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There’s Nothing To Hide, She’s My Girlfriend

Whether it was enough or not, Wei Lai knew saying it was pointless because Zhou Sujin wouldn’t care.

He allowed her to show off but would never indulge her without limits.

His aunt and uncle arrived at Jiang City Station at 12:25 p.m. After picking them up, Zhou Sujin asked his auntie what she wanted to eat and suggested taking them to have lunch first.

Ning Rujiang and her husband had eaten a little on the high-speed train. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight. Let’s head home and drop off our luggage first.”

She then remembered, “You haven’t eaten yet, right? How about I make you something?” Her cooking skills were average, but she was fairly good at making the dishes her two nephews liked.

Zhou Sujin nodded. “Sure.”

Ning Rujiang reminded her nephew in advance to stop by the supermarket.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhou Sujin stretched out his long arm to enter “Wei Lai Supermarket” into Maps.

Uncle Yan glanced at the words “Wei Lai” on the screen from the corner of his eye. The nearest store was less than a kilometer away, but it wasn’t the one with the office.

The boss’ gaze fixated on the screen.

He speculated whether the boss wanted to go to the one with the office but didn’t know the exact address, so he couldn’t input it into Maps.

He remembered that store’s address.

Uncle Yan directly searched for the address, and the navigation voice confirmed the change of destination successfully.

Zhou Sujin suddenly turned around and glanced at Uncle Yan a few times, but ultimately said nothing.

Uncle Yan: “…”

It turned out the boss intended to buy ingredients nearby and did not necessarily want to go to the Wei Lai Supermarket store with the office. He had misinterpreted.

Zhou Sujin never made things difficult for the people around him and said, “Let’s go to this one.”

Uncle Yan breathed a sigh of relief. “Got it.”

Hearing the change in destination, Ning Rujiang asked curiously, “Why did we change destinations?”

Zhou Sujin said, “This store is bigger.”

Ning Rujiang teased her nephew, “Not bad. You’re almost a half-resident of Jiang City now, knowing the size of each supermarket.”

Zhou Sujin remained silent as always.

Uncle Yan remained even more silent.

The Bentley took nearly 40 minutes to drive from the North Station to the central west area, partly due to traffic.

After parking the car, Ning Rujiang patted her nephew’s shoulder from behind. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the supermarket.”

Zhou Sujin: “… still treating me like a kid.”

“If you don’t want to, forget it.” Ning Rujiang dragged her husband to accompany her to the supermarket.

Looking at the supermarket sign, she said to her husband, “The owner’s surname of this supermarket must be Wei, with a single given name Lai. Not bad, the name is easy to remember.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t get out of the car or look upstairs, instead browsing today’s financial news.

Wei Lai had a meeting with Lu Song, the head of Yunhui Group’s shopping malls, at 2:30 p.m. today. With no time for an afternoon nap, she made herself a cup of coffee to wake herself up before leaving.

Every time she drank coffee, she would lean by the window, watching the endless stream of cars and people outside.

As she finished her coffee and stood up, she glanced downstairs and paused when she saw Zhou Sujin’s Bentley, with him sitting in the passenger seat.

A middle-aged couple got out of the back of the Bentley, arm in arm, and walked straight into their supermarket.

She recognized that elegant lady

it was Zhou Sujin’s auntie.

“President Zhou, I see you.“

Zhou Sujin turned his head slightly and looked up at the second floor from the car.

Their eyes met.

With the one-way glass, she could see him clearly.

But, he couldn’t see her.

Zhou Sujin replied to her, “My aunt wanted to buy groceries. Uncle Yan took it upon himself to drive here.“

Wei Lai said half-jokingly, “I should thank Uncle Yan then. Today’s revenue at my family’s supermarket just went up a bit.“

It’s hard to joke with him, so she got straight to the point, “President Zhou, do you know that if we were really a couple and currently in the honeymoon phase, you would tell me you’re downstairs. I would then pretend to pass by the car as a passerby while your aunt is shopping. We’d find a way to see each other no matter what.” His aunt had just entered the supermarket two minutes ago, leaving enough time for a quick meeting.

Zhou Sujin asked, “Is this how you date?“

Wei Lai pondered over his question, assuming he was referring to her past relationship with Zhang Yanxin.

She replied, “It was more or less like this before.“

Zhou Sujin: “Got it.“

Then, he added, “Come down, no need to pretend to be a passerby.“

Since there was no need to pretend to be strangers, Wei Lai grabbed a bottle of water and coffee from the fridge and quickly made her way down the stairs from the second floor.

She handed the sparkling water to Uncle Yan and passed the coffee through the rolled-down car window to Zhou Sujin, saying, “I like this flavor.”

Uncle Yan grabbed the bottle of water and his pack of cigarettes, walking over to a distant trash can to smoke. He understood that youngsters would seize any chance to meet, even if it was just a moment during the early stages of dating.

“Uncle Yan definitely won’t suspect we’re pretending to be dating now.” Accomplishing her mission, Wei Lai didn’t linger. “President Zhou, I’ll head back upstairs.”

Zhou Sujin nodded, and she hurried back just as quickly as she had come down.

Their coffee preferences differed. He twisted open the bottle of coffee and just drank one sip.

Auntie and Uncle soon came out from the supermarket, and Uncle Yan started the car.

“No wonder you brought me to this store. The fresh produce is quite good,” Ning Rujiang said, satisfied with the groceries she had bought. The store had a wide selection of imported goods, some of which she often purchased.

The drive from Wei Lai Supermarket to Jiang’an Cloud Residences in the east part of the city took another 40 minutes.

Ning Rujiang exclaimed, “Jiang City is such a big city.”

Uncle Yan silently thought to himself, it’s not that Jiang City is so big, it’s that he took more than half the usual route.

After taking a long detour, they finally arrived home. Uncle Yan helped only to push the luggage to the doorstep before leaving.

Zhou Sujin carried the luggage inside and fetched the slippers he had prepared for his aunt and uncle from the shoe cabinet.

“This condo is so bright,” his aunt said, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, admiring the view of the lake and mountains. She was used to living in siheyuans and thought it was also nice to stay in a high-rise occasionally.

Taking off his suit jacket, Zhou Sujin hung it in the foyer closet. Opening the closet, he saw Wei Lai’s white, thin blazer inside. She had forgotten to take it back the last time she was here.

His aunt was the type of person who, if she saw certain items belonging to a woman directly, would suspect him of having ulterior motives.

On the contrary, it was his attempts to conceal things that would make his aunt believe he was really in a relationship.

Zhou Sujin didn’t bother to take another hanger; he simply draped his suit jacket over Wei Lai’s white blazer. His jacket was bigger, effectively concealing Wei Lai’s inside.

Ning Rujiang noticed every subtle expression her nephew made, and anything out of the ordinary was definitely suspicious.

She silently withdrew her gaze, pretending to be captivated by the scenery outside the window.

“You’ve made a great choice with this condo; the view is expansive. I’m tempted to even stay a few more days,” she highly praised her nephew.

Zhou Sujin walked over from the foyer. “You and Uncle should stay here for a few more days then.”

“Your uncle would have to agree first; he’s afraid the company won’t function without him,” Ning Rujiang complained, taking off her coat and casually taking her husband’s. “I’ll take it.”

She hung both coats in the foyer cabinet, then lightly adjusted her nephew’s suit jacket, revealing a thin white blazer underneath.

She didn’t need to see it fully; just from the fabric and button details of the white blazer, she knew which brand and style of women’s blazer it was. She had a similar one herself.

“You can accompany your uncle for some tea; I’ll go make lunch for you.”

As if nothing happened, she closed the closet door and carried the bag of groceries she had bought from the supermarket into the kitchen.

Planning to stay for two or three days, she had bought a bit more, intending to cook for her nephew again tomorrow.

Ning Rujiang put away the ingredients that wouldn’t be used today in the fridge. Surprisingly, the fridge wasn’t empty; there was beef and a large pack of furikake.

furikake – a rice seasoning consisting of seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, salt, and sugar

She knew her nephew well; he had never liked seaweed since he was little. It was impossible for such a thing to appear in his fridge.

First was the women’s blazer then the second with the seaweed, it seemed that his girlfriend had visited here. Her nephew was very clear about separating his personal and professional life; he wouldn’t bring his girlfriend on a business trip.

That left only two possibilities: either he had accompanied his girlfriend here for a visit, or his girlfriend was from here.

If it was the former, it meant her nephew wasn’t just a workaholic and was capable of being in a relationship too.

If it was the latter, then she had come to Jiang City at the right time. This visit might bring unexpected gains.

“Sujin, why is there seaweed in the fridge?” She asked deliberately.

“Seaweed?”

Zhou Sujin suddenly remembered that Wei Lai had eaten a bibimbap that night and left the rest behind.

Keeping a composed expression, he said, “Everything in the fridge was all delivered by the concierge.”

Ning Rujiang wanted to laugh internally, thinking, you’re just lying through your teeth now. “The concierge isn’t very thoughtful then, delivering things without checking with the residents first.”

Uncle, unaware of the underlying facts, thought his wife was just being picky. “It’s not like this is a villa area. With so many residents in the high-rise, the concierge can’t cater to everyone’s needs individually.”

Ning Rujiang stopped giving her nephew a hard time and tied on an apron to start cooking.

She didn’t cook often, so when she did, it took her a long time.

Zhou Sujin had to wait an hour and a half for one meat and one veggie dish.

Ning Rujiang had already noticed her nephew was wearing that new watch today, but she hadn’t had the chance to take a photo of it until now. “Sujin, wait a sec. I want to take a photo to show off my cooking skills on WeChat.”

Click, click, she focused on her nephew’s wrist, capturing a clear image of the watch before sending it to her husband’s secretary: “Look into the original order of this watch. I don’t need too much detail, just the basic customer information.“

20 minutes later, Ning Rujiang received a reply.

“The customer is a woman named Wei Lai from Jiang City.“

There wasn’t much information about the customer, but the details about the watch were thorough: “The watch had a wait time of over seven months and required a one-to-one match with purchases. The watch band was custom-made at an extra cost. The customer also requested a customized gift card with the watch. It must’ve been a surprise for her boyfriend.“

Wei Lai?

Isn’t that the name of the supermarket…Wei Lai Supermarket?

It turned out her guess was correct…the girl was indeed from Jiang City.

Ning Rujiang read through the message from the secretary again. A seven-month wait time for the watch indicated that they had likely been in a relationship for at least a year.

Her nephew had started investing in Jiang City two years ago, so the timeline matched up.

She shared the good news with her sister: “Sis, if anyone tries to introduce a girl to Sujin, just tell them he has a girlfriend, a girl from Jiang City.“

Ning Ruzhen: “Who told you she’s from Jiang City?“

Ning Rujiang screenshotted the secretary’s message and sent it to her sister. “The watch is from the girl. Let’s not dig into it further. Let’s respect the kids’ privacy. As long as we’re sure they’re really dating, that’s what matters.“

Ning Rujiang wasn’t entirely convinced. “How can a watch confirm that they’re really dating?“

Ning Rujiang: “It’s not just the watch. I know Sujin’s personality well. He wouldn’t go to such lengths, planning from a year ago, and getting all the details right if it wasn’t real.“

Ning Ruzhen contemplated and decided to let go of her remaining doubts. “Alright, let’s come up with a suitable reason to get Sujin to bring his girlfriend home soon. Once he brings her back, I can make sure everyone knows he’s taken that very night, and I won’t have to worry about refusing any more introductions.“

Ning Rujiang, knowing that Wei Lai’s family runs a supermarket, decided to probe her sister’s thoughts. “Sis, you don’t have any requirements for Sujin’s girlfriend’s family background?“

Naturally, Ning Ruzhen had expectations regarding the family background of her son’s partner. As a parent, it’s natural to want their child to find someone from a comparable family.

However, knowing her son’s stubbornness and now that he was successful and independent, he wouldn’t listen to her.

“If she’s the girl he’s chosen, do you think my opposition would matter?“

Hearing her sister’s response, Ning Rujiang felt reassured.

