Fog Returns to the Capital

Chapter 123 Li Li
……

【enough. 】

Li Wu didn't really understand what those last three words he said meant.

But when Li Wu was about to leave after the meal, Zhou Jinghuai offered to see her off.

Without a second thought, Li Wu declined, saying, "I can take a taxi home myself."

"If I wasn't here today, how you get home is none of my business."

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her with an unchanged expression and said calmly, "But since I'm here, I can't let you go back alone."

Before Li Wu could say anything more, Zhou Jinghuai had already turned and left.

See this.

Li Wu looked at Shen Yichen beside her.

Seeing Li Wu looking over, Shen Yichen, who was watching the commotion, coughed lightly and said helplessly, "We're not going the same way."

If it's along the same route, he's afraid someone will tear him apart, along with the road.

Li Wu sincerely suggested, "Hasn't Director Shen ever considered pursuing an acting career?"

Shen Yichen, "..."

……

As Li Wu walked out of the restaurant, he immediately spotted the Hongqi car parked in front. The license plate was very ordinary, reflecting his consistently low-key style.

Zhou Jinghuai was on the phone next to the car.

Li Wu stood there, as if rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.

A biting wind blew by, seemingly sweeping across the frigid Siberian ice fields, its piercing chill penetrating every part of Li Wu's body.

It instilled a sense of fear in people.

Or, a slight resistance.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jinghuai looked up at Li Wu, who refused to come any closer.

He stood quietly in place, his dark eyes silently watching her.

They didn't call her or urge her.

As dusk fell, the fog thickened and the wind grew cold.

After a long silence, being stared at by his deep, calm gaze, Li Wu felt a sudden chill run down her spine.

She caught her breath and was about to walk towards him when—

Then Zhou Jinghuai turned around.

After telling the driver waiting by the car what time it was, Zhou Jinghuai walked towards the black car parked behind him.

His secretary followed closely behind.

at the same time.

The driver walked over to Li Wu, nodded slightly to her, and said cautiously, "Mr. Zhou said he had something to do and had to leave first, so he asked me to take you home."

Li Wu looked up.

The bulletproof glass was completely dark, allowing no light to penetrate and making it impossible to see the people inside the car.

soon.

The car started moving and merged into the traffic.

Li Wu stood there, watching the car disappear into the distance, and suddenly felt a sense of relief.

But follow closely.

Another indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

……

Besides Li Wu, two other researchers were also hired by the First Research Institute to return to China.

Within a few days.

The dean summoned the three of them to his office, saying that a high-ranking leader would be meeting with them, this group of researchers, next Wednesday. The purpose was to commend them for giving up preferential treatment abroad and their willingness to return to serve their country, and to express his appreciation.

Because they are from the First Research Institute, and there are three of them in their own institute, that's the most. So the meeting place was ultimately set at their research institute.

Wednesday.

Li Wu, dressed in a uniform formal suit, appeared in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People with the others.

Although there were more than thirty of them in total, the entire auditorium remained quiet even when they appeared together. This was partly due to their advanced age, but more importantly, it was because they possessed excellent manners. Even when conversing, they kept their voices low.

Li Wu is probably the youngest one among them.

Whether it was out of appreciation for her talent or out of curiosity and admiration for someone of the same kind, quite a few people took the opportunity to talk to her.

When asked about her achievements, Li Wu simply said that it might be because her memory was slightly better. She didn't mention a word about spending day and night in the lab conducting experiments and researching data.

Because she believed that it was something every one of them would do.

I waited for about half an hour.

Two veteran hosts from the central station took the stage and delivered an opening speech full of classical allusions, before naturally transitioning into the hosting process.

Thunderous applause resounded throughout the hall.

When Li Wu saw Zhou Jinghuai and a group of other leaders appear on the stage, he was stunned.

It turned out that the big leader their dean was talking about was Zhou Jinghuai. Li Wu wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but when Zhou Jinghuai was speaking on stage, his gaze lingered for a second or two, almost imperceptibly, when he looked in her direction.

It was time for the handshake.

Li Wu's hand, hanging by her side, trembled slightly. As Zhou Jinghuai walked over, she reached out her hand first.

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her.

His gaze was gentle, and his words were very official.

His palm was as broad and warm as ever. But the moment Li Wu grasped it, she felt as if she were being burned.

Finally, when taking a group photo.

When Li Wu saw Zhou Jinghuai sitting right in front of her, she was momentarily lost in thought amidst the solemn and dignified atmosphere.

This is their first group photo.

But in an instant, Li Wu looked back at the direction of the countless cameras in front of her and quickly adjusted her facial expression.

Click.

The image freezes at the very end.

……

After the conference concluded.

In the restroom.

I rinsed my hands with icy water again and again, as if that would wash away the burning sensation in my palms.

Until the temperature of your hands is about the same as the coolness of the water.

Li Wu took out a tissue and carefully wiped the water droplets off her hands.

Given Zhou Jinghuai's current status, he has achieved his goal.

Even worse.

Li Wu thought to himself.

As I walked out of the Great Hall of the People.

Looking out at the misty, watery sky, Li Wu felt a blankness in her heart amidst the silence.

"Excuse me, how do I get to the dean's office?"

Someone asked her from behind.

In that instant, a deep, familiar voice suddenly filled the emptiness in Li Wu's heart.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Li Wu turned around, her smile polite yet distant. "Just keep walking this way, and the first office building you see is 306."

"I don't know the way, can you take me there?" Zhou Jinghuai asked gently.

Li Wu smiled more distantly, her tone deepening slightly as she emphasized, "Just keep walking straight ahead along this main road behind you. Mr. Zhou should be able to do it."

"will not."

"..."

Li Wu looked at him, and even the slightest polite smile on her face vanished completely.

Knowing full well that he was deliberately making things difficult, Li Wu couldn't show the slightest dissatisfaction. She tried her best to keep her voice calm, "I have other things to do. Please find someone else to show you the way."

Done.

Li Wu turned to leave.

"Is this how people from your research institute deal with people who ask for directions?"

The man's deep, calm, and unhurried voice made Li Wu stop in her tracks.

There was silence for a long while.

Li Wu turned around, a polite smile returning to her face, and said, each word seemingly spilling from her lips, "Mr. Zhou, this way please."

Zhou Jinghuai glanced at her, then turned and followed her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

As the research institute's staff continued to grow, the original offices became insufficient. After approval from higher authorities, a new office building was constructed two years ago.

It's a bit far from the Great Hall of the People.

Li Wu was angry, but she couldn't show it.

She walked very fast without looking back, completely ignoring whether Zhou Jinghuai was following her.

of course.

Given Zhou Jinghuai's long, slender legs, Li Wu might not have been able to keep up with his normal pace even when jogging. So Li Wu wasn't worried at all that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Upon arriving at the office building, Li Wu led him directly to the entrance of the dean's office.

"right here."

After speaking without any emotion, Li Wu turned and left without even glancing at Zhou Jinghuai.

Zhou Jinghuai called out to her—

"Li Li."

The two words that had been uttered countless times before, across seven years of spring, summer, autumn, winter, day and night, fell once again in Li Wu's ears.

"My phone number has never changed."