Meeting the Rival

Although the qipao wasn't tightly fitted, it still showcased her curves, highlighting her chest, hips, and long legs. She had even applied particularly delicate makeup for the occasion.

Previously, whenever Edmond saw her in form-fitting clothes, his eyes would gleam with a predatory intensity, as if he wanted to devour her. Now, not only did he fail to compliment her, but he also seemed angry.

Men, she thought bitterly, always forget their old flames when they find new ones. She had seen it herself—Edmond smiling at that woman. He smiled at others but not at her.

"I..."

Was she here to catch him cheating? To confront the rival? Under Edmond's indifferent gaze, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

The elevator doors couldn't remain open forever. Franklin grabbed Lily's arm and pulled her out.

"Uncle Edmond, Auntie is here to bring you lunch."

He nudged Lily closer to Edmond.

Behind Edmond stood several senior executives of Jingxiu, and passing employees were also present. Franklin's voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Auntie? All eyes instantly turned to Lily. The woman with short hair also looked at Lily, her gaze moving up and down, assessing her with a meaningful expression.

Lily stopped a step away from Edmond, aware of the woman's scrutiny. She turned and met the woman's gaze.

Given that this was a major client of Jingxiu, Lily didn't show any hostility on their first meeting. Instead, she nodded and offered a polite, friendly smile.

The woman seemed about to speak when her phone rang. She glanced at it, frowning slightly, and quickly turned to Edmond. "I have an urgent matter to attend to. I can't have lunch with you today. I need to leave."

She then looked at Lily again. "Let's have a meal together when you both are free."

Lily's eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her gaze, not meeting the woman's eyes because her mind was filled with that statement, "I can't have lunch with you today." Her heart sank.

So Edmond had planned to have lunch with that woman? Now, the lunchbox she brought felt incredibly awkward.

Lily considered telling Franklin to eat the food in the lunchbox, but when she looked up, she saw Edmond pressing the elevator button for the woman, which made her heart sink even more.

When the elevator doors closed, Edmond turned around and saw Lily's forlorn, worried expression. Instinctively, he wanted to comfort her.

Franklin, who had quietly approached, whispered, "This is a great opportunity, seize it..."

Edmond shot him a chilly glance and, maintaining his composure, walked over to Lily. His tone was lukewarm.

"Come with me."

Lily took the bag and lunchbox from Franklin and followed Edmond into his office, feeling resentful.

He used to take her bag voluntarily. Today, he didn't...

Once they were inside, Franklin called over a young man. "Where's your manager?"

The young man was from the Investment Department and had come up to get some documents signed.

"Our manager? He's... in his office."

Franklin patted him on the shoulder. "Tell your manager that Mr. Zhou wants to see him in half an hour."

The young man was stunned and hesitated. "Our manager... is Royce."

"I know," Franklin replied.

This was Lily's second time in Edmond's office.

The first time was after Royce provoked her, and she had brazenly come to ask if Edmond needed a wife. She had been too eager to volunteer then and hadn't dared to look around closely. Today, she took in her surroundings.

The office was a spacious, luxurious open plan of over 300 square meters, larger than her apartment, furnished with leather seats and Italian handmade carpets. A small door in the corner likely led to a private resting area. The office's black and gold color scheme exuded a grandeur befitting Edmond's temperament.

Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, one could overlook nearly all of Jiangyu—an impressive sight.

Edmond closed the door with a soft click and turned around. Their eyes met, and after a few seconds, he looked away first.

He unbuttoned his jacket, glanced at the lunchbox in Lily's hand, and spoke in his usual indifferent tone.

"You brought me lunch?"

Lily thought of how he had smiled at another woman earlier but not at her. Now, his speech lacked its former warmth, and the red alert in her mind was almost blaring.

"Yes, I haven't had much to do lately and thought I'd come to see you."

This was a lie, so she avoided his gaze. In truth, Franklin had informed her that her rival was visiting Jingxiu today and would likely leave around noon. To avoid awkwardness, he suggested she use the pretext of bringing lunch. Hence, she had asked Auntie Fang to prepare the meal in advance.

Edmond removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack, wearing only a black shirt underneath. He unbuttoned the top two buttons, revealing a sexy collarbone. His long legs, clad in suit trousers, moved past her.

"Come over here."

Lily followed him to the sofa, placed the lunchbox on the coffee table, and snuck a glance at the space between them—an entire person's width. Previously, he would sit close to her, even in the car.

It was nearly noon, lunchtime. Edmond opened the lunchbox, setting out the dishes: one meat, one vegetable, a soup, and a serving of rice.

"Have you eaten?" he asked Lily.

"No," she replied absentmindedly, her thoughts elsewhere.

Hearing this, Edmond pushed the lunchbox towards her but quickly retracted. "It's okay. You eat first. I'm not hungry yet."

She wasn't hungry either. Here to meet a rival, who could have an appetite?

Edmond noticed her distracted and visibly low spirits. He fought the urge to hold and comfort her.

The night Lily had run to the Jian family and smashed the family photo, he had asked Franklin for advice on how to win her over. Franklin's first suggestion was to have Lily visit Jingxiu more often. He had resisted for two months, knowing Lily had been preoccupied—not just physically but mentally and spiritually too.

In these two months, she meticulously divided her time, becoming almost obsessive. She woke up at six in the morning, went for a run, had breakfast, and left home at 7:30 AM. Her days were packed until she returned at 11 PM and fell asleep before 11:30 PM. She kept herself as busy as a spinning top, not solely for her studio's sake.

Aria had privately approached him.

"Lily wouldn't drive herself to this extent just for an uncertain future with her studio. There's not much business, and I haven't given her too much work. She doesn't need to be so busy."

"She just can't stop."

Aria had explained that the shattered family photo before the Dragon Boat Festival had stirred up old memories for Lily.

He knew this too.

In the past two months, Lily had been having nightmares almost every night. In her sleep, she would curl into a ball, sweating profusely and calling out names unconsciously—her father, mother, brother, and even Royce.

She would plead for their help, saying she was in pain, that everything hurt, that she was dying and didn't want to live anymore. Her cries and gasps in her nightmares lasted for almost two months. After the Dragon Boat Festival, she turned 25 but hadn't realized it. Her mind was still stuck on that night when she was 24, shattering the family photo. Her soul remained trapped in the nightmare of when she was 18—a nightmare she could never escape.

During these two months, they had hardly communicated face-to-face. Edmond saw her every day, but she rarely saw him because he was avoiding her.

He avoided her because, even though she was clearly exhausted, she would pretend to be fine and happy in his presence. She didn't want to show her vulnerability to him and always wore a mask of obedience. He didn't want her to struggle so much, so he gave her time and space to calm down. Aria had said, "Every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, Lily goes through a period of self-isolation. During this time, give her some space, and she'll recover."

It took her two months to recover. Every night, Auntie Fang would tell him that Lily was asleep, and he would come home, shower, and hold her until her nightmares subsided, wipe her down, and then sleep a bit before waking up. He would get up at 5:30 AM to leave earlier than her. This staggered schedule ensured she wouldn't have to pretend to be fine when she was not.

These past two months, he barely slept at home, catching up on sleep in his office's resting area. He wanted to help her, but her defensive instincts were too strong, and she still treated him like an outsider. Even now that she had somewhat recovered, her first thought was still to turn to Franklin.