Like a small stone flying in from the outside, this unexpected kiss on the forehead created ripples in the hearts of both of them, the aftershocks still resonating.

However, they both tacitly avoided mentioning it, pretending that the incident had never happened, until late that night when Dongdong was glued to Lu Zongyue, playing video games. After Dongdong got tired and went to bed, they finally had the chance to be alone again.

Perhaps the moon was hazy and people were hazy as well. Zhong Xintian sat on the sofa in the living room, holding a cup of floral tea, looking at the man leaning against the window, seemingly lost in thought. She finally couldn’t help but ask the question that had been circling in her mind for a long time.

“What exactly is going on between you and Ding Moli?!”

He flinched slightly, his dark, deep-set eyes turning toward her, glimmering with complex emotions. After a long while, the corners of his thin lips curled into a self-deprecating smile.

“It’s just as you saw before. She has been entangled with other men all along, cheating on me without my knowledge. Since I know about this, how could I possibly continue being with her?”

For a proud man like him, admitting to a lover’s betrayal was a humiliation. Zhong Xintian could understand his embarrassment; she wasn’t sure how she felt, torn between a sense of satisfaction and a bit of sadness for him.

She recalled the phone call she received a few days earlier. Ding Moli’s tone had been anything but that of a woman who had become a “thing of the past.” She frowned. “So, you haven’t officially broken up?”

“She still doesn’t know that I’ve found out about her cheating.”

“Why not?”

He explained bitterly, “She’s conspiring with that man to seize company interests, and I want to use her to find out who the traitor is.”

Her brow arched. “So you’re just playing along with her?”

“Yeah.”

Was he really just playing along? Did he still have feelings for her? She let out a soft, cold snort.

He caught onto her skepticism. “You don’t believe me?”

She scoffed, curling her lips in derision. “What does it matter if I believe you?”

“It matters a lot,” he asserted seriously, moving closer to her, his dark eyes intensely gazing into hers. “Yuan Yuan, I hope we can be friends.”

Her heart skipped a beat. His gaze was too focused and earnest, making her inexplicably flustered. She instinctively turned her face slightly, avoiding his eyes, her pink lips pouting.

“Friendship isn’t just a casual word.”

“I know,” he replied, and his smile involuntarily brightened at her slightly reluctant tone. “I will prove that I’m worthy of your friendship.”

She didn’t respond, using the act of lowering her head to sip her tea to mask the ripples of emotion within her.

He stared at her meaningfully for a long time, long enough that she almost wanted to protest, her cheeks quietly warming.

Finally, he moved on and pulled a laptop from his bag. “Yuan Yuan, I need your help with something.”

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

He didn’t answer immediately, opening the computer on the table and calling up the personnel files of various company executives that he had prepared in advance. “Didn’t you say you saw Ding Moli on a date with another man? Can you help me see if you recognize who he is?”

“Are you sure he’s from your company?”

“He should be.”

Zhong Xintian hesitated, biting her lip. “But that was over six months ago. I only saw them at a restaurant by chance; I’m afraid I won’t recognize him.”

“It’s okay; don’t feel pressured. If you can’t recognize him, that’s fine,” Lu Zongyue said reassuringly.

Zhong Xintian stopped declining. From his serious demeanor, she sensed the gravity of the matter. He had inherited this family business from his father, and she understood how much he valued the company. If Ding Moli was indeed conspiring with another man against the company, she hoped she could help him resolve this issue.

She carefully examined each person’s photo. Lu Zongyue was meticulous; the photos he provided weren’t the standard stiff half-body shots but rather a variety of candid shots. Each person had several pictures, showcasing different outfits and postures.

She carefully identified and compared each photo. Although she had only caught a glimpse of that man by chance, she was so shocked that she had studied him closely several times, trying to discern what made him superior to Lu Zongyue; otherwise, how could he have the ability to make Ding Moli so indecisive?

After going through all the supervisors’ photos, she had formed a clear opinion and picked out one of them.

“I think… it’s him.”

Lu Zongyue looked expressionlessly at the screen.

Lin Dongliang, the company’s vice president of R&D, a talented individual he had specially recruited from the United States, and someone he had always respected as a senior.

It was this guy!

Lu Zongyue stared at the photo, his eyes showing no sign of anger or excitement, only an absolute coldness.

He was too calm. As Zhong Xintian observed him, an ominous feeling arose within her. “What do you plan to do?”

He smiled faintly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “He’s the R&D manager of the company, holding too many confidential documents. I won’t act against him lightly; I can only wait for him to fall into the trap himself.”

What trap? She wanted to ask but forced herself to hold back.

He wouldn’t tell her. Even when they were still married, he never discussed company matters with her, probably thinking she wouldn’t understand. Now that they were divorced, he had even less reason to share.

If it weren’t for needing her help to identify the traitor, he probably wouldn’t have shown her the photos of the company supervisors at all!

As Zhong Xintian pondered this bitterly, unexpectedly, Lu Zongyue began to actively introduce her to the backgrounds of these supervisors.

“This is the head of our International Operations Department; he’s of Taiwanese-Japanese descent. He just got married two years ago and has a great relationship with his wife… This one is a veteran of the company; he currently manages HR and is a board member, holding nearly 5% of the shares…”

He explained in great detail, leaving Zhong Xintian dumbfounded, and it took her a while to find her voice again.

“Why… are you telling me all this?”

He looked up at her surprised expression, his gaze dimming. “When we were married, I never talked to you about company matters.” His tone was bitter, almost as if he was blaming himself.

She was even more shocked, staring at him in disbelief.

“Don’t you want to hear it?” His voice was low and husky.

She did want to hear it; once, she was very eager to know anything about his life, whether it was about work or his personal interests and hobbies, but…

Wasn’t it too late to talk about these things now?

“Didn’t we agree to be friends?” It seemed he could see through her thoughts, and he smiled self-deprecatingly. “Friends can share these things too, right?”

She fell silent.

He took her silence as consent and continued to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each supervisor, then, with an unusually serious tone, asked her.

“If you had to choose one person from among them to lead the company, who do you think would do the best job?”

Why was he asking her this? What did it have to do with her?

“Don’t say it doesn’t concern you.” He saw right through her thoughts again. “Just consider it as giving a friend some advice. Who do you think would be the best choice for a successor?”

“You.” Her response was short and straightforward.

He was taken aback, seemingly unable to believe she would answer like that.

She averted her gaze, feeling shy under his overly bright stare. “You would be someone who could help the company grow and thrive. You have excellent vision, meticulous thinking, and you know how to utilize talent. You aren’t afraid of your subordinates outshining you; as long as the employees work hard, you would never treat them unfairly.”