Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 228, Section 226: Partnership is merely in name only.

Despite having known Gu Caiwei and Li Zhi for so long, this was the first time Zhou Mingyuan had heard these stories.

The story revolves around the innocent childhood of two sisters, their transformation from enemies to close friends, and their privileged and respectable family background.

If the person involved hadn't told Zhou Mingyuan, even with his excellent reasoning skills, he probably wouldn't have been able to figure out that the two girls, who were neither from the same hometown nor classmates, had a sisterly relationship.

The source of this problem lies in the previous generation.

Their mothers had been best friends since their college years.

After paying the bill, the two pushed open the door of Chaotianmen Hot Pot Restaurant, leaving behind the clamor and sizzling aroma.

"correct."

"Ok?"

Gu Caiwei, carrying her bag in one hand, turned to look at Zhou Mingyuan.

"After listening to you talk for so long, it suddenly reminded me of when we first went on our date. When you described your mother to me, that left a very deep impression on me."

"It turns out that my aunt is a top student who graduated from the Central University of Finance and Economics. Now I understand why she said that."

"what?"

Gu Caiwei blinked, taking a while to process what Zhou Mingyuan had said; she was clearly unfamiliar with his description.

"First date?"

She repeated it again in a low voice.

"you forgot?"

Zhou Mingyuan added with a smile, "It was the day we went to Ramada for afternoon tea that I talked to you about investment."

“You drove your Z4 to pick me up across from the courthouse, and I complimented you on your taste. Then you told me that your aunt was lecturing you on how to make the most of your budget, which left me speechless.”

"Oh, oh, oh~~~ I remember now!"

As the history books were being revisited, Gu Caiwei blushed and gripped her bag tightly, feeling that the other person's description was somewhat strange.

appointment
Wait, how did that day turn into a date?
I've only met you twice already, and we're practically strangers!
However, she did not refute the other party's statement. She just bit her lip, opened the car door, and got in.

"That's just how my mom is, she always calculates everything she does."

With a soft click, the car door closed.

The bustling Optics Valley Square suddenly sank into a tranquil depths enveloped in soundproofing.

"It's already evening."

"Time seems to fly by!"

Gu Caiwei leaned back in the spacious and comfortable passenger seat of the Panamera, tossing her bag to the back seat, and clutching tightly in her arms the three furry trophies she had collected at the arcade that afternoon.

A brown teddy bear with an arrogant expression, a lop-eared rabbit wearing a pink bow, and an adorable Squirtle.

"Because today was fulfilling!"

Zhou Mingyuan smiled as he fastened his seatbelt, stepped on the gas, and the car slowly drove away.

"I went to so many places, from coffee shops to hot pot restaurants, and I even experienced a precious first time in my life."

"."

Gu Caiwei was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "What first time?"

"This is my first time taking a photo booth picture!"

Zhou Mingyuan, with one hand on the steering wheel, stopped in the traffic after the red light, his voice serious.

"I used to think that only little girls would go to places like this, it's so childish, I've never taken any pictures there."

"Tch~ So why did you agree to film today?"

Gu Caiwei pouted and crossed her arms, asking a question.

"Don't you think it's childish?"

"Still so childish. But, well, I'd also like to take a picture with you."

"."

this person!
How can he be so nonchalant about something that's clearly ambiguous?

Gu Caiwei lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the soft fur of the lop-eared rabbit. She pursed her cherry lips, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her racing heart.

But she found that in the extreme silence, her heartbeat seemed to start to vibrate in her ears.

Boom, boom, boom.

She couldn't help but steal a glance at the man's profile in the driver's seat.

He was very focused while driving.

The smooth lines undulated in the flowing light and shadow outside the window, the jawline was taut, and the gaze was focused on the road ahead. The car was driven extremely steadily, as if the carefree guy from before was just an illusion.

"Cough cough."

Gu Caiwei cleared her throat, found an unopened bottle of mineral water by the passenger door, and gulped down a mouthful.

She looked around, her beautiful eyes darting about, trying to make her voice sound natural and casual.

"Um, it seems like we won a lot of plush toys today?"

"With your skill level, you must be buying these claw machines wholesale, right? Are three a lot?"

Zhou Mingyuan responded casually.

"The shelf in my dorm is too small; I doubt it can fit all of this."

She paused for a moment, then quickly made up an excuse.

Then, after looking at the three trophies in his arms, he picked up the adorable Squirtle and handed it to Zhou Mingyuan while the car stopped at a red light.

"Here, this is for you?"

"Put it in your car as a cute mascot, or squeeze it a couple of times when you don't like it—it can even relieve stress!"

