Chapter 13, isn't it supposed to be about getting to know me?

"You know, I don't like being photographed."

Chen Jiashu spoke in a casual tone and with a calm expression, stating only objective facts.

The four words "You know" were enough to shut her up from what she was about to say.

Fifteen years ago, Chen Jiashu did a good deed but was subjected to cyberbullying; those were very dark days.

The hissing sound from the corner of the elevator car reached her ears. Qin Qiao slowly lowered her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't remember, but she felt that things were different now.

"You wrote this?"

The man's voice was deep and pleasant, without a trace of anger, and seemed to contain a subtle hint of reassurance.

Qin Qiao nodded and continued, "My colleague has explained the core concept of this project to me, and I think it's quite suitable for Qiaoshu Group."

Chen Jiashu stared intently at her, and Qin Qiao looked away uncomfortably, but it was as if a small sun was burning inside her face.

The popularity is increasing.

He was simply keeping a close eye on things too much.

He suddenly said, "I always read what you write very carefully."

Qin Qiao suddenly looked up and met his deep, ocean-like eyes. Her reflection was there, but suddenly a storm arose, shattering the tranquility.

She felt uneasy, yet a glimmer of hope arose within her.

Chen Jiashu gave her the feeling that this matter was not unnecessarily untouchable.

The elevator dinged as it arrived on the first floor, and the car swayed slightly.

The two stepped out one after the other.

Chen Jiashu suddenly stopped in his tracks: "What do you think is so special about me that's worth filming?"

The staircase door closed behind them, and Qin Qiao turned halfway around to meet Chen Jiashu's deep gaze.

He looked into her eyes, where they stirred like waves on Lake Baikal.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps burst in, causing both of them to shrink in surprise. Qin Qiao took a half step back and saw a young man wearing a baseball cap run past them, creating a gust of wind, and squeeze into the elevator door that had just opened.

"Make way." A couple was standing behind us, and the woman reminded them.

The two people blocked the way.

They walked to the foot of a large tree, where the afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled light that swayed around them.

In response to Chen Jiashu's question, Qin Qiao said, "You recently used an iron fist to replace the entire leadership team overnight, which caused a lot of discussion online. This kind of positive energy and high exposure is a good thing for the company."

She paused for two seconds, then said, "Perhaps you could listen to the public relations department's perspective."

"Positive energy..." Chen Jiashu asked, "What are you filming me for?"

Qin Qiao explained to him clearly: "Each episode of our program consists of three parts. There is no script. We just film the most authentic daily life of an entrepreneur, which allows netizens to fully understand the difficulties of the real economy and its contributions to society."

After a moment's thought, Chen Jiashu slowly explained, "My daily routine... is that every morning when I wake up, I fumble my way to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth, I drop something and kneel on the floor for ages trying to find it, I spill water when I drink it..."

The gentle light cast a shadow on his slightly upturned lips, and his tone was soft, but to Qin Qiao, every word sounded particularly grating. She felt that Chen Jiashu was deliberately provoking her, yet there wasn't a single flaw on his face.

“I go to work every day as if everything is in order, but I can’t actually see any data charts on the screen…”

"Stop talking!"

The words that blurted out startled Qin Qiao; it was almost a conditioned reflex. Her breathing became erratic, and she quickly glanced at Chen Jiashu's face, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Qiaoqiao," Chen Jiashu hadn't finished speaking, "Are you sure a documentary like this wouldn't just be a sob story?"

Several leaves twirled and fell to the ground, one of which landed squarely on Chen Jiashu's leather shoe. The leather was shiny and reflected the shape of the leaf.

Having often dealt with various unexpected events, Qin Qiao took a deep breath and calmed down, slowly raising her eyes: "Chairman Chen, you don't need to deny yourself like this. Our filming will respect your wishes."

Not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer, Qin Qiao looked around and decisively changed the subject: "Where is your driver?"

Chen Jiashu was surprised that Qin Qiao gave up so quickly, which left him feeling empty. However, her sudden loss of composure just now, did it mean she still cared about him?

“I haven’t ridden in your car in a long time, give me a ride,” Chen Jiashu said.

There were no parking spaces visible on the ground in this residential area. Qin Qiao drove around for a long time before finding the public parking area near the wall, which was at least a 15-minute walk away.

"Chairman Chen, please take your own car. My car is cluttered and contains some equipment."

Qin Qiao politely declined, as she really didn't want to spend too much time alone with Chen Jiashu under these circumstances.

"Give me a ride," Chen Jiashu insisted.

Qin Qiao didn't want to argue with him, so she turned around and walked straight ahead. Behind her, Chen Jiashu followed closely, tapping his white cane.

Having just belittled herself to the point of worthlessness, she became even more convinced that those words were directed at her. Qin Qiao raised an eyebrow slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and quickened her pace.

Cars occasionally drove by on the road, but the two walked close to the side, which was safe. After walking about a hundred meters, Chen Jiashu quickly caught up with her, taking advantage of his long legs.

The two walked side by side. Qin Qiao glanced at him sideways and saw that he was looking straight ahead with his jaw clenched tightly.

She couldn't help but retort, "Chairman Chen, please slow down. If you fall, your stock price, which has just started to recover, might drop again."

Instead of getting angry at her insults, Chen Jiashu laughed: "Why don't you just come to the company to find me yourself?"

