Thirty-Four

 Earlier, Shen He might have been a bit unsure, but now his sixth sense kicked in, and he called out, “Zhou Yang.”

He dropped the “brother” part.

Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow.

“Are you...”

“What are you hesitating about?” Zhou Yang cut him off sharply, immediately silencing Shen He, who swallowed his words. Zhou Yang put his hands in his pockets, stood upright, and walked to Shen He’s side, aligning their positions. Zhou Yang’s tone was casual, but his words were sharp, directly pricking Shen He’s heart.

“I introduced Su Hao to you because you liked her type. I knew your family backgrounds were different, but you and I never cared about social status. I thought you could hold on a bit longer, even break through this disparity, and eventually win her over. But now, it seems like you can’t manage?”

“Since you can’t manage, don’t blame others for taking action, especially me!” Zhou Yang looked down as he spoke, as if casually staring at his feet. His words were as sharp as knives, stabbing directly at Shen He’s heart.

Shen He was incredulous and turned to look at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang simply reached out, rubbed the corner of his mouth, and looked at him. Shen He saw the determined glint in Zhou Yang’s eyes and his face suddenly changed. He gritted his teeth, “I haven’t given up yet.”

“Oh? Really?” Zhou Yang responded lazily.

Shen He’s expression grew grim as he stared at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang remained calm, while Shen He was tense, making their contrast stark. The people around them could feel the arrogance between them. Some even stayed behind subconsciously to watch the drama. The two men stood shoulder to shoulder, neither willing to back down. At this moment, Su Hao came out of the lobby, saw the scene, and was momentarily stunned. She then hurried down the steps and called out, “Shen He, Zhou Yang!”

Her voice grew louder as she approached.

Like a clear spring, she came over and noticed the scratched cars. She asked, “What’s going on? Why are the cars like this?”

Shen He’s face was bitter. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Su Hao. Seeing his pale face, Su Hao instinctively looked at Zhou Yang. Zhou Yang’s arrogance lessened when she looked at him, and he said, “It’s scratched.”

“Who scratched whom?”

Although Su Hao asked this, she kept looking at Zhou Yang. Zhou Yang squinted as he met her gaze, and after a few seconds, he rubbed his mouth and said, “I did. I scratched it.”

Su Hao acknowledged with an “oh” and then turned to Shen He, “What happened?”

Shen He shook his head, smiled at Su Hao, and said it was nothing. However, with the way he looked, it didn’t seem like nothing. Su Hao naturally didn’t believe it. She walked over to inspect the cars and then looked back at Zhou Yang.

Her glance was casual but, as before, a bit sharp, as if accusing him of bullying Shen He and clearly thinking he was at fault.

Zhou Yang said, “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll pay for the damage, alright?”

“You scratched it, so of course, you’ll pay,” Su Hao said matter-of-factly.

Zhou Yang: “”

All his arrogance vanished when he saw Su Hao. Words that were on the tip of his tongue seemed to be swallowed back when faced with her gaze.

Zhou Yang’s face darkened, and he turned around, angrily kicking his car.

Shen He quickly opened the car door and urged Su Hao to get in. “Let’s go for a meal.”

Su Hao glanced at Zhou Yang, feeling a strange emotion rise in her heart. She looked at Zhou Yang again before walking over and bending down to get into the car.

Shen He closed the car door, walked around to the driver’s seat, and started the car, driving out of the building’s entrance and onto the main road. It was peak time, so traffic was heavy, and the car moved slowly. The atmosphere in the car was a bit somber, and Su Hao’s phone buzzed several times.

It was messages from Tang Yu and Liao Yun.

Su Hao looked down and replied while waiting for Shen He to say something.

But Shen He remained focused on driving, his clear face showing a hint of worry. After Su Hao glanced at him a few times, she turned her attention back to texting Tang Yu.

Tang Yu: Is Kyoto fun?

Su Hao: Work, haven’t had much time to play.

Tang Yu: Make sure to take some time to have fun. There are many handsome guys there. But isn’t Assistant Lu with you?

Su Hao: I have nothing to do with him.

Tang Yu: Haha, got it. He even posted on our company forum a few days ago asking us not to spread rumors about him and you. Someone might get upset. Who do you think would be upset? Could it be Mr. Zeng?

The message had a joking tone, but Su Hao remained silent, something flashing through her mind, though she couldn’t quite grasp it before Shen He’s voice came from beside her, “Su Hao, what do you want to eat?”

Su Hao looked up to see the car had stopped in front of a new commercial building. There were many restaurant signs hanging up, and she spotted a noodle restaurant that looked good. She pointed to it and asked Shen He, “Shall we eat here?”

“Sure, this place has good noodles,” Shen He replied with a smile, his mood much better than before. Seeing this, Su Hao relaxed a bit and smiled, “Then I’ll rely on your recommendation.”

“Mm, let’s go.” Shen He unfastened his seatbelt.

Su Hao followed suit and got out of the car. The short distance was delayed due to the rush hour, and by the time they reached the restaurant, the sky had darkened.

Shen He shared some stories about the restaurant.

Su Hao listened attentively, “It’s even run by an imperial chef.”

