Chapter Sixty-Seven: Entanglement

Liang Wenru was now utterly convinced that Pei Susu had fabricated a boyfriend out of thin air, so he shook his head.
"Your doubts and tests are understandable, but Susu, my feelings for you are real… If you insist you have a boyfriend, then bring him out for us to see!"

Of course, for something so trivial, Pei Susu would never trouble Fu Zhichen, nor would she reveal their relationship just to shatter Liang Wenru's delusions. Unwilling to waste more time, she simply turned to Zhou Haoyue.
"Let's go upstairs."

Liang Wenru only pursued her for a while; a man like him had no true sincerity. The deep affection he now displayed was only because she was his best option at the moment. Once he realized there were other paths open to him, he would never linger.

"Alright," Zhou Haoyue agreed, finding Liang Wenru utterly ridiculous and not even sparing him a glance before following Pei Susu upstairs.

"Susu, don't go, Susu!" Liang Wenru called, trying to follow, but was stopped at the entrance by security.

"Sir, you can't enter without an employee badge," the guard said.

So Liang Wenru could only watch helplessly as the two women walked farther away, clutching his bouquet tightly.

Upstairs, Pei Susu quickly put the incident behind her. Work was far more important now. As team members returned one by one, Pei Susu launched into a long meeting.

At some point, rain began to fall outside. Listening to the steady patter, Pei Susu massaged her temples, finally enjoying a brief moment of respite. When she turned, she noticed a security guard waiting outside the meeting room, looking rather exasperated.

"Director Pei, that man downstairs still refuses to leave. He's standing in the rain with a bouquet of roses, calling your name…" The guard sounded frustrated. "I'm afraid this might affect our company's image."

Pei Susu hadn't expected that even in this pouring rain, Liang Wenru would stubbornly remain. Already overwhelmed by work, she now felt a throbbing headache.

"Director Pei, what do you want us to do…?"

Not wanting to trouble her staff further, Pei Susu nodded in understanding, then pulled out her phone and dialed Liang Wenru's number.

He answered almost immediately.

"Susu, I knew you couldn't be so heartless!"
Liang Wenru's voice was thick with emotion. "I'm still downstairs. If you want to see me, you can come down at any time."

Pei Susu pinched the bridge of her nose. How had she never realized before just how persistent Liang Wenru could be?

"Standing down there won't help us communicate. What is it you want to say? To get back together? To remarry? Are these things decided in just a few words?" Pei Susu forced herself to be patient. "All you're accomplishing is embarrassing me. You're an adult now; I hope you can take responsibility for your actions. The rain is heavy—go home."

Her words chilled Liang Wenru, but her final sentence seemed to reignite his hope.

"Susu, I knew you cared about me!"

Pei Susu fought the urge to roll her eyes.

It wasn't concern for Liang Wenru she felt; it was for her own reputation! A lovesick man clutching red roses, wandering in the rain and chanting her name… If this weren't the Fu Group, with its well-mannered staff who would, at most, gossip privately and never spread rumors, by tomorrow Pei Susu would be the talk of the town.

"In any case, go home for now. If you have something to say, we'll talk another time."
Her tone softened, thinking this might finally placate him, but to her surprise, Liang Wenru became even more determined to see her today.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait for you downstairs! If we talk things through, we can go get our marriage certificate tomorrow. Susu, if you care about me, come down!"

Zhou Haoyue, unable to listen any longer, snatched the phone from Pei Susu and hung up. She had heard every word of their exchange.

"People like him are just shameless. The nicer you are, the more he'll take advantage," Zhou Haoyue folded her arms. "If he wants to stand in the rain, let him. Whatever happens, it's not your problem—you two are already divorced. At most, this is just an ex-husband harassing his former wife."

Pei Susu truly didn't care about Liang Wenru, but it was a nuisance to have him making a scene at the company entrance.

Yet there was no way to reason with someone like Liang Wenru. After a moment, she let out a long, helpless sigh.

"Who would have thought anything could trouble our Director Pei?" Zhou Haoyue teased. "But since he's so persistent, why not just introduce your mysterious boyfriend to him?"

Pei Susu raised an elegant brow.
"I think the one most eager to meet my boyfriend is you, Vice Director Zhou."

Zhou Haoyue chuckled.
"Since you already know, don't expose me."

Still, Zhou Haoyue found it odd: such a simple solution had occurred to her, so why hadn't Pei Susu acted on it? What was so secret about this boyfriend that he couldn't show his face?

But the thought passed quickly—after all, this was Pei Susu's private matter. Whatever she decided, she must have her reasons.

"Alright, let's not dwell on this," Pei Susu said, checking her watch with a serious expression. "Manager Qin from Greenland Group will be here soon. Let's get the materials organized."

"Understood."
Everyone immediately threw themselves into preparation.

Ten minutes later, Manager Qin appeared at the conference room door, right on time. Upon entering and seeing Pei Susu, he greeted her with a measured smile.

"So this must be Director Pei? It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Pei Susu nodded politely.
"Please, have a seat, Manager Qin."

Manager Qin sat down with a smile. "On my way up, I saw a man downstairs holding a bouquet and calling your name. It seems Director Pei is not only highly competent at work, but also attracts quite a bit of attention—sometimes to your own detriment, I suppose."

Pei Susu and Zhou Haoyue exchanged an awkward glance.

It was clear that Manager Qin was only teasing and meant no offense, but it still impacted Pei Susu's reputation.

"Let's not talk about him. Why don't I take a look at your proposal first?"
Noticing Pei Susu's displeasure, Manager Qin cleverly changed the subject.

Massaging her temples, Pei Susu forced herself to focus on work, deciding to deal with Liang Wenru only after Manager Qin had left.

In any case, she could not let him remain there any longer.