Chapter 18 "It's Worth It"

Zhou Jingcheng appeared and disappeared mysteriously, standing outside the sedan chair.

The three faced each other, but none of them spoke first.

He was also self-aware enough to think that among the three of them, he was the most likely to speak first, so he nodded to Xu Shaoting, "Chairman Xu."

The person who was greeted merely glanced at him indifferently, without returning the greeting, and instead exchanged pleasantries, "What brings you here, Mr. Zhou?"

Xu Shaoting's single word "also" directly excluded Zhou Jingcheng from both him and Wen Jia.

His tone was flat, but his words were sharp; asking this question seemed like he was deliberately trying to upset him.

Zhou Jingcheng, being such a proud person, naturally felt a sense of injustice, but he didn't dare show it. He glanced at the woman standing next to Xu Shaoting, his pride subtly preventing him from revealing that his true purpose was to find Wen Jia.

The person he was looking for had already been snatched up by another man who had the advantage of proximity, so he was clearly the one without any momentum.

So, half of his pride was swallowed back, and the other half was shown on his face: "Let's talk business."

Xu Shaoting didn't seem to care about his answer. Before he could even finish speaking, he grabbed Wen Jia's wrist and pulled her behind him out of the elevator.

Aside from the moment the elevator doors opened, Wen Jia never once looked at Zhou Jingcheng.

Only after the two had walked some distance apart did she lower her voice, "It's a good thing you were here. I would have been so embarrassed if I had met Zhou Jingcheng by myself."

He's here to see you.

Xu Shaoting still held her hand; her slender wrists were so small in his large palms, covering her and exchanging body heat and breath.

Wen Jia stood behind him, watching his graceful figure, and said, "I know he came to find me."

After saying this, the two of them walked right up to the Maybach. He pursed his lips and didn't respond to her again. He simply opened one of the car doors for her and waited until she was completely seated before walking around to the other side and getting into the car.

It's remarkable that, despite visiting this extended Maybach twice, this was the first time she had consciously observed the rear seat layout. She glanced at it casually and immediately noticed that the rear space was surprisingly large.

The man beside him deftly closed the car door and calmly ordered, "Drive."

Upon receiving the order, Lin Youzhe started the engine, and Xu Shaoting pressed the button on the center console to raise the partition screen between the front and rear rows.

The car was instantly divided into two separate, enclosed spaces.

The car was warm enough, so Wen Jia took off her mask and gently removed her suit coat, but not her shawl.

She knew the dress was too daring.

Xu Shaoting glanced at her and subtly turned the air conditioner up one degree.

A flush of heat rose to Wenjia's ears and cheeks, but she still hadn't taken off her shawl.

Xu Shaoting turned the air conditioner up another degree.

Wen Jia's nose was sweating slightly, but she still refused to take it off.

Xu Shaoting chuckled and touched the button on the center console for the third time.

Seeing his actions, Wen Jia couldn't help but say, "I'm hot..."

Xu Shaoting casually picked up a financial magazine from the car, flipped through it, and while the contents appeared quite serious, his words were extremely frivolous:

"If it's hot, take off your shawl."

Wen Jia bit her lip, looking at the air conditioner button that was far away from her. Knowing she couldn't persuade him otherwise, she reluctantly took off her wool shawl while muttering under her breath, "Worse than an animal."

If Lin Youzhe in the front row heard this, he would definitely be worried for Wen Jia.

Hearing her clear and articulate words, Xu Shaoting realized that this was the first time someone had dared to insult him like that. Instead of being angry, a smile appeared in his eyes. "You found out too late."

“You…” Wen Jia’s face flushed slightly, and she was completely speechless.

Xu Shaoting seemed to only stop when he saw her speechless expression. He looked away and glanced at her neck. He asked leisurely, "Why aren't you wearing the necklace I gave you?"

"I just put it on."

"Just now?"

"...when walking the red carpet."

Xu Shaoting knew perfectly well and had seen it with his own eyes, but it seemed he was only satisfied when he heard her say it.

He naturally wouldn't reveal that he watched her red carpet livestream, but simply asked, "Did you like it?"

"I'm sure you'll like it since it's a gift from you."

