"I'm so happy to see you appreciate these little things." Anne heard a gentle voice, and she instantly
knew it was Mark.
She also figured out that the plants came from him.
"Thank you. But, do you want me to raise flowers, since you've sent me so many plants?" she said with
a smile.
Mark pointed at the plants and explained, "This plant counteracts computer radiation. Its air purification
is top-notch. And this one, has a soothing effect that can relieve fatigue when you're exhausted."
"You're so thoughtful, Mark. Thank you so much. You didn't come here just to tell me how many plants
you've raised, did you?" said Anne.
"Here's the thing. There's going to be a business trip, and we want you to go," Mark said.
"Where is it going to be held?" Anne raised her head and stared at him. There was no emotion in her
eyes.
"It's in Paris, France, and the job is definitely not going to be easy. I've told my brother that you're the
only one qualified for the job," he responded.
"If it's a big contract, don't you think your brother should be the one to go? If I go, I'm afraid the other
party will think our company does not take them seriously." She was, after all, just a designer.
However, Mark scowled and said, "No, the S Group isn't like that. They don't care about prestige. They
care about you skills in designing. If they like your style, they will definitely accept and like you even if
you're just a nobody."
"I understand. Then I'm going!" she exclaimed.
Even though she was a little nervous, it was still a job. As long as she worked hard, there would be a
possibility of success. So, she didn't object anymore.
"Don't worry. A large part of Ian's company is stationed in France. He'll be on a business trip, too. You
can probably go with him. If you run into any trouble, he can help you."
His words reminded Anne of Ian's broken wing necklace. She pondered for a while before finally
nodding.
In the evening, there were countless people entering and departing the airport.
In the corner of the airport, a Christmas tree was displayed. It suddenly occurred to Anne that it was
already Christmas.
Then, she got a call from Sam out of the blue. However, the airport manager told her that she needed
to board the plane. Anne had no choice but to reject the call and turn off her phone.
When she got to her seat, she realized that the man seated next to her was none other than Ian. She
hadn't seen him for a long time.
"Hello, Mr. Ian. How are you?" Anne greeted.
At first, his eyes were closed, but when he heard Anne's voice, he immediately opened his eyes.
"Anne! Good to see you," he replied.
She then sat beside him. She finally felt relieved as soon as the plane took off.
In fact, leaving A City was a good thing for her. Her entanglement with Kevin was becoming
unbearable, but she didn't have the heart to ruthlessly break up with him.
She wasn't sure whether she did this to keep in touch with Eddy, or she couldn't stand the idea of
having no ties with Kevin. During the time when she was away, she thought she could just figure things
out.
As she closed her eyes, Anne recalled things about Kevin. Her face became more and more serious
every passing minute. From time to time, Ian would glance at her and would shift his gaze almost
immediately.
It was already daytime when they arrived in Paris.
After sleeping for a long time on the plane, Anne woke up and found that Ian was calling her.
She turned on her phone as soon as she disembarked the plane. Sadly, there was no signal. She
wanted to ask what Sam wanted to tell her, but she ultimately decided not to.
"Can I use your phone, Ian? I want to ask Trey what work I need to prepare for."
They didn't delve into the details of why she was sent there, so she naturally had a lot of questions in
mind.
Ian smiled at her and said, "Why do you have to ask him? Trey has given me full authority on this task."
"Then where should I meet the people from the S Group?" That was what Anne wanted to know.
"Don't worry. The meeting will be held fifteen days from now. During that time, you can wander around
Paris. You only need to find inspiration and focus on your designs!" He described this "important task"
so nonchalantly that Anne was left speechless.
Fortunately, after hearing him say it like that, she felt like a burden have been lifted from her shoulders.
"By the way, we won't live in a hotel this time. I have a house in Paris. It's fully equipped and much
better than a hotel. Besides, it's much closer to the S Group and the environment is good. It's the
perfect setting to help you focus on your design."
Everything was well prepared. Anne nodded her head and said, "Okay, I'd like to know if you're
possessed by Trey. It's weird that you care so much about his work. It's rare for you to trust each like
this."
Ian smiled again. "It's nothing. The extent of our relationship is that we can give each other's company
without compensation, and we can give up everything except the people we are fond of."
It was rare for someone to describe their relationship this way. Hearing his remark, she said, "Whoever
ends up with you is very lucky. And you're lucky to have such a friend."
It was different from the first time she met Ian. The two of them were not just friends, they also regained
the connection they had before.