The girl's soft, sweet voice trembled slightly at the end, and her profile appeared even more flushed in the dim light.

"You gave me this?"

Zhou Mingyuan briefly shifted his gaze from the road ahead to the tortoise that had been handed to him.

"No, no, this won't do, it has a bad connotation."

Squirtle is cute, but wouldn't it be a bit much to give it as a gift to a boy?
The word "turtle man" sounds so damn unlucky!

"Huh? What's the meaning behind this?"

Gu Caiwei looked completely bewildered, utterly confused.

"Then you pick one."

"The 'Dancing Bear' one suits me better."

Without saying a word, Zhou Mingyuan pointed to another teddy bear.

This is the kind of small gift a man should receive!

"Hahaha, okay, here you go~"

Gu Caiwei giggled and placed the teddy bear in the most conspicuous position in Zhou Mingyuan's car, on the wide and flat cover of the center armrest box.

The brown bear, head held high and with an expression of arrogant coolness, lay in the car's red leather interior.

The bright, vibrant Bordeaux red and the teddy bear's extremely arrogant expression created an inexplicable contrast, yet a strange harmony.

This is not difficult to understand.

A mark from a girl has taken over a corner of the territory.

Giving a doll as a gift, especially one bearing Gu Caiwei's mark, reveals the girlish sentiments hidden within the act itself, in this time and place.

The car drove smoothly toward Jiangcheng University of Finance and Economics.

As they approached the brightly lit area near the school, Zhou Mingyuan turned the steering wheel, avoiding the traffic flow at the north gate, and skillfully turned onto a relatively quiet side road nearby.

"So, instead of driving into the school, we'll walk back?"

The streetlights cast dappled, swaying shadows on the road through the sparse winter foliage.

The man parked the car steadily in a row of empty spaces.

The engine shuts off, and the world comes alive again.

"Uh-huh!"

Gu Caiwei responded softly, unbuckled her seatbelt, and jumped out of the car with the remaining dolls and bag in her arms.

A cool evening breeze carrying the crisp scent of South Lake wafted towards them. Zhou Mingyuan got out of the car, locked the door, and walked to her side. The two crossed the road and walked side by side along the path of Jiangcheng University of Finance and Economics.

It wasn't lights out yet, and the school was bustling with activity. Couples walked by, and college students whizzed past on bicycles.

"Regarding the site selection, I'll have my assistant help organize the data, and then you can make the decision."

Zhou Mingyuan suddenly spoke up, and the topic jumped back to where it all started.

"Ah? Oh, okay!"

Gu Caiwei was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

"Actually, I've been watching it too!"

"Today I observed the pedestrian flow structure at different times of the day. Compared to the Beiyuan area, the proportion of young people in Optics Valley only increases significantly after the evening rush hour, which is different from our target customer group."

The two walked side by side along the path, chatting casually about the main topic.

Location selection, customer flow, competitors, cost control—it's like cramming for exams at the last minute, only remembering the real issue when you get home.

In fact, whether it was Gu Caiwei or Zhou Mingyuan, despite their seemingly plausible reasons and their ability to convince themselves from any angle, everyone knew the truth after a whole day.

This is dating.

This isn't an inspection, nor is it a serious matter; using work and the team as excuses is just that.

This is 100% pure dating.

Because when they went into different coffee shops, Zhou Mingyuan never mentioned these things to her.

Drink coffee, eat desserts, and chat about gossip.

They were clearly playing the roles of customers and whispering young couples.

Even now, after leaving Optics Valley, their posture remains just as impressive.

Beneath the surface of what appeared to be a professional discussion, the distance between her and him gradually closed as they walked.

Shoulder to shoulder, back of hand to back, their strides became increasingly synchronized.

It felt as if the path covered with fallen leaves had no end, and we could walk side by side like this forever.

Just as they were about to turn into the path leading to the girls' dormitory building of the finance department, they heard lighthearted laughter coming from ahead.

Under the streetlights, two figures walked hand in hand, their posture intimate, towards each other.

"Vivi!"

The girl stopped in her tracks, her eyes widened, her voice rose eight octaves, and her eyes were filled with undisguised surprise.

The fire of gossip is burning fiercely!

It was Gu Caiwei's roommate Liang Jiaqi and her boyfriend Chen Hao.

Liang Jiaqi, with her sharp eyes, spotted Gu Caiwei from a great distance, along with the tall, imposing figure beside her.

"Oh, what a coincidence, Jiaqi~~~"

Gu Caiwei blinked, finally making out the outlines of her roommate and boyfriend, and waved and greeted them with a smile.

