Shang Xinglu was curious about what Lin Yan could possibly want to say to her.

According to Lin Yan, they had only met a few times in the past — once during their marriage and a few more recent encounters.

They hadn’t really spoken alone much.

Shang Xinglu pushed Lin Heng aside, and sure enough, it made someone’s gaze turn cold. Shang Xinglu, bearing the pressure, said, “You speak.”

Lin Yan said, “Edmond’s actions this time have made my uncle very angry. Even though I’m the one taking over, the responsibility falls on him.”

Shang Xinglu casually replied, “Oh, that’s going to piss off Lin Maosen. I wish him high blood pressure every day, with brain strokes and clots to accompany him.”

Lin Yan, who wasn’t easily amused, almost burst out laughing at Shang Xinglu’s “monologue.”

He quickly added, “My uncle’s methods are usually quite extreme, and after the two incidents that happened earlier, you should know that. Also, it’s said that he received help from Gu Wanyu when he was a student, so he particularly dislikes Lin Maoxian and Lin Heng.”

He didn’t say it outright, but Shang Xinglu understood quickly and felt like everything made sense.

Over six months ago, when she first visited the Changdao family’s main house, she noticed Lin Heng’s strange attitude toward Gu Wanyu. The atmosphere between them was unusual, not like that of a mother and son, but more like a form of mutual control.

She didn’t think much of it at the time, partly because she had assumed that she would eventually divorce Lin Heng and not have any further ties to the Lin family, so it didn’t matter to her.

But then, when she encountered Lin Maosen in Japan, he cursed Lin Heng as a bastard…

It seemed that Gu Wanyu was not Lin Heng’s biological mother.

And this point, Lin Heng had never shown.

Shang Xinglu suddenly felt quite sorry for Lin Heng.

How wonderful a person he was — he couldn’t choose his birth, yet he had to suffer from these relations, being constantly targeted by his inexplicably hostile uncle.

She planned to go comfort Lin Heng later… but it was not because she wanted to, not at all.

Lin Yan continued, “Recently, don’t come to the U.S.”

Shang Xinglu replied, “Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t come!”

Lin Yan calmly reminded her, “You two are probably going to remarry, so…”

Shang Xinglu finally understood what he meant.

He didn’t want her to pressure Lin Heng.

Although Lin Yan’s words were harsh, they made sense.

…Even though she and Lin Heng hadn’t considered remarriage yet, when it came to serious matters, she still gave Lin Yan a positive response.

Shang Xinglu said, “I understand. No rush.”

Lin Yan then said, “Please transfer the call to Edmond.”

Shang Xinglu passed the phone to Lin Heng.

Lin Heng said a few words, his tone not friendly. After a while, he apologized and went aside to make another call.

Though Lin Yan only spoke a few sentences, they carried a lot of weight.

Shang Xinglu didn’t know why, but she started to think things through carefully.

Suddenly, she realized there was a discrepancy in the timeline.

…The previous two incidents.

She and Lin Heng had been in a car accident once, but what about the other incident?

What exactly had Lin Maosen done?

…

Under the guidance of a lengthy Weibo post, the global audience believed in a fairytale romance that now seemed to have fallen into a crisis: easy to fall in love, hard to live together.

Shang Xinglu was video chatting with her girlfriends.

They had planned to meet up for dinner later, each bringing a partner. It was the only time during the Spring Festival holiday when everyone had free time to gather.

Lin Heng had already changed his clothes, but Shang Xinglu was still video chatting while picking out her outfit.

Shirui saw Shang Xinglu’s radiant look and couldn’t help but comment, “Louise, your life seems pretty sweet lately.”

Shang Xinglu, standing in front of the mirror, was choosing earrings, “How does this pair look?”

“Good, but I think the previous pair looked better.”

“Oh, fine.” After selecting, Shang Xinglu sneered, “Sweet? Hah, naive.”

Shirui teased, “Your Lin Heng has quit his job to stay home and romance you. What more do you want?”

Shang Xinglu coldly replied, “He quit one job at Clemens, but he still has one at M&E! Do you think this workaholic can actually relax? Baby is so aggrieved, but baby will cry!”

Lin Heng, hearing her mumbling, walked in just in time to hear the last part and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shang Xinglu instantly changed her demeanor, dramatically placing her hand on her chest and saying, “My eternal rival is always work…”

She acted so theatrically.

Her girlfriends in the video were gagging.

At the annual meeting, she had said she’d endure. But after being with Lin Heng for just a short while, she immediately started teasing him.

