When Zhao Wenchun asked, he simply replied with two words: "He's busy."
They were blatantly perfunctory.
The two seemed to be trapped in a vicious cycle; they saw the exit but couldn't turn the lock.
After dance class on Friday, the young women at the art center chatted and laughed, discussing their weekend plans. One teenage girl, as radiant as a flower, spoke of her long-distance boyfriend. She talked about the difficulties of their relationship, how he flew from Guangzhou to Beijing on Friday and back on Sunday, a trip costing a month's living expenses. Her face lit up like a little sun when she spoke of her beloved.
As Zhao Xiyin listened, a smile would occasionally curl at the corners of her mouth.
As dusk fell, the warm sunlight streaming through the window swept away the winter gloom, bringing with it the scent of spring. The soft, tender whispers of lovers filled the air, and the scene before her was beautiful. Zhao Xiyin gazed at it all, as if shrouded in a thin veil, her thoughts drifting, time itself seeming to slow down.
The little girl next to me sincerely and passionately expressed her love, "I just like him. Thinking of him fills me with energy, like I have my own little sun that will always warm me, no matter the season."
Someone joked, "Wouldn't it be unbearably hot in the summer?"
"Then I'd be happy to do it. Love is about wanting to live and die together!"
Someone else asked with a smile, "You're only nineteen. What if you meet someone even better later?"
"We'll see when we meet again. At least he was the best person I had when I was nineteen!"
Like the swaying of a silver bell, it stirred Zhao Xiyin's pent-up frustration of the past few days. She stood up, an irrepressible urge pushing her forward.
The little girls called out to her, "Hey, Sister Xiaoxi, are you going home?"
Zhao Xiyin nodded stiffly, her pace quickening until she was jogging as she left the art center.
As she got into the taxi, Zhao Xiyin gave her the destination. With each turn of the wheels, her heart pounded. The evening sun painted the sky with vibrant hues, a clear sign of summer. Bathed in its fiery red light, Zhao Xiyin looked down, and waves of emotion welled up in her eyes.
She couldn't lie to herself; she really, really, really missed him.
——
"We can share the transportation costs proportionally; Minister Xu will negotiate this with General Manager Gao. The internal training details still need further refinement, with Secretary Xu leading the effort and the Human Resources Department taking the lead..."
At 5:30, the meeting was nearing its end. Zhou Qishen finished his final summary and promptly adjourned the meeting. Secretary Xu and two senior executives remained to discuss any remaining matters.
The office door was open to let in some fresh air, and when Zhou Qishen looked up, he happened to see Zhao Xiyin standing in the doorway.
He was taken aback, then met her gaze.
Zhao Xiyin stared at him expectantly, and stood still, obediently not moving forward.
Zhou Qishen turned to the crowd and said, "That's all for today." Then, impatiently, he pushed the table aside and stood up.
It was right at the end of the workday, and many employees were passing by, frequently glancing curiously in this direction.
Zhou Qishen wasn't wearing a coat; a black shirt was tucked into his belt. He stood tall and strode confidently. A smile played on his face, a stark contrast to his stern demeanor at work—he seemed like a completely different person. Even just seeing him from the side left many of his female colleagues astonished.
"Why are you here?" Zhou Qishen was truly taken aback.
Zhao Xiyin suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Zhou Qishen lost his balance and instinctively hooked his arm around her waist, taking several steps back.
Zhao Xiyin buried her face in his neck and whispered, "Brother Zhou, I miss you."
Zhou Qishen felt a jolt run through him, a lingering shiver that wouldn't subside. He was a little flustered, but amidst the panic, he gradually tasted joy. He feigned composure, his voice tinged with laughter, "What are you thinking?"
"I heard the kids in the group talking about their boyfriends." Zhao Xiyin's voice choked up a little.
Zhou Qi chuckled, "Did you eat something sour?"
She hummed in agreement, "I don't have a boyfriend."
Zhou Qishen kissed her hair. "But you have a husband."
Zhao Xiyin didn't speak, her nose reddening from being rubbed in his arms, as she tried her best to hold back her tears.
Zhou Qishen took her hand and said, "Come in first."
A group of colleagues from the administration department were coming out from the right. When they saw their big boss being so tender, they were all stunned. After a while, they immediately greeted him in unison, "Hello, President Zhou!"
Zhou Qishen nodded slightly.
Everyone's gazes seemed to drift towards Zhao Xiyin again, almost imperceptibly. What should we call her?
Zhou Qi said in a deep voice, "Zhao Xiyin, my wife."
As expected of the elite executives in the administration department, they were all calm and composed, showing no surprise whatsoever. Instead, they nodded in unison and greeted Zhao Xiyin loudly, "Hello, Mrs. Zhou!"
Zhao Xiyin's face flushed red, but she still tried her best to remain calm and composed, saying, "Hello."
Zhou Qishen showed no expression, only tightening his grip on her hand. He led her into his office with an extremely arrogant and aloof demeanor.
Everyone was shocked and went wild after entering the elevator. "President Zhou has officially announced it!"
"Did I hear that right, Mrs. Zhou? When did you get married?!"
"Let's remarry. I heard Secretary Xu mention it."
"So elegant! Such a great figure! I'm not going out for hot pot tonight, I'm going to the gym to burn fat, waaaaah!"
Seeing Zhou Qishen and Zhao Xiyin clasping hands, Secretary Xu and the other two executives left in perfect unison. Secretary Xu thoughtfully closed the door behind them, saying, "President Zhou, please rest assured, no one will come in to disturb us."
Zhao Xiyin was at her wits' end; she couldn't help but feel that Brother Xu's words were a bit suggestive.
Zhou Qishen grabbed her hand and pulled her up, and Zhao Xiyin sat steadily on his lap.
After a two-second pause, he whispered, "Too light."