Chen Feifei looked at Zhan Haoze with a fervent gaze. It was obvious that she was in love with him. She hooked her arm around Zhan Haoze’s, and they looked extremely intimate.
“Brother Hao. I didn’t expect the President Huo we met last time to be the president of Tianyu Corporation. He looks really young.”
“Mhm,” Not too surprised, Zhan Haoze replied perfunctorily. He had dealt with Huo Jinyao before.
“Also, he’s really good to his wife.”
Chen Feifei looked in Su Qingsang’s direction, and her eyes couldn’t help but show envy.
Who wouldn’t be envious of a woman like Su Qingsang? She had a man like Huo Jinyao, who was not only rich and handsome, but also good to her.
Zhan Haoze didn’t respond, and Chen Feifei couldn’t help but stand in front of him. “Brother Hao, after we get married, you’ll treat me like president Huo treats his wife, right?”
Zhan Haoze pursed his thin lips slightly and didn’t respond to Chen Feifei’s words. Chen Feifei’s eyes were filled with disappointment, but she forced herself to reveal a faint smile.
“Brother Hao, you will always take care of me, right?”
Zhan Haoze responded very softly, and his voice was a little perfunctory. Chen Feifei wasn’t angry. Zhan Haoze had always been like this. If she were to get angry, she would have died of anger long ago.
She believed that since she and Zhan Haoze had been together for more than ten years anyway, no one could compare to their relationship.
“Brother Hao, I saw Miss Luo and Miss Song. Let’s go and say hello.”
The Chen family had business dealings with the Luo family and the Song family, and she really wanted to bring Zhan Haoze to meet them.
“You go. I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Then go and come back quickly. You know, when you’re not here, I feel like I’ve lost my soul.”
Zhan Haoze didn’t respond to Chen Feifei’s words. He took her hand away from his and headed towards the bathroom.
Chen Feifei pursed her lips into a straight line. Where Zhan Haoze couldn’t see, a gloomy look flashed through her eyes.
She had spent a month fighting with that Ling Xue. The Ling family’s conditions were similar to her family’s. She could be considered a difficult woman to deal with.
However, it was a pity that Ling Xue was someone who liked to play around. She relied on her family background and didn’t take men seriously. It wasn’t difficult to find something to hold against such a woman.
Chen Feifei spent a lot of effort to find something to hold against Ling Xue. She was sure that Ling Xue was now in a terrible situation. It was impossible for her to have the time to pester Zhan Haoze anymore.
Now that Ling Xue was no longer pestering him, Zhan Haoze should be free to accompany her. However, he had become very cold to her recently.
She asked him and he told her that he was busy with work. In fact, the company had indeed been busy recently. As a result, she couldn’t even throw a tantrum.
He wasn’t even willing to bring her to the banquet tonight. If she hadn’t seen the invitation card sent to his office, she wouldn’t have known at all.
Chen Feifei was a little annoyed, but all her negative emotions wouldn’t show in front of Zhan Haoze.
As she walked towards the circle of socialites, the corners of her lips curled up into a perfect smile.
She was the eldest daughter of the Chen family, so she had to maintain her most graceful side at all times.
..
Shi Mengwan put down her wine glass when she saw Zhan Haoze. She tried her best to make it look like she didn’t notice him. However, her movement of putting down her wine glass was a little forceful.
For more than half a month, Zhan Haoze didn’t appear again.
She treated those two nights as her dream. During this period of time, she kept trying to convince herself of that.
She had already started to let go, but then she saw this scene again.
She had long heard from Su Qingsang that Zhan Haoze had a fiancée. She also remembered that she had once met Zhan Haoze and Chen Feifei together.
At that time, the two of them didn’t have a real relationship, and she wasn’t 100% sure that the other party was Qiao Ze.
But now, she couldn’t bear to watch it any longer. She left the dining table and turned around to go to the bathroom.
When she left the banquet hall, Shi Mengwan’s cell phone rang. It was a call from home. She took her phone and walked to the corner at the end of the corridor to answer the call.
There was a stairwell next to it. It was very far away from the elevator, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone coming over.