“Yeah, actually, the handmade noodles here are even better, but personally, I like the instant noodles a bit more,” Shen He said as he led Su Hao inside. Su Hao noticed that the noodle shop was indeed high-end. They arrived at a table for two, with each taking one side. The table was a bit small, and their knees were almost touching.

Seeing Su Hao’s knee brushing against his, Shen He silently moved his knee away.

Fortunately, the waitress arrived to take their order. Shen He recommended what to choose.

Su Hao glanced at the menu and chose the instant noodles.

Shen He smiled and said, “I’ll have the instant noodles too.”

Su Hao looked at him and smiled, thinking that a boy like this might be more suited for a carefree girl, and most importantly, that person should come from a good family background to avoid putting him in such a difficult position. After a while, the noodles arrived. Shen He cut some slices of lamb for Su Hao and added them to the noodles, saying they would taste better if mixed.

Su Hao sprinkled some chopped green onions and stirred the noodles.

The flavor immediately emerged. Shen He fanned himself and asked, “Isn’t this taste pretty good?”

Su Hao nodded, “Yes, it is.”

“This lamb should be sliced thinly to have a good texture. If it’s cooked in the soup, it gets soft and isn’t as tasty,” Shen He added, cutting more lamb slices for Su Hao.

Su Hao laughed and told him to help himself too, not just focus on her. Shen He glanced at her with a bright smile but continued to add lamb slices to Su Hao’s bowl.

The two chatted while eating. Shen He talked about his family, like how his grandfather had returned to Kyoto last month and so on.

Su Hao didn’t have much to share and just mentioned she had changed her job position.

Suddenly, Shen He asked, “Does Zhou Yang treat you well?”

Su Hao was taken aback and looked at Shen He, replying, “He rarely comes to the company.”

“So he hasn’t been much help with your work?”

Shen He said, “Oh.”

After a while, he added, “Zhou Yang is too fickle.”

It seemed like a sigh.

Su Hao looked at him for a few seconds, said nothing, and continued eating her noodles, her mind forming many pictures. Tonight, although there was still chatting, it wasn’t too late after they finished eating. Shen He went to pay the bill, and Su Hao stepped outside to take a call. Shen He stared at the bill, lost in thought, and struggled a few times to complete the payment on Alipay.

This time, Su Hao did not pay.

Did this mean there wouldn’t be a next time?

The call was from her mother, who chatted about family matters. Su Hao stood by the door, smiling as she listened, and also learned that her mother was feeling much better. She looked at the sky and said, “How about I pick you up on a weekend and have you stay in Licheng for a while?”

Cheng Ling, who had always refused, was silent this time. After a moment, she replied with a smile, “Okay, when are you free? I’ll pack my things.”

“Let’s wait until this busy period is over,” Su Hao said.

“Alright, then I’ll hang up.”

“Mm.”

After her mother hung up, Su Hao was about to put away her phone when she received a new WeChat message.

It was from Liao Yun.

Liao Yun: Did you know? Tang Rui is coming back.

Su Hao looked at the message in silence for a moment, then replied.

Su Hao: Mm, I know.

No wonder her mother suddenly agreed to come to Licheng.

“Su Hao, we can go now.” Shen He, holding his phone and car keys, walked over to Su Hao’s side. Su Hao nodded and followed him down the steps.

They walked towards the parked Mercedes, and it was already completely dark. The car sped along the way back to the hotel. The music in the car started softly, and the two of them were silent.

They arrived at the hotel, stopping in the same spot as the previous night.

Su Hao unfastened her seatbelt with a click, and the music in the car stopped abruptly, making the sound very noticeable. Both of them became a bit cautious under this sound. Shen He rested his hand on the steering wheel, continuously looking at Su Hao. Su Hao looked up at him.

The lighting was quite good.

She was not uncertain or hesitant but very determined.

Shen He was taken aback, “Su Hao.”

Su Hao’s hair was a bit messy, but it did not diminish her grace. She leaned forward and said, “I hope you won’t hesitate any longer and just follow the path you need to take.”

“It’s not like that, Su Hao.” Shen He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said, “My grandfather wants me to choose between forming a marriage alliance or becoming stronger. I can't be distracted by emotions on the path to becoming stronger, so choosing this path means I have to temporarily give up on you. But I know I can’t make you wait for me, so I’m very conflicted.”

Su Hao smiled and moved closer, reaching out her hand.

Shen He hesitated but eventually embraced her. The next second, he tightened his hug and said, “You also need to take care.”

“I will,” Su Hao said, patting his shoulder.

At this moment, she was indeed more mature than him. Shen He’s eyes were red, while Su Hao had made up her mind. She released him, opened the door, and when she stepped out, she felt relieved.

She did not look back but walked around a large stone screen, just in time to see a man standing there, hands in his pockets, chewing on an unlit cigarette, and coldly watching them.

He had seen everything, including their embrace.

Su Hao approached.

Zhou Yang walked over to her, and Su Hao had to stop and step back. The next second, she bumped into a stone pillar. The man, backlit, looked down at her with his narrow eyes and asked, “Do you think there can be pure friendship between men and women? Hmm?”

He was being direct.

Su Hao remained calm, everything was clear.

He had been deceiving her.

Su Hao asked softly, “Zhou Yang, have you ever been rejected by a woman?”

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