Nine

 Wen Zeli: That's right, it’s really thanks to you.

Zhou Yang stepped barefoot onto the carpet, biting down on the mint in his mouth, crunching it as he lazily typed on the keyboard.

Zhou Yang: Even heroes fall for beauties; Shen He is no exception.

The irritation from suddenly waking up still lingered on his brows. After finishing his message, he placed his phone on the bedside table, got up, casually put on some clothes, and opened the curtains to look outside. Then he turned and went downstairs for a morning run. Forty minutes later, he returned, sweat rolling down his forehead. He lazily pushed open the iron gate and walked into the house.

Housekeeper Aunt Lu came over to clean. Seeing him return, she also made breakfast and stood by the counter with cleaning supplies, smiling, "Did you come back last night?"

"Yes." Zhou Yang took a towel to wipe his hair, his brows no longer carrying any irritation, and he had a faint smile, "What's for breakfast?"

"Your favorite buns." Aunt Lu was introduced by a friend of Zhou Yang’s, and she had been taking care of his daily life since he started living alone.

"Good."

After speaking, he strode up the stairs, his tall figure disappearing at the top.

Shortly after, Zhou Yang came down wearing a shirt and trousers, his shirt collar slightly open. As soon as he sat down for breakfast, Assistant Lu was already waiting outside with the car.

Aunt Lu brought out some milk and asked, "Not taking a break today?"

"Still have some things to handle." After finishing breakfast, Zhou Yang wiped the milk from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips, grabbed a napkin, took his phone, and headed out.

When he saw Assistant Lu, Zhou Yang casually tossed him a bag containing breakfast. Assistant Lu caught it and thanked him, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou."

Once in the car, Zhou Yang's phone kept ringing. He crossed his long legs and answered the call, glancing outside at the willow trees planted by the lakeside. He paused.

At this moment, Assistant Lu in the driver's seat asked, "Mr. Zhou, are we heading straight to Yaolin?"

The willow trees swayed in the wind, their branches lightly touching the water's surface.

Zhou Yang: "To Feijie."

Assistant Lu was taken aback. Why Feijie? Today’s matters were related to the military industry; what did Feijie, an internet company, have to do with it?

Or was there something else Mr. Zhou needed to handle?

Assistant Lu: "Oh, okay."

He adjusted the route and headed towards Feijie, hesitating before saying, "Feijie is on holiday today..."

His voice was very soft.

The man behind him was resting his chin on his hand, playing with a lighter, discussing military equipment with Li Yi, probably didn’t hear him, and didn’t respond.

Assistant Lu didn’t say it again.

When they arrived at Feijie, Zhou Yang had just finished his call. He turned his head and saw the red Feijie logo, raising his eyebrows slightly.

He turned to look at Assistant Lu.

Assistant Lu wiped his hands and, seeing Zhou Yang’s expression, hesitated to speak.

Zhou Yang seemed to recall that he had decided to come to Feijie, so he didn’t say anything, pushed open the car door, and walked out with his phone, Assistant Lu quickly following.

Feijie was very quiet and empty on Sundays, with only a few people working in the fourth-floor live-streaming marketing department. This wasn’t Zhou Yang’s main area of focus.

Under the Zhou Group, the structure was already mature. Unlike the military sector, which required personal involvement, Zhou Yang didn’t come here often and went straight to the top floor.

In the elevator, Assistant Lu quietly asked, "Mr. Zhou, is there something else to handle here?"

Zhou Yang held his phone.

"Yes."

Assistant Lu acknowledged softly.

When the elevator door opened, Assistant Lu followed Zhou Yang, who, as he walked towards the general office, paused slightly when passing the finance department. His narrow eyes glanced at the closed blinds of the finance department. The door was tightly shut, and the willow branches seemed to sway in front of him again. Zhou Yang snapped back to reality and frowned tightly.

After a moment.

He clicked his tongue, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"Mr. Zhou, do you want to go to the finance department?" Assistant Lu asked softly.

"No." Zhou Yang replied, turning towards the elevator. Assistant Lu was confused by his unpredictable actions.

"Straight to Yaolin." Zhou Yang said lazily, rubbing his temples.

Assistant Lu: "Okay."

I was already planning to go there!

You insisted on coming to Feijie, which is out of the way!

Early in the morning, Su Hao cleaned up a bit, changing the bedsheets. New sheets bring a good mood. After finishing, she started making soup dumplings, letting them cool slightly before sitting down with milk and reading the news on her phone.

