Chapter 36: Still Hung Up on the Past?

Ever since coming back from the hotel, Gu Yao hadn’t felt at ease.

It wasn’t so much because of what Madam Cheng had said, but more out of suspicion—was the situation with the nursing home demolition really that serious?

That night, she specifically searched through local news, and what she found was shocking.

The last time something stirred up this much public outcry in the city was the 5/18 incident.

Apparently, Madam Cheng hadn’t been exaggerating.

As for the predicament Cheng Er Gongzi (Second Young Master Cheng) now faced at the company, Gu Yao—his ex-girlfriend—had no time or energy to worry.

Adults had to take responsibility for their actions. If you mess up and all you do is hide behind others like a coward, then being exiled abroad to fend for yourself isn’t even unfair.

While thinking, she accidentally clicked into a video—a short media interview with the nursing home’s director and a few elderly residents in their eighties.

Though only five minutes long, Gu Yao was deeply moved.

Coincidentally, tomorrow was the weekend.

Since she had nothing else to do, she figured she might as well head out to Anle Town to take a look. Think of it as a little day trip.

Once the idea was formed, she took action.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, she packed a few things and went downstairs.

But just as she stepped out of her residential complex, the ride-share driver who had already accepted her order saw that her destination was a town 30 kilometers away in the eastern suburbs. Unwilling to make the trip, he politely asked to cancel the ride, saying it wasn’t worth it to return empty.

Fine.

Gu Yao didn’t want to force anyone.

Left with no choice, she flagged down a regular taxi.

But when bad luck hits, even a glass of water will choke you.

Midway through the trip, the car broke down.

“……”

On a national road with a 40 km/h speed limit, surrounded by nothing but open fields, the driver called for a tow truck while Gu Yao had no choice but to squat by the roadside, waiting for the next bus heading to Anle Town.

Word was, that line only ran every 30 minutes.

It was going to be a long wait.

Her cousin, upon hearing of her misfortune, expressed great sympathy.

“It’s the weekend, girl. Why not just sleep in? Running off to chase drama like that—you’re just asking for punishment.”

It was too late to regret.

Gu Yao held up her phone and weakly prayed, “I’m cold and starving. If someone would just give me a ride right now, I’d marry them on the spot.”

“No snacks in your bag?” Wen Jing asked.

None.

Based on normal traffic, she would’ve arrived in Anle Town before lunch.

Now all she could think about were her food cravings—stone pot spicy duck blood, charcoal-grilled barbecue, spicy Miao-style fish…

One dish after another drifted through her mind, making her feel hungrier by the second.

She didn’t know how much time had passed—maybe twenty minutes—when a line of black vehicles approached from the distance.

And then…

The first to notice her was Xu Mo.

At first, he thought he was seeing things. What would a young lady be doing, all alone, out here in the middle of nowhere?

When the black Audi came to a stop, the rest of the convoy slowed and pulled over as well.

The car window rolled halfway down, and Zhou Zhengliang’s gaze settled steadily on the slender figure by the roadside. Once he was certain, he calmly ordered Xu Mo, “Go check it out.”

Following instructions, Secretary Xu unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car.

When Gu Yao saw a familiar face, her eyes lit up. She glanced toward the back seat of the Audi and asked softly, “Secretary Zhou is here too?”

Xu Mo nodded and smiled. “Since we’re heading to Anle Town anyway, might as well give you a lift. Hop in.”

Gu Yao hesitated slightly.

She was worried it might interfere with official duties.

“If he hadn’t instructed me, would I dare take the liberty?”

Xu Mo offered her reassurance—it was all at Secretary Zhou’s suggestion.

At this point, there was no need to overthink.

Gu Yao didn’t put on airs. She climbed into the car neatly.

It was December, bitterly cold. The windows were shut tight.

Once seated, she gave the man beside her a polite nod and thanked him.

Still very courteous.

Zhou Zhengliang didn’t look up. He continued flipping through the nursing home report in his hand and responded with a flat, “Mm.”

