It seems the car owner is the same person.

She doesn’t ask for anything else, only hopes her daughter will meet a good man and grow old with him.

But it’s too difficult.

Without seeing which direction the Bentley was heading, Cheng Minzhi sat back at her computer. She was planning to open the sixteenth store. Meeting someone to grow old with in life is too difficult. It’s better to save some money for her daughter practically.

Downstairs, Wei Lai sat in the back of the Bentley.

They hadn’t seen each other all day yesterday, and she couldn’t say whether the time had passed quickly or slowly on that day.

Two people who weren’t familiar with sitting together had nothing to say, especially since he was naturally reserved.

Today, it wasn’t Uncle Yan driving; the driver was younger.

“Where’s Uncle Yan?” She found a topic to start with.

Zhou Sujin replied, “He’s gone to pick up someone at the airport.”

Wei Lai nodded, thinking he had a friend coming over. It wasn’t until they reached the new house that she realized Uncle Yan was picking up Zhou Sujin’s luggage.

There were a total of eleven suitcases, large and small, almost like moving.

Wei Lai helped push two medium-sized suitcases.

Once inside the house, Zhou Sujin looked at the two suitcases in her hands and pointed to the one in her left hand, “Take that one back with you. It’s for you, for when you come home with me.”

“Do your family know you have a girlfriend?” Despite being mentally prepared, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“It’s known.” Zhou Sujin said casually, “They’ll know sooner or later.”

“Have they asked how we got together?”

“We haven’t reached that stage yet.” Since the last time they had tea at her house, he had been busy with projects and hadn’t been home.

After Wei Lai calmed down, she asked him, “If they ask, how do you plan to answer?” She needed to discuss it with him beforehand to avoid any mishaps.

Zhou Sujin looked up at her, “Just say you pursued me.”

“…But I’ve never pursued anyone before. Even if it’s acting, I can’t make an exception. If outsiders know I actively pursued you, how can I continue to socialize in Jiangcheng’s elite circle?”

Zhou Sujin remained silent, opening the suitcase and taking out important documents.

Wei Lai followed him, but his cold demeanor made her hesitate to act spoiled. She had to muster her courage and speak softly, “Mr. Zhou, say something.”

Zhou Sujin remained indifferent.

“Mr. Zhou, you’re a particularly good person.”

“…Are you really not uncomfortable saying that?”

She whispered, “I’m not uncomfortable.”

But Zhou Sujin still didn’t relent or change his mind.

Wei Lai silently looked at him, emphasizing her ability to be flexible and not easily discouraged.

Her finger accidentally touched the hem of his suit jacket, and then she lightly pinched the corner of his jacket and said, “Mr. Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin placed the documents he was holding on the desk, glanced at her, paused, and then said, “This time, I’ll agree with you. But this won’t set a precedent.”

Chapter 15

Wei Lai’s phone battery was almost depleted, not enough to continue chatting.

“My phone is out of battery…” she said.

Before she could finish saying the word ‘battery,’ it automatically shut down.

“Miss Wei, give me your phone, I’ll help you charge it,” Uncle Yan asked thoughtfully. “My phone has a battery, do you need it?”

“Thank you, Uncle Yan, it’s okay,” she replied. It wasn’t convenient to talk to Zhou Sujin in the car, so she gave her phone to Uncle Yan to charge.

A surreal and absurd evening finally came to an end. Wei Lai evaluated today’s cooperation performance, reluctantly giving herself a passing grade. She felt it was barely satisfactory because there were some flaws in setting up the scene. When pouring lubricant into her hand, she accidentally squeezed out too much, which spilled onto his sheets.

At that moment, she was anxious to clean it up. However, she later thought that this natural effect couldn’t be achieved even if she tried deliberately, so she just left it.

That’s why Zhou Sujin questioned her about how he was supposed to sleep.

After washing her hands, perhaps due to psychological effects, she could still faintly smell the scent of strawberries on her fingertips.

