Chapter Nine

Zoe was taken aback for a moment by the sudden statement behind her, and it took her some time to understand its meaning.

The "he" he referred to was Leo.

Zoe felt a bit perplexed and turned to look at Nick.

Nick was biting a piece of beef, raising his eyebrows at her.

Zoe gave him a sarcastic glance and turned to leave.

The door slammed shut.

Nick: "..."

Damn.

Zoe had previously rejected Leo's invitation to participate in the school's welcome party, but unexpectedly, the next day when school started, Leo blocked her path to class with members of the student council.

Zoe: "..."

Leo smiled mischievously and said, "There's really no other way. This year, the number of freshmen participating is too low, especially among self-study students, none of them are joining. Z, please help us out, okay?"

Zoe: "..."

Ahead of her was the classroom, behind her was a shady pathway, and students were constantly passing by, giving her curious glances. Zoe felt a headache and said, "Leo, there are over twenty self-study students. It's not a big deal if they don't participate, right?"

"It's not just about that. It's the school's directive. We all need to have a sense of collective honor."

Leo's way with words is truly formidable, he can even make the dead speak.

"Yes, Z... Zoe, right?

Please, do us a favor."

The person Leo brought to convince her didn't even know Zoe's last name, stumbling over it.

Zoe glanced at the persuader.

The persuader's forehead was almost dripping with sweat, it was obvious that Leo had ulterior motives.

Zoe: "I still have a few roommates, they..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Leo interrupted, "Ah, it's not going to work. You're the perfect fit. You don't have to be the main dancer, we just need one more person, and you'll be standing in the corner, no need to be in the spotlight."

But still, she would have to dance.

What Leo wanted her help with was a dance performance where they were missing one person, and he hoped she could fill in for that position.

Zoe: "..."

Amidst this stalemate, the bell rang for class. Zoe looked at Leo, who didn't have a class this period, but he couldn't really keep blocking her way indefinitely. He smiled and stepped aside, "Zoe, please go."

Zoe glanced at him and walked straight into the classroom.

With that one glance, Leo's heartbeat accelerated again. He stood there, watching Zoe's back.

He thought to himself, why didn't I notice how pretty she was before...

Youthful ignorance.

Deserved a beating.

Back at the student council, the news of Leo's attempt to intercept Zoe, a self-study student, spread quickly.

Nick was talking to someone, his eyes lifting to give Leo a cold glance.

After Leo sat down, he rested his chin on his hand and said, "I'll keep trying."

Nick snorted and threw a stack of documents at him.

Leo hurriedly picked them up and his eyes lit up when he saw them, "Hey, the approval came down?"

Nick reached for a cigarette, ignoring him, and stepped out to smoke in the corridor.

Across the corridor was the classroom where Zoe was currently having her class. The tree shadows fell, blocking half of the window. Nick leaned his hand on the railing, his eyes deep, inscrutable.

Finally, he reached for his phone.

He sent a WeChat message to Zoe.

Nick: "No need to cook tonight, I have to go out."

After Zoe finished her class and returned to the dormitory, she saw Nick's message on her phone. As usual, she didn't reply.

But it also meant that she could have a rest for the evening.

There was still one more class in the afternoon. After it finished, Zoe wanted to invite her roommates to go out for dinner together, but she received a call from Lindsay.

Zoe furrowed her brows, stepped out of the dormitory, and answered the call.

"Hello..."

Lindsay's voice came through the phone, with a hint of laughter: "Are you in class?"

Zoe felt a bit bewildered and leaned against the railing, responding, "Yeah."

"When will your class end?"

Lindsay asked eagerly, and Zoe felt a bit dazed.

She replied, "Just one class in the afternoon."

"So you're not in class right now, right?"

Lindsay's voice became even more excited, and Zoe furrowed her brows again. She said, "Mom, just tell me what you want."

Lindsay was a bit taken aback by that, and after a moment of silence, she laughed, "I'm in Haishi now, near Haicheng University. I'm coming to see you and we can have dinner together tonight?"

Zoe fell silent.

