First Date

He leaned back into the sofa, relaxed in posture, his casual tone carrying a trace of sincerity.

"My Father works in real estate. I grew up around it, so I'm fairly sensitive to business matters. And ever since I started suspecting something was wrong with my family... I forced myself to read a lot of books and study many cases. You could say the slow bird flies first—or that I was forced to grow up."

He deftly avoided the unspeakable core of "rebirth," attributing everything to the influence of his family upbringing and his own sense of crisis. It was perfectly reasonable.

Shen Zhiyi caught the fleeting shadow in his words when he mentioned his family, and it felt as though someone had lightly pinched her heart.

She did not press him further. She simply looked at his features, especially clear beneath the warm yellow light. There was none of the typical arrogance or restlessness of a rich second-generation heir in his eyes—only composure and insight beyond his years, along with a weight she still could not fully understand.

That complex air moved her more than mere looks or wealth ever could.

"So... all we do now is wait?" she asked, her voice unconsciously softening.

"Yes. Wait patiently."

Zhao Chen answered with certainty. "I estimate the trading suspension won't last long—around one to two weeks. When trading resumes, there'll definitely be an announcement about the specific Investment Agreement. By then..."

He paused and looked at Shen Zhiyi, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "That'll be the start of consecutive limit-ups. Your 'dowry fund' will be perfectly safe, and it'll appreciate considerably."

When he brought up her "dowry fund" again, two clouds of red suddenly rose to Shen Zhiyi's cheeks, making her look especially lovely in the cafe's soft lighting.

She shot him a reproachful glare, but there was no force behind it. Instead, her shifting eyes carried a shy sweetness.

"You're talking nonsense again..." she muttered softly, lowering her head to stir the remaining coffee in her cup. Yet she could not hide the slight upward curve of her lips.

Without either of them realizing it, the atmosphere shifted from its initial tension and anxiety into something relaxed and subtle.

Outside, night had fully fallen. The glass window reflected the cafe's warm interior, along with the blurred silhouettes of the two sitting across from each other, making them look intimate and harmonious.

"You're staying at this hotel?" Shen Zhiyi suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask.

"Yeah, just for a few days. It's more convenient." Zhao Chen did not explain that he had sold his car or needed time alone to make plans, and Shen Zhiyi thoughtfully did not ask.

"The environment's pretty nice." She glanced around. "Much quieter than the school dorms."

"Yeah, at least I won't be woken up by a roommate's snoring." Zhao Chen made a joke.

Shen Zhiyi laughed, her eyes curving into crescents. Once she had finished laughing, she looked at Zhao Chen and said seriously, "Zhao Chen, thank you. Not just for explaining all this to me now... but also for being willing to bring me along... to see things like this that I never knew before."

Her gratitude was sincere. It was not merely about the stocks, but about the corner of his world he had opened up to her, and the unreserved trust he had placed in her.

Something stirred in Zhao Chen's heart as he met her clear gaze. "Thank you for trusting me, too."

Their gazes met in the air. The aroma of coffee, the gentle music, and the faint sound of traffic outside all became background noise to the subtle atmosphere between them.

An unspoken understanding and closeness quietly began to grow.

Shen Zhiyi looked away first, seeming a little embarrassed. She changed the subject. "Have you had dinner yet? Is there anything good to eat nearby that you'd recommend? I... I'm a little hungry."

Only after saying it did Shen Zhiyi realize that it sounded like some kind of invitation.

Her fingers curled slightly, though she kept her expression natural.

Zhao Chen looked at her, and an extremely faint smile flickered through his eyes, like ripples spreading across a deep pool after a pebble fell in.

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of half-serious teasing.

"Classmate Shen Zhiyi, are you asking me to dinner?"

"..."

Shen Zhiyi had never expected him to use such a joking way to gently poke a hole through the hazy layer between them.

She only felt a boom as all the blood rushed to her cheeks. The tips of her ears rapidly turned crimson, and even her neck grew hot.

"Y-you're thinking too much!" she hurriedly denied it, but her voice had unconsciously softened, carrying no momentum at all. It sounded more like a coy complaint.

"I just... I'm just hungry, and you haven't eaten either, so we can just... have a meal together."

The more she spoke, the quieter she became. Her gaze drifted toward the decorative ornaments on the bookshelf beside them, and she simply could not bring herself to look into Zhao Chen's smiling eyes.

"Oh—" Zhao Chen deliberately drew out the word. Seeing her flustered embarrassment, the amusement in his eyes deepened. But he also knew when to stop and did not keep pressing her.

"So it's just convenient. Then let's go. I know a pretty good place nearby."

He stood up and naturally picked up the coat draped over the back of the sofa.

Shen Zhiyi secretly let out a sigh of relief, though she also felt an inexplicable, indescribable disappointment.

She rose after him, the heat in her face not yet fully faded.

The restaurant Zhao Chen mentioned was in a quiet alley behind the hotel. It was a Private Kitchen Restaurant, small in frontage and decorated in a simple Japanese style with natural wood. Warm yellow light shone through its lattice windows, making it feel especially cozy in the damp, foggy night.