Chapter 49

Chapter 49

On the other side of the video call, Jiang Cheng could barely contain his laughter.

What anger did he have left now? The moment he saw his daughter and granddaughter's faces on the screen, all traces of it vanished.

"Oh, your parents teamed up to bully Meimei? That's outrageous. As your grandfather, I must certainly stand up for you." When facing Meimei, Jiang Cheng's demeanor and tone changed. Gone was the sternness he usually displayed at home; he had transformed into a kind and gentle grandfather.

Meimei didn't truly want her grandfather to scold her parents. She just felt that it was unfair for them to eat behind her back. They were a family of three, after all, and everything should be shared. But now, her parents often met up in the evenings and enjoyed extra meals together, which made her feel somewhat excluded.

As long as her grandfather supported her and could help keep her parents in check, she would achieve her goal.

Thus, after some hesitation, Meimei decided not to push too hard.

"But Grandpa, don't be harsh with Mommy and Daddy. Just explain this principle to them. Tell them that Meimei is also part of the family, and they shouldn't do anything without including Meimei."

"Absolutely! Grandpa promises!" Jiang Cheng agreed without any hesitation, "Grandpa won't be mean to your parents. I'll talk to them nicely."

Satisfied, Meimei finally relaxed her tense little face and smiled.

Her smile revealed a set of tiny milk teeth, making her look incredibly adorable.

Seeing Meimei like this reminded Jiang Cheng of the past. Back when his daughter was this age, and his ex-wife was still alive.

At that time, his daughter was just as lively and cute as Meimei. She loved to act spoiled and seek attention, always pouting adorably. But he loved it. He would take her everywhere, cherishing her like a precious gem.

Recalling those memories filled Jiang Cheng's eyes with weariness and sorrow.

To be honest, after so many years of conflict with his daughter, he was tired. He never imagined there would come a day when they would reconcile. He thought she would remain estranged from him for the rest of their lives.

So, he cherished every moment they had now.

Jiang Yiyan had something she wanted to discuss with Jiang Cheng, so since their daughter had already greeted her grandfather, she let her go play. Meimei, being well-behaved, immediately waved goodbye to her grandfather and ran off to play.

Since Jiang Cheng valued the hard-won reconciliation with his daughter, he wouldn't maintain the fatherly authority he once held. Instead, he chose to make concessions and compromises.

Therefore, he gradually lowered his proud stance and asked his daughter, "What have you been busy with lately? How can you be so busy that you don't even have time to call home?"

"I found a job recently," Jiang Yiyan said, partly to share her good news and partly to seek approval. Although she couldn't match Shu Yao's excellence, within her own capabilities, she aimed to do her best.

Jiang Yiyan knew how strong his self-esteem was. His son had become very successful, but he also wished for his daughter to excel. Unfortunately, the original body had developed a grudge against him and always went against his wishes.

Now that she inhabited the original body, regardless of what the original host might have wanted, she didn't wish to follow someone else's path. She wanted to live her life to the fullest.

Initially, Jiang Cheng wore an expression of disbelief before excitedly asking, "You found a job? What kind of job?" He then pressed further, "Which company? Are you enjoying it? Do you need Dad to put in a good word for you?" He added with a hint of reproach, "If you wanted to work, why didn't you join our family business instead of working for others?"

Jiang Yiyan smiled. "I'm old enough now. Let me do something I enjoy. What could I do at Jiang Corporation? Take a ceremonial position because I'm the boss's daughter? Since I've decided to work, I don't want to just coast through life anymore. It's better to break free from nepotism and work diligently." Most importantly, she didn't want to work under Jiang Xu.

Jiang Cheng took great pride in his daughter's thoughts and choices. This was his daughter, Jiang Cheng's daughter.

"Good, do as you see fit. No matter what you choose, Dad will support you." He also cared about her health. "But don't overwork yourself. Remember to balance work and rest, okay?"

"Got it, Dad." At this moment, Jiang Yiyan felt a mix of emotions, finding it difficult to bear. Jiang Cheng's concern reminded her of her own father.

When she used to work late, her father would nag her in the same way.

If they continued talking, she might lose control and start crying. So, Jiang Yiyan quickly bid farewell. "Dad, I'll visit you when I have time. Take care of yourself. I have to get back to work soon, so I'll talk to you later. Bye." She waved at the camera and ended the video call.

After hanging up, Jiang Yiyan took a moment to compose herself before smiling and heading towards the dining room.

"Mom Feng, what's for breakfast today?"

.

With the initial thawing of their relationship, Jiang Cheng didn't dare to pry too much. Therefore, he restrained himself from asking more questions during their conversation.

However, he was both worried and curious.

After ending the video call with his daughter, Jiang Cheng pondered for a while before deciding to inquire about her situation from his son-in-law.

Jiang Cheng rarely contacted his son-in-law, Wen Mochuan, unless necessary. Thus, when Wen Mochuan saw the call from his father-in-law, he hesitated slightly before answering.

After a few more rings, Wen Mochuan finally answered the call.

"Dad." Upon answering, he addressed Jiang Cheng and stood up, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

From thirty stories up, he looked down upon the bustling world below, where cars and people resembled tiny ants.

