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Jiang Se turned her head to look at him: “Why would I settle old scores about you and Zhu Mingli? Do you have any past with her?”
Hearing that, Lu Huaiyan stopped playing with her fingers, raised a hand and pinched her chin, amused: “Wasn’t it you who inexplicably brought her up? I’m not familiar with her, don’t have any impression of her, what past could I possibly have with her?”
Jiang Se said: “Back then even I knew she chased you, you didn’t know?”
There were quite a lot of rumors then, all saying the Zhu family wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Lu family, sending their daughter to chase after Lu Huaiyan. Jiang Se didn’t pay attention at the time, it was all Guo Qian saying it, she just overheard one or two mentions.
She didn’t know how exactly Zhu Mingli pursued him, but at least everyone in the circle knew Zhu Mingli liked Lu Huaiyan.
Lu Huaiyan frowned and thought a moment, then said: “There was a period where I did often run into her at different events, privately she did ask me out a few times, but I didn’t respond. After the first refusal, Li Rui would basically block all her invitations for me. And once—”
His voice stopped abruptly here, his gaze landing lightly on her face, carrying a meaning not quite clear.
“And once she invited me to dance with her, guess what kind of occasion it was?”
Jiang Se felt his smile right now was neither dark nor light, just like that time he asked her whether Fu Yun ever kissed her.
Fu Yun?
Her eyes shifted slightly: “At my engagement banquet with Fu Yun?”
Lu Huaiyan glanced at her, half-smiling: “Remembered quite clearly.”
At her engagement banquet with Fu Yun, the two of them didn’t dance. Jiang Se’s first official waltz in Beicheng’s social circle was at her eighteenth birthday, dancing with Fu Jun.
She had studied dance since young, naturally that dance was beautiful.
Lu Huaiyan wasn’t interested in ballroom. When Cen Li went to learn waltz with Guo Song, he always wanted to drag him along, but after eating closed doors several times, the two of them even laughed at him, asking if he refused to learn because he couldn’t dance.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t learn, he just didn’t like too-close physical contact.
But… if this girl someday wanted to dance, he wouldn’t mind learning for her.
Better than watching her dance with someone else.
“Then did you dance with her?” Jiang Se asked him, “Older Brother said you can’t dance.”
“Even if I could dance I wouldn’t dance with her.” Lu Huaiyan said, “A lot of people know I don’t dance, yet she came to invite me, so you know what that means?”
Jiang Se thought about it, tone subtle: “She doesn’t like you.”
Lu Huaiyan made a soft “mm”: “I’m not so clueless, I can’t tell whether someone likes me.”
As soon as the words fell, he thought of something, and suddenly looked at Jiang Se.
Back then when Cen Li said this girl liked him… he had told Cen Li something similar.
From age sixteen to eighteen, she never liked him.
The look in her eyes then wasn’t the look of someone liking a person. Later when he overheard her and Zhang Yue at the hospital, he had something like a sudden revelation.
Her gaze back then was more like a patient looking at medicine.
Thinking this, Lu Huaiyan gripped Jiang Se’s waist with both hands, turning her forcibly, sitting face-to-face on his lap.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, his gaze deep.
Again that silent probing look.
Jiang Se narrowed her eyes, asked him: “What are you going to do?”
“Kiss you.”
His eyes locked on hers, his lips slowly lowering.
With their position right now, a deep kiss would basically light a fire, it wouldn’t be put out without rolling in bed once.
Jiang Se braced her hands against his chest, pushing him: “I don’t want to take a third bath.”
He heard that and inexplicably laughed a few times, laughing enough that his chest vibrated. His lips changed direction midway, landing gently on her eyelid, saying: “Eyes are right, this is a reward for the young lady.”
“……” Completely inexplicable.
His lips were soft and hot, when they landed, it was like a line of summer light focused on her eyelid, warm and burning.
After kissing her, Lu Huaiyan leaned back against the pillow, his eyelids half-lowered, his voice still carrying the post-act hoarseness and laziness, casually asking her: “Still want to ask something?”
Jiang Se lifted her hand to touch the eyelid he had touched, “When Zhu Mingli invited you to dance with her, what did you say to her?”
