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The honking of a car horn jolted Chu Ning back to her senses.
She snapped awake, feeling dizzy and unsteady on her feet, stumbling slightly.
“Be careful.” Ying Jing quickly reached out to steady her. Chu Ning shook her head lightly, exclaiming, “Ah, the wine tonight really got to my head.”
She regained her composure and brushed Ying Jing’s hand away.
Ying Jing muttered, “Can you stop drinking in the future?”
“How is that possible?”
“Then can you drink less?”
“That, I can try to control.”
Chu Ning glanced at him, “Money isn’t easy to earn.”
Ying Jing gave a light snort, “My father once said that China’s drinking culture has been ruined by a bunch of people. They take coercion as fun, as if their sense of satisfaction can only be obtained from others’ discomfort. A bit of capital allows them to stand at a high point and dictate to others. Drinking shouldn’t be like this.”
Chu Ning smiled, “Oh, how rebellious you are today. Then tell me, how should one drink?”
Ying Jing shot her a glance, “If there’s an opportunity, I’ll take you to our compound, to the guard unit, to the battlefield, and show you how our soldiers drink. If you want to get drunk, it must be pleasant. If you don’t want to get drunk, you absolutely won’t be forced. They use big bowls, take off their clothes, expose their upper bodies, and drink with gusto.”
Chu Ning raised an eyebrow, “Taking off clothes? What about their physiques?”
Ying Jing closed his mouth, eyeing her sideways, “All fat, it’ll make you sick.”
Chu Ning laughed, “Are you even jealous about this?”
As soon as she said this, she realized her own impropriety.
Chu Ning retracted her smile, standing indifferently.
Ying Jing didn’t respond much either, methodically putting on his coat—first the left sleeve, then the right sleeve, finally shaking his shoulders for a neat appearance. He honestly said, “I eat a lot of vinegar over you. So, are you going to compensate me?”
Chu Ning tapped his forehead, “Can you shut up!”
Ying Jing winced, showing his teeth, “Don’t keep hitting me. Let me tell you, it’s not that I can’t beat you; it’s that I don’t hit women.”
Chu Ning tapped him again, challenging him further.
Ying Jing: “Hey, hey, hey.”
She was about to tap again, but halfway through, changed her gesture, gently landing her hand on his hair, stroking it, “How can you be so well-behaved? Huh?”
Her voice was gentle, with a hint of alcohol, making Ying Jing’s eyes sparkle.
After saying this, Chu Ning turned around, hugging herself, flicking her hair, “Let’s go, the designated driver should be here.”
Ying Jing stood there, a bit lost and confused. He couldn’t quite tell if Chu Ning did it on purpose or just unconsciously flirted.
The designated driver arrived on time. Chu Ning and Ying Jing sat in the back seat. She opened the window for some fresh air; they each occupied one side, leaving plenty of space in between. The wind blew Chu Ning’s hair back, creating ripples like small water circles.
Suddenly, she said, “Find time to get your driver’s license.”
Ying Jing exclaimed, “Ah.”
“A boy must know how to drive.” Chu Ning yawned deeply, covering her lips with her hand, looking quite endearing, “In the future, you can help out. I don’t like others driving my car.”
Ying Jing somehow sensed a hint of sweetness in her words.
He wasn’t “others.”
________________________________________
This evening’s business engagement had failed miserably, thoroughly offending the wealthy Boss Zhou.
In the past, Chu Ning would have been heartbroken, but this time, she also found it not so important. Thinking of Ying Jing’s uncompromising little cannon-like demeanor, Chu Ning thought it was pretty good.
Alright, let’s look for the next one.
She gathered her spirits and began flipping through the list of resources in her hands.
Originally thinking this matter was settled, life is full of surprises. The next day, Boss Zhou unexpectedly called Chu Ning, willing to invest in their project without changing a single word in the contract. The profit-sharing ratio all followed their terms. The total funding amount was three million, paid in three installments. Boss Zhou was generous, saying, “Regarding reporting, it doesn’t matter whether you do or not. Anyway, I wouldn’t understand.”
