After returning to the city, they each went home to shower and change. Around eleven o’clock, Cen Zhisen’s car once again pulled up downstairs at Ning Zhiyuan’s home.

After waiting for ten minutes and seeing Ning Zhiyuan walking towards him outside the car, holding an umbrella, Cen Zhisen’s gaze fell on him, observing for a moment.

Last night, Ning Zhiyuan was wearing a sweater and a down jacket. Today, he had changed back into a three-piece suit with an additional dark gray woolen coat. Cen Zhisen hadn’t seen him dressed like this for a long time, and it seemed a bit unfamiliar.

Only at this moment did Cen Zhisen realize that Ning Zhiyuan was a mature man of the same height as himself, not someone he could easily control.

Ning Zhiyuan opened the car door and sat in, bringing in a bit of the cold.

“You seem in good spirits,” Cen Zhisen scrutinized him up close, his gaze unrestrained.

Ning Zhiyuan casually replied, “You’re not bad either.”

Cen Zhisen reached out, brushing off the snowflakes on his shoulder. Ning Zhiyuan leaned against the seat, unmoving, and his gaze passed over Cen Zhisen’s shoulder, looking out of the window. “It’s snowing.”

“Yeah,” Cen Zhisen nonchalantly responded, not withdrawing. He noticed a small red mole below Ning Zhiyuan’s left earlobe at the neck artery, something he had never seen before.

His warm fingertip touched it lightly, gently rubbing, as he asked Ning Zhiyuan, “Has this mole always been here?”

Ning Zhiyuan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t remember, maybe.”

Cen Zhisen focused on that spot, his finger tracing lightly over it. Ning Zhiyuan turned his head, reminding him, “Let’s go.”

Cen Zhisen’s gaze lingered for a moment, retracting his hand and sitting back. He started the car.

The snowfall gradually intensified, the first snowfall of the winter, later than in previous years.

Their cars drove through the snow, keeping the biting cold outside.

After half an hour, they arrived at their destination, a courtyard in an alley in the city. It was the place where Cen Zhisen’s old classmate usually stayed when he came to this area.

After exchanging greetings at the entrance, the two of them went inside first. The young man accompanying Cen Zhisen’s old classmate suddenly grabbed him and asked, “Are they really blood brothers? Why don’t they look alike at all, and their surnames are different?”

“No.”

“Then, are they like elder and younger brothers? Like us?”

The young man had a somewhat playful personality. Although he deliberately lowered his voice, his voice was not small, and they all heard it as they walked ahead.

Ning Zhiyuan tilted his head, meeting Cen Zhisen’s eyes, and there was a smile in his eyes.

Later, they sat at the dining table, eating and discussing. Cen Zhisen’s old classmate and the young man with him both had a lot of idle money, otherwise, Cen Zhisen wouldn’t have brought Ning Zhiyuan here. However, they were not easy to fool either.

After Cen Zhisen briefly stated the purpose of their visit, Ning Zhiyuan continued, “My idea for the first fund is to raise at least ten billion. The main investment directions are only two areas: cutting-edge technology and medical health. There are a few projects that I have previously been in contact with at Cen An, and I think highly of them. However, they were not suitable for Cen An’s strategic positioning at that time, so they were put on hold. It would be purely for financial investment.”

He went on to casually mention two projects he favored, analyzing product advantages, market prospects, and return on investment. When talking about these things, he was clear and articulate.

After skimming through the recruitment manual, the other party listened attentively but only commented with a single sentence, “Ten billion? You’re quite ambitious for the first fund.”

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t deny it. “If we’re just playing around, we wouldn’t have come to you, Mr. Ye.”

Cen Zhisen’s earlier statement to others about “playing around and making some pocket money” was just polite. Ning Zhiyuan’s idea had always been either not doing it or doing it the best.

Afterwards, he continued discussing the market, trends, and policies. Almost the entire time, Ning Zhiyuan and Ye Xingzhou were engaged in the conversation, and Cen Zhisen rarely interjected. Several times, he looked at Ning Zhiyuan, appearing contemplative.

He thought that Ning Zhiyuan had already made up his mind to leave earlier. Now, he realized that the suggestions he made might have been something Ning Zhiyuan had considered for a long time but hadn’t been able to make a decision about.

It was he who prompted him to make a choice between leaving and staying.

After the meal, Cen Zhisen and his old classmate chatted privately in the corridor.

It had been quite a while since they last met, and seeing that his old classmate now had someone by his side, Cen Zhisen seemed somewhat concerned. It took him by surprise, and he casually teased the other person.

The joking words contained a hint of envy.

When there was nothing more to say, he leaned against a column in the corridor, turning his head to see Ning Zhiyuan in the living room on the other side of the window, talking and smiling with the young man, wearing an expression similar to when teasing a child, akin to playing with a cat.

Staring at the smile on Ning Zhiyuan’s face, Cen Zhisen also took a deep drag of his cigarette, never shifting his gaze away.

When they left, the snow that had been falling heavily throughout the morning had stopped.

As they drove away, Cen Zhisen mentioned something his old classmate had just agreed to: “They should be investing eighty million together.”

Ning Zhiyuan whistled, “Truly generous.”

