Chapter 10: Tenderness

For two days straight, Zhan Zhai’s driver ferried Wen Nuan to and from work. Initially, only Guan Ti was scheduled to be away in the United States, but in the middle of the night, Zhan Nanxian sent an email explaining his absence, and by morning, he had vanished without a trace.

Questions flooded her mind, yet she found no outlet for them.

In the stillness of noon, the only sign of life in the spacious room was the large pot of green plants adding a touch of vibrancy. Wen Nuan lay motionless on the table, her forehead resting on her folded arms.

She didn’t know how long she had been there until a gentle tap on the table startled her. She quickly lifted her head.

Gao Fang stood there, concern in his eyes. "Are you feeling unwell?"

She shook her head, pushing down her unease and disappointment as she noticed the Dahua Telecom documents in his hand.

"Why are you here at this time? Zhang Duanyan has gone to lunch."

"Just pass these on to her for me."

Wen Nuan hesitated, her thoughts lingering on the unspoken. Seeing her hesitation, Gao Fang smiled gently. "You misunderstood Nanxian. This time, it’s not us causing trouble for Daizhong. Dahua Telecom is the one reaching out to us."

After a moment, she asked, "What’s going on?"

He pulled up a chair and sat down. "You know how complicated things are within Daizhong."

She nodded.

Grudges and rivalries often seem inevitable among wealthy families. Like the Pan family, Zhu Linlu's family has its own tangled history.

Ten years ago, when Mr. Zhu passed away, he originally entrusted the business to his honest eldest son, Zhu Linlu’s father, but somehow, it ended up in the hands of his second son, Zhu Linghong’s father. The second son ousted the elder brother’s branch from the company, allowing them only to receive dividends each year without any say in company affairs.

This situation persisted until Zhu Linlu graduated from university and entered Daizhong.

He quickly built his own power base and, with careful planning, ousted the old officials who had supported his uncle’s rise. Since then, within Daizhong and even the industry, he’s been referred to as "the prince," and those who follow him are called "the princelings."

Over the years, Zhu Linlu gradually edged out his uncle’s loyalists. Though his uncle remains the chairman of Daizhong, Zhu Linlu secured the general manager position through a board resolution he controlled two years ago.

"Zhu Linghong was called back by his father earlier this year, right before finishing his Ph.D., to counter Zhu Linlu. After Zhu Linlu lost the Leng order, someone in Daizhong made a fuss over his relationship with you, which led to Zhu Linghong snatching Yizhong from us and making a significant contribution. Because of his father’s maneuvering, Daizhong’s board agreed to transfer the Dahua Telecom case, a client Zhu Linlu had long handled, to Zhu Linghong this time."

"You’re saying Linlu was sidelined by his uncle and cousin?" Wen Nuan was perplexed; Linlu had never discussed company matters with her, and she seldom ventured out, so her understanding of him in this regard was no better than others’.

Gao Fang considered his words. "That’s the rumor, but I once overheard Nanxian mention that Zhu Linlu was merely playing along, as if he intended for Dahua to fall into Zhu Linghong’s hands."

Wen Nuan frowned in confusion but remained silent, listening as he continued.

"Originally, Dahua had internally assigned the case to Daizhong. But when Zhu Linghong suddenly took over, Yang Wenzhong, who had commission dealings with the princelings, became uneasy. At the same time, Zhu Linghong wanted to oust Yang Wenzhong to keep Dahua firmly under his control."

"I see. So, did Zhu Linghong do something that made Yang Wenzhong unhappy, causing him to approach us?"

"Exactly. Zhu Linghong tried to leverage Daizhong’s familiarity with Dahua’s system, using the same old trick, to team up with Yang Wenzhong’s deputy and push Yang Wenzhong out. To do so, he instructed the business manager to tell Yang Wenzhong that Zhu Linlu’s earlier agreement to give him a 15% commission on each deal would now be reduced to 5%."

