His wife's pregnancy bump disappeared, and Mr. Huo was going crazy missing her.

Tea room.

Zhou Jinnan made two lattes.

After placing one of the cups on the table in front of Qiao Mian, he sat down opposite her.

"Thanks……"

Qiao Mian picked up her coffee cup, took a small sip, and put it back.

Her fair, clean fingers held a small white porcelain spoon, gently stirring her coffee. With mixed emotions, she asked, "Director Zhou, are you being forced to resign by that person?"

Zhou Jinan chuckled. "The 'person' you're referring to, is it President Huo?"

"Yes……"

It's her fault for being petty.

On several previous occasions, Huo Yanbei seemed to have a problem with Zhou Jinnan because she was getting closer to him.

Given Huo Yanbei's outrageous methods, he could very well try to trip up Zhou Jinnan.

Moreover, Zhou Jinnan was not from a wealthy family; at most, he was from the upper-middle class. For him, it was no easy feat to become the general counsel.

If it weren't for unforeseen circumstances, why would someone suddenly want to resign and give up a promising future earned through hard work?

That's very strange.

"Qin Wu, are you worried about me?"

Seeing Qiao Mian's worried expression, Zhou Jinnan couldn't help but ask a question.

Moreover, he called her by her original name.

He remained calm and indifferent, as if it were none of his business.

With a clang.

The porcelain spoon fell from her fingers into the coffee cup. Qiao Mian frowned and said, "We're old classmates, of course I care about you."

Zhou Jinnan smiled after hearing this.

She finally stopped calling him Director Zhou in such a formal way.

At this moment, the two sat facing each other, as if they had returned to their school days.

It's as if the resilient and decisive Qin Wu from before has returned.

Seeing her serious expression, he stopped beating around the bush and said, "I resigned voluntarily, and it has nothing to do with President Huo."

Hearing him say this, Qiao Mian was very surprised: "Why...why do you want to resign? You have reached a position in Huo's that many people envy. Looking at the country, Huo's is also a leading group. Once you step down from this position, you may not have a better development prospect than you have in Huo's if you switch to another company later."

She considers issues entirely from a self-interested perspective.

Therefore, for a time, I really didn't understand why Zhou Jinnan wanted to resign.

Moreover, Huo Yanbei wasn't targeting him.

Unlike her, who, despite being a top student at Peking University, failed to graduate.

Zhou Jinnan, a graduate of National Chengchi University, has achieved what he has today, a pinnacle that she, a junior lawyer, may never reach in her entire life. It is precisely because of her own lack of this that she feels even more sorry for him.

As Zhou Jinnan listened to Qiao Mian analyze the pros and cons for him, he realized that she was genuinely considering his needs, and he couldn't help but feel happy.

But at the same time, I feel very guilty.

He had broken his promise to her, yet she never blamed him and was still so worried about him.

How could he possibly deserve it?

Zhou Jinnan looked calmly at Qiao Mian and said sincerely, "Although I have a bright future at Huo's, I have my own plans..."

"Has a company offered you a high-paying job?"

Qiao Mian guessed.

Zhou Jinan shook his head and told the truth: "I've partnered with a friend to open a law firm, and it's almost ready to go."

"..."

This result was something Qiao Mian never expected.

For Zhou Jinnan, opening a law firm was not difficult.

The difficulty lies in operation.

This circle isn't large, but without connections, resources, and connections, it's very difficult to make a name for yourself.

Unless you're a young nobleman from a prestigious family like Gu Huainian, Zhongcheng Law Firm gets so many people eagerly coming to them every day to offer business and seek cooperation, simply because it's associated with the Gu family.

this is the truth.

Qiao Mian pondered for a moment and said, "Establishing a law firm is a good thing, but there will be many problems to face in the future."

"I know what you're worried about. I don't have any connections, and starting a business will definitely be difficult at first. I might only be taking on small projects. But this is something I've always wanted to do since I graduated, but I haven't been able to."

At this point, the light in his eyes dimmed. "Qin Wu, six years ago, I promised to take you to Shanghai. Actually, I already had plans for the future then, thinking that we would open a law firm together."

"But……"

Zhou Jinan's eyes gradually turned bloodshot. He slowly reached out and placed his hand on Qiao Mian's, gently squeezing it. "I've always owed you an apology, Qin Wu. I'm sorry, I broke my promise back then."

When the past is mentioned again, Qiao Mian's eyes only show a calm and peaceful demeanor born from years of experience.

"Zhou Jinnan, I have never blamed you."

Her face was calm and expressionless, which only made Zhou Jinnan feel worse.

He would rather she vent her anger on him or question him about why she broke her promise back then.

But she was too calm.

Calm to the point of being indifferent.

This made him feel very bad and even more guilty.

What hardships must she have endured over these six years to develop such a detached and indifferent attitude?

In the past, although she was not talkative and had a withdrawn personality, she had a tenacious spirit that refused to bow down to fate and give up.

But now, she doesn't compete or fight; she's cautious and timid, as if she's only living to survive.

It's as if she has moved on from the past, while he is still fixated on it.

Just like how he gave up everything at the Huo family and spent all his wealth to open a law firm, all for Qiao Mian.

He wanted to help her escape from Huo Yanbei.

We also need to build her a place to live.

Tongchen Law Firm was his apology gift to Qiao Mian.

However, he dared not tell her the truth now.

He feared that if she knew everything now, she wouldn't accept the 600,000 yuan, nor would she go to Tongchen Law Firm...

"Qin Wu, although you don't blame me, I have never forgiven myself all these years."

Thinking of the past, Zhou Jinnan looked sad.

My heart feels heavy and aching.

Qiao Mian smiled calmly, "The past is the past. Zhou Jinnan, I am no longer the Qin Wu or Huo Wu I once was. I am just Qiao Mian now. People always have to look forward, don't they?"

Zhou Jinnan smiled faintly: "Ever since I recognized you as Qin Wu, I've been looking forward and making plans for the future."

"Since you've already decided to leave your job and pursue entrepreneurship..."

Qiao Mian picked up her coffee cup and gently touched it to the one in his hand. "Zhou Jinnan, I support your decision."

With her support, Zhou Jinnan felt an urge to immediately tell her that he was the behind-the-scenes boss of Tongchen Law Firm.

But I held back.

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered something and said, "If I resign, President Huo will definitely let you work at Huo's Group and take my place, right?"

Qiao Mian: "He's already mentioned it."

Zhou Jinnan frowned slightly. "It seems he still doubts your identity. What are your thoughts?"

Although he knew she was already going through the resignation process, he still wanted to ask her one more time.

Qiao Mian didn't hide anything from him, "I've already secretly gone through the resignation process, and I've even found another job."