In the morning, charlie finally returned to Aurous Hill.
When he arrived home, only ine was there.
ire had been busytely, focusing on finalizing thepany’s cooperation project. She wanted to provide a satisfactory exnation to the partners before her departure.
As for Jacob, he continued to spend his days at the calligraphy and painting association, never seeming to tire of it.
In contrast, ine was much more rxed. Her attention was entirely on the uing trip to the Maldives. She had bought a swimsuit, goggles, and even some snorkeling gear online.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">
Seeing charlie return, she was especially delighted and greeted him with a smile: “My good son-inw, you’re finally back! We’re leaving for the Maldives the day after tomorrow. You mustn’t take on any more Feng Shui work during this time!”
charlie smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t ept any work until after the New Year.”
“That’s great!” ine said, relieved. “I’ve told ire to finish up everything quickly. She’s not allowed to bring herputer on this vacation!”
charlie nodded with a smile. It was clear that ine was genuinely excited about the trip. It was a rare opportunity and indeed a good thing for the whole family.
Before the trip, charlie took some time to visit the Champs élysées Hot Spring Hotel, where he met Nanako, Yun Ruge, and Song Ruyu, who were all practicing Taoism there.
Nanako’s cultivation had progressed quickly, and charlie believed it wouldn’t be long before she surpassed Song Ruyu.
Meanwhile, Yun Ruge and Song Ruyu had remained in seclusion, focusing on absorbing the effects of the Da Peiyuan Pill, which had significantly strengthened their cultivation andid a solid foundation for future progress.
That evening, when charlie returned home, Jacob’s Cullinan was already in the driveway, but ire had not yete back.
charlie chatted with his father-inw and mother-inw at home for a while before ire returned, visibly exhausted.
As she walked in and saw charlie back, a flicker of pain shed in her eyes.<fn6378> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? </fn6378>
Over the past few days, she had been mentally preparing herself, thinking she was ready to face charlie. But the moment he appeared before her, an overwhelming ache still rose in her heart.
charlie wasn’t someone particrly sensitive to subtle emotional shifts in women. When he saw iree home, he had missed her so much that he immediately smiled and said, “My wife is back! The New Year is almost here—has thepany not started the holiday yet?”
ire forced a bitter smile, afraid he might notice something, and replied with a sigh, “Ah, things always get busier at the end of the year. But tomorrow’s thest working day. We’re having our annual dinner party tomorrow night, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
ine quickly chimed in, “ire, we’re leaving early the day after tomorrow—yourpany still has work tomorrow?”
ire nodded with a touch of sadness and said, “There was a lot of work before the holiday, so I paid everyone overtime. I just hope they’ll push through. I’ll return to work as soon as we’re back from the Maldives.”
charlie’s trip to the Maldives with the family was only five days and four nights. Mostpanies offered at least eight to ten days off for the Lunar New Year. Since ire had to resume work right after the trip, it meant she would only get five days off.
charlie said with concern, “Wife, is thepany really that busy? Maybe you could ease up a bit on taking new orders.”
ire gave a faint smile, tinged with bitterness, and replied, “We’re not epting new orders anymore, but we still need to speed up progress on the existing ones so we don’t dy Party A’s schedule.”
charlie said, “Most of your orders are from Dihao Group, right? I know Vice President Wang quite well. Do you want me to speak with him and ask if they can ease the deadlines a little?”
ire felt even more upset.
After meeting Tang Sihai, I realized just how many lies charlie had to maintain in his daily life.