Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 230, Chapter 228: The Short-Haired Girl's Panda Eyes
That night, Li Zhi couldn't sleep.

Perhaps it was because I was on my phone before bed, but after seeing Gu Caiwei's predictable post on WeChat Moments, I couldn't fall asleep.

In the photo, my best friend's selfie is as beautiful as ever.

Coffee shops are great for photos, hot pot restaurants are bustling, and even arcades look cheerful in pictures.

The accompanying text, in particular, has an immediate effect.

—The joyful daily life of shareholders who alleviate their worries.

"Happy Everyday Life."

Even as dawn broke, Li Zhi was still thinking about this matter.

She tried to analyze it rationally, thinking it was just normal interaction between friends, and besides, it was clearly for work reasons, and she had been notified in advance.

But she still couldn't be happy.

Why are you unhappy?
What's bothering you?
Why am I unhappy when no one has done anything wrong?
No matter how many times you turn the fish over and over, it's still no different from what you'd find in a frying pan.

The pillow was crumpled beyond recognition, and the expensive silk eye mask was irritably ripped off and thrown aside.

Finally, Li Zhi figured out the answer.

My period is coming soon, so it's understandable that I'm feeling irritable.

That must be the reason.

The dim morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the entire room.

Li Zhi yawned, habitually climbed out of bed, and after washing up, sat back down in front of the mirror.

"."

She gasped, her eyes widening instantly.

The face reflected in the mirror was listless, full of exhaustion from being repeatedly torn apart by emotions; eyelashes drooped to the edge of the eyelids, and dark circles were clearly visible.

The beautiful woman has turned into a panda.

I'm so sleepy and tired.

Around eight o'clock, which should have been the busiest time of the morning rush hour in Jiangcheng, Li Zhi kept rubbing her eyes, feeling as if she were floating in a sticky swamp.

She gripped the steering wheel of her Mercedes-Benz C-Class, her fingertips icy cold, her vision blurred as she watched the taillights of the cars moving slowly and intermittently ahead.

Those red dots spread out, looking exactly like the glaring marks in the photos I posted on WeChat last night.

The short-haired girl's mind was filled with images of the happy daily lives of those shareholders who relieved her worries.

But in these joyful daily moments, there is none of oneself.

"Beep!!!"

Suddenly, a sharp, ear-piercing horn blared in Li Zhi's ears.

She jolted awake, almost instinctively, and slammed on the brakes.

"boom!!!"

"Crack."

A dull thud came from the front left of the car, followed by a sharp, metallic scraping sound.

The immense inertia slammed Li Zhi's body forward, only to be pulled back into the seat by the seatbelt, causing her chest to ache painfully.

It’s over.

These two words were like ice water, instantly extinguishing all the chaotic thoughts of the short-haired girl, bringing her back to reality, her mind blank.

There was a car accident?
She felt a stiffness in her neck, turned her head, and looked to her left.

On the white car body, there was a deep, long scratch that stretched from the middle of the door all the way to the top of the rear wheel arch.

There were even some broken headlight parts scattered on the asphalt road, which were particularly glaring in the rising sun.

The other car was a Toyota Corolla with a "trainee" sticker on it.

The driver's side door was suddenly pushed open, and a young girl with a panicked expression rushed out. Her face was pale as she looked at her beloved car's dented and deformed front bumper and shattered headlights, and then at Li Zhi's obviously expensive Mercedes-Benz. Her voice trembled.

"Excuse me."

"."

Li Zhi also unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.

The sound of high heels on the ground brought a faint sense of realism.

The Mercedes-Benz has dented sheet metal on the door, severe scratches on the paint, and slight deformation on the wheel rim.

The Corolla's front bumper is cracked, the right front headlight is shattered, and the fender is deformed.

"It's alright. It's my responsibility."

Although this was Li Zhi's first accident, she did well on her driving test.

She looked at the girl who was about to cry and added, "I was fully responsible for yielding to oncoming traffic when turning."

"Don't worry, let's go through insurance."

"really?"

"It's okay, just wait for the traffic police to arrive."

Li Zhi interrupted her, her mind in turmoil, and she didn't want to say another word.

She took out her phone and stood there stunned for a long time before remembering to call the insurance company and then dialed Uncle Hat's number.

While waiting for the traffic police and insurance adjuster to arrive, she leaned against the corner of the car door.

The early winter mornings were already quite chilly, and a thin coat was no match for the cold.

The surrounding area was filled with the noise of traffic, curious stares from passersby, and the sound of a Corolla girl frantically calling her family.

childish.

