Chapter 37 Thank you, Mr. Shang, for taking me in.

Yan Shuang sat in the car, parked in front of the apartment building for nearly an hour.

The clock on the dashboard showed 20:23, and a pale blue light shone on her bloodless face.

Just then, the phone rang, and the words "Lin Sheng" appeared on the screen.

"Secretary Yan, excuse me for bothering you." Lin Sheng's voice was weary. "Which encrypted folder did you put the Asia-Pacific M&A case analysis that President Shang needs for tomorrow's morning meeting?"

"In the 'Quarterly Reports' subdirectory on drive E, the file name is QZ-2025-MA-Confidential. The password is the CEO's birthday in reverse order plus an asterisk."

The sound of typing came from the other end of the phone. "Found it! Thank you so much! I just got back from the US, and I'm still jet-lagged..."

After hanging up the phone, the cell phone was thrown on the passenger seat, and the bag slid onto the floor mat, but none of that mattered anymore.

I start the engine, shift gears, and the tires screech.

The black Audi shot out of the underground parking garage like an arrow.

Rainwater pooled on the windshield, forming small streams, only to be roughly swept away by the wipers.

Yan Shuang ran three red lights and was warned by a truck honking its horn, but it all felt like something from another world.

The Audi made a sharp turn into the alley, and the neon lights of the bar street came into view.

She swerved her car into the parking space, opened the door, and walked into the bar.

The amber-colored whiskey sloshed in the glass, and Yan Shuang tilted her head back for another glass.

The alcohol burned down my throat, but it couldn't extinguish the fire in my heart.

Was it the fifth or the sixth cup? She couldn't remember.

She leaned on the bar counter to stand up, intending to go to the restroom to wash her face, but almost tripped over her own high heels.

"Watch out, beautiful." A man in a floral shirt suddenly blocked her way, his arm loosely reaching out to help her. "Shall I give you a ride?"

Yan Shuang coldly stepped aside: "No need."

But as soon as he took a step, he stumbled and bumped into the corner of the table, a sharp pain shooting through his knee.

The hand in the floral shirt reached out again.

She could hardly stand it anymore. Why couldn't she even find peace and quiet by getting drunk?

Just as tears were about to spill over, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.

A familiar masculine scent enveloped him, mixed with a faint aroma of whiskey.

Shangqiu Zhu held her waist with one hand, while the other hand held a half-finished glass of amber-colored liquor. His cold gaze swept over the floral shirt-wearing man who had struck up a conversation with her.

The other person's expression changed drastically, and they hurriedly retreated, disappearing into the noisy crowd in the blink of an eye.

"You've gotten bolder, haven't you?" Shangqiu Zhu's voice was gloomy. "You come here alone to drown your sorrows..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

Yan Shuang was trembling all over, and tears fell one by one onto the back of his hand that was holding her waist.

The sarcastic words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

Yan Shuang's tears were still falling, and her thin shoulders trembled slightly in his palm.

Shangqiu Zhu said no more, slipped one hand under her knees, and used the other hand to firmly support her waist.

With a little effort, he lifted her up horizontally.

He carried her through the quiet corridor, oblivious to the stares of those around him.

As he approached the door of a private room, a waiter silently opened the door for him.

Shangqiu Zhu walked straight to the large sofa in the center and placed the still trembling person in his arms on it.

He then stood up, but before he could take a step, a pair of hands grabbed his sleeve tightly.

She strained, as if it were the only piece of driftwood.

Shangqiu Zhu stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the person who was deeply slumped in the sofa.

He looked at her pale profile, her bitten lower lip, and the hot tears that kept overflowing from the corners of her eyes.

He stared at her silently for a few seconds, and finally, following her pull, he sat down on the edge of the sofa next to her.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Yan Shuang hugged him tightly. Her trembling was no longer due to the cold, but rather a more intense release of emotions.

Outside the window, the torrential rain had stopped sometime earlier.

Later memories became both blurry and intense.

Yan Shuang started crying again.

...

The black Bentley silently glided to the front of the bar.

The driver opened the car door, and Shangqiu Zhu carried Yan Shuang into the back seat before getting in himself.

"Address," he asked succinctly, his voice unusually low in the enclosed carriage.

Yan Shuang leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and shook her head, her voice thick with nasal congestion and drunkenness: "I don't want to go home..."

That place that always made her feel like she was superfluous.

She didn't want to go back to Xinghewan either; that apartment was just a gift from her parents to compensate her.

Going back now would only amplify the sadness of tonight tenfold with the emptiness and cold.

Shangqiu Zhu turned her head to the side, watching the dazzling night view outside the window flicker on her face.

The driver in the front seat glanced quickly through the rearview mirror at the unusual female passenger in the back seat, then quickly looked away.

Having served President Shang for many years, he knew that President Shang never brought women back to his private residence. Just as he was secretly considering whether to ask if they should go to a hotel, Shang Qiuzhu spoke up, "To Cuihu Tiandi."

A hint of surprise flashed in the driver's eyes, but he immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Shang."

The car smoothly merged into the traffic.

Yan Shuang seemed to have fallen asleep, quietly leaning against the corner.

Half an hour later, the car drove into the garage.

Shangqiu Zhu got out of the car first, and then carried the already sleeping Yan Shuang out of the car.

She gave a soft hum, buried her face in it, and snuggled against it as if seeking warmth.

Shangqiu Zhu tightened his grip on her arm slightly and walked steadily toward the elevator, heading straight to the top floor.

He carried her through the spacious but somewhat empty living room, heading straight to the master bedroom, where he placed Yan Shuang on the large gray bed in the center.

She turned to her side, burying herself deeper into the soft pillows and blankets, her breathing even and long, until she drifted off to sleep.

Shangqiu Zhu stood by the bed and looked down at her for a moment.

The warm yellow light of the sleep lamp softly outlined her relaxed sleeping face, stripping away all her defensiveness and stubbornness from when she was awake.

A few strands of hair clung to her slightly damp forehead. He reached out his finger to brush them away, but stopped just before he touched them.

He stood still for a moment in the dim light, his eyes filled with a deep silence.

-

The next day, when Yan Shuang woke up, she was completely encircled in Shang Qiuzhu's arms. His steady breathing brushed against the back of her neck, and one hand was on her waist.

Yan Shuang instantly regained consciousness, her body stiff as a board.

Last night's memories flooded back like fragments.

She suddenly covered her face, her fingertips touching her burning skin.

Last night, I actually cried like a madman in front of him, with snot and tears streaming down my face.

Yan Shuang carefully tried to remove the hand from her waist, then looked up to meet a pair of clear eyes. Shang Qiuzhu had clearly been awake for a long time; there was no trace of sleepiness in his eyes.

"Mr. Shang..." Yan Shuang's voice was stuck in her throat, her cheeks burning.

She then realized that her legs were still wrapped around Shangqiu Zhu's body. She hurriedly tried to back away, but was held in place by the arms that suddenly tightened around her waist.

Yan Shuang's eyelashes trembled violently: "Last night I..."

Shangqiu Zhu suddenly let go of her hand and sat up.

"I have no interest in knowing."

Yan Shuang looked up in surprise.

Shangqiu Zhu stood by the bed tying the belt of his bathrobe. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yan Shuang's reddened eyes, and his movements paused almost imperceptibly.

Yan Shuang sat up, clutching her collar. "Last night... thank you for taking me in, Mr. Shang."

Shangqiu Zhu stared at her expression for a moment, then straightened up and took out a cigarette case from the bedside table: "Go wash up."

Yan Shuang's ears burned, and she hurriedly jumped out of bed and walked towards the bathroom door.