Chapter 40 Peeking

In this unfamiliar house, Jiang Ying did not expect to have such a sound night's sleep.

She woke up in the misty haze of early morning, feeling a long-lost lightness throughout her entire body.

Her brain's nerves felt as though they had been massaged all night by the fragrance lingering in the room, and yesterday's turmoil regarding her parents had been swept away like garbage.

Having slept exceptionally well and feeling much improved in spirits, she got up to pull back the curtains, even deciding that the smog outside the window was not all that hateful.

The spacious duplex apartment was quiet, with only a middle-aged domestic helper quietly washing clothes in the bathroom. Seeing that she was awake, the helper greeted her warmly and mentioned that her father had bought breakfast for her.

On the white marble-topped Italian dining table were placed *shumai*, *yueba* (steamed rice-flour cakes), and soy milk with deep-fried dough sticks.

A rustic yet modern combination, thoroughly mismatched.

Jiang Ying sat down by the dining table, letting out a soft sigh inwardly.

Now that her father had opened a restaurant in the city, he would hardly return to live in the county town.

Yet, knowing the origin of this house, it no longer felt appropriate for her to continue staying here.

Taking a bite of *shumai*, Jiang Ying unlocked her phone to find a message from her father stating that he had already gone to the restaurant to busy himself, reminding her to eat breakfast and suggesting she drop by the shop if she had time today to check out her old man's new venture.

Now that Jiang Zhiwen had rallied his spirits to move forward with life, she naturally ought to show her support.

After eating her fill, Jiang Ying packed her laptop and followed the address Jiang Zhiwen had provided to the restaurant.

Over the years, Chengdu had seen the opening of numerous trendy internet-famous restaurants with stylish interior designs, but locals yearning for authentic flavors still sought out the seemingly rustic, down-to-earth eateries.

The place Jiang Zhiwen opened was precisely such a humble little establishment, specializing in trotter soup. With small folding wooden tables and plastic stools set up right outside the entrance, the moment Jiang Ying arrived, she felt as if she had been instantly transported back to her childhood.

The restaurant was not heavily staffed; aside from Jiang Zhiwen, there was only an apprentice he had hired to help out.

The young man was named Zhao Lian, nineteen years old, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a plump, fair face. Judging by the prominent dark circles under his eyes, he clearly had a habit of staying up late, making him look somewhat like a human panda at first glance.

Upon seeing Jiang Ying, his face flushed bright red, and he stammered that he hadn't expected the young boss to be both so highly educated and so beautiful.

Knowing Jiang Ying was coming, Jiang Zhiwen had cleared a space for her by the cashier's counter near the entrance and even bought her a milk tea from the neighboring tea shop.

"The young lady at the milk tea shop said this one called jasmine something-or-other sells best," Jiang Zhiwen said eagerly.

Back in her childhood, before her parents separated, Jiang Ying would always sit doing her homework in the family's former restaurant—her mother collecting payments at the cash register while her father wielded the ladle in the back kitchen.

Initially, she had planned only to glance around and then find a nearby café to sit in, but seeing the expectant look in her father's eyes, she simply took out her computer, sat down, and decided to spend a bit more time at the shop.

Jiang Ying had nothing major on her agenda for the winter break, but since Yu Siyan's submitted application for a Harvard research assistantship was still pending, and she had recently been browsing other research opportunities, she took advantage of her free time to help polish his application materials.

Opening her email, however, she discovered she had already received an initial reply from her advisor regarding her graduation thesis that very morning.

The overall evaluation was quite good, and Professor Lin had carefully noted down several areas requiring further refinement.

Professor Lin also mentioned that her thesis, containing data from both China and the United States, possessed a very complete framework. Once finalized, she might consider submitting it to foreign SSCI journals. Furthermore, her current research on adolescent behavioral disorders could be further specialized by combining it with her clinical research experience when she entered her master's and doctoral studies.

This was tremendously encouraging news for Jiang Ying. After reviewing Yu Siyan's materials, she dove straight into her thesis, remaining seated in her father's restaurant until nightfall.

"Little sister, I'd like a bowl of stewed trotter soup."

A young customer dressed in trendy attire, wearing a black fisherman's hat and a face mask, pulled out a chair at Jiang Ying's table and sat down.

Still engrossed in checking new literature without lifting her head, she pointed toward Zhao Lian, who was wiping tables nearby, and said, "I don't handle the register; you'll have to find him."

At that, the young customer uttered a soft "Tsk" and said to her, "Why work so hard during winter break? You didn't even recognize my voice."

Jiang Ying abruptly looked up, reached out to pull off his hat, and met the smiling eyes of the young man.

Laughing despite herself, she said to Meng Shao, "Wrapped up like that and mumbling through a mask, how on earth was I supposed to guess who you were?"

"With smog this heavy, you have to wear a mask to protect your skin and respiratory tract."

Meng Shao pulled a brand-new mask from his bag and tossed it to her.

Jiang Ying did not stand on ceremony, catching the mask before asking, "Why are you here? I thought you'd be stuck playing mahjong with your mom."

Meng Shao was also a boss in his own right now. Having nothing much to do in Beijing after New Year's Day, he had flown straight back to Chengdu to work and attend meetings online. Jiang Ying had mentioned her move and the restaurant opening in passing yesterday, never expecting him to sneak over today.

The mere mention of mahjong brought a look of sheer agony to Meng Shao's face. "Forget it. Sitting with my mom and her old cronies, I wouldn't dare win a single game, and they keep trying to set me up with girlfriends. I came here looking for some peace and quiet."

