Chapter 28

Xu Zhiyi’s mind was a swirl of confusion, feeling rusty and sluggish. Instead of forcing herself to think, she took out her phone and typed his words into her notes app.

She’d ask her father or brother about it when the time came.

Anything related to Xu Ningwei had always been a taboo for her. She never asked, fearing that her parents might see her as petty or narrow-minded.

When she closed the notes app, the man beside her had already stepped out of the car.

“Jiang Sixun, you—” Before she could finish, he had already crossed the street.

Five minutes later, he reappeared on the roadside, holding a paper food bag.

Zhiyi glanced up at a restaurant logo across the street through the driver’s side window. It was a Western restaurant—he had gone to get her something to eat in advance.

Watching him, paper bag in hand, carefully weaving through the cars and pedestrians, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it all seemed surreal.

Jiang didn’t say much when he handed her the food, buckling his seatbelt as the car slowly pulled away.

“Thanks.” Zhiyi opened the bag. He had gotten her something convenient to eat in the car: garlic ciabatta and a spicy beef taco.

She hadn’t eaten much at lunch, so she immediately took a bite of the ciabatta.

No matter what kind of bread she ate in the past few years, nothing ever tasted as good as the tomato bread she had six years ago at that Spanish restaurant in Shanghai.

“You haven’t bought me food in five and a half years.”

Jiang’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but he said nothing.

When they reached the company, the elevator ride up was just the two of them.

Zhiyi stepped back slightly, distancing herself. The man beside her wore a burgundy shirt, the same color as the one he wore the first time she met him six years ago.

Just like in the Manhattan branch, the Beijing office was located on the 20th floor of Yuanwei Tower.

When the elevator stopped, Jiang held the door open for her to exit first.

As they walked together, Zhiyi called out, “President Jiang.”

Jiang sensed she had something significant to say. “What is it?”

As they walked side by side to her office, Zhiyi revealed, “I’m planning to apply for a permanent position in Beijing.”

Jiang replied, “Aren’t you already in charge of the Beijing projects?”

“I mean, moving my entire focus to domestic projects from now on. I’m not going back to Manhattan.”

“After the project is done, and once your grandma’s health stabilizes, you’re still not going back?”

“I won’t be going back.”

The long hallway echoed with only their footsteps.

“I’ll send an official email to you and the rest of the board shortly,” Zhiyi said, eager to get her application approved quickly. To ensure it happened, she added, “I know there’s no open position in Beijing. I don’t need to keep my original title or rank. As long as I have project authority, that’s enough for me.”

“You don’t care about promotions the most?” Jiang Sixun tried to persuade her, “Just stay in Manhattan for now.”

As they spoke, they had already reached the office door.

Xu Zhiyi shook her head, “Not anymore.” She paused, turned to face him, and continued, “Before, I cared about promotions because, without a high enough rank, I couldn’t join video calls with you, my boss. You spend seven or eight months out of the year away from New York, and even when you’re here, I’m not always lucky enough to catch you.”

“When you stopped being my mentor, I had to work hard to reach your level just to see you. Otherwise, I had no other way, which is why I’m the most ambitious and eager to advance at Yuanwei Capital.”

What took others six years or more, she achieved in just over three.

Jiang Sixun was taken aback, his throat bobbing as he instinctively raised a hand, wanting to give her a hug, just to let her vent all her grievances.

Xu Zhiyi, mistaking his gesture as an attempt to wipe away her tears, quickly stepped aside, avoiding his outstretched hand.

“Mr. Jiang, I’m sorry, it’s not about blaming you.”

From Qi Zhengchen to him, every memory had swallowed her like a tide, emotions piling up, and she had momentarily lost control.

“Zhiyi, it’s not that I didn’t want to be your mentor.”

If he had mentored her, he couldn’t guarantee that his feelings wouldn’t have interfered with his focus on Qi Zhengchen, or whether he might end up making unethical decisions.

From a young age, he despised the word ‘steal.’

During summer vacations at his grandfather’s place in Hong Kong, his cousins would mock him, saying his mother was useless, that she couldn’t keep a man, and that his uncle was going to marry a ‘vixen,’ leaving him to face a new stepmother.

