It was already late at night when Zeng Yu heard the unexpected knock on his door. When he opened it, he found Wang Zheng standing there with a large plastic bag in hand. “Couldn’t sleep, thought we’d have a drink.” Wang Zheng said as he walked in.
Zeng Yu’s room wasn’t big, so they spread out some newspapers on the floor and sat down.
Wang Zheng had brought some barbecue and a bottle of Sophie red wine. Seeing the wine, Zeng Yu was surprised, “How did you know?”
“Never mind how I knew, let’s drink first.” Wang Zheng skillfully opened the bottle of wine with a corkscrew and set it aside. “Do we need to let it breathe? The label says ‘let it breathe for ten minutes.'”
“Breathe my foot, it’s already so late, who has time for that?” Zeng Yu knew this guy too well; this was the first time Wang Zheng had come over so late to drink, so there had to be something on his mind.
Without glasses, Wang Zheng found two bowls to pour the wine into. He picked up a bowl and said, “Cheers!” before gulping it down.
Zeng Yu also picked up his bowl and downed the wine. After setting the bowl down, he refilled Wang Zheng’s and asked, “So what do you want to talk about? Just say it, no need to waste a good bottle of Sophie.”
Wang Zheng thought for a moment, “It’s like high art versus folk music, right?”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Zeng Yu was getting impatient.
Wang Zheng looked at him calmly, “We’re brothers, I don’t want to see you get hurt in a relationship again.”
Zeng Yu seemed to understand a bit, lowering his head and speaking softly, “You mean Jiang Nan? You’re overthinking it, we’re just business partners. Besides, I know a bit about her family situation.”
“Have you ever considered, what if she’s deceiving you?” Wang Zheng asked with a smile.
Zeng Yu couldn’t help but laugh, “Only you would think so highly of me; no one else would. Deceive me? What do I have worth deceiving? No money, just my life.”
Wang Zheng realized the conversation couldn’t go any deeper, so he said, “Let’s just drink and get it over with.”
They drank for about an hour, and it was already one in the morning when Wang Zheng finally left. On his way out, he took the trash and left it by the door. When he opened his door, Ye Xiyan was still awake, lying on the bed looking at her phone.
Seeing Wang Zheng, Ye Xiyan asked, “What did you talk about with Zeng Yu?”
Wang Zheng lit a cigarette and sighed, “That kid is so clueless. Jiang Nan is covered in luxury brands and even gave him Versace and Dior clothes. He wears them like they’re 200-yuan knockoffs. There are two possibilities here: either Jiang Nan is into him, or she thinks he dresses too shabbily and is afraid he’ll bring her down.”
“So what? It’s not like he’s losing anything.” Ye Xiyan said.
Wang Zheng laughed, “You don’t get it. This kid takes relationships very seriously. I really don’t want him to end up with Jiang Nan; if he does, he’ll suffer a lot. And if they break up in the end, I’m afraid it’ll break him. The whole Xiao Xiao thing hit him pretty hard, even if others can’t see it.”
Ye Xiyan nodded, “True, he’s been down lately. What did he say?”
“He said they’re just business partners, no other thoughts. I hope that’s true. Don’t tell him about this, though. This opportunity is hard for him to come by, and I don’t want my suspicions to ruin it for him.” Wang Zheng cautioned, still clearly worried. As he said, Zeng Yu was his only real friend.
After drinking, Zeng Yu couldn’t sleep either and lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Zeng Yu knew his proposal had some value, but this partnership was mostly because of Jiang Nan.
Zeng Yu hadn’t told anyone his true thoughts. If Xiao Xiao hadn’t broken up with him, he wouldn’t have accepted Jiang Nan’s offer, even if he was looking for a new job. Zeng Yu wanted to use this opportunity to prove to Xiao Xiao that he could create everything she wanted with his own hands. If only she had enough patience, he could have given her everything she desired.
Jiang Nan needed to prove herself, and so did Zeng Yu. Given a platform to showcase his talents, the hidden dragon would soar in the sky. Zeng Yu had this confidence and pride, though Xiao Xiao failed to appreciate it. He felt sorry for her short sightedness but had no intention of rekindling their relationship.
Saturday was a holiday at the company, but Zeng Yu didn’t have time to rest. He needed to visit the supermarkets, understand the situation, and come up with a plan. Jiang Nan had also secured a location for a specialty store. Hongda Company provided the space, waived a year’s rent, and the renovation costs were to be covered by Jiang Yu’s company. The conditions were very favorable. Zeng Yu didn’t know how Jiang Nan negotiated it, but he never doubted her connection with Hongda.
After two days, Zeng Yu had visited all ten major supermarkets and inspected the specialty store’s location. With firsthand information in hand, it was already around 4 PM on Sunday. Instead of going home, Zeng Yu went to the office. He needed to finish the plan as soon as possible to start working towards his goal.
