0065 73 Since we're already here
Zhou Xiye looked at Zhou Qiming with amusement. Suddenly, he lowered his head, and when he turned back, his expression was much more amiable.
"District Chief Pei, hello."
Belatedly realizing what was happening, Zhou Xiye turned to look behind him. A tall, slender figure loomed over him, wearing a light blue hooded sweater under a dark blue jacket, exuding a youthful air and a touch of rebelliousness. Zhou Xiye looked up and saw that the person's soft hair hung loosely over their forehead, half-dry. His gaze shifted slightly downwards, meeting those eyes, and Zhou Xiye's heart skipped a beat.
His pupils flickered under the light, and tiny glimmers of light flowed in his eyes.
She suddenly stood up, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Pei Zhiyu glanced at her blankly, his gaze icy, then pulled out a chair and sat down. He didn't respond to Zhou Qiming's words, but waved to the distance, signaling the waiter to take their order.
Zhou Xiye licked his lips, smiled at Zhou Qiming's fawning expression, and turned to look at the person beside him, "Pei Zhiyu, is this your subordinate?"
Zhou Qiming's brows twitched upon hearing this. He looked at Zhou Xiye, then at Pei Zhiyu, not understanding what was going on.
Just then, the waiter came over, and Pei Zhiyu took the menu and focused on ordering.
“Hmm… District Chief Pei and I were college classmates,” Zhou Xiye said, looking at Pei Zhiyu’s profile. Her fair and smooth face had a sharp and cold look, with dark and deep eyes, thick eyebrows, a high nose, and exquisite lips, all of which exuded nobility and elegance.
Suddenly, Pei Zhiyu looked up and met Zhou Xiye's scrutinizing gaze.
Subconsciously, Zhou Xiye paused for a moment, then straightened his back.
"You don't eat houttuynia cordata or sashimi?"
Zhou Xiye nodded, puzzled, and watched as Pei Zhiyu placed the menu on the table, pointing to a few dishes, "That's all, thank you."
After the waiter left, Zhou Qiming called out softly again, "District Chief Pei, are you here for dinner too?"
Pei Zhiyu frowned slightly. "You are...?"
Zhou Xiye chuckled to himself, looking at Zhou Qiming and saying, "He's a junior staff member at the tax bureau. You don't usually have much contact with him, so it's normal that you don't know him."
Pei Zhiyu nodded, her gaze falling on Zhou Xiye. "What's he doing here?"
"He's from your district, how would I know what he's doing here?"
Sweat poured down Zhou Qiming's forehead. He couldn't stand or sit still. He resented Zhou Xiye. He was supposed to be on a blind date, but how did he end up being District Chief Pei's classmate? And why didn't he know what Zhou Xiye was doing here?
But he was unable to speak.
Zhou Xiye noticed his awkwardness and waved his hand with a smile, "Section Chief Zhou, didn't you have something to do? You can go now, see you another day."
Zhou Qiming smiled and said, "Okay, see you another day," bowed slightly, and then turned to leave.
Only after watching his figure disappear into the elevator did Zhou Xiye reveal a gloating smile.
Pei Zhiyu glanced at her. "Is it fun to use me to put him down?"
Zhou Xiye picked up the empty wine glass, poured a glass of red wine, and handed it to Pei Zhiyu, saying, "Old classmate, long time no see."
Pei Zhiyu shook her head, refusing the wine glass Zhou Xiye offered, "Sorry, I'm allergic to alcohol."
Zhou Xiye nodded, placed her glass on the table, and didn't feel uncomfortable. Whether it was an alcohol allergy or not, Zhou Xiye wasn't sure; she knew Pei Zhiyu definitely didn't want to drink her glass.
Soon, the food was served.
Pei Zhiyu ate her meal quietly. Zhou Xiye wasn't hungry to begin with, and although he tried to leave several times, he didn't give her a chance. Zhou Xiye mocked himself, thinking that in his eyes, he was nothing more than a magpie trying to climb the social ladder, no matter how. In his eyes, ordinary people climbing the social ladder was shameful, dark, and lacking in manners and class.
Children born into wealthy families naturally harbor a strong aversion to ambitious ordinary people like Zhou Xiye. They see him as overly utilitarian, scheming, and an incompetent ant dreaming of becoming an elephant.
"Aren't you going to eat something?" Pei Zhiyu wiped his mouth and suddenly asked her, his eyes still deep and unfathomable.
Zhou Xiye looked around at the dishes on the table. She liked them all, but she was too full. "District Chief Pei, I ate some dessert earlier, so I can't eat anymore. Thank you for your kindness."
Pei Zhiyu nodded, raised her hand to signal the waiter to clear away the food in front of her, and said, "Please give me a glass of water, thank you."
All his actions were elegant, but not out of respect for the waiter; rather, they stemmed from his own upbringing.
The restaurant lights dimmed, with only the table lamp in the center of the table shining brightly. Zhou Xiye and Pei Zhiyu each had a glass of wine and a glass of water in front of them, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Seeing Pei Zhiyu leaning back in her chair, her face alternating between light and shadow, Zhou Xiye curled the corners of his lips. It was time to get down to business.
You're on a blind date.
Zhou Xiye nodded, "Yes." She smiled; she never liked being passive at the negotiating table. She then asked, "Does District Chief Pei have any candidates to recommend to me?"
