Harbor
The next day, Zhong Yunxi casually called Bai Yi at the time when his driver usually took her to work. Bai Yi was in a sore spot. After hanging up, she sent him a WeChat message: "Catch up on sleep, don't bother me."
Zhong Yunxi could only smile helplessly. He couldn't understand why he could indulge her like this.
Xue Meng parked the car in the underground parking garage of the Dongchen Fund Building, and Zhong Yunxi put away his phone and got out of the car.
Mr. Chen was waiting for him in his office.
As soon as he entered, General Manager Chen stood up, stepped out from behind his desk, went to the tea counter, and handed him a coffee: "Please sit down."
Zhong Yunxi took the coffee and got straight to the point: "Isn't Sijian Pharmaceutical backed by state-owned assets from Guangdong and Hong Kong? What are the thoughts from the Beijing side?"
General Manager Chen laughed and said, "If we can handle things in the UK and Hong Kong, why would it escalate to the capital? The higher-ups have given instructions that we should try our best to resolve Sijian's problems. Local governments are under a lot of pressure to reduce debt. Local state-owned assets can't completely cover up a company of this size. They always want the capital to step in and lend a hand. It involves tens of thousands of jobs, and the capital can't ignore it. Let's take precautions, otherwise, if we drag it out, it will become the next Tiansheng."
Zhong Yunxi took a sip of coffee, showing little reaction. It was his duty to handle these kinds of matters for the capital. He only asked, "Is the audit problem serious?"
"It's not serious, but it's reached a point where intervention is necessary. Capital injection is unavoidable, and major changes to internal management and business lines are required. Yuegang only has your leadership; if you find it difficult, I will find capital from Shanghai and Hangzhou to provide assistance."
Zhong Yunxi thought for a moment and said, "No need, Leading Innovation is enough. We can bring in foreign or private capital and let them bring in new management ideas."
Hearing this, Mr. Chen felt relieved: "You know what, foreign companies are indeed interested. At yesterday's reception, the president of M&K China talked to me. They have a strong presence in Vietnam and Hong Kong. If you need it, I'll have him contact you. The pharmaceutical industry has advantages and is easier to handle than the manufacturing industry."
Zhong Yunxi nodded: "I'll go back to Yuegang to review Sijian's audit and financial statements, and meet with the people from Yuegang State-owned Assets and Sijian's board of directors."
He put down his cup, and President Chen patted him on the shoulder: "You've had enough time in Vietnam and Hong Kong, so go back to Beijing. Your experience over the years is enough to give you a more important position in the capital."
He smiled and shook his head: "I guess I'll have to settle down in Vietnam."
Mr. Chen looked slightly surprised, then smiled knowingly and said, "You've finally figured it out? Is she a girl from the Wen family?"
Zhong Yunxi said calmly, "No."
Mr. Chen didn't ask any further questions, but just smiled and said, "Then I'll have to prepare a red envelope for you as soon as possible."
The two chatted about some policies and industry information before Zhong Yunxi left Dongchen.
As soon as he got into the car, Xue Meng reported to him: "I have already sent a card to Miss Shi Qi."
Bai Yi brought a tall, narrow-mouthed vase and a cluster of swallows into the office, where he was once again the butt of the group of slackers, who then treated him like a melon seed.
—A colleague from the Medical Affairs Department saw Fairy in the elevator today, bringing a beautiful vase of flowers. Here's a close-up photo.
-[picture]
—I asked the AI, and it said to name it Morpho Butterfly, Gauze Blue Swallow.
—Another day of learning from the fairy.
Shang Xinlan showed Wen Ying the chat history of the company's "slacking off" group.
He texted her: "Sis, maybe it's my sister's perspective, but I really think you're better than me. Zhong Yunxi's girlfriend is just a pretty face with no family background. He's a top investment banker from Wall Street, the president of a well-known investment institution in Hong Kong and Vietnam. How can he be so superficial? Would the Shi family let him act like this?"
Wen Ying swiped her fingertips across the phone screen, her expression blank. When had Zhong Yunxi ever cared about other people's opinions? Even if he married a pretty face, no one in his family would dare to object.
Wen Ying replied: I don't want to comment.
She didn't want anyone to bring up her past with Zhong Yunxi, which was clearly fabricated. When she was young, she was vain and competitive, and she dared to make up such a lie. Now, it seemed incredibly stupid.
