Yan Tinglin finally came back for a visit, and Zhou Shiyi didn’t snap back at him.
Instead, he calmly asked, “When are you coming back? I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
Yan Tinglin flipped through his calendar and checked the platform for his ticket.
He carried his coffee back to the dining table, thinking booking a ticket was too small a matter to trouble his secretary with.
He casually chose: “Landing in Beicheng at noon on the 25th, so you can wait for me at the airport around twelve.”
The 25th already, that meant the flight took off on the 24th.
Zhou Shiyi had never realized that the 24th was actually the end of the month.
Yan Tinglin said, “The ticket’s booked. You’ll see me the day after tomorrow.”
Zhou Shiyi: “I’m not that eager to see you.”
“Ha!”
Yan Tinglin was in a great mood, recalling how three years ago on March 22nd he braved the rain to pick Zhou Shiyi up, only for the car to break down halfway, and Zhou Shiyi had to come out in the pouring rain to pick him up instead.
He took a sip of coffee and sighed, “So a man still has to work harder. If she can’t see you, it means you’re not good enough yet.”
Zhou Shiyi: “Go eat.”
Yan Tinglin laughed out loud, “See you the day after tomorrow.”
Thinking of seeing Zhou Shiyi made his morning coffee taste richer.
After hanging up, he changed Zhou Shiyi’s friend permissions. Before, he didn’t check Zhou Shiyi’s posts and didn’t allow Zhou Shiyi to see his either.
Now he closed off the “don’t let him see me” setting, opening his Moments to Zhou Shiyi.
Smiling, he sipped his coffee and posted on his Moments: 【Someone in Beicheng is waiting for me.】
Quickly, comments appeared.
Shen Chi: 【I’m waiting for you. When are you back?】
Yan Tinglin: 【Better not wait. I’m afraid you’ll scare me back again.】
Shen Chi:
He had two emotional knots—Zhong Yi and Yan Tinglin.
Ruichi had set up a chip R&D center years ago, and the board wanted Yan Tinglin to join, but he had put an end to the idea.
Jinghe’s Vice Chairman personally went to invite him, but Yan Tinglin wouldn’t even negotiate terms. A “small temple” like Ruichi was not worth his consideration.
Shen Chi: 【Are you really coming back?】
Yan Tinglin: 【Yes.】
Shen Chi: 【Let’s meet then.】
Yan Tinglin: 【OK.】
Shen Chi put away his phone just as the red wine arrived. He didn’t open the bottle himself but took the opener and calmly twisted it open, looking up at his fiancée across the table.
“Yan Tinglin’s coming back.”
At Yan Tinglin’s level, a legend in the semiconductor circle, everyone knew him.
Zhang Nuoxu had often seen reports about his entrepreneurial ventures in university—he was a prodigy.
Her junior sister, Tang Nuoyun, admired Yan Tinglin the most.
The junior said that despite the big shots’ infinite career glory, they couldn’t escape turbulent love lives. Yan Tinglin’s pinned Moments still read: She hasn’t given me WeChat. Still hasn’t.
They were all curious who had rejected Yan Tinglin.
Some speculated that she might be an outsider who didn’t know how powerful Yan Tinglin was in the industry.
The cork popped open, and Shen Chi asked the waiter for two wine glasses.
“I’m meeting Yan Tinglin for dinner. Want to come?”
Zhang Nuoxu: “Of course. Otherwise, I’m afraid you can’t handle what he says.”
With the waiter nearby, Shen Chi didn’t want to argue with her.
He placed the two poured glasses back on the tray, signaling the waiter, “Please send these to table 2.”
“Okay, Mr. Shen.”
Only when the wine was delivered did Zhong Yi see Shen Chi. The elegant woman sitting opposite must be his fiancée, Zhou Shiyi’s former match.
Shen Chi raised his glass from a distance and drank half the wine in one gulp.
Zhong Yi also raised her glass, tilted it slightly, and offered a symbolic sip in return.
“Is that Zhang Nuoxu opposite Shen Chi?” she asked Zhou Shiyi.
“Yeah.”
She usually didn’t touch alcohol, so Zhou Shiyi took her wine and replaced it with a glass of warm water.
He sipped her wine and said, “Even if we aren’t compatible, it doesn’t change that I love you. Look at Shen Chi and Zhang Nuoxu—though not right for each other, they still got married.”
Zhong Yi: “…Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“Nothing.”
