Her phone vibrated again; it was a message from Arthur.

[I’m taking you somewhere tomorrow.]

[Where?]

[You’ll see when we get there.]

Early the next morning, Arthur came to pick her up.

He was dressed casually, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled to his elbows, and his hair wasn't perfectly combed, with a few strands falling over his forehead.

Sunlight poured through the car window, and the contour of his profile looked like a painting.

"What are you looking at?" He turned to look at her.

"Looking at how handsome you are," she said.

He laughed and reached out to ruffle Elena’s hair: "Such a sweet talker."

The car drove for a long time, out of the city and onto the highway.

The scenery changed from high-rise buildings to fields, and from fields to winding mountain roads.

Elena rolled down the window, and the wind blew in, carrying the dry scent of autumn.

"Where are we actually going?"

"Almost there."

Finally, the car stopped at the foot of a mountain.

The mountain wasn't tall, but it was quiet and secluded. Stone steps wound up from the base, and Osmanthus trees were planted on both sides.

The flowers hadn't fully faded, and a faint, sweet fragrance drifted in the air.

"Get out," Arthur unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Hiking?"

"Yes."

They walked up along the stone steps.

Arthur wasn't in a hurry; he stopped every few steps to wait for her.

"Arthur, is there something you want to tell me?"

"You guessed it."

After walking for about twenty minutes, they reached a small temple at the summit.

The temple wasn't large, and it wasn't particularly busy. In the courtyard stood a massive Ginkgo tree, its leaves mostly yellow, falling in rustling showers whenever the wind blew.

There was only an old monk in the temple. When he saw Arthur, he smiled. "You've come?"

"I've come." Arthur pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully.

The old monk looked at Elena, his gaze gentle. "Is this her?"

"Yes."

She looked on, confused.

The old monk turned and went into the main hall. When he returned, he held a red silk pouch and handed it to her.

"Your uncle left this here three years ago."

Elena took it and opened it.

Inside was a slip of paper with only one sentence on it:

[If she comes back, I want to marry her.]

Three years ago?

She snapped her head up to look at Arthur.

His expression was a bit uncomfortable; he turned his face away to look at the Ginkgo tree.

"The day you sent me away three years ago?"

"After you went through the departure gate," his voice was very low. "I was supposed to go to a wedding, but I didn't. I came here instead."

"And wrote this?"

"I did."

"Then why didn't you come to find me?"

He was silent for a long time.

"Because I felt that you shouldn't be with someone like me. I’m eight years older than you, I’m your uncle, and I was afraid that you were only relying on me out of necessity. I was afraid you would regret it later."

"Later, during the three years you were in Switzerland for treatment, I sat under this tree every time I came here."

"I thought, if you recovered, if you became a normal adult, and you were still willing to have me, then I would—"

"Then you would latch onto me and never let go," Elena finished.

He was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

"Yes."

Chapter 25

The old monk had gone inside at some point, and only the two of them were left in the courtyard.

Ginkgo leaves fell onto their shoulders like golden snow.

"Arthur, let's get married," Elena said.

His eyes brightened instantly.

"Are you serious?"

"I've wanted to marry you since I was twelve," she said. "Even though I didn't know what marriage meant back then."

Arthur pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

"Elena, do you have any idea that if you say things like that, I'll cry?"

"Then cry."

He buried his face in Elena's shoulder, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Elena didn't laugh at him, because she was crying too.

On the way back, Arthur never let go of her hand.

"I'll handle the wedding arrangements," he said. "Where do you want to have it?"

"Keep it simple," Elena leaned on his shoulder. "No need for a big celebration. Just a meal with Zhou Jiangjin and the others will do."

"No." He shook his head. "You only get married once in your life. I want to give you the best."

"Then what kind of wedding are you going to give me?"

He thought for a moment. "A church? You said before you wanted to wear a white wedding dress."

Elena smiled. "You remember?"

"I remember every single word you've ever said."

As the car drove into the city center, she suddenly remembered something.

"What are you going to do about Cassie?"

Arthur's expression turned cold for a moment.

"She took the money and still leaked the news; that constitutes extortion and defamation. Legal is already processing the case."

"You're going to sue her?"

"It's not that I want to sue her; it's that the law will hold her accountable."

He gripped her hand tighter. "She hurt you. I won't let her get away with it."

Elena didn't speak.

Cassie was a villain, but in a way, she felt she should thank her.

If it weren't for that post Cassie made, she wouldn't have discovered Arthur's true feelings.

If it weren't for the photos Cassie leaked, Arthur might still be hesitating about going public.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Thinking about when we can walk down the street openly."

"Once the news cools down," he said. "It won't be long."

The car stopped downstairs at Elena's apartment building.

Arthur walked her up, and at the door, he kissed her forehead.

"Get some sleep."

"Can you not leave tonight?"

He looked at Elena, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Are you sure?"

Elena pulled him inside.

That night, he stayed.

Not as her "uncle," but as her "fiancé."

The buzz from the news continued for nearly two weeks before it slowly died down.

Arthur's legal team moved fast.

Cassie's social media accounts were banned, the posts were deleted, and it was said she was already under criminal investigation.

The accounts that had been the most vicious in the comment section—some were paid bots, others just passersby caught up in the rhythm—saw public opinion reverse as the truth slowly came to light.

[I read the press conference carefully; they really didn't do anything wrong.]

[No blood relation, they only got together after she became an adult—how is that perverted?]

[Cassie was obviously just seeking revenge. She even claimed the diary was evidence. Hilarious, can a diary count as evidence?]

Elena still checked the forum every day, but she didn't care as much anymore.

Arthur was right; other people have mouths, but life belongs to her.

At the office, she didn't resign.

Arthur had asked her if she wanted a change of environment, but she said no.

She worked based on her own ability; she wasn't stealing or snatching anything, so she wasn't afraid of what others said.

Manager Zhao's attitude toward Elena had changed, too.

Perhaps because her performance on the Hengtai project was genuinely impressive, he started handing her some important analytical work.

"Elena, follow up on the proposal for Hengtai."

He threw a folder onto her desk. "It's for a presentation next week, don't mess it up."

"Okay."

Chapter 26

This proposal was significant, involving an amount of nearly 200 million.

Elena buried herself in piles of data for three whole days, working overtime until late every night.

Arthur felt terrible for her, bringing her late-night snacks every day, only to be chased away by her several times.

"Can't you take a break?" Arthur stood at the door of her office, holding an insulated bucket and frowning.

"I'll rest once this proposal is done."

"You said the same thing last time."

"Last time was last time."

He sighed, set the bucket on the table, and opened it—it was red date and longan soup.

"Drink this, then get back to work."

Elena obediently drank it.

On the day of the proposal presentation, Arthur was also in the conference room.

As President, he didn't strictly need to attend a report of this level, but he came, sitting at the very end, remaining silent throughout.

Elena stood before the projector, finishing her three days of hard work page by page.

Data, charts, strategic recommendations—every point was explained clearly.

When the presentation ended, the Vice President from Hengtai took the lead in applauding.

"Mr. Gu, this young lady in your marketing department is excellent—clear thinking and solid data."

Arthur glanced at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"She is indeed excellent."

After the meeting adjourned, he cornered Elena in a hallway nook.