Chapter 113 I really miss that...
Wei Ran parked the car steadily downstairs in front of Zhou Yue's building. She didn't rush to get out of the car. Actually, she wanted to make a "surprise attack," especially after Xia Zhiyao's mother called her last time. But it was too late that day, and it really wasn't a good time to disturb her.
She looked up and saw several windows lit up upstairs. She squinted, but couldn't make out what they were looking at. After looking for a long time, she still couldn't be sure.
She sighed, the impulse gradually fading during the long period of hesitation, and reason returned; going forward like this was not appropriate.
Zhou Yue is already thirty years old. He's no longer the child she has to nag about homework and ask about dinner. He has his own life, his own rhythm, and even... his own secrets. Would it be too abrupt to just knock on his door?
She picked up her phone, typed, deleted, typed again, deleted again, until finally, only one sentence remained: "I'm downstairs, is it convenient for me to come up now?"
The message "The other party is typing..." flashed and disappeared. Half a minute later, she could almost hear her own breathing when the message popped up: "[It's convenient, please come up.]" followed by a smiley face.
Looking at the "you" in the formal way, Wei Ran felt a mix of relief and bitterness. Since when had he started being so polite?
She took a deep breath, pushed open the car door, got out, and walked quickly towards the building entrance. Perhaps she was overthinking it; he agreed so readily, there shouldn't be any problem.
Wei Ran raised his hand and knocked on the door. The door opened, and Zhou Yue, wearing blue plaid pajamas, had slightly messy hair.
"Mom?" He paused, raising an eyebrow, the surprise vanishing in an instant before his expression returned to calm. "Coming over so late?" His voice was steady, devoid of joy or anger.
Wei Ran smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "My friend and I were having dinner nearby and passed by your place, so we thought we'd come up and drop by." As she spoke, she walked inside and casually asked, "What are you busy with?"
“Oh,” Zhou Yue replied casually, “Pack your things. I have to go to New York as soon as the National Day holiday is over.” As he spoke, he took a few shirts from the closet and put them on the bed.
Wei Ran took it from him and skillfully folded it for him: "How many days are you going?"
"About a week," Zhou Yue said calmly. "There's a project at my company that I need to work on, and it happens to be my old company, so it's convenient for me to go there."
He looked up, his gaze lingering on her face for a couple of seconds, then, as if remembering something, added casually, "By the way, Zhiyao is staying with me temporarily. Her new house was just renovated, and the smell is too strong."
He paused, then added, "She originally wanted to rent an apartment, but after looking around, there weren't any good ones, so I said she could just stay here with me."
Wei Ran's fingers paused slightly, and he lifted them up himself, decisively and without the slightest hesitation.
"Is this a place to stay?" She quickly regained her composure, a smile playing on her lips. "That's great, it'll be more lively with someone to keep me company."
“Just this period of time,” Zhou Yue said calmly. “We’re both usually busy and rarely see each other.”
His tone was natural and his delivery was flawless.
Wei Ran nodded, her smile gentle: "That's convenient."
The light shone on her face, casting subtle shadows. She remained dignified and composed, but a hint of searching and unease flickered in her eyes.
Wei Ran smiled casually, her tone gentle and indifferent, revealing no emotional fluctuation: "When you're on a business trip, you should bring some toiletries, right?" As she spoke, she reached out and pushed open the bathroom door.
The interior was almost deliberately clean, complete with a toothbrush cup, razor, face wash, and aftershave—all men's items.
The countertop was polished to a shine, and the towels were neatly folded.
Wei Ran stood at the door, his gaze slowly sweeping over the everyday items, his tone nonchalant: "For someone like you who travels so often for work, just buy some travel-sized samples. Use them up and throw them away, how convenient." His words were light, but the smile vanished as he spoke.
She narrowed her eyes slightly. The things were arranged too neatly, as if they had been arranged one by one on purpose. The faucet was so clean that there wasn't even a watermark, and the mirror was spotless. A subtle feeling arose in her heart. Although Zhou Yue was always particular, he would never be this meticulous. These things were not the work of a man.
Wei Ran knew that someone had taken care of this house for him, and it was a woman. Wei Ran withdrew her hand, raised her head again, and saw that her expression in the mirror was calm. She said softly, "It's quite complete."
"Mom, I need to take this call," Zhou Yue's voice came from the living room.
Hearing him walk towards the balcony, her phone vibrated, and she gave a low "hello." Taking advantage of the moment, Wei Ran turned around and walked almost silently to the other end of the corridor. The door to the second bedroom was ajar. She took a deep breath and gently pushed it open.
