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On Friday afternoon, Suning still went to the kindergarten where Li Shiyan works.

The kindergarten is located in a quiet neighborhood in Xuhui District, with red brick walls, colorful windows, and a whimsical wooden sign hanging at the entrance.

When Suning arrived, the children were having activities after waking up from their afternoon nap, and the yard was bustling with noise.

Li Shiyan, wearing a light blue tracksuit and with her hair tied in a ponytail, was squatting on the ground helping a little boy tie his shoelaces.

Upon seeing Su Ning, her eyes lit up, and she stood up to wave at him.

"You're here!" She jogged over, a smile on her face. "I just finished leading them in games, and they're free to do whatever they want now. Come on, let me show you around."

"Okay!"

Then Li Shiyan led Su Ning around the courtyard.

Children were running around everywhere—by the slides, the swings, and in the sandpit.

Li Shiyan was clearly popular with the children, and kids kept running up to her to grab her hand, saying, "Teacher Li! Look at the castle I built!"

"Teacher Li, please help me push the swing!"

Li Shiyan patiently responded, squatted down to look at the sandcastle, gently pushed the swing twice, and turned to Su Ning to say, "I studied education in college, and later went abroad to study child psychology for a master's degree. After returning to China, my dad wanted me to work for the companies he invested in, but I still want to do this."

She looked at the children filling the yard with a soft gaze, "Spending every day with children is simple and joyful."

Suning nodded.

He noticed that when Li Shiyan spoke to the children, she would deliberately squat down, look them in the eye, and speak in a particularly gentle tone.

This is quite different from the image of a "rich heiress" he had imagined.

“It seems you really enjoy this job,” he said.

“I really like it,” Li Shiyan smiled. “Although the salary isn’t high and there’s a lot to do, and sometimes the kids cry and it’s a headache to communicate with the parents. But you see…”

She pointed to a little girl who had just learned to climb up the slide and was waving excitedly at her, "That sense of accomplishment is something no other job can give you."

The two walked to a bench under the shade of a tree and sat down.

Li Shiyan took out a wet wipe from her pocket, wiped her hands naturally, and handed one to Su Ning.

"Your dad is a big shot in investment banking, does he really support you doing this?" Su Ning asked.

“At first, he didn’t support me,” Li Shiyan confessed. “He thought I should go to one of the companies he invested in, or at least a financial institution. We argued about this several times. Later, my mother persuaded him, saying that he only had one daughter and that her happiness was the most important thing. Only then did he reluctantly agree, saying, ‘Let me try it for two years.’”

She paused, then looked at Su Ning: "Actually, I know he still hopes I'll go back and take over the family business. But I feel that since my dad has already achieved financial freedom, he naturally doesn't need me to work hard in the business. But these kids need good teachers."

Suning did not respond.

Suddenly remembering his own situation, he wondered if Su Jianguo intended for him to go back and take over the business.

However, Su Ning thinks it is unlikely. Su Qing is more suitable, after all, she has education, ability and experience.

He was just a high school student who had never attended university, and he couldn't compare to Su Qing, who had graduated from a prestigious university.

Perhaps in Su Jianguo's view, Suning's success with Jin Chen Capital was largely due to the praise of others.

……

It was 4:30 in the afternoon, time for school to end.

Parents arrived one after another to pick up their children.

Li Shiyan was busy confirming the pick-up and drop-off people at the door and briefly communicating with the parents about the child's situation that day.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared; it was Yu Wenli from Jin Chen Capital.

She was holding the hand of a four- or five-year-old girl and talking to her while looking down at her.

When she looked up and saw Su Ning, she was clearly taken aback.

"Su Ning?" Yu Wenli walked over, looked at him, then at Li Shiyan beside him, her expression somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Yu," Su Ning greeted, "I've come... to visit a friend."

His gaze fell on the little girl: "Is this your child?"

“This is my daughter, Xiaoxiao.” Yu Wenli patted the child’s head. “Quickly call him brother.”