Shameless, really shameless!

Lin Heng, however, was unfazed.

He began, “Yesterday, who was it that wanted to video call Miss Yin?”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Uh, that was probably her.

“Who also said, after the New Year, when things settle, that the cosmetics line should be developed and that she’d study hard, spending the whole night reading books?”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Well, that was still her.

“Who also said…”

Shang Xinglu immediately interrupted, “No, no! It wasn’t you! You didn’t, don’t say anything more. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry, Daddy, I was wrong!”

Lin Heng smirked.

Shirui and the others were utterly stunned, giving her a thumbs-up.

What kind of skills did Yin Yao’s charm have compared to this? This was the real master at work, truly impressive!

Shang Xinglu ended the video call but was still dissatisfied with her dress. After all, her stylist wasn’t there, and as just a test model, she didn’t have the eye for fashion. She fussed over it and changed dresses three times.

She grabbed a small black dress she couldn’t go wrong with, put on high heels, and asked Lin Heng, “How does this one look?”

Lin Heng looked at it a few times and picked a deep red one.

Shang Xinglu changed, and Lin Heng remained silent, then picked a white one for her.

Shang Xinglu was halfway through changing… when her IQ suddenly kicked in: “Wait, this color doesn’t match my makeup! Why are you messing with me?”

Lin Heng was calm. He said, “Because I think you look better without it.”

This shameless Lin Heng, who suddenly came out with such a bold statement in the most serious tone!

Just when she thought he was being serious, he hit her with a flirtatious remark…

Too shameless.

Shang Xinglu’s face turned slightly red at first, but she quickly shrugged it off, taking off the white dress and saying, “If you don’t want me to wear it, then I’ll just go out like this.”

Let’s see who’s not happy about that!

Lin Heng’s gaze slowly passed over her body in only her underwear. Truth be told, Louise had a perfectly balanced figure, with a nice waist-to-hip ratio, and was objectively considered a beauty.

But she was his.

Lin Heng then very seriously picked another dress for her and expressionlessly said, “You should wear it after all.”

Shang Xinglu: “Hmph!”

Victory for Louise, right?!

They drove to the dinner venue, which was located in a somewhat hidden club in the city center.

This time, they didn’t take a driver; Lin Heng drove himself.

Shang Xinglu sat in the passenger seat and answered a call from Yin Yao midway through the ride.

Although it was the New Year holiday, they had to launch a new production line after the break, and there were still many details to discuss.

Once the call ended, the car was filled with silence.

Shang Xinglu continued texting, and her lips curled into an uncontrollable grin—clearly in a great mood.

Lin Heng suddenly felt a bit sour.

It wasn’t that he minded her taking work calls. Work was work. But why did she always seem so happy when talking to Yin Yao?

He glanced over.

…And even her foot was swinging back and forth. Just for a work call? Was it really that exciting?

Lin Heng, in a casual tone, asked, “You’ve been getting a lot of work calls lately.”

Shang Xinglu replied, “Things will get busy after the New Year. Bichen used to focus on skincare, so that business is already mature, but the cosmetics division is new. We still have a lot to figure out.”

After speaking, she noticed something off about Lin Heng’s expression. She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but there was something strange about the way he asked.

Her eyes flickered as she suddenly smirked. “Besides, I’m now a woman carrying the heavy responsibility of supporting the family! Hahaha!”

Lin Heng: “…”

Shang Xinglu proudly continued, “Working hard is only natural, of course!”

Lin Heng: “……”

She looked so smug. It was both infuriating… and oddly adorable.

Since Bichen changed ownership, the real profits had only started rolling in when Lin Heng was busy with the transition. He hadn’t had time to check on its financial situation.

Out of curiosity, he asked about her year-end bonus.

Shang Xinglu gave him a number.

…Nowhere near the amount she received in the divorce settlement.

Then, sticking her neck out, she declared, “Well… there’s still a lot of room for growth! But I can totally handle supporting the family in the future! Leave it to me!”

Silence.

A painfully awkward silence.

At a red light, Lin Heng reached over and gently patted her head. For once, he took on the role of a family elder—he even seemed… a little kind.

He said, “With your income… just buy whatever you like. A new yacht, a helicopter—whatever. Don’t worry about supporting the family. And don’t be too frugal.”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Lin Heng patted her head again. “If you need more money, just ask me.”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Ugh! Too much!!!

Lulu was furious, and the consequences were serious.

She didn’t show it much during dinner, but the moment they stepped out, she pouted so hard she could balance an oil jug on her lips.

