Chapter 12

As September approached, an autumn rain brought a chill, cooling the city and dispelling the oppressive summer heat.

Cheng Li hurried to the office and managed to arrive on time.

The company, Fanhai Intelligent Systems, operated on a flexible clock-in system, but it was typically reserved for those who had worked overtime the previous day.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that Cheng Li was summoned to Ren Kuang’s office.

“There’s an autonomous driving technology summit the day after tomorrow. Prominent car manufacturers and leading startups in our field will be there. You’ll come with me this time. It’s a good chance to network. In this industry, being technically skilled isn’t always enough,” Ren Kuang said.

Cheng Li was delighted and responded immediately, “Got it. I’ll make sure to learn from you.”

Ren Kuang continued, “This summit is mainly for exchange and learning, but we’ll need to showcase our strengths at the tech expo later this year.”

The tech expo was a significant event for domestic tech companies, offering a platform to showcase innovations and attract partnerships. Many companies presented their most groundbreaking technologies during the exhibition.

“Our parking system is in its final trial phase. As long as we secure a partner among the car manufacturers, I’m confident we can commercialize it,” Cheng Li said, brimming with confidence.

Ren smiled wryly. “Good, but we still need to focus on refining our core technologies.”

Motivated by his words, Cheng Li worked overtime until past 11 p.m. again.

For two consecutive days, her busy schedule left her with no time to return Rong Qi’s clothes. She resorted to sending him a message on WeChat.

Cheng Li: [Sorry, I’ve been busy these past two days. The clothes are washed and ready. Let me know when it’s convenient for you so I can return them.]

After sending the message, Cheng Li went to take a shower.

When she came back, there was no reply. Assuming Rong Qi was busy, she didn’t think much of it.

The next morning, she noticed her message still hadn’t been answered.

She stared at her phone for a while, a vague unease creeping into her heart.

But she quickly brushed it aside.

After all, he was a busy man. It wasn’t like he could check his phone all day. He’d probably reply when he had time.

Since the summit didn’t require her to go to the office, Cheng Li took extra care with her outfit that morning.

Instead of her usual T-shirt and jeans, she chose a lake-blue silk blouse paired with a white midi skirt. The classic cinched waist and flared hem accentuated her slender figure. Her exposed calves were fair and shapely, without a trace of unnecessary muscle.

Dressed and ready to leave, she opened her shoe cabinet.

Most of her shoes were sneakers, with only a few pairs of heels.

After some thought, she opted for a pair of high heels—appropriate attire for such an event.

When she arrived at the venue, Cheng Li realized she had underestimated the scale of the summit.

The organizers had rented the largest conference hall in the hotel. The venue’s dominant blue theme, coupled with a branded backdrop listing participating companies and sponsors, lent an air of grandeur.

Cheng Li took a cab there and quickly contacted her colleagues upon arrival.

Ren Kuang had also brought the company’s senior sales director and other top executives.

Seating arrangements were pre-assigned.

Following directions, Cheng Li made her way to the sixth row.

“Where’s Mr. Ren?” she asked Tang Ruiyuan, the company’s R&D manager and a key technical expert.

“He’s in the second row up front,” Tang Ruiyuan replied quietly. “He’s the boss, after all. We’re lucky to have seats this good.”

Cheng Li glanced toward the front and quickly spotted President Ren.

The seating arrangements clearly reflected careful planning by the organizers.

Before the event began, the attendees mingled, seeking out acquaintances for conversation.

Although Cheng Li remained seated, people approached her throughout the interlude—some familiar faces and others introducing themselves for the first time.

By the end, she had collected a handful of business cards and distributed plenty of her own.

“You really are the company’s face. Even just sitting here, people keep coming to meet you,” Tang Ruiyuan teased after another person left.

Cheng Li shot him a look. “Fine, I’ll use you as a shield next time.”

“Don’t! They’re here for you, not me,” Tang Ruiyuan protested.

At tech summits like this, the gender ratio heavily skewed male. Even in a crowd, Cheng Li stood out effortlessly.

Though her expression remained neutral, being the subject of constant scrutiny began to wear on her patience. She glanced at her phone and muttered, “Why hasn’t this started yet?”

The room remained noisy and bustling.

Suddenly, the main doors opened, and a group of individuals entered.

Photographers, who had been waiting idly, instantly sprang into action, capturing the moment with flashing cameras.

“Qiyu Technology is here too,” Tang Ruiyuan exclaimed in surprise.

