6 06
◎06◎
For several days in a row, Lin Ruoyin tried to schedule a meeting with Xu Jia through official channels, but all her efforts were in vain.
Zhou Hui's reply was always polite but distant: "President Xu's schedule is full, so it is inconvenient for him to receive me."
In the stillness of the night, Lin Ruoyin sat alone in her study, the screen displaying Xu Jia's cold, official photo from the Mohe Capital website.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and finally clicked on the WeChat profile picture with which she hadn't had a conversation in five years.
Her finger hovered over the screen for a long time, deleting and rewriting, finally sending only the simplest sentence: "Let's meet."
Almost instantly after the message was sent, the top of the dialog box displayed "The other party is typing...".
The flashing notification lasted for a full minute, as if you could feel the struggle on the other end even through the screen.
Then, everything returned to calm.
Half an hour later, the phone finally vibrated.
Xu Jia replied, equally concisely: "Come to my office tomorrow."
The moment the familiar profile picture popped up, Xu Jia's hand, which was signing the document, paused almost imperceptibly, and the pen smeared a small blot of ink on the paper.
He opened the chat window, and the five-year-old blank chat history stood like a chasm between them.
He thought that one day they would reconnect.
He had thought about it.
But what he didn't realize was that it was for another man.
This realization was like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the faint flame in his heart, leaving only a bone-chilling cold and surging anger.
He slammed his phone face down on the table, then got up and walked to the French windows.
Five years have passed, but a single message from her can still throw him into a panic.
That's really pathetic.
The night view of Victoria Harbour outside the window was still dazzling, but it couldn't penetrate the deep look in his eyes.
...
The following afternoon, Lin Ruoyin appeared on time at the Lujiazui branch of Mohe.
Zhou Hui led her to the waiting area: "President Xu is in a meeting, please wait a moment."
As a result, they waited for the entire afternoon.
During this period, Zhou Hui would go into the conference room every hour to report on the situation.
During the third report, he asked in a low voice, "Mr. Xu, Ms. Lin is still waiting. Should I ask her to go back first?"
Xu Jia was having a video call with his overseas team when he heard this. Without looking up from the screen, he simply said, "No need."
During a break in the meeting, he stood in front of the one-way glass and could see a familiar figure in the waiting area downstairs. She sat upright, looking down at her phone, her profile appearing somewhat thin under the light.
"Bring her a cup of hot cocoa," he suddenly said to Zhou Hui, then paused and added, "And... have someone bring up some butterfly cookies from that shop downstairs."
Zhou Hui paused slightly, then nodded: "Understood."
When Zhou Hui gently placed the hot cocoa and butterfly cookies in front of Lin Ruoyin, she was clearly taken aback.
"That's what General Manager Xu instructed," Zhou Hui said politely before leaving.
Lin Ruoyin looked at the plate of delicate pastries, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
He still remembers.
She loves to eat these.
...
It was nearly 9 p.m. when the office door finally opened.
Xu Jia came out, accompanied by several senior executives.
He walked and gave instructions as he went, his eyes showing obvious signs of fatigue. Just as he bent down to adjust his cuffs, he saw Lin Ruoyin in the waiting area and paused slightly.
The executives wisely left first.
Xu Jia then slowly walked over and stopped in front of her.
Lin Ruoyin stood up. Her legs were a little numb from waiting for so long, but her voice remained steady. "Mr. Xu, I'll just take a few minutes of your time. I just want to say a few words."
Xu Jia glanced at his watch, his weariness deepening, and asked in a languid tone, "Is it something important?"
Lin Ruoyin nodded.
The more resolute Lin Ruoyin's expression became, the more displeased Xu Jia became. He frowned and said, "I'm tired."
Lin Ruoyin stepped forward and blocked his way: "Just two sentences."
Xu Jia stopped and looked down at her.
His eyes appeared somewhat deep under the overhead light.
“Either we can talk another day, or…” He paused, his gaze sweeping over her slightly pursed lips, “come back to the hotel with me now. It’s your choice.”
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Xu Jia looked at Lin Ruoyin's frozen expression and asked with a half-smile, "What's wrong?"
That expression clearly said: What's wrong? Didn't you go to the hotel with me?
She looked at the man before her; there was no hint of jest in his eyes, only a cold abyss waiting for her to jump into.
She took a deep breath, her nails digging deep into her palms.
"Okay." She heard her own voice clearly.
Something flashed across Xu Jia's eyes almost imperceptibly. He said nothing more, turned, and walked towards the elevator. Lin Ruoyin followed, with Zhou Hui silently close behind.
As the elevator descends, a silent struggle fills the enclosed space.
Xu Jia leaned against the wall of the sedan chair, closed his eyes to rest, as if everything around him was irrelevant to him.
Lin Ruoyin stood ramrod straight, staring at the fluctuating numbers in front of her, only her slightly rapid breathing betraying her inner turmoil.
In the underground parking garage, a black Bentley was already waiting. Zhou Hui opened the car door for Xu Jia, who got in first. Lin Ruoyin hesitated for a moment, then bent down and sat down beside him.
The vehicle smoothly drove out of the underground parking garage and merged into the nighttime traffic.