"No wonder Yang Wenzhong was displeased and wanted to sideline Daizhong and work with Qianyu."

"The situation is complex. Yang Wenzhong can’t entirely cut ties with Daizhong, fearing they might expose his commission-taking at any cost. However, his dissatisfaction with Zhu Linghong runs deep, so even if we don’t pay him a commission, he’s willing to use our company’s influence to secure his position. In return, he promises to share half of Daizhong’s revenue."

"But can’t Daizhong still threaten him by exposing his actions and demand that he not cooperate with us or others?"

"It’s different. First, though Daizhong’s share is smaller, there are vested interests. Even if Zhu Linghong is unwilling, he can’t make any rash moves because the board won’t agree to break ties with Dahua. Dahua has been a crucial client nurtured by Zhu Linlu. Second, if Zhu Linghong were to report Yang Wenzhong and it leaked, Daizhong would be finished, with no company daring to do business with them again."

Wen Nuan’s eyes widened in realization. "So that’s the situation."

Few in the business world are truly clean. Private commission deals have long been an unspoken rule. Unless things reach a breaking point, no one wants to cut off their financial source and fight to the death.

As they talked, Zhang Duanyan and Ding Xiaodai returned, prompting Gao Fang to hand the documents to Zhang Duanyan and leave.

Shortly after, Wen Nuan’s phone rang. Zhu Linlu’s voice was lighthearted. "Did you miss me?"

She couldn’t help but smile. Walking into the meeting room with the phone, she asked, "Where are you?"

"Macau."

"Macau?" She paused. "Are you really not going to handle the Dahua Telecom case?"

Zhu Linlu sounded annoyed. "How disappointing, I thought you’d ask why I’m in Macau."

She smiled. "Okay, why?"

He snorted. "I don’t want to tell you."

Her smile deepened. "Then tell me about Dahua."

He let out a playful growl. "I’m so mad! Why don’t you ask?!"

"I did ask—twice."

Zhu Linlu laughed, exasperated. "I’ll strangle you when I get back. But honestly, I’ve kept that greedy big fish Yang Wenzhong around for just this moment."

"Aren’t you worried that your cousin will lose the Dahua client completely?"

She hadn’t forgotten what Zhan Nanxian said during their heated argument. She knew that when he made a threat, he meant it. It was this certainty that always left her with an unsettling sense of unease.

"For now, it won’t be lost. Daizhong created Dahua’s system, and the services are outsourced to us. After so many years of collaboration, much of the technical information is in our hands. No matter how unhappy Yang Wenzhong is, he can’t uproot Daizhong overnight. The future, however, is uncertain."

He smiled, a hint of mischief in his voice as he continued:

"Yang Wenzhong’s strategy is clear. On one side, he brought in Zhan Nanxian, and on the other, he involved an unrelated Singaporean company as a decoy. This way, the two companies and Daizhong form a three-way standoff, avoiding suspicion from Dahua’s top management about the sudden change in partners."

Wen Nuan sighed, "You’re really complicated."

Zhu Linlu chuckled, "Why do you ask? Did Zhan Nanxian tell you to follow this case?"

"No, I thought he was targeting you, so I offered to resign." But he didn’t approve, so she held back and didn’t mention it again.

Zhu Linlu laughed heartily, "Hahaha, it's worth loving you. You're so considerate. But, Nuannuan, you can’t resign now."

Wen Nuan was speechless for a moment, recalling Zhan Nanxian’s mocking words—*Do you think Zhu Linlu would be happy for you to be his spokesperson?*

Her face flushed as she asked, "Why?"

"Ling Hong was too eager for success, lacked experience, and wasn’t thorough. That’s why things turned out this way. The board is already unhappy with him. If you resign now, our company’s top management will step down, and they’ll definitely throw the mess back at me as the general manager. It’s my responsibility to handle it well. If I don’t, Second Uncle and his group will use you to criticize me again."

