"Clearly, you don't have that ability yet," Shen Nian cut straight to the point.
"..."
Seeing Jiang Lingling with her head almost lowered to the ground, Shen Nian massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Lingling, work isn't a game, and surviving isn't living. Working in a public company like this is like fighting for food among a pack of wolves and tigers. You can only afford to be kind and help others get food when you're sure you've eaten your fill. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I know..." Jiang Lingling's voice was weak.
"Similarly, there are things you can involve yourself in, and things you can't. Don't agree to everything people ask of you. Learn to refuse appropriately. This way, you won't end up being the nice person everyone blames."
"..." This time Jiang Lingling didn't speak, only nodding slightly.
Seeing her like this, Shen Nian decided not to say more. "Alright, it's getting late. You should head home now."
The weather was getting colder, and it was already dark at this hour. Shen Nian knew Jiang Lingling lived alone, and it would be dangerous for her to return home too late.
Hearing this, Jiang Lingling quietly raised her head and said softly, "Sister Nian, I didn't do well today. Let me treat you to dinner."
"No need," Shen Nian refused. "Just go home."
She glanced to the side and noticed a car parked nearby. Because it had gotten dark and her attention had been focused on Jiang Lingling, she hadn't noticed it earlier.
It wasn't until the car started flashing its hazard lights that Shen Nian noticed.
Recognizing the familiar license plate, she turned back to Jiang Lingling and said, "Get home early. I'm leaving now."
With that, she walked towards the car in her high heels.
Opening the passenger door, Shen Nian got in. Xiao Mubai, smiling, reached out to move the water bottle from the passenger seat to the side.
Shen Nian closed the door, fastened her seatbelt, and asked, "When did you get here? Why didn't you call me?"
Xiao Mubai started the car. "I've been here for a while."
As he drove away, they passed Jiang Lingling waiting for a ride at the intersection. Xiao Mubai glanced at Shen Nian, his smile deepening.
Seeing his smile, Shen Nian said irritably, "Just say what you want to say."
Xiao Mubai teased, "I didn't expect you to scold her so harshly."
His car had been quite far from them, so he couldn't hear Shen Nian's reprimands, but just from the looks of it, he knew it must have been severe.
"Why are you suddenly so strict with her? You used to be very indulgent."
Even Xiao Mubai knew how good Shen Nian was to Jiang Lingling.
He had asked before, and Shen Nian had said it was because Jiang Lingling reminded her of Lu Lingrui.
She hadn't said anything more.
But that one sentence was enough for Xiao Mubai to understand.
Because Jiang Lingling was so much like Lu Lingrui, Shen Nian's feelings for her were bound to be different from those for others. She would be more patient in helping her, and as long as things weren't too unreasonable, she would indulge her.
For no other reason than that Shen Nian saw Lu Lingrui's shadow in her, so she was willing to do anything.
"..." Shen Nian didn't immediately answer Xiao Mubai's question. Instead, she remained quiet for a full minute before speaking.
"I can't be by her side forever. She needs to grow on her own eventually."
She now realized that she had been too indulgent with Jiang Lingling before, always helping her solve even the smallest problems, to the point where Jiang Lingling was still inexperienced in many things.
People only remember pain and grow when they hit obstacles. By always being there to catch Jiang Lingling before she fell, Shen Nian had prevented her from feeling the pain and learning the lessons.
...
After dinner with Xiao Mubai, Shen Nian returned home.
To the Shen family home.
Since that day when she parted ways with Lu Lingchuan, Shen Nian had been staying at the Shen family home.
Opening the door, Shen Nian first put her bag on the table, opened the shoe cabinet to take out her slippers, and as she changed her shoes, she called out, "Dad, Mom, I'm home."
This was her habit. In the past, every time she returned home, she would habitually say this.
After saying it, she realized she had done it again out of habit.
"..."
She silently pressed her lips together.
Recently, Shen Nian had asked the housekeeper to tidy up the house, wash the bedding, and air out the quilts. With her staying here for the past few days, the house finally had some signs of life.
She went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was empty except for a few bottles of water she had bought from the convenience store the day before yesterday.
She took a bottle of mineral water, twisted off the cap, took a sip as she left the kitchen.
Sitting on the sofa, she noticed a courier envelope on the coffee table from the corner of her eye.
She had found it at the door when she came in earlier. The recipient was her, and it was a local delivery.
But she hadn't ordered anything.
Usually, these envelope document bags contained paper items, possibly important company documents.
However, she had never told anyone she was living here now.
Puzzled, Shen Nian tore open the document bag and emptied its contents.
Inside was just one envelope.
A white envelope.
The envelope clearly showed the postal code and her address.
And in the bottom right corner:
[For Shen Nian]
The familiar, beautiful handwriting, with its distinctive steadiness.
His handwriting was as handsome as he was.
So with just one glance, Shen Nian knew it was his handwriting.
This was the letter they had written for each other in the store on the first day of their 100-day agreement.
Lu Lingchuan had already notified the store owner to mail the letter to her.
Her previously calm heart suddenly rippled with emotion, her hand holding the envelope trembling slightly.
After a long while, she finally composed herself and opened the envelope.
Inside was a sheet of pure white paper, also personally chosen by Lu Lingchuan.
She unfolded it.
Most of the paper was blank. When she saw the text, Shen Nian finally understood why Lu Lingchuan, like her, had finished writing in less than a minute.
Because there were only two words on the paper.
[Cherish]
This was what Lu Lingchuan said to her. No flowery words, no lingering attachment or reluctance to part.
Just two words.
Cherish.
Every minute and every second I spend with you, I cherish deeply.
These two short words caused the walls Shen Nian had carefully built to crumble in an instant.
...
At the Capital International Airport, a plane landed smoothly.
Lu Lingchuan left the airport and drove aimlessly, not knowing where to go.
His heart felt empty. Though he had many places to stay, they were just accommodations, houses, not homes.
Like a homeless child, he wandered blindly on the road alone, not knowing where to go or where he belonged.
After being so busy for days, his mind was weary, and he drove in a daze.
By the time he came to his senses, he was already driving on the elevated highway, and this road led back to that home.
The home he shared with Shen Nian.
"..."
Lu Lingchuan belatedly realized this, but on the elevated highway, he wasn't allowed to turn around or stop.
As if finding a good excuse for himself, he continued driving forward.
[Yesterday's writing was too rough, so I carefully revised it. Now there shouldn't be any typos, you can read it again~ The content hasn't changed, it's just much more refined]
