novelraw Chapter 375: Overcast Evening
Chapter 375: Overcast Evening
Even though Tang Song had fully regained his memories from 2016 and had met Secretary Jin in real life, it wasn’t until now—standing in this lavish walk-in closet, surrounded by clothes she had once worn, evidence of her existence—that the lingering sense of unreality in his mind finally dissipated.
He set down the stockings in his hand.
After wandering around the room for a while longer, he eventually returned to the master bedroom.
It was clear that this seaside apartment was only an occasional residence for Secretary Jin. While fully furnished for daily living, there weren’t any truly significant personal belongings.
Sitting in the corner office area, he turned on the computer and tried entering a few passwords—each attempt was incorrect. Without further effort, he picked up a well-crafted steel pen, then grabbed a thick, black notebook from the desk, intending to test the functionality of this item.
Flipping to the first page, Tang Song's gaze sharpened as he saw a few lines of neat, elegant handwriting:
"Qingning Technology CEO, Ye Hanwen, 133…
Qingning Technology CHO, Liang Mingzhe, 187..."
It was a list of Qingning Technology’s key executives and their contact information, all handwritten by Secretary Jin.
After all, he officially owned 3% of Qingning Technology’s shares. For a major corporation, this was not an insignificant stake—it granted him rights to participate in company management, oversight, and proposals. He could even nominate candidates for the board of directors.Turning to the second page, he found two more lines of text in the middle:
"From a physiological health perspective, excessive sexual activity is not beneficial. We should practice moderation to avoid impacting our daily life, work, and social relationships."
Tang Song felt his face heat up slightly.
Although she had written “we,” as if she were merely stating a fact about human biology, he could still sense the underlying reminder in her words.
But in this regard, he was clearly misunderstood.
With the various system tools he possessed, his endurance was unparalleled. What he had now couldn’t even be considered excessive, let alone something that would interfere with his normal life.
Of course, Secretary Jin wouldn’t understand this. When the time came, he would have to explain it to her in person.
This also confirmed something for Tang Song—Secretary Jin had clearly known he was coming to Shenzhen and that he would be staying at her place.
And when she received this information, she had been living here at the time.
In other words, the Character Merchandise Mystery Box truly extracted items related to the character's current whereabouts.
If she had been in Beijing at that moment, he might have drawn one of her properties there instead.
Flipping through the rest of the notebook, he found the pages empty.
With the golden pen tip gliding across the pristine paper, he began writing down his thoughts on the biography he had read on the plane.
His mind became unusually focused, slipping into a deep state of concentration.
The sky gradually darkened.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the vast seascape of Shenzhen Bay stretched out before him.
Kexing Science Park, Century Zhixue
"Knock, knock, knock—"
"Come in!"
Pushing open the glass door of an office, Liu Qingning smiled and said, "Professor Zhu, did you need to see me for something?"
"Take a seat, Qingning." Zhu Chang patted the office chair beside him. "I heard from President Zhao that you’ve already submitted your resignation, correct?"
"I had an interview with a candidate this morning. The company felt they were a good fit, so my resignation was approved." Liu Qingning nodded gently.
If possible, the company would have preferred to keep her.
After all, with her technical expertise and academic background, she was only making an annual salary of 300,000 yuan—an incredible value for them.
But without equity, she had no reason to stay.
"I see. So your next plan is to go straight to Yan City to buy a house?"
"Yes, I borrowed that 1.5 million from the company specifically for that. You knew about this."
Zhu Chang asked a few more questions about her work handover before suddenly taking her hand, speaking gently, "Qingning, we've known each other for over six years. I've always admired and liked you. Before you leave, there’s something I want to say."
"Professor Zhu, please go ahead." Liu Qingning immediately sat up straight, her eyes filled with emotion as she looked at her former university professor.
Zhu Chang had helped her tremendously—he had personally guided her into the field of artificial intelligence, invited her to join the graduate research team, and encouraged her to compete in the Internet+ Entrepreneurship Competition, which had led to a successful startup.
Now that she was leaving Century Zhixue, their interactions would likely become rare.
Truthfully, she felt reluctant.
"You’ve never been honest with Tang Song, have you?"
Liu Qingning hesitated for a moment before nodding lightly. "No, I haven't. You once told me that, back then, I wasn’t in a position to pursue romance."
Aside from her rational mindset and the impact of her parents’ failed relationship, Zhu Chang’s influence had played a significant role in shaping her decisions.
