Chapter 4

In a Jiangjing restaurant, Zhao Yihan picked up her white shirt from the front desk. Just as she turned and took a few steps, someone called out to her: “Zhao Yihan?”

It was an uncertain tone.

Zhao Yihan paused and looked to the side. There was a man in a dark green T-shirt walking towards her from the lobby lounge. He was handsome and tall, with beautiful peach blossom eyes, narrow eyebrows, and a harmless smile.

She recognized this man, a fellow alum from university, a name she was familiar with, but for some reason, she couldn’t recall his name or even his surname, no matter how hard she tried.

Before reaching her, Lu Yu introduced himself: “Lu Yu, remember me?”

Finally, Zhao Yihan matched the name with the person. She remained composed and smiled faintly, “How could I forget? Long time no see.”

Knowing Zhao Yihan’s personality, Lu Yu half-jokingly said, “I’m afraid you might forget important people. Are you from Jiangcheng?”

“Yes.” Zhao Yihan extended her hand, and they shook hands while exchanging pleasantries. “Are you here on a business trip to Jiangcheng?”

“Yeah. A friend of mine is a son-in-law in your Jiangcheng. He mobilized everyone around him to invest in your Jiangcheng Industrial Park and even set KPIs for each of us. I have to come to Jiangcheng two or three times a year.” Lu Yu pulled out a QR code and handed his phone over. He didn’t have Zhao Yihan’s contact information. “I heard you got married to your college boyfriend. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

They exchanged contact information, and Zhao Yihan modified the note.

She didn’t have much conversation with Lu Yu before. It had been several years, and she couldn’t find any topics to talk about.

The encounter between the two ended with Lu Yu’s invitation to dinner after their hurried reunion since graduation. He returned to the lounge area to continue waiting for his takeout dinner while Zhao Yihan left the restaurant to find Wei Lai.

During the ten minutes she was in the restaurant, Wei Lai had admired Cullinan in the adjacent ten minutes.

At first, it was admiration, but later, as he stared, his mind drifted away, thinking about how to hand over his work tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sujin turned his face once again to see if Lu Yu had come out. Wei Lai’s gaze clashed with his again, and he casually averted his eyes, looking toward the restaurant’s entrance.

When Lu Yu came out, Wei Lai’s white car had just driven away.

“I’ve packed some for you.” Lu Yu placed the takeout in the back seat and started the car.

Zhou Sujin glanced at him. “I told you it’s not necessary.”

Lu Yu had originally intended to treat Zhou Sujin to supper, but since Zhou Sujin claimed not to be hungry, he didn’t dine in and instead packed it to go. Feeling awkward enough to eat alone, he packed an extra portion, but Zhou Sujin didn’t appreciate it. Lu Yu, being easygoing, replied, “Then I’ll eat two portions by myself.”

Zhou Sujin remarked, “You’ll make the company bankrupt sooner or later.”

Lu Yu retorted, “…”

As the traffic light ahead turned yellow, Lu Yu stepped on the brake. Unable to resist, he retorted back at Zhou Sujin, “You talk as if not eating supper would make the company flourish.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Lu Yu realized his mistake and decided not to tease Zhou Sujin anymore, clearing his throat. Zhou Sujin was the kind of person who didn’t waste words. A silent assessment from him would immediately make others shut up and mind their own business.

Leaning against the car window, Lu Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, changing the subject, “The world is so small, guess who I ran into at the restaurant just now? A fellow alumnus from the university. She even forgot my name.”

He chuckled awkwardly.

“I know she’s from Jiangcheng.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t understand what Lu Yu meant and wasn’t interested in gossip. He said, “I’m heading back to Beijing tomorrow morning.”

Lu Yu suddenly felt unsure, “But if you leave, what about the meeting tomorrow?”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“But… how can I handle it alone if I go with you?”

The semiconductor materials project invested by Lu Yu and Zhou Sujin in Jiangcheng was a joint venture. In the past, all major decisions were made by Zhou Sujin, and Lu Yu was responsible for running errands, which he found quite relaxing.