Xu Shaoting curled his lips, glanced at her, and looked out the car window. The car quietly glided into the main road. The sky was already dark, and the moonlight, like a thin layer of silver, was splashed between the glass curtain wall of the inner building and the asphalt road.

Gold and silver intertwine with prosperity.

Xu Shaoting gazed at the scene, his eyes clear, yet the bustling prosperity could not dispel the unease in his heart.

Ever since he encountered Zhou Jingcheng in the elevator, his thoughts have been disturbed by something.

He never knew that his heart could be in such turmoil.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the woman beside him. The clarity in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a dark, burning intensity. Without making a sound, he crossed the back center console and leaned closer to Wen Jia.

The atmosphere inexplicably became enchanting.

No one knew how close the man and woman were inside the car, not even Lin Youzhe.

Wen Jia could feel the woody scent invading more and more clearly, but she didn't try to avoid it at all.

Their noses were almost touching.

'thump thump'

She didn't know where the dull yet powerful sound came from, but it lingered and echoed in her ears.

Thankfully, only she could hear it. She thought.

In the shadows, she clenched her hands tightly around the hem of her dress, so tightly that she completely forgot it was a gown that needed to be returned.

Xu Shaoting looked at the face so close to his. Her makeup was clean, and her thin eyelids were sparkling. As the car moved, the gold and silver lights outside reflected on the car window and then reflected on her eyelids, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

"Did you give him the address?" Xu Shaoting asked in a flat tone.

"What?"

"Did you give Zhou Jingcheng the address?"

“No,” she blinked her thick eyelashes slowly, “I don’t know how he found out.”

It wasn't until he heard her answer that Xu Shaoting's mind cleared instantly. He no longer had the time, or rather, he didn't care whether Wen Jia's answer was true or false. He just wanted to hear the answer he wanted to hear.

In his world, the dark cloud that was about to rain suddenly dissipated.

His mind cleared in an instant; it was the first time he realized someone was controlling his emotions. However, he managed to control his expression well, preventing her from noticing the change in him.

He scoffed lightly, stood up, and created some distance between them. Before he had fully returned to the back of his chair, he heard her clear, melodious voice again:

"And I've always remembered that I wanted to have dinner with you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting swallowed hard. Caught off guard, he suddenly reached out a long, wide hand, grabbed her arm, and leaned down again, bringing the two of them back to the same close distance they had been.

His gaze was deep, looking straight into her eyes, as if he could see a calm lake within them, now suddenly rippled.

His gaze slowly descended, passing over her high, delicate nose, her slightly upturned, petite nose tip, and finally settling on her full lips.

The hand she held in the shadows clenched tighter and tighter. She seemed to know what was about to happen. She didn't resist it; instead, she was delighted. She slowly closed her eyes.

However, the kiss never came.

She felt the car stop smoothly, followed by a respectful "We've arrived, Chairman Xu" from the front.

Wen Jia slowly opened her eyes.

He stared into her pupils for several seconds.

Suddenly, I remembered the first time I took her home. The pansy in front of the villa was in full bloom, and the dewdrops glistened in the darkness.

At that moment, her eyes were like those flowers, her moist pupils shimmering in the dark corner.

Xu Shaoting looked away, closed his eyes tightly, and frowned slightly, seemingly a little impatient. He glanced at the front of the car, but the partition screen was raised, so Lin Youzhe was unaware of how dangerous his expression was.

Poor Lin Youzhe knew nothing about any of this.

He had already gotten out of the car first, walked to Xu Shaoting's side in the back seat, and opened the car door. He could only see the man and woman in the back seat still sitting reservedly in their respective seats, but he couldn't see the ambiguous atmosphere in the air that was leaking out as the car door opened.

Xu Shaoting had already sat back down, meticulously straightening his tie, cuffs, and hem, as if the intimate moment had never happened.

He then picked up his suit jacket, gave her a deep look, and got out of the car.

Wen Jia remained seated in the car, waiting for the man to walk around the car and open the door for her.

He held onto the car door with one hand and reached out to her with the other, offering her support, "Get out of the car."

Wen Jia put her shawl back on and gently placed her hand in his palm.

The high heels landed steadily on the ground.

