He is anxious
In the bright spring sunshine, the plane slowly landed at the Capital Airport.
Zhuang Jinghao walked out of the corridor bridge, dragging the suitcase with his left hand and holding his mobile phone with his right hand, sighing.
"What's wrong?" Zuo Xiao leaned forward, "You don't know how to trade stocks anymore, do you?"
"No..." Zhuang Jinghao handed her the phone. "Look at last week's weekly public opinion report. Some of the self-media outlets are completely unethical! It's outrageous!"
Zuo Xiao took the phone and his brows furrowed more and more as he looked at it.
The report notes that recent rumors surrounding Zhuang Yu'an and Luffy have not only not subsided, but have intensified. Some online media outlets claim that Zhuang Yu'an stole his best friend's girlfriend and publicly engaged in a brawl with Luffy. Furthermore, he was also having multiple affairs, including an ambiguous relationship with a partner named Yan. Furthermore, media outlets have directly suggested that Pet Planet may be facing an equity dispute due to infighting within core management. This article has sparked widespread discussion in the investor community, with some criticizing Zhuang Yu'an for "departing from his job" and being "irresponsible to shareholders," and demanding a response from the company.
The three of them got in the car, and Zhuang Jinghao sat in the passenger seat, leaving the back seat for his brother and sister-in-law.
"Director Ge is having a terrible headache right now!" she complained. "The new CMO, Mr. Zhu, said the PR department must produce a detailed response statement to clarify issues of public and shareholder concern. But Director Ge feels that the more they respond, the more excited they become. They just need to clarify the equity issue with shareholders and ignore everything else."
"What do you think?" Zuo Xiao asked.
"Of course I'm on Director Ge's side!" Zhuang Jinghao said, "President Zhu isn't in PR, so an amateur guiding an expert..."
"Zhu Jiaming has his reasons," Zhuang Yu'an suddenly interjected. "The board of directors is taking this matter very seriously, and investors are also putting pressure on him to come up with a strong solution to quell the rumors."
"So you support Mr. Zhu?" Zhuang Jinghao asked.
"Both sides have their own reasons, and there is no perfect solution. No matter what decision Zhu Jiaming makes, I will not object."
"But how do we clarify things like stealing my girlfriend? And there's also the scandal with President Yan..." Zhuang Jinghao curled her lips, "There's no solid evidence to show for it. This level of response is insignificant and only gives others new material to add fuel to the fire, making up new stories. It's endless..."
Zhuang Yu'an didn't say anything, and Zhuang Jinghao also fell silent. Then he asked, "Did anyone on the board say anything about you?"
"It's okay." Zhuang Yu'an said lightly.
"I knew it!" Zhuang Jinghao snorted, "Brother, don't worry about them!"
Zhuang Yu'an hummed, then announced a bombshell: "My business trip to Canada is confirmed, and I'll be leaving next Monday."
"Ah?" Zhuang Jing was surprised, and Zuo Xiao also suddenly looked up at him.
He held her hand and smiled apologetically. "I originally wanted to postpone it, but after discussion, the board of directors decided that the project should be launched as soon as possible. This is also a good signal for investors."
Zuo Xiao felt empty inside, but he didn't show it on his face. He just frowned slightly and said calmly, "Go."
Zhuang Yu'an looked at her, with a conflicted look in his eyes, but he didn't say anything in the end.
Half an hour later, the three of them walked into the restaurant.
This was the Yunnan restaurant the siblings often visited. It was already past one in the afternoon, and not many people were in the restaurant. Zhuang Yu'an ordered a steamed stone pot fish and handed the menu to Zuo Xiao: "What do you want to eat?"
Zuo Xiao was in no mood to order food, so he said calmly, "You guys order whatever you want, I'm fine with anything."
Zhuang Yu'an handed the menu to his sister and watched her skillfully select a few common dishes.
After ordering, Zhuang Jinghao asked, "Brother, how long will you be gone this time?"
"About a month." He glanced at Zuo Xiao and said cautiously, "Yan Qing will also go this time."
"What?" Zhuang Jinghao was bewildered. "In the middle of this storm, this isn't appropriate, is it?"
