Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Two and a half years, the time wasn’t long, nor was it short. The storm back then had subsided, but the event was so memorable that the four people present still remembered it.

Zhao Youwei and Qian Sen’s eyes darted back and forth between the two men. Zhao Youwei was the first to speak, saying, “Director Ling, you don’t look so good. Is your jet lag still bothering you?”

The glued gazes between the two finally broke apart. Ling Sheng motioned for them to sit down and smiled again, saying, “It’s always a bit of a problem. When I first arrived, I could hardly sleep for the first month. Now that I’m back, it naturally takes some time.”

At this moment, the secretary knocked on the door and came in, holding a tray with four cups of coffee. He first placed a cup of coffee next to Ling Sheng’s hand: “Director Ling, this is the fourth cup of coffee today. You can’t drink any more.”

Then he put the other three cups in front of them respectively.

His secretary was named Fang Wen, a capable young man of twenty-six, an overseas Chinese with a solid family background, who had been working in a charity since graduation and had followed him in the United States for the past few years.

When Ling Sheng went to the United States, Zhou Jiayan told him that he had an idea to set up a charity foundation and asked him if he was interested in working with him. If he was interested, he could use his time in the United States to study in the group and help him manage the foundation after returning to China.

Ling Sheng’s initial entry into Eternity wasn’t for fashion. He himself didn’t have too many thoughts about what industry to pursue. Work was work. But after being with Jiang Chen, he sometimes wondered why Jiang Chen was so clear about why he wanted to pursue a career in law and his future positioning. Although he was seven years older than him, it seemed that work was just for earning money. If it wasn’t for money, what would he want to do?

He wasn’t a very materialistic person, and the money he had earned was enough for him to live on. Thinking of Jiang Chen’s previous talk about rescuing stray animals, and that Zhou Jiayan’s foundation mainly helped orphans who had lost their parents, it was actually a very good job.

Since it was a fresh start, he might as well give it a try.

Jiang Chen’s gaze first fell on the coffee, and then followed the coffee to look at Fang Wen.

Fang Wen’s gaze towards Ling Sheng contained admiration, but the heartache and a hint of infatuation in his eyes couldn’t be concealed.

Jiang Chen’s hand holding the laptop bag clenched instantly. He was familiar with this look. He had once looked at Ling Sheng with such eyes in their few group photos.

Ling Sheng didn’t pay much attention to Fang Wen, only gave a faint “Mm” sound.

Fang Wen didn’t say much and turned to go out.

Ling Sheng picked up the coffee, took a sip, and said, “Let’s begin.”

The meeting didn’t last long because there had been communication before, and Shanhe Law Firm, as the largest law firm in Jiang City, was naturally very efficient. Jiang Chen was only an intern lawyer, and he wasn’t qualified to participate in this kind of project, but he had taken the initiative to come, so he was just taking notes on the side. The key points were being communicated by Zhao Youwei and Qian Sen.

Ling Sheng quickly finished his cup of coffee. There was a layer of dark circles under his eyes, and it was obvious that he hadn’t slept well. He had been frowning slightly, listening very carefully, but he was actually enduring a headache.

When the last item was finally communicated, Zhao Youwei reiterated all the points of communication to confirm that there were no more. Only then did both parties relax.

“Then we will revise it again according to the points Director Ling mentioned today, and we will send you the latest contract within three days. You can take a look at it then.”

The men stood up and shook hands with Ling Sheng. Ling Sheng smiled and shook each of their hands, but when it came to Jiang Chen, just as their hands met, both of them couldn’t help but pause. At the moment of letting go, Ling Sheng suddenly slightly bent his index finger, and his fingertip lightly scratched Jiang Chen’s palm.

It was very light, and other people couldn’t see it, but Jiang Chen only felt a surge of numbness running through his back in an instant, and the feeling was very obvious.

Ling Sheng, however, smiled flawlessly. Those peach blossom eyes behind his glasses curved slightly. Different from his polite and courteous attitude towards other people, Jiang Chen always felt that those eyes also rippled with a lingering affection.

This was the look he liked the most.

It still hadn’t changed.

