After walking a bit further, Chu Zilan looked at Rong Ci with concern. "Xiao Ci..."
Rong Ci shook her head and said tonelessly, "I'm fine."
From the moment Lin Lihai divorced her mother, he had ceased to be her father in her heart.
What truly hurt was knowing that because of her, the burden on her uncle had increased. She also felt the sting of Feng Tingshen's blatant favoritism.
The thought that Feng Tingshen only cared for Lin Wu that he was heartless toward Yu Moxun and her uncle for Lin Wu's sake, never once considering her own feelings made her heart feel as if it were being pierced by a knife.
It was a raw, bleeding pain.
"Xiao Ci..." Chu Zilan hugged her tightly, her heart aching for her friend.
Rong Ci squeezed out a faint smile but didn't speak. It didn't matter. She had already decided to walk away from this. She just needed a little time. She could do it.
"Want to go grab a drink?" Chu Zilan felt that Rong Ci needed to relax.
Rong Ci shook her head. "No need."
Rather than drinking, she wanted to go home and study her data. In that world, it was easier for her to find peace, relax, and find herself again.
Seeing her resolve, Chu Zilan didn't push.
The two headed to the parking lot, but before they could get into the car, Rong Ci's phone rang. It was a call from Feng Jingxin. The small smile that had just begun to grace Rong Ci's face vanished instantly.
She paused for a few seconds before finally answering. "Hello."
Feng Jingxin's voice came through the other end, wheedling, "Mom, when are you coming home?"
Rong Ci didn't answer directly, only asking, "What is it?"
"I'm so bored at home all by myself. Mom, come back and stay with me, okay?"
Her father wasn't home, and Auntie Wu had things to do as well. The house was too quiet, and she was bored out of her mind. She suddenly missed the days when her mother would chat with her, listening tenderly as she talked about her favorite animations and collectible figurines. So, she called Rong Ci, hoping she would come home.
Listening to her, Rong Ci said calmly, "Mom has things to do, maybe next time."
She was her mother, and she did want to satisfy her daughter's requests as much as possible. But she had her own life, too. She was in a bad mood and needed some personal time.
Feng Jingxin sounded dejected. "Oh, alright then..."
"I'm hanging up now. Call Mom if you need anything else."
"Okay..."
Hanging up gloomily, Feng Jingxin felt even more bored.
Just then, Feng Tingshen returned. Seeing her looking like a frost-bitten eggplant, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"I just called Mom and wanted her to come back and stay with me, but she said she's busy..." She buried her delicate face into a soft throw pillow. "Mom has been so busy lately."
Feng Tingshen gave a noncommittal grunt and sat on a nearby sofa. He took out his phone and began discussing business matters with someone, offering her no comfort. However, the fact that he didn't retreat to his study but stayed there with her made Feng Jingxin feel a little better. She happily picked up her tablet and began playing her puzzle games.
On the other side.
Seeing Lin Lihai return, Lin Lilan asked, "What took you so long?"
Lin Lihai paused. "I ran into Xiao Ci."
"Oh? You saw her?"
Lin Lilan was glamorous and had married well. She was a strong woman in her own right, holding significant sway in both her husband's family and the Lin family. Regarding the niece she hadn't seen in years, Lin Lilan didn't show much concern. Instead, she asked about something else: "Did you talk to her about Xiao Wu joining Chang Mo?"
Lin Lihai shook his head. "I said a few words, but she wasn't listening."
Lin Lilan set down her coffee cup and frowned. "Xiao Ci is really... Even if President Feng was 'stolen' by Xiao Wu, I can understand her feeling hurt. But we've all seen President Feng; he isn't the kind of man a woman with nothing but beauty can keep or even deserve. Even without Xiao Wu, he was bound to divorce her sooner or later."
In Lin Lilan's eyes, Rong Ci was simply jealous of Lin Wu for taking Feng Tingshen, which was why she was sabotaging Lin Wu's employment at Chang Mo. Rong Ci had neither talent nor knowledge, only knowing how to be difficult and unreasonable. Just thinking about it made Lin Lilan find her pathetic.
She guessed she wasn't the only one; Feng Tingshen likely thought the same. Unfortunately, Rong Ci didn't realize this at all. Perhaps she was still gloating over ruining Lin Wu's opportunity.
Thinking of Lin Wu's excellence and then of Rong Ci, Lin Lilan felt even more strongly that there was no comparison between the two.
Lin Lihai sighed. "I know. But she won't listen."
"She really is..." Paranoiac, just like her mother. Lin Lilan didn't finish the sentence. After all, anything involving that person was never pleasant.
"About cuap..."
"Let's wait for Xiao Wu to get back and ask her," Lin Lihai said. He was very concerned about this matter.
Over the years, they had invested heavily in the AI field, but their company's products lacked solid technology and had seen mediocre development. In contrast, Chang Mo earned hundreds of millions every year just because of cuap, even if they did nothing else. How could they not be envious?
If they could uncover the core technology of cuap and integrate it into their existing projects, their company would surely soar. At that point, a market value of ten billion would be well within reach.
Just as they were thinking this, Lin Wu returned.
Seeing the siblings, she called out, "Dad, Auntie."
"Xiao Wu, you're back?" Seeing her, Lin Lilan immediately broke into a smile. Her fondness and admiration for Lin Wu were plain to see.
Lin Wu nodded and sat down. "What are you talking about?"
"Still the matter of cuap," Lin Lihai said. "Since you can't get into Chang Mo, what are your plans? Has President Feng said anything?"
"Tingshen said he would help me get in touch with Nan Zhizhi."
Nan Zhizhi was a preeminent figure in the domestic AI field. He was highly regarded by the government, and his movements were kept secret; ordinary people had no chance of meeting him. Yu Moxun was one of the few students Nan Zhizhi had personally mentored, and it was rumored that cuap had been developed by Nan Zhizhi himself.
Since the path through Yu Moxun was blocked, they had to try approaching Nan Zhizhi directly.
"That's good." Lin Lihai smiled but then expressed some concern. "Yu Moxun is Nan Zhizhi's student. If he says something negative about you to him, will this..."
"It shouldn't come to that." Lin Lilan laughed. "Brother, there's something you don't know. I've heard that Mr. Nan Zhizhi values talent above all else. Our Xiao Wu is a genius.
As long as she gets the chance to meet him, with her knowledge in the AI field, she will surely gain his appreciation. It wouldn't even be impossible for Mr. Nan to make an exception and take her on as a personal student."
Lin Lihai smiled. "That is true."
Lin Lilan asked again, "Did President Feng mention when you might meet Mr. Nan?"
Lin Wu took a sip of water and said calmly, "Mr. Nan is expected to attend the Tech Exhibition next week."
They were well aware of the Tech Exhibition. However, their company's standing in the field wasn't high enough to receive the quotas distributed by the government. But with Feng Tingshen's help, presumably.
Thinking of this, Lin Lihai and Lin Lilan looked at Lin Wu.
Lin Wu said, "Tingshen gave me two tickets, but only two"
"It's fine. It doesn't matter which of us goes with you. What's important is that you go." Lin Lilan smiled. "Exactly."
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).