Finally understanding, Wen Nuan said, "So that’s why you hid in Macau and didn’t even turn on your phone?"

"Partly. I left under the pretext of a vacation so they couldn’t find me. But I was also negotiating investment matters with the Las Vegas consortium, and Macau is preparing for land reclamation. Hehe, I want to build the most luxurious casino in Asia."

Wen Nuan listened intently, then slowly asked, "Who is that woman?"

Zhu Linlu laughed again, "I wondered when you’d ask."

"Did you go to Macau for her?"

"I met her after I arrived in Macau."

Hearing his unusually light tone, Wen Nuan felt a twinge of irritation and couldn’t help but blurt out, "What do you think of me?" She snapped the phone shut.

After two busy days in New York, Guan Ti finally had time to ask Zhan Nanxian, "Why did you end up with Yixin? To get back at Wen Nuan?"

Zhan Nanxian’s lips curled slightly, "Yeah."

That period... I still shudder whenever I think about it.

I was in a desperate, frenzied state, deeply depressed and full of resentment. My self-esteem and confidence were shattered, my outlook on life and the beliefs I’d held for 18 years collapsed into dust, unable to be pieced back together in the long darkness. My soul, detached from my emaciated body, was trapped in an abyss of endless pain.

Many times, I wanted to die but couldn’t.

"I suffered greatly during that time, nearly losing my mind."

"I remember not seeing you for a whole week. I thought you were sick or something happened."

"I was at home, locking myself in my room every day... I knew I couldn’t let go, but I didn’t dare to see her again. The remnants of my pride wouldn’t allow it, and I wasn’t confident I could withstand another rejection. Otherwise, I’d have gone mad."

But the heart-wrenching longing was so overwhelming that I couldn’t control it. I often found myself outside her house in the middle of the night, hiding in a dark corner, staring at her window all night.

Sometimes the window was pitch black, as dark as my heart without a glimmer of light. Other times, there’d be a faint light until two or three in the morning, as if she couldn’t sleep. At those moments, my heart would ache unbearably, imagining if she was missing me as much as I was missing her.

Every day was the same. I’d stay in my room all day without eating, go out to wait all night, and return home to sleep in the early morning.

When I was deeply hurt, frustrated, and helpless, I never expected Bo Yixin to stay by my side, refusing to leave.

Somehow, I accepted her.

"Yixin stuck with me despite all the rumors. It wasn’t easy for her, being Wen Nuan’s deskmate. Their classmates all knew that Wen Nuan and I were a couple, but we inexplicably broke up, and I got together with her just as inexplicably."

Only then did Wen Nuan realize that her deskmate, whom she had always trusted, had orchestrated all of this. Although their breakup had nothing to do with Bo Yixin, the relationship between her and Bo Yixin was irreparably damaged.

Those who didn’t know the full story thought Bo Yixin had stolen Wen Nuan’s boyfriend. Wen Nuan had countless fans at school, so Bo Yixin became completely isolated. Every day she stepped into the classroom, she faced malicious sarcasm and was often bullied.

"I feel guilty towards Yixin. After all, all the grievances she suffered were because of me. Later, I severely punished everyone who tormented her." A faint bitterness surfaced on Zhan Nanxian’s lips. "In their classroom, I warned Wen Nuan not to act too rashly... She stood up from her seat and publicly declared that she was the first to fall for someone else, and it had nothing to do with Yixin."

Guan Ti shook his head sympathetically. How painful must it have been for Zhan Nanxian to hear that?

"I left their classroom and sat alone on the playground until their class ended. Then I went back to pick up Yixin... and kissed her."

He had never even held Bo Yixin’s hand before, but at that moment, a numbing pain in his heart made him kiss Bo Yixin in front of the entire class. Wen Nuan was trapped in her seat, forced to watch as he and Bo Yixin kissed passionately and walked away hand in hand, while she could only walk out with her back against the wall.

