She had been making phone calls ever since she stepped out of the private room, but none had gotten through.
At this moment, she looked up upon hearing this question, slightly shaken. "Wouldn't it be too much trouble for you? My home is very far, and I can ask Hanchen to come..."
"He probably has something on tonight," Zhou Jingwei pointed at her phone, his voice mild. "You've been calling for so long and he hasn't picked up, he's probably tied up. It's no trouble for me to drive you home, it's on the way."
Cheng Weiyue bit her lip, unable to find a reason to refuse.
Zhou Jingwei had already had his assistant park the car in the underground garage, as the wind was strong at night. He asked Cheng Weiyue to wait in the lobby.
Soon, Cheng Weiyue saw a Cullinan SUV pull up in front of her.
The license plate with a series of sevens looked vaguely familiar to her.
Zhou Jingwei stopped the car and got out from the driver's seat, opening the passenger-side door for Cheng Weiyue.
As the car door closed, Zhou Jingwei leaned in to fasten her seatbelt, his voice cool and lazy. "In the future, remember to wear your seatbelt when you're in a car."
His sense of propriety was impeccable, just skirting the edge of Cheng Weiyue's boundaries.
In the moment he came close, the heavy, warm fragrance of agarwood enveloped her, causing her to blink unnaturally.
The scent of his cologne was pleasant, with hints of cedar and sweetgum, and a base of agarwood. It was the kind of lazy, non-aggressive, cool fragrance.
Just like Zhou Jingwei himself, every action was proper, without a single fault to criticize.
The first time Cheng Weiyue saw him, she felt he was polite yet distant, unapproachably noble.
But in the enclosed darkness of the car, the feeling of distance dissipated, replaced by an indefinable sense of pressure.
However, Zhou Jingwei didn't make any more moves; after securing the seatbelt, he retracted his hand, widening the gap between them.
The oppressive feeling and danger felt momentary, like an illusion.
The car started, and Cheng Weiyue heard him ask, "Weiyue, where do you live?"
Cheng Weiyue regained her composure, her voice soft. "Tinglan Alley."
Zhou Jingwei's hand on the steering wheel paused for a moment, his knuckles tensing slightly.
But soon, he covertly masked his emotions and changed the subject. "I heard from Zhao Hanchen that you are from Beijing University."
"Yes," Cheng Weiyue replied with an embarrassed smile, "but I'm not very good at academics, I'm an art student."
Compared to the top scholars, her barely above-average college entrance exam score was indeed modest.
But Zhou Jingwei's eyes held a smile as he looked at her. "Being good or not at academics isn't just about that one exam score. All aspects of a person are important. In my view, Weiyue is excellent."
Who doesn't like to hear flattering words? The young girl looked at him, her eyes bright, sparkling like little stars.
For a fleeting moment, Zhou Jingwei wanted to kiss her eyes.
Such a licentious thought.
He cursed himself internally and discreetly reined in his emotions.
He slowly averted his gaze and turned the steering wheel with one hand as the car made a right turn.
He posed what seemed like a casual question. "What major are you studying, Weiyue?"
"Film and Television Direction."
"Then, are you interested in photography?"
Girls from the art department often have a natural affinity for photography, and after all, it was a skill related to Cheng Weiyue's major.
Cheng Weiyue nodded, her smile somewhat shy. "I do like it, but compared to the students in the photography department, I'm not professional; I only understand the basics."
"My law firm recently took on a case related to cultural relics, and there's a vacancy for a photography intern. If you don't mind, you could come and apply," Zhou Jingwei paused, a hint of a smile on his lips. "But I can't guarantee you'll be selected."
Cheng Weiyue wasn't entirely sure, "Can I really do it?"
The car had already stopped at the entrance of Tinglan Alley, where a fine drizzle fell like silk.
The dim yellow light from the streetlamps outside fell on Zhou Jingwei's face, casting spectacular shadows.
"Weiyue, I won't pull any strings for you, nor will I help you with any interview preparation. You can go for the interview on your own merit. Consider it... a form of training."
As he said this, looking at her through the thin lenses, his eyes were deep and certain, "You have to believe that you are excellent, and of course, you can do it. Weiyue, I truly admire you."
With such high praise, Cheng Weiyue did not know what to say for a moment and only managed, "I need to think about it first."
"There's no rush; it's just a suggestion. You can take your time and think about it at home," Zhou Jingwei paused for a moment before adding, "It's raining outside, let me get you an umbrella."
He took an umbrella out of the trunk for her, and alongside it in her palm, was a dark-colored business card.
Cheng Weiyue didn't dare to look too closely, carefully pinching it in her hand, and quietly said thanks.
"You're welcome," Zhou Jingwei said with a smile that was beautifully captivating. He spoke carelessly, "Just return it to me next time."
Cheng Weiyue nodded, heading deeper into the alley.
She hadn't gone far when she suddenly found her surroundings brightly illuminated.
Turning her head in surprise, she saw Zhou Jingwei sitting in the car with the Cullinan SUV's high beams piercing through the night, illuminating the path clearly and brightly.
Cheng Weiyue appreciated his attention to detail and smiled at him.
He seemed to have a casual and calm expression. Their gaze met, even if only for an instant.
Yet, it wasn't until the girl's figure had disappeared from view that Zhou Jingwei slowly lifted his hand to his chest.
On the same path? Their residences were at opposite ends of Jingcheng, with a three-hour drive separating them.
He merely wanted to talk to her more, so he made up the excuse of being on the way.
He was far from as composed as he had appeared.
The moment Cheng Weiyue turned around and smiled at him, the bright like-daylight made her seem as if shrouded in a layer of white mist, creating a beautifully blurred vision.
At that moment, Zhou Jingwei watched her in silence, unable to even react.
He kept hearing someone whispering in his ear, "Look, that was originally the rib taken from your body."
He took out a cigarette, quietly smoking, his posture noble and refined.
After a long while, he exhaled a puff of smoke, chuckling softly.
If he couldn't let go anyway, then by any means necessary, so be it.
He recognized that.
...
Zhao Hanchen had a private villa on the outskirts of Jingcheng; the only person who knew about it was Qiao Jingxue.
In fact, Zhao Hanchen had not seen Qiao Jingxue for a long time. Ever since she married Zhou Siheng, they had pretty much lost touch.
This time, Qiao Jingxue's initiative to contact him unsettled Zhao Hanchen's heart.
Could it be that she's unhappy?
Is Zhou Siheng not treating her well?
He knew such thoughts were uncalled for, yet they lingered persistently.
And now, as Qiao Jingxue stood there in front of him, eyes reddened, looking at him with an expression full of grievance, he could no longer restrain his emotions.
He got out of the car and quickly walked towards the delicate and exquisite woman in the rainy night, his voice a bit hoarse, "Are you not happy?"