Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 52

Today, Jiang Ruan was acting shamelessly. Xu Zhen pushed her lightly but couldn’t budge her, so she gave up. “Tired?”

“Mhm.” Jiang Ruan nodded, her voice laced with undisguised exhaustion. She was trying to play on Xu Zhen’s sympathy, but Xu Zhen simply replied coolly, “Then you should just sleep at the office tonight.”

Jiang Ruan froze, then immediately straightened up. “Actually, I suddenly don’t feel tired anymore.”

Xu Zhen gave her a wry smile, while Jiang Ruan kept a straight face, unbothered. “Seeing you washed all my fatigue away.”

Afraid Xu Zhen would press the issue, she quickly changed the subject. “But I really do need to stay at the office tonight. There’s an urgent meeting tomorrow morning, and I won’t make it if I go home.”

“Fine.” Xu Zhen nodded to show she understood, then made to leave only for Jiang Ruan to grab her. “Stay with me, please?”

“My place here is spacious, and it has everything you need.”

Xu Zhen didn’t agree, offering a reason Jiang Ruan couldn’t refute. “Ting Yuan and Ye He have exams coming up.”

Jiang Ruan blinked, realizing she’d been so busy lately that she’d completely forgotten this important matter. “Please remind them for me, and tell them, if they do well, I’ll reward them.”

Jiang Ruan was generous, so her rewards were naturally impressive.

When Tang Yehe and Xu Tingyuan heard Xu Zhen’s message, they rubbed their hands in excitement, huddling together to guess what Jiang Ruan might give them.

Before even stepping into the exam hall, the two were already planning what gifts they’d ask Jiang Ruan for.

Xu Zhen chuckled. “If your scores satisfy me, I’ll have gifts for you too.”

Their eyes lit up, and Xu Tingyuan and Tang Yehe jumped up to hug Xu Zhen. “Thank you, sis!”

“Alright, alright, go get some rest.” Xu Zhen had one girl hanging off each arm, like she was carrying two koalas. She sighed in mock exasperation. “I’ll wake you up tomorrow.”

Xu Zhen’s methods weren’t gentle, so Xu Tingyuan and Tang Yehe quietly set their own alarms to avoid getting a morning punch.

Exams were a grueling sprint for both students and parents, so when the last test ended, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Free from pressure, the two graduates immediately booked flights for a vacation, losing themselves in carefree fun.

Xu Zhen provided ample financial support before returning to work. Perhaps out of guilt, Xing Yan’s Tianxing Media sent Xu Zhen a flood of top-tier resources, the kind that would spark fierce competition elsewhere.

Xu Zhen turned most of them down, refusing Xing Yan’s goodwill. But Xing Yan never gave up, always sending the best offers Xu Zhen’s way for her to pick first.

Xing Yan was a good person, but she was also a shrewd politician. Unwilling to get too entangled, Xu Zhen politely declined once again.

The representative wasn’t offended, offering pleasantries before leaving with a smile.

But after a few steps, they paused and turned back, looking at Xu Zhen earnestly. “Councilwoman Xing’s feelings for you are genuine.”

Sincerity? Staring at the retreating figure, Xu Zhen pursed her lips tightly. Was it sincere intention to manipulate and use her, or sincere desire to make amends?

That feeling of being used felt as fresh as yesterday, something Xu Zhen couldn’t forget no matter how hard she tried.

Truth be told, with Xing Yan now holding a high position, Xu Zhen could willingly allow herself to be used. Building a good relationship with Xing Yan would strengthen Xu Zhen’s backing, naturally allowing her to go further.

By then, the top resources in the industry would be hers for the picking, and she would also earn the respect and kindness of others.

But the upbringing Xu Zhen received wouldn’t permit her to do so.

Bai Zhi’s earnest teachings had long been engraved in Xu Zhen’s bones, so she felt maintaining her current relationship with Xing Yan was just fine not overly intimate, nor deliberately distant.

Just normal, adult social interaction.

But Xing Yan didn’t seem to think the same way. She was stubbornly insistent on seeking Xu Zhen’s forgiveness and continuously went out of her way to make things convenient for her.

Though she never loudly proclaimed her assistance, she quietly did many things for Xu Zhen.

At times, Xu Zhen couldn’t understand Xing Yan either. She couldn’t fathom the other’s intentions. They barely had any interactions in daily life, and their paths never overlapped, Xing Yan could easily have treated her as a stranger.

Xing Yan had always been inscrutable, so eventually, Xu Zhen stopped trying to decipher her motives.

After Xu Tingyuan and Tang Yehe had their fill of fun, their results finally came out. Both were snatched up by their dream schools and eventually decided to attend the same university.

More friends meant more company. Once all this was settled, the scorching summer quietly arrived.

As the weather grew hotter, Xu Zhen’s enthusiasm for work waned. She no longer needed to push herself as hard as before and now had ample freedom to make her own decisions.

Assistant Lu remained as diligent as ever, arranging Xu Zhen’s schedule flawlessly.

Today, Xu Zhen only had one event. After it ended, she planned to unwind by the seaside, but at the event, she unexpectedly ran into Jiang Ruan, dressed in her usual restrained and proper attire.

Jiang Ruan had vaguely mentioned something a few days prior, but Xu Zhen hadn’t paid much attention.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Ruan was the first to approach. “You don’t remember what I said before, do you?”

