As he followed Lu Man, Chen Yan reminisced about the journey of her heart.

When Lu Man first saw Chen Yan, she was actually quite surprised.

She couldn't figure out why Chen Yan had found her.

She even suspected for a moment that someone had tipped him off.

However, when she remembered she had driven herself there, she thought that maybe it was the "telepathy" that Chen Yan had spoken of.

Later, during their walk and chat, her heart was filled with confusion and thoughts of Shanghai.

That included the sadness of being betrayed by Chen Yan, the uncertainty about the future, and the evasion of everything.

Of course... there was also her reluctance to part with Chen Yan.

So, she didn't know what to do.

As someone with a somewhat weak heart, Lu Man thought that maybe the best method was... to escape.

That's why she suggested going on a trip, taking a vacation, leaving this place.

When Chen Yan learned of Lu Man's thoughts through [Inner Headphones], his first reaction was to refuse.

After all, Lu Man was a top-tier celebrity; going out to play was too dangerous.

Besides, Chen Yan thought that if he spent more time with Lu Man, coaxed and pleaded, she might soften and then forgive him.

However, when he hesitated outwardly, Lu Man's heart changed rapidly.

She felt that if Chen Yan refused her, then... perhaps she really needed to seriously consider her relationship with Chen Yan.

Because she liked freedom, she disliked being caged.

She disliked overly possessive love from the person she cared about.

Moreover, it was Chen Yan who was in the wrong, yet she couldn't even have the time and space to cool down, which was not the love she hoped for.

So, what could Chen Yan do? Of course, he agreed.

However, although he agreed, his heart was still filled with anxiety.

He worried that Lu Man might have an accident on her trip or that she indeed might leave him.

He knew Lu Man disliked being tied down by him, which was why he reluctantly agreed.

The turning point was when Chen Yan agreed to go and "capture" Lu Man.

Chen Yan had casually said something flirty to lighten the mood between them.

Who knew that this sentence would touch the soft heart of Lu Man?

It seemed as if she suddenly found direction.

So, the formerly confused her suddenly made a decision in her heart.

She would go on a proper vacation, cutting off contact with everyone around her, as well as with Chen Yan.

During her vacation, she would send a message to Chen Yan, asking him to find her.

If Chen Yan really found her, she would forgive him.

If he didn't, then perhaps they were not meant to be...

Her conditions were nothing if not strict.

After all, with no information given, no clues left, with the vast and diverse Chinese landscape, full of delicious and fun places, where could one even begin looking.

But fools think differently from ordinary people.

In Lu Man's view, if she and Chen Yan were truly meant for each other, then even without clues, Chen Yan should be able to find her.

If Chen Yan could not find her, then perhaps it meant they were really not fated to be together.

Put simply, this was the romanticism that women dream of in TV dramas...

If it were any other man faced with this "test," he would mostly be at a loss.

But...

Chen Yan wasn't just any man...

He was a man with a system.

Moreover, this was Chen Yan's first time being thankful for the positioning feature in the [Virtual Girlfriend] game.

With this feature, Chen Yan could locate Lu Man's position at any time, and when she asked him to find her, he could easily do so, providing the ultimate romance.

Of course, to make everything more dramatic, Chen Yan definitely needed to make some preparations and plans beforehand.

After all, he was the one who made the mistake, so he should put in some effort to make amends...

In addition to providing TV-drama-like romance to Lu Man, Chen Yan also needed to prepare in advance for the matters concerning her trip.

Lu Man was, after all, a frontline celebrity.

She was also the hottest female star in the past two years.

For her to vanish during the peak of her career would be too easy for fans and industry insiders to notice.

If her relationship with Chen Yan was exposed, that would be devastating for her.

So, what Chen Yan had to do was to minimize the impact of Lu Man's vacation as much as possible.

Thinking of Lu Man's vacation, Chen Yan followed her slowly.

Compared to Chen Yan's heavy heart, Lu Man's mood had gradually stabilized a lot.

She walked ahead of Chen Yan, sprightly as a fairy, her hands lightly lifted in graceful, dance-like jumps.

She had learned dance from a young age, her limbs slender and long, her figure outstanding. As she danced, she looked like an ethereal sprite descended to earth, stunningly beautiful.

