After a night’s rest, Bai Ying’s mood finally smoothed over, returning to the peaceful days of old.

She thought to herself, if she had encountered a someone with a chaotic family or a weak, indecisive man, even if his every hair was dear to her heart, she would still keep her distance.

It was she who had crafted this fragile and vulnerable identity for herself, so why should she be surprised by the current situation? In the end, she just wanted to have fun, and now that she found it less enjoyable than she had imagined, why should she be upset?

With this in mind, she decided to return to her previous lifestyle, going out whenever she wished, not caring about how he would look if he happened to be the one protecting her.

So she called Jiang Lan and said softly, “I’m going out for a bit.”

Jiang Lan agreed with a laugh, “You’re finally willing to go out again.”

Although Bai Ying wasn’t fond of going out, it was the first time she had stayed home for so long, so it was no wonder the housekeeper was worried she might be ill, both physically and emotionally.

“It was just too cold before,” Bai Ying clarified, “It’s not that I didn’t want to go out, don’t misunderstand me.”

Jiang Lan chuckled, “Yes, yes.”

Bai Ying was going out to a class reunion. Her classmates from that year were all doing well, and since they had not long graduated, their friendships had not yet faded.

Those who stayed locally often organized gatherings to exchange information. She wasn’t late, and after arranging a private room for the driver and two bodyguards, she was momentarily stunned upon seeing the young man leaning against the window.

“Long time no see,” he greeted her warmly.

“Long time no see,” Bai Ying smiled back, “Why have you returned?”

Before Ye Heng could reply, another male classmate answered for him, “He’s impressive, he received an acceptance letter from a school abroad and is preparing to go overseas.”

Bai Ying wasn’t surprised at all. She and Ye Heng were not in the same department, but coincidentally, they were both in the same drama club and held the position of “playwright,” which naturally led to deep conversations.

His family was wealthy, but he was humble and polite, a gentleness that came from within. Not only in school, but even after entering society, he remained outstanding and brilliant. Their classmates all knew that they had once had feelings for each other, and if not for the sudden appearance of a wealthy suitor, they would have been together already. Everyone gave them space to catch up and say their farewells.

After Bai Ying took a sip of orange juice, Ye Heng promptly offered her a clean tissue, whispering, “If you don’t mind, I’ll leave a number for you. It’s my relative’s number; they live abroad where I’m going.”

“Sure,” Bai Ying nodded with a smile.

Ye Heng pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her, “The phone number and address are written on it, you can contact me for anything you need help with.”

Bai Ying didn’t open it to look but instead placed it in her handbag with a beaming smile, as if accepting it was merely a polite gesture between friends. She felt completely at ease.

It wasn’t that her judgment was poor, it was just that her year had been rough. The man before her was quite nice, wasn’t he? The more she looked at Ye Heng, the more pleasing she found him, but that was all.

The time when their hormones were at their strongest had long passed, and there was no need to revisit that old dream. This way, she could leave the most beautiful memories in his heart.

Ye Heng lowered his head, concealing the disappointment in his eyes. He knew that with that man in her life, she wouldn’t notice anyone else, yet he still foolishly clung to the hope that maybe one day she would call him.

The class reunion was relaxed, and Bai Ying listened with interest to their work stories, wondering if she should find a job after leaving Shen Jin. But she quickly dismissed the idea, remembering her numerous part-time jobs during university, which were not pleasant experiences.

She still wanted to be her own boss, whether by starting a company or a shop, she hadn’t decided yet, but she knew she needed to do something, or life would be too boring.

After the gathering, Bai Ying drove her friend Du Meiyun home. Du Meiyun, having had a few drinks, had a rosy complexion but clear eyes.

“I have another interview next week, should I go to the temple to pray?” she asked.

Bai Ying couldn’t help but laugh, “I wonder who despised their mother’s superstitious beliefs.”

Du Meiyun chuckled awkwardly, “It’s a rare opportunity, do you know where I’m interviewing?”

Bai Ying joked, “Don’t tell me it’s at Shen Jin’s company.”

Du Meiyun said earnestly, “I couldn’t, if I went to his company, our pure friendship would be tainted, but—”

She hesitated and looked at Bai Ying, “What if I told you I’m applying at your husband’s rival company, would you leave me on the roadside?”

Bai Ying corrected with a smile, “I don’t even know who my husband is.”

“Wait,” she realized, “Are you going to Yuan Guang?”

Du Meiyun waved her hand, “Not Yuan Guang, it’s Huan Qiu.”

Yuan Guang, a well-known local enterprise, had been established for decades and faced losses in recent years. At that critical moment, the young owner and his wife took over with new ideas and reformed the company, reviving the declining old brand.

Bai Ying had heard Shen Jin mention the eldest son of the Jiang family, saying he was refined and cultured, but not as business-savvy as his wife. The real power at Yuan Guang now lay with his childhood sweetheart and wife.

