Shang Xinglu hung onto the edge of the bed, watching Lin Heng sleep.

More specifically, she was waiting for Lin Heng to wake up naturally.

Lin Heng was a light sleeper, but it seemed like he was truly exhausted lately.

Despite Shang Xinglu tossing and turning in bed, he didn’t wake up at all.

She flipped through all the news she could find on her phone, but after throwing her phone aside, she was left with a full belly of questions.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to wake Lin Heng, so she squatted by the bed, clutching the edge, and continued waiting for him to wake up.

At first, Shang Xinglu was quite anxious.

Why hasn’t Lin Heng woken up yet, at this time?

How come he hasn’t woken up yet?

…Forget it, maybe I should just wake him up.

But as she continued to look at him, she got so absorbed in watching Lin Heng sleep that she couldn’t pull herself away.

After all, as a person lacking in Lin Heng energy, she was already feeling empty.

Just one night of soaking in Lin Heng’s presence wasn’t enough to fill her up.

She quietly continued to watch him, until she eventually wore herself out from just staring.

Using both her hands and feet, Shang Xinglu crawled up onto the bed and skillfully slipped into Lin Heng’s embrace.

A cool body nestled close, and Lin Heng, half awake, grabbed her.

“…Why are you awake so early?”

“Oh, I have something to ask you… but I’m sleepy, I’ll sleep first…” Shang Xinglu’s words became increasingly fuzzy, and she eventually fell asleep.

Lin Heng also drifted back into sleep.

Meanwhile, rumors were spreading wildly online.

Some were even speculating that Clemens’ stock prices might drop.

After all, no one knew what Lin Heng’s “personal reasons” were.

His achievements were there for everyone to see, and he was so young—how could he just resign like that?

Some said it was an internal struggle within Clemens, with Lin Heng’s cousin, Lin Yan, defeating him and taking over the position.

Others refuted, saying, “I work in the Bay Area, which is pretty close to them. I’ve heard it’s actually Lin Heng and his uncle, Lin Maosen, who’ve been at odds. When did Lin Yan get involved? Looks like he’s just waiting to pick up the pieces.”

Even more people wondered, “No matter who won or lost, this still has nothing to do with us… Did everyone have a good dinner last night?”

This comment quickly gathered many likes.

However, some replied, “Even if it doesn’t concern us, I’m curious! Everyone’s saying it’s not about lack of ability, so what exactly happened for him to quit?”

The conversation was filled with responses: “Retire at thirty? I’d love to do that too!”

“I’m so jealous!”

“I’m jealous and depressed at the same time!!!”

The internal struggles in big companies, especially at the top, were things the average person had no power to influence.

Even if the CEO was replaced, what did it matter?

In the end, everyone would go back to doing their work and earning money.

However, at this point, a blogger published a lengthy post speculating about the reason for Lin Heng’s resignation.

The post was well-researched, supported by pictures, and had evidence that made it seem plausible. It captivated the whole internet’s attention.

The title was even more shocking: “Not for the throne, but for the beauty—You think it’s all an excuse? Wrong, there are people who really just love the beauty and not the throne.”

The post first mentioned the recently banned Li Xinyue and her trip to Tahiti.

There was an anonymous submission saying the author had encountered Li Xinyue there.

Then a photo was released, with the caption, “I met the famous fairy lady and her husband at the restaurant I was eating in.”

Though the photo was blurry and had been cropped, the identity of the two in the background could still be vaguely seen, and upon closer inspection, it appeared to be Shang Xinglu and Lin Heng.

The post continued, confirming that the two had divorced, their assets had been split, but why were they vacationing together in Tahiti around Christmas time?

This seemed strange, given they weren’t a couple anymore.

The blogger then shifted focus to Lin Heng’s mother, Gu Wanyu.

The blogger claimed that Gu Wanyu’s preferred daughter-in-law was Meng Huaqing, full name Emma Fioravanti.

She was the granddaughter of a European millionaire—who had previously been involved in the mafia, with considerable power.

The post detailed how Gu Wanyu frequently brought Meng Huaqing along, even when traveling back to China.

The blogger concluded that Lin Heng and Shang Xinglu’s divorce was likely due to his mother’s interference.

The post then went on to suggest, based on prior information, that Lin Heng’s relationship with his ex-wife had actually been quite good.

Lin Heng quitting Clemens at this time must have been to escape the pressure from his family business and avoid his mother’s interference…

He truly loved the beauty, not the throne!

This long post was thorough, clear, and easy to follow.

After reading it, even the netizens who didn’t know where Clemens’ headquarters were located slapped their foreheads in realization, thinking, “Oh, maybe it really is like this!”

The post went viral on Weibo, with users commenting:

“This is what a fairy couple looks like.”

“Sorry, I’m starting to believe in love again!”

“Ahh!!! This is too enviable, too sweet!!”

Of course, some people started to argue: “You actually believe this?”

“Why not go watch a fairy tale? Cinderella, Snow White, you know?”

