Fog Returns to the Capital

Chapter 147 Zhou Jinghuai, is it possible?
……

The meeting with Yang Shuhua was scheduled for two days later.

It was in a teahouse.

That day, Zhou Jinghuai accompanied Li Wu there.

But once they got downstairs, Li Wu refused to let Zhou Jinghuai accompany her upstairs.

"I want to go by myself."

Li Wu looked at Zhou Jinghuai and stopped him from getting out of the car.

Zhou Jinghuai frowned, "Don't you want me to come with you?"

"Didn't you say you talked to your mother and that she wouldn't make things difficult for me anymore?" Li Wu said slowly.

Zhou Jinghuai remained silent, clearly indicating his disagreement.

Li Wu knew that Zhou Jinghuai was worried about her.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Li Wu moved closer to Zhou Jinghuai and gently kissed the corner of his lips. Her beautiful, clear eyes looked at him, and she asked in a soft, breathy voice, "Zhou Jinghuai, I want to go by myself, is that alright?"

Her unique fragrance lingered faintly in the air.

Zhou Jinghuai lowered his eyes and looked at the girl's pure and innocent gaze.

His Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

He knew she must have suffered a bit while abroad all these years. Although she lacked nothing materially, she was still alone overseas, and getting into a research institute wasn't easy. Yet, the look in her eyes when she looked at him remained unchanged.

In his eyes, she will always be his Lili.

She was the only girl in his life.

Zhou Jinghuai's eyes darkened slightly, and he lowered his head to kiss him.

But don't want to.

As if sensing Zhou Jinghuai's intention, Li Wu stepped back from his embrace almost the instant he lowered his head.

When Zhou Jinghuai looked over with deep eyes.

Li Wu said seriously, "No, I'm going to be late."

Zhou Jinghuai, "..."

However, when Li Wu finally got out of the car, Zhou Jinghuai still reached out and hugged her, saying gently, "I'll wait for you."

……

It's an ordinary teahouse, but its charm lies in its tranquil environment. Opening the window in the northwest corner reveals a view of Jingshan Park.

Time never defeats a beauty; in fact, it seems to have a certain fondness for Yang Shuhua.

Even in a simple, elegant, pure white suit, she exuded nobility, grace, and unparalleled beauty. Apart from a few faint lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiled, there was almost no sign of the passage of time on her.

"Did Jinghuai send you here?"

After taking a small sip of tea, Yang Shuhua asked in a low voice.

"Yep."

Li Wu nodded, then felt it was too brief and added, "He's downstairs."

They're downstairs, but they won't come up.

That's not his style at all.

"He listens to you quite a bit."

Yang Shuhua put down her teacup, looked up at the person opposite her, and said in a calm tone that revealed no emotion, "In the Zhou family, he only listens to his grandfather's words."

Li Wu was a little embarrassed. After a moment of silence, she said, "If you talk to him properly, he will consider it."

Hear the words.

Yang Shuhua smiled, as if she had thought of something.

I will consider it carefully, but in the end I will do it according to his own wishes.

Seeing that Li Wu seemed a little tense, Yang Shuhua pushed the pastries next to her in front of her and said in a slightly gentler voice, "Are you afraid of me?"

After hearing Yang Shuhua's words, Li Wu realized that he was sitting too upright, and then relaxed a little. "I have read some of your interviews before. Your vision and insight are beyond the reach of ordinary people, and I can't help but feel awe."

She is the granddaughter of Yang Qian, a famous national capitalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist; the most beloved younger sister of Yang Cheng, a military tycoon; the head of Huayao Group; and the wife of a high-ranking official.

Each one of them, if chosen individually, is a force to be reckoned with.

"Yeah."

Yang Shuhua neither confirmed nor denied the statement.

She had seen too many people who were afraid of her.

Afterwards, Yang Shuhua asked Li Wu about her career plans. When she learned that Li Wu had been specially recruited back to China by the research institute, a slight ripple flashed across her eyes, but it was very faint and fleeting.

"It's undeniable that you are already quite outstanding among your peers."

