After a long while, he twitched the corner of his lips in self - mockery. All of a sudden, sleep eluded him.
He glanced at the time. It was almost four in the morning.
He threw off the quilt, went to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of hot water. As he returned to the living room, he heard something ringing from the pocket of the overcoat hanging on the coat - rack.
Lin Chuluo turned his eyes slightly and took out Jiang Xixi's phone.
He had forgotten to return it to her during the day.
This was a special phone he had given her after he confined her. Apart from some basic functions, it had no other features.
This was to prevent her from contacting the outside world.
Since she got pregnant, insomnia had been part of Jiang Xixi's pregnancy symptoms. So she set an alarm for four in the morning to remind herself to take the tranquilizing medicine.
After all, it was for the baby's sake.
Lin Chuluo's well - defined fingers held the phone tightly, his eyes dark and deep.
Since he had deleted her text messages without permission last time, she had been in the habit of setting an unlock password. It was obvious that she was deliberately on guard against him.
Fortunately, he hadn't been interested in her before.
But now it was different. He was eager to know what Jiang Xixi usually did.
He still couldn't figure out the password.
Lin Chuluo tilted his head back and gulped down the cold water in the cup.
He began to recall the past.
When did he and Jiang Xixi first meet?
It seemed to be a year ago, at a business dinner. She was dressed in a gorgeous outfit, proud as a peacock.
But a waiter accidentally knocked over a wine glass, and the wine spilled on her favorite dress.
Jiang Xixi was extremely embarrassed.
Lin Chuluo knew that Jiang Xixi was the daughter of the Jiang family. To win over the Jiang family and gain her favor, he took the initiative to walk over, took off his suit and covered the embarrassing part for her.
The scenario he had carefully designed had made Jiang Xixi fall in love with him at first sight.
Speaking of it, that was their first encounter.
All of a sudden, Lin Chuluo seemed to remember something. He held the phone and pressed a few numbers.
It was the date of their first meeting.
The screen was unlocked.
Surprise flashed across his eyes. He started rummaging through the phone.
Since the phone had been modified, its functions were very limited. Apart from the alarm, there were only e - books and a notebook.
He clicked on the notebook.
"Chuluo came back today and cooked sweet and sour pork tenderloin that I like. Is he going to apologize to me? I need to think about how to give him a way out first."
"Aunt asked me a few days ago if I wanted to learn how to knit a scarf. I'm a bit looking forward to it. I want to knit one for Lin Chuluo too, so he won't be cold in winter."
"I've started vomiting again. It's just so repetitive and unsettling. It really hurts. Being a mother is really not easy. I miss Mom and Dad so much."
"Miaomiao is so happy now. I wish I could be that happy too."
"… I feel like there's something wrong with my mind. I don't want this baby at all."
"He actually doesn't love me at all. I've just been deceiving myself."
The further he read, the more his fingers trembled.
Until he saw the last note -
"I want to leave you, Lin Chuluo. It's not because I don't love you anymore, but because I found that you don't need me in your world."
The date was just yesterday.
It turned out that a person's heart didn't die in an instant.
He closed his eyes, full of regret, but it was already too late.
There was no chance for him to redeem or make up for his mistakes.
---
That day, after Ning Anmiao and Lu Yan left the hospital, she immediately called Jiang Zhou and asked him to pick up Jiang Xixi from the hospital.
Watching Ning Anmiao seriously explain the situation to Jiang Zhou, Lu Yan smiled faintly, "Our Miaomiao is really kind - hearted."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Anmiao tilted her head and said seriously, "She has received the punishment she deserves. It's about time to call it quits."
After she finished speaking, she looked out of the window at the crowd, "For a woman who is about to become a mother, losing her child is probably the biggest blow."
Ning Anmiao was very delicate - minded. She could guess how much courage it had taken for Jiang Xixi to make this decision.
Now that things were already done, only her family could give her warmth.
---
A week later.
The once - quiet Lin Group suddenly broke the news that its CEO, Lin Zhengfeng, was convicted of bigamy and had also evaded taxes during his tenure.
The downfall of the old man of the Lin family left the Lin Group leaderless for a while. Everyone speculated whether Zhou Si would be the one to inherit and manage such a huge group.
Ning Anmiao was originally checking the list of things needed for the wedding. When she heard the news, she immediately put down what she was doing and walked to the TV.
Lu Yan was also holding a laptop, sorting out his work. He didn't even raise his head at this moment.
"Mr. Lu, what's your opinion on the matter of the old man of the Lin family this time?"
Suddenly, the camera turned to Lin Chuluo's face.
"I have no opinion. It's all his own choice when he was young and ignorant." Lin Chuluo's face was cold and his expression calm. There was not a trace of fluctuation in his eyes.
"Then in the future, will the Lin Group and its subsidiary Yunyun be completely under your management?"
"This is the best arrangement for the Lin Group at present." Lin Chuluo's eyes were deep, and his answer was beyond doubt.
Obviously, he was now the biggest person in charge of the Lin Group and Yunyun.
Not Zhou Si.
Ning Anmiao felt very strange and couldn't help asking, "Why is it Lin Chuluo?"
She thought that such a villain should end up with nothing.
Lu Yan had been looking at the computer screen. Hearing Ning Anmiao's muttering, he couldn't help raising his head, his eyes deep.
"Why not him?"
Ning Anmiao thought for a while, "I thought at least it would be Zhou Si who would inherit the Lin family."
After all, this was the decision of the old man of the Lin family at that time.
It was also the result she had expected.
Lu Yan sat up straight and said lightly, "Letting him inherit the Lin family may not necessarily be a good thing for him."
"Sometimes, this is a kind of punishment."
Ning Anmiao looked blank.
It took her a while to understand what Lu Yan meant.
Lin Chuluo had nothing left and no attachments, but he still had to be confined by the company and take on the responsibilities on his shoulders.
This was undoubtedly lonely and hard.
As for Zhou Si, he had never been interested in the Lin Group at all.
He just wanted the villains to get the punishment they deserved and avenge his mother.
As for other things, he didn't care.
He also didn't intend to fight with Lin Chuluo for anything.
Just as Lu Yan had said at that time -
"No one intends to fight with Lin Chuluo, and no one wants to compete with him for victory or defeat."
All of this was just his own unfounded worry.
The moment Ning Anmiao understood, she couldn't help sighing in her heart.
This kind of ending seemed to be the final result.
She blinked, put away her emotions, sat down beside Lu Yan, her eyes curving, "When shall we go to blend perfumes?"