Him in 2016

1:00 p.m.

Yunxi Building, Songmei Clothing, Finance Office.

Sun Youguang sat at his workstation, focused and busy. His desk was covered with all kinds of documents and receipts.

High-Speed Rail ticket order confirmations, hotel prepayment invoices, coach rental agreements, insurance purchase lists—this was Songmei Clothing's first team-building event since its founding, and the company leadership attached great importance to it.

The first group consisted of 45 employees.

However, each employee could bring one family member. The company covered accommodation, meals, and related expenses. Basically, as long as they paid a few hundred yuan for transportation and insurance, they could attend together.

Including those family members, there were 64 people in total.

By that calculation, the estimated total cost of the event would exceed 200,000 yuan.

Still, for the current Songmei Clothing, that was acceptable.

As the cost accountant, Sun Youguang knew best that the company's financial situation was very healthy. Last month's net profit had reached 2.2 million yuan, mainly thanks to top streamer He Yiyi.

Actually, from his perspective, the company did not need so many employees at the moment. To maintain its existing operations, around forty to fifty people would have been enough.

Departments such as planning, operations, and supply chain were actually overstaffed.

There was also the newly formed Brand Department. The entire department had yet to produce anything, and the HEYISTUDIO brand had only just begun.

But he had great faith in the bosses' decisions. After all, President Tang had always been right for so long.

He also firmly believed that Songmei Clothing would see another massive surge, just like during the "Bei Yuwei Incident."

After carefully checking all the figures, he sorted the documents into categories and made sure there would be no problems.

Sun Youguang let out a long breath.

"Bzzzz—" His mobile phone screen lit up.

A message popped up in the WeChat team-building group.

HR—Zhang Ying: "Dear colleagues attending the team-building event, you may leave work early at 2:00 p.m. Remember to submit an outing request in OA. Please check in and gather at the High-Speed Rail station before 4:50 p.m. Also, the Events Department has prepared team-building T-shirts for everyone, so remember to pick yours up."

Sun Youguang saved his files on the computer, stood up, and headed out.

Quite a few colleagues had already gathered in the Events Area, clustering together in groups of three or five as they excitedly discussed the upcoming team-building event.

Brand-new T-shirts were laid out on the tables. White was the main color, with Songmei Clothing's LOGO printed across the chest.

"I heard we booked sea-view rooms at the Shangri-La Hotel. We have to get up early to watch the sunrise!"

"I'm most looking forward to the seafood feast. I read online that Crow Mountain's seafood is especially plump this season."

"President Tang, you're here!"

"President Tang!"

Warm greetings sounded one after another.

Sun Youguang hurriedly turned around. Looking at the approaching figure, he called out enthusiastically, "President Tang!"

Then someone patted his shoulder.

Tang Song asked casually, "Youguang, your girlfriend is coming to this team-building event too, right?"

"Mm! She is!" Sun Youguang nodded hard, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

He and his girlfriend had been together for so many years, yet they had never traveled to the seaside.

Now that both of them had stable jobs and hope of buying a home in Yancheng, they finally felt completely at ease.

This trip meant a great deal to them.

Soon, colleagues from Human Resources and Administration began checking the list and handing out the T-shirts.

Tang Song collected a size that suited him, then turned and headed outside.

As he walked out of the Events Area, a flash of golden light appeared in the corner of his vision.

Cheng Qiuqiu stood quietly in an outer corner, her lips pressed tightly together and her expression cold. A clear prompt floated above her head.

Cultivation Progress: 72% (Not Sprouted)

The progress was even faster than he had expected. It would probably sprout during their time at Crow Mountain.

As if sensing something, Cheng Qiuqiu raised her head and looked over.

Their eyes met, and she quickly lowered her head again.

Tang Song raised his brows and returned to the President's Office.

After briefly packing up, he took his briefcase and went downstairs.

Settling into the back seat of the Rolls Royce, Tang Song casually asked, "Xiao Qi, you've packed all your luggage, right?"

Liu Jiayi answered, "It's in the trunk."

