Ji Ran ran downstairs and came back with two cups of mango pomelo sago, giving one to Zhaozhao.
Zhaozhao was delighted when she took it and thanked him repeatedly. She glanced at the drink in Ji Ran's hand and saw it was the same as hers.
"You're welcome," Ji Ran said gently.
Zhao Pingchuan stood at the office door, quietly watching the scene. After a while, he turned and went into the office.
Ji Ran poked his straw through the lid and took a sip. The mango pomelo sago tasted decent, though even at half sugar, it was still a little too sweet.
He went over to Lin Zhou and chatted with him for a while, then returned to Zhao Pingchuan's office.
Zhao Pingchuan was reading a document. Hearing the movement, he looked up, then lowered his head again when he saw it was Ji Ran.
Ji Ran made himself comfortable on the sofa and casually set his drink on the table.
"Are you and Lu Zhaozhao close?" Zhao Pingchuan asked calmly.
Ji Ran didn't think much of it. "We get along all right, I guess. She often shares her snacks with me, so I thought I should give her something in return."
"Oh," Zhao Pingchuan said, then asked, "Is your drink good?"
Ji Ran picked it up and waved it at him. "It's mango pomelo sago. Pretty good, and the mango is fresh. Want to try it, bro?"
"I don't drink that. You have it," Zhao Pingchuan said mildly.
Ji Ran's eyes darted around. He leaned over to look at the document in Zhao Pingchuan's hands. "Bro, did someone upset you at the meeting today?"
He was highly sensitive to Zhao Pingchuan's moods. Even though Zhao Pingchuan hadn't said anything harsh, Ji Ran could tell he wasn't very happy.
He'd been fine that morning.
Then Ji Ran remembered Zhao Pingchuan had been out drinking the night before, and it dawned on him. He answered his own question: "Are you still feeling sick from last night's hangover?"
Zhao Pingchuan shifted his gaze from the document to Ji Ran's face. After a moment, he nodded. "A little. I should be fine after another nap at noon."
"Then let's not go out for lunch. Get some rest early after you eat," Ji Ran said.
Hengtu didn't have a cafeteria, so they usually ordered lunch from a restaurant and had it delivered. When Ji Ran was around, the two of them sometimes went out to eat.
Zhao Pingchuan nodded and took a proposal from his drawer, handing it to Ji Ran. "This passed review at last week's meeting. Take a look."
Ji Ran knew Zhao Pingchuan wanted him to learn from it. He accepted it as though it were a treasure, sat down on the other side of the desk, and began reading attentively.
Zhao Pingchuan had said that even if he only worked in tech, he shouldn't confine his outlook to his own field. Now it seemed he was right. Ji Ran had graduated from a prestigious university and was naturally no fool; often, a little guidance from Zhao Pingchuan was all it took for him to understand. Having a chance like this to learn after entering the workforce was incredibly precious. Ji Ran wasn't a dodder flower; he was growing stronger too. Zhao Pingchuan might shine brilliantly, but if the day came when this great tree wanted to rest, Ji Ran hoped he could support him.
Zhao Pingchuan didn't work overtime that day. With Ji Ran keeping him company, the workday seemed to pass faster. The two drove home, stopping at a supermarket to buy groceries on the way.
Ji Ran loved the feeling of shopping at the supermarket with Zhao Pingchuan. Even when they had everything they needed at home, he still wanted to push the cart through every aisle. Zhao Pingchuan always indulged him, never rushing him or brushing him off, and answered everything he said earnestly.
Weren't these moments what people lived for?
When the elevator reached their floor, Ji Ran picked up the shopping bags and prepared to step out, but Zhao Pingchuan stopped him.
Zhao Pingchuan quickly pressed the close-door button, and the elevator doors slid shut again.
Ji Ran was startled. "Bro, what's wrong?"
Zhao Pingchuan looked grave. "I saw Jiang Jinyue."
"Jiang Jinyue?" Ji Ran really wondered if he'd misheard, but one look at Zhao Pingchuan's expression told him he probably hadn't.
"What's he doing at our place?"
Zhao Pingchuan shook his head. "I don't know yet. In any case, let's stay out of sight for now."
Ji Ran nodded quickly. "Right, we can't let him see us."
