Chapter 43: Destiny and Affinity

Chapter 43: Destiny and Affinity

Ming Yue moved deftly in the kitchen, washing vegetables and slicing them with practiced ease. Shredded potatoes, thin slices of fish, and blanched tomatoes peeled to perfection...

It didn't take long for Zhou Yin, seated outside, to catch the aroma of cooking food. Having spent a considerable amount of time abroad, it had been ages since he felt this sense of home. Living alone, not even with his parents who were perpetually busy, he found little reason to visit them.

"Yueyue, you must have graduated by now. How's your job? Why don't you come work at my company?"

Grandma Li, noticing Ming Yue's arrival, promptly instructed Zhou Yin to serve the dishes.

"Grandma Li, I already have a job."

She didn't specify what she did, and Grandma Li rarely asked, aware that the younger generation often disliked being nagged about such matters.

"Alright, alright, as long as you're doing well."

"Taste the pickled cabbage we made ourselves," Grandma Li said with a smile, watching Ming Yue prepare the fish with the homemade ingredient.

"The pickled cabbage you make is delicious," Ming Yue praised without reserve.

"Well, it's also because of your culinary skills."

Watching the two interact like family, Zhou Yin thought to himself that it was quite heartwarming. Ming Yue was someone who remembered kindness, and she cherished the care Grandma Li had shown her.

In the past, she had hesitated to get too close to Grandma Li, feeling indebted due to the older woman's constant support. Now, their relationship had grown more natural and affectionate.

"Let your brother Zhou Yin drive you back."

Grandma Li saw them off at the door.

"Grandma Li, there's no need. I drove here myself."

"Our Yueyue has really made something of herself, buying a car right after starting work."

Grandma Li beamed with pride, as if seeing a younger relative achieve success.

The two walked side by side down the stairs.

"Thank you for coming to keep Grandma company so often."

The man spoke suddenly, and Ming Yue turned to look at him.

At that moment, Ming Yue realized how short she was; at 167 centimeters, she had to tilt her head up to speak to him.

He stood tall and straight, appearing to be at least 180 centimeters tall.

"It's nothing. Grandma Li has always been good to me."

They strolled leisurely, chatting as they went.

"Where did you park your car?"

Zhou Yin asked.

Ming Yue replied, "Just in the community parking lot."

She had planned to leave soon, so she hadn't bothered to park in the underground garage.

Zhou Yin remained silent, trailing behind her by a step.

Ming Yue guessed that he wanted to see her safely into her car.

"I'm here."

Ming Yue pressed her car key, and her green car beeped twice, its lights flashing.

"Add me on contact!"

Zhou Yin pulled out his phone.

They exchanged WeChat codes, and Zhou Yin's profile picture was a simple landscape, giving him an air of an old cadre, somewhat at odds with his image as a returning nobleman.

"See you next time!"

Ming Yue rolled down her window to say goodbye before driving away.

Zhou Yin looked at his phone, where the girl holding the moon was his new contact's profile picture. The luminous moon, held aloft by the girl's hands, her hair dancing in the night breeze, created a strikingly beautiful image.

He recognized Ming Yue's car, which cost over a million yuan. He wondered if the Ming Yue his grandmother spoke of was the same person he had just met.

According to his grandmother, Ming Yue was a top student from Yanjing University, from a poor background, and had just started working after her internship.

But based on what he had seen today, his grandmother, accustomed to frugality and indifferent to brands, wouldn't notice such things. Yet, Zhou Yin could tell that while Ming Yue's clothes weren't top-tier, they were certainly expensive labels. It would be unlikely for someone fresh out of an internship to afford such a pricey car, making her background seem far from impoverished.

To him, only the information about Yanjing University seemed accurate.

After returning home, Ming Yue took a refreshing shower. With the weekend ahead, she planned to enjoy two days off before embarking on her next career experience the following week.

The next day, Ming Yue invited Wang Qian and Zhang Heng to hang out. They heard about a nearby temple called Yuanqing Temple and decided to drive there.

The temple was situated atop a mountain, and cars couldn't reach the summit directly.

The three of them had to park at the foot of the mountain.

"Are we just looking for trouble?"

Wang Qian looked up at the towering peak and rubbed her forehead as she said this.

"You need to exercise more. Don't let meetings make you dizzy."

Zhang Heng teased her.

"As if you exercise at the company."

Wang Qian shot him a glance.

Zhang Heng: "Believe it or not, I have a gym membership and work out when I have time."

In fact, the company had a dedicated gym that was free for employees to use.

However, while leaders and employees should be friendly, maintaining some distance and mystery at times is more conducive to management. So Zhang Heng didn't mix much with them after work hours.

"Well, since we're here..."

When Ming Yue mentioned this, everyone laughed. Indeed, Chinese people couldn't escape the phrase "since we're here."

Ming Yue instantly understood what they were laughing about.

"I heard that Yuanqing Temple is very effective for seeking romantic fortune."

At this, Wang Qian became interested. "I've also heard that. It's said that one can determine if their current relationship is destined. Those without partners can seek romantic fortune, and those in relationships who come here and find it's not meant to be should break up."

"So mystical. I'm a staunch materialist."

Zhang Heng believed in science and was quick to dismiss superstition.

"At the end of science lies theology; you know nothing."

Wang Qian ignored him and started walking up the mountain.

The two followed behind.

Initially, Wang Qian was full of energy, huffing and puffing as she climbed. The path up the mountain was entirely made of stone steps, each one solid underfoot.

But eventually, she couldn't go on.

"Yueyue, look, there are monkeys."

Just as Wang Qian was looking for a place to sit and rest, she spotted two monkeys squatting on the bench of a nearby pavilion. They weren't afraid of the humans approaching, staring at them with curious eyes.

Ming Yue was also intrigued, and the three rested in the pavilion.

"Sometimes I really envy monkeys."

Wang Qian gazed at the furry little creatures and sighed.

"What do you envy? Their freedom in the mountains?"

Zhang Heng couldn't understand why someone would envy a monkey.

Wang Qian: "I envy how perfectly they've evolved, not needing to work or worry about social obligations."

"What an odd thought."

Ming Yue burst into laughter.

"Think about an ordinary person's life. In childhood, they're exhausted by studying; in adulthood, by working. In middle age, they're burdened with caring for both the young and the old; in old age, they're too weak to enjoy life."

Ming Yue: "What you say has some truth, but do you feel unhappy now?"

Suddenly, Wang Qian broke into a wide smile. "No, don't I have a rich best friend now? I'm clinging to a golden thigh."

She shook off her sudden melancholy and felt enlightened. What did she have to worry about? She was now a minor shareholder in a company.

"Monkeys can't dine in restaurants, monkeys can't go to KTVs, monkeys can't travel the world. Tell me, could you withstand the loneliness if you were a monkey?"

Zhang Heng cut straight to the point.

"No way, no way. I still prefer being human; the world is so colorful."