Jiang Ci lowered her eyelashes, feeling somewhat aggrieved. Thinking about how he called Yin Xuemo over a dozen times a day and even went abroad to chase after her, Jiang Ci felt she was less than a feather in his eyes.

He stayed in Qingcheng for five days this time and only called Jiang Ci once to ask about Grandpa's condition.

Jiang Ci knew she couldn't expect too much from this marriage; after all, it was just an agreement, destined to end one day.

Since that was the case, why say "I miss you" just to make him happy?

"I didn't miss you!" Jiang Ci reiterated.

Lu Yudong's face darkened again.

After they got home, Lu Yudong took out the things he bought for Grandpa and said he had been on a business trip to Nancheng.

Jiang Ci thought: What a blatant lie. He obviously went to Qingcheng, probably knowing that Grandpa didn't have a good impression of Yin Xuemo, so he avoided mentioning anything related to her.

He was truly considerate!

That night, back in the room, Lu Yudong was eager to have Jiang Ci.

Thinking about what Yin Xuemo said that day, Jiang Ci felt disinterested.

She was just a tool in this contractual marriage.

Moreover, earlier, he had protected Yin Xuemo so much in front of Grandpa, not even letting him know where he had been.

Jiang Ci lost all interest.

"Not happy?" Lu Yudong whispered in her ear as he pressed against her.

His voice was so deep and sexy that it tickled Jiang Ci's ears, the sensation reaching her heart.

"I don't want to," Jiang Ci said, her brows slightly lowered in the darkness.

Lu Yudong's steady breath brushed against Jiang Ci's face, and she flinched a little.

"Why? Are you really pregnant?" Lu Yudong asked suspiciously.

"Of course not. I just don't want to," Jiang Ci replied.

"If you're not pregnant, then what's there to be afraid of?" Lu Yudong disregarded her reluctance.

Jiang Ci was not very cooperative, even a bit resistant, which caused her to wake up late the next day.

Lu Yudong seemed unaffected, as he got up early as usual.

In fact, after he washed up and returned to the bedroom to get his watch, he saw Jiang Ci getting out of bed, her legs wobbling slightly.

He looked at Jiang Ci and laughed heartily.

"What are you laughing at? It's all your fault!" Jiang Ci said fiercely, "It's time for work, and you didn't even wake me."

"I was afraid you wouldn't get enough sleep. After all, sleeping only three or four hours a night is quite hard on you," Lu Yudong teased her.

"I'll just go back to the dorm tonight!"

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"You wouldn't dare!"

Jiang Ci had no choice but to get up and wash.

When she arrived at the company, she was indeed late.

Xing Baohua didn't say anything, just looked like he wanted to speak but stopped, eventually just coughing lightly.

Jiang Ci hadn't taken leave for her miscarriage.

He didn't know how to explain it to Mr. Lu, feeling anxious inside.

The office was buzzing with gossip again, saying, "Mr. Lu came back yesterday, absence makes the heart grow fonder," "But isn't it strange? Didn't she just have a miscarriage? Doesn't Mr. Lu know? You can't have intercourse for a month after a miscarriage."

Jiang Ci was very tired and disgusted by the office gossip, so she forced herself to work hard, but her mind felt like mush.

These discussions went in one ear and out the other.

She had long been immune to the office gossip.

Yin Xuemo brought a pot of chicken soup to Lu Yudong's office.

As soon as she entered, she looked anxious, "Yudong, which office is Jiang Ci in? Your company is so big, I don't know where she is."

Yin Xuemo was a very elegant woman, rarely this impatient.

"Why are you looking for her?" Lu Yudong asked, surprised.

"Yes, you two, why the miscarriage? Miscarriages are so harmful to the body!" Yin Xuemo said anxiously, "Quickly tell me, which office is she in?"

Lu Yudong was a bit puzzled. Jiang Ci had always said there wasn't one.

"Who said she had a miscarriage?" Lu Yudong asked Yin Xuemo with a slight frown.

"You don't know? Such a big thing, and you don't know?" Yin Xuemo's expression was as if she had seen an alien.

"I don't know!"

"I recently had to shoot a scene at another hospital, so I went to the obstetrics hospital. I saw Jiang Ci coming out of the obstetrics department, looking pale and very weak, holding a slip in her hand. Later, I asked the doctor, and the doctor said she had a miscarriage, the baby was three weeks old." As Yin Xuemo spoke, she started to cry, "If it were me, I would never have lost the baby. How could she do this? Miscarriages are definitely harmful to the body. Here, take this chicken soup to her."

After speaking, Yin Xuemo wiped her tears and left.

It was as if she didn't want to witness this human tragedy any longer.

