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Yu Qing, hand in hand with Fu Jichen and carrying her little one, revisited all the places she frequented as a child. The villa area was some distance away, so she decided to skip it for now.
There would be plenty of time later to bring him there.
Throughout this journey, both she and Fu Jichen remained quiet.
His deep, magnetic singing voice still lingered in her ears, resonating deeply within her heart.
She didn’t ask how he found out about her love for that song, and he didn’t explain either.
Having someone by her side to reminisce about her childhood, accompany her in the present, and look forward to the future together—this feeling was unparalleled.
It had rained in Shanghai the previous day, but tonight the sky was a deep blue, dotted with large, fluffy clouds drifting past skyscrapers and disappearing into the distance.
Her vision of their future with Fu Jichen seemed to stretch beyond five years.
Perhaps even fifty.
Yu Qing’s phone rang—it was a call from Pang Linbin.
“Uncle Pang, good morning.”
It was early morning on his end.
Pang Linbin: “Good morning. The place you went to take photos today—I also visited when I came back to Shanghai with your mother last time.”
Yu Qing suddenly didn’t know how to respond. Whenever it came to anything related to her mother, she always felt powerless and at a loss for words.
“I’ll be going to Beijing in a couple of days.”
“Is my mom coming with you?”
“She’s busy and won’t be returning. I’m going alone.”
Yu Qing didn’t ask further about her mother. “I’ll come pick you up when you arrive.”
Pang Linbin: “No need. You focus on your work. I’ll be staying in Beijing for a while. I’ll visit you when I have time.”
They exchanged a few more brief words before ending the call.
Yu Qing sensed that Pang Linbin’s call was meant to inform her that her mother had also been to that place.
________________________________________
Back at the hotel, after showering, Yu Qing propped her legs up on the armrest of the sofa, placing a pillow underneath for support. After walking all evening, her legs now felt slightly sore.
Fu Jichen squatted down halfway, careful not to massage too hard, and instead gently patted her legs to help them relax.
He had just come out of the bathroom, his hair still damp, with droplets trickling down his forehead.
Yu Qing used her fingertip to catch one of those drops and smeared it onto the tip of her nose. “Boss Fu, there’s water on my nose. Look, it’s about to drip.”
Fu Jichen glanced at her, seeing nothing. “Mm, quite a puddle.”
Yu Qing: “….”
She burst into laughter.
Fu Jichen stood up, bracing his hands on either side of her, and kissed the tip of her nose.
Yu Qing hooked her arms around his neck. “Let’s go back tomorrow. One night here is enough for me—it’s like a ten-day trip.”
She was already familiar with this place; there was no need to stay longer.
He had many things to do, and she needed to get back to work as well.
She kissed his lips. “Thank you.”
Fu Jichen: “Let’s stay one more day.”
Yu Qing shook her head. “The places I’ve played in since childhood don’t require extra time.”
Fu Jichen instructed Pan Secretary to book return tickets for the next morning and began packing their luggage in advance.
Yu Qing leaned against the window, gazing at the night view for a moment, then remembered she hadn’t replied to Li Yanzhuo’s call.
She dialed him, but the line was unreachable.
She tried again, with the same result.
He must have turned on airplane mode or had poor signal.
She left a voicemail: [Big Brother, I’ll be heading back early tomorrow morning. When you’re in Beijing, let’s meet up.]
________________________________________
During the days Yu Qing and Fu Jichen were away, the Yu household lost its usual cheer.
Work, commute, exchange greetings upon meeting.
Cars in the courtyard would leave in the morning and return in the evening, everything proceeding routinely.
Even the baby found it boring. Every time a car entered the yard, he instinctively ran toward it but kept looking back, waiting for Fu Jichen to chase him.
But the people getting out of the cars weren’t Fu Jichen, and he found it less fun.
In the evening, Yu Jingxin arrived home. Before she even reached the door, she heard the baby’s gleeful laughter echoing from the living room.
She quickened her steps—it really was them returning.
Fu Jichen slowly walked behind the baby, encouraging him. “Learn to talk with your uncle.”
The baby ran around the sofa, thinking he was lightning-fast.
When he saw her, the baby called out, “Mommy,” and then continued playing with Fu Jichen.
From the kitchen came the rhythmic chopping sound—Yu Qing was cutting scallions.