"Yes but there are luckier things out there." He gazed at her with his deep-set eyes.
"And what would that be?"
However, he had no intention of answering her question. Instead, he said, "It's a secret. I'll take you to
the destination first."
The house was not as big as she expected.
There was a small pond in the middle, and the water was dry. Seeing that, Anne grimaced and looked
at Ian, wondering why he hadn't taken better care of it.
Noticing her confusion, Ian grinned and said, "I don't want anyone else taking care of my house, so I
always clean it by myself. I'm not sure when I'm coming back. I have drawn the water out, or it will be
difficult to manage the whole swimming pool if the water goes bad."
"I see," Anne replied.
Then, he took her to a room. The room had the same style as the ones in his house at A City. The
ambiance was warm and comfortable, and it made people feel at home.
"This one is your room. I don't know whether you're going to like it or not," said Ian.
The room was homely decorated. There was a light purple bed gauze, and a slightly shiny, sky blue
floral window. Once she opened the window, a dense forest would appear that exuded an ethereal and
comfortable atmosphere.
Anne couldn't resist smiling. She never imagined how much she would like it here.
"I like is very much. Thank you, Ian," she said with a smile still written on her face.
"It wasn't that much of a trouble. I dressed the place up a little, and it just happens that you liked it. If
you weren't happy about it, I'm sorry but this is the best I can do." Ian shrugged to show that he couldn't
do anything if she wasn't fond of it.
Without another word, she stared at the distant scenery. The calming silence relaxed her tired nerves.
Ian smiled at her. His beaming smile resembled a bright sunshine in the middle of winter that could melt
icecaps and snow.
What Anne didn't know was that he had inquired about her preferences. Unfortunately, she still gave
him the cold shoulder. If he hadn't met her before, he would assume that she was cold and aloof.
Fortunately, he knew her well enough to know that she was just a stubborn girl.
She was still the girl he remembered.
"I'm kind of curious about you. You don't seem like a careful person, but you enjoy this kind of life. I
envy how you could live the life you want with all its ups and downs," Anne remarked.
"Everyone has their own story, don't you think? When you can live your own life, don't go against your
will. Or else, you'd risk feeling unfulfilled." Ian frowned at the thought of his own words. He tried to relax
to counteract the frustration.
"Maybe you're right," she responded.
In A City.
It was the middle of the night, almost all of the lights in the thousands of homes had been extinguished,
and the night time had truly arrived.
Sitting in his car, Kevin stared at the distance, as if he could bear every drip of loneliness that the night
held.
Because he knew that Anne had left A City and had departed for France.
"Are you trying to avoid me again?"
he muttered under his breath.
He looked like he was one with the night, and even more lonely than it was.
This city was not the same without Anne. It had become a desolate city.
After waiting for a long time, he finally started the car and drove away.
He went to the East Mountain Villa, where he shared a lot of memories with Anne. When the car
arrived at the door, the light of the car shone on the person standing by the door.
Rose looked helpless and alone as she stood there. When she saw the headlights of the car, her lonely
expression gradually disappeared.
"What are you doing here?" Kevin asked.
"I thought you might be here, and I didn't know where else to go," Rose said in an aggrieved tone.
She felt that Kevin was like a wind that she could never hold. It always caught her off guard, and she
felt like there was nowhere to escape. She knew from the beginning that Kevin would come to the East
Mountain Villa, because this was the place that Anne had stayed for the longest time.
"Come in." Kevin had intended to tell her to leave.
Unfortunately, it was already eleven o'clock. She was a woman, so it would be dangerous for her to go
alone. There were many empty rooms in the villa anyway.
"Okay." With Kevin's consent, Rose smiled and obliged. He noticed that she was trembling because of
her thin clothing.
However, allowing her to go in was the biggest concession that he could make.
"Kevin, we've already had sex. Can you stop doing this to me? Even if you like Anne, my only hope is
that you stay with me. You should be responsible for me, shouldn't you?" The tone of her question did
not amuse him.
"You can ask for anything else, but you can't make me fall in love with you. What happened to us was
an accident," he responded firmly.
Rose felt pathetic and ridiculous. "I know…"
If she couldn't keep him with her body alone, what about the baby?
She looked around, hiding the sadness in her eyes.
"I know, Kevin. It's late. You should go to bed and get some rest." Then, Rose left the living room with
heavy steps.
Kevin had been immersed in the pain of Anne's leaving A City. He was afraid that everything would
change with her departure, and the gap between them would become even larger. The thought of it felt
heavy in his heart.
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