Chapter 139


    He would protect her in front of others and avoid contact with her in private?


    Charlotte didn''t expect Shane to nullify their rtionship just because of what happened in the past.


    Sadness and bitterness filled her heart.


    "I see. I won''t ask such a stupid question again. Rest well. I''m heading back first."


    She forced herself to keep her sadness to herself, but she could no longer bear to stay and face


    him.


    She needed time to be alone.


    Charlotte ran out in a hurry staggering and almost falling down.


    Shane stood up from his chair abruptly and walked towards her.


    With her back facing him, Charlotte steadied herself as quickly as she could. Holding on to the wall


    with her hands, she ran out in a hurry.


    Shane stopped, raised his hand, and pressed it to his forehead. The muscle in his jaw tightened.


    His eyes were full of worry, but all he could do was watch her stumble away.


    He was not trying to sever all ties between


    them.


    Shane took out his phone and dialled a number. A momentter, Cole walked in.


    "Go and find out what Charlotte likes."


    "Yes, sir."


    She seemed to have misunderstood him.


    Shane massaged his temple.


    Charlotte returned to her room alone and she flipped open the documents again to read them.


    She needed other things to take her mind off Shane.


    It was past three o''clock in the morning, and she still didn''t fall asleep. After showering, she stood


    on the balcony with her hair wet, enjoying the night breeze.


    Did he have to sour their rtionship that was originally tense to begin with just because of an


    incident that happened more than 10 years ago?


    Thinking about it carefully, she was overreacting today as well, not giving him the chance to finish


    his sentence.


    Perhaps she would have to find an opportunity to have a chat with him.


    The next day.


    The second meeting started as nned.


    Charlotte stood next to the projector and calmly exined all the data groups.


    From price to utilization to the final processing.


    There were a few pauses in her presentation. Christopher had thought that he would have to help


    her out, but in the end, Charlotte had presented everything well by herself. Today was her one-man


    show.


    "Miss Charlotte has very heavy dark circles. Did you not sleep wellst night?" The president of the


    otherpany pointed to her eyes.


    "I did not sleep well due to some personal matters."


    Shane looked up, and his gaze seemed to fall on her. His knuckles, where a pen was held, paled


    slightly.


    "I thought it was due tost-minute work," the president said with a smile.


    "Not only do I have to dost-minute work, but I also have to do work even when it''s notst-


    minute. After all, no one knows when challenges appear in life. It''s best to be prepared for danger,"


    Charlotte replied in a neither humble nor overbearing manner.


    The other president was stunned for a while and thenughed out loud. After a long time, he


    stoppedughing and said, "Mr Fuller, I''m very curious. Which department does your worker belong


    to?"


    Shane replied calmly, "She''s my secretary."


    "Really? Your life is so exciting with such a secretary by your side. Let''s get back to business. Since


    our project has been dyed for such a long time, to put it bluntly, I just want an extra percentage.


    Why don''t you give me a quick answer? Is that alright or not?"


    "Yes, of course."


    "Then we''ll sign the agreement now." The other president took out his documents.


    They had thought that there would be a fierce battle and that it would take them four to five days to


    reach an agreement.


    However, to their surprise, it only took them two days.


    On the first day, there was a major mistake, and on the second day... there was Charlotte.


    The people of the negotiation group went back home, ashamed, in the afternoon. They hade


    on a trip with thepany''s budget but served little to no help in this project.


    That night.


    Shane answered a phone call and hurried abroad.


    Charlotte knew about this on the second day. Shane left her a message saying that he was going to


    deal with matters in the overseas branch.


    She had wanted to talk to him, but now she had to give up.


    Many things couldn''t be exined clearly through the phone.


    "Knock! Knock! Knock!"


    Charlotte was staring at her phone in a daze when someone knocked on her door.


    She got up to open the door. It was Christopher.


    "Christopher?"


    "How about I take you hiking? The scenery is beautiful."


    Charlotte pped a hand over her forehead. She suddenly recalled that only yesterday, or was it


    the day before? Christopher had said that he would bring her around to clear her mind after this


    project was done.


    She smiled and said, "I have a bad sense of direction. I''ll follow along with your arrangement."