Chen Yu and Lu Mimi were arranging a group dinner in the chat and tagged Su Hao. Since Shen He was coming today, she declined.

In the six-person group chat.

One was from the sales department, Tang Yu, who had just returned from a business trip.

She noticed a new member in the group and was curious.

Tang Yu: Su Hao? Is she new to your department? @Chen Yu

Chen Yu: Yes, she’s a very gentle sister.

Lu Mimi: She's gentle; you’re just silly and sweet.

Chen Yu: @Lu Mimi, shut up, who asked you to speak?

Lu Mimi: Silly and sweet is good; many men like it.

Tang Yu: [Raises eyebrow] What does Su Hao look like? Show me a photo.

Chen Yu: @Tang Yu, you’ll see her at work tomorrow. Don’t worry, she’s not competing with you for Mr. Zhou. Su Hao is the homely type, the kind Mr. Zhou fears the most.

Lu Mimi: Instead of worrying about Su Hao, you should be wary of your good friend Chen Yu. @Tang Yu

Tang Yu: Oh, so no threat. You two can keep competing.

Chen Yu: What about you?

Lu Mimi: What about you?

In a critical moment, Chen Yu and Lu Mimi were on the same side. Su Hao glanced over at the 'homely type' and 'the kind Mr. Zhou fears the most' comments, remained silent for a moment, and then closed the group chat.

Around ten, Shen He called, saying he had just landed. Half an hour later, he called again, saying he was stuck in traffic. Su Hao put down her book, stood up, and walked to the kitchen balcony to look outside. The traffic was indeed heavy, and it was hot. In this weather, going out to eat was troublesome.

Considering it was the weekend, Su Hao hesitated, then said, "It's okay, take your time. I'll go buy groceries, and we can eat at home."

Shen He raised his eyebrows, "Alright."

"I'm going downstairs now." Su Hao said, hanging up the phone and grabbing her keys to go downstairs. There were plenty of supermarkets and markets nearby, so she headed to the market to buy groceries.

Returning with the groceries, she saw Shen He, in a black shirt and jeans, looking somewhat disheveled as he got out of the car. The black Mercedes that brought him left after dropping him off. Shen He saw Su Hao and immediately approached, "Let me help you."

He reached out as he spoke.

Su Hao handed him the groceries and took out her keys, saying, "Let's go upstairs; it's too hot."

"Yes, it's hotter here than in Kyoto." Shen He followed behind her. She wore grey shorts and a black shirt, looking casual. Her hair was tied up messily, but her face was still fresh and beautiful. Seeing her made the hot weather feel much calmer.

Though the place seemed old, the hallway was breezy and cool. Shen He frowned, "This place is a bit old."

Su Hao opened the door, "The apartment is fine, not old. Most importantly, it's close to the company."

Shen He knew Feijie was nearby and nodded, "True."

Entering the apartment, it was clean and had a faint fragrance. Shen He didn’t dare look around too much and sat on the sofa. Su Hao poured him a glass of water.

"You rest for a bit. I'll start cooking."

Shen He took a sip of water and got up, "I'll help."

His clothes were clean, his fingers long and elegant, giving off an air of sophistication. Su Hao glanced at him a few times and said, "Forget it."

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Shen He called out, dissatisfied.

Su Hao smiled, her eyes squinting, and didn’t answer, turning into the kitchen.

Shen He was still dissatisfied, following to the kitchen door, saying, "I’ve done housework before, you know."

Su Hao nodded, busying herself in the kitchen. She was quick, knowing exactly what to cook. The ingredients were ready in no time. Seeing this, Shen He decided not to insist. He would only cause trouble if he went in. Su Hao in an apron looked beautiful. He leaned against the kitchen door, not leaving.

Yaolin provided wing manufacturing. Initially, Zhou Yang hadn’t planned to collaborate with them. Yaolin was new, and their technology was uncertain. Although there was support for new companies, immature technology was troublesome. This time, he was checking out their R&D department.

After a tour, Zhou Yang had a good grasp of things. The vice president led him to the leisure area outside the R&D department. The two stood by the railing, chatting. Zhou Yang was young, while the vice president was nearly fifty, yet he still had to work under this young man. Zhou Yang offered some suggestions.

Leaning against the railing, he casually played with a lighter, "Safety is the priority. This is critical, Mr. Qin, you should know that well."

"Yes."

They chatted a bit more before the vice president tentatively asked, "Is the Wen family in Kyoto collaborating with you, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou Yang snapped the lighter shut.

He turned, looking at Mr. Qin with a slight smile, "Oh? Are you also interested in collaborating with the Wen family?"

