Chapter 55 What about him?

Zhao Manzhi booked the earliest flight on the day she returned to school, which took off at 8:30 in the morning. She went downstairs with her suitcase before 6 o'clock, trying to avoid making any noise.

Zhao Zhiwu had said he would take her there, but he had to undergo surgery and didn't get home until the middle of the night. Zhao Manzhi couldn't bear it, so she booked a car herself.

She didn't want to disturb her parents when she left home in the early hours of the morning, so she was very careful about all the noises.

But she saw another suitcase in front of the door, Ding Qingzi's.

A bad premonition fermented in her heart, and soon, she heard the sound of the door opening and closing behind her, and Ding Qingzi appeared in front of her with everything packed.

"Mom, are you... on a business trip?" She tried to comfort herself that it was just a coincidence.

Ding Qingzi nodded lightly, "To Hong Kong, the same flight you booked, just in time to take you there."

Zhao Manzhi's heart skipped a beat. After more than a week, this farce was not over yet, which showed that Ding Qingzi was serious.

Zhuang Youkai knew she was coming back today, and he had agreed last night to set aside half a day to give her time. In the countdown that felt like a year, Zhao Manzhi finally looked forward to leaving home, but she never thought that her mother would even chase her to Hong Kong Island in order to break them up. It

was too ridiculous, even a bit like a melodrama. In the next episode, will they say that you are siblings, so you can't be together?

She was full of thoughts on the way to the airport. The east was already bright, and the morning sun was faintly emerging from the clouds, but the street lights were still on, like early morning, but also like dusk, vague and dim, like a dream that could not be awakened.

In the end, she took out her mobile phone and sent a message to Zhuang Youkai, truthfully reporting the sudden change.

It was so early, he should still be sleeping.

She knew that Zhuang Youkai's work and rest schedule was always very regular unless he worked overtime and stayed up late.

However, after locking the screen for only a few seconds, the message alert sounded. She hurriedly checked the message and found that it was him.

A simple word "OK".

Zhuang Youkai's attitude on the chat app is far inferior to his in person. Many times, Zhao Manzhi said a lot, and he replied simply, with "OK" being the most common.

In addition to expressing the meaning of knowing, many times it is to hand over the problem to him, and he can find a way to be thorough.

Seeing her nervous face, Ding Qingzi looked very calm, "Are you worried that I will go to him for trouble?"

"No..."

"Your mother is not so unreasonable." She turned her head away, folded her hands on her knees, "We have quarreled and quarreled these days, and it has been so long. I understand your attitude. You will not give up until you hit this wall. Since you said how good he is and how sincere he treats you, then this time when you go to Hong Kong, Mom will investigate for you."

Hearing her mother's relenting, Zhao Manzhi's eyes lit up instantly, "Really?"

"I always keep my word." Seeing that she unlocked her phone, Ms. Ding took the lead and said, "Don't tip off. What good do you get from always turning your arm outward and keeping your mother in the dark with outsiders?"

"Oh..." Zhao Manzhi withdrew her hand embarrassedly. Anyway, he already knew that Ms. Ding was coming, and if he was willing, he should have thought of a plan to deal with it.

It was not yet noon when they landed in Hong Kong Island, but the heat wave rolled in the moment they

stepped out of the cabin. When the North Continent was still hovering around zero degrees, it was as warm as spring south of the Tropic of Cancer. Zhao Manzhi took off her warm scarf and hat, put them in the suitcase, turned on her mobile phone and started searching for signals. Messages popped up one after

another, but there was no message from Zhuang Youkai. Lu Qianning called and Zhao Manzhi answered.

"I'm waiting at the arrival exit. If you don't see me, call me anytime."

"Thank you, Uncle Ning." She hesitated, but couldn't help asking, "...where's he?"

They both knew who they were talking about. There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Lu Qianning just said, you'll know in a moment.

When Lu Qianning picked them up and they got in the car, Zhao Manzhi found that Zhuang Youkai did not come.

"When he learned that you were coming, Mr. Zhuang attached great importance to it and granted privileges to all the Huanye hotels in Hong Kong Island. You can check in at any time." The old housekeeper was familiar with people and polite without losing his sense of propriety. "There is also a gift prepared by Mr. Zhuang for you. It's a small thought, not a respect."

Ding Qingzi glanced at the orange gift box and didn't open it. Even Zhao Manzhi didn't know until she went back home at night that there was a priceless crocodile leather handbag in it.

"It doesn't matter. My daughter rented a house before, and we can just go back and live there." Ding Qingzi smiled slightly, "Thank you Mr. Zhuang for me. It's really troublesome."

"Of course, I will help you convey it."

