Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 335: If This Isn’t Fondness

Chapter 335: Chapter 335: If This Isn’t Fondness

Chen Ningxi had just returned from a meeting in the city. Before she even made it back to the office, her phone was ringing off the hook.

Most of the calls before the end of the workday were about dinner invitations. After all, she was in a managerial position, and many people wanted to leverage her connections. But Chen Ningxi didn’t like socializing and declined as many invitations as she could, though there were some she simply couldn’t avoid.

Tonight, Zou Yong was hosting a dinner. From her father’s generation, she addressed Zou Yong as "Uncle Zou," making it really hard to refuse.

After returning to her office, Chen Ningxi changed out of her work uniform. Just as she opened the office door, she saw Lu Xingyan standing outside.

"What’s up, Lu?"

For a moment, Lu Xingyan was so captivated by her refined and elegant appearance that he lost the ability to speak. He quickly gathered himself, "...It’s, um... Manager Chen, do you happen to have any books or materials related to submarine cables?"

Chen Ningxi was in a rush to get to the dinner. "Wait a moment."

She went back into her office, rummaged through a drawer, and came out with two books. "These are the only ones I have."

"I’ll bring them back after I’m done reading," Lu Xingyan said as he watched her lock the office door.

Chen Ningxi was dressed in a light beige V-neck sweater, highlighting her swan-like neck, making her appear even more graceful. Her skin was porcelain-like, radiant with a translucent quality. Her features exuded both intellect and elegance.

She turned around after locking the door and noticed he was still standing there. "Anything else?"

Lu Xingyan shook his head like a rattle, "No, nothing."

Chen Ningxi smiled faintly and headed toward the stairs.

Lu Xingyan watched her figure disappear around the corner before he slowly made his way downstairs.

There was a matter weighing on his mind—a matter he couldn’t bring himself to talk about.

A puzzled expression lingered on his face. He looked as if he had lost his soul, downcast and forlorn.

Suddenly, someone patted him on the shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Wang Qing grinning at him from the steps.

"Looking for loose change on the ground?"

Lu Xingyan answered listlessly, "No."

He kept walking while Wang Qing trailed closely behind him.

"You’ve been looking out of sorts lately. What’s going on?" Wang Qing asked.

Lu Xingyan replied, "Nothing really, maybe I’m just tired."

Wang Qing chuckled, "Your team doesn’t even have much to do right now. What’s making you so tired?" Then she noticed the books in his hands. "Reading at work? That’s impressive. Oh, by the way, Da Xing’s organizing a dinner. He’s inviting a few of us to try that new Chongqing hotpot restaurant on Yonghe Road."

He had heard Cao Jianxing mention this earlier and had agreed, but now he wasn’t in the mood at all.

"I’m not going. I still need to read," Lu Xingyan said.

"What’s there to read?" Wang Qing swiftly snatched the books from his arms and grabbed his arm, pulling him downstairs. "You agreed already. You can’t flake like that."

"Hey... You’re going to crumple the books! Don’t touch them!" Lu Xingyan hurriedly snatched them back, holding them protectively like a treasure.

Wang Qing had noticed earlier that the books were borrowed from Chen Ningxi.

"It’s just two books. Why are you so worked up about it?" She reached out to try again, but Lu Xingyan shrugged her off, frowning. "I told you not to touch them!"

Wang Qing, being a girl, felt embarrassed after being scolded. She pouted, her face showing a mix of grievance. "Why are you so mad? I wasn’t going to ruin them."

Realizing his tone had been harsh, Lu Xingyan softened his stance. "I’m not mad at you. These books are borrowed. If they get torn or creased, how can I return them?"

He tilted his head to look at Wang Qing’s face and saw that she was on the verge of tears. He quickly added, "Don’t cry, okay? I didn’t even say anything. If you cry, it’ll look like I bullied you."

Wang Qing deliberately sniffled. "Are you coming to dinner tonight or not?"

