Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The car was silent. Zhan Haoze didnât respond to Tang Huaâs words.
He knew Tang Hua was right.
At this stage, his engagement with Chen Feifei was the best and most suitable.
Putting aside the fact that it could divert the attention of those people, the Chen family had some influence in C Province.
And Chen Feifeiâs family also had a distinguished background. Although Chen Yongchang was a petty person, he loved his daughter dearly.
Chen Feifei wasnât Shi Mengwan. Moreover, it was only an engagement. It wouldnât affect anything.
If he was rational, he would have agreed.
Lowering his eyes, he rubbed his forehead. âLetâs not talk about this anymore. Letâs solve the problem at hand first.â
âBoss?â Tang Hua felt that it was a pity. This was a really good opportunity.
âThatâs enough.â Zhan Haoze wasnât only thinking about the matter in front of him, but also other things. âTalk to sixth brother and seventh brother. Try to speed up your actions.â
He was really getting impatient from waiting.
âUnderstood.â Tang Hua looked at Zhan Haozeâs expression and felt a little uncomfortable. âBoss, donât worry. Itâs all temporary. When our troubles are solved, you can be with Shi Mengwan then.â
However, these troubles in front of him werenât easy to solve. He knew, and Zhan Haoze also knew.
The car fell into silence. After a long time, Zhan Haoze turned his face to look out of the window.
They had already arrived at the Chen Corporationâs building. When he thought of that old fox Chen Yongchang, his face darkened even more.
âDuring this period of time, Chen Yongchangâs movements are also very big. Be careful.â
âI know.â When Tang Hua thought of Chen Yongchang, the corners of his lips curled into a disdainful smile. However, when the car stopped, there was no trace of those emotions.
... ..
Zhan Haoze had been away from Lin City for a period of time, so he had accumulated a pile of work that he had yet to finish.
For the entire morning, he had basically been dealing with all kinds of work. The things he was responsible for now werenât only the Chen Corporationâs business that he was responsible for, but also the several companies under his name.
When it was almost lunchtime, Chen Feifei arrived.
âBrother Hao.â Chen Feifei looked at Zhan Haoze and felt very wronged. âWhere have you been during this period of time? Why havenât you come back for so long?â
âI went on a business trip.â Zhan Haozeâs voice was very soft. Chen Feifei found that it was very rare, since Zhan Haoze hadnât smiled at her for a long time, so his attitude today could be considered gentle.
She was happy, and the pouting expression on her face lessened. âBrother Hao, do you know that I miss you so much? Youâre always busy when I call you, and you donât reply when I send messages. I almost thought that something happened to you.â
âDidnât I say that I was on a business trip?â Zhan Haoze looked at her. âWhatâs the matter?â
âWhy canât I look for you if I have nothing to do?â Chen Feifei stood in front of him. âBrother Hao, you havenât eaten with me for a long time. No matter what, you have to eat with me today.â
âI still have work here.â
âWork, work. All you know is work.â Chen Feifei pursed her lips. âWork can never be finished. I just want you to accompany me.â
She looked at the time and went forward to pull Zhan Haozeâs hand. âLetâs go. Itâs almost dinner time. You still have time to eat, right?â
âFeifei ââ
âLetâs go.â Chen Feifei held Zhan Haozeâs hand. Zhan Haoze wanted to pull her hand away, but he seemed to have thought of something. He let her pull him up and went outside.
When they passed by the assistantâs office, they happened to see Tang Hua. Tang Hua saw his action and was obviously relieved.
âChief Zhan.â
âYes.â Zhan Haoze nodded. âIâm going out for dinner with Feifei. You keep an eye on the company.â
âYes.â Tang Hua nodded and gave Zhan Haoze a look. âMr. Zhan, be careful on the road. Iâm afraid there will be a bit of traffic jam at this time.â
âI know.â
Chen Feifei looked at Tang Hua and then at Zhan Haoze. âThere will be traffic jam at this time? It canât be, right?â
âLetâs go.â Zhan Haoze brought Tang Hua downstairs. They went downstairs and got in the car. As expected, they saw a few tails behind them.
