Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
After Zhou Jin Ye took Xu Wu around the horse ranch for two laps, they each went to the changing rooms to remove their riding gear.
The restroom of the horse ranch was infused with the scent of floral incense. Xu Wu stood by the sink, washing her hands.
As she dried her hands and turned around, Zhou Jin Ye emerged from the men’s restroom on the other side.
Xu Wu froze momentarily.
Their eyes met for two seconds before she quickly averted her gaze.
She didn’t say anything and prepared to leave the restroom when he spoke first. “Do you know why President Lin likes horses?”
Xu Wu felt somewhat awkward; she had no idea about this.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
Zhou Jin Ye walked over, turned on the faucet, and explained, “President Lin’s mother is of Mongolian descent. He grew up with her side of the family. For them, horses aren’t pets—they’re friends, comrades-in-arms who run alongside them in the fields.”
He slowly rinsed his hands as he continued, “Similarly, after graduating, Lin built Boheng from the ground up. In an era of rapid technological advancement, he has always adhered to his principles, and that’s how he achieved success today. To him, the company is like those horses—it holds sentimental value.”
A flicker of surprise passed through Xu Wu’s eyes as she realized he was giving her advice.
Zhou Jin Ye wiped his hands with a paper towel. “Lin’s temperament may be eccentric, but he’s upright. As long as you’re sincere and don’t break his principles or try to deceive him, he won’t make things difficult for you. It’s up to you to seize the opportunity.”
Xu Wu thought back to how Lin’s attitude toward her had completely shifted earlier, and she realized this was her chance.
Just as she was about to thank him for the advice, Lin’s assistant stepped between them.
“Miss Xu, President Lin asked me to fetch you. He has something to discuss.”
________________________________________
There was a dedicated lounge in the horse ranch.
Lin Dongyu had already changed out of his riding gear and was seated, flipping through the proposal Xu Wu had prepared.
The assistant led Xu Wu to Lin Dongyu and then exited the room.
Seeing Xu Wu approach, Lin Dongyu slowed his movements as he flipped through the documents and said, “I’ve reviewed your proposal thoroughly. It aligns well with the essence of the product. Considering our long-standing partnership with Lingmei, I can withdraw the legal notice.”
As he spoke, he looked up at Xu Wu, resting his crossed hands under his chin.
“However, regarding this collaboration, I still need time to consider. If we continue working with Lingmei, and something similar happens again, it would be risky for me as a businessman. My company depends solely on yours—I can’t afford to take that risk.”
Xu Wu recalled what Zhou Jin Ye had said in the restroom and responded firmly, “President Lin, please rest assured. This time, I will draft a detailed contract. If you trust me, all your projects will be handled by me going forward.”
“Every decision will be made with your company’s philosophy in mind, and every product proposal will be reviewed by your team. As long as I’m with Lingmei, I will never do anything to harm your company’s reputation.”
Lin Dongyu narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her face for sincerity. Xu Wu’s gentle features were softened further by her unwavering determination, which somehow inspired trust.
After a pause, he picked up a pen, twirling the cap, and said half-jokingly, “If any future project goes wrong, I’ll come straight to you.”
Xu Wu understood Lin Dongyu’s implication. “Thank you, President Lin, for giving me and Lingmei another chance.”
Earlier, Lin had observed Zhou Jin Ye’s behavior on the horse ranch. That boy rarely showed patience when teaching others.
Casually, Lin brought up another topic. “There’s something I’d like to ask.”
Xu Wu nodded. “Please go ahead.”
He glanced at her. “Previously, Zhou Jin Ye attended Linjing No. 1 High School. My wife mentioned that you also studied there. Did you know Zhou Jin Ye?”
Xu Wu had assumed he would ask about work-related matters, so his question startled her. After a moment of thought, she replied tactfully, “Yes, Zhou and I attended the same school, but we were in different grades. I only heard of him in passing and don’t know him well.”
Suddenly—
In the brief second after she finished speaking, Xu Wu thought she heard the faint sound of fingers brushing against the door.
It was gone in an instant, and she wondered if she’d imagined it.
Lin Dongyu signed off on the project, recalling the scene at the horse ranch, and didn’t press further.
He chuckled lightly. “So, it seems that boy was quite popular back in school.”
Xu Wu smiled faintly without responding.
At that moment, Lin Dongyu’s phone rang—it was business-related.
Xu Wu picked up the proposal, politely excused herself, and asked the assistant to relay a message: she would immediately arrange the product’s promotional campaign and deliver the new cooperation contract to the company.
With that, she bid farewell and left.
After leaving the horse ranch, Xu Wu hailed a taxi using a ride-hailing app. While waiting, she replied to the real estate agent handling the property in Yiming Garden.
She had already gathered most of the basic information about the house.
For specific details, Xu Wu sent her WeChat ID to the agent, asking them to connect with the landlord directly.
Moments after finishing the reply, she caught sight of a car pulling up out of the corner of her eye. Thinking it was just passing by, Xu Wu instinctively stepped back to make way.
Then the horn honked, and Xu Wu looked up.
A glossy black Bentley had stopped in front of her.
Under the warm sunlight, the sleek body of the car shimmered with an enchanting luster.
The window on her side rolled down, revealing Zhou Jin Ye’s sharply defined face.
