The Beautiful Stepmother from the Eighties: Marrying a Factory Director to Raise Kids

Chapter 427

"Isn't that Old Chen's former secretary, Chen Mi?"She stared at the other woman's slender back, her hot figure, and the alluring sway of her narrow waist as she walked, clicking her tongue a few times.

"I thought she was fired, but to think she was actually assigned to your Zhou." Her voice carried a hint of displeasure.

If it weren't for the occasion, she probably would have picked a fight right then and there.

Si Nian withdrew her gaze and asked her, "This secretary used to work for President Chen?"

"Yes, Old Chen really valued her. He said she was educated and talented. Although young, she isn't arrogant or rash, does her job well, and makes him look good when he takes her out. I was already very uncomfortable with it before."

Miao Chunhua had argued with Chen Nan about this matter quite a few times.

In the past, whenever Chen Nan attended banquets, he would take her along.

However, Miao Chunhua was a tough woman who wasn't very good at dancing, and she disliked the typical male dinner party antics, feeling that they were highly disrespectful to her.

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So the two of them would always fight over this.

Later, when Chen Nan wanted to collaborate with foreigners and hired Chen Mi, he never took Miao Chunhua out to banquets again.

Miao Chunhua was a boss herself. Several times, people had told her they saw Chen Nan and his secretary coming and going together, looking very close, and warned her to be careful.

After all, Chen Mi was young, beautiful, had a great figure, and was well-educated.

What man wouldn't be tempted?

Miao Chunhua went back and fought with Chen Nan, demanding he replace her.

Chen Nan agreed verbally and changed his assistant.

Miao Chunhua actually thought he had fired her.

Who would have thought, he actually assigned her to Zhou Yueshen.

She was furious, and unable to hold back, she viciously pinched the man beside her.

Chen Nan's face twisted in pain.

"What are you doing now?"

"Didn't you say Chen Mi had already resigned? What is the meaning of this?"

Chen Nan froze for a moment. Recovering himself, his face darkened. "Do you think an assistant like her is so easy to find? She's talented and speaks multiple foreign languages. She hasn't made any mistakes. If I fire her for no reason, what would people say?"

"She was working out perfectly well for me, but you insisted I replace her. Fine, I changed assistants and transferred her to work under Old Zhou. What are you still dissatisfied with?"

Chen Nan felt he was being wronged. Talented people were hard to find, not to mention an assistant like Chen Mi, who was beautiful, good at socializing, and could hold her own at events—she was one in a hundred.

Having to replace someone and potentially getting someone incompetent, only to have to replace them again, was a huge hassle for him.

Besides, she hadn't done anything out of line. What had she ever done to Miao Chunhua to warrant such trouble?

Because of this incident, he had been mocked by outsiders as being henpecked, losing a lot of face in public.

Now that he had changed assistants, she was still causing trouble.

Women were truly too troublesome.

"I don't care. That woman doesn't look like a good person at all. Aren't you just harming others by doing this?"

Miao Chunhua felt psychologically uncomfortable just seeing Chen Mi. Her woman's sixth sense had always been very accurate.

Naturally, she trusted her intuition.

Hearing this, Chen Nan looked impatient. "I think you're just jealous that she's younger and prettier than you. I really don't get why you women are so troublesome. Whenever you see a woman prettier than yourselves, your imaginations run wild, always suspecting this and that. Even if you aren't tired, I am! We'll talk about this later. I'm busy right now."

He waved his hand impatiently.

Although Miao Chunhua was a strong, independent woman who ran her own business and made her own money, being treated this way by her husband still made her eyes redden with unshed tears.

Watching this scene, Si Nian felt disgusted—disgusted with Chen Nan, of course.

He didn't think he was doing anything wrong, only feeling that others were being overly sensitive, completely ignoring his wife's inner feelings.

Chauvinistic men like him were simply among the types of men she hated the most.

She stepped forward to comfort Miao Chunhua, saying, "I'm sorry, Sister Miao. I shouldn't have let you ask about this."

