24 24

◎24◎

The plane flew smoothly at an altitude of 10,000 meters, with an endless sea of ​​clouds outside the window.

Lin Ruoyin leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed, but she was wide awake.

She felt a slight movement beside her. Xu Jia seemed to adjust his posture, and his arm brushed against hers.

Lin Ruoyin's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, but she didn't move.

She could feel his gaze linger on her profile for a few seconds before shifting away. Then, she heard the sound of him picking up his water glass from the small table in front of him, followed by the soft thud of his Adam's apple as he drank.

Throughout the flight, the two maintained a tacit silence. They didn't talk about work, nor about the game-changing breakthrough they had achieved in Kuala Lumpur. Those victories that should have been the subject of conversation were now overshadowed by a more private and unspeakable emotion.

Only once, when the plane encountered slight turbulence, Xu Jia almost instinctively reached out and lightly supported the water glass on the tray table in front of her to prevent it from slipping. His fingertips were only millimeters away from the back of her hand, and his warm breath traveled through the air.

Lin Ruoyin finally opened her eyes and looked at him.

Xu Jia looked at her, a fleeting concern in his eyes, which was quickly covered by a deliberately constructed calm. He quickly withdrew his hand, turning his gaze to the window, leaving her only with a clearly defined profile.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"No need," he replied, his voice somewhat low.

Then came a long silence.

Some things have changed. The thin layer of ice that had been carefully maintained as a business partnership was shattered by a kiss on that rainy night and during the subsequent high fever. The silence now was no longer one of estrangement, but rather a cautious confrontation, each side testing the depth of the marks left by the loss of control.

Lin Ruoyin closed her eyes again, her fingertips unconsciously curling up.

The plane began its descent, breaking through the clouds, and the city's outline gradually came into focus below. The captain's announcement came over the loudspeaker, reminding passengers to fasten their seatbelts and straighten their seats.

This trip is about to end.

Thinking of this, Xu Jia subconsciously turned to look at Lin Ruoyin, who met his gaze.

Their eyes met.

The cabin lights were dimmed, making his face appear clear and striking. Those eyes, which always held so much emotion, were now fixed on her, filled with hesitation.

He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbed, but in the end he only said, "...After landing, Zhou Hui arranged a car to take you back first."

His voice was softer than usual, lacking its usual coldness and sharpness.

Lin Ruoyin nodded: "Okay."

Both of them could sense that they were holding back, and that they had things they wanted to say.

He desperately wanted to ask her why, in her fading consciousness, she had called his name in such a fragile voice…

She also wanted to ask him what happened that chaotic night, and why he kissed her...

But neither of them could bring themselves to say it.

...

The day after I returned to Shanghai.

In the top-floor office of the Mohe Building, Xu Jia stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the outline of the Lu Group building in the distance, but his focus seemed to wander elsewhere.

He was lost in thought again.

I've lost count of how many times this has happened today.

During the morning meeting, while listening to the department director report on work progress...

While listening to the draft cooperation agreement with Haji Abdul's workshop...

And now.

The memories of Lin Ruoyin in Kuala Lumpur played like a stubborn silent film, repeating frame by frame in his mind.

Xu Jia suddenly closed his eyes and loosened his tie.

Nothing has changed.

He even started to wonder what she had been doing these past few days since she came back.

Will you, like him, recall fragments of Kuala Lumpur in certain unguarded moments?

At the same time, at the Lu residence.

Lin Ruoyin sat in front of the dressing table in the bedroom, her gaze falling on an open velvet jewelry box on the corner of the table.

Two things lay side by side in the box.

On the left is the crescent-shaped metal piece given to you by Haji Abdul, which gleams with a simple and warm luster under the light.

On the right is a thin silver chain with a moonstone that retains its original rough texture.

Lin Ruoyin reached out, her fingertips lightly tracing the moonstone. The cool touch spread along her fingertips, strangely bringing a sense of comfort. She remained silent for a moment, then finally picked up the necklace, looped it around her neck, and fastened the clasp.

The cool stone pressed against the skin below the collarbone, heavy and bearing the weight of time.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Ruoyin, are you asleep?" It was Lu Yan's voice.

Lin Ruoyin turned to look at the door: "Not yet, come in."

Lu Yan pushed the door open and came in. He was dressed neatly, as if he had just returned from doing some errands outside.

He walked up to Lin Ruoyin, hesitated for a moment, and then asked in as casual a tone as possible, "How did things go in Kuala Lumpur?"

