Chapter 31 Chapter 31 "I..."

On Tuesday, Zhu Xu's foot was not fully healed. After much consideration, he put away his wheelchair, changed into loose and comfortable shoes and a decent suit, and walked to Building A.

Secretary Huang led her directly to the door of He Yanzhou's office, knocked lightly, and a voice inside responded with "Come in." She then pushed the door open and gestured for her to enter.

Zhu Xu walked in slowly, and the door behind him closed gently.

Looking up, she saw He Yanzhou sitting in his office chair drinking water, his eyes peering over the rim of the porcelain cup at her. She still felt significant discomfort in her left leg, causing her movements to be sluggish.

He Yanzhou put down his cup, but didn't move or speak, his gaze remaining fixed on her.

The room was quiet.

From the doorway to the person in front of him, a mere few meters apart, Zhu Xu felt as clumsy as a rusty machine.

Finally approaching, he gestured for her to sit, then asked, "Is your foot injury healed?"

"More or less," Zhu Xu replied.

"How long does the doctor recommend for rest?"

"Two to three weeks."

He Yanzhou's gaze shifted to the calendar on the table, his eyebrows twitched slightly, and after a moment, he looked back at her with a questioning expression: "Where's the wheelchair?"

Zhu Xu glanced quickly at his slightly tense face but didn't answer. He couldn't very well say that he'd walked over without his wheelchair so he could look his best when he saw him, could he?

Just as she was trying to figure out how to change the subject, He Yanzhou was more direct than her: "Is the plan ready?"

Zhu Xu immediately pulled out the bound papers from the file bag, handed them to the person opposite him, and while the other person was looking through them, he opened his notebook and clicked on the corresponding document.

The surroundings were silent, with the occasional sound of He Yanzhou turning the pages of paper.

She always came to him to discuss work in a personal, face-to-face manner, which only added to her nervousness.

He Yanzhou quickly finished reading and closed the paper: "What are the advantages of this kind of set design?"

Zhu Xu straightened his back: "Let's look at it from two aspects. First, fresh plants can purify the air. Considering that most of the hotel's guests are traveling for leisure or business, the greenery can alleviate fatigue, relax the mind and body, and improve guests' impressions and evaluation of the place. Second, there's no need to worry about after-sales service. We handle everything from design to construction, including fertilization, watering, and pest control. Any plants that are not in good condition will be replaced promptly."

He Yanzhou listened attentively, and after she finished speaking, he asked, "Do plants change with the seasons?"

Zhu Xu said, "We will make corresponding adjustments."

He pointed to one of the items in the plan: "Two years seems a bit long."

Zhu Xu was taken aback, then leaned over to take it, noticing that the cooperation period was marked as two years. She had written the proposal, but Zhao Siqiao had volunteered to print it this morning; it was definitely a little trick she had played.

Zhu Xu's cheeks flushed: "Sorry, it was my carelessness that caused the mistake. The shortest cooperation period is three months, but we can also choose six months or a year."

He Yanzhou didn't say anything, but raised his chin: "Renderings?"

“Yes.” Zhu Xu turned the computer screen towards him: “There are four locations in total, namely the hotel entrance, lobby, rest area, and corridors on each floor. You can choose according to your needs.” As she flipped through the pages, she explained briefly: “This plant is called Umbrella Tree. It can be paired with medium-sized plants such as Anthurium and Pineapple and placed on both sides of the entrance.”

He Yanzhou didn't interrupt, his gaze sometimes falling on the computer screen, sometimes looking at her face. Unconsciously, his eyes lingered on her a little longer. She was wearing a casual apricot-colored suit jacket over a white round-neck shirt, her hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her round forehead.

Her skin was clear and radiant, and her eyes were bright and sparkling, unlike anything she had seen before.

She forgot to look at the computer for a moment, until a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

"..." Zhu Xu touched his face: "Is there something dirty?"

He remained calm, looking back at the computer: "You continue."

Zhu Xu straightened her shoulders: "The lobby is the key part of the entire hotel, and the first impression of guests is the most important." She turned to look at the picture and pointed it out to him: "These plants are Nandina domestica, rubber tree, heart-leaf fig, fan palm, etc., with high, medium and low-sized products arranged in a staggered manner, with soil piled up and shaped underneath, turf laid on top, and finally, white sand is used to build a river."

He Yanzhou asked, "Can the sand be replaced with water?"

"If the budget allows, of course."

He Yanzhou pointed to the computer, indicating that she should turn the page.

Zhu Xu clicked on the next picture: "Corridors and passageways are generally not well lit, so we choose plants that are shade-tolerant and hardy, such as Dracaena fragrans and Pachira aquatica..."

Before long, after viewing all the renderings, we returned to the first page.

That concludes the entirety of the rental arrangement plan.

