“Suisui, where are you?”

After handling everything, the first thing he did was call her. He sounded anxious, as if something serious had happened.

Could it be something new about Shen Jin? Or was there an issue with the project? A few thoughts flashed through her mind, and she began to feel uneasy.

“I’m at the office. Why are you sound urgent? Did something happen?”

“I want to see you.”

“What did you say?” She doubted her ears for a moment.

“Suisui, I want to see you. I have something to tell you.”

This time, she heard him clearly. He said “see you,” not “miss you.” Stop overthinking. Keep it together.

She gently patted her heart, which was beating wildly, trying to calm it down.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly, he burst into her office. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. She quickly stood up and asked, “What happened?”

From the phone call to now, his emotions had been strange, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

As their eyes met, she saw a torrent of emotions in his deep, dark eyes—so intense that she couldn’t bear to look at him directly and had to avert her gaze.

She didn’t hear his answer—just the sound of his footsteps.

The next second, she felt a sudden weight against her chest. He had thrown himself into her arms, burying his head in the crook of her neck. His breaths brushed against her skin, one after another.

The unexpected embrace startled her. Out of reflex, she pushed at him with her hands, but instead of letting go, the arms around her back tightened even more.

“Suisui,” he said softly.

“Shen Jin has been arrested.”

His voice echoed in her ears, the tone slightly laced with a hook of emotion.

“Shen Jin has been arrested. Shouldn’t you be celebrating? Why do you look like something terrible has happened and made me all nervous too?”

“Don’t do this again.” That call earlier had made her worry for nothing! She had even felt anxious for a bit!

“Okay.”

“Now let go of me. You’re squeezing me, and I can’t breathe.” She pushed him again, and this time, he obediently loosened his hold.

Phew. She let out a long sigh of relief, only to hear him say, “Suisui, this time, it’s all thanks to your cooperation. Without you, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”

“Mhm.”

“Verbal thanks are fine, but how about something practical?” After all, she’d been playing along for so long. A meal at the very least wasn’t asking for much, was it?

“Okay.”

He agreed readily, and while she wasn’t paying attention, something small was placed into her palm.

It was a necklace—a gold necklace with a miniature logo of Tianxia Net.

“So beautiful,” she exclaimed, unable to hold back her admiration. The logo design on the necklace was tiny, but the craftsmanship was so exquisite that it looked lifelike.

“Where did you buy this?” she asked, caressing it fondly.

“I didn’t buy it.” His voice carried a hint of nervousness. “I learned from the best jeweler in Ning City and made it myself.”

“You made this yourself?!” She looked up at him in astonishment, then back at the necklace in her hand. A peculiar feeling began to stir in her heart.

Just then, she heard him call her name again. She instinctively looked up and found herself meeting his gaze.

“Suisui,” he began.

“I told you before that once I finished everything, I had something to tell you.”

Thump, thump, thump.

She could faintly hear her heartbeat, louder than before. Forcing down her emotions, she pretended to stay calm. “Oh? What is it? Go ahead and say it.”

“Suisui, although we’ve known each other for a long time and have shared many ties, the moment I can’t forget the most was our first meeting in Ning City. I was on stage, and you were in the judges’ seats. I was at the lowest point of my life, traveling to competitions in search of hope. And you appeared in my life, radiant and dazzling. You gave me an opportunity, encouraged me, helped me, and stood by me, allowing me to walk this path. I’m so grateful to have met you at that exchange event. Later, I regretted it a little—regretted not realizing sooner how amazing you are, not treating you better, and not fulfilling my duties as a husband earlier.”

“Suisui, I hope you’ll give me a chance to make it up to you. Let me spend the next ten, twenty years—or even the rest of my life—treating you well and walking this journey with you.”

“…You… I…”

Meng Suishuan found herself at a loss for words, her tongue seemingly tied in knots.

This was the first time in her life someone had confessed their feelings to her. She felt helpless, scared even, and instinctively stepped back. But he firmly held her shoulders, his dark, deep eyes brimming with affection and hope as he looked at her.

“Suisui, is it possible?”

His gaze was so tender, so intense, like a spider weaving a web, layer by layer, wrapping her in it and pulling her into the snare he had long since set for her.

Her mind blanked out for a moment. But she quickly snapped back to reality. She couldn’t—she couldn’t agree to this. They weren’t from the same world.

“I can’t agree to this.”

“Why?”

“Because our marriage was a mistake from the start. Back then, I was young and foolish, and I schemed against you, binding the two of us together. But mistakes can’t remain mistakes forever. It’s time to set things right.”

