When Lu Huaicheng entered, Xia Liyang was fully absorbed in reviewing the changes needed for her novel on her laptop.

So initially, she paid no attention to who entered, assuming it was just an employee.

Until she heard Zhang Qing’s startled and slightly tense voice beside her, “Mr. Lu, what brings you here…”

Mr. Lu?

Xia Liyang’s body stiffened, and she slowly raised her eyes.

Her gaze met Lu Huaicheng’s dark, deep eyes.

He stared at her without blinking, his expression still calm, but there was an undercurrent in his black eyes, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line.

As if he was struggling to suppress some overwhelming emotion.

Xia Liyang’s heart pounded, and her mind buzzed.

It was over.

She was completely done for.

There was no place to hide, no way to explain.

Xia Liyang’s face turned pale as she averted her eyes, her hand under the table clenching the hem of her clothes in panic.

“I’m just here to observe,” Lu Huaicheng said flatly, though an invisible pressure surrounded him, strangely suffocating.

“Oh, of course.” Zhang Qing, glancing at the already full room, quickly stood up and said, “Mr. Lu, please take my seat. I’ll go get another chair.”

Xia Liyang, still hiding like an ostrich, froze, her face growing even paler.

Why did he have to sit right next to her?

Did they not think her current situation was suffocating enough?

Could someone please hand her an oxygen tank to breathe?

Xia Liyang stared at her laptop screen in despair, unable to process a single word on it.

Until Lu Huaicheng’s tall figure cast a shadow over her, and he sat down next to her with a heavy presence.

No longer able to ignore his presence, Xia Liyang turned to him with an awkward smile.

However, Lu Huaicheng kept his face cold, not giving her the slightest response, as he casually took a pen from his suit pocket and received a meeting summary notebook from someone nearby.

He truly looked like he was just there to observe.

Though she had anticipated he’d be angry and confrontational after discovering her identity, Xia Liyang’s heart still sank. She bit her lip slightly and turned her face away.

Once Zhang Qing finished getting the extra chair, she hurried back to introduce him to Xia Liyang, “Ms. Xia, this is our Group’s Mr. Lu.”

“…Hello, Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang was forced to greet him awkwardly, her smile painfully stiff.

This time, perhaps out of courtesy, Lu Huaicheng slightly nodded in acknowledgment of her greeting without embarrassing her in front of everyone.

The meeting discussion resumed, but Xia Liyang found herself constantly distracted.

She forced herself to focus on the work matters, but each time she spoke, she could feel Lu Huaicheng’s intense gaze on her.

It was as if a heavy stone pressed against her heart, making it hard to breathe and causing her voice to waver.

Finally, when the meeting ended, Xia Liyang quickly closed her laptop, stood up, and prepared to flee the room to catch her breath.

But just then, she heard the distinct click of Lu Huaicheng’s pen cap beside her, followed by his deep voice: “Ms. Xia, could you stay a moment? I still have a few questions.”

Just as she started to lift one leg, Xia Liyang froze, hesitating for a long moment before slowly sitting back down.

Still gathering the meeting materials, Zhang Qing looked up uncertainly at Lu Huaicheng. “Mr. Lu, do you need me to stay?”

“No, you’re all dismissed,” Lu Huaicheng replied, his gaze lowered, his tone calm.

Once everyone had left, he finally turned his head to look at Xia Liyang, who sat rigidly at the table, and, with a cold expression, began to speak. “Miss Xia, is there really nothing you’d like to say to me?”

“…” Xia Liyang opened her mouth, her mind blank with tension and confusion, unable to say a single word for a long time.

Seeing her hesitation, Lu Huaicheng’s eyes darkened, and he spoke in a low, rough voice. “Miss Xia, you seem quite adept at writing novels. So how is it that, in front of me, you can’t even string together a sentence? Or are you trying to figure out how to continue deceiving me?”

“I didn’t mean to deceive you any longer…” Xia Liyang hurriedly shook her head, stammering, “I just… I… I’m sorry…”

“So how many things have you lied to me about?” Lu Huaicheng’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“I…” Xia Liyang’s mouth moved, but without a prepared response, she didn’t even know where to begin.