"It went very smoothly." Lin Ruoyin nodded. "The core obstacles have been basically resolved. Chen Yi will continue to follow up on the subsequent design adjustments and approval processes."

As Lu Yan listened, his gaze fell on her face, scrutinizing her closely.

Lu Yan paused for a moment, then asked, "Who did you go with this time?"

Lin Ruoyin was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Xiao Tang is with me."

"..." Lu Yan: "Anything else?"

The room fell silent.

Lin Ruoyin looked at Lu Yan. His eyes were fixed on her, filled with inquiry, unease, and a complex mix of emotions.

Lin Ruoyin remained silent.

She knew that Lu Yan hadn't really come looking for answers.

He came to find her after he knew the answer.

"Did Xu Jia use tricks to force you?" Lu Yan's voice remained low.

Lin Ruoyin suddenly felt a little tired. She shook her head. "There's no question of anyone forcing anyone. We need Xu Jia's connections. I'm most familiar with the Xingyu project. For the sake of efficiency and success rate, we went together."

On the way here, Lu Yan was terrified, but he couldn't figure out what he was terrified about.

He had so much to say, but seeing the faint weariness in Lin Ruoyin's eyes, he swallowed back all the words that were about to come out.

Lu Yan processed his surging emotions, forcibly suppressing the burning heat that rushed to his head. He forced a smile, somewhat unnatural and even stiff, and tried to make his tone calm.

“While you were in Kuala Lumpur, I was dealing with the mess left by Yonsei Capital.” He began, his voice no longer sharp and accusatory as before, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the seam of his trousers.

He joked, "I never knew before that just sorting out the accounts of those cross-shareholdings and checking those convoluted overseas transactions would take so long. It's making my head spin."

"Not to mention dealing with the media that rush to the scene and the creditors who come knocking on the door." Lu Yan shook his head, finally raised his eyes, and looked at Lin Ruoyin. His eyes no longer held the previous aggression, but only a belated and heavy understanding. "I only realized how much you have sacrificed for me and for the Lu family over the years after I jumped into the mud and struggled around myself."

He looked at her, his eyes filled with guilt and an awkward empathy.

However, Lin Ruoyin's eyes held a hint of confusion and bewilderment, as if she didn't quite understand the meaning of his confession.

“Ruoyin,” Lu Yan’s voice suddenly became hoarse. He took a step forward, trying to close the distance between himself and Lin Ruoyin, and even subconsciously reached out to touch the back of her hand.

Almost at the instant his fingertips were about to touch her, Lin Ruoyin subtly leaned back, avoiding his contact. The movement was minimal, but the meaning of rejection was clear.

Lu Yan's hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips feeling the cool touch of the air. He paused, looking at his empty hand, then at Lin Ruoyin's face, a wave of embarrassment mixed with awkwardness and rejection washing over him.

"Have you been drinking?" Lin Ruoyin suddenly asked.

Lu Yan was taken aback by the question, and then a slightly embarrassed blush appeared on his face.

“No.” He shook his head. “I didn’t drink. I’m serious. During the time you were gone…”

He took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind to pour out all the words swirling in his heart: "Whenever I'm overwhelmed, I've thought of you many times. I wonder what you would do if you were me." He paused, looking intently at her, "I think that no matter how difficult it is, I will persevere, sort things out, and then wait for you to come back so I can tell you the news in person."

He took another half step closer, bringing the distance between them almost too close. Lin Ruoyin could smell an aggressive aura emanating from him.

"Ruoyin," Lu Yan's voice lowered, but it was right next to Lin Ruoyin's ear, "Let's be a real couple."

"Lu Yan." Lin Ruoyin was startled and immediately took half a step back, interrupting him at the same time.

But Lu Yan ignored him and continued, "Lin Ruoyin, I've fallen in love with you."

She was initially taken aback, then looked intently into Lu Yan's eager eyes.

After a long pause, Lin Ruoyin slowly spoke, each word clear and distinct, “Your current feeling is the same as when you insisted on showing affection in front of everyone at your birthday party, insisted on inviting Xu Jia, and insisted on proving something to him.”

The color and urgency drained from Lu Yan's face. His lips moved, as if he wanted to refute.

“That’s not love, Lu Yan.” Lin Ruoyin’s voice softened, like an older sister’s earnest reassurance. “That’s a competitive spirit, a possessiveness that comes from having your territory challenged. It’s the instinct of a big boy who has had everything he wanted since childhood to suddenly realize that something doesn’t seem to belong entirely to him and want to take it back.”

It was meant to appease, but to Lu Yan at this moment, it conveyed only one clear meaning: rejection.