She racked her brain to find a reason for her nephew to bring his girlfriend home. “How about we use my husband’s 50th birthday as an excuse? His uncle wants him to bring his girlfriend home to celebrate his birthday dinner. That sounds reasonable, right?“

If it were someone else’s birthday, Zhou Sujin might not care, but this was his uncle, who had taken him and his brother on road trips across the country when they were kids, creating a strong bond.

The two sisters decided to use Uncle Song’s 50th birthday as an excuse. Ning Rujiang was all smiles.

Zhou Sujin occasionally glanced at his aunt, suspecting she was conversing about him.

Ning Rujiang finally ended her convo and put away her phone before asking her nephew, “Sujin, where are we going this afternoon?”

Zhou Sujin: “To the tea plantation?”

“Sure, the air there is great.”

Before leaving, Zhou Sujin went to his closet to grab a different suit jacket.

Auntie was in an exceptionally good mood. Usually, she wasn’t particularly interested in tea plantations, but she strolled around the tea plantation for over an hour today. Uncle bought a significant amount of tea leaves.

By the time they returned to the city, it was already dark.

Ning Rujiang said to her nephew, “I don’t want fine dining. Take us to try some local dishes.”

Uncle Yan knew where to go, but after the previous misunderstanding, he didn’t dare make any decisions on his own anymore.

Zhou Sujin instructed, “Let’s go to that restaurant.”

On the way to the restaurant, they had to pass by the main store of Wei Lai Supermarket. Ning Rujiang now felt an unusual fondness for the name “Wei Lai.” She quickly instructed Uncle Yan, “Turn into the supermarket up ahead.” She then turned to her husband and said, “Didn’t you want to try some local rice wine? I’ll go buy a bottle for you.”

Uncle: “The restaurant will definitely have rice wine. It’s a hassle to go to the supermarket just for that.”

“It’s expensive at the restaurant.”

“…” He had never seen his wife so frugal before.

There were many cars queuing to enter the supermarket’s parking lot in the evening, and Uncle Yan was no exception.

Ning Rujiang looked at the stream of cars and patiently waited, feeling happier than when she was in love back in the day.

“Hey, Sujin, isn’t that your Cullinan?”

The deep emerald hue, and that familiar Beijing license plate she knew all too well.

Following his aunt’s gaze, Zhou Sujin watched as the Cullinan had just returned from outside. Wei Lai had her own reserved parking spot and was pulling into it.

She quickly parked, stepping out of the driver’s seat holding a file folder.

Without turning back, she strode briskly toward the entrance to the second floor.

Ning Rujiang only caught a glimpse of Wei Lai’s back but could tell she was sophisticated.

After Wei Lai entered the building, everyone withdrew their gazes.

It suddenly became unusually quiet inside the car.

Ning Rujiang smiled and said, “Let’s see what else you have to say now. Are you still not going to admit it?”

Zhou Sujin: “There’s nothing I can’t admit. She’s my girlfriend.”

Ning Rujiang knowingly asked, “What’s her name? Is she from here?”

“Wei Lai.”

Ning Rujiang also had a bit of acting talent in her. “Wei Lai?” She exclaimed, pointing outside the car window in surprise. “Same name as the supermarket? No wonder…”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “No wonder you insisted I shop at this supermarket.”

She gave herself a ten out of ten for her performance.

“You’re not going to invite your girlfriend to dinner?”

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll bring her home when the time is right.”

Ning Rujiang countered, “And when do you think is the right time?”

“Alright, how about this? Your uncle’s turning 50 on October 20th. You bring your girlfriend home then. Okay?”

After a moment’s consideration, Zhou Sujin agreed, “I’ll bring her home that day then.”

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Don’t Walk So Fast, Wait For Me

Wen Changyun was stunned for a few seconds before suddenly realizing what was going on. It turned out that this Wei Lai was Zhou Sujin’s girlfriend.

What surprised him even more was that despite having a connection to Zhou Sujin, Wei Lai chose not to leverage it and came to him on her own to secure the supermarket’s operating rights.

“When you have time, bring Xiao Wei over for a drink too. We made some fruit wine this year, and you both should come and try it,” he said, then added, “I was just discussing a partnership with Xiao Wei, and it went well.”

Zhou Sujin, who had seen Wei Lai and Wen Changyun sitting together when he entered the venue, smiled. “She’s bold and full of ideas.”

Wen Changyun also smiled. “Xiao Wei is indeed bold and very smart.”

The shopping malls were non-core businesses under the Yunhui Group, something Wen Changyun never personally managed; it was overseen by a professional team.

It was rare for anyone to stop him just to discuss such a minor partnership.

By this time, Wei Lai had walked over to Zhou Sujin, the zipper of her purse brushing against the back of his hand.

Zhou Sujin took the wine glass from her hand, offering a third toast to Wen Changyun for the night, though this one was on Wei Lai’s behalf. “Sorry for the trouble tonight, Uncle Wen.”

He tilted his head back slightly and downed the glass.

Not a drop was left in the glass.

After downing the drink, Zhou Sujin grabbed Wei Lai’s hand and prepared to leave.

Wei Lai, however, slowed her pace and looked around, as if searching for someone.

Zhou Sujin tilted his head and asked quietly, “Who are you looking for?”

Wei Lai scanned the crowd but didn’t find the face she was looking for. “Why don’t I see Mu Di?”

Zhou Sujin: “…”

Everyone in the venue knew he had come specifically to pick her up and what their relationship was now, yet she still had to flaunt it in front of Mu Di.

“Let’s go,” he said as he walked away.

Wei Lai had no choice but to follow suit. “Don’t walk so fast, wait for me.” She quickly grabbed his arm, holding him back to keep him from walking too fast.

With everyone watching, Zhou Sujin couldn’t say much, so he slowed his pace to match her leisurely steps. This was the limit of his patience.

Instead of exiting through the main entrance of the venue, they took the hotel owner’s private elevator down from the back door.

“They say that Zhou Sujin came again? Why don’t I see him?” Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ owner had just stepped outside for a smoke, and on his way back in, everyone was talking about Zhou Sujin.

Mu Di replied to her uncle, “He left through the back door.”

Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ owner was bewildered, having only been outside for the duration of a cigarette. “He was only here for a few minutes?”

Mu Di: “He came to pick someone up, so naturally he wouldn’t stay long.”

Zhou Sujin was not only aloof and reticent but also very low-key. If it weren’t for catering to Wei Lai’s vanity, making sure everyone knew he came to pick her up, he wouldn’t have entered through the main entrance earlier, attracting everyone’s attention.

She told her uncle, “The person he came to pick up was Wei Lai, Cheng Minzhi’s daughter.”

Blissful Garden Supermarkets’ owner paused for half a second. “What’s their relationship?”

Mu Di shook her head. She didn’t know either. A friend had mentioned that Zhou Sujin had a marriage partner, but tonight, Zhou Sujin completely broke from his usual low profile by publicly acknowledging Wei Lai.

The only thing she was certain of now was, “We won’t be able to enter the mall.” Wen Changyun would definitely give the supermarket operating rights to Wei Lai.

As they exited the hotel lobby. Wei Lai was still holding onto Zhou Sujin’s arm.

As they passed by a black sedan, the person inside gripped the door handle tightly, wanting to open the door but resisting. Yuan Hengrui had heard that Wei Lai would be at the gala tonight, so he had been waiting here for her ever since.

The day before yesterday, he had gone to see the fortune teller again, not for himself this time, but to get a reading on Zhou Sujin and Wei Lai to see when they would break up.

The fortune teller said that instead of waiting for them to break up, he should strive to become one of the top three richest people in Jiang City.

To this moment, he still couldn’t understand what the fortune teller meant by that.

Previously, when he asked if he could become one of the top three richest, the fortune teller was silent. Now, he was advised to give it a try.

Since the fortune teller suggested he had a chance to become one of the top three richest, Yuan Hengrui decided to give it a try. He started by distancing himself from his hobbies, selling all his sports cars, and putting away his trendy clothes to wear suits and ties. He began clocking in at his family’s company every day right on time.

Today, he was waiting here for Wei Lai, hoping to let her see the him now that he had completely changed and was no longer spending the days eating, drinking, and having fun.

Watching her figure fade away in the rearview mirror, he saw a Bentley with a Beijing license plate just a few meters away. There was no doubt it was Zhou Sujin’s car.

He tugged at his tie, which was so tight he could barely breathe. He had put it on specifically to see Wei Lai, nearly strangling himself in the process.

No, he couldn’t let this effort go to waste.

Yuan Hengrui couldn’t care less anymore.

Yuan Hengrui released the door handle, opened the door, and hurriedly grabbed a pack of cigarettes as he got out of the car.

“Hey bro,” he called out, quickly catching up to them. “Sorry, can I borrow a light?”

That was the best he could come up with…

Zhou Sujin turned around, sizing up the man who was addressing him so familiarly. He said flatly, “I don’t smoke.”

Yuan Hengrui smiled. “All good. Sorry to bother you.”

Whether or not he got a light didn’t matter; he had already achieved his goal.

Wei Lai recognized him and was taken aback.

He had even changed his hairstyle, cutting it very short. He looked especially sharp and seemed to have matured overnight. At first glance, she had only found him familiar, not connecting him to Yuan Hengrui at all.

Once in the car, Uncle Yan raised the partition between the front and back seats.

Feeling more at ease to speak, Wei Lai said to Zhou Sujin, “That man just now was Yuan Hengrui. I almost didn’t recognize him.”

Zhou Sujin glanced out the window again and said nothing.

He was not interested in such matters.

“Our supermarket wants to enter Yunhui Group’s mall, so that’s why I approached Chairman Wen tonight,” Wei Lai explained, knowing he would never ask her about her conversation with Wen Changyun or its outcome.

Thus, she took the initiative to bring it up.

Zhou Sujin had drunk quite a bit tonight three glasses at the gala and two more at dinner. He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest. “Why didn’t you use my connections? It would’ve taken just a word.”

Wei Lai: “I wanted to try it on my own first. If that didn’t work, I would’ve mentioned your name.” She turned to look at him. “Didn’t you say I lack ability? I want to improve.”

Zhou Sujin tried to recall and remembered that he had said that about her.

“Add this person.” He gave her Yang Ze’s phone number.

Wei Lai took out her phone to add the contact on WeChat and asked Zhou Sujin, “Who’s this?”

“Secretary Yang,” Zhou Sujin added, “In the future, if you need to use my connections, contact him directly.”

Wei Lai’s hand paused as she entered the phone number. Just at this moment, the stretch of road outside no longer had tall, lush trees, and the streetlights illuminated the interior of the car brightly. She could see him very clearly, his chiseled face devoid of any emotion.

When Zhang Yanxin was about to break up with her, he had also said similar things, telling her to contact Secretary Liu if she needed anything, and Secretary Liu would take care of it for her.

Having been abandoned once before, she didn’t expect to have such a PTSD reaction.

She particularly disliked this feeling.

Wei Lai deleted the phone number she had entered from the search bar. “I won’t add him. If I need anything, I’ll come to you.”

Zhou Sujin: “There will be times when I’m too busy to take your call.”

Wei Lai didn’t want to discuss her past relationship and feelings, as explaining her reluctance to add Secretary Yang’s contact would be difficult, and he might not understand anyway.

“If you’re too busy to answer, just get back to me when you can.”

Zhou Sujin was exasperated with her, not understanding her reasoning but didn’t press further. If she didn’t want to add Secretary Yang’s WeChat, then so be it. He then gave her another phone number, “This is my work number.”

When he was unavailable, Secretary Yang would handle and answer calls on his work phone.

Wei Lai promptly added his work WeChat account and labeled it as “President Zhou,” while his personal account was saved under his name.

Zhou Sujin hadn’t eaten much at dinner tonight. “Do you want to get late-night?” He asked, seeking her opinion.

When someone in a leadership position or a big boss asked this, it usually meant they wanted to eat themselves. Although Wei Lai wasn’t hungry, she went along with it. “En, I was just hungry.”

