Chapter 91 But... if this...
Zhou Yue's expression didn't fluctuate much; he simply gave a soft "oh," his eyes remaining calm, making it difficult to fathom the depth of his emotions.
Xia Zhiyao stared at him, her heart suddenly tightening, and her tone became more questioning and uneasy: "You already knew?"
In that instant, looking into his eyes, she felt as if he could see right through her, leaving her with a sense of nakedness with nowhere to hide. This silence tightened her heart more than any questioning.
Zhou Yue slowly turned his gaze from the television screen to her face, his expression still indifferent, his voice low: "Mm."
Xia Zhiyao paused for a moment, her fingers gripping the bath towel tighter: "Then why didn't you ask me?"
Zhou Yue leaned back on the sofa, his long legs slightly stretched out, the remote control in his hand spinning silently between his fingers. His voice was steady, but lower than before: "I know who is in charge of Heyi, and I also know what kind of relationship he had with you."
He paused, his gaze seemingly meeting briefly in mid-air before returning to his own. "I just want to hear what you have to say to me."
The financial news anchor's voice continued broadcasting in the background on the television, clear and articulate, yet sounding unusually detached. Light slanted in from the window, illuminating his profile and outlining his usually calm features with soft, restrained light and shadow.
Xia Zhiyao looked at him. She understood that he wasn't unaware, but rather didn't want to press her for answers. She also understood that his silence at this moment was actually a form of concern, a restrained yet cautious respect.
Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed wrinkles into the bath towel, her palms felt a little warm, and the sense of defensiveness in her heart suddenly relaxed by half an inch. Her nose felt a little sore, but she forced it back and took a deep breath before she could speak.
Zhou Yue finally turned to look at her directly, his voice lower: "I don't want to bring up the past, nor do I want to pressure you... I just hope that you can tell me on your own initiative."
This sentence, without questioning or sarcasm, was simply a calm statement, yet it was like gently pushing open a door in front of her.
At this moment, his eyes, visible beneath his glasses, shone brightly under the soft yellow light. He wore a blue T-shirt and shorts, his hair slightly disheveled. He lacked the elite air he exuded during the day, instead resembling a college student sitting on a sofa in his dorm room, his posture casual yet exuding a quiet sense of groundedness.
He leaned back on the sofa, his long legs slightly stretched out, his voice softer than before: "You told me about your relationship before, and I never doubted it. But... if you brought it up yourself this time, it means you've really moved on from that past."
Xia Zhiyao remained silent for a long time, as if those words had struck the deepest part of her heart. "You..." She chuckled softly, but her voice was a little hoarse. "How could you think of something that even I myself hadn't thought of?"
Zhou Yue looked at her gently through his glasses, his expression softly glowing as if illuminated by a lamp, his tone calm as still water: "Because I can see you changing."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her head, raised her hand and rubbed the corner of her eye. The action looked like she was wiping her eyes, but it seemed more like she was trying to hide her emotions.
She took a deep breath and finally sat down next to him, her voice low: "Actually, when I was at the venue today, I didn't think about hiding at all. On the contrary, I felt... it wasn't a big deal."
Zhou Yue turned his head to look at her, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and gently gathered the ends of her hair behind her back.
“Very good,” he said softly. “That’s it.”
In the living room, the television was still broadcasting financial news, its screen flickering with a cold light. The light and shadow reflected in his glasses intertwined with the television's glare, giving him an appearance that was half gentle and half calm.
Xia Zhiyao leaned back on the sofa and suddenly felt that the light was not so dazzling anymore. It was as if a layer of warmth was quietly enveloping her, like returning to a long-lost sense of security.
Xia Zhiyao smiled mischievously and teased softly, "You've grown up now."
Zhou Yue looked up at her, raised an eyebrow, and said in a low but serious voice, "Don't say anything like 'young' or 'small' again."
Xia Zhiyao chuckled and gently poked his knee with her finger: "Oh dear, let me rephrase... You've improved."
