Chapter 542 - 261: The Female Secretary Gives Her Heart
Chapter 542: Chapter 261: The Female Secretary Gives Her Heart
"Where do you live? I’ll see you home."
After hanging up his casual call with Qin Yuenan, Lin Shen crossed his legs, interlaced his fingers over his thighs, and smiled.
"I’m not going back to the company. I have plans tonight."
"Okay."
Xu Lei wouldn’t dare disobey an order from Lin Shen.
So she told him the location of her rented apartment and started driving there.
Weining District.
It was located in the suburbs of Modu, about a forty-minute subway commute from Huamao Mansion, where Shennan was.
Moreover, Weining District was close to a subway station and had a shopping plaza nearby, making transportation very convenient.
Most importantly, it was an old residential area. Although the facilities were a bit run-down, the environment was quiet and serene, mostly populated by the elderly and children.
However, once school let out, the foot traffic in the area would pick up.
Amidst the bustling traffic, the two-tone silver and black Maybach S680 was excessively eye-catching.
Passersby cast astonished glances its way, unable to help but wonder to themselves.
’Rich people live in this kind of old neighborhood, too?’
"President Lin, this is my place."
Xu Lei drove the car to the base of Building 8, Unit 2.
Although a girl living alone and renting should do her best not to reveal her address to others, she trusted Lin Shen completely. He didn’t seem like the type of person to do something creepy like stalking her.
Besides, if he wanted to do anything, he’d had plenty of opportunities in the car or at the office.
’And it’s not as if I would intentionally reject him, so why would he need to resort to stalking?’
Xu Lei pondered this silently. But as she pulled closer, she suddenly spotted someone downstairs from her own apartment.
A figure she knew all too well.
Zhang Xu!?
Xu Lei’s heart skipped a beat.
’Why is he here?’
Likewise, Zhang Xu was also astonished. After all, the probability of seeing a Maybach S680 in an old residential district was about the same as winning the lottery.
’Could it be...’
’Don’t tell me this car belongs to Lin Shen?’
Zhang Xu guessed silently to himself, and sure enough, after the car parked on the roadside, the person who got out of the driver’s seat was none other than his girlfriend.
’No, that’s not right. Ex-girlfriend.’
"What are you doing here?"
After getting out of the car, Xu Lei rushed over to Zhang Xu, pulling him aside and whispering urgently.
"What are you doing at my place?"
"I came to say goodbye."
Zhang Xu said softly, his words tinged with a trace of desolation and loneliness.
"I’ve already quit my job, packed my bags, and booked a ticket. Tomorrow, I’m leaving Modu to go back to my hometown and prepare for the civil service exam."
...
Faced with Zhang Xu’s farewell, Xu Lei pressed her lips together and remained silent for a long time before finally offering a quiet blessing.
"Well, I wish you a safe journey."
"Is there really no chance for us anymore?"
Zhang Xu’s face was full of bitterness and sorrow, as if he had been terribly wronged.
"You were just using me as a backup plan from the beginning, weren’t you? You never liked me. You were only with me because I was good to you, right?"
"Yes."
Xu Lei admitted heartlessly.
She knew very well that if she hesitated now, Zhang Xu would likely latch onto her again, making their relationship messy and unclear.
Rather than letting this drag on, it was better to make a clean break and start over.
So, Xu Lei took a deep breath and spoke coldly, in the manner of a heartless woman.
"You can blame me, you can talk behind my back, I don’t care. But I truly never liked you, and there’s absolutely no possibility for us."
"I get it."
Zhang Xu took a deep breath. After calming himself, his twitching lips suddenly curled into a miserable smile.
"Leilei, I hope things go well for you in the future."
"You too."
Xu Lei watched Zhang Xu leave, a sudden, inexplicable tightness gripping her heart.
’I didn’t actually want to be a heartless woman.’
’But it couldn’t be helped. My heart has been bewitched by the intoxicating luxury of Modu.’
’I can’t imagine myself living an ordinary life, worrying about daily necessities, or feeling secretly pleased with a monthly salary of just over four thousand.’
’I hope to have a more comfortable living environment, to own fashionable clothes and expensive cosmetics, and to embody the image of a big-city, white-collar woman that others would admire and envy.’
’And the only one who can give me all that is Lin Shen.’
Once she thought it all through, Xu Lei was surprised to find that she was no different from those gold diggers.
They all wanted to obtain a comfortable life through easier means.
In other words, they only wanted the sweet without the bitter.
’Cheap!’
Xu Lei mocked herself in her heart.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xu left without looking back. As he passed by the Maybach S680, he subconsciously glanced toward the back seat and saw, through the lowered window, Lin Shen’s face—a mix of roguish charm and refined handsomeness.
’Compared to him, I’m no different from a beggar.’
Moreover, Zhang Xu saw not a hint of mockery or contempt in Lin Shen’s eyes—only endless indifference and ease were written on his face.
’Clearly, he doesn’t even consider me a rival for Xu Lei’s affection. He doesn’t even see me as worthy of his notice.’
’He hasn’t noticed me from the very beginning, just like a human wouldn’t notice an ant at their feet. He just overlooked my existence.’
’This is the gap created by social class and status.’
Zhang Xu smiled, but he felt not the slightest bit of anger or rage toward Lin Shen.
Even though Lin Shen was the main reason he and Xu Lei broke up, Zhang Xu didn’t find himself hating him. Instead, he felt an endless sense of helplessness and melancholy.
He was keenly aware of the gap between them. Besides, most girls are attracted to power and strength.
A super-rich second-generation heir of Lin Shen’s caliber probably had countless women fighting to climb into his bed.