"Mm. Come upstairs with me later, then we'll take a taxi to the High-Speed Rail station."

"Okay, President Tang."

Soon, after the car parked in its spot at Yanjing Sky City,

Liu Jiayi took a black handbag from the trunk and followed Tang Song upstairs.

It was her first time entering this Duplex Apartment, but her face showed no unnecessary emotion. She simply followed closely behind Tang Song.

Seeing Liu Jiayi follow him into the master bedroom, Tang Song's eye twitched. "Rest for a while first. I need to pack my luggage."

"Okay." Liu Jiayi strode over to the bedroom Rest Area and sat down on the single sofa near the balcony.

Her posture was perfectly straight, her gaze sharp.

Tang Song did not think much of it and stepped into the walk-in closet.

He first freshened up in the restroom, then took off his suit.

He changed into casual pants and the team-building T-shirt, then put on a loose shirt over it.

Looking at his sunny, handsome reflection in the mirror, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

A vacation should look like a vacation. This seaside trip was also a rare chance for him to relax.

After checking the change of clothes, razor, charger, and other items he had prepared, he placed them into the suitcase one by one after confirming everything was in order.

Then Tang Song went to the corner, opened the safe, and took out Tang Song's Glasses.

He always stored these precious system items with great care.

Then his gaze fell on the bottom shelf.

He pulled out an exquisite picture frame. Inside was a photograph.

He had obtained it from the safe when he first came to this apartment.

At the time, Tang Song had not yet received his complete memories of 2016, so he had no impression of the photo.

Now that he compared it against his memories, he easily determined that it had been taken on June 10, 2016—the second day after the College Entrance Examination—when he first met Secretary Jin.

She sat in a window-side corner of a café, wearing a white silk blouse and a black skirt, her hair tied in a ponytail. In her hands, she held a copy of The Interpretation of Dreams.

Seeing the scene in the photograph, Tang Song's expression softened.

As he remembered it, he had not taken out a camera or mobile phone to take a picture back then.

It seemed the system had done this, recording a classic moment that belonged to the two of them.

Tang Song stared blankly at the photograph for a while, a faint glint passing through his eyes.

He suddenly stood up and walked out.

Seeing Liu Jiayi still sitting upright there, he calmly sat down across from her. "Would you like something to drink?"

As he spoke, Tang Song casually placed the picture frame on the coffee table.

"No, thank you." Liu Jiayi's gaze swept over the picture frame. Her pupils trembled slightly, and an emotion she could not suppress appeared on her face.

Tang Song's eyes flickered as he began chatting with Liu Jiayi about her hometown, Liao Province, and their destination for this trip, Crow Mountain.

Noticing how she kept glancing at the photograph, Tang Song finally got the answer he wanted.

He had suspected it before, but had never received confirmation.

Now, it seemed highly likely that Liu Jiayi was also one of Secretary Jin's people, and she had definitely met him before.

The two chatted for a while.

Liu Jiayi suddenly stood up, her voice low and gentle. "President Tang, let me help you tidy up the room."

Tang Song raised his brows. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Okay. Thank you for your trouble."

"It's my duty."

After saying that, Liu Jiayi began organizing the bed, the desk, and the Rest Area.

Her movements were clean and efficient, and she worked with great care and attention to detail.

Then, under Tang Song's watchful gaze, she placed the photograph from the coffee table onto the bedside table, with the picture facing the direction of the pillow.

Seeing her unusual action, a trace of confusion flashed through Tang Song's eyes, but he said nothing.

Zhu Xi Residential Area.

"Oh, come on, stop fussing. I've packed everything, no problem!"

"Mm-hmm. We'll arrive at Crow Mountain at 8:30 tonight, but I'm staying at a hotel with my colleagues. I'll come home to see you when I have time."

"Huh?" Gao Mengting let out a soft cry. Her face instantly turned as red as a boiled shrimp. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm sharing a room with a woman."

"Don't keep overthinking it. I know what I'm doing. It's about time, so I'm not chatting anymore. I'm hanging up!"

After hanging up the phone, Gao Mengting rubbed her burning cheeks and sighed deeply.

