Thinking that Lu Lingchuan, who usually doesn't care about gossip, probably didn't know about the incident at the hotpot restaurant, Liang Jinghe explained, "Today, there was a disturbance at the hotpot restaurant my friends and I run together. It was only after completing the written record that I found out Assistant Shen was involved. It seems like a man tried to chat her up but got angry when rejected, causing a scene. Now, videos of it are circulating online, and it's trending..."
After saying this, she massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Fortunately, she immediately had the manager apologize to the other customers and calm them down, and the waitstaff quickly brought in security to control the situation, so the damage to their hotpot restaurant's reputation wasn't too severe.
Reflecting on her earlier words, Liang Jinghe realized they might have been inappropriate. That person was just defending Assistant Shen; they might not necessarily be her boyfriend.
"The person defending Assistant Shen is probably just her friend. If they were a couple, they would have dined together. But that person rushed to her defense..."
Liang Jinghe corrected her earlier statement. There was silence on the other end of the phone, so quiet that not even a breath could be heard.
"Lingchuan, maybe I misunderstood," Liang Jinghe added.
In some companies, especially ones like Shen Nian's where assistants are crucial, bosses don't allow them to date. They expect them to fully dedicate themselves to work and not be influenced by romantic affairs.
That's why Liang Jinghe explained to Lu Lingchuan, fearing that Shen Nian might be misunderstood.
But the response was still silence.
"Lingchuan? Lingchuan?" Liang Jinghe called out several times, but there was still no response. She checked her phone and saw that Lu Lingchuan had already hung up.
"Hmm?" Liang Jinghe didn't realize that her unintentional words had ignited a bomb.
...
Lu Lingchuan had been in a bad mood at the company, so he left alone knowing that Shen Nian was going out for dinner. Shen Nian's message didn't mention who she was dining with, so Lu Lingchuan waited to find out. When he saw Shen Nian come out, he immediately drove over and saw who she was dining with.
Lu Lingchuan knew that person, Jiang Lingling, a young woman who had just been made permanent at the company.
Of course, Lu Lingchuan didn't specifically pay attention to Jiang Lingling; he only had eyes for one person.
He often saw her helping Jiang Lingling, teaching her the details of the job, and assisting her with documents.
And, of course, there was another aspect—Jiang Lingling resembled Lu Lingrui.
Not in appearance, but in temperament.
Jiang Lingling, like Lu Lingrui, was a cheerful and smiling young woman, not someone with a delicate mind. They both were carefree and innocent, with smiles that could light up a room, their eyes curving like crescent moons when they smiled.
That's how Lu Lingrui was back then, sunny and smiling, like a sunflower basking in the sun.
Until that incident... the sunflower lost its sunlight and was left with a withered fate.
After that incident, Lu Lingrui never smiled again, locking herself in her room for a whole month.
Then, she chose to end her brief life by jumping off a building.
Perhaps because Jiang Lingling was so similar to the old Lu Lingrui, even though she knew Jiang Lingling's abilities weren't enough to work at Lingrui Group, she still kept her.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Lingchuan stared at the tablet in his hand.
He had been working on the tablet just now.
Exiting the work interface, Lu Lingchuan opened a certain app, and sure enough, the hottest topic was the incident of a brawl in a hotpot restaurant.
The second hottest topic was a mysterious phrase.
#Today I believe in love again#
Lu Lingchuan didn't care whether it was about love or not. He clicked on the first trend, but accidentally touched the screen with his little finger, directly entering the second trend.
About to exit, he saw the top video, and his gaze froze.
A hint of coldness flashed in Lu Lingchuan's eyes as he watched the video on the screen, as sharp as a wolf's.
He clicked on the video, similar to the one Liang Jinghe had just watched.
A man, furious, holding a bottle, charged at Shen Nian. At the critical moment, a figure stepped forward and embraced Shen Nian, using his back to block the bottle attack.
The bottle shattered in an instant, and the man's white T-shirt was soaked in red...
The video didn't show Shen Nian's face, but Lu Lingchuan could immediately recognize her by her hair, figure, and even just one hand.
And the man protecting Shen Nian...
The man's face appeared, with familiar features and eyebrows...
Lu Lingchuan's gaze froze, and all his hostility and coldness burst out in an instant.
Xiao Mubai.
Old friend.
Lu Lingchuan and Xiao Mubai were both students at A University. Lu Lingrui had always insisted on going to A University so that she could be with Lu Lingchuan at the same school, with her brother protecting her during her college life, and even persuaded Shen Nian to apply to A University.
In the end, Lu Lingrui failed to enter A University, and Shen Nian went to A University with her wish, becoming Lu Lingchuan and Xiao Mubai's junior.
Lu Lingchuan had just met Xiao Mubai at school, and although they were not in the same department, they were both prominent figures in that department. Later, it was understood that... Xiao Mubai liked Shen Nian.
They were together...
Lu Lingchuan stared at the video, almost masochistically, playing the video over and over again, watching Xiao Mubai in the video almost without hesitation rushing forward to embrace Shen Nian.
The hand on Shen Nian's waist was so conspicuous...
Scrolling down to the comments, many netizens expressed their admiration on the screen.
[Treasured Voice My Beauty: Ahhhh, I never expected to see love in a fight!]
[Autumn Fish Flavor Rice: Did you see the face of that guy? Did you see him rushing to protect the girl without hesitation?! If this isn't love, then what is!!!!]
Of course, some netizens remained skeptical.
[Not Black Eye Circles: Are they really a couple? But the guy obviously came from elsewhere, and the reports also said that two pretty girls were approached while eating. If the girl had a boyfriend, why would the guy next door beat up the loser?]
Soon someone replied—
【Qian's Friends Circle: My cousin was dining nearby at the time. Although the video didn't capture the girl's face, my cousin said she was incredibly beautiful! Slim waist, long legs, a true goddess. When the guy rushed over, my cousin even heard the girl call his name, something like Mu Bai? The guy also gently smiled and comforted the girl... Would a stranger go to such lengths?】
【One Bite One Dumpling: I think the girl was out dining with friends, and her boyfriend happened to be dining outside with his friends too. He heard the commotion, went over to check, and saw his girlfriend being bullied, so he didn't hesitate to rush over...】
The netizen's words quickly garnered everyone's approval.
Well, that explains it.