Several books were stacked on the bedside table, next to a pair of glasses. The blankets were neatly made, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Everything seemed orderly, yet a different kind of order was revealed in the details—the aura of a woman.
She slowly took a step back, and as she turned around, she glanced casually at another restroom. The countertop was overflowing with items, with no room for anything new. Various bottles and jars were neatly arranged: toners, serums, makeup removers, face creams, all kinds of cosmetics, and even scented candles. The meticulous atmosphere of daily life was palpable.
She watched quietly for a few seconds, her expression calm, but with a very light breath, her eyebrows twitched slightly. There was no surprise, no questioning, only a mother's unique, knowing calm. But that knowing calm had already been hidden in her eyes.
As Wei Ran returned to the living room, Zhou Yue had just finished his call. He walked in from the balcony, looked up at her, and asked in his usual calm voice, "Mom, would you like something to drink?"
"Hot water is fine." Wei Ran sat on the sofa, her hands folded on her knees, her tone gentle. She watched Zhou Yue walk into the kitchen, take a cup, fill it with water, and hand it over. His movements were clean and efficient, so familiar that they made her feel at ease, and made her even more unaware of any emotional turmoil.
“You don’t even go home for the holidays,” she said casually. “Your Uncle Jiang asked me yesterday if I had taken on some big project again.”
"I was planning to go back first thing tomorrow morning." Zhou Yue put down his water glass, sat down next to her, and after a moment's thought, added, "I've finished dealing with what happened on the phone earlier, so let's just go back today."
Wei Ran was slightly taken aback, and looked up at him, "Today?"
“Okay,” he nodded, his tone natural and without the slightest hesitation, “Wait for me a moment, I’ll change my clothes and then I’ll leave.” With that, he stood up and turned to walk towards the bedroom.
Wei Ran watched his back. The subtle fluctuations from before had been completely dispelled by him, leaving no trace.
“It’s good to go back early,” Zhou Yue’s voice came from the bedroom, with a slight echo, “so we can have breakfast at home tomorrow.”
He quickly changed his clothes and came out, asking in a low voice, "Did you drive? Want to come together?"
Wei Ran smiled, got up to get his bag, and said, "I'm driving."
The two walked side by side to the entrance. Zhou Yue turned off the lights and closed the door. The series of movements were natural and smooth. Wei Ran stood to the side and suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he had long been used to living alone. Even the act of coming home seemed polite and orderly.
Zhou Yue leaned against the car door, looking down at his phone as he texted: [My mom's come to ambush me.]
Xia Zhiyao replied instantly: [How's the battle going?]
His lips twitched slightly, and he typed: "Nothing much, I'm going home with her."
"You're going back tomorrow anyway, thank goodness I'm leaving today."
Just as he was about to put his phone away, a new message popped up: "I have something to tell you, I'm going to New York with you too."
Zhou Yue paused for a moment: "What do you mean?"
[Zheng Xiaotian went to play basketball with some high school students in the neighborhood out of boredom, and fractured his bone. He's currently lying at home, so I have to go in his place.]
Wei Ran drove in front at a slow speed. She would occasionally glance at the rearview mirror to make sure the black Porsche was still following. Zhou Yue simply followed silently, maintaining a safe distance. They drove like this in silence.
The city lights flashed past the car window one by one, and the outlines of distant high-rise buildings were swallowed by the night fog. About forty minutes later, the car drove into the villa area.
As soon as Wei Ran's car stopped, the lights at the entrance came on. Jiang Heng, dressed in his pajamas with a sweater casually draped over his shoulders, saw her and walked over with a smile: "You're back?" His gaze quickly fell behind her, and Jiang Heng's smile deepened: "Yueyue is back too."
Zhou Yue obediently called out, "Uncle Jiang."
Wei Ran nodded, a hint of weariness flashing across his eyes, but his tone remained gentle: "Still not asleep so late?"
"Waiting for you." Jiang Heng stepped forward and took the bag from her hand, the movement as natural as a habit. In that instant, the light slid down his shoulder, illuminating his profile and revealing the composure honed by time.
He then turned to Zhou Yue and greeted him with a smile, "Come in quickly, it's chilly outside."
"I'm going to change my clothes," she said, turning back to him. "You guys chat."
"Okay," Jiang Heng replied with a smile. "Come on, sit down." He pointed to the dining table. "Auntie just made this soup."
There was a pot of slow-cooked soup on the table. Jiang Heng ladled a bowl for him. "Have you been busy with work lately?" he asked in a gentle tone, like an elder, or like someone trying to get closer to him.