For Jiang Nan, the holiday was a rare opportunity to rest. She felt exhausted after starting the company, not because of the workload but the mental strain. If she failed, Jiang Nan would have to bear all the consequences, and she didn’t want her parents to see her as a failure. Then there was Yuan Lei and Zeng Yu’s relationship, her uncle Han Liren’s attitude—she had never dealt with these kinds of interpersonal issues before.
Jiang Nan stayed at home for the entire two-day holiday, not stepping out once. When she woke up from her Sunday afternoon nap, it was already 4 PM. She thought about looking at some company materials but realized she hadn’t brought anything home. After freshening up, she grabbed her car keys and headed out.
Jiang Nan felt she was already working hard enough. Lately, she had too many things to worry about. Running a company seemed simple, but when it came down to it, it was very difficult, requiring attention to all aspects. She parked her car under the company building and was startled to see Zeng Yu’s second-hand Ford. Why was his car here? Hadn’t he gone home?
She took the keys and went upstairs, only to find the office door slightly ajar. When she pushed it open, she saw Zeng Yu. Quietly, she walked over. Engrossed in his work, Zeng Yu hadn’t noticed her, his eyes glued to the computer as he crafted his plan.
“Have you considered advertising online?” Jiang Nan asked after watching for a while.
Zeng Yu didn’t even turn his head, instinctively replying, “We don’t have the money to burn online.” Then he realized Jiang Nan was there and turned to smile, “Why are you here too?”
Jiang Nan’s face lit up with an appreciative smile, “You’re here, so how could I, as the boss, slack off?”
“Please, I’m a shareholder, okay?”
Jiang Nan nodded seriously, “Second boss!”
Zeng Yu chuckled and shook his head before turning back to the computer. “I’m almost done. Do you need any help?”
Jiang Nan’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at his profile. “I just came to pick up some documents. Let’s have dinner together.”
Zeng Yu was obviously taken aback, “Okay.”
Jiang Nan smiled softly, “Then hurry up and pack. Let’s go out to eat.”
Zeng Yu saved his work and shut down the computer before getting up. Jiang Nan was standing there with her arms folded, smiling brightly at him.
If they were strangers passing each other on the street, Jiang Nan might not have given him a second glance. But after spending some time together, Jiang Nan had seen many of his qualities that drew her closer to him.
Choosing a place to eat put Jiang Nan in a bit of a dilemma. She originally planned to have a nice meal, but with Zeng Yu joining her, she had to settle for a small roadside restaurant.
As she was struggling, Zeng Yu asked, “What are we eating today?”
“How about Western food?” Jiang Nan blurted out. “I’ll treat you to something nice today.”
Zeng Yu nodded, “Sure, especially since the boss is treating.”
Inwardly, he thought: Jiang Nan might not be lying to me, but she’s definitely keeping some things from me. But then again, she has no obligation to tell me everything about her family background.
Jiang Nan asked Zeng Yu to drive while she called to make a reservation. After securing a spot, she smiled, “This restaurant is really popular, and it’s hard to get a table. We got lucky today.”
Zeng Yu smiled and focused on driving.
Jiang Nan continued, “What do you usually do? I mean, when you’re not working.”
Zeng Yu chuckled, “Sleep, read, occasionally play some games.”
“Reading is a good habit. What do you read?” Jiang Nan asked.
“When I was a freshman, I made a reading plan to spend five years going through the Twenty-Four Histories. At the time, I thought it wouldn’t be too hard, but now I realize I overestimated myself. Between classes and working part-time, I was always exhausted, like a dog, and as soon as I got back to my dorm, I’d just want to sleep. Up until now, I haven’t even started the ‘Old Book of Tang.'”
“Reading history is a good thing. Isn’t there a saying, ‘All history is contemporary history’?” Jiang Nan said.
Zeng Yu looked at her in surprise, “It’s the first time I’ve met a girl who likes reading history books.”
Jiang Nan covered her mouth and laughed proudly.
Seeing her, Zeng Yu quickly said, “Next time we go out together, you drive, or I’ll keep getting distracted.”
Jiang Nan’s smile grew even brighter, “I didn’t expect you to be so good at flattering girls. How come I never saw you with anyone in school?” That offhand remark revealed that Jiang Nan had looked into Zeng Yu’s past.
Zeng Yu didn’t mind. If it were him looking for a partner, he’d also do some background checks.
“Who had the time and energy? Classes were so intense, and I had to work part-time. By the time I was a junior, the course load was lighter, and I got together with Xiao Xiao.”
When he mentioned Xiao Xiao, Zeng Yu’s expression changed noticeably.
After parking in the underground lot, six men got into the elevator with them. Zeng Yu naturally stood next to Jiang Nan, turning his back to shield her. This was the first time they’d been so close face-to-face.
Zeng Yu’s action was instinctive, and Jiang Nan, feeling nervous, licked her lips. Zeng Yu didn’t dare look at her again and quickly averted his gaze.
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