beyond saving; she had lost, utterly and completely. All because Zhuo Yu'an had been too ruthless. His ruthlessness wasn't directed at her, but at himself.The courtroom fell silent, everyone held thei...When they reached the crossroad in the middle of their two apartment complexes, Zhuo Yu'an stopped the car. Lin Zhifei understood and silently got out, not wanting to be a third wheel. She was just an emotionless tool person now, providing cover for them and diverting everyone's attention.

Shū Tínglán was truly oblivious, only realizing after getting off the car that Lín Zhīfěi wasn't there.

"Huh" She had been engrossed in setting up workflows on her phone's office software, assuming the car stop was due to a red light.

Zuo Yu'an smiled, took her phone and put it in her bag.

It's time to get off work now, the project hasn't started yet, so let's rest well first.

Back home, it was as usual Zhu Yu'an who cooked, Shu Tinglan occasionally helping out. Such a strange relationship, such a strange way of getting along, yet the two had grown accustomed to it.

After dinner, the two of them continued to cuddle on the sofa and watch a boring legal show. When the phone rang, Shu Tinglan answered it. It was the hospital calling.

"Ms. Shu, this month's bill was sent to your email last week. Tomorrow is the deadline for payment, and I'm afraid you might have missed the email, so I'm calling to remind you. Please don't forget."

“Okay, I’ll take a look right away.”

She's been busy lately and really did forget to check her personal email. It was a long bill, itemizing every day, every time slot, every drug used, and every instance of care.

Of course, the total amount on the final bill is also clearly stated.

After paying the hospital bills and the mortgage, there was only a single digit left in her bank account. For the past six months at the law firm, she hadn't taken on any projects, only relying on her basic salary. She had been dipping into her savings all along. This month, her savings were officially depleted, and her next payday was almost 20 days away. 20 days...both short and long.

Actually, the hospital had suggested that her mother could transfer to a public hospital with lower fees, which could save at least half the monthly cost. But she couldn't bear to do so; she was willing to do everything in her power to give her mother the best possible conditions.

She finished the transfer and stared at her nearly empty phone account in disbelief.

"Need a hand"

Zuo Yu'an's voice startled her. She had just finished a phone call and was so lost in thought that she completely forgot someone was beside her.

She hurriedly closed the phone page, shaking her head.

"No, you've already helped me a lot."

He makes breakfast and dinner every day, which has been a huge help; she wouldn't go hungry.

This night, Zhuo Yu'an only held her from behind while sleeping and didn't touch her at all. This was the only night since they started sleeping together that he hadn't touched her, besides when she had her period.

In the dead of night, Shu Tinglan couldn't sleep. Many things weighed heavily on her mind, making her feel suffocated.

The units digit of the bank card balance;

Progress of the work;

Mother's illness;

Each one was like a mountain pressing down on her. She gently pried open Zhuo Yu'an's hand that was circling hers, wanting to get out of bed for some fresh air. But Zhuo Yu'an tightened his arms, whispering softly in her ear

"Shu Tinglan, tell me about what you did after you graduated from high school."

Like a bolt of lightning, it split the sky black as ink, and thunder struck her heart. She stiffened all over, shaking her head. There was nothing to say, and she didn't want to say anything.

"Zuo Yu'an, if you think you can handle it, then let's just maintain our current relationship. Don't ask, and don't do anything." She didn't want her family affairs to become public knowledge, nor did she want to disrupt the hard-won peace in her life, so her tone was harsh, like an ice pick, cold and piercing.

She is just that kind of person, seeming gentle and easygoing on the surface, but actually because she doesn't care or mind. When it comes to things she truly cares about, she is sharper than anyone else.

Zuo Yu'an heard this and silently let go of her, getting out of bed as if to go outside for some water.

Shu Tinglan knew he was angry. No one could bear her coldness and dullness. Zhuo YUAN would sooner or later grow tired of her body and lose patience with her.

She only hoped that at the time, it wouldn't affect cooperation because of the breakdown of their relationship, but coming to think of it, he was a person who distinguished between public and private affairs, so he shouldn't.

She could vaguely hear Zhu YUAN's voice on the phone from the living room, but she couldn't make out the words clearly. She wasn't interested in listening anyway.

It's Wang Yan calling, he sounds surprised.

"What's going on The news reached headquarters that you're getting married To Lin Zhixuan"

Zuo Yu'an remained silent, not answering. In fact, he had been quiet ever since the call connected.

"Could this be real I just left the country… What's going on!"

Zhuo Yu'an remained silent.

"Wouldn't it be inconvenient to take a call Have I disturbed you" Wang Yan slapped his forehead and suddenly realized that it was late at night in China now. He wouldn't have disturbed anything good, would he

Zhuo Yuyan finally spoke:

Is there anything else

"It's fine, but Anne also knows about your rumors. Should you tell her"

"No, Anne's IQ is higher than yours."

"Mr. Zhuo, what do you mean" Wang Yan felt like he was being implied.

Zuo Yu's mood improved slightly, but he continued to remain silent, feeling down and unwilling to speak.

Wang Yan said something else before hanging up the phone.

"By the way, Ane said she will be back in the country for a while during this Spring Festival to help with the acquisition."

"Okay, she told me, I'll make the arrangements." Mentioning An, Zhuo Yu'an finally wasn't so silent.

In the end, Wang Yan was still not convinced and continued to ask:

"Yuan, are you and Lin Zhixuan really together It's not just hearsay, is it"

What answered him was Zhu Yu'an's mercilessly hung-up phone.

Shu Tinglan was hazy and knew that Zhu Yu'an was back. He was held in his arms, and he vaguely thought, how come this person hasn't left Doesn't he have a home

After that day, Shu Tinglan didn't see Zhuo Yu'an for a while. Lawyer Zhang revealed that Zhuo Yuan Technology has a new product to be launched at the end of the year and is in the final testing phase, so he and Wang Yan both went to the overseas headquarters to keep an eye on things.

Shu Tinglan didn't investigate too much because the merger work officially began. The target company, Shengpu Rui Intelligent, has held a launch ceremony, and intermediary institutions such as law firms, auditors, and assessors have begun to enter one after another. As a member of the law firm, Shu Tinglan is busy every day.

As the project leader, Director Xiao led Zhou Ming, Shu Tinglan, Jia Jia, and three senior lawyers. Everyone had their own specific areas of responsibility, except for Shu Tinglan. She was more like Director Xiao's assistant, responsible for coordinating and liaising. Whenever needed, she would go wherever required, often working all night long.

Zhou Ming said:

"This is Director Xiao's cultivation of you. The entire project is intricate and complex, with a lot of overlapping tasks. If you can arrange all the matters and timelines properly, your growth will be rapid. Next time, you can directly take on projects independently."

Shu Tinglan wasn't stupid. Although Director Xiao didn't talk much and was strict, he had been personally guiding her. In these past half months of work, she learned more than in the previous six months.

Shenghui Smart's headquarters is in Shenzhen, with several branches in neighboring cities. Director Xiao and Shu Tinglan mainly work at the headquarters, while Zhou Ming, Jiajia, and three other lawyers are stationed in other cities. Every evening, Shu Tinglan leads a progress meeting, and after the meeting, she writes a summary report and sends it to Zhang Lawyer at Zhuo Yuan's firm.

Since it's Goddess Day, let's wish all the goddesses a happy holiday!ks and started spreading rumors that the Gu Corporation currently couldn't afford to continue developing this commercial complex and it was very likely to end up as a dud, urging everyone to invest wi...