“So, Lu Linshen—”

“Let’s get a divorce.”

“What did you say?” Lu Linshen’s voice trembled uncontrollably. “Suisui, what did you just say?”

“I said, let’s get a divorce.”

“I don’t agree.” He grabbed her shoulders tightly. “Suisui, I don’t agree. Yes, our marriage is different from others. We were forced into it at the start, but I don’t see it as a mistake. It was a gift from the heavens, a sign of their favor. It brought us together, it let me meet you, and allowed me to…fall for you.”

She suppressed her emotions, feigning indifference. “But I don’t like you.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Suisui, it’s impossible. I can feel that you have feelings for me.”

“When we were designing the website, you tirelessly gave me suggestions. When I was working on mobile chips, you went out of your way to buy me two big phones. When you found out Shen Jin was bullying me, you stood up for me, acted alongside me, and ensured he got what he deserved.”

“Those aren’t signs of love; they’re just feelings I have for a Business partner, nothing more.”

“Then what about when you bought medicine for me, taught me how to drive, got me breakfast, adjusted the smartphone launch plan for me, worried about my health, and even stood against Shoucheng on my behalf? Most importantly, Suisui, you’ve always believed in me.”

Meng Suishuan: “…”

Wasn’t she just exploiting him all this time?

Frustrating. Truly frustrating.

Ever since Lu Linshen confessed to her, his voice kept echoing in her mind, disrupting her thoughts and making it impossible to sleep.

“Suisui.”

“I like you.”

Ahhhh! Stop it, stop it!

She sat up and slapped her cheeks.

Meng Suishuan, snap out of it! He’s the male lead, a two-dimensional character from another world. How can you fall for him?

Yes, he’s undeniably good-looking, capable, and kind. He can design websites, create chips, and craft handmade items. But he’s still just a fictional character!

“…”

All night, she felt like she was on the verge of splitting apart, her mind uncontrollably wandering and overthinking until she finally made it to dawn.

She gave herself a bitter smile.

“Meng Suishuan, you really brought this upon yourself. You saw this coming a long time ago, but instead of cutting things off cleanly, you dragged it out. Now look what’s happened!”

Equally frustrated was Lu Linshen. He had prepared for so long to confess, only to be ruthlessly rejected. Not only that, but she had also so seriously and urgently brought up divorce. How could her heart be so hard?

Usually, he carried a cold expression, but now, with his mood so foul, his face had turned as dark as coal. He had planned to go home, but then remembered that Qin Yu and a few others were having a gathering at a restaurant. He made a call.

“Lao Qin, have you guys left yet? Still drinking?”

“No, we’re still here, Lu Ge. Are you coming over? Perfect timing! We’re playing games. Come join us and drink with us!”

Lu Linshen had no interest in games, but today, he wanted to drink.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he greeted Qin Yu and the others briefly, then picked up a bottle and started chugging. One, two, three bottles—he downed them in quick succession, so aggressively that he was soon coughing.

Qin Yu and the others, who had been engrossed in their game, turned their heads at the sound and saw three empty bottles on the table in front of Lu Linshen. Watching him grab another, Qin Yu rushed over to stop him.

“Lu Ge, drinking on an empty stomach is bad for your health! What’s going on with you? Usually, we have to beg you to drink, and even then, you barely have a sip. Why are you drinking so much today? Are you in a bad mood?”

“Yeah… Bad Mood. So Bad Mood.”

“Work at the company has been going smoothly, and the issue with Shen Jin has been resolved. What could possibly be bothering you now?”

After a brief pause, Qin Yu tentatively asked, “Is it about Meng Jie?”

A cold snort came from Lu Linshen’s side. Qin Yu knew he’d hit the mark.

“What did you do to upset Meng Jie this time? Tell me, and I’ll help you figure it out.”

“She… she rejected me!”

“You confessed to her?” Qin Yu couldn’t help raising his voice. His shout startled not only himself but also Xu Xuanyi, Xie Zhixin, and the others in the neighboring room. They all rushed over, bombarding Lu Linshen with questions.

Before they could get a clear answer, their Lu Ge dropped another bombshell that left them all stunned.

“She wants to… divorce me…”

What the heck? Divorce? Divorce what?

Qin Yu wondered if he’d misheard. Trembling, he asked, “Lu Ge, what did you just say?”

“She rejected me, and she… wants to divorce me.”

“She’s so… so heartless!”