And in retrospect, he had been right.
At 25, she had nearly 4 million yuan in savings, a solid resume, and valuable project experience—far ahead of most of her peers.
She had essentially achieved financial independence and could now pursue a secure, uncomplicated romance without concerns.
Hearing her response, Zhu Chang’s expression flickered with a trace of awkwardness.
"I did say that. But now that you’re finally taking this step, I want to offer you some advice."
"Please do."
"You and Tang Song have known each other for years, but you never truly started a relationship. And you’ve been apart for so long—there will inevitably be challenges. For example, his feelings for you might not be as pure as before, or he may have fallen for someone else. People are complicated, after all."
"You mentioned this before—I understand." Liu Qingning lowered her eyes slightly. "I’ve already prepared myself mentally."
Over the past few years, she had devoted most of her time and energy to work and career advancement.
Under those circumstances, she simply hadn’t been able to date Tang Song.
Ever since Professor Zhu had discussed this topic with her, the thought had lingered in her mind.
Thinking back, since leaving Beijing, she had been working a grueling 9-9-7 schedule. Their interactions had dwindled to the point where they were less than casual friends.
She had no idea if Tang Song had close female friends now, who he spent time with daily, or what kind of people he was surrounded by.
Her recent anxieties about her looks and figure ultimately stemmed from this.
No matter how rational, mature, or confident she was, love still made her heart restless.
Zhu Chang asked softly, "If his feelings for you have changed, would you still choose to be with him?"
"I... I would respect his decision." Liu Qingning’s chest rose and fell as she bit her lip.
"Then let me ask you—what is your greatest hope for Tang Song?"
She fell silent for a long time before answering, "I want him to be happy, to live without financial worries, and to pursue the life he loves. Back in university, he always wanted to get into Imperial Capital University for graduate school, and he worked hard for it. But in the end, financial constraints forced him to give up."
"Yes, you told me before that he wanted to be my graduate student." Zhu Chang nodded.
At the time, Liu Qingning had specifically reached out to him, hoping to increase Tang Song’s chances of being accepted.
Gently patting her head, Zhu Chang said, "No matter what happens in your relationship, don’t make impulsive decisions.
You’ve given so much for him and worked so hard—don’t let go easily.
I believe in your relationship, and I believe you two will be happy. Keep going, Qingning!"
"Thank you, Professor Zhu!"
Back at her desk, gazing at the overcast sky outside, Liu Qingning took a deep breath.
I won’t let go so easily.
She had been part of the original startup team, primarily responsible for the education content division—one of the company's core business sectors.
As a result, she wasn’t affected by the recent turmoil. In fact, to maintain company stability, her salary had even received a slight increase, and she retained her equity.
Still, having worked alongside her colleagues for so many years, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of triste camaraderie.
"OK, no problem."
Watching Zhang Xiaoni’s figure disappear into the distance, Liu Qingning shook her head helplessly.
Back when they founded Century Zhixue, the five of them had partnered with a Beijing-based company as technical co-founders. From the very beginning, they had never been able to fully control the company.
Subsequent rounds of financing further diluted their shares.
As the business expanded, it was inevitable that they would need to bring in more resources and capital.
Liu Qingning had foreseen this day for a long time. That was why she had followed the team to Shenzhen and later proactively requested a 1.5 million yuan loan to buy a house.
For her, this wasn't necessarily a bad outcome.
But after years of hard work, it was only natural to feel a little reluctant to let go.
Buzz—Buzz—
Her phone vibrated.
【Tang Song】: “It’s Saturday today. You’re not working overtime, are you?”
Seeing his message, Liu Qingning quickly typed back:
"Nope, I'll be off at 6:30 sharp. What about you? What are you up to?"
【Tang Song】: "Me? Oh, just thinking about you. A lot."
"Such a smooth talker!" Liu Qingning muttered to herself, but the corners of her lips curled upward as she typed back:
"I miss you too. Very much."
After a brief hesitation, she sent a hug emoji.
This was completely out of character for her.
In the past, at most, she would send a blushing emoji and then joke around with him.
But since she had already decided to be upfront about her feelings, she didn’t want to suppress them any longer.
【Tang Song】: "A real hug is more sincere when given in person."
Liu Qingning chuckled, pouting as she replied:
"If you have the guts, fly over to me right now. I’ll give you a hug in person. (#CoveringMouthLaugh)"
【Tang Song】: "Alright! Just wait, I’m taking off now."