Her shiny black leather shoes contrasted beautifully with her red-soled stilettos.

Xu Shaoting patiently took the hand that was resting in his palm and pulled it around his arm.

Wen Jia linked arms with him with one hand and tugged at her skirt with the other. Her shawl slipped down to her slender waist and hips, swaying with her every step.

The hotel was on the top floor of the Linzhou Building. As soon as the two got out of the car, a man and a woman in uniform greeted them with standard smiles, "Hello, Mr. Xu."

Xu Shaoting nodded slightly.

Wen Jia wasn't wearing a mask, and her dress was eye-catching. She looked around with some concern.

Xu Shaoting glanced at her and immediately understood her worries, so he kindly reassured her, "Don't worry, Lin Youzhe has already taken care of it."

She nodded, and the hand that was tightly holding the man's arm gradually loosened.

The two waiters naturally recognized Wen Jia, but they dared not look at her for even a moment longer.

After all, the penalty for breach of the confidentiality agreement they signed was astronomical.

"Mr. Xu, this way please. The restaurant has already cleared the area for you, so you can rest assured." The waiter bowed slightly and extended a hand to lead the two into the VIP elevator.

The elevator, which had been closed for a whole day, finally started working again and steadily carried the two to the top floor.

Wen Jia had no idea how much money and manpower it would take to clear out one of the top restaurants in Linzhou, free up elevator cars, and get the waiters to sign exorbitant confidentiality agreements. All she knew was that the entire floor was quiet at this moment, as if every inanimate object was waiting for the two of them to arrive.

A sign that read "Temporarily Closed" stood at the restaurant entrance and was only taken down when they arrived. To be fair, this was the first time such a sign had appeared at the restaurant entrance with such fanfare and fanfare.

The waiter pulled out seats for the two of them, offering the best view in the entire restaurant. The sixtieth floor was an excellent height, and the glass windows were meticulously cleaned, with the city night view unfolding like a painting.

Skyscrapers stand tall, neon lights illuminate the night, and the city is ablaze with color.

How could people walking on the ground know what was happening inside the restaurant on the 60th floor above them?

A man and a woman sat facing each other, saying nothing and doing nothing, yet the atmosphere became inexplicably romantic and indescribable from that moment on.

"Chairman Xu is very generous." Wen Jia turned her gaze from the window to the man in front of her and smiled.

She inexplicably recalled the first time the two of them met, which was also like this, only the atmosphere was completely different.

Xu Shaoting personally opened the wine bottle and poured a quarter of it into her wine glass.

"It's worth it for you."

The waiter brought the menu to the table and bowed. "Good evening, Mr. Xu. Tonight, the chef's special recommendation is the M5 Wagyu ribeye from Tasmania, which has been dry-aged for 28 days and paired with black truffle port sauce. It has a delicate taste."

Waiter Xu Shaoting, observing the situation, continued after seeing that he had no objections: "For the appetizers, I recommend the French Gillardeau oysters with lemon sorbet, and the Italian handmade Burrata cheese with organic tomato gazpacho. The Burrata was flown in this morning, with a layer of mozzarella wrapped around a creamy curd, and the texture is excellent."

After the waiter finished speaking, Xu Shaoting did not rush to give any response. Instead, he looked at Wen Jia first, and thus the focus of the meal was subtly shifted to Wen Jia.

She understood and nodded, indicating that she had no objection.

"As for wine pairing, this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has smooth tannins that perfectly balance the fat of the Wagyu beef, making it a very good choice."

Wen Jia nodded while looking at the menu.

"This page of the menu features our restaurant's signature desserts, all made with fresh ingredients delivered this afternoon. Madam, which one would you like to try?"

Wen Jia glanced briefly at the dessert page, "One French vanilla mille-feuille and one Japanese yuzu soufflé, please." She closed the menu and made her decision.

Xu Shaoting rested his chin on his hand, gazing intently at the person opposite him until she looked up. Only then did he look away and say to the waiter, "Arrange it this way."

The waiter respectfully withdrew.

Wen Jia took off her shawl, rested her chin on her hands, and stared directly at the man opposite her.

"Mr. Xu, is it really just about inviting me to dinner today?"

A note from the author:

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Lin Youzhe, you…!