Nan Zhizhi said, "That works."
Feng Tingshen nodded, then turned to Rong Ci. "Are you going back tonight?"
Rong Ci was still mentally parsing the conversation he'd just had with Nan Zhizhi. Taken aback by his sudden question, she paused for a beat before answering, "I'm not."
Feng Tingshen nodded. "Understood." He rose from his seat. "I'll come back later to pick up Xinxin."
It was clear he was intending to leave.
Rong Ci replied coolly, "Understood."
Feng Tingshen didn't say anything else to her. He walked over to Old Madame Rong. "Old Madame, I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be going now."
Old Madame Rong didn't stand, her tone equally cold. "Safe travels. I won't see you out."
Feng Tingshen didn't let the old woman's slight get to him. He gave a brief nod to Rong Changsheng as a greeting and turned to leave the banquet hall.
Watching Feng Tingshen emerge from the hotel entrance, He Changbai froze mid-motion as he was getting out of his car.
Feng Tingshen quickly got into his own vehicle and drove off.
He Changbai watched him go, remaining in his car without moving.
Nan Zhizhi didn't leave until the banquet ended, departing together with Yu Moxun.
Feng Jingxin had filled up on too many snacks earlier that day. Once the dinner banquet started, she could only manage a few bites of food before she was full, so she had headed upstairs to play video games.
Once the guests had mostly cleared out, Rong Ci went upstairs to find her.
Seeing her mother arrive, Feng Jingxin took off her headphones. "Are you finished, Mommy?"
"Yes." Recalling what Feng Tingshen had said before leaving, she told the girl, "Your father said he'd take you back tonight. Give him a call and ask when he's coming for you."
Excited by the thought that she could play with Auntie Wuwu tomorrow once she went back, Feng Jingxin chirped happily, "Okay!"
She placed the call, and it was answered almost immediately.
A moment later, Feng Jingxin put down the phone and told Rong Ci, "Daddy said he'll be here in fifteen minutes."
"Alright, I understand," Rong Ci replied. "Pack your things. I'll take you downstairs to wait for him in a bit."
Feng Jingxin wanted to act spoiled and have Rong Ci help her. Usually, it was Rong Ci who packed her bags for her.
But seeing that Rong Ci seemed to be in a bad mood, she swallowed her request.
When the time was right, Rong Ci led Feng Jingxin downstairs.
In the elevator, seeing Rong Ci's silence, Feng Jingxin gave her hand a little tug. "Mommy?"
Rong Ci looked down. "Hmm?"
"You've been talking less lately."
She had already noticed that her mother no longer called every day like she used to, nor did she constantly pry into where she was going. She actually quite liked this change in her mother.
But lately, she realized that even beyond that, her mother didn't seem as fond of chatting with her during their usual meetings. Her mother seemed to have become very quiet.
Rong Ci had raised Feng Jingxin herself and knew the girl wasn't actually a careless person. The fact that it had taken her this long to notice her mother's withdrawal was simply because she was used to ignoring her.
Rong Ci looked away. "I'm just tired."
"Oh..."
Rong Ci did look exhausted, so Feng Jingxin didn't press the matter further.
The night wind was particularly biting tonight. As they stepped out of the hotel lobby, the freezing gusts made their faces sting.
Feng Jingxin was clearly shivering from the cold. She refused to walk any further and grabbed Rong Ci's hand, burying her small face in her mother's stomach. "It's so cold. Mommy, hold me."
Feng Jingxin was nearly six and was already quite heavy. It was a struggle for Rong Ci, but she bent down and lifted the girl into her arms anyway.
Feng Jingxin clung to her neck, tucking her face away to hide from the wind. Rong Ci's clothes were soft and warm, and the child nuzzled into her comfortably.
Feng Tingshen was quite a punctual man. Just as Rong Ci reached the parking lot with the child in her arms, his car pulled in.
Seeing them, the car stopped right at Rong Ci's feet.
Even though Feng Tingshen had arrived, Feng Jingxin didn't climb down from Rong Ci's arms. Instead, the window rolled down, and she pouted at the man inside. "Daddy, carry me in."
Without a word, Feng Tingshen got out and took Feng Jingxin from her. The little girl kicked her legs happily in his arms.
As Feng Tingshen approached, Rong Ci caught that scent againthe perfume belonging to Lin Wu. When he had been sitting next to her earlier, that scent hadn't been there.
That meant after he left the banquet, he had gone to see the Sun family.
Feng Tingshen looked at her and said, "The night wind is cold. Go inside."
Rong Ci took a step back. "I will."
"Bye-bye, Mommy!" Feng Jingxin called out happily.
"Mhm," Rong Ci hummed.
Feng Tingshen carried Feng Jingxin into the car. Rong Ci didn't even wait for them to drive away before turning and walking toward where her own car was parked.
Watching her back, Feng Tingshen finally looked away after a moment and told the driver, "Drive."
The car soon merged into the flow of traffic.
Just as Rong Ci reached her parking spot, He Changbai stepped out of a car. "Rong Ci."
Rong Ci hadn't been paying attention and assumed it was a stranger. Hearing her name, she looked back and realized it was He Changbai.
She assumed it was a coincidence; after all, they hadn't booked the entire hotel, and it was perfectly possible he had business there. She gave him a slight nod as a greeting, unlocked her car, and prepared to drive away.
Seeing that Rong Ci still treated him like a stranger, He Changbai stood his ground.
As she pulled the car door open, she realized he was still standing there, staring at her. Seeing that he looked like he had something to say, she asked with a touch of coldness and distance, "Is there something you need?"
He Changbai hesitated. In the end, he didn't mention the events of the evening.
Instead, he said, "Dandan has a gift for you. Are you free to have dinner with us in a couple of days?"
Something terrible seemed to have happened to Dandan in the past, leaving her with deep physical and psychological scars. Dandan had once told her that Rong Ci reminded her of her mother. But her mother had passed away.
Rong Ci understood the girl's attachment to her. Truthfully, she liked Dandan quite a bit too. Under normal circumstances, she would have set aside her personal grievances with He Changbai to spend more time with the girl.
But to meet specifically for Dandan...
At that moment, He Changbai suddenly added, "There's a project your uncle is working on that I can help with."
Rong Ci was stunned.
He Changbai didn't elaborate. "Think about it. Give me a call whenever you've made up your mind."
Rong Ci didn't say a word.
To be honest, she didn't trust him. He was close with both Lin Wu and Feng Tingshen. Even if He Changbai was being sincere about helping her now, and even if the project with her uncle, Rong Changsheng, was successful...
Who was to say what would happen if a conflict arose between her and Lin Wu in the future? He might be just like Feng Tingshenready to use that project and her uncle to threaten her for Lin Wu's sake.
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