Chapter Three, The Knight.

Zhou Mo was taken aback: "Why are you helping me?"

Habits developed over more than ten years have made Zhou Motian wake up as soon as it gets light. After finishing tidying up, she went to the parking lot, only to find that the big iron gate was locked. In the pale blue morning mist, the empty space inside was quiet and spacious.

Duan Fu laughed and said, "Yes, let's talk about our own matters."

The big iron gate is neither too high nor too low, Zhou Mo looked up and hesitated.

That feeling of annoyance surged up again, making Zhou Mo's chest feel stuffy: "What do you mean?"

Zhou Mo was sent off, and He Chong drove to Gu's house to find Gu Zhiru.

He Chong approached and pointed out: "Step on the crossbar, grab it firmly before climbing up, step one leg over the top first... What are you afraid of? If you fall, I can definitely catch you."

No.

Jiang Yexiao said: "It would be even better if you know each other. Mr. Duan, I strongly recommend Zhou Mo to you. If you want to invest and operate, there is currently no other student in our school who has more potential than her."

Zhou Sipei smiled with humility and without being obsequious: "Since that's the case, why not let the two younger generations have a private conversation? It would be better for us to stand aside and not get in the way."

Tang Shulan lightly pinched her waist with her fingers and said, "Momo, Uncle Duan is asking you a question."

Satisfied Zhou Mo patted her belly, rare not to argue with him.

Zhou Mo dragged her steps and finally arrived in front of him. After hesitating for a moment, she couldn't help but say what was on her mind: "Can I go with you?"

Not sure... just take a casual stroll.

Zhou Mo's eyes twitched: "However..."

Zhou Mo muttered in a low voice: "Immature." He is eight years older than her.

I haven't learned it, I'm illiterate.

Duan Yongzhuo seemed to be confirming something. He flipped through a list of names beside him and then looked at Zhou Mo: "You didn't participate?"

Zhou Mo replied quickly: "I'll treat you to lunch at noon."

Hello, did you call me over to accompany you in a racewalking event?

I have a high net worth.

Zhou Moxiao chuckled and replied, "I'll be your lucky charm."

No, the reason why Ye Yinyin cried so fiercely is also because Xiao Moli didn't show up, she stood her up. And the one who stood her up is still Xiao Moli's ex-boyfriend. You can imagine how angry she must be...

He Chong glanced at him and said, "How come you've learned to be so cunning after only half a year of being here?"

He Chong rarely wore a shirt today, probably to discuss official business. The black shirt made him seem somewhat unapproachable.

When he said this, Zhou Mo felt embarrassed and said, "Wait, I'll go get you a cup of hot water." She tugged at the hem of her dress and stood up to stop a waiter.

Also done. The business in the factory is doing well now. You can help your uncle share some of the burden. Don't be foolish anymore in the future. Show me any girl you meet first, and I will screen them for you, brother.

He raised an eyebrow, folded the letter casually, and handed it to her.

My dad... he still doesn't know, right?

You're better off not understanding.

He carefully pondered his own mood and chuckled self-deprecatingly. Nowadays, young people don't have any perseverance. They are enthusiastic about everything for only a short period of time.

Han Yu looked him up and down, smiling with a deep meaning: "I heard Ye Yinyin say that you asked her for Xiaomoli's WeChat ID?"

He Cheng glanced at her, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally decided to tell the truth: "My cousin was released from prison today."

Kept it from him all along.

Zhou Mo glanced at the door, confirmed that her parents had not followed her, and quickened her pace as she walked towards the back of the hall. There was a corridor there that led directly to the parking lot behind the building.

Stay calm, pretend that you have already paid, and walk out as usual. Let's count to three and walk together, okay?

The little girl is much thinner and weaker than imagined, with slender wrists that seem to break at the slightest touch. She cried earnestly, her body trembling, as if anxious to go home, but was drenched by the cold rain like a young bird lost and unable to find its way.

The cocktail party will be held in two weeks, at the six-star hotel in the suburban resort, where glasses clink in the banquet hall. He Chong, dressed in a suit, feels uneasy all over.

After celebrating his uncle's birthday, He Chong returned to Xicheng and went to the bar first. As soon as he showed up, Han Yu started mocking him, saying, "He Chong, what finally motivated you to catch up with the times?" Taking advantage of He Chong's unpreparedness, he reached out and took out the new phone from his pants pocket, saying, "Tsk tsk, you even know how to buy an iPhone."

