Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The unfamiliar environment in front of her wasnât that of her apartment.
Shi Mengwan felt a headache coming on. She sat up and looked at the environment in front of her.
This room was very big. It was almost as big as her small apartment. Other than the bed, there was also a sofa and an imperial consortâs chair on the other side.
Near the balcony, there were elegant and simple beige curtains. The whole style was European Court style, but not very popular.
She got out of bed and found that it wasnât her shoes by the bed, but a pair of extremely comfortable indoor slippers. She put them on and walked toward the balcony. When she pulled open the curtains, she was almost shocked.
The huge artificial lake was right in front of her, and the green in front of her was like a park, but it was much more elegant than a park.
She looked to the side and saw all the villas. She frowned. She was friends with Su Qingsang, and sometimes she would attend some clientsâ dinner parties. She had a certain understanding of some famous villas in Lin City.
But this neighborhood in front of her was very unfamiliar to her.
She stood for a while and remembered that the last person she saw was Zhan Haoze. She was about to call Zhan Haoze. However, Zhan Haoze happened to be standing at the door.
âWhere am I? Why am I here?â How did he bring her here?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
No, how did she appear here without realizing anything?
âMy home.â Zhan Haoze walked towards her. The morning light shone from the balcony. The person in front of her was tall and handsome.
Shi Mengwan almost lost her footing when she heard the next sentence. âThis is my home in Qing City.â
Shi Mengwan staggered and almost lost her balance. Zhan Haoze quickly supported her at that moment.
Shi Mengwan, who had just woken up, didnât have much energy to resist him. Her lips moved and a gloomy look flashed across her eyes.
âYou, who agreed to you? Who promised you that I would come to Qing City?â
Zhan Haoze saw the anger on her face. He didnât understand why she was so angry.
âI told you that I wanted to bring you to Qing City.â
Shi Mengwan was so angry that she almost laughed. âYou said you wanted me to come, so I had to come?â
Wanting to walk out, she threw this sentence and walked past Zhan Haoze. Her arm was grabbed by Zhan Haoze.
âYouâre angry? Why?â
âWhy? Do you think I canât be angry? Do you think I have no reason to be angry if you brought me to another city and another place without my consent?â
Zhan Haoze was stunned for a moment. Looking at the anger on Shi Mengwanâs face, he nodded, which was rare. âIâm sorry. Itâs my fault for not getting your consent. However, I still have things to settle here, but I wanted to be with you, so I used this wrong method.â
His attitude was a little humble. Shi Mengwan was really not used to Zhan Haoze like this.
In the past, she would have wanted to question him, but today, she was too lazy to even question him.
âI accept your apology, so can I leave now?â
Zhan Haoze didnât expect Shi Mengwan to have such a reaction. In the moment that his mind flashed. Shi Mengwan was already walking out. When she reached the door, he wanted to chase after her.
Shi Mengwan suddenly stopped and turned back.
âWhereâs my bag? And my car.â
âMy bag is downstairs. I asked someone to park your car downstairs.â
Shi Mengwan didnât ask any more questions after hearing that. She turned around and continued to walk out. Zhan Haoze followed behind her.
Shi Mengwan took a few steps and realized that there was no way out. She turned around and looked at Zhan Haoze who was following behind her. She didnât know if it was her imagination, but she saw a subtle smile in his eyes.
âThe stairs are over here.â
Zhan Haoze explained very kindly. Shi Mengwan snorted and walked past him in the opposite direction.
She was full of anger. Zhan Haoze decided not to tell her that the place she had walked to was actually an elevator. She just needed to press the button on the side and the elevator would come up. Instead, he chose to follow behind her.
Shi Mengwan was wearing cotton slippers, so she naturally couldnât walk fast. She didnât know if she had turned on the air conditioner, but the warm wind in this season made her feel a little hot.
The stairs were indeed on the other side. After going downstairs, she wasnât in the mood to appreciate the decorations here. After looking around, she saw her bag on the sofa. She went forward to pick it up and continued to walk outside.
After taking two steps, she realized that the shoes on her feet werenât right. She had to turn around to look at Zhan Haoze.
