The rain outside the car window finally subsided a bit, and through the mist, I could vaguely see the car in front of me starting to move. I smiled and said to Ye Zhi, "Thank goodness, it's not a landslide. The road ahead is clear. Let me see how long it will take to reach the service area."
As I spoke, I traced the route map on the navigation screen with my finger.
Ye Zhi stopped me, and said to me with an extremely serious expression, "I'm talking to you about Chen Jin, can you please not change the subject?"
"This is between Chen Jin and me, there's nothing to talk about... Let's switch seats quickly, I've had enough sleep, I'll drive the rest of the way."
As I spoke, I opened the car door, and Ye Zhi passively switched seats with me. I could sense that she wanted to say more about this topic, but she couldn't find a suitable way or reason to speak. This was because it was a sensitive taboo between us, involving not only business interests but also exposing the biggest flaw in our relationship. So the more she talked, the more my self-esteem was hurt.
In fact, given this conflict of interest, she was in a difficult position, not to mention me.
...
After I took over driving, the car speed increased significantly, and we arrived at the service area after twenty minutes. The service area in the mountains was not as good as those outside; the restrooms were just makeshift structures. In addition, everyone had been stuck in traffic for so long, causing the service area to be overcrowded. Ye Zhi followed a group of people and waited in line for a long time before finally getting a seat. You can imagine what the sanitary conditions of such a restroom were like.
I made her suffer. Even though it wasn't a big deal, I still feel guilty because I know she's never lived a normal life, and she has to learn to adapt to being with me.
Fifteen minutes later, we continued on our way, and the rain stopped completely after we had driven for a while... To our surprise, a very beautiful rainbow appeared between the two mountains in front of us.
I thought Ye Zhi would take out her phone to take a picture, but she didn't move at all. She just stared into the distance, lost in thought. And judging by the time, we hadn't spoken to each other for quite a while.
...
After the afternoon and then the twilight, night finally arrived. I drove to a relatively large service area in Sichuan and filled up the car with gas, while Ye Zhi went to buy some food.
In order to save time, we had a quick dinner in the car; by then it was already 7 p.m., and if we hadn't been stuck in traffic for so long, we should have arrived in Chengdu by now.
Ye Zhi finally spoke, asking me, "Are you tired? Let me take over driving for a while longer."
"It's okay, the road conditions are great right now, and we should be home in three more hours."
As I spoke, I turned to look at Ye Zhi. Her face already showed signs of fatigue, and I felt even more guilty. But should there be feelings of guilt between boyfriends and girlfriends?
I felt a little disappointed. I wanted to get closer to her so badly, but instead, an even thicker wall rose between us. This wall, like a dark cloud, trapped me and her.
I gradually realized that I was right back then. We needed some space. I needed to use this space to grow quickly, and she also needed this space to understand me more deeply and the life I had. But we were in a hurry to start.
I understand that this eagerness stems from genuine mutual attraction, but the immense pressure is also real.
Suddenly, in the blinding light from the oncoming headlights, I felt a sudden, inexplicable panic, and then I sped up...
...
At 9:30, the car finally exited the highway, and the silence between Ye Zhi and me was even longer than before. I tried to break the silence, so I said to her, "See? After passing the tallest building ahead, just walk one more street and you'll be at my house."
Ye Zhi looked up and then said to me, "I'm a little nervous."
I smiled and said, "You've met my dad. My mom is a very approachable housewife. You don't need to be nervous at all... Just think of it as attending a routine meeting. We're all your subordinates."
"That won't do, your parents are elders."
I glanced at her, then changed the subject, asking with a smile, "By the way, I know you bought wine for my dad... What gift did you buy for my mom later?"
"A silk scarf."
"Oh...it didn't cost too much, did it?"
"No."
As Ye Zhi said this, she subconsciously glanced out the car window again.
I asked, "So, what do you think of the night view of our small county town? Not bad, right?"
"Um."
I held the steering wheel with one hand and gently placed the other on her hand, indicating that she didn't need to be too nervous...
Actually, while comforting her, I should also be thankful, because her anxiety stemmed from caring... and I could also feel that she was very sincere towards me; so even in the service area, facing such a disgusting restroom, she didn't complain to me, but just silently adapted to my lifestyle, and in my life, there are no five-star hotels or first-class cabins.
I let out a soft sigh, then whispered to her, "Are you still thinking about the conflict of interest between us and Cao Jinbo?"
Ye Zhi replied with some disappointment, "I feel like some of my thoughts have caused you a lot of trouble... I feel like I've become an obstacle to your career, and I hate this feeling, it even makes me anxious..."
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