Chapter 7

In the living room, it was as if a silent play was unfolding. The man tilted his head, watching the child finish his performance, then reached out to take the Rubik's Cube from the child's hands. Imitating the child, he held the cube in his palm and smiled at him, then with a few 'clicks', he scrambled the colors of the cube. It was evident that the man was on a different level than the child; he closed his eyes, and his long, slender fingers danced up and down. In what seemed like just a few seconds, a neatly colored Rubik's Cube was resting in his palm. Then, with a few more 'clicks', he scrambled the colors of the cube again. Clearly, the man was far more skilled than the child; he closed his eyes, and his long, slender fingers flew up and down, and in what seemed like just a few seconds, a neatly colored Rubik's Cube was resting in his palm.

It seemed to her that she and the man were not on the same wavelength. This was the first thought that sprang to Kong Liqing's mind as she looked at the man, her expression one of foolish bewilderment, unable to respond.

Kong Liqing observed the child's childish behavior without intervening; her home rarely had visitors, and the child was too lonely. This childish behavior was merely an attempt to attract attention. The child harbored no suspicion towards others, and she saw no need to take any action that might frighten the child when the situation was unclear.

As the man walked out, Kong Liqing followed him from behind. During dinner, the man actually ate very little, and it was evident that he did not have a good appetite. Just as he was about to leave, she suddenly felt a twinge of compassion and said to Zhou Yezhang, who had already reached the door: "If the headache does not improve with medication, you might consider acupuncture or massage; sometimes traditional Chinese medicine is more effective for certain chronic conditions than Western medicine"

The man dismissed the child and turned to meet Kong Liqing's gaze. Kong Liqing had been watching them, and when the man looked at her, she did not shy away from his eyes. Her mood was heavy and complex; she was, in fact, a person of innate purity and goodness. The hardships of her childhood had not dulled the straightforward kindness in her character. She never concealed her feelings, and at this moment, her emotions were reflected on her face. Her brows involuntarily furrowed, and the corners of her mouth turned down, giving her an expression of deep sorrow. The man also furrowed his brows as he rested his chin on his hand, looking at Kong Liqing with a serious expression.

With a tone that was somewhat impolite and a solemn expression, the man exuded a cold and hard aura that made him seem unapproachable. He Zhi Chen turned to face the man, perhaps due to the man's noble and proud demeanor, or perhaps it was the man's powerful presence that caused He Zhi Chen, who was already in a bad mood and generally considered proud, to unconsciously step aside. Kong Li Qing, even more so, did not dare to provoke these individuals; she pushed her cart and also stood to the side, clearing the entrance of the unit.

The last man remaining, named Zhou Yezhang, walked past Kong Liqing, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Just as she quietly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him enter the door, he suddenly stopped. He turned around and looked directly at her, who was still standing outside, and unexpectedly said something that left her perplexed: "Aren't you leaving?"

The man looked up and replied to her, "Alright, sorry to bother you." His demeanor was very polite, like a gentleman, and Kong Liqing had no choice but to respond courteously, "It's alright."

Such an outwardly outstanding and perfect person had never appeared in Kong Liqing's past life. This individual's temperament is also quite unique; he carries himself with elegance and possesses a strong character. From the perspective of a woman appreciating a man, this person is undoubtedly among the best of the best. However, having lived in darkness for a long time, Kong Liqing can sense a certain darkness within this person. Instinctively, she perceives a bloody and violent aura emanating from him, which evokes a strong sense of repulsion and fear towards him.

He Zhi Chen opened his mouth to speak, but Kong Li Qing did not give him the opportunity, turning around and pushing the cart into the entrance. The young man who had been holding the door also had good insight, and with a "bang," he closed the door, leaving no chance for He Zhi Chen to say a word

Kong Liqing watched the man walk out, observing as the door closed before her. She stood there for a while, gazing at the now-closed door, before walking to the side to turn off the main lights in the living room, then turning off the television and the air conditioning. She also checked the doors and windows once more before returning to the bedroom to embrace her child and sleep. Just before falling asleep, she prayed earnestly to God: may life be smooth in the future, and may she be able to raise her child safely.

Wan Xiang seems to be filled with curiosity about the guests at home, and today the animated show seems unable to fully capture his attention; he occasionally turns to glance at the person next to him

After greeting the child to wash their hands, two adults and one child sat down at a dining table. On the table were three dishes and one soup: braised spare ribs, stir-fried celery with shrimp, stir-fried snow peas, and a large bowl of vegetable and tofu soup. Kong Liqing had to cook for her father when she was 10 years old, so her cooking skills were quite good. The table was filled with home-cooked dishes, rich in sauce, and the vibrant green colors were quite appetizing.

