Sensing that he had offended his boss, Assistant Lu immediately closed his eyes and continued pretending to sleep. He truly couldn’t figure it out—why was President Zhou being so secretive? This was completely unlike his usual style. At least before, he had clearly been pursuing her. Now it looked like he was chasing her—but also not really—and doing it sneakily at that.

 

He had no idea which step had gone wrong.

 

It wasn’t until the plane landed and his phone regained signal that Assistant Lu received a reply from President Zeng.

 

Only then did realization dawn on him.

 

Zeng Xiao: You mean President Zhou and Su Hao?
Zeng Xiao: It seems President Zhou is retreating to advance—trying to be friends first so he doesn’t scare Su Hao.

 

Lu Qi: …Suddenly I feel like President Zhou is a little… pitiful.

 

Zeng Xiao: Right?! I think so too!!

 

Lu Qi: You sound excited.

 

Zeng Xiao: Not at all.

 

Assistant Lu put his phone away and glanced at the two people unfastening their seatbelts.

 

Miss Su, you’ve got this, he thought.

 

---

 

Su Hao didn’t know how she managed to sleep so much. She slept for over an hour, woke up to eat the in-flight meal, flipped through a magazine for a while, got sleepy again, and drifted back to sleep. When she woke up once more, they had already arrived in Kyoto.

 

Bright sunlight poured in.

 

She sat up and covered her mouth as she yawned. Zhou Yang closed his magazine, glanced at his watch, and tapped her table lightly with his finger.

 

“Drink some water. We’re getting off.”

 

She hummed in response, finished the water on the table, and unfastened her seatbelt. After lying down for nearly three hours, her waist felt weak and soft. When she stood up, she swayed slightly.

 

Zhou Yang reached out and caught her arm, steadying her.

 

Her sun-protective jacket slipped down onto her arms, revealing fair skin and distinct collarbones. Zhou Yang lowered his gaze, glanced once, and said, “Pull your jacket up.”

 

Su Hao immediately adjusted it. “I was going to anyway.”

 

“No need for you to remind me.”

 

Zhou Yang’s expression darkened slightly. He looked away and picked up his phone.

 

Su Hao slung her crossbody bag over her shoulder and walked toward the cabin exit. Zhou Yang followed behind her, with Assistant Lu two steps back. There weren’t many people in business class, and there were still empty seats. As they followed the flow of passengers out, they could already feel the heat outside through the glass.

 

Once inside the air-conditioned terminal, Su Hao took off her crossbody bag, removed her sun jacket, and stuffed it into the bag.

 

Her dress had thin black straps. Paired with high heels, she appeared tall and elegant. Her fair skin was exposed, and her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She instantly became a striking sight in the terminal.

 

Zhou Yang’s shirt collar was slightly open, sleeves rolled up to reveal his watch. He held his phone and boarding pass casually, his handsome face carrying a hint of roguish charm. Naturally, he attracted attention too—but his eyes were locked on the woman walking a few steps ahead of him.

 

She had taken off her jacket.

 

Everyone in the corridor was looking at her.

 

His jaw tightened. He stepped forward until he was beside her and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Aren’t you cold?”

 

“It’s hot,” Su Hao replied, glancing at him.

 

“I think it’s pretty cold,” Zhou Yang said.

 

“It’s really fine. Why don’t you put on another jacket?” Su Hao glanced back at Assistant Lu, who was holding Zhou Yang’s suit jacket.

 

Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow. “You wear it.”

 

As he spoke, he waved Assistant Lu over. Assistant Lu had no choice but to step forward and hand over the jacket. Zhou Yang took it and was about to drape it over Su Hao’s shoulders.

 

She frowned and dodged. “I’m really not cold. You should wear it yourself—so you don’t get a fever again.”

 

Zhou Yang’s hand froze in midair.

 

Su Hao quickened her steps, took her phone out of her bag, and scrolled through it, hesitating over whether to message Shen He.

