Chapter 16

Shanghai during the morning rush— even a Maybach can get stuck in traffic.

Looking at the long queue of cars ahead at the traffic light, Cheng Li felt a bit guilty, worried about delaying Rong Qi’s work.

After some thought, she said, “Driving me to work probably costs you half an hour. Maybe I should just commute on my own next time.”

She vaguely remembered that Qiyu Technology’s Shanghai headquarters was in the Xuhui Riverside area, which wasn’t exactly on the way to her office. With traffic like this during rush hour, it was likely to cost him an extra thirty minutes.

“Cheng Li.”

Caught off guard, she responded instinctively. Whenever Rong Qi called her by name in that way, it evoked a feeling she couldn’t quite describe.

Their eyes met, and she saw the corners of his mouth lift slightly. “I know I’m important.”

What kind of comment was that?

Cheng Li was a little confused.

Then Rong Qi’s teasing tone sounded again: “But I doubt the world will stop turning just because I lose thirty minutes.”

Ha.

Haha.

Cheng Li felt a silent dryness in her heart.

She realized once again how Rong Qi had a way of effortlessly redefining her expectations with his sense of entitlement.

It was hard to reconcile the man before her—playfully sarcastic—with the silent, aloof academic idol everyone revered in the back row of their classroom years ago.

Still, Cheng Li didn’t dislike his manner.

She didn’t take it as mockery either. Some people naturally adopted a teasing tone around those they were familiar with.

After all, whenever Rong Qi met with Ren Kuang and the others, his tone and behavior were always polite and measured, like that of a consummate businessman.

Familiar?

Cheng Li suddenly realized she had already placed herself in the category of people close to Rong Qi.

If she’d thought this way at the conference that day, it might have been self-indulgent.

But now, wasn’t it perfectly reasonable?

“Maybe you can use that thirty minutes to change the world,” Cheng Li quipped, playing along with his words.

“…”

“Do you usually commute to work by subway?” Rong Qi asked.

Cheng Li nodded. “It’s fine, just a few stops. It’s not far.”

After a moment’s thought, she asked quietly, “Do you think I’m freeloading?”

“Why would I think that?”

Cheng Li explained, “I’ve been living at home even though I’ve been working for years.”

She had thought about moving out.

But her workplace wasn’t far from home, and despite searching for apartments nearby, none felt suitable.

The rents were either exorbitantly high, or the apartments were too shabby—nothing could compare to the comfort of her own cozy home.

So, in the end, she stayed put.

At least she paid her mother a monthly sum, which covered rent and living expenses, so she wasn’t exactly living off her parents for free.

Unlike Meng Yuange, who had rented her own place right after graduating.

Not to mention Rong Qi, who had bought a garden villa for his grandparents, letting them enjoy the best life possible.

Rong Qi glanced sideways at Cheng Li and said, “You just haven’t had the right opportunity to move out. If you wanted to, it wouldn’t take long.”

If she wanted, she’d have the opportunity?

Cheng Li blinked, suddenly realizing what Rong Qi was implying.

Of course—now that they were married, she’d naturally move out to live with her husband instead of staying at her parents’ house.

Cheng Li froze, realizing this wasn’t the best topic to bring up. Would Rong Qi think she was trying to drop hints?

She wasn’t!

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Cheng Li hurriedly explained.

Rong Qi’s eyes darkened slightly, a faint emotion flickering in their depths. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, “It was just a suggestion.”

That’s a relief.

Cheng Li exhaled quietly.

The pace of things felt too fast. While getting their marriage certificate hadn’t felt entirely real to her yet, the topic of moving in together made her suddenly nervous.

She couldn’t quite imagine living with Rong Qi.

Fortunately, they soon reached her office. To avoid running into colleagues, she asked the driver to stop at the intersection ahead.

The driver glanced back at Rong Qi but didn’t receive any objections.

Following Cheng Li’s instructions, he stopped at the earlier intersection.

“I’m off to work now,” Cheng Li said, turning to look at Rong Qi before stepping out of the car.

Rong Qi nodded. “Be careful on your way.”

