Chapter 26: With Me Backing Her, She Is More Than Qualified

Wen Ying turned back to meet Lu Jinchuan’s somber gaze. He held a folded report between his slender fingers, and her heart tightened so sharply that she lost her composure and snatched it away.

"You read it?"

Lu Jinchuan watched her pale face quietly. "What are you nervous about?"

When he had approached, he had seen it slip from her pocket and picked it up, but he hadn’t had the chance to look at it yet.

"You’re overthinking it, Mr. Lu." Wen Ying felt a slight sense of relief and regained her composure.

Lu Jinchuan looked at her thoughtfully. "Wen Ying, lately you’ve been fond of calling me Mr. Lu."

She shoved the report back into the pocket of her bag. "Did you need something?"

Wen Ying didn’t explain that it was because Su Nian had brought the matter up previously. Furthermore, since they were about to divorce, calling him Mr. Lu was more appropriate.

"What is bothering you?" Lu Jinchuan didn’t dwell on the matter. His cold, deep eyes swept over her, offering a rare moment of concern.

Yet Wen Ying knew this had nothing to do with genuine care. Especially after seeing just moments ago how anxious he was over Su Nian’s mere cold, she understood that this show of concern was nothing more than perfunctory. It was simply a matter of Lu Jinchuan’s upbringing; he was a cold and detached man who would occasionally perform the basic courtesies of a gentleman without any sincerity behind them.

Once, she had been foolish enough to be moved by this very hypocrisy.

"A minor issue. I’m just here to visit my uncle," Wen Ying replied coldly, out of politeness.

"Su Nian is sick," Lu Jinchuan said suddenly.

Wen Ying looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

There was no joy or anger visible in Lu Jinchuan’s expression. The candidness with which he discussed his mistress with his legal wife struck Wen Ying as laughable.

"That day she went to Feixi to meet He Xicheng, she was left waiting for over an hour and caught a cold." Lu Jinchuan pulled out a cigarette case, shook one out, but decided not to light it and put it back.

"What is it that you want to say, Mr. Lu?" Wen Ying met his eyes.

Did he think that Su Nian being left waiting and getting sick was because she had said something to He Xicheng?

Lu Jinchuan gave her a thin, mocking look. "Why were you at Feixi that day?"

Just as expected.

Wen Ying had guessed right; he had come to "demand an explanation" because of this incident, not out of concern for why she was at the hospital.

"Mr. Lu lives a life far removed from the mundane, but since I left Lansheng, I naturally have to find a new place to go. One must survive, mustn't one?" Wen Ying’s tone was perfectly calm.

Lu Jinchuan scrutinized her for a moment.

"What kind of job could you possibly do at Feixi?"

He gave a light, hollow laugh that didn't reach his eyes.

Wen Ying understood the subtext of his words. In his eyes, she was not as capable as Su Nian, and he considered her departure from Lansheng a foolish move.

"That is no concern of yours, Mr. Lu." Wen Ying had no intention of discussing her current situation with him. They were about to become strangers; there was no need.

Moreover, Lu Jinchuan hadn't even offered an explanation for why the food she had cooked for the old lady ended up with Su Nian. He could clearly see it was her handiwork, yet he had tacitly allowed it, effectively turning her into a nanny for Su Nian.

Was it because he didn't care about such trifles? No. It was because he had never respected her from the very beginning.

Wen Ying’s attitude wasn't aggressive, but there was an unavoidable coldness to it. Lu Jinchuan noticed it; ever since that day, Wen Ying had begun to act this way. He thought that everything should have a limit. If he let her cool off, she would naturally come to her senses.

He gave a slight, derisive sneer. "Since you’ve joined Feixi, regardless of whether you are an assistant or something else, you might want to give him some advice. Perhaps he should learn to be more measured in his actions and dealings. Tact is a prerequisite for any leader."

Wen Ying’s pupils shifted.

Lu Jinchuan was sticking up for Su Nian. He was distressed that she hadn't been treated with enough importance. While he appeared to be criticizing He Xicheng for being heartless, he was actually accusing her of targeting Su Nian and telling her to "stop while she was ahead."

Even though Wen Ying disliked useless disputes, she also disliked being burdened with groundless accusations.

She looked up. "Has it never occurred to you, Mr. Lu, that she simply isn't qualified enough?"

Even if Su Nian was outstanding, she had no real track record yet. Did he really think that someone of He Xicheng's status was someone she could meet whenever she pleased?

Lu Jinchuan finally frowned slightly, his voice indifferent. "As long as I am her backer, she is qualified enough."