ABT Chapter 144: A Woman’s Nature

This was a very elegantly decorated Chinese restaurant, bustling with diners during meal time. Li Fanyu, wrapped in a bright navy blue scarf, and An Ning went up to the second floor amid curious glances.

The upstairs was relatively quiet, with only a few tables occupied.

After sitting down, Li Fanyu pushed the menu towards An Ning. For someone with decision fatigue, deciding what to eat was always a hassle.

An Ning took the menu, glanced at it casually, and ordered a few dishes.

“Hello, a Kung Pao chicken, a warm okra salad, shredded lotus root with chive flowers, and beef brisket tomato soup. Total comes to 115 yuan. Anything else?” the waiter asked.

An Ning closed the menu and smiled as she handed it back, “A cup of hot water, please. Thank you.”

The waiter nodded slightly, “Alright, please wait a moment.”

It was very cold, and Li Fanyu was lightly dressed, so even inside the restaurant, his hands felt icy. He placed the scarf on the chair beside him, its lingering scent mixing with the chill in the air around him.

Seeing An Ning order only a few dishes, he rubbed his hands and joked, “It’s no fun eating with you. I can’t even spend money.”

These days, An Ning was dealing with her period. The thick, long scarf was originally to keep her stomach warm, but earlier she had given it to Li Fanyu to keep him warm, and now, after walking through the cold wind, her lower abdomen was aching.

A spasm of pain hit her, making her bend slightly and cover her flat stomach with her hand, forcing a smile, “Okay, okay, I know you’re rich now. Stop showing off.”

“What’s wrong?” Seeing her frown, Li Fanyu leaned over to ask.

“It’s nothing,” An Ning picked up the hot water, blew on it, and took a small sip. Then she asked, “Did you finish with the advertising?”

Only then did Li Fanyu notice that An Ning looked different today. Upon closer inspection, he realized she wasn’t wearing any makeup.

Actually, An Ning hadn’t worn makeup for over a week; lately, she and Lao Zhang had been leading teams, and the lab required them to wear masks frequently, so for convenience, she went makeup-free.

It was the first time Li Fanyu had seen her natural look. He had always thought women looked worse without makeup, but this rule clearly didn’t apply to An Ning.

Normally, her makeup was elegant and intellectual, making her look formal and professional. Now, without those elements, she looked much younger.

Her eyebrows were finely shaped, long and straight even without drawing, giving her face a very three-dimensional look.

Perhaps because she wasn’t feeling well, her complexion was paler than usual. Her nose and lips were also a bit bloodless, appearing peach-colored under the restaurant’s warm lights.

As he looked at her, Li Fanyu felt that calling her "sister" was impossible now. An Ning looked younger than he did in the mirror that morning...

Noticing his silence, An Ning waved her hand in front of him.

He snapped out of it and stammered, “Uh, you don’t look well… stomachache?”

An Ning’s eye twitched; she was clearly holding her stomach...

She forced a smile and awkwardly said, “It’s a woman’s issue.”

Li Fanyu paused for two seconds and then realized, “Your period?”

An Ning almost burned her mouth with hot water, “Can you keep your voice down?”

“Oh, oh… if it really hurts, I can take you to the hospital…”

Seeing his serious expression, An Ning couldn’t help but smile inwardly. She didn’t expect him to be such a warm guy, not like those online who only knew to suggest hot water for menstrual pain.

She warmed her hands on the water cup and covered her lower abdomen again, shaking her head, “Going to the hospital won’t help, it’ll pass soon.”

Li Fanyu scratched his head, “Then drink more hot water…”

An Ning rolled her eyes and sighed... Men, they’re all the same...

Considering An Ning’s discomfort, Li Fanyu didn’t bring up the company’s personnel upgrade.

But An Ning, knowing him well, saw his restless eyes and knew he had something to say.

“What’s up?” She put down her chopsticks and asked.

Li Fanyu picked up a ladle, served An Ning a bowl of soup, and handed it to her, “Nothing much.”

An Ning took the bowl, set it aside, and looked at him, “Tell me, what’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s just that the company’s current structure feels a bit unmanageable.” Li Fanyu wiped his hands and, after a moment’s hesitation, explained his plan to reorganize the company and change the personnel structure.

After listening, An Ning thought for a moment and said, “So you want me to manage the company?”

She paused, seemingly struggling internally, and then hesitated, “That might not work. When I resigned from Mercedes, I signed a non-compete agreement. I’m not allowed to work in the automotive industry for a year.”

“A non-compete agreement? Even a big company like Mercedes plays this game?” Li Fanyu asked, surprised. He knew about such agreements.

A non-compete clause is unique to foreign or technical companies, mainly to prevent technical leaks and the loss of core business strategies. Typically, when joining such a company, they give you a thick contract with various stipulations. You can choose not to sign it, but then they won’t hire you.

So this agreement is an added clause to the employment contract. Although not legally enforceable under Chinese law, since you signed it, if the former company wants to pursue it, it could still cause a lot of trouble.

Li Fanyu was frustrated; his rapid rise had exposed his company’s weak foundation. He finally found someone he could trust, only to be blocked by this damn clause.

Actually, An Ning knew what that contract meant, but that wasn’t the main reason for rejecting Li Fanyu.

On one hand, she didn’t want to abandon the lab to return to management, as it went against her initial goal of nurturing talent through the lab.

Moreover, she was reluctant to admit it, but she had developed feelings for Li Fanyu.

It was an inexplicable feeling; since Li Fanyu had saved her from Zhang Yong in Nanhe and helped establish the lab, she had sensed something was different.

Sometimes, Li Fanyu’s image would pop into her mind, occasionally even appearing in her dreams, which made her uneasy.

She was already 28 years old, while this carefree guy in front of her was still a university student who hadn’t graduated.

The age gap made her hesitant to think further. So, lately, she had been deliberately keeping a distance from Li Fanyu, trying to suppress her inappropriate feelings.

Time can take away many things, but it can also bestow many things. Restraint is one of those gifts. Young girls often think love is about possession and taking, but An Ning saw it differently.

When Li Fanyu proposed that she help manage the company, her instinctive reaction was resistance; she feared that too much contact with him would make her lose her rationality and create regret for both of them.

No matter how strong and independent a woman is, when faced with confusing emotions, she tends to avoid them.

It’s instinct.

Both were preoccupied; Li Fanyu was troubled by the personnel issue, while An Ning was mentally imprisoning herself, constantly reminding and restraining herself.


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