âWhere are my shoes?â
âTheyâre in the shoe cabinet at the entrance.â
Zhan Haoze said. Shi Mengwan nodded and went forward to open the shoe cabinet. Sure enough, she found her shoes. She put them on and reached out to open the door.
The moment the door opened, a cold wind blew against her face, causing Shi Mengwan to quickly and instinctively close the door.
She turned around and looked at Zhan Haoze. âIs Qing City in the north?â
She had always heard him say that he wanted her to accompany him back to Qing City, but she had never paid attention to where Qing City was.
She looked at herself. Before she left the house yesterday, she had taken a thin wool coat, but now that she had just woken up, she didnât know where the coat was. She was only wearing a thin sweater, so she was really cold now.
She glared at Zhan Haoze and gritted her teeth for some reason. âMr. Zhan, can I ask, how did I get in here yesterday?â
Zhan Haoze looked at the anger on her face and didnât seem to mind. âI carried you in. You slept a little soundly. When I got out of the car, I covered you with a blanket.â
Of course, he wouldnât say that he got into the car right after he got off the plane. The car was heated and they came directly from the underground garage when they arrived, so it was normal for her not to feel cold.
Shi Mengwan nodded. Her expression was very conflicted, but also a little angry. âGood, very good. Very good.â
Under such circumstances, if she didnât want to get sick from the cold, she had to ask Zhan Haoze.
âYou donât have to leave in a hurry. There are many fun places in Qing City. You can play for two days before you leave.â
âIs this considered a forced sale?â
Shi Mengwan was furious. Zhan Haoze put his arm around her waist. âThis is a sincere invitation.â
Shi Mengwan raised her foot and was about to step on his instep. However, she was wearing cotton slippers. No matter how hard she tried, it didnât cause any harm to Zhan Haozeâs foot.
Not wanting to talk to him, she was angry and turned around.
However, her stomach called out unwillingly at this time. Shi Mengwanâs face immediately turned red.
âLetâs go. Letâs eat.â
Zhan Haoze brought her to the dining hall. Previously, Shi Mengwan was so focused on leaving that she didnât even notice that there was someone else in the house.
After entering the dining hall, she realized that not only was the room big, but the dining hall was also big.
There was a long white dining table with a lot of exquisite food placed in the middle. It was placed on an exquisite plate.
Zhan Haoze held Shi Mengwanâs hand and sat down at one end of the dining table.
âQing City has some pretty good attraction places. After dinner, we can ââ
âDidnât you say that you have a lot of business to deal with?â Shi Mengwanâs expression was a little cold. âSince thatâs the case, you can go deal with business first.â
Zhan Haoze wasnât angry after being rejected by her. He wanted to explain that he could free up a day, but Tang Hua rushed in from outside.
When he saw that Shi Mengwan was also there, he swallowed the words that he wanted to say.
âChief Zhan, Miss Shi.â
Shi Mengwan knew Tang Hua. This person had been with Zhan Haoze for God knows how long. She nodded as a greeting and watched Zhan Haoze get up.
âYou eat first. I have something to do here. Iâll bring you to play in the afternoon.â
Shi Mengwan didnât mind since she could go out. Now she was so happy that she couldnât see Zhan Haoze.
Zhan Haoze only finished his work in the evening.
Shi Mengwan didnât mind. She was thinking about some problems. For example, how should she leave this place? How should she tell Zhan Haoze everything.
Before she could think clearly, Zhan Haoze had finished his work.
The sky gradually darkened. When Zhan Haoze appeared in front of Shi Mengwan again, Shi Mengwan had just finished scrolling through her Wechat moments.
Looking at the pair of long legs that appeared in front of her, she raised her head. Zhan Haoze was looking at her.
âCome on, letâs go out and eat.â
âGo out and eat?â Shi Mengwan didnât want to move. âItâs very cold outside.â
Actually, it wasnât particularly cold. It wasnât the coldest time in Qing City yet. It was just that Shi Mengwan had just flown over from the south and felt that it was especially cold here.
Zhan Haoze held her hand, and she realized that there was a fitting room on the other side of the door.
