socalfunplaces Chapter 29: A New Day Begins
Chapter 29: A New Day Begins
Let's go back an hour.
[Ding~ Nie Xiguang's favorability +1, current favorability 79]
Yu Chen was in a crucial moment of his meeting with a client from Jiang Ning when a system notification suddenly popped into his head, causing him to pause.
While the other party was still talking at length about the technical difficulties, Yu Chen's thoughts drifted for a moment.
[Ding~ Nie Xiguang's favorability +1, current favorability 80]
Again.
Yu Chen calmly picked up his teacup and took a sip, but his gaze darkened.
The prompts kept coming... What was she doing? What had she encountered?
[Ding~ Nie Xiguang's favorability +1, current favorability 81]
Third tone.
Yu Chen put down his cup and, taking advantage of the client's pause, spoke directly: "Mr. Wang, excuse me for interrupting. I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'll prepare the technical solution tonight and send it to your email. We can discuss the details tomorrow. How does that sound?"
The middle-aged man was taken aback, clearly not expecting Yu Chen to suddenly interrupt the meeting, but he quickly smiled and said, "Mr. Yu, please go ahead and do what you need to do! The plan isn't urgent, please take care of your business first."
The world is vast, but those with technical expertise are the most powerful.
Yu Chen is now a hot commodity in the photovoltaic industry.
"Sorry, I was rude." After saying this, Yu Chen grabbed his coat and walked out, while simultaneously bringing up the system interface.
Where is Nie Xiguang now?
She met with Zhuang Xu... What happened? Why is her favorability rating fluctuating like this?
Yu Chen's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
He knew Nie Xiguang; that girl was soft-hearted, but once she made a decision, she was more stubborn than anyone else.
Looking out the window at the night view of Shanghai.
I don't know where she is. I don't know what happened to her.
This feeling of being out of control made him very uncomfortable.
Yu Chen opened the system shop and quickly browsed through it. He remembered seeing location-related items that morning, but he didn't expect to use them so soon.
[One-time precise location (for a specific person)]
Price: 3000 Achievement Points
[Effect: Obtains the target's current location coordinates, lasting 30 minutes]
It is it.
Yu Chen answered almost without hesitation: "Exchange."
[Consumes 3000 achievement points.]
[Location activated. Target: Nie Xiguang. Current location: Peony Hall, Yindu International Hotel.]
[Remaining duration: 29 minutes and 57 seconds]
---
That's when the snow started falling.
Yu Chen watched the taxi weave through the congested traffic on the Bund.
Was it an unsuccessful farewell? Or was it Zhuang Xu's entanglement?
As he approached, he spotted a figure under the streetlight in front of the hotel from afar.
Nie Xiguang stood there alone, looking up at the falling snow, his profile appearing somewhat frail in the lamplight.
Thankfully, she's alright.
Yu Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
He was about to get out of the car when he saw another figure rush out of the hotel.
Zhuang Xu.
Yu Chen pushed open the door and got out of the car.
The snow fell on his shoulders, it was cold, but his steps were steady as he walked on.
"Turn back."
He spoke into the phone at the same time.
Nie Xiguang shook her head, her eyes sparkling: "How did you know I was here?"
Yu Chen chuckled: "It's a secret."
Some things don't need to be said. All she needs to know is that he's there.
---
Inside the taxi.
The warmth gently enveloped the room.
Nie Xiguang rubbed his hands together, then suddenly remembered something: "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. Waiting for you to come together."
"Then..." Nie Xiguang blinked, "Let's go to my place? I have some ingredients in my fridge, I'll cook you a bowl of noodles?"
Yu Chen turned to look at her, his eyes reflecting the shimmering light outside the window.
"Okay, but don't make it too complicated." He glanced at the time. "Don't you have a wedding to attend tomorrow?"
Nie Xiguang then remembered the important matter: "Right! Boss is getting married tomorrow, I need to go to the hotel to help out at nine in the morning..."
The car slowly merged into the neon-lit street, leaving the snowy night, the past, and the unfulfilled youth behind.
---
Nie Xiguang's apartment is not big, only 200 square meters, but it is kept clean and cozy.
This was bought for her by her mother.
They say they have a place to stay in Shanghai.
No wonder they're capitalists.
However, housing prices in Shanghai were not expensive in 2012.
"The noodles are here!" Nie Xiguang brought out two bowls of simple plain noodles, with perfectly fried eggs and vibrant green vegetables.
The two sat facing each other, dining. Amidst the rising steam, Yu Chen looked up at her: "The wedding is tomorrow. Do you need me to come with you?"
Nie Xiguang paused, her chopsticks still on the table. She hadn't thought about that question yet.
It's normal to bring a male companion to a wedding, but... what is her relationship with Yu Chen now?
"Whatever's convenient for you," she said carefully, "but the wedding will be full of old classmates, so it might be a bit noisy..."
"Then let's go," Yu Chen said naturally. "It'll be a good opportunity to meet your friends."
Nie Xiguang's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her head to eat her noodles, trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
After the meal, Yu Chen offered to help clean up.
As Nie Xiguang washed the dishes, he leaned against the kitchen door, watching her slightly damp, tousled hair.
"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" he asked.
"We need to be at the hotel by eight o'clock. The bride needs to get ready and change clothes." Nie Xiguang wiped his hands. "The bridesmaids need to be prepared in advance."