Yu Jingxin suddenly felt the warmth of home. “Why are you back so soon? I thought you were staying a couple more days?”
Yu Qing: “I didn’t want to stay at the hotel. Home feels better.”
Yu Jingxin watched her clumsy movements. “Making late-night snacks again?”
Yu Qing nodded. “Fu Jichen wants to eat.”
Yu Jingxin leaned against the counter and brought up Yu Jingze. “While you were away, he couldn’t eat or drink properly. Are you really not helping him?”
Yu Qing set down the knife. “It’s not that I’m not helping. I’ve told him what to do, but he won’t take the initiative. He’s different from you and Ji Qingyuan. You two want to come together but don’t know how.”
Yu Jingze was the opposite.
“If he doesn’t want to date Zou Lexiao right now, the more I push, the more he might resent it internally. We need to step back and let him figure out his feelings.”
Yu Jingxin nodded in understanding.
Then she suddenly remembered something. “I heard Zhou Siyuan has been helping SZ convince shareholders to agree to transfer their equity. She’ll probably visit your Lemongrass soon. Did you rush back because of this?”
Yu Qing paused. “You could say that.”
If she wasn’t at the company, Zhou Siyuan would go straight to Qin Moling. Men can’t resist a woman’s coquettishness and pitiful demeanor.
________________________________________
In the afternoon, Zhou Siyuan heard in the group chat that Yu Qing had taken leave to travel and was currently in Shanghai, planning to stay a few more days.
After work that evening, she made a special trip to the headquarters of Yu Bank.
Yu Jingze was still busy, and the secretary’s office area was brightly lit—no one had left yet.
Zhou Siyuan didn’t need an appointment to enter; it was like visiting her own company.
The secretary greeted her with a smile and returned to her tasks.
Hearing a knock, Yu Jingze assumed it was the secretary. “Come in.”
Zhou Siyuan pushed the door open. “Just passing by. Get me a takeaway coffee.”
Yu Jingze flipped a page of his documents. “I don’t have time to accompany you for a late-night snack tonight.”
Zhou Siyuan smiled. “Are you regretting being pressured by me and Yu Qing that night? Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you. That day, wasn’t I just teasing you because Yu Qing provoked me?”
She sat across from him, placing the coffee on his desk and opening the lid. It cooled quickly.
The aroma of bitter coffee instantly filled the air.
This was Yu Jingze’s preferred taste—nothing added, the more bitter, the better.
Zhou Siyuan stared at him, waiting for his gaze to reach the bottom of the page before turning it. Then she spoke. “I want to meet with Qin Moling tomorrow to discuss something during working hours. I don’t know him well. Can you help arrange it?”
Yu Jingze asked, “What do you need to see him about?”
Zhou Siyuan didn’t hide it. “SZ equity—what else? I don’t want to put you in a difficult position between me and your friend. I’ll handle it myself. I just want to know his price for transferring the shares so I can gauge my options.”
Yu Jingze reminded her, “Even if you arrange the meeting, it might be futile.”
Zhou Siyuan: “At least there’s hope if I try. If I don’t, there’s none. I’ll approach him sincerely. As long as the terms aren’t too outrageous, I’ll accept them.”
Her tone was all business. Yu Jingze wasn’t sure whether Yu Qing would be willing to transfer under favorable conditions. Perhaps she would.
After all, in Yu Qing’s eyes, profit outweighed everything.
He arranged the meeting between Zhou Siyuan and Qin Moling. Whether it succeeded or not was up to them.
Qin Moling didn’t refuse, setting aside the time between 2 PM and 3 PM.
Yu Jingze asked Zhou Siyuan one more question. “How did you become so obsessed with SZ?”
Zhou Siyuan paused briefly, then smiled. “Because the food is delicious, and more importantly, it’s profitable. Just like why your Yu Bank invests in so many enterprises.”
In truth, she hadn’t been particularly interested in the catering industry before. But because Zou Lexiao held SZ shares, and because Yu Jingxin owned a private dining restaurant, she also wanted to control a catering company.
Eating without reservations and enjoying private chef dishes sounded appealing.
Moreover, SZ’s profitability was respectable.
She had no reason not to buy this catering company.
Her father earned money, and if she didn’t spend it, she’d feel guilty.
This investment received her father’s backing—he pledged to support her with half the funds.
