After Lin Zhihua patiently talked him out of it, Fu Shengyan reluctantly gave up on the idea of relearning how to cook.
After filling her stomach, Lin Zhihua carried the cake over and sat down on the sofa. Fu Shengyan hurriedly sat beside her and thoughtfully turned on the television for her.
The news happened to be showing footage from the multi-vehicle accident on the overpass that afternoon.
“After investigation, the accident resulted in one death, four serious injuries, and sixteen people suffering injuries of varying degrees,” the reporter at the scene said solemnly. “According to the preliminary investigation, the main cause of the accident was speeding by several vehicles. At the time of the incident, two cars were racing each other and illegally changing lanes. Here, we would like to remind all drivers…”
On the screen, traffic was backed up across the overpass. Several cars had crashed into one another, their bodies twisted and deformed, while shards of glass and vehicle parts were scattered all over the ground. Lin Zhihua stared intently at the Maybach with its front end crushed inward and bit her lower lip.
Still shaken, she reached out and touched Fu Shengyan’s bandaged forehead, murmuring, “Luckily, you weren’t seriously hurt.”
“Zhizhi?” Fu Shengyan instinctively rubbed against her hand, only to accidentally bump his injured spot. He let out a soft hiss of pain.
Lin Zhihua quickly withdrew her hand and glared at him irritably. “Why are you moving around?”
Fu Shengyan immediately sat properly, obediently placed his hands on his legs, and stared straight at the television, though the corners of his eyes secretly kept glancing at her.
Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously. “Fu Shengyan, didn’t you used to oppose me every single day? Why are you so obedient today?”
Something wasn’t right. After spending so long with twenty-five-year-old Great Lawyer Fu, she had almost forgotten that eighteen-year-old Fu Shengyan was at an age when even cats and dogs found him annoying.
If Lin Zhihua told him to go east, he would absolutely head west even if it killed him. He was unbearably childish.
However, Fu Shengyan really had acted a little strangely during the winter break of their senior year of high school. Aside from calling her once on New Year’s Eve, he had unusually stopped bothering her for the rest of the holiday.
Back then, she had thought the brat had finally buckled down to make a final push for A University. Unexpectedly, the next thing she heard was that he had gotten into a car accident.
“I-I just…” Fu Shengyan’s ears quietly turned red. He stammered for a long time but still couldn’t come up with an excuse.
Lin Zhihua’s warm lips moved close to his ear. “Just what?”
“…I like you,” Fu Shengyan whispered, his face so red it looked as though blood could drip from it.
Caught completely off guard by the confession, Lin Zhihua chuckled softly, her tone gentle yet teasing. “You like me, so you’re going to listen to everything I say? Then you’ll have to hand over your secret savings too.”
A ticklish sensation brushed over his left ear. Fu Shengyan hurriedly nodded and murmured, “Mm. I’ll listen to you.”
Looking at his youthful and innocent appearance, Lin Zhihua inwardly exclaimed, Holy crap, and finally realized something belatedly.
The person in front of her wasn’t the old pervert who had shared her bed for three years. This was eighteen-year-old Fu Shengyan—the innocent high school boy, tsundere, cocky version.
He had actually confessed to her!!
She never expected that after so many years, she would get to hear the young man’s confession again. Lin Zhihua secretly reveled in delight. She coughed lightly and pretended to casually change the subject.
“You opened your eyes and suddenly found yourself seven years in the future. Don’t you have anything you want to ask?”
Fu Shengyan nodded, then tentatively asked with a red face, “Do we have children?”
Lin Zhihua shook her head. They had married early back then, so they hadn’t been in a hurry to have children. Later, Fu Shengyan had never brought up anything about children either, so she had assumed he didn’t like kids.
Seeing the hint of disappointment on Fu Shengyan’s face, Lin Zhihua blinked. Could it be that he had actually always wanted children?
“I haven’t even had the chance to enjoy our world of two with you yet. We can’t go everywhere dragging along a little third wheel…”
Lin Zhihua choked.
She knew it!
“But if we really had a baby, it would be best if it were a girl. Like you. Cute.” Fu Shengyan chuckled twice.
“It’s still way too early.” Lin Zhihua quickly interrupted his fantasy before he started planning which elementary school their child would attend.
Fu Shengyan gave an “oh” before finally remembering his dear father and mother.
“Where are my parents?” He had gotten into a car accident, yet after all this time, he hadn’t even received a single call checking on him.
Fu Shengyan felt a little hurt and couldn’t help letting his imagination run wild. Could it be that his parents had disapproved of his marriage to Zhizhi and severed their parent-child relationship with him?
As someone who had lived with him for twenty-five years, Lin Zhihua could clearly read what he was thinking.
She checked the time. “What nonsense are you imagining? Mom and Dad are probably asleep. It’s only four in the morning in Country A.”
“…Oh.”
Considering they still had work the next day, after finishing the cake, Lin Zhihua sent him off to bed.
“Can’t we sleep together?”
