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Lingmei was close to Jinghui Street, so there was no need to take a taxi. Xu Wu arrived at the W1 exhibition area in just a few minutes.
As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw someone already waiting there.
“Miss Xu?”
Xu Wu nodded.
“Hello, I’m Lin Xiao, Assistant to President Zhou,” the man greeted her at the entrance of the exhibition hall. “President Zhou is inside.”
“Mm.”
In the afternoon, after bidding farewell to Yuan Yiheng, Xu Wu returned to the company. She had just prepared to coordinate with LUNAR when she received a call summoning her to the exhibition hall.
The lights inside the exhibition hall were on, and everything had been cleared out. The vast, empty hall echoed with the sound of her high heels clicking against the floor—a sound that was especially noticeable in the quiet, open space.
Lin Xiao led her to where Zhou Jinye was. The temperature in Linjing had dropped significantly recently, but he was still dressed in his usual simple suit, with a black overcoat on top.
His gaze swept across the layout of the exhibition hall.
“President Zhou.” After Lin Xiao left, Xu Wu stepped forward.
Zhou Jinye finished his inspection and turned to look at her.
“Miss Xu, the PR specialist.”
Upon hearing this formal address, he merely raised an eyebrow slightly, responding in an equally businesslike tone.
“How do you plan to arrange the exhibition setup?”
As she spoke, Xu Wu took out a notepad and pen from her bag.
When working outside, clients often provided requirements for their reference. Since carrying a laptop in and out was inconvenient, she usually recorded details with pen and paper.
As Xu Wu pulled out her notepad, Zhou Jinye glanced at the keychain hanging from her bag. Without wasting words, he got straight to the point.
As he spoke, Xu Wu jotted down the key points he mentioned.
It reminded her of how he used to dictate English words for her to write down back in the day.
He dictated, and she wrote.
This biannual large-scale exhibition was hosted by various leading companies in the automotive industry. LUNAR’s exhibition area was next to Fan Xiang’s, and they planned to merge the distinct styles of both companies into one cohesive setup.
The vehicles on display needed to be arranged neatly and aesthetically. Xu Wu noted this and scanned the hall once more.
The venue was spacious, and the distance between the cars had to be carefully planned.
However, they were still missing information about the vehicles. Xu Wu asked, “How many cars will LUNAR and Fan Xiang send for this exhibition?”
“Mr. Wen from Fan Xiang is currently unavailable. Once I confirm with him, we’ll send you the details.”
He opened his phone and tapped the screen lightly.
Xu Wu followed him as he toured the exhibition hall. He explained every corner to her, and whenever she had questions, she clarified them with him.
The style of the exhibition hall had already been confirmed.
After explaining each section, they moved upstairs to a smaller lecture hall.
The lecture hall was slightly smaller than the main exhibition area below.
Details regarding media coverage, filming equipment, and seating arrangements for invited guests all needed to be planned meticulously.
After noting down all the necessary considerations, she asked, “Is there anything else that needs to be added?”
Zhou Jinye had been holding a bottle of mineral water the entire time. He unscrewed the cap and took a sip. “For now, nothing. Once I communicate further with Fan Xiang, I’ll inform you.”
Xu Wu closed her notepad and nodded.
She placed the notepad back into her bag.
The keychain on her bag swayed as she zipped it up. Zhou Jinye’s gaze unconsciously landed on the small pendant hanging from her bag again.
The persimmon and peanut combination had tiny embroidered words on it.
“Did you buy this pendant yourself?” Zhou Jinye asked.
Without hesitation, Xu Wu replied, “No, a friend gave it to me.”
“Are you close?”
Xu Wu hesitated briefly but answered, “Pretty good.”
“Xu Wu,”
He didn’t use her nickname this time but addressed her by her full name.
Xu Wu looked at him quizzically as his thin lips parted.
“When did you two meet?”
His line of questioning left Xu Wu utterly perplexed. Why was he calling her by her full name and asking these questions? What was his intention?
“In our final year of high school. Why?”
Zhou Jinye said nothing, but as he turned his back to Xu Wu, his lips pressed into a tight line.
________________________________________
After wrapping up everything, Zhou Jinye received a business call and left.
Lin Xiao drove while Zhou Jinye sat in the back seat.
From his position behind Lin Xiao, Zhou Jinye’s face couldn’t be seen.
Inside the exhibition hall earlier, the image of that keychain on her bag kept replaying in his mind—visions of her walking and laughing side by side with another man haunted him.
