Chapter 43: Childhood Sweethearts

On the highway heading to Qingjiang County!

Qin Ze drove for a full hour without stopping!

Jiang Wan, in the passenger seat, seemed a bit bored; she adjusted her posture, then as if suddenly remembering something, a cunning smile curled the corner of her mouth.

"Senior Brother," she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"How about the outfit I'm wearing today?"

As she spoke, Jiang Wan gently pulled up the leg of her suit trousers.

Qin Ze glanced down instinctively.

Black stockings wrapped around her slender calves, faintly visible beneath the cover of the suit trousers.

That half-hidden, half-revealed feeling carried more impact than wearing stockings openly.

Qin Ze nearly lost his grip on the steering wheel.

"Stockings under trousers?" He withdrew his gaze and looked forward again.

"Senior Brother knows his stuff."

Jiang Wan let her trouser leg fall, smiling like a cat that had stolen fish.

"I bought them specially; they're the ultra-thin kind."

"How about it? Doesn't it give a very office-temptation vibe?"

"Who exactly are you planning to tempt?" Qin Ze raised an eyebrow.

"My boss, of course," Jiang Wan said righteously. "Otherwise, who would I dress up for?"

Qin Ze shook his head and didn't respond.

He knew Jiang Wan too well; on the surface, this woman appeared bold and uninhibited, but in reality, she had an extremely strong sense of propriety. This level of teasing was merely her way of relieving boredom.

"Senior Brother, why aren't you speaking?" Jiang Wan leaned closer. "Is your heart racing?"

"No! I'm just thinking about what we'll do when we get home." Qin Ze's expression remained unchanged.

"Tch, boring." Jiang Wan sat back, but the smile on her face didn't fade.

Just then, Qin Ze's mobile phone rang.

The car's Bluetooth connected automatically, displaying an unfamiliar number on the screen.

Qin Ze pressed the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Qin?" A rough male voice came from the other end, overly respectful in tone. "This is Brother Hu."

Qin Ze's eyes narrowed.

Jiang Wan also reined in her smile and sat up straight.

"What is it?" Qin Ze's voice was calm.

"Mr. Qin, I want to apologize to you," Brother Hu said, tension evident in his voice.

"A few days ago, my men were ignorant and offended you. I wish to visit your door in person to apologize; I hope you can give me a chance."

Qin Ze laughed:

"Hiss, what act are you putting on?"

"Mr. Qin, I'm serious," Brother Hu hurriedly said.

"I failed to recognize Mount Tai; it was only after I investigated that I learned you are no ordinary person."

"Those few subordinates of mine were blind and offended you; I apologize on their behalf."

"So... could you do me the honor of meeting me?"

Qin Ze did not answer immediately.

Listening beside him, Jiang Wan's eyes were full of curiosity.

"I'm not in Jiangcheng right now," Qin Ze finally said.

"Then when will you return?"

"In a few days, probably."

"Good, then I'll wait for your return; I can wait however many days it takes," Brother Hu said.

"Mr. Qin, rest assured, from now on my people will absolutely never trouble you again. As for Liu Bin, I've already drawn a clear line between us."

Qin Ze smiled. "You certainly know how to read the situation, but there's one thing I want to ask you."

"Please go ahead!"

"Whether you apologize or not really doesn't matter to me," Qin Ze said, his tone becoming playful.

"But I very much care whether Liu Bin, your associate, will apologize. So, you should still do some work on Liu Bin's side, understand?"

Brother Hu paused for a few seconds, then immediately declared, "President Qin, rest assured, I understand; I will definitely do a good job working on him!"

"I guarantee I'll make him personally apologize to you!"

"That's good," Qin Ze said. "We'll talk when I get back."

"Yes, yes, President Qin, please attend to your matters; I won't disturb you further."

The call ended.

Qin Ze chuckled inwardly! You, Liu Bin, still sent people to mess with me!

Then I'll just let the people you hired have a good time playing with you.

The car cabin fell silent for a few seconds.

Jiang Wan finally couldn't hold back and spoke.

"Senior Brother, you've become far too mysterious to me now," Jiang Wan said, pouting.

"But... I really like this mysterious air of yours."

Qin Ze glanced at her through the rearview mirror:

"Like what?"

