At the moment when Su Wantang received the text message, Zhao Chen was reviewing a final evaluation report on Underwriters.
The words "The agreement has been signed and everything goes well" came into view on the screen, and his fingers typing on the keyboard paused slightly.
Without any hesitation, he quickly annotated the emergency documents on hand and pressed Intercom Button:
"Chen Xi, follow up with Contingency Plan for follow-up matters, call if there is an emergency. I have something to do and leave early today."
Picking up his coat, he walked out of the office briskly.
As the elevator went down, he rarely thought about Business Strategy. What repeatedly echoed in his mind was what Su Wantang would look like when he walked out of Detention Center at this moment.
The driver Liu Haitao had already parked the car firmly at the entrance of the building.
This calm middle-aged man, who had been following Zhao Chen for some time, was keenly aware of his boss's unusual eagerness today.
Zhao Chen opened the car door and sat in the back seat. He simply said "go home" and then stopped talking. He looked out the window at the rapidly regressing street scene.
The car merged into the evening traffic. On weekdays, even in the car, Zhao Chen usually closed his eyes to relax or answer phone calls, but today he seemed a little restless.
After passing two red lights, he finally spoke. Although his voice was calm, there was a hint of urging. "Brother Liu, how long will it take?"
Liu Haitao glanced at the young boss in the back seat with a slight frown on his face from the rearview mirror, and replied calmly:
"Chairman Zhao, there is a bit of traffic at this point, it will probably take more than twenty minutes. I will try to take the smoothest road."
"Yeah." Zhao Chen responded, leaning back on the chair again, his fingertips tapping lightly on the leather seat unconsciously.
More than twenty minutes seemed a bit long at the moment.
The car finally drove into the familiar Villa area and stopped in front of the door.
Zhao Chen didn't wait for Liu Haitao to stop completely, then said thank you, opened the door and got out of the car.
The lights in the courtyard have been turned on, and a warm yellow halo shines through Living Room and Floor-to-Ceiling Window.
As soon as he reached the entrance, the door opened from the inside.
It's Su Wantang.
She stood at the door, wearing a soft off-white cashmere sweater, with her long hair rolled up loosely.
There was a smile on her face, which was different from the subtle and gentle smile in the past. Her eyebrows were stretched, and there was an almost flying brilliance shining deep in her eyes, which was crystal clear and without any haze.
But upon closer inspection, there seems to be a subtle confusion behind the brilliance that has just been gained and has not yet fully adapted.
"Back?"
She came up to him naturally and took the suit jacket he took off. Her movements were familiar, but her tone was as brisk as a feather brushing against her heart.
Zhao Chen looked at her, a little stunned for a moment.
At this moment, he clearly felt that the person standing in front of him was no longer the Su Wantang who needed to remember his identity as "Mrs. Zhao" and be forbearing and restrained.
She is just herself.
The invisible moral and identity shackles that had shrouded her for many years were shattered.
"Yes, I'm back." He responded in a low voice, feeling a strange and full warmth in his heart.
In Previous Life's vague memory fragments, when Su Wantang came to see her for the last time, her figure was haggard and desperate.
After being squeezed out of all value by Zhao Jianguo and Lin Wanqing, he was left in ruins and his situation was bleak, not much better than his own imprisonment.
But in this life, he changed his fate against the will of heaven, and actually changed her life as well.
"What's wrong? Why are you in a daze?" Su Wantang saw that he was still standing there, looking at her deeply, and couldn't help but smile, raising her hand and shaking it gently in front of his eyes.
The breeze brought by the fingertips brought back Zhao Chen's distant thoughts.
He looked at the completely trusting smile in her eyes, and the cold and hard corner of his heart seemed to be melted by this smile.
At this moment, Su Wantang suddenly took a step forward, stretched out his arms, gently hugged his waist, and pressed his face against his chest.
This action carries a bit of temptation and a bit of bravery - in the past, she always had to take into account her ridiculous identity, and even this kind of hug was restrained.
Now that the shackles were gone, she was a little at a loss for the first second, and then she was deeply embedded.
This is a hug that no longer requires any reasons or excuses.
Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and her voice came out muffled, hot, and unabashedly real:
"Xiao Chen, today... is the most relaxed day I have felt in so many years. It seems... I can breathe again."
After a pause, she added in a lower voice, as if talking to herself, "It seems like... I suddenly don't know how to stand."
Zhao Chen's body stiffened slightly, and then he put Panasonic over, his arms wrapped around her slender shoulders that were no longer tense due to her identity, and tightened his embrace.
"Yes," he responded, gently rubbing his chin on the top of her soft hair, "If you can't stand still, just lean on me. Everything will be fine in the future."
Dinner was prepared by Su Wantang himself, a home-cooked meal with exquisite presentation.
She also opened a bottle of Red Wine.
"Celebrate."
She poured wine for him, and the smile on her eyes and brows never faded.
Zhao Chen raised his glass and touched her gently. "To New Life."