When Zhou Qinyao was at Beihu Park, he received a call from a colleague in the store saying that a customer came to modify a car.
And he was named and specifically asked for him.
There had been such a client before, and Zhou Qinyao didn't think much about it. After sending Tang You away, he returned to AS. However, he didn't expect that the person waiting for him was Xia Sumu from Haicheng.
A person from his world two years ago.
I don't know how Xia Sumu found out his address, but his purpose was very clear:
"I want you to go back."
Zhou Qinyao also told her straightforwardly: "Impossible.
Xia Sumu appealed to his feelings and reason, from pleading wholeheartedly to mocking him in the end:
"I heard that your monthly salary is only a few thousand yuan? That's not even enough for your meal, right?"
"Are you willing to stay here and be an ordinary person?"
After an hour of hard work, Zhou Qinyao replied coldly:
"Don't come to me again."
Xia Sumu was disheartened.
Before she came here, she knew that she couldn't shake this man, but she didn't give up and had to make this trip just to wake herself up.
Think about it again, from childhood to adulthood, who can shake this man's will in the slightest
None.
He has always been so tough, and his departure that year was resolute and vigorous. He took nothing with him except a few sets of clothes.
Perhaps the only valuable thing is the necklace around her neck.
At half past seven, street lights came on on both corners.
The wind was blowing gently, and Tang You walked on the road with his head down, thinking about the backs of Zhou Qinyao and the woman who had just walked in, as well as his colleague's teasing remark - he was dating a beautiful woman.
Tang You has never been in a relationship, so she is not sure whether the slightly sour feeling she is feeling now is called jealousy.
He was so nice to me in the park that afternoon, but in the blink of an eye he was with another woman...
They say on TV that good-looking men are dangerous and unfaithful.
Tang You didn’t take it seriously in the past because she had never seen a man that she thought was good-looking.
But the appearance of Zhou Qinyao completely disrupted her peaceful life of eighteen years.
She would secretly look at him when passing by the street corner, would want to run into him by chance in the alley, would have all kinds of wild thoughts when sitting in his car, and would blush and her heart would beat fast when she accidentally bumped into his arms.
Tang You kicked the stones under his feet, feeling very annoyed.
Thinking of those polite hypocrites she had met in Haicheng before, she sighed softly.
Zhou Qinyao... shouldn't be such a man.
After returning home, I had my meal calmly and waited for Fang Lai to return.
She looked energetic and radiant, without any sign of fatigue from the long journey.
As soon as he put down his luggage, Fang Lai hugged Tang You, and said with great longing: "Let mom see if the baby has lost weight in the past month?"
She stroked Tang You's cheek, which made Tang You feel a little bit confused.
This is a deep maternal love.
Tang You shook her head and curved her lips obediently: "How can I be thin? Aunt Rong takes good care of me. How about you, mother? Is the business negotiation going well?"
Fang Lai was very satisfied with his daughter's concern for him and took out a small box from the suitcase.
When it was opened, it turned out to be a dazzling sapphire necklace.
"This trip to South Africa with your father was full of twists and turns, but luckily we met a noble person who helped us in the end." Fang Lai took the sapphire to his fingertips and admired it under the light with great interest: "This sapphire is the perfect start for our Tang family to enter the jewelry industry."
Tang You was not interested in business matters, but after hearing about the twists and turns, he asked a few more questions. Only then did he know that during the trip to South Africa, Fang Lai encountered a local consortium scammer and was almost defrauded of tens of millions of investment. Fortunately, he met the inspection team of the domestic jewelry brand Moon.
As both were Chinese and well-known in Haicheng, they easily exposed each other's trap.
Because of this incident, Fang Lai realized the depths of the jewelry industry and gave up the plan to build his own brand, but took the opportunity to discuss cooperation with Moon.
"Your dad is already negotiating the contract. Mom is back to see you, and she has to fly back to Haicheng the day after tomorrow to attend the signing dinner."
Tang You was stunned: "Leaving the day after tomorrow?"
She originally thought Fang Lai would stay in City C for a month or two.
Fang Lai also knew that he had indeed owed his daughter a lot of time, and said apologetically:
"There are a lot of things to do in cooperation with Moon, and Mom is also trying to earn you the most respectable dowry in Haicheng, so will you be obedient?"
Tang You was silent for a moment and said nothing.
Fang Lai likes such a docile daughter, who is well-behaved and obedient and does not fight or compete.
"Come on, let mom hear how you've been practicing the piano lately."
The mother and daughter went to the bedroom on the second floor.
Taking out the cello, Tang You played a few songs that Fang Lai liked.