"I like that you have secrets." Jiang Wan rested her chin on her hand, looking at the scenery speeding by outside the window.

"Unlike me, who has become far too transparent before you nowadays; it's not interesting at all."

"Plainness is a blessing. Besides, if you weren't transparent to me, could I rest assured using you?" Qin Ze joked half-heartedly.

Forty minutes later, the car exited the expressway and entered Qingshui County town.

Although Qingshui County was merely a county, because it was close to Jiangcheng, it had developed very rapidly in recent years.

The streets were wide, high-rise buildings stood in great numbers, and the commercial district saw significant foot traffic, appearing even more bustling than an average prefecture-level city.

Ten minutes later, Qin Ze drove the car into a slightly old residential compound.

This compound was called Jinhua Yuan, a work-unit family courtyard built more than twenty years ago.

The building facades were somewhat mottled, but the landscaping was excellent; the courtyard was filled with phoenix trees, their leaves beginning to turn yellow this season.

After parking the car, Qin Ze took several gift boxes out of the trunk.

The two of them walked into Building 3 and climbed the stairs up to the fourth floor.

At the door of unit 401, Qin Ze knocked.

"Coming, coming!" A familiar voice came from inside.

The door opened, and Qin's father stood in the doorway.

A man in his fifties, slightly overweight, with somewhat graying hair, wearing gray loungewear.

Upon seeing Qin Ze, his eyes lit up, and then he did something that caught Qin Ze completely off guard.

He spread his arms and gave Qin Ze a big hug.

"Son! You're finally back!"

Qin Ze was stunned.

From childhood to adulthood, his father's approach to educating him had always been the strict-father model.

Stern and unsmiling, demanding strict standards, rarely expressing affection.

But now, Qin Ze realized that this care from his own father carried, to some extent, a respect for money!

"Dad, what are you..." Qin Ze was at a loss.

"Come in quickly, come in quickly!"

Qin's father released him, grabbed his arm, and dragged him into the house.

"Your mother has been waiting for you for half a day; Uncle Zhao and Yutong are here too!"

But when Qin Shougang noticed Jiang Wan standing behind Qin Ze, the fatherly love on Qin Shougang vanished instantly!

Qin Shougang yanked Qin Ze aside, then looked Jiang Wan up and down, asking puzzledly:

"And who is this..."

"Hello, Uncle." Jiang Wan hurriedly greeted him, "My name is Jiang Wan, I am an employee at Qin Ze's company."

"An employee?" Qin's father blinked, then immediately reacted.

"Oh, oh, a colleague! Please come in, please come in!"

Qin Ze and Jiang Wan walked into the house.

The house was not large; the living room held a set of old-fashioned sofas, and the walls were hung with photos of Qin Ze from childhood to adulthood.

Qin's mother came out from the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a spatula in her hand.

"Xiao Ze is back!" She beamed with a smile, then saw Jiang Wan, "And who is this..."

"Hello, Auntie, my name is Jiang Wan." Jiang Wan introduced herself again, "I am an employee at Qin Ze's company, and I am also from Qingshui County."

"Oh, oh, good, good, whether a colleague or a fellow townsman, please sit, please sit."

Qin's mother nodded, her gaze sweeping between Qin Ze and Jiang Wan, without asking anything else.

Meanwhile, Qin Ze immediately discovered two people sitting on the sofa.

One was a man in his fifties, wearing glasses and a polo shirt, looking refined and gentle—Uncle Zhao, his own father's colleague and also their neighbor.

The other was a young woman, appearing to be in her late twenties.

With long hair cascading over her shoulders, wearing a beige dress, she had delicate features and a quiet demeanor.

This was Zhao Yutong, Uncle Zhao's daughter, and Qin Ze's childhood friend.

Upon seeing Qin Ze, both of them stood up.

"Uncle Zhao, Sister Yutong." Qin Ze greeted them.

"Xiao Ze is back!"

Uncle Zhao walked over smiling and punched Qin Ze lightly on the shoulder.

"You've grown taller, and sturdier too. I heard you've made something of yourself and arranged for your father to retire early?"

"To tell the truth, I've thought highly of you since you were little! I always felt you would amount to something!"

"Uncle Zhao, you flatter me." Qin Ze replied modestly.