Chapter 43
At the board meeting, the self-important directors couldn't say anything bad about the revenue she brought to the company this time.
After the meeting, Liang Shi invited Chen Tianyun to dinner, and Chen Tianyun did not refuse.
This was not an ordinary working meal; Liang Shi had many questions he wanted to discuss with him.
"Mr. Chen, I really have to thank you for your support in making this such a great success! I still have to get back to work later, so I'll have tea instead of wine!"
Chen Tianyun clinked glasses with her, looking at the strong woman in front of him, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Does a sense of accomplishment make you very happy?"
"Of course, isn't it something to be happy about when others recognize your abilities?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Tianyun frowned slightly. For him, a sense of accomplishment brought only a brief moment of excitement, nothing more.
In his world, excitement does not equate to pleasure.
Not wanting to waste time, Liang Shi quickly asked the question he wanted to ask: "Leo, I don't understand why a multinational branch like this would have a separate board of directors? And those directors seem to have quite a few opinions about you and me!"
Chen Tianyun lost all interest at the thought of those expressionless guys.
"Suzie, there are some things I think are better left unsaid."
This piqued Liang Shi's curiosity: "Knowing this won't put anyone in danger, will it?"
"How naive," Chen Tianyun chuckled. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke up: "This is Fanning's permission to enter the Hong Kong market. Back then, the head of Fanning's headquarters, Hans, came to Hong Kong with his wife and children. On the surface, it was for a vacation, but in reality, he wanted to conquer this uncharted territory. Unfortunately, Hans's daughter was kidnapped. The kidnappers' only demand was that he set up a board of directors in the Hong Kong branch. They would send people to participate in various affairs of the Fanning Group's Hong Kong branch."
Liang Shi felt that Chen Tianyun was fooling her: "Really? This is a society ruled by law. Are there still criminal gangs like this in Hong Kong?"
Chen Tianyun poured her a cup of tea: "Perhaps when you walk down the street, one in ten people will not walk the right path."
Liang Shi didn't know if he was telling the truth, but he was still a little scared. He looked around; it was a Western restaurant, and everyone coming and going was well-dressed. He just felt that the man was lying. But then he remembered what Li Junqian had said: Chen Tianyun was no ordinary person.
"You don't mean one of those ten, do you?"
She ate her salad and jokingly asked him a question, but he didn't reply and just looked at her indifferently.
Liang Shi felt uneasy under his gaze. Could it be that Chen Tianyun was involved with the ***?
"I was just joking. Talking about work is affecting my appetite. Shall we talk about something else?"
Chen Tianyun raised an eyebrow: "For example?"
Liang Shi felt that Chen Tianyun was different today. They had gotten along quite well before, but today this man didn't seem to want to talk to her.
Let's talk about something else. What can we talk about? The only thing they're connected to is... Zhou Meng, right?
"Zhou Meng told me you invited her to go sea fishing?"
Upon hearing the name Zhou Meng, Chen Tianyun lost all appetite.
"Really? I don't remember if I brought her along. Suzie, if you'd like to try it, let's organize a group activity next time."
Liang Shi is still wary of sea fishing and will never go night fishing at sea again in his life.
"I am seasick."
After a few words, Liang Shi decided not to force the conversation and instead focus on enjoying the food.
Her phone beeped with a WeChat notification. She picked it up and saw that Zhou Meng had sent her a bunch of photos. Being young is great, especially for college students; they can go out and have fun anytime they don't have classes.
In the photo, Zhou Meng and her classmates are playing at Ocean Park. Sure enough, a cheerful girl is the most attractive. In the photo, a boy has his arm around Zhou Meng's shoulder, which looks quite intimate.
Liang Shi glanced at Chen Tianyun. When Zhou Meng was mentioned, he showed no expression. It seemed that Li Junqian had indeed told him about this.
That's fine too. The two of them are from different worlds, and there's a significant age gap. A brief hormonal attraction doesn't mean they can actually spark a romance. Chen Tianyun is not someone Zhou Meng can handle.