Hearing the name, Cheng Li instinctively looked up.

Leading the group was a man in a simple black suit, his shirt collar slightly open, eschewing a tie. His tall, lean figure exuded effortless elegance.

Some people were simply born to be in the spotlight; his mere presence commanded attention.

For a brief moment, the massive hall fell silent.

“A man achieving this level of success,” Tang Ruiyuan marveled as the atmosphere shifted noticeably with Rong Qi’s arrival, “can truly say he’s lived a full life.”

Cheng Li cast him a sidelong glance and replied evenly, “Is that so?”

“What’s with that tone?” Tang Ruiyuan asked, astonished.

Admiration for Rong Qi was commonplace in the industry. Some even joked that if he ever left tech, his looks alone would make him a star in the entertainment industry.

Many business leaders had already crossed into mainstream media, blurring traditional boundaries.

Fixing her gaze on the man seated on stage, Cheng Li said flatly, “I just think his vision might not be very good.”

“Ah? Poor eyesight?”

Otherwise, why wouldn’t he respond to my message on WeChat?

Did he really not see it, or was he pretending not to?

Cheng Li wasn’t one to hold grudges, but she felt that it was basic courtesy to at least reply to a message.

Initially, she thought Rong Qi was just busy on another business trip, like before.

But the moment she saw him at the conference, an indescribable feeling welled up inside her.

Quickly, she realized her mindset was a bit off.

Perhaps because they had been interacting more frequently lately, she had started to place herself in the category of close acquaintances—or even somewhere closer.

But at the end of the day, the two of them were nothing more than high school classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years and had recently reconnected.

If there was anything different between them now…

It was probably that impulsive moment when she blurted out that she was going on a blind date.

Honestly, he wasn’t obligated to respond to everything she said.

After all, it was she who had schemed to get closer to him.

Fortunately, the host soon began speaking, and the conference officially started.

Cheng Li pulled out the notebook and pen provided by the event, jotting down key points as she listened.

The speakers at this conference were leading figures in the autonomous driving industry, especially the first speaker, who discussed the commercialization and industry trends of autonomous driving.

For well-funded companies backed by large corporations, the early stages of development were essentially burning cash.

But for startups like Fanhai Intelligent Systems, commercialization was an issue that had to be addressed.

Cheng Li focused intently, taking notes and marking highlights in her notebook.

Suddenly, the phone resting on her lap vibrated.

She glanced at it and froze at the sight of the WeChat message she had just received.

Rong Qi: [Not paying attention to the lecture?]

Cheng Li instinctively looked up at the stage.

At that moment, Rong Qi’s gaze was also directed toward her.

Although the distance between them was significant, their eyes seemed to meet mid-air.

From afar, Cheng Li could only vaguely make out the slight curve of his lips.

For some reason, the inexplicable emotions Cheng Li had been harboring seemed to dissipate upon seeing that message.

After a moment’s thought, she replied: [I’m taking diligent notes.]

There was no immediate response.

Cheng Li’s fingers lingered over the screen as she hesitated, then sent another message.

Cheng Li: [When will it be convenient for you? I’ll send over the clothes. I asked you before, but you didn’t reply.]

A second later:

Rong Qi: [You messaged me before?]

Just as Cheng Li stared at the message, her phone buzzed again.

Rong Qi: [I have two phones. The other one was logged into WeChat previously, but it had some issues yesterday.]

Cheng Li knew that switching to a new phone would erase previous chat histories in WeChat.

Reading these two messages, Cheng Li suddenly had a thought.

Was he… explaining himself to her?

Wasn’t he?

He was, right!!

Cheng Li pressed her lips together and smiled faintly: [Got it.]

She stared at the screen, catching a glimpse of Rong Qi’s name changing to “typing” again.

After several moments of hesitation, no message came through.

Cheng Li initially wanted to ask further, but then she remembered that he was currently seated on the stage, with media cameras everywhere. If he was caught using his phone frequently, it wouldn’t look good.

So she put her phone away and refocused on the lecture.

*

The morning session featured two industry leaders delivering speeches, along with a Q&A segment.

After the first speech, there was a short intermission.

Cheng Li stood up and left her seat to head to the restroom.

However, the number of attendees was overwhelming. The women’s restroom, in particular, had a much longer wait than the men’s. After waiting for what seemed like forever, Cheng Li decided to find another restroom on the second floor.

After finishing up, she glanced at the large mirror in the restroom. Thinking for a moment, she pulled out her lipstick and freshened up her makeup.

