Chapter 39

After dinner, Zhao Tongtong insisted that Shen Zhirou not bother washing the pots. With no choice, Shen Zhirou returned to her room. She had no desire to check her phone, so she grabbed her tablet and started binge-watching a drama instead. By the time Zhao Tongtong finished washing up and returned, more than half the episode had already played on Shen Zhirou’s screen. Snapping back to attention, she realized she’d been completely zoned out and had no clue what had even happened in it.

Zhao Tongtong kept Shen Zhirou company until ten o’clock before heading back to her own room. The moment she walked in, Wei Xuan spoke up in a sour tone. “Finally decided to come back? I figured you’d be bunking with her tonight.”

“Tch, what’s with the jealousy? Can’t you be a little more open-minded? Zhirou’s my best friend, and she just went through a breakup—she needs her friends right now. Cut me some slack.” Zhao Tongtong tidied up a bit before climbing into bed.

“I get that, but it’s awkward, and she likes girls. You gotta think about me too.” Wei Xuan lowered his voice. He still had to keep up appearances; it wouldn’t look good if Shen Zhirou overheard.

Zhao Tongtong burst out laughing. “Wait, are you seriously jealous? Relax, big guy—Zhirou and I are just sisters, nothing more. Besides, I’m straight as an arrow, and Zhirou’s got sky-high standards. You’re reading way too much into this.”

Wei Xuan had nothing to say to that. He shut his mouth and went back to gaming.

Shen Zhirou’s internal clock was spot on. She’d turned in early the night before—likely worn out—and slept dreamlessly through the night. She woke just past six in the morning.

After changing, Shen Zhirou got up to wash her face. Opening the door, she spotted Wei Xuan emerging shirtless from the bathroom, fresh from a shower. He looked embarrassed to see her and darted right back into his and Zhao Tongtong’s room.

Only then did Shen Zhirou head in to freshen up. When she emerged, she got straight to work making breakfast in the kitchen.

Wei Xuan soon appeared, now fully dressed. Zhao Tongtong was still out cold; it usually took her seven o’clock alarm to stir.

Wei Xuan eyed Shen Zhirou in the kitchen, rubbed his hands together, and stepped inside anyway. “Need a hand with anything?”

“All set. When Tongtong wakes up, I’ll just sauté some shrimp and boil noodles.” Shen Zhirou replied as she neatly arranged the side dishes on a plate.

Wei Xuan’s gaze fixed on Shen Zhirou for a good ten seconds, idly wishing Zhao Tongtong would get up early like this every day to cook for him. He coughed lightly to cover it and tried to keep the conversation going.

Seeing him hovering in the doorway, clearly wanting to say something but holding back, Shen Zhirou took the initiative. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Ah, yeah, sort of.” Wei Xuan cleared his throat. “My parents might swing by Jiangbei this week to check on that house we’re renovating. Putting them up in a hotel doesn’t feel right, so…”

He trailed off, but the implication hung in the air. Shen Zhirou, ever perceptive, picked up on it immediately. “Oh, actually, I was meaning to bring it up. My sister called last night and asked me to crash with her for a few days. I’ll head over today.”

That caught Wei Xuan off guard, leaving him a little awkward. “No rush—they won’t be here for another day or two. Sorry, bad timing with everything.”

“No worries. I’ve already been putting you two out these past couple days. You and Tongtong just take care of each other. I’ll pack up and move out after work tonight.” Shen Zhirou met his eyes as she spoke.

By the time Zhao Tongtong got up, she was oblivious to the exchange between Shen Zhirou and Wei Xuan. Spotting the finished noodles, she immediately lit into Wei Xuan. “How could you let Zhirou make breakfast?”

“She was up before me. When I got here, Zhirou had already started.” Wei Xuan gave a sheepish smile by way of explanation.

“Then you’re cooking dinner tonight. We can’t keep foisting this on Zhirou.” Zhao Tongtong mumbled around a mouthful of noodles.

Shen Zhirou glanced at Zhao Tongtong, then flicked her eyes toward Wei Xuan. “No need for that. Mianmian heard about my situation and invited me to stay with her a few days. I’ll head over after my shift ends.”

“Hey, aren’t you meeting the realtor this weekend to look at places? Don’t keep bouncing around like this—stay here a bit longer. Mianmian’s spot is a one-bedroom; you two will be crammed in there.” Zhao Tongtong hated the thought of her best friend shuttling back and forth, especially since there was plenty of room here.

“It’s fine. It’ll be nice to keep her company for a bit.” Shen Zhirou had no plans to repeat Wei Xuan’s words to Zhao Tongtong. Staying here had already been an imposition on the couple, and she didn’t want to stir up trouble between them over her problems.

After breakfast, Shen Zhirou and Zhao Tongtong headed to the company together. That morning, Shen Zhirou spent most of her time lost in thought. Fortunately, she’d buckled down and finished all her work the day before when she was in a foul mood, which left her plenty of time now to stare blankly at her computer screen.

“Ding ding ding.” Her phone chimed with several WeChat notifications. Shen Zhirou glanced at it and saw the messages were from Lu Yao. Those five little red dots on the screen glared back at her. Out of sight, out of mind—she simply flipped the phone face down on her desk, planning to deal with them all at once that evening. She knew those red dots would keep her tossing and turning all night otherwise.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao was listening to reports from the project team members. She fiddled with her phone every so often, hoping to see a reply from Shen Zhirou. When none appeared, her face turned chillingly cold.