Back home, Wei Lai washed her hands with soap twice more.

[Mr. Zhou, I’m home.]

Zhou Sujin didn’t see the message as he was arranging things with his assistant over the phone.

In the bedroom, the staff from the guest room department were changing the bedsheets and duvet covers. The original bedsheets still carried the fragrance of strawberries.

—

The next day, Wei Lai was busy with work and didn’t need to meet Zhou Sujin. Near the end of the workday, Zhao Yihan called her, asking if she was busy and inviting her to dinner at their new home.

Wei Lai had a large stack of sales reports from various stores on her desk that she hadn’t looked at yet. Without hesitation, she replied, “Not busy.”

She arranged to go home with Zhao Yihan and then called her father.

Upon hearing that they were coming for dinner, her father and stepmother were delighted and at a loss for what to do. They immediately went to the supermarket and bought a lot of things before thoroughly cleaning the house and preparing snacks and fruits that the two sisters liked in advance.

It was more festive than the Chinese New Year.

Wei Lai arrived at her father’s community first and waited for Zhao Yihan.

Ten years ago, she didn’t feel like she belonged in this new home. Ten years later, she still felt like a guest.

“Wei Lai.”

It was Zhao Yihan’s voice.

Wei Lai snapped back to reality and looked out the window. Zhao Yihan’s car window was wide open, and she was alone, her husband was not with her.

“Your husband isn’t coming?”

“We rarely get to have a family dinner, so I didn’t bring him.”

Zhao Yihan drove into the community, and Wei Lai followed.

There were two parking spaces in the house. Her father and stepmother’s car were not there. Every time they came for dinner, the parking spaces were always left empty for the convenience of the two sisters.

She brought a gift for her stepmother, prepared a long time ago.

Zhao Yihan also brought a gift for her father.

Zhao Mei took the bag from Wei Lai, which contained a set of dresses. “You, why did you buy such expensive clothes? Don’t spend money recklessly next time.”

On the other side, Wei Huatian was saying the same thing to Zhao Yihan.

Wei Lai smiled at her stepmother. “You have a good figure, and it looks nice on you. That’s not considered reckless spending.”

Zhao Mei was pleased with the compliment. “You have such a sweet mouth.” She accepted the gift. “Try it on when you get home.”

Wei Huatian also returned his gift to his study.

The living room finally quieted down. Wei Lai and Zhao Yihan exchanged helpless smiles. Every time they came for dinner, they had to go through almost the same ‘family’ diplomatic rituals.

There was an indescribable restraint when she was with her stepmother, and she felt it too.

When her father talked to Zhao Yihan, he always seemed very polite, and there was a sense of formality in everything.

So she couldn’t find a sense of home with Zhao Yihan here.

But at least now, she and this sister are no longer complete strangers.

Zhao Yihan handed her a pack of lemon-flavored snacks she liked. “By the way, why is your supermarket still out of stock?”

Wei Lai replied, “They are still coordinating, it should be available soon.”

The last time she went to Beijing to negotiate cooperation with the manager of the Lemeng brand’s East China region, the discussion went quite smoothly. However, Qi Linsheng had still not arranged delivery to their supermarket.

It would be annoying to push too hard, and it wouldn’t solve the problem.

Zhao Yihan casually ate her snacks, struggling to find the right words.

Wei Lai sensed that Zhao Yihan seemed to have something to say. It was unusual for her to suggest going home for dinner today.

“Sis, what’s the matter?”

Zhao Yihan said, “Do you know about the rumors related to you recently?”

Wei Lai shrugged. “I know.”

“After all this time, hasn’t Zhou Sujin done anything about them?”

“He doesn’t care about these things,” Zhao Yihan said, feeling helpless about such matters.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll cook,” Wei Lai had never found an opportunity to thank Zhao Yihan.

Zhao Yihan was not polite with her, suggesting a few dishes she most wanted to eat. “Let’s cook together tonight, I’ll be your helper.”

