I Treat You as My Sister, But You Want to be My Wife?!
Chapter 146 Matchmaking_1

Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Matchmaking_1

The elevator dinged, and three people emerged, none other than Uncle and his family.

"Uncle, Auntie, Cousin, happy new year," Chen Yuyan called out sweetly.

"Uncle, Auntie, Mrs. Fan," Shen Dong followed with his greetings.

"You little girl, if you hadn’t registered your marriage with Shen Dong, I would have given you a red envelope. But now that you’re married, you get nothing," Uncle said with a laugh.

The group made their way into the house together.

"Shen Dong, keep Uncle and the others company. I’m going to check if Dad’s cooking is done." Chen Yuyan let out a call before immediately dashing to the kitchen.

She couldn’t wait to tell her father that Lin Shulei had become his neighbor.

"Dad!" Chen Yuyan shouted at the doorway before sauntering in with her hands behind her back.

Chen Yuanxiang was in the middle of plating some braised ribs when he heard Chen Yuyan’s shout. Startled, his hand shook, and several ribs fell outside of the plate.

"You girl, why are you yelling like that? You gave me a fright," Chen Yuanxiang scolded with a laugh.

"Hehe, sorry, Dad, I’m just too happy," Chen Yuyan chuckled, swiftly picking up the fallen ribs with chopsticks and putting them back on the plate.

They weren’t dirty; they could still be eaten. It would be a waste to throw them away.

At home, it was quite common for food to end up outside of its intended place.

"What’s got you so happy? Don’t tell me I’m going to be a grandfather?" Chen Yuanxiang’s eyes lit up.

It’s what all parents think about: once their son is married, they look forward to having grandchildren; once their daughter is married, it’s the prospect of having grandkids as well.

"It’s not that," Chen Yuyan said, her face turning slightly red as she shook her head.

"Then what is it that has you so cheerful?" Chen Yuanxiang asked while continuing to cook.

"Dad, we have a new neighbor across the hall." Chen Yuyan didn’t reveal it was Lin Shulei right away, preferring to lead into it gradually.

"I know, Mr. Zhao mentioned it. He’s over the moon because the apartment got rented out. He said it took him quite an effort to persuade the tenant to take it."

"There’s nothing to be excited about. Besides, you don’t live here. The new neighbor is my neighbor; why are you the one getting excited?"

Chen Yuanxiang chuckled and shook his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Hehe, Dad, this new neighbor is no ordinary person, it’s someone you know," Chen Yuyan said with a mischievous smile.

"Oh? Who is it?" Chen Yuanxiang asked curiously.

"It’s Mrs. Lin." Chen Yuyan responded with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Her!" Chen Yuanxiang shivered all over, then gave a wry smile.

He hadn’t expected Lin Shulei to become his neighbor.

"Dad, from now on you can commute with her. You have a car anyway, so you might as well drive Mrs. Lin to and from work. You can go to work together in the morning and come back together in the evening. You also cook, so both of you can eat together. Wouldn’t that be nice?"

With eager eyes, Chen Yuyan looked forward to seeing such a scene unfold.

Chen Yuanxiang commuted to and from work in a company car, a Mercedes 350.

"What do you take your old man for?" Chen Yuanxiang knew exactly what his daughter was implying and glared at her fiercely.

"Anyway, I’ve already told Mrs. Lin. If you have the heart to let her squeeze onto the subway for her commute, that’s up to you. But just so you know, she doesn’t have a car," Chen Yuyan said.

"You’re colleagues, and Shen Dong has already told me they’re transferring Mrs. Lin to be your assistant starting tomorrow."

"If you want a good working relationship, you’ll need to get along as neighbors too. You figure it out," Chen Yuyan finished, then walked out with her hands behind her back.

She believed that by telling her father the situation, he would know what to do.

It wasn’t long before the meal was ready.

The two families enjoyed a meal happily, and Chen Yuanxiang gave Chen Yufang a big red envelope.

Chen Yufang wasn’t married yet.

Elders still give out red envelopes, just for a bit of festive joy.

They chatted until after nine and saw Uncle’s family out.

Once Uncle’s family entered the elevator, Chen Yuyan’s eyes swiveled, and she went to knock on Lin Shulei’s door.

"Yuyan, what are you up to?" Chen Yuanxiang was startled.

"Dad, you’ll find out soon enough," Chen Yuyan chuckled.

It wasn’t long before the door opened.

"Yuyan, is something the matter?" Lin Shulei, seeing Chen Yuyan outside her door and then spotting Chen Yuanxiang across the hall, felt a bit embarrassed.

"Mrs. Lin, my dad found out you’re his neighbor, and he’s really happy about it. He just wanted to meet you and say hello," Chen Yuyan said, glancing at Chen Yuanxiang, "Dad, I’m right, aren’t I?"

"Ah? Yes, that’s right." Chen Yuanxiang nodded woodenly, going along with his daughter.

"Mr. Chen," Lin Shulei greeted Chen Yuanxiang somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh Mrs. Lin, at the company you call my dad Mr. Chen, but there’s no need for such formality in private, just call my dad by his name," Chen Yuyan said.

"I’m not sure that’s appropriate," Lin Shulei said, her cheeks coloring slightly.

"There’s nothing inappropriate about it, it’s settled. My dad doesn’t mind, right Dad?" Chen Yuyan raised an eyebrow at her father.

"Well, there’s no need for such formality outside of the company," Chen Yuanxiang said haltingly.

At that moment, he seemed a bit like a young man freshly in love.

"Okay," Lin Shulei nodded slightly.

"By the way, my dad also said that starting tomorrow, you’ll commute to and from work together. You guys chat now; Shen Dong and I will head out first. Bye-bye."

With that, Chen Yuyan grabbed Shen Dong and ran off.

The elevator did not stop on their floor, so they dashed into the staircase, leaving some space for her father and Lin Shulei.

...

The ninth day of the Lunar New Year.

Outside the gates of Yikang Pharmaceutical.

The boss, Meng Baitao, was waiting with a group of executives at the entrance, occasionally checking the time.

Chen Lin had mentioned Shen Dong would be coming for an inspection, and if he liked what he saw, he would invest.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, he got a call from Chen Lin, saying someone was interested in investing, and he was overjoyed.

Honestly, he hadn’t enjoyed this New Year at all.

The company was out of money, and if they couldn’t secure an investment soon, they’d be facing bankruptcy.

He’d worked hard to build his company and didn’t want to just watch it collapse.

Moreover, he firmly believed that with just a little more money, the cancer treatment they were working on would be a success.

If they couldn’t raise the funds, he was prepared to sell his house and car to ensure the drug’s development.

Once they succeeded, all their problems would vanish.

By then, he wouldn’t have to seek out investors himself; large financial groups would come knocking on his door, money in hand.

He knew, though, that if he sold the house and car, his wife and kids would leave him.

But he had no choice; the drug was the culmination of his life’s work, and he had to see it through.

During the New Year, he’d discussed it with his wife, who had made it clear that if he sold the house and car, she’d want a divorce.

He didn’t want to divorce, but he couldn’t bear to halt the development of the drug.

In the end, he’d decided to hold out for as long as he could. If he couldn’t secure an investment, even at the cost of a divorce, he would sell the house and car to continue the drug development.

Fortunately, as soon as he’d returned to Hai City from his hometown on the seventh day, he received the call from Chen Lin about a potential investment.