Chapter 139: I Cannot Control It

There were some people Xiaoxiao thought she would never see again, such as Zhou Yanting. After Xi Mintang left, she had heard nothing more about Shenghua, until the day Zhou Yanting suddenly called her.

"Ms. Ni, I would like to speak with you again regarding the transfer of the flower nursery." Zhou Yanting’s tone on the phone was incredibly polite, leaving Xiaoxiao at a loss for how to respond. She wondered, since Lin Shuo had pushed out both Shundu and Shenghua, wasn't the nursery destined to fall into the hands of Maoyuan? Besides, if even Xi Mintang couldn't secure the project, did anyone else truly have the capability?

After a long silence, she asked tentatively, "Has Xi Mintang... returned?"

"No, Ms. Ni. The project has been handed over to a new person in charge. I continue to do my job as always; I am not any one person's dedicated assistant. Assistants are the iron base, while bosses are but flowing water." Zhou Yanting’s words were perfectly poised, dispelling Xiaoxiao’s concerns. He asked straightforwardly, "I wonder when you might be free, Ms. Ni? We have revised the proposal and would very much like for you to review it."

"But what about Maoyuan..."

Before Xiaoxiao could finish, Zhou Yanting interjected, "I know. Maoyuan has always coveted that land, and it is true that we lost the last round of competition. However, we lost on strategy, not on resolve. As far as that land is concerned, Shenghua remains deeply interested. I hope you will consider it."

She had to admit that Shenghua’s proposal was indeed more attractive than Maoyuan’s. However, having already given her word to Lin Shuo, how could she negotiate with anyone else? She understood the value of loyalty and integrity. Furthermore, part of Lin Shuo’s hostility toward Shenghua stemmed from his feelings about Xi Mintang. Even though Xi Mintang was now far away and could no longer pose a threat, who could ever truly fathom the complexities of a man’s heart?

In the end, Xiaoxiao declined Zhou Yanting’s offer.

That evening, while enjoying the cool air on the terrace with Lin Shuo, the cicadas—which had been chirping for months—were still audible, and the tuberose was blooming in a final, decadent flourish. The air was heavy, almost intoxicatingly, with the scent of flowers.

"How much do you know about the incident with Zeng Ziyu?" Xiaoxiao asked, a question she seemed to have never raised before. Lin Shuo answered honestly, "Eighty or ninety percent."

"And you never warned him?" People who whisper sweet nothings in your ear are not necessarily friends; those who scold you awake when you are heading down the wrong path are the ones with whom you share a true bond. The friendship between Zeng Ziyu and Lin Shuo was not shallow, but Lin Shuo had his own code of conduct. He knew exactly why people surrounded him with flattery, so he remained guarded against outsiders, occasionally offering half-truths and feigning intimacy, though he did not necessarily consider Zeng Ziyu a true confidant.

Lin Shuo replied dismissively, "Many paths must be walked alone; only by going the wrong way do you realize which road cannot be taken. If some things are destined to be lost, it only proves they were not worth keeping in the first place. At the end of the day, it is someone else's life—how could I possibly influence it?"

"Then why do you insist on changing the course of my life time and time again?" Xiaoxiao asked with utmost seriousness.

Lin Shuo merely smiled. "But you are not 'someone else.' The path I walk is one you are destined to share."