surprise

Ten minutes before the end of the workday, Yi Yu was already waiting downstairs at the CAQ Group building.

He leaned against his electric scooter, occasionally looking up at the building's exit.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Yi." A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp suit appeared beside him at some point, his tone polite yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Our CEO is in the reception room. Would you mind coming in for a moment?"

Yi Yu recognized him as Wen, the assistant who often followed Si Cheng.

He remembered that Sister Shiyao had repeatedly told him to stay away from Sicheng to avoid being tricked by them, so he politely but firmly refused:

"Thank you, I'll wait here for Sister Shiyao, I won't go up."

Assistant Wen, with a smile on his face, threw out a bait:

"It's about Assistant Qu. Mr. Si would like to talk to you about what happened between them. You might find it interesting."

A flicker of curiosity did cross Yi Yu's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

He believed that if Sister Shiyao was willing to tell him, she would naturally do so;

If he doesn't want to, his attempt to find out on his own will only anger her.

“Thank you, but I’m not curious about these things.” He shook his head.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in Wen's eyes behind his glasses, as if he hadn't expected this young man, who still looked like a student, to be so composed.

He thought to himself: I'm still too young and haven't been tempered by society. I'm a bit timid.

If Yi Yu could hear his thoughts, he probably wouldn't be able to resist showing him what it means to be a "coward".

With the end of the workday fast approaching, Assistant Wen gave up and pulled a simply designed business card from his suit pocket, handing it over:

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer. If you change your mind later, you can call me anytime."

Yi Yu took the business card and looked it over for a while.

Just then, a hand in a cast gently patted his shoulder, and Qu Shiyao's voice came from behind him: "Yi Yu, what are you looking at?"

Without a second thought, Yi Yu handed her the business card with a clean and open smile: "Sister Shiyao, this was given to me by Mr. Si's assistant, Mr. Wen. He said I could contact him if I had any questions."

Qu Shiyao took the business card, glanced at it, and deftly tore it into pieces with a few quick strokes, then accurately tossed it into the nearby trash can.

"Ignore him, he's just having his usual crazy tantrums."

She sat sideways on the back of the electric scooter, then said weakly, "I'm so hungry..."

"Then let's go home right away!"

Upon hearing her say she was hungry, Yi Yu instantly forgot all about Assistant Si Chengwen, immediately started his electric scooter, and drove Qu Shiyao into the evening rush hour traffic.

【Host, is this CEO trying to pull off that 'evil mother-in-law throwing checks around' trope from TV dramas?】The system excitedly chattered in her mind.

[It's the kind of story where 'I'll give you a million dollars, leave my son!'] It's clearly been reading a lot of novels like this lately.

"Child, are the CEO's parents still alive?" Qu Shiyao asked with a serious expression, her mind racing.

Having followed her for so long, the system knows what she's thinking without even asking her questions.

[Yes, but his parents basically don't care about the CEO's private life, so don't count on it, host.]

Seeing Qu Shiyao's clearly disbelieving expression, it added impatiently:

[Host, as you know from reading the original novel, his parents hardly ever appear on screen; they only make a brief appearance at the engagement party.]

"Tsk, why is he so unpredictable!" Qu Shiyao looked at Si Cheng with a look of disappointment and contempt in her heart. "What a waste! He doesn't even have a parent who can throw around checks!"

The system was speechless and felt a little ashamed of its host's overly realistic thoughts.

We arrived back at the apartment building without saying a word.

"Sister Shiyao, you go back and rest for a bit. I'll call you when I've finished cooking!"

Thinking about the surprise she was going to prepare, Yi Yu pushed Qu Shiyao toward her door with an unusually serious tone, as if she were trying to hide something.

Qu Shiyao obediently let him push her along, but when they reached the door, she suddenly turned back and asked in an extremely innocent tone:

"What you made today... given my current disabled state, can I really eat it without any guilt and find it particularly delicious?"

"Sister Shiyao!" Yi Yu's face flushed red instantly, as if her little secret had been punctured in an instant, and all her surprise vanished.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding." Qu Shiyao, seeing that she had achieved her goal, patted his shoulder with a grin to appease him.

"At least I don't know exactly what you did!"

After saying that, she quickly slipped into the room and closed the door, leaving Yi Yu alone in the hallway, staring at the door with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, racking his brains to come up with his surprise.

【Host, this is not romantic at all!】 As soon as she returned to the room, the system couldn't wait to jump out and criticize Qu Shiyao from its high vantage point.

"Oh? Little system, you even know what romance is?" Qu Shiyao threw her bag on the sofa and started unpacking the packages that Yi Yu had brought back for her.

[Hmph! Don't underestimate the system!] The system proudly raised its noble head.

The essence of romance lies in surprise and anticipation! The way you're doing it now eliminates all the surprise!

This time, it is no longer the rookie system that was easily ridiculed by its host!

[But it's okay! You have me!] The system became excited on its own.

[Let me give you some tips! I guarantee you'll create the perfect atmosphere! When you go in, no matter what you see, just say it in your sweetest voice—]

It suddenly adjusted its voice module, and the next second, a affected, pretentious voice rang in Qu Shiyao's mind:

【Oh my god! This is such a wonderful surprise, Yi Yu! I'm so touched! I want to have your babies!!!】

From that "ya" sound onwards, goosebumps rose all the way from the soles of Qu Shiyao's feet to the top of her head.

Upon hearing the words "having babies," she instantly felt: perhaps this system isn't so necessary after all? It seems the task can be completed without it?

Why not just get rid of this system? What a terrible idea! She felt her ears had been severely insulted.

The key issue is that the system is completely oblivious and is still indulging in self-admiration, believing that with this combination of moves, Yi Yu will definitely be completely captivated by the host.

