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Zhou Jingxing's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, he had blurted out his innermost thoughts!
He quickly added, "Honey, um, my colleague Lao Gong from the museum told me you're looking for experts for the new exhibition." Zhou Jingxing subtly showed off his resume, "This exhibition is about restoring cultural relics, right? Isn't my expertise perfect for it?"
Shen Zhou quickly said, "Jingxing, I'm not doubting your professionalism. It's just that this exhibition is about to start, and the preparation time is very tight. You also have your regular job, and I'm worried that the workload will be too heavy and you'll be working too hard."
Shen Zhou heard Zhou Jingxing chuckle on the phone, "It's okay, I'm used to working overtime."
Chen Zhou hesitated for a moment, "But we need experts to repair a set of porcelain, which will really take up a lot of your time. And I'm worried that we won't have enough time."
Zhou Jingxing asked him about the condition of the fragments, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "I haven't used my annual leave this year, so I'll take it all. I'll focus on repairing this set of fragments these next few days, and I should be able to finish it in time."
Shen Zhou hurriedly said, "How can that be? This is too much trouble for you! No, no, I'll look for someone else. There will always be a suitable one. If it really doesn't work, we can just postpone the start date."
"But you've already rented the venue, and postponing the date will incur additional costs, and there are also sponsors and other things that will cause a lot of trouble."
“Shenzhou, we are friends. It is only right for friends to help each other.”
Shen Zhou was stunned. Zhou Jingxing's tone was too sincere, and he simply couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Before he could say anything, he heard Zhou Jingxing continue on the other end of the phone: "You will never feel guilty for troubling me."
Shen Zhou is 31 this year. He graduated early and has been out of the ivory tower for ten years. He has seen a lot of the wickedness and indifference of the world, but he rarely hears such warm words.
Shen Zhou quickly realized he might be being a bit too sentimental, and said to Zhou Jingxing, "Okay, thank you, Jingxing. Thank you for your help."
Zhou Jingxing's voice was excited, and he sounded like the one who had been helped in time. "No, you're welcome! Just tell me what you need me to do! By the way, should we meet? Let's discuss and finalize the details on the spot."
After listening to him ramble on for a while, Shen Zhou unconsciously curled her lips. "Okay, but not today. The agreement with that foreign expert is void. I still need to discuss with the legal department what to do. How about Friday afternoon after get off work? I'll pick you up from the Provincial Museum then."
Zhou Jingxing was overjoyed and readily agreed.
"I'll pick you up from the provincial museum then."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jingxing kept replaying Shen Zhou's words in his mind.
It's so wonderful to have your loved one pick you up from work!
He couldn't resist opening the group chat and sharing the good news.
Zhou Jingxing: He said he'd pick me up from get off work on Friday afternoon. [Grinning face]
Zhang Jin: Holy crap, what did I miss? Did the progress bar just rocket?
Sun Qian: ?
Zhou Jingxing recounted how he had offered to help Chen Zhou, and then couldn't help but ask Sun Qian, "He didn't refuse my help. Does that mean he has a good impression of me?"
Zhang Jin: Absolutely! Where can you find a friend as warm-hearted as you? I'd be so touched!
Sun Qian: That's a great opportunity! If you've established contact through work, you'll have more chances to get to know him.
Sun Qian: Oh right, I got the information on Chen Zhou! [Smart]
Sun Qian: [Document] Sinking Boat.doc
Zhang Jin: [Strong][Strong][Strong]
Zhou Jingxing: [Strong][Strong][Strong]
Zhou Jingxing opened the document and was once again captivated by the girl.
What an extensive network of connections! What detailed information!
Even photos of Zhang Jin participating in club activities during her university days were included, and Zhou Jingxing couldn't help but send a "Respect" emoji in the group chat.
Zhou Jingxing: Wow, that's amazing! Where did you collect all of these?
Sun Qian: Hehe, one of my sisters is in their circle, and another sister happens to be Chen Zhou's college classmate. [Let me see]
Sun Qian: These are all personal hobbies and interpersonal information; it doesn't count as an invasion of privacy, right, Officer Zhang Jin?
Zhang Jin: ...that's actually...
Zhang Jin: Never mind, I didn't see anything.
Zhou Jingxing, who was ignorant of the law, thought to himself, "I neither leaked anything nor used it for commercial purposes, so what's the big deal!"
He carefully read the document, which contained Shen Zhou's basic information, resume, hobbies, and also an introduction to Shen Zhou's relationship status.
Upon seeing the name Zhao Xin, Zhou Jingxing couldn't help but frown. "What a tacky name," he thought cynically, "the person is just as tasteless as their name suggests."
Zhao Xin is Shen Zhou's boyfriend. They only started dating last year, not the long-term campus romance that Zhou Jingxing had initially thought. Zhao Xin and Shen Zhou were high school classmates, but they didn't seem to have any special relationship during their school years, and they hadn't been in contact for many years after graduation. They reunited at a class reunion early last year, after which Zhao Xin began pursuing Shen Zhou relentlessly. About six months later, Shen Zhou relented, and the two got together.
Zhou Jingxing breathed a sigh of relief; at least this obstacle was easier to overcome than he had imagined. Zhao Xin had been pursuing Chen Zhou for half a year; he would have more patience and perseverance than him!
