Forty-Three

After sending the message, Su Hao looked up and met Zhou Yang’s gaze. The man was leaning against the sofa, watching her with a fiery anger in his eyes.

Just then, Cheng Ling went to the bathroom. Su Qian turned to observe the tense atmosphere between the two and asked Su Hao, "What did he say you’re not allowed to send?"

Su Hao withdrew her gaze and whispered a few words to Su Qian.

Su Qian smiled and looked at Zhou Yang. "What right do you have to tell Tang Rui not to send messages to Su Hao? He can't know Su Hao's address? No matter what, Su Hao and Tang Rui have been together for at least three years. And you?"

Zhou Yang’s gaze swept towards Su Qian, his eyes dark and menacing.

Su Qian countered, "Isn't that right?"

Zhou Yang said nothing, turning his attention to Su Hao. Su Hao looked at him as well, but then her eyes grew cold, and she shifted her gaze away. Zhou Yang’s hand, resting on the armrest, tightened further.

Three years.

What does that mean?

The woman in front of him had lived, slept, and shared her life with that person.

At this moment, for some reason, he remembered that summer when she had thrown herself into his arms, only for him to dodge her because of a button on his chest.

It was a moment that seemed insignificant, yet it resurfaced in his mind, becoming incredibly vivid. What had her expression been like back then?

What had she looked like when he had caught her, and what had she said when she didn’t get that button?

The more he thought about it, the tighter Zhou Yang’s grip became.

Why was he thinking about this?

Hmm?

"Time to eat." The nanny’s voice came through.

Su Qian immediately pulled Su Hao towards the dining table. At that moment, Cheng Ling had also come out of the bathroom. Su Hao handed her a tissue to wipe her hands and pulled out her chair. The chairs in the Zhou family’s home were custom-made, large and heavy, much bigger than those at home, to ensure Cheng Ling wouldn’t have trouble moving them.

After Cheng Ling sat down and saw Zhou Yang, she asked Su Qian, "Is Zhou Yang not eating?"

"Ignore him," Su Qian said, using the serving chopsticks to serve dishes.

Su Hao glanced at the man and also served Cheng Ling some dishes. After a few seconds, Zhou Yang finished his cigarette and walked into the dining room. His expression had returned to normal, though he still appeared lazy. After pulling out a chair, he smiled and used the serving chopsticks to serve the three women, with a cigarette still pinched between his fingers.

Su Qian shot him a glare. "Put out the cigarette."

Zhou Yang curved his lips into a smile. “Alright then.”

After saying that, he took another puff of his cigarette, his shirt collar open, and his tilted head giving him a flirtatious, dashing appearance that looked almost like a painting. Cheng Ling saw this and whispered to Su Qian, “Zhou Yang has always been good-looking. Quite a few girls must like him, right?”

“He’s unreliable, and you know it.” Su Qian couldn’t really control Zhou Yang anymore, but she was very concerned about Su Hao. Zhou Yang pursuing Su Hao was something she didn’t dare to mention to Cheng Ling, because Cheng Ling had heard enough about Zhou Yang’s character over the years and was afraid that mentioning it might increase Cheng Ling’s worries.

Cheng Ling nodded, understanding this.

Fortunately, Su Hao remained calm and collected, unlike before when she seemed almost hysterical.

While the two mothers discussed their children, the two young adults sat on the side, eating their meals. After Zhou Yang extinguished his cigarette, he looked at Su Hao several times. Su Hao remained focused on her meal, and when there were shrimp on the table, she started peeling them for the two mothers. She always behaved this way: meticulous, considerate, and not talkative. To put it bluntly, she was almost invisible.

She was like this at work too. The people around Zeng always commented on Su Hao in this way, but her demeanor made her very suitable for the position of a cashier.

As she peeled more shrimp, her delicate, fair fingers got smeared with juice. Zhou Yang kept watching, unable to look away from her fingertips. Suddenly, he felt a sharp kick on his long legs from under the table.