“Just answer me this first: Did you approach me under the pretense of being a part-time housekeeper to gather material for your novel?” Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes fixed on her, his tone calm yet carrying an undertone of irritation.

Unable to deny this, Xia Liyang nodded reluctantly.

“And there’s no such thing as a sick mother in a rural village, is there?” he continued, rubbing the pen in his hand.

“…No,” Xia Liyang lowered her gaze in shame, her long lashes trembling.

“Well done. You even cursed your own mother to gain my sympathy.” Lu Huaicheng’s brows knitted tighter, his face growing darker.

“It’s not…” Xia Liyang wanted to explain, but realized there was no way to justify herself.

He wouldn’t believe anything she said about her mother now.

“Not what? Am I mistaken?” Lu Huaicheng’s eyes flashed with anger, his fingers turning white from gripping the pen tightly.

“No… I’m sorry.” Xia Liyang whispered, once again apologizing softly.

“And Xu Songnian—what exactly is your relationship with him?” Lu Huaicheng’s gaze turned icy as he fixed it on her.

“He’s actually my childhood friend… We’ve always been just ordinary friends, and I’ve never dated him. The car and the house are both mine,” Xia Liyang said quietly, hoping to ease his anger.

But Lu Huaicheng, still fuming, latched onto a different point entirely. “So you’ve known each other not just for two years, but for over twenty?”

Xia Liyang paused, swallowing hard. “…Yes.”

“…” Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes narrowed, and the pen in his hand bent under the pressure.

Xia Liyang’s heart sank, and she hurriedly apologized again, “Mr. Lu, I’m truly sorry. For my own gain, I deceived you for so long…”

“Very well,” he replied coldly, his voice tight as he stared at her. “After deceiving me for so long, a single ‘I’m sorry’ is supposed to make it right?”

“Then… should I compensate you for emotional damages?” Xia Liyang stammered, at a loss and speaking in a near panic.

Lu Huaicheng froze, then laughed bitterly. “Miss Xia, do you think I need money? You actually think you can placate me with money? Do you take me for a fool?”

“…” Xia Liyang’s throat tightened. She murmured, “I didn’t mean it that way…”

“No need for more apologies.” Lu Huaicheng’s voice was filled with anger, and after giving her one last icy look, he turned and left without looking back.

In the spacious conference room, Xia Liyang sat alone, staring blankly at his retreating figure. Her heart felt hollow, as if someone had hollowed it out, leaving her numb.

In the end, she had ruined everything, becoming someone he loathed and despised.

Xia Liyang wasn’t even sure how she made it back home after leaving the Junlan Group’s building.

All the way back, she was dazed, even nearly forgetting her laptop in the taxi.

Once inside her apartment, she saw the unfinished draft of her confession letter she had started.

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over.

She had been so close, just a few days away.

Xia Liyang bit her lip, crumpling the draft into a ball and throwing it in the trash. She collapsed onto her bed, her silent tears soon turning into anguished sobs.

When she had planned to confess, she’d expected this outcome, foreseeing that he would despise her.

But when the worst had actually come to pass, the pain seemed far worse than she had imagined.

The love she had once dismissed as inconsequential had left such an indelible mark on her.

With her face buried in her pillow, her shoulders shaking, Xia Liyang cried until her pillow was soaked, and her strength to cry was gone. She slowly rose and went to wash her face.

Though her emotions were still heavy after letting it all out, her mind was clearer, more composed.

Her relationship with Lu Huaicheng was truly over.

However, her use of a false identity might affect Lin Shen as well, since he was the one who originally hired her.

She needed to handle the aftermath.

Xia Liyang took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, and picked up her phone to carefully draft a formal apology message to Lu Huaicheng on WeChat.

“Mr. Lu, I am truly very sorry. I know that no amount of apologies can make up for the harm I’ve caused you. I didn’t mean to dismiss you by offering money; I was just too panicked and didn’t know how else to calm you down. Also, when I first applied to be your part-time housekeeper, I asked Xu Songnian to help me fake a background check, which is why Lin Shen didn’t find any issues with me. Please don’t blame him. This is all my fault.”

As she hit send, her heart tightened, dreading the possibility of seeing the “You have been blocked” red exclamation mark.