It was likely that some aunts, gossiping among themselves, didn’t shield the children from their talk, and the kids would unconsciously mimic what adults said.

No one could say his mother was useless. He ended up in a fierce fight with his cousins because he was small and had lost.

He had always disliked the Lu family, never liking them since childhood.

On the surface, they appeared cordial, but privately, things were toxic.

If he hadn’t grown up with his mother, and if Xu Xiangyi hadn’t taken him under his wing during his rebellious years, who knows what kind of person he would have become.

After all, he carried half of the Lu family’s genes.

His uncle was a prime example, disregarding others’ feelings, choosing to marry Shen Qingfeng without a second thought.

Silence stretched between them for a few minutes.

“I’ll calm down first and report back to you in half an hour.”

Xu Zhiyi broke the silence, walked straight into the office, and closed the door behind her.

After some thought, she picked up her phone and started typing a message:

“Now that I’ve calmed down completely, I realize I was so rushed to confess that day that I didn’t think about how to face Er Ge in the future. When I heard from Dad that Uncle Lu wanted to arrange a marriage for you, I suddenly couldn’t think of anything else, just wanting to fight for it. I didn’t know what I was fighting for—it might have been the bitterness of unspoken love, or the fear of losing you forever. I wanted to hold on to something.

Your silence at that time now seems like the best outcome for the three of us.

Actually, from the moment Er Ge confessed to me, I knew that there was no future for us.”

She had repressed her feelings for two years, and it had finally erupted in an irrational confession, without considering the consequences.

She gathered her thoughts and continued typing:

“My only regret is that in my chaotic state of mind that day, I didn’t ask you what you liked. I also forgot to ask if you already had someone you liked during the past two years we barely contacted, which might explain your long absences from New York.”

She had crafted a long message, over a hundred words, just to get to the final sentence.

Before hitting send, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

Thinking it was the secretary, she adjusted her expression and sat up straight.

The door opened, and Jiang Sixun walked in with a cup of coffee.

Xu Zhiyi glanced at her phone’s clock and realized half an hour had already passed.

Seeing the unsent message on her screen, she suddenly felt it was unnecessary and deleted it with one click.

Jiang Sixun placed the coffee on the desk and sat down across from her.

“We’re not discussing work today,” he said. “I’m on vacation. If you have any doubts about your project, you can ask me.”

Xu Zhiyi replied, “When I first started working on projects independently, I had uncertainties every day, but I don’t have them anymore.”

They sat in silence, their eyes meeting for a few seconds.

She lowered her gaze and idly flipped through the documents on the desk.

Jiang Sixun continued to watch her, “It’s my fault for not mentoring you.”

“You had your own plans and things to do. Besides, you arranged for a mentor with more patience than you,” she said, referring to another shareholder who had guided her through her career.

She changed the topic, “Are you back from vacation to visit Aunt Jiang?” She had completely forgotten that she had previously asked him if he was returning to see Aunt Jiang, to which he had said no.

Jiang Sixun replied, “No. You should get back to work. I’ll take you to the hospital to visit Grandma after work.”

This statement made it seem like he was about to leave her office, and Xu Zhiyi was ready to see him off. However, he remained seated, his legs crossed, typing away on his laptop.

Judging by his typing speed and duration, he was likely replying to emails.

She spoke directly, “Are you staying here with me to make up for the years I had to rely on promotions to see you?”

Jiang Sixun’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of which keys to press. His heart ached, and he suddenly forgot what he was going to type.

Xu Zhiyi said, “You don’t need to feel guilty; you didn’t know I had a crush on you.”

Jiang Sixun didn’t respond, spending a few seconds recollecting the email he had been drafting before resuming his typing.

---

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Xu Ningwei pushed her grandmother in a wheelchair for a walk downstairs.

With her busy schedule filled with experiments and papers, she had only managed to take a day off to spend time with her elderly relative. Ever since returning to Beijing, her grandmother frequently invited her over for meals, but her relationship with the old lady had nothing to do with Xiaomei Hua.

After six years, returning home still felt chaotic.

Her father noted that while she was patient with everyone at work, she became explosive as soon as she was home.

