Chapter 81: Eldest Miss, Are You Abusing Your Power?

Dan Wuyan took En Lin almost everywhere she went now, and even to the Jing Group, she held the child’s chubby little hand tightly, occasionally lowering her head to check on her.

In Switzerland, most people were foreigners, or at least mixed-race, so when Dan Wuyan brought her to China, En Lin couldn’t help but feel excited and curious at the sight of adults with black hair and brown eyes.

En Lin let go of Dan Wuyan’s hand and ran forward with a skip, calling out “Mommy” sweetly one after another. Julia followed behind, holding her forehead with a helpless expression.

Her boss liked her daughter—so should she be happy or cry?

These two stuck together now like chewing gum.

Dan Wuyan made a shushing gesture, and En Lin immediately obediently closed her mouth, clutching her colorful pinwheel and running wildly, eager to see it spin.

Jing Yan wore a black fitted suit with red-soled high heels on her feet. Her assistant hurriedly confirmed the meeting schedule beside her when a child suddenly collided with her from somewhere.

The assistant looked up with displeasure but couldn’t lash out because of the person nearby. Jing Yan, however, felt something familiar about the child in front of her. She slowly squatted down, her cold gaze carefully sweeping over her.

This… seemed like… Dan Wuyan’s daughter?

A rare smile appeared on Jing Yan’s face as she asked softly, “What’s your name?”

En Lin understood Chinese. Whenever Dan Wuyan had time before, she taught her some phrases, and this was the most common one—the exact question this woman had asked.

After all, in her little world, this seemed like the standard opener adults used to chat her up.

“En Lin,” the child in front of her said.

Jing Yan rubbed the child’s cheek gently with her fingertip, her eyes beneath her lashes filled with laughter, her tone gentle. “Did it hurt when you bumped into me?”

As she spoke, Jing Yan glanced around but didn’t see that person’s shadow.

She was probably deliberately avoiding her…

The assistant stood dumbfounded nearby. She remembered that Eldest Miss Jing was always stern and unsmiling in the group, and it was rare to see such a scene.

The sun must have risen from the west.

En Lin shook her head, indicating it didn’t hurt.

Dan Wuyan watched quietly from not far away. Julia inwardly panicked and wanted to rush forward to grab En Lin back, but the person in front blocked her with an arm.

Julia looked puzzled and glanced at Dan Wuyan before stopping in her tracks.

After a while, that figure left, and only then did Dan Wuyan walk toward En Lin’s direction. The air still carried her scent.

Today was the day Deep Color negotiated the collaboration with the Jing Group.

Dan Wuyan had Julia take En Lin downstairs while she went alone to the negotiation office.

Due to the economic impact of the three-year pandemic, the group’s board of directors was not optimistic about the Jing Group’s collaboration with Deep Color on the car brand.

There were many opposing opinions. Jing Yan’s gaze darkened instantly. What the Jing Group needed now was to introduce new car manufacturing technology—a complete overhaul from top to bottom.

She had prepared detailed plans and handed one to each assistant present. Sitting at the front, she looked at everyone below. “Regarding Deep Color’s technology, I believe all you seniors have seen it with your own eyes. I’ve gathered you today so we can all meet that CEO Dan together.”

“Dan Wuyan? The Jing Group invited her? She’s only around thirty, Young President Jing. Are you sure you want to hand the technical issues entirely to her?”

An elderly shareholder disliked joining the young people’s fun. Even if a junior had exceptional abilities, they remained suspect in his mouth.

Jing Yan knew this well—it all depended on whether that person could convince these old fogeys.

The Jing Group wanted to innovate its technology, which required fresh blood inside and out.

Led by the assistant, Dan Wuyan walked in from the office door, her suit impeccable. Jing Yan looked up and realized this person no longer had the white hair from three years ago.

A head of black medium-length curly hair, with bangs partially covering those pale eyes.

The person in front of her had gained a few more points of steadiness, her expression composed. Her eyes were still those damp puppy eyes, but deep within the pupils lurked a trace of dimness.

At the last expo, Jing Yan had been entirely focused on the child’s form of address toward her. Only today did she notice that Dan Wuyan seemed changed—more silent.

Jing Yan captured every move and gesture of the other woman in her sight. Her fingertips on the table unconsciously tightened. She stood to welcome her as she approached.

The person in front of her extended her hand proactively, her tone light and slow. “Hello. Deep Color, Dan Wuyan.”

The prefix hit Jing Yan’s ears. She wouldn’t even give her a proper address now, but Jing Yan could only pretend not to care. She extended her hand and gripped the other’s warm palm, acting like strangers in public. “Hello, Jing Yan.”

Dan Wuyan wasted no time. She rolled up her shirt cuffs, took the red laser pointer from Jing Yan’s hand—their fingertips brushing in that instant, their gazes meeting.

She raised many issues with the Jing Group’s previous technology. Some shareholders’ faces turned ashen; a few couldn’t sit still.

Dan Wuyan analyzed from an objective angle. Jing Yan remained calm beside her, propping her chin and listening attentively. When a young woman criticized the technology they once endorsed, one couldn’t hold back and launched into a lecture at the front.

The person in front fell silent for a moment before reasoning with him emotionally and logically. Jing Yan watched quietly with an appreciative expression. After all, among these shareholders, some had foul tempers—one wrong word, and they cursed like sailors.

“Deep Color’s technology focuses on intelligence, especially excelling in automotive safety performance.”