The second Miss Jiang, the niece of Old Jiang and cousin of the eldest son, had also joined Yuan Guang to make her mark. Rather than saying Yuan Guang was Shen Jin’s rival, it was more accurate to say it was Huan Qiu, while Yuan Guang was the parent and owner of it.

Shen Jin made his fortune in inland transportation, caring deeply about this sector. In the past two years, he established a shipping company, opening Southeast Asian routes, and after accumulating enough connections and resources, he turned his attention to investment and real estate.

Huan Qiu was a company Yuan Guang had tested the waters with years ago. Always struggling and unable to compete with Shen Jin in the market, until the current leaders returned from studying abroad and took over.

With such a large playing field, the two were inevitably at odds, with Shen Jin gaining the upper hand last year and Jiang San the upper hand this year. Over time, everyone knew they were at loggerheads. Shen Jin’s stern face upon returning home was often due to Jiang San. Bai Ying remembered a newspaper photo of the two men’s silhouettes at a business meeting, described in four words: a fierce struggle for supremacy.

“Why did you think of going to Huan Qiu?” Bai Ying asked.

Du Meiyun, knowing Bai Ying wouldn’t mind such trivial matters, still breathed a sigh of relief and said cheerfully, “It was purely coincidental. Last week I accompanied Si Si to the job market and stumbled upon Huan Qiu’s recruitment. I just joined in, not expecting to receive a call for a second interview.”

“The best part is that Huan Qiu is close to my home. If I get the job, I can go home for lunch every day and sleep in for an extra half hour in the morning!”

Bai Ying’s face lit up with a smile, “That’s great! Good pay, easy work, close to home, getting one is good, getting all of them is super lucky!”

Du Meiyun was overjoyed for a while, then quietly asked, “Have you ever seen my future boss?”

Bai Ying pondered and shook her head, “I haven’t seen him.”

Shen Jin didn’t like to make public appearances, but he had no choice; his foundation was shallow, and sometimes he needed media hype. The Jiang family was low-key, and it was said that not a single photo from the eldest son’s wedding was leaked. To this day, there was only one photo of the third son’s silhouette.

Given the relationship between Shen Jin and him, the chances of them meeting at the same dinner were slim, as everyone knew they didn’t get along, so no one would dare to provoke them.

Du Meiyun looked disappointed, “Well, it seems I’ll have to be the one to reveal who’s more handsome between President Shen and President Jiang of Huan Qiu! But then again, we don’t have many chances to see President Jiang, only at the mid-year meeting.”

Bai Ying pinched her face, “Focus on your work, don’t be distracted by men, remember, remember.”

Bai Ying had a great time outside, even stopping by Du Meiyun’s house to enjoy the delicious large-plate noodles made by Du’s mother, before contentedly heading back.

Jiang Mocheng walked through the corridor pavilion, seeing that the study’s light was off, and although he guessed she hadn’t come, he still went over and pushed open the door. His hand touched the wall switch, about to turn on the light, but then he lowered his arm.

If she were to come and see the light on in the study, she would probably turn and run away immediately, wouldn’t she?

The room was pitch black, the winter moonlight dimmer than in other seasons. Jiang Mocheng sat in the chair, silently waiting for a while, then took out the camera from his coat pocket.

A question plagued his mind, preventing him from focusing all day, and the person who could solve his puzzle was not there. He wanted to ask her, where did she get the courage to give him this camera? Wasn’t this camera given to her by that woman to take some damned pictures of the moon? What happened that she would give him this camera as tuition?

Remembering her timid nature, he knew she would never steal. Why then? Of course, he didn’t understand why he still hadn’t deleted that photo from the camera. He didn’t understand, so he felt an unprecedented irritation.

The bodyguard in the same room also felt uneasy, the oppressive low pressure making him afraid to sleep too deeply at night. On Friday afternoon, when the two met in the room to rest, the bodyguard couldn’t hold back and said, “What’s wrong with you these days, don’t cause trouble.”

Jiang Mocheng glanced at him expressionlessly, then looked away, his strong presence inexplicably oppressive. The bodyguard opened his mouth but swallowed his words of persuasion. He meant to say that since he was new, he should be more polite. Just now, someone accidentally bumped into him, and he looked over coldly, making them all think he would start a fight.

In the Shen residence, don’t cause trouble. If you don’t want to work anymore, don’t drag others down with you; if a fight really breaks out, you’ll definitely be fired.

The room fell silent for a moment, then the bodyguard spoke again, trying to sound casual, “You didn’t have a fight with your girlfriend, did you?”

Jiang Mocheng paused. The bodyguard noticed and became more interested, “Really? It’s not a big deal, take your girlfriend out for dinner, go shopping, buy a gift! When Yang Yiping comes back, ask him how the Western restaurant he took miss Jiang to was. If he says it’s good, take your girlfriend there too!”

“Speaking of which, Yang Yiping is really bold, we can see that miss Jiang is beautiful, but after all, she’s Miss Bai’s assistant, it seems better to keep a distance. Don’t you think?”

Jiang Mocheng’s pupils contracted slightly, and he slowly raised his head, asking in a low voice, “What did you say?”