Chen Zhi, You've Got It Coming Too

Days passed quietly like this.

Sales of the Deep Space Meizu phone were skyrocketing. Dai Damai came to Wanshu Academy every day to report on the situation.

"Brother Zhi! The first batch of three hundred thousand units has all been shipped!" Dai Damai waved the report in his hand. "J. Wong says they can ramp up production by another five hundred thousand units next month!"

Chen Zhi's expression barely changed.

"Tell him to keep an eye on quality control."

After sending Dai Damai off, the spacious apartment fell silent again.

Li Zhiyi showed up on time every day to cook, simmer soup, do laundry, and tidy up the place—keeping everything in perfect order. But once she was done, she would leave without staying overnight, and even her words were fewer than before.

Chen Zhi knew that the girl was giving him space to deal with the other two messes.

But in his current state, wheelchair-bound, chasing after people clearly wasn't realistic.

He planned to wait until the cast came off in half a month, when he could walk again, then fly straight to Jiangcheng. Whether it meant begging for forgiveness or stubbornly pestering her, he had to win Lin Wanwan back.

Chen Zhi picked up his tablet and started browsing the latest news.

Suddenly, a pop-up notification appeared.

[Breaking! Emerging pop singer Lin Wanwan's studio releases statement: Taking a one-year break from the entertainment industry for personal reasons!]

Chen Zhi sat up straight immediately.

Opening Weibo, the top trending topic was Lin Wanwan's name.

The statement was brief, saying only that Lin Wanwan's physical and emotional state was extremely depleted and required a long period of rest, effective immediately with all performance activities suspended.

The comment section below had completely exploded, with fans all asking what had happened.

Chen Zhi's scalp tingled. He immediately dialed Su Man's number.

"Man-jie, what's going on with the online statement? What happened to Wanwan?" Chen Zhi asked urgently.

Su Man let out a cold laugh on the other end. "CEO Chen is the top trending figure in the tech world now, busy with a thousand things. You still have time to care about our Wanwan?"

"Man-jie, don't mock me. Where did Wanwan go?"

"She went back to Jiangcheng. Wanwan said she wanted to rest for a while."

Chen Zhi's heart tightened.

"The day she came back from your place, she cried the whole way in the car, and then cried all night in the hotel," Su Man sighed. "The next day during recording, she was completely out of it, and then she voluntarily asked for a year off."

"I'm going to Jiangcheng to find her now."

"Forget it!" Su Man cut him off directly. "Going now will only break her even more. She wants some peace and quiet. I'm begging you, don't disturb her. Let her keep some dignity."

The call was unilaterally ended.

Chen Zhi was getting agitated when his phone rang again.

The screen showed a Beijing local number with no saved name.

Chen Zhi answered casually.

"Hello?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a contemptuous sneer.

"Looks like CEO Chen's ship has completely capsized."

The voice was cold, with a hint of laziness.

Chen Zhi's eyes lit up instantly.

Ever since the fallout at Jiangcheng Airport that day, Pei Ningxue had blocked him on WeChat, blocked his calls, and vanished into thin air. Now she was reaching out to him on her own.

"Wife?" Chen Zhi shamelessly called out.

"Shut up. Who's your wife?" Pei Ningxue scolded bluntly. "I hear Lin Wanwan knows about all the beastly things you've done? She's even quit being a big star and retired?"

Chen Zhi was speechless. "How are you so well-informed?"

"Top trending news. I'm not blind," Pei Ningxue laughed heartily on the phone. "Haha, Chen Zhi, look at you now."

Hearing her gloating laugh, Chen Zhi couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"So you went through the trouble of getting a new number just to mock me?"

"What else?" Pei Ningxue said matter-of-factly. "I just wanted to see if the invincible CEO Chen has become all alone. I heard your leg still hasn't healed? No one even around to pour you a cup of tea? You deserve it."

Instead of getting angry, Chen Zhi grinned.

"What are you smiling at?" Pei Ningxue frowned.

