You, CEO’s Secret Wife

"I don't want it." Jian Yun stared straight ahead, not even bothering to entertain herself by glancing at the direction of the jewelry box. After everything that had happened back at his office, there was no way she was going to keep that necklace. The last thing she needed was more criticism and snide comments from Huo Liancheng. Even his name was enough to cause a stir in her chest.     

    

"Are you stupid? Why don't you want it?" Wu Wenjing poked her on the forehead, looking at her friend as if she had just suddenly grown an arm. "If you don't want it, then you can sell it. Imagine the money we'd get! We'd never have to work for another day in our lives!"     

    

Wu Wenjing was so excited that she was practically prancing across the room. Her heels were tapping excitedly across the tiles, and her hands were clasped together. Although her presence filled the room, her mind had already floated to a mountain filled with gold. If they were to sell the necklace, then she'd probably be lying on that same mountain today.     

    

"To whom will we sell it?" Jian Yun glanced sideways, laughing at her naivety. "Who'd even have the nerve to buy it from us?"     

    

"That's true. It's such a precious diamond, so to sell it to just any jewelry store would be difficult..." At the thought, her shoulders sagged in defeat. Suddenly, the mountain of gold faded into the back of her mind as she sighed in contempt. It seemed that the road to victory wasn't so easy as she had thought.     

    

Shaking her head, Jian Yun leaned back against her seat. She had also thought about selling the necklace every once in a while, and the process was difficult. Even if they dared to sell such a piece of expensive jewelry, ordinary stores wouldn't be able to buy them. And for those who could afford it would have trouble believing that a pair of women in their mid-twenties could own such a valuable thing. In fact, the worst-case scenario would be for them to ring up the police. If the police were contacted, then they would definitely contact Huo Liancheng, the original owner, to confront them. That would certainly dig them an early grave.     

    

"Just leave it for now. We can talk about it later." She sighed, not knowing what else to do. It's not like Jian Yun could just throw it away, but if she kept it within arm's reach, her blood would boil and her eyes would narrow in rage. At this point, it was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.     

    

While she was speaking, Jian Yun was actually already typing out her resignation letter. However, just as she was about to send it to Xia Bingbing, her phone suddenly rang out–echoing across her small cubicle. She paused and glanced at the screen.     

    

It was an unfamiliar number. Although, it did say that the number was located in Qinghu City. Not thinking too much into it, she directly swiped the answer button and placed it on her ear. "Hello?"     

    

"Is this Miss Jian?" A man's voice sounded from the other end of the line. It was very unfamiliar, and there was a certain trepidation in his voice that made her freeze.     

    

"This is her. May I ask who's calling?" Her eyes twitched.     

    

"Someone wants to speak to you." The person didn't say anything more and handed the phone to someone else.     

    

"Yun, are you free now?" It was Auntie Qin, and her voice sounded urgent.     

    

Upon hearing the old woman's wobbly voice, Jian Yun could feel her chest tightening in worry. "Auntie Qin, did something happen? What's wrong?"    

    

"We're at Qinghu City First Hospital. I–listen to me, your mom fell off the bed, and..." Before the old woman could finish her sentence, she heard a sound similar to a phone crashing onto the tiled floor. And the next thing she knew, the line had been disconnected. Immediately, right after that, Jian Yun rushed out of the office with absolutely no hesitation.     

    

She had no idea who she had gotten out of the company or how she had called the taxi, but the next thing she knew, she was already standing at the lobby of Qinghu City First Hospital. Her mind had gone blank upon seeing the number of hospital beds being reeled in and out of the rooms, and she couldn't help but wonder if her own mother was also sitting at one of those very same hospital beds fighting for her life.     

    

"Don't worry. Auntie will be fine." Wu Wenjing grabbed a hold of her friend's hand. When Jian Yun had rushed out of the building, she was so worried that she followed her all the way out into the exit. She didn't really need to know the details to know that Mrs. Jian was in trouble. "I'm here for you. You'll be fine."     

    

Jian Yun's lips were as white as snow, and her hands were trembling on her sides. She tried to take out her phone from her bag multiple times, but she couldn't even unlock the clasp. Her shoulders sagged in defeat as her eyes narrowed. "It won't open," she desperately repeatedly murmured to herself. "It just won't happen."     

    

"Let me do it." Wu Wenjing calmly took out Jian Yun's phone from her pockets. She had seen her friend entered the password multiple times, so she knew it like the back of her hand. Once she had it opened, she dialed the number that had just called them a couple of minutes ago.    

    

The phone rang multiple times before the man had finally picked up. "Hello? Who is this?" His words sounded a bit muffled, and Wu Wenjing could hear a few other voices ringing from the background. It was obvious that the man was in the middle of something, but she simply held her ground.     

    

"You're the one who just called us, right?"     

    

"You're Miss Jian?" The man snapped his fingers from the memory before nodding. "So you've already arrived at the hospital? Your Aunt is on the third floor. Remember to head straight to the operating room."    

    

"Thanks." Without extending the conversation, Wu Wenjing hung up the phone and led Jian Yun to the elevator.     