Jiang Chen felt a lump in his throat, and his steps faltered. But before he could speak, Fang Wen’s voice came: “Goodbye.”

Fang Wen opened the door for them. Zhao Youwei and the others were going out.

Jiang Chen’s footsteps, which were about to move forward, were stopped by his voice. After a moment of hesitation, he could only turn around again and follow them out.

It was four o’clock in the afternoon, and not many people were using the elevator at this time. There were only the three of them in the descending elevator. Zhao Youwei’s eyes kept looking at Jiang Chen, looking for a second and then retracting, wanting to say something but hesitating.

After being watched by him for the fifth time, Jiang Chen finally asked him: “Senior, what are you looking at?”

“Are you just leaving like this?” Zhao Youwei asked him.

Qian Sen, who was standing on the side, also understood what Zhao Youwei meant. Although the Sunflower Foundation had been established for less than half a year, it was a project personally initiated by Zhou Jiayan. With the backing of the Jiahe Group, it was developing very quickly. And Jiang Chen, as an intern lawyer who had just entered the law firm, was not qualified to come today, but he had taken the initiative to follow. Of course, Zhao Youwei knew why he came, but he still brought him along.

But they just met, and he left without even saying a word?

Jiang Chen pursed his lips and didn’t speak, but the place on his palm where he had been scratched surged with a tingling itch again.

He was very much looking forward to meeting him, so when he found out a week ago that Ling Sheng had returned to China and that he could see him, he was so excited that he couldn’t sleep. But when the day of the meeting actually came, he suddenly felt a sense of loss.

He hadn’t seen him for more than two years, and there had been no contact. How was he doing? Had he thought about him? Had he… fallen in love with someone else?

He was familiar with the look in the secretary’s eyes. He had seen it on Wu Xia, and he had also seen it on himself. Were their relationship just superior and subordinate?

Was he doing it on purpose just now when they shook hands? Or was it just an accident?

The elevator “dinged” and reached the first basement level. The doors opened, and Zhao Youwei and Qian Sen walked out one after another, but when they turned their heads, they saw that Jiang Chen was still in the elevator.

“What’s wrong?” Qian Sen asked him, “Jiang Chen?”

The sound of the elevator just now suddenly reminded him of the first time he saw Ling Sheng. It was also this sound. When he looked up, he saw him in the elevator. Ling Sheng’s gaze fell on his face, and he smiled at him gently.

That was the moment he fell in love with him at first sight.

The elevator door began to slowly close. Zhao Youwei was about to press the open door button when Jiang Chen suddenly said, “You guys go ahead. I have something else to do. I’ll go up for a while.”

Zhao Youwei understood instantly. He retracted his hand and said at the moment the elevator door closed, “Good luck.”

Jiang Chen pressed the tenth floor. Watching the numbers on the elevator rise little by little, his heartbeat also slowly climbed up. His fingers kept clenching and releasing, and his palms slowly oozed a thin layer of sweat due to nervousness. Until the elevator finally reached the tenth floor, with a “ding,” the elevator door slowly opened.

It was clearly a place he had just been to. When he came just now, he was also very nervous because he was about to see the person he had been thinking about day and night. He was still thinking about whether he would be unable to resist hugging him, whether he would be unable to resist kissing him. There were so many people here. He had to restrain himself.

But after seeing him, under Ling Sheng’s polite and courteous greetings, that feeling he once had came back again.

There seemed to be an invisible and intangible film between the two of them again.

Separating the two of them with an unspeakable alienation.

He saw that he was very tired, saw him frowning, saw that there were people around him who cared about him and admired him. Ling Sheng seemed to still be that Ling Sheng, but he also seemed to no longer be his Ling Sheng.

Jiang Chen was a little dazed. At the moment the elevator was about to close, he hurriedly pressed the open door button and stepped out.

The receptionist looked a little surprised when she saw him. Jiang Chen walked over and politely said, “I forgot to say something to Director Ling just now. I need to see Director Ling again.”

Ling Sheng’s mobile phone number had not been used since he went abroad, and naturally, his previous WeChat account was no longer used. This was also one of Jiang’s father’s requests. They had to cut off all contact.

