Volume 1, Chapter 18: The Signal of a Heartbeat

The number is absolutely out of the question.

It seemed to be a man’s nature, though even the program couldn’t quite explain where such feelings came from.

After finishing the meal, the program still insisted on paying the bill. Today’s conversation had been pleasant; he had gained abundant emotional value and felt generous.

Xiang Zheng couldn’t refuse him, and her credit card fell to the floor. When she picked it up, the program noticed her high heels had left red marks on her heels.

Outside the café, the program led the way, symbolically moving forward. “Where did you park your car?”

Xiang Zheng casually pointed; the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, making it hard to tell directions. “A bit far. Handsome, thank you for giving me a precious hour and a half. From here, I can walk on my own.”

The more she said this, the more the program felt uneasy.

She had come for him—what if they ran into another persistent flirt?

“I have a question,” the program blurted out after holding it in for a long time.

“Go ahead.”

“Coming over so late at night, aren’t you afraid of wasting your time, or worse, meeting someone with bad intentions?”

She simply tilted her head to look at him, a hint of admiration in her voice. “What’s there to fear? You chose a public place. This area is full of tech geeks from major companies. I spotted your company badge at first glance. I like interacting with cultured, highly educated people like you—it helps me learn. Turns out, I guessed right.”

If Xiang Zheng weren’t a salesperson, the program would have suspected she was a born enchantress.

Every word she spoke soothed the heart, and her attitude was sincere.

“I’m just a master’s graduate. There are many returnee PhDs at my company,” he replied.

The program knew his damn pride was acting up again.

Xiang Zheng’s lips curved gently, her eyes still sparkling. “That’s impressive! Even higher than me.”

The program noticed she liked using interjections, her emotions rich and vivid.

He decided to respond with honesty.

“Actually, I’m not planning to buy a house for now. The prices are just too high. I’m telling you this so I don’t waste your time.”

This year was indeed a peak in the real estate market.

And the Seven Camphor Trees Garden that Xiang Zheng sold had a price exceeding eighty thousand per square meter.

How many young people could afford that without relying on their parents?

Xiang Zheng showed no disappointment or any negative emotion—calm as a flowing brook.

“Let’s just consider this a friendship. With someone as outstanding as you, you’ll buy one someday. I’ll plant a seed in your mind now. If one day you decide to buy and I happen to still be in this business, come find me—I’ll give you the best discount.”

The two of them strolled around and arrived at Xiang Zheng’s car.

She was driving a Jaguar, a flashy car that matched a woman’s ambition.

“Buying a car like this at such a young age—aren’t you a second-generation rich kid just trying out sales for the experience?” the program teased with a thumbs-up.

Xiang Zheng showed no displeasure at the misunderstanding. Instead, she explained patiently, “More negative than positive, actually. When I just graduated, I still had student loans. But that’s good—when you have no fallback, you can only move forward decisively. Joining sales forced me to become a wolf.”

The program’s curiosity was instantly piqued. “How old are you? Oh, if that’s too personal, you don’t have to answer.”

Xiang Zheng’s hand was already on the car door, but she turned back to him playfully. “Twenty-four. My boss says that if we look too young selling such expensive houses, clients won’t trust us. The car is for show. I’m still the top salesperson on the project, so you don’t need to worry about my professionalism.”

Twenty-four?

She was five years younger than the program.

And she was the top seller!

In his mind, the program quickly calculated: she bought a car straight out of college, clearly very capable. Being the top salesperson for a luxury housing project, her annual salary probably reached seven figures, if not more.

At that moment, the program felt a bit... defeated.

Xiang Zheng didn’t give him time to feel down. She extended an invitation, “I was supposed to treat you today, so next time it’s my turn. You must show up as promised.”

The program was silent.

Would they meet again? Especially after he had made it clear he wasn’t planning to buy a house.

Someone once said the capital was such a vast city, already spanning seven rings. If someone from Miyun dated someone from Fangshan, crossing the diagonal would be even harder than a long-distance relationship. Without a prior appointment, the chance of running into each other was nearly zero.

Suddenly, he found himself hoping to see her again.