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Chapter 14: He Looks So Innocent
Luo Sent gave a slight smile.
“Mhm, the position of Design Director has always been reserved for you. Liuzheng, don’t let me down again this time.”
The last trace of coldness on his face melted away.
His tone became warm and familiar—it was finally the closeness of old friends reuniting.
Ruan Liuzheng paused in surprise and looked up. “What if I never came back? Would the Design Director position still be…?”
“Liuzheng, we had an agreement back then.”
Luo Sent nodded with certainty in his tone. “And I know you. You have your own goals. Even if life forces you off course for a while, you’ll always find your way back. Besides, Fu Yanci was never someone worth entrusting your life to.”
That’s right—when they first founded the company, they made a pact.
She would handle design and development, and he would take care of management and decision-making.
Step by step, they would amaze the world. They would make Ruan Liuzheng the most incredible illustrator, and help Luo Sent gain recognition from his family.
But she broke that promise halfway through.
Yet, she never expected Luo Sent to have kept his word all along.
Ruan Liuzheng’s nose stung with emotion, and she furrowed her brows slightly.
Luo Sent had warned her more than once: Fu Yanci was calculating and emotionally detached—not someone suitable for a lifelong commitment.
But she had been blinded—blinded by the illusion of love Fu Yanci pretended to offer. She had rushed into marriage without hesitation, like a moth to a flame.
In doing so, she hurt Luo Sent and betrayed the company.
Looking back now, it was… incredibly foolish.
Ruan Liuzheng took a deep breath and pushed down the ache in her heart. She looked up, her eyes sincere.
“Luo Sent… thank you.”
Thank you for forgiving me, for still being willing to be my friend, and… thank you for holding on to our dream—even in the shadows where I couldn’t see.
—
Junze Law Firm
“President Xie, here’s your coffee.”
Assistant Qi Chong pushed open the door and addressed the man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Xie Qingcen gave a faint nod, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked back to his desk to sit down.
He rubbed his temples, then lifted the freshly delivered coffee and took a slow sip.
The bitterness spread through his mouth immediately.
Black coffee—no milk, no sugar—perfect for staying alert.
Especially after a full morning of meetings, as was the case for Xie Qingcen.
Though he had recently taken over the family business and technically didn’t need to return to the law firm…
Junze Law Firm was his personal creation. Becoming a lawyer had been his lifelong dream.
He wasn’t willing to let go of it so easily. So, he had arranged with the current managing partner that he could return on occasion—when he was free, or when a particularly tough case came up—to help as an unofficial advisor.
Qi Chong, his assistant at Hanfei Group, had come with him to Junze that day.
“Is there something else?” Xie Qingcen looked calmly at Qi Chong, who hadn’t moved from where he stood.
Even just sitting there, Xie Qingcen exuded a quiet but undeniable aura of power and authority.
Qi Chong felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
Even after working with President Xie for some time, it was impossible not to feel pressure in his presence.
But thinking of yesterday’s events, he steeled himself and said, “President Xie, about Miss Ruan from yesterday… do you want me to look into her background?”
As Xie Qingcen’s assistant, Qi Chong naturally knew where his boss had gone that day—even the hospital admission paperwork for Ruan Liuzheng had been handled by him.
He also had a vague sense of what Xie Qingcen might feel toward her.
While a subordinate shouldn’t meddle in his boss’s personal affairs, the Xie family had once done a great favor for Qi Chong. Now that his boss had just returned to Yun City, Qi Chong felt responsible.
He feared Ruan Liuzheng might have ulterior motives—that she wasn’t as pure as she seemed.
After all, the Xie family’s influence spanned not just Yun City, but all of China.
They weren’t just a powerful family. They were a true aristocratic clan.
Three generations made a family name. Five made a conglomerate. Nine made a dynasty. Twelve generations and beyond… that was a noble lineage.
The Xie family had been around for generations, a clan among clans—at the top of the pyramid in both power and wealth.
Naturally, many people would covet that.
Even out of gratitude alone, Qi Chong had to stay cautious.
Xie Qingcen let out a light laugh.
“Qi Chong, do I look naïve to you?”
He set down the document in his hand and leaned back lazily in his chair, casually observing his meticulous, nearly flawless assistant.
Though there was a hint of amusement in his tone, Qi Chong still stiffened and stood up straighter.
“No, President Xie. Forgive me. I overstepped.”
If Xie Qingcen was considered “naive,” then there was probably no such thing as a shrewd person in the world.
This was a man who had single-handedly taken control of Hanfei Group in less than a year.
His methods and strategy even surpassed those of the former chairman.
Clearly, Qi Chong had overthought things.
He lowered his head, admitting fault.
Xie Qingcen gave a cold humph but didn’t seem truly angry.
He glanced at Qi Chong and said calmly, “If I want to pursue someone, I need to show 100% sincerity. Investigating her behind her back would be an offense to her.”
“If I can’t even be honest about that, what right do I have to build a relationship with her? Besides… some things—I prefer to hear them from her directly.”
Qi Chong’s pupils contracted.
So—President Xie had already made up his mind about Miss Ruan.
But as far as Qi Chong knew, wasn’t she a divorced single mother?
Could someone like her really become part of the Xie family?
“If there’s nothing else, you may go.”
“Yes, President Xie.”
Qi Chong bowed his head respectfully and left the office.
No matter how many doubts he had, he couldn’t ask any further.
Because from here on out, this was strictly President Xie’s private affair—something a mere assistant had no right to interfere with.
He just needed to confirm two things:
Those two facts were more than enough.
—
5:00 PM — Ruan Liuzheng finally left Sofan.
She had spent the entire day there, getting a comprehensive understanding of the company’s recent development.
Although Luo Sent had hoped she could start work the very next day, she gently declined.
After all, she had been away from the industry too long. She needed time to adjust.
Luo Sent thought it over and agreed.
Later, after picking up her son and returning to Yue Lan Hua Fu (Yuelan Residence), it was already completely dark outside.
“Mommy, what’s for dinner? Chengcheng is super hungry.”
In the elevator, little Fu Jingcheng looked up at her with hopeful eyes, his small backpack still on his shoulders.
Ruan Liuzheng blinked, then a flash of guilt crossed her face.
She had been so focused on her conversation with Luo Sent that she completely forgot she now had to make dinner herself.
She crouched down and gently apologized, “I’m sorry, Chengcheng. Mommy was really busy today. How about we eat downstairs tonight?”
Fu Jingcheng’s eyes dimmed in disappointment—but when he saw how tired his mommy looked, he nodded anyway.
“Okay.”