Wen Ran's eyes flickered slightly as she leaned back into her office chair and asked apologetically, "Did I call at a bad time?"
"Hold on," came Mo Xiuchen's deep voice on the other end of the line.
Wen Ran could hear him giving brief instructions to someone nearby, then the sound of his footsteps fading as he walked away. The deafening noise of excavators gradually receded into the background.
About two minutes later, his voice came through again, now free of the earlier noise—warm, magnetic, and flowing into Wen Ran's ears. "You called me at this time—what's the matter?"
Wen Ran smiled faintly. Since this call was about Bai Xiaoxiao's request, and she needed to ask for his help, it was only right to reach out personally.
"Are you working late tonight?"
It was Tuesday, and last Tuesday he had worked until midnight, only returning home in the early hours. Though Wen Ran had waited up for him, they barely exchanged a few words before falling asleep.
Mo Xiuchen paused slightly on the other end.
Looking around at the busy site, he recalled that he had a dinner with officials tonight, and as the project head, he couldn't miss it. After a moment of thought, he replied, "I have a dinner engagement tonight. You don't need to wait for me—go to bed early."
Wen Ran's eyes dimmed slightly. "Oh," she said softly.
Then Mo Xiuchen added, "I have about half an hour free right now. If it's important, you can tell me now."
Just as he finished speaking, Wen Ran heard someone calling "President Mo" from the other end. It sounded like the chief engineer, walking over with blueprints.
Mo Xiuchen narrowed his eyes, a hint of seriousness gathering in his brows.
Wen Ran said, "It's nothing important. I just wanted to ask about tonight. You should go—I'll hang up now."
She glanced down at the proposal Bai Xiaoxiao had left on her desk and thought she could bring it home later and show it to him when he returned.
Since she was heading to F City tomorrow, Wen Ran carefully checked all the documents and medical supplies she would need, making sure everything was in order.
She also arranged ahead for anything that could be prepped in advance. For important documents, she personally delivered them to the hospital after work for her brother Wen Jin to review, as he'd be handling matters in her absence.
That evening, she had dinner at the hospital with Wen Jin. Their housekeeper, Zhang Ma, always brought enough food for two, and since he couldn't finish it alone, Wen Ran kept him company.
"Ranran, take care of yourself in F City," Wen Jin reminded her after dinner.
Wen Ran handed him a damp towel with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm not a kid anymore, and it's not like I haven't traveled before. You should rest well too—no overexerting yourself."
After he washed his face, she took the towel back, wrung it out again, and lifted the blanket to help wipe his feet.
"Ranran, make sure to lock your door at night," Wen Jin said while watching her movements. A gentle warmth filled his eyes—Ranran really had grown up. He used to take care of her, but now she was caring for him.
"I already told you, Xiaoxiao will be sharing a room with me. Stop nagging like an old man," she teased, flashing him a playful smile and sticking out her tongue.
"Alright, alright," Wen Jin replied with a fond chuckle, eyes full of affection.
Wen Ran smiled in satisfaction, emptied the water basin in the bathroom, then called the male nurse to help Wen Jin wash up while she waited outside.
That night, in a luxurious five-star hotel...
The elevator doors opened.
A woman stepped out, dressed in a sleek black dress, carrying the latest LV handbag and wearing a baseball cap. She glanced around cautiously, pulled her cap down a bit to cover her face, and quickly walked toward a specific room.
She stopped at the door, checked behind her to ensure she wasn't being followed, and then pressed the doorbell.
The door opened to reveal a man in a bathrobe. His eyes lit up at the sight of her.
"Baby, come in," he said.
After some time, things calmed down.
Xiao Wenqing rested sweetly in the man's arms, her eyes filled with affection. "Tianyi, how long will you be staying in G City this time?"
The man, Wu Tianyi from H City, replied while flicking ash from his cigarette, "I have some important business this time. Did Mo Jingteng know you came out tonight?"
"He has no idea," Xiao Wenqing said. "He and his eldest son have a dinner engagement tonight and won't be home until after midnight."
Wu Tianyi's eyes gleamed. He frowned slightly. "Is it for the commercial tower project? He handed such a major project entirely to Mo Xiuchen? Zi Xuan didn't get involved at all?"
At the mention of this, Xiao Wenqing's face darkened, and her tenderness vanished, replaced by resentment. "In his eyes, my Zi Xuan is nothing compared to Mo Xiuchen. Not only did he give him full control of the tower project, but he's also preparing to hand over the entire group to him."
Wu Tianyi sneered in disdain. "That old bastard Mo Jingteng—how is Zi Xuan any less capable than Mo Xiuchen? I was hoping you'd have some sway with this project. We could've made a tidy profit."
Xiao Wenqing scoffed coldly. "He doesn't let me handle anything in the company anymore."
"Then if he's heartless first, don't blame you for being ruthless," Wu Tianyi said with a smirk, kissing her on the forehead and gently patting her back.
Xiao Wenqing frowned.
She had tried to build her own power base in recent years, but Mo Xiuchen had quietly and systematically removed all her allies. With his sharp mind and ruthless methods, most of the senior staff already accepted him as the rightful heir to the company.
"Last weekend, Mo Jingteng actually allowed Mo Xiuchen to hold a ritual for his mother at Mo Manor. I argued with him about it, and now he hasn't spoken to me in days."
"I have a way," Wu Tianyi said coldly, pulling open the drawer beside the bed and revealing a small bottle of pills.