Chapter 38 An Unspoken Choice...
After sending a confirmation email to Chaleur this week, Jiang Nuanyu intentionally made her already hectic work even busier.
Whether it was a necessary task or one that could be delegated, she took it all on, working overtime at the magazine office every day until she had to go home.
Whether she wanted to contribute her last bit of energy to the magazine before leaving, or simply to escape being alone, only she knows.
On Friday afternoon, with half an hour left before the end of the workday, Ji Meng returned from outside, but instead of going straight to her office, she stood in front of the editorial department's office area.
Ji Meng rarely speaks in public, so everyone stopped what they were doing.
Ji Meng glanced around and said, "Everyone has worked hard these past few days. December is almost here, and there will be a lot of year-end events, so we'll be even busier from now on."
Judging from the tone of those words, it's clearly something good is going to happen.
Everyone immediately became interested, exchanging glances with those around them, increasingly eager to hear what the editor-in-chief was about to say.
Ji Meng said, "The feature article that Editor Jiang was in charge of for the sponsor received very positive feedback, with high praise for both its content and impact."
Upon hearing this, Feng Shasha turned around, leaned out of her chair, and gave Jiang Nuanyu a thumbs-up: "Awesome!"
Her intention was to quietly praise Ji Meng while she was speaking, but Ji Meng still heard her not-so-quiet whisper.
Ji Meng's gaze fell on her, and Feng Shasha turned around. Realizing she had been caught, she immediately gave an embarrassed smile, crossed her arms with the backs of her hands between her legs, and slowly nodded to express her apology.
Everyone was amused by her appearance and chuckled softly.
Ji Meng didn't make a big deal out of it, which showed she was in a good mood today. After the laughter subsided a bit, she said, "To express their appreciation, Yun Jing has specially added a sponsorship to support our year-end bonuses."
As soon as he finished speaking, the editorial department erupted in cheers. Although none of them had participated in the work, everyone's year-end bonus had increased significantly as a result—who wouldn't be happy?
"It's not over yet," Ji Meng continued. "The sponsors have arranged a restaurant for our team building activity, which is scheduled for tonight. Everyone can relax and also get ready for the upcoming year-end event."
Applause and cheers rang out again.
Feng Shasha, being a woman of action, quickly shut down her computer amidst the noise and nimbly packed her things to prepare for the team building activity.
At this moment, Ji Meng changed the subject and said, "Besides that, I would also like to take this opportunity to tell everyone something."
The previously enthusiastic atmosphere quieted down slightly, and Ji Meng said, "Editor Jiang will be leaving our team soon."
Everyone looked at each other, bewildered.
Ji Meng said, "She is about to go to Paris to become a member of the editorial team for the international edition of Chaleur."
After a low gasp, the office area gradually erupted in chaos:
"My God, that's 'Chaleur'..."
"That's incredible! How did you do that?!"
"It's the same job, but I don't even want to think about it..."
Amidst the atmosphere of surprise and envy among her colleagues, only Feng Shasha remained different.
She tilted her head back, grinned, her expression bitter, and sighed desperately, drawing out her words: "Jiang Jiang... ah—" She really didn't want Jiang Nuanyu to leave.
Ji Meng raised her hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
Jiang Nuanyu was momentarily overwhelmed by Ji Meng's encouraging gaze. Publicly expressing her feelings was definitely not her forte.
She stood up unprepared, without any pre-existing platitudes in her mind, and could only say whatever came to mind. She first smiled at Ji Meng: "Thank you, editor-in-chief, for giving me the opportunity to say goodbye gracefully."
She glanced at each familiar face looking at her and said, "I'm so lucky to have worked with you all for so long. It's been a really enjoyable time working here. I'm also very fortunate to have shared the experience of working together towards the same goal. I'm very grateful for all your help and understanding."
She didn't say anything more, only leaving behind the words, "We'll meet again!"
The same farewell becomes much easier when you hold the thought of seeing each other again.
