In this empty meeting room, Liu Dong's hands had long been tightly clenched into fists. After a moment, he finally slowly relaxed them, reached into the wastebasket, and picked up the election ballots that Long Kun had thrown away, smoothing them out and looking at them one by one.

Although, at this time, these ballots had already become nothing more than scraps of paper.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Dong leaned back in his chair, gazing at the door, his eyes filled with venomous resentment. He simply couldn't swallow this anger!

Leaving the meeting room, Chu Ge hesitated for a moment, not heading directly to Qin Ruojing's office but instead walking towards the elevator designated for company executives.

Long Kun followed closely behind Chu Ge, and behind them were the other board members who had walked out of the meeting room.

Although there were others who needed to take the elevator downstairs, no one stepped forward to ride it with Chu Ge. Instead, they chose to maintain a few meters' distance, waiting silently as if they were in fear.

Inside the elevator, there were only Chu Ge and Long Kun. Long Kun, who entered last, pressed the button, and the elevator began to descend. Both were lost in their thoughts, neither saying a word.

Chu Ge was pondering how Qin Ruojing would react later, while Long Kun felt a deep sense of self-pity, unsure if Chu Ge had any further plans accompanying him downstairs.

"Thank you for today." When the elevator was about to reach the first floor, Chu Ge broke the silence, speaking calmly without looking at Long Kun, standing right beside him.

Long Kun was stunned. Chu Ge was thanking him? Was there any need for Chu Ge to do so?

Before Long Kun could understand the meaning of that "thank you," the elevator reached the first floor with a "ding."

"I can't say your father's death has nothing to do with me, but I didn't kill him. I'll see you off here, I'm heading upstairs."

Before the elevator doors opened, Chu Ge added quietly, still without looking at Long Kun, his gaze fixed forward as if talking to himself.

Long Kun's body trembled slightly. He turned to give Chu Ge a deep look, said nothing, and walked out of the elevator.

Only when the elevator doors closed again behind him did he let out a long sigh. His expression was complex, and he too murmured a "thank you" to himself before stepping out into the rain.

Did Chu Ge need to explain to him?

The answer seemed to be no, just like Chu Ge had no need to say thank you to him, nor specifically explain Long Tao's death, and telling lies seemed even less necessary.

Yet, Chu Ge chose to give him an explanation and especially saw him downstairs. At this moment, Long Kun's feelings were indescribably complex.

Perhaps... working for Chu Ge wasn't that unacceptable. He wasn't as pitiful or pathetic as he had thought.

As for continuing to be his enemy, perhaps... it's better to forget it.

Returning to Qin Ruojing's office, Chu Ge casually closed the door.

In his view, Qin Ruojing was sitting behind her desk, her swivel chair turned halfway, looking out at the increasingly torrential rain through the floor-to-ceiling window. Her beautifully made-up side profile was so lovely, yet her gaze seemed somewhat lost.

"Click."

The sound of the door closing, along with Chu Ge's footsteps, rang out, yet Qin Ruojing continued to look outside the window, not even turning her head.

This reaction of Qin Ruojing was not unexpected for Chu Ge; he didn't interrupt her, sitting back beside the secretary's desk.

If Qin Ruojing needed to think about some things, then let her think. If she had any questions, let her speak up herself.

The morning passed, and Qin Ruojing hadn't said a word to him, just leaning back in her chair, watching the raindrops continuously fall as if it would never end.

At noon, Chu Ge stood up from his chair and approached Qin Ruojing's desk. "Xiaojing, go out for lunch? Or should I get something back for you?"

Qin Ruojing finally turned her chair to face him, her eyes meeting his. She crossed her hands on the desk, her lips moved slightly, but nothing came out.

Chu Ge grinned, extending his right hand, trying to touch Qin Ruojing's hand. However, just as their hands were about to meet, her fingers suddenly trembled slightly and pulled back.

Chu Ge's hand paused for a second, then he touched his nose, smiled a little, and turned to walk away.

To be honest, he felt a bit disappointed, although he knew everyone has their own way of dealing with things. It's very, very difficult to impose one's ideas on others and expect them to be fully accepted.

But what he did, ultimately, was helping Qin Ruojing solve problems. Although it was crude, it was simple, direct, and effective. Isn't that indeed the truth?

She is still her chairman, whereas Liu Dong seems like nothing more than a ridiculous clown.

