Chapter 10

The next morning, Chu Tong was woken by the buzzing of her phone alarm. She had set it to Do Not Disturb the night before, but now, unlocking it, numerous messages popped up, including a missed call from Shang Yunmeng.

She first replied to Sister Meng’s WeChat, telling her that she was staying elsewhere and not to worry. The other messages were from Liu Hao, sent in the middle of the night:

“Liu Hao: Have you thought it through, Miss?”

“Liu Hao: This is your last chance.”

Turning her gaze away from the screen, she sat up and looked around the room.

How strange—it was all a lavish suite in appearance, but the heavy reality in her phone was undeniably real.

After freshening up, she picked up her phone and replied to Liu Hao:

“Let’s meet at school. You set the time. Except for Monday night, I’m free.”

Just as if on cue, the phone on the bedside table rang.

It was the front desk.

She hesitated before answering, “Hello?”

“Good morning, Miss Chu. I’m your suite attendant. Miss Su has arranged a wake-up call for you. The restaurant on the second floor is now open, and you may go down to dine whenever you wish. Miss Su said she’s waiting for you upstairs. Of course, if you prefer not to go out, we can bring breakfast to your suite. Would you like room service?”

The voice was sweet and refreshing, like a breath of spring.

Perhaps because she often worked in the service industry herself, Chu Tong always spoke gently to fellow service professionals. “I’ll go downstairs, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Please call anytime if you need anything.”

After hanging up, Chu Tong changed into her going-out clothes: a simple black long-sleeve knitted dress with a long coat over it—her usual “early eight o’clock” outfit, favoring simplicity and speed without the hassle of coordination. If it got colder, she could swap the coat for a padded jacket.

Grabbing her room card and phone, she took the elevator down to the second floor. Following the signs, she quickly found the restaurant.

The scent of food greeted her as soon as she entered, and a waiter promptly approached to guide her. She thanked him and glanced around as she stepped inside.

The restaurant was nearly full.

She didn’t see them near the entrance, so she walked deeper inside, where a row of seats lined the wall, each table separated by carved wooden lattice panels.

She recognized Su Jingwen by the hair accessory on her head and spotted her silhouette from afar.

Su Jingwen sat on the outer side, so from this angle, Chu Tong couldn’t see the sofa seat across from her.

Moving closer, she called softly, “Sister Wen.”

Su Jingwen turned and smiled, “Oh, you’re early. I thought young people like you would have trouble waking up. Come, have a seat.”

Chu Tong shifted her gaze past the blind spot and saw Shao Yihuai sitting opposite Su Jingwen.

His long legs didn’t quite fit under the table, so he sat with one leg crossed and his body slightly turned. He wore a simple white shirt, no tie, one button undone, eyes lowered on the tablet in his hands.

His features were refined and handsome, radiating a calm and fresh aura amid the bustling restaurant.

Shao Yihuai looked up and met her eyes.

Her face flushed, a little awkward. “Good morning, Mr. Shao.”

He nodded briefly, expression unreadable. “Morning.”

Su Jingwen keenly sensed the subtle tension and had been wondering why Shao Yihuai, who finished his meal ten minutes ago, was still sitting there.

After observing their expressions silently for a few seconds, she spoke, “…Tong Tong, I didn’t know what you like, so I didn’t get you anything. Go look around and take whatever you want.”

Chu Tong stood, draping her coat over the back of her chair. “I’ll go see.”

Su Jingwen watched her walk toward the buffet, silently admiring the young woman’s proportional figure—tall and graceful, even a plain knitted dress looked elegant on her.

Pulling her gaze away, she turned to look at her boss, trying to read his expression and decide whether bringing this girl to the hotel was the right choice.

But Shao Yihuai’s face was perfectly calm, revealing nothing.

***

She hadn’t eaten much the night before, so upon waking, Chu Tong’s stomach grumbled with hunger. She loaded a full tray and started back, her eyes fixed on the seat.

Only then did she notice the carved screen was hollow, faintly revealing Shao Yihuai’s face opposite Su Jingwen.

Last night, at his suite door, she had asked him, delicately yet directly, if there was a future between them. He hadn’t answered immediately. His phone rang, and she had tactfully left.

Now, recalling that moment, she felt a pang of regret. Shouldn’t she have pressed for an answer? But Shao Yihuai was so composed—if he didn’t want to reply, he could have made her back off in a thousand ways.

Returning to her seat, Su Jingwen sipped her coffee and chatted with her.

Their conversation drifted from the weather to her studies, and then to her future career plans.

It was the Minor Snow solar term today, and a sharp drop in temperature was expected tonight. Su Jingwen asked how she planned to get back to the city after the exhibition.

After a brief pause, Chu Tong said, “I’m taking the bus with a friend.”

“That means you have to get to the nearby transit hub first, right? Is it far?”

“Not really, about a five-minute walk.”

“That’s so cold. I could have given you a ride, but I have to go handle something with Mr. Shao.”

Su Jingwen said.

Chu Tong smiled lightly, “It’s okay.”

She kept sneaking glances at Shao Yihuai. His profile looked as if it carried a filter—perfectly sculpted, sharp jawline flowing smoothly.

Before she could fully withdraw her gaze, Shao Yihuai turned his head to look at her. Caught off guard, her eyelashes fluttered, and she quickly looked away.

Unlike her sudden fluster, Shao Yihuai remained composed. Meeting her eyes steadily, he said, “I’ll take you back.”

For who knows how many times, he deliberately avoided looking at her lips.

Yet, even just looking at her eyes, his peripheral vision couldn’t ignore the unusual redness of her lips—whether from something spicy or hot, they seemed more flushed than usual.

