Chapter 301: Morning Preparations and Office Intrigue

Early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, Jiang Jingshi got up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

She scrubbed every inch of her body clean—a ritual she always followed before seeing Lin Zheng Ran, just like any girl getting ready for a date with her crush.

After showering, she picked out some mature lace underwear from her wardrobe.

She slipped into a fresh white shirt and a women’s suit.

Though it was a suit, on Jiang Jingshi it looked elegant and poised, radiating grace and beauty rather than stiffness.

Dressed and smoothing her slightly wavy long hair, she went downstairs to the first-floor dining room for breakfast.

“Eldest Miss, you’re up. Shall I bring your breakfast?”

“Yes.”

She had already told the kitchen staff the night before, so breakfast arrived quickly and was set on the table.

Sitting at the table, Jiang Jingshi opened her phone, first checked her top friend’s status to confirm her boyfriend Lin Zheng Ran wasn’t up yet, then reviewed her work schedule for the day.

She didn’t send him a good morning message, not wanting to disturb his rest.

As she flipped through her work plans, she kept glancing back at Lin Zheng Ran’s chat history, worried she might miss any message from him.

While eating breakfast, Jiang Jingshi caught a faint sound.

Upstairs in Jiang Qian’s bedroom, her younger sister was up too, though her hair looked a bit messy.

Clearly, she wasn’t going out today and, like Jiang Jingshi, hadn’t slept well the night before.

Normally, Jiang Jingshi would greet her sister with a sarcastic comment, like, “Qian Qian, you’re up? Did you have a nightmare to wake so early?”

But last night’s events had left her furious.

This morning, she didn’t want to deal with her.

When Jiang Qian came downstairs, she ignored her sister completely, sat far away, and told the servant, “I’m hungry.”

The servant nodded. “Alright, I’ll have the kitchen prepare something for Second Miss.”

Jiang Qian added, “Don’t make it the same as my sister’s.”

The servant, used to this, replied, “Of course.”

After the servant left, Jiang Qian eyed her sister’s outfit and checked the time, her brows furrowing slightly.

Jiang Jingshi finished her meal, wiped her mouth, and headed out, pausing only to say to her sister, “I’m off to work. My husband is waiting for me at the company.”

Jiang Qian clenched her teeth at the table.

She knew her sister getting up so early was suspicious—off to see Lin Zheng Ran for sure! And this time, she was powerless to stop it.

Fuming, when her breakfast arrived, Jiang Qian picked up her spoon but had no appetite.

She shouted, “Xiao Meng! Xiao Meng!”

Upstairs, Fang Meng rubbed her eyes and stepped out of her bedroom in a pure white nightgown. “What’s up, Qian Qian? You’re up early today?”

Jiang Qian gulped down a spoonful of porridge angrily. “Get ready and come with me shopping! I dropped my phone in water last night and need a new one.”

Fang Meng glanced downstairs, puzzled. “Dropped it in water? Isn’t your phone waterproof? As long as it wasn’t soaked for too long, it should be fine.”

“I soaked it on purpose—all night long.”

Fang Meng blinked in stunned silence. Though she didn’t ask why, based on her knowledge of Jiang Qian, she could guess what happened.

Bored, she asked, “Did you message Lin Zheng Ran last night? Then got too scared to check and just tossed the phone?”

Caught off guard, Jiang Qian froze mid-bite and changed the subject:

“After we buy the new phone, I’ll avoid logging into my main WeChat account for a while. Just use my secondary one until school starts, so message me there if you need anything.”

Fang Meng sighed. “Got it. I’ll go get ready then.”

Jiang Jingshi rode to the company, with Secretary Pan Lin in the passenger seat, noticing her boss’s attire.

“Boss Jiang, didn’t you sleep well last night?”

Jiang Jingshi looked surprised. “Do I have dark circles?” She pulled out her phone to check her makeup.

Pan Lin shook her head. “Not at all. You just seem a bit tired, but you look as good as always.”

Jiang Jingshi relaxed.

“I didn’t sleep great. You saw my message this morning, right? Push back any unimportant work for today.”

“I did. So, will Lin be coming to the company today?”

At the mention of Lin Zheng Ran, Jiang Jingshi brightened. “Yes, he’s heading in today.”

Half an hour later, in the general manager’s office on the seventh floor of Zheng Shi Company, Lin Zheng Ran had arrived even earlier than Jiang Jingshi.

He needed to get there early because his mom was interviewing at Zheng Shi Music at noon, and he wanted to catch her.

Lin Zheng Ran sat at the large desk as Jiang Jingshi brought over the important files. “Zheng Ran, these are the key documents for today. Take a look.”

Lin Zheng Ran said thanks.

He kept reviewing the files, signing where needed, and hurrying through the work.

After a while, he turned to Jiang Jingshi, who was sitting beside him, staring intently.

He smiled at her.

She smiled back warmly.

Once he finished the work, he asked, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, but you’re here so early today—earlier than me, and straight into work.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied casually, “I’ve got a little thing to handle, so I wanted to wrap up early.”

Jiang Jingshi felt disappointed. “Something else? You’re not staying at the company all day?”

Lin Zheng Ran laughed. “No, I’ll be going to Zheng Shi Music later. If you want, come with me.”

Though it felt a bit mysterious, hearing he wasn’t leaving made Jiang Jingshi relax. “What is it?”

“You’ll see when we get there, but you seem a little distracted today.”

“Not really, just still shaken from last night…”

Lin Zheng Ran reached out, and Jiang Jingshi naturally leaned into his shoulder, letting him hold her.

It felt just like a real couple.

“Zheng Ran, we’re not going to break up, right? No matter if it’s my sister or anyone else trying to take you from me, you won’t leave?”

“Of course not. Now that we’re together, there’s no chance of splitting up.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

She tilted her head up to meet his eyes, their gazes locked, and they leaned in for a deep, heartfelt kiss.

Lin Zheng Ran glanced at the time—it was past seven.

“Time’s about right. Jingshi, come with me to Zheng Shi Music to handle that thing.”

“What’s so secretive about it?”

“It’s about my mom.”

“Your mom?”

“Yeah.”

Meanwhile, at the entrance of Zheng Shi Music, a dozen taxis pulled up one after another.

Lin Xiao Li stepped out, dressed neatly in a skirt and long sleeves, paid the driver, and looked around at the other arriving cars, realizing they were probably all here for interviews.

She swallowed nervously, feeling the tension build.

She swallowed nervously, steeling herself for what was ahead.