"Hello, brother." The little girl greeted obediently, then rushed towards Li Shiyan, "Teacher Li!"

Li Shiyan bent down and hugged him: "Xiaoxiao was great today, you finished your lunch all by yourself."

Yu Wenli watched the interaction between the two, then looked at Su Ning, and suddenly revealed a knowing expression, a slight smile on her lips: "Oh—a friend."

She said the word "friends" with a hint of meaning, "Okay, then you two chat. Xiaoxiao, say goodbye to the teacher."

Goodbye, Teacher Li! Goodbye, brother!

After seeing Yu Wenli off, Li Shiyan was a little embarrassed: "Was that your company's leader?"

"Yes, the General Manager of the TMT Investment Department."

"That look in her eyes just now...did she misunderstand something?" Li Shiyan's face turned slightly red.

"Maybe," Su Ning said calmly. "It's nothing."

The children were all picked up, and the kindergarten quieted down.

Li Shiyan went to the office to pack her things and changed back into her usual clothes...

Wearing a simple shirt and trousers, and carrying a canvas bag, no one would guess that she was a rich girl.

“Let’s go,” she said.

The two walked out of the kindergarten, and the setting sun dyed the streets golden.

"Shall we grab a bite together?" Su Ning suggested. "There's a pretty good local Shanghainese restaurant nearby."

“Okay,” Li Shiyan readily agreed.

……

The restaurant is a long-established business; it's not big, but the food is authentic.

The two found a seat by the window.

After ordering, Li Shiyan took a sip of tea and suddenly said, "Actually, I know that this meal was mostly arranged by my family."

Suning looked up.

“My parents initially brought up the blind date, saying that Uncle Su’s son had been found and was very outstanding, and they wanted me to meet him.” Li Shiyan smiled, a little self-deprecatingly, “In a family like ours, these kinds of things are inevitable.”

Suning didn't expect her to be so direct.

"Then why did you agree to go to the Su family back then?" he asked.

“Because I’m quite curious.” Li Shiyan looked at him. “You were separated from your family when you were young, and it must have been very difficult for you to adapt to being back with your biological parents as an adult.”

"It's okay! I did find it a bit difficult to adjust at first, and my family wasn't used to me either, so I moved to Tomson Riviera to live alone."

"So what are your plans for the future? Will you go back to inherit the family business, or continue to stay at Jin Chen Capital?"

"I'll stay at Jin Chen Capital for now! After all, I only graduated from high school, and I really need more workplace knowledge."

"So, how was your blind date with me?"

"Pretty good! They don't have the haughty attitude of those rich girls. Even if the blind date doesn't work out, they can still be good friends."

"Thank you for such high praise." These words made Li Shiyan feel more favorably toward Su Ning.

"And you? Why is there such a big difference? Rich girls should have a more glamorous life."

"Because of my dad! To outsiders, my dad is a glamorous investment tycoon, giving speeches everywhere and making the news. But I know he's not like that."

She put down her teacup. "When I was little, he was almost never home. He was out running projects, socializing, and drinking every day. My earliest memory of him is him coming home in the middle of the night, reeking of alcohol, and vomiting in the bathroom. My mother was patting his back while she cried."

"Later, his health collapsed, and he was hospitalized twice for stomach bleeding. The doctor warned him not to drink anymore, and he gradually slowed down," Li Shiyan said. "Now he seems to be successful, rich and famous. But there are almost no photos of me growing up in the family album. He has never attended a single parent-teacher meeting."

She looked up, her eyes a little red. "That's why I don't want to live like that. You can never earn enough money, but some things, once missed, are truly gone."

"..."

The dishes were served quickly, and the two ate quietly for a while.

"So you're not going back to the Li family to take over?" Su Ning asked.

“Not in the short term,” Li Shiyan said. “But I’m not completely ignoring it either. I go to company meetings on weekends to learn new things. My dad’s health isn’t good, and I ultimately have to shoulder some responsibility. It’s just… I want to do things at my own pace and try not to lose my own life.”

