The blind boss's nanny

Unbeknownst to him, Lu Tingzhao had grown accustomed to nights like this:

When the clock strikes midnight, the smart speaker in the bedroom will automatically play the book "Midnight Corridor".

What initially annoyed him with the ghost stories has now become the regular background noise every night.

More precisely, what he was used to was knowing that in another corner of the city, Lin Xiaoman was also listening to the same story.

He believed that this strange "coexistence across distances" was an unspoken secret between the two of them.

However, this week, the situation changed.

On the first night, the speaker remained silent until midnight. Lu Tingzhao lay in bed waiting for a long time, but in the end he just frowned and turned over.

The second night, there was still no sound. He couldn't help but check if the internet connection was working properly.

On the third night, the only sound in the bedroom was Yuanbao's steady breathing, and an indescribable sense of anxiety began to spread in his heart.

Lin Xiaoman stopped "harassing" him.

This made him feel inexplicably annoyed.

He realized he had lost a legitimate reason to call her every day... Should he just ask, "Why don't you play ghost stories for me anymore?"

This left Lu Tingzhao feeling listless all day.

During the afternoon briefing, he was unusually distracted; at dinner, he only touched the dishes on the table a few times.

Not only him, but even Yuanbao seemed listless.

Several times, the little guy ran to his feet with the phone in his mouth, nudging it into his hand with his wet nose, his tail wagging expectantly.

He didn't move.

When Yuanbao brought the phone to him for the third time, Lu Tingzhao finally gave in.

He picked up his phone, his fingertips hovering over the contacts for a long time, but in the end he took a detour and dialed Qin Xiu's number.

"She's been like this lately..."

Lu Tingzhao's tone seemed quite ordinary.

Are you very busy?

Qin Xiu on the other end of the phone was clearly caught off guard. He looked up from a pile of documents and cautiously asked:

"Chairman, you mean...?"

A long silence fell over the receiver.

Just as Qin Xiu was wondering if the signal had been interrupted, he finally heard a barely audible sigh, accompanied by that familiar name:

"Lin Xiaoman".

That afternoon, Lu Tingxi and Qin Xiu appeared at the ward door, carrying expensive tonics and baby gift boxes, under the legitimate reason that "the group cares about the families of core employees."

Before coming, Jiang Yan was not informed in advance. At this moment, there were only three women in the ward: Xu Ting, who was leaning against the headboard, Lin Xiaoman, who was sitting on the edge of the bed peeling an apple, and an old woman with a sad face.

"Tingting, your father knows he was wrong."

Xu's mother rubbed her hands together, her voice ingratiating.

"He's downstairs right now, just wanted to come up and see you..."

Xu Ting's breathing became rapid in an instant, and her chest heaved violently.

Lin Xiaoman paused, the fruit knife in her hand snapped, and the apple peel broke.

Her mind was buzzing:

What kind of utterly foolish woman is this? That old woman almost drove her own daughter to the brink of despair last time, how dare she show her face now?

Before Xu Ting could speak, the ward door was pushed open with a bang.

Xu's father showed up uninvited, swaggering in with no remorse on his face, but rather with the arrogance of the head of the family.

"ah--!"

As soon as Xu Ting saw him, she screamed as if in a stress response, her finger trembling as she pointed towards the door.

"Get out! Get out of here!"

Seeing that Xu Ting was on the verge of emotional collapse and the heart rate monitor was emitting a sharp alarm, Lin Xiaoman could no longer sit still.

Like a nimble shadow, she suddenly stood up and moved between Xu's father and the hospital bed. Without a word, she decisively placed her hands on Xu's father's shoulders and forcefully pushed him away.

"Get out! Now! Can't you see she doesn't welcome you?"

Her voice was clear and strong, filled with determination.

Xu's father was pushed and staggered, then became enraged.

"Who do you think you are? I've come to see my daughter..."

Lin Xiaoman's eyes flashed, and she immediately put on an anxious and serious expression, lowering her voice:

"Uncle Xu, you've come at just the right time! I was worried I couldn't find you! Last time, Sister Xu needed emergency treatment, and the imported medicine and surgery alone cost over 300,000 yuan. Mr. Jiang is experiencing a cash flow problem, and the hospital is pressing for payment. They're saying they need to find a family member! Could you come with me to the payment counter to settle the bill?"

As she spoke, she made a move to pull Xu's father's arm and lead him toward the toll booth.

Sure enough, upon hearing that money was involved, Xu's father's expression changed drastically. He jerked his hand away as if burned, his previous air of authority as "head of the family" instantly vanishing, and he retreated with a glint in his eye.

"How much? Three hundred thousand? I... I don't know where I'd get that much money! I have to go, I'm leaving now!"

After saying that, he practically scurried away without looking back, ten times faster than when he came.

After driving away Xu's father, Lin Xiaoman turned to look at Xu's mother, who was still trying to defend her ex-husband.

"Auntie, don't you understand yet?"

She pointed in the direction Xu's father had left:

"The moment he heard about medical bills, he ran away faster than anyone else! Do you really expect a man like that to change his mind?"

Xu's mother's lips trembled:

"But he said that as long as we..."

He's using you!

Lin Xiaoman hit the nail on the head.

"He's exploiting your obsession with your relationship to get you to control his daughter so he can profit from Sister Xu and President Jiang! Think about it carefully, has he ever cared whether Sister Xu lives or dies?"

Xu's mother staggered, her face deathly pale.

Those details, blinded by emotion, now clearly surfaced in her mind... Every time her ex-husband contacted her, he was indeed inquiring about their daughter's financial situation.

"Aunt,"

Lin Xiaoman softened her tone,

"If you continue to help him, you'll only push your daughter further away. Once Sister Xu is completely heartbroken, you'll really have nothing left."

These words struck her like a thunderbolt, and Xu's mother finally broke down in tears:

"I...I understand. I won't let him come again. I won't let him hurt Tingting again..."

Lin Xiaoman then softened her tone and handed her a tissue:

"Auntie, if you truly love your daughter, you should know who is truly good to Sister Xu now. Take good care of Tingting, and Sister Xu will not mistreat you."

Xu's mother took the tissue and lowered her head in shame.

Standing at the door, Lu Tingxi watched Lin Xiaoman's brilliant maneuver, a combination of clever tactics that first outwitted Xu's father and then enlightened Xu's mother, and couldn't help but applaud wildly in his heart.

With such adaptability, acting skills, and the ability to understand people's hearts, it would be a waste of her talent not to be a director!

Qin Xiu nodded slightly, his eyes revealing admiration.

With someone like that by the chairman's side, they all feel very at ease.

As Xu Ting lay in her hospital bed, tears welled up again as she looked at Lin Xiaoman, who had stood up for her and cleverly resolved the crisis. But this time, they were filled with warmth and gratitude.

Jiang Yan hurried to the ward, his forehead still covered in fine beads of sweat.

He immediately noticed Xu Ting's red eyes, and without even greeting Lu Tingxi and Qin Xiu, he bent down and took her hand with heartache:

"Tingting, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"

Xu Ting, who had been holding on, finally let all her pent-up grievances burst forth the moment she saw the person she trusted.