【Tang Song】: SmallPlaneIncoming.gif
After chatting with Tang Song for a while, Liu Qingning’s mood gradually brightened.
Professor Zhu’s conversation earlier, the bittersweet feeling of leaving her job—suddenly, none of it seemed that important anymore.
Liu Qingning: "Alright, I need to finish up some work. I’ll talk to you after I get off."
【Tang Song】: "Alright, I’ll be waiting. (#Kiss)"
"Ah!"
Liu Qingning let out a soft gasp, her face heating up as she stared at the little lip emoji.
This level of conversation had definitely crossed their previous boundaries of intimacy.
He had never dared to send her such messages before.
But today, Tang Song seemed particularly bold.
Moving her mouse, she clicked, and the computer screen lit up.
Rows of code filled the display, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t focus.
Her mind drifted back to the summer of 2016.
When their college admission results came out, Tang Song and a few of their high school friends had gone drinking.
At around 8 p.m., he suddenly called her—his words slurred—asking her to come to a KTV in town to sing.
Worried, she had snuck out without telling her parents and hurried over.
When she arrived, the other guys left immediately, leaving only the two of them in the dimly lit KTV room.
Tang Song kept drinking as he congratulated her on getting into Imperial Capital University.
He told her, half-jokingly, "Don’t forget me when you make it big."
Then, he grabbed the microphone and sang her several songs.
Liu Qingning had known exactly what was on his mind that night.
So she talked to him—about her plans, her future.
But Tang Song was already drunk.
He wasn’t listening.
When she tried to help him out of the KTV, he suddenly hugged her tightly and started crying his heart out.
And then—
In that cramped little KTV room, overcome with emotion, she had pressed her lips against his.
Their lips remained together, unmoving, for a full two minutes.
That had been her first kiss—one she still remembered vividly.
Shortly after, Tang Song passed out on the couch.
The next day, when he called her—stammering, hesitant—trying to ask about what had happened, she simply laughed it off.
"Did you dream of something weird?" she had teased.
Sometimes, Liu Qingning couldn’t help but wonder—
If university hadn’t been so demanding, if work hadn’t been so overwhelming, would they have already been together by now?
A black Mercedes business van pulled up in front of Kexing Science Park.
Tang Song stepped out, looking up at the towering office buildings.
This was one of Shenzhen’s most infamous tech parks—notorious for its extreme overtime culture.
Because it was Saturday, only parts of the office building were illuminated. The surroundings felt somewhat empty, with only a few pedestrians moving through the ground-floor shops.
Checking the time, Tang Song saw that Liu Qingning still had 20 minutes before she got off work.
Exhaling softly, he strolled along the stone-paved paths of the park, taking in the place.
Since Bai Yueguang had moved her job here, this was his first time visiting.
As he wandered, he noticed several women sneaking glances at him, their eyes quickly darting away, faces flushed when he caught their gaze.
After walking around for a while, Tang Song positioned himself under Building B, quietly waiting for his Bai Yueguang to appear.
The last time they had seen each other was during Lunar New Year.
Liu Qingning had only stayed in their hometown for three days before rushing back to Shenzhen for work.
In total, they had only met twice, sharing one meal together.
Even then, he could already see the deep exhaustion weighing on her.
After that, she had only complained about gaining weight and looking ugly, refusing to video call him again.
As 6:30 p.m. passed, Tang Song’s heartbeat suddenly began to race.
Imagining their upcoming reunion, he silently rehearsed what he would say and how he would act.
Inside the Office
"I’m heading out. Bye-bye."
"Looks like it's going to rain soon. I’ll leave too."
"Wait for me, let’s go together." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novęlfire.net
Since it was the weekend and the sky outside was ominously dark, no one was in the mood to work overtime.
In the Elevator
Feeling the curious glances of her colleagues, Liu Qingning pressed her lips together, pulling out her Bluetooth earbuds and putting them in.
By now, news of her resignation had spread throughout the company.
No one openly talked about it in front of her, but she was sure they were discussing it behind her back.
Century Zhixue had only begun expanding after moving to Shenzhen, meaning most of her colleagues were new employees.
As a shareholder and executive, her relationship with them wasn’t particularly close—just ordinary colleagues at best.
According to Huo Lili, many people were gossiping about how much she cashed out from her shares, speculating wildly, their envy barely concealed.
Tuning them out, she opened her music app and hit shuffle.