Fortunately, the message went through smoothly.

Xia Liyang let out a small sigh of relief, then hesitated, wondering if she should confess her feelings and tell him she liked him too.

But what would that accomplish now, other than bringing herself more humiliation?

He would never want to be with her again.

Xia Liyang clutched her phone, staring at the message with no reply, feeling a sting in her nose and fighting back tears.

To distract herself, she closed the chat window and found Song Jinhe’s contact, asking if she was available to chat.

Within a minute, Song Jinhe called her: “What’s wrong, Xia Xia?”

“It’s nothing… I just got dumped…” Xia Liyang’s voice was hoarse, and as soon as she spoke, her tears started falling uncontrollably.

Large tears fell onto her hand, leaving a cold sensation after their warmth faded.

Just like the temperature of her heart right now.

……

As night fell, the lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO’s office reflected in Lu Huaicheng’s dark, lifeless eyes.

He never imagined that after all his struggles and sacrifices, he would end up falling for a complete fraud.

Those sweet words, the hugs and kisses—none of it was ever out of genuine affection for him.

It was all just material for her romance novel.

No wonder she left so decisively when she resigned, so resistant to him coming back for her.

They had held hands, hugged, kissed, and even made love, completing every step of a relationship.

So she didn’t need him anymore.

Lu Huaicheng clenched his hand by his side and glanced at the “Temptation and punishment” mystery novel on his bookshelf.

He lowered his head with a bitter laugh, then turned to grab the phone on his desk, dialing Lin Shen: “Come to my office.”

Soon, Lin Shen nervously pushed open the door to see the man standing by the window.

Having worked for Lu Huaicheng for so long, he could tell from his expression after returning from the 15th floor that his mood was worse than it had ever been, even worse than when Xia Liyang resigned.

“Get rid of all Wujin Xia’s books on my shelf,” Lu Huaicheng ordered in an emotionless tone.

“…Understood.” Lin Shen nodded, about to leave the office.

But Lu Huaicheng coldly called after him, “Now. Right away.”

“…” Lin Shen paused, then hurried to the bookshelf. He hesitantly asked, “Do you mean throw them all out?”

“Whatever. Just don’t let me see them again.” Lu Huaicheng’s tall figure sank heavily into the chair, his gaze lowered.

“I understand.” Though Lin Shen found the request sudden and puzzling, he didn’t dare ask more. He quickly gathered all Wujin Xia’s books from the shelf and held them in his arms.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Lin Shen bowed slightly, ready to exit.

But Lu Huaicheng’s gaze lifted slowly, and in a low, questioning tone, he asked, “How do you usually run background checks on housekeepers?”

“…” Lin Shen froze, tension rising as he replied, “Just the standard investigation, typically through an agency, which I then review.”

“Review? How do you review it?” Lu Huaicheng’s sharp gaze felt like it could cut through.

Lin Shen swallowed hard, trying to think of an answer as his mind raced.

Then, the phone on Lu Huaicheng’s desk buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, paused for a few seconds, and then quickly picked up the phone, opening WeChat.

After reading Xia Liyang’s long apology, he let out a strange, mocking laugh.

He looked back at Lin Shen, who stood anxiously clutching the stack of books.

“It’s fine. You can leave.” His tone was calm, though a faint sorrow tinged his slightly hoarse voice.

“Oh, okay.” Lin Shen nodded quickly, not daring to linger, and left the office at a brisk pace.

Once the door closed, Lu Huaicheng leaned back in his chair, thinking how pitiful he was.

She even thought to show concern for whether Lin Shen would be blamed.

But she didn’t care how deeply she had hurt him.

He sighed heavily, scrolling up through their chat history, looking for any proof of her genuine care for him.

Instead, all he found was her silence when he was away on business, as if she were relieved not to hear from him, without sending him even a single message.

Even the messages she first sent to flirt with him seemed robotic, full of perfunctory responses.

The more he scrolled up, the colder his heart grew, until his fingers stopped on the very first day they added each other on WeChat.

She had said, “I’m back in the dorm.”

But she had never actually lived in the dorm.

Their entire conversation had started with a lie.

What was he still hoping for?

She never liked him.

