Chapter 19
That evening, Zhuang Yazhi was summoned for questioning upon returning home.
Zhuang Haiming was there, earnestly and righteously preaching to them.
"How could you say that? Aunt Shen is Dad's business partner."
"Logically speaking, since you came to the company to help your father, you should also help him out when things happen at the new company."
"Don't do that again next time."
Although angry, Zhuang Haiming didn't dare to say anything harsh, and only gave a symbolic lecture.
Zhuang Yazhi: "OK".
Blah blah blah, so verbose.
However, he didn't mention helping with the capital increase again, but just made an excuse to say that they would discuss it another day.
Don't even think about getting her to do any work.
Don't even think about it.
Shen Family Villa
After Shen Qianli got home, she kept crying to Zhang Baoxian, "Cousin, she was so rude, I was so angry."
Zhang Baoxian hesitated, wanting to say something like, "It can't be that bad, can it?"
On the contrary, Shen Yiheng watched quietly, a smile playing on his lips.
Of all people to mess with, why did you have to provoke her? You deserve it.
Since that day, Shen Qianli has never appeared at Zhuang's again. Whenever there are important matters to discuss, she speaks with Zhuang Haiming alone, who then relays them to the shareholders.
He intentionally hid many small details from Zhuang Yazhi.
Surprisingly, a secret document was delivered to Zhuang Yazhi's office in the blink of an eye, containing all the little details of their conversation.
Someone wants to use this opportunity to atone for their sins.
However, it's worth mentioning that he did provide a few seemingly good pieces of information.
Shen Qianli intends to poach Cai Siyue to work as a public relations manager at the technology company, and reasonably proposes human resource sharing on the grounds that the new company is just starting out and lacks manpower.
With ulterior motives.
Downstairs in the coffee shop, Cai Siyue stared blankly at the invitation document on the table, her brows furrowed in confusion and distress.
She disliked Shen Qianli, but she would always subconsciously try to find out a lot of information about her, and after reading it, she would feel restless and uneasy for a long time.
Her father raised her alone from childhood, and the mother and daughter never had any real contact.
An unexpected job offer caught her off guard, and the torment was almost enough to melt away her bitterness.
"If you don't want to go, I can help you decline."
Zhuang Yazhi took a seat; she could offer assistance if needed.
Cai Siyue looked listless and lacked energy. She was still hesitant and her refusal was not very obvious.
She looked up at Zhuang Yazhi with a pitiful expression and asked, "How do you usually get along with your mother?"
"We eat, chat, and spend time together whenever we have time."
"What do you talk about? For example?" Although Cai Siyue was disheartened, she still showed a burning desire when it came to how the two of them should get along.
Zhuang Yazhi recalled carefully that over the years, she and her mother had actually spent very little time together despite being separated by distance.
“Say whatever you see, share interesting things, buy things for your mom, make plans to do things together when you get home, video call your mom to see what she’s busy with.”
Cai Siyue listened attentively to each word, repeating it once and silently memorizing it.
When her mother is mentioned, she habitually feels cold, then heartbroken, and slowly turns into jealousy.
She noticed that Zhuang Yazhi had pinned her mother to the top of the chat list, and within a short time, messages kept popping up with little red dots.
"That's wonderful. I envy how close you are to your mother."
Unlike her, she had to learn and ask for advice even when getting along with others.
Zhuang Yazhi smiled gently and replied, "I envy you too. You have a father who loves you very much."
When her father was mentioned, Cai Siyue instantly became very proud: "Of course! My father is the best father in the world, and I would never disagree with that."
"Alright, alright." Zhuang Yazhi decided not to argue with her.
The two smiled at each other, opening their hearts to each other because of the other's openness.
Although life was tough and mundane, thankfully there were always things to be happy about.
Cai Siyue accepted the job offer, and the personnel list of the technology company was initially determined. Zhuang Haiming took this group of people with him first, citing the company's imminent opening and the many things that needed to be done. For a time, the company was almost empty.
Tell me, what kind of promising future would make someone so ungrateful?
Li Si: "I don't know, I'm a spendthrift."
Not long ago, she found a house she liked in the city center. Apart from her monthly expenses, all of her money went to paying off the mortgage, leaving her with nothing.
"I'll give you a raise."
Zhuang Yazhi uttered a light and casual remark, and Li Si's heart was stirred as if he were dancing with a startled swan.
Although they are both companies under his name, it's obvious to everyone that Zhuang Haiming prefers the technology company. Now that most of the shareholders have left, business is destined to be difficult, leaving only her, the bald commander, here.
"The road ahead is destined to be difficult. Are you ready?"
As long as his salary arrived on time, Li Si was always ready: "Whoever you tell me to bite, I'll bite."
"A new hot pot restaurant just opened downstairs. I heard it's pretty good. Let's go try it together."
An army marches on its stomach; only when soldiers are well-fed and watered can they have the strength to fight on the battlefield.
The hot pot restaurant downstairs was packed with people.
As soon as I sat down, someone came up to ask if I could share a table with someone else.
If it were someone else, Zhuang Yazhi might have considered it, but the person who came was Zhou Ying, Shen Yiheng's secretary, and the figure behind the door was already eager to make a move.
Zhuang Yazhi immediately refused: "No."
Although he was rejected, it didn't stop Shen Yiheng from moving a chair and sitting down. "I just took over a hot pot restaurant. I don't know how the food will taste."
They sat facing each other in pairs, gazing at each other with cold eyes.
Zhuang Yazhi picked up the menu and said, "Why is this person always here?"
