"The company's cooperation overseas has encountered some problems. I need to go there," Huo Linsheng explained as soon as the phone was answered.
Hearing this, Ling Nuan felt a bit unhappy.
It was not strange for Huo Linsheng to be busy and go on business trips. But Shen Shaoqing had also moved into the old mansion. And now Huo Linsheng was going abroad at this time...
"How long will it probably take?" Ling Nuan asked.
"Uncertain. If things go smoothly, it'll probably be about a week," Huo Linsheng said helplessly. "If not, it's hard to say. I'll try my best to be back within half a month."
The annual meeting of the Huo Corporation was in half a month, and Huo Linsheng had to be back before it started.
Ling Nuan listened and then said, "Can I not stay in the old mansion while you're on this business trip?"
"What's wrong?" Huo Linsheng was a bit surprised. He naturally knew that Ling Nuan felt uncomfortable in the old mansion.
However, one's life could never be all plain sailing and always go as one wished. As Mrs. Huo, there were some things Ling Nuan had to get in touch with in the future. Ling Nuan had already accepted this before, but now...
Ling Nuan was just about to explain when something came up on Huo Linsheng's side.
"Mr. Huo, there's a document here that needs your signature," a manager came over and talked to Huo Linsheng.
Huo Linsheng took the document. After seeing its content, his face immediately darkened. "What's going on here? This is very different from the conditions our company offered before."
The manager looked a bit embarrassed. "Mr. Huo, the other side thought our conditions were too harsh. They're a distant relative of the chairman. The chairman called personally. This..."
It wasn't that he wanted to make the change; he just had no choice.
As soon as Huo Linsheng heard about the chairman, his head started to buzz.
When Mr. Huo was young, he was decisive. But as he got old, he suddenly started to value family ties and became soft - hearted.
These distant relatives, no matter how far removed, could play the family - affection card with Mr. Huo. The old man knew what their motives were and that it was harmful to the company's interests, but he always thought it wasn't much money and agreed.
The old man agreed readily, but it became a headache for Huo Linsheng.
If everything was done according to the old man's way, how could the company be managed?
"Do it according to my instructions," Huo Linsheng refused flatly.
The manager looked embarrassed. Seeing this, Huo Linsheng had no mood to ask about Ling Nuan's situation in the Huo family.
"I still have things to be busy with. If there's anything, send me a message," Huo Linsheng said.
Ling Nuan originally wanted to say that Shen Shaoqing was also in the old mansion, that Huo Linsheng might mind and that she felt uncomfortable. But seeing that he was busy, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"Okay, you be busy," Ling Nuan calmly accepted the result.
After hanging up the phone, Ling Nuan held the phone and was silent for a while. Then she smiled faintly.
The overseas cooperation was important. After Huo Linsheng finished the call with Ling Nuan and dealt with the document the manager brought, he took Fang Chao and got on the plane to go abroad.
Huo Linsheng was busy, and Ling Nuan also had a lot of things to do during the day. Coupled with the time difference, the contact between them naturally decreased.
Most of the time, it was just a casual greeting after a few hours. After two or three days, when they were really busy, there was no news at all.
Ling Nuan still calmly accepted all this.
...
Mrs. Huo took Ling Nuan to an auction.
It was Mr. Huo's idea.
"It's the end of the year. You should go out more and meet people," Mr. Huo didn't say much. He just mentioned it casually at the dinner table one day.
Mrs. Huo had been "teaching" Ling Nuan these days.
There wasn't much to teach. She just kept trying to bully Ling Nuan all day. Ling Nuan faced each challenge and sometimes even counter - attacked. The two of them outwitted each other.
But all these things happened in the old mansion.
Mrs. Huo didn't want to take Ling Nuan out to any activities at all. Every time they attended an activity, it meant more people would know about Ling Nuan and take her more seriously.
But since the old man had spoken, Mrs. Huo had no choice.
She had to take Ling Nuan to the auction, but she wasn't going to let it go easily.
Before the auction started, Mrs. Huo pulled Ling Nuan to talk to others.
"Our Ling Nuan seems to be attending an auction for the first time. You have to take good care of her for me," Mrs. Huo said with a smile, pretending to be a kind - hearted big sister.
"For the first time?" Someone was surprised. The looks on Ling Nuan became more scrutinizing and a bit contemptuous.
Ling Nuan smiled. "It's not the first time. I attended one with Linsheng before. We even met Xiaoxiao then."
When she said this, her tone became meaningful.
Zhao Leli happened to pass by and heard this.
When was it that Huo Linsheng took Ling Nuan to an auction?
Wasn't it the time when she was instigated by Huo Xiao to attack Ling Nuan?
Zhao Leli had no problem with Ling Nuan now. But just thinking of this made her hate Huo Xiao to the bone.
As soon as Ling Nuan finished speaking, Zhao Leli stepped forward warmly. "If we talk about the last auction, didn't Nuan Nuan and I become acquainted through our conflict?"
Ling Nuan was slightly stunned when she saw Zhao Leli suddenly appear and affectionately put her arm around her.
Although Zhao Leli had a grudge against Huo Xiao, their relationship wasn't good either. Ling Nuan didn't know whether she was a friend or an enemy, so she didn't answer but just kept smiling.
Zhao Leli didn't need Ling Nuan to respond. She continued on her own. "Speaking of which, we really should thank Xiaoxiao for that. Hey, Aunt Wang, didn't Xiaoxiao tell you about this?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Huo smiled. "Really? I didn't know about this."
"Hey, Aunt Wang, you should care more about Nuan Nuan in the future. Xiaoxiao and Nuan Nuan have misunderstandings and have a bad relationship. If I didn't know you well, I'd think you were trying to bully Nuan Nuan," Zhao Leli said with a smile.
Ling Nuan looked at Zhao Leli in surprise.
It wasn't that she was surprised that Zhao Leli would help her, but that she was surprised at how much Zhao Leli's sarcasm skills had improved.
Mrs. Huo's face looked a bit ugly.
She forced a couple of laughs. "Leli, what are you talking about? How could I bully Ling Nuan? She's part of our family."
"Both hands are important, but there's still a difference in closeness, isn't there?" Zhao Leli replied lightly, and then said, "Aunt Wang, of course I'm not saying this about you. You're the most fair - minded. You always side with reason rather than family."
Mrs. Huo: "..."
Those who were originally misled by Mrs. Huo's words and had some misunderstandings about Ling Nuan now understood something after Zhao Leli's words.
"I just remembered I have something to do. I'll leave first."
"Hey, I also have something to do."
No one wanted to get involved in the Huo family's private affairs. Soon, the people around Mrs. Huo all disappeared.
Mrs. Huo: "..."
She was angry in her heart, but she quickly calmed down.
She smiled and said to Zhao Leli, "Leli, you really misunderstood me this time. Well, if you're worried that I'll bully her, how about you take care of Ling Nuan from now on?"