Chapter 22

It’s this person who controls her emotions, who makes it impossible for her to like anyone else.

She also knows clearly that even if he stands in front of her now, he is already very far away from her. He has clearly stated that they are impossible. So, she will never have another chance to be this close to him again. She doesn’t dare to breathe too loudly and just keeps her head resting on his neck.

In the years since leaving her hometown, she has had brief infatuations with other boys. There were the top students in school, the most outstanding basketball player, the guy with great eloquence in college… no matter who it was, the feeling of a crush was always exciting, hopeful, and happy. It shouldn’t be like this now. Perhaps because he is a self-conceited person, even the smallest, unproven bit of tenderness from him would make one want to kneel and accept his mercy.

“Wake up and get down.” He Yingze suddenly stopped.

She immediately jumped down from his back and returned to the height where she needed to look up to him. She softly said, “…I actually fell asleep?”

“After drinking a can of beer in such a place and sleeping so soundly, only you could have that kind of talent.” He took the lead and walked ahead. “Let’s go, I’ll send you back.”

“No, no need, I can walk by myself.”

“Who do you want to be carried by this time?”

She was speechless. He had never been used to walking side by side with anyone, so she silently followed him behind, just like before. She watched him walk with one hand in his pocket, taking big steps, while she could only jog to keep up with his shadow. After walking for a while, she suddenly remembered a question that had been lingering in her mind. She looked up and asked, “Xiaoying, are you responsible for the business on the 46th floor of Zhen Ji Wang City?”

“Not entirely.”

She couldn’t bring herself to ask, “Are there illegal transactions there?” so she tried to word it more carefully. “There are quite large transaction amounts there. If something unexpected happens in a section that’s not under your jurisdiction, would you need to take responsibility?”

“If you have a problem, just say it directly. Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Okay, can you tell me who the client on the 46th floor with the number K001 is?”

“You think I’m someone who mixes personal and business matters?” His answer came quickly.

Luo Wei lowered her head, embarrassed: “Sorry, I didn’t think this through. It’s just that this person has helped me before, and I wanted to thank him in person…”

“No need.” He responded bluntly. “The people you think are good may have deep grudges against you.”

“Deep grudges? Haha, I’m just an ordinary person. Where would I have any deep grudges? Only in martial arts movies do we use such exaggerated words for blood feuds.”

“Then in martial arts movies, would you ever end up being the heroine who falls in love with the person who killed her father?”

This was definitely not a question He Yingze would normally ask. Luo Wei was stunned for a moment before she laughed: “Hey, Xiaoying, do you think I’m the type to forget my parents once I have a man? Clearly, I’m the type of righteous heroine who would join forces with the male lead to defeat the enemy, right?”

“What if you truly fell in love with the person who killed your father?”

Luo Wei thought for a moment and replied seriously: “If he truly loved me, he wouldn’t harm my family. If he harmed my family to get close to me, then his intentions were impure from the start, so there’s no such thing as true love. And, the female protagonists in those stories are usually the ones who will sacrifice everything for love, right? They sound like they suffer a lot and should get a happy ending, but they usually either end up committing suicide because they can’t bear the torment or are used to death by bad men. None of them have a good ending. Someone as positive as me doesn’t want to be a tragic heroine.”

After she finished speaking, He Yingze remained silent for a long time before finally saying: “That’s also the part of you I admire the most.”

The ground was noisy, with buildings and overpasses lit up, but high above in the sky, it was peaceful, with the night already asleep over the city. Later, the driver came, and He Yingze sent her home. He said “Go ahead,” and left without saying goodbye. After returning home, he lingered in her mind. She couldn’t sort out her emotions, so she avoided mentioning names and places, reporting work to her father and talking about her love life with her mother. Her mother said a lot of meaningless things like “If you like someone, make sure to love them well,” and finally, her father couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed the phone, saying with deep emotion, “Wei’er, all men in this world can be divided into two types. One is gentle and considerate, taking care of you like a princess, but there’s usually no passion with such a person. The other is powerful, admired by others, capable of solving all your difficulties, but being with such a person can be very difficult. It depends on what kind of life you want to live.”

“Dad, I don’t really have a life I want to choose… I… I don’t want to be with him, but I care a lot about this person.”

“Does he like you?”

“I don’t know… I can’t tell. Sometimes it seems like he likes me, and other times, it’s like we’re just ordinary friends…”

“Men and women are different. When men want something, they’re very straightforward and don’t hide their feelings. So, when you can’t tell if a man likes you, it means he doesn’t.”

