Wang Dan’an had just left, when Bai Xu pushed open the door and entered. He looked at Bian Yue and said, "President Bian, there’s news from S.K. Venture Capital. They are willing to finalize the cooperation now and only need you to go abroad to finalize the specific details."
The words were quite abrupt. Bian Yue frowned deeply as she looked at Wang Dan’an, her eyes filled with doubts. "Now?"
"Yes," said Bai Xu. "Their chairman is about to visit other countries for inspections soon. If you’re interested, we need to go abroad as soon as possible."
Bian Yue’s frown deepened. After a pause, she said, "Let me think about this. I need to rest now. You can leave first."
Bai Xu hesitated, looking at Bian Yue, but seeing her indifferent reaction, he said no more and turned to leave.
Bian Yue watched Bai Xu’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with even deeper doubts.
She indeed felt that this so-called cooperation came a bit too easily.
Bian Yue took the cooperation document Bai Xu had given her back home.
Before Shen Jinci returned home, Bian Yue carefully read through the cooperation document again.
It was indeed an impeccable plan; all the terms were favorable for the Bian Group.
However, what Bian Yue couldn’t be sure of was whether this matter was truly in the interests of the Bian Group, or if it served Bai Xu’s personal agenda.
She was lost in thought when she suddenly saw Shen Jinci enter through the door. She was startled at first, then stood up smiling and said, "Jinci, you’re back."
She intentionally acted more lively, hoping it would put Shen Jinci at ease.
"Today Shen Zhaoli was also here. I delegated the extra work to him, so I could come back earlier."
Bian Yue was surprised, "Isn’t he busy with wedding preparations? He agreed?"
"Wen Jiao made a golden promise to make her fiancé prioritize Lixing’s matters over others, so that I could have time to come back and accompany her friend," Shen Jinci said nonchalantly, as he pinched Bian Yue’s face gently and asked softly, "What would you like to eat today? I’ll cook for you."
Bian Yue casually named a few home-style dishes.
"Alright, wait for me outside."
Seeing the man head toward the kitchen after speaking, Bian Yue laughed and grabbed Shen Jinci’s wrist, "So confident? Have you been secretly practicing your cooking skills behind my back?"
"Not secretly, I practiced openly," Shen Jinci said. "Just wait for me, we’ll eat soon."
Bian Yue sat outside the kitchen, watching through the transparent glass as Shen Jinci busied himself inside.
He seemed to really enjoy taking care of her, wanting to do everything himself without delegating.
Smoke and fire, the mundane world always carries a heavy dust that makes one fall from grace.
Bian Yue looked at Shen Jinci; he and everything in the kitchen seemed mismatched, yet his proficiency made it all the more glaring.
Bian Yue felt unexplainably teary.
After a while, she picked up her phone beside her and texted Bai Xu, "I won’t go abroad. The cooperation document mentions that the SK team will come here for integration. I’ll handle the domestic part."
The same night, at Xiangjiang International Airport.
Zhuang Jie Ning sat in the VIP lounge, looking at the plane ticket in her hand.
Zhuang Yi was determined to send her abroad; it was already no turning back.
"Miss, would you like something to eat?" The flight attendant’s gentle voice rang in her ear.
Zhuang Jie Ning, sitting in her seat, looked up and frowned slightly, saying, "Anything is fine."
"Sure, please wait a moment." The flight attendant smiled and left, Zhuang Jie Ning’s gaze gradually turned vacant and empty.
Is she really leaving just like that?
But upon deeper reflection, she felt increasingly unwilling.
Her marriage to Li Sihe had brought her no benefits; the only thing it brought was pain.
And now, she was being forced to leave.
No one cared about how she was doing.
She was nothing but an inconsequential embellishment in Bian Yue’s beautiful life.
Zhuang Jie Ning, as if soul-lost, suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.
The flight attendant, bringing food, saw Zhuang Jie Ning walking out and subconsciously blurted out, "Miss... your snack..."
Zhuang Jie Ning didn’t turn her head, continuing to walk out.
She didn’t even know where she was going, but deep inside, the feeling of unwillingness was intense.
She didn’t want to leave just like that...
Why was it only her who lost everything she had?
Zhuang Jie Ning, like a soulless puppet, walked on the road when, in the next moment, in the crowd, she saw a figure that shouldn’t have been there.
The man was wearing a white trench coat, his demeanor tranquil and noble, his face clear and distinguished. Even with sunglasses and a cap, even lost in the typical bustling crowd, Zhuang Jie Ning recognized him at a glance.
That Li Sihe who lies eternally under a tombstone, who schemed her to this point!
Zhuang Jie Ning had seen his face repeatedly in her dreams, so today, she saw him clearly enough.
A fire built up in her throat, unable to suppress her resentment any longer, she strode towards him.
She looked disheveled, like a madwoman. Many people glanced sideways, but she didn’t care over these years. She charged at him, without a hint of hesitation, grabbed his wrist, her fingertips digging into his flesh, gritted her teeth and said, "It’s you..."
Li Sihe, upon seeing Zhuang Jie Ning, knew that his trip back to the country wouldn’t go smoothly.
He looked expressionlessly at the anger in Zhuang Jie Ning’s eyes, then, with a gentle smile, led her away from the airport under everyone’s watchful eyes.
He couldn’t entangle with her here since he had already recognized her. Taking her away directly to keep her under his control was the most sensible approach.
Throughout the trip, Li Sihe was conducting international meetings; he just needed to listen to those reports, so he sat stoically, his demeanor cold.
Zhuang Jie Ning sat beside him, crying and laughing, her eyes staring intently at him, her voice filled with hatred: "It’s you! It’s you, Li Sihe! Speak up, have you been watching everything in Xiangjiang? Seeing me now, you must be pleased!"
Her words were like an insignificant stone thrown into deep still waters, unable to stir even a slight ripple.
Zhuang Jie Ning’s eyes were red, her face crazed as she looked at Li Sihe, her face covered in tears, her eyes full of resentment and poison, "You think I wouldn’t dare touch you? You wear sunglasses and hats, you think I can’t recognize you!"
In the silence of Li Sihe, her fury grew uncontrollable.
Her shrill voice echoed in the car, even the reporters on the other side of the phone could faintly hear her piercing voice.
And so, amidst chaos, they finally reached the villa in the outskirts.
Two guards in suits came out, Li Sihe got out of the car, carelessly gazing at Zhuang Jie Ning inside, spoke, his voice gentle yet indifferent, but every word chilling to the core.
He said, "Bring her in."