"After I calmed down at home, I deeply regretted it... Three years of love didn’t end in vain, but it was abruptly severed at its peak. I’ve always felt terrible about it, and I think she must feel the same..."

Although they didn’t speak again, it was easy to see that her mental state was deteriorating every time I pretended to pick up Bo Yixin but actually wanted to see her. When

they were together, she was lively, cheerful, and loved to play. But after our breakup, Bo Yixin told me she never saw her participate in any activities again. She went to class, went home, and during breaks, she lay on her desk without ever leaving the classroom.

"I regretted it deeply, and I was very... worried about her. I stopped eating and locked myself in my room. At that time, my father was working in Switzerland. My mother couldn’t do anything about me, so she had to call him to come back..." At this point, Zhan Nanxian lowered his long eyelashes, looking incredibly sorrowful.

Guan Ti’s heart trembled, "What happened?"

He turned his head to look out the window, his profile deep and shadowed, his long eyelashes trembling slightly as if uncontrollably, and he remained silent for a long time.

The audio-visual room was specially designed by FMAcoustic, with a disc suspended in air using cutting-edge technology. The floating LP turntable allowed the most natural sound reproduction, free from vibration and resistance. Every subtle tone in the original sound was faithfully released.

But even such a stunning auditory experience couldn’t ease the anxiety in Wen Nuan’s heart.

She turned up the volume a few notches. Sissel’s "Should It Matter" resonated through the vast space, drowning out the dialogue from the screen more than ten meters away. She glanced up, having no idea what the unknown movie was about, merely picking up the remote and randomly pressing a button to turn it on.

When everything crosses a line, it becomes unbearable, and sound is no exception. The once beautiful music turned into harsh noise, clashing discordantly with the movie dialogue. Frustrated, she turned them off.

In truth, it wasn’t the music that upset her, but herself.

It had been a long time since her heart, which had been silent for years, had felt such turmoil. So long that she couldn’t even remember the last time she had been this agitated. A corner of her heart had withered years ago, leaving her numb. She had once hoped her world would remain an eternally still pond, devoid of ripples until her dying day. But the depression

of the past few nights had come so suddenly that she couldn’t fend it off.

Leaving the audio-visual room, she wandered downstairs, stepping outside to stroll under the endless night sky.

She couldn’t calm her mind as usual, so she tried to reassure herself: *Wen Nuan, don’t be moved, don’t lose control, don’t be confused. Don’t let this grow into real longing again. Don’t yearn for the present or the future.*

“Please, don’t gamble with a heart that’s barely held together by scars. It can’t take any more.”

She sat down on the ground and began plucking at the grass beside her legs.

She used to try hard to gain weight, but her arms remained thin, not even as thick as a teenager’s. She used to believe that hard work could achieve anything, but she eventually realized that hard work is often futile.

The thin mist on the tips of the grass wet her fingers, and she chose to let go, getting up to return inside.

When did it start? She realized that people shouldn’t become obsessed. 

When did she decide to give up everything, including her beloved songs... and the people she loved most?

Once upon a time, she had been so enamored with a particular song that she would play it on repeat for hours, day and night. It was a melody that belonged solely to her and him, a symbol of their shared moments. In those days, she poured all her emotions into it. But after parting ways, she never found another song that could captivate her in the same way.

Over time, she shifted from this intense attachment to a pursuit of ever-changing CDs, each new release failing to replace the memories she had cherished. These memories, once vibrant, now felt like the ruins of a once-grand edifice, reduced to shadows of their former selves. The realization of this loss was overwhelming.

As years passed, all she could salvage from the depths of her recollection was a faint echo of the past—scenes of intimacy and affection that seemed as distant as a dream. The past was a constant companion, a reminder of what once was and could never be again.

Unable to resist the pull of nostalgia, she found herself yearning for the comfort of his embrace, longing to collapse into his arms and weep.

Pushing open the crescent-shaped white door, she froze, her heart pounding. In the dim light, a solitary flame flickered from the sofa where he lay, silently smoking.