“Okay.” Wei Lai walked into the kitchen with the snacks she had opened, eating while chatting with Zhao Yihan.

Zhao Mei came out wearing a new dress and went to the living room to ask Wei Huatian how it looked.

Wei Huatian had been watching his daughter busily preparing vegetables in the kitchen. Without even looking clearly at his wife, he said, “Looks good.”

Zhao Mei was accustomed to his standard response and didn’t expect much variation. Whatever she asked, he always gave the same answer.

“Where are they? Are they out shopping?” Wei Huatian didn’t say anything, gesturing towards the kitchen.

The kitchen door was all glass, allowing a clear view of everything inside.

Zhao Mei looked at the scene with great satisfaction. Despite everything, they were still a family. She hoped her daughter and Wei Lai could get along well and take care of each other in the future.

Wei Huatian, however, looked at his daughter with a heavy heart. He never imagined that he would be able to enjoy meals prepared by his daughter, thanks to his stepdaughter.

Wei Lai was skilled in cooking and quickly prepared three meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and a soup. The meal was colorful and delicious.

Wei Huatian opened a bottle of low-alcohol wine and poured four small glasses.

Zhao Mei raised her glass, first clinking it with Wei Lai’s, then with her daughter’s. “Wishing you both happiness and health, nothing else matters.”

They all followed suit, offering their own blessings.

Today was livelier than during the Chinese New Year.

Ironically, the house was empty during the New Year. Wei Lai stayed home with Cheng Minzhi, while Zhao Yihan went to accompany her father. There were only Wei Huatian and Zhao Mei at home, cooking a couple of simple dishes to celebrate.

After tasting the food, Zhao Mei praised Wei Lai’s cooking skills.

Wei Lai smiled, enjoying the delicious food but feeling empty inside. She thought of the restaurant, her parents accompanying her when they were still a family. Those days of eating together were gone forever.

After dinner, they spent some time with their father and stepmother.

Zhao Yihan’s husband called to pick her up.

“No need, my mom will take me back.”

Unable to drive after drinking, Zhao Mei walked Zhao Yihan back home, while her father accompanied her on a stroll back to her apartment.

Once they left the community gate, the mother and daughter headed south, while Wei Huatian walked north along the sidewalk with his daughter. Wei Lai held onto her father’s arm, suddenly at a loss for words.

Wei Huatian patted his daughter’s hand, sometimes hesitating. “You’re better at cooking than Dad.”

“I inherited it from you. You don’t often cook,” Wei Lai replied.

“That car you drove…” Wei Huatian pondered how to phrase it, afraid it was the breakup fee from Zhang Yanxin.

Wei Lai drove to her father’s new home today, and the car was still parked in his parking space. She had come over today to get a clearer picture of her father.

“It belongs to my potential boyfriend.”

“He… you two…” Wei Huatian stuttered, still laughing inwardly. “He comes from a good family, right?” At least not worse off than Zhang Yanxin.

Wei Lai nodded, jokingly saying, “He’s a big shot in the Beijing circle.”

Wei Huatian patted his daughter’s hand again. “Watch your words.”

“Do you know about Zhou Sujin from Kunchen Group?”

How could he not know?

After a few seconds, Wei Huatian snapped out of his shock. The difference in their backgrounds was too significant. “Lai Lai, how… how do you see this relationship?”

“Forget the past, don’t worry about the future, just cherish the present.”

Wei Huatian fell silent for a moment. “That’s good.”

On the way back to the apartment, there were times when the father and daughter had nothing to say to each other.

But Wei Lai always held onto his arm, and Wei Huatian felt that his daughter wasn’t as far away as he thought.

When they reached the downstairs of the apartment, it was almost eleven o’clock. He saw his daughter off until she went upstairs.

Wei Lai used her fingerprint to open the door. “Dad, come in and rest for a bit, I’ll call a car for you to go back later.”

“Alright.” Wei Huatian smiled. “I can’t walk anymore.”

