“Jie Jie, let me drive you there. I need to head to the company anyway this morning.” Lu Yao looked at Shen Zhirou with a touch of nervousness, bracing herself for another rejection. After all, she’d been turned down so many times over the past two months that numbness had set in.
Shen Zhirou nodded and stepped out of the elevator first. “Sure, let’s go together.”
Lu Yao hadn’t expected Shen Zhirou to actually agree. Her eyes lit up, but she didn’t dare stare for too long. It had taken so much effort for Jie Jie to finally speak to her calmly; pushing too hard might scare her off again.
Once seated in the car, Lu Yao sneaked a glance at Shen Zhirou beside her, her heart inexplicably tightening with tension. Seeing that Shen Zhirou had no intention of chatting, Lu Yao pressed her lips together and said nothing. She started the engine and drove straight toward Shen Zhirou’s company.
Less than ten minutes later, Lu Yao pulled up near Shen Zhirou’s company. As Shen Zhirou reached for the door, Lu Yao hurriedly asked, “Jie Jie, should I come pick you up after work this afternoon?”
“No need. It’s a short walk back—I can just stroll there slowly. Don’t trouble yourself with another trip.” Shen Zhirou unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her bag, and prepared to get out. She caught Lu Yao’s faintly disappointed expression but offered no explanation. With that, she turned and stepped out of the car.
Lu Yao’s gaze followed Shen Zhirou until she disappeared into the company building. Only then did she drive away, letting out a soft sigh. She really hadn’t done well enough; Jie Jie no longer wanted to spend every moment with her like she used to.
Still, after two straight months of rejections from Shen Zhirou, Lu Yao had developed some resilience. Chasing someone was never easy. She’d only been turned down a handful of times, and Jie Jie clearly still cared—otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken care of her last night. With that thought, Lu Yao felt a spark of confidence return.
As she drove, she slipped on her Bluetooth earpiece and dialed Chen Qingqing using the spare phone in the car.
The call connected right away, and Chen Qingqing’s voice came through. “CEO Lu, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ll be at the company soon. Just double-check everything with President Chen’s team one more time. What happened last night?”
“My car was parked right at the Club entrance. I was about to come out and get you, but then Jiang Chen recognized the lady supporting you as your girlfriend, so we held back to avoid interrupting. CEO Lu, is everything alright?” Chen Qingqing asked quickly. Last night, Jiang Chen had guessed that CEO Lu’s foul mood over the past two months stemmed from girlfriend troubles. If they’d jumped in and ruined a prime alone-time opportunity, CEO Lu would never let them live it down.
“Nothing happened. I’ll buy milk tea for everyone later. But going forward, if it’s my girlfriend, feel free to leave me in her hands. Anyone else, no.” Lu Yao gave the instruction.
“You got it, CEO Lu. If it hadn’t been Miss Shen helping you out last night, Jiang Chen and I would’ve been there in a flash.” Chen Qingqing chuckled. CEO Lu’s tone wasn’t as curt as it had been the past few days, and the milk tea offer was a good sign—things must have gone well with Miss Shen.
Lu Yao hung up just as she pulled into the company garage. The moment she reached her office, she had Jiang Chen use her phone to order milk tea for the entire project team. Her poor condition over the last two months had worn everyone out with all the overtime, but with her taking the next month and a half off, they’d finally catch a break.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhirou breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Things had been like this with Lu Yao for two months now. Though she made a point of ignoring her most days, she couldn’t deny that Lu Yao still lingered in her heart. This was her first time falling for someone—how could she just forget? Easing up on the constant rejections felt better than forcing it.
Shen Zhirou glanced down at the paper bag in her hand, which held last night’s gown. Her fingers tightened around the handle as she drew in a few deep breaths. At first, she’d seen Fu Ning as nothing more than a little sister, like Mianmian. But after spending time together lately, even she could read between the lines and grasp Fu Ning’s intentions—especially after that banquet invitation last night.
She hadn’t turned her down because she’d wanted to try starting something new. Fu Ning was wonderful: talkative, thoughtful, attentive, always considerate of others’ feelings. But with everything still so murky between her and Lu Yao, she owed it to Fu Ning to set things straight. She couldn’t keep accepting her kindness anymore.
Shen Zhirou pondered as she hurried toward the office. She glanced at her workstation and saw the breakfast Fu Ning had bought still sitting there. Fu Ning’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted her. Shen Zhirou tightened her grip on the handbag, her mind made up. Since she’d already decided, she couldn’t keep stringing Fu Ning along any longer.
She flashed Fu Ning a smile and set the bag on her desk. “The clothes from last night are in here. I have a few things I’d like to say to you in private. Is that okay?”
Fu Ning pressed her lips together and nodded, a vague sense of foreboding settling over her. Still, she followed Shen Zhirou toward the quieter fire escape stairwell. “Jie Jie, did something happen last night?”
“You could say that.” Shen Zhirou replied as they walked.
Once they reached the stairwell, Shen Zhirou turned to face Fu Ning and spoke slowly. “Xiao Ning, thank you for taking such good care of me this past month. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you. But you know a bit about what happened between me and Lu Yao. The truth is, I still can’t let go of her. I think I understand how you feel, which is why I wanted to talk to you about this. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to you, and I’d just be holding you back.”
Fu Ning’s lips pressed into a thin line, and the bright sparkle in her puppy-dog eyes gradually dimmed. “Jie Jie, can’t you give me another chance? I’m not any worse than Lu Yao.”
This time, Fu Ning didn’t back down. She came right out and said what she’d been holding back.