She attributed this to her clash with Shang Canran, as she told her father.

When she opened the door to her grandmother’s room, she was taken aback.

“Mom and Dad?” The sight of them, after so long, made her eyes well up.

“Ningwei?”

Xu Xiangyi and He Yian were both stunned, almost not recognizing her. Though her appearance hadn’t changed, her demeanor had transformed dramatically. The adopted daughter now sported a high ponytail, simple T-shirt and jeans, and was almost bare-faced.

Calmness was a rarity for her in the past, but now she possessed it.

She was no longer the rebellious young woman from six years ago.

Xu Ningwei approached and hugged He Yian. The embrace felt unfamiliar, and even the scent of her perfume was different from before.

No relationship, not even family bonds, could withstand the fading effects of time and distance.

They had occasionally checked in over the years, but it had been purely formal.

He Yian smiled gently, “You’ve really grown up.”

After exchanging greetings, Xu Ningwei found herself at a loss for words. The six-year gap made what used to be familiar now feel strange.

“Please, sit down.” She wheeled her grandmother to the bedside.

Her grandmother rambled on, “You’re so busy; why come again? I told Zhiyi to let you know I’m doing fine, but I bet she’s forgotten.”

He Yian smiled lightly, “We’re not that busy.”

She helped the elderly woman into bed.

After two weeks post-surgery, the old lady’s condition had finally stabilized.

Xu Zhiyi had been the main caregiver for over a month, as her family had been unable to fully trust anyone else.

Xu Ningwei poured two cups of tea for her adoptive parents, “Dad, are you here on a business trip?”

Xu Xiangyi replied, “Sort of.”

The trip was incidental; the main purpose was to visit their daughter, though he wasn’t sure if she enjoyed the matchmaking dinner they attended.

He asked, “How are your experiments and papers going?”

Xu Ningwei responded, “Quite smoothly.”

Perhaps Jiang Sixun was right; she did have a talent for this field. Although it was genuinely busy and tiring, it wasn’t painful.

Seeing the visible changes in his adopted daughter over the years, He Yian was particularly pleased. She chose not to ask too much about her interactions with Xiaomei Hua in front of the elderly lady.

“Do you need to go back to the lab tonight?”

Xu Ningwei shook her head, “No, I’m staying to care for Grandma.”

They had hired a caregiver, and the main reason for her parents’ visit was to keep Grandma company and alleviate her boredom.

Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, and Xu Zhiyi and Jiang Sixun entered.

“Mom and Dad, what are you doing here?” Xu Ningwei was equally surprised.

He Yian replied with a gentle smile, “Your dad was worried.”

Xu Ningwei thought the concern was about Grandma’s health, but only Xu Zhiyi understood the real meaning.

The two had yet to exchange a word since Grandma’s hospitalization. They hadn’t spoken a single sentence, and the family had long since stopped pushing them to interact.

Jiang Sixun placed the bouquet of flowers he’d bought on a table and turned to Xu Ningwei.

Understanding his look, Xu Ningwei said, “Jiang Sixun, I happen to have something I’d like to ask you.”

The two of them used this as an excuse to step outside the room, leaving the family to chat with Grandma.

Xu Ningwei opened the window to the corridor, letting in a refreshing breeze.

Turning to Jiang Sixun, she said, “Shen Qingfeng has contacted me twice, trying to poach me and subtly stir up trouble. She thinks I don’t know who she is.”

Years ago, her adoptive father had warned her that Shen Qingfeng, who had swapped places with Xu Zhiyi, would eventually approach her, given Shen’s focus on 3D printing. He advised her to be prepared.

Sure enough, Shen Qingfeng had reached out recently.

Xu Ningwei had seen Shen’s photos, but they did not compare to her real beauty. No wonder she had been able to stir up trouble in the Lu family, even in her forties.

The key was that Shen Qingfeng wasn’t just beautiful; she was clever.

Jiang Sixun said, “She’s smart enough to know she shouldn’t be subtly undermining your relationship with Zhiyi.”

Xu Ningwei replied, “…Do you really think I’m that naive?”

“Just focus on your research. Don’t let other issues distract you.”

