Chapter 9: The Gathering Crowd

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◎Revealing a touch of pitiful vulnerability◎
Cen Mo felt as if she had truly slept herself silly.
She had always had this problem—upon waking, her mind was foggy until she washed her face and pressed cold water to her forehead, jolting herself fully awake and back to normal.
Especially today, after having rested her head on the sofa armrest for so long, the blood supply to her brain was a bit lacking, making her even less sharp—she did things without thinking at all.
Seeing the man’s tie crooked, she impulsively reached out to fix it. The two of them stood facing each other like an intimate couple, and the man even bent slightly at the waist. Aside from his expressionless face, he looked very cooperative.
Outside the elevator, a group of people stood staring with wide eyes, showing no intention of stepping aside. Cen Mo sighed, slowly lowering her hands and calmly leaning against the elevator wall.
After all, what’s done is done. She wasn’t embarrassed; as a secretary, it was not inappropriate to pay attention to the president’s daily appearance. She just did not like the probing looks from those people.
She thought again of Su Xingzhi’s bow just now and couldn’t help but glance at him.
Isn’t this man normally averse to contact with women? Why didn’t he dodge? Could his mind also be foggy?
Perhaps because she had just yawned and her eyes were a little red, she appeared somewhat pitiful—almost as if silently pleading for something.
Su Xingzhi raised an eyebrow and glanced over sharply. The employees outside the elevator bowed their heads in fright; some even turned their backs dramatically.
Only then did the man calmly press the door-close button, and the elevator began moving again, with just the two of them inside.
This was all so out of place—didn’t it only deepen the misunderstanding?
Cen Mo was speechless, deciding not to dwell on it further. Rumors had already spread so widely; a little more wouldn’t matter.
Fortunately, after that whole episode, she was now fully awake, standing straight and regaining her usual composed secretary demeanor.
“Sorry, President Su, that was my mistake earlier,” she said directly without turning to look at the man’s reflection on the elevator wall.
Receiving no reply, she continued methodically, “I have basically memorized all the materials you gave me. You can spot-check me tomorrow.”
“Hmm,” the man replied faintly. After a moment, he added, “That room’s door can be opened from the inside.”
“Is that so?” Cen Mo was momentarily stunned. “I hadn’t tried. I thought you wanted me to memorize everything before leaving.”
The elevator numbers slowly changed, now at ‘-1’. With a ding, the doors opened gently.
“No,” he said, glancing at her with his handsome eyes slightly narrowed, a hint of doubt flickering. “I just forgot you were inside.”
With that, he strode out of the elevator.
Only after the doors closed again did Cen Mo remember she hadn’t pressed the floor button. Hastily, she reached out and pressed one. Running her hand through her hair, she exhaled slowly, the stray strands at her forehead fluttering slightly.
That familiar feeling of frustration, with nowhere to vent, returned.
What did he mean by “just forgot you were inside”? Did that mean she was a living, breathing person with zero presence?
…
Outside, the sky had started to darken, but the city’s lively night scene was just beginning. Elegant street lamps lit up one by one, and distant mall signs shifted through various colors.