He chuckled first.
“What, if you’re free this afternoon, come to my company, bring the contract, and let’s sign it quickly. I need to return to my hometown tonight.”
Things turned around too fast.
Chu Ning temporarily didn’t tell Ying Jing, fearing variables might affect his mood.
At two o’clock the next afternoon, she arrived fifteen minutes early. Boss Zhou, with his big belly, wore a suit that someone probably bought for him. The fabric was prone to wrinkles, and at first glance, he looked shabby, quite like a farmer-turned-entrepreneur.
Signing the contract, stamping it—all happened swiftly like lightning.
Chu Ning gazed at the black-and-white paper and the bright red official seal, feeling a mix of emotions.
Boss Zhou screwed the cap back onto the pen, smilingly asking, “That young man from last night didn’t come?”
Cold sweat ran down Chu Ning’s head, fearing that the wealthy boss wanted revenge.
“Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous.” Old Zhou noticed her thoughts and remained amicable, “This kid, very smart. Which university again?”
“C University of Aeronautics.”
“Such a good school!” Old Zhou slapped the table suddenly, “Talented! I love kids who study hard!”
Chu Ning felt relieved inside; no grudges were held.
Old Zhou continued sincerely, “In this society, having knowledge and culture brings refinement and elegance, something money can’t buy. Young people should read more books. Back in my hometown, nestled in the mountains, children suffer a lot, working in the fields at seven, eight, or nine years old, barefoot in the scorching heat, their feet getting rotten.”
He sighed, “Only by walking out of the mountains can there be hope.”
So, he was actually a good person who valued talent.
Chu Ning’s brows twitched slightly. Ying Jing seemed to always have good luck, often finding opportunities in desperate situations.
After securing the funds, Chu Ning told him the news. As expected, he was excited. She moved her hand a bit farther, smiling, “What’s there to be happy about? This is just the beginning. By the way, set a time, and let’s check out the lab together.”
Ying Jing answered quickly, “Tomorrow!”
“Okay.”
After comprehensive consideration, Chu Ning still found the place in Zhongguancun most suitable.
She only considered cost control, while Ying Jing focused on technical indicators. But the premise was still based on his criteria. If Ying Jing said no, they’d find another place.
After clarifying this point, they reached an agreement.
Ying Jing’s eyes darted, leaning closer, “Hey, have you noticed?”
Chu Ning was driving, “What?”
“We’re becoming more and more in sync.”
“You shut up.”
“Can’t I even talk about good things?” Ying Jing sounded unhappy.
Chu Ning lightly scoffed, “You staying quiet is better than anything.”
Silence lasted only two minutes.
“Um...” Ying Jing asked calmly and confidently, “Are you really not considering me?”
A sudden brake!
Ying Jing almost hit his head, heart racing, “I’m just confessing! Do you want to kill me?”
“No killing. I’ve just secured investment; I must wait until you make me some money before silencing you.” Chu Ning replied indifferently.
Ying Jing leaned closer, “What kind of men do you like?”
Chu Ning: “Quiet ones.”
...Ying Jing, dead.
Upon arriving at the destination, Chu Ning first contacted the person in charge. Their vehicle was allowed into the technology park. This area had clear divisions: medical technology, artificial intelligence technology, software parks, covering all high-tech industries domestically.
Seeing these, Chu Ning felt a wave of emotion. “Back in school, my grades weren’t great, but now, unexpectedly, I’m doing what top students should do. If I tell my homeroom teacher, her mouth would gape this big, right?”
Chu Ning vividly illustrated a large circle.
Ying Jing glanced, “Not big enough, watch this.”
In two steps, he blocked her path, drawing a surprise heart in the air with both hands.
Ying Jing’s features were clean, deliberately wearing a subtle yet enticing smile.
Inside, Chu Ning’s mind was filled with ellipses, pretending to be calm, “Are you bored?”
Then she quickly walked forward.
Ying Jing placed his hands on his waist, laughing as he watched her. When she walked about four or five meters away, he called out to her back, “Where are you going? It’s this way.”