He frowned and looked back.

Su Qian leaned in, her voice low. “Watch your expressions!”

Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow and smiled. “What expressions?”

“What do you think?” Su Qian was genuinely worried about Cheng Ling finding out. She feared not only that Cheng Ling would worry, but also that if things didn’t work out between the two, Cheng Ling’s health might not handle it.

Zhou Yang fell silent, smiling as he sipped his soup.

Su Hao also glanced at him from across the table and quietly continued to serve Cheng Ling.

After dinner, Su Qian wanted to keep Cheng Ling, but Cheng Ling was more interested in seeing where Su Hao lived now. She also wanted to help Su Hao decorate her home.

Su Qian thought for a moment and said, “Alright, I’ll take you back.”

“I’ll drive,” Zhou Yang said, putting down his tablet at the high table near the wine rack.

Cheng Ling looked at Su Hao.

Su Qian clapped her hands and said, “Then let Zhou Yang drive us over. I haven’t been to Su Hao’s place much.”

Su Hao smiled. “Alright.”

So the four of them got into the car. Before leaving, Cheng Ling also gave Su Qian many local specialties she had brought from her hometown. Su Qian’s eyes lit up as she saw them.

Holding Cheng Ling's hand, Su Qian said, "How did you remember that I like these?"

Cheng Ling glanced at her and said, "Back in college, you always looked forward to me bringing these for you."

"I’m so embarrassed," Su Qian said, covering her mouth and laughing.

The car started moving. The two mothers chatted happily in the backseat, while the two young adults in the front seats were very quiet. Su Hao lowered her head to check her phone; Tang Rui had replied to her message.

Tang Rui: "Alright, not far from where I live."

Su Hao didn’t reply.

Her mother was often critical, but Su Hao didn’t hold much resentment toward Tang Rui. Their divorce had been by mutual agreement, not forced by one side. Over the years, they had kept in touch and knew about each other's situations. It was a bit surprising that Tang Rui had returned to the country without informing her.

But that wasn’t a big deal.

"Who are you chatting with?" a deep voice came from the man beside her.

Su Hao looked up and realized they were approaching Huahui Community. She glanced at the driver’s seat and saw Zhou Yang’s narrow eyes fixed on her phone, his emotions turbulent.

Even Shen He hadn't affected him like this.

Tang Rui could.

Sure enough.

Zhou Yang gripped the steering wheel tightly.

A few seconds later, he let out a scoff, his voice neither too high nor too low. “So, are you really considering remarrying?”

Su Hao remained silent and didn’t bother to respond.

The Hummer was in sight, and they pulled into a parking spot at the supermarket. After parking, the two mothers in the backseat cheerfully got out. Su Hao also opened her car door, but Zhou Yang grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. Su Hao looked up, and the man blocked her lips, kissing her fiercely.

"Su Hao, you can’t remarry him," Zhou Yang said simply. He then released her. Su Hao frowned, wiped her mouth roughly, and gave him a look. "You’re crazy."

It was the first time she had ever cursed at someone. "Even if I did remarry, it has nothing to do with you."

With that, she got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

Bang—

Zhou Yang didn’t get out. He slumped back in his seat and closed his eyes.

The emotional turmoil was intense.

He felt something was off.

Getting out of the car, Zhou Yang walked over. Su Qian and Cheng Ling were standing by the back of the car, and upon seeing Su Hao, they immediately waved. Su Hao walked up, and Cheng Ling pointed to the person standing at the foot of the stairs, which was Tang Rui. "Is he here to see you?"

Tang Rui seemed a bit hesitant, standing there and looking over.

"Yes," Su Hao replied as she approached. Seeing this, Tang Rui also moved over quickly, arriving at the front and first greeting Su Qian and Cheng Ling.

Tang Rui had always been the more refined type. After years of success in his career, he appeared much more composed. His type was somewhat similar to Zhou Qinkai. Su Qian looked at him, unable to find any faults. She observed Tang Rui, and seeing that they had something to discuss, Cheng Ling pulled Su Qian and said, "Shall we go upstairs first?"

