The evening in Beijing was filled with a light drizzle.

He Shen stood at the door, holding a black umbrella in his left hand. The tip of the umbrella was dripping water, leaving a wet patch on the floor. He was tall, and even with the umbrella, he couldn’t shield himself from the rain. The shoulders of his black suit were wet.

Zhu Yiyi’s unfocused eyes gradually regained their clarity, “Your clothes are wet.”

“It’s okay.”

She went inside and pulled out a few tissues, handing them to him, “Wipe them.”

The autumn rain was cold.

She was afraid he would get sick.

He Shen took them, his lips curving slightly, “Thank you.”

He said, “It’s getting colder outside, put on an extra jacket.”

The temperature difference between day and night in Beijing was large. It was still nineteen degrees Celsius during the day, but only nine degrees Celsius at night. The old city didn’t have floor heating, and the corridor was even colder, with a chilling wind blowing through it, like an ice cellar.

He Shen had been standing at the door for a while, and the knuckles of his fingers were red from the cold.

But he didn’t mention it.

Zhu Yiyi felt a little embarrassed, “I haven’t finished packing yet. Should He President come in and wait?”

“Is it convenient?”

“Come in.”

Zhu Yiyi went to the living room and turned up the air conditioning. He Shen followed her in, the warm air filling his body.

This was the second time He Shen had been to Zhu Yiyi’s house.

The last time the power went out and he couldn’t see clearly. Now he realized that the sofa had Zhu Yiyi’s favorite plush toys, the walls were covered with anime posters, and there were some peripherals of the male protagonist from the otome game that Zhu Yiyi played.

The small and cramped living room was simple but cozy.

Zhu Yiyi felt a little uncomfortable, “It’s a bit messy at home, He President, don’t mind it.”

“No,” he said, “It’s very cozy.”

“He President is very good at talking.”

“I only speak the truth.”

Zhu Yiyi chuckled twice.

She thought to herself, the boss is indeed the boss. Even when facing his ex-girlfriend, he was still considerate and gentlemanly.

She poured a cup of hot water for He Shen. No matter what, he was her boss on this business trip, so she had to maintain some professional courtesy.

When the man took it, his fingers brushed against her skin. The cold touch was like a faint electric current.

Zhu Yiyi’s hand trembled, and she quickly pulled it back, “That, I still have some things to pack. Please wait a moment, He President.”

“No rush.”

Having someone else in the house made Zhu Yiyi feel uncomfortable.

Especially with the top-tier configuration of her ex-boyfriend + big boss, she felt stiff even walking. She felt like he was watching her wherever she went.

As if –

He was always watching her.

Zhu Yiyi quickly finished organizing the documents and materials she needed to take with her, changed her clothes and shoes, and pushed her suitcase to the entrance.

When she turned around, she found He Shen still looking at the table.

There was a bottle of folic acid on it.

She had forgotten to put it in her bag.

Zhu Yiyi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly went to the table, discreetly putting the small bottle in her pocket, “I’m ready, let’s go.”

He Shen stared at her.

His eyes were like two obsidian stones in a deep pool, their meaning unfathomable.

He lowered his eyelashes, walked towards the door, and took Zhu Yiyi’s suitcase and backpack, “Let’s go.”

When they reached the entrance of the residential building, the rain was still falling steadily, and there was also wind.

The old residential area didn’t have a proper parking lot, and He Shen’s car was parked at the entrance of the area, which was about a hundred meters away from the building.

Now that it was raining, it was easy to get wet.

Zhu Yiyi saw that He Shen was carrying things in both hands and couldn’t hold an umbrella, “I’ll take my backpack?”

“No need.” He Shen, for once, showed a firm side, “Go to the car first, I’ll carry these.”

“But you won’t be able to hold an umbrella if you do that.”

He Shen put the car keys in her palm, “Go.”

The words Zhu Yiyi was about to say were lightly blocked by these two words.

Her fingers slowly curled around the car keys, and her heart was also beating slightly faster.

She opened her umbrella and walked out of the building.

When she reached He Shen’s Bentley, Zhu Yiyi pressed the car key to unlock it and opened the back door to get in. However, she found that there were a lot of things piled inside, and there was no room to sit.

When did He Shen get so messy?

She clicked her tongue, resigned to her fate, and sat in the passenger seat.

After waiting for more than a minute, a figure gradually appeared in the rain curtain in the distance.

The man was holding a suitcase in his left hand, his wrist was draped with Zhu Yiyi’s chain bag, and his right hand was holding an umbrella, but the entire umbrella surface was tilted towards the suitcase. The misty rain blew into the umbrella, and his hair, glasses, and shoulders were wet.

When he reached the car, he put away the umbrella, put all the things into the trunk, and then got into the car.

