Shang Ruzhou walked out of Rumor Hall, a black car parked to the side.
Lin Heng walked over and opened the door. Shang Ruzhou got in, and only then did Lin Heng close the car door and walk around to the driver’s seat.
The car headed toward the company.
Lin Heng gripped the steering wheel and glanced up at the rearview mirror.
Shang Ruzhou held a tablet in his hand, his gaze resting lightly on the screen.
Probably checking emails.
Lin Heng swallowed hard before speaking. “President Shang, regarding Madam—we may need to find someone…”
Before he could finish, Shang Ruzhou looked up at him.
His gaze was exceptionally indifferent, devoid of any emotion.
A thin layer of sweat broke out across Lin Heng’s back. He stared ahead, his words coming out stammered. “President Shang, I…”
“Lin Heng, mind your own business.” Shang Ruzhou said.
His tone was flat, betraying not a trace of emotion.
Lin Heng responded, “I apologize, President Shang. I overstepped today.”
As he spoke, his heart pounded wildly, even his palms turning sweaty.
He had thought Shen Xiying might be different.
After all, Shang Ruzhou hadn’t shown the slightest aversion to physical contact with her today.
Shang Ruzhou had always hated—even loathed—people getting close to him, and physical contact was completely out of the question.
He had thought Shen Xiying might be the exception.
It seemed he had been overthinking it.
Because of Shang Ruzhou, Shen Xiying’s cooperation talks with Lin Quan went smoothly.
In the end, Lin Quan agreed that under any circumstances, the Lin Group would prioritize Fuying’s jewelry.
All promotional slots and top endorsements would consider Fuying first.
In return, Fuying would provide the Lin Group with its newest jewelry at five percent below retail price.
Fuying’s current reputation wasn’t particularly well-known.
And the Lin Group happened to be famous for selling women’s accessories and cosmetics.
With the Lin Group’s promotional push, more and more people would come to know about and be willing to learn about Fuying.
What Shen Xiying needed most right now was to be seen.
After the cooperation was finalized and the contract was handed over to the company’s operations department, Lu Tingwei drove Shen Xiying to Zhongyugong.
Zhongyugong was a famous luxury residence in Jianglin City, its name derived from the phrase “where beauty and talent gather.”
Its interior was exceptionally lavish, and it was rumored to gather the spiritual essence of heaven and earth—a prime feng shui location.
For those who lived there, wealth was merely the least significant requirement.
Shen Xiying sat in the passenger seat, her head resting against the backrest, eyes half-closed as she rested for a while.
After a long moment, as if something occurred to her, she opened her eyes and looked at Lu Tingwei, who was driving. “Weiwei, do you want to go abroad?”
“I had Qingqing find you a great company—excellent growth prospects, top-tier salary and benefits. Either way, it’s better than following me…”
Before she could finish.
Lu Tingwei slammed on the brakes.
The tires screeched against the pavement with a piercing “screech—”
Shen Xiying lurched forward involuntarily. She raised a hand to brace herself, then looked at Lu Tingwei.
“What’s wrong?”
“I… I’m sorry.” Lu Tingwei said, her eyes slightly red. “Yingying, I just want to stay with you. I don’t want to go abroad.”
Shen Xiying smiled. “Staying with me is like a pearl buried in dust. There are better opportunities abroad.”
Lu Tingwei shook her head, refusing to speak.
Shen Xiying let out a sigh. “Alright, alright, then you can keep following me forever. What are you crying for? Come on, drive.”
Lu Tingwei nodded and continued driving.
Shen Xiying leaned against the backrest, propping her head up with one hand.
Lu Tingwei had been her roommate in university, ranking first in GPA and comprehensive evaluation every semester.
Once, she had participated in an all-English speech competition, and a renowned foreign professor sat in the audience.
Seeing Lu Tingwei, he wanted to take her abroad.
Lu Tingwei refused. Because she was poor—she couldn’t afford it.
Later, after graduation.
When Shen Xiying started her company, Lu Tingwei joined without a second thought.
She became Shen Xiying’s right hand and a core figure at Fuying.
But Fuying was, after all, a small company—not big enough.
Shen Xiying had always kept this in mind, and had also asked her close friend Meng Zhiqing to keep an eye out for any position that might suit Lu Tingwei.
A couple of days ago, Meng Zhiqing returned from abroad and told her that a foreign company happened to need someone exactly like Lu Tingwei.
A perfect fit.
Shen Xiying was delighted, but since Lu Tingwei didn’t want to go, then so be it.
Arriving at Zhongyugong, Shen Xiying got out of the car, said goodbye to Lu Tingwei, and walked inside.
Lu Tingwei sat in the car, watching Shen Xiying get out.
Her hands on the steering wheel slowly clenched.
The vulnerability that tears had revealed on her face vanished in an instant, completely.
Her gaze followed Shen Xiying as she moved.
Until Shen Xiying disappeared entirely from her sight.
Only then did Lu Tingwei look away, the expression in her eyes slowly sinking.
Shen Xiying returned to No. 19 Zhongyugong, the most luxurious residence in the entire estate.
The private garden outside was tended by hired professionals. Shen Xiying noticed that only one type of flower grew there.
Quite monotonous, but she figured Shang Ruzhou had no leisure to look at flowers anyway.
After entering, she saw a servant grinding something off to the side.
Shen Xiying walked over and asked, “Has Shang Ruzhou returned?”
“The master has already returned,” the servant replied.
Shen Xiying hummed in acknowledgment, then lowered her head to watch the servant’s movements.
A white box sat nearby, too far away for Shen Xiying to make out the writing on it.
The servant appeared to be grinding powder, presumably to brew tea later.
Shang Ruzhou seemed to have a habit of drinking sour jujube kernel tea every night.
Shen Xiying watched for a moment, then said, “I’ll take care of this. You can go rest.”
The servant stiffened, and the next second, she knelt directly before Shen Xiying.
“Madam, if I’ve done anything wrong, please point it out.”
She kept her head lowered, her posture humble.
Shen Xiying helped her up and said with a smile, “That’s not what I meant. I’ll handle this tea myself—it’s not that you brew it poorly.”
“It’s late, so you can go rest first. I’m not trying to dismiss you.”
The servant looked at Shen Xiying for a long moment, then nodded.
“Thank you, Madam.” Only after saying this did she leave.
Once the servant was gone, Shen Xiying picked up the medicine bottle nearby and glanced at it.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
Estazolam tablets.
She opened the bottle—only a few scattered pills remained at the bottom.
So this must be added to the sour jujube kernel tea every day.
Shen Xiying thought for a moment, then began grinding the powder and brewing the tea.
After a while, she carried the brewed tea up to the second floor.
At the study door, she knocked.
Hearing Shang Ruzhou say “Come in,” Shen Xiying pushed the door open and walked in with the tea.
Shang Ruzhou was reviewing documents. At the sound, he looked up.
He assumed it was an ordinary servant, but unexpectedly, it was Shen Xiying.
His gaze paused for a moment.
Then he parted his lips, his tone extremely flat, carrying a hint of distant coldness: “You can leave tasks like brewing tea to the servants.”