"Thank you."

Chu Wuyang smiled slightly, the sweetness on her lips was natural and just right, softly overflowing with a touch of light.

"Yangyang".

A deep voice came from behind her.

The tone wasn't heavy, but it was like a block of ice, abruptly smashing into the lively atmosphere.

She turned around instinctively.

Why are you up so early?

"Um."

Jing Min stepped closer, his gaze lingering on the fingers she and Yang Jinchu had just clasped.

His gaze was indifferent, yet chilling like a snow blade against the throat.

"The event isn't over yet,"

There were many colleagues from the company present. Chu Wuyang was somewhat stunned and subconsciously wanted to distance herself from him, her tone carrying a deliberate attempt to conceal her stiffness.

"Why don't you wait for me a moment, until I finish arranging what I'm doing..."

"All arranged?"

Jing Min spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice as gentle as a breeze on a lake, yet each word was like a pebble falling into the water, crashing down heavily, carrying an unfathomable undercurrent.

How much longer?

Yang Jinchu stood beside her, his expression unchanged, and answered for her directly, his voice clear and gentle.

"Mr. Jing, you may return first if you have something to attend to."

"The event won't end anytime soon. If it gets too late, I'll take Yangyang home. Don't worry about it."

Jing Min glanced at him sideways.

Their eyes met, and the air suddenly felt colder.

The surrounding noise seemed to be forcibly removed, leaving only a suffocating silence.

After a moment, Jing Min's lips curved into a faint smile. His tone remained gentle and restrained, yet each word he uttered was so slow and deliberate it felt as if he were dissecting the very core of someone's being.

"I'm so sorry to keep troubling Mr. Yang."

"It's more appropriate for me to pick up and drop off Yangyang myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Several volunteers, who hadn't understood the hidden meaning in the words, were still whispering among themselves.

"What did President Jing just say? He'll personally pick you up and drop you off?"

Anyone who didn't know better would think this was some big project that required the big boss to personally and discreetly make an appearance, even bringing benefits and thoughtfully picking up employees after get off work?

"Wow, what an amazing relationship! The big boss actually came to pick them up in person!"

"It seems like President Jing knows Mr. Yang?"

"...Isn't Chuyang too lucky? Her husband is outstanding and familiar with President Jing. Most people don't get this kind of treatment."

"President Jing is a very important figure in our group, someone we can only admire from afar; even 'a flower on a high mountain' doesn't quite describe him—"

"Stop talking, stop talking... Look over here."

Those fragmented sounds exploded in her ears, making Chu Wuyang's scalp tingle.

Is this how rumors spread?

He quickly gave them a "shut up" look, afraid that Jing Min would lose control of his emotions in public.

But she knew it was too late.

Jing Min's face was already frosty.

"Jingmin..."

She gritted her teeth and tried to soothe him in a low voice.

"This won't be over anytime soon... If you have something to do, you should go back first."

"Or if there's nothing else, could you wait for me in the car for a bit?"

Jing Min stared at her in disbelief, his eyes seeming to be slowly scraped open by a dull knife.

"You're here to kick me out?"

Chu Wuyang felt uneasy under the watchful eyes of those around her, and her voice was urgent and low.

"That's not what I meant... Could you wait for me in the car first?"

Why should I hide?

His voice was even lower, yet chillingly cold.

Am I really that shameful?

She was speechless for a moment, almost at a loss for words.

Well, it was all for nothing.

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist; his palm was warm, yet his grip was firm.

"The event has ended."

Jingmin said in a low voice,

"You should go home."

She instinctively tried to break free, but couldn't.

"open"

Yang Jinchu's expression hardened, and he took a step forward.

But Jing Min's gaze completely suppressed him—cold, arrogant, and full of warning.

"Didn't you see she didn't want to?"

Yang Jinchu spoke calmly, yet every word he uttered carried a sharp edge.

"She doesn't want to leave, you can't force her."

Jing Min glanced at him, then looked down at Chu Wuyang, his voice extremely soft.

"You don't want to?"

Chu Wuyang's face darkened.

“Jingmin, there are many people who know you here. It’s not appropriate for you to be here—let’s go back and talk about it.”

"You and him look appropriate standing together?"

Jing Min's voice was extremely low, like muffled thunder in the dead of night, making people's hearts tremble.

She suddenly stopped.

She knew he was on the verge of losing control.

Yang Jinchu looked at them and said softly,

"Yangyang, if you don't want to leave, you can just say so."

"He can't force you, and he can't take you away."

These words sounded gentle and considerate, but they felt like a sharp blade piercing Jingmin's heart.

He was clearly her husband in name only, yet now he was being misunderstood in front of everyone and given the cold shoulder by her.

He was only standing a little closer, and now he's being distanced?

Yang Jinchu's single word, "respect," and his seemingly supportive stance, actually portrayed him as the villain who was forcing her.

The coldness in Jing Min's eyes gradually hardened into a sharp blade.

The force in his hands was almost enough to crush her bones, and his thin lips were pursed into a sharp arc.

"Then let's give it a try and see if I can take her away."

The air fell silent instantly, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Chu Wuyang frowned, feeling his grip tightening, making her finger bones ache.

She knew that Jingmin's emotions were on the verge of collapse.

She glanced at Yang Jinchu, her tone filled with guilt and pleading.

"...Ah Jin, there are still a few children over there whose faces haven't been finished with coloring. Could you please help me? Thank you. I'll do it another day—"

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