The person giving the report trembled nervously, terrified that the slightest mistake would mean starting over. These past few days had been pure hell for everyone on the project team; even minor flaws triggered a torrent of criticism from Lu Yao.

They delivered their reports with utmost caution, and only after filing out of the small conference room did they finally exhale in relief. Chen Qingqing quietly pulled Jiang Chen aside, determined to get the scoop on whatever was going on.

“Jiang Chen, come here a sec. I’ve got a few questions.” Chen Qingqing shot him a meaningful glance, and the two found a quiet corner to talk.

“What’s the deal with CEO Lu lately? She’s always been cool and aloof, sure, but not like this—her face has been downright terrifying.” Chen Qingqing whispered.

Jiang Chen had delivered dinner to Lu Yao several evenings in a row and hadn’t caught a glimpse of Shen Zhirou, so he had his suspicions. Keeping his voice low, he replied, “This stays between us—don’t breathe a word to anyone.”

“Don’t worry. Spill it—what’s going on?” Chen Qingqing whispered urgently.

“CEO Lu started dating a girlfriend a while back. Every time I’ve dropped off her dinner lately, she’s been alone at home. My guess? They broke up.”

“CEO Lu has a girlfriend? No way—I had no idea. Yeah, that tracks. Must be a breakup, or she wouldn’t be in this mood, chewing everyone out. Heads up for the next few days.” Chen Qingqing murmured, then they went their separate ways.

Back in her office, Lu Yao signed off on all the documents with a stony expression. After that, her eyes stayed glued to her phone, and she grew increasingly fidgety.

Her slender fingertips scrolled upward through a one-sided stream of WeChat messages—all from Shen Zhirou, sent at various times and dates. Not a single reply from Lu Yao herself.

A strange pang twisted in Lu Yao’s chest. She’d only gone two days without a response from Shen Zhirou and already felt on edge; how must Shen Zhirou have felt, waiting day after day for replies that never came?

Lu Yao resolved that if they could patch things up this time, she’d respond to every message Shen Zhirou sent from then on. And those limited-edition items? She wouldn’t hold out so rigidly anymore. She could bend a little for Shen Zhirou—as long as she cooled off and moved back home soon.

She still had a bidding meeting that afternoon at the company to select suppliers for the project’s building materials, which meant plenty more arrangements to handle. Several companies had dangled invitations for private dinners, but Lu Yao shot them all down.

A little after three in the afternoon, the bidding meeting kicked off as scheduled in the New District Construction Group’s tenth-floor conference room. Lu Yao took the head seat, listening as each company pitched their strengths while Chen Qingqing jotted down notes beside her. The session dragged on until after five.

Wei Xuan had come along with his company’s manager. Spotting Lu Yao’s nameplate, he fired off a WeChat message to Zhao Tongtong: Is Shen Zhirou’s girlfriend Lu Yao the project manager at the New District Construction Group?

Zhao Tongtong wondered why he was asking but replied: Yeah, she works there—in a pretty senior role. Why?

Wei Xuan: No reason. Ran into her at a meeting today. Just curious.

Zhao Tongtong: Oh.

Wei Xuan smiled at his screen. He scribbled a note on his pad for his boss, who read it, grinned, and gave a nod.

Once the meeting wrapped, everyone scattered. Wei Xuan’s boss murmured a few instructions, and Wei Xuan smiled and acknowledged them before lingering by the door, waiting for Lu Yao.

When Lu Yao emerged with her secretary, Wei Xuan stepped forward. “CEO Lu, mind if I steal a few minutes to chat?”

“We’ll review and discuss the bids. I don’t do private meetings,” Lu Yao said, already turning to leave.

“CEO Lu, it’s not about the bidding. I wanted to talk to you about Zhirou.” Wei Xuan smiled and said.

“Zhirou?” Lu Yao frowned, sizing Wei Xuan up a few times before she said, “Go on.”

“Here’s the thing. I’m Wei Xuan. Zhirou is good friends with my girlfriend, and she’s currently staying at our place. I know she’s your girlfriend. This morning, I told her to move out, so you can come pick her up this afternoon and take her home.”

Lu Yao’s expression turned icy, and even her words carried a chill. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m just helping you out here—letting you and your girlfriend patch things up sooner. Tonight, our CEO Liang has prepared a dinner and would like to treat you. I hope you can do us the honor.” Wei Xuan’s face was wreathed in smiles. If he’d known earlier that Zhirou’s girlfriend was the project manager at New District Construction Group, he should have cozied up to Zhirou more.

“What’s your home address? Send it to my secretary.” Lu Yao said coldly.

“Alright, alright. I’ll add her on WeChat and send it over.” Wei Xuan hurriedly added Chen Qingqing on WeChat and sent her the home location along with the door number. Then he said to Lu Yao, “I’ve sent the address. So, about dinner tonight?”

Lu Yao shot him a cold glance, her thin lips parting slightly. “You kicked my girlfriend out of your house, and now you want to invite me to dinner? Tell your company to save their effort.”