Back at the company, whether due to heavy workloads or uncertainty about how to broach the subject again, neither Miao Jing nor Lu Zhengsi addressed the conversation they'd had in the car.
After two restless days, Chen Yi left the billiards hall one evening and found an excuse to drive to the development zone to see Miao Jing. She happened to have gone out for late-night snacks with colleagues, so he parked by the roadside to wait. Through the rearview mirror, he spotted Miao Jing strolling around the corner with several coworkers. Resting his cigarette-holding hand on the car window, his gaze remained fixed on her.
Miao Jing glanced from a distance, paused to chat with her colleagues, while Lu Zhengsi watched her slowly approach a black car parked further away and stop by the driver's window to speak with someone.
He certainly knew it was Chen Yi's car, but what was unusual about that?
Miao Jing got into the car, and Chen Yi took her for a nighttime drive, asking if she wanted to head downtown. As it was already late, Miao Jing preferred not to go far, so they circled around the development zone. They discovered a patch of wilderness where grasses swayed, vast reeds connecting with the hazy, low-hanging full moon, evoking a sense of timeless desolation.
Parked by the roadside, the tall man leaned over to kiss the woman beside him. Her tender, rose-like lips, moist with the night's dew, met his as his tongue ventured deep. Hazy breaths passed between their lips—this was their first kiss outside of an enclosed space. A beautiful woman and a handsome man, their clandestine affair in the wild beneath proper attire felt thrilling. He drew her tongue into his mouth, letting her explore his domain, the rich, heavy scent of tobacco enveloping her subtle fragrance. Noticing the blush coloring her brows and eyes, vibrant as peach and plum blossoms, his strong arms roamed, attempting to meld her to him. Miao Jing pulled back in time, leaning against the car door to catch her breath, refusing his impending advances. In the dim light, Chen Yi's eyes shone with treacherous intent, like a wolf spotting its prey.
Miao Jing asked if he had anything to say. He leaned close to her, lighting another cigarette to dissipate his emotions, and inquired what she needed him to say.
"Say the words you didn't speak in these six years."
Whether sweet nothings or lies, as long as he was willing to speak.
"Seems there's nothing much to say," he took a drag. "We parted amicably, didn't we? Went our separate ways, no lingering attachments or bonds, just living our own lives."
"Actually, you shouldn't have come back."
A veil of night mist gathered in Chen Yi's eyes. "The moment you returned, we ended up like this. What's good about it? You keep me hanging, neither here nor there, unwilling to follow my wishes."
He stubbed out the cigarette under his foot, grinding it forcefully.
"Did you ever really think of me?" Miao Jing turned her head, her gaze shimmering like water. "Just two months into my university, your phone number became invalid, completely unreachable. You never looked for me again. Shouldn't you have a lot to explain now?"
"After living together for so many years, of course I thought of you now and then."
"You were studying, I was drifting along. Changed my number, busy with work and life. After thinking it over, there wasn't much to talk about or reconnect over."
In the months since her return, she had acted as if nothing happened, never asking, and he had done the same, never speaking. They coexisted with this tacit understanding, remarkably in sync for months, with only their sensual ambiguity betraying any cracks or emotions.
Miao Jing crossed her arms, her eyes slightly cold as she gazed into the distance.
The amorous atmosphere vanished entirely. They got back into the car, and Chen Yi dropped Miao Jing off at the company without mentioning when he'd return, then turned the car around and drove away.There was no other new development, but Miao Jing unexpectedly received a call from Tu Li. After such a long time, Tu Li didn’t mention anything else, only saying that she had worn Miao Jing’s dress and might have accidentally stained or damaged it in her and Chen Yi’s haste. She wanted to compensate with a new one and asked Miao Jing about the dress’s price and brand.
It wasn’t exactly pestering—just that Miao Jing had made her uncomfortable, so she wanted to return the favor.
After hanging up, Miao Jing’s expression visibly cooled. Holding a water glass, she stood by the window for a long time.
A few days later, Miao Jing called Chen Yi and heard the sound of a pool game in the background. She asked if she could borrow his car for a day, as the company car wasn’t easily available.
“What for?”
“A friend is coming to Tengcheng. I want to drive him around.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow. He’s passing through on a business trip. I’ll pick him up from the high-speed rail station.”
“I’m playing in a neighboring city and will return tomorrow. Who is it? I can bring him back for you.”
“It’s not really something you can do for me. I’d like to host him personally.”
Chen Yi frowned slightly. “I’ll give you the car first thing tomorrow morning.”
He rushed back to Tengcheng overnight and changed clothes hastily in the morning to meet Miao Jing. She had taken annual leave specifically for this and had meticulously, yet subtly, groomed herself—her eyes bright, lips red, teeth white, long hair flowing, exuding a lazy yet gentle charm with an air of effortless elegance.
Chen Yi had never seen her like this and saw right through it. “Not asking Lu Zhengsi for help?”
“Zhengsi isn’t really suitable.”
“Who is it?”
“A former colleague from my old company.”
He hesitated for a moment, tapping his fingers on the car window. “Are you familiar with my car? Get in, I’ll drive you to the high-speed rail station.”
“Alright, thank you for playing chauffeur.”
The train was scheduled to arrive at 10:50. Miao Jing waited by the gate, answered a brief call, and spotted a man in a suit stepping out. Her smile was gentle and radiant as they embraced in the crowd. The man patted her back and asked with a laugh, “Did you come alone?”
“More or less.”
Leaning against the car door, Chen Yi watched the two emerge side by side. The man was tall and slender, around thirty, wearing gold-rimmed glasses with a refined demeanor. He protectively placed a hand behind Miao Jing, who faced him, tucking her hair behind her ear. A handsome man and a beautiful woman—elite professionals, indeed a well-matched pair.
“My brother, Chen Yi,” Miao Jing introduced briefly. “Former colleague and friend, Cen Ye.”
The two men—one rugged, the other scholarly—exchanged polite smiles that didn’t reach their eyes. They shook hands formally, the grip slightly firm, then quickly withdrew.
The snow-white business card handed over felt exceptionally high-quality. Chen Yi glanced at it—Greater China Legal Director, quite a sanctimonious title. How was that surname pronounced again? Wasn’t there a Tang dynasty poet with the same character?
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