Miao Chunhua forced a smile. "Not at all. It's just my big mouth. You didn't ask me to inquire for you; I just couldn't stand the sight of it. But this company was founded by Chen Nan, and I don't have much room to interfere. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me apologizing to you."

Chen Nan had caused them quite a bit of trouble, and Zhou Yueshen was currently even helping him expand his company.

If the relationship between this husband and wife was truly ruined because of that woman, her conscience would be uneasy for the rest of her life.

Working in this industry, Miao Chunhua had seen too many men and women like this. She knew very well how filthy their private relationships could be under the guise of a boss and secretary.

The women were up to no good, and the men were even worse.

Although Chen Nan hadn't done anything with the other party yet, she could already feel his impatience towards her.

The respect and cherishing he had for her when they first got together were long gone.

If it weren't for the fact that their children were already so old, she sometimes really wanted to cause a massive scene.

Si Nian shook her head.

Subconsciously, she looked over at Zhou Yueshen, who was talking to someone nearby.

His eyes were lowered, his side profile cold and handsome.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man. With Zhou Yueshen's current status, coupled with his attire and that cool, handsome face...

It was hard for him not to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

Although their relationship was still very good right now, and Zhou Yueshen treated her well...

They hadn't been married for long.

So many couples were deeply in love and incredibly sweet when they first got married.

But as time passed, people changed.

She didn't want that day to come, but Si Nian would never be arrogant enough to think she could change anything.

If a person was truly going to change, she wouldn't choose to compromise and suffer in silence.

In her eyes, love had never been her top priority.

Si Nian withdrew her gaze.

Just missing the glance Zhou Yueshen cast in her direction.

He paused; for a brief moment just now, his heart had skipped a beat.

For no apparent reason.

But looking at Si Nian, she was just talking with Miao Chunhua.

Nothing seemed different.

Zhou Yueshen frowned slightly, casually finished his conversation with the person beside him, and walked over.

His large hand naturally wrapped around her shoulder.

He asked softly, "Are you hungry?"

Si Nian shook her head. "I'm okay."

Zhou Yueshen checked the time; it was about time.

"Let's go inside and get something to eat first."

Si Nian nodded.

The group walked inside.

Si Nian was seated next to Miao Chunhua.

On the other side of Miao Chunhua was Chen Nan and his assistant.

His assistant was a man, also very young.

Zhou Yueshen sat beside Si Nian, and further down were Chen Mi and the other business partners.

Everyone was talking and laughing.

Many people already knew Chen Mi because she often accompanied them on trips.

However, it was Si Nian's first time meeting her.

She was beautiful, with bright, striking, and elegant facial features.

The qipao she wore gave her a gentle and refined temperament.

Miao Chunhua wore exquisite makeup and a fur coat; sitting together, the two of them looked like a noble lady and a wealthy young miss.

The people who usually stared at Chen Mi were now frequently casting their gazes upon Si Nian.

Chen Mi was already bright and beautiful enough.

But Si Nian's features were even more delicate and gorgeous than hers.

However, at these men's dinner tables, women were never the main subject.

It was mostly about work; in their eyes, women were nothing more than a decorative foil.

At this moment, people were raising their glasses to offer toasts. "President Zhou, it's our first time meeting. Let me toast you."

Someone raised a glass to Zhou Yueshen.

Chen Mi immediately stood up and smiled softly, "President Wang, our President Zhou is driving today, so it's not convenient for him to drink. I'll apologize on his behalf and drink this for him."

Zhou Yueshen frowned and was just about to speak up and stop her.

But Chen Mi cheerfully downed the drink first as a sign of respect.

It's true that many assistants are used to take the drinks for their bosses.

No one found it strange.

They immediately praised her as a reliable and sensible secretary.

Chen Mi smiled back politely.

She sat down after finishing the drink.