Looking at her mischievous little expression hidden in her smile, Zhou Yue couldn't help but laugh along. He reached out and hooked her finger with his, his voice even lower and gentler: "That's more like it."
She let him hold her hand like that, and the weariness and defensiveness in her heart gradually dissipated in these everyday little jokes. A relaxed and ambiguous atmosphere filled the room, and the sound of the TV became a blurry background noise, like a breeze that was slowly cooling down.
She let out a soft breath, her shoulders relaxing as she turned to him, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and a touch of teasing in her voice: "You've been so quiet today, I thought you were going to be jealous."
Zhou Yue chuckled softly, his hand casually ruffling her hair, his fingertips gently gliding through the strands: "Why are you jealous? You're working so hard, why would I bother you?" His voice was low and gentle, with a hint of amusement and doting affection.
At that moment, her nose tingled slightly, but it was no longer the kind of suffocating soreness. Instead, it was the feeling of being gently caught, a long-lost sense of relief and peace of mind, like a taut string finally being gently plucked, making a soft sound.
A few days later, the industrial park's official website posted an announcement. Tianxing Strategy and Hay Group were both shortlisted for the second round of consultation and evaluation.
As soon as the news broke, Xia Zhiyao's office phone was ringing off the hook with calls from colleagues, filled with congratulations and inquiries.
She leaned back in her chair, looking at the email with a calm expression. Her fingers tapped lightly on the mouse, but a hint of tension lingered in her eyes.
She was well aware of what this meant: the second round would no longer be a mere presentation, but a substantive consultation and negotiation, and might even involve joint bidding.
During lunch break, she met with Zheng Xiaotian in the conference room. While flipping through the second round of agendas, Zheng Xiaotian looked up and smiled, "So, sitting across from President Zhang at the same table, have you prepared a few lines in advance?"
Xia Zhiyao glanced at him and closed her notebook: "No need to prepare lines, we just need to prepare the data."
When Zhou Yue got home that evening, she was already at her desk looking at documents. Her expression behind her glasses was calm and focused, somewhat similar to how she looked during the meeting earlier that day.
She put her bag down and casually asked, "You watched the news too?"
Zhou Yue hummed in agreement, then looked up at her. "The shortlist? I saw it." He closed the file, took off his glasses, and his entire demeanor instantly transformed from that of an investment director into that of a relaxed person at home.
Xia Zhiyao changed into slippers and walked over, leaning against the table: "This time we may have to sit down and talk with Heyi. The government has the intention to integrate."
Zhou Yue nodded slightly, his tone calm: "Then do as you think, don't be afraid. Haven't you already been able to handle this kind of situation?"
Xia Zhiyao looked at him, suddenly smiled, and said softly, "You have quite a lot of confidence in me."
Zhou Yue looked up and stared at her intently: "It's not about confidence, it's about knowing you have the ability. Just don't push yourself too hard, the road to the second round is longer."
Upon hearing this, her fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the table, the tension in her heart eased slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly: "I understand."
Zhou Yue reached out and gently patted the back of her hand, as if giving her a silent sense of security: "If you need anything, just let me know."
At this moment, the night breeze outside the living room blew by, and the curtains swayed gently, like a silent premonition that a new contest was about to begin. But the light and their subtle movements made Xia Zhiyao feel like she was being steadily supported.
The meeting room for the second round of consultations was completely different from the presentation. There were no spotlights or media, only a long oval conference table, isolating it from the outside noise.
The person in charge stood smiling at one end of the conference table: "Congratulations to both companies for advancing to the second round of evaluation. In this round, we hope to see more specific cooperation plans and encourage you to integrate resources, form a consortium, and build the new energy demonstration zone into a national benchmark."
Xia Zhiyao and Zhang Luyuan were seated at opposite ends of the table, facing each other. When she looked up, her eyes met his, and she instantly suppressed all her personal emotions into a professional expression. She opened her folder, picked up a pen, and lightly underlined key points on the paper, her posture composed.