Mother Shi asked if she would go home on New Year’s Day. Shi Mengwan didn’t give a definite answer. At the end of the year, there were many things to do. She really couldn’t guarantee that she would have the time to go back.
“Your sister misses you very much. She asked about you several times. She even said that she wanted to go to Lin City to see you.”
Shi Mengru was Shi Mengwan’s sister. The little baby girl from back then was already thirteen years old and was in middle school.
She had been close to this sister of hers ever since she was young. Every time she returned home, she wanted to spend time with her sister.
“Alright. I think I’ll go back when I’m free.”
“You should come back when you’re free. Your grandmother hasn’t been feeling well recently and has been missing you.”
Grandmother would miss her? Didn’t she always regard her as a money-losing commodity? Even though she had earned money outside and had even bought a house now, she still felt that she wasn’t as good as her uncle’s son.
In her grandmother’s eyes, she was inferior to her uncle’s son, so wasn’t her grandmother missing her a little ironic? She was already used to it. Her grandmother’s preference for sons over daughters was engraved in her bones and couldn’t be easily changed.
Silence. Even if Shi Mengwan went back, she wasn’t going to visit her grandmother, so there was no need to say anything else.
“Wanwan?” Shi Mengwan’s voice sounded a little cautious.
“Is there anything else, Mom?”
“You, are you still blaming your grandma?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Shi Mengwan leaned her body against the wall behind her. The wall was a little cold, but she felt that this coldness would keep her sober.
“Mom, don’t overthink things. I’m not going back because I’m not free. I’ll naturally go back when I’m free.”
“Wanwan.” Shi Mengwan sighed. After so many years, she kept feeling like she had let her daughter down.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up. I’m outside.”
“Okay. Your dad misses you too. Come back and stay for a few more days when you’re free.”
“Got it.” Shi Mengwan bit her lip. She thought about it and added, “It’s not that I don’t want to go back. It’s the end of the year and the studio has a lot of things to do. Why don’t we wait for the New Year? I’ll come back and stay for a few more days.”
Shi Mengwan was just saying that. If it was really the New Year, she would have something to do for the New Year.
Ever since she graduated and opened a studio, she hadn’t stayed at home for more than a week.
“Okay, okay. I’ll cook the dishes you like then.”
Mother Shi was very happy. She rambled on for a long time before hanging up. Shi Mengwan listened patiently and didn’t interrupt her.
After hanging up the phone, she saw a dark shadow on the ground in front of her.
Shi Mengwan was shocked. She took a big step back. She looked up and saw that unbeknownst to her, Zhan Haoze had arrived.
He stood there as the light behind him shone on his body. The angle of the backlight made his facial features a little unclear.
He was tall. Perhaps it was because he was here for the party, but he was wearing a three-piece suit. The dark-patterned fabric stuck to his body and made him look even taller.
Shi Mengwan looked into his eyes and could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
One beat after another, it was something she couldn’t control, a woman’s feelings for a man.
The other reason was that she knew that this man was her Dear Brother. For the first time, his existence and his appearance could make her lose her peace of mind.
She lowered her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. She actually had a lot to say and a lot to ask. However, in the end, she gritted her teeth and intending to leave, she walked past Zhan Haoze.
When she walked past Zhan Haoze, her arm was tightly grabbed by Zhan Haoze. Her body was frozen there.
With suppressed emotions, she looked at him with a cold gaze.
His gaze deep and unreadable, he was also looking at her.
Shi Mengwan was wearing a black gown that made her look like a goddess today. The V-neck design exposed the snow-white skin on her chest.
Behind her was a thin black gauze. From this angle, he could even see her waist line.
Shi Mengwan felt that Zhan Haoze was holding her arm a little too tightly. She looked at that hand, and then at Zhan Haoze.
“Mr. Zhan, what’s the matter?”
Mr. Zhan? Zhan Haoze narrowed his eyes and suddenly pulled her body in his direction. Then, he hugged her and pushed her towards the stairwell.
In a corner that couldn’t be seen by the surveillance cameras, Zhan Haoze pressed Shi Mengwan against the wall.