Lin Heng softened his voice. “Don’t be mad.”

As he spoke, he lightly brushed a finger across her lips.

Shang Xinglu dodged. She had planned to hold a grudge against President Lin all night! But then she caught sight of a dessert shop nearby. “I… If I get an ice cream cone, I won’t be mad anymore.”

This was all it took.

However, when it came to desserts, Lin Heng was even more hopeless.

Other boyfriends would worry about their girlfriends eating ice cream in winter, saying even with the heater on, they might get a stomachache.

But Lin Heng? He simply held up two fingers. “I’ll have two.”

Shang Xinglu flashed him an “OK” gesture, her excitement returning. “Roger that, sir! In that case, I’ll have two as well! Be right back!”

With that, she ran off.

The dessert shop seemed to be quite popular, with a small storefront but a long line stretching outside.

Lin Heng waited outside. He had striking good looks, and just by standing there in the busy district, he caught the attention of many passersby.

Since he was used to being in command, his presence was overwhelming. Many people stole glances, but few dared to take out their phones to snap photos. Instead, the crowd unconsciously gave him space.

At that moment, someone called out, “…Mr. Lin?”

Lin Heng turned to see an unexpected person—Xiao Zai.

Today, Xiao Zai was dressed casually, looking younger than usual. A few young men around his age stood with him, chatting. After a few words, they left, leaving only Xiao Zai behind.

He then asked, “Are you waiting for Louise?”

Otherwise, Lin Heng wouldn’t be here.

Lin Heng nodded. “She’s getting ice cream.”

Given that Xiao Zai had once pursued Louise, there was an unavoidable awkwardness between them now.

But perhaps because of this, Xiao Zai had something to say.

Standing beside Lin Heng, he asked, “Mr. Lin, did you resign from Clemens because of Louise?”

Although he didn’t know the full details of the car accident, he had heard bits and pieces.

So if Lin Heng were to say his resignation had nothing to do with Louise, Xiao Zai wouldn’t believe him.

After a pause, he rephrased, “Correction—not entirely because of her. But at least partly?”

Lin Heng didn’t deny it.

He simply responded with a quiet “Mm.”

Xiao Zai suddenly felt short of breath.

A strange mix of emotions—unwillingness, yet also a sense of admiration.

Lin Heng’s resignation had caused quite a stir.

Even that viral post titled “Giving Up Power for Love”—Xiao Zai had read it.

Of course, not everything online was accurate.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder—if he had been in Lin Heng’s position, would he have made the same choice?

His voice slightly hoarse, Xiao Zai murmured, “I… probably wouldn’t have.”

Just then, Shang Xinglu emerged, carefully holding four creamy ice cream cones, utterly focused on not dropping them.

Lin Heng glanced at Xiao Zai. Unlike Xiao Zai, he remained calm and indifferent.

He replied, “No, you would.”

Xiao Zai: “?”

Lin Heng: “If you were in my position, you’d make the same choice. The only reason you think you wouldn’t… is because she never gave you the chance to.”

Shang Xinglu finally noticed them, looking puzzled for a moment before flashing a bright smile at Xiao Zai.

Through the bustling crowd, Lin Heng gazed at her and smiled slightly.

Then he added, “She’s worth it.”

Xiao Zai suddenly understood.

Shang Xinglu, still balancing the ice creams, finally reached them. She handed two cones to Lin Heng, then gave one of her own to Xiao Zai.

Her eyes curved into crescents as she grinned. “Happy New Year, Xiao Zai!”

Xiao Zai snapped out of his daze, smiling back. “Happy New Year, Jie.”

“What were you two talking about?” Shang Xinglu asked.

Xiao Zai glanced at Lin Heng, then took a small bite of his ice cream, eyes narrowing mischievously. “We were just discussing whether you’ve gained weight.”

Shang Xinglu: “!!”

She turned to Lin Heng in horror, and to her shock—he didn’t deny it.

Shang Xinglu: “!!!”

She then looked down at the ice cream in her hand, mentally reviewing what she had eaten for dinner…

Suddenly, she wasn’t so hungry anymore.

Xiao Zai smirked.

“I’ll be going now. See you, Jie.”

“Ah… um, bye…” Shang Xinglu mumbled.

Lin Heng chuckled at her expression, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You still look good, even if you gain weight. You were too thin before.”

Shang Xinglu: “…No, I didn’t gain weight.”

With that, she angrily took a big bite of her ice cream.

“It’s just your imagination!”

It had to be!!!