Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Chen Zhengyuan and Wang Yu found the neighborhood they were looking for near Shanghai Normal University on Honghai Road.

This is a mid-range residential area built at the beginning of the century, called Cuihu Tiandi. It is not top-tier luxury, but the environment is quiet and peaceful. Most of the residents are middle-class people with stable incomes, such as teachers, doctors, and small business owners.

Chen Zhengyuan parked the black Bentley in the public parking lot in front of the residential complex. The two men got out of the car.

Wang Yu swayed her hips as she walked ahead. She had changed into an elegant gray suit in the car, clearly having seamlessly switched into work mode.

They entered Building 8 and took the elevator to the 8th floor. Wang Yu pressed the doorbell of room 802.

The sound of bare feet pattering on the floor came from inside the door. The door opened, and a woman appeared in the doorway with an inquiring smile.

"Good morning," Wang Yu said. "Does Wen Jie live here?"

"He's already moved out to live on his own." The woman's voice was warm and deep. "You two are...?"

"Could his former colleagues tell us where he lives now?"

"What do you need him for? I can call him."

"us......"

Chen Zhengyuan took a step forward, interrupting Wang Yu: "He left in such a hurry last time that we didn't even have a chance to find out the reason, which we've always regretted. Wen Jie is very capable and has his own unique perspective on problems. He's a truly promising technical talent. Everyone in the company, including myself, recognizes his value."

The woman nodded and smiled, "Thank you for saying that."

Wang Yu cast a questioning look at Chen Zhengyuan.

Chen Zhengyuan moved closer and could tell that the woman was very attractive. Well, she wasn't wearing makeup, and was dressed in a white loungewear set. Apart from her meticulously styled shoulder-length curly hair, she was utterly unremarkable.

Despite her overly plain appearance, Chen Zhengyuan still enjoyed looking at her. She spoke with a relaxed air, and looked directly into Chen Zhengyuan's eyes, displaying considerable confidence. But it was completely different from Wang Yu's aggressive confidence; her confidence gave off a sense of detachment, like an ancient painting veiled in thin gauze. Was she in college? Was she excited about money and status?

"So this time," Chen Zhengyuan continued, noticing his tone was unconsciously much more formal than usual, "it's less about handling official business and more about expressing our appreciation for his talent. It's okay that he's not here, because some things would seem too formal to say directly to him. But I thought that talking to someone close to him might help him understand that we've always seen and remembered his past contributions and talents. Are you his girlfriend?"

"I am his older sister."

The woman's pronunciation was clear, like the lines of a stage actor.

"That's perfect. Can we go in and talk?" Chen Zhengyuan said with a smile, glancing at Wang Yu. Wang Yu glared at him fiercely with a warning look.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then turned to look into the house.

"Are you busy?" Chen Zhengyuan asked, noticing the woman's slender hands. She's studied piano, he thought.

"No, it's just that we don't have much at home to entertain guests."

"It's okay."

"Please come in."

Wang Yu kicked off her high heels at the door and secretly pinched Chen Zhengyuan's arm at the same time.

Chen Zhengyuan cleared his throat and looked down at the shoe rack in front of him. There were six pairs of shoes on the rack, none of them men's sizes. He was very pleased with this discovery.

They entered the living room. Many posters hung on the walls; Chen Zhengyuan recognized several of the singers. The living room exuded a distinct artistic quality, with simple yet sophisticated furniture, a piano, and a bookshelf displaying vinyl records.

"Please make yourselves at home," the woman said, and quickly walked into the kitchen.

Chen Zhengyuan sat down on the sofa. A copy of "The Golden Age of Classical Music" lay face down on the coffee table, next to a notebook and a pencil.

Wang Yu sat down next to Chen Zhengyuan, glaring at him angrily. His upper and lower jaws moved in opposite directions, his teeth grinding together, reminding Chen Zhengyuan of a ruminant animal.

Chen Zhengyuan lowered his head and whispered in Wang Yu's ear, "Why don't you ask her first? Isn't it the same?"

The woman returned to the living room, carrying a tray, and sat down. Wang Yu immediately sat up straight.

"I'm so sorry, we only have water to drink at home," the woman said, setting out two paper cups filled with hot water and a plate of fruit. Chen Zhengyuan waited until Wang Yu finished thanking him before speaking.

"Is Miss Wen studying music?"

The woman shook her head: "I've already graduated and I'm currently doing an internship at the university."

"A music teacher?"

"Um."

"A wonderful profession, cultivating character and nurturing talent." Chen Zhengyuan smiled wryly. "My favorite subject when I was in school was music class. While other boys were sweating it out on the sports field, I preferred to stay at the back of the music room, watching the sunlight stream through the window onto the black and white keys of the piano, listening to the teacher play 'Für Elise'..."

Wang Yu snorted through her nose: "Then your music teacher must be very beautiful."

Chen Zhengyuan chuckled dryly a few times, looking at the woman: "Don't take offense, my men always like to joke with me like this. Which school does Miss Wen teach at?"

"National Taiwan Normal University," the woman said.

"Ah ha," Chen Zhengyuan leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, "Shanghai Normal University. I'm quite familiar with some of your school's leaders. Especially Principal Zhang, who is in charge of arts education. We met a few times before at a seminar on school-enterprise cooperation organized by the Education Commission. He has some very forward-thinking ideas about combining modern music education with technology, and we had a very pleasant conversation."

The woman smiled politely at him.

Chen Zhengyuan smiled slightly, adjusted his silk tie, and glanced at his watch. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wang Yu also smiling, though that smile seemed to carry a hint of schadenfreude.

In the ensuing silence, Chen Zhengyuan checked his watch five times. Wang Yu leaned back on the sofa with a smile. The woman simply sat there drinking water.

Time ticked by, and Chen Zhengyuan suddenly realized that there was no reason for Wang Yu to seize an opportunity to humiliate him because of a young woman whose name he didn't even know. There would be other days; there would be plenty of time in the future.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, Wang Yu suddenly cleared his throat.

"Ms. Wen," she said, "I'd like to ask, what's Wen Jie's current situation? If he's found a new job, we'll certainly respect his choice. We've worked together before, and perhaps we'll have some exchanges about career development in the future."

"I don't pry too much into the specifics of Xiao Jie's work. So, if you're here just to find out about this, I probably can't help you with anything."

The woman smiled, her lips were tightly closed, and her eyebrows were raised, as if to say that if there were no other questions, the meeting would be over.

"Okay, I understand," Wang Yu said.

Chen Zhengyuan stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and turned to leave.