Chapter 3: Lu Zhixing Is Actually Having an Affair.
Shan Dai’s face turned pale, her whole body chilling to the bone.
Lu Zhixing returned around this time.
Completely oblivious, he sat down, noticed Shan Dai staring blankly into space, and picked up his chopsticks to place some food into her bowl: “Eat a bit more.”
The man opposite them was also dining at his own leisure, eating exclusively from that plate of lush green seasonal vegetables, offering neither comment nor so much as a glance toward the scene.
In Shan Dai’s eyes, every single mouthful of green vegetables he took seemed to crash into her ears accompanied by the echoes of “any plans to remarry” and “the Xinjiang grasslands.”
His actions were silent, yet as overwhelming as a sudden eruption in a mountain stream, extraordinarily piercing.
With their business matters largely wrapped up, everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while longer, and the dinner party dispersed after about half an hour.
Throughout that half-hour, Shan Dai was completely out of it. The waiter brought out the post-dinner dessert right on time—a portion created exclusively for Shan Dai—yet it tasted entirely flavorless to her. She strained to maintain a calm facade, forcing herself to eat while trying hard to listen to Pu Huaiyan’s words.
Yet as for Lu Zhixing’s words, she basically forgot every sentence as soon as he spoke it. Strangely enough, her body seemed to develop a visceral rejection toward his words, making every single thing he said feel like a lie.
He cheated? Truly?? Or was it fake?
They had only been newly married for a year—just one year.
No, it wasn’t a question of time. It was that in her eyes, Lu Zhixing could not possibly betray their relationship.
She was a native of Jiangnan, raised in the Yangtze River Delta just like him, though from different cities. She was born in a tiny, eighteen-tier small town, while he was a native of Lan City.
She had met him during a doctoral course at Lan University. He was on a direct Ph.D. track while she was pursuing her master’s, and she had gone to the classroom that day to look for her advisor.
In such a complex lecture, he was the only one zoning out. While the professor was lecturing, he twirled a lighter around in his hand for fun. The moment she entered the classroom, he raised his eyes, and their gazes met.
The next day, during the master’s course, this very senior brother stepped in to teach the class on behalf of her advisor. She found it hilarious.
In private, he asked her why she was paying so little attention in class, to which she replied that she was just following her senior brother’s example.
He laughed.
Shan Dai still remembered how his smile that day felt like a gentle spring breeze sweeping across her face.
Both Lu Zhixing and she had fallen in love at first sight. Only later did she learn that back then at Lan University, the name “Lu Zhixing” was a sensation across the entire campus, known to virtually everyone. In academics, looks, and talent, he stood head and shoulders above the rest.
She was exceptional as well.
To all appearances, they were a perfect match.
Lu Zhixing’s pursuit of her was very simple. Although the two had dragged their feet for months before officially establishing their relationship, it was indeed love at first sight.
This relationship was well-matched in social status and capability while on campus, but that ceased to be the case once they left university behind.
Lu Zhixing came from a highly educated family. An intellectual, scholarly family looked down most on poor students hailing from small towns. Academically, every professor was willing to impart a lifetime of knowledge to pass the torch down to their students. But when it came to a daughter-in-law, she was considered to be marrying above her station.
Lu Zhixing was incredibly resolute. He wasn’t the type to blindly listen to his family or someone incapable of controlling his own marriage; his achievements and success gave him ample freedom to marry whomever he pleased.
He fought tirelessly to mediate with his family, even preparing himself to secretly register their marriage with her if his family refused to consent all the way through. In short, he would never let her down.
During the first half of that year, his family nearly cut ties with him. For a long stretch of time, he didn’t return home, staying nestled in the rented apartment they shared outside. She hadn’t known how far things had escalated between him and his family, assuming nothing had happened, until his parents confronted her directly—only then did she realize how massive the conflict had grown.
He had even handed them a legal agreement regarding parental support, stipulating that everything in the remainder of his life would no longer have anything to do with them.
Later, as a year went by, he finally secured his family’s approval and their consent for the marriage.
Around the time of graduation, she was extremely busy. Her company was newly founded, her father’s health was poor, and she considered that although his parents had agreed, his family’s acceptance of her remained low, so Shan Dai did not hold a wedding ceremony.
A wedding would drain too much of everyone’s energy and mood, so she thought, Forget it. In her eyes, sharing a lifelong, harmonious union with Lu Zhixing was the only true pursuit.
They registered their marriage. That day was filled with joy as they gathered to celebrate over dinner with a group of friends in their marital home, making it a truly special day.
During the year after marriage, the two lived exceedingly comfortably. He was wonderful, no different from when they first met, calling her Dai Dai, baby… Not a single day went by without them staying in touch.
After the New Year, a project over in Beijing required him to come here on a business trip, which was initially slated to last a full quarter. He had even felt gloomy for days, unwilling to come, saying that between work and life, he chose life—a life with a wife.
Though she felt quite reluctant to part with him, she also found it normal. Work couldn’t remain stagnant forever; standing still meant no possibility of upward mobility.
In the end, he came anyway. The project was simply too massive for anyone else to carry. If a division general manager threw in the towel on the very first project of the year, it would be entirely unreasonable, and even the big boss at headquarters would have to call him in for a talk.
Over these three months, not a single day passed without them keeping in touch. It was just that phone calls were somewhat sparse, placed only once every few days, because Lu Zhixing was either working overtime or attending social obligations at night. It was very grueling.
By the time he returned to the hotel at night and finished washing up, it was already close to eleven or twelve o’clock. She was unwilling to chat too much and cause him to suffer from sleep deprivation. He, too, always maintained a very guilt-ridden demeanor.