The heater was on in the car, and with four people inside including the driver, space was limited and the air soon grew stuffy.

Catching sight of the girl’s flushed cheeks, Zhou Zhengliang spoke gently, “If you’re feeling warm, go ahead and take off your coat.”

In the front passenger seat, Xu Mo was drafting a research memo, but he could no longer hold back the upward twitch of his lips.

Who would’ve thought the big boss, while working, would still notice if a girl was too warm?

Sure enough, Director Meng had been right—
No matter how powerful a man is, in front of someone he truly likes, he’s still just human.

Such openly obvious favoritism… it was a shame the girl herself was completely oblivious, heart tightly shut, unwilling to take even the tiniest step forward.

As the one being called out, Gu Yao’s face flushed even deeper.

A thin layer of sweat had already formed on her back—it really was warm.

Silently, she took off her down jacket, folded it, and held it in her arms.

“What are you going to Anle Town for?” Zhou Zhengliang asked.

His tone sounded casual, but there was a hidden trap behind the words.

If she claimed it was just a leisure trip… wasn’t the timing a little too coincidental?

But the girl replied with a straight face and an even tone, “I saw a tourism video about Anle Town on my phone last night. Heard they’re holding their annual food festival, so I came out of curiosity.”

A perfectly delivered lie—no stutter, no guilt.

Zhou Zhengliang saw right through her but, inexplicably, felt his mood sour. He didn’t bother calling her out.

Her ex-boyfriend was in the midst of a career crisis, and she had rushed over as soon as she could. What was her real motivation?

Still in love?

No time to dwell on a girl’s internal logic—Zhou Zhengliang slowly closed his eyes and rubbed his brow, feeling a dull pressure in his chest.

Sensing the heaviness radiating from the backseat, Xu Mo instinctively held his breath and stilled his posture.

When no one spoke for a long while, he couldn’t help but glance up at the rearview mirror.

The man had his eyes closed, resting.

And the young comrade sitting beside him was quietly fiddling with her phone, acting like even one word too many might give their secretary some imaginary leverage.

Sigh.

Looked like he’d lose the bet to Director Meng—again.

That guy’s intuition was scarily spot-on.

The rest of the ride was quiet.

Half an hour later, the convoy arrived at the nursing home.

Following behind, out stepped Meng Changjun and several department-level officials from the municipal committee.

The nursing home director and the management staff were already waiting at the gate. Upon seeing the top leader appear, they hurried forward to greet him.

Handshakes were exchanged.

Director Li, in her fifties, wore a simple outfit. Her face was thin and drawn. “Secretary Zhou, we’ve been waiting so long for you—”

Her voice caught mid-sentence.

Xu Mo was just about to step in when Zhou Zhengliang raised a hand to stop him, offering calm reassurance, “Whatever concerns there are, we’ll address them today. Director Li, it’s the end of the year and the weather’s cold—please take care of your health.”

Hearing this, her emotions gradually settled. She nodded repeatedly, “Alright. We trust Secretary Zhou. We believe the government will give us justice.”

As they conversed, the group made their way inside.

Gu Yao, ever the unnoticed tagalong, followed quietly, doing her best to minimize her presence.

It was nearing lunchtime, so the director first led everyone to dine.

The second-floor dining hall was bright and spacious—reserved for hosting investors and outside guests.

She opened the door to a private room and gestured respectfully, “Secretary Zhou, this way please.”

Toward the back of the group, Gu Yao instinctively came to a halt and turned to leave, planning to eat in the next room.

But just as she stepped away—

A deep voice called out, “Where’s Xiao Gu?”

It was Zhou Zhengliang.

Xu Mo was quick to react, eyes sharp, and immediately locked his gaze on the girl trying to slip away.

In that moment, everyone’s attention turned toward her.

Gu Yao froze, bewildered.

Completely lost.

Then came the quiet command from the top official:

“Come in and sit in on the meeting.”

——？？