"I'm smiling because you're in denial," Chen Zhi leaned back on the sofa. "If you really didn't care about me, why would you be glued to my gossip every day? And why specifically call to taunt me? This is what they call love turning to hate—still carrying a torch."

"You're full of it!"

"I just want to kick you while you're down!"

"Fine, fine, kick all you want," Chen Zhi played along. "So when are you coming back to do it in person? My leg is still in a cast. It'll be especially satisfying for you."

"Dream on!"

"Beep, beep, beep—"

The call was ruthlessly hung up.

Chen Zhi's mood actually improved a little.

Pei Ningxue was the classic high-attack, low-defense type. The fact that she called to yell at him meant there was still hope. As long as she was still willing to engage with him, he could win her back eventually.

But the most pressing problem was still the one in Jiangcheng.

...

Jiangcheng, old eastern district.

Lin Wanwan wore a wide black baseball cap and a mask over her face as she slowly climbed the stairs.

She stood at her front door, took a deep breath, then raised her hand to knock.

Within a few seconds, the door opened.

Lin Jing, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, was startled when she saw the girl bundled up outside. After Lin Wanwan took off her mask, Lin Jing exclaimed in shock.

"Wanwan?! Why are you suddenly back?"

Lin Wanwan looked at her mother's familiar, gentle face. The strength she had forced herself to hold onto in Beijing crumbled in an instant.

"Mom..."

Her lips trembled, tears burst forth, and she threw herself directly into Lin Jing's arms, holding her tightly around the waist.

"Oh my precious girl, what's wrong?" Lin Jing was frightened. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and patted her back. "Why are you crying like this? Come inside, come inside."

Lin Jing pulled the suitcase in, closed the door, and led Lin Wanwan to sit on the sofa.

Seeing her daughter's red, swollen eyes and noticeably thinner face, Lin Jing's heart ached.

"I was in the kitchen just now when your dad told me the news broke online that you suddenly retired," Lin Jing said, using a tissue to wipe her tears. "What exactly happened? Why would you suddenly give up singing? Isn't that your dream since childhood?"

Lin Wanwan sniffled and buried her head in Lin Jing's shoulder. "It's nothing. I'm just too tired—rushing from one show to another every day, recording programs. I don't want to do it anymore. I want to come home and rest."

"Is it really just because you're tired?" Lin Jing was skeptical.

She knew her own daughter best. Lin Wanwan had loved singing since she was little. There was no way she would give it up so easily.

"Tell Mom the truth," Lin Jing lifted her face and looked her straight in the eyes. "Did you suffer some injustice out there? Or... did you have a fight with Chen Zhi?"

At the name "Chen Zhi," Lin Wanwan's shoulders trembled violently, and her tears fell even harder.

But she still shook her head desperately, biting her lip, refusing to let it go. "No, Mom, it has nothing to do with him. I just missed you guys. I want to stay home for a while."

Lin Jing looked at her evasive expression and had already guessed most of it.

Who else could have hurt Lin Wanwan like this but that brat next door?

"Alright, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't." Lin Jing sighed and stroked her hair. "It's good to be home. Home will always be your safe haven. Go to your room, take a shower, and get some sleep. Mom will make your favorite sweet and sour ribs."

Lin Wanwan dragged her suitcase into her bedroom.

The room looked exactly the same as it had the day she left for school in Beijing. On the bedside table was a photo of her and Chen Zhi from their high school graduation.

In the picture, Chen Zhi wore an oversized school uniform, his hand pulling on her ponytail, with that annoyingly smug grin on his face.

Lin Wanwan walked over and flipped the frame face down on the table.

She went to the window and pushed it open.

The balconies of their two homes were very close together. Back in the day, when homework got boring at night, she would always toss crumpled paper balls toward his window, and Chen Zhi would shove his window open and yell at her, calling her stupid.

Now, the window across from her was tightly shut, the balcony empty.

Lin Wanwan leaned against the windowsill, and the tears started falling again, uncontrollably.