Nirvana Heiress: Reborn and Returning to Stir Up a Storm

Chapter 12 A Chance Encounter and a Promise

A few weeks later, one evening, Lin Chuyue casually walked into the coffee shop as usual. This place had become her "appointment" spot with Zhou Ming. Although their interactions were never very deep, she could sense that Zhou Ming's guard was slowly loosening.

This time, she didn't approach immediately. Instead, she observed his every move from a corner of the cafe. Zhou Ming sat by the window, looking down at documents, occasionally glancing at his phone. She noticed that his expression remained cold and aloof, but his eyes occasionally held a hint of weariness, as if every movement was suppressing some kind of emotion.

Lin Chuyue pursed her lips, and before walking over, she breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted her expression.

"Assistant Zhou, what a coincidence, we meet again." She greeted him with a smile, her voice gentle and relaxed.

Zhou Ming looked up and seemed a little surprised when he saw her: "Miss Lin, you've come again today?" He didn't seem to be as resistant as before; instead, his eyes held a hint of tired gentleness.

"Yeah, I'm not in a good mood today, so I thought I'd go for a walk." Lin Chuyue lowered her head, smiled with feigned helplessness, and sat down in the empty seat opposite him. "Look, it's quiet here. Having a cup of coffee is better than staying in the office."

Zhou Ming nodded slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if considering whether to say something. Lin Chuyue seized the opportunity and slowly spoke, "You seem very tired lately. Is it because you have too much work to do?"

Zhou Ming was taken aback, then lowered his head and smiled: "These are all things I should do."

Seeing this, her smile gradually faded, replaced by a slightly concerned expression: "Assistant Zhou is so dedicated, President Shen must rely on you a lot, right? After all, you know that financial management is the lifeblood of the group."

Zhou Ming's eyes flickered, and his expression changed slightly, but he remained silent. His silence made Lin Chuyue realize that he was trying to hide something.

She deliberately slowed her tone: "As you know, I've been taking on some work recently, and Dad wants me to pay more attention to some of the company's business. However, there are some things I don't fully understand, like the finance department, which Mr. Shen always avoids talking about. I can sense that Mr. Shen has always trusted you, and sometimes even relies on you quite a bit."

She paused slightly, her gaze falling on Zhou Ming's face, as if waiting for his response.

Zhou Ming's expression tightened slightly, but he remained silent. Lin Chuyue's heart stirred, and she continued, "Actually, I don't want to know anything confidential. I just feel that as President Shen's assistant, you must know a lot of things that we don't. After all, you've been by her side for so many years, helping her handle various matters."

Her words were as gentle as ever, but her eyes were fixed on Zhou Ming, as if she were saying everything she already knew.

Zhou Ming lowered his head, sighed, and finally spoke: "Miss Lin, I really can't say too much about President Shen's matter. She is not someone we can speculate about."

“I understand.” Lin Chuyue smiled slightly, her tone still relaxed. “However, there are some things we can keep to ourselves, right?” Her tone lowered slightly, as if she were talking about something very ordinary. “Like President Shen’s recent overseas investment, I know you and she handled a lot of things together. Like you said, trust is very important, right?”

These words landed like a soft bomb in Zhou Ming's heart. Lin Chuyue's tone was calm, yet it contained an undeniable power. She could feel Zhou Ming's body tremble slightly.

Zhou Ming's eyes deepened, as if concealing the turmoil in his heart. After a moment, he finally said, "I can't reveal too much about President Shen's matter. Perhaps you should ask her."

“I know, she’s President Shen, isn’t she?” Lin Chuyue nodded slightly, her expression becoming calmer. “However, I think that if you’re willing to talk to me about many things, it might be helpful to you.” She paused, looking at Zhou Ming with gentle eyes. “I don’t want to complicate things for President Shen. I just hope you can understand that some things don’t need to be carried under such heavy pressure.”

Zhou Ming's eyes flickered. He looked at Lin Chuyue, remained silent for a while, and finally said only one sentence: "Miss Lin, please understand, there is only so much I can say."

Lin Chuyue's heart skipped a beat. She knew this encounter hadn't yielded the answer she'd hoped for, but she sensed a loosening of Zhou Ming's guard. Even though he hadn't revealed any specific information, she detected a subtle change in his tone and eyes.

She decided to continue waiting patiently, knowing that Zhou Ming wouldn't easily trust her completely, but given enough time, he would probably gradually break down his defenses.

Over the next few days, Lin Chuyue and Zhou Ming continued to "bump into" each other. She didn't rush to extract more substantial information from him, but instead constantly tested his limits through small conversations, slowing down the pace and gradually building his trust in her.

However, what Lin Chuyue didn't notice was that as her relationship with Zhou Ming deepened, Zhou Ming had already relayed her words and actions to Shen Fang. Shen Fang became slightly wary of Lin Chuyue's "approach" and secretly sent people to investigate her every move.

Zhou Ming's hesitation and her probing were like a secret game, with both sides locked in a tug-of-war, neither willing to reveal their true purpose.

Meanwhile, Lin Chuyue's plan was quietly unfolding. She knew that she was not far from uncovering the real secret behind Shen Fang.

One day, Lin Chuyue was about to leave the company when she suddenly received a call from Zhou Ming. When she saw the caller ID, she was startled, knowing that she might have found a breakthrough.

"Ms. Lin, it's me, Zhou Ming." The voice on the other end of the phone was low and somewhat tired. "Could we meet?"

Lin Chuyue's heart skipped a beat, and a faint smile appeared on her lips: "Of course, Assistant Zhou, is there something you need?"

"I'd like to talk to you about President Shen," Zhou Ming said, a hint of anxiety in his voice. "Could we meet?"

Lin Chuyue pretended to think for a moment, then agreed, "Okay, let's meet." She didn't give a specific location, but arranged to meet at a coffee shop not far from the company.

She knew that Zhou Ming had finally taken the initiative to approach her, which meant that he had begun to waver, and her opportunity had arrived.

A few minutes later, Lin Chuyue arrived at the coffee shop on time. She chose a window seat and waited quietly for Zhou Ming to arrive. Soon, Zhou Ming appeared in her sight, walking hurriedly, his face lacking its usual composure, instead showing a hint of anxiety and unease.

He walked to her desk, sat down, and his first words were: "Ms. Lin, you should probably be prepared about Mr. Shen and the overseas funds."

Lin Chuyue's heart skipped a beat; finally, she was one step closer to the truth. She nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on Zhou Ming: "Assistant Zhou, where exactly did President Shen's funds go? I heard that President Shen has transferred some funds overseas. Is this related to you?"

Zhou Ming's eyes flickered, and his lips trembled slightly as he seemed to be struggling to control his inner turmoil. After a moment, he sighed deeply: "I've been working with President Shen for a long time, but I can't continue doing this. You must know that President Shen's actions have begun to get out of my control, and the transfer of funds... is not something I can decide."

Lin Chuyue seized this opening, her heart filled with the joy of victory. But she didn't rush to delve deeper, instead calmly responding, "I understand your difficulties, but Assistant Zhou, since you've brought this up, it means you also have your own stance. So, how many secrets is President Shen hiding? Can you give me a clear answer?"

Zhou Ming's eyes flickered uncertainly, as if he were making a final struggle. Lin Chuyue could sense that the truth was close at hand, and this game would become more and more complicated as she delved deeper.