A couple of days ago, Zhou Meng complained to her that when she sent messages to Chen Tianyun, they disappeared without a trace. It seems that Chen Tianyun doesn't have any feelings for Zhou Meng.
When Liang wanted to click on the photos Zhou Meng had posted, he accidentally clicked on her voice message: "Sister Suzie, I just got off that drop tower, my legs are so weak, but thankfully Li Shihao is a good friend and carried me the whole way! Ocean Park is so much fun, I'll invite you next time, let's go together!"
The photo she wanted to click on was of Zhou Meng making a peace sign on the boy's back; it was the same boy who had his arm around her shoulder when they took a group photo.
The sunny and handsome guy is quite a good match for Zhou Meng.
Liang Shi awkwardly told Chen Tianyun, "Zhou Meng and her classmate went to the Ocean Park and sent me photos. It seems like they're dating."
Chen Tianyun chuckled: "Is that so?"
Liang Shi believes that one should do the right thing at the right age. For example, Zhou Meng, who is nineteen years old now, should date more boys of similar age.
Seeing the two young people laughing happily in the photo, she regretted ever suggesting that Zhou Meng go after Chen Tianyun!
Liang Shi showed the photos Zhou Meng had sent to the man opposite her: "Judging from this, it seems like they are indeed dating. I'm so envious. At her age, I just started studying in France."
Chen Tianyun glanced at it indifferently, his gaze not lingering, and Liang Shi quickly put his phone away.
Chen Tianyun picked up his phone and opened the chat window that kept sending him messages. The chat was filled with photos, all of them solo shots of her, the girl smiling radiantly in them. She even asked him if he was cute, pretty… Ha!
It's likely that the boy who took the picture of her was the one carrying her on his back.
Ha, Zhou Meng, Zhou Meng, you're playing dumb to fool him. You're having a blast out with someone while keeping him hanging on like this. How interesting.
Chen Tianyun's self-assessment was that he was definitely not a good man. If Li Junqian hadn't repeatedly reminded him, he actually had some desire for this girl.
When men look at women, they look at their figure and personality. For Chen Tianyun, figure is very important because it relates to his private life. But the most important thing is personality; he likes women who are obedient and have few vices.
The only thing about Zhou Meng that aroused his desire was her slightly decent-looking small body.
...
Zhou Meng returned to school, so tired she just wanted to collapse into her bed. She picked out some photos and posted them on her WeChat Moments. The advantage of having many friends was that she quickly received a screen full of likes, but unfortunately, the person she liked didn't reciprocate.
Even after they went sea fishing together, he never replied to her again. At first, Zhou Meng thought he had had an accident, so she went to his company, but seeing him busy with work, she didn't bother him too much, afraid of being disliked.
But so much time has passed, and this person still ignores her. She doesn't know what went wrong.
Guessing is exhausting, and Zhou Meng is almost at her breaking point. She's been feeling down lately. To cheer herself up, she makes sure to go out with any friends who invite her, no matter what. But after the initial excitement, when she's all alone in the world, she gets emo again.
When she opened Chen Tianyun's WeChat, his profile picture was a particularly handsome Maine Coon cat. When she first added him, she asked if he owned the Maine Coon, but she didn't see the cat when he woke up that day.
Bored anyway, Zhou Meng continued editing her message, ready to send it. Even if it went unanswered, as long as he hadn't blocked her, he'd definitely see it! She refused to believe this man was so heartless as to never reply!
Zhou Meng: That roller coaster by the sea was so thrilling! And that cable car, you can see the sea and the mountains, it's so beautiful!
She then posted a bunch of landscape photos.
She kept sending messages until she suddenly noticed that one of her messages had been buried. Zhou Meng yelled, and her roommates asked her what was wrong. Zhou Meng said she had won the lottery and would treat them to a meal next time!
Zhou Meng quickly scrolled up and finally found the message.
Chen Tianyun: Didn't you want to drive my car? You've been drinking, come and take me home.