"No...just asking. I heard the Wen family is also involved in this area."

Assistant Lu, standing nearby, thought to himself how uninformed this Mr. Qin was. The Wen family was working with the Xu family on AI healthcare, showing how well they kept secrets.

Zhou Yang didn’t respond. He turned his head and took out a cigarette, lighting it as he looked down and picked up his phone, opening WeChat and scrolling through his Moments.

He casually refreshed.

Shen He: Delicious!

Picture/Picture/Picture

A table full of dishes, and for the sake of atmosphere, a photo of the hallway of Hua Hui Community was also taken. At a glance, it was clear that this was at Su Hao's home. Zhou Yang looked at it for a few moments before exiting and clicking into the contact list.

Shen He: Brother Zhou Yang, let's eat!

Shen He: [Picture]

A few seconds later, Zhou Yang’s slender fingers typed a reply.

Zhou Yang: You eat by yourself.

Shen He didn’t come to Licheng for no reason. After lunch, he had to go handle some matters, and in the evening, he couldn’t meet Su Hao again, feeling a bit disappointed.

Su Hao walked him downstairs and said, “You still owe me a meal.”

Shen He was momentarily stunned but then realized, “Right, you treated me today!”

Su Hao brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and said, “Yes, how long will you be staying in Licheng?”

“Around a week. As soon as I finish my work, I’ll make an appointment with you and definitely treat you to a meal.” From behind came the sound of a horn. Shen He stood on the step below, looking at Su Hao with a serious expression.

Su Hao smiled, “Alright, if you don’t treat me, be careful.”

“Mm!”

Behind him came another honk. Shen He felt a bit irritated and had to bid farewell before turning and leaving. Su Hao stood at the stairway, arms crossed, watching Shen He’s slender figure bend into the car. The black Mercedes drove off into the distance.

Only then did Su Hao turn and go back upstairs. In the evening, it suddenly started to rain heavily. Su Hao hurriedly went to collect the sheets. Despite her quick movements, she still got a bit wet.

She immediately took a hot shower, which made her feel a bit better. Early Monday morning, she woke up with a slightly dry throat but no other issues. Su Hao didn’t pay much attention to it and still made breakfast to take to the office for the finance department staff. After a two-day break, everyone seemed a bit lethargic, but with work piling up, Su Hao pulled up a chair next to Chen Yu, sniffed, and buried her head in organizing the receipts.

At 9:30.

Zhou Yang walked out of the elevator, talking on the phone while tying his tie. Halfway through, he lazily pulled it off and handed it to Assistant Lu.

Mr. Zeng came out of the office, walked towards Zhou Yang, and said, “Mr. Zhou, for this trip to the Haishi branch, who do you plan to take?”

Zhou Yang said goodbye to the person on the phone, glancing towards the finance department.

Lu Mimi and Chen Yu, who had been paying attention since he stepped out of the elevator, immediately looked up at Zhou Yang, hoping to be chosen. Zhou Yang put his phone into his pants pocket, his hand casually resting there, and lightly pointed at Su Hao, who was busy with her head down, “Her.”

“Get the plane tickets.” Zhou Yang said, giving a glance to Assistant Lu.

“Got it, right away.” Assistant Lu immediately took out his phone to make arrangements.

A group left the finance department entrance.

Chen Yu and Lu Mimi exchanged glances, then sighed with relief. Since neither of them was chosen, they were at ease. Even more so because Su Hao was picked, they felt no threat.

Su Hao didn’t find out she was going on a business trip until after lunch. Her throat was still a bit sore, but it wasn’t a big issue. For her first business trip, she asked Zhang Xian about it.

Zhang Xian, who was about to go out to get some accounts, took her home to get her luggage on the way.

Zhang Xian rarely taught her anything, but this time she said a bit more, “You need to carefully check the accounts in Haishi. If you don’t understand something, take a photo and send it to Chen Yu. The company there has many factions, so it’s quite complicated.”

“Alright.”

“And, Mr. Zhou is not going to handle the Haishi branch matters; he’s dealing with the military sector. So, if you have any issues, don’t bother him. Call us, and we’ll help you.”

“Okay.”

After getting her luggage, Zhang Xian didn’t delay and took her directly to the airport. Outside the airport, Assistant Lu was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Su Hao get out, he waved.

Su Hao coughed a few times, then pulled her luggage to catch up.

After checking in her luggage, time was a bit tight. Assistant Lu escorted Su Hao to the security check. Zhou Yang, wearing sunglasses, was listening to a girl speak.

