

Anran sat down across from him. She had a bad feeling in her heart, so she asked tentatively, ” “Doctor Zhang, is there something wrong with my mother’s health?”

“There’s indeed a problem,” Doctor Zhang said with a nod. As he spoke, he handed her the CT scan that he had just seen and pointed at her. &Quot; “There’s a tumor in your mother’s head,”

Hearing this, Anran was stunned. For a while, she couldn’t react. She looked at him in a daze, and her voice trembled. &Quot; d-doctor, what did you say? ” A body tumor?”

Looking at her nervous expression, Doctor Zhang knew that she had misunderstood. He explained, ” &Quot; don’t be nervous. Your mother’s tumor is not big, and it’s a benign tumor. Even if it’s not removed, it won’t cause any harm to your mother’s body. &Quot;

Anran shook her head. He was speaking in such a way that she didn’t understand what he meant at all.

“I’ll make it simple.” Doctor Zhang sat down again and explained seriously, ” your mother’s tumor is benign, which means that it won’t grow or worsen. In some cases, the seal might even disappear over time, depending on the medicine. Therefore, there won’t be any life-threatening issues.”

Hearing this, Anran was relieved. &Quot; then what did Doctor Zhang want to talk to me about? ” It was a benign tumor, and there was no need for surgery. There was no need to mention that, so the patient and his family would not dare to worry or be afraid.

“Here’s the thing. Your mother’s lobe tumor is located here, and it’s closer to the optic nerve. If the tumor moves slightly, it’s likely to press on the optic nerve. As a result, it’s easy to lose your sight.” Doctor Zhang told her the truth.

“Then, then what should we do?” Anran asked, her tone anxious and worried.

“This way, once the tumor presses on the optic nerve, we can only remove the tumor. However, with your mother’s age, I’m afraid she won’t be able to withstand such an operation.” “Of course, it’s also possible that the tumor in the brain will never grow again or shift its position,” Doctor Zhang said frankly. The situation that I’ve just described wouldn’t have happened.”

Anran frowned and asked, ” “Then, do you mean that we should perform an operation?”

Doctor Zhang nodded and said, ” now is the best time for surgery. Your mother’s physical condition is good. There’s nothing to worry about when performing this type of surgery. The success rate of this type of surgery is also very high. &Quot; Of course, this was an open-head surgery, after all, so there was definitely a certain risk. You should go back and discuss with your family whether we should do this surgery or not.”

Anran furrowed her brows and nodded in understanding. She then asked a few more questions about the operation and Lin xiaofen’s other physical conditions. After she understood everything, she turned around and left the doctor’s office.

Because of su Yicheng, Lin xiaofen’s ward was directly changed from an ordinary single room to a luxurious VIP Ward. Compared to the ordinary Ward, the environment of the VIP Ward was not bad. More importantly, it was quiet and without the usual noise, so it was the best place for patients to recuperate.

When Anran arrived at Lin xiaofen’s ward, the door was left ajar. She pushed the door open, and at the entrance, she could hear Gu Hengwen and his mother talking about something. Anran was about to call out to them, but he heard her name in their conversation. Anran stopped in her tracks and listened carefully to their conversation.

&Quot; Hengwen, what should we do? he came to find me. It seems like he already knows about an ran’s past. &Quot; On the hospital bed, Lin xiaofen’s tone was a little flustered, and the hand she was holding onto Gu Hengwen’s hand was also tightly clenched.

Gu Hengwen patted her hand and gently comforted her, saying, ” “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

&Quot; I don’t want Anran to know, and I don’t want Anran to have anything to do with him. I’m afraid Anran will blame me if she finds out. &Quot; Lin xiaofen said in a low voice. She was a little depressed.

“He won’t take the initiative to find an ran. Don’t worry.” Gu Hengwen patted her hand to comfort her. &Quot; he has his own family now. If he doesn’t take the initiative to find Anran and tell her, his family will be threatened. With his current status, he won’t allow himself to do this. &Quot;

“Really?” Lin xiaofen was still a little uncertain. Actually, she knew that he was right, but she just wanted to get an answer from him. She was really afraid. This was a secret that she had tried hard to keep for more than twenty years!

“It’s true.” Gu Hengwen nodded his head and said with certainty.

Lin xiaofen’s lips twitched, but she couldn’t smile at all. Even though he was certain, she was still afraid. &Quot; Hengwen, what do you think we should do if Anran finds out? ”

&Quot; an ran will always be my daughter! &Quot; Gu Hengwen looked at her and there was no doubt in her tone.

Anran clutched the CT scan bag in her hand tightly. Did she come at the wrong time and hear something she shouldn’t have? She didn’t know what they were talking about, but she could vaguely guess what it was.

She carried the bag and quietly left the ward. Her movements were very light, so light that she didn’t make a sound, as if she had never been here.

He sat down on the bench by the corridor outside the door, his hand still holding the plastic bag tightly. His father’s suspicious words were still ringing in his ears.

&Quot; an ran will always be my daughter! &Quot;

Hadn’t she always been his daughter? When did it change?

Also, who would know about his mother’s worries? Why would her mother be worried that she would know something? Was he afraid that she would find out that she was not her father’s daughter?

Anran was shocked by her own thoughts and was so stunned that she couldn’t react. She muttered to herself, ” “How, how is that possible? how could there be such a preposterous thing?”

The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He reached out and patted his face, trying to stop himself from thinking about it. He kept comforting himself, &Quot; who else could she be if not daddy’s daughter? don’t scare yourself, don’t scare yourself. &Quot;

She sat outside the door for a while, trying her best to calm herself down. Then, she got up and walked towards the ward. Just as she was about to open the door and enter, the door opened at the same time. Gu Hengwen, who was inside, was stunned to see her. His expression was a little panicked. &Quot; ran, Ranran, you, when did you come over? ”

Although Gu Hengwen’s reaction made her feel even more uneasy, Anran still tried to make her expression as natural as possible. She pulled her lips and said with a faint smile, ” &Quot; I just came back from Doctor Zhang’s place. I’ve already brought the test report. &Quot; As he spoke, he handed the CT scan and examination report to him. &Quot; father, are you going out? ”

Gu Hengwen quickly shook his head and explained, ” no, no. I was just about to go to Doctor Zhang to ask for the results. Since I’ve already brought it here, I don’t have to go. Oh, by the way, what did Doctor Zhang say? is your mother’s health alright? ”

Speaking of this, Anran’s expression darkened, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked at her father and said, ” “Dad, let’s talk inside.”