At that moment, he hadn’t approached to say anything. Xu Wu always deliberately maintained a clear boundary between them, creating an insurmountable gap. To outsiders, they appeared distant, and he didn’t know how to approach her without overstepping.
He had initially thought her words during their breakup were lies, but when she mentioned meeting that person in their final year of high school—the same year they broke up—it hit him hard. Back then, she had told him she fell for someone else and that their relationship was just a game.
Now, he felt like a fool, a complete idiot for believing her lies.
The last time she went on a business trip, upon hearing that someone on her side had an accident, he had rushed to her without hesitation, setting aside everything to get closer to her slowly. But yesterday, seeing that man made him realize everything he’d done was just a joke.
He pressed his temples and leaned back against the seat weakly.
······
________________________________________
As the sun dipped low in the west, Xu Wu had just returned home from work when a notification from the delivery station urged her to pick up her package.
Before entering Yiming Garden, she picked up her parcel.
The package was long, and she carried it all the way home.
Recently, Pudding had become particularly sensitive to the elevator’s chime. As soon as it rang, the dog eagerly opened the door and ran toward Xu Wu.
Seeing its adorable antics, she petted it affectionately as usual.
Excited, Pudding jumped around her feet.
“Hold on, let me open the package first.”
Xu Wu unlocked the door, and Pudding followed her inside.
She grabbed a small knife, slit open the package, and retrieved the item inside.
It was a motion-sensor tree lamp she had ordered online, battery-operated, adorned with numerous small lights.
She had bought two types, and the bulbs needed to be threaded through the branches.
Pudding curiously watched her from behind.
The tree lamp required assembling branch by branch, and once completed, it would be difficult to move.
So Xu Wu took her tools out to the corridor and began assembling it there.
Each branch was separate, and Xu Wu located the main trunk and spread it out.
Following the instructions sent by the seller step by step, she managed to assemble it after some effort.
She tested the effect—within ten meters of someone approaching, the sensor activated, and the lamp lit up.
Satisfied, she continued assembling the rest.
Just then, the elevator chimed as it reached her floor. Xu Wu glanced over.
It was Zhou Jinye.
Their eyes met momentarily before he coldly averted his gaze.
What was wrong with him?
Xu Wu politely greeted him, “You’re back.”
He responded indifferently.
“Is something wrong?” Though his expression revealed nothing, Xu Wu still asked.
“Nothing.” His tone was cold and flat.
Something seemed different.
Zhou Jinye glanced at the glowing faux tree lamp behind Xu Wu.
“It’s a motion-sensor lamp. It activates within ten meters. If the corridor lights go out, this one will still be on.” Xu Wu explained.
“So? What are you doing with all this?”
His lips curled into a faint smile as he questioned her, but there was no warmth in it.
Xu Wu was momentarily stunned.
“Forget it,” Zhou Jinye said, seeing her reaction. “If you like it, I have no objections.”
“What’s wrong with you today?”
In front of others, he always acted as if he didn’t know her, addressing her formally. But now, seeing her concern, his smile remained superficial.
“You’re making me feel like I’m just a backup option.”
Backup?
She froze, not understanding what he meant.
All day, he had been like this—not using her nickname and saying things that confused her.
Their relationship seemed to have regressed.
“Oh, right,” he rested his hand on the doorknob. “Pudding has been running out more frequently lately. To prevent him from wandering off, I’ll lock the door whenever I leave.”
Lock the door.
That meant she’d see Pudding even less.
Stacked with inexplicable events, Xu Wu blurted out, “Zhou Jinye, what’s wrong with you?”
“Do you really want to know?” He let go of the doorknob and stepped closer, his deep eyes scrutinizing her. “Can’t you tell I’m in a bad mood?”
“Did I upset you?” He was taller than her, his shadow falling over her head as Xu Wu looked up at him.
“What do you think?” Zhou Jinye stared into her eyes. “Xu Wu, stop trying to provoke me.”
“No,” she still didn’t understand. Looking directly into his eyes, she asked, “Tell me clearly—what did I do to upset you?”
“Have you forgotten what you said to me back then?” His eyes mocked her, full of sarcasm. “Do you want me to be your disposable toy again?”
Under the harsh white light of the corridor, the glow of the small tree lamp beside them felt redundant, out of place.
Memories flooded back like waves, leaving her overwhelmed with pain.
Her eyelashes trembled, her lips parted, but her voice failed her. Like lead filling her throat, she lost all strength to argue, unable to utter a word.
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