035

"Wang Guangning lifted his head then immediately froze——it was Zhang Lingyi"

❖

Somewhere in B city, an eye-catching pair was sitting beside a window at a high-class western restaurant; the presence of the handsome man and beautiful woman caused feelings of envy and hatred to momentarily rise up in other diners.

The man looked like a celebrity with his tall height and attractive features. The faint smile curled around his lips could cause girls to scream incessantly. He was impeccably attired in a suit that highlighted his extraordinary aura, like the male lead from a Korean drama.

The woman in front of him had a bewitching and moving appearance. Her lips were a fiery red, and she wore an evening gown that exposed half of her soft and silky chest. It seemed as if something was going to happen between her and the man opposite at any time.

"Manager Zhang, how long will you stay in B city for your business trip this time?" The woman with the rosy lips gently sipped her red wine. Her lashes fluttered coquettishly, and there was a hint of ambiguity in her elegant manner.

Zhang Lingyi lowered his head and avoided Liu Subai's amorous glance. He slowly pierced a piece of steak and then smiled lightly. "I'm returning this weekend."

A trace of disappointment flashed across Liu Subai's eyes. She chuckled, "Then, I wonder if Manager Zhang needs a guide for the next two days?"

Zhang Lingyi swallowed his piece of steak then proceeded to cut another one. He still didn't lift his gaze. "I'll be quite busy with work for those two days, so I'm afraid that I'll have no time to go sightseeing."

"Ah, that really is a pity——" Liu Subai could feel Zhang Lingyi's alienation. However, a wealthy and handsome man like Zhang Lingyi was very rare so she wouldn't give up easily. Laughing quietly, she said, "Manager Zhang is young and promising; it's unknown just how many girls would be charmed if you were to take a stroll through B city......Speaking of that, Zhang Lingyi, you had a girlfriend once when you were in university, right?"

In order to have more topics in common with Zhang Lingyi to talk about, Liu Subai had already inquired about the man's history beforehand. Zhang Lingyi's dating record couldn't help but be mentioned; after all, it was too pure and clean in comparison to his excellent personal background. Apparently, Zhang Lingyi had only one girlfriend in the past twenty years. She was his university classmate. Their story sounded especially innocent, and it was said that after he broke up with his girlfriend, he had not been in a relationship since. Many people also explicitly stated that Zhang Lingyi was not easily tempted and was unmoved even in the face of beautiful women. Hence, they described him as faithful and upright. That resulted in the rumour that Zhang Lingyi was unable to extricate himself from the deep feelings he held for his ex-girlfriend and was instead resolutely waiting for her. After a long time, the women around Zhang Lingyi began to voluntarily give up in their pursuits.

However, Liu Subai lived in B city which was far away, and she understood Zhang Lingyi's situation very clearly. She didn't treat this matter too seriously though; Zhang Lingyi was already in front of her, so it was impossible for her to let him go so easily.

"Girlfriend......en, I did." Zhang Lingyi thought about Luo Zihui then sighed softly. "My ex-girlfriend was very beautiful!"

"Oh, then......" Liu Subai looked at him meaningfully, "Why did you two break up?"

"Ah, she was too outstanding. I didn't deserve her." Zhang Lingyi generously gave Luo Zihui the 'good guy' card.

Although Luo Zihui was the one who took the initiative to break-up, it was ultimately his fault.

Liu Subai coughed lightly. Her pale hand covered her mouth as she spoke, "Manager Zhang is really humorous!"

Zhang Lingyi stared at Liu Subai silently. He didn't understand why she thought what he said was humorous, so he just let the corner of his lips to curve up while he kept quiet.

Unwilling to give up, Liu Subai asked, "Then, I wonder what kind of person Manager Zhang likes?"

"Ah, this~" Zhang Lingyi was feeling a little impatient now, but he still thought about it for a while with grace. "Someone who is good-looking, intelligent, likes exercising, has a bit of a temper, but is still broadminded and tolerant."

"Manager Zhang's taste is very particular!" Liu Subai gently raised her eyebrows. "A woman like this should be quite rare......"

He didn't care whether a woman like this was rare or not.

However, he once had such a person in his life.

Only, that person was a man.

Zhang Lingyi's mood suddenly fell.

"Manager Zhang, why don't you try out a different type?" Liu Subai lifted a brow as she shot him a suggestive look. Underneath the table, she touched Zhang Lingyi's calf lightly with a high-heel encased foot.

"Because I like an uninhibited and unrestrained life, and I am fond of my freedom!" Zhang Lingyi expressionlessly withdrew his leg. He was already fed up with these social niceties.

Liu Subai was a client, so he had originally thought that they were going to discuss business. In the end, it was just another ploy¹ to secure a dinner date.

掛羊頭賣狗肉: lit. to hang a sheep's head while selling dog meat (idiom); fig. to cheat; dishonest advertising; wicked deeds carried out under banner of virtue.

This really did cause one to feel like they would never love again.