Shang Xinlan thought her cousin was still heartbroken and sighed deeply. She then invited Meng Shuang to go out for hot pot that evening.
He complained to Meng Shuang, "Do you also think Bai Yi is really that naive?"
Meng Shuang knew she felt sorry for her cousin, but fate can't be forced, so she could only tell the truth: "Well, one thing subdues another."
She was too embarrassed to describe the interaction between Zhong Yunxi and Bai Yi during dinner the day before yesterday, otherwise Shang Xinlan would feel even more upset.
"It's a good thing you're in the finance department; you two don't deal with each other, otherwise you would definitely have tripped her up," Meng Shuang reminded her best friend.
Shang Xinlan: ...
Even a hot pot meal couldn't make her feel any better.
Before Zhong Yunxi returned home, Shi Qi drove to the hotel and gave him a trunk full of gifts.
He frowned as he looked at it.
Shi Qi said proudly, "Brother, you're not going to deliver all of these at once. You can take one or two out every now and then and deliver them all the way until the New Year."
She pointed to a rectangular wooden box: "This set of porcelain is my favorite. It contains various mugs that young people like. It's from a very impressive studio, a limited edition, with antique-style famille rose, doucai, and enamelware—it has everything. There are six in the set, and you can give her one every two weeks. She'll love it."
"There's also a whole set of Jellycat floral fabric bunny dolls, but I don't know if she likes the floral fabric series, so I bought two off-white ones too. Hehe."
Shi Qi was so engrossed in her talent for selecting products that she lost all sense of reason and became oblivious to the world around her.
Zhong Yunxi: ...
Shih-Chi returned the card, laughing and saying, "Next time you come, you'll need to buy me a gift, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and will bankrupt you."
Zhong Yunxi took it: "You're quite self-aware."
Before leaving, Shi Qi reminded him again, "Take your time to sort through these gifts when you get back. If you don't know what to give for which holiday, feel free to ask me for advice; there's an extra fee for that."
If these gifts can help her cousin win over his girlfriend, her achievement will be worthy of being recorded in the family genealogy.
Zhong Yunxi asked, "What should we give as a gift when we get our marriage certificate tomorrow?"
Shi Qi: !!!
"Brother, you're really going this far! You didn't even meet your parents, and you just went ahead and did it without asking? Aren't you afraid your aunt will beat you to death?"
"I am willing to marry her, she should be happy."
Shi Qi laughed uncontrollably: "Am I the first one to know?"
Zhong Yunxi glanced at her, and Shi Qi immediately understood: "Don't worry, I won't say a word."
Shi Qi shook her phone: "I'll go back and check the gift list, and choose one carefully. But since you're going to see your girlfriend tonight, I suggest you give her that white bunny."
This assist filled Shi Qi with a sense of ownership and pride.
When they returned to Vietnam, it was dinnertime, and Zhong Yunxi had a light meal on the plane. After landing, he found the bunny Shi Qi had mentioned among the gifts and asked Xue Meng to send the rest of the gifts to the villa.
He went directly from the airport to Qiwu Mountain Residence.
It was drizzling over the harbor; in late autumn, a rain shower can make you feel three degrees colder.
When he called Bai Yi, he noticed her voice sounded a little nasal, which wasn't the case when he called her that morning. He asked, "Do you have a cold?"
Bai Yi nestled on the sofa, holding a tablet, reading papers and designing experiments.
"No. It's a bit cold at night, I'll go to sleep right away." She wrapped the blanket around herself.
"It's raining, so wear an extra layer even when you're at home."
Bai Yi listened carefully to the sound of rain outside, paused for a moment, and asked him, "Did you go back to Yuegang?"
Zhong Yunxi laughed and asked in return, "Have you forgotten what day it is tomorrow?"
The doorbell rang, and Wang Ma hurried to open the door.
Bai Yi had a premonition that it was him, and stared blankly at the hall door.
Wang Ma took the umbrella from him and put it away.
Zhong Yunxi entered the hall, dressed in a suit, still carrying the dampness of the rain outside, his expression cold and aloof. Only the white bunny he carried seemed out of place.
Bai Yi smiled and opened her arms to him.
Zhong Yunxi smiled and walked over, placed the rabbit on a corner of the sofa, and bent down to hug her.
