"I want to die, but I don't want to get dragged down and killed by a villain like you."
Something stirred in Chi Ye's heart. Hearing that word again, his intuition told him she knew something, especially about why he had become the "villain" she spoke of.
"Miss Shen, are you afraid of me? Or is there another reason?"
Shen Zhiyi slipped into a daze again. She didn't answer him, nor did any thoughts surface. For a while, this made Chi Ye think the thoughts he had heard earlier had all been false.
"Miss Shen, please give it some thought. Sorry for the trouble."
Shen Zhiyi showed him straight out. There was no room for discussion. She was only a minor cannon-fodder character in a book. Once her part in the plot ended, she shouldn't appear again.
Chi Ye stood at the door, still a little dazed that he had actually been thrown out. In the end, unwilling to give up, he said one last thing.
"Think it over. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
Shen Zhiyi turned off every light in the apartment, then sat down on the floor by the door without moving, like a puppet without emotions.
I want to die.
Chi Ye drew back the foot he had just stepped forward with and touched his chest. The voice was growing clearer and clearer. If it had sounded distant and indistinct before, now it was as though Shen Zhiyi were speaking right into his ear.
Living is so exhausting.
Chi Ye returned to where he had been and kept waiting. He waited a long time, but no second sentence came, nor was there any sound from behind the door.
Panic stirred in him, and he pounded hard on the door. "Miss Shen, Miss Shen." His voice was a little urgent. The silence was so unsettling it was frightening. Although he didn't know why, Chi Ye felt he had to make a sound right then.
"Stop shouting!" Shen Zhiyi sent him a message, then slowly felt her way back to her room in the dark.
After seeing the message, Chi Ye waited a while before leaving.
Shen Zhiyi hadn't agreed to his suggestion, so he came to see her every day. The first couple of times, she still opened the door to turn him down. Later, she simply pretended not to hear his knocking and even blocked his number.
Chi Ye had thought this would be simple and had been confident he could persuade Shen Zhiyi. Now he had been rejected on every front.
In the CEO's office on the top floor of Blazing Fire Technology.
After signing the documents, Chi Ye went downstairs to check on the development department, ran through the program, and pointed out what needed changing. This was a company he had founded himself. He had an exceptional talent for computing and had created a game on his own in college, gradually expanding into artificial intelligence.
In just a few years, Blazing Fire Technology had outperformed a host of companies to become S City's leader in artificial intelligence. However, after learning who Chi Ye was, many people began questioning whether he had only made it this far by relying on the Chi Family.
Chi Ye didn't argue. He had always regarded such things with disdain. Of course, he wouldn't deny what the Chi Family had given him, but over the past few years, he had used his abilities to prove those people wrong, showing everyone that Chi Ye was never merely a member of the Chi Family.
Special Assistant Fang had a few more documents that needed his signature. Blazing Fire Technology focused on firewalls and artificial intelligence, with further ventures into games, animation, voice technology, and so on.
He took the documents upstairs and finished signing them. The day was finally over. He didn't like working overtime unless inspiration struck, in which case he would bury himself in work. Otherwise, he might choose to leave early or finish on time.
"Special Assistant Fang, do you... have a girlfriend?"
Special Assistant Fang had just picked up the documents on the desk when he heard his boss's question. He studied Chi Ye's expression, then answered hesitantly.
"Do I have one, or... not?" He couldn't figure out what Chi Ye was thinking. If he said yes, that would mean he didn't have enough work if he still had the energy to date. But if he said no, his boss actually looked a little disappointed.
After thinking it over, he answered.
"Boss, I have a girlfriend."
Setting aside his position as the boss, Chi Ye actually didn't dress much like one. Today, he wore a brown denim jacket over a loose black short-sleeved shirt, with baggy jeans and a pair of skate shoes. In contrast, Special Assistant Fang wore a well-fitted suit and glasses.
He looked like a student fresh out of college, but with his black ear studs and the hint of fierceness in his eyes and brows, no one dared disrespect him.
"Then do you know how to coax someone around? The kind who ignores you and blocks you. You've probably been through that, right? Couples who are dating must all have experienced this."
He sounded certain because he had seen people in relationships start arguing over a single remark, then go straight through to blocking each other.
Special Assistant Fang felt a little troubled. Was something going on with his boss?
"Boss, that depends on the situation. If it's just a minor spat, buy a gift and take the initiative to apologize.
"If it's serious, this isn't the time to try to reason with her, but you can't give her the silent treatment and do nothing either. You have to try everything. For example, have her friends keep her company first and let her air all her grievances, then write an apology letter, follow it up with a romantic dinner and gifts, and finally make a sincere effort to resolve the issues between you.
"Most importantly, arguing isn't about winning. You can't get carried away and say all those hurtful things, or your relationship will definitely be beyond repair."
Once Special Assistant Fang started talking about this, he became the picture of experience. His usual serious demeanor vanished, and his tone was rather self-satisfied.
No matter how Chi Ye listened, none of it seemed to fit his current situation. He and Shen Zhiyi weren't even dating. They had no relationship at all. This wasn't a question of whether he apologized.
A hint of worry appeared on his face. He interrupted Special Assistant Fang, who was ready to launch into a lengthy speech, and motioned for him to get back to work.
He picked up his phone and car keys, planning to buy some desserts and get some food ready, hoping Shen Zhiyi would let him in for the sake of his sincerity.
Although the old building was a little run-down, it had all the facilities it should. Beneath the streetlights, Chi Ye had both hands full of things. He had observed Shen Zhiyi.
She really could stay indoors for ten days or half a month. The men who appeared at her door were delivery drivers, and there were only so many who could deliver there, leaving her with limited food choices too.
There was very little furniture in her home. Last time, she hadn't even had a cup to give him water in, so this time, he had specifically bought himself one.
Then there was the food. There were no signs of cooking in her home, and even the refrigerator was empty. This time, Chi Ye had bought cake, ice cream, pastries, and dishes he had specially ordered to go from a restaurant. They were packed in insulated containers and were still warm.
He thought that surely Shen Zhiyi would let him in this time, no matter what. He was full of sincerity.
"Shen Zhiyi, I'm your uncle! What kind of attitude is this?"
Chi Ye had only just reached the second floor when he heard a voice roaring in fury, while the person being shouted at seemed to have no reaction at all.
Still carrying everything, he hurried into a run. Someone was bullying Shen Zhiyi!
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