Pei Zhiyu looked at Zhou Xiye, her gaze shifting, and remained silent for a long time.
He didn't respond. Zhou Xiye crossed his arms, looked down at the wine in his glass, and pondered Pei Zhiyu's intentions.
In business, the two didn't interact much. Privately, they had no contact whatsoever. However, it wasn't hard to guess that Pei Zhiyu had given the key point: "blind date." Since he wasn't there to recommend someone, then… Zhou Xiye looked at Pei Zhiyu in surprise.
He curled the corners of his lips into a smile, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "Zhou Xiye, I know you are an ambitious and strategic woman, and I am aware of your current situation. Perhaps this is a predicament for you, but for me, it is an opportunity—an opportunity to cooperate with you."
He paused, leaned forward, and his expression, sharp and clear under the light, formed a sharp arc. "If you're looking to get married, you might want to consider me."
Zhou Xiye was shocked. Pei Zhiyu wanted to marry her? The first thought that popped into Zhou Xiye's mind was: marriage would provide Pei Zhiyu with a convenient means to kill his wife. Instinctively, Zhou Xiye picked up her wine glass, but within seconds, she calmed down, not drinking, but swirling the glass.
At this moment, every cell in Zhou Xiye's body was filled with a sense of crisis.
“District Chief Pei, my criteria for choosing a partner are complex, yet simple.”
Pei Zhiyu nodded and leaned back in his chair again, but this time he was not as relaxed as before. His posture was straight, as if he had gathered all his strength under his skin.
“I know what you’re thinking. If you marry me, you won’t have to rely too much on Ye Lifeng’s power. I can help you.”
Zhou Xiye took a sip of her drink, placed the glass on the table, and looked at Pei Zhiyu. The conditions he offered were far too generous; in the arena of power, no one would be a fool. "What do you want from me?"
At this point, Pei Zhiyu actually smiled, the cool water rippled slightly, and soft light flowed across his face. "You."
Zhou Xiye instinctively refused, "I will not betray Ye Lifeng," and looked at Pei Zhiyu, "If your family wants to have any contact with him, you don't need to go through me. I am just a pawn."
Pei Zhiyu's smile vanished. She picked up a glass of water and took a sip.
"Think about my suggestion," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late. You've been drinking. Let me take you home."
But her car...
"Give me the car keys, and I'll send someone to drive the car back to you."
Pei Zhiyu stood up, transforming back into the dignified prince. Zhou Xiye reluctantly stood up, put on his coat, and handed him the car keys. He followed him towards the parking lot. Pei Zhiyu's car was even more extravagant than Zhou Xiye had imagined; the door slowly opened, and Zhou Xiye got in.
The car's interior features a dazzling starry sky ceiling, showcasing the owner's elegance. Soft music plays as Zhou Xiye leans back in his million-dollar seat, gazing at the scenery outside the window.
After a short while, Zhou Xiye suddenly turned to Pei Zhiyu and asked, "District Chief Pei, what's the fastest your car can go?"
"490 kilometers per hour."
Zhou Xiye shrugged. "Then it's a bit unfair to this car that you're driving so slowly."
Pei Zhiyu kept her eyes on the road ahead, seemingly not responding to Zhou Xiye's words, but Zhou Xiye felt the car's propulsion and the car's speed increased.
"Tonight's dinner might not be to your liking. We can go back to the school cafeteria and eat there sometime."
Pei Zhiyu suddenly said, and Zhou Xiye turned to look at him, smiling and nodding, "Okay, it's just that inflation in Beiyuan is going too fast. The same plate of fried rice noodles costs twelve yuan in the third canteen, but it costs fifteen yuan in Beiyuan, even though the two are only two intersections apart."
Pei Zhiyu smiled slightly after hearing this and glanced at Zhou Xiye in the rearview mirror. "This is an old problem in Beiyuan. I remember you even did a survey with the school newspaper back then, and their official response was: the rent in Beiyuan is higher than that in the third canteen."
Zhou Xiye got angry when this was mentioned. "They're just taking advantage of the fact that I didn't study economics. Are the high rents at train stations and airports because of high prices? It's clearly because they sell things at high prices that the rents are increased!"
Pei Zhiyu's eyes were full of smiles. After exchanging a glance with him, Zhou Xiye belatedly realized that he had never seen Pei Zhiyu so easy to get along with.
A short while later, the car arrived at the entrance of Zhou Xiye's residential area.
Pei Zhiyu opened the door for Zhou Xiye, her tone filled with joy as she said, "You're home safely."
Zhou Xiye got out of the car and watched Pei Zhiyu's car disappear from sight before turning around and entering the community gate.
After Zhou Xiye had completely entered the residential area, a black car slowly pulled up to the side of the road in the distance.
The car had been parked for quite a while.
The interior of the car was pitch black.
The lighter clicked, a bright spot flashed in the darkness, and smoke followed.
Ling Xingzhi smoked one cigarette after another until the cigarette pack was empty, then he rolled down all the car windows to let in fresh air.
The phone on the passenger seat lit up and vibrated repeatedly. Ling Xingzhi bent down to pick it up, and three words flashed on the screen: Wei Luochen.
Just as Ling Xingzhi was about to connect, his phone was snatched away.
He turned his head to look out the window.
Zhou Xiye leaned against the car window with a smile, twirling his phone in his hand.
"Since you're already here, would you like to come up and have a seat?"
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