Volume One, Chapter 20: Who Was That Wild Man Just Now?

What was there to be afraid of? It was just an interview, after all.

Yet when she met Lou Ye’s deep, shadowy gaze, it was as if he could see straight through her moments of hesitation.

Sang Wan’s words came out with a stutter, “I... I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” Lou Ye looked at her, his voice languid. “You’re afraid you’ve already lost touch with society and can’t handle the work of an architect. You’re afraid that in Lou Corporation, surrounded by so many talented people, you’re not as outstanding as you were back at Imperial University and will soon fade into obscurity. You’re also afraid that after years devoted to family, your former aura is gone, your studies, marriage, and family all in a mess, and in the end, you’ll have achieved nothing.”

The young, handsome man lounged lazily against the sofa’s armrest, all careless indolence in his posture. His gaze was light, almost casual.

And yet, Sang Wan felt unreasonably as though his stare was like the harsh sunlight outside the window, piercing straight into her heart and shattering all her timid uncertainties.

“I’m not,” Sang Wan denied stubbornly, her voice a good deal steadier than before.

Though she’d been away for six years, she had never truly abandoned what she loved. Night after night, after coaxing Lu Xiaomu to sleep and waiting for Lu Jinnian to come home, she pored over books and watched videos, all about the latest buildings completed at home and abroad. She knew which architect had drawn which blueprint, which company and design studio they hailed from, and what new, eco-friendly materials had been used.

All of this, Sang Wan could recite as if naming old friends.

All except for the hands-on experience.

Before leaving the Lu Group, she’d already been a mid-level architect. Joining the Lou Corporation, at worst, she’d be starting again as a junior architect.

She wasn’t afraid of starting over, nor of losing face.

“I’m not afraid at all.” Sang Wan raised her eyes. “Lou Ye, don’t underestimate me!”

“Of course not.” Lou Ye’s expression was earnest. “You were always the senior I admired most. I wouldn’t look down on you, not for anything.”

Sang Wan thought that perhaps the noon sun was simply too dazzling, for Lou Ye’s gaze felt so warm she could hardly meet his eyes.

She looked away, just as Lou Ye leaned back into the sofa. Though only a step or two apart, it felt like the searing heat in the air had finally dissipated.

Sang Wan exhaled softly.

Lou Ye smiled and said, “Welcome to Lou Corporation, Senior. Provided, of course... you pass the design department’s interview.”

Sang Wan: …

A knock sounded at the door. The server came in, laid out the dishes, and quietly withdrew.

Lou Ye tipped his chin. “Let’s eat and talk…”

The meal stretched over an hour.

When Sang Wan finally set down her chopsticks, Lou Ye signaled for the server to clear the table.

Sang Wan put away her phone and waited for Lou Ye to rise, ready for this meal to come to an end.

But just then, the server returned with a tea tray.

Watching Lou Ye rinse the tea set and carefully select the tea leaves, Sang Wan found the scene strangely incongruous. “Not many young people have the patience to brew tea these days.”

“Young people?” Lou Ye laughed. “Are you very old, then? Why do you sound so ancient?”

“Perhaps my heart has grown old…” She was, after all, only two years his senior.

But she had, in a sense, died once.

Sang Wan smiled. “I feel as if my mental age is several centuries already.”

Lou Ye’s fingers paused, as if recalling something. He poured a cup of rose tea and handed it to her. “In our Celestial Realm, someone a few hundred years old would still be a mere fledgling spirit.”

Sang Wan: …

When they left the restaurant, it was past eight and night had fallen.

Lou Ye opened the passenger door and gestured for Sang Wan to get in. “I’m going home alone anyway. Just think of me as your rideshare driver, all right?”

With the offer put so plainly, to refuse would seem unnecessarily coy.

Sang Wan climbed in.

The Ferrari sped toward the hotel.

Outside the window, the city lights of the capital shimmered in the night. As the car raced on, thousands of homes glimmered bright and dim in turn. Everything she saw was tranquil, profound, and beautiful.

Sang Wan stared, lost in thought.

For years, she had never gone out at night. She’d had to read picture books, bathe, and put Lu Xiaomu to bed, then wait for Lu Jinnian to return.

It had been so long since she’d seen a nightscape as lovely as this.

“Single life really is better,” Sang Wan sighed with a smile.

In the shadows, Lou Ye’s voice took on a cooler note. “That’s only because you married the wrong person.”

“Hey! That’s a low blow!”

They’d eaten a delicious meal, sipped fragrant rose tea, and talked about so many things she’d long wanted to discuss but never found anyone to share them with.

Sang Wan’s mood was light. “What about you? Breaking off your engagement on the very day—was it because you realized you were marrying the wrong person?”

“That’s right,” Lou Ye admitted frankly. “I thought I could compromise, but in the end, I couldn’t.”

“Why didn’t you realize sooner? From the standpoint of happiness, I understand. But as a woman, from Miss Shao’s perspective, you’re a bit... of a jerk.”

The last word was spoken very softly.

But Lou Ye heard it. “A jerk, then. As long as I can marry who I want and have the happiness I desire, I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me.”

Some things never changed. He was still that flamboyant, unruly Lou Ye from their university days.

Sang Wan smiled inwardly.

The car came to a smooth stop at a crosswalk. She could feel Lou Ye turning to look at her.

Turning as well, she heard him ask, “What about you, Senior? Do you think I’m a jerk?”

“I…” Her heart inexplicably raced. Even she wasn’t sure what she was nervous about.

A car horn sounded, and when she looked back, the light had already turned green.

“It’s green,” she reminded him, sitting up straight.

The car started again, and a quiet settled over the cabin.

Seeing it wasn't too late, Sang Wan messaged Cheng Jingran to schedule the interview for ten o’clock the next morning.

Cheng Jingran replied instantly: OK! See you tomorrow!

Not wanting to return to the earlier awkwardness, Sang Wan opened her chat with Xu Yiyi to talk instead.

By the time the car stopped again, they were at the hotel.

“Thanks… Drive safe on your way back.”

With those words, Sang Wan slipped out through the opening door.

She walked a few steps, then turned back to see the Ferrari already swallowed by the night.

She couldn’t help but breathe out softly.

Just as she turned to leave, her steps were halted by a cool voice behind her. “Sang Wan!”

She turned to see a black Mercedes parked under the trees. Leaning against the door was Lu Jinnian.

“Who was that wild man just now?” He flicked away his cigarette and strode over, a cold, mocking smile on his face. “No wonder you were in such a hurry to divorce me—you already found your next man! But Sang Wan, your taste is really something.”

In the darkness, the brand-new black car’s door opened and shut with exaggerated flair, like wings unfurling and folding. Lu Jinnian had assumed it was a newly released domestic model—one that car forums often mocked as the preferred ride of poseurs.

With a face shadowed by anger, Lu Jinnian sneered, “After being Mrs. Lu for so many years, is this the kind of man you’re willing to sleep with?”

Smack!

The sound of a slap rang out.