Chapter 30 "A memento," he...
When Xia Zhiyao woke up, she realized that she had slept until after eight o'clock in the morning. It seemed like she hadn't had such a good night's sleep in a long time.
The fatigue seemed to have been silently drawn away, leaving her limbs feeling lighter. She stretched, the only sound the gentle hum of the heater in her ears, no other noises, no suffocating feeling of her heart pounding.
The phone screen beside her pillow was dark; she had turned off all notifications before going to sleep last night. Now, she simply sat quietly on the edge of the bed, gazing at the pale halo of sunlight spreading across the floor, and suddenly felt, for the first time, that this familiar yet empty room had warmth.
She went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. The eyes in the mirror were no longer red, but instead had a long-lost clarity.
Xia Zhiyao had just poured herself a glass of warm milk and cut two slices of bread in the kitchen. The winter morning outside the window still carried a lingering chill. She was about to finish eating slowly when her phone vibrated so loudly in the living room that it seemed about to jump off the coffee table.
Her phone suddenly rang, and Zheng Xiaotian's name appeared on the screen. She answered, and before she could even speak, a crisp and decisive sentence came from the other end: "I won't waste any more time on small talk. I'll send you the address. Come over this morning."
The call ended, and the WeChat location popped up almost simultaneously.
Xia Zhiyao didn't waste any time. She finished her bread in a few bites and immediately started putting on makeup. She applied foundation, eyebrow pencil, and lipstick in one go. She then changed into a fitted suit. She always preferred suits and disliked the restrictive feeling of dresses.
Finally, she threw everything she needed into the black Rodeo bag and slung it over her shoulder.
Before leaving the house, she glanced at herself in the mirror in the entryway. The person in the mirror had clear eyes and a sharp expression; she was once again the capable and impeccable career elite.
Pushing open the office door, Zheng Xiaotian was sitting behind his desk, a thick stack of documents spread out on the surface.
"Have you had breakfast?" he asked casually, before even finishing his sentence, he pushed a cup of hot coffee in front of her, skipping all the pleasantries. "Let's get straight to the point. We need to finalize the resource allocation in advance. I came up with a few plans for the overseas business structure last night; take a look at this one first."
For the next two hours, the two barely rested. The only sounds in the conference room were the turning of pages and the tapping of keyboards. They discussed everything from the reallocation of company resources and the adjustment of overseas business structures to the internal equity distribution that affected core interests.
After finishing discussing company matters, Zheng Xiaotian closed the file, casually tossed his pen onto the table, leaned back in his chair, and said in a relaxed tone, "Okay, let's leave business here for now."
He glanced at her, as if speaking casually, yet also as if he had planned it all along: "Tell us about yourself. We need to set a standard for your new employee benefits."
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, picked up her coffee and took a sip, her tone calm yet resolute: "I want to be a partner."
“Nonsense.” Zheng Xiaotian smiled. “Of course you’ll join as a partner. The company structure will give you enough room to grow, and your compensation can’t be meager. Salary, profit sharing, equity incentives, and travel and project support—you name your terms first.”
She leaned back in her chair, her expression calm, her fingertips tapping the side of her coffee cup: "I will make conditions, but I am more concerned about the scope of authority and decision-making power."
Zheng Xiaotian raised an eyebrow: "That's what you should be concerned about."
The two once again engaged in a detailed discussion, from salary structure and project allocation to annual bonuses and equity ratios, as straightforward and direct as their earlier business discussions.
In his dealings with the company, Zheng Xiaotian showed absolutely no trace of the ostentatious airs of a third-generation rich kid. His office was simply and efficiently furnished, and his demeanor was impeccably measured, both decisive and composed.
After signing the last page of the document, he slammed the folder shut with a crisp sound.
He leaned back lazily in his chair, stretched, and said in a relaxed yet slightly teasing tone, "The cooperation has finally been finalized. Congratulations, President Xia."
Xia Zhiyao took off her glasses, her fingertips lightly twirling on the temples of the glasses. Her expression seemed calm, but her eyes revealed the exhaustion and clarity resulting from jet lag and high pressure.
She smiled slightly, her lips curving gently, her tone steady yet sharp: "Only you could do something like this. I haven't even adjusted to this time difference yet, and I'm being called up to sign a contract."
