President, please comfort me.

Without even needing to identify them, there were only three women huddled together in the office, whispering to each other. Just as she was recovering from her shock, she looked up at the door and saw that one of them was the secretary who had helped her get her things earlier.

Lanling strode over, casually picked up a folder, and got straight to the point with the three of them.

She pressed down hard, then suddenly raised the hand holding the folder and slapped several people across the face with the force of an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Her movements were as smooth as flowing water. Then she said coldly, "Saying I'm throwing myself at you? Saying I'm shameless? Go ahead and say it to my face if you dare!"

"Ah—" Several screams, like those of a pig being slaughtered, rang out.

Bright red marks instantly appeared on the faces of the three people, and in some places the skin had even broken open, from which thin red blood vessels seeped out, which looked shocking.

There are always some people who like to get stuck in the quagmire of self-contradiction. They know that the facts are very different from what they know, but they still insist on letting their mouths do their thing, as if this can fill some kind of imbalance in their hearts. It's like a thirsty person drinking seawater, the more they drink, the thirstier they become.

Take Zhang Minmin, for example. She was the one who kept tipping Zhou Luwen off for the benefits she received, and she even took it upon herself to throw away the things that Lanling sent to the Tang Dynasty. Yet, she turned around and lied through her teeth.

Knowing they were in the wrong, and having actually witnessed the Tang Dynasty bringing Lanling here, they all cowered like turtles when confronted, preferring to endure the humiliation.

"What's wrong, have you gone mute? Weren't you quite talkative just now?"

Lanling was throwing a tantrum inside, ignoring the crowd of onlookers standing outside the office, until Tang Chao was called over by his assistant Jiangnan.

As soon as the boss appeared, the people at the door immediately fled. Tang Chao recognized Lanling, who was standing with her back to him, facing three women. He immediately frowned and called out seriously, "Lanling!"

One against three, I was worried that she would be taken advantage of, and I was also concerned that her impulsive nature might lead her to make a mistake.

Hearing Tang Chao call her, Lanling turned around unhurriedly, but her gaze was first drawn to Zhou Luwen, who was standing right next to her.

Her makeup was exquisite and elegant, showcasing her beauty to the fullest, making her look like a fine work of art.

Then she looked at Tang Chao. After not seeing him for a few days, he was still as handsome and gentle as she remembered. However, at this moment, she suddenly felt that this man was a little unfamiliar.

The two were even wearing suits of the same color scheme. Lanling thought to herself that they were indeed a perfect match. No wonder Zhou Luwen was so confident in saying those things last night. She thought she was deceiving herself, but she never expected that she was the clown herself.

Ignoring Tang Chao, she calmly pulled a business card from her bag, held it in her hand, and slapped it directly onto one of the women's chest. Looking at the three women again, she said dismissively, "If you're not satisfied, find my lawyer!"

After saying that, regardless of other people's reactions, and no longer showing the same intimacy towards Tang Chao as before, she turned and walked towards the elevator with a cold face.

Tang Chao noticed her unusual behavior and, disregarding everything else, rushed over, grabbed her hand, and asked in an unusually gentle tone, "Where are you going?"

At this moment, Lanling was filled with mixed feelings, feeling angry but having nowhere to vent her anger. She looked at him coldly and spoke without any warmth: "Let go!"

Tang Chao looked at her and felt inexplicably afraid. He was unwilling to let go and pulled her even tighter. He frowned and said, "Come back to the office with me."

Lanling hardened her heart and wanted to leave. Her manicured hands desperately tried to pry at him, attempting to break free. Tang Chao, afraid that she would get hurt, let go of her hand, stretched out his arm, picked up the little girl, and walked towards the office.

The whole process was anything but romantic, to the point that when Lanling passed by Zhou Luwen, her restless foot accidentally kicked her.

The onlookers, who were pretending to be busy at their workstations with their heads down, all had ears like super hearing. When they caught a glimpse of this scene, they all gasped in shock and then started frantically typing on their keyboards, trying their best to spread this firsthand news to their friends and family.

Zhou Luwen was there on behalf of the company to discuss cooperation with Tang Chao, but after less than half an hour, Tang Chao politely declined her offer. If she hadn't brought up the past and delayed things, Lanling might have already happily returned to the Tang Dynasty family with Lan Zhan.

Since their relationship was based on financial interests, Zhou Luwen didn't have the extra energy to show Zhang Minmin any concern. She glanced at the closed door with resentment and left with her assistant.

After carrying Lanling into the office, Tang Chao gently placed her on the sofa. She was forced to lie flat, but he didn't get up. Instead, he sat down and reached out a hand to tidy her messy hair.

His jet-black hair brushed against his fingertips, leaving a delicate fragrance, before he placed his hands on either side of her on the sofa.

Tang Chao's gaze fell on Lanling's face. He looked at her very seriously, blinked, as if confirming something, or as if recalling something. After a long while, he spoke softly, "Why are you unhappy? Were you hurt just now?"

Lanling felt extremely aggrieved and bitter. Upon hearing this, she only hated herself for being so weak. Whenever he was so gentle, she would soften her heart completely.

She tilted her head slightly to the side, intending to get angry, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her eyes reddened and her voice became extremely fragile: "It's none of your business."

Seeing her like this, Tang Chao frowned sharply, and his hands, which were resting on either side, unconsciously clenched into fists.

Having already considered it for a while, he took the initiative to explain, "It's not that I didn't answer your calls. I've been very busy lately. The two times you called, I was either socializing or in meetings with partners, and it was too late by the time I finished. I was originally planning to call you after I finished today."

Tang Chao's deep, pool-like eyes were fixed on her, a hint of guilt and self-reproach in them. His voice was slightly deep: "It was my oversight. I'm sorry, I apologize. Please don't be upset, okay?"

So busy? You don't even have time to return a phone call? Besides, after saying all this, I never intended to mention Zhou Luwen's name at all.

After all, the two weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, and Lanling was also concerned about his image. This ambiguous relationship was really pointless, so she decided to end her pursuit of him here.

After figuring it out, she composed herself, deflated like a punctured balloon, pushed Tang Chao away, sat up, and looked at him calmly.

Her voice had returned to normal: "There's no need to apologize to me. After all, I'm no one to you. Besides, if anyone should apologize, it should be me apologizing to you. I'm sorry for bothering you so much lately."