Chapter 9: Sinking Game

Chapter 9: Sinking Game

It was a nice weekend, and Yan Zhen had nothing to do, so she decided to take Chocolate for a walk in the park.

Originally, she wanted to go with Aunt Cui, but Aunt Cui suddenly said that she had to prepare dinner at home, so Yan Zhen had to go alone.

She parked her car in the parking lot at the entrance of the park and walked in holding Chocolate.

As soon as the well-behaved, snow-white Samoyed entered the park, it instantly captured the attention of everyone around it. People kept cautiously approaching and asking if they could pet it. Yan Zhen smiled and agreed, and for a moment, Chocolate was surrounded by the surging love of passers-by.

Some men even chatted with her while petting her dog.

"Are you here alone?"

"yes."

"This Samoyed is really well raised. He must have put a lot of thought into it, right?"

"It's okay."

"Your dog is very well behaved, but mine is more naughty. Is there any way to train a dog?"

"Nothing special, just..."

The words stopped abruptly, and Yan Zhen noticed a familiar figure. He didn't know when he had arrived, but he was wearing a casual black long-sleeved shirt and trousers. He was squatting on the ground in a leisurely posture, and his slender, strong fingers gently rubbed Chocolate's head.

Even though he was in the crowd, his outstanding figure and temperament still made him particularly eye-catching, and several mobile phone cameras that were taking pictures of chocolate secretly turned to him.

Chocolate was obviously very excited to see him. He kept snuggling into his arms, swinging his tail like a propeller, making everyone around him laugh. They all joked, "It seems dogs like handsome guys too."

Chen Huaixu stroked the chocolate's fur, curled the corners of his lips politely, and looked up at Yan Zhen.

The park is in the midst of spring, with lush green branches overhead and the clear and noisy chirping of birds.

The sunlight sprinkled down like broken gold, bringing a little warmth to his eyes.

Yan Zhen pretended to look away as if nothing had happened and continued to answer the man's question: "My family hired someone to tame it because I don't have that much time and patience myself."

"Uh...I see." The man scratched the back of his head and smiled again. "Then can I add you on WeChat and recommend a professional?"

Before Yan Zhen could reply, the leash suddenly tightened, tugging at her palm. She looked up and saw Chen Huaixu suddenly stand up and take a step back, holding something in his hand. Chocolate wagged his tail at him, clearly tempted to follow him.

Although it had been trained not to eat food given by strangers, Chocolate recognized Chen Huaixu and thought he was here to feed it. Its black eyes stared straight at the palm of his hand, and it whimpered in its throat. It kept pulling the rope, wanting Yan Zhen to take it over.

Yan Zhen couldn't ignore the force pulling on her palm again and again, and she had no intention of paying any more attention to the conversation. She was pulled towards Chen Huaixu.

"Chocolate!" She grabbed the rope and gritted her teeth, "Hasn't it ever seen food? Didn't we just feed it this morning? Chen Huaixu, don't give it any!"

After getting farther and farther away from the crowd, Chen Huaixu finally stopped, slowly threw away the things in his hand, turned around, patted the aggrieved-looking chocolate, and said, "Listen to your mother."

He clapped his hands to brush off the residue, then went to the sink on the side to wash his hands, then walked back and stood in front of Yan Zhen.

"Why are you here?" she asked with a frown.

She didn't believe it was a coincidence. The timing was too coincidental.

"I asked Aunt Cui."

Yan Zhen said nothing, turning around and walking away with Chocolate. Chen Huaixu wasn't in a hurry, and followed her at a leisurely pace. The two of them and the dog walked in silence in the park.

His hand hung at his side, gently rubbing the back of her hand as he walked. Whether intentional or unintentional, it aroused a sense of itch in her.

After walking a little further, Yan Zhen couldn't help but stop, turned around to look at him, and asked, "Don't you have anything to do?"

"That's my thing."

Yan Zhen muttered, "I'm so bored."

Unable to drive him away, Yan Zhen just pretended he didn't exist.

After a while of shopping, she felt thirsty and went to the store to get a bottle of water. As she was about to pay, Chocolate, drawn to the colorful merchandise, leaned in to sniff. Yan Zhen, worried it might bite someone else's belongings, pulled the leash hard, feeling a bit flustered.

Chen Huaixu took the dog leash from her, took out his mobile phone to pay for her, and at the same time hooked back the bag strap that had slipped off her shoulder.

Seeing this, the boss smiled and said, "My boyfriend is so thoughtful."

Yan Zhen picked up the drink and snorted, saying, "What boyfriend... He's just a follower who helps me walk the dog."

After leaving the store, Chen Huaixu was the one holding the dog. She was also happy and relaxed, walking slowly along the forest path.

"It's obviously a white Samoyed, why is it called Chocolate?" he suddenly asked.

