Chapter 55 Ordinary Friends
Chapter 54
"Wait until I finish the last bit of work."
Xia Zhiyu opened her office door and let Jiang Zhiyan go in first to wait for her. "Would you like tea or coffee?"
"Coffee will do."
While Xia Zhiyu turned to go out and get him coffee, Jiang Zhiyan's gaze subtly swept around the room that held most of Xia Zhiyu's time over the past few years.
A row of notes was pasted at the bottom of the monitor, with two in the far corner teetering precariously, as if they might be blown away by the cold air from the air conditioner at any moment.
As always, there was a desk calendar on the table, with important dates and events marked in red.
Even the white-haired figurine placed next to the water glass is exactly the same as before.
Everything felt familiar; every place bore traces of his past experiences. Even though this was his first time in the office, he still had a sense of déjà vu.
Xia Zhiyu is a very nostalgic person.
She is both nostalgic and energetic, and works diligently and earnestly. Jiang Zhiyan's gaze fell through the blinds onto Xia Zhiyu's long hair, which she had tied up with a pen.
Two stray hairs stuck up at the ends of her hair, swaying with her movements, as if she were talking about something important. Xia Zhiyu stood up, placed her hands on the table, and showed a slightly stern expression on her profile.
Jiang Zhiyan's eyes darkened slightly. He took a sip of coffee, the rich bitterness giving way to a sweet and fragrant aroma.
"The worst ex?"
It's not surprising that she asked that question. Mainly, from Xia Zhiyu's boasting about how handsome and amazing her only ex was that morning, to Jiang Zhiyan's visibly relaxed expression after seeing Xia Zhiyu, plus the faint sense of familiarity between them when their eyes met...
Only a fool could guess that.
Taking advantage of the fact that their meeting place was a bit far from the office, Liu Ning lowered her voice and winked at Xia Zhiyu, her mischievous intent clearly visible on her face.
Xia Zhiyu glared at her angrily, "You dare to pry into the boss's affairs? Be careful, or I'll give you extra work tonight and give you all of Xiao Zhang's work."
Xiao Zhang quickly raised his hand, "I agree with both hands and feet."
"No, you can't lift it if you haven't washed your feet."
A few joking remarks successfully changed the subject, and the last bit of work was almost finished.
Xia Zhiyu cleared her throat and concluded:
"Alright, stop fooling around. Everyone's had a long night. It's Friday, so it's an early weekend. Go back and get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on things. But remember not to turn off your phones. I don't know if anything else will happen."
"Oh, and remember to grab red envelopes in the group chat; everyone gets one!"
"Long live Sister Xia!"
Liu Ning, that little girl, made a few cheerful and lively remarks, creating a relaxed and enthusiastic atmosphere in the studio. After most of her colleagues had left, Xia Zhiyu pushed open the office door.
Jiang Zhiyan was sitting on the sofa, holding the book she was currently reading, Rouge. He seemed to be reading faster, having already passed the spot where she had the bookmark.
Li Bihua's books have an eerie, ghostly feel to them, but every word is precious, and her grasp of human nature is particularly unique. Xia Zhiyu has recently become quite fond of her work.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long."
Xia Zhiyu said apologetically, "Something came up last night and I just managed to get it sorted out."
"It's alright," Jiang Zhiyan said considerately. "Work is the most important thing. I saw the trending topic. It was handled very well. Yu Xia even used this opportunity to increase her popularity. This could totally be used as a risk marketing case study in university classrooms."
"Oh, it's not that serious, it's nothing."
Although she said it was nothing, a faint sense of pride naturally flowed between Xia Zhiyu's brows. Although she knew that Jiang Zhiyan's words were somewhat flattering, it didn't stop her from feeling a little smug.
"Didn't you get any rest last night?"
Jiang Zhiyan suddenly asked.
Xia Zhiyu stretched and stood up from the chair. "I still managed to sleep for a while. Yesterday I worked non-stop from five o'clock until the early hours of the morning. After the situation stabilized at two o'clock, I couldn't hold on any longer and slept for more than three hours. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to hold on until now."
