Chapter 44 I thought you forgot.
When Secretary Huang arrived at the residence that Zong Chi had assigned her, it was almost ten o'clock in the morning. The gate of the courtyard was half open. She knocked twice gently and someone answered from inside. When she pushed the door open, she saw someone hanging clothes to dry on the steps less than a meter below the main entrance porch.
To be precise, it was the fitted sheet and quilt cover, as well as some underwear. The fork-shaped drying rack was full of things hung on the main floor, and there were more on the lift-type clothes rack above the head.
If Secretary Huang saw correctly, the thing the boss was clipping onto the clip was a woman's bra.
For her, this was workplace sexual harassment. She was reporting to her boss, and he was dealing with his lover's personal belongings. Even more shocking, he was actually handling it quite well.
Small items are placed on lifting hangers, while large items are hung on mobile shelves that are unstable and have a few bricks piled on the sides.
"Mr. Zong." She came to the corridor and greeted him.
Zong Chi was wearing pajamas, a rare sign of him showing a dislike for the cold. He was also wearing a black cardigan, the kind with sleeves draped over his shoulders. With his build, he couldn't possibly fit into this size; it was clearly women's. Secretary Huang was losing her ability to think objectively. She felt that her love-sick boss was getting carried away, like a newlywed. She seriously suspected that he wasn't afraid of the cold, but rather that he was simply looking for a lover's outfit and a hug.
When Zong Chi saw the secretary coming with the flowers, he knew she had figured it out and called her, "Come in and sit down."
Secretary Huang came back to his senses in a second, but still waited for his boss to finish his housework before going in together.
Zong Chi led his secretary in, carrying a plastic wash basin in his hand and wearing red slippers. Secretary Huang, who followed behind him, had to think for a long time about the chaos caused by her grandfather's death and the trivial matters of dividing the family property that made her want to break her head before she could hold back her laughter.
However, when Zong Chi threw away the things in his hand and reached out to take the flowers from her hand, Secretary Huang suddenly felt that the boss's condescending attitude had returned. He asked her, "How much?"
Secretary Huang didn't hand the flowers to the boss, but said very worldly-wisely, "Consider them as a gift to Miss He. Let me help you put them in the arrangement."
Zong Chi silently withdrew his hand, as if to acquiesce, and pointed to where the vase was.
While Secretary Huang was collecting water from a vase and arranging flowers, Zong Chi pointed around and asked his secretary, "What do you think is so special about this small building?"
“It’s close to the hospital where I work.”
"Well, tell me something I don't know."
Secretary Huang didn't want to speculate too much about the boss's family affairs. "If you don't know, then I know even less."
Zong Chi didn't seem dissatisfied with this answer. He waved his hand and went back to the coffee machine to ask the customer what he wanted.
Secretary Huang shook her head, but Zong Chi insisted on making coffee for her, saying, "I don't like this coffee machine, but she refuses to replace it, so I decided to accelerate its wear and tear and replace it as soon as possible."
Secretary Huang didn't understand what people were saying for a moment.
When the boss kindly made her an orange peel latte and brought it to her, Secretary Huang thought of a reason to flatter Miss He, "This house is a bit similar to the layout of your mansion." Secretary Huang knew that the mansion villa that Zong Chi had renewed his lease for was where he had stayed from time to time since college. If she guessed correctly, it was where he once lived with his girlfriend.
"How can it be like that? It's so small here."
"At the entrance, the stairs extend the view and also serve as a space divider."
Zong Chi's face was calm, but he still looked back outside. This answer seemed a bit far-fetched to him, but he was in a good mood today and felt very relaxed. He was willing to accept all the flattery as long as it was related to the person he wanted to hear it.
"No news from the landlord yet?"
"The other party claimed to be on vacation, and the agent said he would contact me as soon as he got a reply."
Zong Chi said nothing more. He told his secretary to wait for him outside after arranging the flowers. He said, "Excuse me, there's not much space here, and he needs to change his clothes."
Secretary Huang nodded and took the coffee out. Then he thought of something and turned back to report, "Mrs. Zong..."
"Let's talk in the car."
*
Until Zong Chi changed into formal clothes and came out, slammed the door, got into the car, and told them to drive.
Secretary Huang formally informed the boss about his mother's situation. Yu Weishi and Mrs. Zhou were both staying at the hotel, and Secretary Huang had moved in to accompany them, as Zong Chi had requested. The explanation for Yu Weishi was that Mr. Zong had been complaining about the food at his current hotel and had been clamoring to change. Since Ms. Yu had happened to be visiting, she decided to help Mr. Zong try the food. If it suited him, she would consider signing up for a longer-term stay at another hotel.