“And Tang Shujie also said he’s willing to invest three million,” Cen Zhisen added.

Ning Zhiyuan was surprised, “Tang Shujie?”

“Yeah,” Cen Zhisen affirmed, “Although he disapproves of you getting involved with his sister, he still believes in your abilities.”

“I didn’t get involved with that young lady,” Ning Zhiyuan reiterated helplessly.

Cen Zhisen smiled, “Alright, you didn’t.”

In fact, when Ning Zhiyuan and Tang Shiqi were playing house and talking about love, they were only in the second grade of elementary school. The matter of holding hands was accidentally exposed by Cen Zhisen, and as a result, Ning Zhiyuan almost got beaten up by Tang Shujie. It was also Cen Zhisen who stopped the fight. In retrospect, it was quite unfair.

However, Ning Zhiyuan had too many romantic debts, and Cen Zhisen had caught him more than once. Ning Zhiyuan’s explanations were indeed not very convincing.

“What you asked me last night,” Ning Zhiyuan suddenly said, “whether it’s an enhancer or a life-line—”

Cen Zhisen: “Hmm?”

He kept his eyes on the road, patiently waiting for Ning Zhiyuan to continue.

“Neither,” Ning Zhiyuan said, “just a simple physical release. I plan to cultivate my moral character.”

Cen Zhisen turned his head and looked at him for a moment, then pulled the car to the side.

Ning Zhiyuan was puzzled, and Cen Zhisen suddenly leaned over, sniffing him, “Is there a smell of smoke on you? Did you just smoke again?”

Ning Zhiyuan was momentarily speechless.

Cen Zhisen sat back, restarted the car, and reminded him, “Smoke less in the future.”

—The appearance of Ning Zhiyuan staying up all night smoking alone was too decadent. Cen Zhisen had been recalling it frequently lately, and he shouldn’t be like that.

“You were smoking with your old classmate just now, right?” Ning Zhiyuan chuckled. “What’s the difference?”

“What were you talking about with that young guy? Do you have common topics with such a kid?” Cen Zhisen countered.

Ning Zhiyuan wondered, “Don’t you like that type of young guy? Why do you think there’s no common ground? Are they in a romantic relationship, your old classmate and that guy? You have similar tastes; no wonder you can be friends.”

“They are dating,” Cen Zhisen corrected him, “and that young man seems more difficult to handle than you. Why do you think I like that type?”

I’m pretty fond of him,” Ning Zhiyuan leaned back in his seat, looking somewhat lazy. “He’s quite an interesting kid, very amusing.”

“He is quite interesting,” Cen Zhisen chuckled softly, “Elder brother and younger brother, the little kid knows how to talk.”

Ning Zhiyuan made a vague sound from his throat, a bit muffled.

The conversation ended here.

After visiting the tomb and returning to the city, it was already past four in the evening. Cen Zhisen drove Ning Zhiyuan directly to the Ning residence.

When the car stopped outside the community, Cen Zhisen looked around. The street outside the old-style neighborhood was filled with various small shops, lively even on a cold snowy day.

It was hard to imagine what kind of upbringing Ning Zhiyuan would have had in such a place, but regardless, that Ning Zhiyuan would never have crossed paths with him. It was probably a regret. Cen Zhisen collected his thoughts and decided not to dwell on it any longer.

The snow began to fall again at some point, the sky darkening, and lights flickered around the surrounding area.

Ning Zhiyuan took an umbrella and got out of the car, “You go back. See you next time.”

Cen Zhisen nodded, “You go in first.”

He didn’t drive away immediately, staying in place as he watched Ning Zhiyuan gradually walk away under the umbrella.

As if sensing something, Ning Zhiyuan stopped, turned around, and through the snow mist and lights, looked towards him.

One inside the car, the other outside, when their eyes met, perhaps for a moment, everything around them collectively forgot the passage of time. The hurried footsteps of passersby, the cars rushing by, the falling snow—all seemed to pause at that moment, illuminated intermittently by the flickering lights, as if a pause button had been pressed simultaneously.

Ning Zhiyuan, with one hand in his coat pocket, walked back and tapped the car window when he reached the driver’s side.

Cen Zhisen rolled down the window, asking, “Is there anything else?”

Ning Zhiyuan bent over, and a puff of white mist accompanied his words, “Just remembered, Cen Zhisen, it seems like I haven’t added you on WeChat, right?”

Actually, he only realized it when exchanging contact information with Cen Zhisen’s old classmate and the young man. After all this time, he and Cen Zhisen surprisingly hadn’t added each other on WeChat. The phone number was saved only because of work requirements.

It was somewhat amusing.

Catching his amused gaze, Cen Zhisen also smiled, taking out his phone. “Scan yours?”

Ning Zhiyuan had already opened his QR code.

After the verification, Ning Zhiyuan casually shook his phone, and Cen Zhisen’s WeChat name displayed as a simple “Sen,” truly in Cen Zhisen’s style.

“That’s good.”

Saying goodbye again, Ning Zhiyuan didn’t linger and entered the residential area holding the umbrella.

Cen Zhisen’s car remained parked outside the residential area. He scrolled through Ning Zhiyuan’s WeChat Moments and, upon exiting, casually added a note: “Younger Brother.”