Volume 1, Chapter 18: Two years ago, sir did have a brief moment of affection for madam.

The Lu Corporation’s board meeting dragged on from the morning well into the afternoon. Wan Yan appeared distracted throughout the entire session; despite Song Yin’s repeated, subtle reminders for him to speak, he dismissed the topics with only a few perfunctory sentences.

Before the meeting had even concluded, he distracted himself to ask Song Yin in public: "Has my wife arrived at the company?"

Song Yin scanned the room, where the directors were still locked in a heated dispute, and leaned over to answer in a helpless, hushed tone.

"Sir, these directors have been arguing since this morning and refused to adjourn, so I haven’t left the conference room. I don’t know if your wife has arrived."

Wan Yan was unsatisfied with the answer but remained silent, his face darkening with a cold, piercing glare.

The implication of his expression was painfully obvious. Under immense pressure, Song Yin immediately added, "I’ll go out and check with her right now!"

Wan Yan’s expression softened slightly, and he gave a rare instruction: "Regardless of whether she is at the company or not, come back and report to me immediately."

Song Yin was so taken aback that he stood frozen in place. Wan Yan’s attitude toward Lu Zhaoxi had changed significantly compared to before, though he himself seemed unaware of it. As an observer, Song Yin felt this shift quite clearly, which finally helped him understand why Liang Zhijin was so wary of the amnesiac Lu Zhaoxi. He had almost forgotten that two years ago, his boss had briefly lost his heart to his sunshine-like wife. If it weren't for Chairman Lu’s interference—using dirty tactics to force the marriage—everything might have turned out differently.

Seeing him still rooted to the spot, Wan Yan flared with anger. "Why are you still standing there? Get out and find her!"

After chasing him out, Wan Yan found no peace; instead, his anxiety only deepened. He held his fountain pen, tapping it against the table rhythmically. The previously noisy conference room fell silent at the sound. The directors, divided into various factions, were unsure of what this acting chairman was planning and chose to watch and wait. After all, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

Wan Yan could not spare the energy to intimidate them now. He sat in the seat of the highest decision-maker, waiting quietly for Song Yin to return with news of Lu Zhaoxi. He checked his watch repeatedly, an act that made the time seem to stretch, though in reality, only ten minutes had passed. Fortunately, Song Yin was efficient, and he didn't have to wait for the eleventh minute.

The directors watched as Song Yin pushed the door open and whispered into Wan Yan’s ear. The acting chairman—who had remained unflappable even when three senior directors had publicly insulted him and pressured him to step down—suddenly erupted in fury, abandoning the unfinished meeting and walking out.

This left a clear opening for the directors to exploit, and they each began calculating their own interests.

Zhi Zheng, who had just dropped Lu Zhaoxi back home, was walking out of the apartment complex when he saw Wan Yan stepping out of his car with a rigid face. A triumphant smile flashed across Zhi Zheng’s face. Having prepared a litany of remarks intended to infuriate him, he stopped and waited with composure.

"I don't recall Mr. Zhi mentioning last night that he intended to take my wife to ride the Ferris wheel, play in the water, and dine at a couple’s restaurant," Wan Yan demanded, asserting his role as Lu Zhaoxi’s husband.

If not for Song Yin’s quick intervention, the entire city would be buzzing with news of Lu Zhaoxi and Zhi Zheng’s affair. He had completely forgotten his original purpose in leaving Lu Zhaoxi at the Shuiwan Villa last night; he only knew that a nameless rage was surging within him, with nowhere to vent.

Zhi Zheng naturally adopted the demeanor of a third party. "Did you even know that your wife likes riding the Ferris wheel or playing in the water? You can have a childhood sweetheart; why can’t she?"

The saying about shooting oneself in the foot applied perfectly to Wan Yan. He knew full well that he had been the one to push Lu Zhaoxi away, step by step, as part of his own scheme.

Zhi Zheng reached out and brushed Wan Yan’s shoulder, saying, "Remember to tread lightly when you walk past her room. Don't wake her."

In that moment, Wan Yan solidified his principles. Even if he didn't like or want something, it still belonged to him—and even if he threw it away, no one else was allowed to pick it up.

"I played with fire and got burned this time. I’ll admit it," Wan Yan said, his tone shifting as he warned, "But if Mr. Zhi approaches my wife again, I will exercise my rights as her husband."

With a gloomy gaze, he walked past Zhi Zheng, his footsteps steady and heavy.

Standing by the bed, Wan Yan stared silently at the woman sleeping soundly. He couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She had nearly caused a scandal with another man, yet she was sleeping so contentedly? Perhaps the fear she had shown on the phone last night was all an act—who knew how much she had actually wanted to see Zhi Zheng?

Wan Yan’s breathing grew heavy. At that thought, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out, wanting to pull Lu Zhaoxi from the bed and demand to know what they had been doing for nearly a day and night.

But after his hand hovered in the air, he let it fall in defeat. On one hand, he didn't want to develop an excessive possessiveness toward Lu Zhaoxi; on the other, he couldn't believe that a man who harbored impure intentions toward his wife would do nothing while they were alone. Subconsciously, he had already judged her as unfaithful, so there was no need to seek a definitive answer.

His upbringing had made Wan Yan suspicious and sensitive. In other words, the only person he truly trusted was himself.

The chaotic, negative emotions in his heart sounded an internal alarm. After taking one last look at Lu Zhaoxi, he turned and exited the room.

When Lu Zhaoxi woke up, her whole body ached. As she slowly dragged herself out of bed, she couldn't help but complain about the culprit, Luo Ci, who had insisted on dragging her through every thrill ride before calling it a day.

The roller coaster and the drop tower had left her completely exhausted. If not for Zhi Zheng—who had acted as her pack-mule throughout the day—stepping in to intervene, she would have been dragged onto the bungee jumping platform as well.

Luo Ci had been in the middle of being forced into a blind date by her father when she received Lu Zhaoxi’s call. It was a timely rescue that helped her escape the misery of the date. Of course, Lu Zhaoxi’s words alone wouldn't have been enough; the latter half of the call was taken over by Zhi Zheng. No one knew what he had said to Luo Ci’s father, but a few minutes later, the old man’s expression had turned from overcast to sunny, his round face creasing into a grin, and with a wave of his hand, he let Luo Ci go.

Luo Ci was so impressed by Zhi Zheng that she had slapped his right shoulder until it turned blue when they met. Her way of showing gratitude had always been this direct and rough. Plus, once she heard it was to help her best friend teach her husband a lesson, Luo Ci became even more excited, her slaps growing heavier with every hit. Even Zhi Zheng, a man who worked out regularly, had nearly failed to keep a straight face.

So that was why Lu Zhaoxi had insisted on speaking to Luo Ci from behind him earlier—it turned out she had planned this all along.