Chapter 33: Where are you going? I

The next morning, she woke up, had breakfast, and left for work as usual.

At noon, while she was eating, Feng Tingshen called.

This was the first time Feng Tingshen had called her since slipping away quietly from the Hot Spring Shanzhuang.

Rong Ci answered.

“Mom…”

“Mm.” Rong Ci responded, asking, “Have you eaten?”

“Just finished!”

That morning at the Hot Spring Shanzhuang, she had received a call from Aunt Wu, saying her father had taken her out to play and asked if she wanted to join them.

She immediately agreed.

And while Rong Ci wasn’t paying attention, she sneaked away.

They had a wonderful time, not returning to the city until yesterday afternoon.

But last night, they didn’t come home.

This morning, back at school, she thought of Rong Ci and felt guilty, worried Rong Ci might be angry, so she called.

Yet hearing her mother ask if she’d eaten, she realized Rong Ci wasn’t angry about her sneaking off—she relaxed.

She knew her mother could never stay mad at her!

Still, she’d noticed lately that her mother no longer called every day or constantly asked where she was.

She thought this change was good.

She liked this change in her mother!

Now she could do whatever she wanted with much more freedom!

Rong Ci hadn’t asked where they’d been these past two days.

Because she wasn’t interested.

After chatting with Feng Tingshen a bit about her studies, Rong Ci hung up.

Back in her office, Yu Moxun came over and asked, “The tech expo is tomorrow—should everyone meet at the company and head out together?”

Rong Ci: “Sure.”

The next morning, as Rong Ci drove out, her car suddenly broke down, and the vehicle behind her rear-ended her, triggering a chain-reaction accident.

A line of drivers behind her were cursing.

Her immobilized car was blocking traffic.

After apologizing to the drivers behind her, Rong Ci immediately called emergency services and waited for help.

But resolving this would take a long time—and she was in a hurry to get to the expo—

“Your car broke down?”

At that moment, a tall figure walked over from the opposite sidewalk.

Rong Ci looked up.

He Zhangbai.

Why him?

She gave a flat “Mm,” not wanting to engage him. She called Yu Moxun first, informed him of her situation, and told him to go ahead without waiting for her—she’d join once she’d handled things.

“Accidents like this are a hassle to sort out.”

By the time she got there, the expo would probably be over.

Yu Moxun said: “Wait a minute—I’ll call someone to help you, but it’ll still take at least half an hour to reach you.”

“It’s fine—I can enter a bit late.”

As long as she didn’t miss the expo.

After hanging up, Rong Ci was about to speak with the drivers behind her when He Zhangbai suddenly said, “I’ll have someone handle this for you. Where are you going? I’ll drive you.”

Rong Ci froze, looking up at him.

Five minutes later, Rong Ci sat in He Zhangbai’s car.

They sat in the backseat, with a gap between them, yet Rong Ci still felt awkward.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

It’s nothing…

Rong Ci frowned.

In the past, He Zhangbai had basically ignored her.

Their last encounter at the racetrack had been unpleasant.

Though he’d unexpectedly greeted her the last time they met—

He Zhangbai was busy; after getting in the car, he made several calls in a row.

This relieved Rong Ci.

They weren’t close, and being confined in such a small space made her uncomfortable.

Over forty minutes later, the car arrived at the tech expo entrance.

Rong Ci got out and politely said to He Zhangbai, “Thank you.”

He Zhangbai: “Mm.”

Rong Ci gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

Shortly after Rong Ci left, a black luxury sedan pulled up beside He Zhangbai’s car.

Lin Wu thought she’d mistaken the car.

After checking the license plate, she confirmed she hadn’t.

She tapped on He Zhangbai’s window.

The window rolled down slowly; Lin Wu leaned in: “Changbai, it really is you.”

Then she added, “Why are you here too?”

He Zhangbai got out: “I dropped off a friend.”

At that moment, Lin Lihai and Lin Lilan also got out; upon learning He Zhangbai’s identity, they quickly greeted him.

He Zhangbai nodded in return: “Uncle, Auntie.”

After a few pleasantries, He Zhangbai received a call—the expo was about to begin—so Lin Wu and the others left.

On the other side.

Rong Ci met up with Yu Moxun and the others at the expo entrance.

Yu Moxun leaned close and whispered, “Our teacher will be attending this expo.”

Rong Ci froze, eyes widening.

Yu Moxun raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Good thing you found someone to help you—if the teacher found out you were late, he’d probably…”

Rong Ci instantly understood his implication.

Their teacher didn’t care why someone was late.

To him, being late meant lack of commitment.

He was already furious when Rong Ci graduated college, got married, and had a child; now, if he discovered she was late right after their reunion, Rong Ci couldn’t bear to imagine the look he’d give her.

Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

“So, thank goodness you weren’t late.”

Rong Ci also exhaled in relief.