"It chose it on its own," Yan Zhen replied calmly, "I prepared several paper balls with names written on them, including cola, milk tea, and marshmallows...but it chose chocolate.

"He's incredibly energetic. He runs for a long time on the lawn every day. My brother even follows him when he goes for his morning run and can't stop him." Speaking of Chocolate, Yan Zhen seems to open up. "My mom didn't allow me to keep him at first, but now she loves to hold him while we watch TV. He's become a part of our family."

A gust of wind blew by, and the scattered debris of branches and leaves was blown up, instantly blinding Yan Zhen's eyes.

She stopped and reached out to rub it, but was stopped by Chen Huaixu.

He walked quickly closer, cupped her cheeks, and looked at her in the sunlight.

She half-closed her eyes, tears stimulated by the sun welling up in her eye sockets, hazily outlining his outline.

Chen Huaixu gently wiped the skin under her eyes with his fingertips. He looked at her for a while, then lowered his head, took out a tissue, and wiped the corner of her eye.

The annoying sand was brushed away, and her eyes felt comfortable again, allowing her to slowly breathe a sigh of relief.

Warm fingers and cool breath prickled her sensitive nerves densely.

She raised her eyes, met his gaze, and quickly looked away, her heart beating faster unconsciously.

An auntie kindly reminded me, "Don't be so clingy, the dog has run away."

Yan Zhen was startled and turned around to look. The dog leash had been thrown away at some point. The white cotton ball ran away happily, looking back at them from time to time.

"chocolate!"

Yan Zhen hurried forward, but the harder they chased, the faster Chocolate ran, thinking it was just playing with him, leaving her breathless. Finally, Yan Zhen simply gave up and threw the whole job to Chen Huaixu, saying, "You let it run away, you're responsible for bringing it back."

He said noncommittally, "Won't it come back on its own when it gets tired?"

She pushed him and said, "Don't be lazy! Go quickly!"

The two people and the dog played on the lawn for a long time, until the sun began to set and the laughter slowly subsided.

It was time to go back. Yan Zhen walked out of the park and came to the car. Seeing Chen Huaixu still following her, she stopped and looked up at him.

As if he saw through her doubts, he said frankly: "I didn't drive today."

Yan Zhen couldn't believe it. She looked around and it seemed that she really didn't see Chen Huaixu's car.

"Are you here to scam me?"

He took the car keys from her hand, shook them, and said, "Miss Yan, are you still in need of a free driver?"

"What are you planning?" She looked at him warily.

He unlocked the car, opened the back door, let Chocolate climb in first, then opened the passenger door and made a "please" gesture.

Yan Zhen refused and said, "I can open it myself."

Chen Huai raised his elbow, gently pressed against the car door, and said, "Yan Zhen, I've already made three rules with you, what are you still afraid of?"

"Who's afraid?" She got in the car and slammed the door shut. "Drive!"

It’s a free driver, so don’t waste it if you don’t use him. Just send him away after use.

Chen Huaixu raised the corners of his lips slightly, walked around to the driver's seat and sat in.

As soon as the car stopped at the gate of the Yan family, a strong female voice came out: "Is my chocolate baby back? Godmother missed you so much!"

Yan Zhen opened the car door and was startled to see a figure running towards her. She asked, "Si Chu? Didn't you say you'd arrive at 6 o'clock? How come you're here just after 4 o'clock?"

Lu Sichu opened the backseat door, rushed in, hugged Chocolate and rubbed him twice, sighed with satisfaction, and said, "I haven't seen Chocolate for a long time. I made an appointment with Ying Shu and the others to come early, but I didn't expect you to be away from home."

She leaned in the back seat and suddenly noticed the person in the driver's seat and was stunned for a moment.

Chen Huaixu looked at the rearview mirror and nodded politely to her.

"Yan Zhen, you've made it..." Lu Sichu was a little surprised, "When did you get someone so handsome?!"

Lu Sichu was always impulsive and spoke without restraint. Yan Zhen was immediately embarrassed and quickly pulled her aside, saying, "What are you talking about? This is my brother's friend."

She turned to Chen Huaixu and said, "These are my friends. I invited them to my house for dinner tonight."

Aunt Cui also came out of the house at this time. She spotted Chen Huaixu with her sharp eyes and said, "Mr. Chen is here too? Come in and have a seat."

"No need," Chen Huaixu got out of the car and said hello to Aunt Cui, "There are guests at home, I won't bother you anymore. I'll call Yan Zhao and borrow one of his cars and leave."

Lu Sichu had already retreated to the side and was whispering something to Ying Shu. Seeing Chen Huaixu turning to leave, she quickly said, "Now that the handsome guy is here, let's have dinner together."

