The restaurant was noisy and chaotic, so Su Hao naturally couldn’t reply to him directly. She could only pick up her phone and type.

 

Su Hao: I’m not upset. People at the company are just talking nonsense.

 

Zhou Yang: Oh? Really?

 

Su Hao didn’t reply again. She put her phone down and focused on eating. But the gossiping voices around her didn’t stop. Someone even joked with Assistant Lu:

 

“So, Assistant Lu, what kind of woman do you like?”

 

“Do you like someone like Su the cashier?”

 

Assistant Lu finally realized what was going on and froze. He immediately looked at Zhou Yang. Zhou Yang sat there with his long legs crossed, a half-smile on his face, clearly enjoying the show.

 

Assistant Lu, however, broke into a cold sweat and hurried to explain, “I—I have a girlfriend. Everyone, don’t talk nonsense.”

 

A girlfriend out of thin air.

 

Everyone understood what that meant, and the group burst into laughter again.

 

“Who is she? Hahaha! Bring her out so we can see her!”

 

Assistant Lu: “…….”

 

He felt extremely uncomfortable.

 

As for Su Hao, the other main character of the so-called scandal, she ate quietly. Tang Yu nudged her several times, but she acted as if she hadn’t noticed. She was here to eat, not to fuel gossip.

 

Fortunately, Zhou Yang had already finished his meal. While Su Hao was drinking her soup, the man behind her stood up. He seemed to sway slightly, and the back of his hand brushed lightly against her slender waist.

 

Su Hao frowned and turned around, only to see Zhou Yang picking up his jacket and leaving under everyone’s gaze, without sparing her a glance.

 

That fleeting touch really did seem accidental, not intentional.

 

So Su Hao didn’t think much of it.

 

The elevator went straight up to the sixteenth floor. Assistant Lu held his phone, sweat still dripping from his forehead. The two of them exited the elevator and entered the CEO’s office.

 

Zhou Yang hung up his jacket, walked to the desk, flipped through the newly delivered documents, then picked up a cigarette, lit it, and leaned against the desk. His tone was casual.

 

“Lu Qi.”

 

“Yes, President Zhou.” Assistant Lu cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.

 

Zhou Yang lifted his eyes, smiled faintly, and asked, “Do you like Su Hao?”

 

“No!” The answer came faster than anything else.

 

Zhou Yang chuckled softly, blew out a smoke ring, and said in a low, oppressive voice, “It’d better be that way.”

 

Assistant Lu wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking maybe he really needed to find an actual girlfriend.

 

“Are these people blind?” Zhou Yang toyed with the cigarette between his fingers, narrowing his eyes. “Why don’t they spread rumors about me and her instead?”

 

Assistant Lu: “……”

 

You didn’t even like this type before!

 

After thinking for a moment, he ventured some flattery. “President Zhou, Miss Su didn’t avoid you today. That’s a good sign. You… you should keep trying…”

 

Before he could finish, Zhou Yang lifted his eyes and looked at him. Assistant Lu’s words immediately got stuck in his throat.

 

Why does the boss look even more upset now?

 

The business trip to Kyoto was finalized. By three in the afternoon, Assistant Lu had already booked the tickets—business class again.

 

Su Hao received the airline’s message. She originally wanted to message Shen He, but after thinking about it, she decided to give him a surprise instead.

 

There was no overtime today. Su Hao had already agreed to visit Su Qian on Saturday.

 

After work, she stopped by the supermarket and bought a lot of chicken feet. When she got home, she started marinating lemon boneless chicken feet.

 

Early Saturday morning, seeing the weather was nice, Su Hao tidied up the guest bedroom. It already had a bed and mattress, but nothing else. She had previously bought an extra set of bedding, washed it, and planned to put it on that night.

 

If her mother were to come stay, she’d need to buy an air conditioner as well—the guest room didn’t have one. She planned everything out carefully and wrote it down in her phone’s notes.

 

Around ten o’clock, Su Hao packed the lemon chicken feet into a large container, changed her clothes, and was just locking the door when Zhou Yang called.

 

She answered, “Hello?”

 

“I’m at your place. I’ll take you there,” the man’s deep voice came through.

 

Su Hao was startled. “You’re picking me up?”