Zhang Lingyi called over the waiter and paid the bill. Immediately afterward, he said, "Miss Liu, the truth is that I already have a partner. However, they² are in Taiwan and I'm waiting for them to come back."

他: (tā) ZLY uses the male pronoun, 'he'; but in Chinese, she and he are pronounced the same despite being different characters. ('she', female pronoun: 她）

Liu Subai was stunned speechless by Zhang Lingyi's straightforwardness.

In order to give Zhang Lingyi the chance to take initiative and deliver himself to her, Liu Subai had deliberately not driven her car to the restaurant. Yet, Zhang Lingyi obviously did not want this 'opportunity'. He flagged down a taxi for her, then waved her goodbye.

"That person is blessed to be able to have Manager Zhang's favour." Liu Subai's tone was sour when she slid into the vehicle.

Zhang Lingyi only discarded the mask of interest that he'd worn after watching the taxi disappear into the distance. He sighed quietly, then slowly walked back.

The hotel where he was staying at was not far from the restaurant, so he could just use this as an exercise.

The air in B city was known for being notoriously poor across the country. This was especially prominent during times where there was no sunshine, and everything seemed overcast.

Zhang Lingyi peered at the high-rise buildings, they were like a stone forest.

His mood became even gloomier than before.

In the past four years, there were many women who tried to get close to him. In the beginning, he was still able to politely reject them. However, now he was becoming more and more impatient.

Maybe it was because his longing for that person grew with each passing day, causing him to be unable to hide it any longer.

Four years ago, he had thought that everything would end as per their agreement. Yet, it had resulted in creating an entire set of chaotic feelings.

He knew perfectly well that it was wrong. The enormous chasm between the difference in sex was extremely obvious. No one could change anything.

But those feelings had only intensified, rapidly swelling inside the enormity of space-time.

In the beginning, he could still bitterly suppress them. It was up until the day when he could no longer restrain his feelings that he found out the one who had kindled them had suddenly left.

It was only then he realised that perhaps to Wang Guangning, he wasn't even considered a friend.

Otherwise, why would he have left and disappeared to that extent?

The phone in his pocket vibrated, and Zhang Lingyi pulled it out. It was still the same phone as four years prior, and the wallpaper that flashed across his screen was Wang Guangning's photo. The other man had purposely tried to look cold and serious, but Zhang Lingyi saw through this expression and recognised Wang Guangning's proud nature, his smile, and his slight temper.

Sometimes, when he stared at this photo, he would unconsciously start grinning. Yet, there was also a touch of sadness in the curl of his lips.

This kind of emotion had never been punctuated throughout the four years.

"En." Zhang Lingyi accepted the call. "Zihui, what's the matter?'

"What, I can't phone you if there's nothing happening?" Luo Zihui felt slightly out of sorts. Even if she disregarded the fact that they had dated for a short period of time and focused solely on their camaraderie forged over the years as classmates, Zhang Lingyi's detached tone still made her want to throttle him.

"Well, you already know that I'm currently a successful figure who generates millions per minute......" Zhang Lingyi feigned nonchalance.

"Get lost!" In any case, her past relationship with Zhang Lingyi hadn't developed, so Luo Zihui couldn't be bothered pretending to be a wise and virtuous woman in front of him. "The fact that this lady³ is calling you shows that I think highly of you, but don't get cocky!"

本小姐:(běn xiǎo jie); another method of referring to oneself, 'I'. Similar to how ZLY or WGN would refer to themselves as '本少爺', 'this young master'.

"Alright, then what commands does Miss⁴ Luo have?"

大小姐: here, ZLY is teasing LZH as this way of referring to a woman can imply that she is bossy or indulged.

"Hmph~" Ever since their break-up, Luo Zihui didn't have much patience when talking to him. She was also disinclined to waste time conversing any further, and said bluntly, "Next month is the anniversary of our university's founding. Our fellow ex-classmates are taking the opportunity to gather and treat it as a class reunion. Don't forget to come."

"Okay." Zhang Lingyi replied in the same frank manner.

The two spoke for a bit longer about their recent developments, then prepared to hang up.

"Oh, right. Lingyi......" Luo Zihui seemed to have just recalled something. Her tone was slightly apprehensive, and she hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Are you still......waiting for him?"

"......" The smile on Zhang Lingyi's face dropped. A long pause later, he slowly said, "Zihui, I'm the one who has let you down⁵ in this matter, I apologise."

我對不起你: many variations on how to express this, but it basically conveys a sense of guilt from the speaker (generally if they have done something that has no remedy or if they have treated another person very badly).

"Don't worry about it. After all, it's already been so long," Luo Zihui responded impatiently. Whatever heartbreak she had felt all those years ago, it was healed now. However, Zhang Lingyi didn't seem to have improved despite the passing of time. Instead, he seemed to have become increasingly serious.

