Thirty

 Feeling that he had offended the boss, Assistant Lu immediately closed his eyes and continued to pretend to sleep. He really couldn't understand why President Zhou was acting so sneakily. This was entirely unlike President Zhou's usual style. At least before, it seemed like he was pursuing someone. Now, it seemed both like and unlike a pursuit, sneaking around instead.

He couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.

It wasn't until the plane landed and his phone got a signal that Assistant Lu received a reply from President Zeng.

He suddenly understood.

Zeng Xiao: "Are you talking about President Zhou and Su Hao?"

Zeng Xiao: "It seems President Zhou is trying to advance by retreating, trying to be friends first, so as not to scare Su Hao."

Lu Qi: "It suddenly feels like President Zhou is being a bit humble."

Zeng Xiao: "Absolutely!! I think so too!!"

Lu Qi: "You sound very excited."

Zeng Xiao: "Not at all."

Assistant Lu put down his phone and glanced at the two people unbuckling their seatbelts.

In his mind, he cheered, "Miss Su, keep going!"

Su Hao didn't know why she was able to sleep so well. After sleeping for more than an hour, she woke up to have an in-flight meal. Then, flipping through a magazine, she felt sleepy again and dozed off. When she woke up again, they had already arrived in Kyoto. The sun was shining brightly. Su Hao sat up, covering her mouth to yawn. Zhou Yang closed his magazine, glanced at his watch, and tapped her table with his fingertips. "Drink some water, it's time to get off the plane."

Su Hao responded with a hum, finished the water on the table, and unbuckled her seatbelt. Having lain down for almost three hours, her waist felt a bit weak. She stood up, somewhat wobbly.

Zhou Yang reached out to grab her arm and lightly supported her.

Her sun-protection clothing slipped down to her arm, revealing her fair skin and prominent collarbones. Zhou Yang glanced down and said, "Pull your clothes up."

Su Hao immediately pulled it up. "I was going to anyway."

"No need for your reminder."

Zhou Yang's face darkened, and he turned his gaze away, picking up his phone. Su Hao grabbed her crossbody bag, slung it over her shoulder, and walked towards the cabin door. Zhou Yang followed behind, with Assistant Lu trailing two steps behind. The business class wasn't very crowded, with some empty seats. Following the crowd, they exited, feeling the heat even through the glass.

Once out of the cabin and into the air-conditioned interior of the airport, Su Hao took off her crossbody bag, along with her sun-protection clothing, and stuffed them into her bag.

Her camisole dress had thin straps and was black. Paired with high heels, her height was impressive, and her fair skin stood out, with her long, black hair draped over her shoulders, making her a striking sight.

Zhou Yang, with his collar slightly open, sleeves rolled up to reveal his watch, holding his phone and ticket casually, with a handsome face and a touch of charm, naturally attracted attention too. But he was staring intently at the woman a few steps ahead, who had taken off her sun-protection clothing.

Everyone in the walkway was looking at her!

He clenched his jaw and walked up to her, speaking in a low voice, "Aren't you cold?"

"Very hot," Su Hao replied, glancing at him.

Zhou Yang: "I think it's quite cold."

"Really, it's fine. Maybe you should wear another jacket?" Su Hao looked back at Assistant Lu, who was holding Zhou Yang's suit jacket.

Zhou Yang: "Will you wear it?"

As he spoke, he gestured for Assistant Lu to come forward. Assistant Lu had no choice but to step up and hand over the jacket. Zhou Yang took it and tried to drape it over Su Hao's shoulders.

Su Hao frowned and dodged. "I'm really not cold. You should wear it yourself, or you'll get a fever again."

Zhou Yang's hand hovered in the air.

Su Hao quickened her pace, taking out her phone from her bag, debating whether to send a WeChat message to Shen He.

Assistant Lu saw Zhou Yang standing still and stayed with him. The Zhou he knew had always been quite domineering and flirtatious, occasionally indulging in pampering, but most of the time, he controlled the women around him. Rarely did he face such resistance. Assistant Lu thought for a moment and then offered Zhou Yang an excuse, "President Zhou, the air conditioning here isn't that cold."

Zhou Yang turned his head, gave him a look, and after a few seconds, scoffed, "Shut up."

Then he took large strides forward, his long legs quickly catching up to Su Hao. Just then, his phone rang. He answered it, the coldness in his brows easing slightly. Soon, the three of them collected their luggage. Su Hao was pushing her luggage while looking at her phone, but the message to Shen He hadn't been sent yet.

The three of them arrived at the exit.

The exit was on the ground floor, under the overpass, where the sun wasn't as harsh. The company's car was already there to pick them up, a black business vehicle parked at the entrance.

Zhou Yang hung up the phone, undid another shirt button, and casually opened the car door, signaling Su Hao to get in.

Su Hao was just about to get into the car.

A black Mercedes suddenly pulled up beside their business vehicle, and Shen He stepped out of the car, calling out, "Hao Hao!"

