Director Jiang, don't let the divorce get out of control.

"You want me to apologize to her?" Ji Shiyan's face turned ashen, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

He was the youngest person in charge of the Ji family, and had been pampered since childhood. He had never been treated like this before.

"Shouldn't it be?" Jiang Yubai slightly lifted his eyelids, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with a cold light.

"If President Ji insists on not apologizing, then I don't mind having the Ministry reassess the risks of all of Ji's foreign-related qualifications review."

His words were full of threats.

Ji Shiyan clenched his fists and met Jiang Yubai's gaze.

The atmosphere between the two was tense and evenly matched.

Even though he didn't have a deep relationship with Jiang Yubai, Ji Shiyan was very clear that although Jiang Yubai seemed gentle and refined, his methods were in no way inferior to Jiang Yubai's.

Right now, he needs to expand into overseas markets, and Jiang Yubai holds his lifeline in his hands.

After weighing the pros and cons, Ji Shiyan gritted his teeth and looked at Wen Ruan with resentment, saying, "Miss Wen, I apologize for my unfounded speculation."

"I accept," Wen Ruan said.

"Mr. Ji, if this happens again, I won't give you any face."

After saying this, he took Wen Ruan's hand and turned to leave.

Watching the two walk away hand in hand, a dark undercurrent surged in Ji Shiyan's eyes, which he found particularly jarring.

He cursed a national treasure in an attempt to detach himself from the emotions stirred by Wen Ruan, but it was to no avail.

Did Wen Ruan truly dislike him and fall for Jiang Yubai?

The thought of this answer filled Ji Shiyan with an unprecedented sense of unease.

-

the other side.

Wen Ruan felt a warm glow in her heart when Jiang Yubai threatened Ji Shiyan to apologize to her.

Her gaze slowly descended, landing on the hand tightly held by the man. Whether it was her imagination or not, Jiang Yubai seemed to be intentionally trying to get her away quickly, not wanting her to stay even a second longer.

The reason for this...

Before she could think it through, the man pulled her into the elevator.

The two stood still, and Wen Ruan was about to pull her hand away, but Jiang Yubai gripped it even tighter.

The dry warmth emanated from her hands, and the tips of her ears involuntarily turned red and hot.

What...what does he mean by that?!

Is it possessiveness at play?

Wen Ruan couldn't help but look up at Jiang Yubai's profile, trying to discern his thoughts from his facial expression. However, what she saw was the man's elegant and charming jawline taut like a string, his displeasure blatantly evident.

It was probably Ji Shiyan's deliberately provocative and malicious remarks that crossed his bottom line.

Wen Ruan pondered for a long time before deciding to speak frankly, but she didn't know how to begin.

The elevator connects the top floor to the underground parking garage.

Wen Ruan's palms were slightly sweaty, but Jiang Yubai still showed no sign of letting go.

"Um..." she broke the silence first.

Jiang Yubai seemed to have guessed what she was thinking. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his narrow eyes reflecting a sharp and compelling light. "The car is parked over there."

The implication is that we should get on the bus first and then discuss the rest.

"it is good."

Wen Ruan obediently sat in the passenger seat, watching the car slowly drive out of the garage and onto the main road.

Her fingers, gripping the seatbelt, curled up nervously as she explained softly.

"What Ji Shiyan just said... bribing photographers for trending topics, blocking people to create hype, volunteering to go to Ji's... it's all just his wild guesses. I didn't do any of that. There's another reason I agreed to come to Ji's: I wanted to find the person who took the photos and see if it was the same person."

Jiang Yubai stared straight ahead, his hands on the steering wheel. "I know."

Wen Ruan was taken aback. "You knew?"

Jiang Yubai said in a low voice, "Yes, leave these matters to me. You don't need to worry about them anymore."

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruan's unease vanished in an instant.

Their marriage was a marriage of convenience, yet he treated her better than her closest relatives.

He always chose her with unwavering resolve.

On the contrary, I always cause him trouble, which is more than just "dereliction of duty".

Wen Ruan immediately felt guilty and sincerely said, "Thank you for believing in me."

"Wen Ruan, you don't have to shoulder everything yourself."

Jiang Yubai spoke in a nonchalant tone, and Wen Ruan couldn't immediately discern the weight in his words.

He's referring to her trending topics and photos, right?

"I told you I came to the Ji family today to discuss the project."

You just didn't reply!

"Yes, it ended later than I expected."

Wen Ruan asked instinctively, "Do you have other plans for tonight?"

Jiang Yubai's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles twitching. "Does picking you up from get off work count?"

