Lan Lan nodded, readily admitting, "You did scare me. I didn't expect you to be so twisted."
Liang Yufeng suddenly didn't know what to say. He had intended to end the topic there, lest he truly frighten her. Unexpectedly, she was quite curious and pestered him with questions, "How did you even come up with that idea?"
Lan Lan thought seriously. Although their breakup had been unpleasant, she hadn't cheated. She had simply grown tired of being with him. In college, breakups like that were normal. Liang Yufeng's hatred to the point of wanting to imprison her seemed a bit outrageous.
"Because if I didn't keep you confined, you would be seen by others," Liang Yufeng answered frankly since she had asked. Those were his past thoughts; his views had changed now, and he didn't shy away from admitting it. "There were too many men around you."
Lan Lan laughed, "Oh, there are still quite a few men around me now. So, do you still want to keep me confined?"
Liang Yufeng shook his head, indicating his stance. He no longer held such extreme thoughts. "You chose to be with me willingly. I haven't thought about those things since."
From beginning to end, all he wanted was for them to be together willingly, to have a serious relationship. He had once thought about marriage, but now, even if Lan Lan still didn't want to get married, he accepted it gladly. Living their lives peacefully, unhindered by any external forces, he was already content.
What Lan Lan had said to Jiang Wan earlier was something he hadn't even dared to fantasize about before. Now, he was very satisfied.
"My parents want to have dinner with you," Lan Lan suddenly remembered Yu Ran's earlier words and asked for Liang Yufeng's thoughts. "Shall we go after our road trip?"
"Yes," Liang Yufeng naturally had no objections, in fact, he couldn't have asked for more. Although he had already eaten with Yu Ran and Lan Zhong several times before, their relationship at those times was not as it was now, nor was he attending as her "boyfriend."
Moreover, this time, Lan Lan had proposed it herself. She was finally bringing him to her parents.
Liang Yufeng was in a very good mood, even a little excited. Like a child receiving affirmation, he smiled. Lan Lan saw through his inner thoughts and pinched his cheek. He was truly both reserved and childish.
She hadn't noticed his childish side before. When they first started dating, although she wasn't old, Liang Yufeng's way of thinking was already much more mature than his peers. This was likely due to his upbringing; he was very steady and not impulsive like his peers. At least, she had never seen him smile like this when they were together.
To see such a childlike side of him at thirty was unexpected. Lan Lan happened to be someone who needed novelty, and seeing Liang Yufeng's different facets greatly increased her sense of freshness towards him, as if she were dating someone new.
Arriving in Jianghan, the temptations of food were too great, and with Liang Yufeng's "encouragement," Lan Lan temporarily set aside her diet and fitness goals. The entire Jianghan trip was spent indulging in delicious food.
After resigning, Lan Lan's frequency of posting on social media increased significantly. Every time she visited a city, she would post many photos summarizing her trip before leaving. While Liang Yufeng's figure was absent from the photos of Linghai City, Lan Lan shared a photo of Liang Yufeng and Mai Xuanfeng together from her Jianghan trip.
Since she had decided to become Liang Yufeng's official girlfriend, Lan Lan had no intention of hiding it. When posting the photo, she even added a caption: "Old Feng and Little Feng."
Lan Lan had thousands of contacts on WeChat, all former colleagues or people she had collaborated with in the industry. Liang Yufeng was also a prominent figure in this circle. Rumors about the two of them had been rampant, and everyone had heard them to some extent. However, the two parties involved had never publicly addressed the matter, so when Lan Lan posted Liang Yufeng's photo, it immediately sparked discussions among people in the industry.
Before long, gossip spread from people at Hetao, claiming that Liang Yufeng was kicked out of the company by Xu Zhengxi because he insisted on being with Lan Lan, and Lan Lan was also fired from Xinhe. With embellishment and exaggeration, their relationship was even described as a great love that defied family.
When Lan Lan heard the news from a close colleague, she was momentarily speechless. She never expected to be described as a love-struck fool in her life, and this was likely the only time it would happen.
The road trip lasted for over a month. By the time they returned to Nanjiang, it was early autumn.
Liang Yufeng had not been to the company for over two months. The company's senior management had been eagerly awaiting his return. Although Xu Zhengxi was stubborn, he could no longer control these people. Xu Zhouyue's capabilities were limited; he struggled even to maintain existing projects, let alone develop new ones.
Due to Liang Yufeng's departure, the entire company's business rhythm had slowed down considerably.
Xu Zhengxi was panicking, but he was too proud to find Liang Yufeng. He also knew that Liang Yufeng was traveling with Lan Lan, and the two of them seemed unconcerned about their future.
Xu Zhengxi was once again "under siege" at a senior management meeting. The progress of new projects was repeatedly encountering problems. The senior management and core team were all Liang Yufeng's people. Even if he intervened personally, he couldn't get them to obey him.
Helpless, Xu Zhengxi had to personally seek out Liang Yufeng.
He arrived in the evening, just as Liang Yufeng was cooking in the kitchen, so Lan Lan opened the door. Xu Zhengxi rarely visited Liang Yufeng's place, and his few encounters with Lan Lan had not been pleasant. Seeing Lan Lan, his expression became unnatural.
Mai Xuanfeng, not recognizing Xu Zhengxi, barked. Xu Zhengxi then noticed that Liang Yufeng actually kept a pet dog.
"Where is Yufeng?" Xu Zhengxi asked.
"He's cooking." Xu Zhengxi wasn't looking for trouble, and Lan Lan wasn't so idle as to make things difficult for him. She invited him in to sit down.
After sitting down, Xu Zhengxi looked around. The living room was filled with traces of daily life, much like an ordinary young couple's home.
Mai Xuanfeng stayed in the living room, settled by Xu Zhengxi's feet, wagging its tail.
Liang Yufeng was not surprised by Xu Zhengxi's visit. He had left Hetao so nonchalantly precisely because he knew this day would eventually come. If Xu Zhouyue had been truly capable, why would Xu Zhengxi have gone to such lengths to find him to take over the company back then?
Xu Zhengxi happened to arrive during dinner, so he stayed for the meal. He had never eaten Liang Yufeng's cooking before and didn't even know he could cook, so he couldn't help but show surprise at the table full of dishes. "Did you make all of this?"
Liang Yufeng replied, "Yes." He was not warm towards Xu Zhengxi, but instead said to Lan Lan, "I added ketchup to the sweet and sour pork today. Try it."
He was acting like a good husband, and it was evident that this wasn't the first time he had cooked for Lan Lan.
Xu Zhengxi suddenly felt superfluous. He cleared his throat and said, "You've had a few months off. There's a lot going on at the company. Once you've rested enough, go back and handle things."
Lan Lan found it amusing. He was truly good at finding a way out for himself. After bullying Liang Yufeng so much before, he wanted to just let it go like this?