[They are people... people who take life seriously and have once strived with all their might.]

The incident began when Rardo proposed treating Zeng Ruihong and Zhou Leqi to dinner as a gesture of gratitude for their hard work over the past month and their understanding of Pielno’s Italian operations.

Zeng Ruihong readily accepted, showing interest in authentic Italian cuisine. However, Zhou Leqi was already feeling unwell due to months of intense work. She had no choice but to decline the invitation, explaining her physical condition to Rardo while expressing her apologies.

Rardo gracefully expressed his understanding, regretfully remarking that he could now only share the pleasant dinner with Simon. Zeng Ruihong smiled courteously, but the agitation in his eyes became more pronounced.

After parting ways with Rardo and Zeng Ruihong, Zhou Leqi returned to her hotel room to rest.

She washed up, took her melatonin, turned off the lights, and put on an eye mask, hoping to fall asleep. But after tossing and turning for over half an hour, she still couldn’t drift off, despite her head throbbing painfully.

Frustrated, she sat up and removed the eye mask. Without makeup, her exhaustion was fully visible. The dark circles under her eyes were alarming, and her complexion was deathly pale. She closed her eyes and sat quietly for a moment, contemplating the possibility of going out to buy Italian sleeping pills. Just as she picked up her phone to check the nearest purchase location, a call came through.

Zhou Leqi glanced at the screen—it was Milan.

She quickly answered: “Hello.”

It was 19:00 in Rome, which meant it was already around 1 or 2 a.m. in Beijing. While staying up late was routine for TV producers, making an international call at this hour wasn’t common. Zhou Leqi grew concerned, fearing something might be wrong with Milan.

“Hello, it’s… it’s me,” Milan’s voice on the other end sounded somewhat distant. “Are you done with work?... Can we talk?”

Hearing this, Zhou Leqi grew even more worried. She straightened her posture and spoke faster: “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Milan fell silent again, hesitating awkwardly as if choosing her words carefully, making Zhou Leqi increasingly tense. After a while, Milan finally spoke: “Actually, it’s nothing serious… It’s just Yan Lin. He suddenly asked me out to dinner…”

Zhou Leqi: “….”

Unfortunately, the phone couldn’t vividly convey her current speechlessness. Milan remained oblivious to Zhou Leqi’s state, lost in her own little world. Initially reserved and uneasy, she seemed to break through some psychological barrier upon mentioning “Yan Lin” and began talking nonstop.

“Sigh, actually, he messaged me earlier today. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to disturb you while you were working. I’ve been holding it in until now.”

“I thought he wanted my help with something and got a bit nervous… but it turned out to just be a meal. We chatted about work and life—oh, right, he also asked about my love life, whether Peng Shuai and I are officially together…”

“What do you think he meant by that?... Could he be trying to reconcile?”

Before Zhou Leqi could interject, Milan continued analyzing:

“No, surely not. A good horse doesn’t eat grass it’s already passed. Yan Lin isn’t that kind of person…”

“Do you think he’s stressed out? Maybe the pressure from his internship at Yuan Tai Law Firm is too much. That top-tier firm must be very competitive. Could he just be tired and looking for someone to chat with?”

“Ugh, probably not. He’s quite resilient…”

“Ahh, I’m so confused! Guess what else he talked about? He said he’s planning to buy a car and asked me for recommendations. I was completely dumbfounded!”

“What do you think he meant? Was he showing off how well he’s doing now? Or…”

On and on she went, seemingly astonished.

In contrast, Zhou Leqi found everything entirely predictable.

She knew that Yan Lin’s situation had improved significantly. Two years ago, the lawsuit that had plagued him concluded, and his family received a substantial compensation, resolving their financial issues. Now, his father had moved to Beijing with him, and they were considering buying a house. Yan Lin’s plans were likely similar to hers: to settle down in Beijing once their careers stabilized.

She had always believed that Yan Lin hadn’t let go of Milan. At every gathering, though he never spoke, his gaze would subtly linger on Milan. If he no longer cared for her, why would he continue giving her those silent attentions?

In her view, after some time, Yan Lin might even ask Milan what kind of house she liked.

Holding her phone, Zhou Leqi listened as Milan’s rambling voice came through the receiver. Milan was confused and conflicted, but to Zhou Leqi, these were signs of happiness. A faint smile appeared in her eyes as she felt genuinely pleased for her friends, who seemed to be stepping out of life’s strange loops.

“So, if he really comes after you, would you accept him?” Zhou Leqi asked with a smile. “Or would you reject him?”

Milan fell silent on the other end, avoiding the question and repeatedly saying: “Chase me? Yan Lin? Come on, don’t joke… How could he chase me? He wouldn’t chase me. He’s not the type to chase anyone…”

“Do you really believe that?” Zhou Leqi sighed, unable to help herself. “Or are you pretending not to believe he’s pursuing you because you’re afraid of upsetting me?”

“Of course not!” Milan denied vehemently. “I know him. He’s cold, aloof, and self-centered. He doesn’t care about romance. Why would he chase me? What’s in it for him?”

Her analysis hit like a storm, leaving Zhou Leqi’s head pounding.

Zhou Leqi wanted to help Yan Lin and offer some reassurance to Milan. Unfortunately, just then, a loud knock came from the door, as if charged with emotion.