“Yeah…”

Most shareholders exchanged glances at the issues Dan Wuyan raised and acknowledged them. Moreover, the collaboration with Deep Color was already a done deal. Jumping out now would invite the wrath of Jing Yan, who sat there with a cold face—she had plenty of ways to deal with them.

Whether they had objections or not, they would give Jing Yan face. Besides, Deep Color’s mature car manufacturing technology had earned plenty of praise internationally.

The meeting ended, but the man who had raised objections midway still opposed Deep Color’s technology.

Unresigned, he remained seated, glaring as Dan Wuyan left through the front door.

Jing Yan stood, first instructing her assistant to follow and receive her, while she stayed behind. She walked to the man in her high heels.

She pressed her hands on his shoulders, leaning down, her voice cold and hard. “Was it her? Did she make you do this?”

The man played dumb, utterly dismissive, his eyes full of anger. “Deep Color started as a dating app for homosexuals. It’s reasonable to doubt their technology. Eldest Miss, are you abusing your power? Or before you’ve even reached the top, you want to shut our mouths?”

Jing Yan snorted coldly and withdrew her hand. “The Jing Group’s development will not tolerate vermin.”

The words infuriated him until his face flushed red. He nearly jumped from his seat, but by the time he wanted to explode, Jing Yan had already turned, brushing her inky hair aside, leaving him with her back.

From outside the glass, En Lin spotted the familiar figure and happily ran out, wrapping her arms around Dan Wuyan’s leg and tilting her head up to call softly, “Mommy.”

Dan Wuyan ruffled her hair and scooped her up. Jing Yan’s assistant followed behind. “CEO Dan, the Jing Group has prepared a welcome banquet at Jasmine Garden. Please follow me.”

Holding En Lin, Dan Wuyan paused, then turned. “Thank you for the hospitality, but I have something to do today, so I won’t go.”

“…”

“She really said that?” Jing Yan crossed her arms, standing before the floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the group’s territory below.

The assistant nodded respectfully. “Yes, CEO Dan said it herself.”

“Alright, I understand.”

After the assistant left and gently closed the door to the director’s office, Jing Yan sank into the executive chair, legs crossed. She flipped through the documents on the desk absentmindedly, her thoughts a tangled mess.

Did she really have to cut ties so cleanly?

Not even willing to share a meal with her.

At that moment, Jing Eldest entered from the door and swept a glance around, immediately knowing his sister was distracted.

He sat on the central sofa. Jing Yan stood, poured him a cup of tea, and handed it over. Jing Eldest smiled and looked up. “What’s wrong? Didn’t the collaboration go smoothly today?”

Before Jing Yan could respond, Jing Eldest continued, “I remember this Dan Wuyan is friends with Little Yu. She should give that face, right?”

Jing Yan propped her face, glancing up lazily, her mood not high.

Jing Eldest set down his teacup and probed further. “Then it must be that board of directors bunch.”

Actually, it wasn’t any of them.

The board was tough to chew through—whoever sat in this position would face doubts, especially since Jing Yan was only attending the Deep Color collaborations on Jing Eldest’s behalf.

“How about this: tomorrow, I’ll invite her out for a gathering.”

Jing Yan agreed and fell into a long silence. Jing Eldest couldn’t quite read her. From what he’d heard, this Dan Wuyan had a temperament praised throughout the industry, with algorithm expertise top-tier internationally.

What was his sister fretting over? He’d been in business long enough, but women’s hearts were still hard to fathom.

Jing Eldest was getting on in years, so he moved slower due to his health and chose golf as his sport. He invited Dan Wuyan out and planned to meet her himself to see how tricky she was.

En Lin insisted on coming, so Dan Wuyan let her tag along. Julia, acting like an old mother, repeatedly instructed them on the way.

“En Lin, call elders ‘Grandpa.'”

The child’s pretty eyes sparkled as she nodded seriously.

After getting out of the car, Dan Wuyan carried En Lin down, and the child obediently took Julia’s hand.

At first, Jing Yan sank shot after shot into the hole, but when Dan Wuyan arrived, the warm family-of-three scene assaulted her visual nerves. She missed a shot, and Jing Eldest laughed beside her, telling the young one not to be so impatient.

Jing Yan lowered her white cap brim and walked to the side. Dan Wuyan picked En Lin up from the ground.

Julia cleared her throat and gestured for her daughter to greet people.

En Lin immediately understood and called out softly, “Hello, Grandpa~~”

That little face made Jing Eldest reach out to tease her. “How old are you?”

En Lin answered seriously, “Grandpa, I’m four.”

Jing Eldest glanced sideways at Jing Yan. She had been so spirited moments ago—why so silent now?

So, he suddenly pointed at Jing Yan nearby. “Little Yan, why stand so far? Come see this little one—she’s pretty cute.”

Jing Yan came over reluctantly. The child was cute, but… her heart just felt sour.

En Lin’s blue round eyes spun around, and she called very seriously, “Pretty auntie~”

This call melted Jing Yan’s heart, a trace of pleasure crossing her lips.

But Jing Eldest suddenly exclaimed, shaking his head solemnly in correction. “Eh, no. This is Grandpa’s little sister—you should call her Grandma.”

The child didn’t understand but followed the adult’s words and immediately changed to calling Jing Yan “Grandma.”

?

The air fell silent for a moment.

The other three present all froze.

Jing Yan’s lip corner twitched slightly, her expression one of barely contained discomfort.

She was only thirty-three now—did Dan Wuyan’s child really need to call her Grandma?