SFL Chapter 27

They are in an excellent academic institution; Nan Jinchen graduated from this school. Although Nan Jinchen has been out of school for several years, there are still legends about him on campus.

Shen Baiyi happened to see Nan Jinchen during a school celebration. Human charm lies in both internal and external aspects, and Nan Jinchen lacks nothing in either. Shen Baiyi, his junior, naturally fell for him.

So far, despite everyone around knowing Shen Baiyi’s interest in Nan Jinchen, they haven’t exchanged a single word.

Without actual contact, Shen Baiyi’s feelings for Nan Jinchen are like a fan’s admiration for an idol. Now, with the opportunity for close contact, Shen Baiyi is happily rolling on the bed.

“Yi Yi, don’t get too excited. There must be many people competing for this position. Compared to us, those experienced seniors have more advantages. We may not necessarily succeed. Just in case, let’s also send resumes to other companies,” the roommate suggested after calming down.

“…Alright, after all, Senior Nan’s family company is quite prominent. I might not be chosen,” Shen Baiyi, dampened by reality, conceded.

Love is important, but bread is indispensable.

“Okay, after submitting the resumes, let’s go out for a stroll, Yi Yi,” the roommate proposed.

Shen Baiyi initially wanted to stay by the screen, but realizing she wouldn’t get a response anytime soon, she nodded, changed clothes, and went out with her roommate.

Nan Jinchen and Gu Zhenzhen agreed to meet in the afternoon. Nan Jinchen, having finished his morning tasks, thought about it and directly called Gu Zhenzhen to ask if she wanted to have lunch together. After lunch, they would go ring shopping.

Gu Zhenzhen, who had already planned to go shopping with her girlfriends, was delighted when she heard Nan Jinchen’s invitation. Immediately agreeing, she felt a tickle on her waist as her friends teased her.

“What about our agreed lunch? We’ve reserved seats, and you’re leaving us hanging,” one of Gu Zhenzhen’s friends complained.

“Next time, next time, I’ll treat you next time. You all know Jinchen is busy with work and has little free time. I naturally prioritize him,” Gu Zhenzhen apologized to her friends.

Several friends couldn’t help but feel a bit sour. “You’ve only known him for a short time, and you’re already so into him. If you get married, you’ll become a wife.”

Blushing, Gu Zhenzhen replied, “I still don’t know how to become a wife.”

“Alright, alright. In consideration of your youthful infatuation, we’ll let you off this time.” After teasing Gu Zhenzhen, her friends happily let her go.

Nan Jinchen asked Gu Zhenzhen to choose a nearby place for lunch and she promptly sent him the address.

Lin Mi subconsciously stepped forward to follow, but Nan Jinchen refused, saying, “Secretary Lin, you don’t need to come. This afternoon, help me organize the files and place them on my desk.”

“…Alright, Sir.” Lin Mi halted, watching Nan Jinchen leave, feeling a sudden bitterness.

They were fine before, so why this sudden distance?

Could it be that the president is consciously maintaining distance from women because of his fiancée?

She… never dared to hope to become the president’s wife.

Nan Jinchen didn’t care about the original owner’s messy love life. He drove directly to the pedestrian street to find Gu Zhenzhen. When he arrived, she was sitting on a wicker chair, holding her bag, waiting for him.

After parking the car, Nan Jinchen went to her. Seeing him, Gu Zhenzhen stood up and walked over. Today, she wore a pink and white knee-length skirt, her long hair down, presenting a graceful and intellectual image. Standing next to Nan Jinchen, who was in a suit as if attending a banquet, she indeed attracted many glances.

“Yi Yi, why aren’t you leaving?” The friend walking hand in hand with Shen Baiyi paused, looking puzzled at her friend.

Shen Baiyi rubbed her eyes and sought confirmation from her friend, “Do you see that? Is that Senior Nan?”

“Uh, let me see… it does look a bit like him. No, it is Senior Nan. I didn’t expect to bump into him here.” The friend expressed surprise but wasn’t overly amazed. After all, their school wasn’t far from the headquarters of the Nan family group, and this pedestrian street had the highest foot traffic and visibility. It wasn’t too shocking that the president himself would be out shopping.

“There seems to be someone with him…” a woman, Shen Baiyi couldn’t help but purse her lips.

“Maybe it’s his girlfriend,” the friend suggested.

“Girlfriend?” Shen Baiyi was momentarily stunned.

“Yeah, otherwise, it’s incredible that Senior Nan, rich and capable, would be single. Looks like this famous person already has an owner. Fortunately, we still have many other crushes; our first love is not over yet!” The friend sighed. She understood her friend’s thoughts but never believed that her friend could really get what she wanted. Instead of harboring unrealistic fantasies, she thought it better to be a simple fan.

Shen Baiyi gritted her teeth. “Let’s follow them. What if, just what if, it’s just a regular female friend?”

“Hey, Yi Yi.” Shen Baiyi led her roommate away, and reluctantly, her friend ended up accompanying her on this impromptu tracking mission.

