Zhou Jinbei felt guilty and turned to look out the window.
"He seems to know. But he should have left by now, why mention him all of a sudden?"
"He hasn't left. Your brother has something for him to handle and sent him to Jincheng. He won't be able to leave for a while."
"Jincheng? Is that the city where Chen Jiaojiao's family lives?"
"Yes. It's to handle matters related to Chen Jiaojiao."
"My brother is truly biased. I'm so familiar with Chen Jiaojiao, why didn't he let me handle it?"
"Your brother is protecting you. Chen Jiaojiao made a mistake at work, and it might not be easy for you to be ruthless if you were assigned to handle it."
Jiang Nanfang gave her plenty of face.
"However, it's almost done now. Ah Zhong is working there alone long-term and might be overwhelmed. I plan to have you go help him."
Huh?
Go help Ah Zhong?
Zhou Jinbei was surprised and delighted.
"You want me to go be his assistant?"
"What? His qualifications are better than yours, he's older, and more capable. Do you want him to be your assistant instead?"
"..."
"Agree or disagree? If you agree, I'll send you to the airport later. If you disagree, I'll have to find someone else."
Under normal circumstances, Zhou Jinbei shouldn't have agreed.
But for some reason, she blurted out her assent.
"Who said I disagree? It's rare to have a work opportunity to leave Nancheng and relax a bit. Of course, I agree. How long will I be there?"
"At least a month, or it could be longer. I hope your work is excellent and you can finish it soon. It's up to you."
A month.
She would be alone with Ah Zhong for a month.
Zhou Jinbei's heart started to race.
She immediately took out her phone to check flights.
There was one in 45 minutes.
"Let's go to the airport directly, catch the earliest one."
"Aren't you going back to pack clothes and get some luggage?"
"The next flight is several hours away. You guys are going to work, and I'll be bored waiting alone at home."
Zhou Jinbei was making excuses.
"They sell things in Jincheng too, you can buy them when you get there."
Tsk tsk. She was that eager.
Jiang Nanfang didn't expose her.
"Then I'll take you now."
After Zhou Jinbei boarded the plane, Jiang Nanfang returned alone and sent Ah Zhong a flight notification on the way.
"I've sent someone to help you. Go pick her up at the designated time. Cooperate well."
Ah Zhong never expected her to send Zhou Jinbei. He quickly replied with an "OK."
At the designated time, he waited at the airport entrance.
When he saw Zhou Jinbei emerge, he was stunned.
A line of taxis was parked at the entrance, with people constantly getting in and out.
Ah Zhong, in a white shirt and black trousers, tall and long-legged, was exceptionally conspicuous among the group of taxi drivers.
It was impossible for Zhou Jinbei not to see him.
Their eyes met, and both felt a little awkward.
But they still had to walk towards each other.
When she reached him, Zhou Jinbei stopped.
"Hello. My second brother sent me to help you."
Seeing her hands empty and no one else around, Ah Zhong instinctively asked,
"Just you?"
"What? Is there a lot of work? Can't we two handle it?"
That wasn't what he meant.
"You didn't bring any luggage?"
"No. I was sent over suddenly, and they took me straight to the airport. I didn't have time to pack."
Ah Zhong raised his wrist and checked his watch.
"Let's go have lunch first, and then buy whatever you need after eating. We'll start working officially tomorrow."
The construction site required purchasing materials on-site.
Ah Zhong had been busy with procurement all morning.
The materials were delivered in the afternoon, and construction would officially begin tomorrow, so he was indeed free today.
For convenience, he had rented a car in Jincheng.
The two of them, after a long time, sat in the car as they used to.
Jincheng, a newly developed second-tier city, although not as famous as coastal cities, had a quite beautiful environment.
Zhou Jinbei looked at the scenery outside the window. After a while, she couldn't help but sigh.
"When I used to think of this place, I would think of coal mines. I thought it was all dark and heavily polluted."
She was just making a personal observation, but Ah Zhong picked up on her words.
"Indeed, I thought the same as you before."
"China's development has been quite rapid in recent years. This city has all the standard facilities of first-tier cities, just smaller in area and fewer well-known companies. Otherwise, it's not inferior to Nancheng."
"You've been busy with work since you arrived, so you probably haven't had a chance to explore. How do you know so much?"
"Professional habit," Ah Zhong said.
"After spending a long time with President Zhan, I always try to familiarize myself with the environment in advance, so I can answer his questions when he asks. I can't change it."
Zhou Jinbei gave him a mental thumbs-up.
She thought: He has strong professional ethics. Compared to him, I'm far behind.
We're both unprepared and improvising. When I can't answer, I just make excuses. My second brother and his wife never said anything.
"What do you want to eat? Search on your phone first."
Zhou Jinbei didn't know what she wanted to eat.
The weather was so nice, and Ah Zhong spoke softly, just like before.
She was just feeling content and grateful to Jiang Nanfang for giving her this opportunity.
"There's fast food in the mall. Why don't we just go to the mall?"
"We'll eat and then buy some things before heading back. I haven't been resting well these past few days. If I'm not busy this afternoon, I'd like to take a nap."
"Why haven't you been resting well?"
Ah Zhong asked instinctively.
After asking, he realized it was a bit too intimate.
Given their current relationship, whether he slept well or not had nothing to do with him.
But Zhou Jinbei still answered.
"I have a new roommate, and we're adjusting to each other these past two days. Haven't you been resting well either? You look thinner than before."
Ah Zhong's hand on the steering wheel was bony, with the bones in his wrist protruding prominently.
Although he seemed energetic and his skin condition was good, he looked noticeably thinner than before.
"Perhaps I've been exercising more. My muscles have become tighter."
He smiled.
"I sleep quite well, and I eat heartily."
Zhou Jinbei also smiled.
They stopped talking.
Ah Zhong drove to a well-known mall. After a casual lunch, Zhou Jinbei said,
"Why don't you wait for me here? It's tiring to go back and forth. I'll buy some daily necessities and be back soon."
"Okay."
She was a young girl buying daily necessities, and it would be inconvenient for him to follow.
Zhou Jinbei first picked out two outfits, then went to the cosmetics counter to choose a skincare set and a makeup set.
Finally, she bought some small items.
Soon, she went to meet Ah Zhong.
Seeing her small frame carrying such a large bag, Ah Zhong instinctively reached out to take it.
"Thank you."
"Are you going to the hotel with me, or should we choose another one?"
"Let's go to yours. It'll be more convenient for communication if there are any work matters."
Unexpectedly, when they went to the front desk to check in, there were no vacant rooms.
Ah Zhong took her to another nearby hotel, but it was also full.
"Jincheng's annual Noodle Culture Festival is about to start, and it's peak season every year..."
They inquired at four consecutive hotels, and all were fully booked.