Stepping cautiously into the darkness, she realized this might be her only chance to confront her feelings.

Sitting on the carpet in front of him, she struggled to see his face in the shadows. The surrounding darkness offered some solace, giving her the courage to speak.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

He remained silent, his cigarette burning quietly as he tapped ash onto the coffee table.

Questions swirled in her mind—why had their paths crossed at such an unexpected time? 

Why did Zhu Linlu come to her house in the middle of the night, and why did he follow? 

Why had he begun building this house when she joined Qianyu two years ago? 

Why was she transferred to the 66th floor? Why did she find herself returning to the company every Saturday afternoon to be with him? 

Why did he leave abruptly when bringing her here, and why was he back now?

Resting her head on her knees, she whispered through her tears, "Nan Xian, please. Why? Why all of this?"

The silence stretched endlessly. Then, his voice cut through the darkness, hoarse and weary, "Why don’t you stay away from me?"

The hand inserted into her hair lifted her head up. He turned sideways, his eyes, only a few inches away from her face, still flashed with cold stars, a trace of fatigue after struggling, and a little mercy and compassion that she could not understand.

He stretched out his long arms to embrace her waist; she was turned over and pressed into the sofa by him, his lips imprinted on hers, dark as an infinite abyss. The heart that jumped out of the restraints of reason sank rapidly with blood stains. How many years had they forgotten each other? How many years had they waited for each other? How many years had their incomplete hearts been in urgent need of this other half to make up for it?

The thin and tender lips were damaged by his eagerness and frenzy, and there was a faint sweet and sour taste in his mouth.

He unbuttoned her shirt, and when she tried to stop him, he suddenly grabbed her. His hands did not stop for a moment and continued with his original intention.

"Don't do this," she struggled.

He pressed her body tightly with his long body. "Why?" he asked, and took off her fully opened collar.

"Nan Xian—" Her cry was blocked by his mouth.

Why break up? Why leave? Why is there someone else? His panting in her ear was frantic, "Why can't I?"

She was so scared that she couldn't speak and could only hug his shoulders and neck tightly.

He sealed her lips again and devoured her chaotic thoughts. His frenzied movements did not stop for a second. He lost his patience and directly tore the only cover between her legs. His big palm forcefully opened and then bent her legs. His body was extremely hot, and his voice was hoarse due to suppression. "I can't control it."

Before he finished speaking, the hardness against her legs suddenly penetrated.

She trembled with an ache and bit his shoulder blade.

He immediately retaliated and sucked the tender skin under her ear.

Her sharp teeth used all their strength.

Finally, he stopped moving, his whole body tense as iron. The rich, sour, and sweet taste seeped from the roots of his teeth to the tip of his tongue, awakening a trace of clarity. She opened her mouth, and the blood that overflowed from his shoulder blade stained a piece of it, which was clearly visible in her eyes.

He was still panting fiercely, and he stared at her in the dark with tears streaming down her face. In that dark, charged space, they were two wounded souls, each seeking solace in the other, their eyes reflecting a tumult of emotions—desire, pain, and an unfulfilled longing.

He gritted his teeth and withdrew. The next moment, he lifted her up on his shoulders and walked straight towards the stairs. He knocked over a vase or a decoration. There were only continuous bangs in the dark. In less than a minute, she was thrown on the bed in the master bedroom, and his naked long body pressed down on her. There was no way to retreat. In the surging tears, she closed her eyes and gave up completely, but he suddenly stopped.

His warmth enveloped her, the heat of his body creating a contrast against her chilled skin. The sensation made her shiver, a combination of fear and an unexpected tenderness. After a while, his hands began to caress her face, his fingers damp with her tears. He traced the contours of her body, lingering on parts that were deeply personal, his touch a mix of deliberate teasing and gentle affection.