They exchanged gifts. Zhao Manzhi had something in her mind and didn't participate in the conversation too much. She just looked out the window and watched the car pass the cross-sea bridge, pass the island of luxury, and then come to the quiet and beautiful New Territories.

After getting off the car, Zhao Manzhi finally had the opportunity to talk to Uncle Ning while Ding Qingzi was walking in front. "Is Mr. Zhuang busy today?"

Otherwise, how could he deliberately avoid her at this time?

The car was the silver-top Maybach he used most often in Hong Kong, and the gifts were quite generous. Even his personal butler Uncle Ning was willing to lend it to entertain him. Why didn't he want to show up?

She could only think of this possibility, that is, he was too busy and couldn't get away from work. Only this reason could comfort her that he was serious about their relationship.

"This..." Lu Qianning showed an embarrassed look on his face, "If there is a chance, Akai will tell you personally."

Zhao Manzhi's heart was chilled, and she hesitated for a long time before she said, "What do you mean, he won't show up these days when my mother is here, right?"

"He has his concerns."

"I know."

Zhao Manzhi took the suitcase from Lu Qianning and turned to leave, but was stopped by him again.

Lu Qianning sighed silently. If he were to say, why bother to consider so much about whether it is appropriate or not? It may not be a bad thing for the mother to come along. Zhuang Youkai does not want Zhao Manzhi to be caught in the middle and would rather be misunderstood. Why bother? At least from today's contact, Zhao Manzhi's mother does not seem to be an unreasonable person. As long as the hospitality is appropriate, it should be possible to resolve the past grudges.

"I just heard from your mother that she has work to do these days. She has to visit several buyers' stores and then negotiate with several clothing foreign trade companies. I will wait downstairs tomorrow morning to ensure your various schedules. If you need me for other things, just tell me."

Zhao Manzhi subconsciously declined, "No need."

"It's Akai's idea." He almost begged, "Let him do his best."

"Done his best?" Although he knew that he should not embarrass the elderly, Zhao Manzhi was inevitably disappointed by being treated like this. Zhuang Youkai didn't even want to lie to her. He blatantly avoided seeing her mother and avoiding discussing their future possibilities. She really couldn't understand. "Uncle Ning, for him, spending some money and sending someone to handle his troubles is really the most insignificant contribution. If he really wants to do his best, how could he let you do it for him?"

She wanted to say something else, but Ms. Ding on the other end had been waiting for too long and couldn't afford to delay.

Zhao Manzhi sorted out her emotions and tightly grasped the handle of the suitcase, "That's it. You can also tell him these words. You can say that I don't know what's good for me, but every word is my voice."

In the next few days, as Lu Qianning said, he came to receive Zhao Manzhi and her daughter every day without fail, and Zhuang Youkai never showed up.

Even the chat messages only mentioned the "good" on the day Zhao Manzhi came to Hong Kong.

She didn't understand what Zhuang Youkai meant. Logically, Uncle Ning would not hide anything from him and would convey her words in full. But knowing that Zhao Manzhi was in such a bad mood, Zhuang Youkai remained indifferent. Wasn't he too patient?

On the fourth day, Zhao Manzhi used the excuse of selecting courses and did not go out with Ms. Ding.

When she set out, she clearly said that she was going to investigate Zhuang Youkai, but she was busy with business these two days. She didn't even meet the person she was investigating, nor did she see any dissatisfaction, as if there was no such thing at all.

Weird, really weird. Ms. Ding was weird, and Zhuang Youkai was even weirder.

Thinking of this, Zhao Manzhi's mind on selecting courses had already flown away. The course selection system was stuck and crashed. She found several anti-crash links and finally enrolled in two professional courses. Two more courses were put on the waiting list.

After she was done, she searched the family for the remaining food, and there was only one bag of turkey noodles left.

I vaguely remember that the first time she cooked noodles in this room was when Zhuang Youkai helped her move.

The intimate and restrained embrace that day, his heartbeat so close to her, and later, the paparazzi's gossip full of gimmicks -

it turns out that the story is the most anticipated before it begins.

When I came back to my senses, the steam in the small pot had already dried up, and there was a faint smell of burnt food. Zhao Manyzhi hurriedly turned off the fire, and when she tried to grab the handle, she was suddenly scalded. As soon as she let go, the pot and noodles were scattered all over the floor.

Zhao Manyzhi squatted down to clean up, and grievances, confusion, and confusion rose in her heart for a while, turning into sour tears, which fell down with a clatter.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but it backfired. The first time she gave it all for someone, so brave, so fond of him, why did she get such a result? Is this the way the world is, or did she put her trust in the wrong person and waste her true heart?

