Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 364: The Gift and the Boss

"Avoiding us on purpose?"

"Yeah. I only discovered the company a few days ago. They’d been operating quietly for a while, but now they’ve grown too big to stay hidden."

Lin Zhengran placed his utensils down after finishing the last bite.

Jiang Qian, curious about his thoughtful look, asked, "How was the food tonight?"

She sure could switch topics fast. Lin Zhengran chuckled and praised,

"Pretty great. This place is expensive for a reason—especially... the dishes were all things I like."

Jiang Qian took a sip of wine, her gaze still cool as she looked at him.

"Funny enough, they’re all my favorites too."

She wasn’t picky about food. In her view, as long as the chef was good, anything could taste great. So after learning what Lin Zhengran liked, her own tastes gradually aligned with his—she started eating like he did every day. So saying it was her favorite wasn’t exactly false.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Jiang Qian said.

The restaurant’s floor manager entered, carrying a tray of dessert.

"Good evening, honored guests. I’m the manager here. In light of your generous patronage tonight, we’re pleased to offer you a complimentary dessert set—each piece handmade by our top chefs. Please enjoy."

Jiang Qian showed little reaction. Lin Zhengran simply replied, "Thanks."

They each used their forks and knives to cut a piece and try it. The dessert was rich in flavor but not overwhelmingly sweet. The lingering aftertaste was surprisingly pleasant.

"Not bad," Jiang Qian commented.

The manager nodded. "Thank you."

As Lin Zhengran enjoyed the dessert, he glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window.

The manager smiled. "If you had come a month earlier, you would’ve been able to see the flowerbed over there."

"A flowerbed?" Lin Zhengran asked curiously.

The manager pointed to a dark shadow within the cityscape.

"Right there. In summer, it's filled with brightly colored flowers. At night, there’s even a fountain show. It’s a popular attraction around here—a famous spot for confessions. They say couples who confess their love there will stay together forever."

Lin Zhengran looked at the circular shadow in the darkness but didn’t take it seriously. These kinds of urban legends existed everywhere.

Han Wenwen had even mumbled about something similar in her sleep back in middle school.

He responded casually, "Is that so? Sounds kind of magical."

But Jiang Qian latched onto those words.

Magical...

Did Lin Zhengran really say it was magical?

"Is it true that couples who confess there stay together forever?" she asked the manager, her voice cool.

The manager chuckled. "Of course it’s true. That’s why the place is so famous. But unfortunately... it’s about to be demolished."

He gave a helpless smile.

"They’re planning to turn it into an art installation landmark. Next year, it probably won’t exist anymore. That’s why I said it’s a shame you didn’t come earlier."

"Demolished? Why?" Jiang Qian frowned.

"They say it’s hindering city development. The flowerbed takes up a lot of space, and it’s close to the road. For tourist safety, it’s hard to argue against tearing it down. Still, it’ll definitely be a loss—it really was a beautiful spot."

Lin Zhengran gazed out toward the spot and muttered,

"That really is a shame."

Hearing that, Jiang Qian glanced back at the dark patch outside the window, pressing her lips together as if lost in thought.

Confessing love in that place... and spending forever with the one you love...

The dinner ended smoothly—nothing out of the ordinary. Jiang Qian and Lin Zhengran walked out of the building together, side by side, surrounded by the dazzling lights of the city.

"That’s it for tonight, then," Jiang Qian said. "Thanks for coming out to dinner."

"No need to thank me."

Lin Zhengran pulled a small, delicate box from his coat and handed it to her.

"Here. A gift for you."

Jiang Qian blinked in surprise.

"A gift?" She looked almost disbelieving. "For me?"

"Yeah. You helped me out last week. I should’ve been the one treating you to dinner. But when you told me the restaurant earlier today, I called and found out you already paid in advance. So I figured I'd make it up to you with this. I made it myself."

Jiang Qian froze. Her cool gaze wavered slightly.

"You... made it yourself?"

She took the box with both hands, staring at it in a daze.

"Can I open it?"

"Of course."

Jiang Qian slowly untied the ribbon and opened the box with care. Inside was a miniature piano model—delicately crafted and beautifully detailed.

Despite its size, it had all the intricate features of a real piano. The craftsmanship was stunning.

"This is... beautiful," Jiang Qian whispered in awe. "You made this? Something so detailed?"

For Lin Zhengran, anything complex could be built quickly as long as the materials were there. When making the gift that afternoon, he even infused it with a bit of spiritual energy—it would subtly soothe and calm the mind if placed in a bedroom.

"Yeah. It only looks complicated. It was actually pretty simple to make."

Jiang Qian cradled it like a treasure, cheeks blushing.

"Thank you... I’ll really cherish it."

Lin Zhengran nodded.

"Alright, I’m heading out. I had a great time tonight. And I’ll keep in mind everything you told me. Bye."

Jiang Qian lifted her gaze. Her normally cold tone softened just for him.

"Bye... see you tomorrow."

"See you."

He got into a taxi and left.

Jiang Qian stood there, watching until his silhouette vanished at the corner of the street. Then she looked back down at the delicate piano.

Her lips curled into a genuine smile, eyes gleaming.

"A gift he made with his own hands... I’m so happy."

Half an hour earlier, in another part of the bustling city.

An Audi weaved through the streets. In the back seat sat a man in a suit, leaning against his hand. The driver and front passenger were chatting casually.

“Boss Yang, we closed another deal tonight. Gotta say, our boss really is amazing. Ever since she trained us, everything’s been going so smoothly.”

The front passenger added, “She may be young, but she’s a total genius in every area.”

The man in the back, Zhang Yang, cut in.

“Stop calling her ‘boss lady’ like before. Say Boss. I’ve told you more than once—drop those sloppy habits. Keep that thug energy out of your words. Don’t bring trouble to me or the Boss. If you can’t do that, go back to where you came from.”

The driver smacked his own face instinctively, clearly nervous.

“Sorry, sorry. You’re right. It’s ‘Boss’. I forgot again.”

The front passenger broke into a sweat and kept quiet.

The Audi pulled up at the corner.

Zhang Yang stepped out, followed by the other two. They walked to the end of the street until they spotted a figure in the shadows.

Zhang Yang bowed respectfully.

“Boss.”

The other two followed suit. “Good evening, Boss.”

A woman stepped from the shadows. Her long silver hair cascaded down her shoulders, catching the light.

Her youthful, beautiful face held no expression as she looked at Zhang Yang.

“How’s business going lately?”

Zhang Yang smiled. “Everything’s going great, don’t worry.” He handed her a folder.

“These are the documents you asked for. Our recent projects are all progressing smoothly.”

The woman took the folder and flipped through it.

“I’ve been a bit busy lately, so I can’t visit the company as often as I did during the break.”

Zhang Yang responded loyally,

“I’ll keep a closer eye on things. Have you eaten yet? If not, I’d be honored to treat you.”

“No need. I still have things to do later. I could only step out for a little while.”

Zhang Yang hesitated, then just nodded.

“If you ever need anything, just let me know. I’ll handle it right away.”

The woman kept flipping through the documents.

“I don’t need anything special. Just handle the tasks I assigned. And remember—Jiang Corporation is currently struggling and developing new products. Even if their business overlaps with ours, do not interfere, even if we take a loss.”

Zhang Yang nodded solemnly.

“Understood. You’ve said it before—no matter what, we must not mess with Jiang Corporation or Zhengshi Company’s business.”

“Just make sure you remember that.”

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