Compatibility - Chapter 66

Chapter 66

"Hello, may I ask if this is Ms. Song?"

"Speaking. What can I do for you?"

"This is the service department of Zhongyang Property. Your great-grandfather owned an old house in Xicheng County. Recently, residents in the area have complained that there are some problems with the water pipes in the house. We were wondering if you could come and take care of it."

"An old house in Xicheng County? But... I don't recall having such a property." Listening to the caller, Song Nanyin felt a little lost. She had never met her so-called great-grandfather; as a child, she had only seen photos at her grandmother's place.

Her family said she looked a lot like her great-grandfather, and that she seemed to be the only one who had inherited his hair color. But her great-grandfather had been in poor health and had passed away early, so Song Nanyin didn't have much of an impression of him.

Song Nanyin hung up and checked whether what the caller had said was true. She really did find a property in Xicheng County registered under her great-grandfather's name. So she really would have to make the trip after all.

Song Nanyin took leave from the company, told Chai Yue about it, packed a few belongings, and headed to Xicheng County. It wasn't close to Jiahai City, and the county was relatively underdeveloped. She had to fly to the nearest city first, then take a train to get there.

Following the address given by the property company, Song Nanyin took a taxi to the so-called old house. Although it was called an old house, it wasn't as dilapidated as she had imagined.

It was a standalone Western-style house that simply hadn't been renovated because no one had lived there for so long, creating a stark contrast with the finely decorated houses around it. The location was fairly quiet and the surroundings were pleasant. It was clear the house must have some value.

Song Nanyin pushed open the door and went in. Thick dust had accumulated in the rooms, along with a faint musty smell. Vines from outside had crept over the windows, and a few brightly colored mushrooms had even grown in a corner of the room.

Hmm... they looked poisonous.

"How is it? Did you get there?" Song Nanyin opened her phone, saw the message Chai Yue had sent her, and casually took a few photos to send back.

"I'm already here. It really is my great-grandfather's house, but it looks like no one's been here for years. Look, mushrooms are even growing."

"Wow, you're right. But the house looks decent. It should be worth a good amount, right?"

"Let's talk about that later. Let me first check if there's anything left in the rooms."

Song Nanyin put on a mask and looked around the first floor. Apart from a few old magazines on the coffee table, the first floor was quite clean; nothing had been left behind. She walked slowly up to the second floor. The quilts in the master bedroom and the second bedroom were folded neatly, suggesting the owner had tidied up carefully before leaving.

Song Nanyin walked into the study. The room displayed many books, most of them in English and all with some connection to future science. Puzzled, Song Nanyin looked over the books, then turned to examine the desk.

She opened one drawer. Inside was a vintage journal. When she opened it, the pages were completely blank, except for the first page, where a date had been written in fountain pen: April 23, 1873.

Song Nanyin didn't understand what special meaning the date carried, but she guessed it had been written by the owner of the study, her great-grandfather. She put the journal away, then opened the drawer on the other side and saw an exquisite box.

The box was gray all over. It felt like an alloy to the touch, yet it was very light. Song Nanyin gently pressed the surface, and the box snapped open. Inside lay something like an electronic watch.

The reason she called it watch-like was that its shape resembled a watch, with a wrist strap, but no dial face or hands. Its black screen was clean, and it was faintly cool to the touch.

"What is this?" Curious, Song Nanyin tapped the "watch," but there was no reaction. Logically, this should have been her great-grandfather's possession, but the strange thing was that such a material absolutely could not have existed in that era.

Finding it strange, Song Nanyin didn't put the device back for the time being. Instead, she placed it in her bag, planning to take it to a machine repair shop and ask what it was.

Having settled the matter of the old house, Song Nanyin didn't intend to linger in Xicheng County. She planned to return to Jiahai City the same day. On the way, she found two missed calls on her phone. Even though the name had been deleted, Song Nanyin still had the familiar number memorized.

Lately Liu Zhaoran would occasionally call her. Song Nanyin couldn't be bothered to block the number and chose to handle it with cold indifference. She didn't want to show Liu Zhaoran how much she cared by blocking her; the most indifferent attitude was simply to ignore her.

She waited for a few minutes, but the other end still showed no sign of answering. Somewhat disappointed, Liu Zhaoran put down the phone. After hesitating for a moment, she lowered her head, opened the drawer, and took out the cigarettes inside.

Liu Zhaoran rarely smoked in the office, especially after getting together with Song Nanyin. Because the other didn't like the smell of smoke, she had gradually cut down on smoking. Lately, though, she had been smoking noticeably more.

The cooperation with the Dis Family was entirely her responsibility, and nearly all of the work fell on Liu Zhaoran's shoulders alone. If it were only the work, she wouldn't have found it so hard to cope.

But after a full day of busy work, when she returned home, what faced her was a cold house, overly empty rooms, and Song Nanyin's gradually fading scent.

Only then did Liu Zhaoran realize how accustomed she had grown to Song Nanyin waiting for her at home. After that person left, the space she took with her was so vast that even the life Liu Zhaoran had once taken for granted became hollow.

During this time, Liu Zhaoran had completely rejected Luo Ning, and the two had ended things with a peaceful conversation, just as they had before. Liu Zhaoran wanted to win Song Nanyin back, but knew the other was still in a fit of anger and always avoided her at the company, never giving her a chance to make things right.

