“You two take your time talking.”
With that, Shen Nanyue walked down the steps on her own and left the hospital.
Zhou Yushen frowned and instinctively moved to chase after her, only to be stopped by Gu Linlang.
“Ah Shen, how could you leave me behind and come to Fengcheng alone? Auntie is already preparing for our wedding, and you—”
As Shen Nanyue walked away, she vaguely caught those words, and her pace unconsciously quickened.
How could she have forgotten?
Three months ago, between her and Gu Linlang, Zhou Yushen had chosen Gu Linlang without hesitation.
Even though she still didn’t know the true purpose of his trip to Fengcheng—
Nor why he kept deliberately getting close to her—
She would never again allow Zhou Yushen to shake her emotions in the slightest.
Zhou Yushen watched Shen Nanyue disappear from sight as she hurried away.
Only then did he lower his eyes and look coldly at Gu Linlang.
“Gu Linlang, this is the last warning I’ll give you. Stop setting your sights on me. If there’s a next time, I won’t be polite anymore.”
“But our marriage—”
“Han Ping agreed to it. If you want to marry someone, go marry her.”
After coldly throwing out those words, Zhou Yushen turned and left.
Gu Linlang stood there, staring at his resolute departing figure, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
Her fingernails dug into her palms, yet she didn’t even notice the pain.
“Why? Why are you so concerned about Shen Nanyue?”
She refused to accept it.
Back then, when Zhou Yushen had mistakenly believed she was the girl from his dreams, he had paid attention to her too.
But after quickly confirming she wasn’t that girl, his attitude had turned into what it was now.
And Shen Nanyue wasn’t the woman in his heart either!
So why was Shen Nanyue different?
Had he really fallen in love with Shen Nanyue?
No!
She refused to accept it!
Even if she had to tie him down, she would keep Zhou Yushen by her side!
…
Several days passed in a row.
Zhou Yushen never came to look for Shen Nanyue again.
Even the contract was delivered by Li Che for signing.
Shen Nanyue didn’t think much of it.
Then Xiao Qi suddenly called her and told her he had found some information.
“Sister Yueyue, I found the place where Sister An’an was locked up before, but something strange came up. Based on your descriptions, all the clues point to the same location.”
“The same location?”
But the environments Chen Mu described weren’t the same place at all!
Had she been deceived?
“Yeah. The place is an old Chen family residence. The Chen family moved about twenty years ago, so the place was left vacant. Nobody lives there now. I heard people even say it’s haunted.”
“I specifically investigated it. The top floor of the villa has a hollow, open-air design with ventilation on all sides, which should match the cold place Chen Mu mentioned. As for the area surrounded by walls, Sister An’an was probably locked in the basement. The comfortable room with windows was likely the villa’s master bedroom.”
“I heard Sister An’an mention before that she seemed to hear the screams of other women inside the villa. Sister Yueyue… I think this situation runs very deep.”
Shen Nanyue’s fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel.
Her car was parked outside the company building.
Looking through the windshield, she saw Chen Mu standing downstairs at Shen Group.
It had already been several days.
Every single day, he came to pester her.
Yet he never went upstairs to cause trouble.
He simply waited patiently downstairs.
Trying hard to play the role of a devoted man.
“Looks like if he can be useful, I should make proper use of him.”
Shen Nanyue spoke with Xiao Qi for a few more moments before hanging up.
Then she got out of the car and walked toward Chen Mu.
Today, unlike the previous two days, she didn’t walk straight past him.
Instead, she stepped forward and spoke to him.
“Want to talk?”
Seeing that Shen Nanyue was finally willing to speak with him, joy instantly spread across Chen Mu’s face.
“Of course.”
Ten minutes later—
The two of them were seated once again in the same café where they had met before.
This time, Shen Nanyue only ordered a cup of hot water.
“Starting tomorrow, if I see you downstairs at the company again, we won’t even be able to remain friends.”
She spoke calmly, but her tone carried unmistakable warning.
Yet Chen Mu heard another layer of meaning hidden within her words.
“You mean… we can still be friends now?”
The happiness on his face was visible to the naked eye.
Shen Nanyue nodded indifferently. “But if I see you standing downstairs at the company again, then we won’t even be able to stay friends in the future.”
“No, no, no—I promise you. I won’t wait downstairs at the company anymore.”
Friends was fine too.
As long as Shen Nanyue took one step back, he would have room to move one step forward.
Ever since childhood, he had known that Shen Nanyue was soft-hearted.
He believed that if he kept trying hard enough, one day Shen Nanyue would fall in love with him again.
“Yueyue, do you have time tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner.”
Shen Nanyue thought for a moment before replying, “No problem.”
Chen Mu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Alright then, I’ll make the arrangements. You should head to work first—I won’t disturb you anymore.”
Chen Mu left excitedly.
Watching his departing figure—still steady and composed despite his obvious excitement—Shen Nanyue unconsciously curled her lips into a mocking smile.
“Once a person has changed, how could they possibly change back so easily?”
…
That evening—
Shen Nanyue and Chen Mu sat in the western restaurant where they had gone on their very first date.
Chen Mu had once again invited those musicians and artists from before to perform in advance.
Melodious music echoed through the luxurious, elegantly styled restaurant.
The entire hundred-square-meter floor held only their single table.
Shen Nanyue looked utterly uninterested, lowering her head as she cut the steak on her plate.
While appreciating the music, Chen Mu also observed Shen Nanyue’s expression.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like this song?”
“I can’t appreciate any kind of music.”
Shen Nanyue answered flatly.
Chen Mu’s expression changed slightly.
Then, a fierce look flashed through his eyes as he glanced toward the restaurant manager waiting nearby.
The manager trembled and hurriedly instructed the musicians to stop playing and leave.
The music abruptly ceased, and Shen Nanyue finished cutting her steak as well.
Calmly, she speared a piece with her fork and placed it into her mouth.
Only after swallowing did she speak again.
“Suddenly, I remembered how, when we were little, you used to bring that broken guitar of yours to our house and play your self-composed songs for me and An’an.”
Their families had been longtime family friends, and Shen Nanyue had often visited the Chen family when she was young.
But she had started forming memories rather late.
From her recollections, she could only remember the Chen family’s current house.
So she had no knowledge whatsoever about the Chen family moving homes.
Hearing Shen Nanyue suddenly bring up the past, Chen Mu visibly relaxed, a nostalgic look appearing on his face.
“Yeah. Back then, you and An’an despised it so much. The moment I touched the guitar strings, you two would run away immediately without giving me any face at all.”
“And because we didn’t give you face, you kidnapped An’an? Then cheated on me with Lin Siwan behind my back?”
Chen Mu’s face instantly turned pale.
Only then did Shen Nanyue smile at him. “I’m joking. What’s in the past should stay in the past.”
Only then did Chen Mu’s expression ease.
Yet the next moment, Shen Nanyue casually asked again, “My memories from childhood are blurry, but I always remember you coming over to my house to play. The only few times I visited your house were during your family elders’ birthday banquets or similar occasions.”
“But my memories of your home feel strangely mixed up. I always feel like the house I visited when I was little seems different from the one your family lives in now.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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