Chapter 25 (Minor Revision) "I am married."...
On the return flight, You Yue had little appetite. After waking up from a nap, she ate a quick bite and then started working.
This time when he came to New York, he only brought bodyguards, just like Cheng Hexi. Qi Xuan was left at Hongsheng by him.
With Qi Zhu absent, he wasn't seeing messages as promptly as usual, and he was oblivious to Jing Yao's repeated calls in the group chat.
After reading the final meeting minutes for tomorrow, he finally opened his phone and saw their chat history.
This group only has four people: Ying Zeqing, Liang Xiao, and Jing Yao. Although it's called a group chat, Ying Zeqing doesn't say as much in a month as Jing Yao does in just one day.
I don't know what Liang Xiao is doing, but he actually has time to support him.
The two started chatting in the group, and messages flooded the screen, just like a private chat window.
It took me two minutes to see the important part.
Jingyao's elder brother and sister-in-law welcomed a son this spring, and the entire Jing family was filled with the joy of the new addition. Jingyao, the youngest son, was no longer the youngest in the family, but had suddenly become an uncle, which made him very excited.
The baby is about to turn 100 days old, and the Jing family is hosting a banquet. He invited a few of them to gather at the club in the evenings when they were free, and to discuss and choose gifts together.
This is their first child of the next generation, and none of them have much experience.
Ying Zeqing had no objection, replied with "okay" and then disappeared.
Liang Xiaoren is in the south, performing as a guest at a concert for friends in the industry, and cannot return.
He was the only one who hadn't made a statement.
At the bottom of the message box is a message from Jingyao tagging him.
You Yue moved his hand: [No time.]
Jingyao seemed genuinely bored, as his next remark was: "Married men are so hard to date."
Youyue pretended not to see it and exited the chat window directly.
Just then, Cheng Hexi sent a message.
He subconsciously calculated the time difference; it was already 1 a.m. there.
She hadn't fallen asleep yet, whether from just returning to the hotel or from insomnia again, it was unclear.
Judging from her voice, she wasn't speaking as fast as usual, and the surroundings were very quiet. Her speaking style, however, was the same as always, starting with small talk.
"Has it landed yet?"
"I have something urgent to attend to and need to fly to Paris. I'll be back in Beijing a few days later."
"You mentioned last time that the Jing family's baby will have his 100-day celebration next week? I've already prepared the gift, don't worry."
The system played the three voice messages automatically. Afterward, You Yue leaned back in his seat and manually played them one by one.
After hearing it twice, he simply replied, "I understand."
He deleted the phrases "thank you for your thoughtfulness" and "thank you for your hard work" that I typed, feeling they sounded too much like he was talking to a subordinate.
Finally, he sent the message, "Get some rest."
After exiting the chat window, he opened the group chat, lowered his eyes for a few seconds, and tagged Jingyao in the group chat.
[He Xi has prepared the gifts; you can discuss and decide what to do.]
Jingyao seemed to have a lot of free time, replying with a question mark almost instantly.
This was immediately followed by a question: "Why do I feel like you're faking it?"
You Yue scoffed and retorted, "Didn't you ask first?"
Then they fell silent.
The next second, a new message notification popped up.
Cheng Hexi replied with a moon emoji.
-
After landing, You Yue got into the driver's car; their destination was Hongsheng Industrial Park.
After finishing the work that can be done online, there are still documents that need his review and signature when he gets back, and two meetings to attend.
The lights in Hongsheng Park stay on very late, even the CEO has to work overtime.
After reviewing several reports and signing over a dozen documents, You Yue put his pen aside, pushed back his chair, got up, and walked to the French windows.
Reinforced concrete has created the towering skyscraper, which, through the efforts of many, has transformed from a cold building into a commercial empire. The night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the high-rise is still familiar, with the lights of thousands of homes visible in the distance.
You Yue thought back to this time last night when he was still staying at the top floor of a hotel in Manhattan, with Cheng Hexi sleeping in his arms.
They had done the most intimate things, sharing warmth and the same flavors.
Only one lamp was turned on, dimly lit.
She has an exquisite bone structure and beautiful features. Her eyes are always bright, displaying vitality and charm without any restraint.
When her eyes are closed, she is gentle and quiet, with a hint of weariness. The mole rests peacefully at the corner of her eye, and her eyelashes are long and thick, trembling slightly with her breath.
Thinking of this, You Yue couldn't resist the urge to smoke.
He had never been addicted to anything before.
After You Yue took over Hongsheng, he implemented a strict no-smoking policy in the building. There were designated smoking areas in the park, and he himself would never knowingly violate the rules by taking advantage of his position.