“I know you’re not worse than her, but after two months, I can’t deny that I still like her. At first, I thought I could try starting something new, but last night, when I saw her almost get taken away by someone else, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. Under these circumstances, I can’t start a new relationship. I’m sorry, Xiao Ning. I can’t accept your kindness anymore. It wouldn’t be fair to you.” Shen Zhirou laid all her cards on the table, being completely honest. Since she’d made her decision, it was best to clear the air before things went any further between her and Fu Ning.
Fu Ning nodded at Shen Zhirou, her lips still pursed as she forced a smile. “You’re right. And thank you for being upfront with me about this. Jie Jie, don’t worry—I’m not the type to cling or pester. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Xiao Ning.” Shen Zhirou apologized again.
“There’s no need to apologize. I chose to like you. If anything, I’m grateful you were willing to talk it out with me. We may not be girlfriends, but we can still be friends. Besides, next month I’m heading off to work as my brother’s secretary, so we probably won’t see each other as often anyway. Jie Jie, I wish you and her all the happiness.”
Fu Ning steadied herself and gave Shen Zhirou a genuine smile.
“Thank you, Xiao Ning. I hope you meet someone even better.” Shen Zhirou replied with a hint of regret. With everything out in the open, a weight lifted from her chest.
Meanwhile, Lu Yao had spent the morning wrapping up all her work handovers. As she prepared to leave, she ran into Wen Jin.
Wen Jin sent her assistant ahead and turned to Lu Yao, lowering her voice. “Yaoyao, did you get the story straight from Shen Zhirou? Was that woman she was wearing couple’s outfits with last night her new girlfriend? Or just a fling?”
“It’s none of your business, Wen Jin. How did I never notice five years ago what kind of person you are?” Lu Yao felt a wave of disgust at the sight of her and had no desire to exchange another word.
“Heh, five years ago, you were head over heels for me, remember? Yaoyao, are you really not going to give me another thought? I think I’d suit you better than Shen Zhirou.” Wen Jin’s lips curved into a smile as she gazed at Lu Yao.
“Don’t even think about it—especially not trying to get to me through my family. For her, I’d cut ties with them in a heartbeat. President Wen, know your place.” With that, Lu Yao turned and walked out without another glance.
She headed home to wash the clothes she was wearing, dry them, then swing by the supermarket before waiting at Jie Jie’s door for her to get back.
The thought of seeing Shen Zhirou that afternoon made Lu Yao’s eyes light up. Once home, she took a quick shower, washed all her clothes, dried them, folded them neatly into a bag. With time still to spare, she treated herself to a rare home-cooked meal of shrimp and seafood noodles, snapping a photo to send to Shen Zhirou.
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, I made shrimp and seafood noodles for lunch today~ (picture, picture)
Lu Yao: (cat rubbing hands jpg) Next time, I’ll make it for you~
Shen Zhirou saw Lu Yao’s WeChat messages during lunch. Fu Ning wasn’t with her this time. She glanced down at the messages, thought for a moment, and replied.
Shen Zhirou: Sounds good. I’ll be waiting.
Now that she’d sorted out her feelings about recent events, there was no need to keep ignoring Lu Yao. She decided to just let things unfold naturally.
Lu Yao sent off the WeChat message without much hope that Shen Zhirou would reply. After all, in their chat window, she’d been talking to herself for the past two months, treating it almost like her personal diary. She just wanted to share it with Shen Zhirou, and it was fine if there was no response. But this time, a reply actually came through.
Lu Yao’s eyes lit up. Delighted, she clutched her phone and stared at the screen for a good while, then spun around the restaurant several times in sheer joy before finally calming down. She hurriedly typed back a few messages.
Lu Yao: Jie Jie, I’ve started my vacation this afternoon. Whatever you want to eat from now on, I’ll make it for you.
Lu Yao: (kitty acting spoiled.jpg) I miss you so much~ Jie Jie~
Lu Yao: (kitty nuzzling.jpg) Jie Jie, are you still there?
Shen Zhirou glanced at WeChat, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Lu Yao had learned to use emojis to act cute? It didn’t quite match her usual aloof image.
Shen Zhirou: Still eating. Let’s chat later.
Seeing Shen Zhirou reply again, Lu Yao was so thrilled she forgot about her food and quickly responded.
Lu Yao: Okay, then I’ll eat too. Won’t disturb Jie Jie for now~ (well-behaved kitty.jpg)
Shen Zhirou looked at the little cat image Lu Yao had sent, her gaze softening.
Huang Qingqing seemed to notice something unusual about Shen Zhirou today. With Fu Ning not clinging to her all morning, Huang Qingqing tentatively asked, “Zhirou, you and Xiao Ning…”
Shen Zhirou knew exactly what she meant and answered candidly, “I’ve cleared things up with Xiao Ning. We’re just going to be friends. You probably know a bit about me and Lu Yao. The truth is, even after two months apart, I still can’t let her go. Things between us aren’t sorted out yet, so I don’t want to string Xiao Ning along.”
Huang Qingqing nodded. “Yeah, just follow your heart. As long as it’s clear, that’s good.”
That afternoon, as Shen Zhirou wrapped up her work, an unexpected wave of relaxation washed over her. For the past two months, something had been weighing on her mind. She hadn’t shown it on the surface, but deep down, a string inside her had snapped. Now that things were a little better, that tension finally eased.
Just before six in the evening, Shen Zhirou walked back to her neighborhood. When she stepped out of the elevator, she saw someone squatting against the wall by her door. “Why didn’t you call me when you got here?”
Lu Yao’s eyes brightened as she looked up at Shen Zhirou, just like a cat waiting eagerly for its owner to come home. “I just arrived too. Haven’t been waiting long.”
