Qin Auntie, Save Me [Rebirth] 46

Chapter 46

Qin Qianrou accompanied Shen Yiqiu to Hai City, and Rong Fei went abroad for a short-term training course. Li Wan, for once, left work on time, only to find herself alone with no one to hang out with.

In her years at the television station, with their erratic work schedules and unpredictable assignments, Li Wan and Qin Qianrou had become known as the “most unreliable” attendees at social gatherings.

To avoid spoiling others’ fun and making things difficult for the organizers, they had gradually stopped attending alumni reunions or friend gatherings. As a result, their circle of close friends had dwindled, leaving only the two of them.

Lin Shuangzhi, returning from a meeting, saw Li Wan looking dejected.

“Not leaving yet?” Lin Shuangzhi glanced at the time; it was late, and the office was almost empty since the team had a relatively light workload today.

Li Wan hadn’t expected her to appear. The atmosphere between them had been strange these past few days, neither of them initiating contact. Lin Shuangzhi taking the initiative to speak, even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, made it difficult for Li Wan to ignore her.

“Mm, I have nowhere to go after work, so I thought I’d see if there’s anything I can finish ahead of schedule.”

As she spoke, Li Wan actually turned on her computer, seemingly intending to work overtime. But the empty office made her look rather pitiful.

“Want to order takeout?”

Li Wan was surprised. She had thought Lin Shuangzhi would return to her own office. After an afternoon of meetings, she must have a pile of work to catch up on. She hadn’t expected her to linger here, chatting about takeout, seemingly unconcerned about wasting time.

“What, not hungry? Or do you have dinner plans?”

Lin Shuangzhi was acting very strangely today. Not only had she not left, but she was standing at Li Wan’s doorway, continuing the conversation, as if she wouldn’t leave until Li Wan answered.

“It’s precisely because I have no plans that I’m working overtime.” Li Wan sighed, recalling her earlier predicament.

Lin Shuangzhi chuckled softly and said, “Perfect, we can order together then.”

Li Wan focused her attention on her, looking at her with a puzzled expression. “Did the sun rise from the west today? Team Leader Lin actually taking the initiative to suggest dinner, this is truly a rare sight.”

Lin Shuangzhi smiled and shook her head, turning to leave.

“Hey, you haven’t told me what you want to eat!”

“You decide, I’ll have the same as you.”

From the sound of her voice, Lin Shuangzhi had returned to her office, but hadn’t closed the door.

Since it was just the two of them, and the doors were open, it was easy enough to call out to each other if needed, saving them the trouble of walking back and forth.

So, Li Wan took out her phone and started browsing the usual takeout options. She and Qin Qianrou weren’t picky about food when they were working; as long as it filled them up, it was fine. However, now, she carefully scrutinized the menus, reading them from top to bottom, but nothing seemed particularly appealing.

Strange, usually, it took her less than ten minutes to place an order, why was she having such a hard time deciding today? Li Wan bit her lip and opened the menu of the restaurant they ordered from most often. At least it was familiar, and the food was decent.

Lin Shuangzhi usually ate cold leftovers during overtime, and Li Wan thought she should choose something warm, preferably with soup, to make working overtime more bearable.

So, instead of her usual order, she carefully selected a few of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The delivery time would be longer, but it felt more… special.

She put down her phone, stared at the screen for a while, unable to focus on work. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over to Lin Shuangzhi’s office.

As expected, the team leader was so busy she didn’t even have time to blink, several reports waiting for her signature piled on her desk. If she hadn’t stayed behind, Lin Shuangzhi would undoubtedly be working alone late into the night.

Sigh, being a leader is truly hard work, and a little… pitiful.

Li Wan stood there for a while, and Lin Shuangzhi finally noticed her presence.

“Why are you just standing there? Come in.”

Her tone was natural, as if the recent coldness between them had never existed. Li Wan had intended to continue observing her, but Lin Shuangzhi’s softened demeanor made her relent.

Besides, being cold towards her hadn’t been her intention.

Li Wan casually flipped her long, wavy hair and walked in.

“I just wanted to let you know I’ve ordered takeout, but the delivery time is a bit long.”

Lin Shuangzhi didn’t mind; having food was already good enough, a little delay wasn’t a problem.

Seeing her lack of reaction, Li Wan felt a surge of annoyance again.

“So, if you’re hungry, you can…”

“It’s alright, I’m not hungry.”

Li Wan pursed her lips and fell silent.

Lin Shuangzhi waited for a moment, hearing no response, and looked up from her screen. Seeing Li Wan standing by her desk with her arms crossed, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Still angry?”

Li Wan hadn’t expected her to say that and was taken aback.

“No, why would I be angry?”

“That’s good.”

