Chapter 2293

Chapter 2293: Chapter 2293

As soon as those words left Dan Chun’s mouth, everyone present froze for a moment. The sentence carried way too much ambiguity, as if there was some kind of murky, unspeakable relationship between the two of them.

Seeing everyone’s reaction, Dan Chun couldn’t help regretting having said something that sounded so sharp and mean.

But the words were already out; there was no taking them back. She could only straighten her back and, while everyone was still in a daze, continue, "President Duan, I got the notice this morning that the signing of the contract was canceled. Why? I’d like an explanation."

As she said this, Dan Chun took two steps forward, only stopping when she was standing right in front of Duan Xi. She even glanced at Ruan Jiaojiao, who was at his side.

Ruan Jiaojiao lowered her eyes, the little hand hooked around Duan Xi’s arm tightening slightly.

In Dan Chun’s eyes, that was guilt.

She became even more certain that all of this was Ruan Jiaojiao’s doing.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help letting out a sigh and looked at Duan Xi with a rather helpless expression. "President Duan, you’re an adult. I believe you can tell what’s important and what isn’t." When she finished, she shot a meaningful look at Ruan Jiaojiao.

Duan Xi still didn’t speak, but in the crook of his arm where Ruan Jiaojiao was holding him, two of her delicate fingers were already digging hard into the muscles on the inside of his arm.

Duan Xi frowned.

Then he heard Dan Chun turn to look at Ruan Jiaojiao and say, "Miss Jiaojiao, I don’t know what you’ve heard from your brother, but you’re already eighteen—you’re an adult now. You should know the difference between public and private. My relationship with your brother has run into some problems. As for what kind of problems, I won’t spell it out. There’s just one thing I hope you understand: no matter what disagreements your brother and I have, that’s a private matter. It cannot be used as a reason to question my professional ability."

She paused, then went on, "Miss Jiaojiao, I know why you’re targeting me, but listen to some advice from your older sister: work is not child’s play. It’s not like choosing to skip steak just because you feel like eating hot pot. At home you have your parents spoiling you, but out in society, not everyone is your parents and not everyone will indulge you. If you keep being this willful, you’ll suffer for it sooner or later."

In the end, she looked at Ruan Jiaojiao, who had kept her head down and stayed silent from beginning to end, and shook her head. "Miss Jiaojiao, maybe someday you should go abroad for a while."

Broaden your horizons—she didn’t say the rest out loud, because she didn’t want to become truly bitter over such a willful child.

Amid the thick silence—

Ruan Jiaojiao finally lifted her head, the corners of her lips quirking. "Go abroad for what?"

She smiled, as if something had suddenly clicked, a look of feigned realization on her face. "Oh, I get it. Is Miss Dan hoping I’ll learn to be shameless like you, and co-vet—an-oth-er-wom-an’s-man?" The last sentence she spat out one word at a time, each syllable like a drill bit slamming into Dan Chun’s body.

"You!" Dan Chun’s expression changed drastically. She glared at her, fierce on the outside but weak on the inside. "Ruan Jiaojiao, what nonsense are you talking about!"

But no matter how fierce she acted on the surface, her heart was pounding wildly in panic. She hadn’t expected Ruan Bo to go this far, to even tell Ruan Jiaojiao about that.

But if Ruan Jiaojiao knew... did that mean Duan Xi knew as well?

At that thought, her heart couldn’t help beating faster. She looked toward Duan Xi and saw him frowning at Ruan Jiaojiao, his expression unreadable.