Zheng Xiaotian looked at her, his eyes flickered slightly, and pulled out the agreement he had just signed from the table, pushing another copy in front of her.
The edges of the paper reflected a cool white light, and the top line of text was clear and eye-catching: Vice President (Strategic Consulting Partner).
"The strategic consulting field will be your domain from now on." He spoke casually, as if he were casually arranging a dinner party. "The original structure is too outdated. Dismantle what needs to be dismantled and reorganize what needs to be reorganized. This is exactly what you excel at."
He smiled slightly, with his usual nonchalance: "It's not too late to invest in others after we've built up the foundation and made a lot of money."
Xia Zhiyao glanced down at the contract and said in a nonchalant tone, "Your biggest shareholder right now... is still your brother, right?"
"Of course." Zheng Xiaotian shrugged, speaking as if it were a matter of course. "Why can't I scam anyone? If I don't take advantage of my own people, how will I gain any entrepreneurial experience?"
After saying that, he laughed out loud, reached for the coffee cup on the table, and added, "You know me. Since our group projects in college, when have I ever lost money? My brother has been in business for so many years. He wouldn't invest a single penny in a worthless company, even if it was his own brother's. Since he's invested so much, he must know what he's doing."
Xia Zhiyao nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips: "That's true, then I'll just burn money like crazy. In the early stages of a startup, money is everywhere."
Zheng Xiaotian glanced at her, his teasing tone softening, and his tone became more serious: "Just go ahead and do it. If you really get this up and running, I'll take care of things with my brother."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her gaze, which fell on the words "Vice President." That was the area she knew best, and it was also her sharpest weapon. In those years, she had fought her way through with it; now, she had finally regained control.
It was a return to one's rightful place, and also a declaration of war.
Zheng Xiaotian looked at her expression, chuckled, and teased, "What's wrong, itching to get your hands dirty?"
"Or does your expression make it look like you're preparing for war?"
She glanced at him and laughed, "It's been too long since I've used this skill; I don't even know how to hold a knife anymore."
Zheng Xiaotian leaned back in his chair, squinting as he looked her over. Suddenly, he reached for his phone, pulled up the front-facing camera, and pointed the lens directly at her face without warning.
The person on the screen looked clear-headed, yet carried a weariness that even foundation couldn't conceal. The light pink roots of their hair had faded unevenly, and the newly grown black hair between their hair parts was so clear it looked like a dividing line, making them appear even more sharp.
"Tsk." He shook his head, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said in a half-joking tone, "President Xia, if outsiders saw you like this, wouldn't they think something's happened to our company?"
His voice was slow and leisurely, with a hint of laziness at the end. After speaking, he shook his phone as if gesturing for a certificate, then put it back in his pocket: "After lunch, I'll take you to get your hair done."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her head, her fingertips lightly tapping the laptop. She didn't respond immediately; she was all too familiar with Zheng Xiaotian's style: always hiding his concern in teasing and suppressing his true feelings beneath a calm exterior.
He never asked her about things she didn't want to talk about, nor did he force her to reveal the wounds that had already been sealed away. Only when necessary, he silently left her a familiar battlefield.
Just like now, what he handed her was not just the title of "partner," but a whole set of military power and strategic advantages that she could leverage.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Xia Zhiyao finally showed a genuine smile: "You're the expert in this area."
There weren't many people in the barbershop. Xia Zhiyao sat in front of the full-length mirror, her shoulders and back still straight, as if she habitually maintained a certain posture.
"Beautiful lady, your hair was quite damaged when you bleached it before." The hairdresser said, combing through the hair and measuring it against her shoulder. "Look, I suggest we cut it to this position. This blunt cut is very popular now, and it suits you too."
The end of the comb stopped slightly above the collarbone. "Then dye it back to black or dark brown, and then slowly trim it. Once the old hair has been cut off and new hair has grown in, then consider dyeing or perming it. How about that?"
Xia Zhiyao looked at the person in the mirror. Her hair color had faded unevenly, with pink and black intermingling, as if two completely different lives had been forcibly connected. Her gaze was calm, and without much thought, she spoke almost without hesitation: "It's okay."