Lu Xingyan caved in. "Fine, fine, I’ll go. Happy now?"

Wang Qing immediately brightened up. "I’ll ride with you. My car’s in for maintenance."

Lu Xingyan frowned disdainfully. "So after dinner, I’ll have to drop you off too."

Wang Qing raised her chin triumphantly. "Wouldn’t it be rude if you didn’t? We live in the same complex, after all."

"Troublesome." Lu Xingyan muttered, half-joking, half-serious.

Although he acted indifferent to Wang Qing, he was fully aware of her feelings for him.

They say, ’The distance between a man and a woman is only a thin layer of gauze.’ If it were the past, perhaps Lu Xingyan might have tried dating. But now, he didn’t know why—he just couldn’t muster any interest in other women.

Once, he talked about this with a friend without revealing he was the person in question. He said it was about a guy who had a crush on their workplace’s female manager—a married woman. He wanted advice on how to help his "friend" give up the unrealistic crush.

The friend, however, came up with the worst possible idea, encouraging his "friend" to make a move, reasoning it out thoroughly.

"The good thing about married women is that there’s no need to take responsibility, no need to spend money. Older women are emotionally stable, more experienced, and cooperative."

At that moment, Lu Xingyan lost his temper, saying she wasn’t that kind of person. His friend immediately smirked wickedly and accused him of projecting, saying it was obviously about him and not some "friend."

Unable to argue further, Lu Xingyan admitted it was indeed him, but he also explained the dynamics between them.

At the moment, it was a one-sided crush. The other person had no idea, and he had no intentions of being disrespectful. He emphasized that Chen Ningxi had impeccable character and was upright, not the type of woman his friend described.

The friend demanded to see Chen Ningxi’s photo, but Lu Xingyan refused no matter what.

In the end, his friend concluded with one sentence: "When you’re young, you don’t appreciate mature women. Instead, you foolishly idolize younger girls." And with that, they ended the conversation.

Wang Qing followed Lu Xingyan to the parking garage, heading straight for the front passenger seat, but he stopped her.

"Wait. The front seat is full of stuff. Sit in the back."

Wang Qing peered into the front seat and saw that it indeed held a box.

She got into the backseat, resting her elbow on the front seat’s backrest, while Lu Xingyan carefully placed the two books into an organizer box.

Wang Qing commented, "Can’t you tidy up your car? It’s a mess, like a pigsty."

Lu Xingyan retorted, "How’s this like a pigsty? It’s clean enough."

Wang Qing motioned toward the box on the passenger seat. "Why not put the box in the trunk? It’s so inconvenient to keep it there."

Starting the engine, Lu Xingyan replied, "Beggars can’t be choosers. Don’t like it? You can ride with Da Xing instead."

Wang Qing pouted. "No way. Da Xing’s car is always breaking down and smells like burnt oil. It’d knock me out cold."

Lu Xingyan stomped on the gas to catch up with Cao Jianxing’s Range Rover. "You’re so high-maintenance."

The restaurant Zou Yong had chosen was Xiajiangnan on Yonghe Road. When Chen Ningxi arrived at the entrance, she found that all the parking spots were full. She had to circle around and park across the street.

As Lu Xingyan was reversing his car, he saw Chen Ningxi’s vehicle pull in. He quickly stopped his car, got out, and rushed over to her.

Wang Qing watched in bewilderment as she saw Lu Xingyan eagerly open the car door for Chen Ningxi. The two of them exchanged a few words by the car, and judging by the bright grin on his face, he couldn’t have been happier.

Through the rearview mirror, Wang Qing noticed her own jealous expression reflected back at her. Originally, she’d dismissed a lot of things as mere coincidences or flattery. But now, it was clear the reality wasn’t as simple as she’d thought.

Chen Ningxi was in a hurry. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she quickly headed into Xiajiangnan.

Wang Qing continued watching as Lu Xingyan stood there, staring at Chen Ningxi’s retreating figure. If this wasn’t love, then there had to be something going on between the two of them.