Chapter 2

He had a nice personality too.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so reluctant to let him go.

Chen Zhao hugged me and kissed me.

“My poor wife. You’ve worked hard.”

I turned toward him, my eyes curving into a smile.

“Then my husband had better make it up to me.”

I wrapped my arms around Chen Zhao’s neck and kissed him.

A few minutes later, I ground to a halt again.

Chen Zhao looked embarrassed.

“Once this busy period is over, I’ll see a traditional medicine practitioner. Get myself treated.”

“It’s all right.” I tried to be understanding. “That was already very good.”

He got out of bed and fetched another blanket.

“I’d better sleep in the study. Otherwise, I’ll get tempted and start teasing you again.”

The door closed once more.

I covered my face and sighed.

My interest had just been stirred up. Left unsatisfied, I was restless and uncomfortable.

But remembering yesterday’s comments still scared me.

I was a little afraid those words would appear again.

I tossed and turned in bed for over an hour.

In the end, I couldn’t let it go.

I took the toy out of the cupboard.

As I washed it, I told myself that what I’d heard that day had to be a hallucination.

Work had definitely driven me crazy.

Nothing about Zong Lu suggested that he liked me.

After reassuring myself, I gradually began to relax.

I concentrated again.

The comments reappeared.

【Aaaaaah! Is Zong Lu about to make another appearance?】

【Mommy! Daddy! Here I am, freshly born!】

【Zong Lu looks a little dazed. Is he seeing something?】

【The commenter above is right. He absolutely is.】

I was already in the middle of things.

It was hard to snap out of that state.

The next second, I felt as though the thing had developed a mind of its own.

【She still thinks it’s the toy that’s powerful. Actually, hahaha ^_^, it’s the hardware.】

【Aaaaaah! Has Zong Lu figured out this isn’t a hallucination?】

【He’s so proactive!】

【Aaaaaah! He accepted it that fast?】

【What can you do? Our male homewrecker fights for what he wants.】

I endured the uncomfortable feeling and forced myself out of that haze.

This time, I’d made up my mind.

Real or imaginary, it didn’t matter.

I couldn’t keep this thing.

So, in the middle of the night, I threw it in the trash. Still uneasy, I went outside and dumped it in the bin downstairs too.

5

The next day, Zong Lu didn’t come to work.

General Manager Chen said something had happened in his family.

He’d taken a week off.

For some reason, I let out a relieved breath.

The comments appeared.

【What family problem? His heart’s in turmoil, that’s what.】

【Hahahahaha! If I were him, I wouldn’t dare go outside either.】

【Can’t face her now, can he? Hehehe (｡ò∀ó｡)】

Just then, General Manager Chen came over with a folder.

“Take this to Mr. Zong.”

He took out his phone and typed a few lines.

A notification chimed.

“I’ve sent you the address. He needs it urgently.”

I watched him walk away.

The folder in my hands felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds.

【He’s going to be stunned. He asked General Manager Chen to send documents, not his wife!】

【That’s what you call dropping a rock on your own foot.】

【Too scared to come to the office, but he still can’t let go of work.】

I took a deep breath and pushed the tangled thoughts out of my head.

A few minutes later, I left the office with the documents.

Zong Lu lived in one of Haicheng’s most coveted neighborhoods.

The prices were so steep all I could do was look.

Security was extremely strict.

But General Manager Chen must have called ahead.

All I had to do was give my name, and they let me in.

I stood outside the door and rang the bell several times.

A few minutes later, it opened from inside.

Zong Lu was in pajamas.

His sleepy, languid gaze faltered when he saw me.

The comments appeared.

【Him: Aaaaaah! What the hell is she doing here? Hahahahaha!】

【I’m dying. Why is this so funny?】

I handed him the folder.

“General Manager Chen asked me to bring you these documents.”

Zong Lu lowered his eyes and accepted it in one long-fingered hand.

“Mm.”

His voice was indifferent.

“If that’s everything, I’ll get going.”

“Zhang Xiaocao.”

He stopped me.

I turned back, puzzled.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

I gave him an awkward smile.

“No, thank you. Coffee keeps me up.”

Zong Lu walked farther inside.

“Come in. Tell me your thoughts on the Xicheng project.”

6

Sunlight streamed into the spacious apartment.

Zong Lu had a cold temperament, and his home was just as minimalist.

It didn’t feel lived in at all.

He went into the kitchen, poured a glass of cooled boiled water, and handed it to me.

“It’s either this or coffee.”

I hurriedly accepted it.

“Thank you, Mr. Zong.”

