Chapter 379: 379 Her marriage ended when Yin Qin was 18 years old

Chapter 379: 379 Her marriage ended when Yin Qin was 18 years old

Translator: 549690339

The news of Mu Cidian’s sentencing was buzzing throughout Jin City.

Everyone was surprised that Mu Cidian was imprisoned for three years and six months on charges of excessive self-defense. Everyone had thought that Mu Cidian acted in rightful self-defense, that he killed someone to protect Xin Zaozao. Nobody expected the person he saved would firmly assert his actions as excessive killing.

Some commented under the news saying, when a woman gets ruthless, it’s beyond any man’s control!

This was fully expressed by Xin Zaozao.

No matter how ruthless Mu Cidian could be, he still couldn’t let go of Xin Zaozao. However, when Xin Zaozao said she would let go, she truly did!

In the chairman’s office of the Xin Group.

Xin Zaozao sat in the office chair, indifferently watching the news.

Watching all the comments.

Watching people call her ruthless.

Just watching.

She put down her phone.

She got up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, taking in the panoramic view of Jin City.

The view from the chairman’s office was naturally the best.

Standing there at that moment, Xin Zaozao felt as if she was overlooking everything, with the entire Jin City under her feet.

She stood like that for a while.

The sound of knocking came from the door.

Xin Zaozao said, “Come in.”

Mu Cidian’s former secretary walked in somewhat tentatively.

“Chairman, I’m Wu Qing, the former secretary to General Manager Chu.” Wu Qing introduced herself, seemingly afraid that Xin Zaozao didn’t recognize her.

Xin Zaozao knew almost everyone at Xin Group’s headquarters, let alone those who had been around Mu Cidian.

She asked, “What is it?”

“Um. This is what General Manager Mu asked me to give to you.” Wu Qing walked up to Xin Zaozao and handed her a USB drive.

Xin Zaozao stared at the black USB drive without reaching out for a while.

Wu Qing felt awkward.

She explained, “General Manager Mu called a week ago and asked me to give this to you today. He said he would not return to the group anymore and asked me to give you this black USB drive from his office.”

So, had Mu Cidian anticipated his imprisonment?!

She swallowed hard.

Still, she didn’t take much interest in the USB drive.

Wu Qing looked lost, but at the moment she didn’t know what to do, Xin Zaozao suddenly took it.

Wu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

“Did he say anything else?” Xin Zaozao asked.

Her gaze was still on the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window, appearing very calm.

Wu Qing said, “General Manager Mu did not say anything else, he just asked me to give you the item.”

Xin Zaozao nodded slightly.

“Then I’ll go back to work.” Wu Qing said respectfully.

“Have you been with Mu Cidian for many years?” Xin Zaozao asked on her own.

Wu Qing always thought that the chairman was hostile to her because the chairman was hostile to the general manager, and she was the one closest to the general manager back then. Naturally, the chairman would see her as a stumbling block, so she often carefully avoided the chairman’s gaze.

When suddenly questioned by Xin Zaozao at this moment, she was a bit nervous.

She answered, “Almost 5 years.”

“So you should know a lot about him.” Xin Zaozao said.

“Uh, I guess so.” Wu Qing reluctantly nodded.

“In your honest opinion, is he a good leader?”

Wu Qing was stunned.

She hadn’t expected the chairman to suddenly ask her to evaluate General Manager Mu.

But at that moment, she really wanted to tell the chairman, and with some excitement, she said, “No one is more competent than him. All the matters in the group used to be handled by the general manager, regardless of whether they were big or small. Your father, the former chairman, only needed to glance over them and give his approval. General Manager Mu often worked overtime and tirelessly, very selflessly. I have not seen anyone in the entire group more dedicated than the general manager.”

“Really?” Xin Zaozao asked indifferently.

“Yes.” Wu Qing affirmed without doubt, “The general manager created many miracles for the group and secured many projects that the group could not have obtained before. Chairman, maybe you think the general manager courted many people in important positions in the group and harbored ulterior motives. Actually, you don’t know, more than half of the people willingly follow the general manager. They offered themselves.”

Xin Zaozao didn’t say a word.

At this moment, Wu Qing suddenly started talking like a chatterbox, “When the general manager was at Xin Group, he would drink himself to the verge of death for a single project. You should know that the general manager suffered from severe stomach ailments, mostly induced by the countless times he overworked himself, skipped his meals, or drank on an empty stomach with clients. He would throw up uncontrollably; I’ve even seen him rush to the hospital for an IV infusion after entertaining clients at meals multiple times.”

