Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 365: Not Serious

Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Not Serious

As Meng Jingbo realized that Lu Xingyan was truly angry, he softened his tone and said, "Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking. Don’t be mad."

Lu Xingyan’s expression relaxed slightly.

During the meal, Meng Jingbo listened as Lu Xingyan animatedly shared stories about his work. When Lu mentioned feeling upset over not placing in the winter training competition, Meng hit the nail on the head, saying it was because he felt embarrassed in front of her.

Lu Xingyan immediately denied it, "No, not at all."

Meng Jingbo chewed his food and smirked knowingly. "Oh, come on. I know you better than that."

Lu Xingyan urged him, "Just eat already. Maybe a full mouth will finally shut you up."

After the two left the restaurant, Lu Xingyan drove them home. Suddenly, at a red light, he noticed Chen Ningxi waiting at the intersection.

He quickly slowed down, parked by the roadside, and honked twice. Chen Ningxi turned and saw it was Lu Xingyan’s car.

Lu Xingyan rolled down the passenger-side window, leaned out, and called, "Manager Chen, where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride."

Chen Ningxi smiled serenely. "No need. I came out to buy some medicine. My house is just across the street."

Upon hearing Lu Xingyan call her "Manager Chen," Meng Jingbo immediately realized this was the woman Lu secretly had feelings for. Grinning, he greeted her.

"Hello, big sis."

Lu Xingyan quickly smacked him. "What ’big sis’? You don’t even know her."

"Ow... oof... jeez, you really hit hard." Meng Jingbo clutched his ribs in mock pain. "Why not just introduce me then?"

Lu Xingyan gave him a look of disdain. "You don’t deserve to meet her."

Meng Jingbo relented, "Fine, fine. If you won’t introduce us, I’ll do it myself." Facing Chen Ningxi, he introduced himself with a smile, "Hello, I’m Lu’s childhood friend. We’ve grown up together since we were kids. You can just call me Xiao Bo."

Chen Ningxi remained calm and composed, smiling gently. "Nice to meet you."

She pointed at the traffic light. "It’s green now. I’ll get going. Bye, Lu. Bye, Xiao Bo."

Lu Xingyan: "Goodbye, Manager Chen."

Meng Jingbo: "Bye-bye, big sis."

Carrying her medicine, Chen Ningxi crossed the road. Meng Jingbo’s gaze lingered on her the whole way. "Lu, no wonder you’re head over heels for this woman. She’s really something. Go after her, seriously. I support you."

Lu Xingyan slapped the back of his head. "Go after your own dreams."

"Ow!" Meng Jingbo rubbed his head. "You hit me again! That’s twice tonight because of her. Betraying your friends for a girl, huh?"

Lu Xingyan restarted the car and continued driving home.

Before Chen Ningxi had even reached her house, she received a video call from Cheng Qiaobei. She quickened her pace, entering her home before answering.

She hadn’t turned on the lights, so the video was pitch black, and her breathing sounded heavy.

"What... what are you doing?" Cheng Qiaobei asked, listening closely over the call.

"Huff... puff..." Chen Ningxi turned on the lights and pointed the camera at herself. "Just got home."

Cheng Qiaobei asked, "Why are you out of breath?"

Chen Ningxi explained, "I saw your call and hurried home. Walked quickly, now I’m tired."

"Oh," Cheng Qiaobei teased with a mischievous grin, "for a second there, I thought you were out jogging with someone behind my back."

Chen Ningxi rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I was jogging. What are you gonna do about it?"

Cheng Qiaobei chuckled, "Nothing, really. Just worried you’d tire yourself out."

Chen Ningxi walked to the living room, sat on the couch, and placed the medicine box on the coffee table. "Done with work?"

Cheng Qiaobei stretched his neck. "I met with two clients today. Not too exhausting. Afterward, I had back-to-back virtual meetings. Just wrapped up."

Chen Ningxi asked, "Did they go smoothly?"

"Of course," Cheng Qiaobei replied confidently, his expression leaving no doubt.

"Where’s your next stop?" Chen Ningxi inquired.

