Chapter 144

"..." Shen Nian fell silent, wordlessly continuing to gaze at Liang Jinghe.

After an indeterminate time, she finally spoke.

"I know this isn't my moon, but for a moment, its light truly shone upon me."

"..."

Liang Jinghe walked towards Shen Nian, her wedding dress trailing behind her. Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she flashed a broad grin at Shen Nian.

"Assistant Shen, what do you think? Is there anything that needs altering?"

After all, it was an off-the-rack dress, not custom-made to her measurements, so some imperfections were inevitable.

Shen Nian scrutinized the dress thoroughly before commenting, "It's absolutely beautiful. Miss Liang, you have an excellent figure. There's nothing in particular that needs changing."

Liang Jinghe's face lit up at the compliment. "Thank you."

Her gaze then shifted to Xiao Mubai standing next to Shen Nian. She paused for a moment. "And this is...?"

She asked this reflexively, but immediately realized she knew the answer.

She had seen Xiao Mubai before, albeit briefly.

Xiao Mubai was quite handsome, so even though she had only glimpsed him once, he had left an impression.

Shen Nian's lips curled into a smirk as she glanced sidelong at Xiao Mubai, leaning against him.

"My boyfriend," she said nonchalantly.

Just as she finished speaking, the phone she had been holding rang. Glancing at it, she saw it was from the company, likely a work call. She walked away with the phone.

"Don't listen to her nonsense," Xiao Mubai said, watching her retreating figure with a mixture of exasperation and affection in his eyes.

Looking up to meet Liang Jinghe's appraising gaze, Xiao Mubai's lips curved into a smile as he introduced himself properly.

"I'm her brother."

...

After accompanying Liang Jinghe to choose her wedding dress, Shen Nian entered overtime mode, finally completing all the wrap-up work a week later.

Shen Nian picked up her pen, signed the last document, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at the stacks of files piled high, a smile of liberation spread across her slightly fatigued face.

From this moment on, she was truly saying goodbye to the past.

"I'm going on a trip," she said.

"..." Hearing Shen Nian's words, Jiang Lingling stopped in her tracks once more and turned around.

She looked at Shen Nian quizzically. "Sister Nian, you're going on a trip?"

"Yes," she said. "I've been working overtime and pulling all-nighters on this project for so long, I'm feeling mentally and physically exhausted. So I'm planning to go on a trip to relax and unwind."

After a moment's thought, Shen Nian continued.

"I just realized that I've been so focused on work all these years, I've never actually gone on a proper trip."

Everyone knew that Shen Nian had been working alongside Lu Lingchuan since she was eighteen or nineteen, helping him build the company from the ground up.

Although she was incredibly accomplished now, she was still only a 23-year-old woman.

"Going on a trip to clear your mind is indeed a great idea," Jiang Lingling wholeheartedly agreed. "Sister Nian, make sure you enjoy yourself, okay? And take lots of beautiful photos to show me when you get back."

Shen Nian smiled. "I will."

As Jiang Lingling was about to leave again, Shen Nian called out her name directly.

"Lingling."

"..." Jiang Lingling halted once more, turning back puzzled. "Hmm?"

This time when she turned around, she saw Shen Nian looking at her with intense seriousness. "To be honest, the reason I initially approached you was because you reminded me so much of her. You have the same carefree personality, and the first time I saw you smile, with those faint dimples at the corners of your mouth, I was mesmerized."

That carefree, lighthearted smile was almost identical to Lu Lingrui's.

"..." Although surprised, Jiang Lingling didn't react too strongly.

Shen Nian had mentioned before that Jiang Lingling's personality resembled someone she cared about deeply.

"At first, I did see you as a substitute for her, a way to make amends. But now, the reason I'm good to you is entirely because you're Lingling, not because of her or anyone else. It's because you deserve it. I'm sorry for once seeing you as someone else's replacement," Shen Nian said, not wanting to hide anything and choosing to be completely honest with Jiang Lingling.

Jiang Lingling didn't pay much attention to it and even smiled reassuringly at Shen Nian, "If it weren't for Sister Nian teaching me, I wouldn't be where I am today. I could never blame you for that."

Shen Nian smiled gently.

"I'm going on a trip," she stated again.

After a brief pause, she asked Jiang Lingling, "Would you wish me a pleasant journey?"

"Of course I will," Jiang Lingling replied without hesitation. "I hope you have a wonderful trip, Sister Nian! Enjoy yourself to the fullest."

Having received Jiang Lingling's heartfelt wishes, Shen Nian felt a wave of contentment wash over her.