Just thinking about Zhou Mo, he couldn't help but sigh.

Three years ago, He Chong invested and took the lead to help He Zhengkui set up a clothing factory. They cooperated with an independent "internet celebrity" brand and undertook orders for OEM production. The business has been good all along, and they expanded their production line at the beginning of this year.

I have a keen eye for judging people, and he is not a bad person.

He Chong did not let him look closely, and reached out to take it back.

Zhou Mo bit her lip and didn't move.

On Friday evening, the "Duan Shaoan Cup" Youth Art Studio Grand Prize Competition held its award ceremony and celebration reception at a hotel in Xicheng, with Duan Yongzhou personally hosting.

He let go of her hand, lowered his head and smiled, "Can you stand firm?"

Zhou Mo placed the appreciation homework brought with her on the desk: "The homework... I put it here." After saying that, she looked at Jiang Ye, as if asking herself if she could leave.

He Chong held a cigarette in his left hand, reached out with his right hand, and turned off the radio. In the silence, smoke curled up in the carriage, somewhat pungent.

Knowing his own incompetence, he still interrupted Zhou Mo's confession. It was not that he didn't want to listen, but he couldn't bear to. The subtle emotions in that letter were easy to understand.

He stopped his movement, threw away the wrench, crawled out from under the car, took off his gloves, washed his hands, leaned against the sink, and lit a cigarette.

He contemptuously shook his sleeves, saying, "It's all snot."

Duan Yongzhuo did not feel discouraged, he took out a business card and handed it to her, saying, "If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me at any time." He did not linger too much. After Zhou Mo took the business card and nodded slightly, she turned and walked away in the rain.

Where is the burial? I will go take a look tomorrow.

Zhou Mo was eating with great concentration. He He stood up and returned after a moment with two bowls of hot rice tea, placing them by her side. Watching her gobble it down, he laughed and said, "Last time, weren't you eating more elegantly?"

Is grilled fish okay? There is a very famous grilled fish restaurant in the city center.

"Hello!" Zhou Mo quickly called out to him, "Could you please open the door?"

He Chong had already opened the car door for her and turned back to look at her. The expression on his face seemed to say, "Can we hurry up? Why does it feel like we haven't eaten enough?"

No, thank you.

He stopped for a moment and turned his head to look.

Zhou Mo reacted for a moment, turned his head, and saw Duan Yongzhuo hurrying over. He didn't bring an umbrella, and the drizzle wet his hair. His hair became even darker, making his face appear particularly pale.

The rain outside is tapping on the rough stone floor tiles of the alley, drip-drip-drip.

Zhou Mo turned on the radio in the car, lowered her head in silence, looking listless.

He Cong was speechless, then forced a bitter smile, thinking to himself: at most, the two of them have a "hired" relationship, so why would he have any reason to take the initiative to contact him for no reason.

This is the tenth sneeze she has had today. Her throat is sore and dry. Unfortunately, she caught a cold during the changing weather of autumn. She doesn't know why she is particularly unlucky today. Not only is she sick, but she also ran into Duan Yongzhuo at the office.

Waiting for someone. Upon checking the time, He Chong realized that he had been waiting here for almost two hours. He felt a bit guilty and asked, "Did I disturb your business?"

Zhou Mo wanted to retreat, but it was already too late. Jiang Ye warmly waved at her and said, "Zhou Mo, you came at the right time. I was just talking about you!"

Zhou Mo's entire strength fell on He Chong's body. Her hands, which were originally pressed against his chest subconsciously in the midst of panic, now felt like they were burning in the palm of her hand. She dared not continue and twisted her body, whispering, "Put me down."

Not painting.

He Yifei sat down beside him and reached out his hand, asking, "What is this?"

He grabbed one of Zhou Mo's arms, placed it on his shoulder, pressed his palm against her back, and exerted a little force. Zhou Mo leaned forward, knelt on both knees, and was firmly embraced by him, crying loudly.

Wait a moment! Zhou Mo swallowed, took a step closer, and gripped the iron railing with both hands.

He Chong, wait!

Zhou Mo feels a bit inexplicable.

The heart is still beating rapidly, Zhou Mo couldn't speak, just nodded.

