When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 238: Reluctant to Give Up

Two days later, Boss Pei magically conjured up three electronic tickets to the summit. Jiang Xubai clicked on the link and checked it repeatedly, muttering to himself, "It’s really different when you sell houses, truly worth it."

"Worth what?" Jiang Shuyao teased.

Jiang Xubai put away his phone and pretended to be nonchalant, "Let’s wait and see, it’s too early to draw any conclusions now."

She raised an eyebrow. What, stepped one leg into the thieves’ den and still thinking of pulling it back out?

But obviously, what came next was a vivid demonstration by Jiang Xubai of what it means to be "reluctant in words, but honest in action."

Upon arriving at the convention center, the lobby manager was already warmly greeting them at the entrance.

The respectful and attentive demeanor of the other only refreshed the mysterious value of Boss Pei in Jiang Xubai’s heart.

The three of them went straight to the VIP elevator, the floor numbers ascending swiftly, finally stopping on the seventeenth floor.

The grand summit scene played host to all kinds of leading enterprises in the internet industry, with their products deeply ingrained in the daily lives of the common people.

However, as a younger generation developer, being able to share a space like this now, to listen to corporate moguls discuss the market, talk about trends, and even participate in the Q&A session at the end—though he might not have been able to ask anything—just sitting there and listening to others was a great pleasure to Jiang Xubai.

During the break, Jiang Shuyao made her way through the drink area, occasionally catching inadvertent glances from around her, to her surprise.

Holding a glass of juice, she walked over to Pei Yan and quietly asked him, "Is there something wrong with my outfit today?"

Her blouse matched with a skirt, and she was wearing a pair of high heels about five centimeters tall—her business attire was especially on point.

In comparison, Pei Yan’s dress was decidedly more casual.

Shirt and casual trousers, with the top two buttons near the collar undone, his whole demeanor relaxed and totally at odds with the atmosphere of the meeting.

Strangely, very few people’s gaze fell on him, instead, they were more inclined towards her, who was dressed by the book. What was the reason?

The girl looked confused, and Pei Yan kindly leaned close to her ear to unravel the mystery, "Princess, you’re just too charming, can’t help it."

"..."

She looked at him, speechless.

Forget it, no constructive comments would come out of a dog’s mouth.

There was still some time, so Jiang Shuyao put down her glass and walked toward the restroom.

In the mirror, she scrutinized herself: light makeup today, hair tied back low, and the delicate pendant around her neck slightly visible beneath the slightly open neckline.

That was the necklace Young Master Pei had spotted and boldly bought with a swipe of his card as a gift when they passed by a jewelry store in the Capital last time.

Not long after, a conversation from outside the restroom carried over.

It was the voices of two women, drawing nearer.

"Just glanced for a second, you must be seeing things."

"It’s the new model that DR released last year, I’ve been keeping an eye on it for a long time, but I never dared to buy it because of the price, too familiar, impossible to mistake."

"The young lady doesn’t seem to be very old, but to have a necklace worth six figures, truly awe-inspiring."

The two women sighed and marveled. After all, as adults who’ve struggled in the higher echelons of the workplace for many years, their horizons were naturally far broader than the average woman, and there was surprise in their tone without a trace of disdain.

Jiang Shuyao silently lowered her eyes.

She touched the pendant, remembering that it only cost a few thousand when he swiped the card. How could it be so expensive?

In the silence, the two ladies pushed open the door of the restroom and walked in.

Caught off guard, they found themselves directly looking into the young lady’s gloomy eyes, and the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

The awkwardness lasted only a few seconds.

The woman in a striped dress suit recovered first, apologizing to Jiang Shuyao, "The necklace is beautiful, sorry about just now, we didn’t mean any harm."

A comfortable explanation.

Jiang Shuyao actually didn’t take their words to heart, her only curiosity was about how much the necklace truly cost.

She gathered her composure and returned a faint smile to the other party, "It’s okay."

The little incident quickly passed, and by the time Jiang Shuyao came out of the restroom, the two by the washbasin had already left.

The break was more than halfway through, and she didn’t intend to stay. She planned to pull open the door to leave and had not expected to face another unforeseen individual.

Lu Chen.

The last encounter at the Capital competition was unpleasant, and now it felt like ages had passed.

At the Southwest Region Internet Summit, industry professionals from all over the country gathered; she hadn’t expected Lu Chen, far away in the Capital, to make an appearance.

Jiang Shuyao hid her surprise and stepped aside to give way for the other to enter the room, uncertain of what to say.

Lu Chen’s expression seemed more natural than hers, his gaze lingering on her, the delayed compliment, "You look very beautiful today."

The air was quiet.

Jiang Shuyao bravely met his gaze, "Thank you."

Even as she looked at him, his reflection never truly appeared in her pupils.

Lu Chen stood still, quietly capturing every subtle expression of the girl before his eyes.

It was not difficult to see that she did not want to be near him for even a moment longer.

If it were anyone else, even a stray dog, she would probably show more patience than she had for him.

A bitter taste welled up in Lu Chen’s heart; he stepped back to stand outside the door, signaling her to go first.

As they brushed past each other, he suddenly said, "About the encryption system incident, help me thank Pei Yan. I was used by someone, and if it hadn’t been for his insight, it could have been a disaster."

Jiang Shuyao’s steps stumbled, and she turned her head in surprise to look at him.

"Don’t react like that," Lu Chen said with a light smile. "Xie Anyu must have told you about my family’s situation. I need money, but I wouldn’t sink so low over it. I was just too eager for quick success at the time."

It was hard to imagine that the person who had ridiculed and belittled Pei Yan in front of her three months ago was now so humble and introspective.

She breathed a sigh of relief, though not obviously.

It was a good thing that Lu Chen could come to terms with it.

After the Capital competition, she had thought that Lu Chen would harbor resentment over that incident, but it seemed upon meeting again, he had become broad-minded.

If that was the case, there was no need for her to take things too seriously.

"I will convey that for you," Jiang Shuyao showed him a long-lost gentle smile and said earnestly, "Money earned through legitimate means is secure. Although it’s slower, you can hold your head up high."

She paused, then added softly, "Some things will eventually pass. Once you get over this hurdle, you’ll gradually become better and better."

The girl’s ability to comfort others was still as soft and powerful as ever.

For a moment, Lu Chen fell into the fantasy of that phrase ’you will gradually become better and better.’

But the harsh reality woke him up.

For him, every minute and second could not be wasted.

His mother’s illness could not wait, and neither could his ambition.

So, Yaoyao, I will inevitably disappoint you after all.

Lu Chen managed a strained smile, and both remained silent for a while, until the sound of a corporate speech from the hall direction prompted Jiang Shuyao to hastily bid him farewell and leave the restroom.

The girl’s silhouette was supple and slender.

Her figure, dressed in professional attire, was a completely different kind of beauty from her past campus days.

But no matter which, it was difficult to let go of.