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After dealing with Su Ming's matter, it was almost midnight when I left the police station.

Suning drove towards Lan Qianyi's house.

On the way, he sent her a WeChat message: "I'm done with work. Is it convenient for me to come over now?"

A few minutes later, Lan Qianyi replied, "The access control code hasn't been changed."

A simple sentence, yet it warmed Suning's heart...

After a month of cold war, she didn't shut him out.

When he arrived at Lan Qianyi's building, he parked his car and went upstairs.

Enter the password, and the door opens.

Only one floor lamp was on in the living room. In the dim light, Lan Qianyi sat on the sofa in her pajamas, holding a cup of hot water in her hands.

When she saw him come in, she looked up at him but didn't say anything.

"Still not asleep?" Su Ning closed the door.

"I'm waiting for you," Lan Qianyi said. "How did things go?"

“It’s resolved.” Su Ning took off her coat and sat down next to her. “The one who fought with my brother was Gao Yue’s brother.”

"President Gao?" Lan Qianyi exclaimed in surprise, "What a coincidence?"

"Yes, that's why it was handled quickly. Neither side wanted to escalate the situation." Su Ning rubbed her temples.

Lan Qianyi was silent for a moment, then handed him the water glass: "Have some water."

Suning took the cup; the water temperature was just right.

He took a sip and felt his tense nerves relax a bit.

The two sat very close together and could smell each other's scent.

It's been a month since we last met, and the atmosphere is a bit awkward.

Su Ning spoke first: "How have you been these past few days?"

"That's it," Lan Qianyi said. "Work, eat, sleep. Occasionally I'll have a meal with my colleagues from Group Four. It's pretty boring without you around."

These words were spoken very naturally, as if stating a fact, but there was a hint of grievance in the tone.

Su Ning put down her cup and turned to look at her: "Are you still angry?"

Lan Qianyi turned her face away: "No."

"Really not?"

“…A little,” Lan Qianyi admitted, “but more than that… I just can’t understand it. I feel like you don’t consider me one of your own.”

"How could that be?" Su Ning reached out and gently touched her face. "I just don't want you to get involved in those messy things."

“But I’m willing.” Lan Qianyi turned back, her eyes shining as she looked at him. “I’m willing to face it with you, even if it’s against your team, even if there are risks. But you just pushed me away, as if I’m not worthy to share your difficulties.”

These words sent a shiver down Su Ning's spine; he hadn't expected her to think that way.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "It was my oversight that I didn't consider your true feelings."

Lan Qianyi looked at him, her eyes a little red.

But she didn't cry. She just said, "Don't do it again next time. Let's talk things over together. Don't tolerate any workplace bullying, okay?"

"Okay." Su Ning grasped her hand, offering no further explanation. "Definitely."

Having said all that, it seems like I've said everything that needed to be said.

But the temperature in the air began to rise.

Lan Qianyi's hand was very soft, and she didn't pull away when Su Ning held it.

The two looked at each other, their eyes conveying a clear meaning.

In the end, Su Ning made the first move, leaned over, and kissed her.

The kiss started very lightly, like a tentative probe, like a confirmation.

But Lan Qianyi responded quickly.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

After a month apart, all the longing and unease burst forth in this kiss.

The two rolled off the sofa onto the carpet, their clothes scattered all over the floor.

“Go to the bedroom…” Lan Qianyi said breathlessly.

"it is good."

This time it was more intense than ever before.

It's as if they want to fill the void left by the Cold War, as if they want to confirm each other's existence.

Suning's movements were a bit rougher than usual, but Lan Qianyi not only didn't resist, but instead went along with it even more actively.

She bit his shoulder, swore in his ear, and did things she wouldn't normally do.

"Did you miss me?" Su Ning asked in her ear, his voice low and husky.

"I want to..." Lan Qianyi was frighteningly honest, "I want to think about it every day."

These words acted as a catalyst, making everything even more out of control.

Afterwards, both of them were covered in sweat and lay on the bed panting.

There was only a small nightlight on in the room, making it dimly lit.

Lan Qianyi rolled over and lay on Su Ning's chest, drawing circles on his chest with her fingers.

"You really didn't think about me at all this week?" she asked.

"I've been thinking about you," Su Ning said. "I think about you every day. But I don't know how to reach out to you."

"Duh," Lan Qianyi laughed. "Why didn't you just come directly? I didn't change the password."

"I'm afraid you'll call the police and have me arrested."

"Hmph! Am I that heartless?"

Su Ning didn't say anything, he just hugged her tighter.

After a moment of silence, Lan Qianyi began to speak.

She started talking like a floodgate had opened, telling him about everything that had happened in the past few days.

"Our team had a meeting on Tuesday. Mr. Wu took on a new project, investing in an industrial robot company. Manager Lin put me in charge of the market analysis, which I did in three days and just submitted yesterday..."