 

Zhou Yang stood there. Assistant Lu had no choice but to stand with him.

 

In Assistant Lu’s memory, President Zhou had always been dominant and flirtatious. When he was interested, he could be indulgent, but most of the time he held the upper hand. Rarely had he ever hit a wall like this.

 

After thinking for a moment, Assistant Lu tried to give his boss an out.

 

“President Zhou, the air conditioning here isn’t that cold.”

 

Zhou Yang turned and looked at him. A few seconds later, he scoffed.

 

“Shut up.”

 

Then he strode forward, his long legs quickly catching up to Su Hao. At the same time, his phone rang. He answered it, the coldness between his brows easing slightly.

 

Not long after, the three of them collected their luggage. Su Hao pushed her suitcase, still looking at her phone. She hadn’t sent the message yet.

 

They reached the exit.

 

The exit was on the first floor, beneath an overpass. The sun wasn’t as harsh there. The company car—a black business van—was already waiting at the entrance.

 

Zhou Yang ended his call, unbuttoned another shirt button, and casually opened the car door, signaling for Su Hao to get in.

 

She was just about to step inside—

 

When a black Mercedes pulled up beside the van and stopped abruptly. The door opened, and Shen He stepped out.

 

“Haohào!”

 

His voice was bright, his appearance clean-cut and striking, immediately drawing attention. Su Hao turned and froze.

 

“You—why are you here?”

 

“Hahaha! Aunt Su Qian told me. She said you were arriving in Kyoto today. Were you planning to surprise me?” Shen He strode over, smiling broadly, then looked at Zhou Yang. “Brother Zhou Yang, long time no see!”

 

Zhou Yang tightened his grip on the door handle, then relaxed it. He smiled, slipped his hands into his pockets, and spoke calmly.

 

“My mom told you?”

 

“Yeah. Aunt Su Qian messaged me and asked me to come pick up Haohào.”

 

“Is that so?” Zhou Yang smiled faintly and asked casually, “Pretty surprising, huh?”

 

“Of course!” Shen He turned to Su Hao. “Since the surprise is already revealed, let’s go eat. Brother Zhou Yang, want to join us?”

 

Zhou Yang pressed his tongue against his teeth and glanced at Su Hao.

 

Her expression was calm, showing no particular delight. Zhou Yang ground his teeth slightly and said in a low voice, “I won’t go. You two enjoy.”

 

“Alright then. Haohào, let’s go.” Shen He waved to her.

 

Su Hao smiled gently and walked over. Shen He glanced at her dress, his eyes lighting up.

 

“First time I’ve seen you in a spaghetti-strap dress. You look beautiful.”

 

“I wear it occasionally. I heard it’s hot here,” Su Hao replied softly.

 

“It really is hot.”

 

Their voices gradually faded as they walked away.

 

Zhou Yang stood beside the car, listening. He lowered his head, took out a cigarette, and bit it between his lips. His presence was oppressive. He flicked the lighter again and again—but it wouldn’t light.

 

Assistant Lu stood nearby, feeling both cold and hot at the same time.

 

Cold—from his boss.

 

Hot—from the brutal weather.

 

Only after the black Mercedes drove away did Zhou Yang toss the empty lighter into a trash can and bend down to get into the car.

 

Assistant Lu didn’t dare sit in the back anymore. He closed the door and scrambled into the passenger seat.

 

Glancing back, he saw Zhou Yang leaning against the seat, long legs crossed, eyes closed.

 

His profile was cold and hard.

 

Much of the roguish charm between his brows had faded.

 

---

 

Kyoto was an international city, with overpasses crisscrossing overhead. Even after driving a long distance, the sky was barely visible. Still, it was unbearably hot.

 

The ground looked scorched dry.

 

Shen He chatted with Su Hao as he drove, introducing landmarks and local snacks.

