She gently closed the car door, glanced at Zhan Jingrui's clean, resolute profile and the neat, handsome back of his head, and thanked Mr. Fu again.
"Thank you, Mr. Fu. I'm sorry to trouble you."
"The trouble isn't mine, it's Mr. Zhan's. You should thank him."
Mr. Fu chuckled, making a joke.
"It's getting late. How far is your company? You're not going to arrive at the company and immediately get off work, are you?"
Indeed, it was already past three o'clock.
He Yao stated her company's address and then truthfully replied.
"I'm not going back to the company. Our President Xu has granted me early leave. I'm going straight back to the dorms."
"Dorms? That's good. Your company has good benefits, providing employee dorms. How many years has it been since I lived in a dorm? What are dorms like now? What are the conditions like?"
He Yao said, "Originally, four female employees shared a room. But there are few female employees in our workshop, so it's two people per room. There's hot water and a private bathroom. Besides not being able to cook, the conditions are quite good."
"That's great. I remember you said you're from Sucheng. Why don't you live at home? Is your home far away?"
Zhan Jingrui couldn't help but glance at her in the rearview mirror. He Yao accidentally met his gaze, and they both quickly looked away.
"Yes, my home is far away. Renting a place is inconvenient and expensive, so I've been living in the dorms."
Mr. Fu nodded. "That's good. Living with colleagues provides mutual support in daily life and is safer. It's better than renting a place. Where are the dorms located?"
He Yao gave the address, and Mr. Fu frowned.
"Why is it so far? Dorms are supposed to be for the convenience of employees. If they're arranged so far away, and commuting takes so much time, doesn't that defeat the original purpose? How do you usually get to work?"
Mr. Fu was talking too much. If he asked any more, he would uncover her entire past.
It wasn't that He Yao refused to answer him, but she didn't want Zhan Jingrui to hear certain things.
Although the other party wasn't curious, she instinctively felt she should maintain a distance in front of him.
Why was their campus so large? Why was Zhan Jingrui driving so slowly? Why hadn't they reached the end yet?
"I used to work at the Huana Technology factory. Recently, President Xu transferred me to his office as his assistant, so the distance is a bit far."
"It used to be very convenient. I used to walk to work."
So that was the case, Mr. Fu nodded.
"Speaking of which, my daughter is about your age. She just graduated, and I got her a car worth over 200,000 yuan for her commute. Every day she complains and finds fault with everything. You're still living in dorms and walking. Compared to you, sigh..."
"Our generation endured hardship. Who knew that nowadays we'd spoil our children to this extent? What do your parents do? How did they raise you to be so hardworking and resilient?"
The more he asked, the more outrageous it became, and He Yao no longer wanted to answer him.
Just as she was thinking about how to deflect the question, Zhan Jingrui spoke.
"We're here. Miss He, are you getting off here?"
He Yao looked at the windshield ahead. It was true; they were only about ten meters from the campus gate.
Zhan Jingrui accelerated, and they reached the entrance in seconds.
She quickly said, "I'll get off here. Thank you, Mr. Zhan."
"Mr. Fu, you go ahead with your business. I'll get off now. Goodbye."
She pushed the door open. A light rain had begun to fall, accompanied by a gentle breeze, making it a bit chilly.
Mr. Fu lowered the car window.
"Okay, goodbye. Oh, it's raining. You don't have an umbrella, do you?"
"It's okay, this little rain doesn't matter. I'll be able to get a taxi quickly. Goodbye, Mr. Fu."
Zhan Jingrui didn't give the two of them any more time for polite exchanges and quickly drove away.
As the car moved further away, watching the figures get smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror, Mr. Fu rolled up the car window and sighed leisurely.
"He Yao is exactly the kind of daughter I idealize. Who would have thought that I, who endured hardship for half my life, would raise such a spoiled young lady? Sigh."
Zhan Jingrui didn't respond. He thought to himself: How much do you really know about her? You never saw her rebellious phase back then. If you recognize her as your daughter, you might be angered to death.
The car continued to move forward. The rain soon became heavier, with large raindrops pattering against the windshield.
Amidst the pattering sound, Mr. Fu received a phone call. After a few brief sentences, he instructed Zhan Jingrui to turn back.
"There's a temporary issue at headquarters. The video conference has been moved up. I need to go back for a meeting. Take me back, and you go there alone."
Regarding work matters, Zhan Jingrui had to cooperate unconditionally. He quickly turned the car around and returned to the campus entrance.
It was during peak work hours. The road at the entrance had few vehicles, and almost no pedestrians.
There was only one slender figure, holding a briefcase over her head, sprinting through the rain.
Seeing He Yao running in the rain, Mr. Fu was about to lower the car window to speak to her. Zhan Jingrui decisively locked the car windows and accelerated into the campus.
"He Yao still hasn't managed to get a taxi! Oh dear, it's raining so heavily. If you see her when you come out later, give her your umbrella!"
Does he really see her as his daughter?
Zhan Jingrui grunted in acknowledgment.
After dropping him off, he drove out again at an extremely fast speed.
Unconsciously, he glanced towards the side of the road. Under a large tree, He Yao was holding her briefcase, sheltering from the rain.
Although there was no lightning, the common knowledge that one shouldn't take shelter under a tree during rain was deeply ingrained in Zhan Jingrui's mind.
Seeing He Yao standing under the tree, his first thought was: Are you an idiot? Don't you have this basic common sense? Are you looking for death?
Second thought: How should I go over and talk to her? There's no umbrella in the car. Should I give her a ride? Their relationship isn't at that stage yet. If I don't offer...
He Yao wasn't blind.
Seeing Zhan Jingrui's car turn back and enter the campus, and then seeing it come out and drive towards her, her heart pounded.
She wondered why he had come out again.
The driver wouldn't be Zhan Jingrui, would he?
What was he going to do? Was he going to give her a ride? They hadn't been in contact for years; it wouldn't be appropriate.
She regretted standing there. She should have hidden behind the tree.
She would rather get wet than get entangled with him again.
It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was mainly that she remembered he already had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was Chu Xi.
Getting close to him would only bring her humiliation and make her unhappy. What purpose would it serve?
While both of them were inwardly conflicted, Zhan Jingrui eventually pulled the car over to her.
He lowered the car window, their eyes met, and before he could speak, He Yao hastily waved her hand.
"No need, no need. I've already called for a car; it'll be here soon. Thank you, you go ahead with your business."
Zhan Jingrui, after a period of internal struggle, had his well-intentioned offer rejected so ungratefully.
An inexplicable anger surged within him.
After a two-second stare, he began to roll up the car window, feeling annoyed at He Yao.
"It's dangerous to hide under a tree when it's raining, you might get struck by lightning. You should find somewhere else to shelter."