The air in the conference room was immediately filled with a subtle, tense atmosphere.
Two proposals were laid out in the center of the heavy long table, one with a blue cover and the other with a burgundy cover, like two completely different forces unfolding on the same battlefield.
Zhang Luyuan spoke first, his voice gentle yet sharp: "We at Heyi have been deeply involved in consulting and policy design in the new energy field for many years, and we have mature energy storage and technology solutions. We hope to take the lead in the overall planning, especially in the technology and risk control of key nodes."
Xia Zhiyao tapped the pen cap lightly with her fingers, her gaze sweeping from the document to Zhang Luyuan. Her voice was steady: "You do have an advantage in terms of technology and policy reserves, but Tianxing Strategy is more familiar with and has better execution capabilities in park management, supply chain integration, talent introduction, and coordination with local governments. If the process is to proceed quickly and with fewer errors, we must take charge of the overall coordination; otherwise, the project cycle will be prolonged."
Zhang Luyuan smiled slightly, his fingertips tapping lightly on the document. His tone seemed casual, but he pressed on relentlessly: "But our budget and technical consultant investment are larger than yours, and we have deeper customer resources. If we can't participate in decision-making in management and coordination at all, the risk is actually higher."
Xia Zhiyao looked up and stared at him, her eyes sharp: "Participating in decision-making and overall management are not contradictory, but the bottom line is that the external communication channels must be consistent, otherwise the project will definitely fall into chaos."
Zheng Xiaotian watched the two of them work together, a slight smile on his lips. He tapped his finger lightly on the table and interjected, "Why don't we divide the investment ratio, technical division of labor, and management authority into three modules, and each of us come up with the best solution? Let's set the principles first, and then make a list of details later."
Zhang Luyuan glanced at him and smiled: "What President Zheng said makes sense. Established consulting firms and emerging companies each have their strengths. If we can make the best use of each, the client will truly benefit."
Xia Zhiyao nodded slightly, slowly stopping the tapping of her pen cap, and reopened the documents: "Then let's proceed according to the three modules, and first draw out the boundaries of our cooperation."
An official at one end of the conference table watched quietly, a meaningful smile on his face: "This is the attitude we want in the second round. What we hope to see is a strong alliance, not each going their own way."
The tension in the air dissipated slowly over the course of a few words, replaced by unfolded blueprints, pens moving across the paper, and the silent exchange of glances between the three individuals. The contest between the veteran and the newcomer gradually took shape on paper, forming a visible prototype of cooperation.
Xia Zhiyao could feel her palms getting warmer and her fingertips sweating slightly, but she remained calm. She carefully defined her boundaries in the face of the other party's aggressive questions, and each response was like outlining a contour with a thread.
Meanwhile, under Zheng Xiaotian's gentle mediation, a visible bridge gradually formed in their minds, connecting the cold, hard data with the real intention of cooperation.
The occasional glances Zhang Luyuan cast were no longer mere probing; his eyes held a deeper calm, as if he were beginning to re-examine the person opposite him, the girl he once knew, now the negotiator standing on the stage, her sharpness and composure taking on a new form.
As soon as the meeting ended, the municipal government staff got up and left one after another. The sounds of folders hinged, chairs sliding, and footsteps mingled together, creating a cacophony like a receding tide. Soon, only the staff from the two companies remained inside, packing up their belongings.
Xia Zhiyao closed her notebook, as if she had just pulled herself out of a high-intensity game of chess. Just as she was about to turn around, a deep "Zhiyao" came from behind her.
She stopped, tilted her head slightly, and the echo of her voice still resonated in the air.
Zhang Luyuan stood not far away, his coat draped over his arm, the collar slightly open. The light slanted in from the window, dividing his face into two halves, one warm and one cold, outlining his profile in a three-dimensional yet unfamiliar way.
At that moment, he was no longer the gentle and restrained elite in the venue, but more like a shadow that had stepped out of old memories, carrying a hint of hidden coldness and an edge that had not yet faded.
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