As the elevator slowly descended to the first floor, a familiar song played through her earbuds—
"I hear winter leaving… I woke up in another time and place…”
Sun Yanzi’s soft vocals gradually calmed her emotions.
Exiting the building, she was met with a humid, stifling heat.
Looking up—
Dark leaden clouds stretched endlessly across the sky, lightning flashing intermittently in the distance.
A thunderstorm was approaching.
Quickening her pace, she headed toward the exit of the business park.
Since there was no metro station nearby, most of her colleagues used shared bikes to ride to the nearest subway stop.
"Cloudy day, dusk, outside the car window… Somewhere in the future, someone is waiting..."
Just as she was passing the main gate, a female colleague suddenly gasped—
"Tan! The guy standing near the right side of the entrance just now—super hot!"
Turning to take another look, she exclaimed excitedly—
"He was totally checking me out! Should I go ask for his WeChat?"
"And his outfit is on point too."
"Wow, his physique is amazing—broad shoulders, narrow waist, just perfect."
"Ugh, you girls seriously need to control yourselves. It’s like you’ve never seen a man before."
"Psh, Hui-ge, like you don’t secretly check out girls all the time. Why can’t we admire a handsome guy?"
Hearing their chatter, Liu Qingning didn’t even glance back—instead, she picked up her pace.
"Look left, look right, look forward… How many twists and turns must love take? Who will I meet, and what will we say…?"
Some people, just by appearing, could draw all of your attention.
That was Bai Yueguang.
Outside the Building
Tang Song pressed his lips together, staring blankly at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure.
A white cotton T-shirt, gray sweatpants, white sneakers, and a black backpack.
She had changed a lot.
Her posture, her gaze, her clothing, her hairstyle, her physique, her skin…
So much was different from his memories.
The most obvious change was her aura—she had matured immensely.
She had always been the classic baby-faced beauty—her round, slightly chubby oval face made her look adorable, and when she smiled, her eyes turned into crescent moons.
But this time, there was no smile on her face.
Gone was the lively sparkle of 2016—replaced with calmness and exhaustion.
Yet, none of that mattered to him.
No matter how much had changed, in Tang Song’s eyes, she was still her.
No matter how much he had convinced himself to move on, it could never erase his longing and passion.
All of high school, all of college—they had all been for her.
His entire youth was filled with her face.
Happy, sad, quiet, playful…
Throughout those years, under the light of his Bai Yueguang, he had experienced blushing heartbeats, unforgettable memories, and relentless yearning.
Gazing at her, recalling 2016, emotions surged uncontrollably in his chest.
His eyes grew misty.
Everything around him blurred into the background.
In the end, Bai Yueguang had gone to Shenzhen for their future.
The pressure she endured, the sacrifices she made, were probably far greater than he could imagine.
Sniffing slightly, Tang Song strode forward.
At the Shared Bikes Parking Area
The sky continued to darken.
Walking along the empty sidewalk, Liu Qingning glanced at the bike station ahead, pulling out her phone to open the ride-sharing app.
For safety, she never wore both earbuds while cycling.
Just as she was about to scan the bike’s QR code, she overheard her colleagues chatting again—
"That hot guy is totally walking toward us!"
"Wait, I think he’s looking at Director Liu!"
Looking at me? What does that mean?
Liu Qingning frowned slightly but didn’t think too much of it.
Because of her appearance and figure, she had dealt with enough unwanted attention over the years.
She was used to it.
Just then, Sun Yanzi’s song reached its climax—
"I look at the road ahead… The entrance to dreams is a little narrow… Meeting you was the most beautiful accident… One day, the answer to my mystery will be revealed…"
And at that moment—
A figure emerged from the crowd, calling out urgently—
"Qingning!"
The familiar voice, the familiar name—
Her steps froze on the spot.
Was she hallucinating?
Spinning around instinctively, she saw—
Him.
Staring at his familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face, her eyes grew warm and damp.
And then—
Cool raindrops landed softly on her skin.
The sounds of music, traffic, and chatter faded into muffled white noise.
Tang Song stepped forward, eyes locked onto his Bai Yueguang, and pulled her into a firm embrace.
"Tang Song, you…"
The clear, melodic voice, the familiar scent, the soft, full embrace—
For his burning heart, it wasn’t enough.
Feeling the realness of his arms, Liu Qingning abandoned all hesitation, instinctively wrapping her arms around his solid waist.
"Thump. Thump. Thump."
At this moment—
His heart wouldn’t stop racing.
She was irreplaceable.
And their story—was far from over.