Chapter 3: I Didn’t Think About It on the Third Day

The dessert shop was still playing a relaxing English tune.

Today’s weather was sunny, with not a single cloud in the sky.

The driver’s job for the day remained the same—to pick up and drop off his boss’s girlfriend.

He received a message on his phone that she had finished afternoon tea with her friends.

Standing beside the car, he finally saw her stepping out of the shop.

Si Nian finished her afternoon tea and noticed the driver waiting respectfully not far away.

She was in a daze, so absentminded that she almost tripped over the doorstep.

Jiang Yihan quickly supported her before she could fall, sighed silently, and simply escorted her directly to the car.

The driver opened the car door.

Si Nian sat in the back seat, looking slightly numb.

She mumbled a farewell to Jiang Yihan, and after a while, she heard the driver calling her from the front seat.

The driver was asking if she wanted to go back to Mingjing Mansion.

It seemed he had asked several times already.

“Oh? Oh.”

Si Nian quickly returned to her senses and gave the driver an answer.

The Rolls-Royce started quietly.

She opened the window halfway, letting the cool evening breeze brush against her cheeks.

The slight chill sobered her up, slowly pulling her back to reality.

Si Nian pressed her lips together, recalling Jiang Yihan’s blunt words inside the dessert shop—

Lu Shuyan was going to break up.

Lu Shuyan was finally going to break up.

The words “Lu Shuyan is going to break up” completely occupied her mind, leaving no room for anything else.

Si Nian gripped her phone tightly, confirming for the umpteenth time that this was real.

Her whole body trembled, and it felt as if every cell in her being was cheering, boiling with excitement.

For too long, she had almost lost her ability to feel anything.

She had subconsciously stopped holding onto any hope.

Yes, Lu Shuyan’s recent detached attitude toward her—anyone could tell that in any relationship, this was always the prelude to a man wanting to break up.

Her phone diary displayed:

“Today marks the 1,713th day of waiting for Lu Shuyan’s breakup settlement.”

Si Nian almost teared up looking at those 1,713 days.

For 1,713 days, she had played the role of a devoted, affectionate girlfriend so meticulously that her mental state was on the verge of collapse.

She had given so much in every possible way.

And now, Lu Shuyan was finally going to propose a breakup.

She could finally retire with honor.

Thinking about the breakup settlement, Si Nian couldn’t help but feel excited again.

Then she noticed the driver glancing at her through the rearview mirror, so she quickly adjusted her emotions.

Si Nian took a deep breath as she sat in the seat.

She told herself not to be too excited.

Just wait quietly for the day to arrive, as she always had.

The only question was, when would Lu Shuyan bring it up?

Next quarter?

Next month?

Next week?

Si Nian instinctively opened her calendar.

Before she could even start calculating, her phone vibrated softly with a message notification.

From “Shuyan”:

[What do you want to eat tonight?]

[Si Nian, I have something to talk to you about.]

[Tonight.]

Si Nian’s phone slipped from her palm.

Meanwhile, at dusk, the setting sun burned like fire.

Most office workers in the CBD were still busy preparing for overtime.

Rongsheng Tower stood tall in the financial district’s core.

This building, which countless workers dreamed of entering, was now reflecting a solemn and imposing glow under the sunset.

26th floor.

After a full day of meetings, the staff from the president’s office had already left work.

The office was empty, except for the CEO’s office, which remained lit, still in work mode.

Zhao Chao held a few documents in his hands and stood at the office door.

After hearing a response, he opened the door and entered.

Today, Lu Shuyan did not leave work immediately.

He stayed behind to handle some personal matters.

“President Lu,” Zhao Chao walked in and neatly placed the documents, which had been reviewed by the legal team, in front of Lu Shuyan.

Lu Shuyan had just put down his phone and glanced at the documents Zhao Chao had brought.

They were all property transfer agreements.

Zhao Chao waited silently beside him.

Lu Shuyan skimmed through the agreements.

Once he confirmed everything was correct, he signed his name in the designated spot for the first party.

Then, he set the agreements aside and picked up a blank check that Zhao Chao had brought in.

Zhao Chao couldn’t help but focus on that blank check.

He saw his boss pause for a few seconds, then lift his pen and start writing the amount, beginning with the highest unit—”billion.”

Three consecutive nines followed.

The final amount on the check was 999 million.

Even though Zhao Chao had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked when he saw Lu Shuyan personally write that number.

Because those thin sheets of paper on Lu Shuyan’s desk represented:

999 million in cash.

A penthouse apartment in Mingjing Mansion, where the market price per square meter was no less than 500,000.

A suburban villa in City B that money couldn’t even buy.

