Chapter 76

Chapter 76

"I feel like I've seen him before, as if we've met before," Shu Yao said.

"No," she quickly contradicted herself. "To be precise, it's not just the feeling of having seen him; it's more like..." It was a feeling of familiarity.

But she didn't dare to say that last part out loud.

Even in front of her mother, Shu Yao felt embarrassed admitting she had a sense of familiarity with a man she had only met once. Besides, this man was her mother's ideal son-in-law. If she admitted it, her mother would surely encourage her even more to pursue happiness.

Cai Wenqing was already delighted, and hearing her daughter say this made her even happier. Her joy was evident on her face.

"Yao Yao, maybe you and President Wen really have a connection. Mom always thinks you're the best, and you shouldn't lead an ordinary life." She grew more excited as she spoke. "Yao Yao, if you can become friends with Wen Mobei, you'll always be ahead of Jiang Yiyan."

"You see, when you become his sister-in-law, your status will be higher than hers. Wen Mobei will eventually take over the family business, and you'll be the CEO's wife. The entire Wen family fortune will be yours, and economically, you'll surpass Jiang Yiyan."

"Yao Yao, you must seize this opportunity," Cai Wenqing said, growing increasingly animated.

Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "What about President Wen? What was his reaction when he saw you? Did he feel the same way? Oh, he wouldn't tell you how he feels... Could you tell from his expression and reaction?"

Shu Yao recalled Wen Mobei's reaction and shook her head. "He just glanced at me briefly without saying a word. When Dad introduced me, he didn't say anything either."

Cai Wenqing couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

Shu Yao then said, "Maybe Mom is right. Perhaps I do have some connection with President Wen. At least today's party gave me some benefits. I added a few people on WeChat and can meet up for dinner later. Getting into this circle first is a good start."

Cai Wenqing agreed that this was a good outcome. Today's party was indeed successful for them.

.

The champagne had a strong aftereffect, making Jiang Yiyan feel alternately clear-headed and dazed. Outside, the cold wind kept her mind sharp, but now inside the car with closed windows, the lack of air circulation made her head spin.

Since both of them had been drinking, they called their driver, Little Chen, to drive them home.

Jiang Yiyan felt hot in the car and could feel her cheeks burning. She knew her face must be flushed, especially her cheeks.

For some reason, scenes of Wen Mochuan inviting her to dance flashed through her mind. His warm palm on her waist, his breath on her cheek, and their closeness—all replayed repeatedly in her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to shake them off.

Wen Mochuan was also slightly tipsy and tired from the evening's socializing. Sitting in the car, he leaned back, closing his eyes to rest.

Meimei, who had been lively all night, fell asleep as soon as she buckled her seatbelt.

The car was quiet without the energetic presence of Wen Meimei. Jiang Yiyan found it somewhat unusual. Unable to sleep, she felt restless and opened her eyes.

Her daughter had shifted in her sleep, so Jiang Yiyan gently adjusted her position. On the other side, the elegant man sat quietly, his head tilted back, revealing a prominent Adam's apple.

People often say a man's Adam's apple is sexy, and Jiang Yiyan, who never believed it before, now had to agree.

Under the influence of alcohol, Jiang Yiyan felt unusually bold, staring intently at the man beside her.

Wen Mochuan wasn't actually sleeping. He sensed her presence and slightly opened his eyes, leaving a small gap to observe her.

She was adjusting her daughter's position but continued to stare at him afterward.

Though he couldn't see her expression directly, he knew she was looking at him.

Wen Mochuan thought for a moment and didn't open his eyes fully, instead smiling slightly.

With the dim light in the car, Jiang Yiyan could clearly see his smile.

Realizing he knew she was watching him, she felt a bit awkward.

But emboldened by the alcohol, she didn't look away.

Instead, she boldly asked, "Why are you smiling?"

Seeing her break the silence, Wen Mochuan slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, his tone as gentle as ever.

"Are you looking at me?" he asked, rather than answering her question.

Knowing that if she denied it, he would counter with, "If you weren't looking at me, how would you know I was smiling?" Jiang Yiyan decided to be direct.

"Yes, I am looking at you. So what?" she said confidently.

Wen Mochuan smiled, his eyes filled with warmth. This side of his wife was new to him and endearing.

"It's nothing," he replied. "A wife looking at her husband is perfectly natural."

Wen Mochuan never used to say such things, but now, in this intimate setting, he felt no shame.

Occasional flirtation between spouses is harmless, isn't it?

