He had finally mustered the courage to travel all this way.
Perhaps in front of everyone, Jiang Nan Fang wouldn't refuse him outright.
It was worth a try.
But he definitely couldn't give her the flowers.
He could lose his head, his blood could flow, but Zhan Bei Jue's reputation must not be tarnished.
What if she rejected his gift in front of everyone? How would he face his subordinates later?
"Stay in the car, don't move. Wait for me."
After a moment of thought, Zhan Bei Jue pushed open the car door and stepped out.
To prevent everyone from noticing that he was now a cripple, he leaned against the car door, not moving.
He rested his arm on the car roof and waved at the crowd.
"Nan Fang."
Everyone was enthusiastically discussing where to eat next.
As the host, Jiang Nan Fang lowered her head, walking and checking addresses.
Hearing a familiar voice call her name, she thought she was hallucinating and looked up.
To her surprise, it was indeed him.
This was the first time she had seen Zhan Bei Jue dressed like this.
A high-necked sweater, a dark coffee-colored short jacket, his hair neatly styled, his face clean, as if he had recovered quite well after leaving the hospital...
Pah!
Why was she appreciating his looks again?
Hadn't she told him they wouldn't see each other again?
Why was he showing up at her company entrance so late?
It wasn't just her who saw Zhan Bei Jue; everyone else did too.
They had collectively quit and betrayed him, and now, just one day later, they were face to face.
Everyone felt a moment of awkwardness.
"Why is he here? What is he doing here? Could it be that Vice President Gao went back and reported us, and he's here to settle accounts with Engineer Jiang?"
If only it were that simple.
Jiang Nan Fang thought, glancing back at them.
"You all wait here. I'll go see what he wants."
Jiang Nan Fang took two steps forward, looking at him expressionlessly.
"It's so late, Mr. Zhan, what brings you here?"
Her tone was unfriendly, indicating she was still upset.
It made sense. Ke Teng was still in the hospital. If she easily got back together with him, wouldn't Ke Jing Yu be furious?
"It's nothing. I just heard you secured the national grid project and are preparing for it."
"I wanted to see if there's anything I can help with."
Looking at his affectionate tone, he was acting like a lovesick poet, which was so unlike him.
Jiang Nan Fang sneered.
"I took your project. You should hate me, so why would you kindly offer to help me?"
"Tell me your real intentions. I don't have time to play games with you."
"I'm not playing games with you. I'm just here to see if you need any help."
Zhan Bei Jue walked two steps forward, leaning on the car, and carefully examined her face.
"Are you not eating properly because you're working overtime every day? Don't push yourself so hard. If you're too busy, I'll help you myself. Look at you, you're getting thinner."
Jiang Nan Fang hated him trying to sway her. Angrily, she took a step back.
"Stop acting so sentimental. What does my weight have to do with you? Anyway, I have a foxy face. Whether I'm fat or thin, I'm still no good!"
"..."
"You say it like it's true. If I really needed people, could you put aside your status as the great President Zhan and be my employee, taking my orders?"
Although her words were sharp and left no room for compromise, Zhan Bei Jue remained patient.
"I can't do that. However, if you say you need people, I will find the right person for you, even if I have to search the entire globe."
"Thank you very much for your offer, but it's not necessary. These few are enough."
Jiang Nan Fang acted like a stubborn shrew, refusing to yield.
"Alright. We've said what we needed to say. We're going for a late-night snack. Can you leave now?"
At this moment, Zhan Bei Jue looked like a sycophantic dog with no self-respect.
"Late-night snack? You haven't had dinner yet?"
He seemed to have missed the point. The point was for him to leave, wasn't it?
Jiang Nan Fang increasingly couldn't stand his accommodating demeanor, his deliberate self-pity, as if she owed him something.
Where was the ruthless and heartless Zhan Bei Jue who used to mock her with every word?
The persona of a devoted and honest man didn't suit him at all.
"I've eaten, but I'm hungry again now. I want to eat another meal. Do you have a problem with that? You're not paying anyway."
"Coincidentally, I'm also hungry again."
Zhan Bei Jue hadn't expected himself to say such demeaning words, but he couldn't help it.
Thinking of her being surrounded by these men, eating and drinking, and possibly getting drunk by accident.
He felt uneasy.
"We've been colleagues, and I've never treated them to a meal. Now that I'm leaving, I'll take advantage of your good fortune and treat them to a farewell dinner. Do you have any objections?"
This was truly bizarre.
Could it be that Zhan Bei Jue genuinely had a conscience?
Would he be tormented by guilt?
Even after she had been so harsh, he still wouldn't leave?
Seeing his persistence, Jiang Nan Fang couldn't quite figure out what she was feeling.
She glanced back at everyone.
"President Zhan says he never treated you to a meal before and wants to compensate you with one tonight. He's treating. Are you willing to go?"
What?
President Zhan wasn't only not blaming them for collectively quitting, but he was also treating them to a meal?
This was such a grand gesture!
It seemed they still held significant importance in President Zhan's heart.
Everyone erupted: "Thank you, President Zhan!"
Jiang Nan Fang had no choice but to follow the majority: "Then let's all go together."
Zhan Bei Jue immediately followed her: "What does everyone want to eat?"
"Get in our car. We'll discuss it slowly once we're in the car."
Lu Ming Zhe, who had been sitting in the car, finally couldn't stand it.
Seeing Zhan Bei Jue about to follow her, he quickly rolled down the car window.
"Hey, hey, hey, Zhan Bei Jue, don't be so heartless! There's still someone here. What about me if you leave?"
Jiang Nan Fang then realized someone was sitting in the car.
Zhan Bei Jue didn't even look at him.
"Don't you have the keys? Drive yourself back."
"...You're going to eat and drink with everyone, and I have to drive back like this?"
"Did you not eat enough dinner either?"
"Is this about eating enough or not? This..."
"If you don't want to go back so early, find a restaurant yourself and have a late-night snack. Don't follow me."
Lu Ming Zhe was truly exasperated with him.
Did this ex-wife have three heads and six arms? Or did she know some sorcery?
She had turned him into this state, looking like he had lost his soul the moment he saw her.
So pathetic.
"I can leave, but what about the flowers? You don't want them anymore?"
Lu Ming Tian grabbed the flowers from the back seat and pushed them through the car window.
"Your red roses, do you still want them?"
Jiang Nan Fang looked back. He was holding a small bouquet of roses.
There were about less than ten, wrapped in transparent paper, tied with a white ribbon.
The color combination was quite fresh, much cuter and more delicate than the usual huge bouquets.
Zhan Bei Jue walked over, took them from Lu Ming Tian, and handed them to Jiang Nan Fang.
At the same time, he lowered his voice: "These are for you. It's the first time I've bought flowers, and I didn't know what you liked."
"Take them if you like them. If not, take them back and throw them away. So many people are watching, give me some face."