Pei Chen and He Ming shook hands. On the side, Liang Tongzhou, who was aware of past events, could feel the air around them suddenly turn cold, as if an undercurrent was silently flowing beneath the surface.
He Ming introduced the employees he had brought along, then shook hands with Xuan Xia and the others. Finally, he looked at Liang Tongzhou, extending his hand with a smile, “Tongzhou, long time no see.”
Back when Liang Zhiyi transferred to An’nan No. 1 High School, He Ming had been in the class next to hers. Liang Tongzhou knew that He Ming had always had a crush on Liang Zhiyi, and they had been casual acquaintances, familiar enough to call each other by name.
Seeing him now, Liang Tongzhou snapped out of his daze, awkwardly curling his lips into a smile as he shook hands with He Ming. “Yeah, it’s been quite a while.”
He Ming gave Pei Chen a meaningful look once again. Pei Chen met his gaze, a slight smile appearing on his cool face as he made a gesture of invitation and calmly spoke, “Mr. He, please.”
A fleeting emotion crossed He Ming’s eyes. He smiled and led his people inside.
The teams from both sides entered the meeting room and took seats on either side of the long table. The studio staff respectfully poured coffee as He Ming’s eyes swept over the people coming and going.
After everyone had taken their seats, Liang Tongzhou tried to lighten the mood with a joke. “He Ming, you’ve really come a long way. Now you’re a vice president.”
He Ming modestly smiled. “Not at all, it’s just a family business. We’re all fresh graduates, just out of school, and I’m just here at the Lín City branch for some experience.”
Curious, Xuan Xia asked, “Tongzhou, you two know each other?”
He Ming nodded, smiling faintly. “Yes, after they transferred to An’nan No. 1 High School in our second year, we became acquainted. You could say we’re old friends.”
Xuan Xia smacked his head in sudden realization and laughed, “No wonder I was wondering why the vice president of Hua’an Investment would come to see our Chengzhi Tech. Turns out it’s because of your connection, Tongzhou!”
As soon as Xuan Xia finished speaking, the surrounding air fell silent for a moment.
Liang Tongzhou: “…”
What does this have to do with me!?
At that moment, all he wanted to do was curse Xuan Xia for being such an idiot.
He Ming raised an eyebrow slightly and, with a slight smile, lowered his gaze. “It’s true that we’re old acquaintances, but—it’s because of Zhiyi.”
As soon as He Ming said this, the atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly froze.
Xuan Xia and the other studio staff exchanged bewildered glances.
What the heck is going on?!
Liang Tongzhou’s heart sank, and he frowned slightly.
This is bad, really bad—how does He Ming still have feelings for his sister after all these years?!
The former rejected suitor, now appearing before the current boyfriend with such a high status—this is straight out of a major drama!
As someone who has always supported Pei Chen as his brother-in-law, Liang Tongzhou anxiously turned to look at Pei Chen.
However, Pei Chen looked at He Ming with deep brown eyes, calm and emotionless, revealing nothing.
He Ming met Pei Chen’s gaze and smiled. “Zhiyi and I are old classmates. We once acted in a play together, and we’ve kept in touch occasionally over the years. I suppose she hasn’t mentioned it to you.”
He glanced around the room. “I heard Zhiyi started a business with you all. Why isn’t she here today?”
Pei Chen replied coolly, “She’s out on business, not at the studio.”
“Oh, I see. I thought perhaps someone didn’t want her to see me and was trying to keep her away.”
Pei Chen, with his hands clasped on his lap, met He Ming’s gaze. A faint smile flickered in his otherwise calm eyes. “There’s nothing inappropriate between old classmates. She’s just busy today. If she knew someone from Hua’an Investment was you, I’m sure she’d want to catch up.”
He Ming stared directly at him. “Well, that’s a bit unfortunate then.”
On the side, Xuan Xia finally caught on—were these two old rivals in love?
Xuan Xia hadn’t expected anyone to confront his brother like this. His expression darkened as he said, “I’ve long heard of Mr. He’s reputation. I didn’t expect you’d take the time out of your busy schedule to visit our studio. We thought you were here to discuss business, but it seems you’re here for a reunion. Unfortunately, the person you wanted to catch up with isn’t here. What a pity.”
He Ming leaned back in his chair, smiling. “Don’t get me wrong. My main purpose today is still to learn more about your project. Hua’an is interested in investing.”
Just as Xuan Xia was about to retort, Pei Chen spoke in a calm voice, “Then let’s take a look at the business plan. Cao Lun, I’ll leave the presentation to you.”
“Yes, Mr. Pei.”
An employee walked to the electronic screen and began the presentation.
Both Xuan Xia and Liang Tongzhou were stunned: “???”
