Chapter 16 A rare weekend, which should have been...

A rare weekend should be a time for shopping or catching up on sleep in bed.

Huang Shiyu was alone in her rented room. She packed all the luggage she could take into two suitcases. She planned to leave the rest for the landlord or the next tenant, as they were all large appliances that were difficult to carry.

Originally, Lu Xiao said she would come with her, but fearing that those people might still be staking out her residence, Huang Shiyu specifically asked the residents across the street before leaving. She learned that during the days she was away, everything was normal and no suspicious people had been seen in the old alley.

It doesn't make sense that they would chase her all the way to her place instead of staking out the place, and everything in the house was in good condition. It doesn't seem like the behavior of loan sharks chasing debts.

Lu Xiao said that she would only feel good if people smashed up her house, and that she had typical masochistic tendencies.

Huang Shiyu just smiled and didn't say anything. Her sixth sense had always been accurate. She felt that something had slipped out of her control and had already quietly happened.

However, she has no clues or evidence right now, and it's not good for her to tell Lu Xiao her thoughts, otherwise she'll be accused of overthinking. Can't she hope for something better?

Just then, something came up at Lu Xiao's parents' house, and after confirming that no one was staking out her house, Lu Xiao felt relieved enough to let her come alone.

A gust of wind blew in, and a pot of plum blossoms sat on the table by the window, its rich pink petals trembling slightly in the breeze.

This rented room held several of her youthful years, and just thinking about it sent a shiver down Huang Shiyu's spine.

Although the studio apartment looks small, she has decorated it in a way that is both cozy and practical. The recliner by the window is Huang Shiyu's favorite spot. When the sunlight shines on this corner, she can lie on it and let the sunlight fall on her face. It is both comfortable and suitable for sleeping.

Unfortunately, she hardly ever lay down on it. All her time was taken up by work. Every day after get off work, she would wash up and then snuggle in bed to watch videos. She couldn't squeeze out a single moment for other entertainment.

When Huang Shiyu thought about work, the smug look that Song Chaoye had left her with at the end flashed through her mind.

That feeling welled up in her heart again. She had thought about losing to others in the business world. After all, winning and losing are essentially like siblings. There must be a win and a loss. But she never thought she would lose to Song Chaoye.

She herself could think that if Song Chaoye wanted to sell his shares, the original shareholders would have the right of first refusal, so how could Song Chaoye not have thought of that?

Actually, she might not have lost this game, but she trusted Song Chaoye too much, which is a big taboo in the business world!

After filling both suitcases and making sure nothing important was left behind, she was about to message Xiang Zhinan to say that she didn't need to come and that she could just take a taxi there herself.

Fate is a wonderful thing. She had just turned on her phone when there was a knock on the door, and Xiang Zhinan asked, "Are you home?"

She went to open the door, facing the wind, and a few plum blossoms by the window were blown down by the wind.

Outside the door was the face she had seen not long ago, and another face she least wanted to see.

Although October in Shanghai is not as cold as in the north, the chill of late autumn in the early morning is still quite intriguing. Xiang Zhinan and Li Xingzhou, each wearing a black overcoat, stood at the door, one on the left and one on the right, like guardians.

When Xiang Zhinan saw the door open, her previously listless eyes immediately became bright and lively, as if she wanted to cling to Huang Shiyu. She smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. This is my brother, Li Xingzhou, the president of Sunac. He also works in artificial intelligence. You probably haven't met him before, this is your first time meeting him."

For Huang Shiyu, this opening line was like an executioner's knife raised to his neck. As soon as Li Xingzhou finished speaking, his heart surged in his throat and then burst out.

Knowing that Xiang Zhinan and Li Xingzhou had this relationship, she wouldn't have chosen to call Xiang Zhinan to help her move even if she had used Lalamove.

She wasn't oblivious to the fact that Xiang Zhinan had feelings for her; he showered her with concern every day. She herself was constantly surrounded by warmth and comfort, and knew best whether she was feeling cold or warm.