Yan Zhen said dissatisfiedly: "Why did you suddenly invite him to dinner?"

"Ying Shu just told me," Lu Sichu lowered her voice, "You two don't have a good relationship. He's your sworn enemy, right? Don't worry, I'll keep him for dinner tonight. I'll help you dampen his spirit."

After she finished speaking, without waiting for Yan Zhen's reply, she walked forward and smiled at Chen Huaixu, "What's your name, handsome?"

"Excuse me, my last name is Chen."

"Mr. Chen wouldn't mind having dinner with us girls, right?"

Chen Huaixu glanced at Yan Zhen and replied, "Of course I don't mind. It's just that it's a rare occasion for you ladies to get together, so I won't spoil the fun."

Lu Sichu was secretly pulling Yan Zhen from behind, and she couldn't resist, so she could only say, "It's just a pair of chopsticks for you."

Chocolate also came over and circled around his legs.

So Chen Huaixu was dragged into this "Hongmen Banquet".

At the dinner table, several pairs of eyes stared at him gravely from beginning to end, as if judging him.

Chen Huaixu looked calm and showed no sign of panic.

Lu Sichu was previously punished to stay at home for a month to recuperate because of his troubles. He was just released a few days ago and couldn't wait to find his friends for dinner. Because he missed chocolate, he decided to have the party at Yan Zhen's house.

She has a carefree and straightforward personality, and sometimes Yan Zhen and Ying Shu find it difficult to deal with her mouth.

She looked at Ying Shu, curled her lips and said, "Are you still entangled with your celebrity boyfriend?"

"We broke up, but he came to me again," Ying Shu was obviously annoyed when he brought up the topic. "He hasn't been attending any events these days and is blocking my doorstep every day."

"A couple of grudges." She commented sharply.

Then she looked at Chen Huaixu and asked, "Does the handsome guy have a girlfriend?"

Chen Huaixu was just adding wine to Yan Zhen's glass when he heard this and replied, "No."

"That's a coincidence! Let me introduce you to some beautiful single women. There are all kinds of women around me."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Lu, but it's not necessary."

Lu Sichu's eyes rolled and he said, "So what do you think of me?"

He answered flawlessly: "Ms. Lu is very good and deserves better."

"What's your job, handsome guy?"

“Venture capital.”

"Do you make a lot of money?"

"good."

"I heard there are a lot of scumbags in your industry. Is that true?"

Chen Huaixu smiled and said, "It depends on the person. People with bad natures are bad no matter what industry they are in."

The questions and answers were like checking a household register. Chen Huaixu's calm and flawless answers gradually made Lu Sichu feel a little bored. She lowered her voice and quietly asked Yan Zhen, "Does he really oppose you every day? Why doesn't this look like his personality to me?"

Yan Zhen was speechless for a moment and said, "I told you before, he's very good at pretending, you just can't see it."

Lu Sichu was skeptical, looked at Chen Huaixu again, and said, "Forget it, let's drink first."

Ying Shu and Lu Sichu were not very good at drinking, but they relied on their numbers to get Chen Huaixu drunk. But after a few rounds, both of them were drunk, but Chen Huaixu remained calm.

He looked at the drunken man at the table, shook his glass towards Yan Zhen, and said, "Still drinking?"

Yan Zhen knew Chen Huaixu's alcohol tolerance, so she was careful and didn't drink too much, but she was a little tipsy at the moment, so she shook her head.

"No more." She stood up. "The juice is gone. I'll go get some."

She walked into the kitchen and was about to tiptoe to get the bottle on top of the cabinet when footsteps sounded behind her.

A refreshing breath enveloped her from behind, and his warm chest rubbed against her back. With his height advantage, he easily took down the bottle from above, handed it to her, and said, "Is this it?"

"Yes." Yan Zhen took it. But he didn't move, always maintaining this extremely close distance, as if hugging her from behind.

She turned and pushed him away, saying, "It's getting late, you should go back."

"No rush." ​​He supported himself on the counter with both hands, held her in his arms, and lowered his head to look into her eyes.

Yan Zhen turned her head to avoid him and said, "What on earth are you going to do? Get out of my way."

"I took annual leave in June."

Yan Zhen was stunned by the incoherent sentence. She asked, "What do you mean?"

"Go on your graduation trip with you."

"When did I ask you to accompany me... I'll definitely be with my classmates and friends!"

"Let's play a game, Zhenzhen." Chen Huaixu's voice was low. "Give me a month. After a month, I will ask you a question, and you must answer me very honestly. If the answer satisfies both of us, we will go on a trip together. If one of us is dissatisfied with the answer, I will admit defeat and will never appear in front of you again unless you agree."

Whether he didn't get the answer he wanted, or she was unwilling to look into her own heart and gave an answer that went against her will, it was considered a failure on his part.

