Chapter 45.2

Song Wei’s eyes lingered on the tie before slowly moving upward.

It felt like he was searching for something too, their gazes briefly meeting for two seconds before shifting away.

She lowered her head, unaware her eyes had turned misty.

Chen Jubai, perhaps, liked her even more than she’d thought. She shouldn’t doubt his love.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Shan Kaicheng called out, “Song Wei? Are you okay?”

The woman sniffed, looked up, and smiled faintly, “I’m fine.”

As the meeting began, Song Wei calmed her heartbeat and focused on the discussion.

The routine meeting was straightforward, mainly consisting of reports from senior managers and directors, followed by tasks assigned by Ling Yaozhi and Chu Qi. Any major events for the week were emphasized.

Today, Ning Shuhui was also present, as polished and professional as ever, exuding poise and elegance.

Song Wei observed her from a distance, her feelings complicated.

She didn’t dislike Ning Shuhui; she had no grievances with her. They had barely spoken a few words to each other. Their only connection was Chen Jubai.

What he had said that day echoed in her mind: people focus only on her family background, capabilities, and ambitions. Now, Song Wei felt a fleeting pang of sympathy. Indeed, who would care about what lay beneath her polished surface?

Ning Shuhui had emerged from a challenging family environment, an exceptional feat in itself. But who knew what she had endured to get to where she was today?

When the meeting ended, Song Wei was among the last to leave. Ning Shuhui called out to her, “Manager Song, could you stay for a moment?”

Chen Jubai, who hadn’t left yet, glanced over as if intending to intervene. Song Wei shook her head subtly to stop him and replied to Ning Shuhui, “Of course, Director Ning.”

Soon, the room was empty except for the two of them.

Ning Shuhui stood by the window, gazing at the bustling traffic below in silence.

Song Wei stood beside her, equally quiet.

After a minute or two, Ning Shuhui turned to face her. Her eyes lingered on the gentle and composed young woman in front of her.

Over the past week, someone had inevitably delivered a detailed report about Chen Jubai’s wife to Ning Shuhui. An only child from a family that neither engaged in business nor politics but cultivated a scholarly background. She was a bright and beloved girl who had shone brightly throughout her life.

Her personality was gentle and approachable. Both colleagues and collaborators enjoyed working with her. She never complained about her work, always radiating optimism and capability. Compared to these qualities, her beauty and figure seemed trivial.

Ning Shuhui’s face softened with a faint smile. “Song Wei, I envy you.”

Unsure how to respond, Song Wei returned the smile politely.

Ning Shuhui folded her arms and looked out the window again.

She seemed to have many things on her mind. Song Wei waited patiently, but after three or four minutes, Ning Shuhui remained silent, lost in thought. Finally, Song Wei spoke softly, “Director Ning?”

Lowering her eyes, Ning Shuhui replied quietly, “It’s nothing.”

Turning back, she gazed at Song Wei again and said, “I wish you both happiness.”

“Thank you.”

Ning Shuhui left in her high heels, and Song Wei stayed where she was.

She couldn’t decipher what Ning Shuhui had been thinking during those moments of silence or why she refrained from saying what she might have intended to. Yet, in Ning Shuhui’s eyes, she had glimpsed a multitude of emotions.

Their acquaintance spanned several years. Beyond external motivations, Ning Shuhui’s consistent support for Chen Jubai couldn’t simply be reduced to self-interest. Whatever deeper emotions had once existed between them would forever remain a mystery.

In matters of the heart, there is no absolute right or wrong, no winners or losers. Until life reaches its final chapter, no one can say who has truly gained or lost.

Song Wei silently wished Ning Shuhui happiness in the future and resolved to cherish what she already had.

Returning to her office, Song Wei received a message from Chen Jubai asking what had happened. She replied that everything was fine and, worried he might not believe her, even sent a voice message for reassurance.

After drinking a few sips of now-cold coffee, she dove back into work.

With less than a month until the exhibition, there was no room for delays.

After lunch, Song Wei spent over two hours on the phone coordinating with Chang Yan’s team. Afterward, she headed to the tech department for project updates.

But as soon as she entered, Song Wei sensed something was amiss. The atmosphere felt tense, especially among the team members handling the navigation project. They all looked visibly concerned.

Her heart sank. She immediately went to Shan Kaicheng’s office.

“Senior, what’s going on?”

Shan Kaicheng shook his head. “It’s nothing serious, just a possible data issue. The test results aren’t aligning with patient reports.”