And a private seaside holiday villa in a southern coastal city.

And the recipient of all this?

The name on every document was the same—Si Nian.

Zhao Chao had expected the final amount to be high, but he hadn’t expected it to be the maximum possible.

It made him think of Miss Si, the girl who had always stayed quietly by Lu Shuyan’s side.

Her most distinct trait was being obedient and understanding.

She would always cautiously greet him with a polite “Assistant Zhao.”

Zhao Chao fell silent.

Indeed, if you wanted to get something from a man, the best emotions to exploit were guilt and sympathy.

Especially when that man was already generous by nature.

Lu Shuyan signed the check and put down his pen.

He glanced at Zhao Chao, who seemed lost in thought, and signaled that he could leave work for the day.

Zhao Chao snapped out of his thoughts, picked up the signed documents, and left the office.

Silence returned.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the sunset was as beautiful as an oil painting.

Lu Shuyan sat alone in his office chair, staring at the evening sky.

He recalled Si Nian’s reply to his message—

She wanted to have a romantic candlelight dinner while enjoying the night view.

Lu Shuyan tapped his fingers lightly, calculating how long he had known Si Nian.

From the semester he studied abroad at C University to graduation, then to taking over Rongsheng, it had been nearly five years.

They had been together for almost five years.

During those five years, they had never had a single unpleasant conflict.

Si Nian was always obedient and considerate.

When they first met, she was unbelievably pure.

Later, she became like a clingy little animal, always sticking close to him.

She was never demanding or difficult.

He never had to worry about coaxing her, unlike his friends who were often exhausted trying to appease their girlfriends.

So Lu Shuyan knew—what he was about to do was cruel.

Maybe it was because he had grown older.

Or maybe the increasing pressure of managing Rongsheng had made him feel differently.

At some point, a voice inside him started telling him—

He and Si Nian might not make it to the end.

Now, that voice had reached its peak.

So, he had made his decision.

And all he could do now was try to make up for it the best he could.

At Mingjing Mansion, Si Nian was in chaos inside her dressing room.

She had tried on every dress she owned.

Holding her clothes, she let out a silent scream of joy.

1713 days.

She had almost lost hope, but suddenly, everything had taken a turn.

Lu Shuyan wanted to break up.

And tonight—it was happening.

Si Nian finally picked a simple, basic-cut white dress from a pile of delicate fabrics.

After changing into the dress, she looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly recalled the way Gao Xinyu and her group of socialites had looked at her during the birthday party. She let out a soft “tsk.”

Back when she worked as a model, she could change into 300 outfits in a day, while those plastic sisters were probably still playing house.

Si Nian placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at herself in the mirror.

She thought, after enduring five years of wearing rustic clothes and being secretly mocked by those wealthy socialites, the breakup fee from Lu Shuyan tonight had better not be less than eight figures.

If it was less, she would go down with him.

The thought of “going down together” made Si Nian laugh out loud.

Then, she sprayed herself with a perfume called “Freedom,” finally picked up her bag, and set off for the French restaurant famous for its night views.

Step by step, she walked as if she were a victorious player heading to her MVP settlement.

Even the gloss on the Rolls-Royce’s exterior seemed especially enchanting tonight.

By the time Si Nian arrived, Lu Shuyan was already there.

Under the guidance of the waiter, she entered the VIP private room.

Outside the window, the dazzling city lights painted a scene of luxury and indulgence.

Lu Shuyan was already seated at the dining table.

This wasn’t the first time they had dined at this restaurant.

Lu Shuyan looked up and saw Si Nian arriving a little later than the agreed time.

At first glance, he immediately noticed that she seemed different tonight.

However, he couldn’t quite pinpoint what was different.

He was never one to pay attention to women’s fashion. He just felt that tonight, Si Nian seemed a bit more radiant and lively than usual.

Si Nian sat down in front of Lu Shuyan with a bright smile.

The waiter brought two menus. Si Nian casually flipped through hers, then looked up and blinked curiously.

“Shuyan,” she asked, “you said you had something to talk to me about tonight. What is it?”

Lu Shuyan’s hand, which was flipping through the menu, paused for a moment.

Then, he looked at her—her innocent, clueless expression. Thinking about what he was about to say tonight, he finally smiled.

“Let’s eat first,” he said.

“Oh.” Si Nian didn’t expect Lu Shuyan to be so procedural about breaking up.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city’s nightscape shimmered.

Tonight’s main courses were black truffle foie gras risotto and sirloin steak.

The waiter turned off all the overhead lights.

White candles burned slowly on the silver candlesticks, creating the most romantic atmosphere for a candlelit dinner.

But Si Nian barely tasted anything.

