"You're quite clever." Qiao Yun sneered. Since she had ulterior motives for joining this company anyway, she didn't care too much and said.

"It's not that I can't give you this project, but as far as I know, it has low profit margins and tedious tasks, and no one else wants to do it. But you're the only one who's eager to take it on. It wouldn't make sense if there wasn't something fishy going on behind your back, would it?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen frowned.

It wasn't because Qiao Yun was so quick to understand, but because she clearly remembered Lu Zheng saying that Qiao Yun got in through connections, so logically her abilities shouldn't be that great.

But based on those few short sentences, it's not something a brainless, big-breasted person with connections could analyze.

Although she had doubts in her heart, Qiao Zhen did not show them on her face and still wore a polite smile.

“I have a special feeling for this land, so I don’t want it to be abandoned. I want to use my own abilities to make this project the best it can be.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yun glanced at Qiao Zhen thoughtfully, but didn't press her any further: "Since your reasons are so sincere, and I'm not going to make things difficult for you if I disagree, then this project is yours."

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen couldn't help but feel overjoyed. She nodded emphatically, "Okay, thank you, Manager Qiao."

She turned back to her workstation and began to carefully study the project, but the details of Qiao Yun unconsciously surfaced in her mind.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Qiao Yun was not as simple as she appeared.

But at this moment, her top priority was the Hope Primary School project, so she shook her head and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the project.

After learning about the project briefly, she discovered a problem.

That is, the land was previously contaminated by chemicals, and the soil is now severely damaged, making it unsuitable for laying foundations.

To solve this problem, Qiao Zhen opened her phone with some annoyance, ready to search for inspiration.

But I accidentally came across a post on WeChat Moments.

It belongs to Gu Xijue.

The above photo shows him reaching a cooperation agreement with an international company, and Gu Xijue secured this deal precisely because of his advantageous position in the local market.

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhen suddenly became a little excited.

How could she forget Gu Xijue?

Thinking of this, Qiao Zhen immediately sent a message to Gu Xijue, asking him to go out and talk that evening, as she had a question she wanted to ask.

Gu Xijue replied instantly as always: "No problem, Zhenzhen."

After getting off work in the evening, Qiao Zhen picked up her bag and walked towards the parking lot. She saw Lu Zheng, who was already waiting for her. Qiao Zhen took a detour and drove away from Lu Zheng's car.

Soon, just as Qiao Zhen had expected, Lu Zheng's car caught up: "Won't you get in my car?"

"Okay." Qiao Zhen nodded, turned her head and smiled at him, "Sorry, Mr. Lu, I have a dinner party tonight, so I won't be able to hitch a ride with you today."

Hearing this, Lu Zheng did not reply, but drove away from the car.

Qiao Zhen secretly rejoiced that Lu Zheng was easy to talk to today, and quickened her pace as she walked out of the company.

After going around in circles, Qiao Zhen finally left the company and arrived at the place she had agreed to meet with Gu Xijue.

Unexpectedly, Gu Xijue had already arrived and even brought milk tea for Qiao Zhen.

"You always come so early, it makes me feel like I'm always late."

Qiao Zhen gave Gu Xijue a reproachful look and joked.

"What's wrong with that? It's a gentlemanly thing for a boy to wait for a girl." Gu Xijue's smile was still as refreshing as a spring breeze, and Qiao Zhen felt that the air became fresher when she was with him.

"I brought you some milk tea, wouldn't you like to try it?"

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen was stunned for a moment before noticing the milk tea on the table.

But seeing that the toppings in the milk tea were too sweet, she gave up the idea of ​​drinking it.

"I don't really like drinking greasy things, I'm really sorry, and I'm on a diet recently."

Upon hearing this, a fleeting shadow crossed Gu Xijue's face, but he still smiled gently and said, "It's alright, I'll get you a different one next time."

"Speak, what brings you here today?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhen immediately pulled out the documents from her bag and said with a smile, "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, about the soil."

Gu Xijue raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Having trouble at work lately?"

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen nodded: "Yes, when you encounter an unfamiliar area, you really don't know how."

When Qiao Zhen went to university, she studied financial management, intending to take over her parents' company after graduation.

But who would have thought that accidents always come first, before tomorrow?

Qiao Zhen cleared her mind of all distractions and looked at Gu Xijue with anticipation.

"Can you help me?"

Gu Xijue chuckled: "Since you've spoken, how can I not help?"

After speaking, Gu Xijue carefully reviewed the contents of the document and then gave Qiao Zhen his advice.

"The soil here is too acidic and needs to be protected from rain. When you get back, please check the weather forecast and remember to take protective measures for the soil."

Qiao Zhen listened carefully and took notes diligently in her notebook.

Halfway through his sentence, Gu Xijue seemed to feel uncomfortable and moved slightly closer to Qiao Zhen, saying, "We need to be careful here..."

Qiao Zhen suddenly realized that the man's scent was even more pronounced.

Gu Xijue's scent was not like Lu Zheng's minty scent, but rather a refreshing gardenia scent, the kind of fragrance that calms the mind.

In a daze, Qiao Zhen felt a strong connection to the feeling she had when she first saw Gu Xijue playing basketball on the playground during high school.

The boy passed by Qiao Zhen, and the scent of gardenias carried by the wind lingered in her memory for a long time.

Unfortunately, time has passed, and it's better to keep those memories in your heart.

As time went by, Qiao Zhen's feelings for Gu Xijue had long since changed, leaving only a sense of letting go of him.

Lost in thought, Qiao Zhen drifted off into a daze.

Gu Xijue immediately noticed and tapped Qiao Zhen on the head: "Why are you so careless?"

Qiao Zhen immediately realized her mistake, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "I'm sorry! I just..."

She stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what to say next.

She couldn't very well say that she had become addicted to the scent of Gu Xijue.

"It's okay, it's after get off work hours, it's normal for you to be a little lazy."

Gu Xijue didn't blame her; on the contrary, he encouraged her.

This made Qiao Zhen unable to resist comparing him to Lu Zheng.

"Thank you, Gu Xijue," Qiao Zhen said gratefully.

Gu Xijue simply smiled and continued explaining professional knowledge to Qiao Zhen.

The work discussion ended quickly, and Qiao Zhen couldn't help but ask, "How do you know so much about related soil knowledge? I remember you said you were interested in finance when you were in school?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xijue's face stiffened for a second for some reason, then he smiled and said, "Well, but later when I was in college, I found that I was more interested in environmental issues, so I took a two-year degree."

"Oh..." Qiao Zhen nodded, but could not hide the bitterness in her heart.

Whenever Qiao Zhen thinks of that time when she should have been happy but was forced to suffer, her heart aches.

"It's alright, it's all over now," Gu Xijue comforted her at the right moment.

Qiao Zhen thanked her gratefully, but was slightly surprised: "How did you know me..."