It would be one thing if Jiang Jinyue saw him, but if he recognized Zhao Pingchuan, they'd be in trouble.
According to Zhao Pingchuan, he'd caught a hurried glimpse of Jiang Jinyue using a key to open the door to the apartment diagonally across from theirs.
To be safe, they waited over ten minutes before going back upstairs. Jiang Jinyue was nowhere to be seen in the hallway.
After closing the door behind them, Ji Ran let out a breath. "That was close. Good thing you reacted quickly."
He couldn't understand why a rich young master like Jiang Jinyue would show up in such an ordinary residential complex, much less become their neighbor.
In any case, they had to avoid running into him as much as possible.
After that day, whenever they came or went, they checked the hallway through the peephole first and only came out once they were sure no one was there.
After observing him for a while, however, they found that Jiang Jinyue rarely went out. He spent most of his time inside, occasionally ordering daily necessities for delivery.
Gu Xingye was still looking for him. He had investigated everyone connected to Jiang Jinyue, causing an uproar throughout the city, but had found nothing.
Then again, no matter how hard Gu Xingye racked his brains, he would never have imagined Jiang Jinyue hiding alone in a place like this.
It seemed he really had been driven into a corner.
Hengtu held a small celebration for the third anniversary of its founding. Employees could bring their families, and besides the banquet, there was a prize draw to boost everyone's spirits.
Zhao Pingchuan put on a formal suit to give a speech.
Ji Ran watched the man onstage along with everyone else. He stood tall and straight, his pure black suit making him look like a sturdy stalk of bamboo. His face was sharply handsome, his eyes like stars, and when he fixed them on someone, they were like black holes absorbing every source of light.
Ji Ran didn't hear a word he said.
Zhao Pingchuan's speech was brief, ending with "Have fun, everyone." He swept his gaze across the room, letting it linger in one direction for a moment, and the faint smile that rose to his lips softened his whole expression.
Ji Ran couldn't help smiling back at him.
At an event like this, everyone inevitably drank a little, and some came over to toast Zhao Pingchuan. He politely took a sip each time.
Ji Ran sat beside Zhao Pingchuan, keeping his eyes on the lazy Susan and putting Zhao Pingchuan's favorite dishes in his bowl so his stomach wouldn't feel bad from drinking on an empty stomach.
Chen Qi watched from the side and clicked her tongue in admiration. "Old Zhao is really lucky. How come I don't have such a thoughtful younger brother or sister?"
Ji Ran smiled, revealing his little canine teeth. "Sister Qi, your son will definitely be a considerate young man when he grows up. You've got good fortune ahead of you."
Chen Qi was pleased by his words and said cheerfully, "All right, all right, I'll take your word for it."
Partway through, Ji Ran went out to use the restroom. Not long after he left, Lu Zhaozhao also got up and left the private room.
Everyone was chatting animatedly, and no one noticed.
No one except Zhao Pingchuan, who kept an eye on Ji Ran at all times.
His gaze darkened for a moment, but then he resumed chatting with everyone as though nothing had happened.
When Ji Ran came out of the restroom, he saw Lu Zhaozhao leaning against the wall at the corner.
She was twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers, as if waiting for someone.
Ji Ran greeted her and was about to walk past when Lu Zhaozhao suddenly said in a low voice, "Ji Ran, can you come with me for a moment?"
Ji Ran paused, a little surprised and slow to react. "Me? Oh, sure."
The two walked a few steps farther and stopped beside a sofa in the corner of the lobby.
"What is it, Zhaozhao?" Ji Ran asked curiously.
Lu Zhaozhao blinked rapidly several times, not daring to look at Ji Ran. Her voice grew even quieter. "Well, there's something I want to tell you."
Ji Ran gave a soft "Mm," showing he was listening.
Lu Zhaozhao gathered her courage and looked at him. Even in the dim light, he could see that one of her ears had turned red. "What do you think of me?"
"Hm?" Ji Ran thought that since she'd only recently joined the company, she must be concerned about what others thought of her. He reassured her, "You're great. Everyone likes you, so don't overthink it."
Lu Zhaozhao knew he'd misunderstood and hurriedly said, "No, that's not what I'm asking."
She had crumpled the hem of her clothes in her grip. It took her a long while to squeeze out the words: "Ji Ran, I really like you. Could you consider being my boyfriend?"