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On the road, cars crawled slowly, honking in a long traffic jam, filling the air with noise.
Cen Mo left the Yachuang building and stood by the roadside for a while before going to wait for a ride.
…
What did it feel like to have a space of one’s own?
For the first time, Cen Mo found her mood surprisingly good.
After work, she stopped by the supermarket to buy some vegetables and fruit. Upon entering her home, she put down the groceries, changed into casual clothes in the bedroom, washed her hands, and leisurely began cooking.
The furniture was already complete, so she needed only to keep the place clean. The small one-bedroom, one-living room apartment was arranged very cozily, comfortable to live in.
All the kitchenware had been replaced with new ones, sparkling clean. She put on some music on her phone and methodically chopped vegetables, occasionally swaying slightly to the rhythm.
No one was watching, so she could do as she pleased.
Steam rose from the pot of rice on the stove; she turned on the gas, placed the pot on the burner, and began stir-frying. Since she was preparing lunch for the next day, the portions were larger.
She cooked shrimp with corn, stir-fried baby bok choy, and a rolled omelet. Setting aside a portion for tomorrow’s lunchbox, she plated the rest and sat down to eat.
After washing the dishes, she changed into workout clothes, planning to run a few laps downstairs. Thinking of Xu Lang, she called Xu Xudong on the way down.
Now that she had a formal job, continuing as Xu Lang’s tutor was inconvenient. She needed to inform him early so they could find a replacement.
Xu Xudong sounded troubled, “Can you keep tutoring Xu Lang a few more days? The kid really likes you, little Cen.”
“That’s not a problem, but they do need to find someone new. Has Dr. Xu found anyone suitable?” Cen Mo asked.
Xu Xudong sighed, “No. Since kindergarten, Xu Lang has gone through countless tutors, all quitting after a few days. You’ve lasted the longest.”
That mischievous kid was indeed hard to manage. Cen Mo recalled when she first started tutoring him years ago—he ran off as soon as she picked him up from school, and she had to chase him down half a block.
She couldn’t help but laugh, “Xu Lang is quite a handful. Maybe you should get a male tutor?”
Xu Xudong disagreed, “We tried that before. The guy’s cooking was terrible, and Xu Lang wouldn’t accept him.”
They chatted a bit more, and then Cen Mo suddenly thought of someone: “Dr. Xu, if you don’t mind, I can recommend someone. She’s my college classmate and hasn’t found a job yet. She’s very patient and good with kids. Her name is Huang Zhi.”
…
Cen Mo’s recommendation was well-founded.
She had noticed Huang Zhi’s fondness for parenting shows, so she knew Huang liked children, especially lively, adorable ones. Xu Lang was cute despite being a little troublemaker, and quite likable.
Though Huang Zhi was gentle, she was patient and communicative with children, so tutoring should be no problem.
After her run, Cen Mo called Huang Zhi.
Hearing about the job, Huang Zhi was delighted. She had been unsuccessful in job hunting lately and was almost driven mad by her parents’ nagging.
Though this job was not permanent, the pay was good and the work easy—enough to tide her over until she found something formal.

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“When should I come over?” Huang Zhi asked happily.
Cen Mo thought for a moment, “Come by after work tomorrow. I’ll help you get used to things and show you the address.”
The next day, Cen Mo took leave early and left work ahead of time. She took Huang Zhi to pick up Xu Lang from school. The boy’s eyes spun curiously, “Who’s this?”
Cen Mo patted his head, “This is your teacher, Mrs. Huang. She’ll be your new tutor.”
“Hello,” Huang Zhi squatted down and chatted with the boy. They got along well.
After accompanying Huang Zhi to take the child home, Cen Mo waited until Xu Xudong returned before going downstairs. She planned to catch the bus at the stop across the street but was suddenly called out by someone nearby.
“Hey, your name’s Cen… Cen what?” said a thin, dark young man, eyes fixed on her.
Cen Mo turned to look at him but didn’t recognize him. She asked coldly, “Can I help you?”
He shook his head and smiled widely, showing much of his gums, “Nothing, nothing. I just saw you online.”
With that, he boarded a bus that had just arrived.
Watching the bus slowly pull away, Cen Mo frowned. After a moment, she took out her phone and sent a message to a certain number.
The reply came quickly: “At the training ground. Come over.”
…
The motorcycle training ground mentioned in the text was actually part of a driving school. During the day it taught learners to drive; in the afternoon, it was used for team training.
Cen Mo had been here a few times before and knew the way. She took a taxi and soon arrived. Beyond a wall, the hum of motorcycles was audible—training was underway.
Entering through the main gate, all the riders wore helmets, making it impossible to tell who was who. She went straight to the stands and sat down.
After a while, a motorcycle stopped, and the rider—a tall young man—removed his helmet, revealing striking golden hair.
He glanced up at the stands, then shook his hair and swaggered over, plopping down beside Cen Mo. “No one brought me a bottle of water?” he grumbled.
Cen Mo looked around, saw a whole box of bottled water nearby, and handed him one. “Long time no see.”
Taking a sip, the boy clicked his tongue, stretched his long legs onto the lower step, and threw off his jacket. “We should see each other less. Whenever we meet, something always happens, right?”
“I ran into someone on the road just now. He tried to talk to me and said he’d seen me online,” Cen Mo said, standing on the step rather than sitting. “It felt a bit strange.”
The boy finally looked up at her, his expression serious. “A while back, I saw someone doxing you online. I found the person and had the posts deleted. Thought it wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t tell you.”
“What was the content?” Cen Mo asked.
“Forget it. You shouldn’t look at it. It was all nonsense. I’ve deleted everything and blocked the poster’s account. No one will see it again,” the boy said, shaking his head and frowning.
After that, Cen Mo said nothing more, and they both fell silent.