The obvious restraint and the subtle tenderness gradually soothed her bit by bit. When she moved slightly, her nose rubbed against his neck. She smelled the familiar man's scent that was now mature and masculine. It was the unique fragrance that only he could give her, which made her feel at ease and dependent.

She stopped crying, and her hands seemed to climb up his back consciously. In the dark, she gently held him in her arms.

He stiffened at her touch, carefully removing her hands from his body and placing them on the pillow. The pain from this sudden shift was sharp and immediate. He pushed into her with a resolute force, his movements driven by a need that seemed to finally find a home after ten long years of separation.

Outside the window, the night blurred the lines between love and hate. His emotions tangled with hers, and he lost himself in the act, as if wanting to be with her forever, never to part again.

Wen Nuan lay restless through the night, and by dawn, she felt as though she had been transported to a different time and place. It took her a moment to reorient herself. She hurriedly got out of bed, and the movement roused Zhan Nanxian from a light sleep. He turned to watch her anxiously as she moved around the suite, clearly unsettled and avoiding looking directly at her.

On the white sheets, the evidence of their night together was stark—a pool of dark rose-colored blood. Once she had finished preparing and waited in the living room, a faint smile touched Zhan Nanxian's lips as he quietly got up.

After breakfast, he took her back to Qianyu and then went on to Dahua Telecom with Gao Fang.

A few hours later, Wen Nuan received a courier delivery—a key to her house. Its arrival, after last night’s events, stirred a whirlwind of emotions within her. She tried calling Wenrou, but the call went unanswered.

Later that day, Zhan Nanxian and Gao Fang returned, having spent over an hour discussing matters in the president's office. After Gao Fang left, the intercom on Wen Nuan’s desk buzzed.

“Come in,” Zhan Nanxian’s voice came through.

Trying to steady her nerves, she knocked and entered. Without looking up from his desk, he pointed to a contract and said, “There’s a page missing in the middle.”

She was taken aback. “I’m sorry, I’ll fix it right away.”

Earlier, when he requested the contract, she had printed it and submitted it without thorough checking—a rare oversight on her part.

As the president's secretary, she held more authority than a senior manager. She was responsible for reviewing all documents before they reached him, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

She quickly printed the missing pages, reviewed them carefully, and reassembled the contract before bringing it back to him.

“This one is correct,” she said.

He nodded, his expression neutral as he continued to review the document. She stood hesitantly across the table, feeling a pang of humiliation. Lowering her head, she bit her lip and quietly exited, closing the door gently behind her.

Zhan Nanxian did not emerge until the evening, and he did not seek her out again. Once work was over, Wen Nuan hurried home, collapsing onto her sofa and burying her face in the cushion, remaining motionless until late at night.

In the aftermath of their encounter, it was as if the events had been erased from their lives.

For a week, their lives resumed their usual patterns—Zhan Nanxian remained engrossed in his role as a company executive, while Wen Nuan continued her duties diligently, navigating her responsibilities on the 66th floor. Their interactions were calm and businesslike, with no lingering tension.

In the adult world, some things are left unsaid and unexplained.

The only noticeable change was that, following Gao Fang’s advice, the Dahua Telecom case was reassigned to Wen Nuan, while Zhang Duanyan moved out in disappointment.

It was Friday once again, and at noon, she entered his office with a document for his signature.

Just as she approached, her cell phone rang from outside the slightly ajar door. As he looked up, she quickly lowered her gaze, focusing on his chest, waiting for him to finish signing with his bold handwriting. Once he did, she picked up the document and said calmly, "Nothing urgent, I'm heading out now."

As she glanced at her phone, she saw it was Zhu Linlu, who had been out of touch for a long time.

"Hi, girlfriend!" Zhu Linlu's voice came through with exaggerated cheerfulness.

She couldn't help but smile. "You're back?"

"Do you have time to meet?"

She checked her watch; it was already past one in the afternoon. "I have about half an hour."

"Great, come down. I'm at the coffee shop across the street from your office."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

She hung up, feeling genuinely pleased. But as she turned, she found herself face-to-face with Zhan Nanxian, who had positioned himself near her.