She pulled open the door of one of the cabinets. Inside, there were all womenâs clothes. All of them were brand new, and the tags were still there. There were clothes for all seasons of the year. There were all kinds of shoes underneath.
So many womenâs clothes made Shi Mengwan turn her head to look at him. Her slightly furrowed brows carried some complicated emotions.
Although these clothes were all in her size, her size was the standard size. So â
âArenât we going out for dinner? Take a jacket and go.â
Shi Mengwan couldnât get too excited, but Zhan Haoze seemed to be in a good mood. Seeing that she wasnât going to make a move, he took the initiative to pick out a khaki-colored wool jacket and handed it to her.
âThis isnât bad.â
Although Shi Mengwan wasnât very satisfied, she still put on the coat. She found a pair of boots to put on, and Shi Mengwan followed Zhan Haoze out of the door.
After getting into the car, Shi Mengwan wasnât in a good mood. Zhan Haoze looked very relaxed.
He reached out to pull her hand. âSorry, Tang Hua had something to talk to me about, and forgot the time. He didnât accompany you. Are you angry?â
Shi Mengwan wasnât angry at all. She withdrew her hand, and Zhan Haoze reached out to her again. She avoided his hand again. This time, she accidentally touched a button and the car window was lowered.
A cold wind blew past, and Shi Mengwan closed the car window again. The car turned at this time, so she didnât notice that Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao had just gotten out of the car in a villa nearby. Su Qingsang happened to see her sitting in the car window, and for a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
Zhan Haozeâs car drove around Qing City. He seemed to be in a good mood today, so he sat in the car and gave Shi Mengwan a brief introduction of some of the scenic spots in Qing City and places to go.
Unfortunately, Shi Mengwan wanted to break up with him, so she was in a bad mood and couldnât bring herself to do so.
In the end, Zhan Haoze thought that she was hungry, so he took her to a place that was said to be very delicious and had roasted mutton.
It was a typical northern courtyard restaurant, but it was cleverly divided into one private room after another.
Zhan Haoze and Shi Mengwan were taken into the private room and sat down. Not long after they ordered the food, Zhan Haozeâs cell phone rang. He glanced at Shi Mengwan and took his phone out to answer the call.
He didnât expect to meet Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao, who had also come because of their fame.
âPresident Zhan?â
âPresident Huo.â
The two men stood at the door of the private room and greeted each other. Shi Mengwan saw Su Qingsang at first sight. She was so frightened that she instinctively hid in the bathroom in the private room.
Outside, Zhan Haoze was still chatting with Huo Jinyao. The men were talking to each other. Shi Mengwan didnât care at all about what they were talking about.
All she cared about was whether Zhan Haoze would suddenly go crazy and ask them to come in for dinner.
If Su Qingsang saw her, it would be really embarrassing. Fortunately, Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao werenât meeting anyone they knew here. They were just here for fun.
After greeting them, Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao went to the backyard to watch them roast the whole lamb.
Shi Mengwan felt her back drenched in sweat. When Zhan Haoze entered the house, she couldnât help but look gloomy.
âI want to leave.â
Her voice sounded a little anxious. Looking at Zhan Haoze, she had no intention of staying.
âTheyâre already roasting it. Itâll be done soon.â Zhan Haoze sat down beside her and looked at her pale face. Ever since he came to look for her this time, he had a rare intention to tease her.
âYouâre going out now to meet your good friend?â
âZhan Haoze?â Has Su Qingsang not returned to the private room yet?
âYour good friend is visiting now. If you go out now, I wonât object, but I canât guarantee that you wonât encounter her by chance.â
Shi Mengwanâs expression was very ugly. Wishing that she could open a hole in his body, she glared at Zhan Haoze in front of her.
Zhan Haoze went to pinch her hand again. âIf you want to see her, itâs easy. I can ask president Huo to bring her along. Itâll be more lively with more people, donât you think?â
Itâs him, my ass. Shi Mengwan turned her face away. She didnât want to see this bastard at all.
The meal was naturally a little tasteless. Shi Mengwan saw Su Qingsangâs picture of a roasted lamb on her Wechat moments. She even circled her on it, saying that the next time she came, she could treat her to it.
Shi Mengwan finally gave a thumbs up and threw her phone to the side.