“So…” she said, not wanting the focus to stay on her for too long, “This team-building activity is not a farewell! We’re just celebrating this dinner.”
Everyone smiled at her, including the male colleague who had once competed with her.
Although they were just colleagues, and their relationship varied in depth, she wanted to believe that at least the blessings she received at this moment were genuine. As for anything else, she didn't want to think about it. It didn't matter anyway.
“Then it’s settled.” Ji Meng took over for her. “It’s almost time, let’s get ready to leave after get off work.”
After Ji Meng left, everyone wrapped up their work for the day while sighing:
"With Editor Jiang gone, the magazine suddenly lost a key asset. It's making us feel a bit insecure."
"Yeah. Hey? Who's taking over the cultural sector?"
"You're taking this to heart? Isn't this something the editor-in-chief should be concerned with?"
"A magazine like Chaleur has an editorial team that's full of top talent... Now Editor Jiang is one of them, I'm so envious... Her annual salary must have increased several times over!"
"I think you're just envious of the annual salary."
"Who doesn't like having more money? Although I can't go to Paris, I got a year-end bonus, so it means I didn't work for nothing this year..."
"..."
Jiang Nuanyu was tidying up the documents on her desk when she caught a glimpse of someone standing by the table. She looked up and saw Feng Shasha staring at her with a resentful expression.
Jiang Nuanyu immediately laughed: "Who bullied you?"
“You!” Feng Shasha said without hesitation.
But the next second, her eyebrows furrowed, and she sighed, "Are you really leaving...?"
Jiang Nuanyu tucked a stack of documents into a folder and nodded.
Feng Shasha looked worried and remained silent for a while.
She is a person who is used to relying on others. In any environment, she needs an anchor to support her in doing everything.
In "Florian," Jiang Nuanyu is her anchor point.
This girl, who was only a few years older than her, never seemed particularly strong, yet it was hard to imagine anything that could easily shake her.
She still couldn't understand why this was happening, but this state of mind inexplicably made her feel at ease.
But this reassuring and stabilizing force, her anchor, is suddenly about to disappear.
Jiang Nuanyu packed her bag and turned around to see Feng Shasha still standing there.
As their colleagues headed to the team-building location, He Anqi called out to the two women ahead, "Shall we take a taxi together?"
Jiang Nuanyu made a hand gesture from a distance: "OK".
She took the bag and slung it over Feng Shasha's shoulder, then took her hand out from the bag strap and said, "Let's go!"
Feng Shasha reluctantly adjusted the bag on her shoulder, muttering, "Tonight's big meal doesn't taste good at all."
Jiang Nuanyu smiled dismissively: "We'll talk about that when you're eating."
Being directly exposed, Feng Shasha glared at her defiantly, then pitifully took her hand and walked away together.
The team-building restaurant was located in a high-end hotel, not far from the magazine office; it was only a ten-minute drive from the destination.
Everyone couldn't help but marvel at how thoughtful the sponsors were.
The east side of the hotel building is curved, cascading down from the top floor in a stepped fashion, giving it an impressive appearance. Stepping out of the elevator, the corridor walls are decorated with elegant wood grain patterns, and the lighting is soft, creating a tranquil and sophisticated atmosphere.
A colleague joked, "Why does it feel like we're here to discuss business?"
A group of people followed the signs forward, only to find at the end a single, undecorated, unmarked double door.
Is this the place?
"Did we go to the wrong place?"
Everyone looked at each other.
"Let's take a look first," a male colleague said, stepping forward to open the door.
Upon seeing the scene behind the door, the crowd erupted in a chorus of "Wow!"
The entire area is arched, with square and curved sections separated by glass. It offers unobstructed views on three sides, and the curved section has a transparent roof. The lights of the surrounding buildings twinkle like stars, making you feel as if you are in a castle in the air.
The buffet table was already set with food, both hot and cold; on the other side was a row of bars, with various exquisite bottles displayed on the wine racks behind them. In addition, there were separate waiters and bartenders.