I ... ...

As the indoor quieted down, He Chong had already finished smoking his cigarette. Amidst Zhou Mo's detailed report, he experienced a sense of loneliness.

As the back door opened, a damp and hot air rushed into the parking lot. Zhou Mo took a deep breath and suddenly heard the door behind her being pulled open. She turned around in horror, but was stunned.

Upon returning home after finishing her elective course in the evening, Zhou Mo pushed open the door and saw Zhou Sipei and Tang Shulan sitting on the sofa, with a frosty expression on their faces. This posture clearly indicated that they were waiting for her.

He Chong picked up his phone and called Zhou Mo. As he expected, no one answered. Yesterday, Zhou Mo made plans to have dinner together tonight, but he couldn't reach her since four o'clock in the afternoon. Zhou Mo's family situation is special, and it is common for her to be unreachable. He Chong didn't take it to heart either.

They finally solved the lunch problem at a restaurant specializing in sour fish soup, which was found by He Chong. Zhou Mo has lived in Xicheng for twenty years, but she didn't know there was such a hidden gem.

Zhou Mo pursed her lips, got out of the car, "clang" shut the door, and walked away without looking back.

He Cheng still had that lazy and relaxed look, and looking at her smile was somewhat unpredictable: "Long time no see."

No problem, the boss laughed heartily, anyway, I don't have anything to do when I go back. Why don't you have a bowl of braised food first?

On the bed.

He Chong took out the car key: "Where to? I'll give you a ride."

Lin Heng was in so much pain that cold sweat was coming out of his forehead. He dared not resist and quickly let go of Zhou Mo. He held his wrist, took a step back, and found that the letter he had been holding was now in He Chong's hand.

After the pleasantries, He Chong took the opportunity to leave the banquet hall. Smoking was prohibited indoors, so he went to the balcony and lit a cigarette, leaning on the railing and smoking slowly.

Zhou Mo saw the envelope, her face changed, and she immediately reached out to snatch it. Lin Heng raised his arm and easily dodged it.

Duan's father laughed and said, "Yongzhuo also likes art. When he was young, he wanted to learn to paint like his grandfather, but unfortunately, he lacked the talent."

Duan Yongzhuo followed her gaze and suddenly said, "Do you want to come in?"

Hè chōng jiǎobù yī dùn, huítóu dào: "Yàoshi wǒ méi dài, nǐ fān jìnlái ba."

Duan Yongzhou explained: "I just saw your painting, and Teacher Jiang is right, you have great investment value."

After settling He Yifei, He Chong's mental burden was lifted another layer. Now, his only concerns are He Mi and Zhou Mo.

He Yifei looked gloomy and said, "Brother, thank you."

He Chong raised an eyebrow and said, "You still want to do something bad? You don't even have the courage to do this. Will you translate it or not? If not, I'll go back to sleep..."

He pushed open the door and ordered a pot of wine and a plate of braised peanuts. He often comes here, and the shop owner knows him well. After serving him, the shop owner didn't ask much and went straight to the kitchen to busy himself.

The sun climbed over the buildings, rising higher and higher, as the car drove towards the city center. He Chong felt that something was off and turned his head to take a look, only to find that Zhou Mo had been silent since they got on the car.

Zhou Mo was surprised. She didn't expect that such an embarrassing scene would be witnessed by He Chong. She looked up and said, "You..."

Zhou Mo closed her eyes: "I don't want to."

Zhou Mo seems a bit listless: "After I went home that day, I was sent out by my father the next day."

Han Yu sneered and said, "You talk as if you used to manage a bar when you were in Xicheng."

Zhou Mo sat still, hesitant to leave. When she stood up just now, she noticed Tang Shulan and Zhou Sipei sitting not far away, closely observing her every move.

Zhou Mo stands her ground: "I'm in a hurry."

He Zhaohong smiled, took out a tooth from half an orange, and stuffed it into Zhou Mo's mouth, saying, "Try it."

Hè Chōng's figure paused, then turned around to look back. Zhōu Mò took out the letter from her bag, tore it into pieces, and casually threw it next to the oranges in the dustpan. She clapped her hands and quickly caught up with him.

He let go of He Chongsong's hand, helped her up, and reached out to pat the dust on her skirt's knee. The makeup on her face was smudged from crying, and she once again became the familiar disheveled little girl.