“You’re all wet.” Zhu Yiyi said.

“It’s okay.” He Shen said the same thing, taking off his jacket and putting it on the back seat.

“How can it be okay? It’s autumn rain, you’ll catch a seasonal cold if you get too wet!” Zhu Yiyi didn’t know where her anger came from, but she was a little annoyed and a little flustered. She moved her lips a few times, but she suppressed her urge and said softly, “You don’t need to do this.”

He turned his head, “Do what?”

Zhu Yiyi swallowed, unable to say what she wanted to say, and only vaguely said, “We’ve broken up.”

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

The rain outside was getting heavier, making the car unnaturally quiet.

He Shen silently wiped the water droplets off his body. When he wiped his exposed forearm, the skin after being frozen by the cold air was a reddish-purple color, and the blue veins underneath were faintly visible, pulsating.

As if suppressing his emotions.

After a long time, He Shen finished wiping the water droplets, and he also calmed down, saying, “I remember we broke up peacefully.”

Zhu Yiyi looked at him sideways.

“Since we broke up peacefully, it means we’re still friends. On this business trip, whether it’s the boss’s consideration for his subordinates or a friend’s help, I should do everything I can to help you.” He Shen pushed his glasses up, his logic was impeccable, “Isn’t that right?”

Zhu Yiyi blinked.

…It seemed that, indeed, that was the case.

She frowned, like a student trapped by an unsolvable math problem, and reluctantly uttered a “Hmm.”

It was considered an acknowledgment of his words.

He Shen’s knuckles lightly tapped the steering wheel, he was at ease and patient.

When they arrived in Xuanzhou, it was already eight o’clock in the evening.

As they got out of the car, Zhu Yiyi sighed at the changes. She hadn’t expected that the dilapidated town where there were only a few buses back then had now developed into a third- or fourth-tier city. Although it wasn’t as prosperous as Beijing, it was still full of high-rise buildings and neon lights.

The main purpose of their trip to Xuanzhou was to negotiate with the government about a piece of land. Shi Shun wanted to develop it into a film and television studio.

The first filming project would be “Morning Phoenix.”

It was a significant project.

Shi Shun employees on business trips would have everything prepared.

Thanks to He Shen, Zhu Yiyi had her first business trip in a presidential suite.

All kinds of amenities were available.

When she opened the balcony door, there was an outdoor swimming pool.

It was a pity that it was autumn and winter, and she couldn’t imagine how refreshing it would be to soak in the clear pool on a hot summer day.

Zhu Yiyi changed out of her travel-worn clothes. In the warm room, she only needed to wear a thin sweater. She lay on the sofa, looking at documents on her computer.

The tranquility was broken by a call from Ms. Zhu.

“Hello, Mom.”

“Zhu Yiyi, you’re amazing. You’re going on a business trip and you didn’t even tell me beforehand. Do you know you’re pregnant now?”

“I know. I’m not doing anything major on this business trip, just keeping records.”

“Don’t try to fool me with your tricks!”

Ms. Zhu asked seriously, “When are you planning to quit your job?”

“Quit my job?”

“You’re only one month pregnant now, you can still work. In a few months, you’ll have to stay at home. If you don’t quit, you’ll have to ask the company for maternity leave.” Ms. Zhu’s tone softened, “You’re still unmarried, you don’t want to make this a public affair, do you?”

Zhu Yiyi was silent.

This time, her mother was right. She did need to start thinking about quitting her job.

“I’ll think about it when I get back this time.”

“You better do that, you little rascal.”

After a few more words, Zhu Yiyi hung up the phone.

The next two days were busy with work.

He Shen, as the head of Shi Shun Group, quickly secured the land he had his eye on, signed the contract, and officially acquired it.

However, because it was a collaborative project with the government, after signing the agreement, He Shen still had to inspect the site.

As Zhu Yiyi had told Ms. Zhu, she was only responsible for taking notes and occasionally introducing the project. Everything went smoothly.

Her main work was done, and she had the rest of the time to herself.

However, she didn’t plan on staying in the hotel, but decided to go out for a walk.

Zhu Yiyi took a taxi to Xuanzhou No. 1 High School.

It was her high school alma mater.

Eight years ago, Xuanzhou was still a dilapidated town with poor educational resources. Zhu Yiyi had worked hard to get into No. 1 High School. She studied day and night for three years in high school, and her grades were good, but they couldn’t compare to the high-quality resources in big cities. Even with her excellent performance in the college entrance exam, she could only fill in a first-tier university in Beijing.

Now, Xuanzhou No. 1 High School was different. It was now one of the key high schools in the country.

Every year, many students were admitted to Peking University and Tsinghua University.

Today was a holiday, and the school gates were open. Zhu Yiyi walked in without being stopped by the security guard.

