Zhan Jingrui, having spoken, realized he had made a foolish mistake again.
How could He Yao go out with him dressed like this?
He quickly corrected himself, "Never mind, I'll go buy it for you. Tell me what you want to eat."
He Yao thought that given his status, he wouldn't go to any common restaurant. If he went to a high-end place to buy a delicately prepared meal, who knew how long it would take. "A packet of instant noodles, please."
Instant noodles?
Zhan Jingrui was speechless for two seconds. "Wait."
He took his Porsche out for a spin and returned with two packets of instant noodles.
He Yao was lounging on the sofa, her mind blank. He tossed the noodles onto the coffee table in front of her and turned to boil water.
He Yao peeked her head out from behind the sofa.
"Why did you buy two packets? Are you eating too... I mean, are you eating instant noodles too?"
Zhan Jingrui, with his businessman's back to her, retorted impatiently.
"Don't think of me as so out of touch. What's wrong with eating instant noodles? We ate at roadside stalls quite a bit when we were together."
Uh, he remembered that?
That sentence was clearly unnecessary and a bit suggestive.
Zhan Jingrui regretted it as soon as he said it.
It made him sound like he couldn't forget about the past.
He could only cover up, "Just eat something simple. Eat quickly and get some rest. Don't I get tired?"
He Yao retracted her head and said nothing more.
The only sound in the spacious room was the gurgling of the boiling water.
Soon, the water was ready.
Zhan Jingrui added water to his instant noodles, covered them, and took them upstairs.
Seeing his demeanor, He Yao couldn't help but be curious.
"What? You're not leaving tonight either?"
Zhan Jingrui was even more annoyed, "This is my house, do I need your permission to leave?"
After eating his instant noodles, Zhan Jingrui did not come downstairs again.
One upstairs, one downstairs, they spent the night like that.
At seven o'clock the next morning, He Yao heard movement in the living room. She came out in her bathrobe and saw a middle-aged woman, neatly dressed and efficient, cleaning.
Presumably, it was the cleaning lady Zhan Jingrui had hired, so she greeted her.
The auntie said breakfast was ready and the clothes had been brought.
Zhan Jingrui was quite prompt. He Yao had been worried about not having clothes to wear and being late for work.
She tried on the clothes in the room, and they fit perfectly.
Wearing the clothes, she came out, and Zhan Jingrui also came downstairs.
They both tacitly avoided mentioning last night's events and didn't say much. They ate breakfast in silence. The auntie finished tidying up and left first.
Zhan Jingrui pushed the tableware aside. "It's not raining today, so you can take a taxi to the company yourself."
He Yao hadn't expected him to drive her anyway. She said thank you and, "Sorry to have bothered you last night," and left first.
During her lunch break, she went to get her phone repaired.
When the repairman told her it was beyond repair, she reluctantly bought a new one.
As soon as she inserted her SIM card and turned on the phone, several WeChat messages pinged.
They were all trivial, except for one from the engineer surnamed Tang whom she had added yesterday at Zhan Corporation, inviting her to lunch.
Feeling indebted to him for helping to give the supplier's qualifications a "superior" rating, He Yao quickly messaged him.
She explained about her phone and said she would treat him to dinner that evening.
Engineer Tang was not bothered and agreed. They arranged to meet after work.
Engineer Tang was not old, only 28 this year. He was a tall, slender, bespectacled engineering student who was quite fond of He Yao.
For men and women of this age, a private dinner invitation could signify a lot.
He Yao's acceptance meant she was giving him a chance, and he intended to seize it.
Before going to dinner that evening, he made sure to tidy himself up.
When they met at the restaurant, they looked like a perfect match.
He Yao chose a rather upscale restaurant, partly to thank him properly, and partly so as not to appear weak and embarrass the company.
They had a lot to talk about regarding their professions. Although they weren't very familiar with each other, the meal was very pleasant.
As the meal neared its end, He Yao excused herself to use the restroom and went to pay the bill. A waiter told her the bill had already been settled.
"When was it paid?"
"As soon as you ordered, the gentleman came over and paid the bill."
He Yao felt quite embarrassed. She thanked Engineer Tang when she returned and could only arrange to meet him again next time.
"Next time, don't fight me for the bill, or I'll feel too awkward."
The mention of a next time indicated that He Yao had a good impression of him, which made Engineer Tang very happy.
As they walked out, chatting and laughing, they were met by a waiter ushering in two tall, slender men in suits.
Engineer Tang stopped in his tracks and politely greeted them.
"Mr. Zhan, you're dining here too?"
He Yao looked up and saw it was Zhan Jingrui and Xu Zheng.
Was the restaurant she chose that good? Could they also be found here?
Zhan Jingrui had some impression of Engineer Tang, not just from seeing him at the company, but also from eating next to He Yao at Zhan Corporation yesterday.
These two meeting privately for a meal, could it be that he and He Yao were dating?
Although he already had Chu Xi, after so many years, He Yao should have a boyfriend.
But seeing her standing with another man, looking like a perfect match, still made him uncomfortable.
Zhan Jingrui nodded haughtily and brushed past them.
As they passed, he heard Engineer Tang say to He Yao.
"Then how about this Saturday? I'll pick you up then. I just checked the weather forecast this morning; it's supposed to be nice on Saturday. After dinner, we can go for a walk."
"Have you been to Universal Studios? Many people go there for photos. I heard it's quite fun..."
He didn't hear He Yao's reply, but imagining them enjoying themselves at the amusement park together made Zhan Jingrui's chest tighten.
Xu Zheng enthusiastically led him to their seats. After they sat down, Zhan Jingrui said wistfully.
"I missed the last chess match. I heard from Mr. Fu that I missed a good show, and your assistant is very impressive. Since that's the case, when should we have another match so I can see it for myself?"
Xu Zheng was just about to find an excuse to arrange another meeting with him and Mr. Fu. Zhan Jingrui had brought it up, so
He quickly said, "That's something that can be arranged in minutes. As long as you and Mr. Fu have time, we're always ready."
"Then how about this Saturday? You can tell Mr. Fu as well."
Xu Zheng was beaming and nodded his agreement repeatedly.
When they returned to the company in the afternoon, Xu Zheng told He Yao the news, and He Yao was furious.
"It rained yesterday, and the dormitory flooded. It was a mess. All my belongings were soaked, and I can't live there anymore. I don't even know where I'm staying tonight."
"I wanted to use my break to look for a new place, and you've done this."
"Oh, compared to the company's future, these are minor issues. Just bear with it. You can't falter at a crucial moment."
He Yao retorted, "Easy for you to say. You have a place to stay, so you're speaking without a care. If I have to go, I still need a place to stay for these few days, right? Make arrangements for me."
"Alright, alright. You stay in a hotel for now. I'll reimburse the room fee. After the chess match, keep Sunday free for you to find a place, how about that?"