So you see... He Chong raised his hand and threw the orange into the dustpan placed at the door of this household, saying, "Some things are clearly not good, so there is no need to make further efforts to try."

Zhou Mo shook the lock chain on the iron door and shouted inside, "He Chong! Wake up!" After waiting for a while, a figure walked out of the building, who was He Chong. When he approached, Zhou Mo noticed that he was only wearing a pair of boxers, dragging his slippers, yawning, and looking unhappy on his face.

Zhou Mo has a thin face. She was entangled and pulled at the school gate, which made her annoyed and her eyes turned red. She casually crumpled the letter into her bag without looking at He Chong and Lin Heng, and walked out with her head down. He Chong warned Lin Heng with a glance and followed her.

Zhou Mo was very surprised: "What kind of joke is this? Between him and me, we..." She suddenly faltered, unable to explain clearly what her current relationship with him was, only knowing that it had nothing to do with what Ye Yinyin had said.

Zhou Mo sneezed.

Zhou Momei frowned and said, "I feel a little guilty." She said this with little confidence. The list was made by her, and He Chong followed the list, but she ended up feeling affected. She paused and explained, "In such a small shop, one can't earn much money even after working hard for a year."

Zhou Mo thought he was going to go back on his word, and hurriedly said, "Last night, you didn't..."

Zhou Mo remembered the last time they met, he had been coughing continuously, but she didn't think much of it and handed him her umbrella, asking, "Is everything okay?"

Upon hearing her say this, He Chong couldn't help but feel proud: "I dare not speak of other things, but when it comes to finding food, I am an expert."

He Chong didn't say anything else: "Think about what to eat."

He Chong smiled and said, "It's just a letter, is it really necessary?"

The car was parked on the roadside outside the clothing factory, the key was inserted, but the car did not start. He Chong lit a cigarette and bit it in his mouth, took out the hair tie from his pocket, and held it carefully in his hand.

You kids are the ones who like to drink this kind of sweet stuff.

Amidst the silence, the car continued to move forward. Zhou Mo had to speak up and remind, "Shouldn't we turn around?"

What about you?

A long and narrow alley, he walked for a long time, with only the sound of his own footsteps echoing around.

Zhou Mo quickly took a step forward: "Teacher Jiang, I just want to focus on painting and have no interest in these."

Sun Qi was very satisfied with the meeting and inspection, and promptly paid 70% of the initial payment. He said he would settle the remaining 30% after he arranged for someone to implement the plan.

He Chong laughed helplessly: "Hey, you have quite a temper."

Ten days have passed, Zhou Mo has not made a single phone call to him.

In the afternoon, He Chong followed his uncle to visit the workshop where the newly purchased large-scale textile equipment was running loudly. The employees were shuttling back and forth in an orderly manner. In the evening, the two went out for dinner and drinks. They hadn't seen each other for a long time and inevitably drank a bit too much.

On this morning, when He Chong was dismantling a car downstairs, he suddenly felt that the huge factory building was unusually deserted. For some reason, he thought of a little girl who had been squatting there not long ago, chewing on a bun while watching him dismantle the car.

Duan Yongzhou seemed to be listening but not really listening: "Do you have any works? Can I take a look?"

Zhou Mo tightly pursed her lips and vigorously shook her head to avoid.

Not yet, tears and snot bubbles have come out.

Order a large bowl and add extra coriander.

Zhou Mo grabbed the seat belt, hesitated, hesitated again, and finally took a deep breath, making up her mind: "I want to go back and repay the money."

He lowered his voice and said, "Go straight ahead."

Duan Yongzhou did not answer, but said eagerly, "I formally invite you to sign a contract with my company."

The air flow of He Chong's breath brushed over her head, and his voice carried a smile: "What's the rush? I said I'll catch you."

Upon arriving at the building, He Chong did not allow Zhou Mo to go upstairs and asked her to wait downstairs. He himself went up to the second floor in a few steps. In the room, Yan Tianyu and Lin Xinghe were sleeping in a disheveled manner. He Chong did not wake them up, put on his clothes, and then grabbed his phone and wallet.

Zhou Mo "Escape from Heaven", she breathed a long sigh of relief when she left the office building. She opened her umbrella and walked while texting Ye Yinyin, confirming the time and location of the final of the entrepreneurship competition.