Chapter 24: The Meeting

Zhang Mingyuan only managed one artist, Lu Nanting, so he had plenty of time to be incredibly meticulous with his work.

Because he was so attentive—even worrying about three meals a day and the seasonal changes in clothing—his subordinates often called him "Mother Zhang" behind his back.

Lu Nanting flipped through his photo album, looking at the pictures taken today one by one.

The latest smartphone had incredible pixel quality; the live photos, in particular, accurately captured every tiny expression of Gu Lanxi. Just by looking at the photos, he could recall the details of their time together.

For a moment, his heart was filled with sweetness.

But he was a "cool guy," and in front of outsiders, he couldn't show a hint of sweetness.

He even had a privacy screen protector on his phone, making it impossible for anyone to snoop.

Hearing Zhang Mingyuan ask a question, he opened his Moments, posted a selfie visible only to Gu Lanxi, and replied

"There was no umbrella in the car. I thought it was only a few steps, but I didn't expect the rain to be this heavy."

It had to be said, Zhang Mingyuan had chosen a rather poor topic.

To maintain confidentiality, the windows of the meeting room had been closed and the curtains drawn during the meeting. They had worked with full concentration for nearly two hours, only to realize upon coming out that the rain they had been hoping for had finally arrived—but before they even noticed, it had already stopped.

The boss was lamenting his bad luck at getting soaked, while they had almost missed the rain entirely.

This was the life of a corporate worker.

It wasn't just this one rainstorm; it was their entire year of seasons.

Sometimes it felt like they had just returned from their hometowns with trunks full of goods only yesterday, and in the blink of an eye, they were heading back again for the New Year.

Another busy year had passed, and besides their savings, they had gained nothing.

Perhaps working overtime in the middle of the night really did make one prone to feeling "emo."

Suddenly struck by a sense of melancholy, everyone lost interest in idle chatter. They turned their sadness into appetite and quickly conquered the army of crayfish.

After cleaning up the trash and washing their hands with liquid soap, the group returned to the meeting room, a faint sense of happiness welling up in their hearts.

After all, even among corporate workers, there are different classes.

Some earn high salaries and enjoy great benefits while working overtime in garden villas, while others face unpaid wages or even have to pay out of pocket to work overtime.

Thinking about it, they should be content.

With Lu Nanting present, everyone could better grasp the "divine will," making their thoughts clearer. They had originally thought they would be working through the night, but they finished most of it before three in the morning.

The staff member responsible for monitoring online trends did a final search and found no signs of the matter being leaked, letting out a sigh of relief.

After reviewing the final contingency plan, Lu Nanting nodded and sent it to Gu Lanxi's email before announcing the end of the meeting.

It was too late, and since they had to be on high alert for the next few days, everyone decided not to bother going home. They went straight back to their workstations, pulled out the folding beds purchased collectively for under the desks, spread out thin blankets, turned off the lights, and fell into a deep sleep.

When they woke up, they could just wash up in the bathroom and get straight back to work.

It must be said that the office was large enough and the facilities complete enough that resting there was quite comfortable.

If it weren't for the lack of privacy, several single people wouldn't even want to rent apartments.

Lu Nanting also returned to the lounge, locked the doors and windows, kicked off his slippers, lay on the bed, pulled up the thin quilt, and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Gu Lanxi had no idea he hadn't come home. When she woke up in the morning, her head felt a bit heavy, which she knew was caused by overthinking.

She opened the window, took a few deep breaths of the cool morning air, and glanced at the ring on her finger before fully waking up.

After washing up, she went to the gym for a half-hour jog.

During that time, she received a call from Gu Yongxin, who seemed hesitant to speak. Gu Lanxi acted as if she knew nothing, treating her exactly as she always had.

In the end, Gu Yongxin did not break the silence.

After hanging up, Gu Lanxi's face turned pale and then flushed with frustration, and tears began to stream down.

Her mother scolded her for acting without thinking. Manman understood her mother's way of doing things, but her heart just felt heavy—an indescribable heaviness.

Gu Lanxi actually felt bad too.

She had many relatives and many friends, but from childhood to adulthood, the only person who had loved her unconditionally, tried every way to be good to her, and asked for nothing in return except for affection, seemed to be only Lu Nanting.

Realizing this, her mood had been poor all morning.

Auntie Wang made shrimp dumplings for breakfast.

In the small bamboo steamers, there were four per basket, and she had made several baskets, clearly more than the usual amount.

Each shrimp dumpling was as large as a child's fist, plump, with translucent skin and very even pleats. The pink shrimp meat peeked through slightly, looking very beautiful.

