The Yin Group press conference concluded after a lengthy process of more than three hours.

Su Xiaomeng, on behalf of everyone at Yin Group, thanked the attending journalists, media, and guests.

The people, exited.

In the vast venue, there were only a few people sparsely seated.

Among them was a middle-aged man who had previously cheered and applauded for Zeng Xiaocheng.

Though Xiao Meng didn’t know who he was, she walked over to him. Before she could speak, a security guard approached and whispered to Su Xiaomeng,

"Mr. Zeng Xiaocheng accidentally fell down the stairs after exiting the venue... Shan Minglang has taken him to the hospital."

Su Xiaomeng was shocked and quickly asked, "Is it serious?"

Upon asking, she saw Zeng Qi rushing out the door, leaving Su Xiaomeng blinking in confusion.

She called Shan Minglang on her cell phone, and only after asking about the situation did she feel at ease.

The vast venue was now empty, with Yin Group’s executives returning to their posts.

After the press conference ended, there was still a lot of follow-up work to take care of.

Secretary Luo also informed Su Xiaomeng about a dinner engagement in the evening regarding a Yin Group business project.

Su Xiaomeng acknowledged,

"Got it."

In a seat in the middle of the front row, Ren Yixuan sat there, watching Su Xiaomeng like a seasoned businesswoman in the corporate world.

After reporting, Secretary Luo left, closing the venue door behind without letting anyone in to disturb them.

Su Xiaomeng took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Ren Yixuan, who was seated on an empty seat. She... gave him a gentle smile before stepping over to the empty seat beside him and sitting down.

The two sat side by side.

"Sitting on the stage and sitting below, the feeling is really very different."

Su Xiaomeng said mildly.

Ren Yixuan looked at the now-empty stage,

"I never thought that when I came back, you’d be standing on that stage, unafraid of anyone’s gaze."

"Is the change significant?"

Su Xiaomeng touched her head and asked him.

"I went to see Uncle and Aunt."

"..."

"I went to see Uncle and Aunt without your permission, sorry."

Su Xiaomeng pursed her lips, "I thought you didn’t resent me anymore. I didn’t expect you’d still be distant enough to say sorry to me."

Ren Yixuan turned his head to look at her, his gaze landing on her jet-black hair, especially the very black crown...

"I remember your hair used to not be this black, it was somewhat yellow. I always said you were malnourished before..."

"Ah? Really?"

Su Xiaomeng casually grabbed her hair, smiled,

"Now the nutrition’s good!"

"Prematurely gray overnight..."

"..."

The smile on Su Xiaomeng’s face stiffened, she bit her lip, unconsciously tugging at her own hair,

"Well, it’s black now, I’ve come through."

Ren Yixuan took a deep breath, then exhaled long, his hands clasped together, his back slightly stooped, his gaze fixed on the already empty stage in front of him...

"Visiting Uncle and Aunt was also by chance. I’ve been back in the country for a short period, a few days ago I ran into Aunt in a shopping mall, and later agreed to visit home."

"..."

"A trip to London, did the financing issue get resolved?"

Su Xiaomeng wasn’t surprised that Ren Yixuan knew she went to London for the Yin Group’s financing problem.

Ren Yixuan was indeed an overly clever person. Even if no one told him, he could pretty much guess about eight or nine-tenths of it.

"Yes, it’s resolved."

"Have you found solutions for the issues with Yin Group’s shelved projects?"

"My uncle has already helped me resolve them. Whether it’s funding or manpower, he’s done his utmost to help."

"That’s good."

Ren Yixuan nodded.

The air still carried a sense of awkwardness.

Su Xiaomeng was someone very uncomfortable with awkwardness, she bit her lip, forcing out a smile,

"Speaking of which, you’re just like before!"

"The same?"

Ren Yixuan ran a hand through his hair, chuckled lightly, "Perhaps."

"In the past two years abroad, it must’ve been tough, right?"

"In this world, who isn’t struggling? Weren’t you?"