She walked along the corridor, where there was a display wall showcasing the achievements of every graduating class.

Zhu Yiyi could still find her own photo.

The sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl in the photo had won first prize in the provincial essay competition. She had youthful features and bright eyes, full of hope for the future. She thought that after entering college, she would embark on a bright future, make a good life for herself and her mother.

Now, Zhu Yiyi looked at her reflection in the display case. Apart from her age and the fatigue in her eyes, she hadn’t changed.

She was still the same ordinary girl she was back then.

Zhu Yiyi withdrew her gaze, about to leave, when she suddenly heard someone calling her, “Zhu Yiyi!”

The voice was still full of surprise.

She turned around and saw a man wearing a black down jacket.

As he approached, she saw his face clearly.

Zhu Yiyi was stunned, and said excitedly, “Zhang Boyuan!”

“It’s me,” Zhang Boyuan scratched his head, “You still remember me.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t forget you even if I forgot everyone else,” Zhu Yiyi laughed, “Best classmate in China.”

Because of the bullying she had experienced, she had been withdrawn for a while, and she didn’t have many friends in high school. At that time, Zhang Boyuan was her classmate and took good care of her. They were good friends. Later, Zhu Yiyi moved to Beijing after the college entrance exam. They didn’t have cell phones at that time, so they lost contact.

She didn’t expect to meet him again after eight years.

Zhang Boyuan looked at Zhu Yiyi in front of him. The thin and frail girl in his memory had completely grown up. She was taller, fairer, and even prettier.

“What are you doing at school?” he asked.

“I’m in Xuanzhou on a business trip. I had some free time today, so I came to take a look. What about you?”

“I graduated with a master’s degree last year. I couldn’t find a job, so I came back to my alma mater to be a math teacher.”

“So you’re Teacher Zhang now,” Zhu Yiyi remembered something from the past and smiled, “I still remember you teaching me the math problems I didn’t understand in high school.”

Zhang Boyuan touched his nose awkwardly, “You were also very good at Chinese. If you hadn’t taught me writing skills, I would still be scolded by the Chinese teacher every day.”

They talked about all sorts of embarrassing and funny things from high school, laughing heartily.

Zhang Boyuan didn’t expect that he was still like a young boy at the age of twenty-six. He stammered, “That, do you want to add each other on WeChat?”

Zhu Yiyi agreed readily, “Sure.”

After they added each other on WeChat, Zhang Boyuan asked, “Old classmates meeting, should we have dinner together?”

“Of course we should. But I’ll treat you,” Zhu Yiyi genuinely wanted to invite him to dinner, her eyes curved into a smile, “You helped me a lot in high school, and I never had a chance to thank you.”

Zhang Boyuan didn’t refuse anymore. He looked at the time and said, “Can we do it tomorrow? I have to supervise my students’ math evening study tonight.”

“Wow, Teacher Zhang is so busy.”

“Hahaha…”

At the same time, a black car was slowly approaching Xuanzhou No. 1 High School.

The car stopped at the school gate while waiting for the red light.

He Shen sat in the back seat, flipping through the contract for today. He casually raised his eyes and glanced at the scene outside the window.

The camphor trees swayed, and the path was lined with trees.

Zhu Yiyi was talking to a man with an unfamiliar face, and they were standing very close, their conversation and mannerisms seemed very familiar.

From He Shen’s angle, he could also see her faint dimples.

He Shen had never found Zhu Yiyi’s dimples, which made her smile extra sweet, so irritating.

“Pull over.”

The driver obeyed and parked the car at the gate of Xuanzhou No. 1 High School.

He Shen didn’t get out of the car, but made a phone call.

He saw that Zhu Yiyi on the other side answered after a few seconds, and her voice came through the phone, “Hello?”

He asked, “Where are you?”

“What’s wrong?”

He Shen’s jaw tightened, and he didn’t speak.

Zhu Yiyi on the other side said “Hello” a few times, “He President?”

She paused, and then the man’s voice came through, sounding like he was asking Zhu Yiyi who she was talking to.

She said it was her boss.

He Shen still didn’t speak.

He looked coldly at the direction where they were standing, through the car window.

Zhu Yiyi was wearing a black coat today, and Zhang Boyuan was also wearing a black down jacket. The same color clothes made them look like a couple.

Their conversation could be faintly heard through the phone, and they seemed to be chatting happily.

They even ignored the phone call that was still going on.

“Zhu Yiyi.”

He Shen suddenly called out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Come over.”

“Co, come over where?”

He Shen unfastened his seatbelt, got out of the car, and approached the school gate step by step. His voice came through the phone, inexplicably tinged with gloom, “Turn around now and face…”

“Look at me.”