Since Jiang Ying had also been staring at her computer for seven or eight hours, she simply packed up her laptop and called out to her father in the back kitchen. Upon hearing that Meng Shao had arrived, Jiang Zhiwen happily came out to chat with him for a bit and served two bowls of trotter soup along with a small dish of tossed braised pork intestines.

The two of them sat side by side on the plastic stools by the small wooden table to eat.

Tall and long-legged, Meng Shao looked rather cramped sitting by the table, but he polished off his meal in no time at all. Stretching out his long legs, he nudged his chair backward to free his limbs.

"Your dad's spirits look great now. Where have you guys moved to?"

Eating at her usual unhurried pace, Jiang Ying set down her chopsticks at his question and murmured, "That's a long story."

Knowing her ways, Meng Shao urged, "Talking doesn't interfere with eating; go ahead and keep eating."

So Jiang Ying spoke as she ate.

The apartment belonged to her ex-boyfriend, but she currently had no way to contact Lu Zhixi, and Lu Zhixi himself was nowhere to be seen. Her father was somewhat absent-minded and was currently living quite happily.

Her preliminary thought was to rent another place.

Meng Shao frowned deeply at the mention of Lu Zhixi's name, wearing an expression that suggested he had plenty to say, but holding back repeatedly, he finally offered:

"Come live at my place. Didn't my parents move into the city shortly after the two of us graduated from high school? The year before last, when my grandmother's health wasn't good, I bought another apartment in that same residential complex for her, but the old lady never got to live in it, so the place has been empty ever since. It's definitely not as large as a duplex, but it's very comfortable."

He went on to analyze the situation for her, pointing out that regardless of whether her ex-boyfriend's actions were well-intentioned or malicious, news reports concerning his family had not yet died down and speculations were multiplying. At a time like this, it was best not to become entangled with his assets.

"Instead of renting my place to strangers, I might as well rent it to one of our own."

With that, Meng Shao recalled another matter. "The company is holding a meeting in a couple of days to discuss dividend distributions. I estimate your share will come out to around half a million."

Jiang Ying paused in surprise. "That much?!"

He chuckled. "That number isn't much."

The company's profits this year had been remarkably high, but the majority had been allocated to the following year's operating budget, and Jiang Ying only held a five percent stake, from which taxes had to be deducted layer by layer, leaving only this modest sum.

Yet, for Jiang Ying, it was a truly massive amount of money.

She gave Meng Shao a pat on the shoulder. "You really are my lucky star."

Meng Shao waved a hand dismissively. "Without you, I wouldn't have made this money either. After all, the two of us prayed to the God of Wealth together back then, making it a team effort—I did the hard labor, and you served as the mascot."

That night, Jiang Ying had a thorough discussion with her father about the housing situation.

She omitted any mention of Lu Zhixi, instead spinning a yarn about how the apartment was too large and that housing someone to bring life and warmth might consume one's fortune, while also introducing the details of Meng Shao's property.

Of course, staying at Meng Shao's place wouldn't be free—blood is thicker than water, but accounts must be settled clearly between friends. Even so, he offered Jiang Zhiwen a generous discount, making the price quite reasonable, and it would give Jiang Zhiwen an opportunity to interact socially with Meng Shao's parents, which was all for the best.

Knowing that he had indeed taken advantage of the situation by living in that duplex, Jiang Zhiwen readily agreed after listening to Jiang Ying's explanation.

Life was simply like that: once things hit rock bottom, they were bound to bounce back.

Three days later, with Meng Shao's assistance, they swiftly completed the move, leaving Jiang Ying feeling refreshed from inside out.

Yet this time, expecting to sleep even more soundly than before, she instead suffered from severe insomnia well into the middle of the night.

Tossing and turning until three in the morning, Jiang Ying finally sat up in bed, slipped on a cardigan, and walked out to sit in the living room.

Meng Shao had personally overseen the interior decoration of this apartment. Since it was originally intended for his elderly relatives, the design style was exceptionally cozy, dominated by wooden furniture, and he had added numerous potted green plants over the past couple of days, creating a warm-toned living space that naturally induced relaxation.

Even so, Jiang Ying suffered from homesickness when sleeping in a new bed.

Leaning back against the sofa, she unlocked her phone. In WeChat, her chat thread with Yu Siyan had stopped at ten o'clock.

The two of them still chatted about daily trivialities just as before, but having conversed continuously since meeting in October, there were few interesting topics left, and the frequency of their exchanges had gradually tapered off.

Yu Siyan had also cautiously inquired about Jiang Ying's state over the past couple of days. Seeing that she had improved considerably, Jiang Ying could practically feel him sighing in relief across the screen.

Jiang Ying could already sense that Yu Siyan experienced psychological pressure whenever he perceived her negative emotions, as he seemed unsure of how to handle such situations.

Troubled by insomnia at this hour, she longed for someone to talk to, but deciding against disturbing him, she simply opened a social media app she hadn't used in a long time.

She could still find quite a few news articles concerning Lu Zhixi's family, but the public tone had subtly shifted, pivoting from entertainment-style family scandals toward the financial sector, with numerous voices questioning their corporate operating strategies and profitability over the past two years.

Critics blasted them for large-scale layoffs in Asia and a disregard for employee welfare, while others dug into their past public financial reports to pick apart a series of failed investments, making a great fuss over them.

Days had passed, but rather than subsiding, news regarding the Williams family seemed to be intensifying.

Throughout her relocation over the past few days, none of Lu Zhixi's people had shown their faces.

Could it be because something had happened at home?

Opening Weibo, which she had neglected for a long time, Jiang Ying checked her visitor log from the previous day.

As always, Lu Zhixi still had the leisure to peek.

Strangely enough, however, the column that should have displayed his IP address had turned completely blank.