These words carried an obvious sense of humor and a subtle hint of ambiguity.
Lu You frowned slightly and said seriously, "Fu Mingyuan, don't make jokes like that."
Fu Mingyuan immediately raised his hands in surrender, his smile still gentle: "Okay, okay, no more joking, let's get serious. You seem to be in a bad mood. If you're free later, how about we have dinner together? I know a newly opened Japanese restaurant that's really good."
Lu You instinctively wanted to refuse. Having dinner alone with her ex, especially during this sensitive time, was really inappropriate.
"No, I..."
"Don't be so quick to refuse."
Fu Mingyuan interrupted her, his tone becoming more serious, "I remember your Yu family recently wanted to expand its overseas jewelry raw material channels, right? Coincidentally, I have a friend I'm meeting tonight who works in this field. Let's have dinner together, consider it introducing you to some connections, and help you relax. We won't talk about anything else, how about it?"
Expanding business...
This really struck a nerve with Lu You's ambition.
She is currently in charge of the Yu family's business, and finding stable raw material channels is one of her key tasks recently.
She hesitated.
On the one hand, she felt she should keep her distance from Fu Mingyuan; on the other hand, this was indeed a rare opportunity.
Seeing Lu You's hesitant expression, Fu Mingyuan pressed on, "Just treat it as a normal gathering of friends, a business social event. Don't you trust me?"
Lu You nodded: "Okay."
...
The Japanese restaurant had an elegant and secluded atmosphere. Fu Mingyuan was good at creating a lively atmosphere, and his friend, who was in the raw materials business, was also quite talkative.
During the meal, Lu You and the other party chatted about industry trends and felt as if they had known each other for a long time.
After a few cups of sake, Lu You felt as if the frustration that had been building up in her heart for days had finally found an outlet.
She temporarily set aside her troublesome family matters and immersed herself in the party.
Fu Mingyuan was considerate, witty, and humorous, offering just the right amount of flattery and concern.
Lu You had suffered cold treatment and conflict with Cheng Zhou, but now she felt a long-lost sense of relief at being valued.
She drank more than usual; her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were somewhat glazed.
When intoxicated, a person's rationality easily slips away.
Somehow, the conversation circled back to our love lives.
Perhaps it was Fu Mingyuan's joking remark, "If only you had married me," that left a ripple in her heart, or perhaps the alcohol amplified her grievances.
Holding his wine glass, Lu You, slightly drunk, chuckled and uttered the angry words that had been bottled up in his heart for a long time.
"I really regret it. If I had known it would be like this, I would have been better off marrying you. At least I would have had some peace and quiet..."
Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of joy flashed in Fu Mingyuan's eyes.
His friend gave him a knowing yet slightly embarrassed smile.
In the context of the time, these words sounded more like an ambiguous complaint.
There are no secrets that stay hidden forever, especially in this circle.
The drunken ramblings at the dinner party quickly reached the ears of one of Cheng Zhou's close childhood friends through Fu Mingyuan's friend.
Upon hearing this, the childhood friend was furious. He immediately called Cheng Zhou, his voice filled with indignation: "Cheng Zhou! Are you still heartbroken over that woman? She's having a blast! Last night, she had dinner with that Fu family kid and, after drinking too much, told him herself that she regrets marrying you and should have married Fu Mingyuan instead!"
On the other end of the phone, Cheng Zhou was staring blankly at the divorce application receipt.
Upon hearing his childhood friend's words, he seemed to freeze instantly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his phone.
Cheng Zhou didn't say a word, silently listening to his childhood friend embellish his story before hanging up the phone.
The room was dark, with only the city lights outside the window filtering through the glass and casting flickering shadows on his face.
Cheng Zhou remained in the same position as when he answered the phone, sitting there for the entire night, his childhood friend's words echoing repeatedly in his mind.
And then there's Lu You's comment at the 100-day celebration: "Let me think about it some more."
It turns out that thinking about it again wasn't about figuring out a future with him, but about comparing him to other men to see who was better.
It turns out she had already regretted it.
In her eyes, were all his painful struggles just a ridiculous display of unrequited love?
As dawn broke, Cheng Zhou moved his stiff neck, his eyes filled with a deathly stillness.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.
That's fine, that's fine too.
At least, he no longer has to waver or harbor illusions.
Cheng Zhou picked up his phone and sent a message to his lawyer, asking when the earliest he could complete the formal divorce procedures after the cooling-off period ended.
Then, he got up and went into the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water, trying to wash away the fatigue of the night.
He made up his mind: this marriage had to end.
On the other side,
Lu You woke up in an unfamiliar room with a splitting headache.
She looked around blankly; the decor was simple and modern, neither her apartment nor a hotel.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she sat up abruptly.
"Awake?" Fu Mingyuan walked in carrying a glass of warm water, dressed in his pajamas, with a gentle smile. "You drank too much last night, and you couldn't give me your address, so I had to bring you back to my place first. Don't worry, you can sleep in the guest room, nothing happened between us."
Lu You breathed a sigh of relief, but was immediately overwhelmed with embarrassment and frustration.
How could she be so drunk she was unconscious and end up staying at Fu Mingyuan's house? If this gets out...
Lu You quickly got out of bed, took the water glass, and thanked her, her tone distant: "Thank you, I've troubled you, I should go now."
"No rush, I'll take you after you finish breakfast."
Fu Mingyuan smiled as he watched her hastily trying to distance herself from him, and casually brought it up, "But Youyou, do you remember what you said last night?"
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