But her thoughts on Xiang Zhinan were straightforward: she just wanted business dealings and making more friends was never a bad thing.

As the saying goes, if you want to quickly build a friendship with someone, you have to learn to create opportunities, and moving is undoubtedly the best choice at this stage.

Men are creatures who always want to show their strength to the opposite sex, just like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

Moreover, she wasn't afraid that Xiang Zhinan would overthink things, because he gave the impression of being a rather simple young man.

At least in this respect, he is far superior to the person next to him!

The glass window in the corridor was open, and sunlight streamed in, falling on Li Xingzhou's face, which stood on the right. The sunlight seemed to burn quietly, and he seemed a little uncomfortable with it. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and the captivating look he usually had in his eyes was hidden. The whiteness of his skin and the black of his coat created an extreme visual effect, making him look aloof and noble.

Under that intriguing gaze, Huang Shiyu had no choice but to bite the bullet and reply, "Yes, it's the first time we've met."

"Is this the first time we've met? You look kind of familiar." Li Xingzhou's words were loaded with meaning.

Actually, what he wanted to say was no. Their first meeting was in the piano room, a piano room where it was just the two of them.

But he knew that if he blurted this out, Huang Shiyu would get angry with him.

If maintaining a facade of estrangement is what you like and care about, then I'm willing to play along.

If this is a movie about a long-awaited reunion, and the opening scene is set against the backdrop of the rainy season that is etched into our bones, will the ending scene be a long-awaited sunny day?

It was still a long, continuous drizzle.

Because of those words, Huang Shiyu's heart was pounding in her chest. She appeared calm on the surface, but only she knew that her heart was in turmoil.

Li Xingzhou's words were as veiled as his gaze, pinning her firmly to the spot.

She moved her lips and said, "Maybe my face is too ordinary."

After a moment of silence, just as she was worried that Li Xingzhou would drop another bombshell, she heard him speak. Perhaps he was just trying to help her out, but she couldn't find a plausible reason.

"Is that so? Perhaps." Li Xingzhou's tone was indifferent, and his handsome face was also expressionless, as if all his emotions were condensed in his dark eyes.

Standing to the side, Xiang Zhinan was no fool either. He could see the tense atmosphere between the two. Having grown up in this circle, his ability to read people was exceptional.

Although his most direct impression is that of a spendthrift and an incompetent person, it's just that he disdains it and doesn't need it. Even if he doesn't have the talent for business and can't manage a company, it doesn't matter. He can hire a team to manage it, and there will always be plenty of people to serve people like him. His family is also very open-minded and won't interfere too much with him. After all, some people are destined to have endless money from the moment they are born.

The idea that wealth doesn't last three generations is just a fairy tale. In reality, people with absolute wealth place a sum of money in a family trust early on to prevent this from happening. Problems that can be solved with money and connections are not problems at all.

This circle is rife with vested interests, and everyone's mind is constantly calculating resources and benefits; nothing else matters. Xiang Zhinan possesses a rare innocence that is precious among them, so those around him do their best to protect this youthful naiveté.

This is a youthful spirit unique to Xiang Zhinan.

Xiang Zhinan took in the whole situation. Although he couldn't understand the subtle nuances in the atmosphere between the two, his intuition was definitely not lying, but he didn't ask any more questions.

"Where's your luggage?" Xiang Zhinan asked.

Since it was the young lady's residence, the two felt embarrassed to enter uninvited.

“Here.” Huang Shiyu pulled out the suitcase behind her.

"These are the two suitcases. What about the others?" Xiang Zhinan picked up her two suitcases and peeked into the room.

Huang Shiyu said, "Just these two." As if remembering something, she changed the subject, "There's also a pot of plum blossoms, I can take those myself."

