Chapter 92 Standing Outside Your Past...
Zhang Luyuan slowly approached her, each step unhurried. He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice to leave her with only a private space: "Today's performance... was better than I expected."
Xia Zhiyao raised her eyes, her gaze meeting his lightly in mid-air. Her eyes were calm, and her tone was indifferent: "This is work. Whether I do well or not is none of your business, is it?"
Zhang Luyuan took two steps closer, deliberately lowering his voice to avoid Zheng Xiaotian and the others' gaze: "You should know that the authorities actually want us to join forces. If we can really cooperate, the chances are very high."
His lips twitched slightly, a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "You don't have to be so tense in front of me." As he spoke, his gaze swept over the folder of documents in her hand, "Heyi and Tianxing each have their strengths. If this project can really be combined, there may be more than one demonstration zone in the future."
Xia Zhiyao stared straight at him without replying. She could tell that beneath that smile lay not only an attempt to win him over, but also a probe to see his true intentions.
Her hands were firmly on the table, but her wrists remained steadfast. "I understand what President Zhang means." She paused, her voice becoming softer and steadyer. "However, we must keep business and personal matters separate. We can discuss project cooperation, but there's no need to mention anything else."
“I know what you’re worried about.” Zhang Luyuan took another step forward, his tone becoming more personal: “But at least on this project, I have no ill intentions.”
Xia Zhiyao took a soft breath, her fingers tracing the edge of the file folder before finally looking up at him: "President Zhang, we're very clear about separating public and private matters. We can discuss project cooperation, but as for the rest, let's leave it at that."
Zhang Luyuan stared at her face for a while, a silent emotion flashing deep in his eyes, as if gently kept outside by this barrier. He exhaled, his voice low and hoarse: "Zhiyao, I don't want to force you, I just want... at least in our cooperation, we can still talk properly."
Xia Zhiyao looked at him calmly, a moment of tenderness in her eyes, but she quickly regained her professional composure: "Then let's keep talking properly."
The smile on Zhang Luyuan's lips faded completely, and he nodded slightly: "Okay." He straightened up, straightened his coat in his arms, and returned to a professional posture.
He stared at her for a moment, the smile slowly fading from his lips, replaced by a professional expression: "Alright, let's keep it professional." As he tidied up the documents, he looked up again, still wearing that "polite" smile: "Looks like we'll be seeing each other more often."
Xia Zhiyao also stood up, picked up the documents, and said in a calm voice, "For cooperation, please follow the procedures first."
Her turn was swift and decisive, but her fingertips unconsciously tightened. She knew very well that if this collaboration were to be finalized, the project would almost certainly be secured, but the real battle for dominance and control of the narrative had only just begun.
Zheng Xiaotian, with his hands in his pockets and leaning against the wall, watched the whole thing from the doorway. After Zhang Luyuan had walked away, he slowly walked up to Xia Zhiyao and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "You're pretty good, managing both public and private matters perfectly."
Xia Zhiyao didn't answer, but took a deep breath and hugged the documents in her hands even tighter, as if she wanted to suppress all the emotions that were welling up inside her.
She knew very well that once this collaboration began, her interactions with Zhang Luyuan would only increase, not decrease, and she had to constantly remind herself not to be pulled back into the vortex of the past.
Zheng Xiaotian watched her retreating figure and chuckled softly, "The excitement has only just begun, Zhiyao." His voice was like a breeze, gently brushing past her ear, yet leaving a lingering, ambiguous echo in the air.
Xia Zhiyao finally turned her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, her tone calm yet sharp: "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You won't play if it's not exciting."
Zheng Xiaotian clicked his tongue, raised an eyebrow, and smiled even more deeply: "You understand me."
Upon returning to the company, Xia Zhiyao went straight to her office without a moment's pause, turned on her computer, and created a "Cooperation Analysis" table herself.
The table lists columns such as: resource input, policy support, technical solutions, public opinion risks, and future benefits. As she types, she mentally analyzes each variable.
Heyi's technological reserves and government relations are unmatched by any single entity, but Tianxing's advantages in project management and marketing should not be overlooked.
She marked the strengths and weaknesses with red and blue labels, and calmly analyzed them one by one:
Advantages: Hay Group's capital and resources, leading technology, and government backing; Tianxing's management capabilities, execution, and brand reputation.
Disadvantages: Hay Group's monopoly can lead to a lack of innovation in projects, and it is too difficult for Tianxing to independently acquire projects, as the cycle is too long and the risk is too high.
Opportunity: Both parties can complement each other's resources, create a model project, and generate a positive reputation.
Threats: Division of responsibilities and powers after cooperation, conflicts of interest, and project control.
