Chapter 30: Chapter 30: This is Work
"Mom, tell me the truth. What exactly happened?"
Hearing Lu Cheng’s distinctly serious tone on the other end of the line, Sun Yufeng sighed. She knew she couldn’t hide it from him.
’But how was she supposed to tell Lu Cheng what happened today?’
At Lu Cheng’s insistence, Sun Yufeng haltingly recounted everything that had happened that day, not leaving out the detail that Shen Nian had returned to her room, likely feeling deeply wronged.
As Lu Cheng listened to Sun Yufeng’s words over the phone, his grip on the receiver tightened, his expression grew increasingly grim, and his brow furrowed deeply.
Lu Cheng paid no mind to the things Qin Xueling and Yin Yang had said. He trusted Shen Nian; she wasn’t that kind of person.
But when he imagined the scene—Shen Nian’s helplessness, the injustice she must have felt—and realized he couldn’t be by her side to protect her from such an ordeal, Lu Cheng’s heart filled with self-loathing.
When he heard that Shen Nian had returned to her room without even eating dinner, his heart ached for her even more.
’If I were there, if I were by her side, I would never have let her be wronged like this.’
’And as for that Qin Xueling and Yin Yang... I’d make them pay!’
Lu Cheng didn’t even know how he’d hung up the phone or how he’d left the communications room. He completely missed the concerned questions from the staff member behind him.
By the time he came to, Lu Cheng found himself standing at the door of his direct supervisor’s office. He took a moment to compose himself, then knocked.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from inside, Lu Cheng pushed open the office door.
"Minister, I’m Lu Cheng from Team Three. I’d like to request a few days of leave to go home."
Lu Cheng spoke in a rush the moment he entered. It was only after he finished that he noticed someone else was in the office—it wasn’t just his division’s minister, but another middle-aged man as well.
"My apologies, Minister Zhang. I didn’t know you had company. I’ll come back later."
With that, Lu Cheng turned to leave.
"Wait. You’ve come at the perfect time. The company has an urgent security mission for you to carry out, and you leave today. As for your leave request, I recall you just got back from home, didn’t you? Why are you asking for leave again? How about this: once this mission is over, I’ll approve a few days of leave for you to go home and get a good rest."
"But..."
"No buts. This is work! The safety of countless people is at stake."
"Yes."
Lu Cheng’s heart was burning with anxiety, but his superior’s command left him no choice but to accept the mission.
Fortunately, Minister Zhang had promised to grant him leave after this job was completed. He could only hope that Shen Nian would be alright at home, waiting for him to return!
"Alright, go and get ready. The mission orders will come down shortly. Be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice."
"Yes, Minister Zhang. I’ll head back now."
Watching Lu Cheng’s retreating figure, Minister Zhang shook his head with a small smile. But the moment he turned back to the man beside him, the smile vanished from his face.
But his quick change in expression had already been noted by the other man.
"So that’s Lu Cheng from your department?"
"Yes."
"I’ve heard of him. He’s a promising talent!"
"It’s an honor for the kid to receive such praise from you."
"That’s because he has the potential. Cultivate him well, and he’ll have a bright future."
...
Shen Nian had no idea that her return to her room had left the three members of the Lu Family feeling so conflicted and regretful. She was even more oblivious to the fact that Lu Cheng had called just then and had nearly requested leave to come home after hearing what happened to her.
After returning to her room, Shen Nian first went over the day’s events in her mind. Once she was sure she hadn’t missed anything or made any mistakes, she was finally able to relax.
After tidying up the room and taking a shower, Shen Nian slipped into the space in a flash. ’I haven’t had a chance to properly check on the fruits of my labor from today!’
However, when Shen Nian entered the space and saw its current state, she froze.
