Jiang Tan agreed, lifting her head to see a few young boys flushed as they stood behind Meng Yanxi, looking at her.
The boy in front was sporting a buzz cut, his voice loudly animated, "Miss! Can I add you on WeChat?"
Jiang Tan couldn't help but laugh. Just as she had been considering how to refuse, she heard Meng Yanxi comment: "This miss's boyfriend is quite possessive. He won't let her add any other guy on WeChat."
A cloud of disappointment washed over the group, and they dispersed.
Jiang Tan, walking at Meng Yanxi's side, lightly asked him, "Since when did Zhou Yinghuai display possessiveness?"
"He?" Meng Yanxi's elegant smile was graced by his profound gaze on Jiang Tan, half-joking, "He may seem indifferent, but if someone dares to covet you, skinning them alive might be let off lightly."
Meng Yanxi worked in venture capital, and he was impressively successful. At the age of 28, the same as Zhou Yinghuai, he was young and triumphant.
People in this industry are usually rational and excellent at evaluating gains and losses. Despite this, Meng Yanxi had many emotional hobbies, such as providing education in impoverished mountain areas, engaging in charity work, or even rescuing stray cats and dogs.
Jiang Tan had questioned why. He responded with a nonchalant grin, "Just seeking peace of mind."
Jiang Tan knew that some words shouldn't be hard-pressed further. It's better to just get the gist of things rather than delving too deep.
The fragrance of agarwood was subtle and warm on Jiang Tan's face. She took in a gentle sip, looking completely relaxed.
Meng Yanxi found it amusing. Suddenly, he said, "Zhou Yinghuai hasn't been in a good mood recently. Keep your distance from him."
The two of them were, in a way, friends. Given Jiang Tan's precarious situation, Meng Yanxi was the only one who could really be considered a friend from Zhou Yinghuai's circle.
Hearing Meng Yanxi's words, Jiang Tan paused. She then stopped lifting the porcelain cup, looked down, and asked, "Why is he in a bad mood?"
"His father recently retired, so the focus is now on him."
Meng Yanxi didn't go into detail, but Jiang Tan had a vague understanding.
She consumed her tea, finishing it all at once.
"How thirsty are you? Didn't you have tea on the road here?"
"Hmm," Jiang Tan responded with a laugh, looking at Meng Yanxi, "I'll have another cup."
Meng Yanxi thought that maybe he should have prepared a bottle of wine for her instead.
After a while, Meng Yanxi offered to drive Jiang Tan to Mingyuan.
The Kulinan roamed the road, Meng Yanxi one-handedly gripped the steering wheel, occasionally glancing at Jiang Tan in the co-pilot seat.
"You and Zhou Yinghuai, are you two dating?"
Jiang Tan considered it seriously, then said, "No, because we have no future."
The cold reality was frightening.
Knowing full well the depth of the abyss, she could still stand calmly at the edge.
Meng Yanxi's feelings were complicated.
"Don't get too absorbed in it, Jiang Tan. We've known each other for half a year now. Your work capabilities are impressive and you manage this organization impeccably. You don't need to restrict yourself by always being Zhou Yinghuai's side. Understand what I'm trying to say?"
Jiang Tan knew, she had just been evading.
After a long time, her throat quivered, her voice choking, filled with pain.
She asked, "Will Zhou Yinghuai get married?"
The red light flicked on, and Meng Yanxi halted the car. He lit a cigarette, taking a deep breath, "I suppose he doesn't plan on it, but... The in-charge of our marriages aren't ourselves."
Jiang Tan's heart sank, feeling as if she couldn't breathe.
This answer was within her expectations.
In fact, the answers to many questions are all the same.
Only the person involved is deceiving themself.
Jiang Tan stared at the halo of the red light, her eyes prickling. After, she closed her eyes and softly said, "I need to take a nap."
Jiang Tan couldn't sleep, she kept recalling her first encounter with Zhou Yinghuai.
Half a year ago, she had just graduated and received her diploma. After surviving a selection process even more brutal than college entrance exams, she finally got an interview notification and stepped into the doors of Weixi Group.
The economy was not thriving that year. Masked faces were blurred beneath the sweltering heat, leaving one breathless.
The tall and cold exterior of Weixi Group, the economic pillar of Ning City, is matched by their icy cool hall. The intense cold was utterly piercing.
Looking around, the hall was filled with wearied pairs of eyes just like hers.
Just like the rest of the job seekers, Jiang Tan squeezed herself towards the elevator doors, waiting for the instant they opened to make a beeline in, lest she be left behind and forced to wait for the next one.
Zhou Yinghuai appeared amid the commotion at the door. Jiang Tan, along with the other interviewees, turned towards the direction of the sound.
Emerging out of a stretch Lincoln limousine surrounded by a bunch of elite executives fighting to open the car door for him. Their faces carried the identical forced smile, so meticulous as if they were printed replicas.
Zhou Yinghuai walked out among them with a detached and lofty demeanor, his cold, apathetic features projecting an air of unapproachability.
Perhaps it was because his intense manly appearance left her breathless for a moment.
It was love at first sight, or perhaps more physical attraction. Jiang Tan couldn't tell what was more prevalent.
The man's gaze unintentionally swept over her, didn't linger, and moved on.
Jiang Tan reflected on it many times, what had crossed her mind at that moment?
Through countless nights of contemplation, Jiang Tan found her answer - it was to be by his side…
Now that she's made it, Jiang Tan realized that's all it was.
She opened her eyes, took out her phone, and sent a message to Zhou Yinghuai.
At that moment in the Director's office of the Weixi Group, Zhou Yinghuai had just finished work and received a message from Jiang Tan.
Jiang Tan texted, "Zhou Yinghuai, I want to eat the candied haws across from Twelve Middle."
Zhou Yinghuai scrutinized the message several times. His noble, indifferent eyes lightly smiled.
Eating candied haws? What a child!
He placed the phone face down on the table without replying.
Assistant Zhao Qi entered and noticed Zhou Yinghuai, jacket on, ready to leave.
Zhao Qi was a bit perplexed, "Mr. Zhou, where are you…"
"Cancel tonight's meeting."
"Okay." Zhao Qi hastily asked, "Where are you going? I can have someone drive you there."
"Twelve Middle, I'll go myself."
Zhao Qi: "…?"
What the heck was a 28-year-old doing in a junior high school?
With all the pressure that junior high school students have these days...
At 9 pm under a light rain, to the surprise of a group of students that just finished night self-study, a Maybach parked on the roadside littered with fallen leaves.
The aloof, elegant man stepped out, with a distinct, wooden umbrella in his hand, and a string of sandalwood beads on his pale wrist.
His aura was chilly, seemingly ignoring the bustling crowd as he moved towards the small stall owner.
"Hello, may I ask if you are..." the stall owner stammered nervously.
The man's voice was cold and noble, calmly ordering,"I want a skewer of candied haws."
"One skew..."
Before the stall owner could finish, Zhou Yinghuai suddenly said, "Pack all the remaining ones in your stall."