"Host, what do you think of my move?" the system asked expectantly.

"I think it's great!" Qu Shiyao answered seriously, and as the system's eyes suddenly lit up, she said as if she had made a huge decision:

"It seems that restoring the system to factory settings will have to be put on my agenda."

【Host!!!】The system let out a shrill scream, then instantly fell silent, quietly retreating into a corner.

The world is finally peaceful.

Just then, the cell phone on the coffee table rang.

Qu Shiyao thought it was Yi Yu calling her for dinner, but when she picked it up, she found it was Si Cheng calling.

Without even thinking, she hung up.

Not long after, the phone rang again, stubbornly.

Hang up again.

It rang again.

After several rounds of this, if it weren't for the fact that the other party was still her nominal boss, Qu Shiyao would have definitely blacklisted him immediately.

"What's up?" Finally, she answered the phone, her tone extremely impatient.

"Shiyao," came Sicheng's cautious, even pleading voice from the other end of the phone, "Could you come to the balcony for a moment?"

Qu Shiyao immediately hung up the phone and quickly sent a message to Su Wanwan.

[Sister Qu: Mr. Si is currently performing some kind of performance art downstairs from my apartment balcony. (Holding a cat by the scruff of its neck and handing it over.jpg)]

[Evening Breeze: Received. (Elegantly pinching a cat.jpg)]

After sending the message, Qu Shiyao walked to the window and looked down through the gap in the curtains.

Si Cheng stood downstairs, impeccably dressed, striking what he thought was a deeply affectionate pose.

The trunk of the luxury car behind him was stuffed with all sorts of flowers, which looked particularly tacky in the sunset.

【Wow! That's pretty romantic!】The system had somehow put on glasses, adjusted the frames, and was trying to comment.

As soon as Qu Shiyao heard the system mention romance again, she glared at it, and the system immediately fell silent, quietly taking off its glasses.

Not long after, there seemed to be some commotion downstairs.

Su Wanwan appeared as if she had just happened to pass by, and she exchanged a few words with Si Cheng.

Qu Shiyao was too far away to hear what was being said, but she could see that Si Cheng's expression gradually changed from expectant to somewhat unnatural.

Finally, he got into the car with Su Wanwan and left.

This scene completely stunned the system.

[No way?! He's gone already? What happened to his promise of unwavering love after rebirth? What happened to the unforgettable love from their past life? Wasn't he just badmouthing Miss Su to you this morning?]

The system felt that its feelings had been deceived, and by the male protagonist of the original work no less!

Qu Shiyao was speechless at the system's naivety.

"You can tell from the fact that he hid his girlfriend and accepted help from other admirers when he was in college to raise funds for his business that he always loves himself the most."

Qu Shiyao walked back to the sofa and continued sorting through the packages she had half-unpacked.

"He does like Qu Shiyao, but his career and ambition are more important than love. Su Wanwan represents the support of the Su Group, how could he easily push her away for someone as uncertain as me?"

Not long after, Yi Yu's voice finally came from outside the door: "Sister Shiyao, dinner is ready!"

Qu Shiyao picked up a small gift box she had prepared and walked over.

As soon as the door opened, the first thing that caught my eye was several large pots of vibrant sunflowers!

The key point is that these sunflowers weren't cut flowers; they were brought in pots and soil, which made them seem exceptionally practical!

"Sister Shiyao! This is for you!" Yi Yu pointed a little shyly at the several huge sunflowers, her face showing a smile that was both expectant and a little apprehensive.

Even Qu Shiyao was a little stunned.

She remembered that when Yi Yu asked her what kind of flowers she liked, she did say that she wasn't very interested in purely ornamental flowers.

The system was stunned, its mind blank except for: Holy crap? This fish's thought process is truly bizarre! There was a surprise, but why couldn't it feel any romance at all?

"Wow! How did you think of sending this!" Qu Shiyao exclaimed in surprise, leaning closer to examine the golden flowerpot.

"That's great! Once the sunflower seeds ripen, we can eat them together! This gift is fantastic!"

When Yi Yu saw that she not only didn't dislike him, but actually liked him, his eyes lit up instantly.

He took the opportunity to take out another small box that he had prepared beforehand. Inside was an exquisite necklace with a small ring as the pendant, the inner circle of which was engraved with the letters "YY".

"Sister Shiyao, this is a gift I prepared."

Yi Yu nervously took out the same necklace she was wearing around her neck. The inner ring of the pendant was engraved with "QSY". "I have one too, it's a matching one..."

"Then..." Qu Shiyao turned around, lowered her head slightly, tossed her long hair to one side, revealing her fair neck, her voice tinged with laughter.

"Could my boyfriend help me put it on?"

Yi Yu's face flushed red instantly. He carefully took the necklace, his fingers trembling slightly, and gently put it on her wrist.

The system silently captured and saved this moment. Although it wasn't quite the romantic scene it had envisioned, it seemed pretty good nonetheless.

After putting on the necklace, Qu Shiyao also took out the gift box she had prepared.

Inside is a purple men's phone charm, with a safety rope meticulously woven at the bottom, clearly made with care and attention.

"Did you knit this yourself, Sister Shiyao? It's so beautiful!" Yi Yu took it, admiring it but reluctant to use it.

Qu Shiyao saw through his thoughts at a glance and laughed, "This is meant to be used, not hidden away as decoration."

Yi Yu had no choice but to obediently hang the pendant on her phone under her smiling gaze.

That evening's dinner was exceptionally lavish and exquisite, clearly prepared with great care by Yi Yu. Each dish was like a work of art, exuding a warm and happy atmosphere.