_1"What are you thinking about? Wow, this cured pork looks good, I'll go buy some asparagus later and stir-fry it for dinner. It's a shame it's not the right season. If it were spring, cured pork with fresh bamboo shoots would be the best."
Xiao Ming's voice appeared beside Jiang Xue, and she snapped back to reality, pulling him and heading outside.
"What's wrong, Xue'er? Is something the matter?" he asked as she dragged him into the pantry.
Jiang Xue shook her head, "How did your negotiation go?"
"Of course, it went well!" Xiao Ming chuckled, "When your husband steps in, there can never be a second outcome."
Jiang Xue immediately breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a glance, "All day long you're bragging. Don't take on such thankless tasks in the future. As if you're the only manager capable in such a big company?"
Uh... The plan was your husband's idea, and he handled it himself. It wouldn't be appropriate to hand it to someone else!
Xiao Ming grumbled internally but nodded eagerly, "Exactly, they all think I'm easy to talk to and take advantage of me.
Wife, why don't you come to our company, be my support."
Jiang Xue couldn't help laughing, "The more you talk, the less serious you sound. Even if I went, wouldn't I just be a regular employee? How could I boss around other people's bosses?"
"With you there, I'd have the courage to stand up to them! You're the key stand to our Xiao family, the Immortal Treasures; you don't even have to do anything, just stand there, and all the evil spirits will have to stay at bay.
At the very least, I'm still lacking a secretary, and you'd be perfect for the job. Being able to see you all the time would make me happy and energize my work. Plus, you could keep an eye on me, prevent me from making mistakes, and earn even more money.
It's the best of both worlds!"
It's the same old saying; no woman doesn't like to hear sweet nothings unless she doesn't love you.
Jiang Xue's heart was sweet, but she didn't overlook the key point in Xiao Ming's words.
"You can have a secretary?"
"How novel!" Xiao Ming laughed, "I am a manager, after all. How could I not have a secretary?"
Jiang Xue was torn.
She wanted to say something to show she wasn't petty, but saying nothing felt uncomfortable. After a long struggle, she suddenly caught the sly smile at the corner of Xiao Ming's mouth and she had her realization.
"Stop it! You're teasing me again, aren't you?"
"Hehehe... Xue'er, you look so cute when you're jealous."
"I think you look cuter when you're getting beaten up!"
Jiang Xue started pummelling him, and Xiao Ming cried out in a jumble of sounds.
Of course, despite the pitiful scene, she wasn't actually using much force.
"Confess now, do you have a secretary or not?" Jiang Xue asked, out of breath from hitting him.
Xiao Ming helped her sit down on a chair, smiling as he said, "The company is just starting, and Maohe is the only stakeholder for now. There isn't much to do, so I don't need a secretary yet.
If I do need one in the future, I'll try to pick a male as long as you don't doubt my sexual orientation.
Of course, I still hope you'd join me. With your ability, being a secretary would be beneath your talents, and certainly, no one would mind bending the rules for you."
Jiang Xue was somewhat tempted, but after thinking about it, she shook her head and said, "I just accepted two big jobs, and Qing said she'd promote me after they're done.
She's been so supportive of me, it'd be too hurtful if I just up and left now."
"Two jobs? What are they?"
Xiao Ming was surprised, thinking to himself that he had only given Yang Hanqing one job. Could that woman dare to pile more work on her?
Little ploys like that didn't matter; he could pretend not to know, but if you bullied my wife, that would be asking for trouble.
He was about to frown when he heard Jiang Xue say, "Yeah! Originally, there was just one job, remodeling Miss Yun's house. Later, Qing gave me another one, saying the client specifically asked for me.
When I saw both jobs were in the same building and that they were neighbors, just separated by one floor, I thought it was convenient, so I accepted."
Xiao Ming scratched his head.
Just moments ago, he was inwardly raging at Yang Hanqing, yet the one who had actually increased his wife's workload turned out to be himself.
"Well, your health is the most important right now; you can't overdo it. Yu is an acquaintance, so you can start with her work, no rush on the other order."
Jiang Xue really enjoyed her husband's concern and smiled, "There's no deadline for either order. I know how to schedule my rest, don't worry.
Miss Yun's house is one thing, but the client for the other order is quite strange. It's bad enough that they don't meet in person for communication, but to have no requirements at all and let me do as I please?
This is too difficult. The house is so large; what if the client doesn't like it after I've finished decorating?"
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did the client say why they want you to have free rein?"
"Qing told me that the client is very busy and has no time to manage things, and that they've seen my work and really like my design style. They want me to treat the place as my own home and decorate it according to my own preferences."
Huh? Yang Hanqing sure knows how to get things done; she perfectly captured my intent, turned out to be a great choice for a secretary.
Thinking this, Xiao Ming said, "When they've made it that clear, what are you afraid of? Just go for it, think of that place as our own home, imagining that you're about to move in as the lady of the house.
Whatever you like and need, just design it that way.
After all, the contract is very clear, it's not your problem if the client doesn't like it."
Jiang Xue of course understood this logic; she was just sharing and being playful with her husband.
After indulging in the fantasy of living in such a large house for a moment, stars appeared in her eyes.
"You have no idea, that house is on the top floor in the best part of our city. Excluding shared space, it's nearly four hundred square meters in area.
Plus, it has floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides with a spectacular view of the confluence of two rivers, and five bedrooms. If it really were ours, one could even... even have two children, and there would still be room to spare!"
Seeing his wife's expression filled with longing, Xiao Ming took her hand, "It's settled then."
"Huh? What's settled?"
"Having two kids! That's decided, no backing out."
"Get out of here!"𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Jiang Xue pulled away from him, laughing and crying at the same time, "Easy for you to say, two kids are like two little devils, it might be manageable when they're young, but what about when they grow up?
Do we have the money to buy a house big enough for them to run amok?"
"That's my problem, you don't need to worry about it."
Xiao Ming's tone remained gentle, "You just need to decide what you want, whether you want a second child or not.
As for me, one is never too few, three or four is not too many, everything is up to you."
"Pah! Three or four, do you think I'm a pig?"
"If you were, it'd be great, just keeping you fed would solve everything."
"Nice one, Xiao Ming. You're tired of my issues, aren't you? Seems like I've been too nice to you lately, and you're getting carried away. I... umm..."
Jiang Xue stood up as if to hit him, but Xiao Ming suddenly embraced her, and the words she was about to say were silenced by a passionate kiss.
Just like their first deep kiss, Jiang Xue stiffened, her mind went blank, unable to think of anything, only instinctively wrapping her arms around her husband's neck.
After a long time, when their lips parted, she abruptly returned to reality, about to speak.
"I know."
Xiao Ming's finger gently pressed against her red lips, his eyes full of deep affection, "Even though our relationship has returned to being extremely close, a lot of that is due to the inertia of our past feelings.
The past two years and the child in your belly have put a lot of mental pressure on you, so your heart still can't settle down, can it?
I know all of it, and I don't mind, I even relish it. After all, it's all deserved.
Moreover, whatever you choose in the end, I'm not afraid.
Just like I said before, I love you! You are my wife, forever and always!"
Jiang Xue suddenly felt an urge to cry.