The problem was that they had different tastes, so finding a place to eat might be tricky.

Zhou Sujin instructed Uncle Yan, “Go to that restaurant we went to last time.”

Wei Lai turned to look at him. He still had his eyes closed. The car was dimly lit now, making it hard to see his expression.

“Didn’t you not like their food?”

Zhou Sujin: “There were two dishes that were pretty good.”

Wei Lai knew which two dishes he was referring to—they happened to be the ones she didn’t like.

The restaurant closed at midnight, and they were the last group of customers.

Downstairs was full, so they went upstairs and sat in almost the same spot as last time.

After ordering, both of their phones buzzed with messages almost simultaneously.

Wei Lai opened her phone. The message was from Wen Changyun’s secretary, reminding her to accept Lu Song’s friend request. Since Lu Song was in charge of all the shopping malls under Yunhui Group, him adding her meant that Wei Lai Supermarket’s entry was almost certain.

She accepted his friend request.

Wei Lai greeted him, “Hello, Director Lu.“

Lu Song replied with a handshake emoji. He dared not neglect a task personally assigned by the chairman, especially since Wei Lai was also Zhou Sujin’s girlfriend.

What troubled him, however, was that he had almost finalized negotiations with Blissful Garden Supermarket’s owner to give them the operating rights to the supermarket on the basement floor of their new shopping mall. However, Wei Lai Supermarket came into the picture halfway unexpectedly.

He had no choice but to “break the deal.”

Both Blissful Garden Supermarket’s owner and Mu Di understood; after all, who would dare to go against the chairman’s wishes?

The chairman’s secretary even told him that Wei Lai had made the chairman make an exception with her own abilities and that Wei Lai Supermarket obtaining the operating rights had nothing to do with Zhou Sujin.

He just smiled at this; such words sounded absolutely absurd.

Who would believe that?

He promised the owner of Blissful Garden Supermarkets that if Wei Lai and Zhou Sujin ever broke up and severed ties, the mall would replace Wei Lai Supermarket with Blissful Garden Supermarket, finding a reason to change tenants.

“We’ll need to trouble GM Wei to come by on Monday at 2:30 p.m. to discuss some details about the move-in.“

Wei Lai: “Sure, no problem. Director Lu, you can just call me Xiao Wei.“

Across from her, Zhou Sujin was replying to a message from his auntie.

Since the day Ning Rujiang saw her nephew at her sister’s house, she hadn’t seen him again. Every time she called him, he was either abroad or on a flight heading for a business trip.

In the past, her nephew had always been this busy, but now she couldn’t seem to meet him no matter how hard she tried. Subconsciously, she felt like he was avoiding her on purpose.

Not being able to see her nephew also meant not being able to see that watch.

She casually asked a few close friends of her nephew, but none of them could clearly confirm whether Zhou Sujin had a girlfriend since he had never brought her out.

It seemed they had all agreed in advance on how to handle her questions.

“Still on a business trip? Come over for dinner whenever you have time. Your uncle keeps asking about you all the time.“

Zhou Sujin replied, “I won’t be free until mid-October. I’m in Jiang City right now, and I have to go abroad in early October. I’ll come visit you and Uncle after my busy schedule.“

Ning Rujiang checked the calendar and sighed. She’d have to wait for over 20 days.

While she did push for marriage, she had boundaries and wouldn’t interfere with her nephew’s work.

“Ok, remember to tell me once you’re back.“

“Oh right, Sujin, is Jiang City fun? Your uncle has been talking about tea from Jiang City a lot lately. If it’s fun, I’ll accompany him to the tea plantations over there and buy some tea leaves back.“

Zhou Sujin: “Not bad.“

Ning Rujiang felt reassured; if her nephew said a place was not bad, it must be.

“Alright, I’ll make time to go with your uncle over there soon.“

Though Zhou Sujin didn’t want to listen to his aunt’s nagging, he never skimped on filial piety. “Jiang City is perfect for visiting right now, not too hot or cold. It might not be as good later.“

He added, “I’ve been staying in Jiang City lately. Do you and Uncle want to come now?“

Ning Rujiang hesitated, “Will it interfere with your work?“

Zhou Sujin: “It won’t. When I’m busy, I’ll have Uncle Yan take you around.“

Ning Rujiang was tempted. Decisive as always, she immediately went into her walk-in closet to start packing her luggage, planning to take the earliest high-speed train the next day.

“I wonder if Sujin is wearing that new watch on this business trip,” she casually mentioned to her husband.

Her husband asked puzzledly, “Why are you so fixated on Sujin’s watch? When it’s time to meet the family, he’ll naturally bring his girlfriend over. Why are you in such a hurry?”

Ning Rujiang took out her suitcase. “You don’t get it. I’m not in a rush, it’s just that these kids nowadays have all sorts of tricks to deal with family matchmaking. Take Lu An from the Lu family, for example. He had someone pretend to be his girlfriend to fool his family, making everyone happy for nothing. In the end, it was all for nothing. Sujin is close to Lu An, so who knows if he might get similar ideas.”

As she packed her clothes, she continued, “The brand of watch Sujin is wearing requires a long waiting list, and some models take years to get. If his girlfriend gave it to him, it means they’re serious. I just want to check the original order. It’s not like I’m doing a background check on the girl. Don’t worry, I won’t pry into her life any more than that.”

Zhou Sujin sent another message, “Auntie, you don’t need to bring any toiletries. My place has everything.“

Ning Rujiang: “You have a place in Jiang City?“

“En, just bought it.“

The next morning, Zhou Sujin had the concierge arrange for someone to clean and tidy up the condo, preparing a master bedroom for his aunt and uncle to stay in.

He informed Wei Lai, “My aunt and uncle are coming over in the next few days. They’ll be staying at my place.”

Wei Lai understood that it wasn’t time to meet the family yet, so she wouldn’t need to go to Jiang’an Cloud Residences for a while.

She asked, “So, we won’t be seeing each other for the next few days?”

Zhou Sujin: “En. Didn’t I just pick you up from the gala yesterday? Isn’t that enough for you to show off for a few days?”

Wei Lai murmured, “Not enough.”

Previous | Index | Next

President Zhou, Don’t Forget To Show Your Face When You Pick Me Up

Upon receiving the time and address of the gala, Zhou Sujin forwarded the details to his secretary and instructed him to find out who was hosting the event.

The doorbell rang, and Lu An arrived uninvited.

What brings you here? Zhou Sujin motioned toward the bar with his chin, indicating he could help himself.

Lu An, never one to stand on ceremony, selected the most expensive bottle of wine available and said, “Can’t I come over just to hang out? I can’t pretend not to know about your housewarming.”

He had bought a housewarming gift, which was on its way.

Lu An picked up two wine glasses, but before he could pour into the second one, Zhou Sujin stopped him with his hand. “You drink by yourself.”

Lu An shrugged and re-corked the bottle.

Sitting in front of the 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows, sipping wine, and taking in the view of the surrounding mountains and misty clouds, he thought, This must be the life of the gods.

He could understand why Zhou Sujin chose to buy a high-floor, spacious condo in Jiang’an Cloud Residences.

“Try not to come over unless necessary.”

“What?”

Lu An was lost in the beauty of the scenery and couldn’t believe what his childhood friend was saying to him.

“Wait, why can’t I come? I can stay in any of your properties around the world and borrow any of your cars, but I can’t come here?”

He took a big gulp of wine, feeling slighted. “It’s not like I’m bringing over random people.”

Zhou Sujin: “That doesn’t matter.”

Lu An stared at him intently. “Did you really buy this place for Wei Lai?”

For the first time, Zhou Sujin didn’t dismiss such a question and actually responded, albeit with a single word. “En.”

“What exactly is going on between you and Wei Lai? You’re moving faster than a rocket! Is she some kind of fairy descended from heaven?” Lu An was dying of curiosity about this Wei Lai.

She had only known Zhou Sujin for such a short time, yet her treatment was already the same as his.

No, it had already surpassed his.

No matter how much Lu An pressed for details, Zhou Sujin refused to divulge further.

Lu An felt indignant. “I never hide anything about my relationships from you. I tell you everything, yet you’re keeping things from me.”

Zhou Sujin looked up. “What have you told me?”

Lu An: “…”

Whatever, no point bringing up the past.

He took another sip of his wine in silence.

Zhou Sujin’s phone on the bar buzzed. He picked it up immediately and saw it was a message from his secretary, Yang Ze.

“President Zhou, Miss Wei is attending the Yunhui Group’s annual gala this Friday night.“

Zhou Sujin: “Got it.“

Yunhui Group’s boss, Wen Changyun, was his childhood friend’s father-in-law. Back when he and Lu An came to Jiang City to invest, it was this childhood friend who set their KPIs.

“Finish your drink and head back. I’ve got a lot on my plate lately.” He showed his visitor the door.

Lu An, though angry, didn’t argue. To make himself feel better, he swiped the remaining half bottle of wine on his way out.

After seeing Lu An out, Zhou Sujin returned to his study to continue working.

Over the next two years, he’ll need to visit Jiang City frequently. He couldn’t neglect his work and responsibilities. So, he decided to increase investments in Jiang City Industrial Park, still focusing on semiconductor materials. It involved multiple parties and required significant coordination.

On Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Zhou Sujin arrived at the Riverside Club* for a scheduled meeting.

Riverside Club – this refers to a private member’s club where members have to pay an annual fee to be part of

“President Zhou, they’ve arrived.”

Yang Ze hurried over. As Zhou Sujin’s executive assistant, he used to be virtually inseparable from him during business trips like a shadow. However, now that the boss no longer stayed in hotels but in his own house, he tried to remain inconspicuous, only appearing during negotiations.

As they walked, Zhou Sujin instructed, “Clear my schedule from 7:00 to 7:50 tonight. I’ll be attending Yunhui Group’s annual gala. Any appointments after 10:00, cancel them all.”

“Got it.”

With only 50 minutes allocated by the boss for the gala, including travel time, it seemed he would only spend three to five minutes at the event, likely just to greet the Yunhui Group’s chairman.

At 10:00 p.m., it was to pick up Miss Wei from the gala.

Yang Ze sent both time slots to Uncle Yan, asking him to plan the routes in advance.

The party didn’t start until 7:30 p.m., but Zhou Sujin arrived at 7:20 p.m., causing quite a stir.

Wen Changyun, the chairman of Yunhui Group, personally greeted Zhou Sujin and apologized for any oversight in welcoming him.

“Uncle Wen, you’re too polite,” Zhou Sujin said, taking a glass of wine from a server’s tray and toasting Wen Changyun.

It was rare for any soiree in Jiang City to successfully invite Zhou Sujin. His presence tonight, and his choice to address Wen Changyun informally, was entirely due to this childhood friend.

Wen Changyun: “When did you arrive here? Come over for dinner when you’re free.”

Zhou Sujin responded courteously, “Last night. I’m here to meet investors.” He placed his empty glass back on the tray and took another. “Uncle Wen, please excuse me. There’s a table of people waiting for me over there.”

After toasting twice and chatting for less than 10 minutes, Zhou Sujin left the gala.

Wei Lai arrived at 7:35 PM. As soon as she entered the venue, she was surrounded by a group of superficial friends, women she had met through Zhang Yanxin. Every encounter with them involved various forms of probing and often veiled remarks, devoid of genuine concern.

“Lai Lai, what have you been up to lately? We’ve missed you so much! Where’s your CEO Zhou? We heard he’s here in the city. Why didn’t he come with you?”

Wei Lai smiled. “He’s busy.” She paused deliberately and then added, “He’ll come pick me up later once he’s done with work.”

The women inwardly rolled their eyes. Sure, like we believe that.

If you two really hadn’t broken up, he’d be here with you.

Come on, even Zhou Sujin accompanied his marriage partner to hotpot, and you’re still here yapping.

“I heard that President Zhou doesn’t like hotpot. Is that true?”