Nan Jinchen and Gu Zhenzhen weren’t moving fast, and Shen Baiyi, pulling her roommate, quickly caught up.

Nan Jinchen noticed them the moment they started moving, a bit surprised to see the female lead here. However, he chose to ignore it.

In simple terms, the female lead currently just has a favorable impression of him, one-sided at that. As long as he doesn’t cross any lines, she won’t actively pursue him.

For their meal, Nan Jinchen and Gu Zhenzhen decided on a lightly decorated private kitchen. Their figures disappeared into the restaurant.

Shen Baiyi gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and wanted to go in with her roommate.

Her roommate’s legs went weak. “Yi Yi, calm down. The food here is expensive, not something we students can afford. Besides, this place is a famous romantic spot on the pedestrian street. Two girls going in together would be too conspicuous.”

“A famous romantic spot.” Shen Baiyi’s heart sank.

Her roommate dragged her to a coffee shop across the street. The coffee shop’s floor-to-ceiling windows allowed them to see clearly across, and it wasn’t too expensive.

After ordering two coffees, her roommate asked Shen Baiyi, “What will you do if that’s really Senior Nan’s girlfriend?”

“What will I do?” Shen Baiyi blinked, suddenly realizing she didn’t actually have a position to feel jealous.

Even if that’s really Senior Nan’s girlfriend, could she just walk up and say she likes Senior Nan and that the girlfriend can’t be with him? This isn’t playing house.

“Sorry, I just got a bit excited all of a sudden and wanted to make things clear.”

“Making things clear is good. This way, your secret crush can be completely cut off, and even if you start a new relationship, you won’t have any regrets.” The roommate comforted.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. After knowing Senior Nan’s relationship status, I can completely let go.” Shen Baiyi held the coffee in her hands, rubbing the cup’s surface anxiously with her thumbs, waiting impatiently.

Perhaps time allowed Shen Baiyi’s heated mind to cool down. When she saw Nan Jinchen and Gu Zhenzhen coming out, looking intimate, her heart wasn’t as bitter as when she first saw them. Instead, she felt a bit lost, unsure whether she should continue following them.

On the contrary, the roommate, deviating from her usual behavior, wanted to see how President Nan accompanied a female friend.

“Do you know those two girls behind us?” Gu Zhenzhen saw Shen Baiyi and her friend through the rearview mirror of the car. Intuitively, she felt that those two girls might be related to her fiancé.

“Don’t know.” Nan Jincheng glanced and answered.

At this moment, the male lead indeed didn’t know the female lead, as the female lead unilaterally recognized the male lead. He wasn’t technically lying.

Gu Zhenzhen wasn’t sure whether to believe it but just hugged Nan Jinchen’s arm tighter. Subsequently, the two followed the predetermined route and entered the jewelry store.

“May I ask what kind of accessories the two guests are looking for?” The store clerk approached.

“An engagement ring and a pair of wedding rings,” Gu Zhenzhen said, then looked at the display cases filled with various jewelry.

In the ring section, diamond rings dominated, with gemstone rings as a supplement, as gemstones are rarer than diamonds.

Nan Jinchen asked if Gu Zhenzhen preferred diamonds or gemstones. Gu Zhenzhen chose gemstones, as gemstones have appreciating value, and the practical value of diamonds doesn’t compare to gemstones.

This was a high-end jewelry store, and even if the purchased items had no use in the future, Gu Zhenzhen didn’t favor those glittering diamond rings.

Gemstone rings came in various colors and sizes, making them an ideal choice for engagement.

The engagement ring is a gift from the man to the woman, and one exquisite ring is sufficient. Naturally, the engagement ring, serving as the storefront’s representative, is more magnificent than the matching wedding rings.

A bunch of gemstone rings were neatly arranged in a jewel box, forming a straight line. Nan Jinchen eliminated the ones with small gemstones.

Besides the pre-set gemstones, the jewelry store also had loose gemstones for customizing. Seeing that Gu Zhenzhen didn’t find a suitable gemstone ring, Nan Jinchen asked the clerk to bring out several decent-sized loose gemstones. “We can customize a design. Choose a color you like.”

Gu Zhenzhen immediately spotted a round red ruby, perfectly sized. Under the sunlight, the ruby was dazzling and captivating, making it hard for women to look away.

Which woman wouldn’t want to own such a beautiful ruby?

Although Gu Zhenzhen’s jewelry collection wasn’t lacking in rubies, this particular one was different. It could very well become her engagement ring, carrying extraordinary significance.

Seeing Gu Zhenzhen captivated, Nan Jinchen said to her, “I noticed you weren’t quite satisfied with the ring styles earlier, so I sketched one for you. Take a look, and if you like it, we can have them customize it.”

“Why so quick? Don’t you want to continue looking?” Gu Zhenzhen was surprised by Nan Jinchen’s swift decision.

“I think this ruby suits you best.” Nan Jinchen smiled at Gu Zhenzhen.

If they didn’t decide now, did they have to wait until they visited the other stores and then come back to make a purchase? What would be the point of that?