Two hours later, the meeting ended, and everyone left the conference room to attend to their respective tasks.
Just as Liang Zhiyi was about to slip away, Pei Chen lifted his gaze toward her and, in front of everyone, said calmly, “Come with me to the office.”
Pei Chen turned and walked away, leaving the others to exchange knowing looks, grinning mischievously. Liang Zhiyi’s face heated up as she guessed what might be coming, but she obediently followed him.
Once in the office, Pei Chen stood by his desk, flipping through some documents. She approached him with a smile, asking, “Boss, what can I do for you?”
Pei Chen set the documents down and reached out to pull her closer, trapping her between him and the desk. His dark eyes were intense as he leaned in, his voice low, “Were you daydreaming during the meeting?”
She pressed her lips together, then touched her nose. “I wasn’t…”
He leaned in closer, his eyes swirling with emotion, his voice deep and slow. “When you do that, it’s easy to get distracted.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and just as she was about to respond, his lips descended for a brief kiss.
His scent surrounded her, crisp yet tinged with something warm and intimate.
A few seconds later, he slowly pulled away, his voice whispering softly in her ear, “For example, it makes me want to kiss you.”
Her heart fluttered, and then she smiled, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she replied in a soft voice, “Alright, I’ll make sure not to distract the boss anymore.”
She said that, but her playful heart clearly had other plans.
His gaze darkened slightly.
He was already thinking of how he’d deal with her later.
When she had finished teasing him, she decided not to interrupt his work any longer. “You should get back to work. I need to get back to mine too.”
“Mm.”
She took a few steps towards the door, then turned back, standing on tiptoe to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. Her dimple appeared as she smiled, “Here’s a little kiss for you.”
With that, she walked out, her steps light and cheerful, her ponytail bouncing behind her just like when she was in school—bright and full of life.
Pei Chen leaned against the desk, his gaze dropping to the floor. A gentle smile appeared on his lips after she left.
Developing the rehabilitation robot required not only manpower and resources but also significant financial investment. In the early stages of the studio’s development, their limited funds made progress difficult.
When Liang Tianming learned about the kids’ entrepreneurial efforts, he offered to invest after understanding their situation.
At first, Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi were hesitant to accept Liang Tianming’s investment, but he assured them, “This is a business investment, not a favor. The money I’m putting in isn’t free—you’ll need to make sure the studio grows, which will eventually bring an economic return. Treat me as an investor, and make sure I get the shares I deserve. The money is for you to use, but this is a partnership for mutual benefit.”
With Liang Tianming stepping in as an angel investor, they had no reason to refuse. However, Liang Zhiyi knew that, despite his words, her father was genuinely concerned and wanted to help them succeed.
With the infusion of funds, the research and development efforts began to gain momentum.
In the second semester of their junior year, balancing studies and their startup made them incredibly busy. The core team members traveled across the country and abroad to attend various lectures and forums on rehabilitation robotics, learning about the latest advancements and shortcomings in the field, and integrating that knowledge into their own development process.
During the summer vacation, none of them returned to their hometowns. Instead, they stayed in J City, continuing their work at the studio. In the beginning, the studio didn’t make much money, so to save costs, they lived frugally—eating takeout and sleeping on makeshift beds at the studio, gritting their teeth and pushing through.
It was during this time that they truly began to understand the hardships of entrepreneurship.
Starting a business wasn’t just about working hard; the struggles, the setbacks, and the exhaustion could only be fully understood through firsthand experience.
There was a time when Pei Chen and the team hit a major roadblock in their research. They worked tirelessly for days and nights without rest, and Pei Chen even fell ill because of it. Liang Zhiyi’s heart ached as she saw him push himself so hard, her eyes welling up with tears. “Pei Chen, why do you put so much pressure on yourself? You don’t have to work this hard…”
He pulled her into his arms, his voice hoarse:
“Because I want to marry you.”
He wanted to make himself better, stronger.
He wanted to marry her as soon as possible, to give her the best life, and to prove to everyone that her unwavering choice to be with him was the right one.
Tears blurred her vision as she whispered, “Pei Chen, you’re such a fool. Don’t you know? I’d marry you just as you are…”
None of this mattered to her as much as he did.
“Pei Chen, we will get through this. I believe we will succeed.”
She believed that the heavens wouldn’t let down those who worked hard and pursued their dreams with all their hearts.
And so, despite the hardships, they refused to give up, pouring everything they had into this venture.
As Liang Zhiyi had predicted, their efforts finally began to pay off.
After three months, the lower limb exoskeleton robot they had developed finally took shape, with groundbreaking advancements in flexible joint technology and intention recognition technology.
The project attracted attention from outside, and several venture capital firms and medical funds recognized their potential, offering to invest. More and more top talents also joined the studio, and their business started to grow in a positive direction.
During their senior year, with minimal academic obligations, Pei Chen and the team finished their theses and designs ahead of schedule, dedicating most of their time to perfecting their technology.
A few professors at the university, aware of their startup, expressed their support and even provided technical guidance and research paths.
Pei Chen felt deeply grateful for all the support and help they had received along the way.