Zhou Yue accepted the bowl with both hands, bowed his head and thanked him, "An investment deal for a new energy park was just finished a while ago, and I can finally catch my breath now."
"Oh?" Jiang Heng's interest was clearly piqued, his eyes brightening. "A new energy industrial park? What kind of project is it?"
"The area of combining photovoltaics and energy storage." Zhou Yue raised his eyes, his voice still calm but organized, "It's mainly a provincial project that our company invested in. We were responsible for the early assessment and M&A negotiations."
“Zhengyuan,” Jiang Heng nodded thoughtfully, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, “Now it’s in charge of General Manager Zheng. I worked with them when his father was in charge. In the field of new energy, the country has been very supportive of policies in recent years, especially in the south, where they have started to promote intelligent power distribution systems.”
Zhou Yue listened and gave a soft "hmm," his lips curving slightly. "We're also considering investing in a few pilot zones in South China. We'll have to keep an eye on policy developments then."
"Okay, okay." Jiang Heng smiled and put down his chopsticks, his tone revealing genuine enthusiasm. "We can have a good chat sometime. I used to work in engineering, so I know a bit about this."
Wei Ran came downstairs and overheard their conversation. He smiled and said, "You two can't stop talking about work once you start."
Jiang Heng had already served her the soup and placed it on the side where she usually sat. "Come on, drink it while it's hot," he said with a touch of caring familiarity.
Jiang Heng leaned back in his chair and chatted casually with Wei Ran about everyday things: the new supermarket in the neighborhood, the inexperienced new employees at the company, and the old friends he met at the exhibition last time.
Wei Ran listened, occasionally chuckling. His gaze softened, and even his tone was lighter than usual. Jiang Heng's laughter was deep and warm, carrying the gentleness and thoughtfulness typical of southerners. The two exchanged questions and answers, creating a natural and intimate atmosphere.
Their conversation wasn't deliberate, yet it had a tacit rhythm, one sentence following another. The sense of peace that had settled between them over the years left Zhou Yue momentarily lost in thought.
He looked at his mother and suddenly realized that he hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time—not the polite smile he'd seen in social situations, but a genuine, relaxed, and warm smile that felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
As Jiang Heng spoke, he yawned, rubbed his temples, and said with a smile, "I'm getting old, I really can't stay up late."
Seeing this, Wei Ran said gently, "Go and rest, don't push yourself."
"Okay, then I won't be a third wheel." Jiang Heng smiled as he stood up, then turned to Zhou Yue, "Yueyue, you should go to sleep early too."
“Okay.” Zhou Yue nodded, his tone steady.
Zhou Yue was the only one left in the living room. He stood there for a few seconds, then went upstairs. The lights on the second floor were softer, the familiar door was still in place, and the wooden floor by the door was wiped clean.
[I just got home] Zhou Yue sent this message and leaned against the headboard.
A few seconds later, my phone vibrated. [I just finished a therapy session with my mom. It was way more tiring than work, haha.]
Then another message appeared: "But I've made a new discovery! It seems my mom has found love again."
Zhou Yue was amused: [Who's so lucky?]
There's a university professor in our neighborhood, a STEM student, who plays the violin, which suits my mom's taste.
[Sounds more reliable than your dad.]
【Don't talk bad about my dad.】 She sent a glaring emoji.
He replied: "Just telling the truth."
After exchanging a few words, Zhou Yue suddenly grinned mischievously, "I suddenly remembered the Spring Festival."
What about during the Spring Festival?
You lured me to a hotel... and we slept together.
You asked me out—to bed.
Xia Zhiyao replied almost instantly with a single emoji: "I'll go up there and slap you."
Zhou Yue couldn't help but laugh, his fingers flying across the keyboard: 【Oh, still shy? Like an old married couple.】
He posted another message: "Sigh, I really miss those days, there was a kind of... thrill of having an affair." After sending the message, he...
[Haha, so you even know about having affairs?]
Zhou Yue: "That's the thrill of being secretive, afraid of being discovered." He added, "Didn't you also say that it's not considered prostitution if you don't pay?"
There was a pause of a few seconds before a sentence came out: "Zhou Yue, I think you need to be taught a lesson."
Zhou Yue could almost picture her tone as she said those words—half-joking, half-smiling, with a hint of amusement and gritted teeth. His smile widened as he tapped his fingers on the screen: "Then go ahead and deal with me."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a sudden reply: "I really suspect what you keep in your house."
Why do you suddenly become horny as soon as you get back?
Zhou Yue laughed out loud. "That can only be your problem." He then typed, "See, I thought of you the moment I walked in."
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