Tomorrow’s meeting in Jiangcheng was particularly important, and Lu Yu was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle it alone.

Zhou Sujin replied, “Eating two portions of supper, are you going to do my share of work too?”

Lu Tu was left speechless, choked by Zhou Sujin for the second time tonight.

Returning to the main topic, Lu Yu asked, “What’s the rush to go back for?”

“It’s about my older brother’s matter.”

“Ah, I see.” Lu Yu didn’t ask further because even if he did, it would only be annoying. Over the years, he had noticed that everyone who spent time with Zhou Sujin would eventually develop a habit of doing more and saying less. Even he, who had always been outspoken and had a loose tongue since childhood, had learned to be observant.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the hotel entrance.

“You’ll be in charge of the Jiangcheng project from now on,” said Zhou Sujin as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Lu Yu didn’t forget to take the two portions of takeout. Zhou Sujin’s driver and secretary were in the car behind them. Lu Yu pointed to Cullinan, signaling the driver to park the car properly, and then hurried after Zhou Sujin. “What do you mean?”

“I’m busy with other projects,” replied Zhou Sujin. He didn’t have time to come to Jiangcheng regularly anymore.

The Jiangcheng project was basically on track and didn’t require his constant oversight. Lu Yu should be able to handle it.

—

The next day, Wei Lai went to the company as usual, arriving at the office around the same time as usual. Colleagues from the project team had already arrived, and she could see them again in the company. Their faces were filled with incredulity.

Their dark circles were heavier than Wei Lai’s. They had started another group chat last night, complaining about the boss until three in the morning. If Tang Yi hadn’t dissolved the group, they would have chatted until dawn.

Tang Yi took Wei Lai’s cup and poured a glass of warm water in the pantry. Then, she brewed coffee to revive herself. She had received a notification from the boss last night to arrange for Wei Lai and Wei Lai to hand over their work.

“Have some water.” She placed the glass on Wei Lai’s desk and stared into Wei Lai’s eyes. There were no swollen eyes, just a few faint red blood vessels. “I was afraid your eyes wouldn’t look good today.”

Wei Lai smiled faintly. “My tear ducts aren’t well developed.”

Probably no man could make her shed tears.

Last night, when Wei Lai drove Zhao Yihan home, Zhao Yihan asked her to wait for a few minutes. She went to the pharmacy to buy a bottle of sleeping pills for her. She fell asleep less than half an hour after lying down and woke up in the morning by the alarm clock, without even having time to shed tears.

Tang Yi got to the point, “Mr, Mu asked me to take over your work. If you’re not in a good mood today, we can hand it over another day. There’s no rush.”

“No need. A breakup is nothing to delay the handover.”

Tang Yi sighed inwardly, unable to tolerate the boss but could only watch silently behind his back. The next day at work, they had to continue to be submissive.

“Mr. Mu also said to let you rest assured that you’ll definitely get the bonus from the previous project, and it won’t be less for you.” She worriedly advised Wei Lai in a low voice, “Face is important, but it’s not practical. Don’t be silly and refuse this bonus. You earned it with your life and overtime work. Anyway, there’s no need to have trouble with money.”

Wei Lai stopped sorting the handover list and looked up, “The bonus is what I deserve. Why wouldn’t I want it? If the company doesn’t give it to me, I wouldn’t agree.”

Tang Yi gave her a thumbs up and tried to keep the conversation light, not mentioning the boss Mu Di. She joked, “When you stand firm in the new company, I’ll come join you.”

Wei Lai echoed with a joke, “When I become the boss, I’ll hire you with a high salary.”

She was joking, but Tang Yi wasn’t.

Wei Lai was one of the few employees who resigned without applying a month in advance. The handover of work was swift, taking only three days to hand over all the projects she had on hand.

During these three days, she didn’t see Mu Di.

Mu Di’s office was on the same floor as theirs. She heard that he was on a business trip out of Jiangcheng these days. Privately, they were all discussing whether Mu Di deliberately avoided meeting Wei Lai by going on a business trip.