Under the table, Xuan Xia kicked Pei Chen and gave him a look: Are you crazy?! You’re still considering working with He Ming?!
Pei Chen crossed his legs and lazily raised his eyes to glance at Xuan Xia, his expression indifferent, as if to ask: Why would we refuse money that’s offered?
“…”
Xuan Xia was speechless.
…
Two hours passed, and evening had arrived.
In the meeting room, after Pei Chen finished discussing the market prospects for the Shanzhi first-generation robot, He Ming asked a few questions, to which Pei Chen provided detailed answers.
The afternoon discussions went very smoothly.
In the end, He Ming closed the business plan and said, “I’m very satisfied with the conditions you’ve provided. If it’s agreeable, we can start by signing an NDA.”
After signing the NDA, the process could move on to the next stage.
Pei Chen curved his lips into a smile. “Good.”
Once the documents were signed, He Ming’s assistant said, “Then, could you please send us the preliminary project list and core materials by Friday?”
The employees from Chengzhi Tech nodded in agreement.
Xuan Xia and Liang Tongzhou, observing from the side, could only suppress their confusion.
As they left the meeting room, He Ming looked at Pei Chen and said, “It’s a pity I didn’t get to see Zhiyi before I left.”
Pei Chen, with one hand in his pocket and his dark eyes fixed on He Ming, responded, “If you’re not in a rush, Mr. He, you’re welcome to come to my office for a chat.”
“Sure.”
As the two walked towards the office, Xuan Xia quickly asked Liang Tongzhou about He Ming’s past, and after hearing the details, Xuan Xia angrily exclaimed, “What’s with this guy? Does he not know that Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi have been together for years and have even met each other’s parents? And he still wants to interfere?”
Liang Tongzhou was equally exasperated. “I thought the high school stuff was long over. I didn’t expect this guy to still be after my sister.”
“Pei Chen really kept his cool. If I were him, I’d have punched that guy in the meeting room. And what’s Pei Chen thinking? He still wants to work with this He guy?”
“I don’t get it either,” Liang Tongzhou said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll send a message to my sister. She probably doesn’t know about this yet.”
Meanwhile, in the office, the golden light of the setting sun filtered through the window.
He Ming sat on the sofa, glancing at Pei Chen to his right. With no one else around, he smiled and said, “I often see you in Zhiyi’s social media posts, but this is the first time we’ve met in person.”
“Yes, Zhiyi has mentioned you before,” Pei Chen replied.
“Oh? What did she say about me?”
Pei Chen met his gaze, his tone calm. “Not much. She casually mentioned that someone had feelings for her back in high school, but it wasn’t anything important, so I didn’t take it seriously.”
He Ming smiled. “I heard you two were only classmates for half a year in high school?”
“So what?”
“Nothing, just a bit surprised that she liked you so much in just half a year.”
Pei Chen’s smile was faint, almost imperceptible. “Time doesn’t really matter, does it? After all, no matter how long you spend with someone you don’t have chemistry with, it won’t make a difference.”
An emotion flickered in He Ming’s eyes, though it was unclear what it was. He changed the subject. “Starting a business right after graduating from college, without any resources or background—must have been tough, right?”
“Of course it was tough, but luckily, we all worked hard together. Not like you, Mr. He, who reached such a high position at a young age.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t let the girl I like go through such hardships,” He Ming said with a slight smirk. “But I do envy you, Mr. Pei, for having such an irresistible charm.”
Finally, He Ming mentioned that it was about time for him to leave. He stood up, and as he and Pei Chen shook hands, He Ming suddenly asked, “You must know my real purpose for discussing this investment. Do you truly want to continue working with me?”
Pei Chen calmly replied, “I’m only considering the future development of Chengzhi Tech. As for your purpose, all I can say is—” He raised his eyelids and looked at He Ming directly.
“You’re just daydreaming.”
He Ming quietly countered, “You two aren’t married yet. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to like her?”
“Of course, you have the right to like her, and Zhiyi has the right to be liked by others.”
Pei Chen’s smile faded, his presence becoming more imposing as he added:
“But—I won’t give you any chance.”
He Ming met his gaze, and after a few seconds, a smile surfaced in his eyes. He simply said, “Mr. Pei, I’ll have my team continue to follow up on our collaboration. We’ll be in frequent contact in the coming days.”
“Of course.”
After He Ming left the office, Pei Chen had someone see him out. Then, Pei Chen walked over to his desk and sat down, his eyes fixed on the documents in front of him, a deep and unreadable expression in his gaze.
…
Outside, the sky gradually darkened, leaving only a trace of twilight.
At the same time, Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er were leaving the bank, having finally wrapped up their tasks.