As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously fell on Jiang Zhiyan.
Wearing the same suit, Jiang Zhiyan appeared aloof and dignified at the banquet, creating a strong sense of distance. However, today, Jiang Zhiyan exuded a gentler aura. This might be because his hair wasn't styled with hair wax and was instead softly hanging down, naturally taking on a warm brown hue under the indoor lighting.
Jiang Zhiyan lowered his eyes, a gentle warmth spreading across them, and said considerately, "How about I take you home to rest? You look a little tired after working for so long."
Turn off the fill light, and the mirror on the table reflects Xia Zhiyu's haggard face. There are dark circles under her eyes, and a small red bump has appeared on the tip of her nose from staying up all night. Her originally rosy and full lips are slightly dry, like roses that have been left overnight.
Even so, Xia Zhiyu in Jiang Zhiyan's eyes had a more vibrant and lively spirit. For the past four years, the only longing that had echoed in his monotonous life was now present. Her soft, white arms gracefully climbed up his neck, and she spoke to him in a sweet and coquettish voice, so soft and gentle.
It's a pity that I can't have such beautiful dreams every night.
The moment Xia Zhiyu bent down to apply lipstick, Jiang Zhiyan's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly, like a dark cloud obscuring his otherwise gentle gaze. The shadow vanished in an instant, and when Xia Zhiyu finished and looked up, Jiang Zhiyan still had that gentle expression.
"It's okay," Xia Zhiyu patted her cheeks and stretched her body, her bones cracking. She smiled and said to Jiang Zhiyan, "If I sleep at this hour, I won't be able to sleep tonight. I'll hold on until tonight to avoid getting my days and nights mixed up."
She had a beautiful smile; her milky skin was adorned with two small dimples. The moment Jiang Zhiyan saw her, he couldn't suppress the flutter in his heart. To Jiang Zhiyan, Xia Zhiyu possessed an almost bewitching charm.
Jiang Zhiyan gazed at her quietly with his dark eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Okay, if you think it's okay, then it's fine."
His eyes were a warm amber color, and his every move was measured and proper. Apart from simple greetings and pleasantries, he maintained a reasonable distance. He was a far cry from the young man who had been overly possessive of her and always seemed to be in complete control.
Xia Zhiyu felt a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity towards the person in front of her.
She couldn't help but ask herself, could a person change so much in just four years? Xia Zhiyu was suddenly a little confused.
The dark gray Bugatti Veyron stood coldly and arrogantly parked on the side of the road, like a sharp knife standing among a group of vans.
Xia Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you used to dislike these flashy sports cars? How come you're driving one now?"
"But this car is really cool. I thought it was cool when I test drove the Bugatti. It's a pity it's too expensive. If you remove three zeros from the end of the price, I might consider it. To be honest, can Pinduoduo bring down the price of the Bugatti?"
Xia Zhiyu wrinkled her nose, looking just like she was complaining at home before they broke up about why Lego parts were so expensive. It was so cute that he wanted to fuck her.
He wanted to bite her earlobe and interrogate her about why she spoke of the past in such a relaxed and comfortable tone, as if she were chatting with an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
Did Xia Zhiyu ever miss him, even once, during the four years they were apart?
He was angry at the calmness in her tone when she mentioned the past, yet unwilling to accept the coldness in her eyes when she looked at him. Love is a thirst that grows ever stronger; taking another step feels like overstepping one's bounds, while taking a step back fills one with bitter jealousy.
Jiang Zhiyan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his expression revealing a hint of coldness.
The car's interior matched the paint color, exuding understated luxury. The car logo in the center of the steering wheel looked brand new. Even though luxury cars like this are usually maintained, judging from Jiang Zhiyan's condition, he probably hadn't driven it much. Xia Zhiyu had just bought the car last year and knew a bit about these things.
She also looked at a few sports cars at the time. The streamlined body looked very cool. Stepping on the gas pedal felt like all her worries were thrown out of her body. Xia Zhiyu greedily test drove several models and struggled for several days before finally hesitatingly buying a Tesla for 200,000 yuan.