She was not particularly focused, but rather absent-minded, with her mind blank. She played purely based on the feel of the instrument that had already been mastered by her heart.
Fang Lai closed his eyes and listened, not noticing anything unusual and was very satisfied with Tang You's performance.
At this time, Tang Yuanxiao suddenly made a video call to his daughter.
Tang Yuanxiao actually loves his daughter more, and selfishly wants to stay in City C to accompany her to study, but he is dominated by his wife. Fang Lai said that they wanted to develop jewelry cooperation, so he had no choice but to be pushed to the front.
The video was connected and both parties' faces appeared on the screen.
Tang You called out obediently, "Dad."
"Yes, my baby girl."
The father and daughter chatted about their recent situation, Fang Lai interjected from time to time, and the family of three laughed from time to time. The atmosphere looked very warm.
Just as I said good night and was about to hang up, a text message suddenly popped up on the screen.
Although it was just a quick flash, Tang You saw it.
Fang Lai also saw it.
Brother Y: Is there anything you need from me
There was silence for a second. Tang You subconsciously tried to grab the phone on the sofa, and Fang Lai also reacted quickly.
They both got the phone at the same time. Tang You pressed the lock screen button with all his strength until he saw the phone turn off automatically.
Fang Lai doesn't know her password.
The mother and daughter looked at each other.
"Yes, yes." Fang Lai spoke first: "Who is Brother Y?"
Although she asked with a smile, it made people feel a heavy sense of oppression.
"A friend."
"What friends?"
"Just friends."
Fang Lai took a deep breath, as if trying to calm down, and asked with a smile, "Is he from C City or Haicheng? Does mom know him? What does his family do? Is there any—"
"No, nothing, just an ordinary person."
Tang You couldn't control his irritation.
Before in Haicheng, Tang You would experience this kind of audit-like questioning and interference every time she made a friend, so that in the end, she was tired of dealing with Fang Lai and simply started to keep to herself.
This kind of repression accumulated over time had long made Tang You feel suffocated. She longed for freedom, to be understood, and to have her own privacy and space, but Fang Lai never gave her any.
"Mom." She stretched out her hand and for the first time had the thought of resisting: "Please give me back my phone."
Fang Lai looked at her, and his eyes finally sank.
"Tang You." She called her daughter's name, "It was your father who interceded for me to let you carry your cell phone freely in your third year of high school. Now it seems that I have been too indulgent to you."
Fang Lai put the phone in his pocket: "I don't care who that Y brother is, but you have to remember-"
There was hesitation and pause in her words. After a while, her tone softened: "Yes, there are too many bad people out there. You have to believe that your mother will never harm you."
Fang Lai was young once too, and he knew that Tang You was now at an age when she was easily moved by emotions. His daughter had a simple mind, and Fang Lai didn't want her to be carried away by immature emotions and waste her time.
Her daughter has been the apple of her eye since she was young, and only a child chosen by heaven is worthy of her.
Tang You smiled coldly: "In your eyes, are there any good people in this world?"
Fang Lai moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
She stood up and left calmly: "You will understand your mother's painstaking efforts in the future."
…
Because of a text message, the mother and daughter who had been separated for a long time parted unhappily.
The sound of the door closing was heard, and Tang You sat down on the bed weakly. She was dazed for several minutes before she accepted the fact that her phone was confiscated by Fang Lai.
She hasn't replied to Zhou Qinyao yet.
But it doesn’t matter.
Maybe he went on to do something else after sending the message and wasn't waiting for my reply.
Or maybe he was having dinner with a beautiful lady.
Tang You gently lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Many emotions suddenly came together, and her eyes felt a little sore, but she tried her best to hold it back, not wanting to let the grievance show.
Outside the villa, under the sycamore tree.
The man's shadow was stretched out long by the street lamp, and there were a few cigarette butts on the trash can next to him.
Just now, while chasing Tang You, he received a call from Wu Zhiyu, saying that Xiaoyang suddenly had a high fever. The old lady was very worried. Zhou Qinyao had no choice but to turn back to the alley and send Xiaoyang to the hospital. He only rushed back after Xiaoyang was given an IV.
But now it has been twenty minutes since the second text message was sent, and Tang You still hasn't replied.
The light was on in her room, and there was the sound of a piano, proving that she was at home and hadn't slept either.
So why not reply to text messages.
No matter how hard he tried to calm down, Zhou Qinyao couldn't stop the restlessness in his body. This emotion was like a fire burning in his heart, and Tang You's delay in responding was like adding fuel to the fire.
The burning became more and more intense, until he even felt a little pain.