It was impossible to eat as if nothing were happening at a time like this.

She mechanically cut her steak.

Just as she was about to put a piece into her mouth, she heard Lu Shuyan call her name.

“Si Nian.”

Startled, her hand shook.

Lu Shuyan had originally planned to start with something else.

But as soon as he spoke, Si Nian’s fork slipped, and the piece of steak tumbled from her chest down to her skirt before landing on the carpet.

Si Nian looked down and saw the stain the steak sauce had left on her white dress.

For a moment, Lu Shuyan couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Si Nian’s expression twitched slightly as she looked at her dress.

Finally, she said, “I’ll go clean this up in the restroom.”

Lu Shuyan could only nod. “Okay.”

Si Nian got up and left for the restroom.

The private room was left with only Lu Shuyan.

The candles burned silently, their tiny flames reflecting on the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Lu Shuyan stared at the flickering candlelight.

He didn’t know how Si Nian would react once he spoke those words tonight.

Until a phone suddenly lit up on the dining table, buzzing nonstop and interrupting his thoughts.

Si Nian’s phone was ringing.

Her dress had no pockets, and she hadn’t taken her phone with her when she left.

Lu Shuyan glanced at the persistently ringing phone.

He had originally planned to wait for Si Nian to return before letting her call back, but the ringtone was relentless.

After hesitating for a while and checking the private room door, he finally picked it up.

The screen displayed an unknown number.

Lu Shuyan answered, “Hello?”

The caller was trying to sell health supplements, claiming they could cure terminal cancer.

Realizing it was a sales pitch, Lu Shuyan immediately hung up.

As he put the phone down, he glanced at the screen.

He had only meant to check the time, but since Si Nian’s phone had his face registered for recognition, it unlocked with a swipe.

Lu Shuyan never had the habit of snooping through his girlfriend’s phone.

He wasn’t interested in her private messages either, but as soon as the screen unlocked, he accidentally saw a few unread WeChat messages.

Coincidentally, one of those messages contained his name—”Lu Shuyan.”

It all felt strangely fated.

For the first time, Lu Shuyan gave in to curiosity and tapped into the chat.

Si Nian was busy in the restroom for quite a while.

The waiter had given her a stain remover pen, and after much effort, the stain on her dress was barely noticeable—only faint traces remained, which wouldn’t be visible unless examined closely.

After fixing her dress, she took the opportunity to use the restroom.

Then, standing at the sink, she took several deep breaths in front of the mirror, telling herself to stay calm.

Her eyes grew determined like a warrior ready for battle.

This was probably the most important night of her twenty-four-year life.

After tonight, she could clock out, withdraw the money, and step onto the peak of life.

Si Nian forced herself to suppress the corners of her lips, which were already curling up in anticipation.

Then, she walked out of the restroom and, under the waiter’s guidance, returned to the private room.

Opening the door, she saw Lu Shuyan still sitting in his original spot, wrapped in the warm glow of the candlelight.

Si Nian sat across from him again.

She smoothed her dress.

The food on the table had mostly gone cold, and she had no appetite left.

She noticed that while she was gone, Lu Shuyan’s wine glass was now empty.

Lu Shuyan looked at her dress, now clean again.

Then, his gaze slowly moved upward to her beautiful face, still wearing that sweet, ever-present smile.

Si Nian suddenly felt that Lu Shuyan seemed a bit different from when she had left.

But she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed. Her palms started sweating slightly, but she still remembered her ultimate goal for the night.

Dinner was almost over. Seeing that Lu Shuyan had been staring at her in silence, she decided to take the initiative.

“Shuyan, can you tell me now what it is you wanted to talk about?”

Lu Shuyan watched her as she spoke.

From the moment they met, she had always been like this—gentle, pure, quiet, and never willful.

Despite her humble background, she had always tried her best in front of him.

Lu Shuyan had thought he knew her completely.

Until everything suddenly turned into a complete joke.

In just a few minutes, everything had been overturned.

The whole situation was so absurd that he almost didn’t want to believe it.

That he—Lu Shuyan—had been played so thoroughly by a young, low-class woman who hadn’t even seen much of the world.

His fingers tightened around the silverware.

Si Nian kept her usual bright smile, but she was starting to feel a chill run down her spine.

Lu Shuyan still didn’t answer, only staring at her.

Si Nian’s facial muscles, holding that polite smile, were beginning to stiffen.

The quieter the room got, the colder she felt.

Even the candle flames flickered as if swayed by an invisible breeze.

Something felt wrong.

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, the silence was finally shattered.

Lu Shuyan, gazing at her now-rigidly smiling face, spoke in a deep, unreadable tone.

“Si Nian.”

“Let’s get married.”