Chapter 18: Thank You for the Fruit Platter

But did he really just bypass Qin Mingchen to ask that?

Jiang Mian turned her head and happened to meet Wen Jinhuai’s gaze. His eyes were indifferent; he did not look away because she had turned to him, but merely glanced at her once more before naturally lowering his eyelids.

Within half an hour, the car pulled up to the hotel entrance. Massive stone pillars supported a facade of exceptional opulence, and a red carpet as wide as a flight of stone steps was laid out at the entrance. Jiang Mian dragged her suitcase forward, climbed the steps, and looked inside. The entire lobby floor was paved with marble, while the towering ceiling featured complex carvings and an overwhelming display of gold. Even the exterior of the front desk was encrusted with crushed diamonds, a sight that left one breathless with wonder. The air conditioning in the lobby was running at full power, which did not feel out of place in the sweltering heat of late May.

After collecting their room keys, a staff member led them toward the elevators. Xu Mu had booked presidential suites for both Jiang Mian and Wen Jinhuai, each featuring two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. However, the local ingredients and seasonings were hardly suitable for Chinese cooking. Furthermore, their kitchens were designed only for Western cuisine; the heat was so weak that even for fried rice, Jiang Mian found it agonizingly slow. The two rooms were situated next to each other, likely arranged by Xu Mu for convenience.

"Dinner will be delivered in about twenty minutes. Get some good rest tonight, and I’ll come pick you up tomorrow," Qin Mingchen said, offering parting instructions as he dropped Jiang Mian and Xiao Li off at their door. Xu Mu was still busy with the preparations for the new product launch, and having stolen a moment to pick them up, he naturally had to rush back to assist.

Jiang Mian thanked him and watched as he turned to leave. After a moment, she shook off her fatigue, stepped back, and pulled the door shut.

Xiao Li made a circle around the room, put her things away, then bounded over to hug Jiang Mian’s arm, rubbing her head against the crook of her neck. "Sister Mianmian, oh my god, being with you is just too blissful!"

This was Xiao Li’s first time staying in a presidential suite. The room featured a two-meter-wide bed covered in silk quilts, and the floor was covered in high-end, hand-woven carpets. Both bedrooms had independent bathrooms, so there was no need to worry about washing up. Even the toiletries in the bathroom were samples from world-renowned luxury brands. She had always known presidential suites were luxurious, but it wasn't until she stayed in one that she truly grasped how grand they could be.

Jiang Mian smiled, somewhat helplessly peeling the girl off her and tapping her on the forehead. "Keep an eye out for the food delivery; I’m going to take a bath first." Having slept for so long on the plane, she felt uncomfortable and wanted to soak in a tub.

Xiao Li happily agreed, lying on the living room sofa with her tablet to watch variety shows. By the time Jiang Mian finished bathing and drying her hair, dinner had already been set on the dining table by Xiao Li. She wiped her hair to ensure it wasn't dripping, then walked to the table in her slippers. Scanning the spread, Jiang Mian couldn't help but smile: a serving of Mapo Tofu, stir-fried pork with green peppers, Shredded Pork in Spicy Broth, and steamed eggs. After all this time, it was touching that Xu Mu still remembered what she liked to eat.

She sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took a piece of the pork. It tasted good—it really had the authentic flavor of home-cooked Chinese food. Beside the steamed eggs sat a platter of sliced cantaloupe and strawberries. Strawberries at this time of year?

"Did the fruit come with the dinner delivery?" Xiao Li was watching a show on her tablet; hearing Jiang Mian’s question, she looked up while still chewing.

"No," she shook her head, swallowing her food before continuing. "It was sent by Assistant Xiao. He said it was fruit ordered by Mr. Wen, and that he’d sent some for us as well."

Wen Jinhuai?

She nodded without saying anything else, though a tiny prickle of curiosity stirred in her heart. Come to think of it, she wasn't particularly close to Wen Jinhuai. Even if they were attending the same event, there was no need for him to take such care of her, was there? Was it just to get her to work for the Wen Corporation?

Jiang Mian couldn't figure it out, so she simply ate her meal in silence, though her gaze kept drifting to the fruit platter. After a long while, she couldn't resist picking up her phone. The message she had sent Wen Jinhuai last time was still sitting there. She stared at the number for a long time, copied it, and searched for it on WeChat.

The user’s profile picture was a simple sketch of a little boy squatting on the ground with a soccer ball in front of him. She froze, biting her chopsticks and blinking. It didn't quite fit the image of Wen Jinhuai. His WeChat name was simply the character "Huai." After a moment of hesitation, she clicked "Add to Contacts," then lowered her head to continue eating, feeling a bit nervous. The phone stayed in her hand, but the chat interface remained silent. The sound from Xiao Li's tablet was playing out loud, and the laughter from the variety show made the room feel a bit more lively.

She glanced again at the peaceful, unchanged screen, put the phone down, and decided to focus on her dinner. There were several colorful forks in the fruit platter; she picked one up and poked a piece of cantaloupe to eat. It was sweet and juicy. Resting her chin on her left hand, Jiang Mian let her mind wander. She quite liked cantaloupe, but she was usually so busy that she forgot to eat fruit, so she didn't have it often.

The phone was set to auto-lock after five minutes. Almost as soon as the screen went dark, it lit up again. A notification slid across the lock screen—a new WeChat message. She picked up the phone and unlocked it.

"The other party has accepted your friend request."

After a moment of thought, Jiang Mian typed and sent: "Thank you for the fruit platter."

After a pause, the reply came: "You're welcome."

Three simple, direct words. She gritted her teeth, feeling a bit dissatisfied, but remembering it was Wen Jinhuai, she silently sighed. Exiting WeChat, Jiang Mian ate the cantaloupe with almost spiteful intensity, her cheeks working vigorously—a far cry from her usual gentle and quiet demeanor. However, Xiao Li, who was engrossed in her show, didn't notice Jiang Mian’s anomaly and remained happily distracted.

Once she calmed down, she felt a bit ridiculous. She shouldn't interpret someone else's kindness as charity or pity just because of her own current setbacks. Besides, Wen Jinhuai was a businessman; he was naturally profit-oriented. Rubbing her now-rounded belly, Jiang Mian finally rose with satisfaction.

"Xiao Li, get some rest early. Don't oversleep tomorrow morning," she said, leaning out to look at Xiao Li, who was still by the dining table, before closing the door. She couldn't help but worry.

The young girl looked up at her, her face beaming with an unrestrained smile, her eyes sparkling. "Got it! Sister Mianmian, you get some rest too. I promise to wake up early tomorrow!"

She nodded and closed the door. Wrapped in the soft quilt, drowsiness soon washed over Jiang Mian.