However, once they arrived here, eating seemed to become secondary. At least, that was the case for Feng Shasha.
She was busy taking photos from various angles, editing her experience on her phone, and posting it on social media, emphasizing: straight out of the camera without filters!
After sending the message, she put down her phone and excitedly said to Jiang Nuanyu, "If there were more team-building activities like this, I could become a check-in blogger!"
Jiang Nuanyu smiled but didn't reply, seemingly not very engaged. Without work forcibly occupying her mind, she was rather absent-minded.
Feng Shasha didn't care. She picked up her drink, put the straw in her mouth, and kept her eyes darting around.
Her gaze inadvertently swept towards the doorway, where she saw that it was open and Ji Meng was there, talking to the man in the suit opposite her.
She watched for a few seconds, then leaned closer to Jiang Nuanyu and asked curiously, "Jiang Jiang, who is that man opposite the editor-in-chief?"
Jiang Nuanyu followed her gaze and recognized the person as Peng Ze, her expression immediately changing.
Feng Shasha realized she recognized her and asked with a gossipy look, "Who is it?"
"They seem to be from the sponsors," Jiang Nuanyu replied vaguely.
"Sponsor? Oh..." Feng Shasha glanced in that direction again, "He seems pretty handsome, doesn't he?"
Jiang Nuanyu nodded with a smile, not continuing the topic.
Feng Shasha's phone screen flashed, and her newly posted post received even more likes, drawing her attention away from it.
But Jiang Nuanyu began to care.
Yun Jing has already provided the team-building venue, so Peng Ze shouldn't need to personally make the arrangements. Since Peng Ze is here, could Liang Qi also be here...?
She thought to herself, then looked towards the door. Peng Ze had finished his conversation with Ji Meng. As he turned around, his gaze met hers. He nodded to her in greeting before leaving.
Jiang Nuanyu felt even more uneasy. During the latter half of the team building activity, she would frequently glance at the door or repeatedly unlock her phone.
However, nothing happened.
Peng Ze did not reappear, nor did he make any phone calls.
While feeling a slight disappointment, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
She could say goodbye to her colleagues at the magazine with composure, but she couldn't imagine how Liang Qi would react when he found out she was leaving. Would he be annoyed or disappointed by her choice, would he try to persuade her to stay, or would he simply remain indifferent? She didn't know, and she wasn't prepared to face any of it.
Once it was past ten o'clock, Ji Meng tactfully suggested that everyone could arrange their own time afterward. But whether it was because everyone hadn't had enough fun yet, or because no one wanted to be the first to suggest leaving, no one said they wanted to go.
Fortunately, Feng Shasha's boyfriend came to pick her up in time, and Jiang Nuanyu took the opportunity to leave with her.
The two went down to the first floor and had just turned out of the elevator lobby when they heard a male voice from the other side of the lobby corridor: "Here."
As soon as Feng Shasha saw it was Shao Jie, she immediately ran over and hugged his arm.
Shao Jie wrapped the scarf around her neck and said, "I knew you wouldn't bring one; it's cold outside at night."
The scarf was long. Feng Shasha untied it twice from her neck, straightened it, and then wrapped it around Shao Jie's neck, saying sweetly, "Let's each have half!"
"I'm not cold," Shao Jie said, trying to take off his scarf; Feng Shasha refused, but Shao Jie held her hand as she tried to resist, saying, "Be good."
Feng Shasha gave up: "Okay..."
The two were oblivious to everyone else, showering each other with affection. Jiang Nuanyu smiled and turned her gaze away, but on the sofa in the lobby lounge, she saw the person who had occupied her thoughts all night.
Liang Qi sat sideways facing her. Opposite him was a man in a suit, who seemed to be talking to him.
“Jiang Jiang, let’s go!” Feng Shasha said.
