Chapter 63 (1/2): Worth the flight
Zhou Shiyi bought 52 roses, picked out the wrapping paper, then glanced at the sunflowers in the flower bucket and thought they looked nice, so he picked three more.
At checkout, the shop owner said, “Sunflowers aren’t worth much, I’ll give them to you.”
Zhou Shiyi insisted on paying, “I’m buying them as a gift.”
“Then just give me ten yuan.”
After leaving the flower shop, the Maybach headed straight for Jinghe Campus.
Zhou Shiyi forwarded the itinerary Zhan Liang had sent him to his father: [“I’m on a business trip next week. Please attend the events on my behalf.”]
Zhou Yunlian’s schedule was packed as well, so he could only shuttle between commitments: [“Where’s the business trip?”]
Zhou Shiyi: [“Not sure yet.”]
Zhou Yunlian:
He no longer understood the world of the younger generation—he didn’t even know where his son was going on a business trip.
Zhou Shiyi wasn’t brushing off his father; since the schedule wasn’t set, he simply couldn’t say.
Forty minutes later, the car stopped under the Algorithm Building in the campus.
He got off holding only the bouquet of roses; the three sunflowers stayed in the car.
Upstairs, no one was in Zhong Yì’s office.
Thinking she had gone to the server room, he waited for her in the lounge outside.
Assistant Ningque passed by. “President Zhou, are you here to see President Zhong?”
Zhou Shiyi looked up from his phone screen, nodded, and said, “No rush, nothing important.”
The assistant said, “President Zhong went to get a haircut. You can find her at the barbershop. There are quite a few in the campus commercial street. She gave me the name of the one she usually goes to.”
“Thank you.”
Zhou Shiyi got up and headed to the commercial street to look for her.
The only five-star hotel on campus was at the start of the commercial street. Passing by the hotel entrance, Zhou Shiyi’s steps paused for a moment as he pondered, then turned and went inside.
He booked a suite for Zhong Yì for a week using his own ID.
He should be back from the business trip by then.
Inside the barbershop, Zhong Yì was just starting to get her hair trimmed.
Her short hair was styled by this barber, and for years she had only gone to him.
When she first cut her long hair, the barber had tested her hair texture: “Such beautiful long hair, are you really cutting it?”
She didn’t answer, only nodded.
The only thing she regretted about cutting her long hair was that she could no longer twine it around Zhou Shiyi’s fingers.
But then she thought, whether she cut it or not, he wouldn’t return to her side.
Zhong Yì watched the barber carefully trim her hair ends in the mirror when suddenly the reflection was filled by a figure in a white shirt and black pants.
She was startled for a moment, then a faint smile spread across her lips.
“Why did you come so early today?”
She reached out habitually to shake his hand.
“No plans this afternoon,” Zhou Shiyi moved a chair and sat down unobtrusively, gently holding her hand.
The barber thought to himself, shouldn’t they let go after a handshake?
But ten minutes passed and they still held hands as if no one else was around.
“How long since your last haircut?” Zhou Shiyi asked.
Zhong Yì recalled, “More than three months.”
She hadn’t cut her hair since they reunited.
Today, she noticed in the bathroom mirror that the ends were losing shape.
“Do you think I look better with long hair or short hair?”
Zhou Shiyi looked at her and said, “I used to think long hair looked better. Now I actually think short hair looks better.”
“Not lying?”
“Why would I lie?”
Zhong Yì said wistfully, “Just can’t wrap it around your fingers anymore.”
Zhou Shiyi gauged the length of her hair, “You can. Just fewer wraps—two or three times is still fine.”
But she couldn’t do it herself anymore; he had to wrap her hair slowly around his fingers.
The barber silently wondered if the two had forgotten there was someone else in the room.
They left the barbershop as dusk settled.
The two went to the cafeteria for dinner.
Zhou Shiyi handed her the key card to the suite, saying he’d be on a business trip for a week.
“Leaving tonight already?”
“Early tomorrow morning. No time to have breakfast with you. I asked the Guanjia to pack your clothes as well. No need for you to keep running back and forth while I’m away.”
Zhong Yì took the card. “You’re staying with me at the hotel tonight?”
“Yes.”
Zhou Shiyi nodded, “Hmm.”
It was closer to the airport from the campus.
“Where’s the business trip?”
“Europe.” Zhou Shiyi added, “Several countries.”
Zhong Yì assumed he was going to Kuncheng’s overseas offices and didn’t ask more.