Xia Zhiyu comforted herself, saying that it wasn't advisable to buy an expensive bumper car for the first time, and that the only reason she bought the Tesla was because Tesla had asked her to do promotions.
It's stupid not to take advantage of a discount.
However, Tesla is indeed very suitable for pet-owning families. Xia Zhiyu's promotional video showed her driving a Tesla with Xia Xiaojiang and Lele on a road trip, which received unanimous approval from fans.
"It looks cool to drive, it has plenty of horsepower and is fast, and the feeling of stepping on the gas is very comfortable. I don't think any man could resist that. I liked to drive my sports car around when I was in a bad mood recently."
The man spoke calmly, his sleeves rolled up to reveal a section of his muscular forearm, a silver-gray watch face held by his wrist, and his fingers casually resting on the steering wheel. His posture and manner made it seem as if he were discussing what to have for breakfast.
That is, assuming he didn't actually step on the gas in a Bugatti Veyron.
Xia Zhiyu unconsciously tightened her grip on the bag strap, her heart skipped a beat, and the image of the Bugatti salesperson proudly explaining the superiority of Bugatti to her flashed through her mind. Xia Zhiyu didn't really understand most of what he said, but she firmly remembered that the Bugatti Veyron could reach 400 kilometers per hour at full speed.
To put this into perspective, the highest operating speed of a high-speed rail is 350 kilometers per hour, and this train is even faster than a high-speed rail.
The car window reflected Jiang Zhiyan's sharply defined profile. Xia Zhiyu's throat went dry, and the question she wanted to ask circled on her lips, but she swallowed it back in the end.
What's causing you to be in a bad mood?
Why did I develop the habit of speeding?
Didn't you previously think that such reckless actions that put oneself at risk for a moment of excitement were foolish?
Why have things changed so much in just a few years?
The carriage suddenly fell silent, as if a pause button had been pressed.
Four years ago, Xia Zhiyu was quite confident that she understood Jiang Zhiyan. Even after they had a fight and broke up, Xia Zhiyu still felt that she could see through Jiang Zhiyan.
But now Jiang Zhiyan is like a spirit hidden in the mist, his figure indistinct and his expression unclear. He appears calm and composed, like a still lake, but a single word or phrase from him can startle Xia Zhiyu.
After a moment of hesitation, Xia Zhiyu carefully chose her words and replied, "Xinle also likes sports cars. She recently bought a Panamera, which is quite nice. I've ridden in it twice."
"It seems like your relationship has gotten better and better over the years. I saw on Fang Xinle's WeChat Moments that you went to Northwest China together a while ago. How was it? Was Dunhuang interesting?"
Jiang Zhiyan understood and changed the subject. He was always a smart man and could naturally see that Xia Zhiyu was trying to avoid the topic.
“It was quite interesting, but that trip was a last-minute decision, and we didn’t even check the weather forecast,” Xia Zhiyu sighed. “I still remember how the three of us huddled together on Mingsha Mountain, freezing like three dogs, wishing we could crawl under a camel’s belly.”
"The three of you?"
"And Ren Yu, he was the one who mentioned going to Dunhuang back then, saying he wanted to do a public lecture on a history theme."
Xia Zhiyu was furious just thinking about it. She was sleeping when Ren Yu and Fang Xinle sneaked into her house like two ghosts. Lele and Xia Xiaojiang knew them well, so neither of them made a sound. She was forced into the car before she even opened her eyes, without even having packed a few clothes. Those two idiots didn't even remember to bring warm clothes. The three of them were shivering in Dunhuang.
“Like this,” Jiang Zhiyan tapped the steering wheel lightly twice with his fingertips, his expression still unusually calm. He said gently, “It’s also because you have a good temper. If it were me, and ordinary friends came to bother me in the middle of the night, I would definitely give them the cold shoulder.”
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Author's Note: I've been having a really bad writer's block lately, as the story is nearing its end. I've written a lot of drafts that I'll discard. I'll update as soon as I finish writing, so you can save up and read it when it's finished. There are probably only a few tens of thousands of words left in the main story.
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