 

Zhou Yang chuckled softly. “Yes.”

 

“Oh—okay. Wait a moment, I’m locking up.”

 

After locking the door, she went downstairs. She was wearing a floral dress that day, with a slightly low neckline that revealed her fair collarbones. Her hair was loose, cascading down her shoulders.

 

She walked all the way to a black Porsche and opened the driver’s side door.

 

She sat down a little hurriedly, brushed her hair aside, and looked at Zhou Yang. “How did you know I was going to your house today?”

 

Zhou Yang held a cigarette between his lips, one hand on the steering wheel. He had watched her come downstairs and get into the car. In that moment, he had the absurd thought that this woman belonged to him.

 

His gaze lingered on the hollow of her collarbones—deep enough to catch water—and he didn’t speak for a long time.

 

“Zhou Yang?” Su Hao fastened her seatbelt and called him again.

 

The light in his eyes flickered. He took the cigarette out, smiled faintly, and said, “I guessed.”

 

Then he sat up straight and stepped on the accelerator.

 

His well-defined fingers gripped the steering wheel, veins faintly visible. The car was filled with a light fragrance, sunlight blazing outside. Su Hao leaned back in her seat and glanced at Zhou Yang.

 

She could keenly sense that he wasn’t in a very good mood.

 

She looked at him again.

 

Almost studying him.

 

Zhou Yang rested his chin on his hand, sharp brows and eyes, steering with one hand. He knew she was looking at him. This woman was damn perceptive.

 

He told himself not to show even a hint of possessiveness. He smiled, loosened his collar with one hand, and spoke lightly.

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

“Don’t tell me that now that I’ve stopped pursuing you, you’ve started liking me instead.”

 

He chuckled.

 

Su Hao looked at his side profile. His expression was calm, distant—just like before, before he had confessed.

 

She smiled gently. “I wasn’t looking at anything.”

 

Then she turned her gaze away as well.

 

Music flowed softly in the car, and both of them fell silent.

 

When the car turned, Zhou Yang glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. That gentleness of hers seemed to have returned.

 

He clenched his teeth slightly.

 

Hold it, he told himself.

 

The car arrived at the Zhou family estate. They entered the villa one after the other. Su Qian was waiting on the sofa. When she looked up and saw the two of them come in together, she froze like a statue.

 

She watched them exchange a few words in the foyer. Seeing that Su Hao couldn’t find her slippers, Zhou Yang opened the shoe cabinet and handed her a pair of pink slippers.

 

“You haven’t been here in a while. Things were rearranged.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Su Hao took them and changed her shoes.

 

Zhou Yang finished first, set down his car keys, loosened his collar, poured himself a glass of wine, and leaned against the counter to sip it.

 

Su Hao walked over to Su Qian and waved the container in front of her.

 

Su Qian took a while to react, then stood up and hugged Su Hao tightly. “Haohao, I missed you!”

 

Su Hao smiled gently. “Auntie, I missed you too.”

 

“Really? You turned me down so many times before.”

 

Su Hao felt a bit embarrassed and quickly put the chicken feet on the coffee table.

 

Su Qian took one, very cooperatively, and exclaimed, “So delicious!”

 

Su Hao laughed. She turned her head and asked, “Zhou Yang, do you want some?”

 

Su Qian’s eyes widened.

 

Zhou Yang put down his wine glass, walked over, glanced at the chicken feet, and snorted lightly. “No.”

 

He picked up some documents and went upstairs.

 

He didn’t look at Su Hao’s face for more than two seconds. Su Qian saw everything and was stunned.

 

Later, she pulled Su Hao into the kitchen. While the housekeeper prepared the vegetables, Su Qian sneaked out, rushed upstairs, and pushed open the study door.

 

Zhou Yang was leaning against the desk on a call. He lifted his eyes to look at her.

 

Su Qian narrowed her eyes, walked over, and knocked on the desk.

 

Zhou Yang slowly put down his phone and raised his brows. “Mom? What is it?”

 

Su Qian stood with her hands on her hips, stared at him for a few seconds, glanced at the phone on the desk, and finally asked, “You… aren’t pursuing Su Hao anymore?”