“Got it.” She gazed out the window for a moment, then said, “My boyfriend broke up with me suddenly. I wasn’t prepared at all. I thought we’d get married.”

Jiang Sixun comforted her, “It’s better this way, rather than dragging it out for years.”

“…” Xu Ningwei suddenly smiled bitterly, “Yes, I suppose so.”

Jiang Sixun looked at her, “So, are you thinking of giving up on your research?”

“Of course not. Even though he was my motivation, if I gave up, I’d be letting down my father and you.” Xu Ningwei forced herself to push away the past, “I’m here to care for Grandma tonight and tomorrow.” She wanted him to relay this message to Xu Zhiyi.

Leaving the hospital, Jiang Sixun headed back to his own place while Xu Zhiyi and her parents returned to their villa.

Exhausted from recent events, Xu Zhiyi fell asleep on He Yian’s shoulder in the car and only woke up as they neared home. The topic of Xu Ningwei was carefully avoided—mainly because Xu Zhiyi didn’t want to discuss it.

He Yian touched her daughter’s cheek and said, “You’ve lost weight.”

Xu Zhiyi, nestled against her mother, replied, “It’s the matchmaking process—stress and poor eating.”

Xu Xiangyi, trying to hide his smile, said to his wife, “See? I told you this kid would end up leaning on me. Now you’ve seen it for yourself.”

Xu Zhiyi quickly denied it, “It’s all because of the matchmaking. How could I not lose weight with such poor eating and sleeping habits?”

Changing the subject, Xu Xiangyi asked, “So, tell me about Shang Yun.”

He Yian asked, “On a scale of ten, how would you rate him?”

Xu Zhiyi thought for a moment and answered honestly, “Eight.”

This surprised He Yian, “That’s quite high.”

Pleased, she didn’t press further, letting the two youngsters figure things out on their own.

Back home, He Yian had a video conference, so she went to the study upstairs.

Feeling still weary, Xu Zhiyi sank into the couch, drifting into a nap.

Xu Xiangyi motioned to his daughter, “Rest your head here with me for a bit.”

Xu Zhiyi habitually declined, “No need. You’re busy, Dad.” She hugged a throw pillow and sank further into the spacious couch.

Feeling a bit disappointed, Xu Xiangyi draped his wife’s shawl over her.

After six years, Xu Zhiyi had never shown the same dependence on him as she did on her mother. He had hoped that time would bring them closer, but that hadn’t been the case.

---

Jiang Sixun returned to his apartment from the hospital to find an unexpected guest.

Qi Zhengchen had been dropped off by someone from his car earlier that day and had taken a cab straight to Jiang Sixun’s place. An aunt at the apartment had let him in.

Spending the afternoon, Qi Zhengchen drank countless cups of coffee, eventually getting just plain water from the aunt.

With nowhere else to go and no one to talk to, Qi Zhengchen had taken to hanging around whenever Jiang Sixun returned from abroad.

Seeing Jiang Sixun enter, he remarked, “Are you back in Manhattan for ten days? Why are you here so soon?”

“No,” Jiang Sixun only responded to the first question, ignoring the latter, “You’ve been here all afternoon?”

“Yes,” Qi Zhengchen gestured toward the two sets of pristine coffee cups on the coffee table. “When did you start collecting coffee cups?”

These cups, purchased on September 12 six years ago, were from the Midsummer Night’s Dream series, including a pair commemorating the hundredth anniversary. They had been stored away, but this trip, Jiang Sixun couldn’t resist bringing them out. He had checked them for damage upon arrival and, in his rush to leave, hadn’t had time to repackage them. He had specifically asked the aunt not to touch them.

Unexpectedly, Qi Zhengchen had come over that afternoon.

Jiang Sixun said, “They’re for a gift, but I haven’t given them away yet.”

“So, how did Shang Yun end up going along with the family’s matchmaking plans?” Qi Zhengchen asked, looking at Jiang Sixun.

Qi Zhengchen took a sip of the bland water, surprised that Shang Yun, known for her rebellious nature, agreed to a matchmaking session.

“Because Zhiyi is beautiful. What other reason could there be? I called Xu Heng this afternoon and learned that Shang Yun was personally selected by Xu’s mother.”