Zhan Haoze narrowed his eyes. He didnât move. When Chen Feifei moved her face closer to his arm, he didnât push her away.
The dining place was the restaurant that Chen Feifei liked to go to. After entering the door, Zhan Haoze looked behind him from the corner of his eye. The car that followed them just now had stopped. It was on the opposite side of the road.
Zhan Haozeâs eyes had a hint of mockery.
âBrother Hao? What do you want to eat?â
âAnything is fine.â Zhan Haoze turned to look at Chen Feifei. It was rare that he didnât give her a cold face like he did before.
..
Shi Mengwan went to the studio today. In a while, she would be going to France to participate in the fashion design competition. Before that, she had to arrange the contents of the studio first.
However, she was clearly a little absent-minded today. She was thinking about what to eat tonight.
She hadnât seen Zhan Haoze for so long. Shouldnât today be more grand?
Shi Mengwan couldnât help but turn on her phone. She downloaded an app that taught people how to cook.
After looking at the menu inside, Shi Mengwan left the company early to buy ingredients.
When she got home, Shi Mengwan started preparing dinner. She sent a message, asking him to remember to come back for dinner, to Zhan Haoze.
When Zhan Haoze received the message, he had just driven his car out of the Chen Corporationâs building.
In the Chen Corporationâs building, Zhan Haoze had already gotten into his car. He was about to head towards Shi Mengwanâs house when he saw the tail that he had lost at noon following him again.
Zhan Haozeâs face darkened. Thinking of his apartment near the company, he turned his car around and drove towards the apartment.
During rush hours, the traffic was very heavy. It wasnât easy for him to get rid of the three cars.
The car drove to the apartment. Because this was a high-end residential area, the cars outside couldnât enter. Zhan Haoze didnât have to worry about those people following him.
After entering the underground parking lot, he went upstairs and changed his clothes. He disguised himself again before going downstairs again.
He changed into another car and left through another exit. Sure enough, the other exit was also guarded.
He drove the car on the road, but the car behind him didnât move.
When Zhan Haoze arrived at Shi Mengwanâs apartment, she had been waiting for him for nearly two hours.
Seeing Zhan Haoze enter the door, Shi Mengwanâs worry was half relieved, but she couldnât help but ask.
âYouâve been working until now?â
âYes.â
Zhan Haoze responded, but Shi Mengwan suddenly realized that something was wrong.
âYou ââ
Other than on the bed, every time she saw Zhan Haoze, he was in a suit and shirt. Today, he was wearing a casual jacket.
âYou didnât wear this to work this morning?â
âYes.â Zhan Haoze nodded. âI accidentally poured coffee on my clothes at the office, so I changed.â
In fact, he was wearing a beard and a hat just now, but before he came up, he had removed those disguises.
Shi Mengwan felt that it was a bit strange, but she couldnât tell what it was. After thinking for a while, she pulled Zhan Haozeâs hand.
âWait for a while. The meal will be ready soon.â
Shi Mengwan gestured for him to wait for a while while she went to the kitchen.
Her footsteps were a little fast. Zhan Haoze didnât quite understand why she was in such a hurry until he saw the dining table.
There was a candlestick on the white modern dining table. Beside the candlestick was a bunch of white roses placed in an exquisite vase. It looked very lively.
The tablecloths and cutlery had been laid out on both sides. It could be seen that Shi Mengwan had meticulously arranged the dinner for today.
He remembered the clothes she was wearing. A red dress that was tailored to fit her body.
Zhan Haoze couldnât help but stand up and head towards the kitchen. Shi Mengwan had just taken out the ingredients to be processed when she saw him enter. Her face was a little red.
âYou, you go out. Iâll be done in a moment.â
She would be embarrassed to show off if he was here.
Zhan Haoze stood at the door without moving. He only stared at his face. Shi Mengwan became more and more uncomfortable under his gaze. She reached out to push him.
âYou go out. Quick, go out.â
Zhan Haoze pulled her hand over, lowered his head, and forcefully kissed her lips.
Without going any deeper, he stopped himself and said, âIâll wait for you.â
He finally left the kitchen. Shi Mengwanâs face was a little red and hot. She patted her face to let her breathing and heartbeat return to normal.