Secretary Huang knew Yu Weishi's personality too well. If she told her that her son wouldn't let the people she brought stay in a hotel, she would have complained and asked Lao Zong to come over that night. However, if she changed the excuse and said that her son was the priority, she would accept anything.
Zong Chi only wanted the result, no matter how she persuaded the other party. The secretary then turned to Miss Zhou, "Miss Shuxing was at Mr. Chen's place last night."
The people in the back seat were indifferent.
Secretary Huang glanced in the rearview mirror at the man in the back seat. He was dressed in a formal suit, smelling strongly of Chanel Paris body lotion, and seemed to be looking down at his phone. Secretary Huang had a hunch that something was going to go wrong with lunch today!
So, slowly at the end, she finally mentioned Ms. Yu's invitation, "Mrs. Zong wants you to accompany her at noon as the host, and please invite Mrs. Zhou and Miss Shuxing."
"Yeah." Someone agreed nonchalantly.
Secretary Huang didn't breathe a sigh of relief. Sure enough, before he could even catch his breath, someone behind him said, "Since Chen Xiangyang is so attentive to welcome us, let him take the trouble to send Zhou Shuxing over."
"The old man was sent to the hotel a long time ago."
Zong Chi sneered, "He's never been this enthusiastic even when attending a funeral."
*
Zong Chi hurried back to his residence in the hotel to take care of some business, and at around eleven o'clock he took a car to the hotel where Yu Weishi was staying.
When arriving at the destination, Zong Chi got off the car and asked his secretary to go to a nearby business hall to help him copy the small SIM card in his mobile phone into a secondary SIM card to adapt it to the old BlackBerry phone he had.
"As soon as possible, come straight upstairs to me when you're done."
When Zong Chi arrived at the Chinese restaurant floor, he first saw Tan Zhengjin's mother and Aunt Tang, who had been with Yu Weishi for many years. When she went to Singapore, in order to take care of Zong Jingzhou's eating habits, Yu Weishi hired the nanny who had served at home for many years at a high price, and also took care of the nanny's son's studies and work.
When Tan's mother saw Zong Chi, she came over to greet him first. She said that Xiao Chi had lost some weight in less than a month, and that he couldn't neglect his health while busy with work.
Zong Chi responded politely. Aunt Tang also called to him from the side. As he was escorting the two elders inside, Aunt Tang pulled Xiao Chi's hand over to the side and said something private, "Your mother is old after all. You lost your temper with her last night and she cried. But before leaving, she was worried about you not eating well and asked me to come back and keep you company for a while. No matter what I say today, you can't give her an irritation in public."
Zong Chi said in a tone of disbelief, "Well, she invited so many guests to accompany her, isn't it just for this?"
Aunt Tang had watched Xiao Chi grow up, so she couldn't help but feel anxious. She knew Xiao Chi's temper too well. "Zhou Shuxing ran here on his own. It has nothing to do with your mother. I can guarantee that."
Zong Chi laughed and said, "What guarantee do you have?"
Aunt Tang felt wronged. The old-fashioned person couldn't come up with anything new to say. "I guarantee it with my integrity."
Xiaochi was joking and mocking. "I can't see your personality. Where is it? How much does it weigh, huh?"
Aunt Tang was so angry that she wanted to hit him. Zong Chi put away his idle thoughts and told Aunt Tang to rest assured, "I'm too lazy to nag at you women at this table. If being rude is useful, you wouldn't be able to get together to form a table."
Aunt Tang was so angry that her teeth were about to break. "Blame it all on that troublemaker Zhou Shuxing."
Zong Chi finally heard something he liked. As they were almost at the door of the private room, he still wanted to ask Aunt Tang, "What's wrong? Why are you and your boss not on the same page anymore? Don't you like this future new boss?"
Aunt Tang wanted to spit at Xiao Chi, "Forget it. If she can marry you, I'll take your last name."
Zong Chi sneered, and it looked like he was laughing quite hard. "What's wrong with having my last name? Really?" After that, he pushed the door open and walked in. With a smile on his face, he said lazily, feeling like a host, "I'm sorry, my host is late. Damn it."
Yu Weishi sat in the seat of honor, with Mrs. Zhou beside her. Zhou Shuxing, who was sitting nearby, saw Zong Chi come in and stood up, but didn't speak to him or even look at him much. Instead, he looked behind him to see if he had brought anyone with him.