It was already nine o'clock, and he was the only one in the president's office; his secretary and assistant did not need to work overtime with him.
He picked up his car keys and walked out of the office. As the elevator descended, he decided to go to the clubhouse.
On a rainy night in Manhattan, after returning to the hotel, he knelt down to help Cheng Hexi take off her high heels, and she saw the barely noticeable scar on her forehead.
You Yue felt that Cheng Hexi was somewhat drunk; otherwise, she might have been curious or made guesses, but she certainly wouldn't have asked so directly.
But he did not answer.
He was afraid that Cheng Hexi would show her heartache, and he was also afraid that she was just asking casually.
Cheng Hexi, who was still resting in the room last night, lay on the bed where she and You Yue had slept together for the night, and was drowsy after taking a shower.
I vaguely dreamt of him in my sleep.
-
The city of Beijing remains sweltering at night, with its bustling CBD glittering and traffic jams even at 10 p.m., and the clubhouse's buildings shining brightly.
You Yue drove the car to the entrance, tossed the keys to the doorman, and went straight up to the second floor after entering the lobby.
Upon entering, Ying Zeqing was sitting on the sofa in the middle, chatting with Jing Yao. Besides the two of them, there were several other rich second-generation young men, all of whom were Jing Yao's friends.
You Yue glanced at it and could recognize about half of them.
"It's so lively here," he said casually.
In these situations, he never needed to recognize anyone. He walked over to the sofa next to Ying Zeqing and the others and sat down. They all came over to greet him.
You Yue nodded in response.
"You're here?" Jingyao greeted with a smile. "Want a drink?"
He waved his hand and refused.
I haven't been sleeping well these past two days, but I'm unusually clear-headed and don't want to touch alcohol again.
Ying Zeqing sat down next to him, causing the temperature in the private room to drop by two degrees.
You Yue was somewhat surprised to see him: "You're here too?"
This person is usually very difficult to invite.
"So what?" Ying Zeqing looked at him, lifted his eyelids, and made a rare joke: "President You is on his honeymoon abroad, and I'm working overtime at the company?"
You Yue scoffed lightly, saying nothing.
He was indeed feeling relaxed and happy these past few days, although he didn't know why Cheng Hexi said she didn't want to have a wedding this year.
Pride prevented him from asking.
Even the most resilient person can't maintain that level of energy after a long flight, being able to land and hold meetings and sign documents.
You Yue unbuttoned one button, revealing her prominent and sexy collarbone, and leaned lazily against the back of the sofa, lighting a cigarette.
Cigarettes were refreshing, but they also reminded him of the last time, at this same club, when he drove Cheng Hexi to the drive-in movie theater, and Cheng Hexi tried smoking on the way home.
He didn't realize he'd glanced at her a few times while she was exhaling smoke rings from her rosy lips, but the image remains vivid in his memory.
Jingyao still remembered the grudge from earlier and asked Youyue, "What gift did you prepare, sister-in-law? Tell me so I can have a suggestion."
“I don’t know,” the man said, lighting a cigarette and curving his lips slightly. “You’ll have to ask her.”
Although Jingyao was somewhat adept at navigating the fringes of the business world, he knew they were going to New York because of that economic forum, so he immediately inquired, "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you home at this hour instead of working? Why are you out having fun?"
Jingyao's tone was very much like a high school student jokingly teasing a friend who is in a relationship early.
"Why would you reply if no one's home?"
You Yue spoke in a nonchalant tone, exuding a lazy and carefree air.
"Didn't your sister-in-law come back with you?" Jingyao chuckled.
He hummed in agreement: "She flew to Paris."
Jingyao asked no further questions.
Paris.
You Yue knew that Cheng Hexi had lived in Paris for several years since she was a child, but he didn't know whether she was going there for business or personal reasons, or whether there were any things she missed or any of her childhood friends there.
After finishing his cigarette, You Yue threw the butt into the ashtray, feeling much more clear-headed. He asked the two of them if they had reached a final decision.
Too many gifts are not good; too many will backfire and carry negative connotations.
Ying Zeqing had already decided what gifts to prepare, leaving only Jingyao.
He wanted to give his nephew something he liked, no matter how expensive. This was the first time in his life he'd encountered something that money couldn't solve.
You Yue found it amusing and chuckled, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Ying Zeqing got up to answer a phone call. Jing Yao swallowed the last sip of wine in his glass, narrowed his eyes, looked at You Yue, and suddenly asked him, "...Did many people see you at the company today?"
You Yue had no idea what had gotten into him, so she glanced at him.
Seeing that he didn't understand, Jingyao simply became more direct.
Do you know you have hickeys on your neck?
You Yue scoffed softly before realizing what the person was talking about.