Jiang Cheng acknowledged the greeting and directly asked, "What has Yiyan been busy with? Do you know? Is she working at your company?"

In front of his son-in-law, Jiang Cheng maintained a certain level of dignity, unlike the kindness and warmth he displayed with his daughter.

Since he was asking these questions, it meant his wife had already called him. Wen Mochuan replied, "Didn't Yiyan tell you?" However, he realized that if she had told him everything, Jiang Cheng wouldn't have called him again.

So, Wen Mochuan directly stated, "She's not working at my company. She's designing for a qipao shop." He didn't mention the specific name of the shop.

"A qipao shop?" Jiang Cheng hadn't expected that. "How big is it? How did she find this job?" He wondered if it was a reliable opportunity, as it seemed questionable.

However, Wen Mochuan didn't feel comfortable revealing more details about his wife's new job to her father. He simply said, "I checked, and it's a legitimate and reputable qipao shop. Our lawyers reviewed the contract, ensuring there's no risk of fraud. Most importantly, Yiyan genuinely enjoys this job. She's full of enthusiasm every day, completely different from before."

Jiang Cheng trusted his son-in-law. Since Wen Mochuan vouched for it, he didn't press further.

However, he reminded Wen Mochuan, "I entrusted my daughter to you. You must treat her well. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you accountable."

Wen Mochuan remained respectful. "Don't worry, Dad. I understand."

After ending the call, Wen Mochuan didn't return to work. Instead, he found his wife's number in his contacts. After a brief moment of hesitation, he dialed her number.

Although today's conversation with his father-in-law wasn't significant, Wen Mochuan felt it was necessary to inform his wife. In the past, he wouldn't have specifically called her; he would have simply sent her a message about her father contacting him.

But now...

His hand and heart seemed to act on their own, wanting to share this news with her personally.

The call was answered quickly, and Wen Mochuan's first reaction was to ask, "Are you busy? Am I disturbing you?"

Jiang Yiyan hadn't started work yet; she was sitting in the dining room, enjoying the delicious food prepared for her by Feng Ma.

"Not busy, I just got up not long ago and am still having breakfast." After a muffled reply, Jiang Yiyan quickly swallowed the food in her mouth before asking, "You're calling me at this hour, so there must be something, right?" It was his busiest time of day around 9 or 10 in the morning.

Seeing that she wasn't busy, Wen Mochuan didn't rush to speak about business. He smiled gently instead, then sat down calmly on the leather sofa nearby.

"There is something," Wen Mochuan said slowly, as if he wasn't in a hurry. "Father called me just now, and I thought it necessary to let you know."

Jiang Yiyan paused, then smiled in understanding.

"He asked about your job, right? So what did you tell him?" Jiang Yiyan didn't take it too seriously because she knew Jiang Cheng had only asked out of concern for his daughter. Even if he found out where she worked, he wouldn't say much.

Wen Mochuan: "I just told him that you're working as a designer at a qipao shop, nothing else. To avoid worrying him, I also mentioned that I checked the credentials of the shop, and there were no issues. The contract we signed was reviewed by a lawyer, and everything was fine."

It couldn't be denied that Wen Mochuan was meticulous and thoughtful in his actions. He was cautious and thorough, saying what needed to be said but revealing nothing more.

Talking or working with someone like him made Jiang Yiyan feel incredibly relaxed and happy.

Jiang Yiyan didn't hesitate to express her gratitude, "Mochuan, thanks." She was both warm and polite.

This slight distance in her words left Wen Mochuan feeling somewhat uncomfortable. It felt like she was being too distant and polite, making her hard to read. He didn't know what she was thinking or what she would do next. This sense of losing control over the situation made Wen Mochuan feel uneasy.

But he didn't say much, only suggesting after a moment of silence, "I think Father is still concerned about you. If you have some free time these days, why don't we go back and visit him?"

Jiang Yiyan had no objections to this. In fact, even if Wen Mochuan hadn't suggested it, she had been considering the same thing.

"Let's wait a couple of days until I finish this batch of design drafts. Then, I can take a day off."

Wen Mochuan smiled, "Alright."

After hanging up, Wen Mochuan remained seated on the sofa. His head slightly bowed, he still held his phone in his hand. In his contacts list, his wife's number was simply listed under her name. As a J-name, it wasn't at the top of his contacts list. Sometimes when he needed to call her, Wen Mochuan had to scroll through his contacts for a bit to find her.

Staring at those three characters for a few seconds, Wen Mochuan finally touched them with his finger. Then, he deleted the name. When it came time to enter a new one, he hesitated again.

For a moment, there didn't seem to be an appropriate title.

"Beloved Wife"? They had been married for five or six years, but he always felt that their relationship hadn't reached that level.

Although things had improved between them, it was clear that they were still far from the intimacy and affection of a loving couple.

Still, Wen Mochuan wanted to give her a special title, one that would put her at the top of his contacts list.

His finger hovered above the screen for a long time, but he couldn't think of anything suitable. In the end, Wen Mochuan could only temporarily give up.