HLnovel Chapter 174 Benefactor
Chapter 174 Benefactor
"Hey, what's going on with Xie Yan?"
"Can't you tell? She's sick and has a little puppy to keep her company!"
Cui Nan hadn't had time to turn off the speakers, but the noise from the other side wasn't loud to begin with, yet it was being played from a loudspeaker.
Gossiping is human nature; those who don't love gossip are simply not human.
The immediate problem was gradually becoming clearer, and the atmosphere in the team became more relaxed, with everyone joking around.
"When do you think Xiao Xie will bring that little puppy to meet us? I get the feeling from what he said that he's already been to Xiao Xie's house?"
"Who can argue with that? Xie Yan is indeed at the age where marriage is a topic of conversation..."
Cui Nan was in a rare good mood, and she put her phone in her pocket and went to find Shen Yan.
"Mr. Shen, as you've probably heard, we currently need the equipment team to collaborate on the upgrade. You—"
She paused halfway through her sentence.
Perhaps the pause was too abrupt, for the extremely imposing man in front of her finally turned his sinister eyes and looked at Cui Nan.
For a moment, Cui Nan's mind went blank.
"When would be a convenient time for you?"
"at any time."
Shen Yan's fingers, gripping the cane, turned white. He inadvertently shifted his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I'll have the person in charge contact you; you can arrange a time yourselves."
Cui Nan nodded quickly, "Okay, thank you, Mr. Shen."
No one noticed the tense atmosphere. After agreeing, Cui Nan hesitated and looked up again.
As the sun began to set, the long evening glow somehow enveloped Shen Yan. Tall and elegant, with a gentle smile on his face, he was as refined and courteous as when they last met. "Miss Cui, do you have any further requests?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Nan replied awkwardly, "No, no."
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"Zhang Zhihong, go and watch the pot, make sure it's not overcooked."
"Oh, okay."
A man and a woman were busy in the shop until seven or eight o'clock before they closed.
After closing the door and tidying up, it was already nine o'clock.
Nine o'clock in the north of the city is the time when nightlife begins, and the shops and restaurants along the street are brightly lit, but Yang Huiyun closes early.
She sat down in the chair, looking a little tired, and rubbed her legs. She sighed that she was really getting old and couldn't even keep up with such a small shop anymore. She was afraid that she would really have to retire in a couple of years.
What started as a small shop to kill time when I was bored has now become a habit.
The only sound in the quiet room was the occasional clatter of a broom against a table or chair, as Zhang Zhihong cleaned.
He is a kind, honest, and warm-hearted person. The shop owners and employees around him all know each other. He often helps people around him unload goods in his spare time, and he also donates money to help poor children. He has a particularly good heart.
Thinking of this, Yang Huiyun looked at Zhang Zhihong's back as he worked silently, and was a little touched. "You've worked hard, Zhihong."
"It's not tiring. Are you hungry? Would you like some late-night snacks?"
"Need not."
Unable to drive into the villa area, Zhang Zhihong drove Yang Huiyun home. The two chatted as they walked, and somehow the conversation turned to Xie Yan.
"By the way, a few days ago when you weren't in the store, a girl named Xie Yan came looking for you."
Upon hearing this, Yang Huiyun nodded, "I know, she called me and told me."
The moon was hidden behind dark clouds, and the night was gloomy, but fortunately the streetlights were on, making the area bright.
Zhang Zhihong slowed his pace slightly, his eyes narrowing. "But Huiyun, I seem to remember you saying before that your daughter also has this name? Didn't you say your daughter went abroad to study? Has she come back?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Huiyun stopped in her tracks.
She turned around with a serious expression. "Don't ask so many questions. Remember, if you ever see Xiao Yan again, never mention her."
Zhang Zhihong asked, puzzled, "Why can't we mention it?"
"...It's hard to explain in a few words, just remember it and pretend you've never seen her."
When this was mentioned, Yang Huiyun felt a little uneasy.
In her opinion, Xiao Xie had been abroad for so long, ten years, and had finally returned to China without any news. She finally ran into him in Beicheng, but Xiao Xie wouldn't let her tell Xiao Yan.
At the time, Xiao Xie said that firstly, she had broken up with Xiao Yan for many years and it would be awkward to bring it up, and secondly, she had studied abroad but entered a core technology unit in China, which would have a bad impact if people found out.
Yang Huiyun is no longer the clueless woman from the county town. She knows that matters involving state-owned enterprises are very serious. Although she doesn't know how Xie Yan got in, she is afraid that if she leaks the news, Xie Yan will lose her job.
The intricacies were too complex for her to explain to Zhang Zhihong, an outsider.
"Alright, I'll remember that." Zhang Zhihong smiled helplessly but good-naturedly.
He dropped Yang Huiyun off at home, and as if he had accomplished some task, he relaxed his shoulders, but soon he smiled again.
Zhang Zhihong didn't live nearby; he lived in an ordinary old neighborhood 20 kilometers away. By the time he got home, it was almost 10 o'clock.
In front of the dilapidated old residential area, a group of elderly men were playing chess, and some were walking their dogs.
"Old Zhang's back! Did he take your boss's wife home again?"
When someone saw Zhang Zhihong in front of the building entrance, they immediately started making a scene. "Hey, Lao Zhang, why are you so happy today? Did the boss give you a raise or a bonus? Wait, it's not the end of the year yet. What good news is it? Tell us!"
The man curiously approached, and indeed, he had never seen Zhang Zhihong so happy before.
He smiled gently and kindly, his tone content, "I think I've found my benefactor."
"Benefactor? What benefactor? Did they help you a lot before?"
"Ah."
Zhang Zhihong nodded and looked up at the moon.
The sky was dark and overcast, as if a downpour was about to fall at any moment; the moon was dim and seemed never to shine.
"That was truly an enormous act of kindness..."
"That's a good thing, you must repay them!"
Zhang Zhihong gazed at the night sky, his eyes gradually drifting away, a rosy smile on his face, his voice growing softer and gentler.
"Don't worry, I will."