Wei Lai kept her smile, responding with a self-deprecating retort, “Heard? I also heard I took an overnight bullet train to Beijing, crying to win Zhou Sujin back.” She then shifted the topic smoothly, “But you all know I love hotpot the most. He often eats it at home with me.”

Shameless.

“Long time no see, Wei Lai.” The one who greeted her was Mu Di. Today, Zhang Yanxin had some business to tend to and didn’t come with her.

Wei Lai gave a slight nod without showing any emotion.

Her superficial friends shot sidelong glances at Mu Di, with one of them even sneering at her. Wei Lai was used to it; they weren’t standing up for her but simply didn’t like Mu Di. Their family backgrounds were all outstanding, so they weren’t afraid of offending her.

Mu Di didn’t even look at them and gently clinked her glass against Wei Lai’s.

She knew Wei Lai hated her, especially since Wei Lai had once poured her heart out for her at work. Her feelings for Wei Lai were complex, a mix of jealousy and guilt.

Mu Di downed her drink. “I was hoping to have a drink with you and President Zhou, but I didn’t expect him to leave so quickly. Let’s catch up another time.”

With that, she walked away with her empty glass.

Wei Lai was stunned.

Zhou Sujin was here?

She never mentioned he would attend the gala.

Her superficial friends were equally puzzled, echoing the same question: Zhou Sujin was here? When did he come?

Wei Lai pulled her phone out from her purse and stepped outside the venue, texting Zhou Sujin, “I heard you were here at the gala? I just got here. Why didn’t you wait for me?“

Zhou Sujin called her directly, “Wen Changyun is my friend’s father-in-law. Since I’ll be picking you up later, I thought I should stop by and say hi first.”

So that was it.

Wei Lai said regretfully, “If you had told me beforehand, I would’ve come earlier and we could’ve met.”

Zhou Sujin could easily read her true intentions. “Did not meeting me ruin your chance to show off in front of Mu Di?”

Being seen through, Wei Lai admitted openly, “En.”

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll pick you up at ten.”

Wei Lai said softly, “President Zhou, don’t forget to show your face when you pick me up.”

Zhou Sujin: “…”

Give an inch, and she’ll want a mile by acting cute with him again.

“I have to get back to work,” he said before hanging up the phone.

Wei Lai put away her phone, reminding herself of the real reason she was at the gala: to find an opportunity to meet the person in charge of Yunhui Group’s malls.

After touching up her makeup, she returned to the venue, which was now bustling with people.

During the two years with Zhang Yanxin, he had taken her everywhere he went. Along with Yuan Hengrui’s “persistent infatuation” with her, she had become quite a well-known figure in Jiang City’s social circle.

“Gorgeous, long time no see. Haven’t seen you around lately; it’s getting hard to catch a glimpse of you now,” someone joked as they greeted her.

Wei Lai handled these interactions with ease and said with a smile, “It’s because I’ve been crying my eyes out in Beijing that I nearly went blind, so I didn’t dare step outside.”

“Haha,” the person laughed, clinking their glass with hers.

Wei Lai drank a sip, just for the gesture. “I need to find someone. Let’s catch up later.”

Tonight, the person in charge of the malls was seated with the owner of Blissful Garden Supermarket and Mu Di, chatting happily. Approaching them now would only be awkward for her.

Blissful Garden Supermarket’s owner was Mu Di’s uncle and had the strongest connections among all the community chain supermarkets in Jiang City. It was no surprise that Mu Di would do everything she could to help Blissful Garden Supermarket secure the spot in the mall.

If she were Mu Di, she would do the same to help out her uncle.

Contemplating the situation, Wei Lai downed her drink in one go. Now it was a matter of competing based on their respective merits.

She grabbed another drink and made her way toward Wen Changyun, Yunhui Group’s Chairman.

Wen Changyun was the busiest person tonight. Naturally, everyone attending the gala wanted to chat with the host. Wei Lai had been waiting patiently by the side for a full hour before finally seizing a brief opportunity to chat with him alone.

“Hi, Mr. Wen.”

Wen Changyun had just seen off a friend who came to show support and was about to step out for a smoke.

The voice was unfamiliar, so he turned around.

“Hi, Mr. Wen, I’m Wei Lai, the Operations Manager for Wei Lai Supermarket. I just need two minutes of your time, two minutes is all I need.”

Wen Changyun looked at the girl in front of him, who was about the same age as his daughter and nodded slightly.

Even as the richest man in Jiang City, he was not unfamiliar with Wei Lai Supermarket. There was one right across from his company’s building, a store he passed by every day on his way to and from work for over 20 years.

“Same name as the supermarket?”

Wei Lai smiled. “Yes, and the same age too.”

She got straight to the point, “I only need two minutes of your precious time. I’d like to discuss the possibility of securing the operating rights for the supermarket in the basement level of your company’s new mall.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a set of ring-bound cards from her purse. Each card was half the size of an A4 paper, an unconventional project proposal.

“Mr. Wen, please take a look.”

Wen Changyun, both a chairman and a doting father, couldn’t help but think of his own daughter. He wondered if she was just as cautious when seeking investments.

Suppressing his urge to smoke, he gestured toward the VIP area with a nod of his chin. “Let’s go sit over there.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wen.”

Wei Lai presented numerous pictures in the project proposal. “Here’s a redesigned interior layout by our designer for our stores. Each store follows a unified style, yet each has its unique features.” She then highlighted the innovative concepts of the free book bar and study room, succinctly summarizing the supermarket’s management philosophy on the cover page of the project proposal, making it clear and concise.

This was the most creative project proposal Wen Changyun had ever seen. It was convenient enough to fit in a purse, which was essential for attending a party without carrying bulky documents. The proposal consisted of eight pages, with seven pages of images, and only the first page containing text.

So, two minutes were enough to look through it.

He went through it again from the beginning.

The overall style of the supermarket was in step with the younger generation, yet its management philosophy remained grounded and steadfast, seeking stability amidst change.

Sometimes, partnerships simply boil down to the alignment of a single idea, without any complex reasons.

Wen Changyun turned and gestured for his secretary to approach. “Get Xiao Wei’s contact information and pass her business card to Lu Song. Tell him it’s my decision.”

The secretary was surprised at what this girl named Wei Lai could possibly have done to secure the operating rights of the supermarket from the Chairman in just a few minutes.

“Got it, Chairman Wen.”

Lu Song was the person in charge of the malls. Passing Wei Lai’s business card to him and having Lu Song contact her meant that the deal was essentially sealed. Wei Lai thanked Wen Changyun once again.

Just at this moment, there was another commotion near the entrance of the venue.

The secretary glanced over, hardly believing his eyes. “Chairman Wen, President Zhou is here again.”

Wen Changyun, seated at the moment, couldn’t see who it was. Among the guests tonight, there were five or six CEOs with the surname Zhou, so he asked, “Which President Zhou?”

Secretary: “Zhou Sujin.”

Wen Changyun was momentarily taken aback but quickly stood up to greet him.

Wei Lai rose from the sofa and followed suit.

Zhou Sujin smiled as he extended his hand. “Uncle Wen, sorry to bother you again.”

Wen Changyun had already sensed something unusual tonight but hadn’t quite pinpointed what it was. He joked, “I’m pleasantly surprised. Let’s have a drink upstairs?

There was a VIP room upstairs, quiet and private.

Zhou Sujin: “Thank you, but I’m good for tonight.”

With that, he gestured toward Wei Lai, indicating for her to come over, then turned back to Wen Changyun. “I was in a rush earlier, so I could only stay for a few minutes. She wasn’t happy to have missed me, so I came back to specifically pick her up. Let’s save the drinks for next time.”

Previous | Index | Next

After The Gala Ends, I Want You to Pick Me Up

Just a moment ago, she was anxious as if walking on thin ice, but the next, her surprised expression almost couldn’t be concealed.

Zhou Sujin lowered his gaze, observing the subtle change on her face.

Wei Lai looked up, her expression returning to normal. “Thank you, President Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin calmly turned his attention to his stack of documents, setting aside the ones he hadn’t looked at yet.

It’s human nature to take advantage of something when given an inch, so he couldn’t blame her.

But indulging her unconditionally without any principles would be his own fault.

His gaze swept briefly over her face. “Did you used to get your way by acting cute?”

Wei Lai nodded honestly. Since she was a little girl, she got her way by acting cute; it was innate.

She added, “That wasn’t really acting cute at first.”

Zhou Sujin held the last few documents in his hand, about to put them down but paused, turning to look at her for several seconds.

Wei Lai met his guarded gaze, suddenly realizing she had misspoken. Saying too much could indeed lead to missteps. She hadn’t even fully resorted to acting cute, yet he had already relented. Where could he save face now?

“President Zhou, I…”

Despite her usual silver tongue, she found herself at a loss for words.

Zhou Sujin didn’t pursue the issue. “Why so anxious? I’ve already agreed to it. I won’t go back on my word.”

Wei Lai: “I know you wouldn’t.”

Zhou Sujin promptly continued, “Don’t say things like ‘I’m a good person’ in the future.”

Wei Lai remained silent.

Zhou Sujin stared at her. “Talking isn’t your thing now?”

Just at this moment, the sound of suitcase wheels rolling came from the living room, accompanied by a voice. “President Zhou?”

Uncle Yan and Zhou Sujin’s bodyguards brought the remaining luggage over, two of which contained books. Uncle Yan directly brought it over to the study.

In the past, as long as Zhou Sujin left the study door open, he could directly deliver things over. Now with the presence of Wei Lai, it was a bit inconvenient, so he had to announce his presence first.

Zhou Sujin responded with a simple, “In the study.”

Wei Lai took a step back and leaned casually against his desk, picking up a document from it.

The document remained in her hand, with its cover unturned.

Uncle Yan pushed the two boxes of books inside and placed them by the door.

Given Zhou Sujin’s purchase of a condo in Jiang City due to Wei Lai and the subsequent arrival of numerous personal belongings, Uncle Yan was not surprised to see Wei Lai looking over important documents of Kunchen Group.

Before leaving the study, Uncle Yan inquired about dinner plans for the evening. With Zhou Sujin’s instructions not to hire any help, Uncle Yan was left to take on the role of makeshift steward.

Turning to Wei Lai, Zhou Sujin asked, “What would you like for dinner?”

Quickly scanning the two boxes, Wei Lai realized the books inside would only take her half an hour to organize, allowing her several hours of free time.

“I’ll make some furikake* rice for myself. Uncle Yan, could you help me prepare some lettuce, beef… Actually, I’ll just order it myself.”

furikake – a dry Japanese condiment that contains a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, salt, and MSG. There are many variations.

Zhou Sujin didn’t eat seaweed, so he told Uncle Yan, “Have my dinner sent from the Riverside Restaurant.”

Uncle Yan: “Got it.”

Each ate their own thing. There were moments when they were quite distant, not quite like a couple. Perhaps he was overthinking things.

For dinner, Wei Lai ordered the necessary ingredients from her family’s supermarket and prepared a furikake beef bibimbap along with a mushroom soup. Except under exceptional circumstances, she never messed up a meal.

Meanwhile, Uncle Yan went outside to organize the other luggage. Zhou Sujin closed the door to the study and gestured toward the sofa by the window with his chin, indicating to Wei Lai, “Go sit over there.”

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of a chair, then opened the boxes to begin organizing the books.

“President Zhou, let me help you with that.”

“No need,” Zhou Sujin declined directly.

These were all books he often read, and Wei Lai didn’t understand his reading habits.

Wei Lai had no choice but to sit down. However, with the “client” boss being so busy, she, as the “contractor” employee with nothing to do but oversee, felt restless and uneasy.

She stood up. “I’ll help you hand over the books. Watching how you arrange them will help me get to know you better.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the bookshelf, continuing to organize the books. “Know so much about me for what?”

Wei Lai: “The better we know each other, the more tacit we become. Otherwise, even Uncle Yan will see through us eventually.”

The half-minute of silence that followed felt as long as a century.

After organizing the first box of books, Zhou Sujin bent down to open the second box. He took out five or six books at once and handed one to her. “Sort this.”