Su Qian agreed, glancing back at the Hummer and wondering why Zhou Yang still hadn’t come down.

Never mind.

Her feelings as a mother were too complicated.

She patted Su Hao’s shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up gesture before heading upstairs with Cheng Ling.

With the two elders gone, only Su Hao and Tang Rui were left.

For a moment, there was some awkward silence. Su Hao smiled and took out a bank card, handing it to Tang Rui. "I don’t need this. You should take it back."

Tang Rui replied, "If you don’t take it, I won’t be able to sleep well."

Su Hao paused, and Tang Rui added, "You don’t expect me to calculate what you’ve done for my family, do you?"

Su Hao said, "It’s really nothing."

Over the years, as he focused on his career, he always thought of her.

He handed the bag he was holding to Su Hao.

Su Hao glanced at it a few times but didn’t take it.

"This is the necklace your father gave you before. Haven’t you been looking for it since you lost it?"

He said as he handed it over. Su Hao looked down at the diamond necklace in the box, her eyes reddening. She smiled and said, "Really, thank you."

Seeing her eyes redden, Tang Rui clenched his fist.

The necklace was found again, and Su Hao was visibly excited. She asked, "Would you like to come up and sit for a while?"

"You live here?" Tang Rui looked around.

"Yes."

"She lives on the eighth floor," a male voice came from behind. Both turned to see Zhou Yang walking over with a cigarette in his mouth. He then wrapped his arm around Su Hao's waist and said, "Shall we go up and sit, ex-wife?"

Su Hao struggled.

Zhou Yang's jaw was set tight as he held her firmly, showing extreme dominance.

He narrowed his eyes at Tang Rui.

Tang Rui did not step back. It was the second time today that the two men faced off like this. Zhou Yang’s presence was strong and oppressive, putting pressure on Tang Rui, but Tang Rui refused to back down.

Su Hao managed to free herself.

She raised her hand and slapped Zhou Yang hard. Zhou Yang turned his head, then with a smirk, he licked his lips and said, "Why not hit me again? Are you angry that I just gave you a casual kiss earlier?"

A casual kiss.

Tang Rui clenched his fists, his voice hoarse, "Su Hao."

But Su Hao didn’t pay him any attention; she just stared at Zhou Yang with anger. Zhou Yang's behavior was getting more outrageous and reckless.

"Get lost," Su Hao said coldly, turning to leave.

But before she could take more than two steps, Zhou Yang stepped forward, lifted her over his shoulder, and Su Hao was even more distressed. "Zhou Yang, put me down!"

Zhou Yang sneered.

"Do you think I’ll put you down?"

Tang Rui quickly reacted and ran up the stairs. Zhou Yang turned abruptly, holding Su Hao and looking down at Tang Rui from above. "What’s the matter? Planning on having a three-way?"

"Tang Rui, my name is Zhou Yang. Remember it—Zhou Yang from Li City."

Tang Rui, who was new to the area but had done some research, immediately realized that Zhou Yang was from a prestigious family, one of the four major families. His guess was indeed correct. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Zhou Yang, "What do you want?"

Zhou Yang smiled, "Nothing much, just a warning."

"Are you really coming up? If you are, come on up and see what I do with her," Zhou Yang said with a smirk, his eyes cold and harsh, aiming straight at the points that mattered most to Tang Rui.

Tang Rui's expression changed noticeably.

Zhou Yang gave Tang Rui a cold glance before turning and heading upstairs.

At the third-floor landing, with the door closed, Zhou Yang put Su Hao down. Su Hao immediately raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Zhou Yang, having already taken a slap, smiled as he put his hands in his pockets. "Is that all?"

Su Hao leaned against the door, panting, and stared at him.

Her anger was hidden in her eyes.

Su Hao shot him a fierce look before turning to knock on the door.