Chu Ning hesitated in her steps but didn’t listen to him, continuing forward without turning back. “I’m going to the restroom, none of your business.”
Ying Jing raised his eyebrows; the restroom seemed to be in this direction too.
But this time, he didn’t expose her.
The laboratory’s person in charge was Mr. Zhang, wearing glasses, with a square face. Probably due to meeting many people, he was quite formulaic. He introduced the basic situation of the laboratory and listened to Ying Jing’s summary of the required equipment for the project.
His familiarity with the project extended to specific details such as output power and maximum load current.
Chu Ning quietly retreated to the side; she didn’t understand these.
Using this time, she occasionally observed Ying Jing. Spring had arrived, and the weather had warmed up. He seemed naturally more resistant to cold than others. In winter, he was the last to wear winter clothes, and when it warmed up, he was the first to take off his padded jacket.
Today, he wore a bright orange trench coat. It was dazzling but not out of place.
A handsome boy looks good in anything.
Looking higher, Ying Jing’s skin was fair, and his neck had no lines. Chu Ning had seen his mother; a beauty of time, this good skin probably came from Cui Jingshu.
While distracted, Ying Jing suddenly turned his head, and their gazes collided. She consciously averted her eyes, missing the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
The ten-minute conversation drew to a close.
Ying Jing asked, “May I ask how your laboratory schedules its time?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning knew he was satisfied.
After preliminary confirmation, Ying Jing nodded at Chu Ning.
They exchanged tacit glances; the remaining matters would be handled by her.
After setting the contract signing time again, it was already two hours later when they finished.
Walking out of the laboratory, the sunlight was blinding.
Chu Ning was in a good mood; all problems were being solved one by one—funding, venue, personnel. Between her and Ying Jing, things seemed to be moving in the right direction, increasingly fitting.
She squinted at the blue sky and then at Ying Jing. With a playful mood, she said to him, “Come on, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
Ying Jing, with his back to her, didn’t respond.
When Chu Ning walked over, she found him staring to the right.
“What are you looking at?”
Ying Jing’s expression deepened, “That person, I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere.”
Chu Ning followed his gaze to the right front. A group of people stood there, likely engineers from some company judging by their attire. They wore uniforms with the company name embroidered on the chest: Yihe Software Technology Co., Ltd.
“Which person?”
“The tallest one.”
Around twenty-seven years old, dark-skinned, slightly bald, wearing a pair of sneakers.
Chu Ning didn’t grasp his meaning, only commenting on the outfit, “What peculiar taste. Let’s go.”
Ying Jing moved his feet, frequently looking back as he walked, feeling that person was very familiar.
“What do you want to eat?” Chu Ning drove out of the technology park, accelerating, and asked him.
Ying Jing was deep in thought.
“Hot pot? Hot pot? Hot pot?” Chu Ning asked again.
Three mentions brought Ying Jing back to reality. He smiled at her, “You want to eat it yourself, don’t you?”
“Eat or not?”
“Eat.” Ying Jing said, “Let’s make it ourselves.”
Chu Ning became interested, “You know how to make hot pot?”
“Boil some water, throw in a couple of chili peppers, sprinkle some salt, and toss in the vegetables to boil. Is that hard?”
“…” Applause for the practical Jing.
Thinking he was just talking, she was surprised to see how organized he was when buying groceries, starting from the fresh produce section, then moving to the seasonings.
Chu Ning was a person with very little domestic charm. When busy with work, she relied on takeout for all three meals. When not busy, she was so tired, who had the energy to cook? Now, she picked here and there, placing items she liked into the shopping cart.
She put things in the cart, and Ying Jing quietly took them out from behind, returning them to their original places.
By the end, none of the items she liked were left in the cart.
“…” Chu Ning stared at him wide-eyed.
“The things you bought aren’t practical; they’re a waste of money.” Ying Jing said calmly, “Alright, stop wandering around aimlessly.”