Jiang Nuanyu subconsciously turned her head back; Feng Shasha said, "We'll take the subway back, you'll have to take a taxi, right?"
Jiang Nuanyu then came to her senses and nodded: "Okay, I'll take a taxi back."
"Bye-bye then~"
"Bye-Bye."
Jiang Nuanyu watched the two walk out of the automatic doors, then looked towards the rest area. Liang Qi had already stood up and was shaking hands with the man opposite him.
Jiang Nuanyu thought he hadn't seen her yet, and just as she was thinking that, Liang Qi's gaze swept over her.
His gaze lingered for at most a second before he looked away, but Jiang Nuanyu couldn't bear to look away again.
It has been more than half a month since we last met.
In the days since deciding to go to Paris, she would unconsciously think of Liang Qi whenever she had a moment of quiet, especially late at night, which caused her sleep to become extremely poor. Even when she finally fell asleep, she would wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, but even so, he remained the focus of her thoughts.
These long, silent days of longing seemed to have numbed her senses, so much so that only now, seeing him in person, did she truly realize how much she missed him and how much she longed to see him.
She watched him say goodbye to that person, watched him walk towards her, and didn't look away until he stood in front of her.
Liang Qi met her gaze, and seeing that she was unusually willing to stare at him so directly, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his lips and said, "Is the dinner party over?"
Jiang Nuanyu's brow furrowed; he knew she was having a meal here.
The fleeting thought that he might also want to see her suddenly became more real.
She nodded, then looked at him and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Liang Qi truthfully replied, "There's a dinner party."
"oh……"
Noticing the fleeting disappointment in her eyes, he added, "I'll wait for you here."
That was the truth, but as soon as he said it, a subtle feeling stirred within him.
Perhaps, he was just instinctively trying to give her the sense of certainty she might need.
Jiang Nuanyu was stunned.
She should have been happy when he said that, but the grievances in her heart began to well up from her chest.
The more Liang Qiyue showed his commitment, the more she felt that leaving was a betrayal. She felt guilty and remorseful, yet she knew deep down that she hadn't done anything wrong.
She was conflicted and struggling, her lips tightly pressed together, trying her best to control her emotions, but her eyes were getting more and more sore and her breathing was becoming rapid.
Liang Qi's brow furrowed, and he asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"
His gaze lingered on her eyes, trying to find the answer to his question within them.
Jiang Nuanyu frowned, lowered her head in frustration, and shook her head very lightly, like a wronged child.
Liang Qi took half a step forward, reached out his hand, paused in mid-air for a second, and then cupped her face and slowly lifted it up.
Her nose was red from holding her breath, but she kept her eyes down, avoiding his gaze.
Liang Qi said, "Is it because of me?"
Jiang Nuanyu's eyebrows furrowed even more. Yes, but no. She couldn't answer.
Liang Qi relaxed his gaze, glanced behind her, and seeing that the environment was quiet, leaned down to her eye level and said, "Tell me, hmm?"
Jiang Nuanyu looked up as if bewitched. His clear, dark eyes met hers, and he gave her a reassuring nod, guiding and encouraging her to continue expressing herself.
She seemed quite pleased with this, her lips moving as she said, "I..."
Liang Qi looked into her eyes, and to accommodate her height, he raised his eyes, leaving a clear crease on his thin eyelids.
A fleeting moment of courage crossed her mind, and she gripped his suit jacket as if trying to draw more strength from him.
"Liang Qi..." She only called his name, and then fell silent.
The more she felt his kindness, the more terrified she became that it would all vanish the moment she said she was leaving.
She couldn't face the consequences. She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Liang Qi looked at her for a moment, then straightened up, stroked her hair, and didn't press her further: "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."
Jiang Nuanyu's head swayed with his movement, lowering it even further, but her hands still gripped his clothes tightly.
Liang Qi looked down and subconsciously raised his hand to cover hers.
Her fist was smaller than he expected. He clenched it in his palm, glanced at the car parked outside the French windows, and said, "Want to go home? I'll take you home."