But he didn’t let go.

I looked at him in confusion.

His fingers curled slightly, suddenly brushing across my hand.

Then he calmly drew away.

“Mm.”

He sat down opposite me.

The room took on an indescribably awkward air.

I put my smile back on and quickly switched into work mode.

I began my presentation.

Zong Lu remained expressionless throughout.

By the end, I had no idea how much of it he approved of.

His fingers tapped idly against the table.

When I finished, those narrow eyes turned toward me again.

“If you take on this project, you’ll be based in Xicheng for a year.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“What I mean is…” Zong Lu laced his fingers together. “As far as I know, Miss Zhang, you have a boyfriend. You’re even planning to get married this year. Would he agree to you being away for so long?”

I said nothing.

More precisely, my brain hadn’t caught up. I didn’t know what to say.

Zong Lu leaned back slightly.

His voice remained level.

“A year apart. Won’t that affect your relationship?”

Time ticked by.

He seemed exceptionally patient today.

I pinched myself, raised my head, and kept my professional smile in place.

“Of course not.”

“My relationship and my work are separate matters. I won’t let it affect my performance.”

Obviously.

Why would I throw away a career opportunity for a relationship?

There was seriously something wrong with Zong Lu.

But the next second, those comments sounded again.

【Aaaaaah! Is Zong Lu jealous?】

【I’m getting a slightly unhinged homewrecker angling for the top spot here.】

【I’m dying. It’s the quiet dogs that bite.】

Once more, I looked up in confusion.

This time, Zong Lu didn’t avoid my eyes.

“Am I that handsome?”

“No.”

I hastily lowered my head.

Zong Lu made a small sound of acknowledgment.

He rose, turning away without looking back.

“You can return to the office.”

The comments appeared.

【Does anyone else see him running for his life?】

【His wife looked at him, and now he’s nervous, isn’t he?】

【Hehehe! This ship has fed me so well.】

7

A week later, my proposal and those submitted by the others went up for review.

After discussion and consideration, the people assigned to Xicheng included me and several colleagues from other teams.

The surprise was that Zong Lu would be going too.

Which meant I’d have to keep working with him.

Heh.

Life really was a lonely, snowbound wilderness.

A teammate came over.

“You’re all leaving soon. General Manager Chen wants to throw a farewell party.”

I wasn’t surprised.

It was a long-standing company tradition.

The company placed a lot of emphasis on personal relationships and looking after its employees.

That was why its benefits had always been much better than those elsewhere.

There was never any shortage of parties like this.

I turned and smiled.

“Sounds good.”

The party was booked at Bashu.

No managers attended, just our teammates.

That was another company tradition.

Everyone felt they couldn’t really let loose with their bosses around.

Over time, it had become an unwritten rule.

Following our usual routine, we ate and drank at Bashu before moving somewhere else for karaoke.

By the time all the fun was over, it was ten at night.

We left the private room and were about to call taxis home when a black Cullinan pulled up outside.

The window lowered, revealing Zong Lu’s ice-cold face.

“I’ll drive you home.”

I froze.

Maybe the alcohol had made me a little slow.

By the time I came to my senses, everyone else was already in the car.

Only the front passenger seat remained empty.

Zong Lu sounded the horn, a hint of impatience in his voice.

“I can’t park here for long.”

I hurriedly got in.

My colleagues got out one by one.

An hour later, only Zong Lu and I were left.

It was my second time in his car.

Perhaps it was the alcohol.

I found myself remembering something from long ago.

We’d just finished a competition.

Our team had gone out for a meal.

Taxis were hard to find there, so when we spotted Zong Lu, it was like seeing our savior.

One of our more outgoing teammates went over to strike up a conversation.

“Hey, Zong. Could I catch a ride?”

In the darkness, his face looked rather cold.

When I glanced over, he happened to be looking at me.

A few seconds later, he casually looked away.

“Well? Are you coming?”

Everyone piled in noisily. A friend caught my wrist.

“What are you standing there for?”

That day too, after he’d dropped everyone off, only the two of us remained.

I could feel that Zong Lu disliked me.

So I stayed silent the whole way.

But my WeChat notifications kept chiming.

By then, I’d successfully won Chen Zhao over.

He was asking me:

“Are you back yet?”

“Want me to pick you up?”

Zong Lu’s gaze fell on my phone screen.

“Your boyfriend?”

At that moment, the familiar WeChat chime brought me back to the present.

Chen Zhao had sent me a message.

“Honey, I won’t be home tonight.”

“Love you. Kiss, kiss, kiss.”