As she typed the last word, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the colorful charts on the screen for a long time. The data and facts were like a mirror, reflecting a conclusion she was unwilling to admit: this project could only be won through cooperation.
At that moment, she took a deep breath, feeling both helpless and determined. She knew she had to be calmer and tougher in the next negotiation and take the initiative in order to avoid being swallowed up in the cooperation.
She quickly mentally simulated the next step, picked up her phone, hesitated for a moment, and finally typed a line in the chat box with Zheng Xiaotian: "We need to talk about the next step."
Zheng Xiaotian quickly arrived at her office. Xia Zhiyao nodded and turned her laptop screen to show Zheng Xiaotian.
“I checked the policies and calculated the budget. If we don’t cooperate, this project has no chance at all.”
Zheng Xiaotian pulled up a chair and sat down, carefully examining Xia Zhiyao's form. He lowered his voice and said, "But the problem is, cooperation means direct contact with Zhang Luyuan's side. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Xia Zhiyao didn't answer immediately. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "This is official business. I know my limits."
Zheng Xiaotian looked at her, smiled, and said in a softer voice than before, "Zhiyao, sometimes it's not a question of whether you can handle it, but whether the other party is willing to let you off the hook."
He paused, then softened his tone: "However, I support you, let's go together."
Her shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, but she didn't show it. She just nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll prepare the plan for the next round of negotiations. You'll be responsible for communicating the bottom line with Hay Group."
Zheng Xiaotian raised his hand and made an "OK" gesture: "Then it's settled. Also, don't push yourself, I'm here."
Xia Zhiyao lowered her head and smiled, whether sarcastically or sincerely, it was hard to tell: "You won't play if it's not exciting?"
Zheng Xiaotian chuckled softly: "Yes, but this time the excitement is greater than I imagined."
Zheng Xiaotian flipped through the form, then suddenly seemed to remember something, looking up at her and asking, "Are you going to talk to Zhou Yue about this?"
Xia Zhiyao nodded: "Go ahead and talk to him when we get back tonight. He'll understand."
Zheng Xiaotian raised an eyebrow slightly, then suddenly reached out and slammed her laptop shut, his tone carrying an undeniable air: "Just because he understands doesn't mean he can accept it emotionally."
Xia Zhiyao was taken aback, and her gaze instantly rose to meet his.
Zheng Xiaotian leaned against the table, his voice low, his tone a mix of sincerity and provocation: "If it were me... I don't know if I could accept my girlfriend working with her ex-boyfriend every day."
A subtle pause hung in the air. After a long while, Xia Zhiyao gave a faint smile: "Don't try to apply your own experience to others. Zhou Yue isn't you."
“But he’s a human being.” Zheng Xiaotian stared at her, his tone becoming even softer: “When it comes to matters of the heart, even the most rational person will experience a turbulent period.”
Xia Zhiyao didn't reply. She just leaned back in her office chair, closed her eyes, as if giving herself some time to process what she was going to say.
Zheng Xiaotian glanced at her, and before leaving, he slowly reached out and patted her shoulder, offering a silent support: "It's a long and arduous journey. Once things are settled, you can walk away unscathed. We'll try our best to minimize your involvement."
Xia Zhiyao opened her eyes, watching his departing figure, a slight smile curving her lips, but she couldn't tell if it was helplessness or gratitude.
The office door clicked shut, and the room returned to silence. Only the analysis table on the computer screen, like a mirror, clearly reflected her choices and the consequences.
The night was deep, and the city lights cast long streaks of light on the car windows. Xia Zhiyao parked the car downstairs, took a few deep breaths in the car, and then slowly got out.
The corridor was so quiet that she could hear the echo of her own footsteps. Xia Zhiyao turned the key in her hand, silently rehearsing her lines in her mind: cooperation, Zhang Luyuan, risk, benefit... Each word swirled on her tongue, yet she still felt dry.
When she opened the door, the living room lights were already on. Zhou Yue was leaning against the sofa, seemingly asleep. Xia Zhiyao suddenly had the illusion that "he had actually been waiting for her all along."
Zhou Yue looked up, his gaze meeting hers, and asked in a flat voice, "Finished with work?"
Xia Zhiyao hummed in agreement, walked over and sat down next to him. After considering for a moment, she said, "There's something we need to talk about tonight."
Zhou Yue naturally reached out and put his arm around her, turning his head to look at her. His gaze wasn't sharp, but it held a shadow deeper than during the day: "Is it about Zhang Luyuan?"
Xia Zhiyao was slightly taken aback. Before she could answer, Zhou Yue smiled, a smile tinged with self-deprecation: "I think I know what you're going to say today."
