"Mm."
"I know."
Chen Jinzhao felt a lump in his throat.
Had he not liked Yu Mengzhi?
It was just that, as others had said, they were never from the same world. Their paths might intersect, but they could hardly end up together.
That was reality.
Yu Mengzhi had many more things to say, but Chen Jinzhao knew that the most important thing to do at this moment was to cut ties quickly, for Yu Mengzhi's sake and for his own responsibility. So he said, "It's late, you should rest early. You'll be fine after a good sleep."
"Okay."
Chen Jinzhao was about to hang up the phone.
Yu Mengzhi suddenly called out to him, "Chen Jinzhao, can I ask you a question?"
"Ask away."
"I heard you joined the army because you broke up with Xu Nianqing. So, compared to her, do you like me or her?" Yu Mengzhi's question made Chen Jinzhao force a bitter smile.
He had never thought of actively developing a relationship with Yu Mengzhi. Their current situation could be said to be a twist of fate.
Initially, Chen Jinzhao had only approached Yu Mengzhi with a sense of responsibility, and it was only later that he began to like her.
Which one did he like more?
Chen Jinzhao truly had no answer, so he could not answer this question, nor would he lie to himself.
Yu Mengzhi chuckled, "You men are really all the same. I wish you happiness."
"Goodbye!"
Beep—
The call ended, and Chen Jinzhao felt a sense of loss.
This relationship had ended before it even began, which was truly disheartening.
He leaned by the window, looking up at the moonlight. The figures of Yu Mengzhi and Xu Nianqing appeared in his mind, their images overlapping and then merging. Chen Jinzhao chuckled and said, "Perhaps this is fate. After all the twists and turns, I've returned to the starting point."
Yu Family Manor.
Yu Mengzhi's smile remained undiminished as she murmured, "He's really a straight man, doesn't know how to be flexible. Perhaps in his heart, he likes both me and her equally?"
For her, this was enough.
"Jinzhao, I'm sorry."
"If I had been born into an ordinary family, perhaps we would have had a chance to be together. The Yu family has shown me great kindness in raising me, and only by doing this can I repay their kindness."
Yu Mengzhi was also helpless.
She also looked up at the moonlight outside the window, and in a daze, she recalled the night they walked hand in hand, which was the happiest night of her life.
The moonlight remained, but the grandeur was gone.
A night passed.
Chen Jinzhao and Xu Nianqing stayed at the hospital.
However, Xu Nianqing could also see that Chen Jinzhao was in a bad mood and seemed very dejected.
While eating at a stall outside the hospital entrance, Xu Nianqing tentatively asked, "Why do you look so unhappy? Can you tell me why? Maybe I can help you."
Chen Jinzhao withdrew his thoughts. "You noticed? It's nothing, just overthinking things."
"You used to be full of vigor, but now you seem rather lifeless," Xu Nianqing said, looking him in the eye. Before Chen Jinzhao could speak, she added, "Although I don't know what you've been through, I believe you should still be optimistic. I don't think anything in this world can defeat you."
Chen Jinzhao suddenly thought of something. "Can Alzheimer's disease be cured?"
Xu Nianqing was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
As of now, there was no technology in the world that could cure Alzheimer's disease.
The terrifying aspect of this illness was that as time passed, the condition would worsen, eventually leading to the forgetting of everyone around them, and even themselves.
What profound loneliness that would be.
After Xu Nianqing informed him of these matters, she had a general understanding of Chen Jinzhao's situation.
"By the way."
"What is the research direction you and Professor Wen are working on?" Chen Jinzhao suddenly thought of this.
Xu Nianqing instinctively straightened her back and said solemnly, "First, eradicating cancer; second, targeted gene modification; third, extending human lifespan. Professor Wen is a leader in these three research fields and has already achieved significant results. If breakthroughs can be made in these three areas, it might change the current world order."
Chen Jinzhao's expression became grave.
Now he finally understood why someone would want to assassinate Wen Fulai.
If they couldn't have it, they would destroy it!
"Are you also a prominent figure in these three fields?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
Xu Nianqing smiled. "Classmate Chen, you're right this time. This is also why Professor Wen wants to take me as his disciple, because my research direction overlaps with his, and I have published several influential papers."
"It can be said..."
"In the field of biochemistry in China, I am a top talent of my age."
When she said this, Xu Nianqing was extremely confident.
She wasn't saying this to show off to Chen Jinzhao, but simply to share her achievements with him.
Chen Jinzhao smiled. "After a few years apart, you've grown to this point. You truly are a prodigy from Ninghai University. Unlike me, who is still a security guard."
"Classmate Chen, you don't need to hide anything from me," Xu Nianqing said with a smile.
"For you to be in charge of Professor Wen's personal safety, you must be highly recognized by the military brass. In any case, your identity is not as simple as it appears on the surface."
"Moreover, I believe that the man I've chosen will surely achieve great things."
Chen Jinzhao could only respond with a sheepish smile.
It wasn't that he wanted to hide anything from Xu Nianqing, but rather that some things didn't need to be told to her, so she wouldn't worry about him.
Xu Nianqing had also come to terms with certain things; forcing it was meaningless.
"Can we... still be friends?" she asked cautiously.
Chen Jinzhao smiled freely. "Unless you don't want to consider me a friend, we will always be friends."
Xu Nianqing lowered her head and smiled, pursing her lips.
At that time.
The headquarters of Jiangnan Real Estate Group.
Ning Fei sat in his office with a grim expression. Chu Zixiong had not returned his calls since last night, making him feel that things were not as simple as they seemed.
"Damn it, it's already nine in the morning, could that bastard Chu Zixiong still be sleeping?" Anger flared in Ning Fei's heart, and he called Chu Zixiong again, but still no answer.
He wondered how that woman Xu Nianqing was doing.
He used to like Xu Nianqing very much, but after he realized that she didn't have him in her heart, he lost all interest in her.
Once unfaithful, never to be used again.
This was Ning Fei's principle, and he also found it dirty to share belongings with a security guard.
After waiting for a while.
The telephone on the desk rang with a ding-a-ling sound.
Ning Fei didn't answer it immediately, but let it ring for a moment before picking it up. Chu Zixiong on the other end of the line said subserviently, "Master Ning, I was just about to call you."
Ning Fei let out a cold laugh. "Had enough fun?"
Chu Zixiong looked as if he had lost his parents, and didn't dare to make a sound.
"What happened?" Ning Fei frowned.
His intuition told him that things were not as he had imagined. Could something have gone wrong again?
Chu Zixiong knew he couldn't hide it any longer and immediately said, "Master Ning, I messed up the task you assigned me! Last night, just as I was about to make a move on Xu Nianqing, Chen Jinzhao suddenly appeared and ruined my plans."
"He crushed my entire palm, and I'm on my way to the county bureau."
Ning Fei's face turned ashen, almost dripping with water.
Chen Jinzhao!
It was Chen Jinzhao again!