Obviously she had been careful enough to take that step, and she had believed that Mr. Zhuang, who had watched her go in the rain and repeatedly broke his principles for her, was equally serious about her.

But it still ended in disgrace.

When Ding Qingzi came back, she saw her daughter kneeling on the cold tiles in the kitchen, crying uncontrollably over the overcooked noodles and the blackened pot at the bottom. It was a little funny and a little pitiful, as if the little Zhao Manzhi in her memory had never grown up.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying like this?" She helped her daughter up first. The latter was sobbing and her steps were unsteady. "It's just that I ruined a pot of noodles. Why are you crying? I can just cook another pot."

"But, but no matter what, I have wasted a pack of noodles."

"When you find it's ruined, throw it away and cook it again. It's better than swallowing the burnt noodles, right? Burnt things can cause cancer."

After helping her sit down at the dining table, Ding Qingzi found that her hands were also burned red. She said distressedly, "Hey, you are so old, but you still can't take care of yourself."

"There is, there is burn medicine at home, I can apply it myself..."

"Sit down, ancestor! Don't make trouble again."

Following her instructions, Ding Qingzi found the ointment, took a cotton swab, first cleaned her affected area and applied a simple cold compress, then squeezed out the ointment and applied it.

The moment the cold ointment touched the skin, not only did the burning affected area cool down, but even Zhao Manzhi's anxious heart seemed to be soothed.

She slowly stopped crying, but tears were still hanging on her eyelashes, like tiny diamonds. Ding Qingzi looked at her and couldn't help laughing, "Look, it's not a big deal? You're crying like that."

At this moment, she seemed to be back in her childhood. She was afraid of being scolded by her strict mother for getting into trouble, but in the end, she just scared herself.

Zhao Manzhi sat like a quiet doll, allowing Ms. Ding to fiddle with her. After applying the medicine, Ding Qingzi slowly put the items into her medicine box, and suddenly said, "I have already told your Mr. Zhuang's housekeeper that I will meet him tomorrow." "

What?" Zhao Manzhi doubted her ears, "Why do you want to meet him suddenly? Obviously, he

has not shown up during this period..." He treated Ms. Ding coldly, looking unwilling to take responsibility.

"Yes, he didn't see me, but every day I go to companies and stores to discuss cooperation. Do you really think it will be so smooth?" It

was only after Ding Qingzi came to Hong Kong Island that she realized the strength of Huanye Group. With such a family background, let alone asking for their consent, even if they refused to acknowledge them as in-laws and insisted on keeping their daughter, they would be helpless.

But this young Mr. Zhuang was not so arrogant. He avoided seeing them because he did not want to offend his elders before getting their approval. He put a lot of thought into the invisible places. Ding Qingzi's visit to the company was very smooth. In addition to the confidence of the company itself, she dared not imagine how many connections and work were done by relying on the face of Huanye.

However, after doing so much, the other party did not take credit. It was not until she had a good conversation with a store owner today that Ding Qingzi realized that Mr. Zhuang had introduced the information and situation to the other party before her. As for how he did it, she did not ask, nor did she delve into it.

It would be too ungrateful to be petty after receiving a favor from someone.

Zhao Manzhi lowered her head, with mixed feelings, "Logically speaking, we can get these orders with our own strength. Mom, you always say that we have to rely on our own abilities..."

"That's right, that's why I think Mr. Zhuang is decent." Ding Qingzi sighed lightly, "What he did was not to give orders and relationships to anyone, but to help me avoid a lot of trouble very cleverly."

The trouble of bargaining, the trouble of going back and forth, the trouble of human relations... Especially when traveling between Hong Kong Island and the mainland, such troubles will be infinitely magnified.

Zhuang Youkai just used his connections to give both parties a chance to choose each other, to clear the fog, and to talk about business directly, which is indeed his usual style.

Zhao Manzhi was dizzy and could only nod as if she understood.

So, this is considered... passed?

Seeing her expression relax, Ding Qingzi changed the subject, "However, as I just said, all he did was just to get a chance for a face-to-face interview. There are some things I need to make clear to him in person. If he doesn't agree, I won't agree either."

Zhao Manzhi asked impatiently, "What?"

"How could I possibly tell you?" Ms. Ding knew it too well. If she told it to her now, she would have to inform her Mr. Zhuang the next second, "You can rest assured. Mom will never hurt you."

"Oh." She responded angrily. If her mother passed this test, would she not be angry? However, she didn't want to forgive Zhuang Youkai so quickly.

What's the point of being mysterious and keeping her in the dark? She was sad for nothing these two days.

When they meet tomorrow, she will also put on a good show and let Mr. Zhuang guess her thoughts. Only in this way can it be fair.