Zhuang Yu'an looked embarrassed and explained in a deep voice, "She has also invested in this project. In addition, her father and uncle have been operating in the local area for many years and have connections in the political and business circles. If she goes there, it will be more convenient for the operation."
"But..." Zhuang Jinghao looked at Zuo Xiao cautiously, "Xiaoxiao baby, would you mind?"
Zuo Xiao smiled and said, "What's there to mind?"
Zhuang Jinghao absentmindedly said "Oh," but suddenly an idea struck her. "I have an idea!" she said excitedly, "How about officially announcing that you two are engaged? That way, everyone will know you're engaged, so they won't speculate wildly, right?"
The two people across from him were stunned at the same time. Zuo Xiao sneered, "You're still having an affair after getting engaged. Doesn't that make your brother's crime even more serious?"
"Uh..." Zhuang Jinghao said awkwardly, "Being engaged is like the final word. I think there should be less messy speculation later..."
Zuo Xiao looked at her like she was stupid. "Engagement isn't marriage, so how can it be finalized? Besides, even if you're married, you can still cheat. Have you ever seen a man who everyone trusts won't mess around just because he's married?"
"That's not right..." Zhuang Jinghao retorted, "Look at the male celebrities in the entertainment industry. Unmarried men definitely have more scandals! Whenever there's a little spark between them and their co-stars on a drama, or they glance at a female celebrity a few times on a variety show, they'll be the talk of the town. Married men are much better off. Unless there's evidence to prove they're a couple, people generally won't pair them up. After all, they're married..."
Zuo Xiao was about to argue again when Zhuang Yu'an said with a smile, "How about going for a spring outing together this weekend?" So the topic shifted to where to go for the spring outing.
After dinner, while Zuo Xiao went to the bathroom, Zhuang Yu'an grabbed his sister and whispered, "Don't mention this anymore. Too much is as bad as too little, you know?"
"No!" The little head tilted, "Doesn't what I just said make sense?"
Zhuang Yu'an smiled helplessly when he heard this.
It was already past three o'clock when he got home. Zuo Xiao felt tired, so he washed his hands and went into the guest room on the first floor to lie down.
She has been on the go non-stop in recent days: on Friday, she and Zhuang Yu'an went from Taiyuan to Nanjing, returned to Beijing on Saturday, went to Wuhan the next day, stayed overnight and then returned to Beijing... After all this running around, it would be strange if she wasn't tired.
It was all his fault! He said that since she had already met with the parents on her side, he should meet with his as soon as possible. So he took advantage of the weekend to take Zhuang Jinghao to Wuhan. Looking back, why was there such a rush? There was no need at all!
However, considering that he has to go on a long trip next Monday, it is understandable that he is in such a hurry...
As I was thinking, the door was pushed open. Zhuang Yu'an walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed.
He stroked her face and said softly, "Baby has been tired these days."
"Yeah." Zuo Xiao complained, "I'm exhausted from running around."
"I'm sorry, baby..." He took the initiative to explain, "Because I have a lot of work on hand and can't leave this week, so I squeezed my schedule together."
After he said that, could she really blame him? Zuo Xiao snorted softly and said, "It's okay. It's good to finish what needs to be done in one go, so there's no need to procrastinate. It's time for me to return to the band."
The hand that was caressing her cheek stopped, Zhuang Yu'an's Adam's apple rolled for a moment, and he said, "There's still one thing I haven't done."
Zuo Xiao thought for a moment and said with a smile, "You don't really want to hold an engagement party in the hope of officially announcing it to quell the rumors, do you?"
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment and said, "It's not an engagement." Then he sank down and lay face to face with her, her face reflected in his black eyes so close to her.
His thick eyelashes trembled slightly as he said solemnly, "I want to get the certificate with you."
Zuo Xiao's breath hitched, and he suspected he had misheard. What did "get the certificate" mean? Was that the certificate?
Her heart was pounding, and she swallowed nervously, saying, "What certificate?"
"Marriage certificate." He said, reaching out and pulling her into his arms. "I think what Jinghao said makes sense. If I can reveal my married status, it should be able to put an end to some of the rumors."
Zuo Xiao frowned and was about to retort when he heard him say, "Of course, this is not the main reason why I want to get married with you."