Yan Zhen's thoughts were a little confused.

What a strange game. As long as she insisted that she was not satisfied, then he would definitely lose, right?

And traveling together doesn't sound like a punishment.

She asked, "What's the problem?"

He didn't answer, but just looked at her intently and said, "Do you want to play?"

Since Chen Huaixu started his business, he has simulated countless venture capital cases and implemented many projects, some successful and some failed, but he has never been afraid of these.

If you lack courage and boldness, you will not be able to survive in this industry.

In his view, there is always a chance of failure in everything you do. Success is often the result of exhausting all efforts and minimizing risks.

His profession destined him to win countless times in this turbulent and ever-changing "gambling".

And now, he has made the most important risk gamble in his life, and he must win.

For this, he was willing to devote himself to it, even if the price of failure was that he could never get her again.

He bet on her heart.

After no one spoke, the atmosphere suddenly became cold.

Yan Zhen leaned on the kitchen counter and glanced over his shoulder at the living room. After confirming that there was no movement there, she turned her gaze back and asked, "Why?"

Why play this game? Why make such a bet?

The two of them had made many bets, big and small, but she had a vague feeling that he was being particularly serious this time.

"You could say I'm not that patient anymore."

This ambiguous game was indeed fun to play, but the closer he became to her, the more he couldn't help but want.

The abyss of lust formed in the heart is endless, and there is no way to fill it except with her.

Chen Huaixu tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, and slid his fingers down to cup her delicate white earlobe, sliding his fingertips over the sharp corners of the earring pendant: "The three rules still stand. If you don't want to, I won't force you, nor will I take the initiative to expose our relationship."

"So what are you going to do this month?"

"Secret."

"But as long as I deny my answer, you can't win this game."

"yes."

She paused for a moment and said, "So, you're betting on me?"

"Yes." He replied, "Do you remember what I said to you when we went to the movies together?"

She blinked, and the memory flashed back like a movie scene.

"Don't be so decisive, Yan Zhen."

"How can you be so sure that you won't fall in love with me?"

The clock on the wall ticked slowly. She lowered her eyes and pondered for a long time, then raised them to look at him and said, "I'm going to play this game with you. I'll give you a month.

"I don't know what you're going to do, but my life won't change. Don't expect me to give you any special treatment this month just because of this game."

It is not easy to make the abducted princess willingly stay in the dragon's territory forever.

"Okay." Chen Huaixu said slowly, "This month, I have only one request: you can't deliberately resist me."

She frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

"For example," he took her hand, his palm gently covering hers. After Yan Zhen realized what was happening, she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly. "You don't actually hate me. You've realized that yourself, right? You've been avoiding me for the past half month, not because you're really that angry, but because you're afraid that if you get close to me again, I'll—"

Having her thoughts touched upon, Yan Zhen interrupted in embarrassment, "You're talking nonsense—"

He pressed his fingers against her lips and leaned forward slightly, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Look at me, baby."

The breath was light, and it fell on her lips, causing a tingling sensation.

Yan Zhen looked into those dark eyes, and a feeling of being out of control suddenly came over her.

"Can you do that?"

Seeing her gritting her teeth and remaining silent, Chen Huaixu smiled softly and said, "Then our game officially begins."

Lu Sichu was lying on the table when she suddenly woke up from her drowsiness. She felt a little dry in the mouth and stood up and walked around. Suddenly she saw the light from the kitchen and walked over subconsciously.

As the footsteps approached, a very low conversation suddenly broke through the silence.

In a trance, she thought she was hallucinating. She looked over and saw Chen Huaixu and Yan Zhen in the kitchen. Yan Zhen's waist was against the kitchen counter, and Chen Huaixu had his hands on her sides, holding her in his arms very intimately.

The distance and posture are very ambiguous, which is something that people with a bad relationship would never do.

She hid back against the wall again, then woke up with a fright, muttering to herself, "Am I dreaming?"

She pinched herself hard, and the pain made her realize that she was in reality. So she leaned against the wall again and secretly looked into the kitchen.

You're not mistaken, they are indeed very close.

The words you say can be varied, but your body language never lies.

Chen Huaixu lowered his eyes and kept looking at Yan Zhen, which was completely different from the cold expression he had at the dinner table just now.

Yan Zhen avoided his gaze, her ears turned red, but she didn't push him away.

These two people are definitely having an affair, and it has been going on for a long time.

Then why are you pretending to have a bad relationship?

Lu Sichu's drunken brain was a little confused about the relationship. She patted her cheek and walked back in a daze.

Wait until you sober up.

The next day, Yan Zhen woke up from her sleep. She glanced at the time and buried her head back in the quilt. She stayed in bed for a long time before slowly throwing off the quilt and getting up. She walked barefoot to the window and forcefully pulled open the curtains.

