Chapter 54 Don't Miss the Opportunity
He handed over a form, pen tip pointing upwards, with a respectful posture.
The air conditioner inside the store was making a slight noise.
The air was filled with the smell of leather and new cars.
As darkness fell outside the window, streetlights came on one by one, illuminating the neatly arranged vehicles in the parking lot.
Song Zhiwei filled in her residential community address and phone number.
Then he got into the car with Zhou Zhiwei.
She sat in the passenger seat, still clutching the signed document in her hand, her knuckles slightly white.
She looked down at her knees, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart.
She knew that from this moment on, her life had taken another step forward.
She can never go back to that ordinary life she once had.
Half an hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of the residential area.
Under the streetlights, a few fallen leaves were swept along the ground by the wind.
The vendors at the entrance of the residential area were packing up their stalls, and their shouts gradually faded into the distance.
The motion-sensor lights in the hallway turned on as they arrived.
The dim light shone on the cement floor, casting long shadows of the two people.
"Uncle, thank you so much for today."
Zhou Zhiwei smiled and glanced at her, then reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Why are you thanking me?"
That familiar feeling sent a shiver down Song Zhiwei's spine, and her eyes stung slightly.
She tried to suppress her emotions, lowered her head, and dared not look him in the eye.
Song Zhiwei's neck tightened. She wanted to move away, but was afraid of seeming distant, so she could only whisper, "Then I'll go up first."
Her voice was barely audible, and her fingers unconsciously touched her disheveled hair.
She opened the door, and the night breeze rushed in, dispelling the warmth inside the car.
She took a deep breath, stepped out of the car, and her footsteps were so light that they were almost inaudible.
Zhou Zhiwei nodded: "Okay, the furniture I ordered should be delivered this weekend. I'll come over to see you then."
He watched her departing figure with gentle eyes.
The car window was still half open, and a cool breeze blew in, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.
He did not start the car immediately.
Instead, he quietly watched her walk into the stairwell until the iron door closed behind her.
Song Zhiwei's throat moved, but she didn't say anything more. She pushed open the door and got out of the car.
She stood still and glanced back.
The black sedan was parked at the edge of the lamplight.
The streetlights shone through the car window, obscuring the expressions on the faces inside.
She pursed her lips, turned around, and walked towards the stairwell.
The elevator reached the sixteenth floor, and when the doors opened, it was pitch black.
She took out her key, her finger pausing for a moment in front of the keyhole.
The room was completely silent; even the curtains weren't drawn.
The city lights outside the window streamed in through the glass.
Standing at the door, she suddenly felt that the house seemed emptier than before.
The corridor lights in this building are voice-activated.
The light will turn on automatically at the slightest noise.
She lifted her foot and gently stomped on the ground, making a "smack" sound.
The old fluorescent light overhead turned on in response.
The moment the lights came on, a dark figure swiftly descended from the direction of the stairwell.
Immediately afterwards, a tall man appeared not far from her and stood there quietly.
Song Zhiwei was startled by the sudden appearance of the figure.
She subconsciously took half a step back and touched her chest.
After a few seconds, he forced himself to remain calm and asked in a low voice, "President Sheng, what are you doing here?"
Sheng Tingzhou's gaze swept coldly across her face.
His tone was cold as he asked, word by word, "You know your uncle and Qiao Yiqing broke up, right?"
Song Zhiwei's throat suddenly tightened.
She pursed her lips, which were a little dry, and her voice was so low it was almost a whisper.
"Um."
The man's brow twitched slightly upon hearing this simple response, but he did not speak immediately.
He took a cigarette out of his pocket.
Then, he used one hand to shield the flame and lit a cigarette.
A flash of firelight in the darkness illuminated his sharply defined profile.
He took a slow inhale, and wisps of smoke drifted from his lips.
Song Zhiwei initially intended to ignore him, but instead took out her keys and prepared to walk past him to her room.
Just as her fingers touched the doorknob, she suddenly heard a low, hoarse voice behind her.
"Still not giving up?"
The winter wind seeped in through the cracks in the corridor, carrying a biting chill.
She froze, finding it difficult to even breathe.
After a moment, she suddenly lowered her head, closed her eyes, and tried to calm her turbulent emotions.
Then, she took a deep breath.
The next second, she turned around abruptly, her eyes already red and tears welling up.
She stared intently at Sheng Tingzhou, her voice trembling.
"Do you only feel happy when you trample on me like this?"
"Yes, I don't have a good family background, I don't have any connections, I'm just an ordinary person."
Her voice grew louder and louder.
"I'm not worthy of Zhou Zhiwei, nor of anyone in your circle. But when did I ever say I wanted to climb the ladder? When did I ever say I was after anything?"
Before she could finish speaking, hot tears slid down her cheeks.
She always knew very well that from the moment she stepped into the Zhou family home that day, she was destined to be an outcast in that world.
If Xie Lingling hadn't been lucky enough to marry into the Zhou family...
A girl like her, from an ordinary background with no connections, would never have the chance to meet those people in her entire life.
But so what?
Does she deserve to have her dignity trampled on?
Why should she be forced to live a life of subservience?
Sheng Tingzhou remained standing in the same spot, without moving an inch.
His fingers held the cigarette, the ash piling up and growing longer until it almost broke off.
He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, the door opened with a "click".
Immediately afterwards, with a loud bang, the door was slammed shut again.
The wind outside grew stronger, howling and pounding against the glass windows at the end of the corridor.
The motion-activated light overhead flickered a few times due to the vibrations caused by the wind.
The lights flickered on and off, eventually emitting a "buzz" sound before slowly dimming and going out completely.
Sheng Tingzhou stood there stunned for a long time.
His gaze was fixed ahead, yet it seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Until the ash finally burned his finger, a searing pain suddenly struck.
He seemed to suddenly wake up, frowned, and quickly flicked away the cigarette butt.
He stood still for two seconds.
He then lifted his foot, turned around, and walked steadily toward his apartment.
Inside the room, Song Zhiwei knelt on the cold floor, water from the showerhead dripping continuously, sliding down her wet hair in strings.
The steam blurred her vision.
——
Friday arrived in the blink of an eye.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
The office lights came on.
The light shone on the computer screen, reflecting Song Zhiwei's tired profile.
She rubbed her aching temples and was about to pack up to leave work when her phone suddenly vibrated slightly on the table.
She glanced down and saw a message from He Yufeng: "Zhiwei, want to have dinner together tonight?"
Song Zhiwei stared at the message for a few seconds, her finger hovering over the screen.
Actually, she was extremely tired today. She had attended three meetings in a row and handled several urgent contracts, and her mind was already buzzing.
But just as she hesitated, Xie Lingling's reminder from a few days ago echoed in her ears again.
"The He family has a good impression of you, and He Yufeng is also a good catch. If you can get closer to him, it will be very helpful for your future development. Don't miss the opportunity."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com