His clear voice, along with his handsome appearance, immediately drew attention. Su Hao turned her head and was stunned to see him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hahaha, Aunt Su Qian told me you were arriving in Kyoto today. Were you planning to surprise me?" Shen He walked over with a big smile and then looked at Zhou Yang, "Brother Zhou Yang, long time no see!"

"Yes, Aunt Su Qian sent me a message asking me to pick up Hao Hao."

"Really?" Zhou Yang smiled, then asked Shen He casually, "Surprised?"

"Of course!" Shen He looked at Su Hao, "Surprise unwrapped. Let's go eat. Brother Zhou Yang, want to join us?"

Zhou Yang glanced at Su Hao, pressing his tongue against his cheek.

"Alright then, Hao Hao, let's go." Shen He waved at Su Hao. Su Hao smiled slightly and walked over. Shen He, noticing her dress, brightened up, "It's the first time I've seen you in a camisole dress. You look beautiful."

"I wear it occasionally. I heard it's hot here." Su Hao responded gently.

"Yeah, it's really hot here."

Their conversation gradually faded as they walked away. Zhou Yang stood by the car, listening to their voices, and took out a cigarette, biting it with an imposing air. He flicked his lighter several times but didn't manage to light it. Assistant Lu felt both cold and hot standing beside him.

The cold came from his boss.

The heat was due to the scorching weather.

It wasn't until the black Mercedes drove away that Zhou Yang threw the empty lighter into a trash bin and got into the car. Assistant Lu, sensing the tension, didn't dare to sit in the back and instead moved to the passenger seat. Looking back, he saw Zhou Yang with his legs crossed, leaning back with his eyes closed.

His profile was stern.

The usual charm in his demeanor had significantly faded.

Kyoto, being an international city, had overpasses crisscrossing the sky, making it hard to see the horizon. Despite this, it was still very hot.

The ground was baked dry.

As Shen He drove, he chatted with Su Hao about local landmarks and introduced various snacks.

The traffic was heavy, and there were many traffic lights, causing frequent stops. Shen He seemed busier with work than before, getting phone calls soon after they started driving.

The calls kept coming until they parked in the garage of a high-rise building. Shen He swiped a card and drove in.

He found a parking spot and stopped.

By then, the sun was setting. Shen He nodded to Su Hao, indicating he needed to finish his call.

Su Hao waited patiently.

The voice on the other end was female, discussing work matters with him, and she had a pleasant voice. About ten minutes later, Shen He hung up and smiled, "Hao Hao, let's go have sushi."

Su Hao nodded, "Sure."

They got out of the car and walked to a luxurious sushi restaurant with a sign that read "Island," giving it a quaint charm.

Inside, servers in kimonos greeted them. The lighting was dim, and they sat down. Shen He poured water and asked Su Hao, "Is your work busy?"

Su Hao wiped her hands with a wet napkin, "It's okay. What about you?"

"Busy. I haven't had time to go on business trips to Licheng recently."

"Are you still helping your brother-in-law?"

"Yes, hahaha." Shen He put down the kettle and looked at Su Hao. Her hair was tied up, and the thin straps of her dress highlighted her fair skin, making his heart race for a moment. He quickly furrowed his brows and poured soy sauce for Su Hao, "Hao Hao, how have you been lately?"

"Very well." Su Hao squeezed some wasabi for him.

"Not too much, I'm afraid of the spice," Shen He quickly said as Su Hao squeezed the entire tube, making him wail in exaggerated pain before laughing again.

Su Hao laughed with him.

Since Su Hao didn't eat sashimi, Shen He only ordered one serving of it. The rest were cooked sushi, paired with tea. Su Hao ate quite a bit. As they ate and chatted, Shen He shared many things he knew, and Su Hao listened intently, never feeling impatient and occasionally asking questions.

The dim lighting cast a soft glow as Su Hao wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, her eyes curved in a smile, dimples appearing on one side. Shen He found himself momentarily lost in thought.

He quickly snapped back and continued the conversation.

Shen He initially planned to take Su Hao somewhere else for fun, but it was getting late, and Su Hao had to work the next day, so he drove her back to her hotel.

The hotel was in the city center, not far away.

It was booked by the company, and the environment was excellent. Shen He felt reassured when he saw the hotel. He parked the car. Su Hao unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to open the door when Shen He came over to open it for her. Su Hao stepped out with a smile, "You should head back."

Shen He looked at her.

Su Hao glanced at his hand, then at her own, about to speak.

Suddenly.

Shen He let go of her hand and smiled, "Goodnight."

Su Hao: "Goodnight."

With that, Shen He ran back to the driver's seat.

Su Hao stood there as the car window rolled up, obscuring the view inside. She watched his car drive away, then turned and paused momentarily, noticing a man leaning against a Bentley not far away. He had a cigarette between his fingers and an air of nonchalance. His eyes traced from her wrist to her face.

"Coming back so late? What were you doing?" Zhou Yang's teasing voice came, lazy and casual.

Su Hao: "None of your business."

With that, she walked into the lobby.

Zhou Yang: ""

His eyes grew colder as he watched her fair wrist disappear inside.

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

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