Passing couples were drawn to her light dance, casting curious glances.

Upon noticing the passersby's gaze, Chen Yan snapped back to reality, hurried a few steps forward, and blocked their view.

Seeing Chen Yan's protectiveness, Lu Man smiled and then stopped her gestures.

She said, "Sometimes, seeing how you take care of me, protect me, I feel very moved. I believe you must truly love me."

"But sometimes, I wonder, do you do the same for Qiao Qiao?"

"Do you take care of her and protect her the same way?"

"Can a person's love really be divided into two parts?"

Speaking thus, she paused, then said, "Oh. I'm wrong. Not two parts, it's now three parts, four parts, five..."

Understanding that Lu Man was harboring grievances, mocking him, Chen Yan did not get annoyed but instead responded with a wry smile.

Go ahead, say it.

It's actually a good thing if she's willing to speak out.

If she became silent like she did at the office, that would mean real trouble.

Noticing Chen Yan's suffering wimp-like appearance, a playful expression surfaced on Lu Man's face.

She suddenly realized that Chen Yan, especially when he was at fault, was so easy to bully.

Usually, it was Chen Yan who bullied her, leaving her "indignant yet silent." Whenever he went too far in bullying her, making her feel humiliated and annoyed, he would use the fact that she was an 'M' to smooth things over.

But... it's known: in every 'M's heart, there's a seed of an 'S'!

After being bullied by Chen Yan so many times, Lu Man had always wanted to bully him back!

Previously, she had no idea how to do so.

But now... she seemed to have suddenly found the knack...

As she pondered how to bully Chen Yan for some sweet revenge, Lu Man continued walking forward.

She felt there was no rush.

After all, Chen Yan was in the wrong at the moment, so she had plenty of time to play—

Thus, the couple walked two circuits around the Lovers' Dam before Lu Man took the initiative to suggest going home.

Not that she had changed her mind, but her sister Mei Li was waiting for her at home.

She had phoned Mei Li earlier, probably sounding too pitiful, and frightened this woman who doted on Lu Man like her own younger sister.

After failing to reach Lu Man, Mei Li's calls came straight to Chen Yan.

Over the phone, she berated Chen Yan mercilessly, directly stating that if anything went wrong with Lu Man, she wouldn't let him off the hook!

At the time of the call, Chen Yan was following right behind Lu Man, and within her line of sight, what could he do but meekly reply with "yes, yes, yes, alright, alright, don't worry."

So, after having a walkabout with Chen Yan, Lu Man's pent-up frustrations ready to dispel, she planned to return to Mei Li.

Chen Yan didn't stop her.

He knew Lu Man didn't need his company now. What she needed was enough freedom, and then at the right moment, he would "snatch" her back.

Perhaps because Chen Yan had acted particularly in line with her wishes, Lu Man showed a rare moment of hesitation before leaving.

She sat in her sports car, eyes fixed on the road ahead, and stole a glance at Chen Yan on the roadside, saying, "I'm... leaving."

Chen Yan gazed at her stunning profile and hummed in response.

Lu Man: ...

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The car trembled for a second before it started.

Accompanied by the roaring sound of the engine, a gust of wind passed where the car had been, and Chen Yan somehow felt the breeze tasted... salty.

Damn it! Whose kid is peeing into the wind!

...

After parting with Lu Man, Chen Yan sighed and then got into his own car, heading home.

Today's events had been too much of a headache, so he didn't want to go to the office; instead, he wanted to rest at home.

He parked the car, returned home, and collapsed onto the sofa, then took out his phone and opened the game to check.

The pixel character representing Lu Man was already home.

Dressed in pajamas, she lay on the legs of another pixel character who bore a resemblance to Mei Li, chatting with Lu Man.

The emotions beside Lu Man had changed from "red anger" to a calm white.

Clearly, after venting her anger, Lu Man's mood had gradually steadied.

However, this was not necessarily good news.

Because when a woman calms down during an argument, it usually means she is considering her future with you...

But Chen Yan had no other options at the moment.

Every woman has a distinct personality.

If it were Yu Qiao Qiao now, Chen Yan could keep pestering her relentlessly.