Time flew by.
In June of their second year, the studio had been established for over a year, and their self-developed Shanzhi Series I lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robot was finally completed.
That afternoon, after Pei Chen finished a phone call in the office, all the employees gathered around him. “What’s the news? Did we pass?”
Pei Chen looked at the expectant and excited faces around him, and after a few seconds, he smiled and said, “Congratulations, everyone. Our Shanzhi Series I has obtained the Class II Medical Device Registration Certificate from the country and has also been certified by the FDA. Our robot can officially go into production.”
There was a brief moment of silence before the room erupted in cheers and applause:
“We did it!!”
“Ahhh!! All those sleepless nights were worth it!”
“Holy crap, we actually made it through!!”
The successful development of the rehabilitation robot was the culmination of everyone’s blood, sweat, and tears, and all their hard work and perseverance had brought Chengzhi Tech Innovations to where it was today.
Overwhelmed with emotion, everyone hugged and cried tears of joy. Pei Chen turned to look at Liang Zhiyi, and she smiled warmly at him before he pulled her into a tight embrace.
She hugged him back, laughing through her tears. “Pei Chen, I told you, you could do it.”
Pei Chen closed his eyes, his voice soft with emotion, “Zhizhi, thank you.”
Every time he was on the brink of giving up, she had been there, standing by his side, giving him strength.
As the good news about their business spread, they also had to face the bittersweet reality of their four years of university life coming to an end.
A few days later, C University held a grand graduation ceremony, where both Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen were recognized as outstanding graduates.
After the ceremony, Liang Zhiyi took graduation photos with her roommates. They all jokingly envied her for becoming a “boss” right after graduation, teasing her with, “Rich lady, please take care of us!”
She laughed and said, “You’re all very welcome to join our studio anytime.”
“Hahaha, sure! If we ever run into tough times, we’ll come running to you…”
They chatted and took pictures together, feeling a deep sense of nostalgia and reluctance as they prepared to go their separate ways.
Once the photos were taken, Liang Zhiyi sent a message to Pei Chen. Learning that his department had just finished taking their graduation photos as well, she decided to go find him.
Standing alone under a camphor tree at a crossroads, she waited for a while until she heard a voice calling from a distance, “Zhizhi—”
She turned around to see Pei Chen walking towards her, dressed in his academic gown, his features sharp yet gentle, exuding a youthful charm.
She smiled brightly and ran towards him. As she jumped into his arms, he caught her effortlessly.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she beamed, “Congratulations on graduating, Classmate Pei.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Pei Chen’s lips. “Congratulations on graduating.”
The afternoon sunlight bathed everything in a golden hue, with the sound of cicadas buzzing all around them.
Under the camphor tree, they shared a kiss.
Afterward, they walked hand in hand along the dappled, sunlit paths of the lush campus, the surroundings peaceful and quiet.
“I can’t believe how quickly these four years have flown by,” Liang Zhiyi sighed. “It feels like just yesterday we were still in high school.”
Pei Chen looked at her with a smile. “Still feel like a high school student?”
She huffed lightly, “Honestly, it doesn’t feel that long ago. We were so young then.”
Pei Chen gently patted her head, his lips curling up, “Yeah, just like a little kid.”
She playfully punched his arm, pouting a bit. “By the way, how’s everything going with the arrangements in Lincheng?”
“We’ve found a few office spaces, and Xuan Xia and the others have already gone back to check out some potential factory sites. We’ll finalize everything once we head back in a few days.”
They had decided to move their studio back to Lincheng. On one hand, Pei Chen considered that the living and production costs in J City were high, and Lincheng would be a more suitable option. On the other hand, Lincheng was their hometown, where they had grown up, and he wanted to contribute to the development of the local healthcare industry.
“And the most important thing,” Pei Chen thought to himself, “is that I want to be by Pei Yongxia’s side as he grows older, to take good care of him.”
Liang Zhiyi and the other three partners agreed with Pei Chen’s idea and decided to take the entire team back to Lincheng to continue their development.
Liang Zhiyi smiled warmly. “Going back to Lincheng means we’re starting a new chapter in our lives.”
Pei Chen held her hand firmly, “Are you looking forward to it?”
Liang Zhiyi recalled the time four years ago when they were on a plane heading to C University. She had asked him the same question.
She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with a soft light. “Very much so, because you’re with me.”
After the graduation ceremony, they packed up some of the studio’s belongings and heavier luggage to be shipped back to Lincheng ahead of time.
A week later, after completing all the necessary formalities, they boarded a plane to Lincheng.
When they arrived at the airport, it was late afternoon. Liang Zhiyi planned to go with Pei Chen to have dinner with Pei Yongxia. The studio had been very busy lately, and Pei Chen hadn’t been able to keep in regular contact with his father.
They took a taxi to the entrance of the community, holding hands as they walked inside. Just as they were nearing the building, Liang Zhiyi noticed something and pointed it out, “Pei Chen, isn’t that Uncle Pei?”
Pei Chen followed her gaze and saw, not far away, Pei Yongxia walking slowly with a cane, supported by Gong Qinxin.