That night, Zhan Haoze said that he would take her to the hot spring, but Shi Mengwan was not in the mood. âZhan Haoze, when are you going to let me go?â
âWhatâs the rush? I told you, there are many places worth visiting in Qingcheng, and thereâs a hot spring here. Itâs very comfortable to soak in a hot spring in this kind of weather. Iâll get someone to arrange it tomorrow.â
How could Shi Mengwan still be in the mood to soak in a hot spring? She wanted to return to Lin City right now. Zhan Haoze hugged her waist at this moment.
âPregnant women arenât allowed to soak in hot springs, so donât worry. Itâs unlikely that your good friend, Mrs. Huo, will encounter you.â
âIf I return to Lin City, itâs even more unlikely that sheâll meet me.â
Shi Mengwanâs words were somewhat mocking. Zhan Haoze acted as if he didnât hear her. He didnât think that there was something wrong with Shi Mengwan because he saw her with Chen Feifei. He only thought that she was unhappy because he brought her to Qing City without her consent, an that was why she was throwing a tantrum.
Seeing that she couldnât reason with him, Shi Mengwan simply didnât say anything.
She opened the door like a thief and called the waiter to confirm that Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao were in their own private room. Only then did she leave in a hurry.
What Shi Mengwan didnât expect was that what she was afraid of would come true. The more she didnât want to run into Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao, the more she would run into them.
When she was dragged out of the door by Zhan Haoze and brought by him to visit the famous ancient city in Qing City, she actually ran into Su Qingsang again.
She was a fashion designer, so she didnât have a fanatical interest in clothing stores. However, when it came to ethnic clothing stores, clothing stores with personality, she couldnât resist them.
Thus, even though she didnât want to be with Zhan Haoze, she still couldnât help but lift her feet and enter the clothing store when she saw it.
Her teacher had once told them that a good clothing design not only sought for the new, but also had to be passed down.
The nation was the world, and the characteristics of the nation also needed to be passed down. Shi Mengwan looked at the exquisite, handmade clothes and liked them very much.
Zhan Haoze said at the right time, âIf you like them, you can try them on.â
âYes, miss, your figure is so good. Youâll look good in our clothes.â
The shop assistant said flattery at the right time. Seeing that Shi Mengwan was standing still, he added, âThe clothes in our shop are usually of one color and one size. Although they are all of the same ethnic style, we have our own manufacturing and processing. Miss, please try them on.â
It wasnât the peak season for tourists, so there werenât many people. Shi Mengwan looked at the obviously Uyghur clothes and finally nodded.
She didnât expect that when she went in to try on the clothes, it was such a coincidence. Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao happened to enter the shop.
Speaking of which, Su Qingsang entered the shop because of her. Although her belly was too big for her to wear them, Shi Mengwan could wear it.
Su Qingsang just wanted to buy a gift for Shi Mengwan. But she didnât expect to meet Zhan Haoze.
Zhan Haoze also didnât expect to meet Huo Jinyao so coincidentally in such a big city with a population of more than ten million people.
It was really fate.
Huo Jinyao looked at him with a probing gaze. Zhan Haoze was quite calm and even started to chat with Huo Jinyao again.
âIs Director Zhan alone?â
âNo, my girlfriend and I are here.â
Zhan Haoze openly admitted Shi Mengwanâs identity. Of course, he didnât miss the flash of dissatisfaction in Su Qingsangâs eyes.
Su Qingsang naturally wouldnât like Zhan Haozeâs behavior. Zhan Haoze already had a fiancée, Chen Feifei, but now he had a girlfriend.
She dared to bet that the girlfriend was definitely not Chen Feifei.
Su Qingsang wasnât interested in meddling in other peopleâs business. She turned around and took a piece of clothing that she felt was suitable for Shi Mengwan and went to the fitting room.
On the other end, the shop assistant took the initiative to ask because Shi Mengwan didnât come out.
Zhan Haoze looked at Huo Jinyao, who was staring at him with curiosity, and entered the fitting room under the shop assistantâs gaze.
Shi Mengwan had never encountered such an awkward situation, and she had never encountered a problem that she was more unable to solve than now.