Zong Chi invited Tan's mother and Aunt Tang to take their seats. He sat at the end of the round table where the dishes were served. Before sitting down, he closed the door.
While greeting them attentively, I asked Yu Weishi, "Have you ordered the food?"
Yu Weishi rarely took red-eye flights, and even prepared for jet lag before traveling or vacationing. She'd been up all night because of this mess. From Zong Chi's stereotypical social tone, she knew his true character. And her woman's intuition told her he was in a good mood today, relaxed and even a bit radiant, a look a mother hadn't seen in a long time. Yu Weishi felt the answer was self-evident. She was filled with resentment and anger. She hated her son's inability to achieve anything, thinking he'd be trapped in that girl's maze for the rest of his life; she was furious that some daughters raised in such a way would only go back on their word, even taking the money, only to turn around and continue to lure him back.
Yu Weishi knew his son's temper well; no one could control him. He didn't need anyone to emphasize or even instill in him a clear understanding of the bigger picture. His self-discipline and adherence to propriety were undoubtedly worthy of his respect and admiration. On the contrary, if he wanted to overturn the table, he wouldn't care whether there were men or women at the table.
Yu Weishi had endured for twenty years to enjoy the peaceful days she now enjoys. She didn't want to be laughed at in her own home turf, so she held her breath for the moment and said to her son, "We're waiting for you. Your mother Tan said she'd wait for you to come, and Mrs. Zhou is even more so. I was just telling them, why are they pampering you? If he doesn't come, we don't know what to order."
Zong Chi gestured to the waiter to take his order, agreeing with his mother, "Yes, I've spoiled you. You may not be good at eating, but you'll definitely be good at ordering."
As he spoke, the person who ordered the dishes took Mrs. Zhou's taste into consideration first, saying that it was a rare visit for her, "You've been eating a lot of local dishes with my mom, so why not try a change of taste today and try some Huaiyang cuisine here."
Then he went to Tan Zhengjin's mother and said that he was nostalgic for the time when they were in Shanghai. His godmother wanted to cook eighteen dishes for him every day. This time he came with his mother and stayed for a while longer, so that he, as a son, could show his filial piety.
Mrs. Zhou listened attentively to Zong Chi's thoughtful remarks, feeling very upset. This son was just like his father. He was a smooth talker and could speak better than singing. She and Yu Weishi had hurried to come here last night with the sole purpose of bringing their daughter back. She secretly complained to her husband that Shuxing was being too naughty this time. How could someone just come and see him? In the eyes of the Zong family, they would think we were teasing them and pushing them so hard. But her husband didn't think so. What era was it now? Even if a girl took the initiative, it was nothing. The Zong family would think their son was worthy of our daughter, even if she was a fairy or a princess. In fact, Zong Chi's bad temper was no less than Zong Jingzhou's. If I didn't have this one daughter, would I let her do what she wanted? If I didn't need a strong enough son to take over the throne, I wouldn't like their son.
Mrs. Zhou was well aware of her husband's intentions. He had chosen Zong Chi, and the Zong family's background. Even if Zong Chi wasn't particularly devoted to his daughter, if he agreed to the marriage, she wouldn't really suffer any hardship if she followed someone like him. Zong Chi's personality was very similar to Zong Jingzhou's. While they were brash in their words, their character was flawless. Zhou's father was obsessed with Zong Chi, which led to his daughter's ignorant love for him. Zhou Shuxing's interpersonal relationships were actually very simple. She had studied in Switzerland for several years. In short, she admired her father, and the person he chose was always right.
At family gatherings, Zong Chi was always the one who was late and left early. Once, at a dinner party outside, Zhou Shuxing won an award, and her classmates and friends urged her to drink. She was so overwhelmed by the atmosphere that she forced herself to drink two glasses. That time, when her third glass of wine was about to come to her lips, the female secretary who always accompanied Zong Chi came over. Her English name was Mabel. She greeted Zhou Shuxing and said that Mr. Zong was upstairs. Seeing that she looked like she had drunk quite a lot, she asked if she needed a walk back. There were many men and women at the party that day, and Zhou Shuxing was drowsy. She heard a male classmate teasing her, "Is this your fiancé?" She only remembers that she did not refute it. She looked up at Zong Chi who was socializing and saw that he was chatting happily with his business partner. Zhou Shuxing secretly checked the cufflinks he wore most all year round, and found that no luxury brand had this custom-made one. She asked him once, Zong Chi asked her to move aside, Zhou Shuxing asked him what he was looking at, he pointed to a woman with a good figure somewhere while sipping wine, and said in a masculine tone, he is looking at a beautiful woman.
