Chapter 041　 Do you really think so little of me?

  *

  Zhao Nanfeng recommended his trusted barber, saying one could "walk out of the barbershop smiling." Indeed, when Li Chengshi stood up and turned to her, Su Xian's eyes nearly glazed over.

  With his hair combed back, his head looked smaller, his shoulders broader, and his waist slimmer—it was simply super seductive.

  Right, she thought, even after eating poisonous mushrooms, my aesthetic sense hasn't declined.

  The waiter brought the bill. Su Xian was about to reach for it, but Li Chengshi snatched it away and paid himself.

  Leaving the shop, she asked, "Do you have enough money to spend?"

  "The food is all covered by you now, and you bought my clothes. I only pay for rent, utilities, and my phone bill. Not only do I have enough, but I can save half of it."

  "I can pay for the rent, utilities, and phone bill too," she suggested quietly.

  "No, right now I'm only responsible for laundry and cooking. I don't provide any other services," he replied in a low voice.

  Su Xian chuckled. Where could you find a young man with such strong principles? No rush; she could wait.

  *

  The new residence had a parking space. Zhao Nanfeng had acquired two second-hand cars for the company, one of which was for Su Xian's use.

  In late October, the ordered furniture and appliances were delivered on time. The appliances were straightforward, but the furniture required self-assembly, and hanging the curtains in all the rooms was quite a physical effort. Finally, after sorting and organizing all the packaging materials, both of them were exhausted and lay haphazardly on the living room floor for a short rest.

  Su Xian recalled the time they lay together in the snow when they broke up in Hokkaido, but the state of their minds was completely different now.

  "Let's not cook tonight. I'll treat you to dinner out."

  "No, I want to use my new teppanyaki griddle to make garlic lamb chops." Now they had a spacious kitchen, a brand-new multi-functional stove, a carefully selected dining table, and elegant tableware. He definitely didn't want to go out. He sat up. "I'll go home, take a shower, and come over to cook. You should freshen up too. What is that on your hair..." He leaned down and picked a paper scrap from her strands.

  When he leaned in close, Su Xian felt her heart race. She tried to remain composed and offered an invitation: "Shower here. The bathroom over there is too small. From now on, the first-floor bathroom is yours, and I'll use the one in the second-floor master bedroom."

  "You're not plotting something bad, are you?"

  "Do you really think so little of me? It's not like I can force you, honestly," she feigned offense.

  He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll go grab my stuff."

  Oh yeah! Another step forward.

  *

  Since he refused to move in together, Su Xian contacted the manager to have him moved to Room 203. Winter was approaching, and the second floor would get more sunlight. Moreover, the bedroom in Room 203 was directly opposite her new master bedroom. If both stood on their balconies, they could talk across the street. However, Li Chengshi always waited until they had finished talking before going home, so there was no real need for this. But occasionally, before going to sleep, they would stand on their respective balconies, looking at each other across the air, gazing up at the unseen stars and the visible flowing clouds. The bone-chilling late-autumn wind penetrating their pajamas felt infinitely beautiful.

  **

  Executives from the Heidi Group were coming next Tuesday. The work preparations were well underway. Zhao Nanfeng reminded Su Xian to wear a good-quality shirt and suit pants. Knowing she was stingy, he proactively offered, "If you don't have anything, I'll take you shopping. It'll be a company expense."

  "No need, I have something."

  Zhao Nanfeng gave a slight smile, realizing that this was no longer nine years ago when they first met. Back then, she was a young girl who had just struggled out of hardship, masking her caution with brightness and boldness. He had indulged her fiercely, creating a dream-like illusion, and then personally shattered it. But he didn't judge himself harshly; he was still a self-absorbed jerk in his thirties, so how could he not have been foolish in his twenties? "Just don't let me down."

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  "My beauty and taste never let anyone down. They speak English, right?"

  "English is best, Japanese is okay, and one of them is Chinese-American, so speaking a couple of sentences of Chinese occasionally is fine."

  "Then it's a perfect match for me."

  "There she goes again." Zhao Nanfeng turned and walked away, but he secretly loved hearing her brag.

  **

  Li Chengshi had become a very competent assistant: her driver for commuting, her little chef for three meals a day, and occasionally helping Su Xian with laundry, cleaning, and tidying up. Work-wise, he was also becoming responsive and could effortlessly complete the tasks she assigned.

  On Tuesday morning, Su Xian woke up 30 minutes early, applied a very polished, light makeup, styled her hair, and put on the champagne-colored Ralph Lauren silk shirt gifted by Liang Wenya, paired with a khaki loose suit and flat leather shoes.

  Before getting into the car, she did a spin and asked Li Chengshi, "Is the quality okay?"

  "The quality is fine, but the neckline is a bit low."

  "Nonsense." She looked down and tugged at her collar. "I can't even see anything myself."

  "That's good, hehe."

  As the car turned onto the main road, a beam of sunlight illuminated her cheek, making her look beautiful, as if she were glowing.

  Su Xian noticed him glancing at her frequently and asked with a smile, "Am I that charming with makeup on?"

  "Tch, I just think...," He paused, as if realizing something inappropriate.

  "You think what? Don't leave your sentence unfinished, you little stinky puppy."

  "...I think you have 34D today." Since his pure image in her head was likely already ruined, he might as well say it.

  "Hey, your eyes are quite sharp! I padded it."

  "So you don't actually have D?" He caught her in a boastful lie.

  "...I really don't." The best it's ever been was C+.

  C is already enough, but, "Why are you doing this when we're talking business?"

  "They're coming to talk to Zhao Nanfeng. Who is next to him doesn't matter. My main role is to liven up the atmosphere. In other words, my role is a vase, so I might as well try to be a beautiful one."

  "But D makes you look fat." He believed this statement would surely hit home.

  "Really?"

  "Really."

  After a moment of thought, she realized what he was doing and smiled. "You're emotionally manipulating me, aren't you?"

  He pouted. "Tch."

  However, upon arriving at the office, she walked straight into the restroom and removed the foam pads.

  *

  At 10 o'clock, the two young executives from the Heidi Group arrived on time: one named Samuel, of Indian descent, and one named Jason, a Chinese-American. After brief pleasantries, Zhao Nanfeng and Su Xian welcomed them into the conference room. Honda quickly delivered coffee and tea and closed the door behind them.

  After several rounds of discussion, the site selection was finalized for the edge of a volcanic lake at the foot of Mount Osore in Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. The theme was "Philosophy." The reason Heidi chose Zhao Nanfeng was an article he published years ago in an architectural journal titled The Philosophy of Space.

  What?! He didn't even brag about this!

  Listening to him speak eloquently, Su Xian felt that she might have been gazing at him starry-eyed again. But no, this was not about love; it was pure admiration for his talent, and it also made her aware of her own shortcomings. Fortunately, she had her own strengths, but since they were difficult to showcase at this stage, she was content to be a supporting character and a vase.

  *

  Li Chengshi was also nervous. As a minor figure in the construction industry, he would normally never have the opportunity to be involved in such a project. He temporarily put aside his work and focused on the muffled voices coming from the conference room. He couldn't discern the content, but he could feel the lively atmosphere, punctuated by laughter. He prayed wholeheartedly that everything would go smoothly.

  *