No one doubted Yin Xuemo's acting skills, and no one thought this scene was fake!

Yin Xuemo had thought it through. Whether Jiang Ci was faking a pregnancy to gain favor or had really gotten pregnant and then aborted the child, as long as Yin Xuemo said the opposite, it would surely arouse Lu Yudong's suspicion.

Sure enough, Lu Yudong became suspicious!

After finalizing the deal, Jiang Ci was very happy and excited. It was her first time handling a transaction over a hundred thousand yuan, and she felt a bit anxious. Worried about encountering scammers or criminals, she asked Han Lan to accompany her.

Han Lan, no longer needing to keep a low profile, was quite pleased and readily agreed to Jiang Ci's request.

"For something like this, it's best to have a guy with us. If Mr. Lu goes with you, who would dare to cheat him? They wouldn't dare even with ten times the courage," Han Lan said while munching on snacks.

"It's not that easy. We're having a bit of a spat. Besides, this matter involves my ex-boyfriend. Would I be out of my mind to ask him to come along?" Jiang Ci replied.

"Why are you making such a fuss? You can see how just a casual nod from him changes everything for us. People can't wait to flatter him, and here you are, picking a fight," Han Lan said, a bit exasperated.

"Don't mention it. I've been flattering him all along." To this day, Jiang Ci still didn't understand why Lu Yudong suddenly asked her to move out.

How could she cater to his whims without knowing the reason?

"Why not try to appease him? Mr. Lu is into that," Han Lan suggested.

"How do you know? Have you tried it before?" Jiang Ci asked, her tone slightly jealous.

"No, no, I haven't even met Mr. Lu," Han Lan said, trying to act coy. "But seriously, my sister is bringing me some food this afternoon."

"Your sister? Isn't she about to give birth? How can you let her bring you food with that big belly?"

"She's not coming herself; she's sending her brother-in-law. I heard he's quite a catch," Han Lan said dreamily.

"You haven't met him?"

Han Lan rolled her eyes at Jiang Ci. "No, he didn't attend my sister's wedding; he was out of town."

"I'll check him out for you this afternoon."

At six in the evening, the dormitory doorbell rang, and Jiang Ci went to answer it. As soon as she opened the door, she widened her eyes in surprise and said, "Deng Yue?"

"Jiang Ci?"

"Who are you looking for? Me?"

Deng Yue raised the food container in his hand. "I'm delivering food for my sister-in-law to her sister. I didn't expect you two to be roommates. What a small world."

When Han Lan came out and saw that Deng Yue was quite handsome, her eyes sparkled.

"How about I treat you two lovely ladies to dinner tonight?" Deng Yue offered.

"What about the food my sister sent?" Jiang Ci asked with a slight frown.

But Han Lan was already tempted. After all, who wouldn't want to dine with a handsome guy?

"We can put it in the fridge and eat it later. It won't spoil. Let's go, I'll treat you to hot pot," Deng Yue said enthusiastically.

Recently, Jiang Ci and Han Lan had been under a lot of pressure, so they were eager for some relaxation and quickly agreed. Besides, Jiang Ci loved spicy food—the spicier, the better.

During dinner, Deng Yue asked Jiang Ci, "Since we added each other on WeChat, we haven't chatted. I didn't know you worked at New East Group. That's promising."

"I'm just a low-level employee; there's no future in that. Han Lan has more potential; she's the New East Star, a future executive," Jiang Ci said, not forgetting to praise Han Lan.

Jiang Ci could tell that Han Lan had a good impression of Deng Yue. Han Lan and Deng Yue also exchanged WeChat contacts.

"Oh, by the way, Jiang Ci is going to the suburbs on Sunday to inspect a computer factory. We've never been there and are afraid of encountering scammers, so we want a guy to come with us. Why don't you join us?" Han Lan invited Deng Yue. "My sister told me her brother-in-law runs a gaming company, so you're perfect for evaluating computers."

"Visiting a computer factory? No problem. I'll drive you two ladies there. Planning to buy computers? Why not just go to the electronics market instead of the source?"

"Two hundred units. We're donating them to children in the mountains. It's the same school we visited together," Jiang Ci explained easily, as she and Deng Yue had visited the charity school together before.

"Two hundred units, impressive. You must have some money."

"Not really. I sold my dad's house in the countryside," Jiang Ci deflected, fearing Deng Yue would ask about the money's origin, putting her in an awkward position.

She hadn't even mentioned her contractual marriage with Lu Yudong to Han Lan, nor did Han Lan know the source of the money.

Her father's old house was in the countryside, and Jiang Ci had never been there. Besides, you can't sell a homestead.

Fortunately, Deng Yue didn't press further.

What could Jiang Ci say? That she sold herself for it?

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