He grabbed a bottle of milk tea from the beverage rack, stuffing it into her arms, “Go sit outside and drink milk while I finish.”
Holding the chubby bottle of milk tea, Chu Ning resembled a pacified child.
After grocery shopping, the two returned to the apartment.
Chu Ning leaned against the kitchen door, watching the person inside bustling about, doubting, “Are you really a man? You’re so good at cooking.”
Ying Jing was peeling garlic, and upon hearing this, he smiled, not raising his head, “Are you really a woman? You’re so bad at cooking.”
Chu Ning was speechless, silently retreating to the living room, avoiding further embarrassment.
Making hot pot was simple, requiring no special skills. Ying Jing simmered a pot of bone broth as the base, remembering that Chu Ning couldn’t handle spicy food, so he only added a small spoonful of chili oil. At six-thirty, they started their meal on time.
Chu Ning changed into home clothes—a beige V-neck cotton T-shirt, slightly fitted at the waist, paired with black wide-leg pants. Her hair was casually tied up, looking fresh and lovely. Ying Jing scanned her from head to toe, sincerely saying, “I like you in this outfit.”
Chu Ning warned, “No inappropriate remarks.”
“You look like my junior.”
“…” That was excessive.
Even more excessive was yet to come. Ying Jing innocently asked, “Don’t believe me?”
With that, he circled around, standing behind her, opening his phone’s camera, “Snap” taking a selfie.
“See, I didn’t lie to you.” He proudly showed the photo, liking it more the more he looked. “Not bad for a candid shot.”
Chu Ning exploded, “Delete it!”
“No.”
Ying Jing raised his phone towards her again, “Don’t mess with me; I’m recording a short video of you. I’ll post it on my social media later.”
Damn, he was ruthless.
Chu Ning realized her fierce expression didn’t look good, immediately behaving properly and keeping a distance.
Ying Jing calmly went to the kitchen to fetch the dishes, secretly setting the first joint photo as his phone wallpaper.
Looking at the photo, he couldn’t resist, his heart blooming with joy.
Chu Ning was dissatisfied with Ying Jing’s increasingly thick skin but could do nothing about it. To avoid awkwardness, she usually pretended nothing happened, using silence to cover it up.
As they ate and chatted, they exchanged opinions.
Chu Ning talked to him about the current issues within the company and some initial difficulties to solve.
Ying Jing listened attentively, asking questions when he didn’t understand and not hesitating to share his views, even though they were immature, rough, and lacked experience. But he took this step, learning to consider things from Chu Ning’s perspective.
“And you? Everything going smoothly?” Chu Ning also asked about him.
“Fine. Step by step.” Ying Jing placed the largest slice of mushroom in her bowl, “If I explain too much detail to you, it’d be troublesome. Anyway, just trust me. I won’t disappoint you.”
Chu Ning lowered her head and smiled, suddenly recalling something, “Isn’t there a national college aviation technology competition in the second half of the year?”
Ying Jing’s chopsticks trembled, and the meat slice fell back into the bowl.
Chu Ning: “Can you participate?”
“Not that easy.”
“Didn’t your school recommend any slots?”
Ying Jing paused, “Yes, but they gave it to someone else.”
Chu Ning glanced at him, knowing there was something on his mind, speaking indifferently, “Tell me.”
“Initially, the school considered choosing a team from the aero-engine major and the aircraft design major. Our current project, although with unclear prospects, is exploring a new path. Aircraft design is a star major; its exposure has been sufficient in the past.”
Chu Ning understood; C University originally favored Ying Jing.
Strategically speaking, if she were the school, she would also consider letting Ying Jing give it a try.
More flowers blooming is better than one standing alone.
“What happened afterwards?” Chu Ning asked.
“Afterwards,” Ying Jing lowered his head slightly, poking at the meat slice in his bowl, speaking slowly, “An incident occurred in the lab.”
Chu Ning understood, pausing for a moment before asking, “Has the accident analysis report come out yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Was it truly caused by your mistake?”
Ying Jing abruptly raised his head, “I can’t guarantee it was 100%, but under those conditions, it’s highly unlikely such a situation would occur.”
