After the contract for the business drama and film production turned sour, Pei Rong’s name became a taboo.
The originally vacant office floor for filming was left unoccupied, sparing the employees from moving to the new building. In theory, they should have breathed a sigh of relief, considering the new building lacked the luxurious amenities of the main one. However, every time the elevator of the president’s office passed this floor, the employees felt their scalps tingling, sensing that President Lu wanted to clear out their entire floor.
Fortunately, this situation only lasted for half a month and then disappeared.
The legal department silently handled the aftermath, turning to Secretary Wang for any issues and never daring to approach President Lu.
They only knew that the collaboration meticulously prepared by Lu Qin had never failed. And yet this one with Pei Rong not only failed but ended so poorly. Mr. Pei seemed to have plucked a hair from a tiger’s head.
Secretary Gao knew more details. Pei Rong not only refused to sign the contract but also disappeared, resulting in his unfortunate exile to a subsidiary.
Sitting in the position of Secretary Gao, having an independent office was standard. The so-called “exile” was just being assigned to be a general manager. After a few years of achieving results, there was a possibility of returning to the headquarters.
Several secretaries secretly lamented for Secretary Gao, realizing that wealth and status come with risks. A colleague with a sharp tongue teased, “Lady Pei fell out of favor, and the chief eunuch was sent to the frontier.”
“Speaking of which, Secretary Wang is stable. President Lu assigned him to Miss Sun; she might be the official main consort.”
“Being a special assistant is just being a special assistant.”
Secretary Wang waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t speculate recklessly.”
Secretary Gao smiled without commenting. These ordinary people had never seen Lu Qin pampering Pei Rong daily in the set of “Elite Housewives’ Training Class.”
Difficulties were temporary; he just needed to lie low for a while. The future was long.
He made the mistake of becoming complacent and arrogant, thinking that the headquarters would favor him with resources, and everyone below should welcome him with open arms. He neglected early investigations, failing to promptly realize Pei Rong’s mindset and report it to Lu Qin.
Making mistakes at work meant staying out of Lu Qin’s sight for the next two years was the best option.
Considering this, Secretary Gao envied Zhou Hang for a moment. In the critical moment, Pei Rong protected him, and Lu Qin merely blacklisted Zhou Hang.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hang worked hard to manage his entertainment company, wanting to prove his professional capability and that he and Pei Rong were not out to swindle money.
A few secretaries stood up, raised their glasses, and stopped at a toast, dispersing to their respective workplaces.
President Lu cleared all traces related to Pei Rong, entering a state of working without desire or ego. As secretaries, they had to be on call at any time, maintaining alertness.
***
After the disappearance of pregnancy symptoms, from May to July, Pei Rong enjoyed a leisurely and carefree period. Every day, upon waking up, no one assigned him work or courses; he only needed to think about what to eat.
After being a star for so long, Pei Rong remained quite restrained in his approach to food. He hadn’t indulged himself just because he withdrew from the entertainment industry. He only consumed healthy and nutritious food.
Jiang Yan mentioned that frequent leg cramps could be due to a calcium deficiency, and for the sake of himself and the baby, calcium supplementation was necessary.
High-protein fish had become a staple in their dining table.
Pei Rong resided in Jiang Yan’s home, and Aunt Zhao noticed his pregnancy during a chance meeting. Unable to conceal it any longer, he confessed.
Aunt Zhao insisted on cooking for him, and since Jiang Yan was struggling to find a reliable Chinese-speaking housekeeper, he agreed. Aunt Zhao would come early every day after work to help.
Pei Rong handled the ingredients, leaving Aunt Zhao in charge of cooking.
At mealtime, Pei Rong looked at the crucian carp soup in front of him but didn’t touch his chopsticks.
Initially, Jiang Yan didn’t understand why Pei Rong sighed at the sight of fish. He thought he might be tired of it and tried to persuade him, saying, “Crucian carp soup is easily absorbed, good for supplementing calcium. Eating fish is also beneficial for the brain. It will make my nephew smarter, giving him an edge.”
Later, Jiang Yan noticed that Pei Rong always frowned and picked at the food, not showing any signs of nausea, even when drinking the fish soup. He even asked, “Can we just buy boneless fish fillets? Crucian carp has many small bones.”
Jiang Yan suddenly realized: it’s because he’s lazy.
“Without bones, how do you stew the soup?”
Jiang Yan tapped the white porcelain bowl with a spoon. “Hurry up, or are you waiting for Lu Qin to pick out the fish bones for you?”
Pei Rong had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks.
Unable to contain her laughter, Aunt Zhao said, “During pregnancy, you have to be coaxed to eat. Jiang Yan, don’t be too strict. Be careful not to upset Xiao Rong.”
Jiang Yan mumbled, “Aunt Zhao, you can trust that my words work.”
After a complete month of rest, Pei Rong’s slightly bulging belly became noticeable. During each check-up, Jiang Yan praised the nephew’s growth.
While Pei Rong continued to be a “salted fish,” he maintained good exercise habits. The exercises he used during his time as a star to work on his waist, abdomen, and arms were no longer suitable. Now, he could only resort to walking, swimming, and yoga.
In the evening, in the attic where the sun cast its warm glow, Pei Rong followed a yoga video. Sitting on the carpet, he spread his legs, straightened his spine, raised his hands upward, and yawned at the same time.
He didn’t quite understand the difference between these seemingly optional movements and simply stretching.
In front of him was a camera, recording his movements. Pei Rong would then compare his actions with the standard ones, feeling satisfied with his efforts.
Either don’t do it at all, or strive for perfection.
In the video, Pei Rong’s limbs remained symmetrical and slender, his neck was slender and white like an arrogant swan swimming in the blue lake.
He was still the dazzling and arrogant big star; if the video was taken for sale, the sales volume would undoubtedly crush the current yoga courses on the market.
Pei Rong lifted his clothes and looked for a while, round and plump, like a well-made white dough, with a small dent when pressed.
He poked his belly, and his fingertips moved a bit, as if a small fist lightly collided with him.
Pei Rong’s eyes suddenly deepened, with a layer of faint smile. After a while, he put down his clothes, looked deeply at the camera, and lowered his gaze.
Six months pregnant, Pei Rong, who had rested enough, began to read some books on farm management and botany.
Three years ago, he bought a villa in the countryside, including a fish pond, a small farm, and an orchard, originally intended for his retirement.
Now he had to stay with Jiang Yan, and the villa was left unused.
The orchard and farm were left unattended, so Pei Rong hired two workers to take care of them.
Last month, the worker, Uncle Yu, told him that the surroundings of his villa were good, and a businessman had taken an interest in developing an ecological farm, conveniently adjacent to the villa.
In two months, Uncle Yu regretfully told Pei Rong: the developer of the ecological farm had a fund chain rupture and decided to sell this property.
Pei Rong was somewhat tempted. If he could afford it, he would move back to live, and the surrounding environment would be safer.
However, the donations and memorial materials cost him a lot of money. Doing these two things was like feeding a family of four with one person; now there was an extra little one to raise, and he dared not squander the remaining money.
