Volume 1, Chapter 8: He Takes Xu Xingyuan, Who Has Just Returned from Abroad, to Buy a Ring

His laughter felt like a kind of encouragement. The woman in the red dress straightened her back unconsciously, lifting her chin with a tender, probing gaze directed at Lu Jinchuan.

“Alright, the latest Hermes model, priced at fifteen thousand,” she said.

Lu Jinchuan glanced at her without a flicker of emotion, his tone calm and steady. “Cash or card?”

The woman’s face flushed red, then paled, caught off guard and unsure how to respond.

Ke Jin had just rushed out from trying to stop the drinking when he heard his brother’s words.

“Cash or card?”

As a man who had spent years amidst countless women, Ke Jin immediately understood the scene before him.

His voice carried a hint of reprimand. “My brother has a family. What kind of people are you associating with?”

Ke Jin motioned for the woman to leave, and seeing this, she hurriedly stood up.

“Wait.”

Lu Jinchuan’s voice came from behind, causing her to hesitate.

Could he really be making her pay?

“Don’t forget to take your things.”

She turned and spotted the room card on the sofa, grabbed it in one swift motion, and left without looking back.

Ke Jin slid a glass of wine toward Lu Jinchuan, speaking in a carefree tone, “Welcome back to the embrace of the motherland. Brother, I hope you like this welcome party I threw for you!”

Lu Jinchuan tilted his head back and downed the drink in one go, his voice lazy and indifferent. “If I remember correctly, I was only in the States for a week this time. Don’t use me as an excuse to have your fun.”

Catching the sharp look his brother shot him, Ke Jin sheepishly rubbed his nose, looking guilty. “Come on, we’re close—don’t take it the wrong way! I just bought a new yacht the other day. When your birthday comes around, I’ll throw you a lavish yacht party!”

Lu Jinchuan snorted coldly, his eyes gleaming with a mix of disdain and nonchalance. “December? What sea do you think you’re going to sail?”

Ke Jin was unfazed, confidently retorting, “Then next year, on my birthday, we’ll sail together!”

“Brother, why have you been glued to your phone all night? Who were you just calling?”

Lu Jinchuan didn’t respond, his gaze drifting intermittently to the phone in front of him.

He pressed his lips tightly together, paying no real attention to Ke Jin’s words, responding absentmindedly.

...

Ji Shu woke up feeling dizzy. The phone call last night had kept her from deep sleep, leaving her out of sorts. It seemed she was coming down with a cold.

After long hours of intense work, her body had finally sent out a warning signal; Fang Ye had already been out sick for two days.

With the recent drop in temperature and sudden weather changes, the virus had found its chance, and most likely, Ji Shu had caught it too.

She got up and went to the tea room to pour herself a cup of hot water. A few colleagues were gossiping nearby.

“Master Lu’s face is just too handsome—he’s a literal heartbreaker. Do you think he’d ever join the entertainment industry for us face-lovers? Such a face wasted not acting.”

“You’re dreaming. But if Xu Xingyuan enters showbiz, maybe we’ll see Master Lu more often.”

“I agree! Xu Xingyuan and Lu Jinchuan are perfect together. Despite his busy schedule, the CEO even took time to pick her up at the airport. A dancer and a domineering CEO—I'm totally shipping them!”

One of them even let out a shrill, rooster-like crow.

“CEO Lu took Xu Xingyuan to get custom rings. Imagine how good-looking their kids will be!”

Their chatter seeped into Ji Shu’s ears word by word.

The water overflowed from her cup.

“Ah!”

The boiling water left a red mark on her hand. Watching the burn deepen, she instinctively pressed the spot, oddly finding a strange comfort amid the pain.

“Oh my, Ji Shu, your hand’s burned!”

A flash of shock crossed Ji Shu’s face. She shook her head at the speaker. “It’s nothing.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised; she had long known that Lu Jinchuan loved Xu Xingyuan.

If it weren’t for her back then, they wouldn’t have broken up.

Xu Xingyuan must have known about Lu Jinchuan's intention to divorce her, which explained her swift return from the United States.

Were they really that eager?

It felt as if someone had shot her in the heart—painful and aching. But instead of a fatal blow, it dragged on, tormenting her with half a life to endure.

Whether it was the illness or not, her heart twisted painfully. She took some medicine from her bag and swallowed it with water.

After a while, perhaps the medication kicked in, and she felt the heartache intensify.

Her strength drained completely, leaving her breathless and heavy.

She had taken the medicine, hadn’t she?

She knew Lu Jinchuan no longer loved her, so why did it still hurt so much?

She felt as if she were falling from a towering building, endlessly plunging down.

At that moment, Gao Xia called.

Ji Shu felt as though someone had suddenly pressed pause on her life.

It took her a while to answer.

Gao Xia’s clear voice came through the receiver, tinged with playful notes, yet Ji Shu sensed the tension beneath her words.

“My dear fairy Ji Shu, you’ve been missing for nearly a week. Have you returned to the heavens again? Can you descend tonight and accompany me for dinner?”

Hearing Gao Xia’s words, Ji Shu felt her heart gradually regain a steady beat.

She realized that someone in this world still loved her.

That she was still alive.

That she still existed.

Ji Shu licked her dry lips and slowly smiled.

“Okay, got it.”

A heavy exhale came from the other end.

“Great, I’ll send you the address via text.”

After ending the call, Ji Shu finally distanced herself from the earlier emotions. Now she noticed the fleeting glances colleagues cast her way, quickly withdrawn when she looked back.

One girl, nudged by a friend, cautiously approached and asked, “Ji Shu, are you okay? You looked pale just now, and I called out to you several times but got no response.”

Ji Shu’s mind went blank. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

She was always strong-willed but not good at socializing.

Having lost her mother early and shut herself off after her father died, she rarely reached out to others beyond close friends and family.

Whenever problems arose, her first instinct was to solve them alone.

Her interactions with colleagues were mostly work-related, and she knew those less familiar with her whispered that she was cold and distant.

Yet just now, colleagues who weren’t particularly close had shown genuine concern.

A warmth blossomed in Ji Shu’s heart as she softly replied, “It’s nothing, just a slight cold. Thank you for your concern.”

“That’s good to hear! But a cold may not be serious, it’s still quite miserable. If you can’t handle it, just go home and rest. We’ll cover your leave with Old Zhou.”

Tears welled up in Ji Shu’s eyes. She thanked them again and resumed her unfinished work.

After work, she glanced at the address Gao Xia had sent—it was Yue Garden.

Before leaving, Ji Shu took another pill, hoping it would suppress her cold a little.