She no longer cared whether Su Xie and Cheng Ling saw Zhou Yang like this. The door was opened by Su Xie, who, upon seeing Su Hao's troubled expression, was momentarily stunned. "What’s wrong?"

Su Hao shook her head. "It's nothing."

She took a moment to calm herself and walked inside, expecting Zhou Yang would come in too. To her surprise, Su Xie shut the door. Su Hao glanced back and asked, "Is there no one outside?"

"No," Su Xie replied.

Without saying anything, Su Hao looked at the door and walked in.

Su Xie, observing her, instinctively opened the door again and went outside to find Zhou Yang leaning against the stairs, smoking. No wonder she hadn't seen him earlier.

She noticed a handprint on Zhou Yang's face and was momentarily stunned.

Remembering Su Hao's expression.

Su Xie muttered, "Serves him right!"

"Did you do something to Su Hao again?"

Zhou Yang, annoyed and still chewing on his cigarette, waved his hand dismissively. "I’m going to the office."

He then went straight downstairs.

Seeing his demeanor, Su Xie was furious and sent him off with a single word: "Get out."

With that, she slammed the door shut.

Cheng Ling had initially wanted to check if there were any areas in the house that needed attention, but she found that Su Hao had already taken care of everything, making the two-bedroom apartment clean and cozy.

Su Xie, seeing how Su Hao had made the place so comfortable on her own, grew even more fond of her. She pulled Su Hao aside and asked, "Did you put up this wallpaper yourself?"

“Yeah, the previous tenant painted the walls in a bit of a mess, so I put up the wallpaper,” Su Hao said. “But it needs to be replaced every so often; this wallpaper isn’t very durable.”

Su Hao pressed down on the edges of the wallpaper as she spoke.

“It’s actually quite artistic,” Su Xie said, looking at the wallpaper. The wallpaper was two pieces with very light colors but a matching style. Su Xie turned to Cheng Ling and said, “You might as well not go back to Hui City. Just stay here.”

Cheng Ling smiled and replied, “Well, I was planning to help Su Hao set things up, but it seems she’s managed fine on her own.”

Su Xie walked over and sat next to Cheng Ling. “Whoever marries Su Hao in the future will be really fortunate.”

“I’ve always thought so too, but in today’s society, being virtuous doesn’t count for much,” Cheng Ling admitted. She had to acknowledge that nowadays, people look more at the woman’s career abilities rather than just her ability to manage the household. Her gaze became somewhat dim. If Su Hao had had career capabilities back then, instead of just managing the home, Tang Rui might not have been willing to divorce her.

“It does matter,” Su Xie said immediately. “How could it not? Oh, you don’t understand; nowadays, men...”

They should still appreciate a wife they bring into their home.

But Su Xie thought about the current social circle and fell silent.

Su Hao listened to the two mothers talking about this topic with persistence and felt helpless. She turned around and took out the dumpling filling and dumpling wrappers from the refrigerator.

“I haven’t made dumplings in a long time!” Su Xie exclaimed, standing up quickly. Cheng Ling’s frown eased a bit as she also got up, saying, “Let me take a look at your filling.”

The three of them gathered around and began to make dumplings.

It was warm and cozy.

Su Xie decided to stay for dinner and eat dumplings, and no one mentioned where Zhou Yang had gone.

The weekend passed quickly. Cheng Ling stayed here, and Su Hao had to return to work. Upon entering the office, she heard a lot of buzzing and chatter.

“A new trader came to Gao Lin. He’s so handsome!”

“You’ve seen him?”

“I saw him this morning when I went to have breakfast with my boyfriend at their restaurant. Apparently, he just returned from Wall Street.”

Gao Qi was a top financial company on Wall Street, known for its famous traders, mostly with European faces, and occasionally a few Asians who often looked slick. It was rare to see an Asian face who was so handsome, which caused quite a stir.

Lu Mimi: “Where are the photos? Show me the photos.”

“I didn’t dare to take a sneaky photo. I asked my boyfriend to send it to me.”