The sunlight outside the window suddenly poured in violently, illuminating every corner of the bedroom.

It was a day just like any other, and nothing seemed to have changed.

Everything that happened in the kitchen last night seemed so vague and like a dream.

What question did Chen Huaixu want to ask her?

What will he do this month?

Yan Zhen was staring out the window in a daze when her cell phone rang. She turned back to the bedside and swiped the phone to answer it. "Hello, Brother Liang Yu?"

"Zhenzhen, are you free today?"

Ningchuan City Art Museum.

Liang Yu had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw Yan Zhen coming over, he waved at her, a smile on his lips, and said, "This way."

He wore a lapel trench coat and a pair of black leather boots today, giving him a bit of an artistic and uninhibited air.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you in advance." Liang Yu led her into the venue. "This is a traveling exhibition for one of my seniors. I just found out this morning that I could get an extra VLP ticket, so I immediately thought of you. I'm lucky you're free, otherwise this ticket would have been wasted."

The ticket inspector saw Liang Yu and called out, "Teacher Liang." He smiled and nodded, then stepped aside to let Yan Zhen in first.

The staff member saw Yan Zhen's back and approached her mysteriously, "Mr. Liang, your girlfriend?"

Liang Yu made a silent gesture and said with a smile, "I'm still working on it. Keep it a secret for me."

"rest assured!"

The venue was obviously carefully decorated. The chandelier on the top emitted soft light, and the photos on the walls were framed in glass frames and arranged in order of the theme, attracting people to stop and linger.

As Liang Yu introduced her, he sighed, "I still remember when I told you before I went abroad that I would one day hold my own photography exhibition. Now my dream is about to come true. Next month, my works will be on display here."

"Congratulations!" she offered heartfelt blessings. "When you first wanted to pursue photography, your family didn't agree, but you finally persevered. This is the reward you deserve."

When Liang Yu mentioned his family's objection, the smile on his lips dimmed for a moment, and he said, "Yes, it was very bumpy, but it's all in the past."

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. The two of them strolled for a while before Liang Yu received a call. He lowered his voice and answered briefly. After hanging up, he gave Yan Zhen a helpless smile and said, "Sorry, Zhenzhen, Newsweek has an interview with me this afternoon. It was originally scheduled for 4:00, but their people arrived early. Could you please wait for me for a while? I've already booked a restaurant for dinner."

"It's okay, you go ahead, I'll just hang out here by myself."

Liang Yu took two steps, then remembered something and turned back, saying, "This is for you."

He took off his work ID and hung it around her neck, but he didn't retract his fingers. Instead, he hooked the strap and shook it, showing her the pattern on it. He said, "My work ID will ensure you have unimpeded access here. If you have any questions, just call me."

"But won't making a phone call affect your interview?"

"No," he looked down at her and smiled gently, "You are my most important guest today."

After Liang Yu left, Yan Zhen wandered around the venue for a while and felt a little bored, so she sent him a text message, telling him that she was sitting in a coffee shop nearby.

A Newsweek car with a familiar logo was parked outside. She looked at the logo, pulled out her phone, and did a quick search.

The latest interview video caught her eye, with an exceptionally high number of views. The cover featured a very familiar man, the one she had kissed the previous night.

My heart skipped a beat as I recalled those intimate moments.

Come to think of it, she seemed to have not seen Chen Huaixu's work side yet.

What will it be like?

She clicked on it.

"There were difficulties. This entrepreneurial experience wasn't as easy as everyone imagined." Chen Huaixu leaned back on the sofa in his neatly tailored suit, his posture relaxed but his back straight, appearing both upright and unrestrained. "In the beginning, I was actually very anxious. I could only sleep about three or four hours a day. Sometimes it was because I was busy, and sometimes I simply couldn't sleep. I didn't know whether I would fail or succeed after the project was launched."

"Then how did you overcome this psychological anxiety?"

"Honestly, there's no good solution." He folded his hands and placed them lightly on his knees. "If you're too concerned about the results, it's inevitable that you'll develop this mentality."

"You seem very obsessed with success. Have you ever considered that if you fail, you might gain experience and try again?"

"No, I usually don't leave myself any room for retreat. If I want to do something, I will do it with all my strength."

…………

"From today's conversation, I can see that you are truly a person with strong purpose and execution, and you are also very ruthless to yourself. Is this also the case in your life?"

"About the same."

“I’m curious about what people around you think of you.”

"Hmm..." Chen Huaixu lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then smiled rarely, "She often complains about me."

The reporter also laughed and jokingly said, "That won't work."

…………

Yan Zhen bit the straw and drank the drink to the bottom without realizing it. He could not suck out anything else and a "sizzling" sound came from the plastic tube.