As for the bonus, Wei Lai received it a month later.

The day she received the bonus happened to be the day when Zhang Yanxin and Mu Di got engaged. She didn’t think it was a coincidence; it was too coincidental.

The company’s finance department knew that Mu Di’s fiancé was her ex-boyfriend, but they chose to transfer the money to her on that day.

That day felt like an eternity, with every morning feeling longer than a week.

Wei Lai couldn’t focus on reading, so she opened the treadmill and started running.

A call came in, and Wei Lai was sweating profusely as she got off the treadmill to pick up her phone. It was a call from the real estate agent. She had put the villa in Jiang’an on the market through the real estate agent, and there were people coming to view it from time to time.

Wei Lai answered, and the agent asked if she was free now because a client was interested in her house and was already in the shop.

Wei Lai had the most, too much time, and didn’t know how to pass it. “I’m available.”

“The client and his family are in the store right now. Can you come over?”

Wei Lai put down her phone to take a shower. Since she left her job, she occasionally went out without makeup. Today, she applied delicate makeup before going out.

A month had passed, and from her appearance and complexion, no one could tell that she had experienced both a breakup and unemployment.

At the real estate agency, the family interested in her house had been waiting for a long time and even brought a lawyer.

The lawyer cut to the chase and offered a price, which was lower than Wei Lai’s expectations, but the buyer was willing to pay in full. As long as she agreed, they could sign the contract and pay the deposit immediately.

Today was the day Zhang Yanxin got engaged, such a special day, which seemed to determine the fate of this house.

Wei Lai didn’t want to keep it for another day and agreed to the deal.

The procedures were a bit complicated, and it wasn’t until the next day that the transfer was completed.

Wei Lai resumed her normal routine this week. She woke up at 6:30 in the morning, prepared a hearty breakfast, and sat on the sofa reading after eating.

Zhao Yihan sent her a message: [Busy or not?]

During the past month, she has had no contact with this sister.

Wei Lai put down the collection of essays in her hand and replied: [I’m free.]

Zhao Yihan knew she had already resigned and had been resting at home for over a month. She had wanted to call her after Zhang Yanxin got engaged the day before yesterday, but she was worried that Wei Lai wouldn’t want to talk about it.

Wei Lai asked: [What’s up?]

Zhao Yihan expressed concern: [Have you found a job? Or are you planning to rest for a while longer?]

Wei Lai wanted to sort herself out before making plans: [I’ll talk about it after my father’s wedding. No rush.]

[By the way,] Zhao Yihan asked Wei Lai: [Does Auntie know about your breakup and resignation?]

Wei Lai hadn’t told her mother yet and didn’t want to worry her: [She’s busy enough with the supermarket.]

Zhao Yihan asked: [Should I tell Uncle Wei? Even if I don’t tell him now, it won’t be long before he finds out.]

With her father and Zhao Yihan’s mother’s wedding approaching, Wei Lai pondered for a moment: [Let’s wait. I want him to have a good mood for the wedding. After the wedding, I’ll find a job and settle down before telling them.]

Zhao Yihan said: [As long as you’re in the financial circle of Jiangcheng, you’ll inevitably have to deal with Mu Di. Have you ever thought about working in Sucheng? It’s not far from home, and a change of environment might change your mood.]

Wei Lai admitted: [I don’t have resources in Sucheng.]

Zhao Yihan suggested: [I’m attending a dinner party tonight, hosted by Sucheng’s wealthiest man, He Wancheng. He Wancheng has business dealings with major groups in Jiangcheng. Whether you go to Sucheng in the future or not, it’s not a bad idea to get to know someone.]

She would just be a foil at the dinner party, unable to join in high-end conversations, but with Wei Lai’s social skills, turning the big shots at the dinner party into personal connections shouldn’t be a problem.

[It’s a rare opportunity. Go for it.]

Wei Lai didn’t waste Zhao Yihan’s goodwill: [Send me the address.]