"Shopping with your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, yeah! We just went out for a late-night snack and were just about to head back!"

Liang Jiaqi pulled Chen Hao closer, her face beaming with undisguised excitement.

"Is this the legendary partner?"

Her gaze swept back and forth around Zhou Mingyuan, filled with undisguised inquiry and admiration, before finally settling meaningfully on Gu Caiwei's face.

"Hmph, you're smart!"

The clever and shrewd little princess was naturally not stumped by this situation.

Although she felt a little embarrassed at first, Gu Caiwei knew very well that she absolutely could not show any weakness at this moment!
We must not panic; we must stay calm, we absolutely must stay calm.

Fortunately, it's nighttime, so the streetlights aren't very bright.

No one noticed that their cheeks were burning hot and their throats were slightly tight.

Fortunately.

It's all thanks to Zhou Mingyuan having another job identity.

Otherwise, how should I introduce it?

normal friend?
So, where do we begin with the story of carrying a bunch of plush toys back to the dorm?
It seems that any word at this moment is pale and powerless, and even somewhat like an attempt to cover up the truth.

"Okay, okay, I'll ask you when we get back!"

Liang Jiaqi's face was full of a triumphant smile. After winking at Gu Caiwei, she also greeted Zhou Mingyuan.

"Bye-bye, Boss Zhou! My Weiwei always raves about you in the dorm!"

"It's said that without you, we wouldn't have won the award, nor would we have received the prize money, and we wouldn't have been able to enjoy Vivi's feast."

"I should thank you, actually."

Liang Jiaqi's eyes darted back and forth between Gu Caiwei and Zhou Mingyuan, as if she had automatically imagined a 100,000-word romance novel.

"Really? It's really that highly rated?"

Zhou Mingyuan also stopped, and seeing that there were only a few steps left to the dormitory, he smiled and cheered.

"Of course! I'll tell you next time I have the chance!"

Liang Jiaqi excitedly nudged her boyfriend Chen Hao next to her with her elbow: "Baby, I'm going upstairs first. The dorm announced that the water will be cut off at 11 pm tonight. If I don't go back to take a shower now, it will be too late."

She looked at Zhou Mingyuan again, waved her hand, and smiled brightly: "Bye-bye~ Sorry to disturb your time together!"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Gu Caiwei's cheeks were so red they were almost bleeding. Liang Jiaqi's words, "a world for two," touched her heart, and she followed suit, drawing out her own words.

Almost reflexively, she grabbed Liang Jiaqi's arm and said rapidly, "The water's going to be cut off? Then let's go upstairs first! Jiaqi, let's go!"

Immediately afterwards, the girl turned around, winked at Zhou Mingyuan, grabbed Liang Jiaqi who still wanted to gossip, and quickly walked towards the dormitory building.

As Liang Jiaqi was being dragged along, she didn't forget to turn back and give Zhou Mingyuan, who was standing still, a meaningful smile.

The dormitory door was practically kicked open, and as I leaned against it, Liang Jiaqi swiftly locked it from the inside.

Sisters!!!

As soon as Liang Jiaqi locked the door, a loud commotion erupted, enough to lift the roof off.

She grabbed Gu Caiwei's shoulders with both hands and shook her excitedly.

"Is our ship going to become a reality!?"

Her voice was so powerful that it instantly woke up the other two people in the dorm.

"What happened?"

With her face covered in seaweed mud mask, Zhao Xiaoyan sat up abruptly from the bed, only her eyes showing.

"Guess what I bumped into downstairs?"

"Liang Jiaqi!"

Gu Caiwei panicked and quickly covered her roommate's mouth.

Liu Jing, who was listening to music with headphones on at her desk, immediately took them off and quickly followed up: "What's going on?"

"Vivi and her date!"

"Wow"

Liu Jing and Zhao Xiaoyan both leaned their heads in.

"Is he handsome? What does he look like?"

"Very handsome."

With a serious expression and without much thought, Liang Jiaqi objectively commented, "Tall, with good taste in clothing, he's a typical handsome guy with great charisma."

"Maybe there are no partners at all, it's all just an excuse for lust."

"Look! Shall we go play the claw machine together tonight?"

"fart!"

Gu Caiwei was dizzy from being shaken around by her roommates. She hugged Squirtle and Lop-eared Rabbit tightly in her arms and cried out in embarrassment and annoyance.

"What are you talking about! It's just checking out coffee shop locations!"

"Just stopped by on the way. I just grabbed a plush toy."

(End of this chapter)