"No. He won't be back tonight."
"Oh? You sent him away deliberately because of me?"
Xiang Wan tugged at his tie, her eyes as beautiful as the stars and the sea.
"Yes. Are you satisfied?"
Extremely satisfied. Now they could be unrestrained.
Like a pair of passionately in love couples who hadn't seen each other for a long time, they moved around the house.
After a long while, everything finally quieted down.
Xiang Wan heard a rumbling sound from his stomach.
"What's that noise? Are you hungry?"
Lu Mingzhe nuzzled her nose.
"I haven't eaten all day."
"Is being a groom that busy?"
"You think so? It's both busy and boring."
"Then what do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
Lu Mingzhe held her, thinking about how she had worked all day and felt reluctant to order her around.
"I don't want to eat anything, it's fine."
"I'm not tired. Tell me, what do you want to eat?"
"Whatever you make."
"Then I'll cook you a bowl of noodles. My noodles are delicious."
Since no one else was home, the two went to the kitchen together. Xiang Wan first put some large bones into the pressure cooker to make soup, then washed the vegetables and cut the beef.
Lu Mingzhe held her from behind the entire time.
They were so affectionate and sweet that anyone would think they were the real newlyweds.
Xiang Wan was live-streaming today, wearing exquisite makeup.
Her eyelids were adorned with shimmering eyeshadow, and her lashes were curled and long.
She looked so beautiful chopping vegetables with her eyes down.
Lu Mingzhe kept staring at her, grateful that he hadn't let her go easily.
Otherwise, moments like today would have made him miserable, sitting coldly with Chen Jiaojiao at home.
"Did you miss me today?"
Xiang Wan paused her chopping when she heard him.
Such words went against their game rules.
She didn't know how to answer, so she changed the subject.
"Less talk, more action. Hurry up and wash up and change. It'll be ready soon."
Lu Mingzhe didn't leave and asked her again.
"So, did you miss me today?"
"Why would I miss you? I'm not that bored to think about what your wedding with your wife looked like."
Fine.
Actually, Lu Mingzhe missed her.
Although Chen Jiaojiao was by his side and many people were around, making him seem very busy and lively,
his mind was constantly filled with Xiang Wan's voice and smile.
He even fantasized.
What would his state be if he were attending this wedding with Xiang Wan today?
He wasn't a sentimental person and had never cared for romantic things before.
He detested men who always talked about love and romance.
But today, he couldn't help but think of a line.
"Watching the sky in the morning, clouds in the evening. Whether walking or sitting, I think of you."
Missing someone is something you can't control.
No matter what you're doing, your mind is always on her.
He suddenly regretted using this method to get back at Chen Jiaojiao.
Without the good fortune of Lu Mingzhe, Hu Jiasheng was still working overtime.
It seemed like everyone around him was reminding him of his shameful status and how wrong his relationship with Chen Jiaojiao had begun.
How unworthy he was of Chen Jiaojiao, and how he couldn't afford to offend Lu Mingzhe.
From a young age, he knew he was inferior to Zhan Beijue and could never surpass his status in this life.
So he studied hard, worked hard, and tried hard to please the old man.
But unexpectedly, at 30 years old, he had still lost completely.
No career, no family, no love.
Other than numbing himself with endless work, he didn't know what else he could do.
Actually, seeing him in this state, Ah Zhong felt quite a bit.
They were both men, and some pain didn't need to be spoken; it could be felt through subtle details.
Ah Zhong had experienced it, or rather, was still experiencing it.
He understood Hu Jiasheng very well.
But he couldn't help him.
Back at the hotel, Zhan Beijue called to ask how things were going.
Ah Zhong said that everything would be ready by tomorrow, and Hu Jiasheng was finishing up when he had just returned.
"Before, due to the issues in the Dan country, I didn't handle things well, which led to a misunderstanding between you and Sister Nanfang. Now I have psychological trauma."
"After you had an accident in Switzerland, Sister Nanfang asked people to investigate Hu Jiasheng. They didn't find any problems, but I never believed it. I felt he must have fooled them."
"But today, I suddenly believe him."
"I don't know why, but seeing his state, I feel he's very similar to me, not that complicated."
Zhan Beijue was silent for a moment, then told him to think less and go to bed early.
Then he hung up the phone.
Jiang Nanfang leaned over, and he pulled her into his arms.
Jiang Nanfang asked, "What did Ah Zhong say to you?"
"He said he used to suspect Hu Jiasheng wasn't a good person, but now he doesn't."
Jiang Nanfang smiled and rubbed her index finger back and forth on the stubble of his chin.
"Ah Zhong's thought process is the same as mine."
"When Grandpa suddenly brought him back, my first reaction was that he was your competitor, so he definitely wasn't a good person."
"That's why after your accident in Switzerland, I quickly suspected him. Even Grandpa personally investigated him, but no problems were found."
"Later, when I went to work and interacted with him a few times, and saw him accompanying the children occasionally, I found that he really wasn't as bad as I thought."
"Didn't you suspect him at all back then? You handed the company over to him directly?"
How could that be?
For Zhan's century-old foundation, if not for trust, how could Zhan Beijue have easily handed it over to him?
He just wanted to show his magnanimity and didn't openly question it.
The deputy general manager of human resources of the group had also conducted a thorough investigation of Hu Jiasheng.
"What are you going to do? How will you deal with him in this matter?"
Zhan Beijue said.
"It depends on the severity of the consequences. If it can be resolved perfectly, he'll be dealt with as dereliction of duty and demoted."
"But if not, and it brings significant impact to Zhan's, would it be appropriate for me to keep him, and would he be comfortable staying?"
Jiang Nanfang sighed.
"I've seen his designs made abroad; his level is quite high. Actually, regardless of the outcome, the group should give people a chance to correct themselves."
"Your real estate company needs good designers. You might as well transfer him there."
Having not seen each other for several days, Zhan Beijue's thoughts became restless from Jiang Nanfang's gentle caresses.
"I'll listen to you. Give him a chance."
"If he's willing to be a designer in the real estate company, I won't force him if he's not."
From executive president to a grassroots employee.
Such a huge psychological gap, most people couldn't handle it.
Jiang Nanfang, being a woman, was not as ruthless as him.
While being intimate with him, she was still thinking of others.
"Then when do you plan to call him back? Before announcing the handling of the results, I suggest you talk to him first."
"I know. Give him face."
"When will Ah Zhong return?"
"After this renovation project is completed and all inspections are qualified."
Wouldn't that be at least a month?
Jiang Nanfang suddenly had a suggestion.
"Why don't you send Zhou Jinbei over too?"