Clearly, Lu Yan had never learned how to deal with rejection.

A sense of emptiness and icy chill gradually enveloped him.

"Then what is love?" He had been trying his best to control himself, but his voice finally trembled, carrying a kind of desperate shrewdness. "Is Xu Jia's harassment and revenge against you love?" Lu Yan's tone rose, full of sarcasm. "Or is your lingering feelings for Xu Jia love?"

"Lu Yan!"

Answer me!

The conversation completely spiraled out of control.

Lin Ruoyin stared at him quietly for a long time. So long that Lu Yan thought she would argue back and give him a quick and decisive end.

But in the end, she said nothing.

In his view, silence itself is also a form of response.

"Please leave." Lin Ruoyin looked at Lu Yan's eyes, which were gradually turning bloodshot, turned her head away, and left him with only these four words.

A profound sense of frustration overwhelmed Lu Yan.

In the suffocating silence, Lu Yan's gaze was suddenly captured by a glimmer of light.

Around Lin Ruoyin's neck, he noticed a necklace he had never seen before.

The silver chain is very thin, with a warm, lustrous moonstone as a pendant. The design is simple, even somewhat rustic, with a simple charm that doesn't belong to any top-tier brand, reminiscent of the wild beauty of Southeast Asian handicrafts.

"Did you buy this in Kuala Lumpur?" Lu Yan's gaze shifted from the necklace to Lin Ruoyin's face.

The fleeting wariness in Lin Ruoyin's eyes did not escape Lu Yan's notice.

Lu Yan's brows furrowed deeply, and a guess that instantly froze his insides surfaced: "Xu Jia gave it to you?"

silence.

A silence that was longer and more agonizing than before.

She did not deny it.

Lu Yan felt his blood run cold, then a surge of burning anger rose within him. Before he could even think, his hand reached out, trying to grab the obstructing pendant.

Don't touch it.

Just then, Lin Ruoyin suddenly dodged to the side, her movement so fast it created a slight breeze. For the first time, a clear and unmistakable resistance surfaced in her eyes as she looked at him.

The hand that had been hanging in mid-air froze.

Lu Yan looked at his empty hand, then at the way she was protecting the necklace...

"Okay." He suddenly smiled through gritted teeth. "Lin Ruoyin, you're so kind."

After saying that, he slammed the door shut and left.

The loud noise echoed through the mansion, causing the picture frames on the wall to tremble slightly.

...

The following day, in the Mexican nuclear conference room.

A huge circular screen was displaying data on expansion into the Southeast Asian market. Xu Jia sat in the main seat, listening to his subordinates' reports.

The conference room door was suddenly pushed open from the outside with a loud bang.

Everyone turned around in astonishment.

Lu Yan stood at the door.

He exuded a restless and agitated aura, his gaze fixed directly on Xu Jia, who sat in the main seat.

Zhou Hui immediately stood up, trying to stop him: "Mr. Lu, we are in a meeting, please..."

"Get out of my way." Lu Yan used the back of his hand to push Zhou Hui away, stared at the figure at the end of the long table, and continued forward.

The meeting was forced to adjourn. The executives looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

Zhou Hui stepped forward, preparing to block him again.

"Let him come over."

A calm voice rang out from the head of the table.

Xu Jia's face was expressionless, only a hint of fearlessness and cold disgust flashed in his eyes.

Lu Yan stopped in front of the long table and looked at Xu Jia.

"Mr. Xu," Lu Yan sneered, "you're quite busy, aren't you? Every day you have to manage the company, attack your competitors, and even find time to steal other people's wives. It's a real shame you don't write a book with such excellent time management."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone present stared wide-eyed, their scalps tingling, as if they had heard something they shouldn't have heard.

Xu Jia remained seated, without even raising an eyebrow.

Zhou Hui, however, couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Mr. Lu, if you continue like this, I'll call security."

Lu Yan glanced at Zhou Hui, then turned back to Xu Jia: "President Xu, we're all social people, and I didn't mean for this to happen. But recently, your excessive harassment of my wife has caused her serious distress. Women are kind-hearted and don't speak harshly, but as her husband, I feel it's necessary and my responsibility to personally express my stance to you."

He raised his voice slightly, making sure every word was clearly heard: "I hope it's all just a misunderstanding. From now on, whether in business or personal matters, please, Mr. Xu, maintain proper boundaries and respect for my wife."

Every word Lu Yan uttered was like a carefully crafted hint, precisely triggering the memories of everyone present.

