Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After returning to Huai City, my mom remained concerned about my progress with Jiang Chengzhi. When she learned he had been my high school classmate, she clapped her hands in delight.

“Someone whose background we know so well makes your father and me feel at ease.”

I smiled. It was not only that I knew his background. I had even witnessed his long romance with someone else.

After the holiday, work resumed, and I became so busy my head spun.

My contact with Jiang Chengzhi was limited to online messages.

Of course, besides my mom, there was one other person who cared deeply about my blind date.

Su Mei.

“Girl, Jiang Chengzhi really was the god of so many girls back then. All these years later, he has not gotten fat or greasy. If I were not married, even I would want to try!”

“You are single anyway. Give it a try!”

“…”

Perhaps people really could not withstand being talked about. After I finished work and was about to leave, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Jiang Chengzhi.” The voice on the other end made me pause. “Has Ms. Zhou gotten off work? I would like to treat Ms. Zhou to dinner.”

The way he addressed me made me laugh. “Is Engineer Jiang not busy?”

Jiang Chengzhi was now the chief engineer of a well-known company.

For his age, that title had come very early, and it carried real weight.

“No matter how busy I am, I still have to eat.” His relaxed tone made me vaguely think of the past. “I am downstairs from your company. Will Ms. Zhou do me the honor?”

Since he had already put it that way, there was naturally no need for me to refuse.

That first meal with Jiang Chengzhi after we returned to our work city opened a door.

We would occasionally meet for meals. During weekend breaks, we also made plans to watch a movie or visit an exhibition.

Jiang Chengzhi was a very suitable dating partner.

He was considerate, knew boundaries, and always carried a pleasant scent of cologne.

Different from the fluttering feelings of youth, a mature man’s sense of proportion and consideration could also make someone briefly lose herself.

I could tell Jiang Chengzhi did have a certain fondness for me.

After more than two months of contact, our relationship had remained at the level of friends.

Another weekend, Jiang Chengzhi invited me to a dining bar.

The lighting was warm yellow, and the band at the bar was singing an ambiguous English song.

“Zhou Qingtong,” Jiang Chengzhi called my name.

His voice was gentle and pleasant to hear.

“I…” The way he looked at me was different from before. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

A phone call interrupted everything.

His phone lay flat on the table. With just one glance, I clearly saw the name on the caller ID.

Chen Xueyan.

A woman who had been entangled with Jiang Chengzhi for more than ten years.

She had been a student in the class next door.

At an age when everyone looked rather rough around the edges, she had possessed a first-love face and become a match made in heaven with Jiang Chengzhi.

The phone vibrated on the table, and Jiang Chengzhi hung up.

He did not answer the call.

Very quickly, the phone vibrated a second time.

He still did not pick up. The person on the other end did not keep calling after that, but for the next while, Jiang Chengzhi’s phone buzzed with message notifications every two or three seconds.

Jiang Chengzhi’s gaze fell on the lit screen, and his expression suddenly turned ugly.

But he still remained gentlemanly and did not get up to leave.

I could feel that his mind was elsewhere.

“Jiang Chengzhi,” I said with a smile, “if it is urgent, go take care of it first.”

To him, those words were probably like a pardon.

“Sorry, I…” He paused. “Next time, I will treat you to a proper feast to apologize.”

Even Jiang Chengzhi’s departing back looked anxious.

The corners of my mouth fell.

No matter how one put it, being stood up on a date did not make me happy.