“Zhan –”
Their lips touched, and all her words were sealed in the kiss. Shi Mengwan was momentarily stunned. She looked at Zhan Haoze, and for a moment, she actually forgot to resist.
His face was magnified in front of her, and the man in front of her was undoubtedly good-looking. He was not only good-looking, but he also had a temperament that mesmerized women.
With a hint of unruliness, he was cold, arrogant, and sullen.
Such a man was dangerously irresistible to women. He was like a poppy.
His lips were slightly cold. In this season, it was undoubtedly cold outside. Shi Mengwan had stayed outside for so long that her limbs were already cold.
Compared to his lips, his chest was much warmer. She was hugged by him and aroused by his kiss. Her limbs were warmed, but at the same time, her rationality returned.
What was he doing?
He was kissing her.
He brought his fiancée to this banquet hall, yet he was actually kissing her here?
What kind of person did he think she was? Shi Mengwan was furious.
She tried to push him, but she couldn’t. She raised her foot to kick him, but he caught her foot.
Shi Mengwan struggle continuously, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free. Her heart was filled with anger. She couldn’t push Zhan Haoze away, so she opened her mouth and bit down hard on his lips.
Unexpectedly, Zhan Haoze, who was already prepared, loosened his grip on her. Shi Mengwan was caught off guard and bit her own lips instead.
The pain made Shi Mengwan cry out in a low voice. She bit hard just now, and her lips even had a slight cut.
The pain made her even angrier. She looked at Zhan Haoze, who was still trapping her between the wall and him.
Her gaze cold, she raised her eyes to meet his.
“Let go of me.”
The place wasn’t appropriate for her to shout. She deliberately lowered her voice to suppress her anger.
“Zhan Haoze, what do you mean by this?”
“Your fiancée is still inside. Zhan Haoze, let go of me.”
Zhan Haoze didn’t answer her question. He saw the anger on Shi Mengwan’s face and narrowed his eyes slightly. “She isn’t my fiancée.”
That was an explanation. After all, he had never had any romantic feelings for Chen Feifei.
Who would believe it? The only two times Shi Mengwan had met Zhan Haoze when he was with Chen Feifei, Chen Feifei was basically clinging to him.
Even if she wasn’t his fiancée, she was still his girlfriend.
Shi Mengwan was silent. Her body was pressed against the wall. Her eyes weren’t focused on Zhan Haoze, but on an unknown spot behind him.
“I got it. Mr. Zhan, can you let me go now?”
Her reaction was out of his expectations. Zhan Haoze stared at her face and pursed his lips.
He looked at Shi Mengwan and had no intention of retreating.
“Mr. Zhan?” She couldn’t go back to the banquet hall if he didn’t move. Although Su Qingsang wasn’t the main character today, she wasn’t that different from the main character.
Su Qingsang might not have the time to look for her, but she didn’t want Su Qingsang to be suspicious.
“Did you take your medicine that day?”
This extremely abrupt question made Shi Mengwan’s expression change slightly. She suddenly understood why Zhan Haoze blocked her way.
“Mr. Zhan, what’s the matter? Are you afraid that I’ll use a child to threaten you or achieve some other purpose?”
Shi Mengwan sneered. She felt that even if the other party was her beloved Dear Brother, she wouldn’t be able to suppress the anger in her heart.
“Don’t worry, I’ve taken the medicine, and my period has already come. I’m not pregnant, and I won’t use the child to do anything to you.”
After saying this coldly, Shi Mengwan pushed Zhan Haoze’s body and quickly headed towards the banquet hall.
The moment her body left him, Zhan Haoze raised his hand and was about to grab her hand, but in the end, he lowered it.
He stared at Shi Mengwan’s back, and his gaze was deep. No one knew what he was thinking.
… ..
After she returned to the banquet hall, Shi Mengwan wasn’t in the mood to stay any longer. Her lips were still hurting and she bit them.
She went to the bathroom to touch up her makeup, and her lipstick covered the wound. She looked more normal, but it couldn’t suppress her anger.