Gu Lanxi peeled a boiled egg into a bowl, took a sip of milk, and looked at the shrimp dumplings in the steamer. She couldn't help but send a message to Lu Nanting

[Have you eaten breakfast?]

Thinking about it, she sent another: [I made the shrimp dumplings you like.]

Unfortunately, there was no reply.

He had been so warm toward her yesterday, and just when she had finally mustered the courage to get close, she was met with coldness.

It felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head, making her mood even worse.

By ten-thirty, seeing that Lu Nanting still hadn't replied, Gu Lanxi put away the materials related to the herbal tea. Her heart felt slightly stifled, but she said nothing.

She put down her phone, did her makeup, changed her clothes, and prepared to go out.

When the time was right, she grabbed her bag and walked to the foyer, preparing to head downstairs, when she finally received a call from Lu Nanting.

"Sorry, I just woke up and went straight to rehearsal. I only just saw your messages."

Gu Lanxi's tone was indifferent: "Mm, it's fine. Go ahead with your work!"

The two had been broken up for over two years, living their own lives during that time. Lu Nanting hadn't waited for anyone's message in a long time, so he naturally didn't have the habit of checking his phone frequently.

Knowing how difficult it was for her to take the initiative, Lu Nanting wanted to die of regret!

But he knew that at a time like this, explanations and promises would only have the opposite effect, so he chose to play the victim

"I came to the studio last night and worked overtime until after three. I sent the PR contingency plan to your email. Remember to check it when you have time. If there are any issues, tell me so I can have them keep revising it."

It was very noisy on Lu Nanting's end—the sound of instruments being moved and staff members communicating all came through the phone to Gu Lanxi's ears.

He really had just finished working.

Gu Lanxi opened her email to check. He had indeed sent an email, and looking at the timestamp, it was indeed after three in the morning. The tightness in her chest suddenly dissipated.

"What time did rehearsal start? Are you sure you don't need me to pick you up?"

Her intention was to remind him of their lunch appointment, but Lu Nanting only felt her deep concern.

"Don't worry, rehearsal didn't start until after eight. I slept for several hours, so it's fine. Your place is a bit far, so you go ahead. I'll be heading out soon too."

It was just a rehearsal, and he hadn't put on makeup. He only needed to take a quick shower, change into something more formal, and fix his hair before he could leave, which was much faster than Gu Lanxi.

Seeing that he had things under control, Gu Lanxi's steps lightened. She took the elevator straight down, and when she met her neighbor in the garage, she even greeted them with a smile.

Arriving at the private restaurant they had agreed upon, she parked the car following the staff's guidance. Gu Lanxi grabbed her bag and, stepping in small black heels, walked unhurriedly into the shop.

This place used to be an official residence; the courtyard scenery was beautiful, the food was delicious, and they only hosted ten tables of guests per day. The fact that Li Jingxi arranged the banquet here showed great sincerity.

Gu Lanxi walked through a moon gate. Just as she was about to call Lu Nanting, she saw him standing in the water pavilion ahead, leaning slightly against the railing, leisurely watching the fish in the small pond.

He was actually already waiting for her.

Gu Lanxi came here often and knew there were koi in the pond.

Unlike the bloated koi in tourist attractions, these were agile and lively, truly interesting.

Hearing the sound of high heels stepping on the stone slabs, a gentle yet firm voice, Lu Nanting knew she had arrived.

He looked up, and seeing it was indeed her, he immediately came to meet her.

Seeing him notice her, his eyes brightened first, and then his pace quickened as he walked over rapidly. Gu Lanxi's heart couldn't help but leap with joy: "Have you been waiting long?"

Seeing her happy, Lu Nanting reached out his arm: "I just arrived too."

As they drew close, they could both smell the faint scent of each other's perfume.

Gu Lanxi did not hesitate and immediately reached out to take his arm.

Gu Lanxi was tall, slender, and fit. Her arms appeared fair and long, but beneath her thin skin were firm muscles, which were very beautiful.

Today, besides her wedding ring and a very low-profile watch, she wore no other jewelry.

The watch had a silver-white dial and a silver metal band; the dial was very clean, without numbers, only set with a circle of extremely high-quality diamonds.

The moment they met, they both instinctively sized each other up.

Lu Nanting wore a smoke-gray silk shirt paired with dark gray trousers. Like her, besides his wedding ring, he only wore a watch, looking both low-profile and elegant.

And for some reason, just before leaving, she had changed into a smoke-gray slip dress made of silk.

Even more perfectly, they were both wearing black shoes.

The corners of Lu Nanting's mouth curled up slightly, and he would turn his head to glance at her from time to time, not knowing why he was so happy.

She was so easy to coax. She never asked for much—only a sense of being cared for and valued.

(End of Chapter)