Satisfied with her reflection, Cheng Li smoothed out her hair and left.

But she hadn’t walked far before unexpectedly running into someone.

“Mr. Yu?” Cheng Li was surprised to see him.

Yu Cheng, the former chief architect of Fanhai Intelligent Systems, and Cheng Li’s previous direct superior.

At the sight of Cheng Li, Yu Cheng’s expression remained cold.

Cheng Li offered a polite smile and exchanged pleasantries: “You’re attending this conference as well.”

In truth, there was no real animosity between them. The actual conflict lay between Yu Cheng and her boss, Ren Kuang.

Currently, Cheng Li’s team was primarily focused on full-scenario autonomous parking, which covered levels L0-L4.

From the perspective of full-stack autonomous driving technology, autonomous parking was only a small component.

But the reason Cheng Li had chosen to dedicate herself to this project was that it was the fastest product to achieve commercial deployment. As long as they could find a willing automaker, it could go live at any time.

Yu Cheng had always aimed for full-scenario autonomous driving, while Ren Kuang preferred to start with smaller, tangible goals.

When Cheng Li proposed the autonomous parking project, Ren Kuang had supported her idea.

This, in turn, created a rift between Yu Cheng and the company.

It was likely one of the reasons Yu Cheng decided to leave.

Seeing that he didn’t seem inclined to continue the conversation, Cheng Li kept her composure and said, “I’ll head back now.”

“Cheng Li.”

Just as she was about to leave, Yu Cheng called out to her.

Cheng Li stopped.

Yu Cheng turned to look at her, his expression cold. “Do you think you can secure the position of Fanhai’s chief architect without me?”

“Mr. Yu, that’s not for you or me to decide.”

Cheng Li’s tone was polite but carried a subtle undertone.

This position hadn’t been something she actively sought. After Yu Cheng’s departure, it was Ren Kuang who had placed his trust in her.

Since he chose to leave Fanhai, he should have left with dignity.

Yu Cheng sneered, “Women like you are all the same. You rely on your youth and beauty to latch onto men as stepping stones. This industry values real skills and expertise in technology. I’m curious to see how long Ren Kuang can shield you.”

He was convinced that Cheng Li only got ahead because Ren Kuang favored her project and rejected his direction.

Cheng Li slowly raised her eyes, her expression calm and unfazed.

“Are you saying I rely on men as stepping stones?” Cheng Li seemed amused, squinting slightly as she looked at Yu Cheng. “I can’t believe that in this day and age, there are still people ignorant enough to cling to such stereotypes about female tech professionals. Do you think being beautiful precludes someone from also being highly intelligent?”

“Mr. Yu, it seems you’re not just outdated in your technical views, but also in your views on people.”

Yu Cheng clearly hadn’t expected her to remain composed, let alone counter him so directly.

Her calm rebuttal only made him appear more like a flustered clown.

Cheng Li then chuckled lightly and glanced at him, her tone airy as she added, “As for being young and beautiful, don’t worry—I’m well aware of it.”

Just as her words fell, a soft laugh came from the side.

Cheng Li instinctively turned her head and realized a group of people had appeared at some point.

They, too, seemed surprised to stumble upon such a scene.

When they heard Cheng Li’s composed response and her final remark, someone couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Cheng Li stared at them in shock. At that moment, she felt no sense of triumph from winning the argument.

But then her gaze met Rong Qi’s.

In that instant, she felt destined to die in front of him.

A social death.

Especially when Rong Qi’s dark eyes locked onto her face, his gaze carrying an unhurried sense of scrutiny.

It was as if his eyes were saying, [Let me take a good look at the kind of beauty that makes you so self-aware.]

As for the other strangers beside him, who were suppressing their laughter, Cheng Li had already given up entirely.

Straightening her back, she maintained a neutral expression and walked forward, determined to leave this suffocating scene behind.

“Cheng Li.”

That nonchalant voice suddenly called out.

Cheng Li briefly closed her eyes.

She couldn’t guess what he might say to her at a moment like this.

His call also drew the attention of everyone around them, their gazes shifting between the two as if wondering how Rong Qi could possibly know her.

Even Yu Cheng looked stunned.

He had worked in the company for so long and had never heard of Cheng Li having such connections.

Rong Qi turned slightly toward her, his lips curving into a faint smile.

“Nicely done.”

Author’s Note:
Rong Qi: Can’t help but cheer for my wife.