 

The Wen Group building stood in the financial district, with the Shen Group right beside it—Su Hao spotted it immediately. Shen He didn’t mention it, seemingly mindful of something.

 

The car entered the central business district, where trees shaded the streets and skyscrapers rose on both sides.

 

Traffic was heavy. Red lights were frequent. Shen He’s workload seemed heavier than before—his phone rang soon after they set off.

 

The calls didn’t stop.

 

Eventually, they reached an office building’s parking garage. Shen He took out a card, swiped it, and drove in.

 

He found a parking spot and stopped.

 

The sun was setting.

 

Shen He nodded at Su Hao, signaling that he needed to finish the call.

 

She smiled, leaned back in her seat, and played with her phone, patiently waiting.

 

The caller was a woman. It sounded like a work discussion, and her voice was pleasant. About ten minutes later, the call ended.

 

Shen He smiled. “Haohào, let’s get sushi.”

 

“Sure,” Su Hao nodded.

 

They got out of the car and walked together toward a luxuriously decorated sushi restaurant. A single character—【島】—hung outside, full of atmosphere.

 

Inside, staff in kimonos came out to greet them. The lighting at every table was dim.

 

After sitting down, Shen He poured water and asked, “Are you busy at work?”

 

Su Hao wiped her hands with a wet towel. “It’s okay. You?”

 

“Busy. I haven’t even been able to go to Licheng lately.”

 

“You’re still helping your brother-in-law?”

 

“Yeah, hahaha.” Shen He set down the kettle and glanced at her.

 

Her hair was tied up. The thin straps of her dress made her skin look especially fair. His heart skipped a beat—then his brows furrowed slightly.

 

He poured soy sauce for her. “Haohào, have you been doing well lately?”

 

“Very well,” she replied, squeezing wasabi.

 

“Hey—use less. It’s spicy,” Shen He quickly warned.

 

She squeezed it all in at once.

 

He let out a dramatic groan—then burst out laughing.

 

Su Hao laughed with him.

 

Since she didn’t eat sashimi, Shen He only ordered one portion. The rest were cooked sushi. With tea, Su Hao ate quite a lot.

 

They ate and chatted. Shen He shared many things he knew. Su Hao listened attentively, never impatient, occasionally asking questions.

 

In the dim light, she dabbed at the corner of her lips with a napkin. Her eyes curved as she smiled, revealing a dimple on one side.

 

Shen He stared for a moment, momentarily lost.

 

Then he quickly refocused and steered the conversation back.

 

They talked happily, losing track of time. By the time they noticed, it was almost ten o’clock at night.

 

Shen He wanted to take her somewhere else afterward, but it was already late, and Su Hao had work the next day. So he could only drive her back to her hotel.

 

The hotel was downtown and not far away.

 

The company had booked it for her. The environment was excellent. Seeing which hotel it was, Shen He felt reassured.

 

The car stopped.

 

Su Hao unfastened her seatbelt and was about to open the door when Shen He had already walked around to open it for her.

 

She smiled as she stepped out. “You should head back.”

 

Shen He looked at her.

 

The next second, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

 

Su Hao froze and turned back. Their gazes met.

 

She glanced at his hand—at her wrist—about to speak.

 

Suddenly—

 

Shen He let go.

 

He smiled. “Good night.”

 

“Good night,” Su Hao replied.

 

Then Shen He turned and jogged back to the driver’s seat.

 

Su Hao stood there as the window rolled up, unable to see clearly inside. After watching his car drive away, she turned—

 

And stopped.

 

Not far away, a Bentley was parked. A man leaned against it, cigarette between his fingers, eyes full of dangerous charm. His gaze slid from her wrist to her face.

 

“Back so late? What were you doing?” Zhou Yang’s voice came with a lazy smile.

 

Su Hao replied coolly, “None of your business.”

 

Then she walked into the hotel lobby.

 

Zhou Yang: “……”

 

His eyes darkened as he stared at her pale wrist.