"Rushing off somewhere?" he asked, his lips curving into a faint smile.

Though his expression seemed indifferent, the coldness in his eyes made her feel uneasy.

"President Zhan, I'm not in a hurry," she explained in a good mood. "I just need to grab lunch quickly so I can be back to work for you this afternoon."

He smiled rarely, a gesture that felt more like a formality. "Instead of trying to impress me, maybe you should use that cleverness to end things with Zhu Linlu." His tone was unusually serious, and she was taken aback. "I won't repeat myself, and I really hope you’ll stop ignoring my advice."

Seeing his cold, emotionless gaze, she felt a strange urge to laugh, though she kept a composed exterior as she quickly navigated around him and went downstairs.

Women often sense emotional nuances, and she was acutely aware of how he treated her. This week, his demeanor had been strictly professional, with no personal interactions. His behavior was clear—if there was anything between them, it was nothing more than a casual connection, not a lingering relationship.

To him, the events of that night seemed like just an ordinary encounter. In his view, it was probably just one of many such moments in the city. She struggled to understand why he kept insisting she end things with Zhu Linlu when it was clear there was no deeper connection between him and her. Given his recent indifference, her relationship with Zhu Linlu or any other man seemed inconsequential to him.

When she met Zhu Linlu a quarter-hour later, she greeted him with a teasing smile. "You came back just in time."

The four-party deal involving Dahua Telecom, Qianyu, Daizhong, and the Singaporean company had been approved by the board and was moving towards finalization.

"I don’t have time to clean up others’ messes," Zhu Linlu remarked.

"And how is the casino project progressing?" she asked.

"It’s on track. I can arrange for you a VIP card to the most luxurious casino worldwide by mid-next year."

"And Daizhong? What’s the plan there?"

Zhu Linlu sneered. "If it weren’t for some games I’m playing with Zhan Nanxian, I would have withdrawn long ago. I’ll definitely provide Second Uncle with a satisfactory explanation." An inscrutable glint appeared in his eyes.

As Wen Nuan ate, she noticed Zhu Linlu’s intense gaze lingering on her. She checked her cheeks, finding no stray grains of rice.

Unable to hold back his laughter, Zhu Linlu asked, "You seemed fine on the phone. Why the change now?"

As she struggled with a spoonful of seafood fried rice, she stared at him and managed to swallow. "Zhu Linlu, do you have some sort of invisible emotion sensor?"

He snorted. "Who cares about you more than I do? I hope you appreciate me more when you’re busy."

She glanced at him before returning to her meal.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

After a moment’s hesitation, her gaze fell on the fried rice. "Linlu..."

He suddenly lifted her chin, his eyes hardening as he looked at her. "Nuannuan, if it’s what I think it is, don’t say anything."

She remained silent, her agreement implied.

He slapped her gently on the top of her head, causing her nose to touch the rice and her lower lip to scrape against her teeth. Dazed and in pain, she fought back tears, feeling the sting of his frustration. His anger was palpable, his voice rising to a level that drew attention from other diners.

"You foolish woman!"

"It was just an accident," she tried to explain, her voice weak and lacking conviction.

"Did you know Bo Yixin hinted to reporters about an imminent wedding?!" Zhu Linlu’s eyes blazed with anger.

Wen Nuan was taken aback; she rarely followed entertainment news and had learned about such things only later.

Zhu Linlu’s frustration was almost tangible.

"I beg you to separate the past from the present! Your current boss, Zhan Nanxian, is not your childhood friend. Don’t transfer your memories onto him. He’s too calculating and manipulative for someone like you. If you get involved with him again, you’re likely to repeat your mistakes. Do you understand?!" She bowed her head, knowing his accusations hit close to home.

He stood abruptly, struggling to contain his anger. "I’m furious! Go back and resign immediately! Don’t come near me until you’ve ended things with him!"

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