She had never told her parents about Tang Song.

They only knew that there was a business partner who had helped her start a business in Yancheng. They did not know about the situation between the two of them.

The main reason was that Gao Mengting herself was not sure what exactly her relationship with Tang Song was.

Logically speaking, they had hugged and kissed, so they should have been a normal couple.

Yet Tang Song had never taken the initiative to mention it, much less confess his feelings.

Gao Mengting was not stupid. She had also read many books about love and human nature, so she naturally knew that this was not quite normal.

But she was immersed in the emotional connection she currently shared with Tang Song, and she also loved the way she felt when they were together.

Even if they ultimately could not end up together in the future, she still wanted to love wholeheartedly just once.

It was the deepest desire of her soul. No matter how many concerns she had, she could set them aside for now.

It was just that everything he sometimes displayed gave her a strong sense of distance and unreality.

"Gentle and handsome business partner, though I long for your physical love, I long even more for your spiritual love. But so far, I still haven't felt it."

"I want to see the more real you. I hope this Crow Mountain team-building trip can break down the barriers between us."

Sitting on the bed, Gao Mengting murmured to herself, a troubled expression on her face.

"Knock, knock, knock—" The sound of knocking startled her from her thoughts.

"Senior Schoolmate, are you done packing? It's about time. We should get going."

"Right away!" Gao Mengting took a deep breath, picked up her suitcase, and opened the door.

Looking at the junior schoolmate standing outside, envy flashed through her eyes.

They were both wearing the company's custom team-building T-shirts, but the difference between a D Cup and a B Cup was immediately obvious.

Noticing Gao Mengting's gaze, Cheng Qiuqiu's face reddened slightly. "Senior Schoolmate, shall we go?"

"Mm, let's go." Gao Mengting smiled and linked arms with her.

They took the elevator downstairs, left through the Main Door of the residential complex, and got straight into a taxi by the roadside.

Outside the window, the city's bustling scenery flew backward.

At some point, Su Yu's highly recognizable singing voice began playing on the car radio.

"BGM: The night stretches on, the neon lights grow faint—your smile hangs like the moon—"

Cheng Qiuqiu, seated in the back, wore a faint smile as she softly hummed along.

The song soon ended.

The driver in the front gave her a thumbs-up and praised, "Miss, you sing really well, just like the original singer. This is Su Yu's new song, right? It seems really popular. I hear it all the time."

Cheng Qiuqiu's smile widened, and she said brightly, "Mm, it's called 'Spending Time Together.' Su Yu wrote, composed, and arranged it herself—"

Then, as if a floodgate had opened, she began talking to the driver about the song.

Su Yu had written many songs over the past two years, but they were all sad in style, reflecting that she had not been particularly happy during that period.

The release of this gentle, enduring love song had given her fans an enormous surprise.

After they finished talking about the song, the car gradually fell silent again.

Gao Mengting looked at the junior schoolmate beside her and suddenly said, "Qiuqiu, I've realized that not only does your singing sound like Su Yu's, but your figure and appearance resemble hers a little too."

In terms of figure alone, this junior schoolmate was truly among the best of anyone Gao Mengting knew. Even Shen Yuyan from Yan City University of Science and Technology could not compare to her.

She was 170 centimeters tall, weighed 58 kilograms, had a D Cup, and a waist-to-hip ratio of around 0.7.

Curvy with long legs and incredible proportions, she had the standard figure of a comic-book character.

She really did resemble the superstar Su Yu a little.

"Hear..." Cheng Qiuqiu bit her lips and said softly, "Thank you for the compliment, Senior Schoolmate."

She felt nothing when people directly praised her looks, but being told that she resembled Su Yu was the highest praise she could receive.

Gao Mengting smiled, patted her leg, and teased, "Maybe when our company grows bigger and stronger in the future, we'll be able to invite Su Yu to be our spokesperson. Then we'll have you receive her."

Hearing that, Cheng Qiuqiu's eyes lit up. She seemed to truly begin imagining the scene, and her heartbeat quickened.

