Chapter 6

A year ago, when I used it, the wallpaper was a landscape painting. I had no idea when Shao Rubai changed the image.

“What’s going on here?” Shao Rubai asked with a stern face.

You changed it, and you’re asking me what’s going on?

Didn’t we agree to keep our relationship a secret, not letting colleagues know?

How could you put my picture on your work computer?

I had a flurry of questions but didn’t know whom to ask, and I still couldn’t speak.

“What could be going on? This kid clearly has a crush on that girl.” An old man with a standing ticket in the aisle took one look, disregarded the awkward atmosphere, and broke the deadlock.

“I have a crush on you?” Shao Rubai’s mouth twitched. “Then I must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.”

“…CEO Shao, I remember now,” I calmly continued to make excuses. “I took this computer home to work once, and it might have accidentally changed to my picture then.”

“In the future, you are not to touch any of my things without my permission.” Shao Rubai hated it when others touched his belongings.

“I’m sorry, CEO Shao,” I said softly, lowering my head. “There really won’t be a next time.”

By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was already past dinner time. Shao Rubai and I quickly ate dinner in his room and checked the document information. When in work mode, Shao Rubai was serious and meticulous, exuding the charm of a mature man. It was this quality that had initially attracted me to him and made me fall in love.

Just as I was engrossed in organizing the final draft, a slightly tired Shao Rubai took off his suit jacket and vest, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, sat across from me, and said, “Lin Nanlu, you really do have a crush on me, don’t you?”

“Huh?” I looked up, puzzled.

“You’ve been staring at me,” Shao Rubai untied his tie and placed it on the armrest of the sofa.

“The photo on the laptop was deliberately changed by you. You wanted me to think of you whenever I used it.” Shao Rubai’s tone held an undeniable certainty.

Me: “…I already said it was a misunderstanding.”

“The first day I was in the ICU after the car accident, the doctor asked what our relationship was, and you said you were my girlfriend.”

Shao Rubai’s right fingertip tapped lightly on his knee, a small gesture he often made when he felt confident he had the upper hand.

“Because only a family member’s signature would allow the hospital to perform the surgery.” Even with resentment, I wouldn’t leave a patient unattended.

“Panqing also told me that you’re a materialistic woman who tries to marry into wealth, and that you were once madly in love with me, so I should stay away from you.”

So Chen Panqing, beyond my arrangements, had also come up with many ways to escape my shadow.

Shao Rubai smiled, a look of disdain and arrogance on his face. “Your previous attempts at playing hard to get, your methods of trying to hook me, I saw through them all…”

“I would never like a woman like you, who is so calculating and lacking in self-awareness. Go back, finish the handover, and then you can leave.”

I knew I had achieved my goal. I should endure, I should be happy, I shouldn’t retaliate, but! I wasn’t the one at fault in our relationship, and I certainly didn’t want to accept Shao Rubai’s insults.

“CEO Shao, you asked me on the bus why I was happy to be fired by you. Now I’ll give you the answer-”

“You’re selfish, arrogant, self-righteous, overbearing, controlling, and you use despicable methods to threaten and coerce others. That’s why I desperately want to leave you!”

Shao Rubai frowned: “What are you talking about? Who’s overbearing…”

“Ding-a-ling!” A sudden phone call interrupted his question. The phone screen on the file box displayed the name “Lulu.”

“Panqing’s nickname is Lulu, don’t misunderstand.”

Shao Rubai picked up the phone, then turned and spoke to Chen Panqing in a gentle tone, reassuring her. I left his room and stood outside, calmly reflecting. It was a blessing to leave unscathed, and there was really no need for me to argue with him further. So, I changed my mood and accepted the current outcome.