It took Wei Lai a moment to understand his intention. Watching him arrange the books wasn’t as effective as doing it herself to get to know him better. She walked over and took the book from him.

He handed her the books one by one, and she only needed to arrange them in order. This sequence likely reflected his reading preferences or habits.

Uncle Yan had told her that Zhou Sujin didn’t like people around him talking too much, so she didn’t try to make small talk.

Every time he handed her a book, she caught a glimpse of his cufflink and his new watch partially covered by his cuff sleeve.

Wei Lai memorized the titles of all the books she placed on the shelf, even remembering which books were next to which.

Once the books were organized, Zhou Sujin sat back at his desk to review some documents.

Uncle Yan knocked on the door again, this time to ask for Wei Lai’s help.

“Miss Wei, could you help me figure out how to organize the clothes?” He had sorted most of the other items but was unsure how to organize the clothes and watches.

Wei Lai was even less certain about how to organize the clothes, but she remained composed and relaxed in front of Uncle Yan. “I’ll take care of organizing the clothes. Uncle Yan, feel free to get back to your tasks.”

There were a total of five boxes containing clothes and personal items. Standing in the walk-in closet for a while, she didn’t even know where to start.

Unlike books, clothes were more personal.

As the walk-in closet door opened, Wei Lai turned around to see Zhou Sujin entering. He said, “Hang the suits and coats in the first wardrobe, shirts in the second. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Wei Lai laid the biggest suitcase flat. It wasn’t shipped from Beijing but brought directly from the hotel. Pulling off the dust cover, she saw her white blazer neatly folded on top of his shirts.

Clothes would only be placed together like this if the relationship was very intimate.

Suppressing her quickened heartbeat, she hurriedly moved her blazer to the nearby sofa.

It must have been the hotel butler who packed his suitcase, assuming she was his girlfriend, and thus placed their clothes together without hesitation.

Zhou Sujin also noticed her blazer as well. “The hotel butler packed it.”

Wei Lai nodded. “I know.”

Zhou Sujin handed her a hanger. “Hang it in the entryway closet. Don’t forget to take it when you leave.”

His calm demeanor dispelled her awkward embarrassment.

“Thank you, President Zhou.”

She wasn’t thanking him for the hanger—he should know why.

Relieved to no longer be in the bedroom, Wei Lai quickly stepped out with her blazer and the hanger. Just then, the groceries she had ordered on her phone arrived.

After finished cooking her bibimbap and mushroom soup, Zhou Sujin’s takeout still hadn’t arrived.

“President Zhou, I’ve made some bibimbap. Would you like to try some?”

Zhou Sujin glanced up at her before returning to his documents. “Go ahead and eat.”

It was a polite refusal of her offer.

“Okay, I’ll let you get back to work.” Wei Lai closed the door.

Just as she sat down and took a few bites, the doorbell rang, and the takeout arrived.

Among the dishes from Riverside Restaurant, half were seafood. Worse, even the non-seafood dishes weren’t to her liking either.

He also didn’t eat hotpot, which was one of her favorite foods. If not for health concerns, she could eat it every day.

Thankfully, she wasn’t in a real relationship with him; otherwise, their vastly different tastes would make it very difficult.

Zhou Sujin came out of the study and sat down across from her.

Wei Lai took a bite of her bibimbap and silently watched him.

“What’s the matter?”

He was rolling up his sleeves but sensed her occasional glances.

Wei Lai: “Nothing. Do you like seafood?”

“It’s alright.”

Zhou Sujin picked up his chopsticks and started eating. It was his first time having seafood from Riverside Restaurant. Last time, He Wancheng had brought him a seafood paella from there, and he found their seafood quite good, so he had Uncle Yan order from there.

With only the two of them in the condo, it was easier to talk.

He asked her, “After spending a few days together, do you have any comments or additional considerations?”

Wei Lai nodded, “Yes.”

She was always diligent in her work, even though this was just a part-time job.

“When I’m dating someone, I’m used to being pampered, indulged, and not given the cold shoulder.”

Zhou Sujin: “…”

He chuckled softly.

After a moment, he looked at her. “We’re not actually dating. Why are you telling me this?”

Wei Lai explained, “I’m a bit scared of you, but I can’t show that in front of Uncle Yan and your family.”

Zhou Sujin countered, “If you’re scared, how can you act so spoiled with me?”

That was because she had no other choice.

Most of the time, she still felt intimidated by him and couldn’t relax around him like she could with others.

After dinner, she stayed alone in the living room while Zhou Sujin went back to his study to work.

When there were no outsiders around, they were like strangers, and the living room was the only place where she felt at ease.

A little past 9:00 p.m., Wei Lai decided it was time to leave.

Unlike the previous meetings at the hotel where she had to stay long enough to avoid any doubts, meeting at one’s place was the most convenient. She could come and go as she pleased without any restrictions.

“President Zhou, I’m heading back now.”

Zhou Sujin nodded and then added, “I’ll be busy tomorrow.”

Wei Lai understood what he meant—there was no need to meet tomorrow.

“Then I won’t come by tomorrow.”

Once again, she forgot to take her white blazer from the entryway closet.

Leaving Zhou Sujin’s place, Wei Lai went to her mom’s house. After running into her dad at her condo last night, she couldn’t guess her mom’s feelings, so she wanted to spend some time with her today.

“Mom, I’m staying over at your place tonight,” she sent a voice message to her mom.

“Where are you right now? I’ll come pick you up.”

“No need to pick me up, it’s far away. I’m over around Jiang’an Cloud Residences.”

Cheng Minzhi had been to Jiang’an Cloud Residences once before. It was a high-end residential area developed by the Jiang’an Group, not far from the Jiang’an Villa area.

Her daughter didn’t hide where she was, seemingly intending to divulge some information to her.

It was almost 10 p.m. when Wei Lai arrived at her mom’s house.

As she crossed through the courtyard, before reaching the living room door, it swung open from the inside. Her mom, wearing glasses, hurried down the stairs without taking them off.

“Mom, are you still working overtime?”

Cheng Minzhi took the purse from her daughter’s shoulder. “Well, I can’t sleep anyway. I’m planning to open the sixteenth store.”

Wei Lai perked up. “Where are you planning to open it?”

Cheng Minzhi: “The mall at the industrial park has started leasing retail spaces. They plan to allocate 4,000 square meters on the basement level for a supermarket to meet the daily needs of the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Wei Lai knew about the newly constructed mall at the industrial park, which was owned by the Yunhui Group. It was an eight-story comprehensive shopping mall with a wide range of facilities for dining, entertainment, and shopping.

Surrounding the mall were more than ten newly completed residential areas, mostly inhabited by young professionals working in the industrial park. There weren’t any large-scale supermarkets planned in the area, so opening a supermarket focusing on fresh produce and ready-to-eat food there would likely do well.

The supermarket wouldn’t need all of the 4,000 square meters of space, so she could allocate two to three hundred square meters to design a uniquely styled free book cafe.

Cheng Minzhi: “Such a prime location, every supermarket will want to get the lease. But no matter what, we’ll give it our best shot.”

After discussing work matters, Wei Lai decided to subtly share some information about Zhou Sujin with her mom. “Mom, did you know that Zhang Yanxin’s wedding date has been set?”

Cheng Minzhi nodded. “I heard about it.”

She had just found out today that Mu Di and Zhang Yanxin’s wedding was scheduled for late December.

Whenever she remembered how her daughter had once happily said, “Mom, I want to marry Zhang Yanxin next year,” her heart couldn’t help but ache for her. It hurt more than her own divorce had.

Wei Lai reassured her mom, “I’ve moved on. With so many suitors, I don’t have time to be sad.” After a pause, she added, “I have a friend from Beijing. We haven’t known each other long, but he’s interested in me.”

She silently prayed for Zhou Sujin’s forgiveness for making things up in front of her mom.

Cheng Minzhi: “Is he the one who lent you the Cullinan?”

Wei Lai nodded. “En, it’s him. But he hasn’t confessed to me yet. He knows I just broke up and am not in the mood for a relationship, so he often comes from Beijing to spend time with me. He’s a good guy.”

She sounded so sincere that she almost believed her own story.

Cheng Minzhi didn’t ask further questions. “When there’s good news, remember to tell Mom.”

Wei Lai smiled. “Of course, I will.”

The sixteenth store for their supermarket chain was officially on the agenda.

The next day at work, Wei Lai began drafting the project proposal. Securing a spot in Yunhui Group’s mall would be challenging.

Her mom had informed her that Blissful Garden Chain Supermarket was also aiming to secure the lease for the mall’s supermarket.

In Jiang City, their biggest competitor was the Blissful Garden Chain Supermarket.

Cheng Minzhi encouraged her daughter, “In terms of the number of stores and connections, we can’t compare to Blissful Garden, but our supermarket’s business philosophy and management level are a cut above. When Yunhui is selecting tenants, they’ll consider various factors, so we still have a pretty good chance.”

“Blissful Garden’s owner’s connections are part of their strength. We’ll have to find a different approach,” Wei Lai said as she got up to pour some water, also filling a cup for her mom.

“Knock knock,” someone knocked on the door.

Wei Lai said toward the door, “Come in.”

She never expected that the visitor would be Zhao Yihan.

That day, she had told Zhao Yihan to drop by her office if she had time, hoping she would but not really expecting it.

Cheng Minzhi hadn’t seen Zhao Yihan for many years. Her current hairstyle and attire looked completely different from when she was in middle school, so Cheng Minzhi didn’t recognize her at first and thought she was one of her daughter’s friends.

“Hi, Auntie Cheng, I’m Zhao Yihan.”

“You’re Yihan?” Cheng Minzhi exclaimed, staring at her in surprise, and apologized, “You’ve grown so tall and beautiful, Auntie hardly recognized you.”

“Feel free to come over to our house sometime. I’ll leave you two to chat.” Cheng Minzhi made an excuse to leave her daughter’s office.

Zhao Yihan placed her purse on the sofa but didn’t sit down. She slowly walked over to the window, looking out at the bustling street, one of the busiest in the city.

Wei Lai made her a cup of coffee, which she sipped while leaning against the windowsill.

“How do you have time to come out today?” Wei Lai asked.

Zhao Yihan: “I’m out on the fieldwork, so I don’t need to go back to clock out.”

After leaving a client meeting, she drove straight to see Wei Lai, bringing something for her in passing.

“At the end of the month, Yunhui Group is hosting an anniversary gala. Our boss received two invitations and gave me one. I don’t need it, so you can have it.”

With that, Zhao Yihan set down her cup of coffee and took out the invitation from her purse.

“Don’t you want to expand your supermarket? You can’t do that without resources and connections. Relying on Zhou Sujin… that’s not a long-term solution. You still need to rely on yourself.”

The invitation was embossed with gold lettering.

Wei Lai was moved. Every time such a rare opportunity arose, Zhao Yihan always thought of her.

Zhao Yihan alleviated her concerns. “My boss knows I’m passing this on to you, and he agreed to it.”

Her boss understood her well enough to know that attending the gala would be pointless for her; she wouldn’t actively engage in conversation with anyone. When he gave her the invitation, he mentioned that if she didn’t want to go, she could give it to someone else.

The only person she could and would give it to was Wei Lai.

“Our boss is shrewd, never makes a bad deal. He guessed that your relationship with Zhou Sujin isn’t shallow and is happy to use this opportunity to establish a good relationship with you.”

After enjoying a cup of coffee and admiring the bustling crowds and traffic for half an hour, Zhao Yihan accepted a mint from Wei Lai. As the setting sun’s rays streamed in through the blinds, she picked up her purse and bid farewell.

Wei Lai opened the invitation. Yunhui Group was the most influential publicly listed company in Jiang City. They held their annual gala at the Riverside Hotel every year, and Wei Lai had been fortunate to attend once, taken by Zhang Yanxin.

At this year’s gala, the person in charge of Yunhui’s malls would surely be present. She needed to seize the opportunity to connect with them and make herself known.