Zhou Meng couldn't wait a moment longer. She jumped out of bed, grabbed her bag, and prepared to leave. As soon as she opened the dormitory door, she looked down at her outfit: overalls and jeans, which seemed a bit out of place with his Rolls-Royce Chasing Shadow.
She quickly changed into a dress and went to keep her appointment. Chen Tianyun had quite a few cars, and Zhou Meng had ridden in many of his nice cars, but she was particularly fond of his Arcadia. Although her driving skills were mediocre, she always told him that she wanted to drive his beloved car.
I actually agreed to it out of the blue today!
Zhou Meng arrived at the place Chen Tianyun had mentioned without any trouble, but the security guard at the entrance stopped her, saying that minors were not allowed to enter. Feeling pleased to be complimented on her youth, Zhou Meng showed her ID card to the guard.
"This is my mainland ID card. I'm not a minor! I went in to pick someone up!"
The security guard asked her who she was picking up, and Zhou Meng gave a name. The guard seemed to exchange a few words with the person in the earpiece before letting her in.
Zhou Meng was speaking confidently, referring to the room number the security guard had just given her. She had never been to a bar before and wondered why a bar would have private rooms.
After passing the noisy tables on the outside, Zhou Meng quickened her pace because of the man who was whistling at her. She walked deeper into the room and saw that there were two rooms inside. In one room, a song was playing and someone was singing into a microphone. The other room was empty and dark.
Chen Tianyun must be inside! She'd been playing all day and was exhausted. Although she was brimming with energy right now, it was already past midnight, and her face must be showing signs of fatigue. She took out her phone, opened the camera, took a picture, tidied her hair, and then sent Chen Tianyun a message saying she was at the entrance. He didn't reply. Zhou Meng glanced at the time; it was almost midnight!
Zhou Meng peered through the door, listening to the noisy sounds inside, from both men and women. In Zhou Meng's mind, Chen Tianyun shouldn't run a place like this; could it be a business dinner?
Suddenly, a male voice inside spoke in Cantonese. Zhou Meng didn't understand, but after thinking for a moment, she decided to push the door open and go in. Maybe Chen Tianyun had called her over so that she could rescue him from this social engagement?
Zhou Meng pushed open the door and walked in. Not only was she stunned, but everyone who saw her come in was also surprised. Where had she ever seen such a world of adult debauchery and extravagance?
On the soft sofa, a woman with long flowing hair sat on a man's lap with her back exposed, embracing each other, seemingly ready to do something inappropriate for children at any moment! Others were more normal, with men holding women and clinking glasses to drink.
Zhou Meng glanced past the unfamiliar faces, and when she saw the man she had been longing for, her excitement seemed to soar to the Arctic. Chen Tianyun rested his elbows on his knees, looking down at the ice cubes in his glass, which he was shaking. The woman beside him had her hands on his shoulders and was chatting and laughing very close to his ear. Of course, she also saw Chen Tianyun say something with a smile on his lips.
After saying something, the woman became bolder and seemed to want to get closer to him.
A man next to Zhou Meng approached her and asked in Cantonese if he could kiss her later. She could understand what he meant, but Zhou Meng was startled when he tried to put his arm around her shoulder: "What are you doing? Get away from me!"
Zhou Meng had tears in her eyes. She had ignored him for so many days, but today she sent him a message for the first time ever. She came to find him all the way here, just so she could see him laughing and talking with another woman, right?
If you don't like her, you can just say so. Why humiliate her like this?
Perhaps because she had spoken a little loudly, everyone's eyes were drawn to her, and at that moment, she met Chen Tianyun's eyes.
The man frowned slightly, as if asking why she was there. Zhou Meng shifted her gaze and happened to see the woman beside him holding his arms with both hands...
She shouldn't have shown up here tonight, interrupting their good time!
"Five, four, three, two, one!"
The man holding the microphone counted down from five in Cantonese, and then all the lights in the room went out, even the TV that was playing music lost power. Zhou Meng didn't know what was going on, and as she was about to turn around and fumble for the doorknob, she was suddenly pressed against the door.