"I had lunch with Sun Yiqiu and Hao Shuai on Wednesday noon. Hao Shuai said that Manager Yin in his team is particularly difficult to deal with, and he always makes him do odd jobs..."

"I worked overtime until 9 pm on Thursday, and on my way home I bought a plate of fried noodles, which was awful..."

She spoke in great detail, in very trivial terms.

Su Ning listened, occasionally responding, but felt very at ease.

This is Lan Qianyi. At work, she is a decisive and efficient career woman, but in private, she will complain about a bad plate of fried noodles and grumble about her colleagues' trivial matters.

Authentic, vibrant, and endearing.

"Oh, right, Gao Sicong contacted me yesterday," Lan Qianyi suddenly said.

Su Ning paused, then asked, "What do you want?"

“He said he wanted to treat me to a meal as an apology,” Lan Qianyi said. “He said he had said something harsh in the stairwell last time and told me not to take it to heart. I said it was okay, I was the one who was making things difficult for him.”

"You agreed?"

"He agreed to have dinner, but not anything else. Besides, he's been doing nothing in the tech group. Manager Jiang doesn't seem to value him much." Lan Qianyi looked up at him. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

“A little,” Su Ning admitted.

Lan Qianyi smiled, leaned in and kissed him: "Don't worry, you're all I see now. Even though you can be really annoying sometimes."

What's annoying about it?

"For example, right now, don't move your hands, I haven't finished speaking yet..."

But her words were cut off.

Another round of entanglement ensued.

After this, Lan Qianyi was completely too weak to speak.

She nestled in Su Ning's arms, her eyelids beginning to droop.

"Tired?" Su Ning asked softly.

"Hmm..." Lan Qianyi mumbled sleepily, "Don't go, tomorrow's the weekend..."

"I'm not leaving." Su Ning hugged her tighter. "Go to sleep."

Lan Qianyi held him contentedly and quickly fell asleep. Her breathing was even, and her sleeping face was serene.

Looking at Lan Qianyi, Su Ning felt a strange tenderness welling up in her heart.

This girl is stubborn and inflexible, sometimes to the point of being a headache.

But she is genuine, frank, and brave.

Most importantly, Lan Qianyi was willing to step into Suning's world, even if there was trouble, struggle, and unknown secrets there.

It's not simply a matter of desire, nor is it a combination of interests.

It's about two people who find each other in a complex world.

Suning turned off the lights, held the person in his arms tightly in the darkness, and slept soundly through the night.

……

On Monday morning, Suning first went to Gao Yue's office.

When I knocked and went in, Gao Yue was looking at documents.

Gao Yue smiled. "You're here? Have a seat."

Suning sat down opposite her.

"How was your weekend?" Gao Yue asked casually.

"good."

Gao Yue put down the documents and looked at him. "Su Ning, let's get straight to the point. Was your father's decision to join Jin Chen, or your own?"

That's a very direct question.

Suning was prepared: "We have them all! I lack work experience, so it's the same no matter where I am."

Gao Yue nodded: "That reason makes sense. But what I don't understand is, since you have this background, why didn't you reveal any of it during your internship and after you joined the company?"

“I don’t want to be treated specially,” Su Ning said sincerely. “President Gao, I’m here at Jin Chen to learn real skills, not to gain prestige. If everyone knew my background, they would either be overly polite to me or overly critical of me, and we wouldn’t be able to get along normally.”

Gao Yue stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "You've thought this through quite well. Fine, since you've said so, I'll continue to seal your files."

"Thank you, Mr. Gao."

“However,” Gao Yue changed the subject, “although your brother’s matter has been resolved, I have to remind you that Gao Fei said your brother is very arrogant in the industry and will cause trouble sooner or later.”

"Thank you! I will remind my parents," Su Ning said.

"That's good." Gao Yue glanced at the time.

Su Ning stood up, and as she walked to the door, she turned back and said, "Mr. Gao, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner to formally thank you for what happened last time."

Gao Yue thought for a moment and said, "Okay, you decide on the location."

"Okay, I'll send it to you later."

……

At 6:30 p.m., Suning and Gao Yue met at a private restaurant.

This restaurant is small, but it is exquisitely decorated and the dishes are also carefully selected.

Suning booked a private room in advance; it was quiet and suitable for conversation.

After ordering, Su Ning poured tea for Gao Yue: "President Gao, thank you so much this time. If it weren't for your understanding, things wouldn't have been resolved so smoothly."

Gao Yue waved her hand: "It's nothing. Besides, your brother and my brother are two of a kind, neither of them are easy to deal with. It's good to teach them a lesson."

She took a sip of tea and looked at Su Ning: "But to be honest, Su Ning, I'm quite curious about you."

"What are you curious about?"

