Chapter 174: Maybe He Can Come Back to Life

“He used to be like this and that. Although he looked decent and came from a wealthy family, hic! He was just like an overgrown child sometimes. Now and then, he’d do things that were so childish, hic!—things that were just laughable and infuriating at the same time.”

“What happened to him later?”

“I heard he passed away in a fire.”

Alright, I know who it is now.

“That’s really a shame,” Xu Yinsheng feigned regret.

“Sometimes, I don’t know why, but I often see—hic!—his shadow in you.”

Jin Xinnuo scratched her head in a daze, looking a bit adorable in her drunkenness.

“To be honest, you two aren’t alike at all, but sometimes, you’re very similar—just as reckless, just as unafraid of authority, just as… hic!”

“Maybe,” Xu Yinsheng shrugged indifferently.

“Say, Senior, you really shouldn’t dwell on the past like this.”

“After all, you’re about to be General Manager. Work hard and earning tens of millions a year won’t be a problem, and you’ll have no trouble finding a handsome guy.”

“What do you mean, dwell on the past? I just always treated him like a younger brother. A boy that dumb, besides his money and a few sweet words, he was useless in every other way.”

As she spoke, Jin Xinnuo hiccuped again, her beautiful eyes hazy.

That hit a sore spot.

I know I used to be pretty useless.

But does she have to be so blunt?

After spending some time settling Jin Xinnuo down, Xu Yinsheng found a random sofa and sat down, looking out at the dusky sky through the window.

She sipped her drink quietly, but inwardly, she thought:

Maybe.

Maybe one day, that young man can “come back to life”—can muster up the courage to “live” again, to “rise” from that gravestone.

Even if he fails, at least… he won’t live as cowardly as he does now.

After finishing her drink, Xu Yinsheng headed toward the elevator.

They’d been partying for three hours; if she didn’t head back soon, Zhao Yicheng might just come fetch her himself.

With a crisp chime, the elevator doors slid open.

A young man in a janitor’s uniform was pushing a trash cart out.

His face was half-covered by a mask, making it hard to see his features, and his eyes were ordinary—the sort you’d never pick out from a crowd.

Seeing Xu Yinsheng, the young man immediately gave a friendly smile—um, even with a mask, Xu Yinsheng could sense that he was smiling.

“Excuse me, miss, could you please let me through?”

“Mm.”

Xu Yinsheng stepped aside, and the young man pushed the trash cart out.

As Xu Yinsheng entered the elevator, a faint odor of decaying trash lingered in the cramped space, slightly stinging her nose.

She pinched her nose.

Hmm?

That scent felt oddly familiar.

By the time she took the elevator and returned to Zhao Yicheng’s office, night had already fallen outside the window.

After winter comes, night always falls faster.

In the office, Zhao Yicheng sat in his chair, gently wiping the surface of a round ball with a wet wipe.

His movements were careful, as if what he held was not some mass-produced item bought wholesale online, but a priceless treasure.

Xu Yinsheng only wanted to cover her eyes.

Yes, the pink plastic ball in his hands was the very same ball gag he had stuffed into her mouth just earlier.

“You’re back.”

“How was the party?”

Zhao Yicheng breathed on the ball, then gently wiped it clean.

“Minister Jin’s flight is tomorrow. As the company-appointed General Manager for the Overseas Branch Company, the company has decided that her Nai Nai will accompany her abroad. During this period, all medical expenses will be reimbursed by the company.”

“This incident was caused by the Security Department Minister’s negligence. He’s at home now, waiting for a Lawyer Letter. Minister Jin was affected, so the company will compensate her, and her career record won’t be impacted.”

He spoke to no one in particular, not knowing whether it was for himself or for someone else.

Xu Yinsheng sat on the sofa, as if she hadn’t heard Zhao Yicheng’s seemingly idle words.

She touched her nose, unmoving, like a statue frozen in place.

A small plastic ball drew a perfect arc through the air and landed squarely on Xu Yinsheng’s forehead, snapping her wandering mind back to reality.

Interrupted, Xu Yinsheng snapped back to her senses and was about to lash out—only to meet those half-smiling eyes.

She shuddered, slapped her thigh, and said:

“Uh… yes, yes, exactly!”

“I totally agree with you.”

“You’re absolutely right, as expected of you, so clever!”

“How did I not think of that!”

“Truly, you’re the one—”

Xu Yinsheng gave a thumbs up in admiration.

Zhao Yicheng: “…”

Sometimes, Xu Yinsheng just gets too cheeky.

If he doesn’t teach her a lesson, she never learns.

He crooked his finger, and seeing this, Xu Yinsheng obediently walked over, crouching in front of the man like a well-behaved kitten.

***

“What were you thinking just now?”

A big hand ruffled her smooth hair.

Xu Yinsheng was sure Zhao Yicheng was petting her like a cat.

“I just ran into a janitor in the elevator.”

“That batch was just hired two months ago. Why, did you notice anything?”

“No, just thought he looked a bit like Aaron Kwok—he’s got some idol potential,” Xu Yinsheng joked, brushing off the topic.

Zhao Yicheng nodded, but secretly made a mental note.

After sending Jin Xinnuo off, Xu Yinsheng finally had no outsiders around her—she could enjoy proper time for just the two of them.

Every time he saw Xiao Yin holding another woman’s hand, going out for milk tea, laughing and chatting together—looking so close and happy…

He was jealous.

He was envious.

He just… It should have been him!

It was supposed to be him first!!

He’d spent more than a decade—through all kinds of twists and turns—just to finally reach her heart.

Ex-girlfriends?

Other women?

None of those would ever be obstacles!!

Suppressing his thoughts, Zhao Yicheng looked at his half-crouching beloved, a shadow flickering in his eyes, burning and intense.

He scooped her up and pressed her down onto the office desk…

No, he just loved her too much.

He had to kiss her first, before anything else.

As Jin Xinnuo and her Nai Nai boarded the flight heading overseas, the new minister smoothly took over the position.

The daily routines of nine to six, sunset and moonrise—everything returned to normal.

But for Xu Yinsheng, her world quickly grew quiet.

Where once she could grab milk tea and gossip with Jin Xinnuo, now—aside from Zhao Yicheng, there was only Zhao Yicheng.

Twenty-four hours a day, apart from sleeping at night, she spent nearly all her time with him.

Zhao Yicheng actually enjoyed this simple and warm life for two.

He even said openly: “In a few years, once your heart is truly at peace, I’ll take you traveling—to see the sea, the mountains, little animals. When you turn thirty, we’ll get the marriage certificate. By thirty-five, we’ll be ready for children, and before forty, we’ll have a second one.”

Xu Yinsheng listened with a tearful face, feeling completely done in—especially at the mention of pregnancy.

She was still just a kid~~

Just when she thought her future days would be as “dim and dull” as Zhao Yicheng described…

Destiny’s Gear began to turn once more…

One week after Jin Xinnuo flew to the Overseas Branch Company, a rumor spread quietly—nobody knew when it started, but it swept the internet, backrooms, and among employees: Zhao Group’s bid proposal had been leaked!

Zhao Group lost its bid!

Zhao Group faced a massive stock price drop!!

The shocking news sent shockwaves throughout the entire business world! Investors scrambled to sell off their shares!!

In an instant, a storm arose!

Everyone was on edge!

Zhao Group was on the brink of collapse!!!