Chapter 9

It was still a warm autumn day.

The sky was clear and blue like a precious gem. Sometimes, a few white clouds floated by, light and soft like cotton candy.

The leaves had started to turn yellow a little, and some leaves quietly fell with the autumn wind. But Cheng Yanran didn’t feel lonely or sad.

The falling leaves, white clouds, and warm sunshine together made a beautiful scene he had never seen before.

Autumn felt even better than spring, showing its beauty clearly at this moment.

They planned to meet at 2 p.m., but he arrived just after noon.

Before coming, he wanted to ask Zhou Zhou if she still liked milk tea.

He hesitated for a long time but didn’t say anything. He decided to wait for a better time. When the time was right, he would ask.

Manager He knew right away when Cheng Yanran called that it must be the friend coming to see the car.

But Cheng Yanran didn’t want him to come along and told him to do his own work. Manager He didn’t say much and just watched through the glass as Cheng Yanran walked around the showroom again and again, pacing nervously.

Close to 2 p.m., Cheng Yanran smiled a little and walked quickly to the door. Manager He understood — it must be a female friend.

He went to wait by the door.

Even though Cheng Yanran had seen Zhou Zhou on local news, seeing her in person still made him feel she had changed a lot.

Zhou Zhou in high school was cold and distant. Now she was gentler and more beautiful, but still strong and calm.

He saw her get out of the car from far away, walking toward him.

She wore a long-sleeved black dress with small flowers, a simple long gray knitted coat over it. Her hair was loose, and she wore light makeup. She walked slowly and gracefully.

Cheng Yanran went forward and said, “Zhou Zhou, I’m here.”

When she came closer, he also greeted Zhou Feng, “Uncle, hello.”

Zhou Feng smiled and said, “Hello, thanks for your help today.”

The young man was still neat and clean, just like in the past, with a calm and gentle voice, but more mature now.

Zhou Zhou smiled softly and said, “Cheng Yanran, long time no see.”

Cheng Yanran tried hard to hide the strong feelings almost spilling from his eyes, and looked down at her.

Today she wasn’t wearing high heels, just low-heeled shoes. Cheng Yanran guessed she was about 1.62 meters tall. She only reached his chest. He smiled in his heart — she hadn’t grown taller.

Height was something Zhou Zhou didn’t like to talk about because she hadn’t grown since middle school when she reached 1.6 meters.

Cheng Yanran didn’t know this at first. In the second year of high school, a boy joked that she was short and called her “shorty.” She got angry and pushed all the books off his desk.

That was the first time everyone saw Zhou Zhou angry.

Her hair was messy but she looked cute, like a little tiger.

He pushed down all his mixed feelings and acted like he was just trying to help sell cars. “Long time no see, Zhou Zhou. The car your uncle chose is in the showroom. Want to test drive it?”

Zhou Zhou and Zhou Feng followed him into the showroom and saw many people were there to look at cars. It seemed the electric car era still hadn’t replaced gas cars.

Zhou Feng’s choice was a classic off-road model — tall and big, looking very nice.

He had looked around many places but chose Zhongyue dealership because their prices were good and service was attentive. He had test-driven the car before and said, “No need to test drive today. We’re here to place the order.”

Manager He added, “Okay, please come this way.”

He led them to the VIP room.

The dealership was having a promotion, but the price Cheng Yanran gave couldn’t be discussed in the showroom.

After seeing Zhou Zhou, Manager He understood Cheng Yanran must have some feelings for her. Zhou Zhou probably didn’t know his thoughts.

Zhou Feng quickly asked about picking up the car and paperwork, then paid the deposit.

Manager He asked, “I see you have an old car of the same brand. If you don’t need it, you can trade it in under the trade-in policy, and it will reduce the price.”

Zhou Feng said, “Can I trade it in here? The car is over ten years old. I was going to sell it in the used car market.”

Manager He smiled, “If it’s the same brand, of course. Please wait a moment; I’ll check the car and give you a price.”

Zhou Feng knew about the policy but didn’t know details. Now he was happy to try it.

They all went outside to see Zhou Feng’s old car.

Honestly, it was quite old, but Zhou Feng took good care of it. The body was shiny and had no scratches. Just looking at it, it seemed newer than many cars only two or three years old.

Manager He went to check the engine and other parts. When he bent down, he glanced secretly at Cheng Yanran. He saw Cheng Yanran standing next to Zhou Zhou, tilting his head and listening to the father and daughter talk.

He made up his mind and stood up. He said, “Mr. Zhou, although your car is old, the mileage is low, and the main parts and the outside look good. Our shop can give you 20,000 yuan for it.”

Zhou Feng had checked the used car market before. The estimated price was between 12,000 and 15,000 yuan. Manager He’s offer was a bit high but not too unreasonable.

After thinking, Zhou Feng agreed.

Now he hesitated about which version of the new car to buy — low, mid, or high.

He wanted the high version, but he was already 60 years old. He wouldn’t drive it for many years, so buying the best one wasn’t necessary. It was better to save some money. Besides, there were taxes to pay after buying the car, costing over 10,000 yuan.

So he chose the low version. After adding and subtracting everything, the total was 140,000 yuan, which he could afford.

Zhou Feng didn’t want Zhou Zhou to pay for the car. His daughter’s job wasn’t easy, so it was better to save money for clothes, makeup, or fun. Spending on his old man’s car was not necessary.

For him, the car was just a way to get around. At his age, he didn’t care about showing off with a fancy car.

Zhou Zhou saw her father’s hesitant face and understood what he was thinking.

Back in the reception room, while Manager He was asking Zhou Feng to sign, Zhou Zhou pulled Cheng Yanran aside to talk.

“Cheng Yanran, I’ll transfer you 20,000 yuan. Please help me change my dad’s car to the high version.”

Cheng Yanran raised his eyebrows and was about to speak when Zhou Zhou took out her phone to transfer the money.

“Wait,” he said, putting his hand on hers.

He seemed unsure how to say it. “It’s okay, just consider it a favor between classmates, I…”

But Zhou Zhou interrupted him. “You already gave us a big discount. Really, no need.”

Then she explained, “You know about my family, right? My dad doesn’t want to waste money and wants to save more for Yuanyuan. But I want him to have a better car. About the 20,000 yuan, just tell him it can’t be refunded when we pick up the car.” Cheng Yanran nodded. He was curious because Zhou Zhou’s family was not poor, and Zhou Feng wouldn’t hesitate over 20,000 yuan. But after her explanation, he understood