Zhu Mingli had started pursuing Lu Huaiyan openly from that night onward. She was always proud and arrogant; to be so high-profile, she must have been provoked by something.
“Why are you talking about her again,” Lu Huaiyan said, a face of indifference, “I told her, if she wants to provoke someone, sleeping with a few waiters for a night is more effective than asking me to dance.”
“…How do you know she asked you to dance to provoke someone?”
“The anger and jealousy in her eyes couldn’t be hidden,” Lu Huaiyan said flatly, “Even though she plastered a full smile on her face.”
Anger and jealousy…
Because of Fu Yun?
Did she ask Lu Huaiyan to dance to provoke Fu Yun, or to provoke her?
Jiang Se lowered her eyelids slightly. That night, Zhu Mingli did leave very early.
After she and Zhu Mingli entered high school, they were no longer in the same class: one in the science class, one in the arts class. When she was kidnapped, the college entrance exam had just finished. If that painting in the school was really related to Zhu Mingli, would she have already been involved with Fu Yun at that time?
Zhu Mingli was a year older than her, only seventeen in her senior year.
Seeing her lower her eyes without speaking, Lu Huaiyan lifted her chin, studying her expression, calmly saying: “Talking about her the whole night, what’s wrong? Did she make you unhappy? Or did she do something to you?”
Jiang Se said: “I just don’t like her. I heard the Wanming Group almost had a cash flow problem last year?”
“Mm, there was a resort project that had to be terminated halfway due to policy issues, the money invested was all lost. Some overseas investments also ran into trouble, and at the start of the year the Fu family came forward as guarantor to help Wanming through the crisis.”
Jiang Se thought for a moment.
The Fu family helping the Zhu family meant the two families were planning a marriage alliance. With Old Master Fu’s personality of valuing profit over sentiment, he wouldn’t care about the nearly-bankrupt Zhu family, only that Fu Yun specifically wanted Zhu Mingli.
Lu Huaiyan’s hands rested loosely on her waist, casually saying: “The Fu family can be the guarantor for the Zhu family, the Lu family can also cut off this cooperative relationship.”
His fingers lightly pressed her waist, he continued: “Has Zhu Mingli ever bullied you?”
Jiang Se was silent.
The pressure from his fingers was clearly light, yet inexplicably made a shiver crawl up her spine, like tiny electric currents, even her heart couldn’t help twitching.
His gaze slowly lifted, Jiang Se said calmly: “No, if she bullied me, I would repay it myself.”
Lu Huaiyan smiled: “Don’t just remember what I do for you, also remember what others do to you. Who bullied you, how they bullied you, write it all down clearly.”
He applied a little more force with both hands, holding her tight, his chin resting against her neck, slowly saying: “What I say to you will never expire, Jiang Se, you can always use me to the death.”
–
The next day was a bright spring day.
Jiang Se arranged to meet Xu Zhou at a coffee shop downstairs from Hongsheng Building.
After more than half a year, Xu Zhou had an even stronger elite, big-sister vibe. But seeing Jiang Se at first glance, she called her the same as before: “Director.”
Jiang Se smiled: “If you call me Director again, next time I come back to Beicheng I won’t ask you for coffee.”
Xu Zhou had no choice but to change: “Sese.”
When Jiang Se took over Hongsheng, her clearest decision was choosing Xu Zhou as her special assistant. The revival of Hongsheng was still a textbook miracle; without Xu Zhou, it would have been impossible.
“I saw the news. The smart robots Hongsheng launched this year lead first-quarter sales by far.” Jiang Se raised her coffee cup to lightly tap Xu Zhou’s, “Our original plan was right.”
Xu Zhou felt a twinge. Back then, the new product plan was made by her, Jiang Se, and the design and marketing teams working countless sleepless nights. But when the product finally launched, she had already resigned.
“When you left, you left Hongsheng in my hands, I couldn’t let anyone question your judgment.” She took out a key and handed it to Jiang Se, “This place I’ve always watched over. Don’t worry, as long as I’m employed, no one can touch it.”
Jiang Se took the key, looked at it a moment, smiled: “Thank you. After I finish things, I’ll return the key.”
She put the key in her coat pocket, then took out a document: “I have one more thing to ask you. I need to store this proposal with you.”