“Capitalists giving up their career for a woman… I just can’t say anything about it.”

These voices existed, but they were in the minority.

After all, the lives of the rich were far removed from ordinary people—sometimes even farther than the entertainment industry. Most were just interested in gossip.

As this drama was unfolding online, Shang Xinglu’s friends weren’t clueless about the situation.

They carefully examined the post.

A few of them were stunned.

…Forget the gossip crowd, they were almost convinced too!

They were bombarding Shang Xinglu’s phone like crazy.

And Shang Xinglu?

Today, she was a damn lazybones.

She was nestled in the arms of the even more damnable Lin Heng, indulging in a deep, blissful sleep.

By the time noon had passed, the two of them finally woke up.

Lin Heng had genuinely caught up on his sleep. When he woke up, he felt refreshed and full of energy.

Shang Xinglu, on the other hand, drooped her head and muttered, “I… I have a headache…”

Lin Heng glanced at her and said bluntly, “That’s because you overslept.”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Someone, please!

Drag this Lin Heng out and replace him with one who actually knows how to be considerate!

It was the first day of the Lunar New Year.

The two servants Shang Xinglu had let go home for the reunion dinner yesterday had returned.

Lin Heng let out a sigh of relief.

Just a moment ago, Louise had been itching to cook, but seeing the servants return, she abandoned the idea.

After a simple meal, the two of them were sipping tea when Lin Heng raised an eyebrow and said, “If you have questions, just ask.”

At first, Shang Xinglu had been full of expletives in her mind, but after a while, she didn’t even know how to start.

She hesitantly asked, “…Why did you resign? Was it because of that incident last time?”

By “that incident,” she meant the car accident.

But what she really wanted to ask was—was it because of her?

After the accident, she had wanted a divorce for many reasons.

Lin Heng had agreed to it, but what had been his reasoning?

She hadn’t thought much about it at the time, nor had she had the chance to.

But now, as she recalled everything, she had a vague guess.

Still… that would be too self-indulgent of her.

This was such an important decision—she shouldn’t flatter herself too much.

Lin Heng seemed to have already seen through the essence of her question.

He replied calmly, “It was because of you, but not entirely because of you.”

Shang Xinglu: “Huh?”

Lin Heng said, “Lin Maosen’s methods are too aggressive. I didn’t want him to get what he wanted, but at the same time, I didn’t want you to be in danger. As for Clemens… the position Lin Maosen covets—I had already attained it long ago. And I never thought it was a good position. In fact, to me, it was too restrictive.”

Taking a sip of tea, Lin Heng continued, “I’m just an ordinary person. My energy is limited. I have my own career. Now that things have come to this, I just want to spend my time and effort on something I actually care about. As for the things I don’t want, it’s better to discard them early.”

Shang Xinglu understood what he meant.

The initial trigger for his decision may have been simple, but when it came to actually making the choice, as a responsible adult, he had given it careful thought.

But according to his logic…

He didn’t want it, so he discarded it. But he also didn’t want Lin Maosen to pick it up…

Shang Xinglu asked, “Then what about Lin Yan?”

Wouldn’t he be the one getting screwed over?

At this, Lin Heng coughed lightly and said, “…Well, what if he turns out to be a good fit?”

Shang Xinglu burst into laughter.

Poor Lin Yan!

Lin Heng beckoned to her.

Shang Xinglu ran over, sat on his lap, and snuggled up to him.

Holding her close, Lin Heng said, “I told you, we will have plenty of time.”

President Lin never wasted words.

Considering how little time they had actually spent together in the past month…

Shang Xinglu’s eyes flickered. “I’m sorry, I admit… I secretly cursed you for being a big liar. And not just once…”

Lin Heng was both amused and exasperated. He reached out and pinched her cheek.

Seeing the red mark, he felt a little guilty and stole a kiss.

Shang Xinglu immediately straightened up. “I was wrong, I was wrong. I was being petty. So, since we have so much time now, how about we go on a date?”

“What do you want to do?” Lin Heng asked.

“What do you want to do?” Shang Xinglu countered.

Lin Heng said, “I want to sleep.”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Fine. He had probably been exhausted from dealing with his resignation.

Even though it was a rare day off, even though he had just woken up, even though they had barely spoken a few words…

I won’t be mad. I can be understanding. I’m zen.

Shang Xinglu was about to climb off the couch. “Alright then, go get some sleep.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Heng’s warm hands grasped her waist, keeping her in place.

He leaned in close to her ear and murmured, “I meant, I want to sleep with you.”

Shang Xinglu froze, then her face instantly turned bright red.

T-That was so shameless…

Oh my god! This can’t be the real Lin Heng!

But before she could react, Lin Heng kissed her.

They had only just begun to get intimate when Shang Xinglu’s phone rang.

She fumbled to pick up the call, still breathless. On the other end, it was Lin Yan’s voice.

He said, “Is Edmond with you?”

Shang Xinglu: “He is.”

Lin Yan: “I knew it… But before I look for him, I have a few words for you.”