The success of securing the sixteenth store’s entry into the mall depended greatly on the night of the gala.

However, that night would undoubtedly involve encounters with old acquaintances.

After staring at the date of the gala for a few seconds, Wei Lai opened the chat with Zhou Sujin: “President Zhou, how long will you be staying here?“

Zhou Sujin: “Until the end of the month, going back in early October. Is there something you need?“

There was still time then.

Wei Lai didn’t like beating around the bush, so she said directly, “I’ll be attending a gala at the end of the month. After it’s over, I’d like you to pick me up. Would that be possible?” Asking him to pick her up could help ward off some unwanted suitors. Also, it would provide an opportunity for those people to see that they hadn’t broken up and that the Cullinan wasn’t a breakup gift from Zhou Sujin.

“If it’s not convenient, no worries.“

Zhou Sujin was even less fond of beating around the bush, “Send me the address and the end time of the gala. If I’m free, I’ll come pick you up. If not, I’ll have Uncle Yan pick you up.“

Wei Lai: “I want you to pick me up.“

Zhou Sujin: “What, you’re not scared of me now?“

Of course, she was still scared. As she typed “I want you to pick me up,” her heart practically leaped into her throat. “I’m scared, but I’m slowly getting used to being around you.“

Previous | Index | Next

I’ll Agree To It Just Once, But No Next Time

Wei Lai’s phone battery was nearly depleted, not enough for further conversation.

“……My phone’s out of battery…” almost.

Before “almost” could be said, the phone shut down.

“Miss Wei, give me your phone, and I’ll help you charge it.”

“My phone is charged, do you need it?” Uncle Yan thoughtfully asked again.

“Thank you, Uncle Yan, but it’s okay,” she declined. It wasn’t convenient to talk to Zhou Sujin on the phone in the car, so she handed her phone to Uncle Yan for charging.

The unreal and absurd evening finally came to a close. Wei Lai evaluated her performance today, reluctantly giving herself a passing grade. Reluctantly because there had been a mishap in setting up the scene where she accidentally spilled too much lubricant onto his bed sheet while pouring it into her hand.

At that moment, she was anxious to clean it up, but then she thought, such a natural effect couldn’t even be replicated intentionally, so she decided to leave it be.

That’s why Zhou Sujin had asked her how he was supposed to sleep.

Although she had washed her hands, perhaps due to psychological effects, Wei Lai could still faintly smell the scent of strawberries on her fingertips.

Back home, Wei Lai washed her hands twice more with hand soap.

“President Zhou, I’ve arrived home.“

Zhou Sujin didn’t see the message as he was on the phone busy arranging matters with his secretary.

In the bedroom, the room attendant was replacing the old bedsheets and duvet covers with new ones, as the old sheets still smelled of strawberries.

The next day, with no need to meet Zhou Sujin, Wei Lai found herself consumed by work.

As the end of the workday neared, Zhao Yihan called her, asking if she was busy and if she wanted to join her for dinner at their parent’s new home if she wasn’t busy.

“Not busy,” Wei Lai glanced at the pile of sales reports from each store on her desk that she hadn’t had a chance to look at yet and said without hesitation.

After making plans with Zhao Yihan to go home together, she called her dad.

Upon hearing that they were coming home for dinner, her father and stepmom were overjoyed but also at a loss, immediately rushing to the supermarket to buy bags of groceries. Upon returning home, they thoroughly cleaned every nook and cranny of the house and prepared snacks and fruits that they knew the two of them liked.

It was even more grand than Chinese New Year.

Wei Lai arrived at her dad’s gated community entrance first, stopping to wait for Zhao Yihan.

Ten years ago, she didn’t feel like this new home was hers. And ten years later, she still felt like a guest.

“Wei Lai.”

It was Zhao Yihan’s voice.

Wei Lai snapped out of her thoughts and glanced out of the window. Zhao Yihan’s car window was down, and she was the only one inside, her brother-in-law didn’t come with her.

“Jiefu didn’t come?”

jiefu – literally means “brother-in-law”, but people also use it as a term to address one’s brother-in-law

“We rarely have meals together as a family, so I didn’t invite him.”

Zhao Yihan drove into the gated community, and Wei Lai followed behind.

There were two parking spaces at home, but her dad’s and stepmom’s cars were not there. Every time they came back for dinner, they always left the parking spaces empty, making it convenient for them sisters to park their cars.

She brought a gift for her stepmom, one that she had prepared long ago.

Zhao Yihan also brought a gift for her dad.

“Dear, why did you buy such an expensive dress? Don’t spend money recklessly next time,” Zhao Mei took the bag from Wei Lai, which contained a dress.

Meanwhile, Wei Huatian was saying the same thing to Zhao Yihan.

“You have a great figure, and you’ll look stunning in it, so it’s not considered reckless spending,” Wei Lai said with a smile to her stepmom.

Hearing Wei Lai’s sweet words, Zhao Mei burst with joy. “You’re such a sweet-talker,” she said, accepting the gift. “I’ll go try it on.”

Wei Huatian also took his gift back to his study.

The living room finally quieted down. Wei Lai and Zhao Yihan exchanged a knowing smile, accustomed to the recurring “family diplomacy” every time they came back for dinner.

There was an unspoken reservedness in Wei Lai’s interactions with her stepmom, and vice-versa.

Similarly, her dad and Zhao Yihan often found themselves being overly polite during their conversations, each trying to avoid any sense of awkwardness.

That’s why she and Zhao Yihan couldn’t find a sense of home here.

The slightly better part now was that she and this sister of hers were no longer complete strangers.

“By the way, why is your mom’s supermarket still out of stock?” Zhao Yihan tossed her a bag of Happy Lemon snacks that she liked.

“We’re still coordinating, but it should be resolved soon,” Wei Lai said.

The last time she went to Beijing to discuss their partnership with Happy Lemon’s East China Regional Manager, the discussion went fairly well. However, Qi Linsheng still hadn’t arranged shipments to their supermarket.

Pressing too hard would be annoying and wouldn’t solve the problem.

Zhao Yihan absentmindedly snacked on the snacks, unsure how to broach the subject.

Wei Lai sensed that Zhao Yihan seemed to have something on her mind. It was unusual for her to suggest going home for dinner today.

“Sis, what’s the matter?”

“Do you know about those rumors circulating about you lately?”

“I’m aware,” Wei Lai said indifferently.

“It’s been going on for so long. Zhou Sujin isn’t gonna do anything about it?”

“He doesn’t care about these things.”

Zhao Yihan didn’t say anything more. There wasn’t much she could do about such matters.

“What do you feel like eating? I’ll cook today,” Wei Lai said. She hadn’t found a chance to thank Zhao Yihan properly yet.

Zhao Yihan didn’t bother with formalities. She listed a few dishes she was craving. “Let’s cook dinner together tonight. I’ll be your assistant.”

“Sure,” Wei Lai held the open pack of snacks as she and Zhao Yihan walked into the kitchen.

Zhao Mei came out wearing the new dress and headed to the living room to ask Wei Huatian how it looked.

Wei Huatian had been watching his daughter busily washing and preparing ingredients in the kitchen. Glancing back at his wife, he said without even getting a clear view, “Looks good.”

Zhao Mei was accustomed to his predictable response; he always said this regardless of what she asked him.

“Where are they? Did they go out shopping?”

Wei Huatian said nothing, gesturing for her to look at the kitchen.

The kitchen door was made entirely of glass, allowing everything inside to be clearly visible.

Zhao Mei felt immensely happy with the scene before her. No matter what, they were family now. She hoped that her daughter and Wei Lai could get along well and take care of each other in the future.

Wei Huatian, on the other hand, felt a pang of bitterness as he looked at his daughter. He never imagined that he would get to eat a dinner prepared by his daughter, all thanks to his stepdaughter.

Wei Lai’s cooking was great and quick. In just over an hour, she prepared three meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and a soup, all smelled, looked, and tasted great.

Wei Huatian opened a bottle of low-alcohol liquor and poured four small glasses.

“Wishing you both happiness and good health. That’s all I wish for,” Zhao Mei raised her glass, clinking it with Wei Lai’s and then her daughter’s.

They all followed suit, offering their respective blessings.

Today was livelier than Chinese New Year.

Here is the rest of the content:

Oddly enough, the house was quieter during Chinese New Year. Wei Lai accompanied Cheng Minzhi for Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner, while Zhao Yihan went back to accompany her dad. There were only Wei Huatian and Zhao Mei left at home, so they prepared a simple dinner with just a couple of dishes.

Zhao Mei took a bite of a dish and couldn’t stop praising Wei Lai’s cooking.

Wei Lai smiled but couldn’t fully enjoy herself. She thought of that restaurant, the days when her parents used to accompany her, the days when they would all eat together as a family – all of which were now just memories.

After dinner, she spent some more time with her dad and stepmother, and likewise for Zhao Yihan.

Jiefu called, wanting to pick her sister up.

“No need to pick me up, my mom will drive me back.”

Since they had all drunk, they couldn’t drive, so her stepmom walked Zhao Yihan home while her dad accompanied her on a stroll back to her condo.

As they exited the gated community, Zhao Mei and Zhao Yihan headed south, while Wei Lai and her dad walked north along the sidewalk. Wei Lai linked her arm with her dad’s, suddenly at a loss for words.

Wei Huatian gently patted his daughter’s hand. “You’re better at cooking than Dad.”

“I inherited it from you. It’s just that you don’t cook often,” Wei Lai said.

“That car you’re driving…” Wei Huatian pondered how to phrase it, afraid it might be the breakup fee from Zhang Yanxin.

Wei Lai had driven the Cullinan to her dad’s new house today, and the car was still parked in his parking spot. She had driven it over today precisely to have a heart-to-heart with her dad.

“It’s my boyfriend’s car.”

“……He… you two…” Wei Huatian stuttered, at a loss for words, chuckling. “His family must not be bad, yeah?” At least not worse off than Zhang Yanxin’s.

Wei Lai nodded, jokingly adding, “A tycoon from Beijing.”

“Stop fooling around,” Wei Huatian patted his daughter’s hand again.

“Have you heard of Kunchen Group’s Zhou Sujin?”

How could he not have heard of him?

After a few seconds, Wei Huatian snapped out of his shock. The difference between their families was too vast. “Lai Lai, how… do you feel about this relationship?”

“Not dwelling on the past, not worrying about the future, just cherishing the present.”

Wei Huatian remained silent for a moment. “That’s good.”

On the way back to the condo, it was silent between father and daughter half of the time.

But since Wei Lai kept holding onto his arm, Wei Huatian felt his daughter wasn’t so distant after all.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when they reached the entrance of the condominium. Wei Huatian escorted his daughter all the way upstairs.

“Dad, come in and rest for a bit, have some water. I’ll order a ride for you to go back later.”

“Sure,” Wei Huatian chuckled. “I can’t walk anymore anyway.”

Wei Lai pushed the door open and froze. The lights were on inside, and her mom’s purse and clothes were hanging by the door.

She didn’t know when her mom had arrived; she hadn’t told her.

“Mom.”

“Ah, you’re back?” Cheng Minzhi responded to her daughter while coming out of the bathroom holding a towel she just washed after tidying up her daughter’s room just now.

Seeing her ex-husband standing behind their daughter felt like a blast from the past. She nodded slightly.

Wei Huatian couldn’t remember the last time he saw his ex-wife, so long that he couldn’t recall it. Despite living in the same city, co-parenting, and calling each other in emergencies, they hadn’t encountered each other.

She hadn’t changed much.

“Lai Lai, I’ll head home then.” He patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Call me if you need anything.”

Wei Huatian closed the door behind him, suddenly craving a smoke. He reached into his pocket, but it was empty.

No cigarettes, no lighter. He had nothing.

Inside the condo, Wei Lai bent down to change her shoes, leaning forward deeply, and her long hair fell in front of her, almost brushing the floor.

She struggled to hold back her tears. After over a decade, their family of three had finally briefly reunited.

“I’ll go rinse the towel.” Cheng Minzhi turned to head back to the bathroom.

