Chapter 207 Light
More than ten minutes passed.
Qiao Susu stood under the street light feeding mosquitoes until she became a little worried and wanted to walk over to take a look. At this time, a figure gradually emerged from the dark alley.
"Why did you take so long? Is everything okay?" asked Qiao Susu.
Qiao Jiming walked over with his head lowered. Because the light was too dim, the expression on his face could not be seen. He said "hmm", then reached out and took Qiao Suisui's wrist, leading her back.
She sensed something was amiss with Qiao Jiming, so she tentatively struck up a conversation, asking if anything had happened at home recently, if he was feeling too stressed. Qiao Jiming patiently denied everything, telling her not to worry. They walked quietly through the moonlit alley, like an after-dinner stroll, speechless but not awkward.
Qiao Jiming's gaze drifted slightly as he stared at the shadows on the road ahead. Their shadows overlapped, their steps in unison, one tall, the other short, like a couple in love. He trailed her by a few steps and quietly took out his phone to capture the moment, his heartbeat quickening at the simple act.
Qiao Suisui looked back and said with a smile, "What are you doing?"
Qiao Jiming smiled at her and said, "Nothing, I just think the shadow under the moonlight is pretty nice." He put his phone in his trouser pocket, caught up with her in two or three steps, and walked back with her shoulder to shoulder again.
Over the next few days, Qiao Suisui's life returned to normal and peaceful. However, she noticed something strange—maybe it was a coincidence, but Gu Mengze began to appear more frequently in her classes. He always sat in the back of the classroom, wearing headphones, seemingly listening to music, but occasionally he would look up at her. Seeing that he had no intention of talking to her, Qiao Suisui didn't think much of it.
She spent over 3,000 yuan to rent a new two-bedroom apartment. The agent said the landlord was overseas and that if she found the place suitable, she could rent it long-term. The apartment was midway between the university and Zhenge Company, making it convenient for her to travel between the two. Furthermore, for this area, 3,000 yuan was a steal, considering the white-collar community in this area, where a one-bedroom apartment costs over 4,000 yuan. Initially, she feared she had been scammed, but she finally confirmed that the agent was legitimate.
The supporting facilities around the entire community are very complete, the buildings are also very new, and most importantly, the landlord has a really good taste in decoration, which is simple and elegant, and the furniture looks like new. Qiao Susu feels that her luck has been a little too good recently.
Lin Xixi moved in with her. Since she went to school more often and her home was close, she chose to live in the second bedroom. Lin Xixi insisted on paying half of the rent for her, but Qiao Suisui refused. After Lin Xixi's soft and hard persuasion, Qiao Suisui finally took a symbolic 1,000 yuan.
Qiao Suisui's days are filled with classes, internships, and writing in her spare time. However, beneath this appearance of fulfillment lies a hidden worry that she never reveals to others.
She still thinks of them in that world frequently.
When she was walking among the crowd, she would subconsciously look up to see if there were any flying ships passing by in the sky;
When she was sitting in the shade of a tree at school and was free, she saw a couple playing on the lawn not far away, and her mind would unconsciously recall their expressions;
After a busy day, when she lies down on the bed to sleep, she will subconsciously sniff the pillow and quilt, and even feel a sense of loss for the missing cool body temperature and the silver hair wrapped around her fingertips;
She would also habitually want to call out their names when she ate something delicious, but when she turned around, there was no one around.
She thought she was clear-headed enough to separate reality from illusion, but those experiences were like scenes from a movie playing out before her eyes.
That night, Qiao Suisui couldn't sleep, so she sat at her desk, staring blankly at the computer screen. After much hesitation, she opened her long-unchecked email. Inside lay a reply from INF Company. Opening it revealed a link to the game's internal beta test.
That link of letters, like Pandora's box, kept calling her.
The mouse hesitantly moved to the link, and the next second, Qiao Susu slammed the notebook shut.
Ye Xi's words kept ringing in Qiao Susu's ears. When she thought about how they would fall in love with every player who entered the game world, she laughed at herself.
"What's the point? If I start over again, it won't be the same world I once was."
She ran into bed as if escaping, covered her head with the quilt, and stayed awake all night until dawn.
A few days later, at get off work, Qiao Susu walked out of the Zhenge Company building as usual and saw a very familiar car parked at the door.
Guan Weizhi lowered the passenger window and said to her, "Get in."
"Teacher Guan, why are you here?"
"do not you remember?"
Qiao Susu was in a daze for a moment, then immediately remembered that Guan Weizi had told her a few days ago that he would take her to an entrepreneurship training camp.
"Ah, it's today." Qiao Susu blinked and looked down at her white T-shirt, jeans and canvas shoes.
"Get in first, you can't park here."
Guan Weizhi knew what she was worried about. Seeing her nervous expression after getting in the car, he glanced at her and said, "Look at the back seat."
Qiao Susu looked back and saw four or five luxury handbags on the back seat. Her mind froze for a moment.
"Teacher Guan, these are..."
Guan Weizhi had picked these out himself at the mall, but fearing she might have a psychological burden, he lied to her, saying, "I rented them. I'll just make do with them tonight."
Qiao Suisui breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Teacher Guan, you are so thoughtful."
But when she thought about the upcoming event, she became worried. Guan Weizhi had told her that the guests at this startup boot camp were all CEOs or partners of several startups that Zhonghe Fund had previously invested in. They had also invited students from prestigious universities to participate in their training, and they had initiated this entrepreneurial experience sharing event. Wouldn't that mean there would be a CEO every five steps and an Ivy League graduate every ten steps?
"Teacher Guan, I'm a little nervous." Qiao Suisui pinched the seat belt and looked at him eagerly: "How should I behave later so as not to embarrass you?"
Guan Weizi smiled gently and looked straight ahead. He freed one hand and touched her head.
"No matter how you behave, you won't embarrass me."
He was wearing a casual suit today, giving off a sense of leisurely elegance, less distant than usual. Guan Weizhi wasn't one to lecture, especially not to change others' perceptions, as it was too laborious. But the child next to him was different. He always felt a sense of obligation to water and fertilize Qiao Suisui promptly.
Therefore, he inspired: "What do you think is the purpose of my bringing you here today?"
Qiao Suisui thought for a moment and said, "Learn from the big guys."
"Half right."
Guan Weizhi smiled at her and said, "I'll introduce you to the investment manager of Zhonghe Fund's Dark Horse Project. Zhonghe has only started the Dark Horse Project in the last six months. They not only invest in companies in various fields, but are now also investing in people. A company can grow from a startup to a unicorn, and so can talent. That's why some students are participating today."
Qiao Suisui was stunned and blurted out subconsciously: "But how can I compare to them?"
Guan Weizi's expression remained unchanged. He kept holding the steering wheel and looking straight ahead. At this moment, he exuded an unintentional sense of confidence.
“Remember, the excellence of others does not affect your own excellence. They are fire, and you are gold. You cannot stop others from shining, and likewise, others cannot take away your light.”
Do you want to switch game perspectives tomorrow? Let your votes speak for themselves.
(End of this chapter)
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