He said it willingly, even with someone else in the car.

Wen Mochuan glanced at Little Chen, who had been peeking through the rearview mirror. Upon meeting Wen Mochuan's gaze, Little Chen quickly focused on driving.

Satisfied, Wen Mochuan turned his attention back.

Jiang Yiyan expected him not to engage in such banter with others around, but he did, and even took it further.

Was this still the Wen Mochuan she knew?

This playful exchange only fueled Jiang Yiyan's competitive spirit.

Sober, she wouldn't have done this, but drunk, her inhibitions were lowered.

"Go ahead, keep looking. What can I do about it, Wen Mochuan? You'd better keep looking. Hmph." She mumbled, her words slurring, clearly intoxicated.

She was provoking him, but Wen Mochuan was willing to be provoked by her. Sure enough, his gaze never left her face again.

The couple in the back seat were shamelessly displaying their affection. Little Chen: "…" Should I leave?

What could driver Little Chen do? Even though he felt his scalp tingling from their display, he could only endure it. He focused on driving, continuing to focus on driving. As long as he concentrated entirely on driving, he wouldn't be bothered even if something explicit happened behind him.

The twenty-minute drive felt like two days of exhaustion for Little Chen.

When the car arrived at the villa's entrance, Little Chen let out a slight sigh of relief.

As soon as the engine was turned off, Meimei woke up. Upon waking, she found her father staring at her and giggled as she leaned over to give him a hug.

After hugging him, she asked, "Daddy, why were you looking at me?"

Wen Mochuan didn't deny it; he just smiled and said, "Because you're adorable." It was a statement meant for both his daughter and his wife.

Jiang Yiyan could probably discern the underlying meaning in his words and immediately pushed open the door to get out.

She thought that if she didn't leave this enclosed space, she would likely succumb to his charm. She wasn't sure what would happen next.

The evening breeze in late summer was still quite cool. As soon as she stepped out, a refreshing wind hit her face, instantly sobering her up.

After the family of three got out of the car, Wen Mochuan looked at the driver, Little Chen, and said, "Take the car away. Come pick me up early tomorrow morning."

Little Chen responded with "Yes, Mr. Wen" and promptly pressed down on the accelerator, driving away swiftly.

Meimei watched the speeding car, puzzled. "Why didn't Uncle Chen chatter today? Usually, after dropping us off, he would linger for a while before leaving."

Wen Mochuan bent down to pick up his daughter and then looked at his wife, who had already gone inside the house. Seeing this, Wen Mochuan carried his daughter and followed her in.

Feng Ma and Fang Fang hadn't gone to bed yet. They were sitting in the living room watching TV while waiting. Upon seeing their employers return, Feng Ma immediately turned off the TV.

Wen Mochuan handed his daughter to Feng Ma and instructed, "Give her a good bath and some warm water to drink. She ate too many cold things today." His gaze held a hint of warning when he looked at his daughter.

Feeling guilty, Meimei tried to sound assertive, "All the kids were eating them, not just me."

Her tone was exactly like her mother's.

Wen Mochuan was always democratic and didn't forbid her from eating those things. So, he patiently explained, "Daddy didn't say you couldn't eat them, but now that the weather is getting cooler and it's nighttime, it's better to eat fewer cold things."

"Okay, Daddy," Meimei replied obediently.

Wen Mochuan smiled, ruffled her hair, and coaxed, "Go to bed now."

"Okay, goodnight, Mommy and Daddy. You should rest early too." Meimei waved at them.

Jiang Yiyan stood at the foot of the stairs and hadn't moved yet. Seeing this, she waved back at her daughter. After watching her daughter being taken into the room, Jiang Yiyan quickly headed upstairs without looking back.

It seemed she was afraid Wen Mochuan might follow her. She hurried up the stairs in two steps.

But Wen Mochuan still managed to intercept her before she could escape into her room.

Wen Mochuan seemed increasingly adept at pursuing his wife. Now, he blocked the doorway with one hand against the door she had just pushed open and the other raised above her head, stretching along the door frame. Though unintentional, it effectively cornered her.

"It's still early. Perhaps we can continue practicing our dance moves. How long has it been since you danced? It seems you've lost your touch."

The original body knew how to dance, but Jiang Yiyan only had a basic understanding.

Today, she managed to dance with Wen Mochuan and keep up, purely because she had drunk a little and was slightly off-balance. If she were completely sober, she would never have dared to embarrass herself like that.