Ding Long’s words left He Zhilan nearly color-drained. She leaned against the corner of the wall, gasping for breath, her eyes red. Fortunately, the place was dark enough to cover her moment of disorder.
That night, her heart, almost floating, rose once again as if soaring into the vast space. Each of her steps felt empty.
After standing in the corner for a while, He Zhilan finally managed to calm herself down and went to find Zhou Chenyue. "I saw your sister. She seems not well. Come with me."
It was only after she finished speaking, she noticed a man standing next to Zhou Chenyue. It was Zhou Chenyue’s cousin, Zhou Hongjin.
"Found her?" Upon hearing Ding Jinshi’s news, Zhou Chenyue’s eyes brightened. Urging He Zhilan to lead the way, she said, "I am such a fool. I got lost in such a small place. I’ve walked the same area several times and people looked at me as if I were a monster."
"Your sense of direction has been awful since you were little. I remember when you first moved into the compound, you didn’t dare to move around for several months, afraid to wander too far and not find your way home," Zhou Hongjin teased. He looked at He Zhilan but said nothing more.
The trio walked quickly to the spot where He Zhilan had met Ding Long earlier. But fortunately, Ding Long was nowhere to be found.
He Zhilan pointed and Zhou Chenyue looked over, "I knew she would be ! Brother, you and He Zhilan wait here for me, I will go over there."
"Go ahead, try to persuade her." Zhou Hongjin and Ding Jinshi weren’t so close, so there wasn’t much he could say. After Zhou Chenyue left, he looked around and asked, "Shall we sit there and wait?"
He Zhilan nodded without saying anything else and followed Zhou Hongjin to an empty seat. As soon as they got seated, a waiter came up to ask if they wanted any drinks; Zhou Hongjin ordered two juices and then asked the waiter to leave.
Zhou Hongjin had quite a few drinks at dinner and in the private room on the third floor, hence, the strong smell of alcohol on him. Even though He Zhilan was sitting a bit away, she could still smell the alcohol from him.
"He Zhilan, we’ve actually encountered each other many times at school!" Zhou Hongjin suddenly said, then gave an awkward smile, "Judging by your look, I can tell that you don’t remember."
Hearing Zhou Hongjin’s words, He Zhilan was truly surprised because she genuinely did not remember ever seeing Zhou Hongjin at school.
The look on He Zhilan’s face was the answer Zhou Hongjin expected. He felt somewhat disappointed about his unremarkable charm value, unnoticed despite their numerous encounters.
"Senior Zhou, I apologize because I have a bad memory for people and events. Did we really meet many times at school? Where? Can you give me a clue?" He Zhilan felt sorry because he recognized her, yet she didn’t have the slightest recollection.
"The school’s library. You worked part-time there, and I visited the library three or four times a week. Thus, we would meet three or four times a week. It’s heartbreaking that you don’t remember me at all," Zhou Hongjin said with a faint smile, clearly teasing He Zhilan.
Perhaps it was because Zhou Hongjin was Zhou Chenyue’s cousin, or it could be because Zhou Hongjin didn’t have as heavy a ferocious aura like Ding Long and Lan Li, which made him more approachable. His facial expressions, tone of voice were particularly casual and laid-back. Therefore, He Zhilan felt more relaxed around Zhou Hongjin, creating a sense of unforced spontaneity.