She frantically pushed the person away, but the other person was very strong: "Let go..."
Before she could finish speaking, her lips were sealed. Because she had started to speak, the other person took advantage of her unpreparedness and began to French kiss her.
This was her first kiss! Zhou Meng could hardly breathe. She couldn't push him away, her brain was oxygen-deprived, and she wanted to cry but couldn't.
Could this man be the one who just asked her if he could kiss her? He's quite handsome, but she wanted to save her first kiss for Chen Tianyun!
I was all set to meet my sweetheart tonight, but somehow a stranger stole my first kiss!
What exactly happened?
Before Zhou Meng could even think, she heard someone counting down from five again.
As soon as she heard the word "five," someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the door. The glaring light made her unable to open her eyes immediately, and then she was led into another room.
Just as Zhou Meng was about to bite the hand holding her wrist, she looked up and saw the person she had been longing for day and night!
So, he just kissed himself? But he was clearly sitting on that sofa!
"Didn't I tell you to wait for me at the door?"
Zhou Meng's mind was filled with the kiss from just now. If she had known it was him, she wouldn't have resisted so much! No wonder she didn't feel any physical resistance. Just now, Zhou Meng even felt that she was such a jerk for being kissed so comfortably!
I never expected it to be Chen Tianyun!
Zhou Meng lowered her head slightly out of shyness, but when she heard his question, she suddenly thought of something and looked up at him: "If I hadn't come in to find you, you wouldn't have been playing that kissing game with the woman next to you just now, would you?"
Seeing that he didn't answer, Zhou Meng pursed her lips and smiled, "Chen Tianyun, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"
With tears in her eyes, Zhou Meng was about to open the door and leave when she was pressed against the door again. This time, unlike before, her blanket was pressed against his chest. She couldn't see his face, but she could feel his breath right next to her ear.
"Zhou Meng, I'm sorry to disappoint you. I've always been this kind of person. I had too much to drink today. Otherwise, do you think I would have messaged you?"
Zhou Meng's eyes were brimming with tears. She knew he didn't like her, yet she still went out of her way to find him.
"So, you asked me to come here to tell me that you'll never like me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, his large hand grabbed her waist. Zhou Meng had never been so intimate with a man before!
What does it mean to like someone? Does wanting to sleep with them count?
Zhou Meng froze when she heard those two words: "You..."
How could he say such...shameful things!
"Ever since you got injured, your brother has told me to take good care of you. He even told me to keep my distance from you a while ago. Ha, you're just a greenhorn, of course I wouldn't take you seriously. But you just have to keep wandering around right under my nose."
Her brother told her to keep her distance? No wonder he's been so cold to her lately!
"Tell me, who was that guy you went out with today?"
The photos Zhou Meng sent him were all solo shots of herself; how could he have known…?
"I went with my classmates..."
Chen Tianyun turned her around and looked down at her flushed face, which still had tear stains. He chuckled and said, "Heh, you sent me a solo photo, but sent Liang Shi a picture of you hugging and cuddling with another man? Zhou Meng, I'm a normal man, you know me. I really don't like being provoked."
What? How did he see the photos she sent to Sister Liang?! So, is he jealous?
"Don't get me wrong, that boy is really just my classmate! I didn't send it because I was afraid you'd misunderstand! You have to believe me!"
Chen Tianyun usually disliked interacting with female college students, as they were often troublesome despite their youth. He never imagined that he would one day pay so much attention to a young girl.
"Zhou Meng, do you know what it means for you to tell me at this moment that you are still a single girl?"
How could Zhou Meng not know? She didn't even dare to look into his eyes, which were filled with burning desire!
She bit her lip: "I...I know..."
The next second, a familiar warm breath wafted over her. This time, Zhou Meng wasn't so awkward; she even learned to breathe while kissing.
Dizzy from the kiss, his lips pressed against hers: "Come to my place?"
Zhou Meng knew what those three words meant. If she refused this time, there would probably be no possibility for the two of them anymore.
"good."
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