Even through the phone, Milan heard the knocking and asked, “Is someone looking for you? Why are they knocking so loudly?”

Zhou Leqi frowned, thinking it was likely Zeng Ruihong causing trouble again. She wasn’t particularly concerned and simply told Milan, “It’s nothing.”

“I’ll go open the door and call you back later.”

Sure enough, it was Zeng Ruihong knocking.

He seemed to have had a bit to drink; there was a faint smell of alcohol on him, but he wasn’t completely drunk. His eyes were slightly red, his tie loosened, and his breathing heavy, as if teetering on the edge of a haze-filled rage.

Before Zhou Leqi could invite him in, he pushed the door open forcefully and strode inside, pointing at her accusingly: “Zhou Leqi, what the hell did you whisper into Pei Qiming’s ear this time!”

Like a powder keg on the verge of explosion.

Zhou Leqi was completely baffled by his words, unaware that just ten minutes earlier, Zeng Ruihong had received an ominous email.

The sender was Director Jason from the Beijing office, Pei Qiming’s direct superior. He had sent out a mass notification about personnel adjustments, stating that due to the company’s overall assessment of the situation, some reliable team members would have to temporarily leave SWD’s team.

...This was essentially a layoff.

Zeng Ruihong had no prior knowledge of any plans for layoffs. This sudden bad news completely crushed him, leaving him too distraught to properly conclude dinner with Rardo. He hastily began reviewing everything that had recently transpired.

First, he had lost the competition for VP to Pei Qiming, naturally making him a target of Pei’s suspicion.

Second, he had clashed with Zhou Leqi during recent work, and she surely resented him, likely reporting everything to Pei Qiming.

Third, Pei Qiming was currently meeting with MD in Beijing, who had full authority over personnel decisions.

...If this wasn’t the result of Zhou Leqi scheming with Pei Qiming, then he’d write his name backward!

He was utterly enraged, convinced that he had been betrayed by the “office couple,” and completely disregarded his own recent lapses at work.

What is an investment bank? It’s a gold mine that every elite strives to enter. For generous salaries, they’re willing to put in all their effort, even exhausting themselves—996, 007, you name it. But Zeng Ruihong was already thirty. He was slowly losing to those in their twenties. After midnight, he could no longer respond to work messages. Moreover, his recent failure in the VP competition had left him resentful, inevitably affecting his work performance.

He had been in the Associate position for five years… Five years without promotion to VP. Did he still have a chance at SWD? Newcomers were like endless crops of leeks, wave after wave, inexhaustible and ever-renewing, while his strength was finite and currently depreciating. No one keeps depreciating assets. In the current dire state of the global economy, labor like his, with relatively low “cost-performance,” was bound to meet a grim fate.

Such is the world of capital.

Objective, brutal, and cold.

Yet he refused to acknowledge this. Despite knowing deep down, he chose to blame everything on Zhou Leqi.

Zhou Leqi was unaware of the predicament Zeng Ruihong faced and had no interest in it. His offense made her indignant, and a drunk, irrational man frightened her. She tensed up, unwilling to stay in the same room, thinking of running out to seek help from hotel staff. But before she could act, Zeng Ruihong’s emotions shifted.

...He cried.

Crouching on the ground, he sobbed uncontrollably like a helpless weakling.

“I’m just… getting old…” His sobs reached Zhou Leqi’s ears. “…But I can still work…”

It’s hard to describe what Zhou Leqi felt inside that night.

Did she like Zeng Ruihong? Of course not. She thought he was a rascal, lacking professionalism and a big-picture mindset. But she didn’t particularly hate him either because she knew deep down that he was a failure. It’s hard to hold grudges against someone who has failed.

She merely viewed him as a temporary work partner she had to collaborate with, someone entirely unrelated to her, unworthy of any emotional investment. Yet tonight’s scene stirred something genuine deep within her.

...That was pity.

And empathy.

She and Zeng Ruihong were actually alike, perhaps even Pei Qiming too. They were just insignificant cogs in the vast machinery of capital, working tirelessly to help others amass greater social wealth. They squeezed out whatever value they had left and frantically competed with others equally vulnerable, scrambling for scarce social resources and the favor of the capital world. The victors gained fleeting safety, while the losers were mercilessly cast aside.

But they shouldn’t be reduced to cold, lifeless parts.

They were people... people who took life seriously and had once strived with all their might.

Even if they couldn’t escape being ruthlessly discarded by this cruel world... shouldn’t they still deserve a bit of kindness and dignity?

Her thoughts delved deeper.

This was a bad habit she had developed in recent years. As a child, she hadn’t been so introspective. Being a science student, she had linear thinking, focusing on one point and analyzing it deeply. Now her thoughts were increasingly scattered; one event would trigger numerous associations. Milan once said that she thought too much because she didn’t communicate enough, bottling everything up inside.

Perhaps that was true… She indeed lacked the desire to express herself, or maybe she just hadn’t found someone trustworthy enough to confide in. She couldn’t say.

At this moment, her mind was tormented by increasingly tangled thoughts, making sleep impossible. So she got up again, put on her coat, grabbed her bag at ten o’clock at night, and embarked on an aimless wander through the foreign streets.