The private painting that Xu Jia presented to Lin Ruoyin at her birthday party.

It is rumored that Xu Jia specifically requested Lin Ruoyin to personally liaise with the counterparts in the Southeast Asia project.

...

Lu Yan finished speaking.

No one dared to utter even the slightest sound of discussion, but their eyes already conveyed a tacit understanding.

Lu Yan felt the atmosphere and couldn't hide the pleasure on his face.

"Is that so?" At that moment, Xu Jia finally spoke.

“But from what I understand,” Xu Jia continued, unhurriedly, “it seems that President Lu’s incompetence and the fact that Lu’s Group always pushes her to the forefront in every crisis, leaving her to fend for herself and put out fires everywhere, are what really bother her.”

Even exchanging glances stopped.

Everyone froze in place.

He was shaken to his core by this ruthless yet incisive revelation.

Lu Yan stood frozen in place, all the color draining from his face.

Xu Jia stopped looking at him and calmly turned to Zhou Hui: "Zhou Hui."

"Yes, Mr. Xu."

"See Mr. Lu out." Xu Jia's tone was so indifferent, as if he were instructing someone to clear away any unsightly clutter.

Lu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed violently. He wanted to say something, his lips moved, but he found that all his words of rebuttal seemed pale in comparison to the other party's precise and cruel accusations.

He meticulously built the stage, only to find himself the clown.

Finally, after Zhou Hui made a "please" gesture, Lu Yan turned around abruptly.

Order was restored in the meeting room.

Xu Jia glanced at his subordinates, who were still in shock, and said calmly, as if nothing had happened, "Continue."

...

In the following days, Lu Yan dominated the headlines.

Today he was photographed hugging and behaving intimately with several young models outside a nightclub; tomorrow he will be exposed for gambling heavily at a private club, losing an astonishing amount of money.

Every time a scandal broke, Lu's stock price would drop by several points. There was a lot of discontent in the board of directors. Lu Hongxuan personally called Lu Yan home, and the father and son had a big argument in the study, which ended with Lu Yan slamming the door and leaving.

Lin Ruoyin remained absolutely silent on this matter.

She did not attempt to contact Lu Yan, nor did she make any public statements.

Despite the fact that a barrage of cameras and microphones were instantly aimed at her.

"Mrs. Lu, what are your thoughts on Mr. Lu's recent news?"

"Mrs. Lu, Mr. Lu has been photographed behaving inappropriately on multiple occasions. Does this mean that your marriage is already dead in all but name?"

"There are rumors that Mr. Lu indulged himself because he was completely suppressed by Mr. Xu Jia in business, which caused him to lose his balance. Do you agree with this statement?"

The questions were getting increasingly pointed, and the flashes from the cameras were so bright they made it hard to open your eyes.

Lin Ruoyin did not answer any questions. She either walked away quickly or, if she couldn't get past the wall of people, calmly looked at the camera.

The reporters were somewhat intimidated by her silent aura, yet unwilling to give up such a juicy story. One of the bolder reporters raised his voice and asked, "Mrs. Lu! Mr. Lu admitted to those rumors in an interview yesterday, saying, 'Even if I mess around, Lin Ruoyin will still be my wife, Lu Yan's wife, and that will never change.' What is your response to that?"

The moment the question was asked, the room fell silent. All the cameras were glued to Lin Ruoyin’s face, trying to capture the most subtle changes in her emotions.

Lin Ruoyin frowned, but still did not answer.

...

The news caused quite a stir, dominating headlines for several days, and naturally it reached Xu Jia's ears as well.

In the office, Xu Jia was watching the replay of the interview on his tablet.

In the video, Lu Yan, drunk and arrogantly nonchalant, says to the camera: "...Even if I mess around, Lin Ruoyin will still be my wife, Lu Yan's wife, and that will never change in this lifetime."

Then, the camera cuts to the entrance of the Lu family's residence, where Lin Ruoyin is surrounded and pushed by reporters.

Xu Jia watched quietly.

Once.

One more time.

Standing behind him, Zhou Hui could clearly feel the chilling aura emanating from his boss.

Finally, Xu Jia turned off the tablet.

The office fell into a deathly silence.

“Zhou Hui,” Xu Jia said.

"Mr. Xu."

Xu Jia's voice flowed steadily through the silence: "I want the Lu Group to disappear completely."

Zhou Hui felt a slight chill on the back of his neck, but he didn't hesitate at all. "Understood."

After a brief conversation, the office fell silent again, but the air was thick with a chilling atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing and everything was about to be destroyed.