 

Zhou Yang sat on the edge of the desk, smiled lazily. “No. I don’t like her that much.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Su Qian shot him a fierce look. “I knew it!”

 

This damn son of hers never had patience with women. After Su Hao rejected him a few times, he gave up.

 

Su Qian’s emotions were complicated. On second thought, maybe it was better this way. At least Su Hao and Zhou Yang could remain friends, and Su Hao could properly develop things with Shen He.

 

Still… she felt oddly disappointed.

 

She looked at Zhou Yang, both angry and frustrated. She had always known he wouldn’t truly fall for Su Hao.

 

“Then from now on, treat Su Hao better—as a friend,” Su Qian said reluctantly.

 

Zhou Yang smiled, nodded. “Okay. Definitely.”

 

She tried to see something in his eyes, but all she found was that familiar, flirtatious expression.

 

Su Qian gave up and turned to leave, scolding herself for having had even a shred of expectation. This damn son deserved to die alone.

 

Lunch was eaten together. Su Qian kept piling food into Su Hao’s bowl. She had always secretly hoped Zhou Yang might succeed, after all—she liked Su Hao so much.

 

Sigh. Being a mother was really complicated.

 

Su Hao felt helpless. There were already two drumsticks in her bowl. She blocked Su Qian’s chopsticks.

 

“Auntie, I’ve had enough. I really can’t finish it.”

 

“You’re too thin. You need to eat more.”

 

Su Qian kept adding food. Su Hao accepted her fate and kept eating.

 

Across from her, Zhou Yang was drinking soup while scrolling through his phone. Seeing this scene, he laughed softly.

 

His laugh was low and pleasant.

 

Su Hao shot him a speechless look.

 

Zhou Yang picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of pork belly into Su Hao’s bowl. “Eat more. You’re too thin.”

 

Not enough heft when I hold you.

 

Su Hao: “……”

 

After lunch, Zhou Yang went upstairs to work. Su Qian pulled Su Hao to the living room to show her collection of qipaos—some embroidered, some Suzhou-style, each worth a fortune.

 

Holding Su Hao’s hand and looking at her delicate face, Su Qian thought of her recent phone call with Cheng Ling.

 

Cheng Ling desperately wanted Su Hao to find a new partner. She had always felt guilty toward Su Hao—Su Hao had dropped out of college to shoulder the family’s burdens, cared for her father, then her mother, and because of an old promise her father made, married Tang Rui against her will. In the end, Tang Rui didn’t even love her.

 

Now that Su Hao finally had a chance to start over, Cheng Ling was most concerned about her next relationship. Almost every phone call involved probing for information through Su Qian.

 

Su Qian brushed Su Hao’s bangs aside and asked gently, “Haohao… how are things going between you and Shen He now? Cheng Ling is really worried about you. You’re what she can’t let go of the most…”

 

Su Hao paused.

 

She thought of her mother’s earlier attempts to sound her out. She smiled faintly and lowered her head—just as a WeChat message came in.

 

It was from Shen He.

 

“Oh—try this one,” Su Qian suddenly handed her a soft pink qipao.

 

Su Hao took it, hesitated, and was ushered into the first-floor dressing room.

 

She changed into the qipao. Feeling a little awkward, she tugged at the slit and walked out.

 

At that moment, footsteps sounded on the stairs.

 

Su Hao turned her head.

 

Zhou Yang was walking down, wearing a dress shirt and trousers, a tie fastened neatly, jacket draped over his arm.

 

Their eyes met.

 

Zhou Yang froze.

 

His gaze locked fiercely onto her figure.

 

The slit of the dress revealed a long stretch of her thigh. She looked a little shy, but exuded an inexplicable elegance.

 

Like a figure stepping out of a painting.

 

They stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

 

Then Su Hao’s phone rang.

 

She glanced at it.

 

It was Shen He.

 

Perhaps because she had been thinking about him just now, she hesitated, then turned to Zhou Yang and asked him the way she would ask a friend:

 

“Zhou Yang, could you tell me more about Shen He’s family background?”

 

Zhou Yang’s fingers tightened around his tie.

 

His voice was low, forced calm. “Oh? What for? Are you thinking of accepting him?”

 

Fuck.

 

Damn it.