“Lu Ge.”

Lu Linshen had just opened his eyes and raised a hand to rub his temples, trying to ease the heaviness in his head, when he heard an exclamation by his side.

“You’re finally awake!”

“Lao Xu, Lao Xie, come over here! Lu Ge is awake!”

“On it!” Xie Zhixin responded quickly, pulling Xu Xuanyi along as they approached with an air of seriousness, as if preparing for an interrogation.

“What are you guys up to?”

“Obviously, we’re here to interrogate you,” Qin Yu said, shooting him a sidelong glance and crossing his arms with an air of authority. “Spill it. What’s the deal between you and Meng Jie?”

“It’s just like you saw.”

Judging by their demeanor, Lu Linshen figured he must’ve spilled the beans about everything while drunk, so he didn’t bother to hide it. “I confessed, and she rejected me.”

“What else?”

“What else is there?”

Qin Yu let out a sinister chuckle, his voice squeezing out through his teeth. “Of course, I’m talking about your marriage to Meng Jie.”

“…Marriage?”

He froze for a few seconds, his gaze scanning their faces before responding awkwardly, “You all know?”

Lu Linshen’s eyes swept over each of them in turn. Qin Yu let out a huff. “What do you think?”

Xie Zhixin gave him a sly, teasing look with his fox-like eyes. “Didn’t expect you to hide it so well, pulling off a whole supernatural drama right under our noses.”

Meanwhile, Xu Xuanyi simply nodded at him with an aloof expression, letting out a heavy “hmph.”

Rubbing his nose, Lu Linshen awkwardly admitted, “It’s true, but I didn’t mean to hide it from you guys. I mentioned it briefly before, but you all didn’t take me seriously. It was two years ago when I rushed back home because our advisor was sick.”

“Two years ago?” Xie Zhixin immediately caught the key point, smiling faintly. “It’s been that long? Lu Ge, you’re something else.” He gave him a big thumbs-up.

“Lu Ge, think about your usual routine: dorm, cafeteria, classroom, or lab. You’re practically married to research. Who would believe you’re actually married?”

“Also, I remember before our advisor got sick, we were discussing the type of girls we like. You said you hadn’t thought about it and didn’t know. Then, boom, you were already married. Who would’ve seen that coming?”

“….”

“How did you and Meng Jie meet? Were you childhood sweethearts? Why haven’t you mentioned her before?”

“Did Meng Jie invest in our team because of you?”

“Meng Jie, Meng Jie, Meng Jie….”

Bombarded with questions, Lu Linshen could only answer them one by one.

Hearing the story of his marriage to Meng Jie, Qin Yu gulped and exclaimed, “Meng Jie is truly something else—taking the bull by the horns!”

A cold glare shot in his direction, and Qin Yu immediately covered his mouth and fell silent.

Lu Linshen: “For now, Suisui doesn’t want our marriage to be public. It’s fine if you know, but don’t let it spread outside.”

Xu Xuanyi: “That might be difficult.”

Lu Linshen: “Hm?”

Xu Xuanyi: “Last night, at the gathering, there were other people from the company present. I doubt this will stay under wraps. It’s probably already reached Meng Jie’s ears.”

Lu Linshen: “…”

As they suspected, the news had already started circulating in small circles, though it hadn’t yet reached Meng Suishuan directly.

After discussing the latest project details and its next steps with Jiang Chengxuan, she noticed his hesitant expression. Looking directly at him, she spoke up.

“You’ve been looking like you have something to say ever since you stepped into my office. You’ve been staring at me for half an hour now. Just spit it out. What do you want to ask?”

“Are you really married to Lu Linshen?”

The shock only lasted a moment before she quickly composed herself and replied calmly, “If by marriage you mean two people holding a marriage certificate, then yes, we are married.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chengxuan’s gaze darkened. “So, when you rejected me back then, was it because you chose him?”

“No.”

“Xiao Jiang, my marriage with him was an accident, and it’s not something worth talking about. As for rejecting you back then, it was purely because I saw you as a business partner and a friend, without any romantic feelings. So, I chose to cut it off early, to prevent emotions from affecting our future work together.”

“My relationship with you was never because of him.”

“And what about him?” Jiang Chengxuan looked at her directly, speaking word by word. “Do you have feelings for him?”

Did she have feelings for Lu Linshen? Maybe yes, maybe no. She couldn’t quite explain it herself. Before she could answer, Jiang Chengxuan smiled and said, “You don’t need to answer. I already know your answer.”

“He really is an outstanding person. He’s worthy of you.”

—

—Sorry, I was drunk last night and accidentally revealed our marriage. But I didn’t mean to, and I didn’t want to use this to stop the divorce.

After sending the text, Lu Linshen waited for her reply, staring at his phone screen, almost willing it to respond. A long time passed, but she didn’t reply. Was she angry? Or was she ignoring him? Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer and called her.

The phone rang, and as soon as she saw the number, she knew it was him calling.

“Hello.”

“Suisui.”

“I sent you a message. Did you see it?”

She responded softly, “Not yet. I just finished a meeting.”

Hearing that, he felt the emotions that had built up during his wait dissipate.

“I was rambling after getting drunk last night.”

Even through the phone, she could feel his nervousness. “I accidentally let slip about our marriage.”

“Oh.” So, it was him who said it.

“Really drunk, I didn’t even know how I ended up saying it. I know that with everything going on right now, you might misunderstand, but I truly didn’t mean to use this… to stop you from divorcing me.”