She didn’t in the past, doesn’t now, and never would in the future.

To her, he no longer had any use.

Why should he still feel heartbroken over a liar?

Lu Huaicheng’s gaze darkened. After staring at their initial messages for a long while, he slid his finger and blocked her on WeChat, cutting off all his lingering thoughts.

Then, he called Lin Shen. “Book me a ticket to Beicheng as soon as possible.”

“The earliest flight is a red-eye that leaves at midnight…” Lin Shen’s voice sounded a bit uncertain.

“Book that one, and arrange for a driver to take me to the airport,” Lu Huaicheng ordered.

Meanwhile, Xia Liyang was crying her heart out on the phone with Song Jinhe, almost emptying all the tears she’d held back since adulthood.

On the other end of the call, Song Jinhe waited until her sobs had quieted, then gently comforted her, “It’s okay, Xia Xia. When I broke up with my first boyfriend, I cried so hard it felt like the world was ending, like nobody would ever love me again. But I got through it, didn’t I? Love isn’t as insignificant as you might think at first, but it’s also not as overwhelmingly important as you feel now. Every failed relationship brings growth.”

“I understand that, but I’m just so sad. I feel like I destroyed this relationship myself. If I’d just been honest with him earlier or faced my own feelings sooner, maybe things wouldn’t have ended up like this,” Xia Liyang said, clutching her phone, still sobbing.

“Instead of regretting, why not try to make amends?” Song Jinhe paused, then asked, “When he found out about your identity, what did you say to him?”

“I… I just apologized and answered some of his questions…” Xia Liyang sniffled, “I was so flustered, I think I said something wrong again.”

“What did you say?” Song Jinhe asked.

“I said I could compensate him for the emotional distress…”

“…” Song Jinhe’s mouth twitched, unsure whether to laugh or scold her. “Wow.”

“I regret it so much,” Xia Liyang bit her lip, looking pained. “He just turned around and walked away, and even though I sent him an apology message on WeChat afterward, he didn’t reply.”

“Did you tell him how you really feel about him?” Song Jinhe asked.

“No… Not after all this. What would I even say?” Xia Liyang cried.

“If you don’t tell him, how can you try to win him back?” Song Jinhe sighed. “When he asked me to help him pursue you, he was very open about his feelings. I think he genuinely cares for you. Even if he claims to hate liars, maybe you could be an exception for him!”

“There’s no way that would happen,” Xia Liyang replied with a bitter smile. “I think he’s someone who’s very firm in his principles.”

“Don’t assume you know what he’s thinking. Look, he hasn’t blocked or deleted you yet, so he might actually be waiting for you to reach out. He hasn’t replied to your apology, probably because he doesn’t want a simple apology. He could still be angry and need you to comfort him a bit more,” Song Jinhe suggested.

“So, you think I should confess to him?” Xia Liyang hesitated.

“Yes. At the very least, let him know that aside from the past lies, you have genuine feelings for him now. This way, you won’t have any regrets since you’ll have expressed your true feelings,” Song Jinhe encouraged her.

“I understand,” Xia Liyang nodded slowly. “Thank you for talking with me for so long. I’ll go edit a message for him.”

“No problem, go ahead. I’m going to take a shower,” Song Jinhe replied.

Xia Liyang carefully thought about how to confess to Lu Huaicheng, staring at her phone screen for a long time.

After typing and deleting several times, she finally kept it simple: “Mr. Lu, I’ve actually liked you all along.”

She closed her eyes, her fingers trembling slightly as she hit “send.”

After avoiding her phone for a moment, she opened her eyes.

What appeared on the screen was, “Message sent but rejected by the recipient.”

Xia Liyang’s heart clenched as she stared blankly at the red exclamation mark for a long time.

Slowly, she put down her phone, accepting that he had blocked her.

All of Song Jinhe’s words had merely been comforting.

Even so, the next morning, Xia Liyang woke up with a sense of unease, took the breakfast she had prepared herself, and tried ringing the doorbell at Lu Huaicheng’s home.

After waiting a long time, no one answered.

She wasn’t sure if he was truly not home or if he saw her through the video doorbell and didn’t want to answer.

With no other option, she returned to her apartment.

