She forced herself to sit up straight, but her face still showed a panicked expression. "Why...why did you push me? How much did Ning Xuan give you?"

Qiu Mang didn't look at Zhu Ran, but stared intently into the man's eyes. "If I said I didn't push her, would you believe me?"

Zhu Ran hid behind Lu Yanting, her slender, fair hands tightly gripping the man's arm. "Mr. Lu! Don't listen to her! I clearly saw it! She's the one who pushed me down!"

Qiu Mang sneered as she watched the two being so intimate. "It seems Mr. Lu trusts this Miss Zhu?"

Hearing the girl's slightly mocking voice, Lu Yanting knew that Qiu Mang was actually more heartbroken than anyone else.

Lu Yanting pursed his lips and widened his eyes, wanting to see the girl's eyes clearly.

The person he liked was now standing with another woman. He thought, the girl's eyes must be filled with disappointment right now.

Lu Yanting really wanted to see Qiu Mang's eyes clearly, but it was all in vain. As his condition progressed, Lu Yanting's headaches were no longer just a simple headache; he felt as if a thin fog was always covering his vision, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

"Qiu..."

Lu Yanting moved his lips, wanting to call her name.

But thinking about how he had worked so hard for so many days just to make Qiu Mang give up on him, he hardened his heart and said coldly, "It's a fact that Zhu Ran fell down, and you also took the initiative to stand up and admit that you are the murderer. How am I supposed to think about that?"

Qiu Mang's pupils reflected the man's ruthless and indifferent figure. Her throat felt dry and parched, as if someone had stuffed cotton in it. She sniffed, "Very well, Lu Yanting! Now I finally see you for who you really are!"

As she spoke, Qiu Mang walked over, took Qiu Li's hand, and turned to leave.

Seeing Qiu Mang about to leave, Zhu Ran looked anxious. This woman was the culprit who pushed her away. If she left without any punishment, what would others think of her in the future?

Thinking of this, Zhu Ran nudged Lu Yanting's arm. "President Lu! Don't let her leave! She pushed me! At least make her apologize to me, and pay for my medical expenses and lost wages before she leaves!"

Qiu Mang had already taken a few steps when she heard Zhu Ran's voice. She stopped, turned around, looked at Lu Yanting, and smiled, "President Lu? What? Are you going to stand up for this woman?"

"President Lu..." Zhu Ran reminded him in a sweet voice.

Lu Yanting took a deep breath, ignoring Zhu Ran, and just looked in Qiu Mang's direction. His field of vision was smaller than anyone else's, so he cherished it even more.

"Since you're not going to say anything, then I'm leaving!"

After Qiu Mang finished speaking, she took Xiao Qiu Li and left.

Lu Yanting felt a lump in his throat. Qiu Mang was gone, and he should have been happy. His original goal was for Qiu Mang to leave him.

But when the moment actually arrived, Lu Yanting realized that the instant Qiu Mang turned around, his heart felt as if it had been torn into countless pieces, each piece bearing Qiu Mang's name.

“President Lu…” Zhu Ran shook Lu Yanting’s arm, looking aggrieved.

Only then did Lu Yanting remember that there was a woman beside him. His face darkened, he looked down at the woman, and said in a deep voice, "Come with me!"

Without waiting for her reply, the man strode towards the nearby restroom.

Zhu Ran twisted her ankle and was in a lot of pain, but when she saw Lu Yanting's frightening eyes, she could only limp obediently follow him.

As soon as Zhu Ran entered the restroom, Yan Kai immediately and considerately placed a yellow sign at the restroom door with the words "Under Maintenance" clearly visible.

As soon as Zhu Ran stepped into the toilet, she was suddenly spun around by a powerful force that pushed her against the wall. The next second, someone grabbed her by the neck.

Zhu Ran was forced to look up, and what came into view was the man's dark, murderous eyes.

The veins on the back of the man's hand were bulging, showing that he had exerted a great deal of effort.

A strong feeling of suffocation made Zhu Ran experience the fear of being on the verge of death for the first time. Her survival instinct drove her to reach out and keep patting Lu Yanting's hand, trying to make a sound but unable to.

The wall behind her was tiled, and the coldness seeped through her backless dress into every cell of her body, making Zhu Ran feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Looking into Lu Yanting's eyes, she could clearly feel that this man truly wanted to kill her.

Just when Zhu Ran thought she was about to die, Lu Yanting finally let go of her hand.

As Zhu Ran gasped for breath of fresh air, she clutched her neck and coughed incessantly.

The man's tone was cold and devoid of any warmth, "Zhu Ran, I'm warning you! Our relationship is purely professional. You can use me for publicity, gain attention, or ask me for resources—I'll provide all of that. But you absolutely cannot touch that woman today! Do you understand?"

Although Zhu Ran was somewhat puzzled, she could only nod obediently.

The feeling of surviving a disaster made her realize clearly that this man was truly terrifying. He could give her everything she wanted, and he could also take it all away at any time. In fact, if he wanted, he could take her life without her even noticing.

Seeing that Zhu Ran was sensible, Lu Yanting picked up the hot towel that Yan Kai handed him and wiped his hands before walking out.

Zhu Ran followed closely behind and went out as well.

As the two reached the door, Qiu Mang happened to be passing by the bathroom door with Qiu Li.

Seeing the two of them come out, and glancing at the yellow sign on the ground that read "Under Maintenance," Qiu Mang scoffed disdainfully, as if watching a joke, "President Lu really has boundless energy; he can't even let this little bit of time go by!"

Lu Yanting pursed his lips and walked up to Qiu Mang. As he got closer, Qiu Mang's features became clearer and more defined.

Lu Yanting's gaze fell on the girl. He didn't know when he would go completely blind, so he could only look at her greedily, hoping to etch her image into his mind forever.

Thinking that this might be the last time he saw her, Lu Yanting couldn't help but reach out to touch her face.

Qiu Mang took a step back, her tone indifferent, "President Lu, is the meeting we arranged this afternoon still necessary?"

Lu Yanting then came to his senses, paused for a moment, and said, "No need. You probably already know what I wanted to say."

Qiu Mang nodded. "What you want to say is break up, right? Very well, I agree!"

Lu Yanting saw that she was smiling when she said this, but as she smiled, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

The girl tilted her head back, seemingly stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall. She shook her head, her voice trembling slightly.

"No, how could I possibly agree? Mr. Lu has always just informed me without ever asking for my opinion, and this time is no different. But thankfully, I've always been in the shadows and am used to those undignified identities. How could I possibly be Mr. Lu's girlfriend in the open? Mr. Lu, it's over, good riddance!"