Yang Shuhua looked at Li Wu and said calmly, "But you should also know that everyone around Jing Huai, regardless of gender, has been outstanding to the point of being almost perfect since childhood."

Yang Shuhua used a declarative tone, without any other superfluous meaning, as if she were simply stating a fact.

But what she said was indeed true.

Zhou Jinghuai's family background destined him to only be able to interact with people of the same social class from childhood to adulthood.

The words fell.

The tension that Li Wu had been holding onto tightened even more. After a long silence, Li Wu finally calmed down and carefully chose her words, "I will try my best, at least not to become a burden to him."

“I know that he has been at a much higher level than me since birth. I need to work very, very hard to barely catch up with him, but I will not give up.”

The reason Li Wu didn't even dare to say something like "standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhou Jinghuai" was because she knew very well that even if she worked hard every moment of her life without ever slacking off, she would never be able to stand at the same level as Zhou Jinghuai.

It may be painful, but it is indeed the truth.

Hear the words.

Yang Shuhua lifted her eyelids to look at her, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

It quieted down.

Yang Shuhua spoke up, "To tell you the truth, I will no longer interfere in your relationship with Jinghuai. It's simply because he can't live without you."

Li Wu was taken aback.

Yang Shuhua continued, "Jinghuai is the only child of our Zhou and Yang families. From the moment he was born, he could have whatever he wanted. In the conventional sense, he had whatever he wanted."

"But when he came to me that day, it was the first time in my life that he told me in person what he wanted."

"I don't know what will happen if I don't accept you. But I know one thing—"

Yang Shuhua looked up at Li Wu, her words clear and each one striking a chord in Li Wu's heart.

"He got through one seven-year period like that, and if there are several more seven-year periods, he will still live like that."

Therefore, Yang Shuhua accepted Li Wu not because Li Wu is so outstanding now, or because she will reach such great heights in the future.

just because of--

Zhou Jinghuai could not live without her.

After Yang Shuhua finished speaking, Li Wu remained silent for a long time.

Yang Shuhua didn't say anything more, picked up her coat and was about to leave.

See this.

Li Wu disregarded the chaotic emotions in her heart and quickly stood up, saying, "I'll see you out."

When we got downstairs.

Yang Shuhua's gaze paused slightly when she saw the black Hongqi car parked by the roadside. But she looked away after only a second.

The driver, wearing white gloves and standing by the car, bowed slightly and respectfully opened the car door.

Yang Shuhua got into the back seat.

Li Wu stood aside, waiting for her to leave.

But after a few seconds, the car didn't move at all; instead, the window slowly rolled down.

Yang Shuhua looked at Li Wu and asked, "Could you spare two days a month?"

"Yes...yes."

Li Wu didn't even ask Yang Shuhua what she planned to do with the two days off. The moment Yang Shuhua looked at her with that imposing gaze, Li Wu had already agreed.

"I will have my assistant contact you in advance with the specific time."

Done.

The car window was rolled up.

Li Wu stood there, watching the car's taillights disappear, still somewhat bewildered.

It wasn't long before Li Wu learned what Yang Shuhua wanted her to do by setting aside two days each month.

Yang Shuhua began to teach her etiquette for necessary occasions and personally took her to and from major events.

We nurtured her little by little with all our might.

It was only after spending a lot of time with Yang Shuhua that Li Wu realized she wasn't actually that scary.

However, she has always been decisive and efficient, so she seems a bit unapproachable.

……

That Friday, Zhou Jinghuai told Li Wu in advance that they would have dinner together that evening.

However, in the end, only his secretary came to the research institute to pick up Li Wu.

Jiang Ting.

"Sir has something urgent to attend to and will be a little late."

When Jiang Ting received Li Wu, he immediately explained the situation to her.

Li Wu understood; similar incidents had occurred before.

Even when urgent matters were reported, Zhou Jinghuai had to resolve them overnight.

More than an hour later, the car stopped at a courtyard house at the very back of the alley.

High walls, dark green and blue, simple and elegant.

When Li Wu got out of the car and saw the scene before him, he suddenly stopped.

It was a place she had visited before.

"Li Li."

A familiar voice was calling her from behind.

Li Wu turned around.