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.

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.

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."