He hugged her tighter. Through his shirt, Zuo Xiao could feel his heart beating so hard that it numbed her ears.
"I'm going to Canada soon. The next time I come back will be in May. I won't be able to stay for too long before I have to leave again... The night is long and there are many dreams. There are too many uncertainties. What if..." His voice tightened, "What if you fly away?"
Zuo Xiao could fully sense his anxiety, but… she said dazedly, “Don’t you think this is too rushed? Ever since leaving Taiyuan, everything has been so fast it feels like a dream… Before I could even react, the parents had already met, the proposal had been made, and now we’re almost getting the marriage certificate?”
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment and asked, "Do you hate this?"
"It's not that I hate it..." Zuo Xiao said carefully, "I just think it's going too fast. It feels unreal... and I'm confused: no one's pointing a gun at us, so why are we in such a hurry?"
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a moment and said, "You described it very accurately. I am indeed filled with a sense of urgency, as if someone is holding a gun to me at all times... In recent days, I have often wondered: Did you agree to my proposal because you were moved at the moment? What if you regret it later? Yan Qingyuan and I are in a foreign country, and the rumors have reached your ears. Will you really suspect that there is something going on between us? If you really don't want me anymore, what should I do..."
Zuo Xiao was silent for a moment. Zhuang Yu'an took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I clearly promised you not to be so anxious, not to worry about gains and losses, and not to be suspicious, but I still couldn't help it... Maybe I'm too possessive. I should control myself instead of asking you to match my pace."
Zuo Xiao sighed and said, "But have you ever considered that even if we get married, it's just a piece of paper. It can restrict many things, but it can't restrict love. So it's only a temporary solution, not a permanent one. In the future, you'll still be overthinking things, wondering if I'll ever stop loving you, and making yourself anxious. That kind of situation won't just affect you, it'll also affect me, and our relationship."
Zhuang Yu'an was silent for a long time, then said, "I understand what you mean, but I still want to get the marriage certificate with you. So can we get it? Let's go now."
At this moment, Zuo Xiao was confused. He could hardly believe that the words he just heard came from his mouth - did this guy know what he was saying?
Before she could come to her senses, Zhuang Yu'an suddenly turned over and covered her from top to bottom.
He pecked her on the lips, put his nose against hers, and said, "Baby, can you come with me to get the marriage certificate?"
"You're crazy!" Zuo Xiao blushed and pushed him away. "I'm so tired, I want to sleep!"
Zhuang Yu'an didn't move at all. He lowered his head and kissed her again, coaxing her, "Go ahead. The nearest Civil Affairs Bureau is only a fifteen-minute drive away. Besides, not many people are getting marriage certificates these days, and today isn't a special day, so there's no need to queue. It should probably take ten minutes to get them all. Come back and continue sleeping. I'll make sure you're well taken care of..."
"No!" Zuo Xiao pushed him away in vain. "Are you having a seizure?"
"Yeah, baby's right, I'm having a seizure." He was clearly being rude, not only moving his mouth but also his hands. Zuo Xiao was already embarrassed and annoyed, and after being provoked by him, he felt sore all over.
"Like you said, let's finish what needs to be done at once to avoid procrastination..." He pressed against her and said hesitantly, "We have to get the marriage certificate sooner or later anyway. If we get it done today, it will be one less thing to do. How great..."
"You scoundrel..." Tears welled up in Zuo Xiao's eyes. His movements of pushing away and his voice of resistance were all incredibly soft.
"Well, I'm a scoundrel..." He suppressed his breathing and threatened her with his lips against hers, "If baby doesn't agree, I will always be a scoundrel..." After that, he pried open her lips and forcefully captured her tongue.
He finally tamed her in bed. As she blushed and soaked several sheets, begging for mercy, he said, "Be good...baby, just promise to wait and get the marriage certificate, and we can stop..." Finally, he cried out, "I promise..."
He took her to the bath and put clothes on her while she was still angry.
He spread out the prenuptial agreement and asked her to sign it.
He carried her, who had a stern face, into the car and fastened her seat belt.
It was five o'clock, and the Civil Affairs Bureau was closing at half past five. He checked his pocket again, confirmed everything, and started the car.
At 5:15, he got his number.
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