Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: A Tangled Web of Misunderstandings

The weekend after the review meeting brought Su Wan a rare moment of rest. She had scheduled an appointment with a building materials supplier to select stone samples for the Stellar Center's landscape at a downtown mall. At nine in the morning, she stepped out with a canvas bag slung over her shoulder. The sun shone brightly, and the plane tree leaves on the street, dyed golden by the autumn wind, covered the ground like a carpet.The third floor of the mall's building materials section was quiet. Su Wan walked into a shop specializing in natural stone, and the owner enthusiastically brought out various samples for her. She was comparing a light gray marble sample with her blueprints when her phone suddenly rang—it was a WeChat message from Xia Mo: "Wanwan, want to go to the movies this afternoon? That new romance film just came out, and the reviews are great."Su Wan replied, "I'll see after I finish with the samples," and tucked her phone back into her pocket. Just then, a familiar voice drifted over from the western restaurant next door. She looked up instinctively, and through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling glass windows, she spotted a familiar figure—Lu Chengyu sitting by the window, wearing the light gray shirt she'd seen before, his cuffs rolled up to reveal the watch on his wrist.The woman sitting across from him was someone Su Wan recognized too—Chen Yuxin, the daughter of the Chen Group's chairman, a regular in business magazines. Chen Yuxin wore a cream-colored dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. She reached out to adjust Lu Chengyu's tie, her movements natural and intimate, a gentle smile on her lips. Lu Chengyu didn't push her away; instead, he leaned down slightly to cooperate, the lines of his profile softening in the sunlight.Su Wan's heart felt as if it had been struck hard, sinking instantly. The stone sample in her hand clattered to the floor. The owner stared at her in surprise: "Miss, are you okay?""I'm fine, sorry," Su Wan hurried to pick up the sample, but her gaze was glued to the glass window, unable to look away. She remembered overhearing Lu Chengyu's assistant Chen on the phone the previous week, mentioning "family arrangements," "Chen Group," and "cooperation negotiations." She hadn't paid much attention then, but now the scene before her was like a sharp needle, pricking her eyes until they stung.After adjusting Lu Chengyu's tie, Chen Yuxin picked up the coffee cup from the table and handed it to him. They exchanged a smile, the scene as warm as that of a couple. Su Wan's fingers tightened around the canvas bag strap, the material digging into her palm. She didn't know how long she stood there until the owner asked again if she needed help. She jolted back to her senses, flustered: "No, I'll come back another time."She turned and hurried away from the building materials section, her steps unsteady. The music in the mall was cheerful, but it sounded harsh to her ears. Her phone vibrated several times in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a message from Lu Chengyu: "Are you free this weekend? Last time you said you wanted to see the Stellar Center's construction site. I've arranged with the construction supervisor—we can go tomorrow morning."Looking at the message, Su Wan's heart felt torn in two. Half of her remembered his encouragement at the review meeting, his defense when he clarified the rumors, and the thoughtfulness behind her birthday necklace. But the other half couldn't forget the glaring scene in the western restaurant, Chen Yuxin's intimate gesture, and Lu Chengyu's failure to refuse.Her finger hovered over the screen, hesitating for a long time. In the end, she didn't reply. Instead, she put her phone on silent and tucked it back into her pocket. She wandered aimlessly through the mall. Passing a jewelry store, she saw a silver necklace displayed in the window, reminding her of the one Lu Chengyu had given her—engraved with "Xing Wan." At the time, she'd thought it was the most precious gift, but now the memory brought a bitter taste to her heart.Su Wan stayed home all Sunday, not stepping outside. She left her phone on the living room coffee table, deliberately avoiding it. It wasn't until evening that she picked it up and saw another message from Lu Chengyu: "Are you feeling unwell? If you're not free tomorrow, we can reschedule."Su Wan stared at the message, typing and deleting repeatedly before finally replying: "I've been busy with the project lately. Let's talk about it later." She quickly closed the chat window. She knew she was running away, but she didn't know how to face Lu Chengyu. If he and Chen Yuxin were just business partners, why the intimate gesture? If there was something more between them, what had all his previous care and defense been about?On Monday morning, Su Wan arrived at the company half an hour early, hoping to avoid Lu Chengyu. She had just placed her bag on her desk when she saw Lu Chengyu's office door open—he was already inside. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to organize documents, and only breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Chengyu left for the morning meeting.During the meeting, Su Wan deliberately sat in the corner farthest from Lu Chengyu. He looked at her several times, wanting her to speak about the construction progress, but she avoided his gaze, letting other team members answer first. After the meeting, Lu Chengyu called her back: "Su Wan, have you made a decision on the stone samples?""I'm still comparing them. I'll send you an email once I have a result," Su Wan said softly, her head still lowered. She turned and hurried away before Lu Chengyu could say anything else.In the days that followed, Su Wan always made a point to detour around Lu Chengyu's office, finding excuses to avoid him when they crossed paths. She threw herself entirely into the project—visiting the construction site during the day and working overtime to organize data at night—hoping that busyness would dilute her confusion. But every night when she was alone, the scene in the western restaurant would involuntarily resurface, keeping her awake.Little did she know, Lu Chengyu watched her deliberately distant figure with confusion and disappointment. He tried several times to find a chance to explain, but she always avoided him. The atmosphere in the office gradually grew subtle again.