The Cunning CEO's Contract Wife

Chapter 177 Business trip

In the sweltering summer, even in a cool office, it feels unbearably stuffy, leaving you listless all afternoon.

The same applies to several people in the secretariat.

As soon as it was time to leave work, everyone slumped down, slowly packing their things to prepare to leave.

Lin Ran, however, was different. She glanced at the date and couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Tomorrow is her birthday. Usually, she spends her birthday alone and wishes herself a happy birthday by herself.

Because her birthday is only one day apart from Ye Chuchu's, she can only look on with envy at other people's birthday cakes every year.

Things are different now; she has a new family, and her mother has woken up.

Perhaps this will be a completely different birthday.

Even Lin Ran didn't notice that she had developed expectations for Xiao Jingchen.

Perhaps the two of them should sit down and have a proper talk.

As Lin Ran packed her things, she thought to herself, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

She didn't even notice when someone stood in front of her; she stood up and bumped into the person, the force of which made her sit back down in her chair.

"Hey, who is it?"

Lin Ran looked up, annoyed, and met a pair of smiling eyes.

"Xiao Yunsi? What brings you here?"

Xiao Yunsi smiled and took out a small, square box from behind him, handing it over.

"It's your birthday tomorrow, right? This is an early gift for you."

"It's best to open it after midnight tonight."

"Gift?"

Lin Ran was taken aback, and a surge of joy welled up inside her.

Since her mother fell ill, she has never celebrated her birthday again, let alone received any birthday gifts.

The box in my hand suddenly felt incredibly heavy, as if it weighed a ton.

"Hey, don't get too touched, I don't want to comfort you anymore."

Xiao Yunsi said jokingly, looking at Lin Ran's touched expression.

"What are you talking about? I'm not that moved at all."

Lin Ran retorted nonchalantly, but the tears in her eyes couldn't lie.

"If you feel bored tomorrow, remember to contact me. After all, Mr. Xiao is busy, and he's probably already out having fun with your sister."

These words chilled Lin Ran to the bone. Her pupils trembled, and she looked utterly incredulous.

"What did you say?"

"I said, Xiao Jingchen and Ye Chuchu went out. Who knows what they went to do?"

Xiao Yunsi's tone was slightly teasing. After he finished speaking, he seemed to notice Lin Ran's somewhat strange expression and then comforted her.

"Maybe they're just doing their job, don't overthink it."

"I go first."

Lin Ran forced herself to say goodbye to Xiao Yunsi, but the joy on her face had vanished by the time she left.

She told herself not to jump to conclusions so easily, but how could Xiao Jingchen possibly take someone like Ye Chuchu out for work?

Back at the villa, Xiao Jingchen was indeed not there.

Lin Ran's heart sank completely. She sat alone in her bedroom, not knowing what she was waiting for.

Seeing that it was almost midnight, Lin Ran simply closed her eyes and tossed her phone aside.

Out of sight out of mind.

After all, there's still a whole day left, maybe... Xiao Jingchen will come back.

Clinging to a last shred of hope, Lin Ran actually fell asleep.

Meanwhile, the person she was so concerned about was on the plane, next to Ye Chuchu, who was wearing a white dress, her makeup was exquisite, and the smile on her lips never faded.

"Brother Jingchen, thank you for coming with me on this trip."

Ye Chuchu lowered her head slightly, her soft hair falling to the side of her face, making her look much gentler.

Xiao Jingchen walked past but froze, a strange feeling flashing through his mind.

He had just realized that Ye Chuchu looked somewhat similar to Lin Ran.

Thinking of that woman, Xiao Jingchen regretted agreeing to Ye Chuchu's request for the first time. If he hadn't gone out, he would probably be resting in the villa by now.

Thinking of Lin Ran, Xiao Jingchen himself didn't even notice the sudden tenderness in his expression.

Ye Chuchu waited for a long time but didn't receive the praise she had imagined. She looked up with a puzzled expression and saw the longing in Xiao Jingchen's eyes.

Her expression suddenly turned cold.

"Brother Jingchen? Are you not feeling well? Maybe we should go back."

Ye Chuchu was angry inside, but she still maintained a gentle and considerate demeanor on her face.

Seeing this, Xiao Jingchen felt a little guilty. Just as he was about to speak, the plane began to land, interrupting what she was about to say.

After landing, Ye Chuchu didn't have a chance to find Xiao Jingchen to ask him what he wanted to say. The two went to their own rooms.

Ye Chuchu said she came here to have fun, but in reality, she just wanted to find an excuse to be with Xiao Jingchen. The two of them strolled around the amusement park for a long time like an ordinary couple.

Ye Chuchu also took the opportunity to take a lot of photos.

As darkness approached, Xiao Jingchen's already dwindling patience was almost completely exhausted.

"Brother Jingchen, there's a fireworks show tonight. Will you watch it with me?"

Ye Chuchu tugged at Xiao Jingchen's sleeve and pleaded pitifully.

She absolutely cannot let Xiao Jingchen go back now.

After all... as long as it's not past midnight, it's still considered Lin Ran's birthday.

Her request was not refused, but Xiao Jingchen was clearly distracted. Especially when the phone rang, he frowned and answered it with a hint of worry, bypassing Ye Chuchu.

"Hey?"

Xiao Jingchen's voice was deep and melodious, like a cello. Even though Lin Ran was on the other end of the phone, her heart couldn't help but tremble.

"Hey, where did you go?"

Lin Ran spoke the short sentence with great difficulty, and was still somewhat uneasy afterward.

"On a business trip."

There seemed to be quite a few people on the other side, and the noise was deafening. It took Lin Ran a long time to hear a reply.

Her heart sank suddenly. She couldn't describe the feeling; it was as if something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't make a sound.

"I'm going back tomorrow, I..."

Xiao Jingchen seemed to say something else, but before Lin Ran could hear clearly, the phone rang with the sound of it being hung up.

When I called back, the phone was switched off.

Lin Ran pursed her lips, her eyes welling up with tears.

The sky outside the window had already darkened. She took it upon herself to give the housekeeper a day off and cooked a whole table of dishes by herself. She had been looking forward to it for so long, but now it all seemed like a joke.

"If you say it's a business trip, then it must be a business trip, Xiao Jingchen. I'll trust you one more time."

Lin Ran muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the dishes on the table that had grown cold, showing no appetite whatsoever.