After Divorce, My Ex-Wife Became My Creditor - Chapter 46 - Open the Door, Don't Open

A company’s general manager, a vice president-Han Qian used to see high-level management cursing each other with some literary flair on TV. How come when it comes to Wen Nuan and Yan Qingqing, it sounds more like street brawling?

When he got home in the evening, little Tu Kun was arranged to stay in the guest room on the first floor, with blankets borrowed from his eldest sister’s home. Han Qian and Li Jiawei shared a room. While Han Qian was taking a shower, Wen Nuan appeared outside the door, knocking vigorously.

“Open the door!”

“Don’t open!”

“Click!”

Wen Nuan directly pulled the door open, startling Han Qian, who quickly grabbed a towel to cover himself, looking at Wen Nuan with a face full of shame and anger.

“Are you a hooligan?”

Wen Nuan’s face was also slightly red, possibly because she had a bit to drink that evening. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Han Qian angrily.

“Quit Rongyao!! I won’t ask for a single cent you owe me! I’ll even give you four hundred thousand!”

Han Qian took a deep breath and then said.

“Wen Nuan, what do you think would happen if I threw away this towel?”

Wen Nuan looked defiant, and as Han Qian let go, the towel fell. Wen Nuan screamed and turned to run, while Han Qian stood in the bathroom, hands on his hips, laughing heartily. He hadn’t even taken off his underwear!

Quitting was definitely not an option. Wen Nuan wouldn’t go back on her words; she indeed wouldn’t ask Han Qian for any debt, and she would give him money. But was this the life Han Qian wanted? If he wanted it, he wouldn’t have chosen to divorce in the first place.

A man should have some pride and pressure.

Life at Rongyao suited Han Qian well. Yan Qingqing, this woman, was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She was very useful to Han Qian.

Moreover, Han Qian wanted to see if he could earn four million within a year.

He rinsed his head with cold water in the bathroom to clear his mind, feeling a bit of a headache. He had to be at the company by seven the next morning. Women! It would be best to avoid letting Yan Qingqing and Wen Nuan meet in the future. Damn it! Would Lin Zongheng stir up any trouble? He really needed to sit down and have a good talk with Guan Junbiao.

“Quit Rongyao!! I won’t ask for a single cent you owe me! I’ll even give you four hundred thousand!”

When he went upstairs, Wen Nuan was resting. Upon returning to the room, he found the blanket gone. Li Jiawei innocently said it was taken by his aunt, seemingly wanting his uncle to sleep with him. Han Qian admitted defeat and pulled Li Jiawei’s blanket over.

“We’ll sleep together, just the two of us.”

As Han Qian was about to fall asleep, Li Jiawei suddenly whispered.

“Uncle, are you asleep?”

“Asleep!”

He was indeed a bit tired, needing to be at the company by seven the next morning. Li Jiawei sighed and whispered again.

“Do you think kids without dads are looked down upon? At school, I’m afraid to fight with Li Bo and the others. When it comes to blows, I’m scared. What if his dad comes looking for my mom? I wouldn’t know what to do. My mom is a woman, and I’m still young. I definitely can’t beat his dad.”

Han Qian turned over and gave Li Jiawei a light slap on the forehead, frowning.

“What are you afraid of? There are plenty of kids without dads in this world, and they’re all living well. Look at Nezha¹; he had a dad, but didn’t his dad still hand him over to the Dragon King? So, having a dad or not isn’t important. What’s important is that you have to strive for yourself, study hard, and make something of yourself so people know you’re not lacking compared to others, but rather more outstanding.”

“But Nezha had a master!”

“Nezha didn’t have an uncle!”

Hearing this, Li Jiawei laughed, rolled over, and took the blanket with him. Han Qian got up and knocked on Wen Nuan’s door. After a while, a blanket with a new cover was thrown out.

At six in the morning, Li Jiawei and little Tu Kun were already up, washing and dressing. Han Qian asked if the two kids needed a ride. Li Jiawei shook his head, saying they would take a taxi to school. As they left, he gave Han Qian a fist bump for encouragement.