She was a little angry, but because of the current situation, she couldn’t even have an outburst.
In the banquet hall, there were people who knew her and they came over to greet her. Shi Mengwan’s studio was now somewhat famous.
There were also some socialites who liked to order gowns from her place. Shi Mengwan couldn’t leave even if she wanted to.
After chatting with those people patiently, Shi Mengwan finally found an opportunity. She got the chance to tell Su Qingsang that she would leave first.
Su Qingsang knew that she was the same as herself and didn’t really like such occasions. She told her to go to her house for a meal in a few days, then waved her hand and let her go.
After coming out of the banquet hall, Shi Mengwan shrunk her neck when the cold wind blew.
The weather today was very good and the sun was shining brightly. When she came, she only wore a trench coat and coat.
It was already late at night and even though she was wearing a coat, she still felt cold.
She got into the car but before she went home, she realized that the refrigerator at home was almost empty. She immediately ordered some fruits and fresh groceries online.
It was already very late when she got home. Shi Mengwan entered the house but just as she put down her bag and changed into domestic attire, someone knocked on the door.
She thought that the fresh groceries she had ordered had arrived, so she got up to open the door. Unexpectedly, Zhan Haoze was actually standing outside.
Shi Mengwan blocked the door and glanced at Zhan Haoze. He was still wearing the three-piece suit from the previous cocktail party. The corridor light shone on his face. He was still expressionless, but his eyes were burning as he stared at her.
She felt her heart skip a beat again, and her hands behind the door couldn’t help but tighten.
“What’s the matter?”
Zhan Haoze didn’t say anything. His gaze swept over her. He had torn off her pajamas last time. The weather was a little cooler. She was wearing a pullover-style domestic attire.
The pink bear on her cotton domestic attire looked especially cute. It didn’t match her appearance at all, but it was surprisingly harmonious.
Zhan Haoze didn’t say anything. He took a step forward slightly. He was so close that Shi Mengwan could smell the faint scent of mint on his body.
She took a deep breath and tried her best to make her voice sound normal and calm.
“Mr. Zhan, what’s the matter?”
She deliberately kept a distance between them so that Zhan Haoze wouldn’t notice the fluctuations in her heart. She also didn’t want him to know that her heartbeat was irregular because of him, and that he affected her mood.
The way she kept him at a distance caused Zhan Haoze’s brows to furrow imperceptibly. “What? You’re not calling me Dear Brother anymore?”
Shi Mengwan’s back, which was placed behind the door, tensed up. She raised her eyes and looked at Zhan Haoze. They met each other’s eyes. “Didn’t you say that you don’t want me to call you Dear Brother? Mr. Zhan, since you don’t admit that you’re my Dear Brother, then just take it that I’ve mistaken you for someone else. It’s getting late, so feel free to see yourself out.”
Shi Mengwan slammed the door . Zhan Haoze, who didn’t expect her to do this to him, let her shut the door.
Shi Mengwan didn’t realize what she had done until the door was closed. Her expression extremely ugly, she leaned against the door.
That’s right. He clearly said that he wasn’t her Dear Brother, and he clearly didn’t admit it, so why did he have to tease her again and again?
There was another knock on the door behind her. Shi Mengwan felt angry and didn’t want to bother with him at all.
The knocking stopped. In less than two minutes, there was another knock. Shi Mengwan still didn’t bother with him, and she simply left him hanging.
Who cared what he wanted? Since he wasn’t her Dear Brother, then she had nothing to say to him.
Shi Mengwan wanted to go back to her room to take a shower, but when she heard the knock on the door again, she really couldn’t restrain herself.
She angrily ran to open the door and said without thinking, “Zhan Haoze, what do you want? You clearly –”
When she saw the confused deliveryman standing outside, Shi Mengwan’s expression suddenly became very embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. You –”
“Ms. Shi Mengwan, right? We’re direct delivery from T Cat. This is the package you ordered from T cat –”
“Thank you.” Feeling a little embarrassed, Shi Mengwan took the express delivery box from Zhan his hand. After signing, she was still a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t angry at you just now.”