Su Ning looked at her.

At that moment, he felt that the girl in front of him had her own thoughts.

She is opinionated, has weaknesses, and is surprisingly genuine.

“What you told me today,” Su Ning said, “aren’t you afraid I’ll tell others, or even tell your dad?”

Li Shiyan laughed: "Can you?"

"will not."

“That’s right.” She picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks. “I don’t think you’re that kind of person. Besides, even if you said it, so what? It’s all true. My dad knows it himself.”

After dinner, Suning drove Li Shiyan home.

When we arrived at her building, Li Shiyan said, "Thank you for today. It's been a long time since anyone has listened to me like this."

“I should thank you,” Su Ning said. “You showed me another way of living.”

Li Shiyan looked at him and suddenly asked, "So... would you say our blind date was a success or a failure?"

Su Ning thought for a moment and said, "I guess I've made a friend."

Li Shiyan smiled: "Okay, friend. Let's keep in touch. By the way, our kindergarten is having an open day next week. If you're interested, you can come and take a look."

"it is good."

Watching Li Shiyan walk into the building, Su Ning stood by the roadside and lit a cigarette.

He came here today with the mindset of just going through the motions, but he didn't expect to have such a frank conversation.

Li Shiyan was not the pampered, arrogant rich girl he imagined; she had her own principles and vulnerabilities.

On Saturday night, Su Ning and Lan Qianyi went to a concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra.

The tickets were booked a week in advance by Suning, and the seats were excellent.

Lan Qianyi dressed up very carefully, wearing a light blue dress and curling her hair.

She seemed to be in a good mood, and a smile remained on her lips from the moment she entered until she sat down.

The concert was great; the program consisted of classics.

There were many people when the event ended, and the two of them slowly walked out with the flow of people.

Lan Qianyi was still humming the melody from before, her eyes shining: "That violin solo was so beautiful, it gave me goosebumps."

"I'm glad you like it," Su Ning said. "Are you hungry? Shall we go get something to eat?"

"Okay!"

They went to a nearby Cantonese restaurant that stayed open very late.

The shop wasn't crowded and was quite quiet.

We ordered a few snacks and chatted while we ate.

We talked about everyday topics, plans after the internship, books we've been reading recently, and some industry news.

No one mentioned the assessment results, as if they had tacitly put the matter aside for the time being.

Lan Qianyi talked about her time in the symphony orchestra during college: "I can play the viola, but my level is very average. I was just there to make up the numbers. But after each performance, we would all go out for a late-night snack together, and that feeling was really great."

Is there still time?

“Very few.” Lan Qianyi shook her head. “The zither is just sitting at home collecting dust. Sometimes I feel that as we grow up, we lose some of the things we like.”

Su Ning looked at her without saying anything.

It was almost eleven o'clock when we finished eating.

Suning drove Lan Qianyi home. She lived in an ordinary neighborhood in Pudong, not particularly upscale, but quiet.

The car was parked downstairs at her house.

Lan Qianyi unbuckled her seatbelt, turned around and said, "Thank you, I had a great time tonight."

“Me too,” Su Ning said.

A brief silence followed, the car interior was dimly lit, with only the dashboard emitting a faint glow.

Lan Qianyi pushed open the car door, preparing to get out.

Just then, Su Ning suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Lan, I'm suddenly a little thirsty. Can I come upstairs for a glass of water?"

The words were spoken very naturally, but both of them understood the meaning.

Lan Qianyi paused for a moment and turned to look at him.

In the dim light, Su Ning's expression was not very clear, but one could sense that he was waiting for her answer.

Lan Qianyi's heart skipped a beat.

She wasn't a little girl; she knew what "going upstairs for a glass of water" meant in that context.

If Gao Sicong or Li Xiaoxian said this, she would immediately reject it with disgust, and might even feel offended.

