ALL NOVEL
Chapter 142
"What?" Xiao Mubai thought he had misheard.
"Nian Nian, why are you suddenly selling your house?" he probed cautiously.
Hearing the tension in Xiao Mubai's voice, Shen Nian chuckled. "Once I finish this project, I don't plan on staying in Beijing anymore, nor do I intend to come back. Leaving the house empty would be a waste, so I thought I'd sell it for some cash. If things go well in another city, I'll just buy a house and settle down there."
She paused before adding, "Actually, I quite like the sea. I'll probably end up settling by the coast in the future."
Shen Nian's tone was very relaxed, full of anticipation for the future. Only then did Xiao Mubai breathe a sigh of relief.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you."
Just then, a few other managers working on the same project came looking for Shen Nian.
"Assistant Shen, are you busy right now? It's time for the report to President Lu."
Shen Nian covered the phone and nodded lightly, "Give me a minute."
Then she spoke to Xiao Mubai on the other end of the line.
"Thank you, Mubai."
"No need to be so formal with me. Hang up now."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Shen Nian placed her phone on the desk to charge, grabbed the documents beside her, and followed the others into the CEO's office.
...
For the past few days, Liang Jinghe had been coming to the company every day, spending the entire day in Lu Lingchuan's office.
With the wedding date approaching and Lu Lingchuan being extremely busy: dealing with both company matters and following up on Lu Lingrui's affairs: he simply couldn't find time to choose wedding items.
So Liang Jinghe had to come over and discuss these matters with him during his rare moments of free time.
When Shen Nian and the others entered, Liang Jinghe was sitting there flipping through a bridal magazine. Sometimes having good eyesight isn't always a blessing Shen Nian's gaze immediately fell upon the bright red Chinese character for "happiness," looking both eye-catching and festive.
Without lingering, Shen Nian quickly averted her gaze, briefly consulted with her colleagues, and then began the work report.
Forty minutes later, the report was complete, and they awaited Lu Lingchuan's response.
He gave a slight nod. "No issues. Compile what you just reported and send it to my email."
The group responded in unison, "Yes, Mr. Lu."
With the report finished, they turned to leave the office in an orderly manner.
Seeing the employees leave, Liang Jinghe looked at Lu Lingchuan and spoke, "Lingchuan, are you free this weekend? Could you come with me to choose a wedding dress?" freёwebnovel.com
Lu Lingchuan replied in a flat tone, "I have a client meeting this weekend."
Liang Jinghe lowered her head, a flash of disappointment crossing her eyes, but she still said, "Alright then, I'll go by myself."
Shen Nian, who was the last to leave, overheard the conversation behind her. One foot had already stepped out of Lu Lingchuan's office.
The next second, she paused, turned her head, and spoke up.
"I'm free this weekend. Do you need me, Miss Liang?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, both Lu Lingchuan and Liang Jinghe's gazes turned to her. The man's eyes were deep and unreadable, his hand gripping the pen a little tighter, but he remained silent, just looking at her.
In Liang Jinghe's impression, Shen Nian had always been cool and aloof. This was the first time she had actively engaged in conversation with her. Slightly surprised, she recovered and smiled, "Wouldn't that be troubling you?"
"Not at all," Shen Nian replied. "Miss Liang is about to become the lady of Lingrui Group. It's my duty and responsibility to serve the company."
"As long as it doesn't inconvenience you," Liang Jinghe's eyes curved in a smile. "Having you accompany me, you can also give me some advice."
Shen Nian lowered her head, deliberately ignoring the piercing gaze on her.
Liang Jinghe was easily satisfied. With Shen Nian accompanying her, she no longer dwelled on whether Lu Lingchuan would be there or not.
Turning her head to Lu Lingchuan, she said with a smile, "Assistant Shen will accompany me, so you can focus on your work. Don't worry about me."
Lu Lingchuan lowered his head, leaving only a curt "Whatever."
Shen Nian didn't say anything more, left the office, and gently closed the door behind her.
Lu Lingchuan sat there, feeling restless for the first time. Despite having so much work waiting for him to handle, his mind was in complete disarray, leaving him unable to concentrate on work.
Frustration, from body to soul.
This feeling had persisted for several days, intensifying especially when Shen Nian came in to deliver documents or report on work.
Coupled with Liang Jinghe constantly talking about wedding matters in his ear, he felt increasingly irritated.
This was the first time Lu Lingchuan felt so mentally exhausted. He wanted to escape, to run far away, to cover his head and neither hear nor ask about anything, to not care about anything at all.
After Shen Nian left, Lu Lingchuan remained in a daze, unaware of what he said or did, as if he had lost his soul.
He didn't know how long this state lasted, but gradually, his blurred vision began to clear.
He suddenly came to his senses, only to realize that the office had already darkened.
Glancing at the time, it was already past six in the evening, and the street lights outside had come on.
The office was completely quiet. Even Liang Jinghe had gone somewhere, leaving him sitting there alone.
Back to his senses, he felt a splitting headache. Putting down his pen, Lu Lingchuan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Then he stood up and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, intending to rest his eyes by looking at the outside view.
Something caught his peripheral vision. Lu Lingchuan looked down at the street below.
Shen Nian was coming out of the company building. A familiar car was parked by the roadside he felt like he had seen it somewhere before.
Sure enough, the next second, the driver's door opened, and Xiao Mubai jogged around the front of the car towards Shen Nian, naturally taking her bag from her hand.
They were too far away for him to hear what they were saying, but he could tell they were in good spirits.
Shen Nian reached out to grab Xiao Mubai, who dodged her. The two chased each other like children, running back and forth. frёeωebɳovel.com
When they were about five meters from the car, Xiao Mubai stopped and let Shen Nian catch him. She gave him a couple of playful swats, and he ruffled her hair before naturally opening the passenger door for her.
They looked so compatible, the scene so warm and intimate, so... jarring.
Lu Lingchuan stood there, his hands at his sides alternately clenching and unclenching.
In the end, he chose to let go.
He watched the car drive away, disappearing from his sight, his eyes dim and lifeless.
...
On the weekend, Shen Nian woke up early.
She didn't have to go to work today, but she had an important task—
Accompanying Liang Jinghe to choose a wedding dress.
It was her own suggestion, after all.
Accompanying her ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend to choose a wedding dress: if word got out, people would probably laugh their heads off.
Knowing she was just playing a supporting role today, Shen Nian chose an inconspicuous outfit. With her black-framed glasses on, she looked much more bookish.
Without any makeup, she left the house with a bare face.
She had agreed to meet Liang Jinghe in front of the bridal shop. Having left early, she arrived just as Liang Jinghe was getting there.
"You're here," Liang Jinghe said with a big smile upon seeing Shen Nian. "I thought I'd have to wait a bit longer."
Shen Nian's smile remained polite and measured. "I was the one who offered to accompany Miss Liang. It would be quite rude to be late."