Shen Shaoqing was reluctant to accept this reality.
"It's impossible," he said.
"Nuan Nuan, you love me. You do. Why?"
Shen Shaoqing was truly going crazy.
But no matter what he said, Ling Nuan remained unnervingly calm.
"Shen Shaoqing, there's no affection between us. Your actions only disgust me. Unless it's work - related, don't bother me anymore, not even show up in front of me."
After leaving this remark, Ling Nuan nodded at Qin Rao as a farewell, then turned around and left.
Ling Nuan was calm when facing Shen Shaoqing. But when she walked out of Qing Nuan and saw Huo Linsheng at the company entrance, she was stunned for a moment.
Huo Linsheng was standing in a blind - spot where Ling Nuan had been. She hadn't noticed him at all.
"When did you come?" Ling Nuan walked towards him.
She came to Qing Nuan for meetings. Huo Linsheng had picked her up twice. Later, after he found that Shen Shaoqing didn't make any moves, he stopped coming as his work was really busy.
Huo Linsheng said, "I just finished my work."
Then he added with emotion, "Fortunately, I finished it on time. Otherwise, I would have missed out on learning about your past."
Ling Nuan: "..."
She couldn't tell whether Huo Linsheng was happy or not.
When it came to Shen Shaoqing, Huo Linsheng seemed to care a great deal. But his expression seemed quite relaxed. Ling Nuan was at a loss.
She thought about what she had just said. There shouldn't be anything that would upset Huo Linsheng, right?
Ling Nuan was still weighing her words when Huo Linsheng put his arm around her and led her towards the parking lot.
"How much did you hear?" Ling Nuan was really curious.
Huo Linsheng replied, "From 'Your study abroad wasn't for him?' onwards."
Ling Nuan suddenly understood why he was in a relatively good mood.
"Actually, I was quite conflicted at that time. On one hand, there was a school I really wanted to go to, and my teacher had high hopes for me. But I really couldn't bear to leave my mom and grandma," Ling Nuan said.
Then, her mood suddenly turned a bit low. "Maybe, if I had chosen to go abroad back then, now..."
If she had gone abroad, she wouldn't have had so many entanglements with Shen Shaoqing.
Maybe her mom wouldn't have had that accident.
Seeing Ling Nuan's sudden mood drop, Huo Linsheng softly comforted her, "There's no need to regret the past. If you had chosen to go abroad, when your grandma got sick or your mom had a minor ailment, you wouldn't have been able to take care of them. The long - term separation would have also made you miss out on many things about them. You would still regret it at that time."
"The choice you made back then was the one you most wanted to make at that moment, so it was the most suitable one," Huo Linsheng said.
Hearing this, Ling Nuan looked up at Huo Linsheng. "Has President Huo decided to become a caring big sister today?"
Huo Linsheng helplessly pinched her nose. "Who am I doing this for?"
Ling Nuan laughed. Although there were still some lingering worries in her heart, just as Huo Linsheng said, even if she had made another choice back then, she would have had other things to regret.
No one could predict the future. As long as the choice made at that moment was made willingly, it was the most suitable one.
When one found that the choice was wrong, then it was okay to choose to give it up.
Adults should take responsibility for their own lives.
"Let's go. It's time for dinner," Huo Linsheng walked to the car and opened the passenger - side door for Ling Nuan.
Huo Linsheng really didn't have much experience in dating.
Especially since Ling Nuan was different from the girls he had met before. Fortunately, Fang Chao had been offering advice.
After that date, he and Fang Chao had a detailed discussion.
Why did Ling Nuan clearly show her liking but didn't want to go there often?
"President Huo, people are very complex. Secretary Ling likes the environment of that restaurant because it's very suitable for couples. In such an environment, it can effectively enhance the romantic atmosphere between you two."
"However, the first time you go, it's novel. The second time, you like it. But the third, fourth time... if you go there too often, it won't be as interesting. The food in that restaurant is not good. The first few times, the novelty and the sweetness of love were strong enough to outweigh the drawback of the bad food."
"But when the advantages gradually fade and the disadvantages still remain, the choice will naturally change."
Huo Linsheng seriously considered Fang Chao's advice.
So, for their dinners after that, sometimes they would go to restaurants with a great atmosphere, and sometimes they would choose restaurants with better - tasting food.
Although the environment might not be as surprising, being able to have a delicious dinner with the one you love was also a wonderful experience.
Especially since Huo Linsheng would send flowers every time.
The flowers he sent were different each time.
Ling Nuan was holding today's roses and was already looking forward to what kind of flowers Huo Linsheng would send next time.
Today, they dined at a private restaurant with a good reputation. After dinner, they walked hand in hand to the adjacent mall to watch a movie.
"Do you usually watch movies?" Ling Nuan chatted with him.
Huo Linsheng replied, "Rarely."
"Do you not like watching movies, or do you think it's a waste of time?" Ling Nuan was curious.
Huo Linsheng answered, "It's probably the latter."
Hearing this, Ling Nuan became even more curious. "Is everything other than work, making money, and related things a waste of time to you?"
Huo Linsheng glanced at her and replied, "You're not."
Ling Nuan: "..."
Ling Nuan was happy inside, but on the surface, she glared at him and said, "I'm asking you seriously."
"I'm answering seriously too," Huo Linsheng said.
However, he knew what Ling Nuan was asking.
"No," Huo Linsheng answered. "I watched some movies when I was in school. Good movies are really worth spending time on. But most of the movies on the market these days are a waste of time, including the ones our company invested in."
Ling Nuan burst out laughing. "You think it's a waste of time but you still invest in them?"
Huo Linsheng: "There's no need to be at odds with money."
Ling Nuan: "That makes so much sense."
"Would you be at odds with money?" Huo Linsheng asked.
Ling Nuan shook her head decisively.
Huo Linsheng added, "I used to make time for exercise. That wasn't a waste of time either. But after taking over the company, I've had much less time for that."
Then, as if thinking of something, he said, "Moreover, whether something is a waste of time doesn't depend on the thing itself but on who you're with."
Hearing this, Ling Nuan felt sweet inside, but she still coquettishly said, "Who asked you to say these things?"
Huo Linsheng: "What are you thinking? I'm talking about drinking with friends."
Ling Nuan: "?"
"Drinking is a waste of time, but it's not when you're with friends," Huo Linsheng "considerately" explained again.
Ling Nuan's face darkened.
She shook off Huo Linsheng's hand. "Then go drink with your friends!"
Saying that, she walked forward huffily.
Huo Linsheng quickly took two steps to catch up and grabbed Ling Nuan's hand again, teasing her, "Are you angry?"
Ling Nuan ignored him.
Huo Linsheng: "Friends can be invited anytime. A girlfriend is more important."
Ling Nuan was easy to coax, but she decided to hold out a bit longer!
"Humph, I wouldn't dare to compare with President Huo's friends. I still have some self - awareness."