Chapter 12

After this little episode, Ji Qingyu and Feng Chengze regained their composure. No matter how frantic or howling they felt inside, at least they didn’t show any real emotions on their faces. They didn’t try to communicate further.

Ji Qingyu tacitly gave him the priority to wash up. She went into the dressing room with a stern face to choose clothes, determined to use the bathroom at a different time from him.

He understood. Without wasting a second, he lifted the quilt and walked straight into the bathroom, closing the door—even though the transparent glass door was practically useless, this was his bottom line. He found his usual aftershave in the drawer and completed his entire washing routine in only over ten minutes. He had slept very well last night; in fact, he hadn’t slept so “fully” in a long time.

He wasn’t one to sleep in. Even during his busy student days, he was energetic, with only five hours of sleep a day. After returning to take over the group, he woke up every day to a pile of official duties waiting for him, spending more than half the year adjusting to different time zones. Although he didn’t feel exhausted, and his energy was quite abundant, a good night’s sleep indeed made him feel much more refreshed.

When Feng Chengze came out of the bathroom, he looked down. After confirming there was no embarrassing situation, he came to the dressing room door, raised his hand, and knocked on the wall as a reminder.

Ji Qingyu had already changed into a dress as quickly as possible, revealing her slender shoulders and long, fair neck… She wanted to try a double bun hairstyle, but thinking about her current age of twenty-seven, she reluctantly put down the comb and honestly took a pearl hair clip from the accessories cabinet, casually pinning up her hair. They brushed past each other; she walked out, and he walked in. He didn’t even glance at her face.
…

On the dining table was the breakfast that Sister Sun had gotten up early to prepare. After sitting down, Ji Qingyu looked at the rich coffee in the cup, resting her chin in her hand and feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Had her taste changed so much? Even during exam weeks, she would only pinch her nose and buy a cup of American coffee to refresh herself.

How could she now like the even more bitter Italian coffee?

She couldn’t help but look up at Feng Chengze, who was leisurely drinking coffee across from her. She mustered the courage to take a sip, her eyebrows furrowing tightly.

Feng Chengze glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and said lightly, “You don’t have to be too careful at home.”

At least in this matter, they didn’t need to accommodate each other’s tastes. He didn’t want to add sugar or milk to his coffee anymore.

“…” Ji Qingyu decisively pushed the cup aside and used a fork to poke a piece of melon to cleanse her palate.

“I’m going to the company soon.”

Feng Chengze slowly peeled the eggshell. “What are your plans for today?” Since they woke up on the plane, they hadn’t been apart, so he thought it was necessary to ask to prevent her from doing something strange.

Ji Qingyu thought for a moment. Even though Sister Sun was busy in the kitchen, she still lowered her voice, “I want to find my parents.”

After experiencing a frightening event, she naturally needed to get some sense of security from the people she trusted. Originally, Feng Yu should have been one of those people. As an adult, she had gotten used to only sharing good news with her parents. So, when something really unsettling happened, she would always turn to Feng Yu first. Several times, she had entered his number, only to delete it before dialing.

Rationally, she knew she and Feng Yu had broken up, but after all, these five years were a blank for her. In her heart, Feng Yu still held the position of her boyfriend. It would take time to adjust, just as Feng Chengze had said.

“Okay.” Feng Chengze nodded calmly. He watched her eat, her cheeks puffed out, and pondered, “Do you talk about everything with your parents?”

Ji Qingyu understood. The boss was hinting at her. They were in the same boat. If she made a move, he would be affected too. “Don’t worry, Mr. Feng. If I told my parents about this, they wouldn’t believe me. They’d be so worried they’d take me to see a neurologist.”

She didn’t forget to state her resolve firmly: “I definitely won’t let a third person know.”

Maybe it was because Sister Sun’s coffee was particularly satisfying today. Feng Chengze leisurely raised his eyes and said calmly, “If there’s anything you can’t handle, you can come to me.”

Ji Qingyu wanted to say something more, but Sister Sun came out of the kitchen. She had to keep quiet.

After finishing breakfast, Feng Chengze wiped his hands with a hot towel, got up, and walked to the door, glancing at Ji Qingyu, signaling her to follow. They walked through the corridor and stopped at the entrance. The weather was great today, with blue skies and white clouds outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Did you have something to say to me just now?” Feng Chengze asked while looking towards the hallway leading to the living room. As long as Sister Sun approached, he could sense it. Although he thought it was absurd to guard against a housekeeper in his own home, seeing Ji Qingyu’s cautious attitude, he thought it wasn’t a bad thing. Being a bit timid was better than being reckless.

Ji Qingyu was slightly stunned.

Reciprocity. After he said that, she also wanted to show some concern. The interruption had passed, and the situation had changed, making the moment for polite exchanges obsolete.

