Qui Fan hurriedly said, “Don’t worry, it will definitely be done before the wedding.”

Ming Hong muttered, “What kind of grudge is this?”

This is a comprehensive destructive blow from career to family, even to the whole life.

He always felt that the young boss seemed to have some complicated connection with this guy named Lu Yang.

But Qin Si’s methods were always ruthless, and he always sought revenge; there was hardly any room for mercy.

The net had already begun to be woven.

He would be forever banned from the Lu family.

A disguised, despicable brother.

After discussing the Lu family, they moved on to handling Ning Sheng’s daily affairs.

Qin Si was very efficient, spoke little, but almost every sentence hit the mark.

After most of the matters were discussed, everyone was organizing their materials.

“By the way, young boss,” Qiu Fan asked, “when are you going back to the company? Are you going to stay in Ancheng all the time?”

Outside the study, there was a sudden knock on the door.

“Are you there?”

It was a woman’s voice, very young, with a very pleasant tone, soft and gentle.

Seems to have come from the young boss’s side?

It was already ten o’clock at night.

The three of them looked at each other, before they could speak, the video call was quickly cut off.

Qin Si pressed the computer. “…Yes.”

He opened the door.

“Are you working?”

Ning Shu realized that she might have disturbed him.

Qin Si said, “No.”

Her hair was still wet, wrapped in a towel, her black hair glossy like silk, all gathered to the left.

Obviously, she had just taken a bath, with a faint fragrance of shower gel.

There were still water droplets on her snowy white collarbone, translucent, slowly sliding down, her skin as delicate as jade.

He cleared his throat, standing behind the door frame’s shadow, not saying anything.

“I want to know, where is your hairdryer?” Ning Shu also felt a bit embarrassed.

She had just finished showering and found that she had forgotten to bring the hairdryer.

She had long hair, almost reaching her waist, and if she didn’t use a hairdryer, it definitely wouldn’t dry by morning.

Qin Si silently went back to his room and soon found a hairdryer for her.

Downstairs, the living room was lit.

Lu Nian was there drawing.

There was no desk in the bedroom, and she saw that Qin Si seemed to be using the study, so she didn’t want to stay in the same room with him and took over the living room.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she got the hairdryer.

She was wearing a nightgown, but it wasn’t much different from her outgoing dresses, reaching down to her calves.

She wore her underwear properly, not revealing anything that shouldn’t be shown.

But even so, she didn’t want to go find Qin Si, especially at such a delicate time at night.

She took the hairdryer and went back to the living room to blow dry her hair.

Unexpectedly, he followed down.

Lu Nian sat next to her stack of books, her drawing tools thrown aside.

She turned to the side and started blowing her hair, revealing a slender and beautiful white neck.

He stiffened a bit, quickly looked away.

It was nighttime, with lights everywhere, and they were just an ordinary part of it.

And she was right next to him, within reach.

The scene he had been dreaming about for so long.

Now it had become a reality.

He couldn’t describe it, and even doubted whether everything in front of him was just an illusion.

Lu Nian politely said, “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

She had dried most of her hair, twisted it casually, and was not going to continue.

She hugged her drawing board and prepared to go back to her room to continue.

Lu Nian didn’t allow him to enter her bedroom, to come near her.

The young man’s eyebrows twitched, he stood up, his voice somewhat hoarse, “You stay here, I’ll go.”

Lu Nian pursed her lips and called out to him, “This is your home.”

She was an outsider, it wouldn’t be right to drive the host away.

The young man’s steps halted, “…”

But Lu Nian didn’t leave either, she sat back down in her original spot, continuing to draw.

He had a tall and slender figure, standing not too far nor too close to her, his expression indiscernible.

Lu Nian pretended he didn’t exist, continuing to do her own thing.

On the small bar counter were wine glasses and a half bottle of chilled plum wine, already half-drunk.

Lu Nian had been under a lot of pressure recently, often unable to sleep, and didn’t dare to take too many sleeping pills.

So, she bought some fruit wine with a lower alcohol content, drinking a bit before bed to help her sleep better.

Qin Si obviously noticed.

He moved his fingers, went behind the bar to a small fridge, and also took out a bottle of wine.

Without lifting her head, Lu Nian said, “Is your stomach hurting this much? You’re still drinking?”

His movements froze, “…”

Lu Nian thought, with Qin Si’s proud character, being teased by her in this weird way, a few times already, he would surely get angry and argue with her, or couldn’t stand it and tell her to leave, or simply leave himself.

But he didn’t leave, and the wine obediently went back into its place.

He remained silent for a while, then went upstairs.

When he came back down, there was a faint scent of water on him, his black hair tips were still wet, he should have finished showering.

He brought his computer over and sat down not too far nor too close to her, doing his work.

Lu Nian couldn’t help but glance at him more.

He was really good-looking.

His temperament had changed slightly, becoming more mature and reserved, the sharpness of his youth seemed to have been put away, but the coldness that kept people at a distance seemed to have become more pronounced.

After showering, he changed into loose home clothes, stretching out his long legs, the sense of distance seemed to have lessened quite a bit.

If Lu Nian wasn’t so familiar with his personality, he would look like an ordinary handsome and reserved college student.

Being looked at like this by her.

He could naturally feel it.

His ears had turned uncontrollably red, his gaze still on the computer screen, but not registering a single number.

To be able to look at her like this, to be in the same room with her.

He was already very satisfied.

Early the next morning.

Lu Nian unexpectedly slept very well last night.

After getting up, washing up, and tidying up.

She met Qin Si coming down from the third floor, looking like he had been awake for quite a while, his black hair and fair skin looking especially refreshing and clean.