Wei Lai pushed the door open and paused. The lights were on inside, and her mother’s bag and clothes were hanging at the door.

She didn’t know when her mother had come, and she didn’t tell her.

“Mom.”

“Ah, you’re back?” Cheng Minzhi responded to her daughter, emerging from the bathroom with a cloth in her hand, just finished cleaning her daughter’s room.

Seeing her ex-husband standing behind her daughter, it felt like they were worlds apart. She nodded slightly.

Wei Huatian couldn’t remember the last time he saw his ex-wife. It had been so long that he couldn’t recall. They lived in the same city, co-parenting their daughter. They would talk on the phone in emergencies, but they had never met in person.

She hadn’t changed much.

“Lai Lai, then I won’t come in.” He patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Call me if you need anything.”

Wei Huatian closed the door, suddenly wanting a cigarette. He reached into his pocket, but it was empty.

No cigarettes, no lighter. Nothing.

Inside, Wei Lai bent down to change her shoes, bending deeply, her long hair falling forward, almost brushing the ground.

She struggled to control her tears. It had been over ten years since the three of them had briefly reunited as a family.

“Mom, go rinse the cloth.” Cheng Minzhi turned and went back to the bathroom.

When she came out again, her daughter had changed into her home clothes. There was no sign of anything unusual on her face as she sat on the sofa, eating the snacks her mother had brought.

“Mom, where did you buy these snacks?” Wei Lai shook the package of Lemon snacks in her hand.

Cheng Minzhi wiped her hands with a dry towel. “From our own supermarket. All the Lemon snacks are in stock, and they’re all fresh.”

After the goods arrived at the warehouse, she couldn’t wait to pack a big bag for her daughter and send it over. She had thought about calling her daughter to ask when she would return, but considering that her daughter rarely had time to have a meal with Wei Huatian, she didn’t want to disturb their father-daughter time.

“I’ll thank Qi Linsheng another day.”

Wei Lai nodded. “I got it.”

Sitting beside her mother, she stuffed a piece of snack into her mother’s mouth.

As they chatted until nearly dawn, neither of them mentioned having dinner at the new home tonight.

Wei Lai watched her mother’s car disappear into the night from the balcony. There was no one to confide her sadness in, so she opened the chat with Zhou Sujin.

Other than playing a role, she wasn’t anything to him.

In the end, she didn’t send anything and locked her phone.

—

The next day at noon, Wei Lai contacted Zhou Sujin, intending to go pick up that suit and asked if he was available.

Zhou Sujin quickly replied, “Don’t come over.”

Seeming inconvenient, Wei Lai was about to end the chat when he sent her a string of addresses, one of which was the upscale residential area, Jiang’an Yunchen, in Jiangcheng. She had mentioned liking single-floor apartments, so he bought one in Jiang’an Yunchen.

Efficient as ever, he had completed the procedures in a day and a half.

“Still the same password.” He sent another message.

Wei Lai frowned. She didn’t know the door code for his other houses.

Had he remembered it wrong? Perhaps he had told someone else, and it got mixed up, and he thought he had told her.

“Mr. Zhou, what’s the password?”

Zhou Sujin replied, “The same as the one for  Cullinan. What else?”

Wei Lai quickly responded, “I didn’t realize it was the car password.”

She remembered the password for the Culliinan safe box vividly, and she hadn’t forgotten it even now.

Zhou Sujin said, “I’ll pass by the supermarket later to pick you up.”

He hadn’t planned to buy a house in such a hurry. But after she had rearranged his hotel bedroom the night before, he immediately called his assistant Yang Ze and arranged for them to find a suitable single-floor apartment and move in within two days.

Yang Ze was always efficient and had found a suitable apartment and negotiated the price, signing the contract within a day and a half.

The house had been vacant before, so it was empty. After cleaning, they could move in today.

Some of his personal belongings had been shipped from Beijing by air.

The plane had already landed, and Uncle Yan went to pick them up.