Fu Shengyan pitifully clung to the doorframe of the master bedroom.
Looking into Fu Shengyan’s beautiful eyes, Lin Zhihua suspiciously felt a trace of guilt rise within her. She stopped hesitating and decisively shut the door. “No. Right now, we’re only at the stage where we’ve just started dating.”
W-well, that wasn’t exactly wrong.
Fu Shengyan silently tightened his grip on the doorframe and stubbornly argued, “That’s not true. We’ve clearly been married for three years!”
Lin Zhihua said coldly, “That was with him. You and I aren’t even officially together right now. You only confessed. I haven’t accepted yet.”
The door was mercilessly shut in his face, leaving Fu Shengyan’s heart shattered all over the floor.
He ground his back teeth and reluctantly went to the guest room next door.
Looking at the neatly made bed and the open book on the bedside table, Fu Shengyan sneered.
“Heh. So what if you’ve been married for three years? You still have to sleep in the guest room anyway.”
His gaze landed on his phone. As though possessed, he opened the photo album.
There were many photos inside, but aside from various work documents, there were only a scattered few from daily life. It seemed the phone’s owner wasn’t someone who liked documenting his life.
Fu Shengyan opened one of the few videos.
The image shook a little at first, followed immediately by the sound of his own voice.
“Lin Zhizhi! How many times have I told you? Don’t walk barefoot on the floor!” The phone camera was pointed at the floor, showing only a pair of pink and blue slippers.
“You’re so naggy. I saw your phone ringing, so I thought I’d bring it over to you,” Lin Zhihua’s voice immediately followed.
“Is that a reason not to wear shoes?” The pink slippers moved closer and closer, followed by another dizzying whirl of the camera.
“Say it with a different tone and in a different way. Something like, ‘Baby, if there’s a next time, I’ll lock you on the bed and make sure you can’t get down for a month.’”
The man fell silent for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, “You’re provoking me just because you’re on your period, aren’t you?”
“Oh my, A-Yan, you’re so fierce. Man, you’ve changed… Hiss! Don’t bite my face!”
The video abruptly ended there, leaving Fu Shengyan alone, clenching his fists as jealousy churned inside him.
Lin Zhihua called her chief secretary.
The phone rang once before the call was immediately declined.
Lin Zhihua: “…”
She checked the time and sent Ye Qianxi a message on WeChat instead.
Knowledge and Action as One: Secretary Ye, I have an urgent matter I need your help with. Triple overtime pay.
The person on the other end replied almost instantly.
No Unpaid Overtime: Boss, please command Secretary Ye as much as you like!
Knowledge and Action as One: Help me make an appointment with the most authoritative brain specialist in City A, preferably someone who specializes in memory.
No Unpaid Overtime: Received.
By the time Lin Zhihua finished showering, she saw that Ye Qianxi had sent her a time and address, along with a document.
Early the next morning, Fu Shengyan’s biological clock woke him right on time.
He reached for his phone and checked the time. The hour hand had just reached seven.
Fu Shengyan jolted awake and hurriedly sat up in bed.
Crap. He was late for school.
Seeing the unfamiliar room, he realized that he no longer needed to go to school.
He breathed a sigh of relief and picked up his phone again. Only then did he notice a new message on the green chat app.
Fu Shengyan tapped the notification and saw that someone saved under the name “Old Man” had sent him a message.
Old Man: Looks like you’re fine. My wife and I are getting ready to watch the sun*rise. Don’t bother her unless something happens!!!
Fu Shengyan exited the chat and sent his mother a message.
Ten minutes later, Fu Shengyan received several one-minute-long voice messages from Shen Weiwei, along with an indignant complaint from “Old Man.”
Old Man: Brat, how old are you already? Why are you still tattling to your mother?!
Fu Shengyan: Not happy about it? You can go complain to Grandma too.
Old Man stopped talking.
Satisfied, Fu Shengyan put away his phone and went out to buy breakfast for Lin Zhihua.
The morning sunlight filtered gently through the thin curtains and spilled into the bedroom. A cheerful alarm shattered the quiet inside the room, and Lin Zhihua groggily woke from her sleep. She turned off the alarm, sat up with a yawn, rubbed her eyes, and went into the bathroom to wash up.
Good thing she had set an alarm last night. Lin Zhihua gave herself a mental thumbs-up. Usually, Fu Shengyan would prepare breakfast and wake her up.
“Sigh, I really am a little unused to this.” Lin Zhihua murmured softly, silently hoping Fu Shengyan would recover his memories soon.
She got dressed and headed downstairs. Just as she reached the staircase, she heard the sound of the door opening.
Fu Shengyan was dressed in sportswear and carrying several bags of breakfast, tiny beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead.
Lin Zhihua noticed that he had already removed the bandage around his head and frowned slightly. “Why did you go exercise so early in the morning? Your injury hasn’t healed yet.”
“I went to buy breakfast.” Fu Shengyan panted lightly and placed the steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk on the table. He looked at Lin Zhihua with a bright smile. “There were so many people lining up at this place. Hurry and try it.”