Such a polite, superficial exchange—truly the hallmark of a “plastic couple,” Cheng Li thought, amused.

*

At the office, Cheng Li used the company’s software to notify her project team of a 9:30 meeting in the conference room.

Currently, her team’s main focus was on an all-scenario autonomous parking system, covering levels L0 to L4.

In the full stack of autonomous driving technology, autonomous parking was just a small component.

Cheng Li had committed fully to this project because it was one of the quickest to be market-ready. With the right collaboration from automakers, they could deploy it at any time.

Many autonomous driving companies had weak revenue models, relying heavily on rounds of funding to stay operational.

While optimism about the future of autonomous driving was high, large-scale profitability remained elusive for now.

The autonomous parking project, however, addressed the issue of mass production, which motivated the team to stay highly enthusiastic.

“We’ve already begun the first phase of simulation testing,” another engineer, Yu Yao, reported during the meeting.

Dynamic simulation software was widely used in the development of automotive hardware and software.

By leveraging powerful software, they could simulate various environments and road conditions, producing results that closely approximated real-world scenarios.

Because the project was progressing smoothly, Cheng Li felt considerably more relaxed.

After the meeting concluded and everyone left the conference room, she unexpectedly ran into someone she hadn’t anticipated—Danny, also known as Gao Zhihe, one of Fanhai Intelligent System’s co-founders.

“Danny,” Cheng Li greeted him proactively. Gao Zhihe had spent over a decade abroad, so most people in the company were accustomed to using his English name.

Other colleagues also greeted him politely.

Gao Zhihe nodded slightly. Just as Cheng Li was about to leave, he suddenly called out, “Cheng Li, shall we have a chat?”

“Sure,” Cheng Li agreed, preparing to follow him.

Before they could reach the office, Ren Kuang stepped out of his own office and spotted them.

“Danny, Cheng Li,” Ren Kuang said with some surprise. “Are you two discussing work?”

“I wanted to have a conversation with Cheng Li,” Gao Zhihe replied.

Ren Kuang frowned. “I thought we already had an agreement on this matter.”

Caught in the middle of their subtle exchange, Cheng Li felt somewhat lost.

“Cheng Li, you can head back to your work. Danny and I need to discuss something,” Ren Kuang said.

Sensing that things might get tense, Cheng Li had no intention of getting caught between her two bosses. Seizing the opportunity provided by Ren Kuang, she quickly replied, “Alright then, I’ll let you two talk.”

When she returned to her desk, it seemed that many colleagues were still taking a break after the meeting, chatting and sipping on their drinks.

Someone casually brought up, “Have you guys heard? Pegasus Navigation just launched another round of funding.”

Pegasus Navigation was a prominent company in the autonomous driving industry, widely recognized as a star in the field. It had garnered significant admiration from the investment community and already had the hallmarks of a unicorn enterprise after several successful funding rounds.

“My classmate works at Pegasus. The last time we had a reunion, he acted so smug, as if their Nasdaq IPO was happening tomorrow,” a young male colleague grumbled.

“Well, can you blame him? It’s Pegasus, after all,” another colleague chimed in.

“What’s so great about Pegasus? They’re still chasing after funding from Qiyu Tech. Now that’s a real powerhouse,” the young man retorted.

Cheng Li hadn’t planned on joining the conversation, but the mention of Qiyu Tech suddenly piqued her interest.

Previously, her colleagues had occasionally chatted about major tech giants in the country, including Qiyu Tech. But never before had she felt so invested in the discussion.

“Qiyu Tech’s been very active lately,” another colleague noted. “They’ve been heavily investing in and acquiring companies throughout the autonomous driving supply chain. You know, their CEO Rong Qi is also 28 years old—same as me. Yet the difference between us is wider than that between humans and dogs.”

This remark sparked uproarious laughter among the group.

“Your aspirations are too high. Maybe start by looking up to Cheng Engineer here,” someone teased.

Cheng Li sighed in mock exasperation. “Not enough work for everyone, is that it?”

“No, no!”