Zhou Shuxing was so angry that he turned around and left.
She secretly felt that Zong Chi wasn't a perfect match, considering he was so much older than her, but her parents both liked him. Furthermore, Uncle Zong was so kind to her aunt, and Zhou Shuxing felt that their parents had given her a very concrete model for marriage. She had many suitors, but whenever she interacted with them, she couldn't help but compare them to Zong Chi. Her friends teased her, saying, "You're already fiancée, and you're still socializing—it's a bit unreasonable." Zhou Shuxing tried to explain, but she couldn't. She felt that marrying a man so much older than her would be a shame if she didn't date a few more people.
Besides, he wasn't a blank slate. Zhou Shuxing knew Zong Chi had a girlfriend, and even more so that Aunt Yu didn't like her. She'd heard about her numerous times, at the poker table and at the beautician's. It sounded like she was a girl who, aside from her academic prowess, had little to offer Zhou Shuxing. She was only a year younger than Zong Chi. Zhou Shuxing felt like she was a generation away from that woman, just in terms of generation.
The Zhou family knew Zong Chi was in China to discuss the acquisition, but Zhou Shuxing was genuinely shocked by the celebrity-related news. He was a man who would even resort to using his legal team to retract a photo leaked to the media, yet he actually agreed to the release of his photos, even with a female companion.
Zhou Shuxing cried to her father, who told her to stop thinking about it, saying that the Zhou family's daughters would never have trouble finding a husband. Zhou Shuxing, however, was unconvinced. Normally confused and ignorant, she had come to her senses this time. She assured her parents that Zong Chi, who was so protective of the woman's privacy, must be his ex-girlfriend! It had to be!
Just when her parents thought she had gone back to her room to sulk, Zhou Shuxing ran onto the plane alone. She didn't think about anything else, she just wanted to see what this female doctor, who was disliked by Aunt Yu but whom Zong Chi could not forget, looked like. If she met her, she would definitely warn her that Aunt Yu would never like her because she and Uncle Zong's first wife were in the same industry. Uncle Zong and his first wife had different personalities and were always arguing. The woman was also very career-oriented and had been childless for many years. Even so, Mrs. Zong was devoted to protecting her daughter-in-law. She even helped to arrange all the medical care for the old lady's illness. This was what her mother told Zhou Shuxing. At the time, Zhou Shuxing thought such prejudice was really excessive, but when Zong Chi really "betrayed" her for that woman, Zhou Shuxing became jealous and narrow-minded, and spoke her mind. She just wanted to meet that woman to see where she had lost.
Zhou Shuxing was muttering to herself when Zong Chi suddenly called her name. She was startled out of guilt. He asked her what she wanted to eat.
Zhou Shuxing was fine with it, since she wasn't hungry anyway. Zong Chi decided for her, "Even if you're not hungry, you should eat something. Sorry, I was so busy last night. A bunch of old guys got me drunk, and I slept like a dog until now. Another Longjing shrimp." He turned and instructed the waiter.
The person who took the order closed the menu and then asked the person who had arrived last night, "Chen Xiangyang picked you up, and then what?"
Zhou Shuxing glanced at him. Even across the round table, she could see Zong Chi's bright appearance and a faint fragrance. It wasn't the stink he'd described. She paused, then told him the truth, "At his girlfriend's place. In the guest room."
"Oh. His girlfriend is always very generous."
"Mr. Chen called you last night." Zhou Shuxing was still angry about why he didn't show up last night.
Zong Chi watched the waiter bring in the pot of Longjing jasmine tea he had ordered. He stood up and, as a gesture of sincerity, personally poured tea for the guests. As he walked towards Mrs. Zhou's seat, he said to Zhou Shuxing in a joking tone, "Well, I told you, I've had a lot to drink. I need others to take care of me. I'm really sorry."
Zong Chi took off his coat as soon as he entered the room. Now he was wearing a shirt and tie, standing on the left side of the guests and pouring tea for them one by one. His courtesy and thoughtfulness would impress everyone. However, when Mrs. Zhou smelled the fresh fragrance on Zong Chi's body, her brows suddenly frowned. Whether it was shampoo, perfume or even body lotion, they were all for women.
The fragrance of flowers and woods is so strong that you want to pour it on your body.