Bai Yi pushed him away: "Rabbit."
Zhong Yunxi: ...
With a helpless smile, he picked up the rabbit and put it in her arms.
Zhong Yunxi picked up the tablet she had left on the sofa, sat down next to her, and tucked a blanket around her. "Don't catch a cold."
Bai Yi rubbed the rabbit in his arms and asked with a smile, "Who bought it?"
"I brought it with me. You're asking me who bought it?" Zhong Yunxi glanced at her, reached out and touched the water glass with ginger slices on the coffee table. It was a bit cold, so he got up to refill it with hot water.
Bai Yi didn't believe he would buy her a companion doll, but he seemed to mind that his feelings were being diverted to someone else.
Zhong Yunxi brought over a water glass, handed it to her, looked at her but didn't speak, silently condemning her for being heartless.
Bai Yi drank her water and smiled as she looked at him, knowing he was a little angry but wouldn't say it.
After a few seconds of eye contact, Zhong Yunxi gave up first, saying, "Just consider it as me buying it."
He paid double for all her gifts. The middleman had already made a profit, and now he wanted to take away her sentiment too. How could he be willing to be such a traitor?
Bai Yi took a few sips of water, handed the cup to him, and rubbed her face against the rabbit. "It definitely wasn't you who bought it. Could it have been Assistant Xue?"
Zhong Yunxi was amused by her: "Xue Meng has no grudge against you, don't hurt him."
He still had a series of Bonnie bunnies that he hadn't given her yet. To avoid her thinking of Xue Meng whenever she saw Bonnie bunnies in the future, Zhong Yunxi still mentioned his cousin Shi Qi to her.
Bai Yi placed the rabbit on his lap, lay down with it as a pillow, wrapped the blanket tightly around him, and asked, "Has the box not been opened yet?"
"No, I'm in the car." Zhong Yunxi smoothed her hair, his fingers lingering on her cheek, and then he lowered his head to kiss her forehead.
Bai Yi couldn't tell whether she hoped he couldn't resist secretly watching or that he would patiently wait a few days. She was always testing Zhong Yunxi, but she didn't even know what she wanted to find out.
Perhaps she was too insecure, so insecure that no matter what feedback Zhong Yunxi gave, he couldn't soothe her. Or perhaps, Zhong Yunxi always seemed so at ease, and she couldn't see through his heart at all.
Lying on her side with her head on his lap, curled up, her hands tucked under the blanket, clutching her chin, she looked frail, timid, and innocent.
Tomorrow is the day we've agreed to get our marriage certificate. She was feeling anxious and couldn't sleep, and the rain was making her feel irritable. But he brought a cute little rabbit toy. She reached her hand out from under the blanket, pulled the rabbit's ears, and wrapped it around her neck. The soft touch made her feel much more comfortable.
She squinted, half-asleep, and muttered, "Zhong Yunxi, I have a bad temper. You have to coax me from now on. You're not allowed to make me angry, and you're not allowed to be angry with me..."
That's quite a capricious statement.
Zhong Yunxi lowered his head and looked at her, then patted her back: "Mm."
He sat in the living room for an hour, and Bai Yi remained asleep. He didn't want to wake her. Wang Ma came over to tidy up the tea set on the table and whispered, "Miss's bedroom is upstairs."
Zhong Yunxi hummed in agreement and lay down to sleep in the living room. Afraid that she might catch a cold, he gently picked her up after about ten minutes and carried the rabbit upstairs.
He placed the bunny in her arms and left a nightlight on.
As the car drove out of Qiwu Mountain Residence, the rain intensified. He sat in the back seat, glancing at the streams of rainwater streaming down the car window, and frowned slightly. He disliked the rainy season.
He lifted the armrest box, picked up the small box Bai Yi had given him, twirled it a few times between his fingers, and then opened it.
He chuckled to himself, thinking: Little liar, all he does is make empty promises.
He changed his mind at the last minute, intending to go to the office, and instead pressed the button for the hotel floor after getting on the elevator.
For many years, he had never been able to fall asleep easily on rainy nights, but at this moment, he was a little sleepy.
On the weekend, Zhong Yunxi followed his usual routine. He did some single-leg squats and jogging in the hotel gym, took a shower in his room, and called Bai Yi when he went to the buffet restaurant.