Seeing Si Nian staring at her, she smiled and said, "Mrs. Zhou, please don't misunderstand. I just thought that President Zhou has been drinking a bit too much these past few days, so I stepped up to take the drink for him. I don't mean anything else."

These words made it sound as if Si Nian didn't care about Zhou Yueshen as much as she did. It implied that even though Si Nian knew Zhou Yueshen had been drinking at social events these past few days, she didn't know to step up and help, making her less considerate and sensible than the secretary.

Si Nian raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks. I was just worrying about not finding anyone to take the drinks. I'm very happy that you could step up to help."

As if she couldn't understand the hidden meaning in Chen Mi's words, she said to Zhou Yueshen, "This secretary of yours is not bad. She is quite caring. Since that's the case, let her drink all the remaining alcohol. Don't let her good intentions go to waste."

Zhou Yueshen paused.

Chen Mi was also stunned for a moment, and then cast a glance at Zhou Yueshen.

Patient and strong.

She seemed to expect Zhou Yueshen to say a word for her.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yueshen nodded in agreement and said, "Okay."

He didn't think much of it. Since the other party offered to help, then let her help.

He couldn't read any other meaning into it.

It was already hard enough to guess Si Nian's thoughts usually.

How could Zhou Yueshen be in the mood to guess another woman's thoughts?

Chen Mi froze.

Si Nian wanted to laugh.

Are you playing the 'domineering CEO falls in love with me' trope here?

Unfortunately, the male lead wasn't a domineering CEO, but a pig slaughterer from the village.

President Zhou wasn't abused by women since childhood like those domineering CEOs, nor did he have a sensitive heart like them.

He wouldn't be moved by such details either.

After speaking, Zhou Yueshen added, "Secretary Chen, don't force yourself too much."

Chen Mi: "..."

Miao Chunhua watched this scene and chuckled inwardly.

It seemed that this Zhou Yueshen wasn't as shallow as her Old Chen.

She felt much more relieved.

This kind of social gathering was mostly about drinking; no one really touched the food.

Si Nian was busy eating, having a big crab one moment and grabbing a crayfish the next.

It looked like she was putting food into Zhou Yueshen's bowl, but in reality, it all went into her mouth.

Miao Chunhua, who was beside them, watched with envy.

The people around couldn't help but cast glances too.

They originally thought Si Nian was Chen Nan's daughter or something.

But looking at it now, something wasn't right.

As if just noticing her, someone asked, "And who is this lady to President Zhou?"

Zhou Yueshen lowered his head and slowly peeled a shrimp while answering, "This is my wife, Si Nian."

Si Nian smiled politely.

Everyone looked at the high pile of crab and shrimp shells in front of the two.

Their mouths twitched.

Was she a starving ghost?

Despite thinking this, everyone seemed to understand.

So President Zhou had such a young and beautiful wife. No wonder he didn't even spare a glance at Assistant Chen next to him.

Coming back to their senses, the group enthusiastically offered toasts to Si Nian.

"So it's Mrs. Zhou. Please forgive our lack of manners."

Si Nian raised her wine glass, but Zhou Yueshen took it from her. "She's still young and can't drink. I'll drink for her."

After saying that, he downed it in one gulp.

Everyone looked at each other and teased, "Is President Zhou not driving?"

After speaking, they cast a meaningful glance at Chen Mi beside him.

Zhou Yueshen said calmly, "Anyone can drive the car."

Hearing this, the crowd was filled with admiration again.

They continued to toast Si Nian one after another.

Zhou Yueshen drank them all without changing his expression.

Si Nian couldn't bear to watch anymore.

These people really loved to stir up trouble and watch the drama.

Fortunately, the dancing started at this moment.

Many people led their female companions to dance.

They hardly ate a few bites of food; they were all here for the dancing.

Si Nian didn't understand the hobbies of these rich people, but she respected them.

She had eaten and drunk to her heart's content and was quite satisfied. She sipped her tea while enjoying the dancing.

Miao Chunhua, who was beside her, saw Si Nian's status in the family and thought about how such a tough man like Zhou Yueshen was completely subdued by Si Nian.

