Chapter Thirty-Eight
The plane slowly descended and arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Outside the porthole, the sky was a gray-blue at dawn.
After a flight of more than ten hours, the passengers woke up one by one.
Mo Wansheng opened her blurry eyes and stretched her stiff limbs.
She took her phone out of her bag, and the screen lit up, reflecting her slightly pale face.
As soon as I connected to the internet, I received a message from Huo Yuzheng that he had sent me a few minutes earlier.
"Have we arrived yet?"
Mo Wansheng lowered her eyes and tapped her phone screen lightly with her fingertips.
"Just landed, will get off the plane soon."
She received a quick reply from the other end.
"be safe."
The moment those words caught my eye, Huo Yuzheng sent me a photo.
It's a photo of myself working in front of the CEO's office.
In the photo, Huo Yuzheng is sitting in his spacious CEO office. He sits at a dark solid wood desk with a floor-to-ceiling window in the background.
He added an extra message.
"I'm working."
Mo Wansheng couldn't help but laugh. Was this his way of reporting to the authorities?
She mimicked him, holding up her phone and striking a pose.
With a smile that crinkles her eyes, she snaps a selfie, capturing the moment.
"I'm on a plane."
"Yes, feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything."
"Okay, Mr. Huo. I'll talk to you later, I'm getting off the plane."
Putting away her phone, Mo Wansheng still had a lingering smile on her lips.
She followed the flow of people toward the baggage carousel.
While waiting for my luggage, my phone vibrated again; it was He Zihang calling.
"Hello?"
"Wansheng, have you arrived? Is everything going smoothly?" He Zihang's clear voice came through, carrying familiar concern.
"Yes, I just landed and am waiting for my luggage." She answered while her eyes searched for her suitcase on the slowly moving conveyor belt.
Just as the call was going on, the luggage arrived.
With her phone tucked under one shoulder, Mo Wansheng struggled to lift the heavy suitcase down.
He Zihang reminded him, "Be careful on the road."
"Okay, thank you."
After hanging up the phone, Mo Wansheng dragged her suitcase and followed the signs to the arrival gate.
The long flight is finally over, and I feel much lighter. I'm also delighted by the remote "reporting" I just had.
She walked briskly, but suddenly, when she looked up at the bustling crowd at the arrival gate, she couldn't help but pause.
Not far away, He Zihang was standing tall, leaning leisurely against the railing.
He had clearly seen her a long time ago, and was now holding up his phone, which he had just ended a call with, waving at her across the crowd.
Mo Wansheng carried her suitcase over, and He Zihang took it from her.
He smiled broadly, "Wansheng, long time no see."
She returned his smile with the same radiant one, "Senior, it's been a long time."
The two walked side by side toward the airport exit.
He Zihang asked with concern, "How have you been doing in the country these past few years?"
"It's fine." Mo Wansheng nodded, then changed the subject and joked, "How are you, senior? You've become even more handsome over the years."
As she spoke, she glanced at him.
Today, He Zihang wore a well-tailored black leather jacket, paired with a simple white T-shirt and dark slim-fit trousers. He looked neat and upright, exuding a sense of composure and unruliness.
He is no longer the clean-smiling, gentle, and youthful senior I remember; now he exudes a more mature and attractive charm.
Hearing Mo Wansheng's teasing, He Zihang couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Wansheng is joking with me again. She still likes to tease me just like she did back then."
There was no displeasure in his tone; it was relaxed, like the banter between acquaintances.
It was as if they had returned to the campus, sitting on a bench under a camphor tree. Mo Wansheng was still the junior who used to tease him that "his hair is a mess from playing basketball."
Mo Wansheng didn't make many friends during her university years.
He Zihang is not only her president, but also one of her few close friends.
He drove her all the way to her hotel.
The car came to a smooth stop, and he got out deftly to help her with her luggage.
"Thank you, senior. I'll leave it here. I'll carry it up myself."
"Okay." He Zihang smiled.
Before leaving, he said gently, "I'm all packed. If you want to take a walk around, feel free to contact me. I live not far from here."
“Okay, senior. I’ll contact you about the competition tonight.” Mo Wansheng waved to him, picked up her suitcase, and walked into the hotel.
He Zihang did not leave immediately. He stood at the hotel entrance with a gentle expression, quietly looking at Mo Wansheng through the glass wall.
She disappeared around the corner after completing the check-in procedures.
A faint smile appeared on his lips before he left.
The elevator stopped at the floor where Mo Wansheng lived.
She pushed her heavy suitcase out and found her room.
As soon as I entered the house, I collapsed onto the soft sofa.
Mo Wansheng hasn't traveled far from home for quite some time.
After more than ten hours of this ordeal, she felt completely exhausted.
The suitcase was left in a corner of the room, with absolutely no desire to unpack it.
She took out her phone, and Huo Yuzheng sent her another message.
"I'm going to a meeting in ten minutes."
He took a picture of his hand holding the pen.
Mo Wansheng chuckled. Is Mr. Huo planning to implement a 24-hour reporting system now?