After quite a while, she licked her slightly dry lips, turned around, and asked, "Senior Schoolmate, do you have any idols you admire?"

Gao Mengting blinked. "I don't feel much about celebrities, but if I had to name an idol, there is indeed one."

"Who?" Cheng Qiuqiu looked at her curiously.

Gao Mengting pursed her lips in a light laugh and said, enunciating each word, "Jin. Mei. Xiao."

Cheng Qiuqiu froze for a moment before finally reacting. "So it's Director Jin. She really is an extraordinary person."

Gao Mengting sighed. "Yes. She should be the idol of many women. A lot of my classmates admire her too."

Then Cheng Qiuqiu nudged her senior schoolmate's arm and encouraged her seriously, "If Songmei Clothing can go public in the future, maybe Senior Schoolmate will get the chance to meet your idol too."

Gao Mengting laughed twice, and a longing look flashed through her eyes.

The car came to a steady stop. The driver turned around and reminded them, "You two beauties, we've arrived."

"Alright, thank you."

Gao Mengting took out her mobile phone and scanned the code to pay the fare. Then she and Cheng Qiuqiu retrieved their luggage from the trunk and followed the crowd toward the waiting hall.

Soon, they met up with the company's other employees.

Everyone gathered together, chattering, laughing, and talking.

The entire waiting hall was filled with a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.

A few minutes later, two more colleagues arrived one after another,

Suddenly, a female colleague pointed toward the entrance, her eyes sparkling as she shouted, "I see President Tang! Ah!

He's so handsome!"

As her words fell, everyone's gazes turned in unison in that direction.

Tang Song, dressed in a casual shirt, was tall and straight-backed, his steps steady and composed. His clear eyes carried a vibrant vitality.

He looked youthful and spirited, full of lofty aspirations.

A strange feeling rose in Cheng Qiuqiu's heart, and she could not help recalling Tang Song as he had been during their bike ride through the ancient city.

"Hey, the Miss behind President Tang is so cool too!"

"Wow, she's totally my type!"

Hearing the discussion, Cheng Qiuqiu could not help turning her gaze toward the girl.

She was very tall, with a straight, athletic figure and healthy wheat-colored skin.

Her bare face had clean, sharp features and an indescribable androgynous beauty. Her gaze was sharp and bright, as though it could see straight through people.

She wore a simple women's suit, without any accessories.

Her long, glossy black hair was tied into a ponytail with a black hair tie, and she looked like someone not to be messed with.

She carried a black handbag in one hand, her steps unhurried and her charm overflowing.

It was not only the men. Several girls who had been drooling over their own boss also turned their attention one after another to the stunning beauty with such a commanding aura.

Girls like this were simply too rare in real life.

As the two approached, the colleagues who had been discussing things heatedly gradually fell silent.

They finally realized that President Tang seemed to have arrived together with this girl.

Right after that, quite a few people quietly shifted their gazes toward Gao Mengting, who stood among the crowd.

Although the company had never publicly confirmed anything, everyone knew perfectly well that the relationship between these two bosses was far from ordinary.

Yet now, President Tang had actually brought an unfamiliar, gorgeous woman to the team-building event. This was a full-blown Shura Field!

Cheng Qiuqiu's heart tightened, and a shadowy look flashed through her eyes.

Gao Mengting took a deep breath, struggling to maintain a calm smile on her face, though her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Although she had long had her suspicions and made some preparations, she had never expected Tang Song to be so "openly brazen."

The sound of footsteps stopped before everyone.

Liu Jiayi stood quietly half a step behind Tang Song, her expression calm and composed, showing no discomfort at being watched by the crowd.

"President Tang!" "President Tang!"

Tang Song raised a hand in greeting. His gaze swept across the crowd before finally falling on the exquisitely made-up Gao Mengting and Cheng Qiuqiu beside her, and a gentle smile rose at the corner of his mouth.

Just now, from the corner of his eye, he had caught sight of the progress bar above Cheng Qiuqiu's head quietly increasing by 1%. This girl really did have a "dark" heart.

