After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

Midnight moonlight shone through the gauze curtains into the study, casting a grayish-white glow on the polished floor.

The man's figure was indistinct as he sat at the desk; his expression was obscured, only his silhouette was vaguely visible.

The clock on the wall ticked to two in the morning, but the man was wide awake.

His mind was filled with the woman's tear-streaked face, pointing at him with a broken yet stubborn expression, saying, "Lu Xiyan, you'll regret bullying me like this!"

"Oh!"

He chuckled softly. Was he bullying her?

He's the one who's being bullied, isn't he?

I opened the drawer and pulled out a thick foreign language book from the inside.

With slender fingertips, he turned the pages of the book, skillfully opening a certain page where a heart-shaped object was tucked inside. Upon closer inspection, it was a folded five-dollar bill.

In the darkness, the man's deep eyes churned with complex emotions.

When they first met six years ago, he gave her a chocolate, and she gave him five dollars.

For six years, he folded the five-yuan bill into a small heart shape and hid it in the book he often read.

He once unilaterally used this five-yuan bill as a token of their love.

Seeing it now, I only find it laughable and ironic.

The happiness he once flaunted was like a slap in the face, repeatedly striking his own.

The heart-shaped banknote in his palm was suddenly gripped tightly, so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

......

the next morning.

A black luxury car stopped at the entrance of the Auten Group building on the first floor. The car door opened, black thin-soled leather shoes stepped out, and a man in a suit and leather shoes stepped out of the car.

"President Lu."

Jiang Yao stood at the door to greet them and immediately reported, "All the attendees for today's weekly meeting have arrived."

The man grunted in agreement and stepped into the lobby.

"Hello, Mr. Lu!"

The lobby staff stood in two rows, and immediately bowed when they saw the man enter.

Lu Xiyan nodded slightly and strode towards the elevator.

Just then, an untimely voice suddenly appeared—

"President Lu!"

Lu Xiyan frowned slightly, paused, and turned to look. His deep eyes held not only the usual indifference but also a hint of doubt.

Jiang Yao looked over upon hearing the sound, his eyes widening in surprise, "Miss An?!"

"Good morning, Mr. Lu!"

An Ning changed her previous habit of waiting patiently; this time, she took the initiative and waited for him in the lobby before he even arrived at the company.

Ignoring the puzzled and surprised looks from the crowd, she smiled and quickly walked up to Lu Xiyan. "Mr. Lu, I'm here to bring you coffee."

She held up her coffee. "No sugar, just a spoonful of milk. Is that to your liking?"

Lu Xiyan frowned as he looked at her, only to see a smile on her fair face, as if nothing had happened last night.

He glanced at the coffee in her hand. She brought him a late-night snack last night and coffee today. There was nothing Anning wouldn't do, only things he couldn't think of.

"Ms. An has switched careers to become a food delivery driver?"

His gaze shifted to her face. "I don't drink this flavor of coffee, it tastes awful."

Lu Xiyan had even anticipated seeing disappointment in her eyes, but he never expected—

"It's alright." Anning held up three more cups of coffee in her left hand, her smile unchanged. "Here's one with sugar but no milk, another with sugar and milk, and a third without sugar and milk. You can choose whichever you prefer."

Lu Xiyan's eyes were distant as he looked at the four cups of coffee in her hand, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He looked away, neither answering nor glancing at her again.

He tossed out a sentence, "Get ready for the meeting," and strode away.

Jiang Yao was still watching the drama unfold when he suddenly realized what was happening and immediately followed up, "Yes, President Lu."

The elevator doors opened, and as soon as Lu Xiyan stepped inside, a figure darted in.

"Mr. Lu." An Ning quickly entered his elevator, looked up at him with a smile, and said, "If you don't want coffee, I have breakfast here."

"peaceful!"

Lu Xiyan addressed her by her name, giving her a cold look. "Have you had enough fun? Wasn't what I said last night clear enough?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao, who was standing at the door, shifted his gaze.

last night?

What little story happened between Mr. Lu and Ms. An last night?

Why is Miss An suddenly being so attentive to President Lu today?

"Mr. Lu explained it very clearly."

An Ning's eyes were slightly red, but her smile remained unchanged. "However, I still want to bring you breakfast."

She waved the sandwiches in her hand. "One was bought, and the other was made by me. Which one do you want?"

"An Ning." Lu Xiyan glanced at the breakfast in her hand, his Adam's apple bobbing for a moment, his eyes filled with coldness. "You've really changed my perception of you. You're capable of anything to achieve your goals."

An Ning's eyes flickered, and her hand holding the breakfast trembled slightly.

"Jiang Yao!" he said coldly, his voice low and icy. "You're fully responsible for being late to the meeting."

"what?"

Jiang Yao was startled and quickly looked at An Ning, "Miss An, please exit through the elevator."

An Ning didn't move, her eyes stubbornly fixed on Lu Xiyan.

Lu Xiyan looked away and gave Jiang Yao a killer look.

"Miss An, I'm so sorry."

Jiang Yao closed his eyes and forcefully pulled An Ning out of the elevator.

Then the elevator doors slowly closed.

Anning had just steadied herself when she saw the elevator slowly ascending.

......

Lu Xiyan had a cold face, and his presence was extremely oppressive.

The air in the elevator had dropped several degrees, and Jiang Yao stood behind him, not daring to breathe.

As the elevator ascended to the CEO's office on the top floor, Jiang Yao felt a chill run down his spine.

Just as I stepped out of the elevator, the phone in the president's office rang.

Jiang Yao quickly went to answer it, then asked in surprise, "Miss An again?"

Upon hearing this, the man who was about to enter the office paused and turned to look at him.

Jiang Yao looked troubled. "Mr. Lu, Miss An wants to see you..."

Before the man could speak, he immediately added, "I know you don't want to see her, but Miss An said she has something she wants to return to you in person."

"What is it?"

"Miss An said it was a pen," Jiang Yao added. "Miss An also said that she would return the item to you and wouldn't bother you any longer."

The man's eyes darkened slightly, his hands clenched into fists in his pockets, and he strode into the office.

To meet or not to meet?

Jiang Yao was in a dilemma when a furious voice suddenly came from the office, "Let her in."

......

The morning sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and standing by the window, you could overlook the entire CBD.

An Ning stood by the window of the president's office, looking down at the pedestrians below who were so small they looked like tiny black dots, like ants searching for food.

Only then did she understand Lu Xiyan's words about regarding her as an ant.

Anning was just one of the many different kinds of people downstairs.

Lu Xiyan, on the other hand, is the high-ranking successor of the Lu family.

Suddenly, the sound of a door being pushed open came from behind, followed by the sound of leather shoes walking on the ground getting closer and closer.

An Ning turned around and met Lu Xiyan's deep and bright eyes.