"Mr. Huo, focus on your work. Don't let reporting things ruin the company."
She thought for a moment, then struggled to get up from the sofa.
Find the best angle for the light in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, pull your phone back, and take a selfie.
The background is the Parisian skyline, and the foreground is her relaxed and joyful smile.
"We've arrived at the hotel! Thank you, Mr. Huo, for booking this hotel; it's very comfortable!"
I received a reply as soon as I sent the message.
"I'm glad you like it."
Then, the "typing" message on the dialog box appeared several times before finally sending a message.
"I can't afford to lose you; I can easily support you."
Mo Wansheng felt a slight burning sensation in her ears as she looked at the words.
"If you're tired, get a good night's sleep."
"Okay, Mr. Huo."
She turned off her phone, took a shower, and slept until the afternoon.
When she woke up, Mo Wansheng turned on her phone again.
A series of messages.
Some were sent by Huo Yuzheng, and some by He Zihang.
He Zihang: "Wansheng, are you sleeping? I'll treat you to dinner tonight."
Mo Wansheng opened Huo Yuzheng's chat window.
"It's 12 o'clock, and I'm having lunch."
He took a picture of his lunchbox.
"After you finish eating, rest for a while."
He posed for a photo of himself lying on a bed in the lounge; it was casual, even somewhat alluring.
"The meeting starts at 2 PM."
Attached is an entry photo of the conference room.
"The meeting ended at 4 p.m., and I'm reviewing documents in my office."
...
Mo Wansheng couldn't help but tease, "Mr. Huo, if you keep going like this, I really suspect the company is going to go bankrupt."
Still feeling sleepy, she gently rubbed her eyes.
She pressed the voice button, her tone slightly coquettish and complaining, "I just woke up, I'm so sleepy. I'll go eat in a bit."
"Yes, I'm at Jingyuan."
Mo Wansheng hadn't expected that even after she left, he would still have to go back to Jingyuan to live.
She immediately seized the opportunity, feigning an accusation: "Mr. Huo, are you trying to seize my house while I'm away?"
Huo Yuzheng typed for a long time this time, and finally sent a voice message.
She clicked on it, and his deep voice echoed in the room: "It's not about taking over, it's about guarding."
Just as Mo Wansheng was about to reply, the doorbell rang.
Through the peephole, I could see hotel waiters pushing food carts laden with exquisite French cuisine and red wine.
"Dinner reserved by Mr. Huo." The waiter handed over a card with familiar handwriting: "It's even more important to eat on time when you're jet-lagged."
She took a picture of the food truck.
"Mr. Huo has even taken over the kitchens of Paris?"
The phone vibrated again as soon as the message was sent.
This time it was He Zihang's turn: "There's a really authentic little bar nearby, wanna try it?"
Mo Wansheng looked at the invitations that arrived on her phone almost simultaneously and found herself in a dilemma.
The food cart emitted an enticing aroma, and she couldn't bear to disappoint Huo Yuzheng's thoughtful gesture, which he had arranged so meticulously from thousands of miles away.
Ke He Zihang picked her up from the airport after a long journey and then invited her to dinner.
Given that she was new to the area and they hadn't seen each other for many years, it would be unreasonable and disrespectful for her to refuse his invitation to have dinner together for the first time.
She frowned slightly, her fingertip hovering over the screen for a moment.
She replied to He Zihang's message with a hint of apology.
"Senior, what bad timing! The hotel just delivered dinner. But there's so much I can't finish it all by myself. Why don't you come and join us?"
"Shall we grab something to eat first, and then go to that pub you mentioned for a drink?"
She also sent him the room number.
This way, Huo Yuzheng's arrangements were not wasted, and He Zihang's invitation was accepted.
After sending the message, she immediately opened the chat window with Huo Yuzheng and sent a rabbit emoji with droopy ears, captioned "Looking wronged."
"Mr. Huo, the dinner you arranged is too lavish. It feels so lonely to eat alone."
"Since my senior is nearby, I'd like to invite him to share with us. You don't mind, do you?"
After the message was sent, it took almost a minute before the message finally came in with just two concise words.
Huo Yuzheng: "Whatever you say."
No expression, no extra emotion.
Mo Wansheng was considering how to reply when her phone screen suddenly lit up.
With a crisp ringtone, Huo Yuzheng made a video call.
Her breath hitched, and she subconsciously tidied her slightly disheveled hair.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Mo Wansheng quickly got up to open the door.
She made a "shh" gesture to He Zihang, who had just entered the room, took a deep breath, and then pressed the answer button.
On the other end of the screen, Huo Yuzheng leaned back on the beige sofa in the living room, enveloped in a warm yellow glow.
He was wearing a casual dark sweater and his posture was relaxed.
Mo Wansheng suddenly realized that it was already past midnight.
Huo Yuzheng's deep voice rang out, "What are you doing?"
"Just about to eat." Mo Wansheng pointed the camera at the food cart, showing off the delicious food he had brought.
At the same time, she quietly gestured for He Zihang to sit down casually.
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