Chapter 252: Are you ready?

~8 min read 1,437 words

Jiang Lai zoomed in on the picture and saw that Shen Xun was selling a house on his Moments—not the three‑room unit, but the flat the Shen family lives in, priced far below market value.

She just didn't know whether he was selling the house for Mother Shen's surgery expenses or to help Lin Shutong.

Jiang Lai was watching intently until her phone suddenly vibrated, displaying a call from Ke Zhongyu.

She pressed to answer.

A man's deep, pleasant voice came through: "Jiang Lai, you should finish work."

Jiang Lai replied, "I've already left the lab."

Ke Zhongyu said, "Hmm, the driver's at the company gate."

This time Ke Zhongyu didn't bring himself, indicating he still had to work overtime, and Jiang Lai nodded.

Both sides remained silent, yet neither hung up first.

Jiang Lai asked, "When are you heading back? Mo Yi can make dinner for you."

"I don't know yet," Ke Zhongyu urged, "It's cold, get back quickly."

The call ended cleanly.

It was rush hour, and although Ke Zhongyu's car was modest in color, it was a luxury vehicle with a leopard‑style license plate that almost every headquarters employee could recognize.

Many also recognized Jiang Lai, watching Ke's personal driver step out, open the car door, and seeing Dr. Jiang walk toward Ke's vehicle.

The staff wanted to look but didn't dare, wanted to speak but didn't, so they exchanged glances, their side eyes constantly flicking toward Dr. Jiang and Ke's car.

Jiang Lai just sat in the car and glanced unintentionally at the office building entrance; perhaps everyone felt guilty and collectively averted their eyes.

It was overly orderly, making the scene somewhat striking.

As the car window rose slowly, Jiang Lai withdrew her gaze and silently took out her phone.

She really needed to hurry and enroll in a driving school, then buy herself a commuter car.

But learning to drive would have to wait until after the trial concludes; for now, aside from work, the trial is the most important thing in life.

Although postponed a week, the stack of material Zhong Lü gave still needed to be mastered quickly, ideally memorized.

Back at Nanshan Shu Jiuhao, after dinner Mo Yi brought up the moving matter.

Jiang Lai: "We'll move after the trial ends."

Mo Yi suggested, "How about moving on New Year's Day? It's less than half a month away, perfect to celebrate the new year in the new home, saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new."

Jiang Lai thought that was fine.

Mo Yi said, "Since it's a New Year's celebration, just the two of us would be too quiet. After all, it's New Year's Day, not New Year's Eve—New Year's Eve is for family, New Year's Day is for friends. Miss Jiang, do you have any friends you'd like to invite over to the new house for a dinner and to celebrate New Year's? We can arrange them ahead of time."

Jiang Lai: "Let me think."

Mo Yi: "Okay."

Mo Yi watched Jiang Lai clutching a stack of documents on the sofa, knowing she would study late into the night, didn't disturb her, and sliced some fruit.

Perhaps from recent fatigue, Jiang Lai fell asleep on the sofa; Mo Yi didn't want to disturb her, turned up the heating and draped a blanket over her.

Mo Yi glanced at the documents on the table, which detailed how the Shen family had once given so much to Third Sister, truly making it hard on her.

She had just covered her with the blanket.

Ke Zhongyu returned, moving so quietly that Mo Yi didn't notice him at the doorway at first.

Upon noticing, Mo Yi walked over and said softly, "Young Master, you finally finished work."

"Hmm." Ke Zhongyu saw Jiang Lai sleeping on the sofa, didn't approach immediately; a chill radiated from his whole body.

He removed his coat, handed it to Mo Yi, went to the sofa, bent down and carefully lifted both Jiang Lai and the blanket together.

Mo Yi immediately understood, led the way, pushed open the room door, went over to pull back the quilt on the bed, turned and left.

The bed was too cold, Jiang Lai's body shivered slightly; Ke Zhongyu thought she might wake, but fortunately she didn't.

He placed Jiang Lai back, pulled the quilt over her, stared at her quietly for a moment, then got up and left.

As the man's footsteps receded, Jiang Lai slowly opened her eyes, her expression somewhat complex.

Her peripheral glance toward the doorway caught only thin shafts of light filtering in from outside and a tall silhouette gradually disappearing.

Ke Zhongyu went downstairs, Mo Yi was sorting the documents, and Jiang Lai's phone lay quietly on the coffee table.

Ke Zhongyu recalled what Professor Cheng and Xiao Qian had said that day: once Jiang Lai entered a flow state, it was hard to pull her out; aside from matters concerning Shen Xun, there was no practical reminder method, it was ingrained in her mind.

Since Jiang Lai's brain lacked a self‑reminder mechanism, he decided to use a concrete method to remind her.

Ke Zhongyu picked up Jiang Lai's phone; without unlocking it, a gentle swipe up from the bottom of the screen revealed the alarm icon.

He tapped it and set five separate alarms.