The Spring Festival holiday passed in the blink of an eye.

Although Shang Xinglu no longer clung to a pillar, wailing, “I don’t want to go to work!” like she used to, she still felt a wave of gloom the night before returning to work.

She even rejected Lin Heng’s request to sleep together, wrapping herself in a blanket and sulking miserably.

Lin Heng: “…”

If you’re this unwilling, then just don’t go to work, okay?

But of course, that wasn’t an option. Work had to be done, and money had to be earned—especially since a certain someone was a reckless CEO who could resign at any moment. If she didn’t work hard, how would their household survive?

Ah, the resilience of a woman carrying the weight of the family!

After a few days, Shang Xinglu finally got back into the rhythm of work. But suddenly, something felt… off.

She popped a bite of fried egg into her mouth.

Chew, chew, chew.

Across from her, Lin Heng was calmly eating his breakfast, occasionally glancing at a neatly pressed English newspaper.

A servant asked, “Sir, would you like more coffee?”

Lin Heng nodded.

His coffee cup was refilled.

Inside the dining room of Shanhai View, everything felt just like before their divorce.

…And that was what felt off.

Sure, she missed Lin Heng, but the fact remained—they were divorced! Shanhai View was her territory now. So why had he, after leaving for only a short while, seamlessly reintegrated himself into her space?

How had he moved back in so naturally, as if he belonged there?

He had already been commuting from here for several days!

What about his apartment in the city center?

Wasn’t he exhausted from all the travel?!

Shang Xinglu lightly tapped her fingers on the table. “Ahem… How long do you plan to stay?”

Lin Heng’s gaze shifted abruptly from the newspaper to her.

That sudden movement made Shang Xinglu shudder.

As expected of Lin Heng—he immediately understood what she was implying.

He said, “I’ve only been here a few days, and you’re already unhappy?”

The moment he brought up this topic, Shang Xinglu recalled his previous comments about her income.

It wasn’t exactly mockery, but pity was worse than mockery, wasn’t it?!

Lin Heng sighed deliberately. “…Can I even trust anything you say in the future?”

Well, now that he had put it like that, she had to stand her ground!

Shang Xinglu stammered, “F-Fine, stay if you want… It’s not like I can kick you out. I was just asking…”

Lin Heng smiled faintly.

Marilyn, who had just returned to work after the Spring Festival and had been watching the entire exchange: “…”

Miss Shang, you lost completely.

And Mr. Lin… why does it feel like you’ve become even more devious?

Just then, a small, energetic creature bolted out of the hallway, a ball in its mouth. It tossed the ball aside, dashed under the table at lightning speed, circled around Shang Xinglu’s legs, rubbing against her feet—

And then it ran around Lin Heng’s legs.

…Without rubbing against him.

Wangcai barked loudly!

Super aggressively!

Lin Heng: “…”

Wangcai crawled out from under the table, its shiny black eyes locking onto Lin Heng.

“Woof! Woof!!!”

Lin Heng: “…”

The servants in the dining room watched in silence as their boss visibly tensed up, his complexion paling at an alarming rate…

They couldn’t help but light a candle for him in their hearts.

Ah, right—Mr. Lin was allergic to fur. He and Wangcai were sworn enemies.

Lin Heng remained frozen in place.

If one looked closely, they would see the veins bulging on his hand as he gripped his knife and fork.

Lin Heng expressionlessly turned to Shang Xinglu.

Shang Xinglu: “…”

No, no, she couldn’t take it—his expression…

Lin Heng continued staring at her.

Hahahahaha, that look! This was gold! Absolute gold!

Shang Xinglu quickly pinched her thigh to stop herself from laughing. She waved at Wangcai and said urgently, “Wangcai, come here.”

Loyal as ever, Wangcai wagged its tail and trotted over to its owner.

Lin Heng abruptly stood up, his face dark.

He had gone so long without seeing this dog that he had nearly forgotten Louise had one.

In a cold voice, he said, “Moving out tonight. Immediately.”

Shang Xinglu pursed her lips, smiling.

Hahaha! Lin Heng, who is afraid of fluffy things, is being arrogant again! Keep being arrogant! He even mocked her! But she has Wangcai, so who’s afraid now?

Wangcai really made her proud!

She quietly gave Wangcai a thumbs-up and even lifted its paw, speaking in a soft, cutesy voice:
“Come on, paw-paw! Give me five!”

Lin Heng’s expression remained cold as he added, “You’re moving in with me.”

Shang Xinglu raised her head. “???”

No way, Lin Heng! Be reasonable!

Lin Heng paused for a moment and then said matter-of-factly, “I didn’t resign and come back just to sleep alone.”

After saying this, he glanced at Marilyn. Since she was on Lin Heng’s payroll, Marilyn immediately understood and moved Wangcai aside.

“Come to my place tonight,” Lin Heng continued. Then, shifting the topic, he said, “If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late for work. Go.”

Shang Xinglu checked the time and suddenly panicked. There was no time to argue about where she should be staying—she had to hurry to work!

Marilyn silently carried Wangcai away, seeing through everything.

Marilyn: “…”

…When a man becomes scheming, women don’t even stand a chance.

---

Shang Xinglu arrived at the company. The Spring Festival holiday had just ended a few days ago. On the first day back, there was a fuss over opening bonuses, but by now, the company was back to normal.

The cosmetics project was always part of the plan. Initially, Shang Xinglu and Yin Yao had agreed to wait until their skincare line was stable before expanding—taking things one step at a time to capture the market effectively.

