The next morning, when they went to the hotel’s buffet restaurant for breakfast, Mo Lin hadn’t slept enough. She found a seat and sat down, somewhat bored, looking at some gemstone pictures sent by suppliers. Jiang Yuanmu was in the restaurant getting food for Mo Lin.
The restaurant was crowded, and some employees who came for the team-building event couldn’t find seats, so they sat at the same table as Mo Lin, leaving one seat for Jiang Yuanmu.
In a company that worked online, some employees were very lively and started chatting with Mo Lin about industry gossip and interesting stories. Mo Lin found it quite amusing, as Jiang Yuanmu rarely talked about these things at home.
While Mo Lin was engrossed in the conversation, Jiang Yuanmu, who was getting food, encountered Ji Ming, who was yawning and coming for breakfast.
“Hey, President Jiang.” Ji Ming glanced at Jiang Yuanmu’s expression, feeling he had never seen him so gentle and soft in his life. “I see there’s progress. My idea wasn’t bad, right? Did your wife come around?”
“Her personality is such that it won’t happen so quickly. If I suddenly bring up emotional demands, it might scare her. Besides…” Jiang Yuanmu poured a cup of hot tea and calmly responded, “I don’t need her to verbally respond to me or confirm anything. As long as she does things in a way that makes her comfortable, that’s enough.”
“Then this trip to the seaside wasn’t in vain.”
“It wasn’t in vain. It made me more certain of my feelings.”
“Oh… President Jiang, you are so in love.”
“Yes, so in love.”
“Tsk…” Ji Ming clicked his tongue, “You’re turning from a domineering president into a romantic.”
Jiang Yuanmu gave Ji Ming a sidelong glance, “Your standards for a romantic are too low.”
Jiang Yuanmu picked up the food and headed back. Meanwhile, Mo Lin was listening to her colleagues excitedly discuss the high-profile influencers attending the team-building event.
“Ye Shao never participates in public events, and that goddess—she’s even more stunning in person than on screen. Do you think she’ll become a celebrity?”
“Influencers now earn as much as celebrities, sometimes even more easily. And this time, everyone is so enthusiastic because President Jiang is here.”
When “President Jiang” was mentioned, someone looked at Mo Lin.
Mo Lin smiled and joined in the gossip, “This time, there shouldn’t be any misunderstandings caused by fans taking photos, and no need for you to work overtime.”
Everyone’s eating paused, exchanging glances. Someone, still curious, asked, “What do you mean by fans taking photos?”
A designer sitting in the corner slipped another piece of fruit to the talkative person, “Can’t all this food shut you up?”
Mo Lin, seeing their expressions, blinked, realizing something, “Jiang… Yuanmu wasn’t photographed with an influencer recently? It caused some public opinion issues and some trouble for the company…”
The PR team hastily waved their hands and explained nervously, “No, that’s not true! Our boss has never been involved in any scandals! He doesn’t attend any gatherings! Whatever you’ve heard, it’s fake news!”
Other PR members quickly chimed in, nervously proving their boss’s “innocence.”
In the midst of their assurances, Mo Lin turned to look at Jiang Yuanmu, who was returning with the tray.
“No matter where you heard it, it’s false!”
But what if she had heard this from him?
Jiang Yuanmu, holding the tray, looked at his colleagues earnestly defending him, falling into brief silence.
Ji Ming, behind Jiang Yuanmu, witnessed the drama, only to purse his lips and silently pat Jiang Yuanmu’s shoulder before walking away, hoping to avoid any fallout.
Jiang Yuanmu and Mo Lin locked eyes for a long moment. Finally, he could only muster a calm, “Let’s eat something first.”
Then he gathered the strength to address his “crimes.”
The room had been tidied by the hotel staff, and the romantic atmosphere of the previous night was gone. Jiang Yuanmu sat on a single sofa, while Mo Lin sat on the office chair by the desk, both silent.
They didn’t even make eye contact. Jiang Yuanmu felt guilty, and Mo Lin was scared.
“So, that photo was photoshopped. Because you didn’t want a divorce, you used a delaying tactic.”
“Yes.”
“The Border Collie was rented. You thought I couldn’t take care of a puppy, let alone a child, and wanted me to give up.”
“That was my mistake. I shouldn’t have forced you to change your mind. I should have understood the root cause of your thoughts. The Border Collie has been bought now. I planned for us to give it a new name together when we got back.”
“No, that’s not the point.”
Mo Lin finally mustered the courage to look at Jiang Yuanmu, her voice trembling, “You said the reason you did all these things to prevent the divorce was because you…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence.
So Jiang Yuanmu said it for her, “Because I realized I love you.”
Silence.
Accompanied by the sound of the waves outside.
Jiang Yuanmu calmly explained, “I’m sorry, Mo Lin. I have to admit, I have uncontrollable feelings for you.”
Silence.
Accompanied by the sound of Mo Lin’s heart skipping a beat.