The progress bar has reached the end, and the video is frozen at the last scene. Chen Huaixu sits upright on the sofa and glances at the camera.

She lowered her head, as if looking at him through the screen.

He was even more determined and thoughtful than she had imagined. It seemed that no goal he set was unattainable.

This is completely opposite to her personality.

Although it is not good to lose fighting spirit before the battle, she had the idea of ​​retreating for the first time.

"Why do you have to bet with me..." Yan Zhen complained to himself.

"What are you betting on?" A gentle voice came from above.

She looked up and saw Liang Yu pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite her. He said, "I'm so sorry. Have you been waiting for a long time?"

"No." She turned off her phone. "Are you done?"

"Yes," he smiled, "the interview went quite smoothly."

"Zhenzhen, actually, I asked you to come here today because I want to ask you for a favor." Liang Yu looked into her eyes sincerely, "Because I am planning my own studio and plan to shoot a new set of films. I used to shoot more scenes and objects, but this time I want to try shooting people.

"I want you to be my female model, is that okay?"

Yan Zhen was a little surprised and asked, "Invite me?"

"Yes." He opened his phone and handed it to her. "My team has already scouted the location in advance. We're going to western Sichuan. It's probably going to be a film of this style."

Yan Zhen leaned over to take a look at the concept map. In the extremely pure natural world, the girl's bright skirt quietly opened up.

It's so beautiful that it makes your heart beat faster.

"But I'm not a professional either." She frowned slightly. "As a famous photographer like you, don't you usually hire professional models?"

"Sometimes, being too professional can make things look artificial," he said with a smile. "I'm pursuing natural beauty, and in my heart, you're the perfect candidate. This set of works will only be hung in my studio in physical form; it won't be released electronically, so don't worry."

Yan Zhen stroked the glass with her fingertips and asked, "When will we shoot?"

"Look at you, my entire team is on standby."

Liang Yu's invitation is really tempting.

He is one of the best photographers in the country. He doesn't usually take pictures of people and you can't hire him even if you pay. But this time he was willing to use her as the protagonist, and the concept map was so beautiful that she couldn't refuse it at all.

"Before I went abroad, no one was optimistic about my photography studies, but you've always supported me. This is my gift to you." Liang Yu's voice was gentle. "Give me a chance, Zhenzhen."

"Let me think about it more carefully."

After dinner, Liang Yu drove her home. He did not stop in front of Yan's house, but came to a small lake not far away.

The two men got out of the car. The lake was rippling with waves, and the moonlight was shining lightly on it.

"Do you remember when we were little? When I came to your house, you often brought me here." He pointed to the lake not far away. "You thought the adults' conversations were boring, so you often avoided them."

Yan Zhen also recalled the carefree days of her childhood and smiled gently.

The night wind blew, Liang Yu stopped talking, looked at Yan Zhen's profile, and stretched out his hand to lift her messy hair.

At this moment, a sudden car horn pierced the night, sounding long and loud, which scared both of them and interrupted Liang Yu's actions.

Yan Zhen turned around in surprise and could only vaguely see a black car.

It was late at night, and in a quiet villa area, who would honk such a loud horn?

Disturbed by the sound, the two of them didn't want to stay by the lake any longer. Liang Yu sent her back to the door of her home, waved to her, and said, "Goodbye."

Yan Zhen said goodbye to him and watched him get into the car and disappear into the night.

As if she suddenly remembered something, she leaned over to take a look and saw that the black car was still parked there.

Because it was far away and it was night, she couldn't see the car model and license plate clearly. She was a little confused, but didn't think much about it and turned to walk into the yard.

Suddenly, she heard the roar of an engine behind her. She looked back again and saw that the car had already driven to the gate and honked the horn twice. Its intention was obvious.

Yan Zhen recognized Chen Huaixu's car and was a little surprised for a moment, wondering why he was there. When she walked over and stopped beside the car, the window rolled down at the right time, and a cold question floated out: "Is the lake view nice?"

Yan Zhen: “What?”

She asked, "Why are you here? Was it you who pressed the horn just now?"

Chen Huaixu extended his hand to signal her to step back, then pushed open the door and got out. He half-leaned against the side of the car, raised his eyebrows slightly and said to her, "What else?"

"It's late at night, and such a loud horn is likely to disturb others."

"Did you disturb Miss Yan's date?"

Yan Zhen could tell he had bad intentions, so she frowned and said, "What are you talking about? He and I aren't that kind of relationship. It's normal for friends to have a meal together and then send someone home, right? Don't make such a fuss about it."

After she said that, she felt that she shouldn't have explained so much to him. She said, "But you, running to squat downstairs of my house in the middle of the night, look like a bad person with bad intentions."

He stood up and said, "Then I'm leaving. Good night."

