Chapter 27 Xu Qingwan in Jiangning

Chapter 27: Director Xu Qingwan at the Jiangning law firm, amidst the clear, penetrating scent of cold cedar.

Shen Pianran pushed a bank confirmation letter in front of Chen Ang with a smile on her lips:

"The second batch of funds should arrive in a day or two. After deducting all service fees, it's about 33 million USD."

Chen Ang took the document, turned the page, and read through it quietly. After the sense of unreality from the first time, he was much calmer when facing this enormous wealth.

A few minutes later, he slowly exhaled, looked up, and returned a satisfied smile to Shen Pianran.

He was becoming increasingly accustomed to and appreciative of this woman's style of doing things—no unnecessary explanations, no loose ends.

Meanwhile, Shen Pianran kept observing Chen Ang, seemingly wanting to find something in his expression that would surprise her.

It wasn't until Chen Ang's gaze shifted to her that she spoke again: "As for the return investment, the filing in Jiangning is complete."

She relaxed her shoulders and neck, leaned back comfortably in her chair, and took a sip of coffee. "This time, they are primarily promoting a cultural tourism project—the protective commercial development of an ancient building complex. It's quite significant in scale, and Director Xu is handling it personally."

Following the direction of Shen Pianran's pout, Chen Ang's gaze landed on another document on the table.

He knew about the ancient building complex in his hometown. Because of the ceramic raw material mines, that place had been a production site for imperial kiln ceramics over a thousand years ago, so it wasn't strange that many ancient buildings remained.

Opening the file, his gaze paused for a moment, stopping at the column for the project contact person—the name signed in black ink.

Director Xu Qingwan.

The handwriting was elegant and refined.

How could he not recognize her handwriting?

So, she was in his hometown.

Chen Ang's fingers paused at the edge of the page before turning it, but his gaze involuntarily lingered on that name for a second.

Beneath his calm and indifferent exterior, his heart was surging like waves crashing against the shore.

"Director Xu is efficient and pragmatic." Shen Pianran didn't notice Chen Ang's brief pause and continued, "Some of her proposals are beneficial to us, and I think we can speed up the implementation."

"Hmm, handle it as you see fit. I trust you."

Chen Ang suddenly felt a lump in his throat, not knowing what he should say.

"Alright." Shen Pianran sat up straight.

She set the coffee cup gently on the table, her eyes drifting, and suddenly sighed, "Everyone wants to live as someone else."

Chen Ang regained his focus and looked over, puzzled.

As if sensing his confusion, Shen Pianran smiled and said, "I met a very well-behaved little boy at the Investment Promotion Bureau meeting yesterday. He was just sitting outside the conference room, reading quietly. I spoke to him a few times; he was a bit shy. He looked just like a little pet—very adorable."

Chen Ang was slightly stunned, not understanding why this woman's sudden exclamation felt so strange and abrupt.

As if knowing Chen Ang's confusion, she smiled and said, "Honestly, seeing that little guy, I just thought, if only he were my son. It's a pity his mother is Director Xu."

She was married and had a child...

Chen Ang's eyelids twitched suddenly, and his mind buzzed, so loudly that he couldn't hear any outside sounds, only his own heartbeat suddenly tightening and then relaxing.

His gaze lost focus, his pupils dilated slightly, and his breathing seemed to stop.

She was over thirty, too; wasn't it normal for her to be a wife and mother?

He reached out as if to grab something, only to realize there was nothing to hold.

After a moment of hesitation, he took a deep breath, seemingly resigned, shifted his body, and slowly leaned back against the chair.

"Lawyer Shen, why don't we discuss the issue of how to fight for custody against a stranger?"

After making that joke, he inexplicably thought of the porcelain doll he had met in the plaza next door.

"It's not impossible to consider." Shen Pianran covered her mouth and laughed, rolling her eyes at Chen Ang. "My mom has been urging me to get married for years; she's crazy about wanting a grandchild. I told her I wouldn't just settle or compromise. She told me I was crazy."

"You don't plan on getting married?" Chen Ang was quite surprised.

"Why would you think that?" Shen Pianran leaned toward the desk, her chest pressing against the edge.

Chen Ang seemed not to notice. "Given your conditions and strength, not settling basically means you're destined to be alone for life."

Shen Pianran naturally didn't agree, shaking her head and asking why.

Chen Ang raised an eyebrow and spoke slowly: "Some idiots are going around picking fights, scaring off even the excellent men. Take Tan Xiaolei, whom you met the other day—he earns over 20,000 a month, his family runs a medium-sized supermarket, he's not bad looking, and his character is decent, but even he has declared he won't get married."

Shen Pianran didn't refute this; she knew her own situation well.

"Anyway, I won't settle just for a marriage certificate." She placed her coffee cup on the table and leaned back into her chair. "At worst, I'll just have a child and leave the father behind. I have money; I don't lack anything."

She looked at Chen Ang and asked, "What do you think?"

"That's fine." Chen Ang shrugged, indicating she was right; he wasn't going to argue with her, it was just casual conversation.

Whether man or woman, those with ability have the right to choose their own lives; Chen Ang understood this principle very well.

Shen Pianran glanced at him, feeling he wasn't just being perfunctory, so she raised an eyebrow with interest and asked, "And what about you?"

Chen Ang gave a wry smile. "I'm not divorced yet; I'm not considering anything for the future."

Shen Pianran stared intensely at Chen Ang, seemingly trying to discern his inner thoughts again. "Looks like you were cheated on?"

Chen Ang immediately didn't want to continue the conversation with this woman; she was too smart.

Seeing his subtle expression, Shen Pianran knew she had guessed correctly and understood that Chen Ang didn't want to continue this topic.

Knowing when to stop, her grasp of boundaries was always very precise. In the time she had known Chen Ang, she had long since learned to interpret his silence.

"Right." She looked up at the Blancpain Moonphase on her wrist and immediately brought the conversation back. "It's almost time for the divorce lawyer."

Chen Ang nodded and stood up. "How is his resume?"

"His surname is Zhou, Attorney Zhou Zheng. He's quite famous in Bin City, having handled several large property division cases, and he has quite a few followers online." While tidying up the documents, Shen Pianran answered.

Chen Ang noticed her expression was a bit odd and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"It's nothing." Shen Pianran packed the documents into her briefcase. "It's just… how should I put it? His professional skills are fine, but in front of me, he talks a bit too much."

Chen Ang looked at her, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of amusement. "Are you very close with him? Is it because of him that you don't want to get married?"

"We've known each other for three years, he chased me for two, and we were boyfriend and girlfriend for a week. That's all."

Shen Pianran rolled her eyes at him, as if speaking about something that had little to do with her.

Chen Ang smiled and didn't ask further; there was no need to pry into someone else's privacy.

Just as he pushed open the door, the phone in his pocket rang. It was Wen Huilin. He answered, spoke a few words, and hung up.

Shen Pianran glanced over. "Is your phone broken?"

"It was accidentally knocked over by some little girls." Chen Ang didn't mind and walked out of the office first.

Shen Pianran didn't say anything more, followed behind, took out her phone, and sent a message.

Chen Ang had already reached the elevator and didn't see the curve of her lips as she typed.