She wasn’t a fool—this was clearly not the employee apartment Zhai Yu had described.
Chen Feng maintained his signature smile. “Mr. Zhai said he’ll explain everything to you when he returns tonight.”
Ruan Ning furrowed her brows. “What do you mean, ‘when he returns tonight’?”
Chen Feng broke into a cold sweat. “Well… it’s better to wait for Mr. Zhai to explain that himself.”
Changing the subject, Chen Feng persistently coaxed her into handing over the keys to her old apartment.
Before the afternoon was over, Chen Feng had moved all her belongings from the small apartment to the new place.
It was time to pick up Song Ziyan from school.
In the afternoon, Ruan Ning brought Ziyan to this so-called employee apartment.
After much thought, she decided to message Zhai Yu in the elevator to ask about the apartment.
As the elevator doors opened, the dignified man stood right at the apartment entrance.
Before Ruan Ning could speak, Zhai Yu strode over, looking at the little girl’s flushed cheeks. “Finished school?”
Song Ziyan was still afraid of him and had already hidden behind Song Ruannin as he approached.
Ruan Ning was stunned for a moment. Zhai Yu cleared his throat, his cool voice asking, “What are you standing there for? Open the door.”
Ruan Ning gave him a suspicious glance, walked over to unlock the door, and Zhai Yu followed her inside without hesitation.
As soon as they entered, Song Ziyan bounced around excitedly. “Mommy, is this our new home from now on? It’s so big and beautiful!”
Setting down Song Ziyan’s small backpack, Song Ruannin watched her daughter dart around like a little monkey.
“So, how is it? Are you satisfied with the employee apartment provided by Zhai Corporation?” Zhai Yu stood to the side, watching her.
Song Ruannin nodded in satisfaction. “Do all Zhai Corporation employees get this kind of treatment?”
Zhai Yu replied, “Not exactly. Only those who perform exceptionally well.”
Song Ruannin looked at him in confusion.
She had only just started working on Yunmeng’s core projects—how could her performance be considered exceptional?
Zhai Yu continued, “Haven’t you received the notification yet?”
“What notification?” Ruan Ning asked.
“The female internet celebrity you took to Jiangcheng for the audition last week passed. They’ve already confirmed her as the female lead’s supporting role in the movie,” Zhai Yu said casually.
Song Ruannin was surprised—she hadn’t expected Zhai Yu to pay such close attention to Yunmeng’s affairs.
After her initial surprise, she opened her phone and saw the messages Shen Yi had sent her, along with the jubilant celebrations in the company group chat.
Li Qimeng had truly passed Director Liao’s audition.
A wave of joy washed over Ruan Ning, but she quickly composed herself. “Is this why you’re letting me live here, Young Master Zhai?”
Zhai Yu replied indifferently, “Yes. Our company’s principle is not to neglect those who contribute to its success. This apartment is your reward.”
Looking at Zhai Yu’s serious and aloof face, Song Ruannin pondered for a moment before saying, “Then I thank you, Mr. Zhai.”
Zhai Yu hadn’t expected her to accept so easily. He chuckled softly as he looked at Song Ruannin’s face. “Miss Song is still the same as she was back then—enjoying the good things in life without a hint of guilt.”
Ruan Ning didn’t respond, because earlier that morning, she had intended to refuse Zhai Yu’s kindness.
But during her stroll around the neighborhood at noon, she had spotted Yao Lei.
The middle-aged man was taking a walk with his daughter and wife.
Song Ruannin followed them stealthily and discovered that the house Yao Lei lived in was the very one her father had lost during the liquidation.
She should have realized it sooner—that after her family’s downfall, the Yao family would have seized everything her father owned.
But she hadn’t expected them to do it so brazenly.
Since Zhai Yu had brought her here, why not take advantage of this opportunity to further investigate the Yao family?
Perhaps this was heaven’s guidance, leading her to uncover the truth behind her father’s death all those years ago.
Zhai Yu walked naturally to the kitchen island, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it in big gulps.
Song Ruannin bit her lip. “Zhai Yu, thank you.”
Zhai Yu glanced at her but didn’t respond.
The little girl, tired from running, walked over to Ruan Ning and tugged at the hem of her clothes.
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” she said, rubbing her little belly.
Song Ruannin crouched down, her voice gentle. “What would you like to eat, sweetie? Mommy will go buy groceries.”
Hearing that Ruan Ning was planning to cook, Song Ziyan avoided eye contact. She didn’t want to hurt Ruan Ning’s feelings, but her mother’s cooking was truly awful.
“Mommy, I want to eat the chicken noodle soup from the restaurant downstairs,” she said, her eyes sparkling.
Song Ruannin could see right through Song Ziyan’s little scheme and chuckled softly. “Alright, Mommy will take you there.”
After helping Song Ziyan put on her coat, Ruan Ning looked at Zhai Yu, who was sitting nearby. “Mr. Zhai, we’re heading out now. Please feel free to leave.”
Zhai Yu replied, “I haven’t eaten all day.”
Then, he stared directly at Song Ruannin.
Song Ruannin remained silent.
Zhai Yu then turned his gaze to Song Ziyan. “Little one, Uncle let you live in such a nice house. Don’t you think your mommy should treat me to a meal?”
Song Ruannin looked at Song Ziyan, then at Zhai Yu, and sighed. “Alright then.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhai Yu’s lips as he stood up and opened the door. “Wait a moment. I’ll go home and change.”
Song Ruannin was about to suggest they forget it, thinking it would be too much trouble to go back and forth.
But Zhai Yu had already stepped out, walked straight to the apartment opposite theirs, entered the passcode, and opened the double doors.
Ruan Ning’s mouth fell open in surprise.
Zhai Yu lived right across from her?
The man casually went to change his clothes, taking no more than five minutes.
When he returned and saw Song Ruannin’s astonished expression, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed. “Let’s go.”
Downstairs, the Ma Family Chicken Noodle Soup restaurant was bustling with customers, all there to eat at this hour.
Two large bowls of noodles were brought to the table. Song Ruannin had ordered one with scallions and one without.
The restaurant was too crowded, and the server didn’t pay attention, placing the bowl with scallions in front of Zhai Yu.
Seeing Zhai Yu frown as he picked up his chopsticks and began meticulously picking out the scallions one by one, Song Ruannin called out to him.
She pushed her bowl toward him. “Don’t bother picking them out. Mine hasn’t been touched yet. You can have this one—it doesn’t have scallions.”
Without a word, Zhai Yu took the bowl from her.
The warm steam from the noodle soup wafted up to his face as he spoke in a hoarse voice, “So you still remember.”
“Remember what I don’t like to eat,” he said, looking up at Song Ruannin.
Song Ruannin’s hand, resting on the edge of the bowl, paused. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she spoke softly, “My memory isn’t that bad. Besides, my sister doesn’t like scallions either.”
She wasn’t lying. Back when Song Zhirou and He Yanxing were dating, she was still in high school and often clung to her sister, intruding on their time together.
Whenever they ate, He Yanxing would carefully pick the scallions out of her sister’s bowl.
That was also the first time she learned that loving someone meant remembering their preferences.
After falling in love with Zhai Yu, she remembered many of his little habits.
He didn’t like scallions, didn’t like seafood, and preferred setting two alarms in the morning, five minutes apart.
He had a slight bit of grumpiness when waking up, but it wasn’t too severe.
These little habits of his have long been ingrained in her memory, and even now, she cannot erase them.
That’s why, when the waiter asked about their preferences earlier, she instinctively said that his dish should have no scallions.
She shouldn’t have said that.
The person across from her still had his gaze fixed on her face.
“How much of our past do you still remember?”