Qin Qiao paused for a moment, then continued walking, "Too busy,"

"Why don't you go through my entire day's work process first, and then decide whether this plan is worth doing?"

Chen Jiashu's casual remark caused Qin Qiao to suddenly stop in her tracks.

Chen Jiashu continued walking forward, tapping his cane, showing no intention of stopping: "Cooperation is a two-way street: you evaluate me, and I evaluate you."

The man was tall and upright, his shadow perfectly straight.

Qin Qiao immediately caught up with him, her voice brimming with excitement: "When does it start?"

Persuading interviewees is inherently a rewarding experience and is related to professional instinct.

“We can start anytime,” Chen Jiashu replied readily.

Just as his cane was about to hit the curb, Qin Qiao immediately grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the left: "Turn left now."

Chen Jiashu felt a warmth in his heart and turned to the left as instructed. She let go of his hand, but he felt at ease as long as she was by his side.

"Is the daily life of a blind entrepreneur really worth recording?" Chen Jiashu raised an eyebrow. "Reporter Qin, you can evaluate it. I only have one request: write a 'reflection' for me after the experience, and then we can talk."

"Okay," Qin Qiao said readily. "Then I'll come over first thing tomorrow morning."

Chen Jiashu's mood improved considerably, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Let's go."

On the way home, Qin Qiao turned into the market and parked to buy some things, while Chen Jiashu waited for her in the car.

About ten minutes later, Qin Qiao returned, opened the car door, got in, and said, "Chairman Chen, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I bought a chicken and put it in the trunk. Please remember to bring it when you get out of the car later."

The car door slammed shut.

chicken?

Chen Jiashu stared at her for a few seconds: "Live chicken?" His lips twitched involuntarily.

It's hard to imagine that the pampered young lady who never lifts a finger buying chickens at the market.

In the early years when the shop was still open, Chen Jiashu would cook for himself and eat with his employees. Qin Qiao would always bring her own bowls and chopsticks to join them whenever she came. She wasn't picky about food and could eat anything. She always praised his cooking.

Once, Qin Qiao tried to cook a table full of dishes. She copied the recipes from the internet into her notebook. Her handwriting was beautiful and neat, and she filled two whole pages.

But it didn't work out in the end, and the notebook was even soaked in oil from the fried pork cutlet. From then on, he forbade Qin Qiao from cooking.

But actually, Qin Qiao is very good at making zongzi and dumplings. Making zongzi is a traditional custom of them, who are from the south, and he learned how to make dumplings from his roommate because he knew that Qin Qiao liked to eat them.

According to her own account, her classmates were driven to the brink of collapse by her teaching.

"The boss killed it for me, you can stew it when you get home." Qin Qiao calmly fastened her seatbelt. "Old hens are very nutritious."

Chen Jiashu was secretly delighted the whole way afterward.

When he got home, Jingjie told him that this was not an old hen. Chen Jiashu couldn't help but laugh and told her to stew it quickly.

*

Before going to bed, Qin Qiao received a WeChat message from Chen Jiashu. This was the first WeChat message he had sent in six years; all their previous chat history was on his phone from six years ago.

In six years, Qin Qiao changed two mobile phones. It wasn't because she was looking for the latest model. The phone that Chen Jiashu gave her had its screen broken after it fell on the ground once. Since it was already quite old, she simply got a new phone.

This phone only lasted a year because it was knocked down by a passerby while I was out on a job. Unfortunately, the earpiece malfunctioned, and several repairs failed to fix it, so I had to use it as a backup phone.

This phone has lasted four years, which is quite durable. Otherwise, she would have suspected she was "cursed" by phones.

Chen Jiashu's voice message: Qiaoqiao, come over at six o'clock tomorrow.

There's a slight difference between the voice on the phone and Chen Jiashu's real voice. Chen Jiashu's everyday voice is slightly deep and a little hoarse. In contrast, the voice coming from the receiver is more mellow and has a more story-telling quality.

However, one is like the first frost on vegetation in early winter, with a hint of roughness hidden in its sharpness, while the other is like aged wine, both of which can be tasted for their lingering sweetness over time, and both are quite touching.

Qin Qiao replied with an "OK", then exited the chat window, went to the alarm clock page, and set an alarm for five and a half days ahead of tomorrow morning.

At 6:00 a.m. the next day, she drove her car and parked it in front of the villa.

At this time of year in summer, the sun has already risen, its fiery red head surrounded by a pale red halo, like an egg cracked into a bowl.

A gentle breeze, carrying the dampness from the lake, caressed my face, bringing comfort and pleasure.

Qin Qiao stood in front of the small door and pressed the smart video doorbell.

This was a completely different doorbell model six years ago.

Peering through the gap in the iron gate, the kitchen light on the first floor was on, presumably the nanny was making breakfast; looking up, the ceiling light in the master bedroom on the second floor was on, Chen Jiashu must have gotten up too.

The video call was quickly connected, and the nanny saw it was her on the screen and let her through without asking any questions.

The car drove in and parked under the east-facing carport, where there was also a white seven-seater minivan.

She left her backpack in the car, and only took a brand new notebook with her. She got out of the car and followed the nanny into the house.

The nanny went to pour her tea, while she sat on the sofa to wait. A few minutes later, another nanny came over and said, "Chairman Chen said he would like to invite you to his room."