Chapter – 55
“But everyone says so—how could I possibly not care…”
Ning Xuechu’s eyes reddened with grievance.
An Jianqing understood what she meant. Her heartbeat quickened unconsciously. After a moment of silence, she said, “Xuechu, don’t overthink it. We’re sisters. When the time is right, I’ll tell them your identity. Before that, you need to have enough ability to make these people respect you.”
The topic suddenly shifted. Ning Xuechu was dissatisfied. She tilted her head, tears glimmering in her eyes.
“Jiejie, why don’t you stop the rumors? If you wanted to, it should be very easy for you.”
“I…”
An Jianqing froze for a moment, unable to respond.
“I know,” Ning Xuechu said chokingly, easing the awkward silence. “Jiejie believes that those who are innocent don’t need to explain themselves to others.”
An Jianqing immediately hummed in agreement, stood up, and said, “I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
After saying that, she quickly left, her slender figure carrying a hint of avoidance.
She could have stopped the rumors, but she hadn’t.
First, she didn’t feel the need to actively explain herself to others. Second, Ning Xuechu had never shown that she cared, so she had simply let things go.
Now, faced with Ning Xuechu’s aggrieved accusation, she suddenly realized that this misunderstanding had quietly grown out of control.
Everyone in the company now believed Ning Xuechu was her kept lover. Coupled with the fact that she never hid her favoritism toward Ning Xuechu, the rumors had been tacitly confirmed.
For a moment, An Jianqing couldn’t tell whether this situation was good or bad.
The only thing she was certain of was that even if the truth were revealed now, no one would believe it.
An Jianqing let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes. A scene she would never forget surfaced in her mind.
“Jianqing, you must find Xuechu. If she’s an Alpha, you give the company to her. If she’s an Omega, you continue managing it. Give her a sum of wealth so she can live without worry in her next life. You must not let the Ning family’s assets fall into the hands of someone with ulterior motives.”
She knew very well who that “someone with ulterior motives” referred to—Ning Yan.
After Ning Xuechu’s parents passed away, Ning Yan had sent people to stir up trouble, demanding a share of the stocks. She had blocked him with the will.
Over the years, Ning Yan had never given up, making small moves both openly and secretly, even instigating Ning Shuyue to fight for the inheritance.
In their eyes, the Ning family’s property already belonged to them.
Although her abilities were no worse than an Alpha’s, once her Omega identity was exposed, she wouldn’t even need Ning Yan to cause trouble—the board of directors alone would never allow an Omega to sit in the CEO’s position.
She didn’t know how much longer she could continue pretending to be an Alpha. Before that day came, she had to teach Ning Xuechu everything, so that Ning Xuechu could take over the company.
Ning Xuechu closed her computer and stared blankly at the darkened screen. The redness at the corners of her eyes was still obvious.
She had only wanted to pretend to be aggrieved to pressure An Jianqing, pushing their relationship in a more ambiguous direction.
But seeing An Jianqing’s cold, indifferent reaction, that sense of grievance seemed to become real.
Ning Xuechu took a deep breath and suppressed the gloom in her heart.
She got up and went outside, seeing An Jianqing’s car parked at the entrance. She ran over with a smile.
“Jiejie, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine. Let’s go home,” An Jianqing said with a gentle smile, finally feeling relieved.
The unpleasantness between them seemed to vanish, as if they had returned to how things used to be.
But An Jianqing vaguely felt that some things were merely buried for now, waiting for the day they would erupt.
“Xuechu, tomorrow’s a day off. How do you plan to spend it?” An Jianqing asked while driving.
“I’ll sleep well at home. I’ve been too busy lately—I haven’t had time to rest at all.”
Ning Xuechu made a pitiful face, looking aggrieved.
An Jianqing couldn’t help laughing. But thinking of Ning Xun’s words, her heart tightened.
“Xuechu, working so hard every day—do you blame me?”
“No,” Ning Xuechu hurriedly shook her head, her eyes full of trust. “I know you’re doing this for my own good. Lots of people dream of this position. I’m really happy you gave me this opportunity. I’ll work hard and won’t let you down.”
Hearing this, An Jianqing’s lips curved slightly.
Her decision hadn’t been wrong. Ning Xuechu might look delicate, but at work she was cautious and serious, and wouldn’t be discouraged by minor setbacks.
That was exactly what she hoped Ning Xuechu would become.
“Have a good rest tomorrow. If you want to eat anything, just tell Aunt Lian,” An Jianqing said with a smile.
Ning Xuechu blinked in confusion.
“Do you have something to do tomorrow, Jiejie?”
“Mm. I’m going to see a friend,” An Jianqing replied.
“What friend?”
Ning Xuechu’s heart tightened, and the question slipped out without thinking.
She looked at An Jianqing nervously, but An Jianqing only brushed it off vaguely, not going into detail.
That “friend” became like a thorn pressing into Ning Xuechu’s heart.
There was so much about An Jianqing she didn’t know, yet she couldn’t recklessly pry into the other woman’s private life.
Ning Xuechu grew restless. With things weighing on her mind, what should have been a pleasant weekend instead became unsettling.
She woke up early and happened to see An Jianqing leaving.
“Jiejie, are you having breakfast?”
Ning Xuechu stood in the stairwell and called out loudly.
“I already ate,” An Jianqing replied as she walked out.
Ning Xuechu’s heart sank. She quickly ran to the second-floor balcony. Only after An Jianqing’s car disappeared from sight did she come back to her senses and go downstairs to eat breakfast.
With one person missing at the table, Ning Xuechu had little appetite. She absentmindedly stirred the porridge in her bowl.
“Miss Ning, is it not to your taste?” Aunt Lian asked.
“No, it’s fine. I probably didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m not very hungry.”
Ning Xuechu smiled as she explained. After taking a sip of porridge, she asked casually,
“Aunt Lian, do you know who Jiejie is going to see?”
“It should be a doctor friend,” Aunt Lian said. “I heard Miss An talking to that doctor on the phone a few days ago.”
