Xiang Wan spoke these words after a night of struggle, mustering great courage.
She thought that given their many years of friendship, Lu Mingzhe would surely be surprised or try to persuade her to stay.
However, after she finished speaking, he stared at her for less than five seconds before readily agreeing.
"Alright. But there's no need to be so serious, as if you plan to never see me again."
Lu Mingzhe's expression was indifferent.
"I'm not that shameless. Since I've agreed, I won't bother you anymore."
Xiang Wan felt an emptiness in her heart.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
"Get dressed and leave quickly."
Lu Mingzhe turned to get his clothes, putting them on as he always did.
"Breakfast is ready. Aren't you going to let me finish before leaving? It won't make much difference."
"Besides, my car is still downstairs at your studio. Can I get a ride with you?"
Xiang Wan didn't want to appear petty.
Even more, she didn't want Lu Mingzhe to sense her unusual emotions.
So, she pretended to be nonchalant and agreed.
They ate breakfast together, said goodbye to her brother, and then got into Xiang Wan's car.
It was a bright summer morning. The windows were open, and the car was moving at a moderate pace. Cool wind blew in, refreshing body and mind.
Unfortunately, Xiang Wan couldn't feel happy.
Having made this decision, perhaps they would never see each other again.
Nearly five years. The tail end of her youth had been spent on this one man.
To have it disappear so quietly, how could she not feel a sense of loss?
Yet, at the same time, she looked down on herself.
She silently told herself not to dwell on these pointless thoughts, not to be a foolish woman consumed only by love.
With these conflicting emotions, she easily became distracted.
As they drove, they approached an intersection. The green light had already turned red, but she hadn't realized it.
Lu Mingzhe, noticing she had no intention of stopping and before he could even warn her, heard a "thud" as they rear-ended the car in front.
It was a black Wrangler.
"What are you thinking about, spacing out so early in the morning? Can't you see such a big red light? Are you alright?"
Xiang Wan snapped back to reality. Facing Lu Mingzhe's concern, she felt humiliated.
He was acting as if nothing had happened, never caring about her, yet she was about to cause a traffic accident because of him?
Xiang Wan, Xiang Wan, can you stop being so embarrassing?
"I'm fine."
She put the car in park and unbuckled her seatbelt.
"I'll go take a look."
She opened the car door just as the driver of the car in front also got out.
Initially, being rear-ended so early in the morning was a frustrating experience. But upon getting out, he saw such a beautiful woman.
The other driver immediately lost his temper.
"How is it? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell or is there a problem with the car? What just happened?"
The other party showed no signs of blame or harsh words.
Xiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm so sorry, it was my fault. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, don't worry."
"Then, should we go through insurance? I apologize for wasting your time."
The other driver was a man, estimated to be in his early thirties, of medium build, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin.
He wore a simple crew-neck t-shirt, capri pants, and sneakers.
Not particularly stylish, but he exuded an aura of experience and composure.
"Oh, it's alright. This little scratch is nothing. As long as you're okay, that's what matters."
But that wouldn't do.
His car was not cheap, and her collision had left a small dent. The repair would cost at least ten thousand yuan.
Xiang Wan couldn't shirk responsibility.
"If you're in a hurry, let's settle this privately. How about this, can you estimate the cost, and I'll transfer it to you now?"
She took out her phone.
The man quickly declined.
"No need, really. You didn't do it on purpose. Besides, your car needs repairs too, so it's not just me who's unlucky."
Xiang Wan was deeply touched to have encountered such a kind person.
"Then... I won't delay you any longer. I'm truly sorry."
Saying this, she prepared to return to her car.
The man hesitated for a moment, then called out to her.
"Miss, please wait a moment."
Seeing that the other driver was a man and looked somewhat unapproachable, Lu Mingzhe, fearing Xiang Wan might be taken advantage of, got out of the car.
The man took out his phone, about to ask Xiang Wan for her WeChat, when he saw Lu Mingzhe. His expression faltered. "Uh, does the young lady have a boyfriend?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Mingzhe realized the man was somewhat interested in Xiang Wan. Without dwelling on it, a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"Have you already settled things?"
Xiang Wan looked at the man, then at Lu Mingzhe.
"The gentleman is very understanding. I don't need to compensate him. Let's not waste anyone's time and leave quickly."
He still had some grace.
Lu Mingzhe smiled at the man.
"Hello. I'm not her boyfriend. You want her WeChat? Go ahead and add her."
Xiang Wan looked over at him in disbelief.
Seeing Lu Mingzhe smiling brightly, her heart sank. She handed over her QR code.
"If there's an opportunity, I'll treat you to a meal to express my apologies. I'm truly sorry about today."
For the rest of the journey, Xiang Wan no longer felt pity for herself.
Such a heartless, useless man. She had wasted years on him. It was better to break up sooner than later, so why cling to him?
To feel melancholic over such a man was utterly foolish!
With this thought, she transformed back into the indomitable, strong-willed woman.
She drove to her office building with a flourish, didn't bother to acknowledge Lu Mingzhe, turned off the engine, didn't spare him an extra glance, and went straight upstairs.
Lu Mingzhe had intended to say a few more polite words.
He hadn't expected Xiang Wan to flit away like a gust of wind.
Back in the car, he savored the moment and felt utterly insignificant.
However, it was good not to waste words.
They were bound to part ways sooner or later. From now on, he would focus all his energy on Chen Jiaojiao.
If I don't get this revenge, I, Lu Mingzhe, swear I am no man!
At eight in the morning, Jiang Nan Fang arrived at the technical department of Grey Electric on time.
Less than ten minutes after she sat down, the delivery person arrived again with a large bouquet of flowers for her to sign for.
This was the fifth consecutive day she had received flowers.
Every morning, ninety-nine red roses captured everyone's attention.
Everyone assumed Zhan Bei Jue was expressing his love for her.
Only she knew it must be Ke Teng.
Jiang Nan Fang wanted to stop him, to talk to him in person.
But ever since she had called him that day, Ke Teng had deactivated his number.
He had also deleted his WeChat.
Jiang Nan Fang couldn't contact him.
She didn't have the time or the courage to go to Shangcheng to find him, as it would make things more complicated.
Looking at the pile of flowers, she was feeling down when Vice President Gao knocked on her office door.
Holding the vibrant red flowers, Jiang Nan Fang's fair skin appeared even more radiant than the blossoms.
Vice President Gao joked with her.
"President Zhan is becoming more romantic. Accompanied by fresh flowers every morning and picked up by him in person in the afternoon, Engineer Jiang's life is as sweet as honey."