Why should your family worry about such a small thing?
Li Zhi pursed her lips, looking calmly at the girl who was clearly several years older than her.

I'm going to be late today.

The phone screen lit up, showing that the time had jumped to 8:25.

The morning meeting at Leying Law Firm had already begun.

"Sister Xiaxia, I accidentally bumped into someone's car during rush hour, so I'll be a little late."

After dealing with the accident scene and seeing off the grateful Corolla girl and the claims adjuster, it was nearly 10 a.m.

Li Zhi was exhausted. She sat back in the driver's seat, started the car, and the machine merged into the traffic.

Good morning, little lychee!

Leying Law Firm.

The receptionist's voice was still clear and crisp.

However, the greeting rang out around noon, which made him hesitate slightly.

"morning."

Li Zhi's steps were unsteady as she pushed open the glass door of the law firm. She tried to force a nonchalant smile, but her facial muscles felt a little stiff.

She was very tired in the morning, and she actually wanted to touch up her makeup at the law firm.

Who knew that dealing with all this mess would take until 11 o'clock?
She could even picture herself looking like that right now.

A pair of dark circles under her eyes that even foundation couldn't cover, and her short hair, blown by the wind for hours, hung messily down her cheeks.

Even her MaxMara camel cashmere coat didn't seem as exquisite anymore.

"Wow, the accident was dealt with so quickly?"

Zhuo Luxia, carrying a freshly refilled coffee cup, strolled out of the tea room and immediately bumped into the haggard-looking Li Zhi at the door.

She paused, leaned against the door frame, and her gaze, like a searchlight, swept precisely across Li Zhi's face, finally settling on her panda eyes.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Little Lychee, what were you doing last night?"

"Your dark circles are like a panda's."

"ACCIDENT?"

A young assistant named Xiao Zhang, who had recently joined the company, came over with a concerned look on his face.

"Li Zhi, are you alright? Where's your car? How badly is it?"

"No one was hurt, the car was scratched, and we've gone through insurance."

Li Zhi's words were concise and to the point; she simply wanted to end this public execution as soon as possible.

"As long as everyone is alright."

Zhuo Luxia nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on Li Zhi's face.

"There are a few cases here, all on your desk. Go over there and follow up with them, Mingli."

As she spoke, she gestured towards the Mingli Consulting Company next door.

"Uh, okay, Sister Xia."

Li Zhi paused for a moment, then nodded.

She walked to her large desk, put down her bag, and glanced at the neatly stacked documents on the desk.

As her fingertips traced the plastic casing of the folder, and she was about to stand up, Li Zhi suddenly realized what was happening.

We can't let this go!
The short-haired girl grabbed her bag and ran towards the restroom in her high heels. Hmm.
Fortunately, I brought enough cosmetics.

The girl bit her lower lip, opened her Tom Ford handbag, which resembled a professional makeup case, and began her image restoration project.

Apply two layers of concealer and pat the foundation evenly to hide all the paleness and haggardness.

I carefully blended earth-toned eyeshadow to try and neutralize my slightly cute panda eyes.

Finally, choose a matte mauve lipstick.

Apply it steadily to the bloodless lips.

My makeup has finally regained a little bit of its usual flawless look.

She looked in the mirror and slowly forced a flawless professional smile.

Very good, the armor is now reattached.

Li Zhi picked up the heavy, dark blue folder, straightened her back, and walked to the next room.

Top level of Mingli Legal Consulting Company.

Zhou Mingyuan's office door was ajar as usual, with a gap about two fingers wide.

Li Zhi stopped in front of the door.

For some inexplicable reason, she didn't knock on the door immediately.

The girl held her breath, tilted her body slightly to the side, and peered through the narrow gap on tiptoe.

"Mr. Zhou, this is the basic information of the coffee shops in the Optics Valley area."

"The data on rental costs, labor costs, and supply chain are all on the first four pages. The ones circled in red are the theoretically optimal locations that I've compiled."

"Okay, I'll take a look."

A familiar voice rang in Li Zhi's ears through the door.

Zhou Mingyuan stood with his back to the door, next to a large desk, looking down at documents.

The midday sun poured in without reservation, casting a dazzling golden edge on the man's body.

At that moment, he loosened his shirt collar, revealing his long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles, offering the peeping tormentor only a profile and a smooth jawline.

Since Li Zhi and Zhou Mingyuan met, she has never talked to anyone about her first impression of him, not even her best friend.

This man is really handsome.

