It's not about forgiveness, but about letting go.

Time seemed to stand still as Shen Luoyan looked at Lu Han with a mixture of sorrow and nervousness, like a sinner awaiting final forgiveness or condemnation.

"Does this really matter?"

Lu Han struggled to find the right words. "Shen Luoyan, you know I'm getting married."

"So... you still won't forgive me, will you?"

Shen Luoyan's voice trembled, her heart sinking into despair. If even this couldn't make Lu Han forgive her, what was the point of living?

"I wouldn't say it's about forgiving or not forgiving," Lu Han said thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully. "After hearing your explanation, I feel more at peace with what happened back then."

Shen Luoyan, who had almost given up hope, felt her eyes light up again at his words.

She understood what he meant: betrayal is something that can be forgiven or not, but misunderstandings are either held onto or let go.

"In other words, in Lu Han's mind, he no longer considers what I did as betrayal?"

The realization brought overwhelming joy, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. She suddenly felt content; at least tonight, she had managed to improve her relationship with Lu Han—a significant achievement.

Pushing him too hard might backfire. Better to take things slowly and gradually win him back.

Shen Luoyan silently encouraged herself, knowing she needed to express her feelings clearly to Lu Han.

"I know you're getting married," Shen Luoyan said earnestly. "But I won't give up on you."

Without giving Lu Han a chance to respond, she smiled brightly and added, "Look, the food is getting cold. Let's eat!"

Lu Han picked up his chopsticks, feeling inexplicably relieved. If Shen Luoyan had truly betrayed him, there would be nothing to discuss—he could never forgive her. But learning it was just a misunderstanding made him realize how foolish he had been to leave without asking questions. His attitude toward her softened somewhat.

Could this be the power of unrequited love?

Reflecting on his current state of mind, Lu Han couldn't help but think of Chu Ruoyan. He began to understand her perspective, though it didn't justify forgiveness. Betrayal is betrayal, after all.

As for meeting Shen Luoyan behind Su Qingli's back, Lu Han felt completely at ease. It was Su Qingli who turned their marriage into a transaction, allowing him to have relationships outside their marriage as compensation for not consummating it. Even if something were to happen with Shen Luoyan, it wasn't Su Qingli's place to object.

Moreover, Su Qingli might actually prefer him rekindling his old flame, leading to an end of their engagement. This way, she'd get a 3 billion-yuan interest-free loan for her company and escape his clutches—she'd probably be thrilled.

Unbeknownst to Lu Han, Su Qingli had grown genuinely fond of him and deeply regretted her initial proposal.

At the same time Lu Han and Shen Luoyan were dining, Su Qingli sat alone in her bedroom at Jade Garden Villa No. 6, clutching the fake marriage certificate. Though she had confidently shown it to Shen Luoyan earlier, she knew it was based on Lu Han's promise not to break the agreement. As long as no one questioned the legitimacy of the red booklet, everything was fine.

But the dog man (as she privately called him) had said he would dissolve the engagement if he grew tired of the game. Su Qingli realized how foolish she had been to secretly rejoice when he proposed this clause—it gave him an easy out.

Without this clause, they would at least be bound for two years. With it...

What if he quickly decided to be with another woman?

Su Qingli couldn't bear to imagine such a scenario. She didn't care about losing face or becoming a laughingstock; the real issue was whether she could watch Lu Han leave her.

The answer was no.

She had made mistake after mistake.

Feeling miserable, Su Qingli counted on her fingers. Since Sunday's movie date, Lu Han hadn't contacted her for three days—not even a text message.

"Alright, you win. If you won't reach out to me, I'll call you myself."

Su Qingli muttered to herself, feeling helpless. She found Lu Han's number in her contacts and dialed it, hoping he wouldn't punish her too harshly for calling him "dog man" in private.

A few seconds later, the call connected, and Su Qingli asked softly, "Lu Han, what are you doing?"

"I'm having dinner with Shen Luoyan."

Lu Han felt no guilt, seeing nothing wrong with it. However, the same statement triggered very different reactions from Su Qingli and Shen Luoyan.

Su Qingli thought: So, Shen Luoyan, you cunning fox, you still haven't given up, even knowing Lu Han is getting married? As a billionaire CEO, you have countless men to choose from, yet you're chasing a married man—how shameless!

Shen Luoyan, on the other hand, thought: Lu Han seems so confident around me, not afraid of upsetting Su Qingli. Do they trust each other so completely? I need to step up my game; I can't let Su Qingli monopolize him.

"Oh, where are you eating?"

Su Qingli hurriedly asked, getting out of bed to look for clothes.

"At her place," Lu Han replied, adding, "Shen Luoyan bought a house in Jiangcheng and moved in today. I came over to check it out."

Su Qingli almost laughed in frustration. Not only had Shen Luoyan opened a subsidiary here, but she also bought a house—clearly planning for the long term.

"Have you been drinking?"

Su Qingli knew it was a futile question. Shen Luoyan obviously had designs on Lu Han; how could she miss such an opportunity?

"Just some red wine."

"How will you get home?"

"Uncle Sen drove me here. He'll pick me up later."

Hearing this, Su Qingli felt slightly relieved. At least Lu Han didn't plan to stay overnight at Shen Luoyan's place.

But she still needed to be cautious. What if they rekindled their old flame? The thought was unbearable.

"Don't let Uncle Sen pick you up. I have something important to discuss with you in person."

Su Qingli said with a slight huff, "Give me the address. I'm coming over now!"

...

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