Lin Zhihua was a little touched. She gently pushed him. “Go shower and change first. I’ll help you bandage it again later.”
After swallowing the last mouthful of soy milk, Lin Zhihua checked the work schedule Secretary Ye had sent her.
Other than the nine o’clock meeting, there was nothing particularly important today. She could take Fu Shengyan to see the doctor in the afternoon.
Lin Zhihua sent Ye Qianxi a message telling her to cancel everything on her schedule after the meeting.
“Come to the company with me later.” She glanced at Fu Shengyan, who had a fried dough stick dangling from his mouth.
Fu Shengyan had no objections. He wished he could stick to Lin Zhihua as much as possible, and he was also extremely curious about her work.
After breakfast, Lin Zhihua drove Fu Shengyan toward the company.
At the top of the towering office building, the four huge, eye-catching metallic characters spelling “Zhixing Technology” gleamed under the sunlight. The glass curtain walls reflected the drifting clouds in the sky and the endless stream of traffic through the city. Upon entering the office building, its futuristic design left every first-time visitor to Zhixing amazed.
“Good morning, President!”
The moment they entered, the receptionist greeted them enthusiastically.
Fu Shengyan’s back instantly straightened. Somehow, even his white sportswear took on the imposing air of haute couture. He gave a slight nod, took Lin Zhihua’s hand, and walked toward the elevators with his head held high beneath the gazes of the surrounding employees.
Seeing that Fu Shengyan had misunderstood, Lin Zhihua didn’t explain. Instead, she secretly raised a finger to her lips and made a “shh” gesture toward everyone else.
“Over there. This one is the employee elevator.” Lin Zhihua tugged at him and spoke quietly.
Fu Shengyan’s steps paused. With an entirely composed expression, he changed direction and headed toward the president’s private elevator.
As the elevator doors slowly closed, someone curiously gossiped, “Why did the president bring a college student here? They’re so intimate. Don’t tell me he’s her lover?”
“You must be new, right? That’s our president’s spouse. They’ve already registered their marriage. They’re a perfectly legitimate married couple, so don’t spread rumors.”
“Huh? He looks way too young.” The employee laughed awkwardly.
Inside the elevator, Lin Zhihua somewhat awkwardly lowered her gaze to their tightly clasped hands.
It had been a long time since they had openly walked through the company holding hands. With so many employees watching them, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous. It was even a little thrilling. Lin Zhihua couldn’t help smiling slightly. She could feel that Fu Shengyan’s palm had begun to sweat faintly.
But he said nothing. He simply held tightly onto her hand, his other hand tucked into his trouser pocket while his gaze naturally remained fixed on the constantly changing floor numbers.
With a “ding,” the elevator slowly stopped on the sixteenth floor.
The moment the doors opened, several executives holding documents were already waiting outside the president’s office. Seeing the elevator doors open, they immediately crowded forward.
“President, these are the approval documents for the company’s major financial expenditures. Please review them.”
“President, President Fang from Wanhong called and said he agrees to sign the raw materials supply contract. When should we send someone over to coordinate with them?”
“President…”
Fu Shengyan nodded calmly and lifted his chin toward Lin Zhihua. “Give the documents to Secretary Lin first. I’ll deal with them in a while.”
“Huh?”
The executives looked at one another.
What kind of new office play was the president trying out?
Lin Zhihua suppressed the corners of her mouth that were threatening to rise uncontrollably, coughed lightly, and held out her hand. “Give them to me.”
“Yes!”
They hurriedly put down the documents and quickly left.
Ah, youth was wonderful!
Fu Shengyan pushed open the door and looked around the spacious and brightly lit president’s office before nodding in satisfaction.
Not bad, not bad. Aside from the lack of floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor, everything else about the design suited his tastes perfectly.
He sat down in the office chair, then suddenly reached out and pulled Lin Zhihua over, making her sit on his lap. With a thoroughly lovestruck smile, he said, “Zhizhi, my beautiful and sexy little secretary…”
Lin Zhihua braced one hand against his chest and calmly said, “I’m not your secretary.”
“Hmm?” Fu Shengyan raised an eyebrow. “Then you’re my personal assistant?”
“Wrong again.”
“You’re lying.” Fu Shengyan bent down and picked up a pair of high heels from beneath the desk, then moved closer to Lin Zhihua with a triumphant expression. “Your shoes are even here with me. We must have… left them behind while we were in the office.”
“President Lin, the nine o’clock meeting is about to begin…” Ye Qianxi had just pushed the door open when she saw the two of them embracing ambiguously. She immediately pulled the door shut again. “Please continue. I’ll go notify everyone that the meeting has been delayed.”
“Wait!”
Lin Zhihua’s face immediately flushed red. She hurriedly stood up to prove her innocence. “We didn’t do anything.”
Ye Qianxi gave her an “I understand” look and thoughtfully closed the door for them.
No, you don’t understand!!