He Yanzhou got up, went to the water dispenser, filled a glass with warm water, and handed it to Zhu Xu.

"Thank you." She accepted it with both hands.

He Yanzhou sat back down, leaned back, and looked up at her for a while: "The flower shop has been in business for less than a year. Why did you suddenly decide to change careers?"

Zhu Xu took a sip of water. "It's not a career change. The flower shop isn't closing down."

He Yanzhou gave a very slight twitch of his lips: "Starting a company was just a spur-of-the-moment decision?"

Zhu Xu could hear the mockery in his tone, as if in his eyes she was willful and impulsive, with no plan for anything and only acting on her whims.

She put down her paper cup: "I worked in the rental industry for five years, so it's a field I'm quite familiar with. It just so happens that Zhao Siqiao had a similar idea, so we started preparing in that direction."

In fact, He Yanzhou had already figured it out from her state.

I was happy for her, but I didn't say anything.

Zhu Xu didn't explain anything further, closed his laptop, and said, "Leave the plan here. If President He has made up his mind, please let me know."

He Yanzhou stood up, walked around the desk to her side, and handed her the proposal in his hand: "You'll need to talk to the relevant departments later."

In other words, he was just listening to her enthusiastic speech for fun.

Zhu Xu looked up at him for a moment, her heart filled with emotion: "I'm a little confused," she said, reaching out to take the money: "Such trivial matters shouldn't require President He to personally review them."

Even if I've seen it, I still have to go through a process.

Zhu Xu said, "It would be better if I just directly liaised with the departments below."

"You didn't know before you came?"

Zhu Xu retorted, "Didn't you invite me?"

"Would you have come if you didn't want to?"

"you……"

She glared at him hatefully for a long time, then turned her head, packed her things, and prepared to leave.

He Yanzhou suddenly leaned forward, pulling the chair she was sitting on so it faced him. Zhu Xu slumped back down, startled, and looked up at him with wide eyes.

He Yanzhou braced himself on the armrest of the chair, leaning forward and pressing against her. She was squeezed into the narrow seat by him, and instinctively shrank her shoulders. There were only a few fists' distance between them, nose to nose, and his deep eyes were fixed on her.

"Let's stop making trouble," he said softly.

Zhu Xu leaned back in his chair. "What's all this fuss about?"

"Can't understand?"

She didn't say anything.

He Yanzhou said, "I think you know exactly what's going on in your head. You've broken up, lost contact, and almost two months have passed. I've given you plenty of space, and you still haven't figured it out?"

He had indeed prepared to sever all ties that day, but after calming down, he felt that there might be more to their relationship than just that. Was she indifferent to him? He didn't believe it. What stood between them was nothing more than that damned past; it was just a matter of time, so he might as well wait it out.

"I've thought it all through," He Yanzhou said. "Is it really that hard to tell the truth?"

Zhu Xu looked up: "Why don't you tell me what you want to hear, and I'll tell you directly?"

"Okay, then say you love me too."

With a deafening roar, the time bomb planted deep within Zhu Xu's heart ignited. Suddenly, her heart raced, her palms sweated, and her mind was on edge, her blood surging and rushing to her head.

She opened her mouth, only to find her throat tight. She instinctively closed her eyes briefly, then looked up at him again after a moment: "I..."

He Yanzhou suddenly smiled, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing.

He raised his hand and pressed it on the top of her head. "Okay. I understand."

"...I didn't say anything."

"Then I understand."

He straightened up, pushed her chair back, and turned back behind his desk: "Regarding that proposal, shall I schedule a time for you?"

"Thank you for your help, Mr. He."

"polite."

Zhu Xu packed his things and took his leave.

The company's first order came from the shopping mall that Zhao Siqiao had contacted. The person in charge, surnamed Shang, was a strong woman in her early forties. She wore frameless glasses, but the lenses couldn't hide the shrewdness in her eyes.

Zhu Xu went in person and negotiated with her for a long time. Considering the auspiciousness of the opening, he gave her some extra bonuses. In return, Manager Shang introduced several potential customers to them.

Everything is about give and take, so Zhao Siqiao hosted a dinner for several people at a high-end seafood restaurant. During the meal, drinking was inevitable, and as the conversation flowed, they agreed to find a place to relax after New Year's Day.

Zhu Xu was initially not used to such social engagements, but his status was different from before, so he naturally had to accept them.

Before the holiday, the company signed its second order, a hotel project by He Yanzhou, with a one-year cooperation period. The plan was discussed and refined several times, with considerable effort put into the landscaping, using a large quantity of expensive plants, making it a high-end project.

During this time, Zhu Xu did not have any further contact with He Yanzhou. After signing the contract, he thought it over and decided to send him a message to express his gratitude.

He Yanzhou replied, "Mr. Zhu, you're too kind. We look forward to cooperating more in the future."

