As a level 10 alcohol enthusiast, Chairman Cheng's face turned a bit unsightly after being rejected.
Liang Jinghe panicked a little, having finally appeased Chairman Cheng. She couldn't afford to offend him over such a trifle.
She looked toward Lu Lingchuan.
Meanwhile, Lu Lingchuan was staring at Shen Nian.
After just a few days apart, the two looked more haggard, especially Shen Nian, whose expression looked sickly.
Lu Lingchuan's hand hanging by his side tightened slightly.
Even though their relationship had turned ice-cold, he still couldn't bear to see her in distress.
Picking up the wine glass in front of him, just as he was about to speak, Shen Nian, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head and gave Chairman Cheng a polite smile.
"Chairman Cheng misunderstood. I'm just feeling a bit unwell and didn't want to spoil your enjoyment. Since you don't mind, I'll join you."
With that, she put down the juice in her hand, picked up the wine in front of her, nodded, "Chairman Cheng," and drained the entire glass, not leaving a single drop.
"Good!" Chairman Cheng was delighted and also finished the wine in his glass.
The rest of the meal went rather smoothly. Chairman Cheng was just a wino – as long as he could drink to his heart's content, he could discuss anything.
Liang Jinghe was very tactful. At the appropriate time, she proposed a partnership, followed by a few compliments, and Chairman Cheng readily agreed to the deal.
After the meal, Lu Lingchuan and Liang Jinghe went to see Chairman Cheng off first, while Shen Nian and Liang Jinghe's assistant didn't follow.
Shen Nian had a few drinks, and her head felt heavy.
She sat there with one hand propping up her head.
After a while, she recovered slightly and got up to leave.
Liang Jinghe's assistant, who was holding Liang Jinghe's bag, looked up just as Shen Nian stood up.
Seeing Shen Nian's face, Liang Jinghe's assistant was startled. "Assistant Shen, your face..."
Shen Nian touched her face, only feeling a slight warmth. "Hmm?"
"Your face... is covered in tiny red dots."
Not just her face, but her exposed neck as well, was dotted with tiny red spots.
"..." Shen Nian frowned slightly. Without a mirror, she couldn't see her disheveled appearance. "I'm fine."
Leaving those words, Shen Nian left the private room.
Before exiting the private room, she turned a corner and ran into Lu Lingchuan.
Lu Lingchuan had just returned and collided directly with her.
Upon seeing Shen Nian, Lu Lingchuan's pupils constricted as he took a large stride toward her.
Shen Nian's head was hazy, and she wasn't looking ahead, merely walking with her head down, when she bumped into Lu Lingchuan's chest.
The impact caused her to stumble back two steps. Looking up, she saw Lu Lingchuan.
She shook her head to regain some clarity. "Mr. Lu."
Those two words were devoid of any emotion. She nodded slightly, then turned to leave.
However, Lu Lingchuan suddenly grabbed her hand.
Shen Nian was held back from leaving, forced to stop in her tracks. She tried to pull her hand away, but Lu Lingchuan's grip was tight.
"Let go..."
Even her voice sounded weak and feeble.
"What happened to your face?" Lu Lingchuan stared intently at her face.
"It's nothing." Shen Nian didn't want to elaborate.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something else. Lu Lingchuan looked down at the back of Shen Nian's hand, which also had tiny red dots.
A hint of panic flashed in the man's eyes as he rolled up her sleeve.
"Are you allergic to something?"
Her appearance clearly indicated an allergic reaction.
But he remembered she didn't have any allergens.
"Mmm." Taking advantage of his momentary bewilderment, Shen Nian immediately withdrew her hand and pulled her sleeve back down. She replied flatly, "Just a slight alcohol allergy."
"..." How could she be allergic to alcohol when she...
"The past is the past, and the present is the present." Shen Nian knew what he was thinking, so she said, "You can't compare the past and present."
Just like six years ago, she never imagined she and Lu Lingchuan would end up in their current situation.
Lu Lingchuan stared at her withdrawn hand, his voice low. "You know you're allergic, so why did you drink?"
"Because I'm an employee of the company." Shen Nian stated.
Meeting his gaze, Shen Nian said sincerely, "As long as I'm still with the company for a day, I naturally have to prioritize the company's interests. It's my responsibility."
Nothing more, just that.
Not for Lu Lingchuan, not for Lu Lingchuan's daughter.
She was just doing her duty as an employee to secure benefits for the company she worked for.
Nothing more.
"Lingchuan."
Lu Lingchuan was about to say something else when a voice interrupted them.
Liang Jinghe walked over. "Chairman Cheng has been sent off. The car is parked at the hotel entrance. Let's go."
As she finished speaking, she noticed Shen Nian beside them and looked surprised. "Assistant Shen, your face?"
"It's nothing." Shen Nian forced a smile. "Just a minor allergy."
Then she continued, "I may need to go to the hospital. I'll go first."
Liang Jinghe expressed concern. "Let us take you to the hospital first."
"No need." Shen Nian politely declined. "I'll go ahead."
After saying that, she nodded slightly at the two of them and left unsteadily.
Lu Lingchuan stared at her frail yet stubborn back, his hand by his side clenching and unclenching.
"Lingchuan, will Assistant Shen be okay?" Liang Jinghe was quite worried, as Shen Nian's condition seemed quite serious.
Lu Lingchuan averted his gaze and said flatly, "She'll be fine. Let's go."
Although still concerned, Liang Jinghe followed Lu Lingchuan's lead since he wanted to leave.
The two got into the car and left the hotel, driving onto the main road.
From earlier, Lu Lingchuan had been distracted, leaning his elbow on the car door and looking outside.
Liang Jinghe had also had quite a bit to drink and was now resting her eyes in the seat.
Suddenly, Lu Lingchuan saw something.
Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Lu Lingchuan saw Shen Nian walking on the sidewalk.
He immediately sat upright and turned his head to look back.
But the car was moving too fast, and it was dark outside, so Shen Nian's figure soon disappeared from sight.
Lu Lingchuan turned his gaze back, took out his phone and stared at the screen. A few seconds later, he looked up and instructed the driver, "Stop the car up ahead."
Opening her eyes in surprise at his words, Liang Jinghe looked at Lu Lingchuan questioningly. "Lingchuan, what's wrong?"
"Something came up at the company." Lu Lingchuan said. "I need to go to the company for a bit."
Liang Jinghe nodded understandingly. "Then we should have the driver take a detour to the company."
"No need." Lu Lingchuan declined.
The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and Lu Lingchuan got out of the car.
"I'll take a cab myself. Have the driver take you home."
Leaving those words, Lu Lingchuan closed the car door.
Liang Jinghe stared blankly after him.
For some reason, she felt there was something odd about Lu Lingchuan, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
She rubbed her brow and didn't think too much about it: "Master, let's go by car."
...
Shen Nian took off her high heels and carried them in her hand, walking barefoot and swaying with each step.
It was already late, and there was no one on the sidewalk except her.
The streetlight illuminated her.
Lu Lingchuan stood thirty meters behind her, silently watching her stagger.
She took one step, and he took one step, following behind her while maintaining a distance.
