Su Xingque had clearly noticed the commotion as well. Halting his steps just before getting into the car, he looked over at Shen Zhu.
Thinking fast, Shen Zhu sprinted over to hide behind Su Xingque’s tall frame, using his broad back as a shield while whispering his grievance:
“I, I came to pick you up from work, but the receptionist didn’t recognize me and wouldn’t let me in. I had no choice but to wait out here.”
“I didn’t expect to run into this guy. He’s been relentlessly pestering me for my contact info.”
Shen Zhu clutched Su Xingque’s sleeve, his voice so soft it practically dripped with honey. “I’m so scared.”
Standing a short distance away, the young man from the club realized that Su Xingque was not someone to be trifled with. His hand holding the jacket froze mid-air, and he seemed to hesitate over what to do next.
Su Xingque cast a brief glance at him, pulled open the car door, and ushered Shen Zhu inside before sliding into the back seat himself.
“Come with me to the company tomorrow. I’ll make sure everyone knows who you are.”
Why the sudden change of heart?
Shen Zhu couldn’t help but widen his eyes, turning to stare at Su Xingque in surprise.
Su Xingque was already browsing international news on his phone, not even bothering to look up.
“Am I that good-looking?”
Normally, a sudden question like this would scare the little thing into retracting his feelers like a snail retreating into its shell. Instead, those puppy-dog eyes blinked once, twice, and then nodded vigorously.
Su Xingque’s finger scrolling through the screen paused.
His original plan had been to treat Shen Zhu slightly better so he could bring him along to business negotiations, using the boy’s natural emotional-soothing ability to gain the upper hand.
But looking at the little thing’s incredibly silly, eager-to-please expression now, he couldn’t help but wonder.
Can I really present someone like this to the public?
Silence settled over the car once more. Shen Zhu sneaked a few glances at Su Xingque’s screen. Deducing that the man was still occupied with work, he tactfully chose not to disturb him further, pressing his face against his side of the window to watch the scenery.
Outside, the streetlights flickered to life one by one. Watching the continuous line of white streetlamps fly past was almost hypnotic.
Shen Zhu mentally reviewed his performance since marrying into the Su family. He decided that his persistent efforts to play the good partner were finally paying off; after accumulating enough goodwill, he had managed to melt Su Xingque’s icy heart by a tiny fraction.
Keep up the hard work, and there will definitely be even greater progress! Shen Zhu cheered himself on internally.
That evening, the highly diligent and ambitious Student Shen took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and hurried downstairs to brew a cup of coffee, determined to showcase his hard work.
Standing before the study door with the coffee cup in hand, his knuckles throbbed with a phantom ache as he recalled his disastrous failure from the other night.
If I fail again this time, I must make sure to dodge quickly.
Shen Zhu tapped lightly on the door a few times. Without waiting for a response, he took the liberty of cracking it open and slipping inside.
Rarely, Su Xingque wasn’t working. Instead, he was reading a book. Dressed in casual loungewear and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his high bridge of his nose looked exceptionally handsome from Shen Zhu’s angle.
The desk lamp cast its light from the front, throwing his sharply chiseled features into a play of light and shadow—like a flawless work of art carved by God’s own hand. From any angle, the man was breathtakingly gorgeous.
Su Xingque really is stunningly handsome, Shen Zhu marveled silently for the umpteenth time.
A long, elegant finger turned a page, then moved to the desk, curling slightly to rap twice against the polished wood.
Shen Zhu snapped out of his daze, stepped forward quietly, and set the coffee down.
Su Xingque was remarkably cooperative. He took a sip and offered no criticism.
For an iceberg who was notoriously harsh in both his professional and personal life, a lack of criticism was already a massive victory.
After all, whenever he did open his mouth, it was rarely to say anything pleasant.
Having delivered the coffee, Shen Zhu didn’t want to leave just yet. He wanted to do something to foster their relationship, but he was terrified of a backlash and didn’t dare make any rash moves.
And so, he stood frozen in place for nearly five minutes, his fingers unconsciously twisting and rolling the hem of his shirt.
Su Xingque’s page-turning grew faster and faster. Only after a while did he remember there was a living, breathing human standing in front of him. He looked up at Shen Zhu. “Don’t want to leave?”
Shen Zhu nodded. “I like watching you when you’re being serious, sir.”
The excuse of “liking” him had never failed him yet. Shen Zhu gave Su Xingque a shy, bashful look, plastering on a timid smile.
Without a word, Su Xingque gestured toward the corner of the room with his chin. Shen Zhu immediately caught his meaning and curled himself onto the small sofa near the bookshelf. Pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs, he rested his chin on his knees and stared directly at Su Xingque’s profile.
Well, since I have nothing better to do, I might as well enjoy the view of a fine piece of art. Shen Zhu prepared himself to keep Su Xingque company well into the night.
It had to be said that Shen Zhu’s natural ability worked wonders on Su Xingque. Even though he wasn’t currently overwhelmed by work stress, the little thing’s mere presence allowed him to focus and immerse himself in his reading almost instantly.
“Do all you overbearing CEOs work around the clock like this?”
Figuring that Su Xingque probably wouldn’t notice his “affectionate” gaze while reading, Shen Zhu decided to find an opening to strike up a conversation.
If he got an answer, it was a win; if he got ignored, he lost nothing.
Su Xingque seemed to be in a decent mood. He answered smoothly, “Haven’t you ever heard that learning is a lifelong journey?”
He paused, then added, “Then again, it seems you haven’t had much of an education.”
Shen Zhu froze. The comment brought back memories of being forced to drop out of school, locked away in his stepfather’s house. His eyes stung with unshed tears, but he refused to back down.
“When I was still in school, my grades were exceptionally good.”
After a moment’s thought, he added, “I was always rank one.”
Su Xingque had heard rumors that Shen Zhu was an illegitimate child of the Shen family who was only brought back after he grew up. However, he had filed those details away under “unimportant” and hadn’t bothered wasting time to look into them.
Su Xingque didn’t reply, submerging himself once more in his technical book.
Shen Zhu, however, had been deeply affected by the topic. It felt as though he had been dragged right back into those dark, hopeless days of barely scraping by.
Maybe once I’ve made enough money and get kicked out of the Su family, I can go back to school, Shen Zhu thought blankly.
By the time Su Xingque closed his book, it was already two in the morning. Stretching his aching neck, he realized the little thing in the corner had fallen fast asleep.
He had intended to simply turn off the lights and leave. But when he reached the door, he hesitated, then retraced his steps back to the sofa.
Su Xingque reached out and poked Shen Zhu’s shoulder. “Wake up. Go back to your room.”
The sleeping figure clearly detested the disturbance. He let out a soft grunt, his brow furrowing. Only after a few seconds did he slowly flutter his eyes open, staring at Su Xingque with utter confusion before finally coming to his senses.
Looking into those eyes—which looked so painfully similar to Bai Que’s—a wave of annoyance washed over Su Xingque. Losing his fleeting patience, he turned and walked out.
Shen Zhu, long accustomed to his mercurial temper, simply shook his head and trotted back to his own room.
The next morning, Shen Zhu woke up early. He spent a long time agonizing in front of his closet before finally cobbling together an outfit that looked relatively respectable.
After breakfast, the two of them set out together.
“Just follow me today, and keep your mouth shut,” Su Xingque said, sitting beside him as he reviewed his schedule for the day. “If anyone asks about our relationship, tell them—”
Su Xingque paused for a moment.
“—tell them we are married.”
As if anyone would actually have the nerve to ask, Shen Zhu scoffed internally.
As the car neared the company, Su Xingque tossed a small velvet box into his lap.
“Put it on.”