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

Chapter 183 Encounter

"Bang, bang, bang," came the knocking on the door.

"Please come in." Shang Yibo hung up the phone, walked back to the sofa, and sat down opposite Jian Zheng.

The waitress pushed open the door, then opened both doors completely, and a waiter followed her into the room pushing a service cart.

"Mr. Shang, Mr. Zhou instructed us to bring some tea and snacks," the waitress said respectfully.

Shang Yibo nodded: "Put it up here."

After the waiters had set out the tea and refreshments and politely left the room, Jian Zheng asked, "Are you planning to go back to work for Rushang Group?"

Shang Yibo shook his head slightly: "I haven't thought about it yet. Let's finish the projects we have on hand first."

“I heard you’re going to Huizhou next week. I should be back from Bangkok by then, so I’ll go directly to Huizhou to meet you,” Jian Zheng continued.

"Hmm, about Zhang Qian, you said last time he was in Huizhou, have you contacted him?" Shang Yibo asked.

“I haven’t contacted him directly. I think he might not want to see me.” Jian Zheng’s tone was tinged with helplessness. “The person I asked told me that Zhang Qian is currently in Huizhou. Let’s go directly to Huizhou to find him this time, without contacting him beforehand, and see how things go.” Jian Zheng offered his idea.

"How could that be? You're overthinking it. If I remember correctly, you two were best friends back then. Zhang Qian is a bit introverted, maybe he's not doing well and is a little embarrassed to see you. Old classmates all know each other, what's there to be embarrassed about? Maybe you can even help him? You helped him a lot back then. No matter what, there's no need for him to deliberately avoid us," Shang Yibo said, puzzled.

“I did ask someone to look for him before. After learning that he was in Kunming, I even made a special trip from Singapore to see him. We arranged a meeting time, but when I arrived at the agreed location, he never showed up.” Jian Zheng recalled that experience with some disappointment.

"So, he was deliberately avoiding you back then?" Shang Yibo frowned.

“That’s right, he really did avoid me that time.” Jian Zheng’s tone was filled with undeniable certainty.

"This is really strange. Why would he do this?" Shang Yibo wondered.

“Because he lied to me back then.” Jian Zheng’s tone was cold, and a gloomy look shone through his glasses.

Shang Yibo stared at Jian Zheng and asked, "Do you have any issues with him? What happened while I was away?"

Jian Zheng picked up his teacup, took a small sip of tea, then picked up a chocolate cookie and casually tossed it into his mouth.

Shang Yibo leaned back on the sofa, patiently waiting for Jian Zheng's answer.

After a moment, Jian Zheng finally spoke: "Do you remember the laboratory that Professor Zhou and Professor Yang established in cooperation with Sunan University? Zhang Qian worked there."

Upon hearing this, Shang Yibo immediately sat up straight and replied, "Of course I remember, they are Zhou Yanruo's parents."

Jian Zheng was visibly taken aback upon hearing this, then said, "Oh, I almost forgot, you have this kind of relationship with them. Did Zhou Yanruo mention anything to you?"

Shang Yibo shook his head: "From the first time I met Zhou Yanruo a few months ago until now, she has never mentioned any of these things. I have always been puzzled. She is from Beijing, and Professor Zhou and her husband are professors at Tsinghua and Peking Universities. They should live in the family compound of Tsinghua and Peking Universities. Why does Zhou Yanruo not live at home after returning to China, but instead rent a place to live on her own? I have always wanted to ask, but I have not found a suitable opportunity."

Jian Zheng sighed and slowly said, "Actually, both Professor Zhou and Professor Yang have passed away."

Shang Yibo's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in surprise, "Huh? When did this happen?"

He hadn't expected that Zhou Yanruo would suffer such a terrible misfortune during his absence. Thinking of this, Shang Yibo felt a pang of sadness, his voice trembling slightly as he murmured to himself, "So, now Zhou Yanruo is all alone."

Jian Zheng recounted in a calm tone: "On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the year 2000, a serious accident occurred in that laboratory, resulting in an explosion. Professor Zhou and his wife, along with their two students, tragically perished, while Zhang Qian was seriously injured while rushing to put out the fire."

Shang Yibo's voice was low and heavy: "That was in February 2000, more than a month after I left." His eyes were full of questions as he stared intently at Jian Zheng.

Jian Zheng slightly twitched the corners of his mouth and continued, "Zhang Qian was injured when he rushed from the dormitory to put out the fire, and he was seriously injured at the time."

Shang Yibo couldn't help but ask again, "What exactly happened in that accident?"

By this time, the sky had completely darkened, and the glass curtain wall under the night sky was like a mirror, reflecting two completely different faces: one filled with sadness and concern, and the other revealing gloom and ruthlessness.

Jian Zheng turned his head to look at the night outside the window, squinted his eyes, and recounted the events of that year: "Xichuan City has never experienced such a major accident with casualties, and it just so happened to happen on the Lantern Festival. Moreover, among the victims was Professor Zhou, who enjoys a high reputation in the international academic community, which undoubtedly made the whole incident more complicated and sensitive."

Following the accident, the provincial government and even higher levels felt immense pressure and initiated accountability mechanisms.

As the provincial investigation team delved deeper into the matter, unexpectedly, the ultimate responsibility fell on my mother.

Upon hearing that Professor Zhou and his wife had passed away in this serious accident, Shang Yibo's first thought was of Zhou Yanruo. He was shocked and heartbroken to learn that Zhou Yanruo had suffered such a misfortune after he disappeared.

He looked at Jian Zheng in disbelief, eager to know how Zhou Yanruo had fared after the accident.

Jian Zheng's sorrowful and angry expression made him hold back his words. Jian Zheng was immersed in the pain of losing his loved ones, so how could he keep asking about another person's affairs at this time?

After a moment of silence, Shang Yibo asked, "Your mother? Aunt Chang? Mayor Chang? What does this accident have to do with her? Why is she being held accountable?"

A hint of disdain and resentment flashed across Jian Zheng's face as he curled his lip and said, "My mother is the 'scapegoat' among the city leaders. It's said that she was one of the main promoters of this laboratory project. At that time, Sunan University was newly established and had little academic achievement. The university leaders approached my mother, hoping to leverage Xichuan's rich cultural heritage and rapid economic development to add a renowned university to the city, serving as a shining symbol of its status."

Although my mother wasn't directly in charge of education, she used her connections to help her classmates from the preparatory cadre training class who had been transferred to Beijing to work in the education sector in their district. Although Tsinghua and Peking Universities were directly under the central government, their campuses were located in their district, so she could say something to the university administration.

So, she contacted Tsinghua and Peking Universities through an old classmate. Professor Zhou, who also happened to be from Xichuan, was willing to contribute to the universities in his hometown and readily agreed to the collaboration with Sunan University. Subsequently, my mother personally went to the provincial capital to secure project approval and helped Sunan University successfully obtain funding.

“Aunt Chang did all this for the development of Xichuan, didn’t she? Nobody wants to see an accident like this happen, so why should she bear the responsibility? I really can’t understand it.” Shang Yibo’s tone was full of indignation. “This incident must have brought her tremendous pressure and distress. By the way, she’s a leader in the city, so she probably can’t settle abroad with you, right? How is she doing now? Is she alright?”

Jian Zheng's expression became unusually calm, and he said indifferently, "My mother committed suicide."