However, they hadn’t expected Bi Chen to go viral online.

With the company growing rapidly and having sufficient funds, it was time to launch a new project.

The market was only so big. At the moment, no domestic cosmetics brand truly dominated. Some brands had mediocre products and sales; others were run by influencers making self-branded products; and some were just cheaper alternatives to big-brand bestsellers. There wasn’t a single iconic brand.

So, the strategic direction was crucial. What path should they take? Shang Xinglu and Yin Yao had been discussing this frequently.

That day, when Shang Xinglu went to find Yin Yao at the office, she saw Yin Yao hanging up the phone with a heavy sigh.

Shang Xinglu peeked around the door, revealing half her face: “What’s wrong?”

Yin Yao smiled. “Nothing serious.”

To Shang Xinglu—a self-proclaimed looks-enthusiast—Yin Yao’s smile was ranked No.1 in the world. But today, her smile was different. It carried a faint exhaustion, and she was trying to hide it…

Shang Xinglu immediately thought: This is a classic female lead moment!

She wanted to run over and hug Yin Yao tight, comfort her, and give her the whole world!

…Not because of any impure thoughts! And definitely not because of her obsession with beautiful faces!!!

Shang Xinglu walked in, pulled out the chair opposite Yin Yao, and said,
“Tell me what’s wrong. Makeup doesn’t just make girls beautiful—it makes them happy while applying it. If the person creating it isn’t happy, how can they make great products? So, what’s the problem?”

Yin Yao sighed again.

She stopped smiling, rubbed her temples, and said a name:

“Ye Songtao.”

Shang Xinglu: “Ah…”

That one “Ah” carried a thousand meanings.

I understand. You’re suffering. This is awful…

Yin Yao’s face darkened even more, unwilling to speak further.

Last time, when dealing with Li Xinyue, Ye Songtao had tried to prove his “sincerity” to Yin Yao by completely blacklisting Li Xinyue.

However, this seemed to have given Ye Songtao the wrong idea—he thought he had a chance with Yin Yao.

Shang Xinglu had considered whether their actions would bring trouble to Yin Yao.

But Yin Yao had said, “It’s fine. I’ve been avoiding him for too long. After the new year, I’ll just reject him outright.”

Shang Xinglu asked, “Can’t you just reject him now?”

Yin Yao sighed. “Someone told my mother about him, and she thinks he’s great. I told her I don’t like him, that he’s divorced and even had a mistress while married, but she just said, ‘Men in this industry are all like that.’ She also thinks it’s strange that I haven’t dated for so long, so she insists I at least give him a chance.”

Yin Yao let out another sigh and said, “Sure, Ye Songtao is rich. Money is great. But some things in this world can’t be bought with money. And besides, I don’t lack money, nor do I need his.”

If she couldn’t reject him outright, she had to stall and find a way later.

Shang Xinglu asked, “Why did he just call you? To ask you out for dinner?”

Yin Yao: “Yeah. Tonight.”

Shang Xinglu clicked her tongue. So soon?

She said, “Alright then. I’ll go with you. When the time is right, I’ll call you and pretend I have an emergency. You’ll have an excuse to leave.”

“You don’t have to go with me. Just calling from here works too,” Yin Yao said.

“No, no. I have a feeling Ye Songtao is a total creep…” The way he stared at Yin Yao while still vacationing with Li Xinyue? Yeah, no. “I’ll stay hidden and keep an eye on things. Just to be safe.”

Yin Yao thought about it and agreed.

She then asked, “What excuse will you use?”

Shang Xinglu instantly pulled a tragic face and dramatically said:

“My boyfriend dumped me! I’m heartbroken! Devastated! I’m about to jump off the rooftop! Come see me one last time!”

Yin Yao: “…”

…So dedicated.

The plan was set.

Since the restaurant was far away, Shang Xinglu decided to leave early to avoid running into Ye Songtao too soon. Before leaving, she told her secretary, Xiao Ke,

“Sweetie, I’m going to help President Yin screen her blind date. If anyone looks for me, call me directly for urgent matters. If it’s not urgent, let them wait until tomorrow.”

Xiao Ke was busy with another call and didn’t catch everything. She held up a sticky note with a “?” on it.

Shang Xinglu clarified, “I’m helping President Yin with a blind date at Le Pre Lenotre. Gotta go!”

Xiao Ke nodded and wrote on the sticky note: President Lu & President Yin, blind date, Le Pre Lenotre.

Later that evening, as the workday ended, Xiao Ke received a call. The voice on the other end wasn’t deep, but it was smooth and cultured, exuding a refined air.

Just one sentence, and Xiao Ke was already a fan of this voice.

The caller asked, “Is Louise in the office? I tried her personal phone, but she didn’t answer.”

Since it was about President Lu’s schedule, Xiao Ke asked, “Who is this?”

The man replied, “Lin Heng.”

Xiao Ke immediately understood.

Legendary office romance! Who in the company hadn’t read that lengthy exposé?!

But she was swamped with work and momentarily forgot the exact details of President Lu’s plans. She checked her sticky notes.

The note read…

She hesitated before saying, “President Lu… and President Yin… went on a blind date at Le Pre Lenotre.”

Lin Heng: “…”

After a long silence, Xiao Ke suggested, “Maybe try calling her again?”

Lin Heng: “…………”

That only works if Louise actually picks up.

Lin Heng hung up.

A blind date?

How bold of her.

…Not happening.