After leaving his father behind, the son of a prominent figure in Beijing's elite circles has g

"This is completely fabricated. It's not the first time something like this has happened. You don't believe it, do you?"

Rong Zheng neither said she believed nor disbelieved, but simply asked, "Who is the woman in the photo?"

"Mr. Ling, I went into the hotel with her to discuss work."

Rong Zheng frowned slightly.

It's President Ling again.

The perfume she wore last time also smelled like her.

Seeing that Rong Zheng seemed unconvinced, Lu Peichuan added, "If this makes you unhappy, I'll terminate the cooperation with her tomorrow."

In the past, Rong Zheng would have definitely said, "No, we cannot abuse our power for personal gain."

But now... "Arrange for us to meet, we can talk about the rest after we meet."

Lu Peichuan looked at Rong Zheng for a few seconds, then nodded, "Okay."

"There's one more thing. I heard that Su Qingya has taken over the collaborative project between the Su Group and the Lu Group, and you often have work-related encounters with her, is that right?"

"Um."

"Would you be happy if I frequently met with men who used to like me?"

Lu Peichuan instantly understood Rong Zheng's meaning, but... "Cooperating with the Su family was something you agreed to, and I've already severed ties with the Su family once before. If we sever ties again this time, not only will I be unable to explain to the board of directors, but my going back on my word will also seriously damage my own image, which in turn will affect the company's stock."

"I didn't say you should cut off cooperation. The Su family can let Su Qingya take over the project, or you can hand it over to someone else."

Lu Peichuan was silent for a moment, then released Rong Zheng's hand. "You don't trust me."

Trust is built on your actions.

"What did I do wrong?" Lu Peichuan's brows furrowed with displeasure. "Back then, for your sake, I resolutely sent her abroad and severed all cooperation with the Su family. My grandfather scolded me, the company shareholders put pressure on me, and Yichen even said I valued romance over friendship and was love-struck. Wasn't that enough?"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice rose several decibels towards the end.

Rong Zheng didn't expect Lu Peichuan to react so strongly, as if he had been holding these words in his heart for a long time.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted you to keep your distance from Su Qingya, why are you getting so worked up?"

Lu Peichuan raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a few seconds, his voice calmed down, "There's nothing between her and me. Don't you think that your demands will only make others think I have something to hide?"

"If you meet frequently with a woman who has loved you for eight years, won't people have any questions?"

"I have nothing to hide, I am upright." Lu Peichuan was about to say something when his phone rang.

He took out his phone, and Rong Zheng saw that the caller ID showed Manager Wang.

Lu Peichuan didn't answer the phone immediately. Instead, he got up and said, "You should get some rest. I'm going back to the company." He then answered the phone as he walked towards the door.

This was the first time Lu Peichuan had argued with Su Qingya because of her.

Rong Zheng couldn't sleep that night, so much so that when Luo Qinghe came over the next day and saw Rong Zheng's haggard appearance, she was shocked. "Did you go thieving last night?"

Rong Zheng told Luo Qinghe what had happened last night.

Luo Qinghe felt a little guilty after hearing this. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have said those irrelevant things to you, which caused you to argue."

"It's not your fault. I was too careless and overlooked many details. Actually, there have been problems between us for a long time."

Rong Zheng thought a lot last night.

Since they got married, the two have spent little time together.

She faced many things alone: ​​morning sickness, prenatal checkups, being harassed when returning to the old house, being pointed at and gossiped about at banquets... He was never there for her when she needed him most.

Luo Qinghe comforted her, "Don't overthink it. Lu Peichuan is actually quite good to you."

Back when we were in school, to win you over, I would get up early to buy you your favorite pan-fried buns, queue up to buy you your favorite trendy milk tea, and take time off work to buy you painkillers when you had your period and your stomach hurt.

And also, in the dead of winter, in the pouring rain, I went to buy you fried chicken. You were so cold, you huddled it close to your chest, your skin burning red. Have you forgotten all of that?

She hasn't forgotten.

The fact that he, a young master of the prestigious Lu family, did these trivial things for her so thoughtfully truly moved her. That's why she disregarded the difference in their social status, dated him, and eventually even married him.

She is not an irrational person; in fact, one could say she is quite clear-headed.

She knew that the story of Cinderella and the Ugly Duckling was extremely rare in reality.

Even if it exists, it may not necessarily have a happy ending like in fairy tales.

Her marriage to Lu Peichuan was largely a gamble.

She gambled her entire life on Lu Peichuan's true feelings.

This behavior was actually a bit foolish, but she still took the gamble and worked very hard to maintain their marriage.

Undeniably, Lu Peichuan treated her well, but… “You said it yourself, that was back when we were in school. What about after we got married?”

"I've been good to you since we got married." Luo Qinghe counted on her fingers, "I bought you jewelry, designer bags, the latest limited-edition clothes, and even donated medical equipment to the hospital where you work."

Rong Zheng smiled and shook her head gently, "But all I want is Lu Peichuan to buy me pan-fried buns, milk tea, painkillers, and fried chicken, because that's what I want."

Luo Qinghe fell silent instantly.

Yes, adding flowers to brocade can't compare to sending charcoal in the snow.

Although both are well-intentioned, the difference in quality between the two is immediately apparent.

After a while, Luo Qinghe said, "Being in love and getting married are different. Otherwise, why would everyone say that marriage is the grave of love? No one's marriage can stay in the honeymoon phase forever, right?"

How could Rong Zheng not understand this principle?

She never expected Lu Peichuan to treat her as well as he did during the honeymoon phase.

However, deceiving her, ignoring her, and knowing that Su Qingya was interested in him, yet still getting entangled with her, have nothing to do with whether they are in love or married.

But Lu Peichuan hasn't done anything to wrong her. If she judges him as an unsuitable husband simply because he has contact with Su Qingya at work.

That's definitely too harsh.

Thinking about this, Rong Zheng nodded. "Hmm, maybe I'm overthinking it."

"You're definitely overthinking it. When people are angry, they only think about the other person's faults. Once you make up, you'll definitely think Lu Peichuan is perfect in every way."

Rong Zheng smiled and said, "Perhaps."

In the afternoon, a staff member led a woman to Rong Zheng's room.

The woman was in her forties, wearing a chiffon blouse and suit pants, with neat short hair. Her eyes and brows revealed shrewdness and sophistication; she was clearly the kind of woman who was exceptionally intelligent and capable.

Ling Wangshu walked up to Rong Zheng carrying nutritional supplements. "Mrs. Lu, hello. I am Ling Wangshu, Mr. Lu's business partner. I heard that you have a daughter, so I came to congratulate you."

His surname is Ling.

As soon as she got close, Rong Zheng smelled the faint, sweet perfume emanating from her.

Rong Zheng instantly realized that this was the President Ling that Lu Peichuan had mentioned before, and that he must have arranged for him to come.

"Thank you, please sit down." Rong Zheng took the things Ling Wangshu handed over, turned around and handed them to Xu Ma, and instructed her to make tea.

The two sat down on the sofa.

Rong Zheng looked at Ling Wangshu and asked in confusion, "President Ling looks like a business elite, why would she use such a sweet and cloying perfume?"

It really doesn't suit her temperament.

Rong Zheng even had the absurd thought that Ling Wangshu was invited by Lu Peichuan to help dispel her doubts.