The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Jian Zheng stood before Zhou Yanruo, his gaze initially fixed on her, but then he inadvertently caught sight of a figure standing beside her. He froze, as if struck by lightning, his eyes widening as he stared at the person. The person's face and figure were exactly like Wang Jie's in his memory, giving him a strong sense of unreality.

A storm raged through Jian Zheng's mind; he could hardly believe his eyes. He stood there, stunned, as if witnessing the most incredible sight in the world. A powerful sense of shock welled up from the depths of his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.

"How is this possible?" Jian Zheng was filled with doubt, and he almost blurted it out. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes hard, and put them back on, trying to see more clearly. However, no matter how he looked at it, the person looked exactly like Wang Jie.

When Zhou Yanruo heard Jian Zheng call out "Wang Jie," her heart tightened. Sure enough, Jian Zheng had also mistaken Shang Yibo for Wang Jie.

Her heart sank, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Jian Zheng, you've mistaken him for someone else. He's not Wang Jie." Her voice trembled, revealing endless sorrow and helplessness. "He's Shang Yibo."

Jian Zheng finally came to his senses. He carefully examined the 'Wang Jie' in front of him and found that although the other person resembled Wang Jie, his temperament was completely different. It was a young face, full of youthful energy, with a complex and profound expression, and his eyes seemed to hide many unknown secrets. He could not possibly be Wang Jie; he was just a stranger who had a similar appearance to Wang Jie.

A complex mix of emotions welled up within him, a mixture of disappointment and relief. He understood that his illusion stemmed from his intense longing for Wang Jie. However, the scene before him only amplified the profound regret and emptiness that Wang Jie's departure had left behind.

“So you’re Mr. Shang from Rushang Group. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jian Zheng extended his hand to Shang Yibo and said, “I’m Jian Zheng from Rongchang Capital. I was a bit out of line just now, I’m really sorry.”

Shang Yibo did not extend his hand. His eyes flickered, and he replied in a low voice, "President Jian, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hong Yun, watching from the side, was completely bewildered and asked in confusion, "What's going on? What are you doing? I don't understand at all."

At this moment, Fang Xichen unexpectedly stepped forward and greeted Jian Zheng, saying, "Mr. Jian of Rongchang Capital, it's an honor to meet you. I am Fang Xichen."

Jian Zheng replied, "President Fang, it's a pleasure to meet you. I had planned to visit your group next Monday, but I didn't expect to meet you here first."

Fang Xichen said coldly, "I wouldn't presume to offer a visit; that was a meeting between you and my brother. This is an event hosted by the Dongmao platform, and it seems inappropriate for you to reminisce here."

Jian Zheng explained somewhat awkwardly, "What Mr. Fang said is true. I was excited to unexpectedly run into a friend I hadn't seen for many years, and I was indeed a bit impolite."

At this moment, Jian Zheng's secretary came over and handed him his phone. Jian Zheng opened the WeChat QR code and said to Zhou Yanruo, "Zhou Yanruo, let's add each other on WeChat."

Zhou Yanruo scanned the QR code and then said, "Jian Zheng, Shang Yibo and I have something to do and need to leave first. We'll contact you later."

“Okay, I’ll contact you again,” Jian Zheng replied, then turned to Shang Yibo, who hadn’t looked at him directly, and said, “Mr. Shang, until we meet again.”

"Okay, goodbye." Shang Yibo walked towards the door without looking back.

Zhou Yanruo nodded to Fang Xichen and followed Shang Yibo away.

"Shall we take you back to Rushang Garden, or will you go back to 'Zimo Garden' with Chairman Chu and General Manager Fang after the event?" Zhou Yanruo asked absentmindedly until she got into the van.

"Take me back to Rushang Garden," Shang Yibo said. "Jian Zheng..."

He hesitated whether to talk to Zhou Yanruo about Jian Zheng.