    

Jian Yun could only grab her friend's hand. She had wanted to say something–anything–to calm herself or her friend, but whenever she tried to, her lips would simply tremble and no words would come out. At this point, she was already at a loss of what to do. Her hands shook as millions of thoughts rushed through her mind as she wondered what had happened.     

    

"Don't worry." Wu Wenjing held her even tighter. "She'll be fine. Everything will be fine."     

    

They arrived on the third floor very quickly, and the moment the elevator doors opened, Jian Yun could see Auntie Qin sitting on the bench. The old woman looked frail and shaky under her large cardigan and over-sized shirt–looking as if she had just run all the way down to the hospital. The wrinkles around her eyes were more prominent and sunken, and it was obvious that she was under a ton of stress.     

    

"Yun, you're finally here!" The moment Auntie Qin saw them, she immediately rushed over and was about to kneel down. "I–I'm sorry–"     

    

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault." Jian Yun was quick to support her, holding the old woman up and helping her to her seat.     

    

Wu Wenjing took the initiative in asking, "Auntie, what happened?"     

    

"It was all my fault. I–I left to dump the trash out in the other block. It usually takes around ten minutes or less–" Auntie Qin paused, taking time to breathe. Tears were continuously running down her cheeks. No matter how much she struggled to hold it in, they just kept rushing out, making it even worse. "And then–and then when I came back, she had fallen off the bed. It's my fault. I didn't take good care of her, and now..."     

    

"I–Where's my Mom?" Jian Yun's mind was filled with questions, but she didn't really know where to start.     

    

"She's in the operating room right now." Wiping her tears, Auntie Qin motioned to the double doors at the other end of the corridor. There, the lights were turned on–signaling that the patient was already being operated.     

    

As she stared at the closed doors, Jian Yun felt as if her legs were being filled with lead, rendering her unable to move. Her fingers twitched, trying to pry herself to the seat, but she could only stumble forward. 'Mom,' she thought, clutching her chest. Just the thought of her mother suffering alone once more made her heart hurt.     

    

"Yun, why don't you sit down first?" Wu Wenjing helped her to a chair. "Auntie's very lucky. I'm sure she'll be fine."     

    

However, her comfort was to no avail. Jian Yun was so overwhelmed with anxiety that her brain had gone numb. It was as if everything around her had disappeared into the background, and all she could see were those double doors looming over her. For her mother to come to First Qinghu City Hospital, her injuries must've been so severe that the Boshan Hospital was unwilling to accept her. That was why she came all the way to Qinghu City. "Mom," she murmured to herself, hearing her hollow voice echoing across the corridor.     

    

She couldn't imagine what she'd do if anything were to happen to her mother.     

    

Time had passed by second, but Jian Yun felt as if she had been sitting there for years. She felt like a statue–hardened on her seat with eyes has glassy and as unblinking as a doll sitting on a shelf. The sounds of beeping and footsteps had fallen deaf to her ears as she waited–with every minute sending a thrum of anxiety through her veins. At this point, that was all she could do anyway.     

    

When the double doors were pushed open, she stiffened.     

    

"Is Ouyang Fei's family here?" A nurse stood by the doorway, looking in the direction of the waiting area. Her lips were pursed.     

    

Jian Yun didn't move an inch. It was as if her entire body had been drenched by a bucket of ice water, and she couldn't bring herself to get up. That was her mother. Was she going to receive good news or bad news? Her fingers twitched, and her eyelids shook. At the sight of the nurse's indifferent stare, she grew even more terrified of the answer that was awaiting her.     

    

"Ouyang Fei's family member?" she repeated.     

    

"Here!" Wu Wenjing hurriedly stood up and waved her hand.     

    

"Just take a look at the contract and sign it," the nurse said urgently, pushing the clipboard towards her.     

    

"Let's go." Wu Wenjing pulled her friend over to the nurse and received the surgical consent form. However, as Jian Yun grasped the pen, she couldn't sign properly–and the pen could only helplessly slip out her grasp every time she tried. At this point, even her actions led to fruitless results.     

    

"You need to sign it quickly, or the doctor wouldn't be able to perform the surgery." The nurse tapped her foot with anticipation, looking at her slowed movements. At the sight of this, even she couldn't help but be a little anxious. "The patient was already delayed on the way here, so the operation must be carried out immediately."     

    

"Nurse, she's the daughter of the patient." Wu Wenjing motioned to Jian Yun. Her friend was practically on the verge of collapsing with her pale face and blue lips. Holding onto her, she grabbed the pen in her stead. "Look at her state. She's–can I just sign it for her?"     

    

"What's your relationship with the patient?" The nurse hesitated.     

    

"The patient is my aunt," Wu Wenjing said automatically. At this point, that was the only excuse that she could hold up. With Jian Yun's weak condition, she couldn't even bring herself to sign the contract, and like the nurse had said, they couldn't afford any delays. "Well? Can I sign it now?"     

    

"Let her sign it!" Immediately, the door to the operating room was pushed open once again, and a man in a green surgical suit came walking out.     

    

"Director Bai!" The nurse greeted him before nodding, letting Wu Wenjing sign her name onto the consent form.     

    

"Doctor, how's my mother?" Jian Yun finally found her voice as she brought herself to walk towards him. The male doctor was around half a head taller than her, so she had to tilt her head up to properly look at him.