She turned around, looked at the ingredients on the cooking table, and started to cook.
She had tried the fried steak before, but the taste was really only average. She just hoped that Zhan Haoze wouldnât mind.
Half an hour later, Shi Mengwan took out the fried steak, as well as the pasta she had made, and a salad.
âItâs ready to eat.â
She set everything up and looked at Zhan Haoze, but he suddenly grabbed her hand. âI think youâve prepared wine too, right?â
Wine? Shi Mengwanâs pretty face turned red. She had really prepared it.
But when he said it so directly, it gave her the feeling that he couldnât wait.
She turned around shyly and took out the bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet.
âItâs not a particularly expensive wine.â
She didnât know much about wine. She just picked a relatively expensive bottle to buy.
âItâs okay.â
Zhan Haoze stood up. Seeing that she had prepared everything, he restrained the impulse to go up and hug her. Instead, he opened the wine, poured it for her, and poured it for himself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Shi Mengwan sat across from him. The dining table wasnât big, so she picked up the cup and clinked glasses with him.
Zhan Haoze took the cup from her hand and stared at her face with a burning gaze.
âWhatâs wrong?â Shi Mengwan felt uncomfortable under his gaze. âIs there something on my face?â
âNo.â Zhan Haoze shook his head and clinked glasses with her gently. âI just have something to tell you.â
âWhat?â
What made him so serious?
âStarting tomorrow, our company will have a lot of things for me to do. I might not be able to come here every day.â
He was able to leave his home and come here successfully today because those people hadnât reacted yet. Once they reacted, it wouldnât be so simple.
âYou canât come here every day?â
Shi Mengwan bit her lip, as if she was thinking about the meaning behind his words. âThen, how long will it take?â
Zhan Haoze couldnât promise her anything so he didnât speak. He wasnât willing to promise her. âItâll take some time.â
Shi Mengwan lowered her head and took a sip of wine. She didnât know much about wine, but now she felt that this wine was a little bitter.
âYes, did you encounter any problems?â
Zhan Haoze looked at her and gently shook his head. âItâs just an ordinary business matter. Iâll be fine after I finish this part.â
âOh.â Shi Mengwan didnât know what else to say.
âLetâs eat.â
The meal was very quiet. Shi Mengwan even forgot to light the candles on the candlestick.
She sat there feeling somewhat depressed for some reason, but when she looked at Zhan Haozeâs overly handsome facial features, she suppressed that little bit of depression in her heart.
It didnât matter. She also had times where she didnât care about drawing. The current situation was just right.
She just happened to be going to France to participate in the competition in a period of time. It would be good to take advantage of this period of time to prepare more.
Even though she thought so in her heart, her face still carried an expression of reluctance. The food in front of her seemed to have become bland and tasteless.
The moment Zhan Haoze raised his head, he saw her expression. He picked up the wine and took a sip. Then, he stood up and walked to her.
He picked her up and put her on his lap.
âAre you unhappy?â
âNo.â
Zhan Haoze turned his face and looked at her. Shi Mengwan bit her lip. âIf youâre busy, go ahead. I happen to have something to do too. So, Iâll be very busy lately too.â
She blinked. She didnât know why, but she felt that Zhan Haoze wasnât telling the truth.
But she didnât need him to tell the truth now. âIâm going to France next month to participate in the competition. I need to prepare well during this time. How about you donât come back until I come back from France?â
Wasnât such a long time enough for him to finish his work?
Her lips were suddenly kissed by Zhan Haoze. He held her waist and reached his hand into the hem of her red dress with ease.
Shi Mengwan looked at him and put her arm around his neck. âDonât do it here.â
Zhan Haoze didnât listen to her. He gently bit her lips and let go. âDo it here.â
His lips moved to her ear bit by bit. âNot only here, but also the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Weâll do it everywhere today.â
Shi Mengwan felt her face burn. The implication of his words almost made her lose control.
This man didnât say much, but the things he did and the occasional words he said always made her feel so improper.
But soon, she didnât have the energy to think anymore. Her body was pushed away by him bit by bit. Her mind began to wander nine days away.
..