Ren Yixuan looked at Su Xiaomeng, "Studying in Bath couldn’t have been as easy as coasting by for credits at A University, right?"

"You know that too?"

Su Xiaomeng touched her nose.

"Don’t rub, be careful, you might have a nosebleed again soon."

"... Oh."

"When Uncle and Aunt saw me, it wasn’t like before... What I did then, it must’ve hurt them a lot, right?"

"No... they..."

"I’m sorry."

"..."

"Xiao Meng, I’m sorry."

In the empty venue, Ren Yixuan’s two mild words seemed to be especially amplified, resonating into Su Xiaomeng’s left chest.

She lowered her eyes... her nose tingled again.

Ren Yixuan’s tone was almost entirely filled with melancholy...

"Back then, I thought I was very mature, but... not really. Always being around you, how mature could I have gotten?"

"What you’re trying to say is..."

"Xiao Meng, I know, even if Yin Shixiu is gone, you could never be mine."

"..."

Su Xiaomeng pressed her lips tightly together.

"I also know, you’re very worried I’ll always hold onto feelings for you..."

"That day, I went to your house, entered your bedroom, saw the wedding photo on the wall, looked at the family photo of you four together, and... the Winnie the Pooh dolls by the bed."

"..."

"As I said just now, in this world, there’s no pure friendship between men and women."

"I can’t see you as a friend, but Xiao Meng... do you believe..."

Ren Yixuan looked at her,

"There’s a kind of emotion in this world, without blood relation but deeper than kinship, without love but more enduring than romance, surpassing friends, and more profound than friendship?"

"..."

"That’s what we have."

"..."

Without thinking about the specific mix of emotions in this relationship, it’s a sentiment not called love, not friendship, nor kinship. It has a name, just called Ren Yixuan and Su Xiaomeng.

This type of relationship that no one else can replicate.

Su Xiaomeng looked at Ren Yixuan...

Her eyes reddened.

What he said was too profound; she seemed to understand yet seemed not to.

Thinking too much gives her a headache, yet thinking too little she doesn’t understand.

"You want to uphold the empire your husband built single-handedly, but you know how difficult that is, don’t you?"

"..."

"I’m not here to discourage you; I’m here to help."

"..."

"Just consider it... as me atoning to you. Is that okay?"

Su Xiaomeng still had her head lowered, "pa ta," a tear fell to the ground.

"What’s wrong?"

Su Xiaomeng shook her head, unable to say anything or make a sound...

Ren Yixuan had a handsome face, his expression calm, as if no one could impose any emotion onto his face.

No one at that moment could truly see through his emotions.

Two years ago, they overturned a twenty-year friendship, hurting each other to the bone.

Two years later, they picked up that two-decade friendship, ultimately... unwilling to let it go.

"Okay, okay, don’t cry anymore!"

Ren Yixuan reached out, ruffled her head randomly, messing up her neatly combed hair.

"Come on, let’s go draft the contract."

"Contract? What contract?"

Su Xiaomeng, crying and sniffling, wrinkled her brow and asked him...

Ren Yixuan listened to her muddled question, his tone natural, as she had completely let down her guard with him.

"The electronic chip contract, what else?"

"Ah? Oh..."

Su Xiaomeng said to him while wiping her nose with a tissue,

"We can collaborate, but you can’t take advantage of the situation, okay? If the price you offer is too low, I won’t do it. I’m very poor right now..."

"Got it, got it! Really... does your husband know how frugal you are?"

Ren Yixuan pushed her back.

"He left this huge mess for me to clean up, does he still dare to complain?"

Su Xiaomeng muttered.

Ren Yixuan chuckled.

Laughing... he sensed something amiss, vaguely feeling that Su Xiaomeng’s attitude toward Yin Shixiu’s departure was peculiar.

But he didn’t delve into it further.

Seeing her muster up some spirit...

That... was already very good.

In this world, what could possibly overwhelm their twenty years of friendship?

...Nothing.