Zhu Xu stared at this line of words, a complex feeling stirring within him.

Her fingers flew across the screen as she sent a message, the gist of which was that she would do her best to complete her assigned tasks on time and would not disappoint the client.

He Yanzhou stared at his phone for a while, smiled slightly, and replied, "Okay."

At this time, he was returning to Lincheng to celebrate New Year's Day.

Wang Yajie had started urging him several days in advance, saying that it was one thing for him to be rarely seen, but he had to go back for this family reunion even if the company went bankrupt.

He Xi was also there when I entered.

The food was mostly ready and laid out on the table.

He Yanzhou went upstairs to change into comfortable clothes and came down to eat. He didn't question his mother about why she had interfered in his private affairs; his attitude was as usual, and he answered all questions. The atmosphere at the meal was harmonious.

After dinner, we went to the living room, where the family sat on the sofa watching TV and chatting.

After eating some fruit, Wang Yajie gradually got to the point.

She said, "Ningning isn't doing well at this job and wants to open a small shop near you after the New Year. Does your hotel still have any suitable shops available? Could you reserve one for her?"

"They're all fully rented."

"That's why I need you to make some moves," Wang Yajie said. "Ningning also specifically emphasized that one thing is one thing, and the rent will definitely not be reduced."

He Yanzhou snorted: "I believe that. The rent she offered could easily cover the entire hotel."

"What are you saying?" Wang Yajie frowned, pondering for a moment. "Ningning came back from Beidao a while ago and saw that woman."

He Yanzhou was not surprised. He glanced at his mother but did not reply.

"It's not that Ningning is being nosy, but even such a good-natured girl was made to cry. Do you really think your judgment of character is flawed?" Wang Yajie sat on the sofa, her posture dignified. "There are too many people like that, their relationship with you is ambiguous. They're not necessarily sincere towards you; most are just after your money. Besides, her family background is complicated, she's divorced, and her character is generally questionable. Have you ever seen a well-mannered girl who would openly swear?"

She listed all the questions and waited for his response.

He Yanzhou was flipping through channels with the remote control. He hadn't turned on the TV in ages and was indifferent to all the content.

Wang Yajie said earnestly, "Yanzhou, were you even listening to me?"

He Yanzhou turned his head and finally spoke: "What did she say?" He was indeed only interested in this point.

"..." Wang Yajie was so angry she couldn't speak. She turned her gaze to He Xi, who was sitting next to He Yanzhou, and was furious: "Can't you eat in peace?"

He Xi thought to herself, "This is bad. They clearly don't dare to mess with my brother, so they're coming after me." She held the fruit plate in both hands, a piece of apple in her mouth, unsure whether to spit it out or swallow it.

Wang Yajie: "Can't you use your hands to hold it?"

"I didn't wash my hands."

She slammed the jar of fruit forks onto the table: "Use forks."

"Oh." He Xi pouted, looking aggrieved, and silently picked up her fork to make herself less noticeable.

The TV randomly stopped on a channel, and it was showing the New Year's Eve gala.

The music was cheerful, and the dancers sang and danced, their red skirts billowing like blooming flowers.

Wang Yajie composed herself, moved to the other end of the sofa, and faced He Yanzhou directly: "What do you see in her? I've seen her picture, and she's not particularly outstanding in appearance."

He Yanzhou frowned and glanced at He Xi, who shrank back guiltily.

He looked at Wang Yajie and replied, "Aesthetic sense is very personal."

Wang Yajie disagreed and insisted on finding out: "What are her strengths that make you so fascinated?"

He Yanzhou said, "Advantages and disadvantages are not within the scope of consideration."

He Xi, who was sitting quietly to the side, strongly agreed with his statement.

In the matter of Zhu Xu, she was forced to play the role of a minor traitor, and feeling apologetic, she couldn't help but interject, "Yeah, why calculate so much when you like someone! Wanting to be together is a simple matter; can't you just like her?"

He Yanzhou silently curved the corners of his lips, his eyes still fixed on the television.

A short while later, out of the corner of his eye, he saw He Cheng take off his glasses and prepare to get up, so he asked, "Are you going upstairs?"

He Cheng nodded and reminded them before leaving, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; you should interfere less in their private affairs."

Wang Yajie was secretly annoyed that no one was on her side, so she put aside a whole bunch of questions, but before ending the conversation, she still made her stance clear: "Anyway, I don't approve of you being friends with her."

He Yanzhou's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Whether you agree or not is another matter. I need their consent first."

Wang Yajie was slightly taken aback.

"Don't worry about my affairs." He Yanzhou put down the remote control. "It's my job to find a partner. Your preference is secondary. I'll be 29 after the New Year, and I can still make my own decisions about this."

Wang Yajie leaned back on the sofa and remained silent for a long time.

She finally understood that he listened to everything she said, but he would never do anything in return.