Jiang Nuanyu didn't answer. After a while, she nodded, then shook her head.
Liang Qi chuckled softly: "Is this one answer or two?" He added, "Can you at least tell me this?"
Jiang Nuanyu finally pursed her lips and raised her head, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed that there seemed to be a few more figures in the elevator hall.
Upon recognizing her as a colleague from the magazine, she was startled and reflexively withdrew her hand, taking a step back guiltily.
Liang Qi turned his head to look in the direction she had been looking, and calmly smoothed the wrinkles on his suit jacket where she had been gripping it.
When her colleagues saw Jiang Nuanyu, especially with a distinguished-looking man standing next to her, they all slowed down.
“Nuanyu? Didn’t you and Shasha leave a long time ago?” He Anqi asked in confusion. “Why are you still here?” She then turned her gaze to Liang Qi.
"Uh, I just happened to run into..." Faced with everyone's curious expressions, Jiang Nuanyu hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should introduce Liang Qi's identity. She wasn't sure if their earlier scuffle had been seen, and she didn't want any misunderstandings.
As she was trying to figure out how to change the subject, another group of colleagues emerged from the elevator. What made Jiang Nuanyu feel utterly hopeless was that Ji Meng was among them.
As expected, Ji Meng was clearly surprised when she recognized Liang Qi. She quickly walked closer and extended her hand, saying, "Hello, Mr. Liang."
Liang Qi raised his hand and shook hers: "Hello, Editor-in-Chief Ji."
Ji Meng was both attentive and sincere, saying, "I never expected to see you here. It's a good opportunity to thank you in person for your support and arrangements."
Liang Qi smiled faintly: "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you."
Ji Meng turned around and introduced to everyone: "This is Mr. Liang, the general manager of Yun Jing, the magazine's sponsor."
Once everyone understood the man's identity, their expressions varied—surprise, astonishment, admiration, and curiosity. Of course, the most prevalent reaction was a natural affinity for their benefactor, fueled by year-end bonuses.
Liang Qi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over each person as a greeting.
A hint of doubt appeared on Ji Meng's face: "Were you just talking to...?"
Jiang Nuanyu's heart skipped a beat. Worried that she might say the wrong thing, she didn't speak first.
"I happened to run into Editor Jiang and we chatted briefly," Liang Qi said casually, glancing at Jiang Nuanyu before adding a nonchalant explanation, "about the feature article."
Jiang Nuanyu's heart eased slightly, and she smiled in agreement, but dared not meet anyone's gaze.
“Oh…” Ji Meng nodded slowly, clearly a little out of the loop. She didn’t know that the person coordinating the report with Jiang Nuanyu was Liang Qi himself.
Liang Qi didn't say anything more. He glanced at his watch, then his gaze swept over everyone before stopping at Ji Meng. He nodded slightly and said, "Then I'll take my leave."
“Take care, Mr. Liang.” Ji Meng extended her hand again.
Liang Qi shook hands with her to say goodbye, and as he turned around, he glanced at Jiang Nuanyu again.
Jiang Nuanyu caught the deep meaning in his eyes for a moment, and her heart pounded.
Once everyone had left, a lively discussion began:
"Yun Jing's CEO Liang is so young? He looks like he's only in his early thirties. I think he's more handsome than any celebrity."
"But you know, he's young, yet he has such a strong presence. I was nervous when he was standing right in front of me."
“Don’t even mention how close you are to him. I was right on the edge, and my heart was pounding when he looked over.”
"I felt like I made eye contact with him at least twice."
What do you mean? Does she have feelings for you?
No! ...But he really looked at me!
"Then let me tell you the truth, I also feel like he's deliberately making eye contact with me."
"...Alright then."
Hearing these discussions, Jiang Nuanyu felt extremely fortunate. Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on Liang Qi himself, and they didn't have time to suspect whether she and Liang Qi were having an affair.
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