“Is your laundry room on the third floor? Can I use it?” Lu Nian asked during breakfast, “I want to wash a few clothes later.”

He looked somewhat stiff, the bread slipping from his fingertips and falling onto the plate with a slight sound.

“It is,” he said, eyes downcast, “You can use it freely.”

“Then can I go now…”

“Tomorrow.” His lips were tightly pursed, his straight back revealing a hint of embarrassment, “The washing machine is broken, I’ve called someone to come fix it today.”

Lu Nian: ?

“Alright.”

Today, she tied her hair up, exposing that slender white neck as usual.

He closed his eyes.

In the morning, Lu Nian was planning to go to the hospital to see Lu Zhihong.

Lu Zhihong’s spirits were quite good.

He knew that her engagement with the Zhao family had been canceled.

Seeing that Qin Si had brought her over, Lu Zhihong’s gaze wandered between them, as if he wanted to ask something.

Lu Nian remembered what he had said before, feeling uncomfortable being looked at like this.

The young man closed the door, blocking Lu Zhihong’s gaze, “The doctor said his condition is still okay.”

Lu Nian adjusted her fingers, looking at her own toes, “Hmm, then I’ll come back in a few days.”

In the afternoon, she was going back to school.

Qin Si was going to send her back, saying he had to go to the company, it was on the way.

Lu Nian was writing her final paper, borrowed a lot of books from the library, and now it was time to return them.

Because they were too heavy, she couldn’t move them all at once.

Originally, Fang Deng volunteered to come and help her move the books.

For some reason, he stood her up.

Lu Nian looked at the large box of books, feeling lost.

Suddenly, a light touch on her hand, the young man had already taken those books, standing in front of her, backlighting him, “Where do you want to move them?”

“You didn’t leave?”

Qin Si, “…I’m here to do something.”

When he wasn’t wearing a suit, walking on campus with her, there was no sense of inappropriateness.

With his rosy lips and white teeth, narrow waist, and long legs.

In fact, at his age, which was just that of a graduate student, walking on campus, he was much better looking than the former campus heartthrob.

If it weren’t for his complicated background, he might have grown up so ordinarily, with loving parents and family, and would marry a very good wife in the future, forming a happy family.

Lu Nian suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

For Qin Si, at first glance, most people would notice his temperament rather than his appearance.

That kind of aloof, unapproachable temperament, his eyebrows and eyes were cold, as if ready to lift the corners of his lips at any time, mocking with a cold smile.

His self-esteem was too strong, sensitive and proud, many times, unwilling to say things, would keep them in his heart for a lifetime, and would not speak them out.

Lu Nian wanted to ask him.

Where did he go those years? What did his sudden disappearance mean?

But she didn’t ask.

She was already very tired and didn’t want to argue with him anymore.

Thinking back to the night she slapped him, and now looking at the young man who was still walking beside her, Lu Nian felt that it just didn’t seem real.

After returning the books.

They walked home together, silently walking side by side on the campus of Anda University.

With a distance not too far nor too close.

Passing by the lawn in front of the teaching building, the weather was nice today, many young couples were out, walking in pairs on campus.

Qin Si slowed down his steps a bit.

He remembered this place, right here, where he and Fang Deng met her after a long absence, Zhao Yayuan holding her hand, talking and laughing, behaving intimately, walking towards them.

He had always been resentful.

At that moment, the despair and jealousy surging in his heart, it was hard to say which one was stronger.

Lu Nian was completely oblivious, still thinking about her own affairs.

“That Zhao guy.” He lowered his eyes, his tone flat, “Back then, when you were holding hands here, I remember he wasn’t your boyfriend at the time.”

The young man’s profile was handsome, his lips slightly pursed, as if he casually and inadvertently mentioned this question, his voice cold and indifferent.

What does he mean?

Lu Nian pondered over this sentence twice, sensing something was amiss.

Was he implying that she was a frivolous girl?

Lu Nian suddenly felt annoyed.

She deliberately said, “So what? What’s wrong with holding hands? Isn’t there more to it?”

Didn’t she also kiss someone before, responding so enthusiastically at the time, and then just left like that?

For so long, hadn’t Qin Si ever thought that she might really like someone else?

He fell silent.

Lu Nian thought he would speak again to retaliate against her, and then they would argue again, repeating the cycle, just like every time before.

But he didn’t.

His face was pale, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his nose straight and slender, his expression already restrained, revealing nothing.

He was too proud and too self-deprecating in front of her.

Just one word of denial from her could sometimes make him drop his armor, with no dignity left.

Lu Nian also calmed down, suddenly noticing that this was the place where she, Zhao Yayuan, Qin Si, and Fang Deng had met that day.

A strange idea arose in her mind.

Could it be… he also wanted to hold her hand like that?

So that’s why he mentioned that day’s incident now?

She felt that this idea was absurd.

The two of them walked very close together.

His fingers were very cold, but her small hand was warm and soft, slender and gentle.

There were occasional touches, the sensation of skin on skin so obvious.

She didn’t avoid it, but she also never reached out to hold his hand.

Lu Nian thought, if it were true, just based on how he spoke, he would be like that for the rest of his life, never able to hold her hand again.

The girl walked on, seemingly completely unaware of the hands that were now so close.

Thinking of the two people holding hands.

… She couldn’t stand it anymore.

His body acted against his will, turning around and directly grasping her small hand, tightly, completely enveloping it in his palm.

Their fingers intertwined, extremely intimate.

His ears turned red, looking somewhat embarrassed, but he never let go.

He waited for her to shake him off.