The office chair’s wheels slid back slightly as Mo Lin’s body instinctively moved away from Jiang Yuanmu, putting more distance between them.
Noticing her subtle movement, Jiang Yuanmu’s eyes lowered slightly, feeling a bit of indescribable disappointment. But after a moment, he leaned forward slightly, not backing down.
“I violated the contract, but I want to be true to my heart. I should have arranged a better time to tell you the truth. Unfortunately, I made you accept this information so abruptly. If possible, I hope you can tell me how I can make up for this mistake, so that you…”
He reached out to Mo Lin, trying to touch her fingertips, almost pleadingly.
“…don’t show such a distant expression.”
It was only then that Mo Lin realized her expression was called “distant.”
She felt unfamiliar with the hurt expression on Jiang Yuanmu’s face. She didn’t know how to deal with this version of Jiang Yuanmu, nor did she know how to handle her own complex emotions.
This was an entirely new experience.
She felt pressured.
Almost immediately, she stood up, her voice controlled but speaking a string of words without thinking:
“Our contract clearly states no malicious deception. I don’t agree with your previous actions and find them hard to accept.”
“I think I need some time to process this. Can I leave the room for now?”
Jiang Yuanmu remained seated, looking up at Mo Lin, “Of course.” His voice was hoarse, “At any time, I don’t want you to feel pressured because of me.”
Mo Lin said no more and left the room as if escaping.
In the quiet room, the eternal sound of the waves outside continued, but to Jiang Yuanmu, it now carried much more loneliness and disappointment than yesterday.
“Really…” he smiled bitterly, “I scared her quite a bit.”
Mo Lin’s mind felt like a tangled mess. She instinctively found Cheng Lulu’s room and knocked on the door. Cheng Lulu, who hadn’t gone for breakfast and had just woken up, looked groggy, “What’s wrong? Is there an event?”
“Lulu, I want to escape.”
“Huh? Escape from what? What event is so scary?”
Mo Lin, with a serious expression, said, “Love.”
“…Huh?” Cheng Lulu was even more confused. She yawned, “Love? What love?”
“Jiang Yuanmu, he said he loves me.”
“And then?” Cheng Lulu calmly lay back on the bed, rubbing her eyes and looking at Mo Lin.
Mo Lin looked at Cheng Lulu, feeling a bit puzzled. “Isn’t that strange?”
“What’s strange about it?” Cheng Lulu replied, “He loves you, you love him, isn’t it obvious? Anyone with eyes can see that.”
Mo Lin’s face turned pale. “But I don’t love him.”
“Huh?” Cheng Lulu sat up in shock, “So you’re the heartbreaker? Didn’t you say that both your genes and soul chose him as the father of your child?”
“Yes, but I never said I loved him. I…” Mo Lin took a deep breath, her tangled thoughts finally clearing up a bit. She organized her words:
“I want a child. He meets my requirements for a child’s father, nothing more. I don’t want to have romantic entanglements with him, or with anyone else.”
Cheng Lulu was stunned.
“So you mean…” Cheng Lulu gestured exaggeratedly, “All the planning and effort I put in recently was for nothing? You don’t like him, you’re not trying to win him over, you just… want a child?”
Mo Lin rubbed her throbbing temples.
“Although your expression is somewhat off, I understand what you mean. I always thought that everything Jiang Yuanmu and I did was based on our initial contract. The prenuptial agreement we signed five years ago. At that time, we both agreed that we had no emotional demands for our marriage partner.”
“Why?”
“Emotions can’t be quantified. If emotions get involved, our contract would become meaningless.”
“Then… why do you need to quantify emotions?”
Mo Lin was taken aback.
“It’s hard for me to explain,” Mo Lin lowered her eyes. “But if I have to give a reason, it’s because I don’t believe two strangers can join hands for life purely because of love.
“But how do you measure the quality of emotions, and how do you determine if both parties are being responsible? What are the standards? How do you constrain emotions, ensuring that when you love, I love the same, and when you no longer love, I immediately cut off the feelings without wasting any more time?
“I can’t do that. I’m afraid that what starts as mutual admiration will eventually turn into mutual resentment.”
After hearing Mo Lin’s words, Cheng Lulu was silent for a long time. She patted Mo Lin’s shoulder:
“Sis, you know I don’t like to think too much, and my brain is pretty dull. I can’t judge or care to evaluate what you’re saying, but I do have one good trait.”
Cheng Lulu turned over, grabbed her phone from the bedside, and started looking for something. As she searched, she said:
“Whatever you do, I’m on your side. If you can’t do it, then you can’t do it. If you want to escape, then escape. When it comes to emotions, don’t overthink it and make things difficult for yourself.”
Cheng Lulu made a call. Before it connected, she smiled at Mo Lin.
“Forget love, we’ve made money, and there’s a whole world out there for us.”
So, they really rented a semi-automatic sailboat and set out to sea.