But it was Suning who said that.

She recalled their collaboration over the past few weeks, his focus at work, his earnestness when correcting her mistakes, and the occasional gentleness he showed.

She hesitated for a few seconds.

"Okay," she heard herself say.

Her face flushed slightly as she said this.

We're all adults; there's no need to be so blunt about some things.

……

Go upstairs and open the door.

Lan Qianyi lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment. It's very clean, but you can still see signs of life in it...

There were cushions scattered on the sofa, and several financial magazines and a half-full glass of water on the coffee table.

"Sit wherever you like," Lan Qianyi said, quickly walking into the kitchen. "I'll get you some water."

She took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator, poured it into a glass, and walked back to hand it to Su Ning.

The movements were a bit too fast and seemed unnatural.

Suning took the cup, said thank you, but didn't drink it immediately.

He sat at one end of the sofa, watching Lan Qianyi sit down at the other end, about a person's distance between them.

The TV was on, playing a very old urban romance drama, and the volume was turned down very low.

The male and female protagonists are arguing in the scene, and the dialogue is somewhat clichéd.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was subtly awkward.

About a minute later, Su Ning put down her water glass and moved a little closer to Lan Qianyi.

The movements were slow, as if unintentional.

Lan Qianyi noticed it, her body stiffened slightly, but she did not dodge.

"This show is pretty old," Su Ning said casually, watching TV. "Have you seen it?"

"No, I just left it there." Lan Qianyi's voice was a little tense.

Suning moved a little closer.

Now the distance between them is less than half a meter.

Lan Qianyi could smell the faint scent of men's cologne on him, mixed with a hint of nighttime coolness.

Her heart pounded even faster, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands.

On TV, the arguing male and female protagonists suddenly hugged each other and started kissing.

The background music became sentimental.

The timing of this scene is somewhat inopportune.

Lan Qianyi's face flushed. She wanted to find the remote control to change the channel, but the remote control was on the other side of the coffee table.

Just then, Su Ning reached out his hand.

Instead of using the remote control, he slowly and tentatively covered the back of her hand.

Lan Qianyi froze.

Suning's hands were warm, and there were some thin calluses on his palms, probably from writing or exercising.

Lan Qianyi did not pull her hand away.

The tacit approval signal is quite obvious.

Su Ning tightened his grip on Lan Qianyi's hand.

Then he turned around and faced Lan Qianyi.

"Lan Qianyi." He called her name, his voice lower than usual.

"Hmm?" Lan Qianyi looked up at him.

Under the light, her eyes shone brightly, carrying a hint of nervousness and anticipation.

Suning didn't continue.

He just looked at her, and then slowly, very slowly, leaned over.

This was a kiss that gave us plenty of time.

So slow that Lan Qianyi could clearly feel his approaching presence, so slow that she had enough time to push him away or dodge him.

But she didn't.

When Su Ning's lips touched Lan Qianyi's, Lan Qianyi closed her eyes.

The kiss was light, tentative, and fleeting.

Su Ning stepped back a little, looking at her as if to ask: Is it okay?
Lan Qianyi didn't speak, but she turned around and grasped his hand.

Then she leaned in and kissed Su Ning.

This time, it won't be gentle.

It was as if some kind of gate had been opened, and all the hesitation and uncertainty disappeared.

Su Ning wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer, and the kiss became deeper and more urgent.

After an unknown amount of time, they parted, both slightly out of breath.

Lan Qianyi's face turned bright red, and her eyes were watery.

"To the bedroom?" Su Ning asked in a low voice, her voice a little hoarse.

Lan Qianyi looked at him, bit her lower lip, and then nodded.

She stood up, took his hand, and led him to the bedroom.

His steps were a little unsteady, but he didn't hesitate at all.

When the bedroom door closed, the old drama was still playing on the TV in the living room.

The male and female leads have reconciled and are sweetly planning their future, but no one cares about the plot anymore.

...(End of chapter)