Xu Zhou was a little puzzled: “Store it?”
“Mm,” Jiang Se nodded lightly, smiled: “Later I’ll come back for it. If I don’t come, I’ll tell you who to hand it to.”
The proposal had four words written on it: Fuchun Riverside.
Xu Zhou’s gaze quietly swept over the name: “Okay, when will you come back to get it?”
Jiang Se shook her head slightly: “I don’t know, but I’ll as soon as possible.”
Xu Zhou was now in charge of Hongsheng, and with the new product just launched at a critical moment, they finished the coffee and parted at the shop entrance.
Hongsheng’s logo was on the 67th floor of the office building. Jiang Se looked up at the sunlight, then turned, slowly walking toward the parking lot.
It was morning tea time, many people were out buying coffee. She had just turned into an avenue lined with French plane trees when she heard a familiar voice behind her—
“Sese.”
The man’s voice was warm as water; without looking back, she knew he was smiling while speaking.
Jiang Se paused, her hand hidden in her coat pocket slowly clenched around the key.
She slowly turned around, raised her brow and smiled: “Fu Yun.”
The girl in front wore a light blue spring skirt suit with a beige coat, standing under the plane trees, tall and elegant, like the earliest flower blooming on the branches of early spring.
Fu Yun’s gaze swept past her brows and eyes. He turned his head and said a couple of sentences to the assistant beside him, then lifted his steps and walked toward her, the smile on his handsome face not fading.
He looked at her and asked with a smile: “When did you come back to Beicheng? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Just got back two days ago,” Jiang Se said, “I originally wanted to finish everything first before coming to find you, didn’t expect to run into you today.”
Fu Yun smiled, his tone still as warm as a spring breeze: “Are you free tonight? Give me some face and have a meal with me?”
Jiang Se blinked, nodded, and casually said: “Sure, then let’s go to that hotel by Shuangyue Lake, haven’t been there in a long time.”
Her tone sounded extremely casual, as if she had really just thought of this place on a whim.
That hotel was the one Fu Yun had to go to every time he returned to Beicheng, and he most liked going on snowy nights. Catching a glimpse of the bright spring weather, he felt a little regret that today wasn’t a snowy day.
“Alright, I’ll tell someone to book a private room right now.” The man’s brows and eyes were clean and gentle; his neatly pressed handmade suit made him look as refined and elegant as an orchid and jade tree. “You set the time, I’m free after six.”
The assistants behind him kept lifting their wrists to check the time, anyone could tell they were in a rush.
Jiang Se slightly nodded, faintly said: “Then seven tonight.”
“Okay.” Fu Yun’s lips held a smile, and he gently said, “See you tonight, Sese.”
“See you tonight.”
Jiang Se turned and continued walking down the tree-lined path. The gaze behind her stayed fixed on her for quite a while before finally moving away.
She loosened her palm that had been painfully pressed by her keys.
He used to be like this, didn’t he?
Staring at her from where she couldn’t see, quietly waiting for the moment to hunt.
When she reached the parking lot, Jiang Se started the car and drove toward the outskirts. The car drove for over an hour before arriving at its destination.
She lowered the car window, sitting inside the car staring fixedly at that rundown factory.
All these years had passed, but the factory had never changed.
Walls covered in dust, broken windows, and that tightly shut iron door.
The wind outside the city was more bleak than the wind within, as if rushing from some faraway wilderness, shaking the half-loose windows until they buzzed like they might collapse.
She slowly raised the window and drove away.
The car continued along the outer roads; after another half hour, the fiery-red car stopped by the roadside.
Not far away was a luxuriously decorated club. The three words “Huaqing Pool” were carved into an antique-style wooden plaque, the characters in a very upright Clerical Script.
Old Master Fu’s favorite style to write was Clerical Script.
Fu Yun, being able to coax the old man into handing over the entire Fu family business, must have also mastered a beautiful hand of Clerical Script.
Jiang Se raised her phone and snapped a photo of the plaque, “kacha.”
The screen lit up for a moment and a WeChat popped up.
Yan: 【I’ll go back tonight to have dinner with you.】
Jiang Se quietly looked at the message. After a moment, she lightly tapped the screen and replied: 【I have something tonight.】