As they walked towards the car, Ji Fei’er glanced at her phone and noticed a message from Liang Tongzhou. She turned to Liang Zhiyi and asked, “Zhizhi, your brother says you’re not replying to his messages. What’s up?”
“Oh, I had my phone on silent earlier. Did he need something?” Zhiyi replied as she rummaged through her bag for her phone. Ji Fei’er said she wasn’t sure and suggested Zhiyi check for herself.
When Liang Zhiyi pulled out her phone and saw the messages from her brother, her brows slowly furrowed. She then handed the car keys to Ji Fei’er. “You drive. I need to make a call.”
“What’s going on?”
“Just drive first.”
Once they were in the car, Liang Zhiyi called Liang Tongzhou and learned what had happened that afternoon. The news caught her completely off guard.
Over the past few years, her contact with He Ming had been minimal—he would send her greetings during holidays and chat briefly about their lives. She had assumed he had moved on long ago and had no idea that Hua’an Investment was owned by He Ming’s family. And she certainly didn’t expect He Ming to say such things in front of Pei Chen.
“But He Ming didn’t use to be like this…” Liang Zhiyi recalled how he had been very gentle in the past.
“Who knows? Four years of college can change a person,” Liang Tongzhou replied.
“And how did Pei Chen react?” she asked.
“He was much calmer than we expected, and he even agreed to sign the NDA with them, moving forward with the next steps.”
Zhiyi was shocked. “He actually agreed?!”
“Yeah, I can’t figure out what he’s thinking either.”
Liang Zhiyi stared out the window, her heart tightening.
He must have swallowed a lot of jealousy to agree to continue engaging with Hua’an Investment.
After hanging up the phone, she sent a message to Pei Chen: “Pei Chen, wait for me at the studio. I’m coming back right now.”
Next to her, Ji Fei’er asked what was going on. After Zhiyi explained, Ji Fei’er sighed, “It’s all because you’re too charming.”
Zhiyi rubbed her forehead. She didn’t want that kind of charm.
The traffic was a bit heavy, so it took them forty minutes to get back to the studio.
When they walked in, they ran into Liang Tongzhou, and Zhiyi asked, “Where’s Pei Chen?”
“In the office.”
Zhiyi quickly walked into the office and pushed the door open, finding Pei Chen sitting at his desk, working on some documents.
He looked up when he heard her enter, his eyes softening in a way that was reserved only for her. “You’re back?”
She walked over to his side, biting her red lips lightly, and took his hand. “Pei Chen, are you really upset?”
“Hmm?”
She hurriedly continued, “I’ve heard everything from my brother. Even though I’ve kept in touch with He Ming over the years, I never gave him any signals. Whenever I posted about us on social media, I didn’t block him. I’ve never had any feelings for him, and I have no idea why he suddenly showed up like this…”
Pei Chen lifted his hand and pulled her onto his lap, holding her waist as he smiled and asked, “What, are you worried I don’t believe you?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice soft. “I know you believe me, but I still wanted to explain. Can we not work with him? I believe we’ll have better options. I don’t want you to have to put up with this because of me.”
The thought of accepting an investment that was only happening because of her made her uncomfortable.
Pei Chen gently rubbed her head, then leaned down to kiss her softly. He spoke in a tender voice, “When I first saw him and guessed that he was here because of you, I was pretty angry. But then I thought about it some more and realized that I know for sure you’d never fall for him. I also trust that our relationship is unbreakable, so I didn’t see any reason to be jealous.”
Hearing his words, she couldn’t help but tease him, “Oh, is this really the same person who used to get jealous at the drop of a hat?”
He cupped the back of her head, his gaze intense yet tender. “Because I know you’re mine, and no one can take you away.”
Her heart melted at his words, filled with sweetness.
He had grown. No longer plagued by insecurity, he was confident in standing by her side. He understood the depth of her love for him and knew nothing could come between them anymore. Even if He Ming continued to provoke him, it wouldn’t matter.
Pei Chen gently caressed her waist, speaking softly to explain, “The reason I want to continue the collaboration is that I’m not worried about our relationship being affected. Also, Hua’an Investment has strong capabilities and background. If we can secure their investment, it would be beneficial. I don’t want personal matters to hinder the studio’s growth or the interests of the other team members.”
As the boss, he had to consider everyone.
Zhiyi was moved by his words. “My Pei Pei is the best. So, we’re still aiming for this investment, right?”
“Yeah, we’ll discuss it with everyone during the meeting.”
“Alright, I’ll go along with whatever you decide,” she said, her eyes shining as she looked at him. “I’ll support you no matter what.”
Pei Chen smiled and pressed her against the desk, kissing her for a while.
After a moment of sweet affection, they gathered their things and left the studio.