A few seconds later, a side profile photo came through.

The man had long eyelashes, was wearing a watch, and was looking at documents. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, looking refined and sophisticated.

“Wow, he’s really young.”

“Really young.”

“He’s indeed handsome. Now Gao Lin has another reason to visit.”

Su Hao glanced at the photo and realized it was Tang Rui.

She left the chat group, organized some financial records, and took them to Mr. Zeng. After returning, she received a WeChat message from Tang Rui.

Remembering the group chat conversations, she replied:

Su Hao: I need to go home for lunch.

Tang Rui: Oh, okay.

With Cheng Ling at home, Su Hao decided not to eat at the office for lunch and went home instead. However, Cheng Ling thought it was too much trouble for her to run around, so she suggested Su Hao eat at the office.

Yun Lü: Alright, come over to the winery tonight? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.

Su Hao: Okay.

She had promised Yun Lü last time, so she couldn’t refuse this time. After thinking for a moment, she edited her reply and prepared to send it. Just then, another message popped up on WeChat.

It was from Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang: I’ll pick you up at 7:30 to go to the winery.

Su Hao: Okay.

She asked Yun Lü if Zhou Yang would be there and then deleted the message.

Su Hao glanced at the calendar.

It was almost November, time had passed quickly.

Around six o’clock, Su Hao had dinner in the office cafeteria and then went up to the sixteenth floor to finish up her tasks. Today she wasn’t wearing a particularly formal suit; instead, she wore a floral top and a tight A-line skirt. Just after seven, Zhou Yang called. Su Hao answered, “I’m getting ready to head downstairs.”

She casually packed up her things.

Zhou Yang’s deep voice came through, “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”

His voice still had a hint of amusement, magnetic, like a lover’s whisper. Su Hao responded gently, “Hang up.”

Without waiting for Zhou Yang’s reply, she ended the call. Zhou Yang was momentarily stunned on the other end, then he smiled, rubbing the corner of his mouth, and closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

A few minutes later, footsteps could be heard in the lobby.

Since many people had already left work, only a little light was on. Looking over, Su Hao descended in high heels, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She raised her arm to tie up her hair. Her sleeves were long, sliding down and revealing her fair arms. As she looked up, their eyes met.

Zhou Yang suddenly wanted to see her smile at him.

Just like that time when she had shown her dimples while picking strawberries.

As she approached, Zhou Yang leaned down and opened the passenger door. Su Hao pulled open the door to get in, but Zhou Yang reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Su Hao was momentarily taken aback but used his support to get into the car.

This time, she didn’t resist, and Zhou Yang let out a breath of relief. Su Hao buckled her seatbelt and said, “Yun Lü also sent me a message, saying there’s a gathering at the winery tonight.”

“Oh, really?” Zhou Yang replied with a smile. “It seems like they all really like you.”

Su Hao glanced at him. The handprint on his handsome face had mostly faded, leaving only a red mark at the corner of his mouth, which added a touch of wildness to his appearance.

She smiled, “I like them too.”

Su Hao glanced at him again and added, “I’m not as flirtatious as you.”

Zhou Yang chuckled softly.

But the atmosphere between them was indeed pleasant at the moment, unlike the tense standoff from yesterday.

The car drove towards the winery, which was the same one as last time, with an elegant environment. After Su Hao got out of the car, Zhou Yang took her hand and led her into the estate marked with the character [酒] (wine).

Once inside the lobby.

A group of people turned their heads to look, surprised to see their hands clasped together.

They were together?

No way.

Is it real?

Is this true?

Wasn’t Zhou Yang slapped twice yesterday?

“There’s a bit of traffic, and it seems like it’s going to rain tonight.” Zhou Yang guided Su Hao to a two-seater sofa and handed her a wine glass. The others watched Su Hao, who smiled slightly. Her outfit tonight was strikingly white and graceful. Li Yi took the cigarette out of his mouth and asked, “Are you two together?”