Shortly after the Bentley drove away, another bright blue sports car silently followed. Lu Yan, in the driver's seat, stared intently at the license plate of the car ahead, his face ashen. He had just discovered some crucial clues pointing to the Ink Core and was furiously planning to intercept Xu Jia, only to see Lin Ruoyin get into the car with Xu Jia.
...
The atmosphere inside the car was oppressive.
Lin Ruoyin turned her head to look at the man beside her who was resting with his eyes closed, and said directly, "President Xu seems to be paying extra attention to Lu Yan's small businesses lately?"
Xu Jia did not open his eyes, but his Adam's apple moved slightly, and he let out a barely audible hum, which could be considered as acquiescence.
Why do these things?
Xu Jia finally slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her.
The light outside the car window flashed across his deep-set eyes, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "You want to hear me say it's because of you?"
Lin Ruoyin: "..."
"Lin Ruoyin," he leaned closer, his breath almost brushing against her ear, his voice low and dangerous, "You chose such a good-for-nothing for money?"
Lin Ruoyin turned her face away, saying, "That's my business."
Xu Jia leaned back in his seat, his gaze still fixed on Lin Ruoyin. His tone had lost its previous indifference, but carried a hint of cruel certainty: "'Taking care of' the small business of trash is also my business."
As they spoke, the car slowly came to a stop in front of a top-tier hotel on the Bund.
Lin Ruoyin took a deep breath: "What will it take for you to stop?"
Xu Jia looked at her, his eyes so deep they seemed to draw her in, his voice low and clear: "You get a divorce."
He paused, then added, word by word, "And then, be with me."
Lin Ruoyin was completely stunned, her pupils contracted slightly, and she looked at him in disbelief.
The carriage fell into dead silence, with only the low rumble of the engine.
Seeing her speechless with shock, Xu Jia felt a surge of anger rise within him once more.
Is it necessary to hesitate so much for Lu Yan's sake?
"Heh." With a soft scoff, he turned his head away from her and coldly ordered the person in the front seat, "Take Miss Lin back."
His voice had lost its usual indifference, revealing no emotion whatsoever. After speaking, he pushed open the car door, got out without looking back, and his tall figure quickly disappeared into the glittering light.
Lin Ruoyin sat in the car, watching the direction he had disappeared in, her chest heaving violently. The car window reflected her pale, angry face, and... a bright blue sports car slowly coming to a stop not far behind.
...
Inside the carriage, a deathly silence spread, leaving only Lin Ruoyin's own breathing and the blurry noise of the city outside the window.
Xu Jia's last words were like a needle chilled to the bone, piercing her heart.
"You get a divorce."
"Then, be with me."
What is this? Five years later, they meet again, and he relentlessly pressures her and her family in the business world, making such demands in the most humiliating way? What does he take her for?
Anger, humiliation, and a hint of panic—a secret corner of her being exposed that she herself didn't want to delve into—pounded in her chest. She clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, trying to use the pain to maintain her crumbling composure.
The car drove smoothly towards the Lu residence. Zhou Hui remained absolutely silent, as if the terrifying scene from just moments ago had never happened.
However, just as the car was about to turn onto the private tree-lined road leading to the Lu residence, Lin Ruoyin caught a glimpse of a bright blue sports car in the corner of her eye, following her at a distance that looked very familiar.
It was Lu Yan's car.
The car stopped in front of the Lu residence. Lin Ruoyin took a deep breath, opened the car door, and thanked Zhou Hui.
The bright blue sports cars stopped almost simultaneously, the screeching sound of brakes particularly jarring in the quiet night.
Lu Yan got out of the driver's seat and slammed the car door shut with more force than usual.
He walked a few steps to Lin Ruoyin, his face looking somewhat gloomy in the dim light of the porch. His peach blossom eyes, which always carried a hint of nonchalant smile, were now sharply fixed on her.
"You're back?" he asked, his voice tense and accusatory.
Lin Ruoyin stopped, turned to face him, and nodded: "Mm."
The two stood in the cool night breeze.
Lu Yan's gaze swept across her face, as if trying to find some flaw in her calm and expressionless face.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that wasn't quite a smile, and cut straight to the point, his tone sharp with barely suppressed emotion: "I saw you." He paused, "In Xu Jia's car. You left the underground parking garage with him."
Lin Ruoyin narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Lu Yan, who was clearly somewhat out of control at the moment.
Lu Yan clenched his fist and took a deep breath: "When did the Lu family start cooperating with Mohe? I didn't know?"
He stared intently into her eyes, not missing a single subtle change.
Lin Ruoyin was very frank: "No."
In Lu Yan's mind, the scene from that charity gala night flashed uncontrollably back: Xu Jia's gaze as he looked at Lin Ruoyin through the crowd. The fleeting sense of unease he felt then had become incredibly clear now, fueled by his suspicion.
His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice was dry, and there was a kind of timidity he himself was unaware of, a fear of being confirmed.
"Lin Ruoyin," he paused, almost taking back his question, but the words were already out, "you and Xu Jia... knew each other before?"
A night breeze swept through the courtyard, bringing a touch of coolness and causing the sheer fabric of Lin Ruoyin's skirt to flutter. She didn't answer immediately, and this brief silence, like an invisible thread, coiled around Lu Yan's heart, tightening little by little.
She took a soft breath, raised her eyes to meet Lu Yan's gaze, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the night wind, yet carrying a clear resignation.
"Yes," she admitted. "We know each other."
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