With My Profound Love, I Offer to the Years

Chapter 10

Shen Nian's expression was rather calm, she gave a light "hmm" and then left.

...

In the past period the company had been busy with investment matters, now the contract was signed so the company didn't have any other major work. Shen Nian handed over the few minor projects she still had to intern employees of the company, preparing to exercise them a bit.

For the next month, Shen Nian stayed at home to nurture herself, eating, sleeping, spacing out every day, passing the time quite leisurely.

Lu Lingchuan hadn't returned since leaving that day. Although Shen Nian was staying at home, she kept in contact with Jiang Lingling.

Jiang Lingling was the intern girl, in her fourth year at B University, now 22 years old, just a few months younger than Shen Nian. But because Shen Nian was a veteran employee of the Lu Lingrui Group, and she had brought in so many projects for the company with proven capabilities, those younger would call her "Sister Nian," while those older were also very respectful towards her.

"I've marked the places that need correcting, revise them before making copies. Also, for the white folders, you must repeatedly check the contents inside to ensure there are no mistakes, then give them to Manager Lu Lingchen to go over one more time. Afterwards he will pass them to President Lu."

Jiang Lingling's sunny voice came from the other end: "Thanks Sister Nian, it's good to have you helping me, otherwise I wouldn't know how many mistakes I'd make."

"Sister Nian, teach me some of your work experience quickly, I can't always trouble you!"

Shen Nian sat on the sofa with a thin blanket over her legs. Hearing this, she smiled, "There's nothing much I can teach you, just learn and do more. You're smarter than me, I couldn't even understand project documents back then."

At the company, Shen Nian was constantly diligently working. Other employees would take breaks and relax when no one was looking, but Shen Nian was an exception.

So privately, the employees said that although Shen Nian was only in her twenties, she had the heart of a forty year old.

Her composure and calmness were certainly not what a twenty-two year old should have.

At the company Shen Nian never talked about herself. Indeed she seldom spoke, only saying a few more sentences when discussing work, otherwise she was mostly quiet.

Hearing her say more, Jiang Lingling immediately asked, "Sister Nian, I heard from Sister Ying and Sister Nan that your time at the company is even longer than theirs, but aren't you only twenty-two? Logically at this age you should be interning like me."

Shen Nian patiently explained, "I went to A University. A University's graduation requirements are different from yours at B University. At A University you just need to complete the credits to qualify for early graduation."

"Oh, so that's why!" Jiang Lingling suddenly understood, then asked again, "But Sister Nian, you're so beautiful and excellent, graduating early from university, those boys who admired you were probably heartbroken!"

Shen Nian just smiled.

"Alright, go do your work, be careful or they'll dock your pay for slacking."

"Hehe." Jiang Lingling cheekily stuck out her tongue, "Actually Sister Nian isn't like what they said..."

"What?" Shen Nian asked.

"Oh...some say you're a very serious person, hard to get along with. But I don't feel that way at all. Since I started at the company, you've taken good care of me."

Jiang Lingling leaned on the table in the break room, holding her phone in one hand, a bit puzzled, "Sister Nian, why are you so nice to me?"

The other company employees all bullied the interns. She had already mentally prepared herself to be bullied when she first started interning.

"...Because you remind me a lot of my best friend," Shen Nian murmured distantly, her expression absent, as if her soul had been drained away, leaving her dispirited.

"Huh? Best friend?" Jiang Lingling immediately sat up and asked more, "How, in looks, age, or what?"

Shen Nian chuckled, "You don't resemble each other in looks. As for age...she's several years younger than you. But your smile is beautiful. Whenever I see your smile, it's like seeing hers."

"Several years younger than me? Then isn't she just becoming an adult?" Jiang Lingling had thought Sister Nian's best friend would be the same age. "Sister Nian, I didn't expect you to have such a young best friend."

Back then the Lu family had concealed Lu Lingrui's matters very strictly. Especially after Lu Lingrui's suicide jumping off a building, her name became even more taboo. Lu Lingchuan never talked about Lu Lingrui's matters to outsiders, so the company employees only knew Lu Lingchuan had a younger brother called Lu Lingchen, and didn't know she also had a younger sister.

Jiang Lingling didn't know the truth, so she casually asked without thinking.

"Sister Nian, is your health better? If you're better let's go shopping this weekend, us three! I discovered a hidden gem DIY shop where you can paint pictures yourself and make things yourself. Handcrafted DIY is very meaningful. I happened to be worried about having no one to go with me, so how about us three go?"

Jiang Lingling chatted excitedly, already planning what to do over the weekend.

Hearing Jiang Lingling's words, Shen Nian was stunned for a moment. "She can't go."

"Huh? Why not, is she very busy?"

"She's gone," Shen Nian said.

The confused Jiang Lingling hadn't thought in that direction yet, only felt she couldn't quite grasp the implication behind Shen Nian's words.

Knowing Jiang Lingling didn't understand, Shen Nian straightforwardly said, "She passed away when she was eighteen."

Her voice was light, without any rise or fall.

"..." Jiang Lingling went blank.

Oh...

She hadn't expected this.

Returning to her senses, Jiang Lingling hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry Sister Nian, I didn't know it would be like this. I didn't mean to make you sad."

"It's fine." Shen Nian lowered her head to look at the photo resting on her knees, her expression absent, seeming mechanical and sluggish, as if her soul had been drained away leaving her dispirited.

"You focus on your work, I'll return to the company in a few days."

"Oh...alright." Knowing she had touched a sore spot for Shen Nian, Jiang Lingling felt guilty and didn't dare say anything else. She obediently hung up to return to work.

Shen Nian placed her phone to the side and stared at the graduation photo in her hand.

It was a high school graduation photo, taken before the college entrance exam.

The graduating students were arranged by front row female back row male. She and Lu Lingrui were both 168cm tall, considered quite tall among the girls, so they stood in the second row.

In the photo, she and Lu Lingrui stood shoulder to shoulder in the middle. The corners of Shen Nian's lips curved up in a faint smile, while Lu Lingrui beside her smiled radiantly.

Indeed when Jiang Lingling smiled she resembled her a lot.