Xin Zaozao’s eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her.

Suddenly, she recalled the scene of Mu Cidian vomiting blood from drinking.

Wu Qing continued, finding the courage to speak, “Actually, the general manager is really kind to you.”

Xin Zaozao’s eyes slightly quivered.

“I don’t know exactly what happened between the two of you. Of course, I have read some news about you both, and I also feel General Manager Mu has been quite terrible to you before, but I think he might be regretting his past actions. You may think that everything Mu Cidian did for you was just an act. However, I can see that he genuinely cared. I remember once when he was preparing a project report for you, he made me find folders of all colors and eventually, he chose a pink one for your report. I suspect you might not have noticed it.”

“Additionally, during the retrenchment incident, even though he knew you were making him the scapegoat, he said nothing and played along. The key point is that not only the colleagues who wanted to curry favor with General Manager Mu but also the colleagues who had been with him through thick and thin were angered by his actions. They all thought him ungrateful! To him, the retrenchment was more than just losing public sentiment, I believe he was tormented inside, considering those who had worked industriously for him turned against him! And all of this, was for you.”

“You might never have noticed. When you turned your back, Mu Cidian would often gaze at you absent-mindedly, yet the moment you looked back, he would instantly try to hide his feelings. Also, I once saw your photo on his computer. It was one from when you were still very young, I found it when he asked me to look for a file on his computer. He must have forgotten to close it. The photo was stored in a folder named ‘morning’, hidden deep inside. I guess if it were not for his negligence, nobody would know that he kept your picture in his computer. At that time, you hadn’t yet started working at the group. So I guess, he must have been fond of you for a long time.”

It seemed that Xin Zaozao didn’t want to listen anymore.

She said, “You’re talking too much. All I want to know is his attitude towards the company.”

Wu Qing bit her lip.

The public perception of Chairman Xin is indeed accurate.

This woman is ruthless.

She was moved by her own words today, but the person involved remained unmoved.

She really felt sorry for General Manager Mu.

Although she has not worked with many leaders, she believes that no leader can surpass General Manager Mu in her eyes in the future.

“Well, I’ll go now.” After all, she was just a small fry at the group. She was satisfied that she could bring herself to say all those words.

Finally, she felt relieved after keeping it inside for so long.

“Are you interested in staying by my side?” Xin Zaozao suddenly asked.

Wu Qing thought she had heard it wrong.

What did the chairman just say?

Stay by her side?

What does that mean?!

Xin Zaozao turned to face Wu Qing, “Since Mu Cidian is so capable, I assume his secretary isn’t far behind. Are you interested in coming back to be a secretary, my secretary?”Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

WHAT?!

Did Mars just collide with Earth?!

Didn’t the chairman extremely despise General Manager Mu, and was extremely wary of him?

Now, she wants someone who has been by his side to get so close to her, this close?!

“Are you not willing?” Xin Zaozao asked.

“No, that’s not it,” Wu Qing hastily replied, “I am very willing, but...”

“Are you wary that I have an ulterior motive, or that I am trying to take revenge on the people closely associated with Mu Cidian?”

Wu Qing didn’t respond.

Xin Zaozao laughed lightly, “Don’t worry, Mu Cidian has been imprisoned. The smart ones know who they should stick to. I believe that you’re not stupid. And yes, I do want you to stay by my side for a reason. I want to understand from you how Mu Cidian used to work, how he managed to secure so many large projects, and how he got so many people within the company committed to him.”

Wu Qing looked at Chairman Xin.

So, for a second, she thought that the chairman’s heart had softened and that the reason for her sudden reuse of the people around General Manager Mu was some internal guilt she felt towards him, turns out she was overthinking.

She said, “You can think it over carefully and come to me when you’ve made up your mind.”

“No need, I’m willing to be by the chairman’s side,” Wu Qing immediately replied.

After all.

Such a great job, it would hurt to lose it.

Besides, she was professionally trained as a secretary; it’s easier to stick to what she knows.

“I’ll inform human resources to transfer your job here, then issue an announcement. Hand over your current work and report here on Friday this week.”

“Yes.”

“You may leave.”

“Thank you, Chairman Xin.”

Xin Zaozao merely nodded.

Wu Qing exited.

The door to the room was closed.

Xin Zaozao stared at the door, a bit dazed.

Gently.

She stared at the USB flash drive in her hand.