He turned his head toward her. “Get in.”
Xu Wu lowered her head slightly, strands of hair falling gently on her cheeks.
She shook her head politely. “President Zhou, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I’ve already called a taxi—it’ll arrive soon.”
The autumn breeze rustled fallen leaves on the ground, creating a soft, whispering sound. Their shallow breaths mingled in the air, expanding and intertwining.
Zhou Jin Ye gripped the steering wheel tightly, veins bulging. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, his expression darkened, and his voice grew hoarse. “Xu Wu, there’s no one else here. Pretending to be strangers—isn’t that amusing?”
The wind brushed against Xu Wu’s face, tightening her chest.
Her mind replayed the faint sound at the door earlier—she hadn’t imagined it. So, he had heard everything?
When they broke up, it wasn’t amicable. She assumed he hadn’t intended to reveal their past relationship in front of Lin Dongyu either.
How could she have known what he was thinking?
The sounds of the wind, rustling leaves, and distant honks stretched between them.
No polite greetings, no heartfelt reunions, no convoluted business jargon—just a single arrow piercing through the dust and striking her heart.
Blunt, unexpected.
Frozen in place, before she could respond, a familiar rented car pulled up smoothly across from them.
Xu Wu pursed her lips, breaking the silence.
“My ride is here. I’ll take my leave.”
Suddenly remembering something, Xu Wu paused mid-step, turned back, and addressed Zhou Jin Ye through the car window. “Thank you for the reminder in the restroom.”
“But, you didn’t mention that we knew each other in front of President Lin, did you?”
________________________________________
Zhou Jin Ye watched Xu Wu get into the rental car, observing until it disappeared into the distance, shrinking into a small dot on the horizon.
Yet, he didn’t start his engine, staring at the vanishing point until it faded completely.
His reminder in the restroom—he hadn’t planned to advise her. But seeing her slender figure walk over, he had inexplicably offered guidance, only for her to claim they weren’t close.
Hmph, what a waste of effort.
The cool breeze blew into the car, extinguishing the last embers of volcanic anger.
Minutes later, his phone rang in the card slot.
The caller ID displayed his aunt, Zhou Min.
He swiped to answer.
The noisy background filtered through the phone. After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Min’s voice came through.
“Jin Ye, the real estate agent called. Someone is interested in the apartment across from yours. They want to learn more about the property.”
“I have too many appointments at the clinic recently, so I don’t have time to go over there.”
“The keys are in the drawer of your living room. I’ll send you the tenant’s WeChat ID. Add her and discuss the details. Also, these days, help pick up my daughter for me and my husband.”
As she spoke, Zhou Jin Ye noticed a WeChat message from Zhou Min pop up on his screen. He responded indifferently, “Alright, I understand.”
After the call ended, he copied the alphanumeric string Zhou Min had sent and searched for it.
The signal here was weak, and it took a moment for the profile picture to load. Zhou Jin Ye casually glanced at the image.
What he saw startled him.
He tapped on the profile picture, as if trying to confirm something.
The next second, his pupils contracted sharply.
The image was a scenic photo: a clear blue sky served as the backdrop, with a pale crescent moon hanging in the center.
Zhou Jin Ye raised his head, gazing at the now-empty road, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He rubbed the edge of his phone, staring fixedly at the photo.
In the rearview mirror, Zhou Jin Ye’s deep eyes reflected a faint, almost mocking smile.
Without hesitation, he pressed the button to send a friend request.
The application was successfully sent.
________________________________________
“Xu Wu, do you have some free time the day after tomorrow?”
Lin Qingshuang called just as Xu Wu stepped out of the rental car and began walking toward the office.
After resolving the matter with Boheng Technology, Xu Wu finally managed to secure three days off to move and rest. On the way, she remembered there were still files on her desk that she needed to retrieve, so she asked the driver to drop her off at the company building.
“Yes, I’m free,” she pressed the elevator button and asked directly, “Is there something you need?”
Lin Qingshuang replied, “Yes, the wedding preparations have been keeping us busy lately. The day after tomorrow, we’ll be setting up the venue late into the night. Wei Linxuan will be dismissed from school that day, and I won’t have time to pick him up. Could you help fetch him?”
Wei Linxuan was Lin Qingshuang and Wei Baoguo’s son, born late in life. He was Xu Wu’s younger half-brother, more than ten years her junior, currently in first grade.
Whenever Lin Qingshuang and Wei Baoguo were too busy to manage, they often asked Xu Wu to pick him up.
Xu Wu replied, “Alright, I’ll pick him up the day after tomorrow.”
Arriving at her floor, Xu Wu ended the call, citing work to attend to.
Glancing at the date, she realized her current lease was nearing its end.
After organizing the materials she had taken from Shu Ke, she checked her WeChat messages.
A friend request notification appeared in her contact list.
Xu Wu accepted the topmost introduction—the landlord.
The profile picture was dark and blurry, so Xu Wu paid little attention.
She had already seen pictures of the property and found no major issues. Now, she just needed to visit in person.
She asked the other party when they were available the next day so she could view the house.
They quickly replied: “Anytime these two days. I’ll be busy during the day, so the keys will be with the agent. Just come whenever you’re ready.”
Xu Wu responded: “Alright.”
Google Sites
Report abuse