Back in Haizhu, the first person Xia Lei met was not Guan Lingshan, who managed Thunder Horse Manufacturing for him, but Jiang Ruyi. 

The two of them walked along a walking path by the sea and did not speak for quite a stretch of path, just walking quietly. 

This was fairly awkward and Xia Lei had things he wanted to say but didn’t know how to say them. 

They walked on for a little more and Xia Lei stopped before a pavilion. “Ruyi, let’s sit down for a bit.” 

“Nn.” Jiang Ruyi nodded lightly and did not say anything more. She sat on a bench with Xia Lei, then looked out in the distance at the sea, keeping her silence though her eyes were full of pain she could not hide. 

She knew what Xia Lei had come to talk to her about. Xia Lei and Shentu Tianyin’s engagement was hot news and in this information age, big news like this was all over - there was no avoiding it. 

‘How is he going to tell me?’ A bitter smile appeared in the corners of her mouth. ‘Do I still care how he will say it? What meaning does this hold?’ 

“Ruyi…” Xia Lei finally...