Chapter 179

To say nothing of anything else, Zhong Ning still had a few properties under her name. After all, she was a member of the Zhong family.

It was still a high-end residential complex, not a duplex but a large flat—over a hundred square meters, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a great view, right by the riverside.

Coincidentally, Xie Shiqing also owned a property here, though it was a bit farther away. The two of them were situated at opposite ends of the complex.

But she hadn’t moved in this time. This wasn’t like the last time—she couldn’t rush.

Zhong Ning had kept a fairly regular routine these past few days. After unpacking her luggage, she started buying new things. No one had ever lived in this apartment before. It had been left idle after being furnished, and it lacked a lot of essentials.

For three days in a row, she went on shopping sprees at the mall with Michelle.

They still went to the Zhong family’s mall. The name hadn’t been changed, but she was no longer the owner.

Zhong Ning didn’t feel much about this. From the beginning to the end, she had never wanted to be the owner here, never wanted to be a CEO or a chairwoman. Anyone could sit in that position—anyone but her.

Her return to the country had actually been a spur-of-the-moment decision. She hadn’t figured anything out in her mind before her body arrived.

As a result, staying at home now, she felt a bit aimless, lost, unsure of what she should be doing.

She had a faint idea in her heart—to do charity work. But helping one person was a simple thing; helping a group of people, treating it as a true cause, would be much more troublesome and difficult.

When she met with Liu Rushi for a meal, she couldn’t help but speak of her troubles.

She hadn’t mentioned this idea to Fu Nanshuang and the others. Those people would surely support her, but their perspectives were different from Zhong Ning’s. That was the influence of class, which Zhong Ning could understand. That’s why she wanted to talk with someone who could truly understand what she was thinking, to ask for her opinions and suggestions.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for half a year, Liu Rushi hadn’t changed much. She still had that composed and calm demeanor. Listening to her words, her eyes moved slightly. “You can do it. Doing anything well always starts from nothing, and you work your way up. There will be difficulties, but as long as you want to solve them, they can be worked through.”

“It’s a very good idea. Take your time. Even helping one person isn’t effort wasted.”

Zhong Ning’s lips curled up, and she broke into a smile.

If she wanted to get started, she would need to first find a few like-minded partners and understand how charitable organizations actually operated.

In a big city like Fengcheng, there was no shortage of charitable foundations. When Zhong Ning asked Fu Nanshuang, she immediately received the contact information of the person in charge of the largest charity organization in the city.

The president of Lanheng—Ms. Xue.

The two arranged to meet at a café. Ms. Xue was a middle-aged woman over fifty, with calm and steady eyes. At first glance, Zhong Ning could tell she must be a good person.

When she reached out, she had mentioned that she wanted to donate, and also expressed her wish to be involved, to contribute her own strength to charitable causes.

Ms. Xue began to introduce Lanheng’s philosophy and the current focus areas of the foundation.

Zhong Ning had been listening attentively at first, but her focus was broken by the arrival of a new guest.

It was Xie Shiqing. A shadow passed through her eyes.

Given Xie Shiqing’s past habit of “running into her” everywhere, Zhong Ning couldn’t help but assume this was another one of those times. She had no idea how that person always seemed to know her whereabouts.

But Xie Shiqing was sitting with her back to her, ordering a cup of coffee from the server, and appeared not to have noticed her at all. She looked like she was waiting for someone, checking her watch frequently.

Was it really just a coincidence?

Zhong Ning pressed her lips together, feeling she might be paying too much attention to her.

She was an ex-girlfriend. A stranger. So what if they bumped into each other? She withdrew her gaze and turned her attention back to what Ms. Xue was saying, occasionally asking questions about the things she cared about.

After quite a while, their conversation was nearly over. Both sides were satisfied. Ms. Xue invited her to visit the foundation sometime if she was free. Zhong Ning was just about to respond when she suddenly saw a young woman sit down across from Xie Shiqing.

It was a very beautiful long-haired woman, dressed in a light gray casual suit. Two buttons of her shirt collar were undone, revealing a necklace around her neck. The single pearl sat perfectly nestled in the dip of her collarbone, drawing the eye irresistibly.

She paused before continuing, “Whenever you think is appropriate works for me. I don’t want to disturb everyone’s work.”

Ms. Xue smiled. “Then let’s say this Friday? We’ll arrange the exact time later?”

Zhong Ning nodded. “Alright.”

“I’ll head back now. If you have any questions, just ask me. I’ll reply when I see them.”

Zhong Ning stood up. “Take care on your way back. I’ll finish this coffee and go.” She smiled. “Can’t waste it.”

Watching Ms. Xue leave, Zhong Ning sat down again.

She wasn’t very used to the taste of coffee and rarely drank it—she usually preferred milk tea or fruit tea. This latte was already the least bitter option the staff had recommended, but she still didn’t quite like it.

She sipped it in small mouthfuls.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the table diagonally across.

The woman in the light gray suit had already taken off her jacket. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, and her body leaned slightly forward. It was an aggressive posture.

Her expression looked a bit revolting.

It was an oily, overconfident expression, like she was sure she’d get what she wanted.

Zhong Ning looked for a moment before she couldn’t stand it anymore. She turned her attention to her phone and started scrolling through her social feed.

After a while, she finally finished the coffee and stood up to head to the restroom inside.

“I already said, it’s not appropriate. The distinguished young lady of the Zhao family can’t even understand plain words?”

It was Xie Shiqing’s voice, cold and sharp.

“Miss Xie, whether it’s appropriate or not can only be known after getting to know each other. How could one meeting be enough to figure it out?” Another voice followed, slightly flippant, along with the sound of footsteps.

“I heard that President Xie hasn’t been in a relationship all these years. The engagement with the Zhong family also ended up going nowhere. Being alone—aren’t you lonely?”

Bang!

The stall door was pushed open, and Zhong Ning walked out with a calm expression. She walked straight between the two, placed her hands under the faucet.