Rong Ci instinctively refused, "No need to bother, I can go pick it up myself."
Her refusal was crisp and direct, prompting a brief silence on the other end of the line.
"Mr. He?" Rong Ci prompted.
"Alright. I'll send you the contact information for the repair shop in a moment."
"Okay, thank you for the trouble."
He Changbai didn't say another word and hung up.
With her foot injured like this, it was naturally impossible for Rong Ci to go pick up the car herself. After a moment's thought, she decided to ask Yu Moxun for help.
Yu Moxun agreed to drive it back for her once he was finished with his work.
That evening, Rong Ci ordered takeout. Just as she finished eating, Feng Jingxin called to ask when she would be coming home.
Rong Ci spoke plainly, "Mom sprained her foot and it's hard to walk, so I'm staying elsewhere to recover for now. I won't be coming home tonight. Get some rest early."
Hearing this, Feng Jingxin immediately asked, "Huh? Mom, you hurt your foot? Is it serious? Does it hurt a lot?"
"It hurts, but it's not too bad. It should be fine in a few days."
"Oh, okay..."
Reassured by Rong Ci's words, Feng Jingxin asked with concern, "Then where are you now? I'll find some time to go see you with Dad tomorrow after he gets back."
Rong Ci replied directly, "No need. Mom can take care of herself. Just focus on your schoolwork."
"Well, okay then..."
They chatted for a few more moments before hanging up.
A short while later, Feng Tingshen returned.
Seeing him, Feng Jingxin called out, "Dad!" Before Feng Tingshen could even open his mouth, she hurriedly added, "Mom hurt her foot, and she's staying somewhere else to recover right now!"
Feng Tingshen gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment. He took off his impeccably tailored suit jacket, handed it to the butler, and said, "I know."
"Huh?" Feng Jingxin looked up in surprise. "How did you know, Dad? Did Mom tell you?"
Feng Tingshen sat down and took a glass of water from Auntie Liu. "No. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Saw it with your own eyes?" Feng Jingxin was stunned. "Were you there when Mom got hurt?"
"Mm."
Feng Jingxin seemed to remember something. "Oh, right! Mom works at your company, so you must have seen it when she got hurt there, right?"
"No." Feng Tingshen's tone was indifferent. "Your mother doesn't work at my company anymore."
"What?" Feng Jingxin looked up, confused. "Then where is she working now?"
"A place she likes."
"Oh..."
After finishing his water, Feng Tingshen set the glass down. Before heading upstairs, he gave her head a light rub with his fair, large hand. "Get some rest early."
Feng Jingxin replied, "I know."
At around eight in the evening, Yu Moxun drove the car back for Rong Ci.
As she took the keys, Rong Ci asked, "How much did the repairs cost in total?"
Her meaning was clear: she wanted to pay him back.
Yu Moxun sat down on the sofa and replied, "How should I know?"
"Huh?" Rong Ci asked. "How did you pick up the car without paying?"
"No one told me I had to pay. As soon as they heard it was your car, they just let me drive it away."
Rong Ci paused.
So, He Changbai had handled the payment for her? That was something she truly hadn't expected.
"What's wrong?" Seeing the odd look on her face, Yu Moxun asked.
Rong Ci shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Then let's get started on the 'homework.' Once we're done, I can go back and rest. Today has been exhausting; I'm dead tired!"
The "homework" he referred to was, naturally, the exhibition review Nan Zhizhi had assigned them that morning.
"Alright," Rong Ci agreed.
Thinking about the repair bill, she added, "I need to make a phone call first."
"Mm."
She casually dialed He Changbai's number. He picked up almost instantly. "Hello."
"Mr. He, it's me, Rong Ci."
"I know," He Changbai replied. "What is it?"
Rong Ci said, "It's like this I've picked up the car. Did you pay the repair fees for me? How much was it in total? I'll transfer the money to you right now."
He Changbai was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll send you the account number in a bit."
"Alright," Rong Ci said politely. "I'm sorry to have troubled you. Also, thank you truly for everything today."
He Changbai said a flat "You're welcome" before hanging up first.
Yu Moxun, who was listening from the side, asked, "The person who helped you with your car today?"
By then, He Changbai had already sent over the card number and a photo of the repair invoice.
Rong Ci glanced at it while opening her mobile payment app. "Yes."
From the tone Rong Ci used with He Changbai, Yu Moxun could tell they didn't seem to be well-acquainted. As for He Changbai himself, Yu Moxun naturally knew who he was, and knew that Rong Ci knew him too. However, to his knowledge, the two had almost no personal interaction.
Therefore, even when he heard Rong Ci address the person on the other end as "Mr. He," he hadn't associated the name with He Changbai.
Rong Ci transferred the exact amount to He Changbai, down to the last cent.
Finally, after sending a thank-you message, she and Yu Moxun officially began the "homework" Nan Zhizhi had set for them.
They used a PPT format to briefly highlight the core technical specifications of all the exhibits from that day. Even so, because there were so many exhibits, by the time they finished and sent the content to Nan Zhizhi, it was already past two in the morning.
Yu Moxun was long past the point of exhaustion. Since he didn't have a change of clothes there, Rong Ci didn't ask him to stay the night.
After Yu Moxun left, Rong Ci hobbled on her injured foot to the bathroom to shower, then went to her room to sleep.
Her injury wasn't heavy, but Yu Moxun still hoped she would rest for a few days before returning to the office. Consequently, when Rong Ci woke up the next day, she stayed home to work remotely.
She hadn't been awake long when she received a call from Feng Jingxin. "Mom, is your foot feeling any better now?"
Rong Ci stood lightly on her tiptoes as she prepared breakfast in the kitchen. "It's better."
"That's good." Feng Jingxin was also eating breakfast. After saying that, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
Rong Ci could sense it.
In truth, it hadn't always been like this. In the past, Feng Jingxin always had a mountain of things to tell her. But over the last two years, their communication had grown more and more sparse. Furthermore, even when Jingxin had something to say, she would turn to Lin Wu first. Gradually, the mother and daughter had naturally run out of things to say to one another.
Regarding this injury, Feng Jingxin sounded quite concerned. In reality, her concern was purely superficial.
The concern was real, but it lacked depth.
Had this been before, even a minor injury or a slight cold would have made Feng Jingxin cry out in distress. She would have clung to Rong Ci, refusing to let go, comforting her while wanting to stay by her side every second to take care of her. She couldn't even be driven away.
Back then, she was a truly heartwarming daughter.
But all of that had been given to Lin Wu without Rong Ci even knowing.
Just like the last time Lin Wu was sick; while Feng Tingshen had rushed over before even finishing his breakfast, Feng Jingxin had also been secretly messaging Lin Wu behind Rong Ci's back to show her concern. Once school let out, she had immediately had the driver take her to see Lin Wu...
Therefore, if she were truly worried to that extent, she could have simply pestered Rong Ci for her address last night and had the driver bring her over. Yet, in the end, she hadn't come.
Not knowing what else to say to Rong Ci, Feng Jingxin looked toward Feng Tingshen, who was sitting across from her. "Dad, do you want to talk to Mom on the phone?"
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