Once inside the elevator, she thought of the apartment on the top floor.

Could he be staying there?

After all, she had run into him in the elevator several times before.

So she went up to the top floor and nervously knocked on the door.

When no one answered, she tried entering the password he had once given her.

But the keypad beeped with a harsh sound, signaling an error.

Xia Liyang’s body froze, her heart sinking to the very bottom.

There was no chance left for her to make amends.

It was truly over between them.

She lowered her gaze, carrying the now-cold breakfast as she quietly made her way downstairs.

…..

Lu Huaicheng landed in Beicheng early Wednesday morning, went straight to headquarters, and busied himself with work without even sleeping.

It seemed like this was the only way to numb his pain.

Though he could force himself not to think of her when he was awake, he couldn’t stop her from appearing in his dreams every night.

Sometimes he dreamed of her sweetly smiling and clinging to his waist, sometimes of her coldly telling him to stop bothering her, and sometimes of her walking away hand-in-hand with another man, growing more distant in front of him.

Each time he woke up, he had to splash his face with cold water in the bathroom to calm his restless heart.

On Saturday morning, he dreamed of her tearfully asking him why he had blocked her and telling him how much she missed him.

No matter how much cold water he used, he couldn’t erase the image of her sad, tear-streaked face from his mind.

Even though he had never actually seen her cry.

But just thinking of that dream scene made his heart ache painfully.

Unable to stand the torment, he finally picked up his phone and removed her from his blocklist.

Then he changed his clothes, left the Beicheng Villa residence, and headed to the hospital to visit Chen Wanzhen.

When he arrived at the door of the hospital room, two young researchers were inside, recording clinical trial data for his mother.

Not wanting to disturb them, Lu Huaicheng paused and sat in a waiting chair outside.

But he overheard them saying, “What’s the story with this patient in bed 31? I noticed Director Xia didn’t include her data in the project’s results, but he’s always making sure we record it.”

“No idea. This family seems quite wealthy, maybe Director Xia received some kind of benefit.”

“Don’t say things like that! Director Xia is known for his integrity at the institute; he never takes bribes.”

“Then how do you explain bed 31? Why would he take care of her for nothing?”

“Maybe she’s some sort of relative.”

“What relative? He lives alone and practically stays at the institute.”

“He has a daughter, supposedly a Ph.D. student.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re new here, so you wouldn’t know. He talks about her often; he’s really proud of her.”

“Hard to imagine; I thought Director Xia was quite strict…”

…

Lu Huaicheng sat quietly at the door, feeling increasingly uneasy.

He had always believed his mother was naturally selected to participate in the institute’s clinical trial project, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

However, he certainly had no relationship with Xia Yanxu, nor had he used money to influence him.

Unable to sit still, he stood up, knocked on the door, and walked in.

“Sorry, I overheard you. Is it true that my mother’s data isn’t included in the project results?”

The two researchers exchanged glances, a bit embarrassed, and nodded slightly.

“So, Director Xia specifically arranged for her to participate in the treatment?” Lu Huaicheng pressed further.

His sharp gaze and imposing presence, along with an indescribable air of authority, made the young researchers answer almost instinctively, “Yes, Director Xia arranged it. The project only needed 30 slots.”

Only 30 slots, yet an extra bed was somehow arranged for his mother.

Could he actually have some connection with Xia Yanxu?

A thought suddenly struck Lu Huaicheng, and he asked urgently, “What’s Director Xia’s daughter’s name?”

“Well… we’re not sure about her full name, but he refers to her as Xiao Yang.”

Xiao Yang. Last name Xia.

Someone he knew.

Who else could it be but Xia Liyang?

Having confirmed his suspicions, Lu Huaicheng stood there, stunned.

So she had quietly done him such a huge favor.

Whether it was out of guilt or something else, her desire to help him had been genuine.

Despite all her lies, this small, sincere gesture was enough for him.

After glancing at his watch, Lu Huaicheng briefly apologized to Chen Wanzhen, then hurried out of the hospital room.

At the same time, he called Lin Shen, sounding anxious:

“Check the earliest flight and high-speed train back to Jiangcheng. I need to arrive before 7 p.m. if possible.”