Pei Nian sat there, looking completely at a loss.

Jiang Mianmian noticed her discomfort, smiled gently, and deliberately asked, "Why that expression?"

Pei Nian looked up, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Sister Mianmian, you..."

She wants to ask if you didn't receive that email? Didn't you feel uncomfortable after seeing those photos?

“You,” Pei Nian said softly, “don’t you want to ask me anything?”

Jiang Mianmian put down the bowl in her hand and gently took her hand.

"Junyu is already investigating, and we'll have the results soon regarding who sent the email."

“Sister Mianmian, that photo… is real.” Pei Nian bit her lip. “That day I was passing by a coffee shop and saw Lu Ran pulling and tugging at the second young master. I went up to stop her, took the cup from her and threw it at me. I dodged, but I didn’t expect that the old chairman was right behind me.”

“You don’t need to explain.” Jiang Mianmian smiled. “I believe you.”

Pei Nian's eyes stung, and the word "believe" slipped softly from Jiang Mianmian's lips, yet it felt incredibly heavy to her.

She looked at her quietly, her emotions running high, unsure how to express herself.

"Sister..." Her voice choked with emotion; she had wanted to call her "sister" for a long time.

However, Jiang Mianmian obviously did not know the meaning of this "sister". She thought that Pei Nian had just omitted the first two words "Mianmian".

She smiled and hugged Pei Nian, but Pei Nian's unease only deepened.

If one day Jiang Mianmian finds out her identity, will she still treat her so well?

She said she would believe her... but if that day comes, will she still choose to believe her?

She really didn't want to destroy Lu Lishan's wonderful family.

Pei Nian looked somber. She began to reflect on herself. Perhaps Lu Ran was right. Why did she have to appear in their lives?

She should stand far away.

If it weren't for her, perhaps Lu Ran's mother wouldn't have died, and Lu Ran and Huo Junyang wouldn't have ended up like this...

"Niannian, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Pei Nian forced a smile and took the empty bowl away. "Sis, if you still want chicken soup tomorrow, I'll bring you more!"

Jiang Mianmian looked at her and smiled, but didn't say anything.

Pei Nian was taken aback, "Sister?"

What did you just call me?

"I……"

"That's great!" Jiang Mianmian smiled happily. "From now on, you can call me 'elder sister,' it sounds much better than 'Mianmian-jie'!"

Pei Nian's face flushed slightly, and she smiled softly.

The assistant knocked on the door and came in, placing the quarterly reports and important documents on Jiang Mianmian's desk.

Jiang Mianmian asked, "How did things go with that email?"

"The technical department will have the results soon."

"Okay," Jiang Mianmian nodded, "Give the order that no more rumors are allowed in the company. Anyone who dares to spread rumors should go to the HR department to resign!"

*

That day, Huo Junyu found Huo Jingnan at the noodle shop.

He was eating noodles alone. The noodle shop wasn't big to begin with, and it wasn't mealtime, so all you could hear was the sound of him slurping his noodles.

Huo Junyu smiled and walked in quietly.

This is one of Huo Jingnan's strengths; when he's feeling down, he doesn't go to bars to drink like other men do. Instead, he either goes for a five-kilometer run or comes to a noodle shop for a bowl of noodles.

Either you'll work yourself to death or you'll overeat.

He had already eaten two whole bowls by now.

Just as he was about to eat his third bowl, Huo Junyu stopped him, saying, "Do you really want to stuff yourself to death?"

Huo Jingnan was a little surprised, but quickly recovered and rolled his eyes at him. "Let go! I didn't eat breakfast."

"You didn't eat this morning, so you can make up for it this afternoon?" Huo Junyu sat down next to him. "Then give me a bowl too, and I want a generous amount of beef!"

The boss frowned as he looked at him. Why was it the same person as last time?

Soon the noodles arrived, and Huo Junyu joined in the slurping.

He glanced at Huo Jingnan and asked in a low voice, "You already know about the internal emails from the Lu Group?"

Huo Jingnan gave a muffled "hmm".

“I have investigated the matter thoroughly,” Huo Junyu said. “The mastermind is Lu Ran, and the technical aspects were handled by some of Lu Ming’s former subordinates.”

"Lu Ming?"

"right."

Huo Jingnan scoffed: "They really are like a persistent ghost!"

"Lu Ran found them first, and then bribed the people at the coffee shop to pull up the surveillance footage from that day, only capturing a few photos with ambiguous angles."

Huo Jingnan slammed his hand on the table. "Where are those people? Where's Lu Ran?"

“I’ve already kicked those people out of Lu’s Group,” Huo Junyu said calmly. “While handling this matter, it even brought up their past issues of altering accounts and embezzling public funds. I’ve reported it to the police, and they are currently under investigation.”

"As for Lu Ran..." Huo Junyu paused, "her whereabouts are currently unknown, and I have already sent people to search for her everywhere."

"Oh." Huo Jingnan poked the noodles with his chopsticks.

"What's wrong?" Huo Junyu chuckled. "The way you look... it's like you don't believe Pei Nian? You don't actually doubt Pei Nian and my father-in-law..."

"What are you saying!" Huo Jingnan glared at him. "Of course I'm willing to believe her!"

"Then who are you trying to impress with that gloomy face?"

"I just..." Huo Jingnan sighed, "I believe her, but she won't explain anything, which frustrates me!"

Huo Junyu patted him on the shoulder, both amused and exasperated. "That's just her personality. You've known her for a while now!"

Huo Jingnan lowered his eyelids.

Yes, that's just her personality. She doesn't need to explain to those who love her, and she doesn't care about those who don't love her either.

But he still had a nagging feeling about it.

Pei Nian is someone who strongly dislikes being touched by others; so far, only he and Jiang Mianmian have been able to get close to her.

However, now, out of nowhere, there is a Lu Lishan.

He had seen that photo before. From the photo, Lu Lishan's hand was indeed on her shoulder, and she didn't try to dodge it; instead, her body leaned slightly towards him.

It's like seeking protection.

But who is Pei Nian? She's always the one protecting others like a heroine; when has she ever sought protection herself?

Body language is the most honest language; what you think in your heart is expressed through your actions.

So that's what frustrated Huo Jingnan.

He admitted that he was petty, but what man in the world could be magnanimous in such a situation?

He also wanted to have a serious talk with Pei Nian, but these past two days the little woman acted as if nothing had happened, and was still busy sending her chicken soup from Sister Mianmian every day!

Huo Jingnan shoveled a mouthful of noodles into his mouth, only to choke on it, coughing violently several times!

Suddenly, my phone vibrated; the heroine had sent me a message.

"I bought your favorite dishes. Come over for dinner in a bit."

"Cough cough cough..."

Huo Jingnan was dumbfounded.

He'd already eaten three large bowls of beef noodles, how could he possibly have room to go home for dinner?