The group quickly dispersed, their brief detour into banter coming to an end.

As Cheng Li stared at her computer, she couldn’t help but sigh quietly. The gap between her and Rong Qi was indeed vast. Despite attending the same high school and sharing a technical background, it felt as if the distance between them had only grown.

At 11 a.m., Ren Kuang called Cheng Li into his office.

The conversation primarily focused on the progress of the autonomous parking project.

“We’ve already begun the first phase of simulation testing. Next, we’ll proceed to controlled experiments in a closed lab environment, followed by trials at the industrial park,” Cheng Li explained.

Thanks to Shanghai’s supportive policies for small startups, they had secured a lab space in the industrial park at an incredibly affordable rate. Cheng Li had previously spent a lot of time there, though she hadn’t visited recently.

After wrapping up their discussion, Cheng Li was about to leave, but she hesitated and asked, “Senior, do you know what Danny wanted to discuss with me earlier?”

“He’s hoping to bring an old classmate from the U.S. on board,” Ren Kuang replied, his tone noticeably cooler.

Cheng Li paused, trying to process this. “To take over as Chief Architect?”

Previously, Ren Kuang had mentioned that Danny wasn’t entirely on board with the idea of her assuming that role.

“Our separation agreement with Yu Cheng hasn’t been finalized yet,” Ren Kuang said. “Bringing in a new Chief Technology Officer right now doesn’t sit well with me. In my view, you’re the best candidate for the position. As long as we secure the funding, Danny’s objections will naturally lose ground.”

Cheng Li remained silent.

She understood what he was implying. Successfully obtaining the funding would signal to investors that they supported the current company structure, leaving Danny with little room to oppose her appointment.

This time, instead of making grand promises, Ren Kuang cut to the chase. “By the latest, I’ll formally announce this personnel change at next week’s company meeting.”

“I’ll do my best,” Cheng Li nodded.

Although she had always been mentally prepared for this transition—and it was an open secret within the company—until it was officially announced, there was always an element of uncertainty.

Later, around 5 p.m., Cheng Li received a WeChat message from Meng Yuange.

Meng Yuange: [Want to grab dinner tonight?]

Cheng Li: [What’s on the menu?]

Meng Yuange: [How about that cold skewers place near your office?]

Cheng Li was about to agree when her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Rong Qi’s name.

Since the last time he called, Cheng Li had saved his number in her contacts.

Oh right—she still hadn’t asked how he’d gotten her number in the first place.

“Hello?” she answered, the thought crossing her mind.

“When are you finishing work today?” Rong Qi asked.

“Probably around seven,” she replied after thinking for a moment.

“When you’re done, can you accompany me somewhere?” he asked politely.

Without much thought, Cheng Li responded, “Sure. Once I’m finished with work, I’ll call you.”

“Alright, take your time.”

Cheng Li agreed, waiting for him to hang up first.

But unexpectedly, the line stayed silent.

Until she hesitated, a cold and detached voice came from Rong Qi: “You hang up first.”

“Alright.”

Cheng Li responded before ending the call.

She immediately replied to Meng Yuange on WeChat: [I can’t make it today. Let’s plan for next time.]

Meng Yuange: [?? My mouth’s already watering, and now you’re telling me no?]

Cheng Li: [Something urgent came up. Next time it’s on me.]

In response, Meng Yuange sent a voice message:

“Li Mi, don’t tell me you’ve got yourself a new ‘dog’!”

Cheng Li: “…”

She chuckled helplessly while pondering.

The word dog didn’t quite fit Rong Qi, did it?

In the end, Cheng Li resorted to the excuse of having to work overtime. But the exchange brought up another concern—how would she explain this situation to Meng Yuange?

Keeping secrets tucked inside felt stifling. At some point, she’d need an outlet to vent. However, she’d first have to consult Rong Qi, as they had agreed to keep their marriage a secret. It wouldn’t be fair to spill it to her friend without his input.

Cheng Li could already imagine Rong Qi’s reaction: likely an understanding expression implying, “If showing off makes you happy, I can understand.”