With too much luggage, they used the company’s business car to pick them up.

This time, Lu Yu came with him to Jiangcheng for a meeting. Upon hearing that Zhou Sujin was using a business car to transport his luggage, he found it curious: “Is it necessary to use a private plane to transport luggage for a business trip?” He joked, “Are you planning to settle in Jiangcheng?”

Zhou Sujin replied, “More or less.”

Lu Yu’s eyes almost popped out: “What do you mean? You’re not actually considering Wei Lai, are you?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t reply further. He hadn’t planned to tell anyone around him about the contract.

In the evening, he finished his work and went to pick up Wei Lai.

“Come down.” He sent a message when he arrived at the supermarket downstairs.

Wei Lai closed her computer. “I’m coming.”

Before leaving, she said to her mother, “Mom, I won’t accompany you for overtime tonight. I’m going out to dinner with a friend.”

Cheng Minzhi smiled. “You go ahead.”

She noticed that her daughter was dressed differently today.

Unable to resist her curiosity, after her daughter went downstairs, she took a look out the window and saw the car picking up her daughter. It was a Beijing-registered Bentley, with a license plate number only one digit different from the Cullinan.

It seems the car owner is the same person.

She doesn’t ask for anything else, only hopes her daughter will meet a good man and grow old with him.

But it’s too difficult.

Without seeing which direction the Bentley was heading, Cheng Minzhi sat back at her computer. She was planning to open the sixteenth store. Meeting someone to grow old with in life is too difficult. It’s better to save some money for her daughter practically.

Downstairs, Wei Lai sat in the back of the Bentley.

They hadn’t seen each other all day yesterday, and she couldn’t say whether the time had passed quickly or slowly on that day.

Two people who weren’t familiar with sitting together had nothing to say, especially since he was naturally reserved.

Today, it wasn’t Uncle Yan driving; the driver was younger.

“Where’s Uncle Yan?” She found a topic to start with.

Zhou Sujin replied, “He’s gone to pick up someone at the airport.”

Wei Lai nodded, thinking he had a friend coming over. It wasn’t until they reached the new house that she realized Uncle Yan was picking up Zhou Sujin’s luggage.

There were a total of eleven suitcases, large and small, almost like moving.

Wei Lai helped push two medium-sized suitcases.

Once inside the house, Zhou Sujin looked at the two suitcases in her hands and pointed to the one in her left hand, “Take that one back with you. It’s for you, for when you come home with me.”

“Do your family know you have a girlfriend?” Despite being mentally prepared, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“It’s known.” Zhou Sujin said casually, “They’ll know sooner or later.”

“Have they asked how we got together?”

“We haven’t reached that stage yet.” Since the last time they had tea at her house, he had been busy with projects and hadn’t been home.

After Wei Lai calmed down, she asked him, “If they ask, how do you plan to answer?” She needed to discuss it with him beforehand to avoid any mishaps.

Zhou Sujin looked up at her, “Just say you pursued me.”

“…But I’ve never pursued anyone before. Even if it’s acting, I can’t make an exception. If outsiders know I actively pursued you, how can I continue to socialize in Jiangcheng’s elite circle?”

Zhou Sujin remained silent, opening the suitcase and taking out important documents.

Wei Lai followed him, but his cold demeanor made her hesitate to act spoiled. She had to muster her courage and speak softly, “Mr. Zhou, say something.”

Zhou Sujin remained indifferent.

“Mr. Zhou, you’re a particularly good person.”

“…Are you really not uncomfortable saying that?”

She whispered, “I’m not uncomfortable.”

But Zhou Sujin still didn’t relent or change his mind.

Wei Lai silently looked at him, emphasizing her ability to be flexible and not easily discouraged.

Her finger accidentally touched the hem of his suit jacket, and then she lightly pinched the corner of his jacket and said, “Mr. Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin placed the documents he was holding on the desk, glanced at her, paused, and then said, “This time, I’ll agree with you. But this won’t set a precedent.”