Liu Zhaoran knew full well that she was now reaping what she had sown, but for the moment she couldn't find a good way to apologize. Today, when she came to the company and learned that Song Nanyin had taken leave, her heart grew flustered.

She was afraid Song Nanyin would give up even her job to avoid her, afraid the other truly hated her to that extent.

"Director Liu, sorry to disturb you. Um... General Manager Zhang is back. He said he wants to see you." The assistant pushed open the door just then and happened to catch Liu Zhaoran smoking. She was taken aback for a moment. Seeing that, Liu Zhaoran stubbed out the cigarette and sprayed some freshener on herself.

"I understand. Tell General Manager Zhang I'll be right there." Only after confirming that no smell of smoke lingered on her did Liu Zhaoran touch up her makeup briefly and head to Zhang Kai's office.

Liu Zhaoran had heard the man would be back today; she just hadn't expected him to rush to see her the moment he returned.

Thinking of the way the man looked at her every time and his dogged pursuit, Liu Zhaoran tugged at her tie impatiently, then took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Zhang Kai's office.

"General Manager Zhang, I heard you were looking for me." Although she was thoroughly impatient with Zhang Kai, Liu Zhaoran had to keep up appearances. She walked in and saw that Zhang Kai's expression wasn't good.

"Yes. I heard you've grown quite close to the head of the Dis Family lately. Director Liu is quite popular, able to make friends with anyone." Seeing Liu Zhaoran, Zhang Kai spoke with a sarcastic sneer.

That he would ask this didn't surprise Liu Zhaoran. After all, the company forum was full of rumors about her and Luo Ning, and Luo Ning had indeed pursued her a few days earlier. If it had been before, Liu Zhaoran might have been willing to play word games with Zhang Kai.

But now, Song Nanyin's attitude left Liu Zhaoran restless and agitated. She knew her feelings for Song Nanyin were far heavier than she had imagined. Therefore, Liu Zhaoran could no longer play the hypocrite with Zhang Kai as she once had. That would only make Song Nanyin even more disappointed in her, and then there would truly be no way to make things right.

"General Manager Zhang, I..."

"Liu Zhaoran, are you toying with me?"

Zhang Kai suddenly rose to his feet. Before Liu Zhaoran could react, he grabbed her and pressed her against the wall. Her body slammed into the wall, the bones in her back aching from the impact. Her wrist was twisted forcefully by Zhang Kai, turning red over a large area in an instant.

"Zhang Kai, let go of me." Liu Zhaoran's face turned cold. She hadn't expected at all that Zhang Kai would lay a hand on her. It seemed he no longer intended to keep up the act.

"Let go? You want me to let go? Then explain it to me clearly. What is your relationship with Luo Ning? Why is he so familiar with you? Were all those things you said to me before just you toying with me?"

Zhang Kai's eyes were bloodshot, his gaze at Liu Zhaoran full of suspicion. Her wrist was squeezed until it hurt terribly. Liu Zhaoran frowned deeply, her remaining patience with Zhang Kai completely spent.

"Zhang Kai, what are we to each other? You have no right, and I have no obligation, to explain my relationships with other people to you. You are merely my superior, nothing more. If you continue to overstep your bounds with me like this, I will have my lawyer speak with you."

Liu Zhaoran's voice turned cold, her dark eyes half-lowered with a warning edge. Zhang Kai had originally been blinded by impulse and hadn't thought of falling out with Liu Zhaoran. Hearing her say this, he immediately calmed down.

Regardless of the private matter between Liu Zhaoran and Luo Ning, simply looking at how she was now solely in charge of the cooperation with the Dis Family, he couldn't touch her for now. Coming back to his senses, Zhang Kai immediately lost his nerve. He hastily released Liu Zhaoran, though unwillingness still lingered in his eyes.

"Ranran, I... I'm sorry. I was too rash. I'm sorry. I just care about you too much. Does it hurt? Let me put some medicine on it."

Zhang Kai glanced at the hand he had grabbed until it was red, immediately putting on a look of guilt. Watching him put on an act, Liu Zhaoran let out a scoff. If Zhang Kai had once had some use value, now he didn't have a shred.

"General Manager Zhang, no need. I just hope you understand this: the two of us have only a superior-subordinate relationship. Apart from work, I have nothing to report to you."

"Ran... Di... Director Liu, it was my fault. I'm sorry. I just said whatever came to mind. Consider it me going mad. These past few years, you know how I've treated you."

Seeing that Liu Zhaoran's face remained cold, Zhang Kai had no choice but to humble himself and apologize again. Although Liu Zhaoran was contemptuous, she still had to give Zhang Kai some face on the surface, to keep a mad dog from biting.

"Mm, I understand. Does General Manager Zhang have anything else? If not, I need to get back to work."

"Uh... no, nothing. In a few days there will be a banquet, mainly for this cooperation. You're the main person in charge. You'll be there, right?"

Zhang Kai asked in a low voice. For both business and personal reasons, Liu Zhaoran should attend the banquet, but Zhang Kai's behavior today had displeased her. Whether she would attend remained to be seen.

"I'll see when the time comes. I haven't been feeling well lately. Excuse me, General Manager Zhang." With that, Liu Zhaoran didn't look at Zhang Kai again and turned to leave. She felt it was time to leave this company.

Watching Liu Zhaoran's retreating figure, the guilt on Zhang Kai's face vanished in an instant. He stared coldly in the direction she had gone, suddenly rose, and swept everything on the desk onto the floor.

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