Lin Shuangzhi dropped the subject, seemingly genuinely believing that Li Wan wasn’t angry. Now it was Li Wan’s turn to be at a loss. She parted her lips, unable to speak, a feeling of frustration building within her.

“Then you continue with your work, I’ll be going. I’ll call you when the food arrives!”

Her high heels made no sound on the carpet, yet Li Wan’s departure carried a certain force, a certain elegance, a certain chill.

Lin Shuangzhi looked at the empty doorway, frowning slightly.

She wanted to ask more, but she was afraid that if she did, she would inevitably bring up the “date” that night. She had seen Li Wan being picked up from the window, and the next day, there had been gossip in the office, describing her date as handsome and wealthy, a perfect match.

Lin Shuangzhi didn’t usually care for gossip, but this time, she couldn’t help but listen, and the more she heard, the more uncomfortable she felt, forcing herself to retreat into silence.

Afraid that if she spoke, she would reveal her true feelings.

As team leader, what right did she have to interfere with her subordinate’s personal life?

She had no such right, never had.

Her brow furrowed deeply, her eyes darkening, and the good mood she had felt earlier, anticipating working overtime with Li Wan, vanished. Lin Shuangzhi forced herself to focus on her work; only then could she calm her racing thoughts.

She didn’t dare to delve deeper, afraid that if she did, she would lose control, arriving at a conclusion she couldn’t face.

Li Wan stomped back to her desk, the chair creaking loudly as she spun around several times. Her phone, which had been ringing on her desk, caught her attention. Thinking it was the takeout arriving early, she quickly answered.

“Have you arrived?”

The person on the other end, clearly not expecting this question, paused for a moment.

“Hello? Where are you? Why aren’t you speaking?”

Li Wan frowned, hearing the familiar, annoying voice.

“Xiao Wan, how did you know I was downstairs?”

Zhuo Cheng was delighted. Although his surprise had failed, Li Wan’s intuition was truly remarkable.

“I didn’t know, I thought it was the takeout delivery.”

Li Wan’s bluntness made Zhuo Cheng momentarily awkward, but he quickly recovered.

“I know you’re working overtime, I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Li Wan rolled her eyes, thinking, You’re already disturbing me.

“I bought some food and was about to bring it up, do you want to come down and meet me?”

What is this nonsense? How did Zhuo Cheng know she was working overtime? Li Wan was so annoyed she wanted to tell him to get lost.

“I’ve already ordered takeout, it’ll be here soon. You should take your food back and eat it yourself, don’t waste it.”

“I bought it specifically for you, you not eating it would be a waste.”

Li Wan took a deep breath, her patience wearing thin.

Lin Shuangzhi happened to walk over. She was feeling a little hungry and couldn’t focus on her work, so she decided to wait for the takeout with Li Wan and chat with her.

Just as she reached the doorway, she heard Li Wan’s raised voice, laced with obvious annoyance.

“I’m very busy tonight, so I don’t have time to see you, and I don’t need your food. That’s all, bye!” Before hanging up, she added, “Don’t call again, and don’t tell me you’re waiting downstairs, I’m not interested!”

She hung up, tossed her phone aside, and took a deep breath to calm herself, all in one smooth motion.

Lin Shuangzhi, observing from the side, felt her mood inexplicably improve, even her hunger pangs subsiding slightly.

Li Wan turned around, startled to see someone standing there, then felt a pang of guilt.

She didn’t know how much of that phone conversation the team leader had overheard.

“Why are you suddenly here?”

“You were too focused on your phone call, I’ve been here for a while.”

How long is “a while?” Li Wan bit her lip, staring at her, too embarrassed to ask.

Lin Shuangzhi looked away and casually said, “Was that your date just now? Why were you so harsh?”

“He’s not my date! Don’t be misled by the office gossip, I’m not dating anyone!” This wasn’t specifically directed at Lin Shuangzhi; Li Wan had been feeling wronged for days, wanting to clear things up.

But no one dared to joke about it to her face, and she wasn’t going to explain herself to everyone, it seemed too pointless and demeaning.

Lin Shuangzhi’s smile widened, and Li Wan, after speaking, realized her own eagerness.

She seemed a bit too eager, as if afraid of being misunderstood.

The phone didn’t ring again, but a message arrived: Xiao Wan, I’m waiting for you in the car.

A while later, the takeout arrived, the delivery driver waiting downstairs. According to the station’s rules, takeout couldn’t be delivered upstairs, and the driver was already familiar with the regulations.

Seeing Li Wan’s hesitation, Lin Shuangzhi guessed the reason and volunteered,

“I’ll go get it.”

Before Li Wan could respond, she had already turned and left. After a long while, with only Li Wan left in the office, she suddenly smiled.

She was having dinner alone with the team leader tonight. She felt a flicker of anticipation.

