"Didn't they say she and her boyfriend had been together for six or seven years and were planning to go from school uniforms to wedding dresses?"

Chen Lu muttered something to himself, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

To be honest, Xiaojie was one of those who got on this pirate ship not long after Polaris was founded.

Although he can't compare to the veterans who participated in the competition with him and earned their first pot of gold, he still has a lot of influence in the company.

After all, not just anyone can become the head of the art department's only assistant.

Lin Miaomiao is someone who wields great power but doesn't use it, and Xiao Jie indirectly holds the power of life and death over many people.

Perhaps she didn't care, or perhaps she was completely unaware of it, so she remained somewhat invisible in the company, so invisible that she only gained some presence when Lin Miaomiao bullied her in public.

She spends the rest of her time working diligently. She has been grateful ever since Liang Zhirou poured her a cup of hot water on her way back then.

She is such a down-to-earth girl.

Logically speaking, such a person should have a very stable love life.

"If you're feeling down, go back and rest. Go travel somewhere you like, and I'll still pay you your salary."

Chen Lu walked slowly to Xiao Jie and said softly.

When the people who had gathered there saw Chen Lu arrive at the company, they felt embarrassed to skip work in front of their boss, so they immediately dispersed and returned to their workstations.

The proprietress, Liang Zhirou, was also busy. She went to the water dispenser, made a cup of warm water, and then silently brought it to Xiao Jie.

She clasped her hands tightly together, as if trying to offer some comfort, but her lips opened and closed without uttering a single word.

After hearing Chen Lu's words, Xiao Jie wiped away her tears and then saw the glass of water that Liang Zhirou had poured for her.

She suddenly started crying even harder.

Chen Lu: "??"

......

Half an hour later, Liang Zhirou finally managed to comfort Xiaojie. After watching her leave the company, the company quickly returned to its usual busy atmosphere.

Chen Lu glanced around briefly, remaining silent about these people's behavior of skipping work for half a day.

Apart from the people from the penguin side, almost everyone in Polaris is over thirty years old, so the group gets together every day in a lively atmosphere, and the camaraderie among colleagues is quite genuine.

It was like a group of girls who weren't very good at comforting people; they tried to coax her for a long time but it had no effect.

That's why Liang Zhirou, the boss lady, is so capable. When she comforts people, she doesn't say a word except for handing them tissues and patting their hands.

But it worked unexpectedly.

"They're together because they like each other... so why do some people break up?" Liang Zhirou pursed her lips and asked curiously.

"It's hard for me to explain."

"Why? You're so amazing..."

Liang Zhirou looked anxious, as if she really wanted to figure this out.

Chen Lu looked up and pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Because the human species is too complex. Maybe they simply get tired of each other and want to pursue something better; maybe they realize they're not compatible after spending a long time together; or maybe one of them suddenly matures first, which is unreasonable. In short, there are many, many reasons."

Just because you like each other doesn't guarantee a long-lasting relationship.

Some people like each other but don't end up together because of parental opposition and family problems; others truly love each other... yet never truly love each other.

The world is so big, why don't people break up?

Going back another ten years, there were even cases of couples getting divorced because their wives couldn't give birth to sons.

Liang Zhirou blinked blankly, clearly not understanding.

After a while, she lowered her head and whispered, "I...I don't want to break up with you."

She couldn't imagine life without Chen Lu, and she didn't dare to think about it.

Girls always love to fantasize. She had imagined countless futures, but she never thought of one without Chen Lu.

If she imagined herself as the most famous painter, the first person she would think of would be Chen Lu, who doesn't care about taking millions, and how genuinely proud he would be of her.

If she imagined that one day she would finally see the sea she had never seen before, there would surely be Chen Lu on the golden beach with his trousers rolled up and his back facing the sea.

This man so "unreasonably" occupied all her fantasies about the future.

As the girl was thinking, she heard Chen Lu suddenly say, "Silly girl, you should have said I wouldn't break up with you."

"Is there a difference?" Liang Zhirou turned her head to look at him, completely not understanding.

Chen Lu smiled.

"Of course there is. If you say you don't want to, it makes it seem like you have no control over this matter, and it makes it seem like you can only beg me not to abandon you."

But actually, the decision of whether or not we break up is entirely in your hands.

His meaning was clear: he would never mention breaking up in his life, but if Liang Zhirou ever stopped loving him, he wouldn't shamelessly try to keep her.

"and......"

Chen Lu paused for a moment, then looked at her tenderly. "Actually, I've always been afraid that you would leave me, so I feel more at ease knowing you've said that."

Liang Zhirou finally realized what was happening and quickly turned her face away, leaving Chen Lu with only a slightly red earlobe hidden among his dark hair.

The girl remained silent, but Chen Lu could feel his hand being gripped even tighter.

"Don't be afraid, you know I've always been a spineless person, I can't live without you..."

A moment later, she suddenly whispered.

Upon hearing this, Chen Lu turned his head to look, and saw that Liang Zhirou's eyes were fixed on something else, looking thoughtful.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!