    Christopher nodded and said gently and gentlemanly, "I''ll be waiting for you in the parking lot. Don''t


    worry. You have 30 minutes to an hour to eat and dress up. I need to attend a video conference,


    okay?"


    "All right."


    Christopher left.


    Charlotte took a deep breath.


    She thought that it would be good to take her mind off things. She did not have to register at the


    company today anyway, so she would just go back before tomorrow morning.


    When Charlotte came to the parking lot, Christopher had already ended the video conference. He


    met a passerby asking for directions and exining gently.


    Charlotte watched the heartwarming scene from not far away. Christopher was just like those gentle


    nobles that were written in the books. He exuded an aura that made people feel at ease.


    Soon, Christopher noticed her and pointed to his car. She immediately came to her senses and


    followed behind him.


    There was a Qingmu Temple on Mount Qingmu.


    There was a stone tablet in the temple, which said "Wish of being a devoted couple in our next


    lives, and let the love and hate of this life fade away".


    It was said that an empress and her lover had died here. A swordsman from the martial arts world


    had helped them erect a tablet. In the blink of an eye, thousands of years had passed and the


    emperor''s family had long been gone, but the historical site was preserved.


    Every year, many couples woulde to visit them, praying for a longsting rtionship with their


    lovers.


    Hearing this, Charlotte was fascinated. She couldn''t help but ask, "Christopher, what''s the identity of


    the queen''s lover you spoke of?"


    "He was childhood friends with the Empress before, but the Emperor fell in love with the Empress.


    The Empress''s family wanted to rise to the top and be prosperous, so he had to give up being


    a civil officer and became the Empress''s personal guard."


    "They went too far." Charlotte couldn''t help but clench her fists.


    "Wouldn''t the family feel sad if they sold their daughter like this?" She thought.


    Christopher nodded with a smile, but his gaze was cold. "Indeed, people who abandon their loved


    ones for the sake of reputation should be despised."


    Charlotte blinked her eyes and said, "You..."


    "Do you know how the Empress died?"


    Charlotte stopped herself from saying further and shook her head.


    "She was given a death punishment by the Emperor. She drank poisonous wine given by the


    Emperor and her lover, which was her personal guard at the time,mitted suicide by her side."


    The weather wasn''t cold, but Charlotte''s body was frozen to the point that she shivered.


    Just how deeply in love must they be to do something like this for each other. She was unable to do


    so, and she couldn''t even imagine herself doing so.


    The two of them continued their hike.


    There was a karst cave on the mountain, in which no light but countless fireflies were seen. It was a


    beautiful and picturesque ce.


    Christopher offered to take photos of Charlotte, but Charlotte refused. She didn''t like having her


    photos taken.


    The two of them found a ce to sit down.


    "Big brother and sister, do you want to buy something to eat?" A little girl ran to them with a bamboo


    basket in her arms.


    "Two bottles of mineral water and a lollipop." Christopher handed the money to the little girl and


    handed a bottle of water to Charlotte.


    "Thank you, Christopher. Why did you buy a lollipop?" Charlotte took the water from him and asked


    curiously.


    Christopher''s eyes were filled with memories. "In the past, there was a little boy who was very thin


    and weak. He was bullied because of his family background. A girl saved him and helped him out.


    When the little girl left, she gave him a lollipop."


    Until now, he was still keeping that lollipop.


    He had been looking for that girl, for such a long time. He didn''t expect that one day she would


    appear in front of him.


    It was a pity that she was already someone else''s wife. And that someone else was his best friend


    whom he hated the most.


    A strange glint shed in Christopher''s eyes, like a flickering candlelight.


    "Is the little boy you?"


    "No, but it doesn''t affect my yearning for lollipop." Christopher peeled the lollipop wrapper and


    popped it into his mouth.


    Seeing him enjoy his candy, Charlotte suddenly began to yearn for lollipops.


    She asked, "Then, do you know what happened to the little boyter?"


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    "He was not alright. His mother dies, and his father abandoned him. He had no friends and no one


    to rely on."


    "How sad." Charlotte''s heart ached for the boy. "What about you? Are you still in contact with the


    little boy?"