Chapter 13

Zhou Zhou still had things to do that night. After dinner, they walked straight toward Jade Bay without stopping by the flower market nearby.

After walking a short distance, they reached where Cheng Yaran parked his car. Zhou Zhou saw he hadn’t left yet and said,
“After the traffic light, I’ll be at my apartment. You should go back too. Don’t you have to work late?”

“No rush, it’s just a short walk. I’ll walk you to your apartment,” he explained.
“You said it yourself—I’m the boss anyway.”

“Cheng Yaran has become Boss Cheng. That’s different,” she teased.

“Now the top student Zhou is Director Zhou. Please take care of me,” he joked back.

Indeed, things had changed. Zhou Zhou felt she couldn’t keep up with Cheng Yaran’s new style.

This was not surprising, because since school days, Cheng Yaran was always the quieter one. Chen Jing was the talkative one.

Though Zhou Zhou felt a bit strange walking with him in a crowd full of young couples, since it was only a few hundred meters, and maybe he wanted to show good manners, she said nothing.

Walking a few hundred meters was quick. Cheng Yaran felt it took only three to five minutes before they reached the gate of Jade Bay. Now it was time to say goodbye.

He had long legs and deliberately slowed his pace, so they walked like a couple just starting to date, swaying slowly. But still, the walk was too short.

Because he was buying a car, he didn’t know when they would meet again next time. He felt a little sad thinking about that.

Given his current status, walking her to the gate was already the best he could expect.

He knew that to Zhou Zhou, he was just an old classmate with a good impression.

The short walk they shared was romantic and poetic enough for him to treasure and think about often.

He knew that if they didn’t meet again later, it would be forever.

He turned to her and said,
“We’re here. Go inside quickly. There are many people here, and many renters. Be careful living alone.”

This was genuine and warm advice. Zhou Zhou understood and shook her phone a little, then said,
“My building has security cameras, so don’t worry.”

“That’s good. It’s still early, so go inside.”

“Okay, see you next week. When I return from my business trip, I’ll treat you and Chen Jing to dinner.” Zhou Zhou smiled and waved.

“Alright, I’ll wait to hear from you.”

When he turned to leave, he remembered she stayed up past midnight the other night, so he quickly sent her a WeChat message:
“Work is important, but so is your health. Try not to stay up late.”

Zhou Zhou was already by the garden and building door when she saw the message and replied quickly,
“Okay, thanks Boss Cheng!”

Cheng Yaran smiled when he saw the words “Boss Cheng.”

Teasingly, he replied,
“Director Zhou, be careful.”

This was their first meeting after many years apart. He was very satisfied. But since he hoped to meet again, he didn’t rush to pay for dinner.

He quietly thought that since Zhou Zhou liked small restaurants, tonight while it was busy, he would go back to the old city to explore some alleys. If next week he invited Zhou Zhou to dinner, he would have some ideas ready. After all, a general should never fight a battle unprepared.

Since fate allowed Zhou Zhou to return from across the ocean and for them to meet again, it meant he still had a chance.

To him, this was a situation he never dared to imagine before. So he had to seize it, prepare seriously, and work hard.

He hoped his future included her. He couldn’t just wait passively; he had to actively pursue her sincerely. If she did not accept him, at least he would have tried and would not regret it. He would sincerely wish her happiness for life.

Doing nothing was not his nature.

He would do his best as long as there was even a small chance.

With this in mind, Cheng Yaran didn’t hesitate. He turned his car around and headed back to the old city, the opposite way from his company.

On the busy street full of people, a black car slowly passed by and paused briefly at a traffic light turning corner.

If you stood on the other side of the street, you could see the young man in the driver’s seat looking at Jade Bay. After a short pause, he reluctantly drove away.

Jade Bay community is popular because of its good location, small apartments, and good schools nearby. It’s very favored in the secondhand market.

Zhou Zhou’s apartment is on the 12th floor, in the middle unit. Although it’s a bit small, she always loves cleanliness and takes life seriously. The two-bedroom apartment is carefully decorated in a warm style.

The dining room and living room are connected, with walnut-colored wooden furniture. The curtains are simple beige, and the sofa is a three-seat gray one. Because the living room is small, she didn’t add a coffee table.

The two rooms include a bedroom and a study. The study has a whole wall of bookshelves and a very large desk near the window.

The balcony near the window is filled with pots of plants. It’s autumn, and a plain-colored bougainvillea is blooming brightly.

After a long day of rushing around, though worried about work, she first went to wash up.

After showering and doing laundry, she sat at the desk to work, almost 7 PM.

Time was tight, no more delays. She opened the computer and focused on writing.

Mayor Xu was practical and didn’t like fancy words. All speeches were simple and elegant, using data and facts. For investment promotion, sincerity was important.

Zhou Zhou checked the meeting materials sent by Director Wu, took a pen and drafted an outline on scrap paper. She already had a good idea.

Her phone stored many past meeting documents about artificial intelligence, aerospace, and new energy vehicles. She just needed to adjust and polish based on those themes.

But what seemed easy was actually hard. She had to redo the framework and check the data. When the draft of less than 2,000 words was finally done, it was almost midnight.

Though it still needed revisions, having a draft eased her mind. She was very tired, almost unable to keep her eyes open.

But she couldn’t stop yet.

This trip would last three days, and she hadn’t packed yet.

After packing and checking everything, she looked at the clock—it was almost 1 AM.

She hurried to her bedroom and fell asleep right away.