Zheng Xiaotian sat on the waiting sofa not far away, his long legs casually crossed and stretched out, twirling his phone in his hand, seemingly scrolling through messages, but his peripheral vision kept drifting towards the mirror not far away.
Xia Zhiyao in the mirror had a snow-white apron covering her shoulders, her hair was combed smooth and flat, and her expression was calm, like a bottomless pool of water. The surface was calm, but she was not really relaxed.
“I thought you would stick with that pink,” he suddenly said, his tone casual, as if commenting on a Weibo post. “I can imagine how arrogant you were when you first dyed your hair.”
Xia Zhiyao did not respond immediately. She only glanced at him in the mirror with a cold and aloof expression, yet a hint of weariness also passed through her eyes.
“I had just left then.” She spoke as if recounting someone else’s story, “to do something, at least to make it look…like a decision.”
Zheng Xiaotian chuckled softly and shook his head slightly: "So you're messing around with your hair? You're something else."
He paused, his gaze shifting from the mirror to the strands of hair on her shoulder. His tone seemed casual, but it carried a subtle hint of concern: "You're not a young girl in your early twenties anymore, stop messing around."
The barber picked up the scissors and moved swiftly, the dry pink ends of his hair falling inch by inch onto the black cape, silently, yet as if something heavy was being removed little by little.
Zheng Xiaotian didn't say anything more. He understood her and the weight behind the phrase "like a decision." He looked down at his phone, his posture as lazy as a friend keeping him company while he whiled away the time.
But whenever she looked up, he would always be able to look back at her without making a sound, his gaze falling on her as she gradually cut away the past.
“It’s good to start over.” His voice was calm, but steady. “Start from the roots.”
Xia Zhiyao didn't respond, only silently watching her hair grow shorter and shorter in the mirror. Her gaze gradually sharpened from calm, and the falling strands of hair seemed like remnants of the past, gently swept away by a broom and vanished in an instant.
She suddenly felt lighter, not only in her hair but also in her shoulders.
When the hair dye is applied, the hair strands are wrapped up one by one and sealed with layers of plastic wrap.
Zheng Xiaotian sat across from her, scrolled through his phone a few times, then suddenly looked up, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of suppressed composure: "Are you ready to cut ties with the past?"
Xia Zhiyao's gaze lingered on the mirror for a moment before she looked up and met his eyes, appearing remarkably clear-headed. Her voice was soft, yet calm and resolute: "Ready."
Zheng Xiaotian didn't say anything more, but just quietly looked at the face in the mirror that was gradually returning to its original color. The pink flamboyance and wandering had faded, and her hair would be dyed dark brown.
He suddenly chuckled softly, "Alright, Xia Zhiyao is back, and she's been upgraded." As he spoke, he raised his phone and gently pressed the shutter button on the face wrapped in plastic wrap in the mirror, "A memento," he said with a smile, "your first day of rebirth."
The woman in the mirror, her features unchanged, was no longer the same as before.
The wind chimes tinkled as the two pushed open the door and stepped outside. The snow was still falling, fine and dense, settling on their shoulders and hair like a thin layer of silk, soft, cold, and silent.
Xia Zhiyao stood at the doorway, glancing up at the other side of the street. Her newly cut short hair was slightly ruffled by the wind, and her face appeared cool and aloof under the lamplight, returning to the familiar look everyone knew.
She is someone who can fight through the night at the board meeting and also calmly turn the tide in front of the client.
Zheng Xiaotian laughed: "President Xia is back."
She had just taken a step when her phone vibrated, interrupting her.
She looked down and saw two words flashing on the screen: "Dad".
At that moment, the chill seemed to seep into the depths of her palm through the metal edge of her fingertips. She stopped in her tracks, her phone hovering briefly between her fingers before she answered.
"Dad." She spoke, her voice not hesitant, yet different from her usual calm and composed demeanor. It was like the restraint of a long-awaited reunion, a connection between the familiar and the unfamiliar, a feeling of being caught off guard.
On the other end of the phone, the father's voice remained deep and authoritative: "Are you back?"
Her gaze flickered slightly in the snow, pausing for half a second: "You're back."
The two fell silent, like two familiar yet opposing chess players waiting for the other to make the first move.
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