Chapter 22: The Dream Companion of Ruan Shiyun

Liu Huan's words made Ruan Shiyun's anger flicker beneath her calm expression. What was wrong if she liked this child? So what if she wanted to take care of him in every way? What business was it of his?

"Stop talking nonsense," she said, frowning slightly. "Xiao Yan is just a child. What men and women divide are you even talking about? Stop being so annoying."

Saying this, Ruan Shiyun pulled over a chair and sat right next to Li Zhiyan.

Watching how close she was with the young man, Liu Huan felt a surge of frustration but knew better than to make an issue of it. If he started arguing with a kid, it would just make him look petty.

Meanwhile, Li Zhiyan wasn't paying Liu Huan any mind. This man was clearly a product of the previous era—a "ladies' man" from a time long past, practically a relic by his standards. He only hoped his future rivals wouldn't all be middle-aged men like him.

His mind drifting with these amusing thoughts, Li Zhiyan quickly turned his attention back to the main task. He powered up the company's server and began troubleshooting Li Meifeng's system.

It was indeed a challenging job. Programmers in 2010 were rare compared to the hordes of bald-headed coders in 2024, but to Li Zhiyan, it was a walk in the park.

With practiced skill, his fingers danced across the keyboard, typing at a speed so fast his hands seemed to blur. Li Meifeng, observing from the side, was thoroughly astonished. This boy's speed… Whoever his girlfriend would be in the future was bound to be one lucky person.

A look of admiration shone in her eyes. Here was a child from a humble background, teaching himself programming and reaching such a level of expertise. Clearly, he had put in incredible effort.

Sitting beside him, Ruan Shiyun couldn't help but reach out and ruffle Li Zhiyan's hair. She even took out her phone to record a video of his swift hands on the keyboard and the complex code running across the screen.

Her heart brimmed with pride and admiration. If only her own son were as capable! She couldn't understand any of the symbols on the screen, but this child handled them with such ease.

Noticing Ruan Shiyun's closeness to Li Zhiyan, Liu Huan's face darkened. Just where did this kid come from, and how could he know such complex programming?

It seemed he now had a rival, an 18-year-old one at that. How absurd! If this boy really did become close to Ruan Shiyun, Liu Huan knew it would bother him for years to come.

After about ten minutes, Li Zhiyan ran a quick system check and, finding no bugs, reset the system to its original state. Only then did he step back.

"Li Aunty, your company's system is now back to normal."

"That fast?" Li Meifeng left to confirm with an employee, and ten minutes later, she returned, beaming.

"It's all working! Xiao Yan, you really are a computer prodigy."

Li Zhiyan felt a little awkward. In the eyes of many adults, as long as you could set an alarm clock, you were a "hacker."

"Here, take this," Li Meifeng said, opening a drawer and pulling out an envelope, which she placed in front of him. Judging by its thickness, it was at least ten thousand yuan. Thrilled, Li Zhiyan thought to himself how lucky he was; with the system's mission reward of thirty thousand, plus Li Meifeng's bonus, he'd be making forty thousand today.

"Oh, I can't accept this, Li Aunty," he said modestly.

Ruan Shiyun took the envelope and pushed it toward him. "It's yours, don't be so polite. If you don't take it, your Li Aunty won't sleep well tonight. A regular technician might not have fixed the issue, and they'd charge far more anyway."

Grasping his hand, she held it until he finally took the envelope before letting go.

"So, what do you say, old Liu?" Li Meifeng turned to Liu Huan with a triumphant smile. "Quite a surprise, isn't he? Xiao Yan is a true programming genius. Not long ago, he solved a complex issue for Boss Liu Yan's company, and they paid him fifty thousand. You'd have to work a lot harder to catch up."

Liu Huan forced a smile, feeling a flush of embarrassment. Who would've thought this kid would actually know his way around such advanced coding? No wonder Ruan Shiyun had taken such a liking to him. A man of true talent would always shine, regardless of age.

Seeing Ruan Shiyun's hand holding Li Zhiyan's so affectionately made his jealousy surge. He hadn't even held her hand yet, but this boy—he was closer than Liu Huan had ever been.

At least, he thought bitterly, it didn't seem like she'd gone so far as to actually "feed" him. Still, the realization that Li Zhiyan could become an obstacle in his pursuit was an unsettling one.

Ruan Shiyun, meanwhile, reached out and gave Li Zhiyan's cheek a little pinch, her affection for him growing stronger. The way he worked on the computer was impressive, even… captivating.

He was just her type—a dream-like figure of excellence and diligence. She could only wish her own son was like him.

"Xiao Yan, are you really not considering letting me be your godmother?" she asked, her voice soft with anticipation.

"Come on, Xiao Yan," chimed in Li Meifeng. "Imagine if you took your Auntie Ruan as your godmother. You'd be fed well every day, guaranteed!"

"Uh… I think I'll pass," Li Zhiyan replied, politely declining with a sheepish smile.

As they chatted, Li Meifeng's 26-year-old secretary came rushing in.

"President Li, Manager Liu, the French client has arrived."

Li Meifeng's playful mood instantly shifted to a more serious one. Work was work, after all, and Liu Huan straightened his collar, preparing himself to make an impression. This was an excellent opportunity to display his professional charm in front of Ruan Shiyun. A mature man, after all, had far more to offer than some kid.

"Mr. Smith, please, come in."

As the two of them welcomed Mr. Smith into the office, they failed to notice a looming issue.

"Mr. Smith, it's wonderful to have you here. I'm sure you'll find our company's expertise to be top-notch," Liu Huan greeted him warmly.

"De quoi parlez-vous?" came Smith's reply, his brows raised in confusion.

Li Meifeng and Liu Huan looked toward the young assistant by Smith's side, who quickly dabbed at the sweat forming on his forehead.

"I apologize," the assistant stammered. "Our translator had to rush to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy."

"President Li, without a translator, I'm afraid today's meeting won't be possible. If you don't have someone fluent in French, we'll have to head to another company."

Panic welled up within Li Meifeng. Although they were an international trading company, actual interactions with foreigners were rare, and even rarer without a translator.

She'd never encountered a situation like this before.

"Bonjour, je parle un peu de français," Liu Huan offered, stepping forward.

Li Meifeng and Ruan Shiyun looked at him with surprise. He knew French?

But in reality, Liu Huan only knew that one line, and his pronunciation was far from accurate. Smith looked at him, clearly puzzled and unimpressed.

An awkward silence hung in the air. After a few moments, Smith, seeing that communication was impossible, stood up to leave.

Li Meifeng sank into her chair, feeling utterly defeated. This deal was doomed…

Watching Smith's back as he prepared to walk out, Li Zhiyan knew he had to step in. With thirty thousand yuan at stake, he wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away.

"Xiao Yan, where are you going?" Ruan Shiyun called softly, a hint of surprise in her voice.

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