Chu Ning didn’t say anything.
After a long pause, “Who did your school give the slot to?”
“Luo Jia. You should have met him.”
Chu Ning recalled, trying to remember, “Wasn’t he also at last year’s corporate meeting?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a bad relationship with him?”
“Mm.”
Chu Ning didn’t ask further, adding a few chopsticks of greens to the hot pot, “Let’s eat.”
The two fell silent, each with their own thoughts, only the electric hot pot boiling and bubbling.
“Do you have confidence in winning?” Chu Ning suddenly asked.
Ying Jing raised his eyes, their gazes locking.
He nodded slightly, softly, “If I say I do, do you believe me?”
Chu Ning’s lips curved briefly, not saying a word.
No need for words; both understood each other clearly.
Just like that abrupt question earlier, no explanation needed, yet the answer was given.
—Do you have confidence in winning the competition?
—Do you trust me?
—Yes.
After finishing the hot pot, Ying Jing took care of washing the dishes.
Chu Ning looked at the greasy dishes in the sink, symbolically saying, “I’m mooching today; thank you for your hard work.”
Ying Jing was washing dishes by the sink, slightly bent over, the spine slightly protruding, exuding strength. Without lifting his head, he said, “It’s fine. I’m willing to let you freeload anytime.”
“…”
After finishing everything, Ying Jing saw it was still early and lingered at her place, picking up a book and sitting cross-legged on the sofa to read.
Chu Ning didn’t bother with him, retreating to the bedroom to handle work.
At eight-thirty, after finishing a bout of work, she came out to drink water and saw Ying Jing half-leaning on the sofa… asleep.
The open book lay aside, quietly paused at page 52.
Chu Ning drifted into the kitchen, glancing at him twice as she passed by. His sleeping posture was nice, lips tightly closed, unlike many people whose mouths slightly open while sleeping. Holding her water glass, she drifted back, this time looking at him a few more times.
On a whim, Chu Ning put down her water cup, quietly sneaking into the bedroom.
When she came out, she held a lipstick in her hand.
She quietly crouched by the sofa, suppressing laughter, twisting the lipstick tube open. YSL’s men-killer shade, vibrant and enchanting.
Chu Ning slowed her breathing, raising her hand to Ying Jing’s face.
Here it comes—
Starting with the eyebrows, calling it a line of “red” egrets ascending to the blue sky.
Next, the beard, Alibaba and the Forty Thieves, tonight’s concubine is Lord Ying!
Chu Ning carefully outlined, making two whiskers curl upwards.
She bit her lip, her eyes silently curving, afraid she might burst out laughing.
Just as she wondered whether to paint his little fingers with cherry blossom pink nail polish—
Ying Jing suddenly woke up, eyes wide, tongue sticking out, making a funny face and shouting, “Roar!!”
“Mommy!!” Chu Ning was startled and stepped back.
After a few steps, her wrist was forcefully pulled by Ying Jing. With a tug, he pulled her close. The edge of the sofa bumped her knee, causing her to lose balance and fall directly onto him. Ying Jing naturally didn’t miss this chance, wrapping his hands around her waist.
Chu Ning couldn’t move.
Ying Jing underneath, Chu Ning on top, they clung together.
Before she struggled, Ying Jing made a “beep” sound effect, “Electrocardiogram powered on.” After two seconds, he spoke in a low voice, “Ours.”
Their hearts thumped tightly together.
Ba-bump ba-bump, electricity crackling.
Ying Jing tilted his head, whispering mischievously into her ear, “Just an electrocardiogram, why are you blushing?”
“…”
Chu Ning closed her eyes, feeling,
finished.
Suddenly, Ying Jing abruptly sat up from the sofa, making Chu Ning dizzy with the sudden movement.
What was going on? Too much of a twist.
Ying Jing’s expression was clear, his eyelashes fluttered, realizing, “I remember who that person is!”
“Huh?”
“The man we saw this afternoon in Zhongguancun, I remember seeing him somewhere.”
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