However, Li Wan waited for a long time, but Lin Shuangzhi didn’t return, even though the delivery status showed it had been delivered. The driver was downstairs; there was no need for further confirmation. Where had Lin Shuangzhi gone with the food?

Li Wan thought of a possibility and anxiously went to the window to look outside. As expected, she saw Zhuo Cheng’s car still there. But he hadn’t gotten out, and there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the car.

The team leader hadn’t gone to see Zhuo Cheng, thankfully.

After waiting a while longer, she finally returned.

“Where did you go?”

Li Wan’s worry turned into a complaint, and she snapped at Lin Shuangzhi.

“I went to buy something else.” Lin Shuangzhi didn’t seem to mind Li Wan’s annoyance, placing the items she had bought on the desk.

Li Wan’s gaze followed Lin Shuangzhi’s movements, settling on the food, and a familiar, beautifully packaged bag caught her eye.

It was from her favorite dessert shop.

“Dessert after dinner, the perfect finishing touch.”

Lin Shuangzhi didn’t explain why she had suddenly gone to buy this, but her casual remark made Li Wan’s heart flutter.

She felt that the team leader had bought it specifically for her.

Then, she mentally scolded herself: I must be starving and overthinking things, having hallucinations.

**

Without the He Chao couple obstructing them, the investigation into the car accident that killed Shen Yiqiu’s parents progressed smoothly, and the mastermind was apprehended. The inheritance procedures also went smoothly, and Shen Yiqiu, accompanied by Qin Qianrou, completed all the necessary paperwork.

“Now I’m a person of some means.” Shen Yiqiu said self-deprecatingly, holding a thick stack of documents.

“Then let’s celebrate the birth of our little heiress.”

“Wait a moment, I want to do something first.”

Qin Qianrou stopped and waited for her.

Shen Yiqiu looked down, as if making a final decision. Then, she looked up resolutely, “I want to inquire about donating my father’s patents.”

Qin Qianrou looked at her in surprise, “You want to donate them?”

Just inherited them, and she was already planning to donate them? Qin Qianrou didn’t want to interfere with someone else’s private property, but she worried that Shen Yiqiu didn’t fully understand the value of these patents.

“Have you thought this through? Once you donate them, they no longer belong to you, and you won’t receive any future profits.”

Shen Yiqiu smiled calmly, as if she had already considered this.

“My father always said his research wasn’t for personal gain. If these patents can be put to better use, benefiting more people, then that’s the meaning of my donation.”

These patents would be difficult to monetize in the short term, but they had high research value and could be significant for breakthroughs in certain fields. He Chao had been so eager to acquire them because he could sell them at a low price to the buyers behind the scenes, who would then manipulate them, repackaging them as their own achievements.

This way, Shen Zhifeng’s hard work would be completely erased, and these patented technologies wouldn’t be used to benefit society, but merely as tools for personal gain and reputation.

Shen Yiqiu despised such hypocrisy and waste, so she wanted to donate these patents to those who truly understood their value.

Seeing her firm resolve, not a spur-of-the-moment decision, Qin Qianrou didn’t try to dissuade her further.

“I can help you inquire about this, do you have any specific requirements for the recipient?”

“I require that these patents be used for public welfare projects that benefit society, they cannot become private property. And I need regular progress reports on their usage. If the agreement is violated, I want to be able to reclaim the patents.”

Such restrictions might be troublesome, but for institutions truly dedicated to scientific research, they wouldn’t be difficult to meet. Qin Qianrou wasn’t very familiar with this field, but she didn’t think Shen Yiqiu’s conditions were excessive.

“Anything else? Any requirements for compensation or returns?”

Shen Yiqiu shook her head. “No, this is a donation without any conditions.”

Qin Qianrou looked at her intently, her gaze reflecting Shen Yiqiu’s bright and cheerful smile.

The knot in her heart was gradually untangling, the past regrets slowly being mended. Shen Yiqiu didn’t hide her changing mood, she wanted to share this joy with Qin Qianrou.

The patents could be donated, but the Shen family’s property and savings in Hai City were substantial assets. Shen Yiqiu was no longer a lonely wanderer; she could finally have a home.

But neither she nor Qin Qianrou seemed to realize this shift, and Shen Yiqiu didn’t intend to move out of Qin Qianrou’s home. She simply felt that she had more money now, she could finally buy groceries with her own money.

This way, she could buy better food for Jiejie.

There was little suspense in He Chao’s case. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and with numerous witnesses, the once arrogant Professor He now looked haggard and defeated, almost unrecognizable.

When he stood in the defendant’s dock, Shen Yiqiu almost didn’t recognize him. However, the moment had finally arrived, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The memories of her past life flooded her heart, a thousand words unable to express her current emotions.

A cool hand covered hers, and Shen Yiqiu looked down, her gaze fixed on Qin Qianrou’s slender fingers.