Chapter 21 Doubt

• Longteng Group’s team arrived at Yingxin Technologies at ten o’clock sharp.
• Lu Yao—who was sitting in a corner—looked up a bit, and noticed the man who was leading them. Shao Yunchen was wearing a dashing dark grey suit today. His thin lips were pursed, his face inscrutable as he gave off an unapproachable vibe.
• After Shao Yunchen shook hands with President Ji, he looked around the conference room out of habit, only to notice that Lu Yao was reading her notes in a corner. She looks plump, he thought.
• Shao Yunchen only looked at her for a moment before he pulled out a chair and sat down.
• Being the leader of a large investment firm, even some simple words from Shao Yunchen sounded strong and firm. Even though President Ji had been in the business world for thirty years, he looked nervous when he was talking to Shao Yunchen.
• A moment later, the secretary came in with a cart that had coffee and snacks on it.
• Lu Yao went to help the secretary when she noticed she was a bit flustered. Lu Yao served the coffee to everyone from the Longteng Group, reflexively choosing a cup of warm coffee without sugar when she picked it for Shao Yunchen.
• Shao Yunchen might only come home once a week, but he would occasionally bring his work home. When Lu Yao noticed he liked his coffee warm and without sugar, she made a note of it. What she did today was out of reflex.
• Shao Yunchen was still talking with President Ji, but when Lu Yao placed his coffee in front of him, he noticed that his coffee was warm. There were no sugar sachets on the saucepan either. He clenched his hands that were crossed on the table, but he didn't seem affected during the negotiation.
• It wasn’t a long meeting, taking only a little less than forty minutes to finish.
• Elation was written on President Ji’s face when they confirmed the collaboration with Longteng Group at the end of the meeting. Following that, he brought Shao Yunchen to the restaurant downstairs for lunch, while everyone followed him.
• The restaurant in Lu Yao’s company commanded a premium price for their services, charging tens of thousands for an afternoon reservation. Because there were a lot of them, the restaurant made a buffet today.
• “Oh, are you choosing your food, Manager Lu?”
• Lu Yao was choosing what she wanted to eat when her colleague greeted her. “I’m hungry,” she replied.
• The colleague changed the topic soon after they started chatting. “Did you see that President Shao from the Longteng Group?” she gossiped. “He’s so young! He doesn’t even look like he’s thirty, but he’s already so rich.”
• “President Shao looks like a difficult person, but he’s really handsome. I think he’s on par with some stars. Hey, do you think he’s married? With how rich he is, I think he has a few mistresses, right?”
• Her colleagues gossiped as they looked at where President Shao was. Noticing that their eyes were full of yearning, Lu Yao looked toward his direction as well.
• The man had taken off his necktie, talking with everyone casually, but everyone was looking at him. As if she understood something, Lu Yao suddenly smiled.
• Look, that man is so brilliant. So many girls want him, and some are content with being a hidden mistress. And look at you. You were trying to move him, looking forward to living together until old age. Don’t you think it’s a joke?
• “A smart man like that knows how to control himself. You won’t get anything from him.” Lu Yao had her head lowered as she continued to take the dishes.
• Her colleague was curious. “How did you know about that, Manager Lu?”
• I stayed in the same home with him for three years. Heck, I’ve even slept with him. How can I not know what kind of man he is? she thought.
• “Manager Lu, I don’t see you wearing your ring. Why is that so?” Her colleague shrewdly noticed that there was nothing but a faint ring mark on her ring finger. “Did… did you get a divorce with your husband?”
• Lu Yao said yes.
• She considered asking her colleagues to the wedding banquet, but Shao Yunchen asked her to keep him out of this. The better it would be if fewer people knew they were married. Thanks to that, she had never told her colleagues who her husband was.
• “Men just love women who have the perfect look,” her colleague complained. “You’re still young, Manager Lu. And you don’t have any kids yet. Don’t worry. You’ll find your next romance soon,” she consoled Lu Yao.
• Lu Yao glanced at her belly. We got a divorce, yes, but I’m already pregnant when that happened.
• Someone went past Lu Yao with a plate of dishes which seemed like seafood. When Lu Yao smelled the faint, fishy scent coming from the plate, her stomach churned, and she felt like puking.
• Lu Yao pushed her colleague away—much to her colleague’s astonishment—before she ran toward the bathroom, covering her mouth with her hand.
• By accident, Shao Yunchen saw Lu Yao running toward the bathroom with her mouth covered. He noticed that she was pale, and when he saw her dress tight against her seemingly bulging belly, his gaze darkened.