“I know. You were angry at that gentleman, right?”
The express delivery guy stood a little to the side, and only then did Shi Mengwan realize that Zhan Haoze hadn’t left yet.
The express delivery guy misunderstood and thought that the two of them were a couple arguing. “Miss, even if you’re arguing with your boyfriend, don’t lock him out. When I stepped out of the elevator just now, I was shocked when I saw him.”
“You’ve misunderstood. We’re not –”
“Thank you for your patronage. If you’re satisfied, remember to give us a five-star review.”
The delivery guy completely ignored Shi Mengwan’s explanation. This matter had nothing to do with him. The other party took the form and walked towards the elevator.
When he passed by Zhan Haoze, he didn’t forget to blink at him. “Sir, if your girlfriend gets angry… you have to coax her. We, T Cat, can deliver flowers after you order online. If you need anything, you can order online.”
This unexpected advertisement left Shi Mengwan at a loss for words.
She hugged the big box and was about to close the door, but she failed this time.
Zhan Haoze wasn’t prepared earlier, but this time he was. She was holding a box in her hand. Before she could close the door, he had already come in.
“You –”
Shi Mengwan wanted to chase him out, but Zhan Haoze closed the door directly.
“Zhan Haoze.” Shi Mengwan stared at him for a long time. The box in her hand was really heavy. She turned around and went to the kitchen. She planned to chase him out later.
After entering the kitchen, Shi Mengwan organized things properly, as usual.
She took out the fruits and vegetables inside and sorted them into categories. She didn’t eat much just now and planned to cook herself a bowl of noodles.
Knowing that Zhan Haoze wouldn’t leave for a while, Shi Mengwan decided to settle her needs first. She would talk about it after she was full.
She took out tomatoes and eggs and planned to cook a tomato and egg noodles. The cabbage that was delivered today wasn’t bad either. She washed it as weell.
She was different from other people, who put entire vegetable leaves into the noodles. Shi Mengwan didn’t like to eat the whole vegetable leaves, so she had to chop the vegetables.
This was a very strange habit. Shi Mengwan cut the vegetables and prepared the ingredients properly.
Her cooking skills weren’t bad. As the eldest daughter of her family, she had been studying and working outside for so many years, so her cooking skills were quite outstanding.
In less than 20 minutes, she had already cooked the noodles and scooped them out.
The eggs were fried until they were golden yellow. The tomatoes and vegetables matched well. It looked very appetizing.
Shi Mengwan had already forgotten that Zhan Haoze was still outside. Just as she was about to carry the noodles to the dining table outside, she turned around and found Zhan Haoze standing at the kitchen door while staring at her. She didn’t know how long he had been there.
Shi Mengwan’s expression turned ugly again.
She didn’t want to pay attention to Zhan Haoze. In fact, seeing him in front of her always made her involuntarily think of the things that had happened in the past. She thought of the time when she and her Dear Brother had lived together for more than a year.
She picked up the bowl of noodles, then passed Zhan Haoze and placed it on the dining table. Shi Mengwan was about to sit down and eat the noodles.
However, she realized that Zhan Haoze had also come out and sat in front of the dining table.
Shi Mengwan, who was about to eat the noodles, stopped for a moment. She looked at Zhan Haoze and didn’t know what was wrong with him.
“Mr. Zhan, you haven’t left yet, so is it because you want to eat noodles?”
Zhan Haoze glanced at her. Before she could react, he took her bowl of noodles, including the chopsticks in her hand, and placed it in front of him.
She froze for a moment. Then, she saw Zhan Haoze acting like a bandit. He actually started to eat the noodles that she had cooked.
“You –”
Shi Mengwan wanted to say that she was just being polite. She didn’t even think of treating him to noodles, okay? Didn’t he know that this was just Chinese-style courtesy?
Also, who gave him the right to come uninvited? And now, he was sitting in her living room while eating the supper that she had originally prepared for herself?
“Zhan Haoze, you –”
She looked at Zhan Haoze attentively eating the noodles that she had cooked, but she couldn’t say a word.