That's what she thought when they first met at court.

Zhou Mingyuan's forehead, nose, lips, chin, and Adam's apple form a winding yet distinct line.

She is tall, but has a small face. Her features are not perfect, but even her flaws are captivating.

"Okay, you can send these to Gu Caiwei's email address."

"By the way, Mr. Zhou, there are some shops that I may not know as well as you do because of time constraints, and I didn't have time to visit them all."

Li Zhi was familiar with the girl's voice on the other end of the line.

It was his personal assistant, He Min.

"Don't worry, they definitely know better than we do."

Zhou Mingyuan smiled and said meaningfully.

"There's something else I want to report to you."

He Min smiled as she took the folder from Zhou Mingyuan, her eyes crinkling as she asked in a drawn-out voice.

"Here, I just took the car to get it washed. The car keys are here, but there's a teddy bear inside. Do you want me to take it out?"

We're all girls, there's no need to play the ghost story game.

Assistant He Min was completely on the boss's side, so even her questions were very considerate.

Should we remove it?

The implication was that he should be more careful.

Don't be silly and put it in a conspicuous place, lest other girls discover clues.

"This?"

Zhou Mingyuan stroked his chin, thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Let's put it back first, it's alright."

In fact, it's perfectly normal to keep some small decorations in your car; trying to hide them only makes things more obvious.

True masters rarely create an absolutely perfect persona for themselves.

This is actually a major taboo in multitasking.

Passing through a sea of ​​flowers, occasionally getting a little tangled up, is how one displays a unique masculine charm.

While Liu Xiahui may have achieved lasting fame, what is the significance of it all?

"Then I'll go back to work now."

He Min put away the folder, turned around cleanly and decisively without any hesitation, and pushed open the office door.

She spotted Li Zhi outside the door at a glance, smiled, patted the short-haired girl on the shoulder, and whispered.

"You've been waiting for a long time~"

Why are you wearing smoky eye makeup today?

"Did you stay up late last night?"

"Hurry up and go!"

Li Zhi and He Min are not the same.

After entering the office, she habitually closed the door, her gaze sweeping over Zhou Mingyuan, trying to glean some clue from his expression.

"Attorney Zhuo said this morning you would be a little late, why are you late?"

Zhou Mingyuan asked with a smile.

"I accidentally bumped into someone else's car."

"Huh? Is everything alright?"

The man pushed back his chair and leaned closer to Li Zhi, scanning her up and down.

Li Zhi did not look at him, nor did she choose to answer his seemingly ordinary question.

"fine."

Only then did her gaze slowly rise as if in slow motion, and a subtle smile curved her lips.

"The car just won't be able to run for a while. I plan to take it to the 4S shop for repairs later. It's not very convenient to commute to and from get off work during this time."

"That's it."

Zhou Mingyuan blinked and said casually, "How about I give you a ride since it's on my way?"

"it's not good?"

The short-haired girl stretched out her left hand, her fingertips circling repeatedly in the short hair near her ear.

"This is too much trouble for you. I'll just take a taxi myself."

Why are you taking a taxi?

Zhou Mingyuan subconsciously retorted, "Anyway, you know my class schedule. You can take a taxi at 8 a.m., and I'll come to the company when I don't have anything to do."

"They're all in the Nanhu Industrial Park. I'll ask you in advance, since it's on the way."

"Okay, thank you then."

Li Zhiying pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and nodded.

Around noon, Zhou Mingyuan took on the role of driver for the first time.

Li Zhi took her car to the Mercedes-Benz 4S store, filled out a bunch of messy paperwork, and the car was sent to the repair shop.

"After this experience, I finally understood why my mother was superstitious."

Li Zhi sat in the passenger seat of the Panamera, playing with a brown teddy bear in her hand, speaking as if casually.

Where is the superstition?

She said that placing a talisman-like ornament in the car can protect the driver and prevent accidents.

The short-haired girl pouted, "But I never took it seriously."

"Now you know it was wrong?"

Zhou Mingyuan didn't take it seriously, and just laughed and joked.

"Yes, I'll buy two of the most highly rated pendants on Taobao later."

Li Zhi put the teddy bear back, her gaze fixed on the window, her tone unusually nonchalant.

"Buy two?"

Zhou Mingyuan couldn't resist his curiosity.

"Yes, to thank you for being my driver, I'll give you one to keep in the car."

"How about we just put it in this spot all the time?"

As she spoke, Li Zhi pointed to the middle of the rearview mirror, a slight smile playing on her lips.

(End of this chapter)