Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Chapter 2: In This Deserted Corner

Wen Lan Sheng affectionately held Fan Xia's arm, his sweet smile tinged with shyness: "Yes, the wedding date is set for two months from now. President, you must come!"

A thunderous noise erupted in Rong Xiu's mind. He couldn't hear anything Wen Lan Sheng said after that, only seeing his blindingly happy smile. The chopsticks in his hand were nearly broken.

"It seems the president doesn't know about our engagement? Fan Xia, didn't you tell him? After all, he's your senior." Wen Lan Sheng looked at Rong Xiu's stiff face, a hint of mockery in his smile.

Six years ago, he was no match. Six years later, it's still the same.

Fan Xia glanced at Rong Xiu, her clear and gentle eyes filled with a soft spring-like light: "I haven't had the chance to mention it, and I didn't bring an invitation."

"That's easy to solve." Wen Lan Sheng smiled at Rong Xiu's shocked and incredulous face: "We have electronic invitations now. Senior, do you mind if I add you on WeChat to send you an invitation?"

Rong Xiu's thin lips had completely lost their color. His hand, hidden under the table, was clenched tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging and trembling slightly.

Wen Lan Sheng's happy and proud smile was like sharp glass shards, piercing into his eyes, making his whole body tremble with pain. The treasure he had finally regained after losing it was once again easily snatched away. After this, she would never come back. She would be someone else's wife-master, having children with another man. He would lose her completely.

"Senior? Senior?" Seeing no response from Rong Xiu, Wen Lan Sheng called out softly.

Rong Xiu snapped back to reality in confusion, meeting Wen Lan Sheng's smiling eyes, which proclaimed how happily Fan Xia had nurtured him, how blissful their years together had been.

There had never been a place for him in their world. Fan Xia's eyes had never held even a trace of his shadow. He was just an insignificant admirer. Only he knew about the youthful crush and bitter despair from years ago.

"Can I add you on WeChat? I'll send you the electronic invitation." Wen Lan Sheng repeated, but it felt like Rong Xiu was plunging into a deep sea filled with ice, suffocation gripping his throat.

"Lan Sheng." The gentle voice came like a beam of light, soft and gentle. Though speaking to Wen Lan Sheng, it pulled Rong Xiu out of his suffocation. But the blood in his body, already frozen solid, could no longer warm up.

Fan Xia glanced at Rong Xiu's unnatural expression and whispered in Wen Lan Sheng's ear: "Don't say anymore, don't make it difficult for him."

As the chairman and CEO of Shanhai Group, Rong Xiu's WeChat wasn't something just anyone could add. Moreover, she was just an ordinary junior who hardly had any interaction with Rong Xiu. She hadn't expected the usually prudent Wen Lan Sheng to suddenly make such an unreasonable request on his own, so she spoke up to stop him.

Wen Lan Sheng pursed his lips and said softly, "I understand, I didn't think it through."

"It's fine." Rong Xiu lowered his head, his eyes dim and lusterless, as if the light in his pupils had burned to ashes. He took out his phone and pulled up the QR code, his eyes brimming with an unnoticed desolation, yet forcing a smile: "Go ahead and add me."

"President?" Fan Xia's eyes flashed with slight surprise.

"On the wedding day... I'll attend." The hand hidden under the table was already twisted with suppressed anguish, bluish-purple veins almost bursting, nails digging deep into the flesh of his palm. Yet he seemed to masochistically enjoy the surging pain, watching the person he had admired for seven years show tenderness to another man. With his tongue bitten through, his thin lips, unwilling, stretched into a difficult smile: "Fan Xia... congratulations."

In the president's office, Zhuang Nian slunk out, whispering to Fan Xia nearby: "Chief Assistant Fan, the president's mood isn't good this afternoon... you'd better be careful."

Fan Xia looked at the documents in her hand that were about to be submitted to Rong Xiu for review and asked, "What made the president angry?"

Zhuang Nian pouted: "Who knows? Men are just unpredictable creatures."

Fan Xia was unsure, feeling that someone like Rong Xiu, who could turn the tide when Shanhai Group was in crisis, wouldn't let his emotions show like ordinary people, let alone vent his anger on unimportant people.

She knocked gently on the door, and a low, hoarse male voice came from inside: "Come in."

Fan Xia pushed open the door.

The office was dimly lit, Rong Xiu's tall figure hidden in the cold light. His meticulously tailored suit jacket was casually thrown on the nearby guest sofa, revealing a wrinkled white shirt and loosened tie. His clean-cut, striking cold features unusually showed a trace of lonely fatigue.

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