Chapter 14: Showing Off Their Love in a High-Profile Way
Fu Xuan could only comfort Shen Shuangmiao and tell her to relax.
"Right now, we should focus on the project. The first round of project design proposals will be presented in three days, so we need to prepare well."
Shen Shuangmiao perked up and nodded slightly.
For the next three days, there was no news from Zhu Jin.
Three days later, they went to the company with the proposal.
In the conference room, Fu Xuan had already prepared the presentation materials.
Seeing Shen Shuangmiao enter, he asked, "How's your inquiry going? Is Zhu Jin coming?"
"I'm not coming."
Shen Shuangmiao answered briefly, opening her laptop, "Let's begin preparations."
Soon, the client's team arrived one after another.
The meeting went very smoothly.
Project Director Li Wen was very satisfied with the studio's progress and even expressed her intention to expand the scope of cooperation.
This should have been happy news, but Shen Shuangmiao remained absent-minded.
"Miaomiao?"
After the meeting, Fu Xuan stopped her and asked, "Are you alright? You look terrible."
Shen Shuangmiao shook her head: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
She paused, then said, "Fu Xuan, you can go to the inspection alone this afternoon. I want to go back to the studio to handle some documents."
Fu Xuan could tell that she wasn't going to handle work, so he didn't ask any further questions and simply nodded, "Okay, contact me anytime if you need anything."
Back in the studio, Shen Shuangmiao closed the door.
She opened her phone, and a gossip news item was prominently displayed on her social media.
Is the Zhu Group CEO and the Zhou family's daughter getting married soon?
The accompanying photo is of Zhu Jin draping a coat over Zhou Wu at last night's charity gala.
The comments section was buzzing with activity.
[I've always said they were a couple!]
If it weren't for Shen Shuangmiao forcing him into marriage back then, President Zhu would have married Miss Zhou long ago!
[Wasn't Shen Shuangmiao the one who interfered in the relationship? She deserves the divorce now!]
Interference?
She clearly dated Zhu Jin for five years before Zhou Wu.
It seems Zhu Jin has no interest in the online drama.
Shen Shuangmiao closed the page, feeling a tightness in her chest.
The forced marriage three years ago has now become her sole crime.
What's even more ridiculous is that Zhu Jin actually got closer and closer to Zhou Wu, as if he couldn't wait to verify those rumors.
Shen Shuangmiao pressed down on the corner of the table, took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm.
It doesn't matter.
Work and career are the most important.
Whatever they say, it doesn't matter. Just figure out what you want.
Gradually, Shen Shuangmiao temporarily put aside her distracting thoughts.
The new project is progressing smoothly, and the studio's reputation is gradually growing.
If it weren't for those nasty gossip stories, her career would actually be on the rise.
Everything is getting better.
It's alright, it's nothing serious.
Shen Shuangmiao sat down and calmed down to start working.
In the evening, there was a knock on the office door.
Fu Xuan peeked in.
"Are you done with your work? I brought dinner."
He was carrying a bag from Shen Shuangmiao's favorite Japanese restaurant, and the aroma immediately filled the entire office.
"How did you know I didn't eat dinner?" Shen Shuangmiao forced a smile.
Fu Xuan spread the food out on the small coffee table in front of her.
“I’ve noticed your habit of working so hard that you forget to eat and sleep these past few days. Don’t do that. No matter how hard you work, you need to take good care of yourself.”
Shen Shuang smiled and nodded gently.
They ate their dinner quietly.
Fu Xuan occasionally shared interesting stories from his afternoon inspections.
During this ordinary chat, Shen Shuangmiao's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
"Oh, right." Fu Xuan suddenly put down his chopsticks. "There's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
"What's up?"
Fu Xuan rarely showed an embarrassed expression: "My parents are coming next week. They keep urging me to find a girlfriend, and this time they said they won't leave until they see one."
He scratched his head: "I was thinking, could you pretend to be my girlfriend and have dinner with them?"
Shen Shuang's chopsticks froze in mid-air: "This..."
"It's just one meal! It won't bother you." Fu Xuan quickly added, "I promise, otherwise they'll keep bothering me, and I won't be able to do my work properly."
Looking at Fu Xuan's earnest eyes, Shen Shuangmiao hesitated.
It was indeed a small favor, but something felt off.
"If it's inconvenient for you, then forget it." Fu Xuan lowered his head. "I'll think of another way..."
“I’ll go,” Shen Shuangmiao suddenly said.
I'm just doing you a favor; I haven't been too busy at work lately anyway.
Fu Xuan's eyes lit up: "Really? Thank you so much! It'll be the night after tomorrow. I'll make a reservation at the restaurant and let you know."
Shen Shuangmiao nodded, unaware of the complex emotions that flashed in Fu Xuan's eyes.
Over the next two days, Shen Shuangmiao saw new updates from Zhu Jin and Zhou Wu almost every day.
The financial section reported that they attended a business forum together and published photos of them having dinner together at a high-end restaurant, making quite a spectacle of it.
"That's enough!" Gao Lan angrily turned off the office TV. "Do these media outlets have any professional ethics? President Zhu and you haven't even officially divorced yet!"
Shen Shuangmiao continued drawing the design without even looking up.
She said calmly, "We're already divorced, you don't need to stand up for me."
"But……"
"Bring me the financial statements from last quarter, let me compare them," Shen Shuangmiao interrupted her, unwilling to continue the topic.
Gao Lan bit her lip, stomped her foot, and turned to leave.
During her lunch break, Shen Shuangmiao ate a light meal alone at a coffee shop near her studio.
The conversation between two women at the next table drifted into her ears.
"Have you heard? Young Master Zhu is going to get together with Miss Zhou!"
"Really? Aren't you still married?"
"It was only a matter of time! I heard that it was that down-on-her-luck heiress who used underhanded tactics to rise to power."
"Tsk tsk, now that the original wife is back, the mistress should step aside."
Shen Shuangmiao gripped the coffee cup tightly in her hand.
The cup was very hot, but it couldn't compare to the pain in my chest.
She put down the money and left quickly, afraid that staying even a second longer would affect her mood.
Back at the studio, Fu Xuan was waiting for her.
"Moyun notified us at the last minute that the afternoon meeting has been moved to 2 p.m.
Shen Shuangmiao glanced at the time: "Why didn't they say so earlier? I haven't finished preparing the presentation file yet."
"I've already organized it for you." Fu Xuan handed over a USB drive. "Don't worry."
Shen Shuangmiao breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness you're here."
Fu Xuan smiled at her: "Then don't forget, you have to have dinner with my parents today."
Shen Shuangmiao nodded immediately.
The meeting went more smoothly than expected in the afternoon.
Just as things were about to end, Zhu Jin pushed open the door and entered.
He must have just returned from an important occasion, as he was wearing a formal three-piece suit.
Zhu Jin's gloomy gaze swept over Shen Shuangmiao, who was looking at Fu Xuan, encouraging each other with encouraging eyes.
His face turned cold.
"continue."
Zhu Jin sat down at the end of the long table.
Shen Shuangmiao then noticed his arrival, forced herself to focus, and continued to introduce the plan.
When she was explaining the innovative layout of the space, Zhu Jin suddenly interrupted.
"The design does not meet safety standards."
"Please point out the specific problems, Mr. Zhu," Shen Shuangmiao responded calmly.
Zhu Jin opened the folder in front of him: "The fire escape is not wide enough."
He looked up, his eyes sharp. "You haven't even met the basic safety standards? Is this the level of your studio?"
The meeting room was completely silent.
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