As they were walking to the parking lot, Zhiyi suddenly received a call—it was from He Ming.
She had anticipated he might call and answered it. A gentle voice came from the other end, “Hey, Zhiyi—”
She responded with a polite and courteous tone, “Hi, He Ming, it’s been a while. I wasn’t at the studio when you visited this afternoon.”
“No worries, I didn’t let you know beforehand anyway. But it’s true, we haven’t seen each other in four years.”
“I didn’t expect you to come to Lincheng.”
“I’ve always liked Lincheng, actually.”
His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Zhiyi gave a faint, formal smile. “Yes, Lincheng has been developing really well in recent years.”
After a brief exchange, Zhiyi said, “My boyfriend and I are about to go have dinner, so I’ll have to let you go.”
There was a pause on the other end before He Ming replied with a meaningful chuckle, “That’s fine. Since we’ll be working together, we’ll have plenty of chances to meet.”
Zhiyi ended the call with a sigh.
She suddenly felt that He Ming had changed a lot. He didn’t seem like this before. Maybe four years really can change a person.
She shook Pei Chen’s hand and said, “I think I should limit my interactions with him moving forward.”
Pei Chen wrapped his arm around her and responded gently, “It’s alright. We still have to meet when necessary.”
“Hmm?”
He smiled, turning his gaze to her. “He’s your friend, so that makes him my friend too. Since he’s come to Lincheng, I should play the good host and invite him to dinner.”
She looked at him, surprised. “What do you mean by that…?”
Pei Chen didn’t elaborate as they slowly walked towards the car.
—
The next day, Pei Chen called He Ming, inviting him to dinner to discuss work. “Would you be available, Mr. He?”
He Ming chuckled on the other end. “Since you’re inviting, how could I refuse?”
After hanging up, Pei Chen sent He Ming the details of the restaurant and the time.
That evening, Pei Chen arrived early at a private dining restaurant.
After parking, Liang Zhiyi stepped out of the passenger seat. She had insisted on coming along since He Ming was someone she knew, and she felt it only made sense to accompany Pei Chen.
Entering the restaurant, Pei Chen had already reserved a private room. The server led them to the room, and since He Ming hadn’t arrived yet, they sat together on a sofa.
With no one else coming in or out of the room, Zhiyi snuggled up to him, and he held her close. “Are you hungry?”
She playfully pouted, “Not really. I just had a strawberry-flavored lollipop.”
“Let me have a taste.”
Pei Chen gently pinched her chin, leaning in to kiss her. She parted her lips, and his tongue, carrying a cool minty taste, slipped inside, sweeping through her mouth. His skilled kiss left her feeling weak and flushed.
When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, “Why is my Zhizhi so sweet?”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling with delight. Then Pei Chen’s voice dropped to a seductive whisper, “My new apartment is all set up. Want to come over tonight?”
He had found a new apartment recently and moved all the necessary belongings in, including her everyday items.
She blushed, knowing exactly what he was suggesting. “But I have work tomorrow…”
He chuckled softly, “So what?”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, whispering in his ear, “You always take so long… What if I’m too tired to get up in the morning?”
He nibbled on her earlobe, his voice low and teasing. “And who is it that always teases me until I can’t stop? Who insists on seducing me until I have to make her cry before she finally says she’s had enough?”
The boy’s warm breath brushed against her sensitive earlobe, his tone completely different from the usual coolness he displayed in front of others. Now, with a hoarse voice, he whispered something suggestive that made her heart tremble and her ears turn red.
Ever since they discovered the pleasure of being together, they had become increasingly addicted to it, indulging freely. They’d even done it in the car before. However, during the workweek, they had to restrain themselves, so the frequency was higher on weekends. The boy had boundless energy, and the girl was more than willing to keep up with him, indulging together.
In a low voice, he asked her again, “Are you coming back with me?”
“Mm…”
She bit her red lips and softly added, “Then could I trouble the amazing Mr. Pei to control the duration tonight?”
He smirked, “Alright, I’ll try.”
After a while, the door to the private room opened, and He Ming walked in, only to see Liang Zhiyi clinging to Pei Chen, nestled in his arms, her voice sweet and playful as she coquettishly said, “I want a kiss…”
Pei Chen then leaned in and kissed her.
The two were exceptionally close and sweet together.
He Ming’s gaze froze for a moment. Then, seeing him, Pei Chen stood up while keeping an arm around Zhiyi. His tone was filled with affection as he spoke, “Sorry, I intended to discuss business with you alone, but Zhiyi insisted on coming along.”
Pei Chen lifted his eyes to look at He Ming, with a half-smile, and asked, “You don’t mind, do you, Mr. He?”
He Ming’s expression stiffened.