Yu Chen nodded: "Then I'll pick you up at 7:30."
"Isn't it too early? You should sleep a little longer..."
"It's nothing." Yu Chen picked up his coat. "Get some rest. There's a lot to do tomorrow."
As she saw him to the door, Nie Xiguang couldn't help but ask, "You came to see me today... has everything been taken care of over there?"
"We'll talk about the client tomorrow," Yu Chen said, turning to look at her. "Today's matters are more important."
Their eyes met, and the air fell silent for a moment.
A few snowflakes drifted in through the crack in the door and landed on Yu Chen's shoulder.
"Yu Chen," Nie Xiguang said softly.
"Um?"
"Thank you for coming today." She paused, then added, "And thank you... for understanding that I need to deal with the past first."
Yu Chen reached out and gently ruffled her hair: "It's my pleasure."
This action startled both of them.
Yu Chen withdrew his hand and cleared his throat: "Go in, and lock the door."
"Okay, be careful on the road."
The door closed behind me.
Yu Chen stood in the hallway for a moment before turning around and going downstairs.
In the elevator, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
These 3000 achievement points today were well spent.
---
At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, Yu Chen appeared downstairs at Nie Xiguang's house on time.
Nie Xiguang hurried downstairs. Today she was wearing a light pink sweater with a beige long skirt, which made her look more feminine than usual.
"Have you been waiting long?" She jogged over, her breath condensing into white mist in the cold air.
"Just arrived. Have you had breakfast?"
"not yet……"
Yu Chen took out a paper bag: "Soy milk and steamed buns, eat them while they're hot."
Nie Xiguang took it, and warmth spread from his fingertips to his heart.
"Oh right, I have a car in my garage, let's drive that one." Nie Xiguang suddenly remembered his Porsche that had been sitting in the garage collecting dust.
Yu Chen wasn't embarrassed at all. He took her key, and the two of them went to the basement.
However, the process of buying a car should also be put into effect.
With the compound interest from the two stocks plus his recent income, his savings have reached 35.
You could buy a car for transportation.
On the way to the wedding hotel, Nie Xiguang briefly introduced the wedding schedule: "...The ceremony starts at 11:00, followed by a luncheon. There might be a classmate reunion in the afternoon, but I can leave early."
"No need." Yu Chen looked at the road ahead. "Follow your procedures, I'll wait for you."
Nie Xiguang turned her head to look at his profile as he drove, the morning light outlining his clear features.
This man is always like this: calm, reliable, giving her the greatest freedom, and always there to catch her when she needs him.
"Yu Chen," she suddenly said.
"Um?"
"I'll see my classmates today, and they might ask me all sorts of questions..." Nie Xiguang said somewhat embarrassedly, "If anything makes you uncomfortable, just ignore them."
Yu Chen chuckled: "What, are you afraid I can't handle it?"
"No!" Nie Xiguang hurriedly explained, "I just... was afraid you'd find it troublesome."
"No trouble at all." Yu Chen glanced at her, his eyes gentle. "Perfect timing, I'd also like to see what your life was like before."
Nie Xiguang's heart skipped a beat again. He lowered his head and took a small bite of the bun, but couldn't help but smile.
When the car arrived at the hotel, the bridal suite was already bustling with activity.
As soon as Nie Xiguang pushed open the door, Si Liang's exclamation rang out: "Xiguang! You've finally arrived! Oh, and who is this...?"
Seven or eight girls in the room all looked over at once, their gazes sweeping over Yu Chen before turning to Nie Xiguang, their eyes full of gossip.
Nie Xiguang blushed: "This is my friend, Yu Chen."
"Friend~" Siliang drawled, winking, "Why didn't you bring it sooner?"
Xiao Feng chimed in, "Hi Yu Chen! We're Xi Guang's college roommates! Are you here for the wedding too?"
Yu Chen nodded calmly and handed a gift box he had prepared in advance to Nie Xiguang: "A small gift for the bride. You two go ahead with your work, I'll wait downstairs."
He struck a perfect balance, accompanying Nie Xiguang without disturbing the preparations in the bridal chamber.
Nie Xiguang walked him to the elevator and whispered, "I'll call you when I'm done."
"Okay." Yu Chen pressed the elevator button and smiled at her before the elevator doors closed. "You look beautiful today."
The elevator is going down.
Nie Xiguang stood in the corridor, touching his burning face. It took him a while to calm his racing heart before he turned and went back to his room.
As soon as I went in, I was surrounded by my sisters.
"Tell me the truth! When did you meet?"
Nie Xiguang was overwhelmed by the questions and looked pleadingly at today's protagonist.
The eldest brother, dressed in a wedding gown, sits in front of a mirror.
The eldest brother smiled gently: "Xi Guang, that Yu Chen... seems like a very nice person."
"Yes." Nie Xiguang nodded, a smile returning to his face. "He is very good."
Outside the window, the morning light after the snow was clear and bright.
Yu Chen, sitting in the hotel lobby downstairs, took out his phone to handle a few work messages, and then looked towards the elevator.
Today's wedding is going to be very interesting.
[Ding~ Nie Xiguang's favorability +2, current favorability 83]
The strategy progress has been restarted.
Yu Chen put away his phone and picked up the coffee on the table.
A new day has begun.
-
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Flowing Water, I reckon you're number one. Where do you want to go next? You can post it in the discussion forum.
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