He didn't mean it, but he was too lazy to button it back up, and said, "I'm married."
So what if I have a hickey?
Make a fuss over nothing.
"?"
Jingyao suspected that he was the one who had taken the wrong medicine.
-
As night fell, Cheng Hexi landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The constant flying around for the past month has given her a headache just looking at airplane food, and she has no appetite at all.
Unlike You Yue, she has no requirements when it comes to food; if she doesn't want to eat, she simply won't eat.
My stomach was practically protesting when I got off the plane.
Cheng Hexi's trip to Paris was for both official and personal reasons, and both were decided on short notice.
She only planned to spend two days here. She needed one day for work, and after that, she decided to go back to her grandparents' villa to retrieve something. She would then have a suit made if she had some free time later.
Paris is the fashion capital, a hub of luxury, and home to extremely famous bespoke tailoring shops.
Tang Ying did not go to New York with Cheng Hexi, but arrived in Paris a few hours earlier and had already arranged for her to check into the top-floor hotel on the Seine.
The Parisian night scene is dazzling with lights, and the river flows gently, creating a tranquil and gentle atmosphere.
The hotel's restaurants have a good reputation and are said to be two Michelin stars. Cheng Hexi was starving after landing and just caught the tail end of dinner.
After checking in, the two went to the restaurant for a meal.
It was getting late, and the restaurant wasn't crowded. Soft piano music was playing.
Everyone, young and old, was elegant and poised, speaking softly and gently, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere that helped her relax after working non-stop for several days.
Because she was going to take a plane, Cheng Hexi didn't wear high heels and prioritized comfort in her outfit, but her elegant demeanor was still undeniable.
She hadn't even looked at the documents Tang Ying handed her in the car.
The two of them surprisingly didn't talk about work.
Tang Ying was personally recruited by Cheng Hexi from the sales department after Cheng Hexi took over Xilin. From her personality to her work style, she was very much to Cheng Hexi's liking.
Because of the official business, their interactions were relatively relaxed.
The day after tomorrow, Cheng Hexi is going back to her maternal grandparents' former residence. She doesn't need Tang Ying to accompany her. She said she would give Tang Ying a day off so she could have some fun in Paris, and the expenses would be paid by Tang Ying.
Although one day is a bit short, the hotel's location is great, making it convenient to go anywhere.
Perhaps noticing that Cheng Hexi was in a good mood, Tang Ying said she would post on social media to brag about her amazing boss.
Cheng Hexi was amused and chuckled.
The two waited at the table for a while, and the food was served one by one.
Before she could even pick up her knife and fork, someone walked to the table and called Cheng Hexi's name in a tentative tone.
He was speaking French.
Cheng Hexi looked up and saw a young French man. He had slightly wavy, brown hair and was dressed in a suit even in the evening.
She was momentarily surprised, not expecting to run into an acquaintance here.
After the social etiquette was followed, the two distanced themselves and exchanged a brief conversation.
Calling them acquaintances wouldn't be entirely accurate; it's just that Cheng Hexi lived in Paris before she was ten years old and was Louis's neighbor.
When she was in college, the two elderly people were still alive, and she would come to stay here during holidays.
From Cheng Hexi's perspective, their relationship was more than just acquaintances; they were neighbors.
Louis was surprised to learn that she had returned to Paris, explaining that it was his grandfather's birthday dinner that evening at his estate in the suburbs. He politely extended an invitation to her, indicating that he would send her a formal invitation later.
The two elderly people had a very good relationship with Louis's grandfather when they were still alive. He was so enthusiastic that Cheng Hexi nodded slightly and accepted the invitation.
Louis was clearly delighted and expressed his anticipation to see her the following night.
The two communicated entirely in French.
Although Tang Ying already knew that Cheng Hexi was very capable, she still admired her greatly at this moment.
After the meal, Cheng Hexi returned to her room. Due to jet lag, she felt tired but not sleepy at all. After taking a shower, she sat down at the table and turned on her laptop.
As I closed my eyes and pretended to doze off, my phone vibrated nearby.
She took it and looked at it.
I don't know what's wrong with You Yue, she's already awake at this hour. I asked her if she had landed in Paris.
Cheng Hexi moved her fingers, but before she could reply, another message came from the other end.
"What 100-day gift did you prepare?" Jingyao asked, curious.
The message note clearly read "Husband".
Cheng Hexi recalled the marks she had seen on her skin when she took a shower, and thought of that night in Manhattan, and felt a moment of disorientation.
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The author's note: We're still savoring this; both of us are.
Thank you so much, dear readers, for following the updates! Reading the comments was so much fun!!! [Rose]
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