Fated Love With the Billionaire
Chapter 324: Talking Heaven to Death

Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Talking Heaven to Death

Danjiang Electric Power.

Chen Ningxi was on the phone when the office door was knocked on. Seeing Lu Xingyan standing outside, Chen Ningxi motioned for him to come in.

Lu Xingyan entered with a book on submarine cables he had borrowed last time. He pulled out a chair and sat across from Chen Ningxi. While she continued her call, he glanced at the photo on her desk.

It was a photo of Chen Ningxi receiving a model worker commendation. She was holding a bright red certificate and a bouquet of flowers, her lips curved in a soft smile, more radiant than the blossoms she held.

When the call ended, Lu Xingyan placed the book on the desk with both hands. "Manager Chen, I’m returning the book. Thank you."

After speaking, he pulled out a notebook and set it nearby. "These are some thoughts and insights I’ve jotted down after reading it."

"You even wrote insights?" Chen Ningxi said, slightly surprised, as she smiled and took the notebook to flip through it.

After glancing at a few pages, she casually remarked, "As expected, very professional."

Lu Xingyan laughed sheepishly. "I studied this field back in university, but my research focus at the time wasn’t on submarine cables, so I shelved it for a while."

Chen Ningxi noticed that some of his solutions to tricky problems were remarkably similar to what she had thought of herself.

"Not bad," she said, though there was too much to read in one sitting. "I’ll finish going through it and return it to you later."

"Sure," said Lu Xingyan. "Manager Chen, I’ve got another question."

"Go ahead," replied Chen Ningxi.

"Right now, submarine power cables are similar to standard power cables, but since they’re buried deep underwater, there are special requirements for pressure resistance due to seawater as well as anti-corrosion properties. Currently, our country doesn’t have many options for anti-corrosive materials. Some research companies are unwilling to invest heavily in R&D, and importing materials not only raises costs but also comes with uncertainties."

Chen Ningxi said, "I’ve been keeping an eye on the materials issue too. I’ll find some additional resources and let you know."

Her smile was dazzling, and Lu Xingyan, feeling a little self-conscious, rubbed the back of his neck, not daring to meet her eyes directly.

He admired how focused she looked, especially when discussing professional topics. Her entire being seemed to shine, and her spirited eyes, particularly when she smiled, made his heart race uncontrollably.

"Manager Chen, I’ll get back to work now." Lu Xingyan pressed his lips together.

"Go ahead," said Chen Ningxi, setting the book and notebook aside.

Leaving her office, Lu Xingyan exhaled deeply in the hallway and pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart thumping wildly.

Before the workday ended, Chen Ningxi received a WeChat message from Cheng Qiaobei.

North: Go to Mom’s first. Something came up at the office. I’ll be there later.

Chen Ningxi: Got it.

Ever since Cheng Qiaobei mentioned he planned to leave the company, he’d been working late nearly every night, determined to wrap up his current tasks or at least leave everything in order for his replacement.

When Chen Ningxi arrived home, the aroma of cooking greeted her from the kitchen. Chen Weichuan emerged cradling a bottle of Moutai in his arms. Seeing her, he said:

"Off work already?"

Chen Ningxi nodded. "Yep. Qiaobei’s working late at the office. He’ll come later."

"No rush," Chen Weichuan said while heading to the dining table to set down the bottle of liquor.

"Been busy at work recently?" he asked.

"It’s all right. I haven’t had much idle time," said Chen Ningxi as she left her coat on the sofa and rolled up her sleeves to wash her hands.

She noticed that her father had lost weight over the past few days, and more gray dominated his temples than before.

Turning off the faucet, she dried her hands and called out, "Dad, you should find some time to dye your hair. You’ve gotten so much grayer."

Standing in front of the mirror, Chen Weichuan examined himself. "Yeah, I probably need to. I’m starting to look like an old man."

Stopping behind him, Chen Ningxi said, "You’re not old. You still look like how I remember you from my childhood."

Meeting her reflection in the mirror, he asked, "You still remember what I used to look like?"

"Of course." Chen Ningxi reminisced. "White shirt, black trousers, an administrative jacket you’d wear for three seasons. Endless meetings, countless rural visits, inspections of factories, enterprises, city districts, and villages."

"Hahaha..." Chen Weichuan laughed heartily. It was the first time he had laughed so freely since the investigation against him concluded.

"..." For her part, Chen Ningxi felt a bit unsure of how to respond.

Moments like this, when he burst into laughter, were rare, almost nonexistent in her memories.

Gradually, he composed himself and asked, "What’s the matter?"

Looking at his reflection, she said, "You’ve never laughed like this in front of me before."

He frowned. "Really? I’ve always been serious?"

She nodded. "When I was a kid, I thought you were strict. When I got older, you just became this stern father figure in my mind."

It dawned on him belatedly that he hadn’t just been absent during her childhood but had also given her little joy or comfort.

"Ning Xi," he said, "I was too strict with you. That was my fault."

Her smile was gentle. "If you hadn’t been, maybe I wouldn’t have achieved a lot of the things I have."

"I’m glad you understand," he said, "but I still feel I haven’t done enough for you. Once I’m retired, I’ll finally have the time to make it up to you."

She smiled. "Okay."

At that moment, Ye Yujun brought out a dish, spotting Chen Ningxi. "Where’s Cheng?"

"He has work to do at the company and will be late," said Chen Weichuan.

"Good timing then," she replied. "The lamb spine stew isn’t ready yet. It should be done by the time he gets here." With that, she returned to the kitchen.

When Chen Ningxi followed her in, Ye Yujun shooed her out. "Don’t bother with this. There’s only one more dish left. Go keep your dad company."

Thus banished, Chen Ningxi returned to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. Her father sat in the middle, the TV still tuned to a political news channel.

Seeing her, he handed her the remote. "Here, watch whatever you like."

The image of a steamy romance drama’s wall-kissing scene still vivid in her mind, she hesitated as she accepted the remote. Feeling awkward, she set it down and said:

"Let’s stick with the news. I heard a policy related to the power system is coming soon. Maybe it’ll be covered."

"This is the international news channel," he replied.

"...," went Chen Ningxi.

He could sense that the atmosphere between them was always tinged with formality when they interacted. He’d been trying to break the tension, but progress was slow.

Remembering Ye Yujun’s advice to discuss topics that young people enjoyed, he reflected for a moment. To him, Chen Ningxi was still a little girl. Back in the day, her favorite cartoon had been The Big Chaos in Heaven.

Finally, he asked, "Ning Xi,"

"Yes?" She sat up straight as if preparing for a conversation with a superior. "What is it, Dad?"

He raised a hand to gesture for her to relax. "Nothing much. How’s work?"

"..." she responded, remembering that he had already asked this when she arrived home.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly shifted gears. "Uh... how are things with your colleagues?"

Blinking, she wondered why he suddenly cared about her workplace relationships.

"... Pretty good. Everyone gets along well."

"That’s good."

And then silence fell, killing the conversation dead in its tracks.