If Liu Dong or any other board members wanted to play any more tricks, he still had additional plans. He would show them what it meant to overestimate oneself. Isn't that quite perfect?

Besides disappointment, a trace of doubt crept into Chu Ge's heart. Were he and Qin Ruojing truly the suitable partners for each other as he once believed?

As she watched Chu Ge's departing figure, Qin Ruojing opened her mouth several times but failed to call out to him. Didn't he want to say something? Why were his steps so resolute?

When the door closed again with a "click," Qin Ruojing's body trembled slightly. She raised her hand to rub her forehead and suddenly realized how little she really understood about Chu Ge.

Was he...really the same Chu Ge she thought she knew?

What exactly did he do to Long Kun that caused him to appear so suddenly at this moment? What kind of organization did he belong to, and what kind of people used to surround him?

Half an hour passed, then an hour, and two hours, yet Chu Ge still hadn't returned.

Qin Ruojing's stomach felt empty, but she didn't feel hungry. Several times she picked up the phone, wanting to call Chu Ge to ask where he was and what he was doing, but before dialing, she put the phone back down.

When she picked up the phone for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, she finally made a call, but it was to Tong Yaqi, not Chu Ge.

The moment she decided to call Tong Yaqi, Qin Ruojing initially thought of having a drink, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Her mind was already a mess; she hated this feeling and wanted to keep herself as clear-headed as possible. She didn't want to make things more complicated.

The call connected quickly, "Yaqi, are you busy with work?"

"A bit busy, Chairman. Is there something you need?" Tong Yaqi's voice came through, and it seemed there were others around her.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just suddenly wanted to swing on a swing."

Tong Yaqi was clearly taken aback, pausing for a few seconds, apparently dismissing the people around her, then responded in an uncertain tone, "Swing...swing on a swing?"

"Yeah."

"Chairman, it's pouring rain outside."

"I know. You go ahead with your work; I just acted on a whim."

Sensing something was off with Qin Ruojing, Tong Yaqi hurriedly said, "Wait, Chairman, are you encountering some problem?"

A complex, enigmatic smile appeared on Qin Ruojing's face. "It's nothing. I'm fine. There was an issue, but it's resolved now."

"Alright then, wait for me. I'll head over to you now."

"Forget it, no need. I'm going out."

Without waiting for Tong Yaqi to say anything else, Qin Ruojing hung up the phone, grabbed her bag, and left the office.

On the other side, in the general manager's office of Tianqing Company, Tong Yaqi stared at her phone in confusion. What exactly was going on?

Suddenly, Tong Yaqi slapped her forehead. Today was the board election day! How could she forget such an important event?

Given Qin Ruojing's obviously low spirits, Tong Yaqi couldn't help but think the worst. Ignoring the unfinished business, she gave a quick explanation to a department supervisor waiting at the door and drove off in her white Chevrolet, leaving Tianqing Company.

When she called Qin Ruojing's phone, it went unanswered. She dialed Chu Ge's phone, and he picked up, but when asked about the board election, he seemed uninterested, said, "Qin Ruojing is still the Chairman," and hung up.

Tong Yaqi felt speechless. Since Qin Ruojing's position wasn't taken, what was going on with her?

Putting the phone aside, Tong Yaqi drove towards the closest park to Tianjiao Building. Since Qin Ruojing said she went out, she must have. Going to Tianjiao Building would be a waste of time.

Sure enough, when Tong Yaqi drove to the vicinity of the park, she saw Qin Ruojing's Audi A8 parked in the lot.

Tong Yaqi quickly parked her car, grabbed an umbrella, and headed into the park straight for the swings. There she saw Qin Ruojing, sitting on a swing, letting the rain drench her without even an umbrella.

Due to the rain, the park was deserted, and no one was in sight. Qin Ruojing was the sole figure by the swings, making her conspicuously stand out.

"Xiao Jing, come down quickly, you'll catch a cold in this heavy rain." Running a few steps, Tong Yaqi reached Qin Ruojing's side, raising her umbrella to shield her from the incessant rain.

"It's fine, my clothes are already soaked. Just keep yourself dry." Qin Ruojing smiled, scuffing the ground with her foot to start swinging. "It's been a long time since I did this. I miss it."

"What's really happening, Xiao Jing?"

The rain had long washed away Qin Ruojing's office makeup. Although she was smiling, there was a trace of reluctance in her smile, and she looked fatigued and pale, which only heightened Tong Yaqi's concern.

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