Kong Liqing instinctively wanted to dodge, but her neural reflex arc might be a bit longer; she had not yet had the time to retract her neck when the other person's fingers had already withdrawn.

After the man entered the room, he did not change his shoes. He acted as if he were at home, walking in while taking off his suit jacket. When he reached the side of the sofa, he casually placed his jacket on the armrest and sat down.

After a busy time, I finally gave the child a bath and helped him lie down in bed. Kong Liqing arranged everything for the child and then returned to the living room, hesitatingly speaking to the man who was still sitting on the sofa: "I plan to rest now"

The man raised his eyes to meet Kong Liqing's gaze and said softly, "You go ahead and do your work, I will just sit here for a while. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."

At the moment Kong Liqing heard these words, she realized that she had fallen into trouble, and she had a strong premonition that she would likely become entangled with these people in the future

Kong Liqing locked eyes with the man in front of her. His features were deep and hard, resembling a statue. His pupils were dark, and his gaze was resolute, exuding a heavy aura. She profoundly realized that they were not on the same level; in every aspect, she had no capital to compete with this man. She ceased to speak, turned around, opened the door, and stood by it, waiting for him to enter. Compromise, then; since she could not resist, she would at least make her posture more graceful.

Kong Liqing did not want to get herself into trouble, so she walked past the man with her eyes averted, intending to adopt a posture of refusal in order to slip by unnoticed. However, the man did not give her the opportunity; after she took two steps, she could clearly hear his footsteps following closely behind her.

Kong Liqing looked up at the other person, but the man still had no expression on his face, chewing something with his mouth closed, not looking at her. It was hard to tell whether the man's praise was sincere or merely polite, so Kong Liqing responded casually with a murmur.

The cramped elevator space was divided in half by a bicycle, with Miss Yang and a young man standing on one side, while Kong Liqing and Zhou Yezhang stood on the other. Kong Liqing was aware that all three of them were watching her, especially the gaze of the man behind her, which was the hardest to ignore. She could feel a chilling breeze blowing on the back of her neck, and she had nowhere to place her eyes, so she could only look up at the ceiling.

Kong Liqing turned to He Zhichen and said sincerely, "Senior brother, Wan Xiang just fell off his bike, and he is currently waiting for me at home. Let's find another time to talk."

Zhou Yezhang watched Kong Liqing disappear from his sight, still maintaining that posture with one hand on his forehead, enduring the faint throbbing pain in his head. He said he indeed had a headache; he was really suffering from it today. Several days of high-intensity work without proper rest had left his mind somewhat oxygen-deprived. This afternoon, he had originally planned to sleep after finishing work, but just before getting off, Lu Xu reported to him that Miss Yang had called. The moment he heard Miss Yang's name, a bird's-eye view of City B immediately appeared in his mind, like an animation, with a colorful line guiding him through streets and towering buildings. At that moment, he was positioned in the city center of City B, and his eyes followed this line as it traversed half the city, arriving in front of that building, and finally passing through the wall into that room, where he saw the woman with an unfavorable demeanor.

The man ate in silence, and Kong Liqing and the child also spoke little during their meal, creating a moment of silence at the dining table

Finally, after a long wait, the elevator stopped at the top floor. Kong Liqing did not greet anyone and directly pushed her cart towards the safety door. She took her time locking the cart, hoping to avoid running into those few people on her way back. However, her luck was not good; as she emerged from the safety door, she still saw the three individuals. They stood in a straight line, with Miss Yang already having opened her front door. She stood inside, looking at the two people outside, seemingly waiting for them to enter. Zhou Yezhang was standing at the elevator door, facing the safety door that Kong Liqing had just entered, while the young man stood side by side with him.

Kong Wanxiang was clearly taken aback, his eyes wide open as he exclaimed: "That's amazing, how did you do it?"

The expressions of the other two people inside the door were also quite remarkable. Both of them glanced at Zhou Yezhang simultaneously and then turned their heads in unison to look at Kong Liqing. Yang Miaoke's expression towards Kong Liqing was somewhat complex, which Kong Liqing found a bit difficult to understand. However, the young man with the exquisite features looked at Kong Liqing with a look of surprise. After the initial astonishment, he began to scrutinize her from head to toe, his gaze a blatant examination.

Kong Wanxiang turned sideways to face the man, raised the diamond-shaped Rubik's Cube in his hand, and smiled at him. With a few quick twists, he scrambled the colors of the cube, then lowered his head and swiftly manipulated it with his fingers. In less than a minute, a neatly arranged diamond-shaped Rubik's Cube appeared in his hand. After finishing, the child looked up and gave the man a provocative smile, as if to say: "Can you do it?"