He couldn't help but sigh again, wishing he had been the one who encountered the sunken ship last year.
Zhao Xin is such a scumbag! How could he possibly handle a relationship with someone as good as Shen Zhou?!
As Friday drew to a close and it was time to leave work, Zhou Jingxing, while polishing his work, couldn't help but glance up at the wall clock again. An intern in his department couldn't help but ask him, "Mr. Zhou, are you busy today? I've noticed you've been checking the time all afternoon."
Zhou Jingxing gave a gentle smile. "I have a date tonight."
"Hey? Professor Zhou has a girlfriend!" His colleagues gathered around after hearing this. Zhou Jingxing was in a good mood and patiently explained, "Not yet." He added in his mind, "Soon."
The news of sinking boats arrived at the same time as Zhou Jingxing's alarm clock signaling the end of his workday.
Chenzhou: I'm in the underground parking garage, near the elevator entrance in section B.
Chen Zhou: If you have something to do, go ahead and do it. There's no rush. [Happy]
Zhou Jingxing: Coming right away [Grinning face]
He greeted his colleagues, quickly washed his hands, deftly took off his white coat, grabbed his phone, and strode outside.
Corey's old colleague slowly tidied up his workbench while giving a knowing smile. "That's how young people are. During the ambiguous stage of a relationship, they can't wait to stick together every minute."
Zhou Jingxing took a few steps after getting off the elevator and saw Chen Zhou standing next to the black Cayenne. The dim light in the parking garage illuminated his face, but it did not diminish his beauty at all; he was truly a stunning beauty. The black suit accentuated his slender figure, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone. This gave the beauty from the mountains a touch of worldliness.
Zhou Jingxing was almost stunned. For the first time, he realized that he was a sucker for good looks.
When Shen Zhou saw him, he smiled and waved his hand. Zhou Jingxing then trotted over like a dog being summoned by its master.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long?" Zhou Jingxing smiled brightly, clearly in a good mood.
Chen Zhou smiled and said, "No, I took care of some things at the exhibition hall. I saw that it was almost time for you to get off work, so I came to the underground parking lot to wait for you." He unlocked the car and walked towards the driver's seat, saying, "Let's go, let's talk in the car."
Zhou Jingxing got into the car and sat in the passenger seat. He suddenly remembered that Zhao Xin, that scumbag, had driven this car to take his cheating partner out to dinner last time. He suppressed his anger and casually complimented the car, then asked Chen Zhou, "The car looks pretty new. Did you just buy it?"
"You flatter me. I bought the car around Chinese New Year this year, so it's practically a new car."
Is there any way to let Shen Zhou see the dashcam footage? That way he can find out that Zhao Xin, that bastard, cheated on him.
Zhou Jingxing thought about it for a long time, but finally decided to give up. The time wasn't right yet; one day Chen Zhou would see that person for who they really were.
Shen Zhou parked the car in the garage, and Zhou Jingxing got out and found that it was a private restaurant located in the suburbs, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a very quiet and secluded landscape.
He followed Chen Zhou along the gravel path for a short distance before entering a private room.
After the two sat down, Shen Zhou thanked Zhou Jingxing again for saving the day. Zhou Jingxing extended his hand, "Stop, stop. I already said there's no need for further thanks, it's too formal." He then shifted the topic to the restoration work, and after carefully inquiring about the condition of the fragments, he had a general plan in mind.
Shen Zhou explained, "Our company also has staff in this field, though they're certainly not as professional as you. However, they can definitely serve as your assistant. Just let me know if you need anything. We've also invited a professor from the University of Minnesota to provide guidance on other matters. You just need to focus on restoring the fragments."
Zhou Jingxing's heart skipped a beat. "Oh? Which teacher did you invite?"
"It's Professor Li Weilin from the Academy of Fine Arts."
Zhou Jingxing laughed and said, "What a coincidence! Professor Li is my mentor. I did my postgraduate studies under his guidance."
Shen Zhou was somewhat surprised, then smiled and said, "That is indeed a coincidence. It is also a kind of fate between you and your teacher."
Just then, a waiter came in and brought tea. Chen Zhou poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him. "Try it. Tea is one of the specialties of this place. They say it's made with tea leaves air-shipped from the south and brewed with spring water."
Zhou Jingxing picked up his cup and took a sip, then began to wonder if he was just a wild boar unable to appreciate fine tea. This was just ordinary tea, wasn't it? It tasted no different from the tea distributed in the office and library. Zhou Jingxing wanted to chat with Shen Zhou, but unfortunately, being an engineering student, he couldn't utter anything elegant. He dryly praised it, "It smells quite good," and put down his cup.
Chen Zhouwan laughed. Zhou Jingxing looked at him in confusion. He smiled and waved his hand: "No, you're the first one who didn't rave about this tea."
He smiled at Zhou Jingxing, "That's why I like you the most, Jingxing. You're genuine and unpretentious."
Do you like me?
Is this a confession of love? Oh my god!
Zhou Jingxing was so happy he almost fainted. Had he really succeeded in taking over so quickly? There were still so many plans in the proposal that hadn't been executed yet! What should he do now?
Should we respond to him?
A fervent light shone in Zhou Jingxing's eyes. In a moment of impulsiveness, he reached out and grasped Chen Zhou's hand, blurting out, "I like you too!"
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