However, facing Lu Man, who disliked restrictions, Chen Yan could only hope that Lu Man, the goof, truly believed that finding her was tantamount to destiny...

With that thought, Chen Yan checked the statuses of the other Virtual Girlfriends.

Yu Qiao Qiao had recently accompanied Yao Hong on charity projects and was busy there.

Zhao Ying had once again slipped into the public opinion department on Weibo, browsing gossip.

Seeing her green smiling face, it was evident she had been thriving these past few days.

Only He Meng Xue...

Chen Yan glanced at He Meng Xue's pixel character.

Huh? Why is this girl still in his office?

Chen Yan remembered.

He seemed to have told He Meng Xue that after dealing with Lu Man's situation, he would chat with her and incidentally discuss his recent endeavors in oil futures.

But... that was just something Chen Yan said offhand.

Who knew when Lu Man's situation would be resolved?

But who would have thought that this girl, stubborn as she was, was actually waiting in the office...

With that thought, Chen Yan smacked his forehead.

He realized that first impressions truly can't be trusted.

Who would have known, when Chen Yan first met He Meng Xue, she seemed so enchanting, aloof, and sophisticated.

Yet now, after two years of acquaintanceship, this girl turned out to be cool on the outside but warm inside, strong on the surface but soft within—a little girl at heart.

Sometimes, she's so naive and adorable that she could even give Yu Qiao Qiao a run for her money...

With these thoughts, not knowing what else to do, Chen Yan picked up his phone and called He Meng Xue.

He Meng Xue had clearly been waiting for Chen Yan's summons. The phone was answered after barely two rings.

Following that, He Meng Xue's meek voice came through, "Chen Yan? Is Lu Man okay?"

Hearing He Meng Xue mention Lu Man, Chen Yan didn't immediately know how to respond.

He was silent for a while before saying, "She's fine. No worries."

"But I'm feeling down, so I went home first. You..."

What he meant to say was: I've gone home, and there's no need for you to wait, go ahead and leave.

However, upon hearing this, He Meng Xue quickly said, "Then I'll come and keep you company. I don't have anything else to do."

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan fell silent for a moment before agreeing.

Half an hour later, He Meng Xue arrived at Chen Yan's home.

The girl had never been to Chen Yan's place before, so she was naturally very curious upon entering.

Still, being different from Zhao Ying and a "genuine" well-bred lady, while curious, she sat down on the sofa properly, refraining from wandering around.

Chen Yan poured her a glass of water and started the conversation, "You seem to be very excited today? Is it because of the oil futures?"

Hearing Chen Yan's question, He Meng Xue eagerly nodded.

Her charming eyes glittered as she looked at Chen Yan, saying, "Chen Yan, you have no idea how hot you are in the circle right now."

"I went out with friends for a meal, and they were all asking about you."

"You've made billions from oil futures this time, and the way you took over Headline Technology has shocked everyone."

"On Qindong's side, all the old men in the family are talking about you. So, naturally, everyone's very curious about you."

"They kept pressing me to share your thought process during the recent events."

"And they also want to know how you plan to manage Headline Technology in the future."

Hearing He Meng Xue's words, Chen Yan disinterestedly said, "You may not be aware of other things, but regarding the management of Headline Technology, don't you know that I intend to have Qin Ming manage it?"

Hearing Chen Yan's words, He Meng Xue looked embarrassed and then said, "I didn't dare to say that."

"You didn't dare?" Chen Yan questioned.

He Meng Xue nodded, "How should I put it... Qin Ming was previously just a peripheral figure in the circle."

"Besides... he hasn't really done any big Chen Bingji moves."

"I was afraid that mentioning it would bring you some criticism."

Listening to He Meng Xue, Chen Yan was taken aback, then he inquired, "Is that your own thoughts, or has something happened?"

He Meng Xue hesitated briefly before saying, "Nothing happened."

"It's just... at first, I mentioned your plans to have Qin Ming manage. But I faced a lot of surprise and mockery."

"Besides, since I'm working in venture capital now, the people I know were very optimistic about Headline at first."

"Upon hearing that you appointed a newcomer, someone without major corporate management experience and who has never worked in the internet industry, to manage a billion-dollar enterprise, they all thought you were crazy..."

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