"So the restaurant's signature dish is the 'tagalong' (a type of insect that follows you around)."
He acted as if he hadn't heard him and offered to help cook the vegetables: "Try them, they're all your favorites."
The large dining table was filled with Shen Yiheng's busy figure. He was happy to keep busy, while Zhuang Yazhi just ate.
While not exactly a domestic goddess, her every move exudes elegance and grace, making her quite a sight to behold. Wearing an apron, her focused and meticulous demeanor is reminiscent of a master chef, adding a unique touch to the dining table.
Compared to Zhuang Yazhi, Li Si ate with even greater pleasure, whispering quietly, "Following you in this life has been worthwhile."
The renowned CEO Shen, a top-tier man, is working here as a waiter, cooking food for them. He would never have dared to imagine doing this before.
It's too early to say that. Based on Zhuang Yazhi's understanding of Shen Yiheng, he is the kind of person who expects to receive something of equal value in return for his efforts. This meal wasn't for nothing.
Most of the dishes on the table had already been eaten, and Shen Yiheng only sat down after confirming that Zhuang Yazhi had finished her meal.
He slowly and deliberately sipped the red wine in his hand, even the way he raised his arm had a specific arc, as elegant as a finely sculpted work of art.
"I'll take you back."
Zhuang Yazhi looked up warily; this road was probably not easy to walk.
A light drizzle was falling outside the street, and pedestrians hurried along, their anxiety mixed with restlessness.
The car was silent; Shen Yiheng hadn't uttered a single word since getting in.
He would occasionally look out the window, but most of the time he would drive with a blank expression, his solemn demeanor a departure from his usual self.
Zhuang Yazhi glanced sideways and sensitively caught a glimpse of the quietly disappearing sadness.
"Shen Yiheng?" she called softly.
He didn't respond to the first sound, but when the second sound echoed in his ears, he looked up in a daze. Shen Yiheng lowered his sharp edge, his mood low but not lacking in gentleness: "I'm here."
The vastness clouded his vision, and his former indifference now resembled a hedgehog's protective shield, wanting others to approach but fearing to hurt them.
She had been with him for three years in her past life; such moments were rare.
Zhuang Yazhi tried hard to recall, and then turned around in surprise.
She then remembered that today was the anniversary of Shen Yiheng's father's death. His father was attacked on his way back from abroad due to malicious competition from his peers.
Someone sabotaged his father's private plane, causing it to crash 30 minutes after takeoff. The five people on board perished in a deserted valley, their bodies reduced to ashes scattered across the landscape.
At the age of 30, Shen Yiheng lost his beloved father. Overnight, his personality changed drastically. He went mad and dug up the mountains and forests in an attempt to bring back a piece of his ashes.
In the same year, when the family was in turmoil, he shouldered all the pressure and took charge of the entire Shen family on his own, sending all the uncles and brothers who tried to take advantage of the chaos to prison, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free.
All for the sake of protecting the family business that her father was willing to risk his life to preserve.
It was precisely because of this that he was given the title of a cold-blooded and ruthless living Yama by the outside world, and his decisiveness in killing led to his alienation from all sides.
Zhuang Yazhi knew all of this.
That night at the hotel wasn't their first meeting.
Shen Yiheng, feeling melancholy, dejected, and down on his luck, was searching for his father's killer on a foreign street, his eyes bloodshot. While crossing the road, he was hit by a car, and Zhuang Yazhi took him to the hospital.
Zhuang Yazhi still vividly remembers the horrific sight of him lying in a pool of blood, and every time she recalls it, she feels a pang of guilt.
The same applies now.
The car was parked on a deserted roadside, the red light reflecting off him, making him look lifeless; he sat there silently, his expression vacant, seemingly lost and helpless, his near-death posture causing him to have difficulty breathing.
He recalled everything from the past, feeling powerless, helpless, and resigned. All his emotions were suppressed in his heart, and he dared not express them. Only a deathly silence lingered in the car.
After a long, long time, Shen Yiheng slowly raised his head, his unfocused eyes fixing on Zhuang Yazhi.
Her clear eyes were like a spring, serene and gentle, beautiful and lively.
He was deeply fascinated by it countless times, and gazing at it from afar brought him peace of mind.
He is someone who doesn't like to share his sadness, but he longs for companionship.
Please forgive me for selfishly taking up your time tonight.
In Zhuang Yazhi's view, Shen Yiheng is like a human puppet who has just been given emotions. His bad emotions are gradually revealed, but most of the time he still habitually hides them and does not want others to perceive his vulnerability.
"I also took up your service time, so we're even."
What seemed like a casual joke also reduced Shen Yiheng's pressure at the moment, and his mood became much more open; he knew very well that he was a domineering and unreasonable person who would subconsciously take possession of others, which would in turn bring pressure to others.
But there's nothing he can do about it; he can't break this bad habit, especially when he's with Zhuang Yazhi, his possessiveness completely controls his mind.
"The Shen family is having a business cocktail party at the end of the month. I wonder if Miss Zhuang would be willing to be my special guest at the event?"
Zhuang Yazhi: "I am very unwilling."
That's just how he is; he'll take an inch and then a mile. You can't spoil him.
Shen Yiheng raised his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes curving into gentle smiles: "Refusal is invalid."
He had a hundred ways to get Zhuang Yazhi to agree, and using any means necessary was the first choice.
"Once the appointment is complete, you can ask me to do one thing."
His breathing gradually became steady, and languor softened his weariness. Shen Yiheng's deep, dark eyes were filled with intense love and burning affection.
I'd give my life for anything Zhuang Yazhi wants.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
