Fifty-Two

 As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Qi regretted it. Zhou Yang turned to look at him sharply.

Lu Qi pressed his lips tightly together and gripped the jacket, feeling a bit guilty. A few seconds later, Zhou Yang let out a cold snort, "Is that how everyone sees me?"

Then he put his hands down, straightened his shirt collar, and walked towards Tang Rui's office door. Before reaching it, he paused and said, "I really made a mistake."

His voice was low and slightly resigned.

Lu Qi followed silently.

It was evident that President Zhou had changed recently. One could see it in his actions, gestures, and even the way he raised his eyebrows—especially considering recent events.

This wasn't the usual Zhou Yang behavior.

He had never been jealous of his girlfriends, never cared about their pasts, and wasn't interested in knowing them. They had to cater to his wishes, and none of them dared show him any attitude.

They were always cautious, testing his mood. If he was in a good mood, they might throw a small tantrum, and he would turn a blind eye. But if he was in a bad mood, one look from him would be enough to make them behave.

This was the usual Zhou Yang.

It was hard to imagine him chasing after a woman, trying to please her while keeping a respectful distance.

Oh well, serves him right.

Early in the morning, Cheng Ling had made quite a lot of egg pancakes. Su Hao packed some to take to Meitong. Unlike Feijie, Meitong didn’t provide breakfast, so everyone had to fend for themselves. Many young people skipped breakfast to sleep a bit longer.

When Su Hao’s breakfast arrived, a few people in the company went crazy, putting on disposable gloves and eating with their mouths full of oil. Even Yan Chong, who was still lazing in bed, got up, scratched his head, and grabbed a big piece to eat.

The boss lady, Kiki, also ate some, but she clearly wasn't in a good mood. She made a cup of milk and ignored Yan Chong.

Su Hao glanced at her a few times, then sat at her own desk to start handling the orders she had received overnight. She had software on her phone that showed the backend activities at night. Occasionally, she had to sacrifice her free time to reply, but it wasn’t frequent. After printing the orders, Su Hao went to the warehouse.

The warehouse was just one room, but it was packed with goods.

Su Hao started packing items one by one. The door made a sound, and when she looked back, it was Kiki, looking listless. She came over and stood by Su Hao, helping her with the orders.

Su Hao thought for a moment and asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"

"Yeah," Kiki replied. "I kind of regret getting married."

"What happened?"

"Dealing with everyday life after marriage is so annoying. I don’t like his parents, and they don’t like me either, but we have to visit them during holidays. It’s really frustrating. I don’t want to pretend to like them." Kiki sighed and stuck a label on a package. "If I could choose, I’d prefer to be in a relationship forever."

Su Hao paused, bent down to get some lipstick, checked it, and then packed it. As business improved, Meitong would need to expand, Su Hao said, "Isn't marriage good?"

"Not really," Kiki said, holding onto Su Hao's arm and sighing. "Seriously, you have no idea how many young women in Licheng make money but don’t get married. They just date and enjoy life."

Su Hao nodded.

The mindset of women in big cities was indeed more progressive.

Kiki whispered, "Don’t be fooled by how Yan Chong looks. Even though it’s a small company, many people like him. Even after he got married, they wouldn’t leave him alone. It’s driving me crazy."

Su Hao was stunned.

She looked at Kiki.

Kiki shrugged, "I’m not worried. This company is mine. He’s just a figurehead. It’s just annoying."

"But you still need to be careful," Su Hao reminded. Kiki nodded, "I know. We fought last night, and now neither of us wants to talk."

Yan Chong was still in bed.

Su Hao patted Kiki on the shoulder to comfort her.

After packing up in the warehouse, they went out, and Kiki seemed to be in a better mood. Su Hao pulled out a chair and sat down. Last night, Liao Yun had messaged her, saying he had seen the doctor and was preparing to return to Jiangshi, with the only regret being not seeing Su Hao.

Su Hao replied with a smile, "There will be more chances."

While chatting, she kept an eye on the backend. The event’s effects were still lingering.

Her phone on the desk beeped.

Su Hao opened it.

It was a photo from Li Yi.

She enlarged the photo.

It showed Tang Rui sitting very close to a female colleague, talking quietly. Tang Rui was looking at the woman with what seemed like affection in his eyes.

Su Hao frowned.

Li Yi: "Zhou Yang said you should see this. Shouldn't you block Tang Rui too? To be fair."

Su Hao: "Han Qianqian, I know her. She’s an old friend of Tang Rui."

Li Yi: "Oh."

On the other end.

Zhou Yang’s face darkened as he threw the phone back to Li Yi.

Li Yi, lounging on the sofa, caught it, glanced at the chat, and burst out laughing.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, shook the phone a few times, "See, your attempt to sow discord failed, didn’t it?"

Zhou Yang angrily yanked his shirt collar, "How can I get her to take me off her blacklist?"

Li Yi: "Beg?"

Zhou Yang: "..."

Kiki was in a bad mood and had another argument with Yan Chong in the afternoon. Before 6 PM, she insisted on going shopping with Su Hao. Left with no choice, Su Hao quickly called Cheng Ling to say she wouldn’t be home for dinner, then joined Kiki on a trip to the shopping mall. Since coming to Licheng, she had only been there a couple of times with Cheng Ling and Su Xi.

Kiki wanted to eat pickled fish, and Su Hao accompanied her. After ordering, they found massage chairs outside and decided to get massages.

Su Hao rarely indulged in such activities, but she went along with it to keep Kiki company.

Eating pickled fish took a long time.

As Su Hao picked up her chopsticks, she paused and said, "No."

But after thinking for a moment, she felt that wasn’t quite true and added, "Well, sort of."

"What kind of people?" Kiki asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Su Hao looked up with a smile, "Not worth mentioning."

"You're so great."

Su Hao smiled again, picked up a piece of fish, and lowered her head to eat. Her slender neck and delicate features caught attention even as she simply sat there, and Kiki watched her with admiration.

After dinner, Kiki wanted to buy clothes, and Su Hao accompanied her. Kiki said, "When I feel uncomfortable, I spend money. Once I’ve spent enough, I feel better."

Su Hao nodded, "It’s stress relief."

"Exactly, hahaha."

Kiki bought thousands of yuan worth of clothes in one go and encouraged Su Hao to buy something as well. Su Hao picked out a dress, thinking of Su Xi’s birthday at the end of the month.

After Su Xi’s birthday, it would be the New Year.

Time was passing quickly.

In Licheng, it seemed like there was no winter. It was said to get cold only at the end of December, according to the lunar calendar. The dress Su Hao bought was a fitted one, which could be paired with a jacket.

After shopping, Kiki called a taxi, and they both got in.

Night fell, and the city remained bustling.

The car arrived at Huahui Community, and Su Hao got out. As she stepped down, she seemed to step on something. She took a couple of steps.

"Su Hao." A deep male voice called out.

Su Hao turned and frowned.

Zhou Yang approached and, glancing down, noticed something. A second later, he kneeled down on one knee and tied her shoelaces.

Under the myriad lights, his figure was illuminated.

All she could see was his open collar and sharply defined profile.

Not far away, Kiki was stunned.

Moments later, a flashy red sports car screeched to a stop. Li Xiu jumped out, staring in shock at Zhou Yang.

Was that really him?

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