Since there is extra rice, it would be better to prepare enough and add a dish. Kong Liqing thought to himself as he took out a handful of greens from the refrigerator

The man stood very close behind Kong Liqing, his brow slightly furrowed. Meeting Kong Liqing's questioning gaze, he said: "I have something to discuss with you, let me in"

Zhou Yezhang felt as if a thread in his mind was pulling him towards that woman's house, and then he instructed Lu Xu: "You go and make the arrangements."

A few people were standing inside and outside the door, creating a somewhat confrontational atmosphere, and the mood was awkwardly stiff. Kong Liqing glanced around the faces of the three people inside, ultimately fixing her gaze on the man who was clearly in charge. The man's expression was indifferent, his eyes remained focused on her, and his gaze was not piercing; he simply looked at her, slowly roasting her with his stare.

The man's dining posture is elegant, savoring each bite slowly. His long, beautifully knotted fingers occasionally appear before Kong Liqing's eyes, and his movements while picking up food are neither hurried nor slow, exuding an air of composure. Kong Liqing understands that many of a person's habits are ingrained deeply within them; such demeanor is something she cannot learn. Even if she were to force herself to mimic it, she would not succeed. She lowers her head to eat, her eyes fixed solely on the small patch of land before her. In the presence of such a person, she feels a sense of inferiority.

Zhou Yezhang looked up at the woman standing beside him for a moment, said nothing, stood up from the sofa, put on his clothes, and said to her: "Then I shall take my leave, I sincerely apologize for disturbing you for the entire evening"

The man rested one hand on the armrest of the sofa and turned his head to smile at the child, saying, "Hello." His complexion was somewhat pale, and his smile appeared a bit weak, leading Kong Liqing to believe that he might indeed be feeling unwell.

The child shook his head: "I have never played before"

The man lowered his head and fiddled with his phone, then handed it to the child: "Play by yourself."

The child was very happy and took the phone to play with it by themselves

Kong Liqing served half a bowl of rice to the child, mixed it with soup and vegetables, and placed it in front of him without further assistance, allowing him to eat on his own. She did not attend to Zhou Yezhang sitting beside her either; after taking care of the child, she lowered her head to eat her own meal.

Zhou Yezhang turned around before entering and said to the young man who had been following him, "Achen, you go wait for me across the street. I will notify you when I leave in a moment"

The dishes you prepared are very delicious. The man suddenly spoke up, which felt somewhat out of place in this environment

After locking eyes with the man for a while, Kong Liqing stood up to wash the vegetables and stepped out of the man's line of sight

In the living room, Kong Wanxiang sat obediently on the sofa watching television. He curiously observed the two adults as they entered. Kong Liqing changed her shoes behind the man and walked over, looking at the two men of different sizes sitting on either side of the sofa. For a moment, she truly could not find any reason to explain to Wanxiang.

The man, noticing her somewhat troubled expression, took the initiative to speak candidly: "I actually don't have anything in particular to discuss with you, I just have a bit of a headache and wanted to sit here for a while." There was no hint of awkwardness in his demeanor, as if his words contradicted each other. He sat upright, without any trace of arrogance, and spoke to Kong Liqing in a tone as calm as if they were very familiar with each other

Zhou Yezhang, who had already opened the door, turned around again after hearing Kong Liqing's words. He stared at the woman in front of him for a moment, then suddenly extended his right index finger to gently press on her forehead. He then slid it down along the bridge of her nose, finally retracting his hand at the tip of her nose, saying: "Do not always frown; being troubled like this can easily lead to illness."

After finishing the meal, Kong Liqing also came to understand that no matter what Zhou Yezhang intended to do, with her meager strength, she was unable to resist it. Regardless of what might happen in the future, before anything occurred, she still had to go on with her life. Having come to this realization, she became less concerned and continued to do what she usually did, calling the children back to their rooms to do their homework, tidying up the kitchen, and cleaning the house. The man showed no intention of leaving after the meal, returning to the sofa to sit in the same spot as before, watching Kong Liqing move about busily without speaking or making any moves. Regardless of what might happen in the future, before anything occurred, she still had to go on with her life. Having come to this realization, she became less concerned and continued to do what she usually did, calling the children back to their rooms to do their homework, tidying up the kitchen, and cleaning the house. The man showed no intention of leaving after the meal, returning to the sofa to sit in the same spot as before, watching Kong Liqing move about busily without speaking or making any moves.

Zhou Yezhang calmly retracted his hand and said, "Rest early, good night"

Kong Liqing habitually wore a calm expression, but she truly felt overwhelmed. She was not foolish; it was evident that this man was clearly waiting for her.