“…So that’s how it is.”

“Actually, I think Su Jiannian is pretty good. He’s a good person and understands things. If you still have a chance, you should be with him.” Her father paused for a moment. “But no returning to Gongzhou. You can bring him to Shanghai.”

As soon as he finished speaking, her mother’s voice came from the other end: “Husband, how can you think Su Jiannian is good? I think Xiaoying is the one who looks good, and he’s been interested in our Wei’er since childhood…”

“You only care about how they look. Does a good-looking man help put food on the table?” Her father’s voice held a hint of displeasure.

Luo Wei felt her heart pounding, but she also knew this was her mother’s bias toward Xiaoying. Her mother was a fan of good looks, and Xiaoying had a face that she found very appealing. Luo Wei quickly interrupted their argument: “Why can’t I go back to Gongzhou?”

“Because you can’t. No reason. By the way, your mom and I are planning to visit you on a weekend, so send me your address in Shanghai.”

“Wait, Dad, I’m busy with a design competition right now. Can you come later?”

“Wei’er, you… aren’t in Gongzhou, right?”

“I’m calling you on a Shanghai card right now, aren’t I? Plus, in our line of work, it’s impossible to get by in Gongzhou. Why would I go and suffer?”

Actually, even without her parents saying anything, Luo Wei knew that Jiannian was a good guy. But if feelings could really be controlled, she wouldn’t be feeling so frustrated. She simply took out a pen and paper to prepare for the Cici designer competition, but her mind was completely filled with He Yingze, and she couldn’t focus on anything else. In the end, the only thing she wrote on her schedule was a diary, and the theme was almost entirely about him.

Her dad said that if you’re unsure, it means you don’t like the person. His stance was even firmer than that—he had directly told her “no.” But deep down, there was a voice in her head convincing her that he must have some feelings for her. Xiaoying had always been like that as a child—appearing indifferent on the surface, but whenever she got lost, he was always the first one to find her. There was one time when she got lost near the slide for more than an hour, and he brought her back. When everyone asked if she wanted something to eat or if she was scared, she just grabbed his hand and said, firmly, “I only want Xiaoying.” He tightened his grip and said, “I’ll protect you from now on.” Maybe with those memories as a foundation, she had just a bit of confidence and quietly told herself that he was just hiding his feelings.

With that thought, she finally gathered the courage to pick up her phone and call him. She only wanted to hear his voice and thank him—there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that. But when the phone connected, she found herself so nervous that she had to take several deep breaths.

Finally, someone picked up. The first word, “Hello,” was spoken by a young woman. Luo Wei was momentarily stunned, not even blinking, and just looked at the clock. It was exactly 11:00 PM, and the number she dialed was the landline in his suite at Zhen Ji Wang City’s top floor.

“Hello, may I ask who you’re looking for?” The woman’s voice was gentle and cheerful, making Luo Wei instantly think of someone like Ni Lei. Her mind went blank for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and said, “I’m looking for Mr. He.”

“Oh, he’s in the shower… Ah, wait, he’s here.”

Next, He Yingze’s voice came through: “Hello.”

“It’s me, Luo Wei.” Her voice was calm, but her heart was in turmoil.

“What’s up?”

She held her breath: “It’s nothing, I just wanted to say thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

Although it was just two sentences, anyone who understood body language would notice the distance in his tone. Calling him at this hour was clearly inappropriate. How could she do something so foolish? He was now King He Yingze, an adult with an unclear emotional status, no longer the childhood friend she could contact anytime. She quickly said, “Just thank you for taking care of me tonight… It’s nothing important, you can get back to work. Goodnight.”

She quickly hung up the phone and let out a long sigh, burying her head in her pillow. The phone slipped to the floor with a noise, but she couldn’t muster the energy to pick it up.

Why did her parents insist that she liked He Yingze?

This wasn’t love. Love was happiness, not depression, frustration, or even heartache.

On the other end of the line, the female secretary had finished organizing the documents for He Yingze and glanced at him. He was reclining with one arm resting on the sofa, frequently changing the TV channels with the remote, showing no signs of emotion. Everyone who wanted to contact He Yingze had to go through her, so anyone who could get through to his personal phone at this hour was definitely not related to work. She didn’t understand why her boss had answered the private call himself, but when working for him, the most important thing was to keep quiet. She gently placed the phone on the desk: “Mr. He, is there anything else you need?”

“Go home.” He Yingze waved his hand, tossing the phone into the corner of the sofa.