He just wanted her to understand that whether compatible or not, he only loved her.
If we’re not compatible, I’ll slowly try to change.
Zhou Shiyi then switched to talking about Shen Chi: “You know him, right? Did you refuse to cooperate with him?”
Zhong Yi: “Mm.”
Zhou Shiyi set down his glass and called the waiter over, paying for table 6 in full.
Although Zhong Yi had promised to pay, he ended up footing the bill.
Not counting the dishes, the bottle of red wine Shen Chi ordered was expensive.
She didn’t ask how much it was and simply transferred him a red envelope on the way home.
“How much?”
“Two hundred.”
Zhou Shiyi locked his phone and glanced sideways at her, “Did you send too much?”
Zhong Yi didn’t answer. Before, she would only send fifty cents.
The car sped forward as she looked out at the night scenery.
Before, he wouldn’t have let it go so easily, but today he was more agreeable. When they got home, he accepted the red envelope.
At that moment, Zhong Yi was soaking in the bath, the sweet scent of essential oils filling the air.
***
After twenty minutes, she was about to get up when someone knocked twice on the bathroom door from outside. Without waiting for a response, the door was pushed open.
Zhou Shiyi approached the tub, rolling up his shirt sleeves.
Without saying a word, like old times, he wrapped her up and carried her in his arms.
Zhong Yi clung to his neck. Such intimacy was so long ago she almost couldn’t remember.
They reached the bed, and she kissed his profile lightly.
Zhou Shiyi laid her down gently and finally asked the question the dining room had left hanging: “Why did you refuse to work with Shen Chi?”
Zhong Yi: “You know.”
Zhou Shiyi lowered his eyes to hers, “I don’t.”
He guessed it might be related to Kuncheng but wasn’t sure.
They had already split by then, and she wasn’t planning on any future with him.
Zhong Yi looked into his eyes: “Because no matter when, I don’t want to make you suffer. Even if I can’t bring myself to wish you well with someone else, I still want you and your family to be well.”
“Thank you.”
Zhong Yi shook her head.
Zhou Shiyi lowered his head and kissed her forehead. That she still cared after the breakup was something he had never considered.
Zhong Yi couldn’t help but wrap her hands around his neck, returning his kiss and sucking his tongue.
Zhou Shiyi caught her movements, their lips and tongues interlacing, sending tingles through her body. They hadn’t kissed this passionately in days.
In public, she was always aloof and distant. Only with Zhou Shiyi did she like to cling to him.
Just as they hadn’t had enough, Zhou Shiyi pulled away.
Zhong Yi didn’t let go and kissed him again, lightly biting his lip: “I don’t not love you.”
Zhou Shiyi: “Easy, don’t bite through. How else can I kiss here?”
He pressed his fingertip against the edge of the bath towel.
Zhong Yi’s body instinctively shrank, enclosing his finger with her lips.
Above, her lips still clung to his.
At that moment, she felt her own heat could burn people. She adjusted her breathing quietly. His hand never left.
As she just released his lips, Zhou Shiyi kissed her again, whispering, “Want me to kiss you?”
She didn’t reply.
It wasn’t a question about kissing lips—how could she answer?
Of course she wanted to.
They had once been this close.
Zhou Shiyi pulled away and kissed downwards.
The man buried his face against her skin, and Zhong Yi’s heart suddenly raced.
His lips and nose smelled of the essential oil’s sweet fragrance, like white peach mixed with her own citrus scent and a hint of honey.
Before, such kisses were playful between lovers.
Now, he wanted to help her shed the distance between them as quickly as possible.
To let her know he had always loved her this much.
The room was especially quiet.
Except for Zhong Yi’s soft moans and the smacking sounds of his kisses.
Zhou Shiyi took her hand and held it tight. Between kisses, he said, “Next time, don’t send me a two hundred red envelope.”
Zhong Yi: “Mm.”
“You don’t think we grew distant after three years apart, right? You still send the same amount now as before.”
Still kissing, Zhou Shiyi said, “Don’t feel I’m distant. I love you just as before.”
He paused.
Zhong Yi felt all the blood rush down inside her.
After calming for a moment, she followed his words and said, “Even if we live together, you have to call me at noon.”
Zhou Shiyi swallowed, kissed her again, and agreed, “Okay.”
Zhong Yi had been exhausted these past few days and had to work tomorrow. After that kiss, Zhou Shiyi stopped and didn’t continue anything further.