Eight

 “Alright, alright, get out,” Su Xi said, having utilized Zhou Yang, and then ordered him to leave. The kitchen was quite large, but with three people, it felt a bit crowded. Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow and turned to leave.

He always carried a faint scent of fir, very subtle. His tall stature made him stand out, and his presence was imposing. Once he left, the whole kitchen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Su Hao took a frying pan, placed it on the gas stove, and washed her hands before picking up the spatula to cook the pancakes.

She mixed the egg yolk with the cake flour in the right proportions and stirred it for a while. Once it was in the pan, a delicious aroma filled the air. Su Xi, standing beside her, watched with shining eyes. She loved sweets but wasn’t as skilled as Su Hao. Su Hao’s slender fingers flipping the spatula looked like a beautiful painting.

After about half an hour, the strawberry milkshake was ready, and the pancakes only needed the final touch. Su Hao cut strawberries into small pieces and stuffed them into the pancakes, topping them with cream. Su Xi immediately grabbed a tray to arrange the milkshakes and pancakes to take outside. “Hao Hao, wash your hands and come out too. It’s just in time for afternoon tea.”

“Alright.” Su Hao removed her apron, turned on the faucet to wash her hands, and then tidied up the messy countertop before heading out.

Zhou Yang, buttoning his shirt collar, was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window talking on the phone. His deep voice carried a lazy afternoon tone. Su Xi sat at the high table, and Su Hao joined her. Su Xi waved, “Zhou Yang, want to eat?”

Zhou Yang glanced at them and waved his hand lightly. He then turned back and continued his phone conversation. Su Xi clicked her tongue, handed Su Hao a fork, and said, “He doesn’t eat sweets. Let’s enjoy them.”

Su Hao hummed in response, scooped out some milkshake, poured it over the pancake, and said, “It tastes better this way.”

“Really? Let me try.” Su Xi took a bite with her fork, the strong strawberry flavor filling her mouth. “Mmm, delicious.”

Seeing Su Xi’s enthusiastic response, Su Hao smiled and took a bite herself.

“Hao Hao, what do you want for dinner?”

Su Hao paused. She had planned to go home after having afternoon tea with Su Xi, as she still had books to read. She hesitated for a moment when suddenly a shadow loomed over her. A man’s wrist wearing a watch casually reached over with a toothpick to pick up a piece of pancake. As he withdrew, his arm unintentionally brushed against the soft skin of Su Hao’s ear.

“Ugh, so sweet.” Zhou Yang tossed the toothpick, tugged at his collar, and went upstairs.

Su Xi scolded him, “If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. You just had to try it.”

“Giving you some face, so you don’t feel unaccomplished after stealing strawberries,” Zhou Yang sneered, his voice fading at the stairway.

Su Xi didn’t want to talk about her son.

Zhou Yang had always been emotionally intelligent. If he wanted to charm a woman, he could do it effortlessly. Su Xi had expressed her disapproval countless times. She continued eating with Su Hao.

After a while, Zhou Yang came downstairs, a suit jacket draped over his arm, and a tie hanging loosely. He casually said, “I won’t be home for dinner tonight.”

“Hmm, might not come back to stay either.”

“What are you doing?” Su Xi asked.

“There’s a cocktail party,” Zhou Yang replied, picking up his car keys and putting on his shoes.

His tie was still not properly done, hanging loosely, and his collar was open, slightly revealing his collarbone. Su Xi made an "oh" sound, not thinking much about it, and asked, “Do you have a date?”

With a click, the door opened. Zhou Yang’s deep voice replied, “What do you think?”

He chuckled, “Don’t worry about it.”

Then he walked out, the door closing with a bang. Su Xi didn’t bother to intervene. Turning back, she saw Su Hao eating pancakes calmly, with a ring of cream on her lips. Su Xi saw this and sighed in relief. She naturally hoped Su Hao would become the Zhou family’s daughter-in-law, but considering Zhou Yang’s behavior, it was better not to.

