Gently closing the car door, she glanced at Zhan Jingrui's clean, resolute profile and the neat, handsome back of his head. She thanked Mr. Fu again.
"Thank you, Mr. Fu. I've troubled you."
"The trouble isn't for me, it's for President Zhan. You should thank President Zhan instead," Mr. Fu joked with a chuckle.
"It's getting late. How far is your company? You won't arrive just to leave immediately, will you?"
It was indeed 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 permitted me to leave early. I'm heading directly back to the dormitory."
"Dormitory? That's good. Your company has good benefits, providing employee dormitories. It's been years since I lived in a dormitory. What are dormitories like now? What are the conditions?"
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. Except for cooking, the conditions are quite good."
"That's good. I remember you said you're from Suzhou. 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. Home is far away. Renting a place is inconvenient and expensive, so I've been living in the dormitory."
Mr. Fu nodded. "That's good. Living with colleagues provides mutual support in daily life and is safer than renting. Where is the dormitory located?"
He Yao gave the address, and Mr. Fu frowned.
"Why is it so far? Dormitories are meant to be convenient for employees. If they're arranged so far away, it takes so long to commute, defeating the original purpose? How do you usually get to work?"
Mr. Fu was talking too much. If he asked any more, he'd uncover her entire life story.
It wasn't that He Yao didn't want to answer him, but she didn't want Zhan Jingrui to hear. Although he didn't seem curious, she instinctively felt she should maintain a distance from him.
Why was their industrial park so large? Why was Zhan Jingrui driving so slowly? Why hadn't they reached the end yet?
"I used to work at the factory of Huaneng Technology. Recently, President Xu transferred me to the office as his assistant, so the distance is a bit far."
"It used to be very convenient. I used to walk there."
So that was the reason. Mr. Fu nodded.
"Speaking of which, my daughter is about your age. She just graduated, and I got her a car worth over two hundred thousand yuan for her commute. She complains every day, finding fault with everything. You're still living in a dormitory and walking. Comparing ourselves, sigh..."
"We of that generation endured hardships. Who knew we'd spoil our children like this now? What do your parents do? How did they raise you to be so hardworking and resilient?"
The questions became increasingly absurd, and He Yao no longer wanted to answer him. Just as she was thinking about how to brush off the question, Zhan Jingrui spoke.
"We're here. Miss He, will you be taking a taxi from here?"
He Yao looked ahead at the windshield. It was true; they were only about ten meters from the park's main gate.
Zhan Jingrui accelerated, reaching the entrance in a few seconds.
She quickly said, "I'll get off here. Thank you, President Zhan."
"Mr. Fu, I'll be going now. Goodbye."
As she opened the door, a light rain began to fall, accompanied by a gentle breeze, making it a little chilly. Mr. Fu rolled down his car window.
"Alright, goodbye. Oh, it's raining. You didn't bring an umbrella, did you?"
"It's okay, this little bit of rain is fine. I'll get a taxi soon. Goodbye, Mr. Fu."
Zhan Jingrui didn't give the two of them a chance for further pleasantries and quickly drove away. As the car drove further into the distance, watching the figures in the rearview mirror become smaller, Mr. Fu rolled up his window and sighed softly.
"He Yao is the kind of daughter I idealize. Who would have thought that I, who endured half a lifetime of hardship, would raise a pampered young lady? Sigh."
Zhan Jingrui didn't respond, thinking to himself: How much do you really know about her? You didn't see her when she was rebellious. If you accepted her as your daughter, you'd be furious enough to die.
The car continued forward, and the rain quickly intensified. Large raindrops splattered 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 the meeting. Take me back, and you can go there alone."
Work matters required Zhan Jingrui's unconditional cooperation, so he quickly turned the car back to the entrance of the industrial park. It was rush hour, and the road at the entrance had sparse traffic, with almost no pedestrians. Only a slender figure, holding a briefcase over her head, was running desperately in the rain.
Seeing He Yao running in the rain, Mr. Fu was about to roll down the window to speak to her. Zhan Jingrui decisively locked the car windows and accelerated into the park.
"He Yao hasn't caught a taxi yet! Oh dear, it's raining so heavily. When you come out later, give her your umbrella if you see her!"
Does he really see her as his daughter? Zhan Jingrui grunted in response. After dropping him off, he drove out again at a very 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 thunder, the common sense of not sheltering under a tree during a rainstorm was deeply ingrained in Zhan Jingrui's mind. Seeing He Yao standing under the tree, his first reaction was: Are you an idiot? Don't you have this basic common sense? Are you looking for death? His second reaction: How should I go and talk to her? There's no umbrella in the car. Should I give her a ride? The relationship isn't there yet. If I don't offer a ride...
He Yao wasn't blind. Seeing Zhan Jingrui's car turn back and enter the park, and then seeing it drive out and towards her, her heart pounded. She thought, why did he come out again? The driver couldn't be Zhan Jingrui, could he? What was he going to do? Was he going to give her a ride? They hadn't been in contact for years; wouldn't this be inappropriate? She regretted standing here; she should have hidden behind the tree. She would rather get wet than get involved with him again. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was mainly because she remembered he already had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was Chu Xi. What would be the point of getting close to him, other than to humiliate herself and make herself unhappy?
With both of them having their own thoughts, Zhan Jingrui eventually pulled the car over. He rolled down the window, and their eyes met. Before he could speak, He Yao hastily waved her hand.
"No, no, it's fine. I've already called a car, and it'll be here soon. Thank you, you go ahead."
Zhan Jingrui's good intentions, born from a moment of internal struggle, were so ungraciously rejected. A nameless anger immediately surged within him. After a two-second stare, he began to roll up the car window, speaking to He Yao in annoyance.
"Hiding under a tree in the rain can attract lightning. You should find another place to shelter."