To Forgive or Not to Forgive - Chapter 6

Breaking up with Chen Jianjin was surprisingly easy, but I found myself reluctant to part with Mother Chen.

No matter what, her kindness to me had always been genuine.

The next morning, I sat at the dining table, waiting for Chen Jianjin.

“Chen Jianjin, let’s break up.”

I spoke slowly while eating my breakfast, not even bothering to lift my head.

The ring was placed on the other side of the table.

After finishing my toast, I wiped my mouth and pointed to the red velvet box.

“I’ve taken off the ring.

“And yours-return it to me.”

Chen Jianjin pressed his lips into a faint smile.

“Shuyi, we’ve been together for three years.

“Do you really think we can just break up like that?”

In these three years, Chen Jianjin had never been the one to bring up breaking up. I had initiated it three times.

The third time, it was still me who lowered my head first. Chen Jianjin’s lips had curled into a slight smirk, as if he didn’t take my breakup seriously at all.

He sat across from me, peeling an orange with deliberate ease.

“Shuyi, some games stop being fun when you play them too often.

“Think it through carefully.”

During our third breakup argument, Chen Jianjin had told me, “Three strikes and you’re out.”

This was also his principle in handling work-he never allowed anything to exceed three attempts. Once it did, his patience would run out.

When we got to the parking lot, Chen Jianjin leaned against the car.

Seeing me, he lifted his head.

“I’ll drive you today.”

I politely declined.

“I’m not going to the office today.

“Assistant Li has arranged other tasks for me.”

Chen Jianjin let it go. Under the glow of the lights, his skin appeared fair, his jawline smooth and defined.

Zhou Sining texted me, betting that even if she made a mistake at work, Chen Jianjin wouldn’t let her go.

And as for me, even if I made no mistakes, he’d still let me go.

She asked if I believed it.

Of course, I believed it. It wasn’t that I was spineless enough to bow down to her.

It was simply that those who are loved always act with impunity.

Chen Jianjin had waited for her all this time, just so she could stay by his side.

Three years. I had always arrived at the office ten minutes early, never daring to be late or leave early.

This was my first time being late.

Assistant Li hadn’t assigned me any other tasks. I just didn’t want to see Chen Jianjin.

I arrived at the office much later than usual.

A colleague leaned in and asked,

“Shuyi, why are you late?

“President Chen came looking for you earlier. I was so scared, I made up a story that you were in the restroom.

“He came back an hour later.

“He didn’t even get mad-he just told me to tell you to go to his office.”

I used the office phone to call Chen Jianjin. He simply said,

“Come upstairs. I have something to discuss with you.”

After thinking for a moment, I replied,

“President Chen, I’m quite busy.

“If there’s something, just say it directly.”

I hung up the phone and buried myself in the documents on my desk.

Suddenly, the light above me was blocked, and a crisp, cool scent enveloped the air around me. A deep male voice spoke.

“Shuyi.”

I had been so engrossed in my work that his voice startled me. Clutching my chest, it took me a moment to recover.