From the moment Jian Zheng appeared in everyone's sight, Shang Yibo had been in a state of disorientation. His heart was filled with complex emotions, including the joy of a long-awaited reunion and an unspeakable fear. The time he spent with Wang Jie was like fragmented memories, sometimes clear and sometimes blurry in his mind.

Jian Zheng, as Wang Jie's close friend, is undoubtedly an important piece of the puzzle in Shang Yibo's fragmented memories. They shared laughter and pain, and spent many unforgettable moments together. However, with Wang Jie's departure, those memories seem to have been sealed away, only occasionally flashing in Shang Yibo's dreams in the quiet of the night.

"Oh, Jian Zheng is a friend of mine from when I was young, a good friend. We haven't seen each other or been in touch for many years."

"When you were young?"

“Yes, when I was young, when I was 18…” Zhou Yanruo said slowly.

"We haven't been in touch for many years. Why would good friends not be in touch for so many years?"

"I guess it was because we didn't want to have any contact with each other during those years, because there would always be something between us..." Zhou Yanruo sighed, "Alas, we lost contact later."

Shang Yibo felt a mix of emotions. Jian Zheng was also a friend of his. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask more questions, but he didn't know what role he should play in asking them.

Zhou Yanruo's phone rang.

She opened her phone and saw a message from her friend Jian Zheng: "Zhou Yanruo, how could it be you? I still can't believe I'm seeing you here. How have you been all these years?"

Zhou Yanruo pursed her lips and replied softly, "I was surprised too."

"I've already left the event venue. I'm staying at the Yi Shang Hotel. Have you left the hotel yet? Would you like to go to the coffee shop? Can I call you?"

"I've already left the hotel. I'm not available right now, I'll contact you later..."

Zhou Yanruo had just typed these words and hadn't even sent them yet when Jian Zheng's WeChat call came in.

She shook her head, thinking to herself, "He's still the same impulsive Jian Zheng; twenty years have passed and he hasn't changed at all."

As soon as Zhou Yanruo answered the phone, Jian Zheng's excited voice came from the other end: "Zhou Yanruo, I'm so sorry, I just couldn't wait to contact you again. I've been looking for you for so many years without any news. I never expected to run into you like this. Seeing you makes my youth feel like it's come back. I often think about us back then..."

“Jian Zheng, Jian Zheng,” Zhou Yanruo glanced at Shang Yibo sitting next to her and had to interrupt him, “I’m so sorry, my work isn’t finished yet, it’s not convenient right now, I’ll contact you later.”

"Oh, with President Shang? What's going on? He looks so much like Wang Jie. How can you remain so calm under these circumstances?"

The van was small and quiet, so Shang Yibo could hear Zhou Yanruo's phone call clearly from the person sitting next to her.

In the darkness, he looked up at Zhou Yanruo.

Zhou Yanruo was also looking at him. She curled the corners of her mouth and forced an awkward smile, but there were some shiny things on her eyelashes that were flashing.

"Jian Zheng, tomorrow is Saturday. How about we meet at the coffee shop in the Yi Shang Hotel in the morning?"

"Sure, sure, I'm sorry, I was just too excited. You go ahead and get back to work, see you tomorrow morning."

"great, see you tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yanruo gave Shang Yibo an awkward smile and said, "This friend is always like this. Maybe it's because we haven't been in touch for so long that he's a little excited to see me again."

Shang Yibo simply nodded and hummed in response, then didn't know what else to say.

There was no traffic at night, and we arrived at Rushang Garden quickly.

“I’ll have Jiajia come pick up the clothes tomorrow. We need to talk to the brand about whether to send them to the dry cleaners and return them, or let the brand handle it themselves. It’s all my fault for not handling the situation properly. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have taken that hit for me and gotten the borrowed clothes into this state.”

Shang Yibo got out of the car, and Zhou Yanruo said behind him.

He turned around and said, "Tomorrow, you're going to see Jian Zheng."

“Yes, it’s about time we met,” Zhou Yanruo replied listlessly.