No one answered.
He glanced at the time; it was eight o'clock, and most people were still asleep.
After dinner, Zhong Yunxi took his car and went to Qiwu Mountain Residence. On the way, he passed a flower shop and picked up a large bouquet of Kayla roses.
When Bai Yi came downstairs, she passed through the living room and saw her father and Zhong Yunxi chatting idly.
Zhong Yunxi put down the book in his hand, got up and went to the restaurant with her.
After a week at work, on the first weekend, Bai Yi was still a little groggy from sleep. She sat at the dining table, still lost in thought.
Zhong Yunxi peeled two hard-boiled eggs for her, putting the egg whites on her plate. "Still sleepy?"
She shook her head: "I'm not sleepy, I just don't want to wake up."
Zhong Yunxi chuckled as he summarized her state: "Want to stay in bed?"
She kicked him under the table.
Zhong Yunxi glanced at his phone. His cousin Shi Qi had sent him a message suggesting what gift to give him when they got their marriage certificate today, but he didn't intend to take it into consideration.
It took more than an hour to wait for Bai Yi to eat, put on makeup, and change clothes.
No one has ever wasted his time like this before.
It's often said that where money is, there is love.
For him, love is where his time and energy are.
She wore light makeup, a white shirt, and a high-waisted tulle skirt as she came downstairs. Her proportions were already good, and the black knee-length skirt made her legs look especially long. The contrast between black and white made her seem enveloped in a hazy white light.
It's been half a month since the start of autumn, and it rained last night. Zhong Yunxi asked, "Are you cold? Don't catch a cold."
Bai Yi glanced at him: "White shirts are hard to match with clothes."
The implication is that the coldness was also for the purpose of getting the marriage certificate with him, and that she had to wear a white shirt for the ID photo, so the responsibility lay with him.
Zhong Yunxi smiled and looked down. "Then I'll take you home early today."
Bai Yi: ...
Who wants to go home with you?
"By the way, I'll go upstairs and get the Bunny Bunny to put in the car. You can use the car that picks me up and drops me off, that way I'll be in a better mood when I go to and from get off work."
Zhong Yunxi pulled her back: "Just keep that one to sleep with you tonight. There are several more at home. I'll keep one in each of your cars."
Bai Yi was satisfied: "Oh."
The marriage certificate application process was very quick.
Zhong Yunxi took photos of the two marriage certificates, planning to send them to Ms. Shi Lin when he had time. He gave her his own certificate and kept hers.
She refused: "You keep it."
Zhong Yunxi was silent for two seconds, then simply said, "Okay."
He reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, then turned his head and kissed her ear: "I prepared a gift for you, how about we go home and see it?"
Bai Yi nodded and hummed in agreement. She still had the ring she hadn't given away in her bag.
Zhong Yunxi drove directly to Boyuntan. After exiting the city's elevated road, it felt like entering a forest, with towering green plants covering the ground.
Boyuntan is a lakeside villa area. The road leading in and out of Boyuntan is only two lanes, making it particularly quiet and low-key. A series of gates recognize faces and license plates, and there are speed limits and no honking. Although it is in the city, it is quiet and serene, like a parallel universe to the rest of Yuegang.
After entering, Zhong Yunxi pointed to the pile of gift boxes on the sofa and asked with a smile, "Should we open them all now, or take our time when we have some free time?"
Shi Qi was also surprised that he couldn't hide it for even a day. When asked to deliver it every few days, he delivered it all at once.
Bai Yi tugged at his arm and asked with a smile, "Where's the box I gave you? Aren't you going to take it out and look at it?"
He pulled the person into his arms: "I've seen it."
Bai Yi: ...
"I said we could only watch it on Saturday!" she scolded him.
Zhong Yunxi laughed and said, "It was Saturday. I didn't watch it until after midnight."
"Zhong Yunxi!" She struggled in his arms, angrily calling out his full name.
Zhong Yunxi tightened his grip on her, his chin rubbing against her forehead: "Mrs. Zhong, how could you give me a ring that costs 1314? You didn't even promise me 1314 days."
The box contained the receipt for the ring she bought.
Just a single invoice, yet even now, thinking about it fills his chest with a feeling that, even with someone in his arms, it's not enough.
He gradually realized that Bai Yi was luring him in effortlessly.
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