"Nanhua. But I’ll be staying in Wuyuan for an extra day."

"I thought things went smoothly?"

"Just dealing with some other stuff. Don’t worry about it."

Chen Ningxi said, "Today, I went to the city for a meeting. I happened to see Mr. Yang from the planning bureau and asked him about the land in Qingshan. He didn’t say much, but he implied that the starting bid would be high."

Cheng Qiaobei knew how reserved Chen Ningxi usually was about such matters, so he understood this must have been difficult for her to bring up.

"There’s no need for you to dig into this. The land in Qingshan doesn’t make or break my plans—it’s optional, not a necessity."

Chen Ningxi nodded. "Alright then, if you say so."

Cheng Qiaobei reassured her, "No need to worry about it. Have you eaten dinner?"

"Why are you asking me? Have you eaten?" Chen Ningxi countered, recalling he had just finished his meetings.

Cheng Qiaobei pointed his camera at the table. "See? I’ve eaten."

Chen Ningxi asked, "What did you order?"

Cheng Qiaobei replied, "Rice with lotus root and pork ribs. Not bad, right? I didn’t skimp."

Chen Ningxi nodded approvingly. "Well done, Cheng."

Cheng Qiaobei scratched his temple, grinning mischievously. His expression became increasingly strange, prompting Chen Ningxi to ask:

"What’s with that smirk?"

Cheng Qiaobei licked his lips. "At night, without—"

Before he could finish, Chen Ningxi cut him off, "At night without you, I can’t sleep. What now?"

Cheng Qiaobei raised an eyebrow. "Well, well. Stealing my lines now, are we?"

Chen Ningxi squinted at him with a smile. "Why ask? How did I sleep before you?"

Cheng Qiaobei coughed twice, taken aback. "Hold on, let me grab some water."

As he mentioned drinking water, Chen Ningxi suddenly remembered she hadn’t boiled any, and she still needed to take her medicine.

By the time Cheng Qiaobei unscrewed the cap on his mineral water and took a sip, he noticed she had disappeared from the screen.

"Honey," Cheng Qiaobei called out, "honey?"

With the sound of footsteps, she returned to the screen.

Chen Ningxi held up a box of medicine—for menstrual pain.

"I went to boil water."

Her cycle was not only irregular but also unbearably painful. Cheng Qiaobei felt for her. "I’m not there to take care of you, to make you hot water or warm your stomach. Take your medicine and go to bed early."

Chen Ningxi, visibly worn out, replied, "You should rest early, too. Call me if anything comes up."

After ending the video call, Chen Ningxi waited for the water to boil so she could take her medicine.

When Cheng Qiaobei was home, he always prepared red date and brown sugar tea for her during this time of the month. But since he wasn’t around, she had to manage it herself.

The next morning.

Chen Ningxi woke up to find her hair damp with sweat, clinging to her face.

She hadn’t slept well, her stomach twisting in pain. She’d had to take extra medicine during the night just to make it through.

Driving to work, she paused before getting out of the car to apply lipstick in the mirror. The hint of color gave her a somewhat healthier appearance.

As Wang Qing stepped out of her own car, she saw Chen Ningxi putting on makeup inside hers. Turning back, she rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath how improper it seemed.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Ningxi steadied herself. The first three days of her cycle always left her drained and miserable.

Upstairs, Wang Qing was chatting with a colleague, Liu Yahui, when Chen Ningxi greeted them with a smile. "Manager Chen, your lipstick shade is so lovely. What’s the color?"

Chen Ningxi replied, "Cool tea hue."

"Which brand?" Wang Qing pressed.

Her cramps intensifying, Chen Ningxi gripped the handrail. "Yang Shulin."

With that, she headed upstairs.

Wang Qing and Liu Yahui exchanged glances, smirking as they watched her retreating figure.

Leaning in, Liu Yahui whispered to Wang Qing, "Do you think she’s sick again? I bet Lu will be running to her office soon."

Wang Qing stifled a laugh. "For work, of course. Strictly work."

...