Chapter 286: A Day in the Life of President Qiao (Part 2)

"What is this?" Qiao Jiming stared at her with a cold, gloomy gaze.

She blinked, fell silent for a second, and said, "The outer packaging of the disposable plastic gloves from a takeout order."

"Qiao Suisui, do you think I'm stupid?"

Ever since she was a child, Qiao Jiming had never called her by her full name like this; Qiao Suisui knew he was truly furious.

She sighed and said, "You know what it is, yet you still ask."

Qiao Jiming turned his face away, his eyelashes trembling uncontrollably, his heart constricting into a ball.

Hadn't he warned himself that as long as they could be family, as long as he could stay by her side, it would be enough? But when he caught wind of her and other men, Qiao Jiming still couldn't help but feel a heartache so sharp that his fingers gripping the steering wheel turned white.

"Jiming, I have made it clear to you that there is no possibility between you and me. We are—"

"I know, don't say it." Qiao Jiming composed himself, forcibly suppressing the surging jealousy, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse: "You don't need to remind me, I know it all."

Qiao Suisui saw that he was in no state to continue driving, so the two of them eventually took a taxi home; by the time they arrived, Mother Qiao had already prepared a table of food, but neither of them was in the mood to eat, so the atmosphere at the table was very stifling.

Qiao Suisui went through the motions, leaving as soon as she finished eating; she had hired a nanny for Mother Qiao, and the money she gave her every month had long exceeded the cost of her upbringing over the years—this was the only thing she could provide; if Mother Qiao wanted a filial and intimate daughter, she could not do it.

She stood outside the residential complex waiting for a car when a black Maybach stopped in front of her.

The window rolled down, and Guan Weizhi, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, looked down at her. "Going home?"

Qiao Suisui was startled and said, "Yes, why did you come here?"

Guan Weizhi did not answer, only saying two words: "Get in."

Qiao Suisui said nothing and sat in the familiar passenger seat, yet she felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Guan Weizhi didn't speak either, turning the steering wheel and driving toward that road they used to frequent without needing navigation.

Qiao Suisui looked out the window, Guan Weizhi looked ahead, and the two remained silent; the air inside the car felt somewhat stagnant.

Not until they were halfway through the journey did Guan Weizhi speak first: "What did Han Chen say later on?"

A business-like tone.

Qiao Suisui replied in the same business-like manner: "What could he say? I won the bet, and I've helped him make a fortune over these years; can't I redeem myself?"

The company she and Ye Xi had established had already become independent from INF Company and was planning to create a game that would surpass it.

Guan Weizhi's gaze swept across the rearview mirror, and seeing that her chin was sharper than the last time they met, he knew she hadn't been eating on time.

The last time they met, they had parted on bad terms, after which Guan Weizhi got heavily drunk for several days and lived in a daze for over a month before returning to a normal life.

Her words were still swirling in his heart.

She said, "I don't plan on getting married; I told you that on the very first day."

She said, "Why must you force me to meet your family? We were both drunk that night, and after that, we were just business partners."

She also said, "Teacher Guan, I have always been grateful to you in my heart, but I can only give you this much; I am very sorry for making the relationship between us so messy."

Messy?

Guan Weizhi gave a self-deprecating smile.

From beginning to end, what he wanted was a legitimate relationship with her, not messy at all.

It was she who refused to be a bird that landed, always prioritizing her affection for those characters in fictional worlds.

During the days Qiao Suisui was giving him the cold shoulder, he had even wanted to acquire her company directly so she would stop messing with that damn game.

But he couldn't.

Because he knew very clearly that if he did that, there would be absolutely no possibility for them.

Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, he let out a heavy breath and said with feigned indifference: "I saw you chatting quite well with the people from Sequoia Capital at the cocktail party last week; what, are you looking for investment?"

Qiao Suisui turned to look at him upon hearing this. "You were there that day?"

"I wasn't, originally."