Zhou Qinyao exhaled a puff of cigarette in annoyance, put it out, and finally couldn't help but dial the number that he had seen so many times before. The result was -
Sorry, the number you dialed is powered off.
"… "
The fire was out in an instant.
It was extinguished by a handful of cold water.
Zhou Qinyao frowned and subconsciously looked towards the second-floor window, and found that the lights in the room went out at the moment the call was made.
It was as if something in my heart suddenly fell down, and it felt empty and sank deeper and deeper.
No one slept well that night.
The next morning, Tang You, who had been sleepless all night, was woken up by Fang Lai.
Fang Lai had no idea what was going on, and suddenly asked his teacher for two days off, to take Tang You back to Haicheng to attend the signing dinner between the Tang family and Moon the next night.
"Why do you want to take me there?" Tang You was puzzled.
"Mom wants to take you to meet the most prestigious families in Haicheng."
"… "
This had no appeal to Tang You. She sat down in front of the dressing table and said calmly, "I don't want to go."
Fang Lai was not annoyed. He slowly walked behind Tang You, put the sapphire and diamond necklace from last night around her neck, and asked in front of the mirror:
"Yes, do you know how much this necklace costs?"
Tang You was silent.
"Six million." Fang Lai said this number lightly, helping Tang You to tidy up the hair on her neck: "Yes, yes, the one who can make you so bright and dazzling for the rest of your life will not be some Y brother, but those young and noble elites from aristocratic families at the dinner party tomorrow night. You know too few men yet, don't be so reckless because of this—"
"Mom, stop talking." Tang You inexplicably resisted Fang Lai's mention of Zhou Qinyao, and paused: "I can go, but can you return my phone to me when I come back?"
Knowing that his mother would only respond to soft words, he softened his tone and said softly, "Mom, I really didn't do anything wrong. You always ask me to believe you. Can you believe me for once?"
Fang Lai bent down and looked at Ni Tangyou in the mirror.
My daughter's eyes are as innocent and well-behaved as ever.
After a moment, she gave in in her heart.
Perhaps it was because she was too sensitive. In fact, she knew Tang You's personality very well.
She doesn't dare and it's impossible for her to fall in love prematurely.
"Okay." Fang Lai finally let go: "Be good, when you come back from Haicheng, I'll let Aunt Rong let you play with your phone for an hour every day."
"… "
Tang You knew that if she continued bargaining, she might lose this hour.
Reluctantly compromised: "Got it."
So, without informing anyone, at 11 o'clock in the morning, the mother and daughter flew to Haicheng together.
The Tang family made their fortune in Haicheng two years ago. This time, they expanded their business and reached a cooperation with the well-known jewelry brand Moon, which became a hot topic in the entire circle.
That night, the Tang family invited almost all the well-known business celebrities in Haicheng. The dinner was packed with guests. Tang You wore the high-end dress prepared for her by Fang Lai and appeared on stage holding the hand of her father Tang Yuanxiao.
Moon is a brand of the Zhou family in Haicheng. Group chairman Zhou Zelin and his nephew Zhou Yan, who serves as brand director, were both present at the event.
Zhou Zelin had a son in his old age a few years ago, and he has since returned to his family and rarely appears in public. He attended the banquet tonight, and all the reporters heard about it and rushed over, just to get an exclusive interview with him.
After the two parties signed the contract, the reporters gathered around Zhou Zelin.
After Tang You followed the others in a bored manner and toasted, Fang Lai asked her quietly with a smile in his eyes:
"Among those just now, do you think any of them are good?"
Tang You never even looked at those people.
She shook her head: "No."
Fang Lai observed for a while and pointed to the place surrounded by reporters: "What do you think of Zhou Yan from the Zhou family? It was he who helped my mother in South Africa this time."
Tang You looked at it reluctantly and still shook his head.
After thinking for a while, Fang Lai suddenly laughed softly and said to himself, "That's right."
She took a sip of wine: "The best man in the Zhou family didn't come, so all this is just a compromise."
Tang You paused for a moment, then turned his head and asked, "The best?"
"Yes, we came to Haicheng late. I heard that Zhou Zhan, the eldest son of the Zhou family, is the most noble one in the city. He went straight to the Italian Jewelry Design Institute at the age of sixteen. He grew up surrounded by diamonds. His naked eyes are as good as instruments. He is still studying abroad. When he comes back, he will inherit Moon's diamond kingdom."
After saying this, Fang Lai looked at her meaningfully:
"Yes, this kind of man is worthy of your love. That Y brother, promise mom not to care about him anymore, okay?"