Xia Zhiyao said, "We have to cooperate with Hay Group on this project. Zhang Luyuan is their person in charge."
He had his arm around her shoulder, but when he heard that name, he paused, his fingers tightened slightly on her shoulder, then slowly withdrew, leaned back on the sofa, and suddenly sat quietly, his gaze lowered, as if he were caught in some silent vortex.
Xia Zhiyao looked at him, her heart tightening: "I didn't mean to hide it from you, nor did I want you to misunderstand."
Zhou Yue didn't say anything, but pursed his lips tightly. A few seconds later, he suddenly stood up, his movements abrupt, as if his emotions had finally broken through his shell in that instant.
He paced back and forth in the living room twice, his shoulders shrugging slightly, his breathing becoming a little rapid. The light shone from behind him, casting a long and thin shadow, making him look like a string stretched to its limit.
“I know what the word ‘cooperation’ means: meeting every day, having meetings, discussing projects…” Zhou Yue’s voice was initially restrained, but it got faster and faster, and finally became angry. “But I don’t know what this means to you.”
He stopped, his hand rising and falling as if he couldn't find a way to exert force, his chest heaving: "I know in my mind that this is just work, but I just feel uncomfortable! I know you're professional, and I know you can keep things within boundaries, but that person is your past, and I've stood outside of your past for two whole years... How can you expect me to not care at all?!"
Xia Zhiyao looked at him, her lips slightly parted, and her heart ached. She hadn't expected him to reveal it in this way.
Zhou Yue took a deep breath, his eyes filled with exhaustion and repression: "I'm not blaming you, I just... I don't like how I feel, and I don't like being so petty."
He lowered his head, his knuckles rubbing together in his palm, as if trying to suppress the surging emotions, but he couldn't hold them back.
He stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly turned his head away, his voice hoarse: "I don't know... I'm just afraid that one day I won't be able to control myself."
The air was so quiet you could hear them breathing. Xia Zhiyao stared at him, her gaze softening little by little, her voice lower than before: "I never intended to make things so difficult for you."
Zhou Yue closed his eyes briefly, the veins on his forehead throbbing slightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
Xia Zhiyao watched him pace back and forth in the living room, like a wild beast cornered, his breathing rapid and his brows taut. A pang of pain shot through her heart. She ran her fingertips along the sofa armrest for a moment, then finally stood up and walked over to him.
"Zhou Yue." Her voice was lower than usual, deliberately slowed down, "You don't need to pretend to be so magnanimous, and you don't need to grit your teeth and bear it for my sake."
Zhou Yue looked up at her, his eyes still filled with lingering anger. "I know you're upset." Xia Zhiyao reached out and gently placed her hand on his arm. "I know this isn't fair to you."
At that moment, Zhou Yue's shoulders visibly stiffened, as if all his strength was concentrated in one spot, but then gradually relaxed.
He lowered his eyes, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "I don't want you to think I'm being unreasonable... but I'm really afraid that one day I won't be able to control myself, afraid that I'll become someone you don't recognize in front of you."
Xia Zhiyao took a deep breath, moved closer to him, and slid her hand down his arm to his wrist, holding it: "It's okay if you can't control yourself, at least you said it, and I heard it."
Zhou Yue looked up at her, his gaze filled with anger, grievance, and a hint of vulnerability after being understood.
Xia Zhiyao met his eyes and spoke slowly, almost like coaxing a child: "This is work, not feelings. You are my life now, and he is just the project manager. I won't let the past come back."
Zhou Yue's breathing gradually slowed down, his brows were still tense, but he didn't move anymore. He just stood in front of her, dejected.
After a long pause, he raised his hand and pressed it against the back of her neck. His palm was a little cool, and his voice was low: "I don't want to lose you."
“You won’t lose me.” Xia Zhiyao squeezed his hand back, her eyes firm, but her voice softened. “But we have to learn to face all of this, not run away from it.”
The tension in the air gradually dissipated, leaving only the intertwining of their breaths. Zhou Yue's hand remained on the back of her neck, the coolness of his palm slowly warming up.
The two stood there, their breaths mingling, neither of them speaking. Xia Zhiyao looked at him, her eyes gentle yet firm: "Zhou Yue, we both have to learn little by little, it's okay."
Zhou Yue gave a soft "hmm" but didn't let go of her. He simply pulled her into his arms, and they leaned against each other like that. Neither of them mentioned Zhang Luyuan or the project again, enveloping their vulnerability and exhaustion in each other's embrace.
Xia Zhiyao closed her eyes, thinking: Although this storm has temporarily passed, the real challenges lie ahead. She has to protect the project while also protecting him.
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