She felt very envious in her heart.

Although in her eyes, Zhou Yueshen was also very formidable. When her husband mentioned him, his tone always carried admiration and a bit of respect, even though he was younger than her husband.

But his aura was very strong.

She heard that recently, when negotiating cooperations with him, basically no one dared to show him a bad attitude.

His imposing manner was right there, making people look up to him wherever he went.

And Si Nian was still young, even still in school, looking very gentle and soft.

Yet unexpectedly, such a tall and sturdy man had to bow his head before her.

She suddenly felt quite like a failure. Facing Chen Mi's provocation in the same way, she always panicked, questioned her husband immediately, and started a fight at the slightest disagreement.

But Si Nian, experiencing the same scene, was very calm and struck back effortlessly.

Miao Chunhua was extremely envious of her confidence and self-assurance.

Throughout this banquet, Si Nian had always been calm and composed.

Zhou Yueshen, on the other hand, was the passive one.

Thinking again about her own husband, it really was a case of no comparison, no pain.

Miao Chunhua suddenly felt very bored and quite disappointed.

Chen Nan had drunk a couple of ounces of liquor, and his face was completely red.

He came over to invite her to dance.

After all, she was his wife; of course, he couldn't go find someone else.

Miao Chunhua sized up her husband. Over ten years had passed, and he had lost his former handsome and delicate appearance. His face had grown broader, his skin was rough, his body had gained weight, and his hair was somewhat balding.

She suddenly felt a strong sense of disgust.

How could she let herself suffer grievances for such an ugly thing?

Although she was also getting older, she considered herself to be very well-maintained.

Thinking of how Si Nian acted in front of Zhou Yueshen.

She was clearly a princess, but she lived like a queen.

She instantly straightened her back.

She waved her hand in front of her nose in disgust.

"Look at your dreadful appearance. Who would want to dance with you?"

After saying that, she tucked her hair back, walked aside to find a young handsome guy, and went up to strike up a conversation.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍other party blushed red and reached out his hand to her.

Chen Nan shuddered, and his drunkenness faded by seventy percent.

Seeing his wife holding hands with another man and about to leave, he instantly burned with anger.

He rushed forward. "What are you doing? Miao Chunhua, do you have no shame? Who allowed you to dance with someone else?"

Miao Chunhua sneered, "I have no shame? Why don't you look at yourself? Do you rarely dance with other women usually? What, you're the only one allowed to dance with others, but I can't? What kind of logic is that?"

After saying that, she rolled her eyes, turned around, and stepped into the dance floor with the other man.

Chen Nan's face turned red and green, looking extremely ugly.

Si Nian watched this scene and couldn't help but want to laugh.

Serves him right.

Zhou Yueshen naturally noticed it too.

He withdrew his gaze and asked her, "Want to dance?"

Si Nian let out a burp. "Sure, I ate too much. I need some exercise."

After saying that, she reached out her hand to Zhou Yueshen.

Zhou Yueshen was very gentlemanly. He took her hand and stepped onto the dance floor.

Chen Mi watched this scene, her expression unreadable.

...

The banquet ended.

It was late at night.

It wasn't bad to occasionally savor a life of luxury and dissipation.

Zhou Yueshen had drunk quite a lot of alcohol.

But he seemed to be in good condition.

On the other hand, who knew how much Chen Mi had drunk. Right now, her face was completely red, and she couldn't even stand steadily.

Seeing the two about to leave, she hurriedly walked over and said, "President Zhou, I'll help you find a car to go back."

After saying that, she took a few steps and was about to fall.

Before Si Nian could react, Zhou Yueshen pulled her aside to dodge.

Thud—

Chen Mi fell to the ground.

Hiss—

It looked painful just watching it.

She looked at Zhou Yueshen. "It wouldn't have hurt to just help her up, right?"

Zhou Yueshen said apologetically, "I thought she was going to throw up."

Si Nian: "..."