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

Qiao Mian: "Thank you, I'm not hungry."

She has no appetite right now and just wants to finish her work and go home as soon as possible.

Since starting work at the Huo family, she's been so busy she hasn't had time to spend with her children...

"Is Attorney Qiao from Shanghai?"

Zhou Jinnan started a conversation.

Qiao Mian felt a little guilty.

She gave a very soft "hmm".

"I used to study at university in Shanghai, and I really liked that city."

Zhou Jinnan continued the conversation.

Qiao Mian could only reply with a perfunctory, "Shanghai is quite nice..."

"Yes, I once made a promise with a classmate that after graduation, we would go to Shanghai together to make our way in the world."

He spoke as if casually recounting someone else's story, with surprising calmness.

Qiao Mian's heart tightened: "Is it that high school classmate you mentioned before?"

Zhou Jinnan turned his gaze, his eyes fixed on Qiao Mian before him: "Yes, her name is Qin Wu."

Qiao Mian felt a lump in her throat: "It's good to be remembered by others..."

The light turned green, and Zhou Jinnan looked away, started the car, and continued the conversation, "But I broke my promise and didn't take Qin Wu to Shanghai. Do you think she'll be upset with me?"

Qiao Mian turned her head and looked out the car window.

The receding city lights reflected in her moist eyes, and her voice was slightly hoarse: "Everyone has their own reasons for not being able to help them. I think Qin Wu... she won't blame you."

Zhou Jinnan turned his head, looked at the woman's red and moist eyelashes, and gave a self-deprecating bitter smile, "Yes, Qin Wu is very kind and gentle, she never argues with anyone, so how could she blame me? I just blame myself for my powerlessness back then."

Qiao Mian turned around, her gaze calm yet tinged with sadness as she looked at him: "You said it yourself, Qin Wu is dead. Why should Director Zhou cling to the past?"

At another red light, Zhou Jinnan looked at her intently: "If Qin Wu hadn't died, do you think she would have given me a chance to apologize?"

"Director Zhou, there are no 'ifs'..."

At this point in the conversation, Qiao Mian was almost certain that Zhou Jinnan had recognized her.

Perhaps, she recognized her when they first met after she entered the Huo family business.

However, he never pointed it out, so she could only pretend not to know.

For a moment, the two fell silent.

Neither of them dared to break the unspoken understanding.

When she got close to the hospital, she called Chen Ke to ask for the exact location of the coffee shop.

Soon, the car stopped in front of an upscale coffee shop.

As she got out of the car, Zhou Jinnan suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Qiao Mian, I can help you."

Qiao Mian paused for a moment, then withdrew her hand from his. "You already helped me once last time. Even if you help me again this time, what about next time?"

Although Zhou Jinnan is the general counsel, in the end, he is still a worker who obeys Huo Yanbei's orders.

He came from a well-off family, but not a wealthy one. It was truly remarkable that he was able to achieve this position within the Huo family.

She really didn't want to drag him into the mire.

If Zhou Jinan offended Huo Yanbei because of her, she would feel guilty.

Therefore, she rejected his offer.

Watching Qiao Mian's receding figure, Zhou Jinnan's fingers gripping the steering wheel gradually turned white.

Wait a little longer, until he has arranged everything, then he can take her away.

……

Cafe.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Huo Yanbei, sitting in a booth on the second floor, witnessed Qiao Mian getting out of Zhou Jinnan's car.

The coffee cup slammed heavily onto the table, and the man's dark eyebrows furrowed into a tight knot.

He had no idea that she and Zhou Jinnan were so familiar with each other...

Lost in thought, I caught a glimpse of a dazzling figure at the top of the stairs.

It's Qiao Mian.

She was wearing a long navy blue wool coat over a white turtleneck sweater.

She paired it with a pair of casual wide-leg jeans.

Her long hair was casually tied back with a hairpin, and her delicate features always gave people a sense of understated beauty that didn't compete for attention.

Like a docile little white rabbit.

When she saw him, she was clearly timid and flustered, but she always pretended to be calm and composed.

Just like now, she walked up to him, standing awkwardly, her fingers almost digging a hole in his briefcase.

"Mr. Huo..."

Huo Yanbei raised his chin slightly. "Sit."

After Qiao Mian sat down, the waiter brought out a beautiful little cake and placed it in front of her.

Qiao Mian glanced at it, then looked away, took out her laptop, and got straight to the point, "President Huo, you mentioned earlier that there were a few things that needed to be changed. Could you point out which ones specifically, and I'll make the changes now?"

Huo Yanbei acted as if he hadn't heard her, reaching out to push the cake towards her: "Eat first, then get back to work."

Qiao Mian's fingers on the keyboard twitched slightly. "Thank you, I'm not hungry."

He picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and asked, "Did you eat with Zhou Jinan?"

"..."

Qiao Mian paused for two seconds, then glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window.

She guessed that he had seen her when she got out of Zhou Jinnan's car.

Not wanting to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings, she explained, "Director Zhou gave me a ride here on his way; we didn't eat together on the way."

Upon hearing this answer, the man raised an eyebrow. "Since you haven't had dinner, perfect timing, here's your favorite cake."

Qiao Mian noticed mango pieces on the cake, and her heart jumped.

She's allergic to mangoes, but he still ordered a mango cake...

If he finds out she's allergic to mangoes, he'll start to doubt her identity again.

Thinking of this, she forced herself to talk back to him: "I don't like sweets."

"Yeah?"

The man scoffed softly, his fair, clean fingers holding a small spoon as he slowly stirred his coffee. "Last time, I clearly saw you eating cake with your colleagues, and you ate a lot of it."

When her lie was exposed, Qiao Mian immediately came up with another excuse: "I'm on a diet, and I never eat sweets at night, otherwise I'll gain weight."

A knowing smile played on the man's lips: "You're so skinny you're uncomfortable to the touch. Do you still need to lose weight?"

These words instantly reminded her of the moment she kissed him in the bathroom that day.

During the process, though she was confused, she remembered that his hand went inside her clothes several times...

He had a strong grip, and even though two days have passed, her chest still feels a little sore...

Qiao Mian shifted uncomfortably in her sitting position, her face flushed, head bowed, biting her lip tightly: "President Huo, no woman is indifferent to weight..."

Looking at the woman's shy yet stubborn appearance, Huo Yanbei curled his lips: "My sister Awu doesn't care. She especially loves sweets, especially cakes."

"You like cake?"

Qiao Mian chuckled softly, the fear in her eyes gradually replaced by a chill: "Mr. Huo, have you ever considered that your sister's love for cake might not necessarily mean she truly enjoys it?"

She really doesn't like sweets.

During high school, she experienced bullying, and she ate a lot of sweets just to gain weight and make herself fat.

When she was with Huo Yanbei, she lived cautiously, prioritizing his joys and sorrows, afraid that he would think she wasn't obedient enough, and never daring to express her own opinions or needs.

Every time he bought her the most expensive and beautiful cake, she pretended to be very happy.

However, he didn't know that every time she ate cake, she would reopen the wounds of the bullying she had suffered.

As her thoughts drifted away, Huo Yanbei's cool voice came: "I understand Awu better than anyone else. I know what she likes and dislikes."