Wen Ruan's heart skipped a beat, and she whispered, "Then next time, I'll tell you the end time in advance."

"Okay." Jiang Yubai didn't look to the side, but the corners of his mouth curved into an upward arc.

Back at the apartment, Wen Ruan poured herself a glass of water and took a sip when she turned around and saw Jiang Yubai pulling out a first-aid kit and walking over.

"sit down."

Wen Ruan was puzzled.

"Your knee needs some more medicine."

Wen Ruan felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

He still remembered the minor bumps and bruises that she herself had almost forgotten.

"Um, I can do it myself." She reached out her hand, wanting to take the medicine box.

Jiang Yubai didn't give her a chance. After pressing her down into a chair, he knelt down in front of her, completely shedding his aloofness as a department head.

"Let me see."

He reached out and rolled up her trouser leg.

Wen Ruan's skin was fair and smooth, her calves were as white as snow, and the dark purple and bluish bruises at her knees were particularly eye-catching.

Jiang Yubai squeezed out the ointment, carefully applied it, spread it evenly with his fingertips, and then covered it with his palm to prepare to rub it in, so that the blood stasis would dissipate.

"It might hurt a little," he said, as if coaxing a child.

Wen Ruan's ears burned as she listened. "Mmm."

His palm pressed against her skin, and Wen Ruan unconsciously shrank back a little.

"Don't move." Jiang Yubai gently pressed down on her calf.

To avoid embarrassment, Wen Ruan could only remain frozen, her gaze fixed on the beautiful eyebrows and eyes of the person in front of her.

Everyone says that Jiang Yubai is the most refined and unapproachable young master in Beijing's social circle, but the way he bent down to rub the medicine for her at this moment was so gentle that it touched people's hearts.

A strange, inappropriate longing arose in Wen Ruan's heart.

But the thought of him having someone he liked forced her to suppress the idea.

She pursed her lips, and almost involuntarily spoke, "Miss Jiang, are you aware of our fake marriage?"

Jiang Yubai paused, his dark eyes fixed intently on her.

Wen Ruan, not wanting her secret thoughts to be seen through, quickly averted her gaze. "I'm not trying to pry into your private affairs. I just... wanted to know a little so I could be prepared in advance, and if we happen to meet again, at least I'd know how to cooperate with you..."

"Don't overthink it. I'm not interfering with your relationship, I just... think it's better to clarify things..."

The more she talked, the more obvious it seemed, like she was trying to hide something. Wen Ruan secretly regretted her loose tongue.

Jiang Yubai did not rush to respond. He lowered his head and continued to perform the rubbing motion. Then he closed the first-aid kit, stood up, and looked down at Wen Ruan.

Do you think Wanxing and I are dating?

Feeling guilty under her gaze, Wen Ruan nodded blankly, then, sensing the change in her tone, quickly added, "Isn't that right? Everyone else thinks you two are a good match..."

"We're just business partners," Jiang Yubai interrupted her. "That photo from the business trip was something she said she wanted to keep as a memento, but somehow it ended up with me."

Jiang Yubai leaned closer, his expression serious and earnest. "Wen Ruan, remember this clearly. The person I'm marrying is you. There has never been any crossing of the line between her and me."

Wen Ruan curled her fingers into her palm and stared at him blankly.

Is he... explaining things to her and clearing up her misunderstanding?

Or are you trying to say that he won't cheat on you before the divorce?

Jiang Yubai packed up his medicine box, stood up straight, and looked down at her fluffy, soft hair, adding a comment.

Don't overthink it.

"I have never thought about divorcing you."

After saying that, without waiting for her response, he picked up the medicine box, turned around, and walked away.

Wen Ruan sat there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

If he doesn't divorce her, what about Jiang Wanxing?

Wen Ruan's mind was a little confused, so she simply stopped thinking about it and buried her face in her knees.

At night, Wen Ruan tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, her conversation with Jiang Yubai replaying in her mind like a revolving lantern.

The phrase "I never thought about divorcing you" kept echoing in her mind, like a brute force tethering her head and heart, pulling and tugging at her rationality and her hidden thoughts.

She kept telling herself not to overthink it; there was no future for her and Jiang Yubai.

The next day.

Wen Ruan went to work with dark circles under her eyes. As soon as she arrived at her workstation, Shen Yicheng called her into his office.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Wen Ruan shook her head, "It's okay, it won't affect my work."

Shen Yicheng nodded, picked up another document and handed it over: "This is the interpreting schedule for next week's foreign visit. You'll be in charge of the opening remarks. I'll send the speech to your email tonight."