His throat dry, he took a sip from the iced Americano before him.

The moment he spoke, Su Jingwen closed her mouth tightly.

He had joined the group right after his master’s degree, starting as deputy manager of the strategy department. Within three years, he had become the group’s president.

At first, the old board members tried to undermine him because he was young.

But outwardly a gentle gentleman, his methods were swift and decisive. Within two years, from the board to executives, everyone was under his firm control.

Su Jingwen had been with him since he was deputy manager. To her, Shao Yihuai had always been a relentless workaholic. Today was unusual—he was delayed by something else.

Feeling uncertain, Shao Yihuai appeared natural and, in front of Chu Tong, instructed her, “Go stabilize the situation first. I’ll come over early tomorrow.”

Su Jingwen made it clear.

Lowering her eyes, Chu Tong quietly ate, the aftershocks of the storm that had raged in her heart when she first met him once again rumbling loudly in her ears.

—

After breakfast, Chu Tong packed, checked out, and took a taxi to the International Pavilion.

She left her luggage in the lounge and changed into a qipao. Shang Yunmeng arrived just then and pulled her to the mirror to fix her hair. Their eyes met in the glass, and Shang Yunmeng smiled suggestively, “Where did you go last night? With that young master?”

“No,” she hesitated briefly, then told the truth, “Mr. Shao’s assistant booked me a hotel room.”

Shang Yunmeng was shocked and exclaimed, “That escalated fast! You were just saying yesterday you shouldn’t have such fantasies. I think it’s not a fantasy at all.”

“Mr. Shao... is just kind,” Chu Tong whispered.

“Yeah,” Shang Yunmeng quickly put a hairband on her, “He bailed you out yesterday, let you stay at a hotel tonight... Maybe he thought the etiquette team's lodging was too rough, so made you stay in a hotel?”

Of course not.

She had seized the chance herself, almost begging the assistant to let her stay overnight in a proper room so she could meet Mr. Shao the next day. Instead, she sneaked to knock on his door.

Judging by Su Jingwen’s words this morning, Mr. Shao hadn’t told his assistant about her visit to his room last night.

***

Reviewing all this, she suddenly felt utterly ashamed.

It was as if, relying on her youth and his gentlemanly demeanor, she had repeatedly intruded upon him with reckless boldness.

And yet, after all that happened last night, Mr. Shao was still willing to offer to send her back to school.

She felt even more embarrassed.

Perhaps carrying this mood, she deliberately avoided Shao Yihuai’s gaze throughout the afternoon’s roundtable discussion.

Until all the work was done.

Shang Yunmeng gathered everyone for a group photo, briefly summarizing the two days’ work. Then everyone hurried back to the lounge to change and pack. Most planned to take the bus, chatting and planning to walk to the transit hub together.

Chu Tong quickly packed and stood by the lounge door waiting for Sister Meng.

Leaning against the wall with her head down, she intended to tell Sister Meng that she might take Mr. Shao’s car.

But on second thought, Su Jingwen had probably left already. Without Mr. Shao’s contact info, she had no way to find him.

Sister Meng soon appeared, followed by a few girlfriends. She threw an arm around Chu Tong’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

They walked down the staff corridor. Chu Tong was distracted. “Sister Meng, I might—”

“Oh, will Mr. Shao take you?”

“I was just about to say that. He said he’d take me, but I have no way to contact him and didn’t get a chance to talk to him just now…”

She pushed open the glass door, and a gust of cold wind blew in.

The girls chattered about the cold, and Sister Meng stopped, turning back. “Then how will you find him?”

Chu Tong shook her head, “I don’t know.”

Actually, as she opened the door, Shao Yihuai already spotted her from his car.

Tall and striking among the finely groomed etiquette team, she stood out. Wearing the black knitted dress from the morning, a fitted long coat over it, black Martin boots, her thick hair fluttering slightly in the wind—though her face was unseen, her distinguished aura marked her as a beauty.

Shao Yihuai knew well she was not a “child,” as she’d said. At least her temperament was mature, far beyond that of a typical nineteen-year-old.

Shang Yunmeng, worried for Chu Tong, said, “Want me to help you look for him?” She glanced around, then her eyes lit up. “Hey, is that the car? A black Maybach.”

The exhibition was high-profile, with many luxury cars, but one parked right at the staff entrance was rare.

Chu Tong turned and saw Shao Yihuai stepping out of the car.

Dressed in a black long coat that perfectly showcased his broad shoulders and long legs, beneath was a three-piece suit. His demeanor was calm and noble, and as he approached step by step, he radiated an indescribable aura of authority.

Both Chu Tong and Shang Yunmeng instinctively held their breath. The walking girls ahead stopped and whispered among themselves.

When he reached her, Chu Tong lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, trying to read his mood.

Did he find her annoying? Unable to shake her off?

Yet Shao Yihuai remained the same, his expression calm and gentle. He spoke softly, “Why didn’t you contact me?”

A current seemed to run through Chu Tong’s body, a tingling spreading from head to toe.

At that moment, Shang Yunmeng gave her a playful push, grinning slyly, “Go on, message him.”

Chu Tong staggered slightly forward, trying not to bump into Shao Yihuai. At the same time, he reached out to grasp her shoulder.

Probably to steady her, he applied a bit of pressure.

A grown man, ten years her senior, that strength seemed to reach through his fingers and palm straight to her heart. Chu Tong suddenly felt dizzy and weightless facing the unknown because—

She realized she had always thought of him as gentle but had never understood the mature power behind that gentleness.