He vaguely felt like he had pressed on something, but his consciousness was muddled, his eyelids too heavy to think.
He only knew that the thing was soft and cool, and it felt very comfortable against him, so he subconsciously held it.
It wasn't until he woke up thirsty in the early morning and got up to find water that he realized he had been holding a person.
He didn't know if he had gone into the wrong room or if Tang Nannan had slept in the master bedroom, but they were both in the same bed.
Hu Jiasheng felt quite apologetic, but seeing that Tang Nannan was sleeping soundly, he didn't wake her. He quietly went to the living room for a drink of water and returned to his own room.
It turned out he had gone into the wrong room.
When he woke up the next morning, Tang Nannan had already made breakfast.
She was energetic and wearing the new clothes he had bought her.
Seeing him get up, she enthusiastically called him to eat.
Hu Jiasheng wanted to explain what happened last night, but seeing her act as if she knew nothing, he felt it was unnecessary and said nothing.
After breakfast, Hu Jiasheng naturally offered to drive Tang Nannan to the company. Tang Nannan felt a little embarrassed.
"It's not good if someone sees us. How about I just ride a shared bike myself?"
"I can drop you off a bit earlier."
Tang Nannan got off the car one block away from the company.
Upon arriving at the company, they pretended not to know each other, maintaining only a normal colleague relationship, and began their work.
As Engineer Zhang had said, he took good care of Tang Nannan, giving her a lot of project information to study.
Tang Nannan was like someone walking in a desert who had finally found water, eagerly absorbing every bit of knowledge.
When she encountered something she didn't understand, she diligently inquired with her colleagues. Everyone taught her openly and without reservation, and her workday passed pleasantly.
When it was time to get off work, Engineer Zhang offered to drive her home. Tang Nannan said it wasn't necessary and that she could take the subway.
After lingering in the office for over half an hour, Hu Jiasheng appeared outside the office.
She followed him at a discreet distance, and they took the car home together.
On the way, Tang Nannan mentioned they had no vegetables at home. Hu Jiasheng, not wanting to detour to a supermarket, suggested ordering groceries through a mobile app at home.
As Tang Nannan happened to have no money on her, she didn't stand on ceremony.
Upon returning home, Hu Jiasheng retreated to his study to continue working, while Tang Nannan waited for the groceries to arrive so she could cook.
After dinner, Hu Jiasheng was about to wash the dishes, but Tang Nannan stopped him. "Your hand injury hasn't healed properly yet. I'll do it first."
Hu Jiasheng insisted, "It's fine."
"I have many books in my study. You can read them if you're bored."
He went to wash the dishes, and Tang Nannan, with nothing else to do, entered his study.
The bookshelves in the study were densely packed with various professional books, and she couldn't stop looking at them.
Fortunately, Hu Jiasheng's study was spacious enough. By the time he finished washing the dishes and entered, they could each sit on one side without feeling crowded.
They didn't speak, each busy with their own tasks.
Hu Jiasheng was very serious and focused when he worked. Sometimes, when Tang Nannan encountered a sentence she didn't understand and wanted to ask him, she hesitated to disturb him seeing how engrossed he was.
Unexpectedly, Hu Jiasheng noticed her subtle movements and handed her a pen.
"Books are meant to enrich people. Of course, you can write and draw in them, even make annotations. Otherwise, just having them on the shelves, no matter how neat, is meaningless."
"Circle anything you don't understand, and I'll explain them to you one by one when I have time."
Overall, their interactions were peaceful and pleasant.
Time flew by, and a week later, on a Saturday morning, Tang Nannan as usual got up to make breakfast.
During breakfast, Hu Jiasheng told her that she didn't need to cook on weekends anymore, as he was also someone who liked to sleep in.
On weekends, when he was bored, he usually stayed at home to pass the time. She shouldn't imagine his life to be too refined.
Tang Nannan said okay and glanced out the window.
The sky was clear, with scattered white clouds. On such a beautiful day, it felt like a waste to stay cooped up at home.
This was her first time in Nancheng. Every day, besides work, she just slept. Not going out to explore felt like a disservice to such beautiful scenery.
Seeing her look longingly outside, Hu Jiasheng suddenly felt that staying like this every day was also quite boring.
He took out his phone and searched for a nearby attraction, sending it to Tang Nannan to see.
"You work hard making breakfast and dinner for me every day. How about we go for a walk here today? Consider it a day off."
It was a resort, not too far away.
Moreover, he had said that he usually stayed home on weekends, so going out wouldn't be too much of a disturbance to him. Tang Nannan didn't refuse.
They changed their clothes and set off together in the car. Hu Jiasheng drove quietly, while she watched the beautiful scenery outside the window, her mood soaring.
Although their relationship was more than friends but less than lovers, this state was truly quite comfortable.
If something were to happen, it would be great if it could advance their relationship by leaps and bounds.
As she harbored such a wish in her heart, she indeed got her wish.
Life progressed smoothly. About a month after her arrival in Nancheng, Grey Appliances received another major project.
It was related to smart appliances. If successful, it would greatly help the company reach a new level, and everyone took it very seriously.
Hu Jiasheng, as the CEO of the electrical company, personally led the sales and technical teams to the signing ceremony.
The other party chose Kangqiao Villa, a famous resort in Nancheng, as the venue.
It happened to be a Friday, so they didn't have to work the next day.
Whether it was out of consideration for her or to give a novice a chance to see the world, Hu Jiasheng included her in the team.
After a busy morning and signing the contract, everyone relaxed at the resort in the afternoon.
Since she was the only woman on the team, it was inconvenient to soak in the hot springs with the men, so Tang Nannan went off on her own.
Unexpectedly, she encountered Mrs. Gao here.
Mrs. Gao, with her beauty unchanged over the past decade, was immediately recognized by Tang Nannan.
Mrs. Gao, however, took a long time to recognize Tang Nannan.
Once confirmed, Mrs. Gao was quite surprised.
"Long time no see. How come you're here too? Are you here with friends or...?"
Tang Nannan said she had come here to work, and Mrs. Gao responded with a meaningful "oh."
Mr. Gao was a subordinate of Tang Nannan's father and had worked in Suzhou for five years, often visiting their home to report on his work.
When she had free time, her mother would also arrange to meet Mrs. Gao for tea and shopping, so Tang Nannan was very familiar with Mrs. Gao.
The major incident at her family's home was naturally not a secret to Mrs. Gao. Although they lived far apart, Mrs. Gao knew everything.
That was why she was so surprised.
Upon learning where Tang Nannan was currently working, Mrs. Gao was even more astonished.
"Grey Electric's Technology Department? If I remember correctly, you majored in drama in college, didn't you?"
As they were old acquaintances, Tang Nannan didn't hide it from her, saying yes, a friend had recommended her.
"That's wonderful. After hearing about your family's troubles, I've been wanting to visit you, but you know..."
Some things are sensitive, and when boundaries need to be drawn, they must be drawn. She was also bound by circumstances, which Tang Nannan could understand.