Gao Mengting bit her lips and said softly, "President Tang, you're here."

Tang Song nodded and shifted slightly to the side with a smile. "This is my driver, Liu Jiayi. She'll also be joining us for the team-building event."

Because it had been a last-minute invitation, the company's tickets and rooms had already been booked, so he had not mentioned it to HR.

Besides, Liu Jiayi had her own booking channels, and they were far more efficient than the company's.

Hearing that, everyone froze for a moment, their faces showing confusion and astonishment.

A breathtaking beauty of this caliber was actually a driver?

The corner of Gao Mengting's eye twitched slightly. A broad smile appeared on her face as she said warmly, "Welcome, Jiayi!"

"Welcome, Miss!"

The surrounding colleagues came to their senses and immediately erupted in enthusiastic cheers. The atmosphere became cheerful and lively again.

"Thank you." Liu Jiayi gave a slight nod, without much expression.

5:20 p.m.

The High-Speed Rail train slowly began to move.

Liu Jiayi sat half a step behind Tang Song, staring straight northward as intense longing flashed through her eyes.

Director Jin should have arrived in Yancheng by now. The sky gradually darkened. With the city lights coming on, neon signs and streetlights cast the streets in a dreamlike glow.

Lights illuminated the streets as a Maybach bearing Imperial Capital plates slowly drove into the Underground Parking Lot of Yanjing Sky City.

"Click—" The car door opened softly, and Lin Tiantian hurried to the back seat and respectfully opened the door.

A pair of long, beautiful legs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings extended out elegantly.

High heels stepped onto the asphalt, producing a crisp sound.

Then, a sexy and noble figure stepped out of the car, with a slender waist and straight shoulders.

The dimly lit parking lot seemed to brighten instantly.

"Click, click, click—"

The sound of her heels striking the ground was as precise as a metronome. Every step seemed measured, neither hurried nor slow, yet carrying an invisible sense of pressure.

The staff on duty in the residential lobby involuntarily stood up straight, their gazes following her retreating figure until she disappeared at the elevator entrance.

The button for the 20th floor lit up. The mirrored walls of the elevator reflected her graceful, upright figure.

Secretary Jin lowered her eyes slightly. Her slender fingers gently brushed a strand of brown hair by her ear, her gaze deep and complicated.

With a ding, the heavy metal doors slowly opened.

She walked down the wide, brightly lit corridor and arrived at the door.

She reached out, her fingertips trembling slightly before quickly regaining their calm.

Grasping the handle, "Click, click—" the smart lock instantly unlocked. She gently opened the brown armored door and stepped into the Duplex Apartment.

Lin Tiantian closed the door and stood quietly in the entryway, no longer disturbing her.

Standing in the center of the Living Room.

Secretary Jin's gaze swept over the traces of daily life everywhere, and at last, a smile appeared on her face.

She casually straightened the throw pillow on the sofa and closed the book on the coffee table.

Secretary Jin began wandering around the Duplex Apartment, her steps gradually becoming light and relaxed.

From time to time, she stopped somewhere, silently observing and reaching out to touch things.

It was as though she were trying to piece together a complete image of him through these details.

She pushed open the Main Door to the master bedroom. Secretary Jin paused at the doorway for a moment before stepping inside.

The room was neatly organized, yet the feeling of everyday life could be sensed everywhere.

She came to the Walk-in Closet.

Her fingers slid over the neatly arranged clothes before finally resting on a shirt that had not been put away on the inner side.

She picked it up, brought it to her nose, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

After a while.

She carefully folded the shirt, along with the somewhat messy suit beside it, and put them away.

Leaving the Walk-in Closet, she came to the bedside and gently brushed her fingers over the soft bedding and pillows.

Then her gaze fell on the photo frame atop the bedside table, and her steps stopped of their own accord.

She picked up the photo frame. As her fingertips lightly touched the glass surface, her eyes gradually lost focus.

In this world, no one cared more about that past than she did.

And no one could ever be more astonishing than he had been in 2016.

"Tang Song, Tang Song," she murmured softly.