Standing at the entrance and looking inside, a plum tree facing the sun emerges layer by layer from its buds. It basks in the sun but doesn't seem to be vying for attention; instead, it droops its head listlessly.

"Looks like it's about to die. Do you really like plum blossoms? How about I bring you a pot from my place?"

"From your place, aren't you staying at my house?" Li Xingzhou, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly spoke up, his tone mocking Xiang Zhinan.

He forgot that he's currently living under someone else's roof.

Xiang Zhinan didn't show any embarrassment on her face. Instead, she spoke up frankly: "I remember Xingzhou knows a plant sound therapist. He's really amazing. He can actually make plants live, even their fleshy roots and stems. Xingzhou doesn't know how to grow plants. In his hands, they'd be half-dead in ten days or half a month. I'll have him introduce you to him."

“Sure,” Li Xingzhou said.

Huang Shiyu had assumed the other party would refuse, since she felt that Li Xingzhou didn't really like having too much contact with her. Li Xingzhou still hadn't replied to that text message, and Huang Shiyu thought that he probably just glanced at it, made a sarcastic remark, and then moved on.

I never expected him to agree so readily; it's like the sun rising in the west.

"However, I'll have to trouble you to add me on WeChat. This sound therapist has a rather eccentric personality; he won't add anyone unless I recommend him," he added.

"Is she really that arrogant? Wasn't she a gentle and kind girl last time she came?" Xiang Zhinan thought to herself.

Huang Shiyu said, "Okay."

Li Xingzhou's expression showed a slight surprise at her words, but it was very subtle, hidden in his dark eyes that were shattered by the sunlight.

Huang Shiyu had her own considerations for allowing further contact with Li Xingzhou. The AI ​​group was facing a lack of funding and a shortage of massive amounts of medical data. Unlike Li Xingzhou, who had a hospital group in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and a large number of top-tier hospitals to support his data, the AI ​​products that could be sold on the market all required a large number of medical cases, funding, and time to improve the accuracy rate from 75% to 97.5% or even 100%.

So she couldn't find the time to go back to her hometown to transplant a plum tree, so she simply agreed, since she still owed Li Xingzhou a meal.

When Xiang Zhinan was carrying his luggage downstairs, the two exchanged WeChat contacts. Huang Shiyu originally wanted to add him using WeChat for business purposes, but she didn't know if he knew her little secret, because he actually reached out and grabbed her wrist where she was holding her phone, a move that left no room for doubt.

But this action seemed rather ambiguous to her, and she didn't know when Xiang Zhinan would come up. However, she couldn't move her wrist. Although she could feel that the five-finger clamp wasn't very strong, it felt like she was wearing a heavy pair of shackles, wanting to struggle but unable to break free.

She could only watch helplessly as Li Xingzhou accurately tapped her WeChat QR code with his other hand, then took out his phone to scan it, and directly clicked "accept," as if not giving her a chance to back out. This series of actions could be described as smooth and seamless.

They were so skilled that it was hard to tell if they had practiced countless times in private.

Huang Shiyu could only watch as Li Xingzhou's WeChat account reappeared in her WeChat list, the prominent profile picture still the same as it had been six years ago.

It was a little kitten, hiding in a cardboard box with only its round head sticking out, covered in rainwater and fallen leaves. Its glass marble-like eyes revealed a faint timidity and an uneasy expression about the unknown.

That cat was picked up by her and Li Xingzhou together. Li Xingzhou said that the first time he saw the cat, it was like seeing her. At that time, neither of their families were allowed to keep cats, so they could only keep the cat in the piano room and secretly feed it after school.

I wonder how that cat is doing now.

"I'm not that unreasonable. I'm giving you a chance to treat me to dinner."

Because of those words, Huang Shiyu raised her eyes and looked straight into his eyes. The bright sunlight obscured his facial features, but the light in their eyes was the only thing visible.

Huang Shiyu paused for a moment, then thought: Let's just consider it a meal to build up our friendship.

A note from the author:

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