Feng Chengze saw her hesitant expression earlier and understood after a few seconds of thought. “Wait a moment.”

After speaking, he walked inside. Last night, he saw his wallet in the study drawer. Opening it, he found some cash but not his main card, which was probably at the company or in a safe. The secondary card was still there. Without hesitation, he took it out and handed it to her upon returning to the entrance. “If you don’t want to change the password, you can use this card.”

She likely had considerable assets in her name but might have forgotten the payment passwords. It wasn’t a big deal; he could just give her the secondary card to use.

Ji Qingyu was stunned when suddenly handed a card. “…Thank you.”

When she came to her senses, the workaholic Feng Chengze had already hurriedly taken the elevator and left. She stood dazed in the large entrance hall, bewildered by being handed a card with an unknown limit.
Concerned about practical matters, she immediately checked if WeChat and Alipay could be used normally after getting her phone.

Since getting her first bank card, her payment passwords had always been the same six digits, never changing. Casually tallying the balance she knew of, she felt like jumping for joy on the spot!

She thought she would be indifferent to financial temptations by now, but this card still swayed her. In a great mood, she didn’t want to waste time at home. There must be a car for her in the garage, and she had seen it in photos. However, while her twenty-seven-year-old self might be an experienced driver, her twenty-two-year-old self hadn’t touched a steering wheel since getting her license. So, even if she had a car now, she wouldn’t dare drive it.

It’s perfectly normal for a wealthy woman to be cautious, right?

Thinking this, she put on sunglasses, grabbed her bag, and left, choosing a very down-to-earth method—taking a taxi.

Her destination was a high-end spa called “Yundan Shuiqing.” In modern society, having someone’s phone is like peeking into their life. If she guessed correctly, her parents were working at this high-end spa, though she wasn’t sure if they co-owned it with someone or if it was a Feng family business.

Although Yundan Shuiqing wasn’t in the city center, it wasn’t far either, just near a subway station. Without traffic, it was about a half-hour drive.
The doorman recognized her and quickly came up to greet her respectfully. The spa was even larger than she had imagined, occupying a prime spot in this expensive city. When she looked it up online before coming, it had good reviews. Besides massages, foot baths, and saunas, many people came specifically for the buffet and hot spring baths. Many office workers spend their holidays here, relaxing their tired bodies for the whole day. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, a middle-aged woman in work attire, discussing work matters with the receptionist, greeted her warmly with surprise, “Qingyu, how come you have time to visit today? Have you had breakfast? Should I ask your uncle to make bird’s nest soup for you?”

Ji Qingyu was stunned, “Auntie?”

It wasn’t surprising she was so shocked. Her grandparents had two sons, her father and her uncle. Her aunt was a capable and strong-willed woman, but she was married to a timid and indecisive uncle, causing them to miss several opportunities to get rich. When they first got married, she wanted to start a business with him, but he was reluctant to leave his factory job and wouldn’t listen to her. Later, she wanted to borrow money to buy another house, but he feared the burden and kept saying to wait. A few years later, housing prices soared, and her aunt was so angry that she scolded him like a child at the New Year’s Eve dinner, accusing him of never doing anything right and always holding them back.

In her memory, she had never seen her aunt smile so brightly. Her aunt looked even younger than five years ago.

“I heard from your mom that you and Yuan Bao’s dad went abroad on a business trip, right?” Her aunt looked her up and down, smiling, “You must not have eaten well. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? Should I ask your uncle to make your favorite braised pork?”

Ji Qingyu: “?”

Her aunt had always been nice to her, but this level of concern was a first.

“Manager, the new batch of service staff has arrived. Do you want to check on them?” the receptionist asked softly.

Her aunt nodded, “I need to take a look.”

After speaking, she smiled at Ji Qingyu again, “Your uncle, I don’t even want to talk about him. You and Yuan Bao’s dad went to Su… Zurich, right? He told your grandma you went to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union! Even I know it dissolved ages ago! With her poor memory, your grandma called your mom last night, asking you to bring back some pastries from Suzhou. What a mess!”

Ji Qingyu couldn’t help but laugh, “Grandma wants pastries?”

Her aunt smiled, “It’s on and off, but I ordered it for her anyway. Oh, I won’t keep you. I’ll go get busy and call your uncle to make some braised pork for you.”

With that, her aunt walked away, looking radiant.

Ji Qingyu, deep in thought, went to her mother’s office and was once again shocked. Her mother, wearing a white suit, had her hair up and was typing quickly on the keyboard. Hearing the noise, she didn’t even look up. “You’re just in time. The first quarter profit report is out. Take it back and have a look.”

Ji Qingyu picked up the stack of papers on the desk with a suspicious look, flipping through and catching a few key pieces of information. She was slightly stunned—

She was the main owner of this spa?!