"I've heard about your unique experiences, and I feel sorry for you," Gao Yue said. "I thought you were just here to make up the numbers! I didn't expect you to start as an intern at Jin Chen, working diligently and quietly. You're also very capable. I heard from General Manager Ma about the combustible ice project, and he said you did a great job. You're nothing like an ordinary high school graduate."

Suning smiled and said, "Maybe it's because I love this job."

Gao Yue shook her head. "Your performance in Group 4 and the Energy Group doesn't seem like that of a newcomer; it's more like that of a veteran with many years of experience. Your perspective on problems and your methods of doing things are so mature. This isn't something that can be achieved with just talent."

That hit the nail on the head. Su Ning didn't respond, but simply poured her more tea.

“And another thing,” Gao Yue continued, “you’re also very good at handling interpersonal relationships. Those people in the energy group, Ma Jianguo, Xu Taiping, and Zhao Boqian, aren’t easy to get along with. But in just two months, you’ve not only established yourself but are also leading the project. That’s not something you can do just by being capable.”

She paused, then asked more directly, "Su Ning, did you have any experiences that are unknown to the outside world?"

This is a very insightful question.

Su Ning's alarm bells went off, but she suddenly joked, "President Gao, you're right! I'm a super assassin secretly trained by an assassin organization. Now that you've seen through my secret, you're in danger."

"Haha, you're so funny." Gao Yue couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The dishes were served quickly.

The two ate and chatted, their conversation shifting from work to their industries and then to their lives.

When Gao Yue asked about Suning's family, she said, "Your parents must be very happy that you can come home, right?"

"It's alright! After all, I've been looking for it for many years," Su Ning said.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Su Ning said, "The truth will eventually come out! My identity will be exposed sooner or later, and leaving Jin Chen Capital is only a matter of time."

Gao Yue nodded: "Jianguo Group is under great pressure to transform, and your father needs help. You, as his son, will have to take on this responsibility sooner or later."

Suning said, "I might start my own business! I don't want to join Jianguo Group."

"Oh? Why?"

"I feel like everything I have now doesn't belong to me."

When the conversation turned to this sensitive topic, Gao Yue suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Su Ning, do you have a girlfriend?"

The question came suddenly, and Su Ning was taken aback for a moment: "Yes."

"colleague?"

"Yes, Lan Qianyi from Group Four."

"That outstanding girl?" Gao Yue smiled. "You have good taste. But... does she know about your family situation?"

"I don't know," Su Ning admitted. "I haven't found a suitable opportunity to say."

"I suggest you tell me sooner rather than later," Gao Yue said bluntly. "When it comes to matters of the heart, the worst thing is to keep it a secret. Especially with your background, the longer you keep it a secret, the more trouble it will be to explain."

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Gao. I will look for an opportunity."

It took more than an hour to eat.

When it came time to pay the bill, Gao Yue insisted on splitting the bill, but Suning stopped her, saying, "It's my treat. Don't argue with me."

Gao Yue didn't insist any further: "Okay, I'll treat you next time."

As they walked out of the restaurant, Gao Yue said, "Su Ning, after today's meal, I understand you better. You're more...complex than I imagined."

"Complex?" Su Ning laughed. "I'm quite simple."

“No, you’re not simple.” Gao Yue shook her head. “But that’s not a bad thing. In a place like Shanghai, simple people don’t go far, let alone a wealthy family like yours. You have ability, background, and brains. Your future is limitless.”

"If I need help in the future, would you be willing to support me?"

"Oh? You're starting preparations now?"

"There's no way around it! Not having any of my own team always makes me feel insecure."

"In that case, it's not a problem that can be solved with just one meal. We'll have to see what you can offer me."

"what do you want?"

"you guess!"

"..."

Gao Yue paused, then her tone suddenly became serious, "But I have to remind you, you'd better be prepared about President Qu. He'll find out your identity sooner or later. And who knows how he'll treat you then?"

“I understand,” Su Ning said. “Let’s take it one step at a time! I’m ready to leave Jin Chen Capital.”

"Okay, then be careful." Gao Yue patted his shoulder. "You can come to me if you need anything. Although I can't be of much help, I can at least give you a heads-up."

"Thank you, Mr. Gao."

After seeing Gao Yue off, Su Ning stood by the roadside and lit a cigarette.

He did want to recruit Gao Yue, but unfortunately, he hadn't planted the phoenix tree, so naturally he couldn't attract the golden phoenix.

Not to mention that Gao Yue is Qu Zhonghui's confidante. Even if the matter of the Suning files angered Qu Zhonghui, Gao Yue would not easily abandon Qu Zhonghui.

However, Qu Zhonghui's tenure at Jin Chen Capital is nearing its end, and that will be the perfect time for him to recruit.

...(End of chapter)