Zhou Shiyi held her hand and went to a restaurant on the third floor.
Seeing them holding hands as they entered, many colleagues glanced and whispered quietly.
Yan Tinglin was treating his subordinates to Western food today, sitting at a long table at the edge, far from their table, so Zhou Shiyi didn’t see him.
Yan told his subordinates, “If you want to look, just look openly. One day you’ll get numb to it.”
“He’s a perfect example.”
Back in university, Zhou Shiyi always held Zhong Yì’s hand when he saw her.
Whether or not there were acquaintances nearby, they did it all the same.
Zhong Yì had said a few days ago that she rarely saw him at school and wasn’t close to him.
He thought to himself, I often see you two on the street; you just never see me.
Tang Nuoyun looked away from their table and said to her boss, “I thought President Zhou was very low-key in relationships.”
Yan Tinglin: “He’s never been low-key with Zhong Yì.”
Tang Nuoyun said, “Maybe it’s just my first impression of him.”
She knew Zhou Shiyi still liked Zhong Yì after their breakup, but thought it was a quiet love he couldn’t express.
With Zhou Shiyi’s aloof and cold personality, she found it hard to imagine him being passionate.
“So many people chase after Zhong Yì—would President Zhou get jealous?”
“No. He’s ‘vinegar-drinking.’”
Tang Nuoyun laughed, “I can’t imagine that.”
Yan Tinglin picked up a steak knife to cut meat as his phone rang—it was a call from his assistant.
The assistant asked when he would be back.
“What’s the matter?”
“President Zhou bought office furniture for you. The goods have arrived. The installers are waiting and said he paid triple overtime. They plan to install everything overnight.”
Everyone hurriedly finished their meal and rushed back to the Chip Building.
Yan Tinglin’s office was bustling with activity as the installers assembled desks and bookshelves.
Tang Nuoyun looked at the furniture brand, then turned to Yan Tinglin, who stood with hands on hips, looking bewildered.
“Boss, this is the most expensive office furniture on the market. Even pricier than Min Zong’s office set. Don’t let Min Zong find out.”
***
By 10:30 p.m., the furniture installation was complete.
The old furniture replaced, the office took on a new look.
Low-key luxury, with exquisite taste.
They even specially equipped him with a top-tier sound system for listening to jazz music.
A subordinate returning from the lab discovered the drastic change and, touching the boss’s double-door refrigerator, said, “Boss, you won’t have to worry about running out of iced coffee anymore.”
Yan Tinglin was speechless.
Such a magnificent, high-end office gave Yan Tinglin the illusion that he had suddenly become CEO of Jinghe Group.
No wonder Tang Nuoyun had said earlier not to let Min Zong know.
Before leaving work, Tang Nuoyun went upstairs to the boss’s office again. Her boyfriend had just sent her a message with a playlist.
“Boss,” Tang Nuoyun knocked.
“Come in.”
The moment she opened the door, Tang Nuoyun couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow.”
When she had come earlier, the installers were still assembling; there were cardboard boxes everywhere, a mess. The old office furniture was still there, so it felt normal.
Now the layout was completely different; she almost thought it was Min Zong’s office.
Yan Tinglin said, “Still not going home so late? Drive safely.”
“I don’t drive; I live in the employee dorms just behind,” Tang Nuoyun said, still stunned, gesturing vaguely.
Unaware she was pointing ahead.
After sending the playlist to the boss, Tang Nuoyun and a few colleagues gathered around the fridge. This handleless, world’s most expensive fridge came with a built-in wine cabinet.
They discussed which section belonged to whom, figuring the boss couldn’t possibly use such a huge fridge alone.
Yan Tinglin sat at his desk, collecting himself. The chair seemed custom-made.
Once seated, he didn’t want to get up.
Annoyed by the discussion around the fridge, he played snippets of all the songs in Tang Nuoyun’s boyfriend’s playlist, picked five, and made a new playlist.
It was also a test for the sound system Zhou Shiyi had sent him. The rich sound filled the whole room.
Yan Tinglin was obsessed with chips and knew little about enjoying life, nor did he have time to figure out which audio systems sounded better. As long as he could hear it, it was fine.
Unexpectedly, this sound system enhanced the jazz music, bringing an ultimate auditory experience.
At 10:50 p.m., after sending the subordinates away and about to close the door to continue working late, Zhou Shiyi arrived, holding three sunflowers.
“Congratulations on your new office.”