With the three months coming to an end, according to normal procedure, he was due to return soon. Although his secretary mentioned that he might need to stay a bit longer, one extra month was still acceptable; she could come to terms with it.
Yet, why would his boss utter such words?
Lu Zhixing… cheated?
Before the dinner party fully dispersed, Shan Dai rose and went to the restroom to collect herself. Propping herself up against the sink, she panted while staring at her mirror image, her face filled with absolute disbelief.
How could he cheat? How could he? Did he no longer love her? If he didn’t love her anymore, why did he act so inseparable and deeply in love during their daily communications?
However, what reason did his boss have to lie? They appeared to have a good relationship, and the boss clearly valued this division general manager who came over from the branch office, trusting him deeply in work matters.
Why would he deceive her??
It made no sense.
Then it could only be Lu Zhixing deceiving her.
But why? Amidst the rushing sound of running water from the faucet, Shan Dai recalled every single day of the past three years like a revolving lantern. Ultimately, she tilted her head back, took a deep breath, bent down, and splashed cold water onto her cheeks.
Not paying close attention, the tips of her hair got wet, so she untied her hairband and held it in her palm. After wiping away the water droplets on her face, she walked back to the private room, feeling dazed yet forcing herself to maintain a calm front.
They were no longer picking up their chopsticks, simply discussing business.
“Manager Lu’s home is in Lan City, so it’s not ideal for you to remain stationed in Beijing indefinitely. Once this project concludes, head back according to the original plan.” Pu Huaiyan’s gaze rested on Shan Dai’s face as she retook her seat. “Leaving Madam home all alone all the time isn’t right either—it makes me look terribly guilty.”
Lu Zhixing laughed, reaching out to wrap an arm around Shan Dai’s shoulder: “President Pu is far too thoughtful. Anything works—whatever the job requires, I’m fine either way.”
Shan Dai forced an extremely strained smile toward the man across the table who was looking straight at her.
“It’s getting late, so I won’t bother you two any longer. Madam must be exhausted from the travel, so head back early.” He stood up.
Shan Dai left the table along with the man beside her. She walked over on her own to retrieve her overcoat hanging on the rack.
The trench coat next to hers was black—Pu Huaiyan’s. As she stepped closer, a faint cedar fragrance from the garment drifted through the heated air and into her nose. The man arrived a step ahead, taking down the adjacent beige coat and handing it to her single-handedly.
“Thank you.” She took it without putting it on, unaccustomed to adjusting her clothing in front of a stranger.
Seeing that he felt warm as well, he took down his trench coat, draped it over his forearm, and walked straight out.
Lu Zhixing made a move to grab her coat for her, but Shan Dai shook her head to indicate it wasn’t necessary. Assuming she meant to put it on in a moment, he didn’t try to take it again.
The three of them walked out of the private room one after another.
The decor and design of this private dining establishment were quite interesting, with octagonal streetlights lining the corridor as decoration. Walking outside the private room felt just like strolling down a chilly street in the dead of winter.
Since everyone had been drinking, Pu Huaiyan mentioned that he had already called for two designated drivers.
Stopping beneath an actual warm orange lamp at the restaurant’s entrance, Pu Huaiyan said to the couple: “Manager Lu and Madam, please suit yourselves. I still have another social engagement, so I’ll wait a moment for the restaurant staff to come out.”
Shan Dai wished for nothing more than to flee this place immediately, so she promptly nodded her head to say goodbye.
Just as she was about to turn and step into the car first, the man standing in her shadow called out, “Madam.”
Her steps froze, and she turned her head. A hand wrapped in a black suit sleeve reached over from opposite her, a black card pinched between his fingertips.
Pu Huaiyan: “I am a man of my word. If Madam ever has any business collaboration needs, feel free to contact Yanxin or… contact me directly.”
Lu Zhixing looked at the business card in his hand with a hint of surprise. At the dinner table, everyone had tacitly assumed it was merely a top executive being condescendingly polite and supportive; who could have guessed that he genuinely intended to collaborate?
Shan Dai looked straight at him, her smile almost impossible to maintain under the hazy, blurred light at the restaurant entrance. Taking the card, she smiled subtly: “Alright, thank you very much, President Pu. Given the opportunity, most definitely.” With that, she nodded and stepped into the car first.
Lu Zhixing stood outside the car exchanging another courtesy or two with his boss before getting in.
As the driver turned the vehicle around, Shan Dai’s seat happened to face the tall man standing by the entrance. He unfurled his sharply tailored, classic trench coat, putting it on while locking eyes with her through the car window.
That unfathomable and exceptionally meaningful gaze confirmed the suspicion in her heart regarding that card. Shan Dai felt only as if a torrential downpour had struck, leaving her frozen like ice.
After the car departed, a black Bentley pulled up outside the private restaurant. After the driver stepped down to open the rear door, he heard the man beside him say: “Wait a moment, I forgot to retrieve something.”
Just as the driver was about to say he would go fetch it for him, he saw the man already turn around and walk back on his own.
The door to that private room was wide open, with a waiter currently cleaning up. The dining table had mostly been cleared, and the floor was about to be swept.
“Did President Pu leave something behind?” Seeing him enter the room, the waiter paused the cleaning tool in hand to inquire.
The man nodded.
Waiter: “What item is it?”
Bypassing half the table, Pu Huaiyan walked over to the vicinity of the coat rack, bent down, and picked up a wine-red hairband from the floor.
The natural jasmine scent clinging to the hairband—whether it was the woman’s hair fragrance or perfume—felt thoroughly refreshing and delightful to the mind and body.
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