"Leaving now?" Yan Zhen was stunned. She thought he was going to do something to her.

A light laugh was heard, and Chen Huaixu took a step forward, lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Is that enough?" he asked in a low voice.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Then his lips were touched by the warmth again, and he tasted it briefly.

When she raised her eyes and came back to her senses, he had already retreated. He gently rubbed her cheek with his fingers and said, "Go back quickly."

He added: "Remember to think of me. Also, don't see him again."

Chen Huaixu is really gone.

Driving for such a long time just to see her and then turning around and leaving was totally not his style.

The game had already begun, and she had been prepared for some rude behavior from him, but she didn't expect him to be so calm.

This kind of Chen Huaixu made her feel even more at a loss.

It was as if the ropes that bound her were suddenly loosened.

She didn't know when he would pull the rope tight again, and the result of that would be that she would be completely captured by him.

In the evening, as the sun sets, a black SUV slowly stops and several slim figures jump out of the car.

Yan Zhen felt a little dizzy from the ride, so he held his head as soon as he got out of the car. He and Ying Shu leaned against the side of the car in a daze.

Lu Sichu put on his sunglasses, looked at the man waiting on the side, and asked with a smile: "We're joining in the fun, photographer Liang won't be angry, right?"

"How could that be?" Liang Yu carried their suitcases to his car and replied with a smile, "It's more lively with more people. With you guys around, Zhenzhen will feel more relaxed. Everyone's been sitting in the car all day and is tired. Let's go to the hotel and rest first."

On the way to the hotel, Ying Shu noticed Yan Zhen was always looking at his phone, looking thoughtful, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Yan Zhen coughed lightly and put the phone back into his pocket.

"Remember to think of me."

Chen Huaixu's words kept replaying in her mind. Even when she arrived in western Sichuan, she couldn't escape from these four words.

She tried to get him out of her mind for a long time, but to no avail. Finally, she could only lean back in her seat, close her eyes and choose to sleep.

At night, in a private room in a bar.

Not far away, a group of people were drinking happily. Chen Huaixu and Yan Zhao were standing by the window, chatting idly.

Yan Zhao lowered his head to look at his phone, smiled, and said, "She insisted on posting on WeChat Moments even though she was almost vomiting in the car. She is really amazing."

Chen Huaixu, standing by, didn't respond, but simply lowered his head and took a puff of his cigarette. The smoke spread, obscuring his handsome profile, making it difficult to discern his expression.

Yan Zhao glanced at him and said slowly, "I've advised you a long time ago to take it slow. Don't look at my sister as a spoiled brat, arrogant and insolent. She's actually just a paper tiger. She'll retreat if someone gets a little stronger. The more you hold on, the more she'll resist."

"There's no need." Chen Huaixu put out the cigarette.

He could, of course, pretend to be gentle and gentlemanly, follow the rules, be disciplined, and slowly win her favor. But what good would that do? That wouldn't be the real him at all, and since it would be exposed to her sooner or later, it would be better to let her see it clearly from the beginning.

A strong style and a strong possessiveness towards her.

This is him.

"How about this, you call me 'brother'? Zhenzhen brought me this souvenir, and out of pity for you, I'll let you take a look. How about that?"

Chen Huaixu's expression was calm as he said, "Get lost."

"That's right. After all, I was traveling with Liang Yu. Maybe I picked out the gifts together with Liang Yu. You said, we went out together for so many days, spending so much time together, who knows when we would develop feelings for each other—"

These words touched Chen Huaixu's sore spot. He raised his eyes and looked at Yan Zhao seriously.

Yan Zhao was very satisfied with Chen Huaixu's reaction. He twisted the phone with his fingertips and asked, "So what are you going to do now?"

"I asked my assistant to book the flight."

Yan Zhao was a little surprised and asked, "Are you going to bring the person back? Stop the filming?"

"Of course not. It was her wish to film, and I fully respect that." Chen Huaixu put his fingers in his pockets. "It's just that I've never been one to sit still and wait for death."

His original plan was disrupted by her sudden trip, forcing him to rethink what to do next.

But the thought of her traveling with other men...

Chen Huaixu pressed his eyebrows, unable to control the dull jealousy in his heart.

While they were chatting, the door of the box was suddenly opened, and the manager on duty rushed in with a nervous look on his face. He lowered his head and said something to Lu Jingxuan who was not far away.

Lu Jingxuan frowned upon hearing this, his tone very irritated, and said, "Why is it him again? He keeps causing trouble here. If it weren't for his brother's face, I really want to kick him out."

Yan Zhao turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The youngest son of the Xu family got into a fight with someone downstairs." Lu Jingxuan stood up. "He was so mad that they didn't dare to pull him out by force."

