Lu Lingchuan stood there earnestly observing Shen Nian for the first time, watching her walk ahead of him, one step at a time, getting further and further away...
As Shen Nian walked in front, she suddenly stumbled and was about to fall. Lu Lingchuan's face changed, and he rushed forward.
But just after taking two steps, a quicker figure appeared.
Xiao Mubai immediately parked his car on the roadside when he saw Shen Nian, unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and timely caught Shen Nian after jumping over the railing.
Shen Nian looked up, seeing it was Xiao Mubai, and smiled: "How did you get here so fast?"
Xiao Mubai frowned: "When you called, have I ever delayed?"
Noticing the small red spots on her face, Xiao Mubai was both angry and helpless: "I knew it! No matter how good the promise, it doesn't stop you from harming yourself at all."
Shen Nian smiled wryly: "I had no choice, the other party was an old drunkard, and they wouldn't be happy if I didn't drink."
"But why just you?"
"We all drank."
After saying that, Shen Nian reassured him: "It's alright, I only had two glasses, not much."
Xiao Mubai wanted to scold her more, but seeing the red spots on her face, he couldn't bring himself to do it: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Nian shook her head: "Just feeling itchy."
"I'll take you to the hospital."
"Okay."
Xiao Mubai looked down and saw her bare feet on the concrete ground, without hesitation he was about to carry her in his arms, but Shen Nian refused.
"No need."
Even though she and Lu Lingchuan were no longer possible, Shen Nian didn't want to owe Xiao Mubai too much.
Because she knew she couldn't give him what he wanted, so the less she owed him, the better.
Xiao Mubai had always disliked forcing her, so since Shen Nian was unwilling, he didn't insist.
Without a second thought, he took off his leather shoes, only in socks on the concrete ground: "Wear the shoes."
"No..." Shen Nian was about to refuse again, but Xiao Mubai threatened her.
"Either I carry you, or you walk yourself."
After saying that, he very naturally took her high heels from her hands.
"..." Shen Nian stared at the shoes on the ground, then looked up at Xiao Mubai with a big smile: "Thank you."
Xiao Mubai watched her put on the shoes, then helped her over the railing, and naturally said, "In front of me, you never need to say those two words."
He opened the passenger door for her to get in.
After closing the door, he walked around to the driver's seat and drove away.
"..."
Not far away, Lu Lingchuan silently watched it all.
Xiao Mubai's attention was fully on Shen Nian, so he didn't notice Lu Lingchuan nearby.
Lu Lingchuan watched their interaction, so leisurely, so... compatible.
He stood alone on the sidewalk, silently standing there for a very long time.
...............................................
Xu Lawyer's actions were swift, and on Lu Lingchuan's side, more than a dozen victims had gathered, each with some evidence. Lu Lingchuan compiled everything and sent it over.
This time, Lu Lingchuan's actions were fierce and rapid, determined to crush them to the ground without giving them a chance to breathe or retaliate.
Li Mingshi's second round of chemotherapy had finished.
She had lost a lot of hair and had already started wearing a hat despite the weather not being cold yet.
The chemotherapy process was torturous, and compared to before, she looked much more haggard.
But fortunately, her physical examinations were getting better and better.
As long as she endured through the chemotherapy, she could regain her health.
When Liang Jinghe and Lu Lingchuan visited Li Mingshi at the hospital together, Li Mingshi was sitting on the balcony painting.
Since being hospitalized, Li Mingshi had picked up her long-abandoned hobby of painting, as if she had slowly let go of her daughter's death and gradually resumed her former life.
Lu Yanhua sat there, tenderly watching his wife paint herself.
"Auntie." Liang Jinghe walked in with a gift bag.
Li Mingshi turned her head and smiled at her: "Jinghe is here."
"Yes." Liang Jinghe nodded, and asked with concern: "Auntie, are you feeling better?"
Li Mingshi put down her brush, smiling helplessly: "More or less the same, but I'm just getting uglier."
After saying that, she subconsciously touched the hat on her head, with a hint of gloom in her eyes.
Regardless of gender, one always cares about their own appearance to some extent, and Li Mingshi found it hard to accept her current unsightly self.
"So I've come to make Auntie pretty again." Sensing Li Mingshi's low mood, Liang Jinghe smiled and said.
She raised the bag in her hand as she spoke.
"I have a friend who opened a wig store, and the wigs he sells are exactly like real hair, so I asked him to select a few for me."
As she spoke, Liang Jinghe took out the exquisite wigs from the bag, all very suitable for Li Mingshi's style.
"Auntie." Liang Jinghe looked at her.
"You..." Staring at the wigs, Li Mingshi was a bit taken aback.
To think of this at such a time, it was quite thoughtful.
"You girl, you don't need to be so considerate."
Liang Jinghe blinked: "Auntie, I'm not exaggerating to promote my friend's products. If you don't believe me, I can shave my head bald and we can wear wigs together."
As she spoke, she was about to take out her phone and order an electric shaver from a delivery app.
"You girl." Li Mingshi glared at her: "Nonsense, you seem like such an obedient girl, yet you keep saying such outrageous things."
After saying that, she paused, as if suddenly realizing something.
Liang Jinghe didn't know what Li Mingshi was thinking, but seeing that she had cheered her up, she smiled: "As long as you're happy, that's good enough."
Li Mingshi smiled, then looked up at Lu Lingchuan standing behind her: "It's quite rare for you two to come together."
Hearing this, Liang Jinghe immediately flashed a big smile, stepped back two paces, then hooked her arm around Lu Lingchuan's and announced the good news to Li Mingshi: "Auntie, we're together now."
Upon hearing this, Li Mingshi's expression froze, and Lu Yanhua also glanced at Lu Lingchuan.
Lu Lingchuan stood there, not saying a word from start to finish.
No surprise, only silence.
Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward, Li Mingshi nodded and cracked a smile.
"That's good."
........................
After staying with Li Mingshi for a while and having a meal together, Lu Lingchuan and Liang Jinghe left.
The two took the elevator down to the underground parking garage and found their parked car.
Liang Jinghe opened the passenger door and got in, closing the car door before asking Lu Lingchuan.
"Does Auntie dislike me? She doesn't seem happy after knowing that we are together."
Liang Jinghe was not a fool; she sensed that subtle feeling in the atmosphere just now.
After saying that, she turned her head and fastened her seatbelt.
Lu Lingchuan sat in his seat, looking down at the steering wheel. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly spoke.
"I loved a girl."
After a pause of two seconds, he added,
"For six years."
He said "loved," not "loved in the past."