By the time she emerged from the bathroom again, her daughter had changed into her loungewear. There was no sign of anything amiss on her face as she sat on the sofa, munching on the snacks she had brought.

“Mom, where did you buy these snacks?” Wei Lai shook the bag of the Happy Lemon snack in her hand.

“From our own supermarket. We just got the entire range of Happy Lemon snacks, and their manufactured date is the latest,” Cheng Minzhi wiped her hands with a dry towel.

After the goods arrived at the warehouse, she couldn’t wait to pack a large bag and send it over to her daughter. She had originally planned to call and ask when she would be back, but then she remembered that it had been a long time since Wei Lai had a chance to have dinner with Wei Huatian, so she didn’t want to disturb their father-daughter time.

“Remember to thank Qi Linsheng.”

“I know,” Wei Lai said.

Her mom sat down beside her, and she stuffed a piece of snack into her mom’s mouth.

They chatted until almost midnight, neither mentioning the dinner at the new house tonight.

Watching as her mom’s car disappeared into the abyss from the balcony, Wei Lai felt incredibly sad. She opened her chat with Zhou Sujin.

Apart from playing a role of necessity, she wasn’t anything to him.

In the end, she didn’t send anything and closed her phone.

The next day at noon, Wei Lai asked Zhou Sujin if he was available, planning to go pick up her blazer.

Zhou Sujin quickly replied, “Don’t come over.”

Seeing that it wasn’t convenient, Wei Lai was about to end the conversation when he sent her an address. It was a high-end residential area called Jiang’an Cloud Residences in Jiang City. She had mentioned liking condos, so he bought one there.

His efficiency was unusually high. In just a day and a half, he had already completed all the paperwork.

“Still the same password,” he sent another message.

Wei Lai frowned; she didn’t know the door code for his other properties.

Could he have remembered wrong? Mistakenly remembered telling her when he had told someone else.

“President Zhou, which password?“

Zhou Sujin: “The same as the one for the Cullinan, what else?“

Wei Lai quickly replied, “I didn’t realize it was the car’s password just now.“

She remembered the code for the Cullinan’s safe box distinctly and still remembered it now.

Zhou Sujin: “I’ll pass by the supermarket in the evening and pick you up.“

He hadn’t planned to buy a condo in such a hurry, but after she flipped his hotel room upside down the night before yesterday, he immediately called his secretary, Yang Ze, to secure a condo to be bought and moved in within two days.

Yang Ze was always highly efficient. Within a day and a half, he had found a suitable condo according to Zhou Sujin’s requirements, negotiated the price, and signed the deal.

The condo had been vacant before, so it was ready to move in today after cleaning.

Some of his personal belongings had also been shipped from Beijing by air.

The plane had landed, so Uncle Yan went to pick them up.

With so much luggage, they used the company’s SUV to pick them up.

This time, Lu An came to Jiang City with him for a meeting. He was currently at the Jiang City branch office. When he heard that Zhou Sujin was using the company’s SUV to transport luggage, he found it amusing. “Did you really need to use a private plane to ship your luggage just for a business trip?” He joked, “Are you planning to settle down here?“

Zhou Sujin: “More or less.“

Lu An’s eyes nearly popped out. “What do you mean? You’re not actually into that Wei Lai, are you?“

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond further. He hadn’t intended to tell anyone around him about the contract.

In the evening, he went to pick up Wei Lai after finishing work.

“Come down,” he messaged Wei Lai when he arrived downstairs at the supermarket’s office.

Wei Lai shut down her laptop. “Coming.“

Before leaving, she informed her mom, “Mom, I won’t be working late with you tonight. I’m going out for dinner with a friend.”

Cheng Minzhi smiled. “Go ahead and have fun.”

She noticed that her daughter’s attire was different from usual today.

Unable to resist her curiosity, after her daughter went downstairs, she glanced out the window at the car waiting to pick her up. It was a Bentley with a Beijing license plate, differing from the Cullinan’s by only one digit.

It seemed the owner of the car was the same person.

She didn’t ask for much, just hoped that her daughter would meet a good person to grow old with.

But it was too difficult.

Without seeing which direction the Bentley was heading, Cheng Minzhi sat back in front of her laptop. She was planning to open the 16th store. Finding a partner to grow old with in life was too difficult, so it was more practical to earn and save more money for her daughter.

Downstairs, Wei Lai sat in the back seat of the Bentley.

Not having seen each other all day yesterday, she couldn’t quite tell whether time had passed quickly or slowly during the day.

Two unfamiliar people sitting together left them with nothing to say, especially since he was naturally taciturn.

Today, it wasn’t Uncle Yan driving; this chauffeur was younger.

“Where’s Uncle Yan?” She asked, trying to find a starting point for conversation.

Zhou Sujin: “He went to the airport.”

Wei Lai nodded, assuming he had a friend coming over. It wasn’t until they arrived at the new condo that she realized Uncle Yan had gone to pick up Zhou Sujin’s luggage.

There were a total of 11 suitcases, big and small, making it seem like he was moving homes.

Wei Lai helped push two medium-sized suitcases.

Once inside the condo, Zhou Sujin glanced at the two suitcases in her hands and pointed to the one in her left hand. “You can take that one back with you. It’s full of bags I prepared for you to use when you accompany me home.”

“Your family knows you have a girlfriend?” Wei Lai couldn’t help but feel nervous, despite being mentally prepared.

“Sort of,” Zhou Sujin said nonchalantly, “They’ll know sooner or later.”

“Have they asked how we got together?”

“Not at that stage yet.” Since he went home for afternoon tea last time, he hadn’t returned home as he was busy with projects.

After regaining her composure, Wei Lai asked him, “If someone asks, how do you plan to respond?” She needed to discuss this with him beforehand to avoid any mishaps in the future.

Zhou Sujin glanced up at her. “Just say you pursued me.”

“……” She had never pursued anyone before, and she couldn’t break that precedent even if they were just acting. If outsiders found out she had actively pursued him, how could she continue to mingle in the social circles here? “Can we say it was you who liked me first and pursued me, and it took a lot of effort to finally win me over?”

Zhou Sujin didn’t respond, instead opening a suitcase and taking out important documents.

Wei Lai went over to him, but Zhou Sujin’s aloof demeanor made her hesitate to act coquettishly with him. Summoning her courage, she spoke softly, “President Zhou, can you say something?”

Zhou Sujin remained impassive.

“President Zhou, you’re a really good person.”

“It’s not against your conscience to say that…?”

“It wouldn’t.”

But Zhou Sujin still didn’t relent or change his mind.

Wei Lai looked at him silently, not easily discouraged.

Her finger accidentally brushed against the hem of his suit jacket before gently pinching the corner of his jacket. “President Zhou.”

Zhou Sujin placed the documents he was holding on the desk before glancing at her and pausing. “I’ll agree to it just once, but no next time.”

Previous | Index | Next

Zhou Sujin: “You Forgot To Take Your Blazer. I’ll Keep It Here?”

Wei Lai took a few seconds to digest his sudden arrival. Perhaps it wasn’t so sudden to Zhou Sujin, as he was here in Jiang City for a meeting.

She wasn’t shy at all and said, “See you tonight.”

Zhou Sujin responded, “Okay.”

He asked her where she was, offering to come pick her up.

Wei Lai was currently on the road, out handling some work matters, and hadn’t returned to the office yet. She glanced out the car window. “Are you still staying at the same hotel as before? I’ll wait for you there.”

She added, “I’m near the hotel, so it’s convenient for me to come over.”

But Zhou Sujin insisted, “Just wait where you are.”

Wei Lai found a parking spot and sent him her precise location. In less than ten minutes, a black Bentley turned onto the street.

Recognizing the Beijing license plate, she got out of the car.

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Sujin stepped out of the Bentley.

Separated by three weeks in different cities, long-distance “lovers” finally met again. However, because they weren’t really a couple, her acting still hadn’t reached the point where she could run over and ask if he missed her.

Of course, it wasn’t just a matter of acting; his cold and reserved demeanor made her reluctant to do so.

Meeting his gaze, Wei Lai smiled and greeted him, but for some reason, her smile felt forced, as if she were greeting a client with a professional, artificial smile.

Turning to look at Uncle Yan at the side, she smiled genuinely. “Uncle Yan.”

Uncle Yan smiled and nodded in return.

Zhou Sujin approached her and extended his hand. “The car key.”

Wei Lai handed him the key, noticing his long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles, unable to resist stealing another glance.

It was now their private time together. He got into the driver’s seat of the Cullinan, and Wei Lai got into the passenger seat. It was the first time sitting in a car driven by him.

In the past, it was always Uncle Yan who drove, making it inconvenient for her to talk to him. Now that it was convenient, she found herself at a loss for words.

“I’ll treat you tonight,” Wei Lai broke the silence in the car.

Zhou Sujin: “There will be plenty of opportunities for you to treat me. Today, I came to see you.”

“What do you want to eat?” he asked.

No longer fixated on who would treat whom, Wei Lai blurted out, “I wanna eat hotpot.”

Zhou Sujin: “….”

Wei Lai genuinely wanted to have hotpot, but seeing his reaction, she realized belatedly that he and his blind date had gone to eat hotpot. In their social circle, even the details of what he ate on his blind date were vividly discussed.

She chuckled, “Let’s go somewhere else. If we really go for hotpot and bump into someone we know, they’ll definitely say I’m a copycat.”

Zhou Sujin glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that someone had told her what he ate that night.

“Accompany me to try some local dishes?”

“Sure,” Wei Lai suggested a renowned local restaurant, a decades-old establishment loved by locals for its authentic and affordable cuisine.

The restaurant was located on the same street as her office, about a ten-minute walk away.

During the designer’s recent visit to Jiang City, she had accompanied them to this restaurant for lunch for five consecutive days, trying out all their signature dishes. The designer had even openly stated that they must visit again the next time they were here.

Zhou Sujin inputted the destination into Maps, and a “Wei Lai Supermarket” appeared on the screen.

“How large are your family’s supermarkets?” he asked casually.

“From several hundred to several thousand square meters,” Wei Lai pointed toward the one displayed on the screen, “This one is the largest, and my office is on the second floor.”

The latter part of her sentence was a bit unnecessary, but once spoken, it couldn’t be unsent like a message.

She was adept at swiftly changing the subject, talking about the SUV, “Why didn’t you opt for the Starlight Headliner?”

Zhou Sujin: “What’s the point of that? You can see real stars in the sky for free.”

Wei Lai: “…”

Not romantic at all.

But in the next moment, he glanced at her and asked, “Do you want the Starlight Headliner?”

The way he asked made it difficult for her to respond.

After all, they weren’t in a real relationship.

Wei Lai could only dodge the main question. “The Starlight Headliner looks nice.”

He didn’t respond, and the conversation subsided.

As they neared the restaurant, Wei Lai realized she had overlooked the parking issue. It was peak dining time, and the restaurant was bustling with customers, making parking spaces scarce. The only convenient place nearby to park was at her family’s supermarket, where there was both an underground and outdoor parking lot.

“We’ll have to park in front of my family’s supermarket.”

She explained, “We’re going a bit late, so there’s definitely no parking now. Sorry, I didn’t think it through.”

Zhou Sujin didn’t care where they parked. It was just a few extra minutes of walking, nothing too tiring.

He asked her, “Do you want to walk? If not, I can drop you off at the restaurant first.” He then added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to walk, no need to be polite with me.”

Wei Lai found it hard to believe he had such a considerate side. Still, she declined, “No need, I’ll walk with you.”

It wasn’t about politeness; how could she let him, someone unfamiliar with Jiang City, go park alone and then walk from the supermarket parking lot to the restaurant alone?

Zhou Sujin signaled and turned into the supermarket parking lot, following the flow of traffic.

The lights were on in the office on the second floor of the supermarket, and someone was standing by the window, taking a break and drinking water. Suddenly, that person turned excitedly and shouted to Cheng Minzhi, “President Cheng, come over here! Quick! It looks like Lai Lai has a boyfriend.”