Yu Weishi had to cover her nose with a tissue to stifle a sneeze. Zong Chi's pretentious manner as he stood by and served her tea infuriated her so much that she just wanted to curse. They were a pair of monsters, and if one of them wasn't right, they wouldn't be able to get along!
Yu Weishi knew Zong Chi's bad character too well. Normally, he was a lazy fellow who wouldn't even bother to help when a spilled oil bottle fell. But when he became attentive, there had to be a reason. He came over so coquettishly to pour tea today, just to tell the Zhou family which woman he slept with last night. He used to be like this, always arguing with his girlfriend, and then running back home, always with this determined and unyielding character.
Yu Weishi glanced at Mrs. Zhou's livid face, and her heart died. She'd already been dead after that argument with Zong Chi on the phone last night. She'd said the same thing to Lao Zong when she was angry: she'd never care about him again, let him have his way. It's said that the people you meet when you're young are important. She felt that Zong Chi hadn't suffered enough at the hands of that woman! He had a peaceful life, but he insisted on trying to curry favor with someone else. If he insisted on following his father's path, then so be it.
The elders poured tea one by one until it was about 70% full. Finally, Zong Chi walked over to Zhou Shuxing. Before he could pour her any more, Zhou Shuxing sneezed violently. Feeling rude, Zong Chi calmly called for the waiter to change the tableware. With this interruption, he didn't pour the tea, but placed it next to the guest and returned to his seat.
After the cold dishes were gone and the first three hot dishes were served, Zong Chi's secretary came up and knocked on the door anxiously. He whispered something in Zong Chi's left ear in a hurried work report tone.
After saying this, the man sitting upright picked up the napkin from his lap and pretended to finish his meal. He stood up and apologized to everyone at the table, "Sorry, I have to make a call due to the time difference. Please enjoy your meal." As he spoke, the guests were served another dish of braised lion's head. To comfort them, Zong Chi said, "Our lion's head is very authentic. Mrs. Zhou must try it. It has some water chestnuts in it."
After giving his instructions and appeasing the guests, Zong Chi dropped his napkin and turned to leave. The others at the remaining table were each preoccupied with their own concerns. When Secretary Huang nodded slightly to Mrs. Zong and Mrs. Zhou at the table, Yu Weishi's expression was enough to make him chop Huang Qianqiao into a lion's head.
The latter quickly ran after his boss.
As soon as they caught up with Zong Chi, Secretary Huang muttered, "Mrs. Zong feels like she can eat me up."
"Don't worry, if she can eat you, I can take you out too." Then, he stretched out his hand and asked her, "Where is what I want?"
Secretary Huang quickly handed him both of the boss's cell phones, and then corrected him that the call was actually scheduled for 1 p.m.
"What call?" Zong Chi was suspicious.
Secretary Huang explained that the conversation they'd just described was real, not a sham. "The real estate agent just told me the landlord has returned to Australia and agreed to speak with the buyer. The appointment is for 1 p.m. in China."
Zong Chi stopped in his tracks and swiped the BlackBerry phone in his hand that he could use for communication. Of course, this one was not his. His was a gift from his friend when this phone was first launched on the market. Lao Zong was a loyal fan of BlackBerry and had used this brand for many years.
When the school term started, Zong Chi wanted to give the phone back to the nerd so he could buy a new one, but she refused. Before that, he waited for a whole month for her to ask for money, but she didn't. She even didn't talk to him at school, pretending she didn't know him.
Just before the National Day holiday, she came to him and said the first words since the start of school. She asked him if he still remembered to pay back the money.
Quietly, Grandet.
Zong Chi was unhappy, thinking that she, a good student, was too arrogant. "I thought you had forgotten."
He Dongli had her own logic. "I didn't forget. I just didn't find the right opportunity."
"Chance?"
"I'm asking you for money, and I don't want my classmates to overhear and question me about the reason."
Zong Chi thought she was being weird. Just as she was about to take money out of her schoolbag to give her, the monitor called her over during the weekly duty period to discuss the grade Olympiad team.
When He Dongli and the class monitor came back, the classroom had been cleaned and the lights had been turned off.
When she got home in the evening, she found several hundred-dollar bills tucked into her math book.
She wanted to return it on Monday, but Zong Chi ignored her. Whenever he appeared, he would either call his friends or stir up trouble. The worst thing was meeting him at the toilet door.
He Dongli was about to open his mouth when he turned and went into the men's restroom. That time, he left her alone for a week, which was obviously much shorter than her one month.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: The word count of the supplementary version of Chapter 43 is 6205. If you are not interested in this word count, I suggest you clear the cache and read it again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