“Weren’t things fine just a few days ago?”

“Yes, we’re investigating the cause,” he reassured her. “It’s not a big deal, but it’ll take time to sort out.”

But it was a big deal. With the equipment prototype due by early next month, the system testing had to be completed and meet standards by the end of this week. Chang Yan’s team was already prepared for integration, and a sudden issue now was a significant setback.

Feeling the weight of the situation, Song Wei pulled a chair next to him and leaned over to look at the computer screen.

Shan Kaicheng, noticing their close proximity, joked, “Manager Song, you’d better be careful. What if President Chen comes down and sees this?”

Song Wei froze, realizing they were indeed sitting a bit too close. Remembering someone’s occasional bouts of jealousy, she subtly moved back. “Alright, stop teasing. Let’s focus.”

Shan Kaicheng chuckled and turned his attention back to work.

Originally, she had planned to leave on time, but the unexpected problem kept Song Wei in the tech department until after six.

At around 6:10, Chen Jubai called. Only then did she remember their dinner plans for the evening. He had been busy lately, and tonight was one of the rare occasions they had to go out together. But… She glanced at the ongoing software process and bit her lip. “I might need to work late tonight. Maybe—”

Before she could finish, Shan Kaicheng interjected, “It’s fine. You can go. I’ll handle things here.”

On the other end of the call, Chen Jubai asked what had happened. Song Wei explained the situation in detail. After a brief pause, he said, “I’ll come down,” and hung up.

He arrived quickly and took over Shan Kaicheng’s task without hesitation.

After a few keystrokes, the system began a new test. Watching the process, Chen Jubai stopped at a specific point and said to Shan Kaicheng, “It’s just a simple transaction processing error. Optimize the database update program and check all processing commands.”

It wasn’t a complicated issue, but Shan Kaicheng was impressed by how quickly he had pinpointed it after just one test. “Understood, President Chen.”

Standing up, Chen Jubai returned the chair to him and glanced at Song Wei, who remained seated, his tone tinged with mild reproach. “Do you still need to work late?”

Song Wei laughed. “No, no, I’m done.” She turned to Shan Kaicheng. “Thanks for handling this, Manager Shan.”

“It’s no trouble, really.”

The two left the department together. After retrieving her bag from the seventh floor, Song Wei headed to the underground parking lot. As she exited the elevator, her steps instinctively moved toward the shopping mall entrance. Realizing something, she stopped, turned around, and walked to his car.

They could now be open and aboveboard about their relationship.

Song Wei got into the car, smiling at him. “Thank you for your hard work, President Chen.”

With a teasing tone, he replied, “If I didn’t make this effort, I’d probably end up spending the night alone.”

“That won’t happen,” she reassured him. As they exited the garage and merged smoothly into traffic, Song Wei held his right hand, resting on the console, and smiled sweetly. “What movie are we watching today?”

“A romance movie with good reviews recently.”

“Oh~ Does President Chen like watching movies?”

Chen Jubai pressed his lips into a smile and glanced at her quickly. “Not particularly.”

“Then what are we having for dinner tonight?”

“I’ve made a restaurant reservation.”

Song Wei, full of questions, continued, “Does this count as our first date?”

Chen Jubai wasn’t sure how to define a date. By his standards, every meal they shared counted as a date. “Does it?”

“I think it does. It’s the first time you’ve formally invited me out to dinner and a movie,” she explained.

Chen Jubai thought for a moment and then corrected her. “Didn’t I invite you to dinner and a concert before? And didn’t we go out for meals and hiking in Shenzhen?”

Song Wei’s face stiffened as she interrupted him. “Those don’t count, don’t count.”

“Why not?”

“Because when we went to the concert, we weren’t together yet. And in Shenzhen… that was…” She trailed off, thinking those moments were at best ambiguous, nothing like their current situation.

Chen Jubai chuckled. “Alright, today is the first time.”

Satisfied, Song Wei continued her questioning. “What about after the movie?”

“Go home,” he said.

“What for?”

He glanced at her without answering, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Suddenly, Song Wei remembered their earlier conversation—about the living room, balcony, the car, and even the office…

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stopped her imagination from running wild.

Looking down at their clasped hands, the warmth of his touch spread through her, filling her with a deep sense of peace.

A soft smile crept onto her lips, blossoming into dimples that radiated joy.

Then, as an afterthought, she wondered—are they dating now?

Probably, right?