Chapter 38: He Had Already Offered Her a Way Out

Wen Ying requested a day off from He Xicheng the following day, then buried herself in bed to recuperate. She understood how fragile her health was and had no desire to act tough unnecessarily.

Ten o'clock in the evening.

Lu Jinchuan returned to the home he shared with Wen Ying. He paused for a moment while opening the shoe cabinet to retrieve his slippers. His dark eyes scanned the upper and lower shelves.

Wen Ying possessed a cool and detached nature, yet she was quite particular about her life and loved everything full of vitality. Even for the most ordinary slippers, she preferred to buy them in bright, eye-catching colors. Usually, there would be a few pairs of goose-yellow, elegant green, or vintage blue slippers sitting alongside his own black, gray, and white ones. It was hard to overlook them.

Consequently, he now noticed that those vibrant colors were missing from the cabinet, which had become dull and muted.

Auntie Chen stepped forward to take his suit jacket: "Sir, you're back."

Lu Jinchuan closed the cabinet door: "Where are her shoes?"

Auntie Chen glanced at the shoe cabinet, pondering for a moment before saying, "The Madam came back and asked me to throw them all away. I suppose she wanted to replace them with new styles?"

Lu Jinchuan thought that was possible.

As he had expected, Wen Ying had not returned. While loosening his tie, he pulled out his phone to check it.

He had sent Wen Ying a message two hours ago, but she had not replied. He didn't know if she was feeling unwell or if she was simply too busy to respond. However, he didn't need to dwell on it. He had already offered her a way out, hadn't he?

Wen Ying returned to work after a day of rest. Feixi had recently completed a project and signed a new contract; one of the companies involved was a tech manufacturing firm under the Lu Group, with production handled by Tengyang, another subsidiary of the Lu Group.

A thorough inspection of the materials was required. Since He Xicheng had to go on a sudden business trip, he delegated the task to Wen Ying and Shen Jiaxiao.

"Are you all right?" He Xicheng was still somewhat worried that Wen Ying might feel uncomfortable.

Wen Ying smiled faintly: "Business is business."

Besides, it was only a subsidiary of the Lu Group; they might not necessarily run into him.

He Xicheng also felt that Wen Ying’s mental fortitude was truly impressive. She never took her anger out on others or blurred the lines between personal and professional matters; Wen Ying was rational.

Upon arriving at the subsidiary with Shen Jiaxiao, they were greeted by General Manager Jiang, the person in charge. Knowing that Shen Jiaxiao was one of Feixi’s major shareholders, his attitude was even more deferential: "Ms. Shen, Ms. Wen, please, this way."

Shen Jiaxiao was adept at socializing, but she wasn't particularly well-versed in contracts and technical materials, so she let Wen Ying take the lead in the coordination. After all, Wen Ying was also a technical shareholder of Feixi, with the same level of authority as her and He Xicheng.

Manager Jiang observed Wen Ying and felt a bit puzzled as to why Feixi would send such a young and beautiful woman to discuss technical matters. Wen Ying noticed Manager Jiang’s scrutiny but did not take it to heart.

She and Lu Jinchuan had been married for three years, but it had always been a secret marriage. Lu Jinchuan had never brought her to any of his subsidiaries. He had always been strict about separating his public and private life, never mixing personal feelings with work. It was only natural that the head of Tengyang would not recognize her, as he had never introduced her as Mrs. Lu.

Wen Ying offered no explanation. She examined the samples provided by Tengyang. Though her temperament was aloof, she was focused and composed in her work, asking several technical questions that went straight to the heart of the matter.

Only then did Manager Jiang begin to take Wen Ying seriously. She was actually quite professional! It seemed that Ms. Shen’s subordinates were full of hidden talents; no wonder she brought this Ms. Wen to handle everything!

Shedding his prejudice, Manager Jiang began to communicate with Wen Ying in earnest.

Watching Wen Ying shine with passion for her industry, Shen Jiaxiao felt both moved and pleased. This was the real Wen Ying—excellent, resilient, strong, and composed. She couldn't help but snap a photo of Wen Ying in conversation with Manager Jiang and post it to her social media.

Just as Manager Jiang was about to take Wen Ying to the sample room for further inspection, the door to the large conference room was pushed open. Wen Ying looked up and saw Su Nian returning from outside.

Su Nian cast a fleeting glance at Wen Ying before turning her attention to Shen Jiaxiao, greeting her elegantly: "Ms. Shen."

In her mind, she felt no need to acknowledge Wen Ying, whom she perceived as an assistant or secretary.

Shen Jiaxiao wore a stiff, insincere smile, pretending not to know her: "And you are?"

Manager Jiang quickly stood up to introduce her: "This is Ms. Su Nian, our President Lu’s girlfriend!"