She thought, Mu Cidian had already gone in, so it couldn’t all be virus-infested.

Yet at that moment, she chose to use another computer.

She got up and left her office, strolled across to Mu Cidian’s office.

She had been here before.

But it seemed she never really paid attention.

Though Mu Cidian hadn’t come to work at the group for over a month, because there wasn’t a newly appointed general manager, this office remained vacant.

The cleaning lady must have cleaned here every day, as it seemed there wasn’t a speck of dust.

Sitting at Mu Cidian’s desk, she turned on his laptop.

Xin Zaozao looked at the password prompt on the computer screen saver. She thought for a bit, and keyed in a series of numbers.

Mu Cidian’s birthday.

Incorrect.

Wan Quan’s birthday. Not right.

Wu Qianyuan’s birthday. Also wrong.

Xin Zaozao hesitated for a moment, and input her own birthday.

Incorrect again.

At that moment, she felt secretly relieved.

She thought she probably couldn’t get onto Mu Cidian’s computer, and mulled over having the IT department reset it. Yet suddenly, she had a flash of insight.

She typed “morning”!

Password correct.

Xin Zaozao swallowed.

Mu Cidian’s desktop appeared before her.

She inserted the USB drive into Mu Cidian’s computer.

She opened it.

There were two folders on the USB drive.

The first file labelled “Basic Information of Xin Group Staff”, the second file “Important Information of all Xin Group Clients”.

Xin Zaozao opened the second one first.

Many files opened, information on each key client, including details on ongoing projects and profiles of key contacts. Besides professional details, even their hobbies were carefully recorded.

“What?!” Yin Qin’s voice was loud, and he looked at the police in disbelief.

“We’re sorry too.” The police spoke regretfully. “But the hospital reported that all five kidnappers died early this morning.”

Yin Qin let slip a curse.

How could not a single one of them have survived!

Someone must have deliberately interfered.

After calming down a bit, he realized that this kidnapping case was more complicated. He had called the police in hopes of finding out whether the kidnappers were under someone else’s influence, but now he was told all five of them had died!

All five of them had died, what’s there to investigate now!

“Since all five of them are dead now, we need to take Luo Xiaolang’s statement, and yours and Ji Baixin’s too.” The police said, “Although it’s clear that Luo Xiaolang acted in self-defense, the deaths of five people at once have attracted the attention of our superiors. We need to look into the case again. Given Luo Xiaolang’s special circumstances, we won’t take her to the station for questioning. However, once she’s feeling better, we’ll initiate the legal processes. I’ll notify you in advance.”

Yin Qin nodded.

“It’d be best if you hired a lawyer. They’re more familiar with legal provisions, you don’t want to unintentionally infringe upon any, then have difficulty explaining later.”

“Do we even need a lawyer for this? This is such a clear case of self-defense. Are you police seriously accusing us of deliberate murder?”

“I’ve already said, we can confirm Luo Xiaolang acted in self-defense. I’m merely suggesting you hire a good lawyer as a precaution. Otherwise, you could end up losing more than you gain, like in the recent court case regarding Mu Cidian’s murder.”

“Murder case?” Yin Qin furrowed his brows. “You’re saying Mu Cidian’s murder case has gone to court?”

“You didn’t know?”

“I’ve been with Luo Xiaolang these days, I haven’t had a chance to check my phone.” Yin Qin was slightly agitated.

“Oh, Mu Cidian was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.”

“Damn! Xin Zaozao is really ruthless!” Yin Qin exclaimed, utterly speechless.

The police looked at Yin Qin.

Regaining his composure, Yin Qin said, “Okay, I understand. Notify me in advance, and I guarantee I won’t hire the same lawyer that represented Mu Cidian.”

Amused, the police chuckled for a moment.

He resumed his seriousness immediately, “Now, I need to record Luo Xiaolang’s statement.”

“She might be unavailable at the moment.” Seeing that the nurse had brought the breast pump to the ward, Yin Qin said, “Why don’t I take you to Ji Baixin’s room first? She was present during the whole incident, she will know more.”

“Thank you.” The police expressed gratitude.

Yin Qin then led the police to Ji Baixin’s room.

Left alone in the ward, Luo Xiaolang was being attended to by the nurse.

So, pumping milk is quite uncomfortable.

Luo Xiaolang endured it.

The nurse, soaked in sweat, couldn’t extract much milk in the end.