Jiang Chen was a little uneasy, but the receptionist didn’t even make a phone call. She smiled and said, “I’m sorry, Lawyer Jiang. Director Ling is not feeling well and just left. Would you like me to make an appointment for you?”

Not feeling well?

He did look like he hadn’t slept well for a long time.

Jiang Chen’s agitated heartbeat was instantly calmed down by disappointment. He lowered his eyes and gave a faint “Mm” sound, saying, “No need.”

At this moment, Fang Wen came out of the office and happened to see Jiang Chen. He came over with a file and politely said, “Lawyer Jiang?”

Jiang Chen looked up and saw him. The decadence of just now disappeared. Knowing that this person might have ulterior motives towards Ling Sheng, he instantly felt a sense of aggression that his territory was being coveted by an outsider. He coldly said, “I wanted to ask Director Ling something. If he’s not here, I’ll leave.”

Fang Wen was a very perceptive person. When he came in to deliver the coffee just now, he felt that Jiang Chen’s gaze towards Ling Sheng was not right. His intuition told him that the two of them should have known each other before, and they had a close relationship. He smiled and said, “Director Ling’s jet lag hasn’t fully recovered yet. Lawyer Jiang, you can tell me anything you want to say, and I’ll pass it on to Director Ling.”

Jiang Chen was pricked by his polite yet distant manner. He coldly said, “It’s a private matter.”

Fang Wen’s gaze sank slightly, and there was a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. He said, “Director Ling has always kept his personal and public affairs separate. If it’s a private matter, Director Ling wouldn’t like to talk about it at the company.”

The other party was saying that he didn’t understand Ling Sheng. Jiang Chen’s eyes turned colder.

Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Fang Wen smiled slightly again: “However, what Director Ling needs now is to rest well. I’ll go and deliver clothes to Director Ling later. If you need me to, I can tell Director Ling that Jiang Lawyer came to see him today. As for whether or not to meet, it still depends on Director Ling’s own decision.”

Two years wasn’t a long or short time. The incident back then was so big, that the people around him naturally had an impression, so everyone knew about the relationship between Ling Sheng and Jiang Chen. But Fang Wen had returned from the United States, so he naturally didn’t know about the affairs in China. Jiang Chen stared at him for a full minute. At this time, Fang Wen also understood Jiang Chen’s intentions. He met his gaze without any fear, and there was even some provocation in it.

At this moment, Jiang Chen’s heart was burning with jealousy, but he never admitted defeat, especially when it came to Ling Sheng’s affairs. He coldly chuckled and said, “I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for you to pass on my private matters with Ling Sheng.”

Hearing him call Ling Sheng by his first name, Fang Wen was stunned for a moment. After all, he had never called him that before. When he was abroad, he called him by his English name, but he would also use his title or honorific. Before returning to China, Ling Sheng had asked him to switch to “Director Ling” according to domestic customs.

But before he could ask why, Jiang Chen had already turned and left.

Jiang Chen walked into the elevator, feeling irritable and suffocated. He unbuttoned two more buttons, subconsciously pressed the first basement level. He was still thinking about Fang Wen’s words in his mind, thinking about Fang Wen’s handsome and beautiful face and slender figure.

Fang Wen was also very good-looking. Ling Sheng liked good-looking people, and Fang Wen was so certain and confident.

Jiang Chen grabbed his hair irritably, but his hair had hair gel on it, and his hands were all stiff and straight, which only made him more irritable.

The elevator finally arrived. Looking at the “-1” displayed on the elevator, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t driven here at all. He should go directly to the first floor and call a car back to the office.

Watching the elevator doors slowly open, he could only reach out and press the first floor button. But just as he lit up the button, he saw, leaning against the circular pillar directly opposite the elevator, a familiar person. His waist was against the pillar, his hands were in his pants pockets, one leg was bent, and the other was straight and propped on the ground. His back was slightly hunched, and his head was lowered as if he was resting.

Seeming to hear the elevator ringing, the man raised his lowered head and revealed a shallow and gentle smile on his tired face when he saw the person in the elevator.

“Hi, Lawyer Jiang.”