Kong Liqing let him be and followed his gaze, even preparing a cup of tea for him before she went back to her own tasks without further concern for him

Although his tone was plain, Kong Liqing still敏感地感受到他有丝烦躁的情绪

Miss Yang entered first, and as she passed by Kong Liqing, she offered her a smile, friendly in nature. Kong Liqing also managed a grin in response, though her smile was stiff.

The man sat there for a long time without changing his posture, one hand resting on his forehead, half leaning against the armrest of the sofa, his drooping eyelids gazing at the floor in front of him as if lost in thought. He was very tall; Kong Liqing estimated him to be at least 1.85 meters. His body proportions were also excellent, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. The white shirt and black trousers were of a simple style, and the tailored fit looked very good on him.

When Zhou Yezhang met Kong Liqing for the second time, he was already certain of his interest in this woman. Although he still could not analyze why he was attracted to such a woman, the men of the Zhou family all trust their instincts and remain loyal to their feelings. Since his feelings were established, he did not feel the need to overanalyze or complicate things for himself. Moreover, human emotions are complex; what is objectively recognized as good may not necessarily align with one's personal preferences. One must have the courage to trust their instincts, a lesson he learned from a young age. The men of the Zhou family all believe in their instincts and are loyal to their feelings. Since his feelings were established, he did not feel the need to overanalyze or complicate things for himself. Furthermore, human emotions are complex; what is objectively recognized as good may not necessarily align with one's personal preferences. One must have the courage to trust their instincts, a lesson he learned from a young age.

Kong Liqing cooked quickly, several dishes were ready, and the rice was also steamed. She set the dishes on the table and turned to Zhou Yezhang, asking: "Would you like to have dinner here?"

The situation in the living room is actually calm yet exudes a sense of peace, but Kong Liqing feels an overwhelming sense of oppression in her heart. The presence of this man makes her feel as if she is sinking into a quagmire, her body sticky and cold, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Wan Xiang twisted and turned a few times before finally unable to sit still. He slid off the sofa and deliberately crossed over next to the man, stepping lightly with his calves as he ran into the study. In a short while, he returned holding a Rubik's Cube, this time sitting in the middle of the sofa, a little closer to the man. The man, giving him some face, finally turned his head to look at him.

Kong Liqing stood at the door, lowering her head to take out the keys. With the keys already in her hand, she remained motionless, still with her head down. Behind her, there was also a profound silence; everyone seemed to be waiting for her next move. The situation had become exceedingly strange. Finally, in resignation, she turned around, mustering the courage to raise her head and look at the man, silently asking him: What exactly do you want to do?

The man smiled, his tone clearly dismissive: "When you grow up, you'll understand." After saying this, he took out a mobile phone from his pocket and asked the child, "Do you want to play a game?"

Kong Liqing could not understand: "You have a headache, what does sitting here with me have to do with it?" She looked at Wan Xiang and explained to him: "Uncle is visiting us today." Wan Xiang obediently called out to the man on the other side of the sofa: "Hello, Uncle."

Kong Liqing stood inside the door, and as she turned around, she happened to see Miss Yang on the opposite side, also waiting by her open door for someone. Two doors, two women, why did it all seem so chaotic to her

Miss Yang, the neighbor of Kong Liqing, walked over and pressed the password to enter. The young man, who had a delicate face resembling that of a girl, was the first to push open the door and step inside upon hearing the sound of the lock opening, holding the door open and waiting for the two people behind him to enter

The young man named Achen smiled, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, said nothing, and turned to walk into the door across the way

Kong Liqing glanced at the man and then at Wan Xiang, ultimately choosing to believe his words, and turned to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner

She kept listening intently to the sounds outside, with no voices of conversation, only the lively noises emanating from the television. After a while, Kong Liqing still felt uneasy, so she took a small stool and sat at the kitchen door to prepare vegetables. This way, she could see the situation in the living room as soon as she looked up

The ingredients for dinner had long been prepared by Kong Liqing; all that was needed was to cook the rice and then stir-fry the dishes. However, seeing the man's demeanor, it seemed he intended to wait until she finished cooking dinner. While rinsing the rice in preparation for cooking, she thought for a moment and decided to add another bowl of rice to the pot.

In fact, under normal circumstances, Kong Liqing could simply say politely, "Thank you, I have something to attend to, I will come back later," and that would have sufficed. However, for some reason, Kong Liqing knew that if she said that, the person would definitely not be dismissed easily. Her ability to handle people is not very adept; to be honest, she is also afraid of causing trouble. After a slight consideration, she realized that her only option was to find someone easy to talk to in order to dismiss the situation.