Xu Zhen couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. “I remember, just not very clearly.” She forced a laugh. “So this was the event you were talking about.”

It was obvious Xu Zhen hadn’t been listening. Jiang Ruan fell silent for a moment before resigning herself to it, not daring to press further. “Yes, knowing you’d be here, I made a point to come.”

That really wasn’t necessary, Xu Zhen thought silently.

Since she was already here, Xu Zhen couldn’t just send her away. However, their appearance together inevitably drew the attention of reporters. The news of their divorce had caused quite a stir before. Though Xu Zhen had never addressed it directly, Jiang Ruan’s responses had spoken volumes.

Now, after so much time had passed, reporters hungry for a big story wouldn’t let the opportunity slip. “President Jiang, did you come today specifically to accompany Ms. Xu Zhen?”

“Are the two of you dating?”

“Do you have plans to remarry?”

“…”

The reporters swarmed forward, but Jiang Ruan signaled with her eyes, and bodyguards quickly stepped in to maintain order. Xu Zhen still didn’t address her relationship status directly, maintaining her silence. Naturally, Jiang Ruan didn’t dare say anything more either.

“I’ll inform everyone immediately if there’s good news.” With these words, Jiang Ruan hurried after Xu Zhen’s footsteps, offering no further response.

Xu Zhen glanced at Jiang Ruan, who held her breath nervously.

Fortunately, Xu Zhen didn’t make things difficult, seemingly tacitly approving Jiang Ruan’s behavior. Jiang Ruan quietly let out a sigh of relief.

Unable to discern Xu Zhen’s thoughts, she could only cautiously test the waters repeatedly to understand Xu Zhen’s boundaries. Within those limits, Jiang Ruan allowed herself some willfulness.

The ambiguous relationship between them now was the result of her continuous probing.

Jiang Ruan knew she was at fault, so she didn’t dare directly bring up reconciliation. She focused on making amends for the past, whether Xu Zhen forgave her or not didn’t matter.

She could tell Xu Zhen was quite content with their current situation. Aside from the marriage certificate, their relationship wasn’t much different from that of an ordinary couple.

Thus, Jiang Ruan quickly adapted to this arrangement.

After the event, Xu Zhen headed to the seaside where Zhen zhen was already waiting at the hotel. Meeting again, Zhen zhen looked much better than last time.

Xu Zhen’s gaze fell on the wealthy woman beside Zhen zhen = and nodded in greeting. “Jiang Ruan’s busy, so she won’t be coming.”

“Even better that she’s not here. “Zhen zhen warmly linked arms with Xu Zhen. “We can have our heart-to-heart without eavesdroppers around. They wouldn’t understand us anyway.”

After her surgery, Zhen zhen seemed reborn.

The physical changes brought shifts in her mindset and outlook. Now she simply saw herself as an ordinary person, savoring mundane happiness each day.

Free from Alpha threats, Zhen zhen couldn’t be happier.

Not only could she freely interact with Alphas, she’d also made several Alpha friends, perhaps why the wealthy woman had been sticking close to her lately.

Xu Zhen refrained from commenting on their relationship.

When a playboy reforms, the path to winning back his love is never smooth.

Xu Zhen and Zhen zhen lounged on beach chairs, sharing recent anecdotes. Come evening, right after dinner, the wealthy woman forcibly whisked Zhen zhen away.

Zhen zhen struggled against leaving but was no match for her.

Xu Zhen silently sought Zhen zhen’s opinion with her eyes, but before Zhen zhen could respond, she’d already been dragged out of sight.

These two likely needed time to work things out. Alone on the balcony gazing at the deep blue sky, Xu Zhen felt completely at ease.

The next day, neither Zhen zhen nor the wealthy woman appeared. Xu Zhen had urgent matters in the afternoon and left first. Even after finishing her work, she hadn’t heard from Zhen zhen, so she reached out proactively.

Learning all was well, Xu Zhen turned off her phone with peace of mind.

With her break over, Xu Zhen plunged back into busy work. As Qixi Festival approached, shops everywhere ramped up promotions, filling the air with romantic atmosphere.

The festive decorations along the streets momentarily dazed Xu Zhen.

She remembered that Qixi years ago when she waited in vain for Jiang Ruan, only to get gossip about Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan instead.

Though Jiang Ruan later compensated her with a solid gold statue, the heart-wrenching pain remained etched in her memory.

This Qixi…she wondered what surprise Jiang Ruan might bring.

For once, Xu Zhen felt a flicker of anticipation.

On Qixi morning, Jiang Ruan unusually skipped work. Xu Zhen looked at her puzzled, “Aren’t you going to the office today?”

“I’m not going, I took the day off.” Jiang Ruan carefully dressed herself up. “I’m spending the holiday with you today.” After speaking, she asked tentatively, “Is that okay with me?”

“Don’t say no, alright?”

Xu Zhen chuckled lightly. “Fine, I’ll give you this one chance.”

Satisfied, Jiang Ruan meticulously followed the well-planned route she had prepared, guiding Xu Zhen through a day of ordinary couple’s activities.

As night fell, fireworks lit up the sky in dazzling colors, and cheers rose from the crowd below.

Xu Zhen quietly watched the scene before her, as well as the authoritative yet familiar face of Jiang Ruan beside her, as if transported back to the past.

Perhaps, she could try giving the other person another chance.

A chance at love.

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