Zhou Siyuan glanced at her watch. For now, she gave him some breathing room. Her friend was right—she couldn’t push him too hard, or it would backfire.
“You focus on your work. I’m heading home. Everyone will be there tonight.”
She stood up, took a few steps, then turned back. “By the way, when are you coming home for dinner? Mom has mentioned you several times. I told her you’re busy and traveling, but next time, I won’t make excuses for you.”
The “mom” she referred to was his mother.
Yu Jingze: “We’ll see.”
Zhou Siyuan waved goodbye, closed the door, and left.
Yu Jingze rubbed his temples. He disliked visiting the Zhou family, but sometimes he had no choice.
He glanced at his phone. Yu Qing seemed to have disappeared, refusing to reply to his messages.
Since she went on her business trip, he hadn’t contacted Zou Lexiao again.
________________________________________
Unknowingly, it was already eight o’clock. Zou Lexiao shut down her computer.
She glanced at her phone again—it remained silent.
Every time her phone vibrated, she hurriedly opened it, afraid of missing a message from Yu Jingze.
Days passed, and Yu Jingze hadn’t contacted her again.
He hadn’t gone on a business trip. That morning, she deliberately drove past the entrance of Yu Bank Tower, parking in the lot in front of the business hall. From six to six-thirty, she waited until his car turned into the rear courtyard of the building.
Though she couldn’t see him, spotting his license plate was equivalent to seeing him.
Zou Lexiao wasn’t busy tonight. She locked her files in the safe.
Turning off the lights, she left, walking with no energy.
Downstairs, Zou Lexiao messaged Yu Qing: [If you don’t come back soon, I’ll lose my soul completely.]
Yu Qing: [Is it that serious?]
Zou Lexiao: [Yes. I need you.]
Immediately after, she sent another message: [I miss him, but I can’t see him. I don’t know what to do. Even chasing him feels impossible. In front of him, I’m like a fairy who has lost her magic—without magic, I’ve also lost my ethereal charm.]
Yu Qing: [Then go find him. Aren’t you his girlfriend now? Enjoy the privileges. If you still can’t catch him, at least you’ll have no regrets.]
Zou Lexiao sighed. [It’s not that I don’t want to find him—it’s just that I have no reason. I’ve racked my brain, but besides eating and watching movies, I can’t think of anything else.]
Yu Qing: [Isn’t it after work hours now? Go work for your dad, helping him develop VIP clients. Take the necessary documents for applying for a black credit card and head straight to Yu Bank Tower. At the front desk, say you’re my friend—no one will dare stop you.]
Zou Lexiao: “….”
[Is your name really that powerful?]
Yu Qing teased her: [Using my dad’s words, it strikes fear into people.]
Zou Lexiao laughed, her bad mood from earlier vanishing without a trace.
Seeing this message, she suddenly regained confidence.
She quickly asked her father to send her an electronic copy of the required form. While sending voice messages, she hurriedly trotted toward the parking lot in her high heels.
Zou Xing: [Are you applying for yourself? Not enough money to spend?]
Zou Lexiao: [No, I’m going to find Yu Jingze and turn him into our big client.]
Zou Xing: […You’re developing clients at a neighboring bank?]
Zou Lexiao smiled. [Yes, striving to make him our permanent big client.]
After her father learned about her relationship with Yu Jingze, she thought carefully and decided not to cause trouble for him. So, she told her father she was pursuing him and that she had kissed him secretly.
Traffic was heavy, and Zou Lexiao wished her car had wings to fly directly there.
Half an hour later, she finally arrived at the Yu Bank Tower.
Finding a parking spot took some time.
Zou Lexiao took out her makeup mirror, tidied herself up, took several deep breaths, and got out of the car.
Coincidentally, she encountered Yu Shaohong, who had just finished work, on the first floor of the building.
Yu Shaohong found Zou Lexiao somewhat familiar but couldn’t recall where he’d seen her.
Zou Lexiao introduced herself. “Uncle Yu, hello. I’m Zou Lexiao, Old Zou’s daughter from the neighboring bank.”
No wonder she looked so familiar—she was the spitting image of Old Zou.
Yu Shaohong smiled. “Young lady, you should call me Uncle. I’m almost ten years older than your father.”
Zou Lexiao fibbed with wide eyes. “You’re ten years older than my dad? You don’t look it at all.”
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