"The Xu family? Xu Pharmaceutical?" Chen Huaixu had always had a good memory. "I've met Mr. Xu twice. He's an excellent business leader."

"How can the Xu family's youngest son compare to his eldest brother? His mother was a mistress who married into the family after the original wife died. The youngest son has been spoiled to the point of being lawless and useless. I won't say more. I'm going to go and take a look at the situation."

Lu Jingxuan pulled his coat, turned around and walked outside with his men.

It's no big deal to watch the excitement, especially the excitement of the Xu family. Yan Zhao and Chen Huaixu also followed out of the door of the box, leaning against the railing on the second floor, looking down casually -

"Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you hit me?" The music in the bar had long since stopped. A drunken man, with slap marks on his face, grabbed a bottle and slammed it hard on the table next to him, pointing a protesting finger at the person in front of him. "I'm attracted to you. I'm giving you a chance, you know?"

The sharp edge of the broken bottle pointed directly at the woman in front of him, but she looked calm, not even a hint of fear.

The dim lights in the bar only vaguely depicted her tall, slender figure. Her long black hair, pointed chin, and a pair of distinct black and white eyes were now looking at the man calmly.

She has a very bright and beautiful appearance, but her personality seems a bit cold.

A short-haired girl hid behind her, sobbing softly in fear.

"I've called the police."

"Call the police? Hahahaha!" The man spat and turned back to his accomplice with a mocking tone, "She said she called the police. Hahahaha..."

The people around burst into laughter, and malice and ridicule flooded over like a tide.

The woman tried to remain calm, her palms slowly tightening behind her.

"Either she'll be smart and kneel down and kowtow to me, and that'll be the end of it; or..." The man narrowed his eyes and looked at the person in front of him with an evil smile, "You have a good figure and good looks, and you're so willing to stand up for your sisters, so you can serve her tonight-"

"Bang!" The sudden sound of wine glass breaking was heard again.

This time it came from the second floor.

Everyone's eyes unconsciously turned to the source of the sound.

"Sorry, my hand slipped." The red wine flowed slowly under his feet like blood. Yan Zhao kicked the fragments aside and said nonchalantly to the people downstairs in full view of everyone, "You continue."

The man was visibly startled when he saw Yan Zhao upstairs. At that moment, the surrounding bodyguards rushed over, immediately pinned him down, and quickly dragged him away from the scene.

His face twisted as he struggled and shouted, "Let me go! How dare you touch me? Do you know who I am? Where's your boss? Let him out!"

Amid the noise, the woman downstairs raised her eyes and looked up. Unsurprisingly, her gaze met Yan Zhao's.

A silent stare.

One second, two seconds... the time is short, yet extremely long.

She was the first to look away.

Yan Zhao withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, looked at the glass fragments on the ground, then turned around, raised his feet and walked towards the box, as if he didn't care about the farce that was about to happen in the hall.

Lu Jingxuan had been watching the desperate struggle of the Xu family's youngest son with great interest. Seeing Yan Zhao about to leave, he quickly grabbed him and said, "Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute, do you know that girl?"

If he couldn't see that Yan Zhao had deliberately thrown the cup, then he had lived in vain for the past twenty years.

Yan Zhao pushed open the door of the box, and without even slowing down, he replied calmly, "I don't know him."

"You don't know him? How can you stand up for him if you don't know him? Are you so kind?!"

"It was just a brave act. Boss, remember to give me a certificate of honor when you get back."

"If you can get rid of this garbage for me, I'll even call you daddy."

"That's perfect! I was just about to call Mr. Xu." Yan Zhao pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I've been waiting for Boss Lu to call me 'Dad'."

Lu Jingxuan was a little stunned and said, "No way, Yan Zhao, are you serious? Are you going to break up with the Xu family because of me?"

Chen Huaixu laughed without giving any face.

Lu Jingxuan angrily said: "What are you laughing at again?!"

"Boss Lu, why don't you comfort the victim? With so many people watching, be careful they won't report your bar." Yan Zhao flipped through the phone book and casually added, "At least get the person home safely."

Lu Jingxuan cursed inwardly and turned to walk outside.

The farce in the hall gradually came to an end. The short-haired girl emerged from behind the woman and apologized, choking with sobs, "Sister Yinyin, I'm so sorry. I just chatted with him for a few minutes... I didn't know he was such a person..."

"It's okay, it's not your fault that you were harassed." Shen Ciyin patted her shoulder and said in a gentle tone, "Go back and rest early."

Seeing her gaze cast towards the empty escalator on the second floor, the girl asked doubtfully, "Those people on the second floor just now... seemed very powerful. I saw someone staring at us. Sister Yinyin, do you know him?"

Shen Ciyin paused as she bent over to grab her bag, then stood up and replied calmly, "I don't know him."