Just as she was about to get off work, an unexpected issue arose.

A sensor data glitch sent the entire project team into a frenzy. Everyone, albeit begrudgingly, stayed late to resolve it.

As time ticked past 7:30 PM, Cheng Li had to message Rong Qi:

Cheng Li: [Sorry, there’s been an issue on my end.]

Cheng Li: [Not sure when I’ll be done.]

She hesitated to directly suggest rescheduling—Rong Qi’s schedule was far too packed for that.

A few minutes later:

Rong Qi: [It’s fine. I’ll wait for you.]

That single line soothed the anxious weight in her chest. She quickly renewed her focus, eager to solve the problem and leave work as soon as possible.

By 10 PM, the troubleshooting was finally complete.

As her colleagues groaned and stretched in exhaustion, Cheng Li sent another message:

Cheng Li: [I’m done.]

This time, Rong Qi’s reply came swiftly:

[See you downstairs at your office in 20 minutes.]

Realizing something, she quickly texted again:

[How about the intersection from this morning instead?]

Given that her colleagues were likely to linger downstairs, she wanted to avoid the potential spectacle of stepping into a Maybach. It’d be the talk of the company by morning, if not sooner.

Rong Qi: [Okay.]

The curt acknowledgment felt cold, sparking a twinge of guilt.

Cheng Li realized her request was somewhat unfair. Rong Qi, wherever he went, attracted admiration and awe. Yet here she was, treating their connection like a clandestine secret.

Shaking off the thought, she hurriedly packed up her belongings and headed downstairs.

The evening air was refreshing, no longer carrying summer’s oppressive heat but a gentle coolness.

Standing under a streetlamp, she looked at the shadow cast at her feet.

She began playfully stomping on her shadow, killing time while waiting.

The driver spotted her from afar and commented, “Mr. Rong, that’s Madam.”

Rong Qi gazed at her, her head bowed as she amusingly stomped on the ground. Even while waiting, she found joy in her own little world.

Her lively figure was reflected in his eyes.

For a moment, he held his breath.

This image—this moment of her waiting for him—felt precious.

*

“Where are we going?” Cheng Li asked awkwardly.

Moments earlier, she had been startled by the silent arrival of the car as she indulged in her shadow-stomping game.

When she raised her head and saw the car, the window rolled down just in time for her to meet Rong Qi’s eyes.

Caught off guard, she climbed into the car in silence and remained that way until now.

Even as she broke the silence, she felt a lingering embarrassment. Oh no. Rong Qi probably thinks he married a fool.

Gathering her courage, she tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Rong Qi chuckled softly. “You’ll see when we get there.”

Still playing coy, huh?

Cheng Li dropped the matter, sitting quietly as the car drove into an upscale luxury mall.

After parking in a VIP spot, they were greeted by a store associate in a sleek black outfit.

Led upstairs by the associate, Cheng Li found herself in a high-end boutique.

Only when the staff laid a jewelry box before her did she realize—Rong Qi had brought her to pick out wedding rings.

“I thought a wedding ring should be chosen together,” Rong Qi explained, noticing her confusion.

Suppressing her surprise, Cheng Li glanced down at the dazzling array of rings before her.

There’s no denying it—what woman doesn’t love jewelry?

Especially these glittering gemstones. Besides traditional white diamonds, the collection featured exquisite colored diamonds, including blue, pink, and even rare green stones.

It wasn’t just the variety that stunned her—the sheer size of the gems was overwhelming.

Even if they were glass, she wouldn’t dare buy something so massive.

As the associate approached with a box of rings, ready for her to try them on, Cheng Li hurriedly stopped her.

“Wait,” she blurted out, leaning close to Rong Qi to whisper, “These are way too extravagant.”

Though she’d never purchased such jewelry herself, she had seen news reports. Stories of celebrities wearing million-dollar jewels to red-carpet events were all too familiar.

The extravagant and ostentatious jewels were exactly what lay before her.

Cheng Li and Rong Qi had only been married for a few days—how could she accept something so expensive?