The nurse said, “Right now, you won’t have much milk. Moreover, these few days are your physiological period for producing milk, so it’s normal to feel a bit uncomfortable, but it will get better. If you’re feeling too full, just pump some out following the steps I showed you.”

“Okay,” Luo Xiaolang nodded.

“Where’s your husband?” The nurse looked around but didn’t see Yin Qin.

“I don’t have a husband.”

“The father of the child.” The nurse corrected herself.

She knew the couple was not yet married.

Luo Xiaolang shook his head.

“Goodness me, who knows where he’s run off to at a time like this?!” The nurse said, exasperated.

Luo Xiaolang was a little engorged by now, and she had been hoping the baby’s father could lend a hand, but it seemed like that was hopeless.

Meanwhile...

Qin Keqin brought over some light soup for Luo Xiaolang.

Behind her, Yin Bin had also come over.

Although he was consistently purposeful in maintaining a distance from Qin Keqin.

Almost like...

He didn’t want to get too close to Qin Keqin at all.

Upon entering the ward, Qin Keqin looked around for Yin Qin, her face pale, “Where has Yin Qin gone?”

“I don’t know.” Luo Xiaolang replied.

“That’s right, the baby’s father was here just now, yet now we don’t know where he’s disappeared to. The new mom has finally started producing a little milk, but it’s not flowing smoothly. I tried to help her with the breast pump but I couldn’t remove it all. If the baby’s father was here, he could have helped.” The nurse added, sounding somewhat irked.

Hearing this, Qin Keqin’s face looked even worse.

On the contrary, Yin Bin seemed somewhat confused, “What kind of help can a man provide when a woman is nursing?”

“Sir, are you single?” The nurse shot back.

“...” Yin Bin’s face darkened slightly, “Which eye of yours saw that I am single?!”

“It’s a shame that you’re not single.” The nurse said sarcastically, “Otherwise, your wife would be pitiful.”

Yin Bin was quite annoyed, “You insolent nurse!”

Dared to spout such words!

However, the nurse didn’t care about Yin Bin’s temper, and even took on an educational tone, “Giving birth to a child is incredibly traumatic for women! Men should never treat childbirth as solely a woman’s affair, because in fact, men have even more responsibilities. After giving birth, a woman’s hormones will plummet, which may lead directly to postnatal depression. During this time, men should not only look after the physical health of their wives but also care for their mental well-being. Moreover, aside from care for their wives, men should also learn to take care of the baby as quickly as possible. Women can’t take care of babies right after giving birth! If a man isn’t there for his wife during such a crucial time, can he still be considered a man?!”

Before these words, Yin Bin found himself speechless.

According to the nurse, it seemed he wasn’t even a man.

When Yin Qin was born, he was in the midst of a major conflict with Qin Keqin.

At that time, he couldn’t let his pride down to approach Qin Keqin on his own, especially since Qin Keqin was the one who moved out of their room! Besides, he himself was guilty of something he couldn’t even look at himself for, and he wasn’t willing to admit his mistakes to Qin Keqin. His pride always held him back, and deep down he still seen Qin Keqin as the third person who broke up him and Lin Ximeng, so he wasn’t willing to give in to Qin Keqin.

As a result, when Qin Keqin gave birth in the hospital, he wasn’t by her side.

To be precise, he didn’t even know Qin Keqin was in the hospital giving birth. He didn’t see her for a week, and he just figured she had gone home to her parents.

Little did he know that a week later when he saw Qin Keqin again, accompanying her was a nanny holding an additional baby.

Thereafter, the little brat Yin Qin stayed with Qin Keqin in a room, with the nanny looking after them.

He hardly ever got to see them.

The times when he held Yin Qin in his arms as a child were pitifully few.

Thinking it over, he couldn’t even remember how Yin Qin grew up?!

It seemed like in a blink of an eye, Yin Qin had grown up to an extent where he could infuriate him.

“Anyway, when the baby’s father gets back, let him know that if the breast pump isn’t effective later, he should help out. It wouldn’t be such a hassle if the baby was here.” The nurse continued, muttering, “Sometimes, I really feel that even infants are more reliable than men.”

And with that, she left.

Yin Bin felt like he was being wronged today.

These few days he hadn’t been going to work, his life just a back-and-forth between the hospital and home.

If he wasn’t accompanying Qin Keqin to visit Luo Xiaolang, he was accompanying Qin Keqin to visit their grandson.

Alright.

He was mainly there for Qin Keqin.

Still, he wasn’t exactly helpful.