Lately, after getting to know Shen He, Su Xi thought it was better to choose someone reliable than a playboy.

In this way, Su Hao and Zhou Yang could still remain friends. Zhou Yang was good to his friends, after all. Thinking about it, Su Xi asked, “Su Hao, how do you find Zhou Yang at the company recently?”

Su Hao bit into a strawberry and thought for a moment.

“Zhou Yang? Haven’t seen him much, not very clear.”

However, in the WeChat group, a few of them had talked about him. They said Zhou Yang usually appeared like a typical young master, playful and indifferent. His aura only became apparent when he was working, even a bit sharp at times. Female employees would only dare to sneak peeks at him or chat with him when he was in a good mood.

Usually, when he got angry, everyone would avoid him silently.

“Really? Haven’t heard any private rumors?”

“Nope.” Su Hao shook her head. Su Xi nodded and asked again, “What do you think of Zhou Yang as a friend?”

Su Hao bit into a strawberry.

Her mouth was full of strawberry juice, very delicious. She thought of his considerate arrangements over the past few days and said, “Pretty good.”

“That’s good!” Su Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

Her son was indeed always good to his friends.

Even though he didn't like Su Hao's type, he considered her a friend, and that was enough.

After having afternoon tea, Su Hao accompanied Su Xi to watch a mermaid movie, which was quite scary. She was pretty scared, but Su Xi was even more frightened, so she had to be the strong one.

In the end, she couldn’t leave. Su Xi personally cooked dinner that evening, and after Su Hao stayed for the meal, the Zhou family’s driver took her back to the Huahui residential area.

As soon as she opened the door, her phone rang.

She looked down.

Shen He: Hao Hao, I’m coming to Licheng tomorrow!

Su Hao: Okay.

Shen He: Wait for me.

Su Hao: Mmm, it’s just the weekend.

Shen He: Exactly.

A black Volvo sped down the road, the car filled with a faint scent of alcohol. Soon, the car arrived at a bay. Zhou Yang loosened his tie and got out of the car, his long legs encased in black trousers. He leaned against the car door, rubbing his chin, dispelling the lingering alcohol. Tonight, that dog Li Yi kept toasting him.

And it was all strong liquor.

“Sir?” The driver stepped forward, opened the villa door, and turned back to call him. Zhou Yang’s narrow eyes swept over, a chill in the night that quickly dissipated. He smiled, “No need to help, I’m not drunk.”

“That little bit of alcohol can’t knock me down.” He pressed his tongue against his cheek, took the key from the driver, casually grabbed his coat, and walked towards the villa. “You can go back now, take the other car.”

“Alright.” The driver stood there watching him enter the villa. Once his tall figure disappeared inside, the driver turned and left.

There was only one light on in the villa. Zhou Yang casually put down the car keys and coat, walked over, and poured himself a glass of water. It was late, and like Xu Dian, he didn’t like having unnecessary people in the villa. After drinking the water, the alcohol dissipated quite a bit. Zhou Yang went upstairs, casually fiddling with his phone.

He soon reached the master bedroom.

He put his phone down and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Steam covered the walls. After a while, Zhou Yang came out wearing black pajamas, water droplets rolling down his neck and disappearing into his collar. The alcohol scent was gone, leaving only a faint smell of body wash and the fragrance of the room's aromatherapy. He lifted the covers, lay down, and fell asleep.

In his dream.

Swaying, tender willow branches wrapped around his arms. The man turned over, his brows furrowed, seemingly pushing away many people in his dream.

Yet, he couldn’t grasp that soft and slender waist.

Dawn broke.

Zhou Yang woke up, irritably sitting up, and placed a mint on his tongue. His phone beeped, and he glanced at it.

Wen Ze Li: Tsk, Shen He went to Licheng for a business trip again. Really gotta thank you for introducing this Jiangnan beauty to my brother-in-law. Next time, dinner’s on me.

Zhou Yang: Oh. He’s gone again?

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