For a long time, she didn't speak.

After a while, she asked in a low voice, "You... came here specifically to see me?"

"Yes!"

Lindsay answered cheerfully, but Zoe felt a jolt in her heart.

After four years of suspension from school, if it weren't for her persistence and the money left by her grandmother before she passed away, she would have had no chance to touch books again. Lindsay had a new family and had to take care of the original sister in that family.

No one would have thought about the fact that Zoe still needed to continue her studies.

So, Zoe had arranged everything related to her studies herself.

She only informed Lindsay after getting admitted to the university, and Lindsay's family's sentiment was, "As long as you don't spend my money, you can do whatever you want."

However, the opposition was hidden behind these words.

Lindsay thought that Zoe inheriting her grandmother's culinary skills would be better off using the money to open a restaurant or even become a private chef for wealthy families.

When Zoe returned to Haishi from B-city to attend this university, Lindsay didn't even come out to see her off.

Zoe packed her own luggage...

The good times were long gone, and the image of her mother being kind and doting on her had become blurred.

Zoe thought she had gotten used to it.

But she didn't expect to be touched by Lindsay's few words.

Zoe's throat felt dry, and she asked, "Did you come alone?"

"Yes, alone. Yi Yi, I'm at the east gate of Haicheng University. Should I come up or should you come down?"

Lindsay's gentle voice was close to Zoe's ear.

Zoe said, "I'll come down. Wait for me."

After that, she turned back to the dormitory, changed into a different set of clothes, grabbed her wallet, and went downstairs.

Luckily, there were bicycles available downstairs, so Zoe chose one and rode towards the east gate.

From afar, she saw the gray Volkswagen.

Lindsay stood next to the car wearing sunglasses. If it weren't for the paint peeling off the Volkswagen, it would have looked brand new.

Lindsay's demeanor was no different from when her father hadn't gone bankrupt.

However, she no longer had a man like her father to dote on her.

Only endless hardships awaited her.

Zoe parked her bicycle and walked towards Lindsay, who was waving.

The mother-daughter reunion was a bit awkward.

Lindsay stepped forward and hugged Zoe. Zoe closed her eyes and said, "What do you want to eat?"

"Let's go out to eat. I'll cook for you when we get home, or..."

"Let's go out to eat," Lindsay smiled and glanced at Haicheng University. "This university is great, has it always been your dream?"

"Yes," Zoe nodded.

Lindsay grasped her hand affectionately, "Adult education degrees are also quite valuable nowadays. I didn't realize that before, so..."

Zoe simply replied, "Mmm."

"Let's get in the car. I've made a reservation at a restaurant."

Zoe got into the car, and Lindsay drove away from the east gate.

As they passed familiar scenery, a fleeting shade of melancholy and nostalgia flashed across Lindsay's eyes.

The process of going from nothing to something in life is exciting and fulfilling.

But the feeling of falling from grace, of suddenly being brought down to earth, is like a thousand pounds of pain pressing on one's heart, which can even haunt one for a lifetime.

Haicheng was once the domain of the Z family.

Upon arriving at the restaurant Lindsay had booked, Zoe was a bit surprised.

She glanced at her mother, and Lindsay smiled, "What are you looking at? Since it's rare for me to visit, I naturally want to find a good place to eat."

Jade Pavilion was a famous Chinese restaurant that was not only expensive but also renowned.

It had once hired Zoe's grandmother as a consultant chef.

A meal there would cost no less than three thousand, and it wouldn't even be considered much.

Lindsay lowered her sunglasses, a hint of annoyance fleetingly appearing before she summoned a smile, "It's not expensive, let's go."

At one time, she had to worry about her wallet when dining at such places?

Zoe couldn't argue with Lindsay and didn't want to ruin the brief warmth between them, so she didn't say anything more.

In the past, they would always dine in a private room, but tonight, there were no private rooms available, so they had to sit in the main hall.

The main hall was decorated with a touch of retro elegance, with beaded curtains hanging from the ceiling.

Lindsay began to order the dishes.

Zoe watched her.