Regarding the matter between him and Wang Guangning, Luo Zihui only vaguely understood it. She didn't know about the specific details of the situation. What she found more difficult to comprehend was why Zhang Lingyi was still unable to let go even after four years had passed.

Right now, she was asking him out of concern for him as a friend.

"You can't continue waiting forever," said Luo Zihui.

"You don't have to worry, I have a sense of propriety." Zhang Lingyi laughed then said a few more perfunctory words before hanging up.

And even if he could let go, why was it that he still didn't want to?

❖

As expected, the efficiency of the executive recruiters was quite admirable. Kelly had quickly emailed Wang Guangning's resume to Huidi International, and the HR department was very satisfied with his qualifications. Thus, they immediately arranged him an interview.

On Monday afternoon, Wang Guangning wore a casual suit and elegantly strode into Huidi International's office in G city.

"You must be Mr Wang Guangning. Please, come with me." The woman who received Wang Guangning was the HR department's administrative assistant, Xia Yingchu. She was tall and slim, and her features were quite pretty. She was one of the top beauties at Huidi International's G city branch, and had countless pursuers. When Xia Yingchu's sight fell upon Wang Guangning's charismatic and handsome appearance, her eyes brightened momentarily. Her smile became even sweeter as she guided him to the conference room.

"I wonder where Mr Wang is from? I don't seem to have encountered you in the industry before," said Xia Yingchu. Although her status in the company wasn't high, she benefited from her intimate relationships with those in more influential positions. Hence, she would often have the opportunity to come into contact with eminent figures. However, other than the HR manager of their department, Zhang Lingyi, she had never met another young, handsome and successful person like Wang Guangning. It was a pity that Zhang Lingyi's heart apparently already belonged to someone else, and he basically did not care about other women. Xia Yingchu had probed him a few times but to no avail. She was even admonished once, so she had no choice but to give up.

Her heart couldn't help but tremble upon seeing Wang Guangning; hence, she took the initiative to converse with him.

"I was raised in S city, but I worked in Taiwan for the past two years." Wang Guangning smiled, "How come your HR manager is not present?" Generally, when an outstanding talent like him appeared for an interview, the HR manager would receive them in person.

"Oh, our Manager Zhang is currently on a business trip for these couple of days. He will only return this afternoon, so I have been the one arranging your interview." Xia Yingchu wanted to take advantage of the situation and try to get closer to Wang Guangning. She seemed as if she wished to speak some more, but they had arrived at the conference room.

"Mr Wang, please sit. I will go and request for our director." Xia Yingchu brought Wang Guangning over to a seat, then shot him another grin before she left. "Oh, right. My name is Xia Yingchu, but you can just call me Xiao⁶ Chu. If you have any questions, feel free to find me at any time."

小初: when '小' is placed before a person's name, it usually indicates familiarity or intimacy with one another.

"Sure." Wang Guangning's smile didn't change.

Huidi International's marketing director, David, was a middle-aged man with a medium build and a strong presence. He arrived quickly and shook hands with Wang Guangning. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ning."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, David." Wang Guangning replied.

The two men sat down and made small talk for a while. Then they switched over to the main focus of the interview.

It was obvious that David was extremely satisfied with Wang Guangning, and they unknowingly chatted for more than an hour.

"Okay, then we'll end it here today." David said, "Ning, I greatly appreciate what you can do. However, I still need to discuss with my team. I will give you my reply within the week.

"No problem." Wang Guangning stood up and shook hands with David again.

David called for Xia Yingchu to lead him out.

Huidi International's office was on the 35th floor, and Xia Yingchu walked Wang Guangning over to the elevator.

"Thank you, Miss Xia." Wang Guangning's smile was warm, to the extent that Xia Yingchu became giddy and overlooked the fact that Wang Guangning didn't address her by 'Xiao Chu' (as she had previously stated in her self-introduction).

Xia Yingchu prepared to continue the conversation, but Wang Guangning had already entered the elevator.

During working hours, the elevator was generally empty. Wang Guangning stretched out his limbs; interviews truly were quite tiring.

At the same time, his heart also felt very complicated. He hadn't expected that Zhang Lingyi was on a business trip. No wonder he had not heard any news from the man when Kelly forwarded his resume to the company.

Wang Guangning's mood was difficult to explain. He wanted to see Zhang Lingyi, yet, he was also afraid of confronting him again.

The elevator reached the first floor. Outside, there was someone waiting. Wang Guangning lifted his head then immediately froze.

Standing in front of the doors was Zhang Lingyi.

The past four years had polished the other man to become more calm and reserved. As Zhang Lingyi stood there dressed in Western-styled clothing, he seemed to exhibit an imposing manner of one who regarded the entire world disdainfully.

It seemed that wherever Zhang Lingyi stood, that place would become a stage.

__________________

...I mean, they technically did meet, so ~ |▽//)

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike (translating) filler chapters? Dx I just want ZLY and WGN to see each other again TT – TT

COME LIVE WITH ME~ _(:3 」∠)_

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translator: k i a i