A second later, he looked up, smiled, and pointed a way for her.

The girl blushed, quickly saying, “Thank you, I know now.”

After speaking, the girl ran off but soon returned, her eyes wandering, “Um, can I add you on WeChat?”

Zhou Yang glanced at Su Hao from the corner of his eye, took off his sunglasses, looked at the girl, and said, “We need to board now.”

After speaking, he looked at the girl again and raised his eyebrows, “You’re too young.”

The girl’s face turned red instantly, and her eyes fixed on Su Hao. Su Hao, holding her small bag, took the tickets and passports from Assistant Lu, walked forward, and said to Zhou Yang, “Sorry.”

“Let’s go.” Zhou Yang glanced at his watch. Hearing her hoarse voice, he paused and asked while handing over his passport, “Is your throat uncomfortable?”

“Maybe a bit of inflammation?” Su Hao rubbed her neck.

It was her turn to hand over her passport and ticket. The two went through security one after the other. He walked ahead, tall and imposing, with a roguish charm.

Like a celebrity, he attracted many eyes.

After passing security, Zhou Yang went to a store to get a cup of warm water, handed it to Su Hao, and said, “Drink more water. It’s a short flight to Haishi. Rest once we land.”

“Okay, thank you.” Su Hao took it and drank as they walked.

Zhou Yang had many calls to take. He answered several.

Soon, it was time to board.

Su Hao felt warm in her stomach after drinking the warm water. Once she sat down, she felt drowsy. They had business class seats, much roomier than economy. Su Hao covered herself with a blanket and felt a bit sleepy.

When they arrived in Haishi, it was getting dark.

As soon as they left the airport, Zhou Yang had to attend a banquet. Before leaving, he looked at Su Hao, seeing she didn’t seem well, and instructed the hotel to send her a soft dinner.

Su Hao pulled a sunscreen jacket from her suitcase, put it on, and said to him, “I’m fine.”

Zhou Yang got into another car, his eyes lingering on her. Under the moonlight, her eyes seemed to glisten. Zhou Yang nodded, closed the door, and the car sped off.

At the hotel, Su Hao quickly ate something and went straight to bed because she was too tired. Haishi, an international metropolis and transportation hub, made Zhou Yang return to the hotel around 11 PM. He tugged at his tie, and Jiang Yu and a few others were chatting in the group.

Holding the room card, Zhou Yang smiled and responded to the voice chat.

“Xu Dian is in deep trouble this time.”

“Isn’t he?”

“Zhou Yang, you single dog, just mocking others. Be careful yourself.” Yan Xing couldn’t help but tease Zhou Yang.

The room door opened. Zhou Yang didn’t respond immediately. He inserted the card, paused, and after a few seconds, called the front desk to inquire about the status of room 602 that evening. After hearing the response, Zhou Yang frowned, then asked the front desk to send the room card and a medical kit to 602.

This hotel was managed by Wen Zexin.

They had dedicated rooms here, including the one Su Hao stayed in.

With the room card and medical kit in hand, Zhou Yang swiped into 602, the group chat constantly buzzing.

Everyone was waiting to see him slip up.

Zhou Yang pressed the voice chat button, laughing, his voice deep and laced with a hint of contempt and confidence, “Wait and see if I ever get tied down in this lifetime. You all underestimate me.”

He finished speaking and saw the master bedroom door open, a lump on the bed. Zhou Yang put down his phone, poured a glass of water, took a fever reducer, and walked into the master bedroom. As he reached the bed, the woman turned, her back to him, long hair spread across the white sheets.

Her shoulder was slightly exposed, and she hadn’t changed her clothes.

Zhou Yang bent down, gently patting Su Hao’s shoulder and softly calling, “Su Hao.”

The thin fabric revealed her burning skin. She had a fever. Zhou Yang patted her shoulder again, but Su Hao moved away, her delicate face tinged with red. Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, watching her move away, and after a few seconds, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

Su Hao was light and soft, easily pulled over. She frowned tightly, still not awake, seemingly dazed by the fever.

Zhou Yang helped her sit up and offered her some water. She didn't swallow much of it, spilling most of it out. Zhou Yang used his fingertips to wipe her, feeling her warm and soft skin.

He paused for a moment, then gently placed a fever-reducing pill into her mouth.

Her mouth was warm.

Suo Hao reacted to the sensation, finally starting to wake up. She opened her eyes, and in that moment, her eyes were watery and shining, her lips like cherry blossoms, delicate and alluring.

Zhou Yang's words suddenly stuck in his throat.

..................................................................................................................

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