Lindsay ordered quite a few dishes in one go.

Zoe furrowed her brows and tried to stop her, but Lindsay pressed down the menu and smiled, "Listen to me, there's also an aunt you know coming later, Aunt Zhou. You remember her, right?"

Zoe hesitated, "..."

Lindsay knew so many wealthy ladies that Zoe couldn't remember them all. She shook her head.

Lindsay tapped Zoe's forehead affectionately, just like she used to, "You silly Yi Yi."

Zoe subconsciously pursed her lips, and by the time she realized what she had done, Lindsay was already waving at someone behind her. Then, Aunt Zhou, with her perfume and diamond earrings, came towards them.

She carried a designer bag and glanced at Zoe before sitting down. She smiled at Lindsay and said, "Why didn't you book a private room?"

Lindsay glanced behind Zoe, then looked back and chuckled, "The atmosphere here is also quite nice. So, Carl didn't have time tonight?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhou laughed, "Kids, they don't have time to accompany us old ladies. They're probably out having fun. Only sweet Yi Yi is here to accompany you for dinner."

Zoe greeted Aunt Zhou with a polite hello and then fell silent.

She smiled at Aunt Zhou again after being addressed.

Aunt Zhou looked at Zoe, her hand still fiddling with her earrings, which sparkled under the lights, extremely dazzling.

Zoe noticed that Lindsay's gaze was constantly fixed on Aunt Zhou's accessories.

She furrowed her brows, feeling slightly uneasy and a strange sense of discomfort.

At this point, the dishes were served.

Zoe had hoped to enjoy a quiet meal, but who could have predicted what happened next.

Aunt Zhou's hand, adorned with sparkling diamonds, gently touched Zoe's hand and then lifted it up.

Upon seeing this, Lindsay's eyes lit up, and she stared intently at Aunt Zhou.

Aunt Zhou held Zoe's hand and examined it, turning it over and over again. She said with a hint of regret, "Such delicate hands, but after handling pots and pans for these years, they've become coarse, haven't they? And look at this face, it's not as rosy as before. It's really heartbreaking to see..."

Lindsay nodded along, "Yes, Yi Yi is very understanding and has been helping her grandmother."

"Right?" Aunt Zhou said, glancing at Lindsay and then turning back to Zoe. "Times have changed. Zoe is ultimately not on the same level as others. Carl has also seen Zoe before, but he prefers girls who are a bit more willful..."

Her words were beautifully spoken.

Zoe immediately understood the implication and glanced sharply at Lindsay, whose face had turned pale.

Lindsay forced a smile and, without noticing her daughter's expression, continued speaking to Aunt Zhou, "You haven't seen him, so how do you know?" "As for Carl in the past..." Suddenly, Zoe pulled her chair back with a sharp sound.

She spoke coldly, looking down at the two women, "I have some other business to attend to. Enjoy your meal."

The word 'Mom' was stuck in her throat for the moment.

After that, Zoe turned and left without another word.

The two women were left in stunned silence.

For a moment, the table remained quiet. On the neighboring table behind the bead curtain, a black notebook was gently closed, and a slender hand tapped on the smooth pages of the notebook.

The man spoke lazily, "Shall we end the discussion here today?"

"Sure."

The man across from him nodded.

"I'll take the bill."

The man picked up his notebook and placed it into a black briefcase, saying.

"Alright, alright."

With that response, Nick stood up and left.

As he reached the door, he found that it was raining heavily outside, the streets drenched in a curtain of rain.

At the entrance of the Jade Pavilion, the humidity brought by the rain was intense.

Nick took out a cigarette, looked into the rain, and put it between his lips. After a moment, he turned his head and glanced at the seat where Zoe had just been sitting in the Jade Pavilion's lobby.

He stared for a long time before walking towards the parking space. Just as he bent down to put his notebook into the car, his eyes suddenly stopped. A delicate figure stood in the rain, embracing her arms and swaying weakly against the wind and rain.

With a bang, he slammed the car door closed.

His long legs, wrapped in black pants, also stepped into the rain.