She frowned in confusion—what did he mean by "originally"? But she didn't want to overthink it and said, "We've reached Series B funding; don't you also want me to go public quickly so the investors can cash out?"

"That's not what I meant."

Guan Weizhi finally couldn't stand her prickly attitude, his voice softening as he said, "Can't you just talk to me properly?"

Qiao Suisui paused for a moment, lowering her eyes to think: whenever I talk properly, you always push your luck. "Is there any food at home? Let's buy some when we pass that supermarket."

"No need, I don't cook."

She glanced at her watch; it was already past eight.

Guan Weizhi noticed her movement, like a powder keg suddenly ignited; he gave a self-deprecating smile, and his tone lost its earlier gentleness.

"What, in a rush to go back and find your paper characters?"

Qiao Suisui closed her eyes in resignation and let out a long sigh. "I don't want to argue with you about this issue anymore."

"Why not argue? You're too lazy to even talk to me now, aren't you? How many times do you actually answer when I call you?"

"Guan Weizhi, are you sick? We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend; by what right do you demand that I must answer your calls?"

"Then what did that night count for? What do I count for?"

Guan Weizhi pulled the car over to the side of the road, and Qiao Suisui immediately tried to open the door to get out, but he grabbed her arm.

"Wait a second."

She ignored him and just hit him with her bag, and Guan Weizhi just endured it without a word.

Even after she finished venting her anger, his hand still wouldn't let go.

"I apologize." A few strands of Guan Weizhi's hair had fallen down from her hitting him, and paired with his gold-rimmed glasses, it made him look even more like a refined beast.

"I was wrong, I won't bring it up again, and I won't force you anymore; can we just be like we were before?"

Qiao Suisui felt a headache coming on.

Time had changed them both a lot, but it hadn't taken away the persistence in Guan Weizhi's bones.

She had calmed down by now and felt that this was endless.

Yet the man became more emotional as he spoke: "I won't ask you to give me all your time after work anymore; at least, on the weekends, give me one day, can you?"

"Can't I have the freedom to arrange my own time?"

Guan Weizhi pursed his lips, and after a long while, he conceded, "Fine, you arrange it. But at least answer my calls, okay?"

Qiao Suisui was slightly stunned, "When have I ever not answered your calls? If I didn't pick up, I would always call back."

Guan Weizhi looked at her, his expression unreadable, "You blocked me; I couldn't get through."

Qiao Suisui choked, then remembered. After they finished arguing last time, he had called repeatedly in the middle of the night. When she picked up, he was clearly drunk, rambling on and on. She had been exhausted, so she blocked him, thinking she would unblock him the next day, but she later forgot.

She took out her phone, unblocked him right in front of Guan Weizhi, and said, "Is that enough? Can I go now?"

The man slowly let go and said again, "I'll see you downstairs."

But before he could finish, Qiao Suisui had already gotten out of the car.

The moment the car door closed, Guan Weizhi's heart sank deeper and deeper.

He leaned his head back forcefully and closed his eyes in frustration.

Isn't this just self-inflicted?

He was just being pathetic.

Letting her lead his emotions around.

Yet not seeing her, not hearing her voice, and not knowing what she was doing—all of it made him feel even worse.

Guan Weizhi had intended to just calm his nerves in the car, but he heard the driver's side window being tapped lightly.

In a daze, he rolled down the window, saw Qiao Suisui's face, and heard her say, "Drive slowly on your way back, stop thinking about all that nonsense, and stay safe."

After saying this, Qiao Suisui turned and walked away without looking back.

Leaving Guan Weizhi alone to stare blankly at her retreating figure.

He suddenly, for no reason, remembered that night many years ago when he was still her teacher at school; he had driven her back to school, and that night, he kissed her for the first time.

The same summer night, the same retreating figure. Guan Weizhi thought, how could he let go? This was the rose he had watered with his own hands.

(End of this chapter)