Afraid she might not believe him, he emphasized it again.

“Hmm, I know. I never thought that way. You’re not that kind of person.”

Lu Linshen felt weak, as though he’d overreacted. She’d merely complimented him a little, and his heart was racing. But he liked this feeling. The feeling of being trusted and praised by her.

Unfortunately, this happiness didn’t last long, as he soon heard her say,

“About the divorce, I hope you really think it through.”

“Suisui, I don’t need to think it over. My answer is still the same—I don’t agree.”

“I know that right now, your feelings for me might not be that deep, but I want to try for another chance to make you like me. So please, don’t bring up the divorce, okay?”

His tone was firm and earnest, carrying the stubbornness unique to youth.

“Lu Linshen.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe your feelings for me are just a case of being blinded by the moment? You like me probably because you haven’t spent time with other women and haven’t met someone better. Once you do…”

“You are the best! Suisui, you are the best!” He impatiently interrupted her words. “Suisui, it was inevitable that I’d fall for you, because—” His tone was very serious. “You are the only person in this world who understands me. Whether it’s the internet, websites, smartphones, or the things between me and Shen Jin, you understand and respond to me. So, no matter what, no matter if there are other women, I will only be drawn to you.”

“Because my soul has already aligned with yours.”

When he called, she had intended to bring up old matters, but he diverted the conversation, and in the end, the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat and she couldn’t bring herself to say them.

During this time, the project had made new progress. After focusing on the business district, she shifted her attention to the development of the entire Ning city, eventually deciding to target the wealthy as the next client group. She planned to create a series of luxurious and high-end villas. The concept of villas wasn’t new, and these clients were well-traveled and owned numerous properties. To appeal to them, she needed to hit the right points to open their wallets. This might be difficult for others, but not for Meng Suihuan. She had grown up in the prosperous villa areas of the 21st century and naturally understood what such clients desired. She shared her preliminary ideas with Lu Xiuhe, and after years of experience, she was no longer the timid Lu Xiuhe from before. The person in front of her was calm, graceful, and efficient. She proposed her ideas, and Lu Xiuhe recorded them all.

After the work-related discussion, Lu Xiuhe closed her notebook and called her, “Sister-in-law.” Looking at her dazed expression, Lu Xiuhe couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’ve wanted to call you that for a long time, but you and Xiao Shen have been so low-key, hiding your marriage from everyone. As your sister, I could only follow along with your little secret. Now that it’s out, I can finally call you openly.”

“It’s been just a few years, but now these words feel a bit awkward.”

“Xiuhe Jie, please just call me by my name. I’m not used to you calling me that.”

She didn’t mention her thoughts about divorce but instead came up with a light excuse. Lu Xiuhe naturally agreed. After chatting for a while, as though remembering something, Meng Suihuan looked at Lu Xiuhe and winked, “ Xiuhe Jie, what’s going on between you and Zhao Chen?”

As soon as Zhao Chen was mentioned, Lu Xiuhe lowered her head shyly, her tone somewhat bashful, “It’s… it’s alright.” After a moment, she added, her head still down, but with an unspoken joy, “Ah Chen said he’ll come back to my hometown with me this year.”

She and Zhao Chen often went to construction sites together. He was in charge of overseeing the projects while she reviewed the terrain, created design plans, and set up model rooms. Over time, the two became more familiar with each other. She still remembered half a year ago when Xiuhe hesitantly asked her about Zhao Chen, wanting to know what she thought of him. She had been honest, saying that apart from being a bit cold, he was great in every other way.

“Xiuhe Jie, why did you suddenly ask about him?”

Lu Xiuhe’s face turned red without her noticing, her voice soft, “…He asked me if I had a partner today. I… I told him about my divorce. He said he didn’t mind. Then he asked how I felt, but I didn’t know how to answer him.”

At the end, she sounded a bit uncertain. Despite looking younger than Lu Xiuhe, Meng Suihuan felt a strange sense of trust from her. Meng Suihuan immediately understood her concern. She thought Lu Xiuhe was worried that because of her divorce, she was unworthy of Zhao Chen. In this day and age, divorce was a big deal for women—it often felt like it made them inferior. Especially in places like Lu village, where people liked to gossip. Even though Xiuhe had become independent and decisive over the years, her past still left its mark when it came to matters of the heart.

“Xiuhe Jie, what do you think of him?”

Instead of answering right away, Meng Suihuan asked her back, “He’s gentle, patient, and takes care of me at the construction site… He’s really a wonderful person.”

“But Ah Huan, I’ve been divorced, I’m afraid…”

“I know.” People who’ve been hurt are more afraid of repeating the same mistakes.

“ Xiuhe Jie, you can tell him your concerns and take it slow with him. As for whether you two will work out, I think time will tell you the answer.”

—

Seeing the moment was right, Lu Xiuhe’s fingers rested on her notebook.

“Xiao Huan, do you know why I’m talking to you about Zhao Chen?”

Meng Suihuan honestly shook her head.

“Last night, Ah Shen called me and rambled for a while, saying you wanted to divorce him. I don’t know why you suddenly want a divorce, but I think you should try to talk to him about your concerns.”

“If he can accept it, then be together. If not, at least you’ll have tried, and you won’t regret it later.”

“These were the words you used to advise me, and now I’m using them to advise you.”