Thinking of this, Rong Ci's throat felt a bit tight, and the air inside the car suddenly seemed stifling.
She retracted her gaze and moved to roll down the window for some fresh air, but she paused just before pressing the button. In the end, she didn't push it. She simply turned her head and stared out at the passing scenery.
After some time, they arrived at Feng Jingxin's school.
Rong Ci got out of the car to see her off, but Feng Tingshen remained seated, motionless.
"Daddy..." Feng Jingxin called out.
"I have things to do," he replied.
"Oh..."
Rong Ci knew that when Feng Tingshen and Lin Wu used to drop Jingxin off, he would always get out with Lin Wu and personally hand the girl over to the teacher. Now that she was the one with him, she didn't know if he truly was busy or if he simply didn't want to be seen standing with her in public.
Thinking of this, she didn't want to force the issue. She looked at Feng Tingshen inside the car and said, "You can head out first. I'll just call a cab to the company in a bit."
Hearing this, Feng Tingshen glanced at her and said, "It's on the way."
Rong Ci, however, no longer wanted to stay in his car. She wanted to persuade him otherwise, but then she figured that since he didn't care, why should she? Ultimately, she remained silent.
After watching Feng Jingxin follow the teacher into the school, Rong Ci turned back and got into the car. For the rest of the drive, she and Feng Tingshen didn't share a word.
When they were about ten minutes away from Changmo, Yu Moxun sent her some documents. Rong Ci opened them and began to read. She became so absorbed in the material that she didn't even notice the car pulling up to the curb below the Changmo building.
It wasn't until she heard Feng Tingshen say, "We're here," that she snapped back to reality.
Feng Tingshen's car was a high-end Bentley, and parked right at the building's entrance, it was quite eye-catching. Rong Ci noticed many people looking over. Knowing she and Feng Tingshen wouldn't have much to do with each other in the future, she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention. She quickly grabbed her bag and stepped out.
"Thank you," she told him.
Feng Tingshen glanced at her. "Mhm." Then he told the driver, "Let's go."
The car soon drove away, and Rong Ci turned to enter the company.
At noon, Yu Moxun had an appointment to have lunch with some business partners, and Rong Ci went along. As their car pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, Rong Ci spotted Feng Tingshen. He had just stepped out of his car.
At that moment, Lin Wu stepped out of his car as well.
After Yu Moxun parked, he noticed them too. He rubbed his temples. "What a coincidence."
"Mhm," Rong Ci agreed.
As she spoke, she realized that Lin Lihai and Xiang Rufang were also there. They seemed to have arrived a while ago and were waiting for Feng Tingshen and Lin Wu. Upon seeing them, the family stepped forward to greet them.
"Should we get out?" Yu Moxun asked from inside the car. "Or wait for them to leave first?"
"Let's get out."
She hadn't done anything wrong, so why should she avoid them?
When they stepped out, Lin Wu and Feng Tingshen were facing their direction and noticed them immediately. Feng Tingshen's expression remained neutral and unchanged; he cast a single glance before looking away.
Lin Wu, however, saw Rong Ci, and her gaze instantly turned icy. In the past, Lin Wu's expression had been indifferent, but she had never looked this hostile so openly.
Rong Ci guessed this reaction was because Feng Tingshen had told her about preventing her uncle's family from moving in across from her own uncle's house. Feng Tingshen had indeed spoken to her, and she had agreed.
To her, it wasn't a particularly vital matter. What truly upset her was the fact that Rong Ci had gone to Feng Tingshen for help in the first place. She didn't want to see any more connection between Rong Ci and Feng Tingshen than was absolutely necessary.
Thinking of this, Lin Wu's expression darkened further.
Lin Lihai noticed Lin Wu's mood was off and followed her line of sight, spotting Rong Ci as well. He frowned. Xiang Rufang, on the other hand, was seeing such a confrontation for the first time. Recalling how much Feng Tingshen seemed to care for Lin Wu, her gaze toward Rong Ci held a hint of smugness. However, with Feng Tingshen present, she didn't dare act rashly or say anything.
Lin Wu walked over, but her target for conversation was Yu Moxun.
She smiled and said, "Director Yu, what a coincidence to run into you again."
Yu Moxun gave a thin, mirthless smile. "Yes, quite a coincidence."
"I've been wanting to invite you to lunch, but I've been so busy lately that I couldn't find the time."
"Miss Lin is too kind. I am well aware of how busy you are."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have failed to show up for work at Changmo a full month after their first meeting.
Lin Lihai also wanted to build a good relationship with Yu Moxun. Seeing that Lin Wu was ignoring Rong Ci and taking the initiative to greet Yu Moxunand seeing that Feng Tingshen didn't seem to objecthe walked over as well. Lin Lilan followed suit.
After greeting Yu Moxun, Lin Lihai looked at Rong Ci and called out, "Little Ci."
Rong Ci didn't respond.
Lin Lihai didn't push it, turning his focus back toward Yu Moxun. After the group finished their greetings with Yu Moxun, they didn't give Rong Ci a second glance and walked straight back to Feng Tingshen. Shortly after, they all entered the restaurant together.
Watching them, Yu Moxun felt a headache coming on. "They certainly ignored you thoroughly."
Rong Ci's tone was flat. "Mhm." She added, "Let's go too. We shouldn't keep the guests waiting too long."
"Alright."
That evening, Rong Ci had to work overtime.
However, near 7 PM, Grandma called to ask when she would be home. Even though Grandma was visiting and she really should return early, Rong Ci still had many ideas she hadn't quite organized yet. She couldn't bear to drop her work and head home just yet.
So, after a moment of hesitation, she said, "I'm sorry, Grandma. I have to work late tonight."
Grandma sighed. "Tingshen is busy and you're busy too. With the two of you like this, when will we ever see any progress?"
Did that mean Feng Tingshen was also coming home late tonight?
Rong Ci said, "Grandma, I'm sorry..."
"Sigh, it's fine. But remember to eat well even when you're busy."
"I will, Grandma."
After hanging up, her takeout arrived. Rong Ci kept working until nearly 10 PM before finally leaving the office.
Since she hadn't driven her own car today, she had called her driver half an hour early. He should have arrived by now. When Rong Ci went downstairs, she found that a driver had indeed arrived. However, it wasn't the driver she had contactedit was Feng Tingshen's driver.
And Feng Tingshen himself was sitting in the back seat.
Seeing her standing there without moving, Feng Tingshen slowly lowered the window. He looked at her and said, "Grandma asked me to pick you up."
Hearing this, Rong Ci walked around the car and got in, taking the same seat she had occupied that morning. The car pulled smoothly into the flow of traffic.
Silence descended upon the interior once more. Feng Tingshen was occupied with his own affairs, his attention not on her.
Rong Ci suddenly remembered something and asked, "Did they agree?"
She was, of course, referring to Lin Wu's uncle's family not moving in. When they had run into each other at noon, Lin Wu's expression had been off, so she guessed she had agreed. But what about the others?
Feng Tingshen's eyes remained on his phone. "They agreed."
"Then..." Rong Ci hesitated for a moment before asking firmly, "I want to buy that villa. Is that alright?"
She was doing this to settle the matter once and for all.
Feng Tingshen paused and glanced at her. "That's fine."
Hearing this, Rong Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
Feng Tingshen replied with a simple, "Mhm."
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