When Zhan Haoze left Shi Mengwanâs apartment, he put on his disguise again.
He returned to his apartment at dawn. When he entered the apartment, he wasnât surprised to see the few cars that had been waiting for him at the entrance of the residential area last night.
A malicious glint flashed through his eyes. After entering the apartment, he removed his disguise and took out his phone to make a call.
The other party only asked someone to follow him, but didnât ask anyone to make a move. What did this mean? Was he looking for an opportunity, or did he want to play a bigger game?
No matter what it was, he would play along to the end.
The moment the call was connected, he walked to the balcony and stared down at the cars below.
âHelp me do something.â
After hanging up the phone, his fingertips accidentally touched the photo album.
There was a photo that had just been taken today on it . The morning light shone on Shi Mengwanâs face. Her entire person peaceful and quiet, she slept on the bed.
After staring at the photo for a while, Zhan Haoze saved the photo into an encrypted file. He put his phone aside.
Shi Mengwan didnât expect that Zhan Haoze really wouldnât show up.
When she woke up, he had already left. There was still dinner left on the table that the two of them didnât have time to clean up.
However, there was no trace of Zhan Haoze in the room. He didnât even buy her breakfast as usual.
Her body was a little sore and uncomfortable. She sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and hugged her knees.
She looked at the messy dining table for a long time and suddenly smiled.
It wasnât like they had never been separated before. Why did she make it seem like they were going to be separated forever this time?
Shi Mengwan, donât be so high maintenace. After a while, when Zhan Haoze is done with his work, he will come looking for her.
In the next half a month, she didnât see Zhan Haoze. He really didnât appear.
Shi Mengwanâs entries were almost ready. She was going to fly to France in a week.
Before that, Shi Mengwan went to Rong City to visit Su Qingsang.
Su Qingsang had been asking her to go to Rong City since the first month, but Shi Mengwan wasnât free.
After going to Rong City, Su Qingsang deliberately stopped work to play with her. In the evening, she even took her to meet Huo Jinyaoâs childhood friends.
Unexpectedly, Zhan Haozeâs childhood friend, Wan Xianyang, seemed to be interested in her. Before the party ended, he kept asking for her contact information.
For the sake of Su Qingsang, she was embarrassed to reject him so obviously. She had no choice but to give him her Wechat.
In the next two days, saying that he wanted to be her director, Wan Xianyang contacted her again and again.
Shi Mengwan had Su Qingsang to accompany her, so she had to push him away whenever she could. When she really couldnât push him away, she had to ask Su Qingsang to come along.
Fortunately, Huo Jinyaoâs friends were all pretty good. Although Wan Xianyangâs intentions were obvious, he didnât go too far.
This made Shi Mengwan feel relieved. After spending a few days in Rong City, Shi Mengwan was ready to go to France.
The visa and procedures were all done. Although she was a little reluctant to part with Su Qingsang, Shi Mengwan still went back to Lin City first.
When she got home, Shi Mengwan called Zhan Haoze, but no one picked up. She had no choice but to send a message instead. She didnât reply either,
Two days before she went to France, Shi Mengwan went home to visit her parents.
She told them that she was going to France. Although Shi Mengwanâs mother was worried, she had no reason to object to what her daughter was going to do.
Shi Mengwan accompanied her parents for a day. Before boarding the plane, she called Zhan Haoze again, but still, no one picked up.
After boarding the plane, Shi Mengwan took out her phone and looked at the local news while waiting for the plane to take off.
However, she saw this piece of news on a certain news releaseâs public account.
The cityâs tech upstart Zhan Haoze and the heiress of Chen Corporation, Chen Feifei, held an engagement ceremony yesterday.
The following was a detailed introduction about Zhan Haozeâs identity and Chen Feifeiâs identity. There was also the description of yesterdayâs engagement ceremony.
Lastly, was a company like the Chen Corporation going to enter the technology field as well?
The accompanying photos were of Zhan Haozeâs, Chen Feifeiâs, and Chen Yongchangâs faces.
Shi Mengwan stared at the photos for a long time until she repeatedly confirmed that the person was really Zhan Haoze. Her hand trembled and she almost dropped her phone.