"Come in."
Xu Nianqing was also curious about Shangguan Yu'an, but a strange feeling arose in her heart.
Before, Shangguan Yu'an always appeared as cold as frost in front of others, but when Chen Jinzhao was mentioned, a hint of tenderness appeared on her face. This showed that Shangguan Yu'an might have had some history with Chen Jinzhao.
"This guy..." Xu Nianqing muttered.
The two sat down facing each other, and Shangguan Yu'an said, "Is it too much trouble for me to come find you in the middle of the night?"
Xu Nianqing shook her head, "I've been busy with lab matters these days and have no one to talk to about the things that have been bothering me. If you don't mind me venting my negativity, it's fine."
Shangguan Yu'an smiled, finding Xu Nianqing not as rigid as other researchers. "I almost forgot that you and I are the same age. In my impression, Professor Xu is a bit old-fashioned."
"Professor Xu, please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying you look old-fashioned, but rather your demeanor."
Xu Nianqing chuckled along.
"It's alright, I don't mind."
Shangguan Yu'an observed Xu Nianqing and found that she possessed a peculiar aura, rarely seen in others. At first, she couldn't describe it, until much later, she saw a line of poetry in a book—
"With poetry in her heart, elegance naturally flows."
"Let's talk about Chen Jinzhao. How did you two meet?" Shangguan Yu'an got straight to the point. Seeing Xu Nianqing hesitate, she added, "If Professor Xu doesn't want to talk about it, we can discuss something else."
Xu Nianqing chuckled, "What's past is past, there's nothing that can't be said."
"But—"
"How do I feel like you seem to have some feelings for Chen Jinzhao?"
Xu Nianqing was testing Shangguan Yu'an. A woman wouldn't come to inquire about another man for no reason. To Xu Nianqing's surprise, Shangguan Yu'an readily nodded. "Yes, I don't deny that. I also know that there's absolutely no possibility between us, but after getting to know him, I can't bring myself to choose any other man as a life partner. I just want to learn about his past from you to satisfy my strong curiosity."
Xu Nianqing was stunned.
Unlike her gentle nature, Shangguan Yu'an was clearly a straightforward woman who could even voice such inner thoughts.
"What are your plans for the future then?" she asked.
Shangguan Yu'an shook her head, "I've never thought about the future. Life is only a few decades. Whether one is full of hope or confused about the future, in the end, one still has to live the ordinary present day by day."
Xu Nianqing looked directly into Shangguan Yu'an's eyes, "You're deceiving yourself, aren't you?"
"Perhaps..." Shangguan Yu'an said.
This was, in a way, the act of a coward unwilling to face the future.
"Is it worth it?"
Xu Nianqing asked again.
She was asking Shangguan Yu'an, and also asking herself.
Shangguan Yu'an chuckled, "Whether it's worth it, I know it in my heart."
Xu Nianqing nodded, then began to recount the bits and pieces of how she met Chen Jinzhao to Shangguan Yu'an. Shangguan Yu'an listened intently, resting her chin on her hand. From initially not interrupting to later agreeing, at their liveliest, the two chatted back and forth.
This was a night belonging to two people who had experienced heartbreak.
The moon set and the sun rose in the east. In the blink of an eye, a night had passed.
Chen Jinzhao was still unaware that the two had talked all night at Xu Nianqing's place. He only knew that both Xu Nianqing and Shangguan Yu'an seemed listless throughout the day, making Chen Jinzhao suspect they had been up to no good last night.
As Shangguan Yu'an's direct superior, Chen Jinzhao, on the principle of caring for his subordinate, inquired. However, Shangguan Yu'an didn't say anything.
Chen Jinzhao had no choice but to drop it.
When a person is busy, they can feel time flying by. Especially for Chen Jinzhao, he felt like the day had barely begun before the sun had already set below the western horizon.
Before he even finished work, Yu Mengzhi was already waiting for him at the door.
Chen Jinzhao glanced at the time, "Huh? It's only a little past six, why are you off work so early?"
Yu Mengzhi pulled Chen Jinzhao into the car, "Get in first, then go home and change. We have a dinner party tonight, you can't be dressed too shabbily, lest Leng Jiaying laughs at us."
"Leng Jiaying?" Chen Jinzhao was amused.
"Maybe we shouldn't go? Leng Jiaying is a bit calculating. I'm afraid she might stir up some trouble again if we go."
Chen Jinzhao knew Leng Jiaying had another identity. He thought that if she was being overly solicitous, it was for ulterior motives.
Yu Mengzhi said helplessly, "She probably won't cause any trouble today. The reason she invited us to the dinner party is because her boyfriend is coming from overseas. As her friend, it would be improper not to go."
As long as they hadn't fallen out completely, they could still be friends.
Chen Jinzhao caught the key point in her words, "Leng Jiaying found a boyfriend?"
Yu Mengzhi didn't speak, staring at Chen Jinzhao with annoyance.
"Hey!"
"Why are you so concerned about whether she has a boyfriend? Tell me, do you have feelings for Leng Jiaying?"
Chen Jinzhao quickly pleaded innocent. Yu Mengzhi snorted, "I doubt you'd have any feelings for her. Leng Jiaying's boyfriend is Japanese. They met overseas and started dating. They couldn't come back together before because of visa issues. If I remember correctly, his name is Yamamoto Chizuru."
Yu Mengzhi drove, introducing Yamamoto Chizuru's situation to Chen Jinzhao.
She said annoyedly, "Leng Jiaying is really something. She has a boyfriend but still has designs on you. I don't know what she's thinking. But let's not mention this to her boyfriend this time, lest it ruins their relationship."
As she was speaking.
Yu Mengzhi glanced suspiciously at Chen Jinzhao in the passenger seat.
Why had he gone silent?
"What are you thinking? Are you tired? You can sleep for a while, and I'll wake you up when we arrive," Yu Mengzhi said. Chen Jinzhao then snapped back to attention, his eyes clearly holding more杀气 (shāqì - murderous intent) than before.
"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of something. Please continue."
Yu Mengzhi had already noticed something was off with Chen Jinzhao. Since Chen Jinzhao didn't volunteer to talk about it, Yu Mengzhi decided not to pry, respecting his privacy.
Yu Mengzhi continued to share the information she knew, but Chen Jinzhao was no longer listening.
He was thinking—
Was Yamamoto Chizuru really Chizuru from the Black Blood Group?
The answer was almost 100% likely!
Leng Jiaying, Chizuru, and the Black Blood Group. A thread clearly connected these three. Even if this Yamamoto Chizuru wasn't the real Chizuru, he was inextricably linked to the real Chizuru.
Chen Jinzhao rolled down the car window, letting the cool breeze rush in, extinguishing the fire in his chest.
"I haven't come to settle the score with you, and yet you come knocking on my door?" he narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing deep within them.
Yu Mengzhi, sensing the chill emanating from Chen Jinzhao, quickly deduced after some thought—Yamamoto Chizuru must have a vendetta against Chen Jinzhao.
This also made Yu Mengzhi feel even more dissatisfied with Leng Jiaying.
"You're provoking my man. By doing this, you understand neither me nor Chen Jinzhao."
"Those who play with fire will eventually burn themselves."