Stock Suspension

It was a little past five on Sunday evening, and Shan City had already grown dark.

Shen Zhiyi sat at her dorm desk. The push notification from the "Sanjiang Shopping" stock app on her phone was like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending ripples of unease through her heart.

"Sanjiang Shopping suspended trading for the entire day on 2016-11-7."

And the reason for the suspension was only a few words: material matters not yet announced.

Trading suspension?

Shen Zhiyi's fingers tightened slightly around her phone, the edges of her nails turning faintly white.

She stared at those lines three times in a row. The first image that surfaced in her mind was Zhao Chen at the securities company branch, his side profile sharply outlined by the afternoon light.

"Before long, news of a strategic investment will most likely be finalized."

His voice still seemed to ring in her ears—calm and certain, as if he were stating something that had already happened.

But a suspension... why a suspension? Why not announce the partnership directly?

All sorts of grim speculations flooded her mind uncontrollably. Could the restructuring have failed? Had the regulators put a stop to it? Had Ali changed its mind?

Her joking words—"I could bet my entire dowry fund on the story you told"—suddenly seemed to gain weight, pressing heavily against her chest.

Without much hesitation, she opened her contacts, found "Zhao Chen," and called him.

Each beep before the call connected felt like it was hammering against her nerves.

"Hello?" Zhao Chen's voice came through, as steady as ever, even carrying a trace of relaxed laziness, as though he had just woken up.

"Zhao Chen," Shen Zhiyi heard that her voice was more urgent than she had expected.

"Sanjiang Shopping released an announcement. Trading's been suspended. It says material matters haven't been announced yet... What does that mean? Is it good news, or..."

She stopped, realizing she had lost her composure. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her tone.

"I saw the announcement and felt uncertain, so I wanted to ask you."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds before Zhao Chen's gentle voice came through. "Don't panic. Where are you right now?"

"The dorm."

"Can you come out? There's a cafe called Shiguang beside the hotel lobby where I'm staying, across from your school's South Gate. Let's talk in person. It's hard to explain over the phone."

His suggestion came naturally. There was not the slightest impatience at her sudden anxiety; instead, he seemed composed, as if this was how things should have been from the start.

"...Okay."

Shen Zhiyi glanced at the deepening dusk outside the window and did not hesitate.

"See you in twenty minutes. Take your time on the way. No rush."

After hanging up, Zhao Chen turned away from the window of his hotel room.

Outside, the lights of Yuzhong Peninsula lit up one after another, spreading into a hazy sea of light amid the not-yet-complete night and the rising mist.

There was no surprise or tension on his face. Instead, he let out a soft breath, and the corner of his mouth even curled into a faint, knowing smile.

Ali had made its move after all.

The trading suspension was the curtain slowly rising before this grand capital feast began.

Next would come the tug-of-war between both sides, the negotiations over details, then an announcement that would shock the market, followed by consecutive limit-up days...

He changed out of his home clothes, put on a simple gray hoodie and black trousers, then picked up his room card and phone before heading downstairs.

The Shiguang Cafe was right beside the hotel lobby. It had a retro industrial style, with warm yellow pendant lights and dark brown leather sofas. The air was filled with the fragrance of freshly ground coffee beans and the low, lingering sound of jazz music.

Zhao Chen chose a relatively quiet booth farther inside, where he could see the entrance perfectly.

He ordered two Americanos. Nothing was added to his own, while for Shen Zhiyi's, he specifically told the server, "Add one serving of milk to the other cup. No sugar."

He remembered how she took her coffee.

While waiting, he took out his phone and opened the suspension announcement again. His gaze settled on the words "material matters not yet announced," his eyes calm.

This was not a risk. It was a signal.

About fifteen minutes later, the cafe door was pushed open, letting in a wave of cool early-winter evening air.

Shen Zhiyi walked in.

She seemed to have rushed over. Her off-white down jacket hung open, revealing a light blue sweater underneath. Her long hair was slightly mussed by the wind, and her cheeks were naturally flushed from walking quickly.

She spotted Zhao Chen in the booth at once. When those clear eyes looked toward him, the anxiety and urgent desire for answers in them were plain to see.

Zhao Chen waved to her.

Shen Zhiyi hurried over and sat across from him. Before she even had time to take off her down jacket, she turned her phone screen toward him and tapped the announcement with her fingertip. "Look, this is the one..."

"Zhiyi."

Zhao Chen interrupted her rapid-fire questions and gently pushed the milk-added Americano in front of him toward her.

"Have some coffee first. Warm yourself up. Don't scare yourself."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a strange, calming power.

Shen Zhiyi looked at his calm, unruffled face, then at the steaming coffee before her. Only then did she realize how flustered she had been.

A little embarrassed, she pressed her lips together, accepted the coffee, and took a small sip.

The warm liquid slid down her throat. The milk softened the coffee's bitterness, easing her taut nerves slightly.