Whenever there was news about their grandson, he would be the first to fetch the report and consult the doctor, before relaying the information to Qin Keqin. Qin Keqin was genuinely scared, afraid to hear any bad news about the baby.

Fortunately, after three days of tests, it was confirmed that the child was developing in a healthy manner.

Despite his sincere efforts to support the family, Yin Bin received no praise. Instead, he had an annoying encounter with a young nurse.

Qin Keqin was also in a bad mood right now.

Yin Qin clearly was an unchangeable case.

If things continued like this, Ji Baixin would likely always be the one obstacle he would never be able to overcome in his lifetime!

How on earth did she give birth to such a “love child”!

She wished she could just push him back and start over!

Qin Keqin suppressed her emotions again and again, appearing gentle, “How do you feel today, Xiaolang?”

“I feel pretty good. I just got out of bed and walked around.” Luo Xiaolang replied.

“How about the pain? Is it painful?”

“Not painful.” In fact, it was bearable pain.

Though Qin Keqin did not give birth to Yin Qin via cesarean section, she knew how painful it would be after the anesthesia wore off.

She remembered when she was giving birth to Yin Qin, it almost resulted in a difficult birth in the delivery room as she was in labor for a day and a night. Eventually, Yin Qin was born.

Thinking back, she wondered if Yin Qin had his brain damaged by being stuck for so long, considering how flippant he was after being born!

“How is your milk supply?” Qin Keqin asked.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable, it feels tight.”

“You definitely cannot let it continue to be engorged like this, once it becomes blocked, you’re gonna be really suffering.”

“Uh?”

“Back then, I didn’t start breastfeeding in time! Yin Qin was so lazy, he wasn’t willing to drink my milk at all, the maternity nurse wasn’t as professional as the ones nowadays, so I ended up with blocked milk ducts. That feeling... let me describe it this way, the pain of giving birth for a woman is rated at level ten, and engorged breasts are even more painful than childbirth by one level. I even got a high fever due to engorgement that wouldn’t go away, and was nearly taken to the emergency room in the hospital. In the end, I gritted my teeth and let the lactation consultant squeeze it out... that sensation, I still can’t forget it to this day.” Qin Keqin shuddered slightly as she recounted it to Luo Xiaolang now.

Luo Xiaolang looked at her, “Is it really that terrifying?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Luo Xiaolang nodded.

She easily trusted others.

Especially the people she held in high regard.

Yin Bin, on the other hand, was silently listening on the sidelines.

Listening to things he had never known before.

He wondered whether, during those times when Qin Keqin was alone, did she ever think of him?

If he had shown more concern for her, he wouldn’t have mistaken her week of absence for her visiting her parents’ house.

Perhaps then, he wouldn’t have missed... the birth of Yin Qin.

He wouldn’t have missed the period when a woman needed companionship the most!

He didn’t say a word.

Listening to Qin Keqin’s conversation with Luo Xiaolang.

Listening to her gently tell Luo Xiaolang, “So if you ever feel extremely engorged, speak up, don’t hold it in, okay?”

“Hmm.”

“Also, where is the colostrum you just pumped?”

“Just a little bit.”

“Even a little bit is good; it’s even more precious than gold, all the antibodies are in there.” Qin Keqin explained, “Considering that the baby can’t drink directly right now, I brought a breast milk storage bag to freeze the colostrum in your freezer. Once the baby can drink, we can give it to her.”

“Oh.” Luo Xiaolang nodded.

She didn’t know much, but to her, it seemed like Qin Keqin knew everything, so she listened to her.

She watched Qin Keqin carefully store that little bit of yellow colostrum, and then label it with the date.

Looking at the date, Qin Keqin’s eyes suddenly reddened.

Luo Xiaolang stared at her.

Stabilizing her emotions, Qin Keqin said, “I was just thinking, maternal love is truly great.”

Back in the day.

She truly wanted to divorce Yin Bin.

When she saw him coming out of the hotel with Lin Ximeng, no matter what her sentiments and feelings were at that time, she clearly understood, there was definitely no future for her and Yin Bin.

She grew up in an environment and received an education where she couldn’t accept moral betrayal in a marriage.

However, after giving birth to Yin Qin, looking at his innocent face, she compromised.

Compromising by not actively seeking a divorce, she stayed and lived under the same roof with Yin Bin.

She thought she could at least provide a complete family for Yin Qin until he comes of age.

Until... Yin Qin had turned 18.

Therefore, her divorce agreement came into effect when Yin Qin turned 18