“But we’re married,” Rong Qi said calmly.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Li suggested, “Let’s go for a pair of wedding bands instead.”

Fortunately, the sales associate was perceptive and promptly brought over a selection of wedding bands for them to choose from together.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the variety, Cheng Li found herself spoiled for choice. She turned to the man beside her and casually asked, “Which pair do you think looks good?”

Rong Qi, who had been flipping through a VIP catalog, raised his hand and pointed to a set on the page. “This pair,” he said.

Cheng Li leaned over to take a closer look. The design was simple yet elegant, with a unique charm.

The sales associate glanced at the catalog and immediately identified them. “This is from our Forever Linked collection.”

Forever Linked.

Cheng Li was momentarily stunned. She turned to look at Rong Qi.

In the end, they chose that pair of rings. As for the showy, jaw-droppingly expensive diamonds, Cheng Li declined them all.

Thankfully, Rong Qi wasn’t the type to insist on having things his way.

In matters like these, he was always considerate of Cheng Li’s feelings.

After purchasing the rings, Cheng Li felt a pang of guilt. “I might not be able to wear it right away. I hope you don’t mind,” she said apologetically.

They hadn’t informed their families about their marriage yet.

If her parents suddenly noticed a ring on her hand, they’d figure it out immediately.

“Alright,” Rong Qi responded softly.

Cheng Li suddenly remembered her earlier request for him to park farther from the office.

Unable to hold back, she suggested, “How about I put it on a necklace and wear it around my neck for now? Once we’ve told our families about the marriage, I’ll wear it on my hand. What do you think?”

Her tentative tone didn’t go unnoticed by Rong Qi. He gazed at her and replied in a low voice, “You don’t need to feel guilty toward me. Deciding to keep this from our families for now was something we agreed on together.”

She shouldn’t have to bear the guilt alone.

Cheng Li blinked in surprise. A moment later, an indescribable warmth swelled in her chest.

It felt like Rong Qi was being exceptionally kind to her.

*

That evening, after dropping Cheng Li off at her home, Rong Qi headed to the hospital.

His grandmother was still in the ICU, but the doctor had said that if her condition stabilized over the next couple of days, she could be transferred to a general ward.

He stayed at the hospital for quite some time before leaving.

The next day, Jiang Zhe visited Qiyu Technology.

On his way to Rong Qi’s office, he ran into Fang Xinyang.

“What brings you here?” Fang Xinyang asked, surprised. There hadn’t been any mention of a meeting with Jiang Zhe today.

Although Jiang Zhe wasn’t one of Qiyu Technology’s founders, his company, Junyue Capital, had been one of the earliest investors. This was thanks to his background as the heir of a wealthy family.

Back when Rong Qi co-founded Qiyu Technology with Fang Xinyang, a fellow prodigy from their youth program, Jiang Zhe had seen the potential. Although his expertise was in finance rather than computer science, he invested the initial capital provided by his father into Qiyu.

Qiyu Technology’s success had, in turn, propelled Junyue Capital to prominence in the industry.

Jiang Zhe explained, “Rong Qi called and said he had something important to discuss.”

The two made their way to Rong Qi’s office together.

“Prepare two cups of coffee,” Rong Qi instructed his secretary via intercom.

The secretary, familiar with Jiang Zhe’s and Fang Xinyang’s preferences, quickly set about the task.

“So, what’s this all about? You couldn’t just call or email?” Jiang Zhe asked, sprawling onto the office’s large sofa.

Rong Qi stood up from his chair, walked around to the front of his desk, and casually leaned against its edge. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

Jiang Zhe and Fang Xinyang both froze.

The three of them had known each other since their youth, entering the same gifted program and later building a business together. Their bond was deep and inseparable.

Rong Qi’s calm voice broke the silence. “I thought you shouldn’t hear about this from someone else.”

The next moment, he slipped a ring onto his fourth finger.

Jiang Zhe: “…”

Fang Xinyang: “…”

Rong Qi seemed pleased with their stunned reactions. After letting out a low chuckle, he smirked and said, “Now, you can congratulate me.”