Su Hao smiled but did not reply.

Seeing Su Hao’s silence, Zhou Yang’s expression relaxed, and he smiled, “Yes, we are.”

As soon as he said this, his heart raced. He lit a cigarette, leaned back, and placed his hand on the armrest, then gently rested his hand on Su Hao’s shoulder, playing with her falling hair.

“Wow, that means we should toast!” Jiang Yu, still in disbelief, immediately waved for Ah Liang to bring more wine.

Xu Dian took off his glasses and cleaned them, squinting at Zhou Yang and Su Hao. “Is it real?”

Zhou Yang, with a smug look, replied, “What do you think?”

He then put his arm around Su Hao’s waist. Surprisingly, Su Hao leaned into him, which was quite rare. He gazed down at Su Hao, who also looked up at him with eyes full of emotion.

Suddenly, Zhou Yang pressed his lips against hers and kissed her passionately.

The others were stunned for a few seconds.

They all started shouting.

“Damn! It’s real!”

“Zhou Yang, I thought you’d take a long time. Damn, you caught her so quickly.”

“Ahhhhh, I can’t accept this.”

Li Yi threw away his cigarette, clicked his tongue, grabbed a bottle of wine, and said, “Tonight, Zhou Yang is treating us! It’s on him.”

Zhou Yang rubbed his finger over Su Hao’s lips, lifted his narrow eyes, and said with a smile, “If you’re treating, then I’ll cover everything.”

Li Yi smiled and pointed to Ah Liang. “Bring the best wine.”

Ah Liang ran around and brought out the finest wine. Yun Lü tugged on Su Hao’s wrist. Su Hao leaned in, and Yun Lü asked, “Is it true?”

Yun Lü saw Su Hao smiling so gently and thought, it must be true.

But would Zhou Yang cherish Su Hao?

Yun Lü tightly grasped Su Hao's hand, and Meng Ying came over, handing Su Hao a green plum. Su Hao accepted it and thanked her.

"I like you too," Meng Ying replied.

On the other side, Liu Yan smiled and kicked the table. Su Hao glanced at Liu Yan.

Among the four women, only Yun Lü looked worried.

The other three understood.

As before, they played dice, and later someone started a new rule: the men would drink, and the women would sit on the men’s laps and feed them.

Losing the game turned into a new popular activity.

Liu Yan and Li Yi were both single, so they didn’t participate. Jiang Yu and Xu Dian seemed eager to lose, and Zhou Yang lost twice. When Su Hao fed him the wine, he hadn’t had enough before it was gone.

As the game neared its end, Zhou Yang lost once more. Su Hao leaned forward, picked up the wine bottle, and poured it gracefully. She poured the most beautifully among everyone.

No drop of wine was wasted; it all went into the glass, perfectly measured. Su Hao lifted the glass and stood up. Zhou Yang smiled charmingly, wrapped his arm around her waist, and Su Hao had to steady the glass. She took a large sip, then leaned down, not immediately close to him but resting her forehead against his.

Then, she slowly slid down.

Zhou Yang’s grip tightened suddenly. His narrow eyes were fixed on Su Hao. Su Hao smiled, revealing a half-dimple, then covered his lips with hers and gently fed him the wine. After two or three seconds, Zhou Yang took the lead, lifting his long neck and pulling her down, pressing her.

Wine spilled from the corners of their mouths.

But they didn’t stop. Seeing this, the others got up and left, leaving the space for them.

The two were close, and their heartbeats seemed audible. The next second, Zhou Yang lifted Su Hao, carried her to behind the wine cabinet, and pressed her against the wall.

He kissed her fiercely, their breaths intertwined, and the wine cabinet made a slight clinking noise.

Su Hao’s breathing became irregular. She hugged him, and her collar was slightly open. He leaned down, lingering on her. Su Hao closed her eyes and, after a few seconds, whispered in Zhou Yang’s ear, "Let’s leave it like this. Zhou Yang, we’ll be done with each other from now on."

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