“A boyfriend?”

Cheng Minzhi almost dropped her mouse and rushed to the window in one stride.

The window glass was opaque from the outside, making it impossible to see inside. She pressed against the glass to look downstairs, only to see her daughter standing by the car, exchanging a few words with the man accompanying her before the two of them walked toward the parking lot exit.

“Lai Lai’s boyfriend has such a presence!”

“He’s not her boyfriend,” Cheng Minzhi said with certainty.

She knew her daughter well. Wei Lai was super clingy, and she had seen how relaxed and casual her daughter was with Zhang Yanxin. But her daughter seemed visibly tense in front of this man, which was definitely not the state of someone dating.

She watched as her daughter walked into the distance before returning to her laptop.

The two walked along the sidewalk toward the restaurant.

Zhou Sujin handed her the car key. “Henceforth, this car will stay in Jiang City for you to use.”

Only then did he notice what she was wearing tonight. She had on a gray-pink gradient sweater, loose and soft, paired with brown shorts and matching ankle boots.

It was too hot to wear a sweater in Jiang City at this time of year, yet it would be chilly at night with shorts.

What was she even wearing?

He didn’t know whether to ask if she was hot or cold.

“Wei Lai.” Someone called her from a light brown sedan parked by the roadside.

She could tell who it was even if the voice turned to dust.

She just hadn’t expected him to call out to her.

“Your jacket.” Zhang Yanxin’s voice was flat. “You left it in my car before.”

Wei Lai forgot what jacket it was, so she turned around to see.

It was a thin blazer.

On his birthday, she had left the blazer on the back seat of his car. That night, they hadn’t even gotten to eating dinner before they broke up. Who would remember to take the jacket in such a situation?

Afterward, various things came up, and she had forgotten about the blazer.

If he genuinely wanted to return her jacket, there were a hundred ways he could’ve done it. Waiting by the roadside in front of Zhou Sujin to return it to her was deliberate, intending to taunt him by bringing up the jacket and sabotaging her new “relationship.”

Fortunately, she and Zhou Sujin weren’t really dating. Otherwise, this sly move of his would’ve caused a rift between her and her boyfriend, even if they didn’t break up.

The most gratifying and face-slapping response at this moment would be to decline and tell him to throw it away.

But she particularly liked the fabric and style of that blazer. She hadn’t worn it many times since she bought it, and it cost tens of thousands of dollars. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away just like that.

Zhou Sujin asked quietly, “Do you want it?”

Wei Lai nodded. There was no need to impulsively refuse just for the sake of gratification. She decided to go over and accept it gracefully.

Just as she was about to step forward, Zhou Sujin said to her, “Wait here,” before walking straight toward the car parked a few meters away.

Zhang Yanxin was sitting in the car, and Wei Lai’s blazer was in his hand. His expression changed slightly, looking at Zhou Sujin approaching him with disbelief.

He had been waiting here for Wei Lai for over an hour. During this time, two men had been standing guard at the restaurant entrance, never leaving their posts, their gaze sharp and their attire casual. They were Zhou Sujin’s personal bodyguards.

When Wei Lai hesitated about whether to take the blazer just now, Zhou Sujin turned to her and said something. Zhang Yanxin couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he thought Zhou Sujin would ask one of his bodyguards to come over and take it. He hadn’t expected Zhou Sujin to come over himself.

Zhou Sujin walked to the front of the car in a few steps and took the blazer before straightening it out. When facing Zhang Yanxin, he maintained his usual elegance. “Thank you for the trouble.”

Zhang Yanxin had no choice but to get out of the car, even though there was no longer any need for him to do so.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

In the past, they would at least exchange pleasantries whenever they met in social settings. However, there was no unnecessary conversation between them tonight. After Zhou Sujin took the blazer, he turned and left, nodding slightly toward Wei Lai. “Let’s go.”

He kept hold of the blazer, not letting her take it.

Zhang Yanxin withdrew his gaze and instructed the chauffeur, “Let’s go.”

He couldn’t figure out why he patiently waited here for over an hour after seeing Wei Lai enter the restaurant, waiting for her to come out after having dinner with another man.

As Zhang Yanxin’s car drove away, Wei Lai thanked Zhou Sujin repeatedly. “I can hold it myself.”

Zhou Sujin said nothing, simply handing her the blazer.

Just at this moment, a black Bentley slowly pulled up. The front window rolled down, revealing Uncle Yan in the driver’s seat.

Zhou Sujin glanced at Wei Lai’s legs and said, “Get in.”

Wei Lai expressed her gratitude, “Thank you.”

Good, she didn’t have to walk back to the parking lot, and her legs wouldn’t have to endure the cold anymore.

Sitting in the car, she draped the thin blazer over her legs, unable to fathom that Zhou Sujin would personally retrieve her blazer from Zhang Yanxin’s hands.

Without any specific instructions, Uncle Yan drove straight to the hotel.

Looking out the window, Wei Lai noticed they weren’t heading toward her condo.

Alone in the hotel room with him, she pondered how to interact with him without feeling awkward.

“Do you prefer living in a condo or a villa?” Zhou Sujin asked after a moment of contemplation.

Wei Lai turned to face him, surprised. “Are you planning to buy a house here?”

Zhou Sujin: “En.”

Rarely, he elaborated a bit, “Staying in hotels is inconvenient.”

If he came to Jiang City to see her henceforth and she would only visit him at the hotel, never spending the night, it would eventually raise suspicions. Having his place would eliminate the risk of exposure.

Wei Lai considered for a moment, “A condo then.”

She liked houses with more panoramic views, even though she might not necessarily spend much time at home.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Uncle Yan exclaimed at the speed of the two’s growing affection.

Just after one meal, and they were already going to live together?

As the boss, Zhou Sujin couldn’t possibly discuss everything with his chauffeur. He hadn’t mentioned the contract with Wei Lai of pretending to be his girlfriend to appease his matter. And, Uncle Yan, being down-to-earth, genuinely believed that the two were really in love.

It wasn’t until they were alone in the hotel elevator that Wei Lai asked, “Uncle Yan doesn’t know? Should I be careful about what I say in front of him henceforth?”

“En,” Zhou Sujin pressed the floor button and added, “If even Uncle Yan doesn’t suspect anything, then there’s a chance we can fool my family.” Especially his aunt, who knew him too well. Faking a relationship could easily be seen through by her.

Wei Lai felt the pressure. Any slip-up in their act could arouse Uncle Yan’s suspicions.

Arriving at the door of the suite, Zhou Sujin swiped his card and entered, turning back to her. “Close the door. I still have work to do. Make yourself at home.”

He headed to the study, leaving her alone in the spacious and quiet living room.

Wei Lai sat on the sofa, reviewing the design sketches sent by the designer and discussing the details. Her phone battery was running low, and she didn’t have a charger in her purse, so she decided to conserve battery power.

Feeling bored being alone, she wanted to go home earlier so she went to find Zhou Sujin.

“President Zhou,” she still addressed him as such when they were alone, “approximately how much longer do you think I’ll need to stay here?”

Zhou Sujin was looking at documents, not bothering to look up. “How long do you think is appropriate for you to stay?”

Wei Lai hadn’t thought deeply about other aspects yet. How would she know how long was appropriate to stay? If she knew, she wouldn’t have come to ask him.

Seeing her silence, Zhou Sujin continued, “We’ve only been back for half an hour. You can decide for yourself how much longer you should stay.”

Wei Lai: “…”

She suddenly understood what he was implying. In a normal long-distance relationship, half an hour definitely wouldn’t be enough to make love after such a long time apart.

Zhou Sujin glanced at her and continued, “Aren’t you aware of the services for the presidential suite? They know exactly when you arrive and when you leave.”

Wei Lai responded with a faint “En,” then added, “Got it. I’ll let you get back to work now.” Just as she closed the door, she pushed it open again, politely asking, “Can I take a look at the bathroom and your bedroom here?”

Zhou Sujin’s instinctive reaction was to refuse. Those were his personal spaces, and he couldn’t just let any woman enter them freely.

However, considering that she was now his “girlfriend,” sooner or later she would need to learn about his life, including his clothing preferences. In fact, by bringing her back to the hotel tonight, he had already subconsciously allowed her to enter his life.

Wei Lai was also not insistent on entering the bedroom. “It’s okay if it’s inconvenient. I’ll just look around elsewhere.”

Zhou Sujin: “It’s not inconvenient.”

“Thank you.” Wei Lai assured him, “Aside from what’s provided by the hotel, I won’t touch any of your personal belongings.” With that, she quietly closed the door to the study and left.

When Zhou Sujin finished all his work, it was already close to midnight. Two hours had passed, and Wei Lai hadn’t disturbed him again.

Not seeing her in the living room, he surmised she hadn’t left yet as her blazer was still hanging on a chair.

“Wei Lai?”

There was no response from the room.

Zhou Sujin made his way to his bedroom and heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. It soon stopped, and Wei Lai emerged from the bathroom, drying her hands with a towel.

“Are you done with work?” Wei Lai pointed to the sofa and the bed. “I arranged it a bit. Since we’re acting, we need to act it to perfection. We can’t overlook any details. That’s the only way to ensure a foolproof performance, capable of withstanding any suspicion.”

Looking around, Zhou Sujin noticed the sofa was in a mess, with cushions scattered everywhere and a crumpled towel lying on the armrest. As he looked at his bed, it was even more chaotic.

On the nightstand, there was a half-empty pack of tissues, and the garbage bin was filled with crumpled tissues stained with lubricant. Among the tissues were also three plastic wrappers.

She had fabricated the scene of intimacy down to the smallest details, making it all look convincingly real.

So her visit to his bedroom was for this purpose.

Zhou Sujin glanced again at the bedding that was too messy to look at directly. It was even more chaotic than the sofa, and he couldn’t be angry, nor could he express it.

Looking at her, he suppressed a laugh and said calmly, “How do you expect me to sleep? En?”

Wei Lai tried to maintain her composure, but her voice was noticeably weaker than usual, “Sorry, President Zhou, I didn’t consider it well.” Fortunately, the bed was big enough, so he could just sleep on the edge and avoid the messy area in the middle.

There would be room service tomorrow morning, and this was enough evidence to convince anyone that they were a real couple.

While fabricating the scene, she felt her face burning and her heart racing, even her ears felt hot. But she reminded herself that they would eventually have to share a bed under the same roof when she accompanies him back home in the future. It was better to start getting used to it now to avoid the awkwardness and the risk of being exposed later. She thought of herself as an actress, honing her acting.

She had fulfilled her task. “I suppose it’s about time for me to leave?”

As she passed by him, Wei Lai’s heart inexplicably raced.

Being an actress was really not easy.

Coming out of the bathroom, Zhou Sujin watched her retreating figure. “Let Uncle Yan take you back.”

Wei Lai didn’t refuse. It was late, and her phone battery was already super low. What if it died halfway and she couldn’t pay for the ride?

On the way back, she received a call from Zhou Sujin.

She kept his words in mind, “If Uncle Yan doesn’t suspect anything, then it’s possible to keep it hidden from my family.” As Uncle Yan was sitting in the front, she couldn’t address him as “President Zhou.” “You’re not asleep yet?”

“No.”

“I’m still on the way home but I’ll be there soon.”

Zhou Sujin replied with a knowing “En.” He called to remind her, “You forgot to take your blazer. I’ll keep it here?”

She had a good memory, but in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten everything, just wanting to escape the scene as quickly as possible.

“Okay, leave it there with you for now. I’ll come to pick it up when I have time tomorrow.”

Zhou Sujin checked his schedule for the next few days. He had meetings all day tomorrow. “I’ll be at the hotel the day after during the morning. If you want to come over, I’ll have Uncle Yan pick you up.”

Jiang City was her stronghold; there was no need for any pickups; she just needed to step on the gas pedal to get there.

“No need, I’ll drive over there myself.”

Zhou Sujin: “In the future, if you want to see me, you don’t have to come over yourself. Just give me a call, and I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

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