After the kids left, Han Qian got dressed and went downstairs. The fierce madam had whimsically demanded he be at the company by seven. If he was late, she’d have another reason to scold him.

Squeezing onto the bus, swaying with the crowd, Han Qian couldn’t understand why these grandpas and grandmas had to crowd the bus early in the morning with kids going to work and school. Was it just for those eggs at the supermarket that weren’t much cheaper?

When he finally got off, he couldn’t squeeze out because of the crowd, not only missing his stop but also getting into a quarrel with some old men and women on the bus. As he got off, Han Qian turned and glared at the old men. He had beaten Guan the Goon but lost to these elderly people, feeling a bit indignant.

He bought a Jianbing Guozi² and a cup of soy milk at a roadside stall, entering the company at 6:55. The security guard at the company entrance gave Han Qian a strange look. Why was he here so early? Dragging his tired body into the elevator, he felt all his energy had been drained by the bus ride. Just as the elevator doors were closing, Yang Jia appeared in Han Qian’s view, and he quickly pressed the open button.

Yang Jia, with a bare face, rushed into the elevator, unceremoniously grabbing the soy milk from Han Qian’s hand, grumbling.

“Qian-Ge, can you stop flirting with General Manager Yan and dragging us into it? I was happily watching dramas at home, and now I have to come early to monitor whether you’re at the company.”

Han Qian handed the straw to Yang Jia, frowning.

“You’re here to monitor me? Where’s General Manager Yan?”

“Don’t know.”

When they reached the fourteenth floor, Yang Jia went to change clothes. Han Qian didn’t get off the elevator but went back downstairs to buy another cup of soy milk, standing at Rongyao’s entrance to finish his breakfast.

At 7:30, Gao Lvxing arrived at the company. Today, he wore a white suit, and his earrings were silver. Seeing Han Qian, he was slightly surprised, stepping forward to offer a cigarette to Han Qian, smiling.

“So early? Quite dedicated.”

Han Qian took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear, softly smiling at Gao Lvxing.

“General Manager Yan called yesterday, asking me to come early. After two days of rest, I’ve recovered. Staying at home is boring, so I might as well come to the company early.”

Gao Lvxing shrugged with a smile, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, grinning.

“Two days of rest? You don’t look like you’ve been resting. Did you go boxing or run into trouble? If there’s trouble, tell me. If it’s convenient, I’ll help you solve it. I wouldn’t want our Rongyao’s great contributor to suffer.”

Han Qian reached out to touch his eye corner, smiling wryly.

“There was a bit of a conflict, lost my temper and got into a fight. Thinking back, I somewhat regret it. I’ll ask Yang Jia for a mask later, can’t tarnish Rongyao’s image.”

“Ah, youth.”

Gao Lvxing sighed, and Han Qian didn’t continue the conversation. Both Wen Nuan and Mr. Wen had mentioned Gao Lvxing, advising Han Qian to be cautious. Now, Han Qian thought it might be time to head back to the General Affairs Department for a nap, but Gao Lvxing lingered, chatting idly, seemingly reluctant to go upstairs.

As the company’s employees gradually arrived for work, Han Qian’s bruised face became a focal point, with everyone stopping to stare for a moment. The red BMW arrived, and Sun Ya, wearing a short skirt, swayed her hips seductively as she walked over. Gao Lvxing’s face broke into a lecherous grin, saying sleazily.

“Han Qian, Lin Zongheng has quite a bit of hostility towards you. If he gives you trouble, feel free to come to me.”

Han Qian frowned slightly, then smiled.

“Alright, Mr. Gao.”

Footnote:

1. Nezha(哪吒):A prominent figure in Chinese mythology. In a famous episode, his father hands him over to the Dragon King as atonement after Nezha causes trouble (e.g., killing the Dragon King’s son). This is used by the speaker to argue that a father’s presence doesn’t always guarantee support or protection.
2. Jianbing Guozi(煎饼果子):A popular Chinese street food breakfast item, consisting of a savory crepe (similar to a thin pancake) made from a batter of various grains, spread with egg, scallions, and often filled with a crispy fried dough stick (油条, youtiao) or a crispy cracker (薄脆, baocui), and various sauces.