If you want to escape, you can only flee into my arms and my bed. — Lu Jinzhou.
Zhou Wanning received a call from her father, saying that tonight her younger sister Zhou Leyu would also be bringing her boyfriend home for dinner.
She was taken aback. Tonight was supposed to be when she brought her boyfriend home for dinner—why was her sister suddenly bringing hers home too?
She had heard from her mother before that her sister’s boyfriend was very wealthy and was her sister’s boss.
At first, she thought it might be some old man keeping a young girl, but later she found out he was only thirty years old.
Zhou Wanning’s father also said they wouldn’t be eating at home tonight, as her sister’s boyfriend had already reserved a restaurant. She and her boyfriend could just go straight there.
Zhou Wanning replied that she understood.
After hanging up, she called her own boyfriend, Luo Shuhang, telling him to brace himself.
After all, her sister’s boyfriend was very rich—the “golden catch” in her mother’s words. Privately, Mother Zhou hadn’t hesitated to criticize Luo Shuhang in front of Zhou Wanning.
She and Luo Shuhang had met through a blind date. They had gotten to know each other and confirmed their relationship over the past six months combined.
This was also the first time the Zhou family had invited him over as a guest.
Before Zhou Leyu started dating her boyfriend, Mother Zhou hadn’t been so critical of Luo Shuhang and had even been quite satisfied with him.
But now that Zhou Leyu’s boyfriend was practically perfect, Luo Shuhang seemed utterly ordinary in comparison.
Luo Shuhang didn’t take it seriously. He was confident—after all, he had his own company. Though it wasn’t large, he was still a boss.
He was more than enough for Zhou Wanning.
If Zhou Wanning hadn’t been so beautiful, he wouldn’t have been immediately drawn to her during the blind date. He had pursued her earnestly for two months and even sent gifts to Mother Zhou through the matchmaker to win her favor. Later, Zhou Wanning agreed to date him.
When Zhou Wanning finished work and walked out of the school gate, she saw Luo Shuhang’s Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
She said goodbye to her colleagues and got into the passenger seat.
“I sent you the location.”
Luo Shuhang opened WeChat and, unusually, frowned slightly. It was the most upscale hotel in Haicheng.
The minimum spending there started at tens of thousands.
“The gifts for your parents are in the trunk.”
“Thank you for going to the trouble.”
Luo Shuhang smiled, taking her hand. “They’ll be my parents too in the future. It’s only right to show them respect.”
Zhou Wanning gave him a faint smile in return. As for Luo Shuhang, she merely didn’t dislike him. But her mother thought he was acceptable, so she agreed to date him.
When they arrived at the hotel, a server pushed open the heavy private room door and gestured for them to enter.
Inside the private room, the large round table was already filled with the Zhou family.
Zhou Wanning’s father and mother, the eldest son Zhou Yusen, his wife Li Xin, and their two children.
And sitting prominently in the main seat was a man Zhou Wanning didn’t recognize—presumably Lu Jinzhou.
He had his hair styled in a side-parted, slicked-back look and wore silver-rimmed metal glasses. His features were handsome and refined.
Especially his eyes—dark and sharp, carrying an air of scrutiny and control when he looked at people.
He had his shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing sturdy forearms.
His gaze fell on Zhou Wanning and Luo Shuhang’s clasped hands.
Zhou Wanning was wearing a beige, patterned maxi dress with puff sleeves and a deep U-neckline, which accentuated the graceful lines of her shoulders and neck.
Zhou Wanning’s father beckoned to Zhou Wanning and Luo Shuhang. “Wanning, Shuhang, come sit down quickly.”
During the blind date, both sets of parents had been present, so Zhou Wanning’s father already knew Luo Shuhang.
Luo Shuhang pulled out a chair for Zhou Wanning, and she thanked him.
She sat next to Zhou Yusen’s eldest daughter, Zhou Nian.
With just a slight lift of her head, she could see Lu Jinzhou sitting opposite her.
Zhou Leyu held onto Lu Jinzhou’s arm. “Jinzhou, this is my second sister, Zhou Wanning, and that’s her boyfriend, Luo Shuhang.”
She looked at Zhou Wanning with a hint of pride. “Second Sister, Brother Shuhang, this is my boyfriend, Lu Jinzhou.”
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
Lu Jinzhou nodded. “Nice to meet you.”
What followed was an endless silence, or rather, the silence of Zhou Wanning and Luo Shuhang alone.
Because aside from the two children, everyone else was chatting with Lu Jinzhou and Zhou Leyu.
“May I ask where Mr. Luo works?”
Luo Shuhang was suddenly addressed. He looked at Lu Jinzhou. “I run my own company.”
Lu Jinzhou’s presence was so overpowering that Luo Shuhang felt, for the first time, as if he were somehow inferior.
Every move the other man made exuded an air of nobility.
Mother Zhou quickly chimed in, “It’s an advertising design studio.”
Lu Jinzhou: “Oh, perhaps we’ll have a chance to collaborate in the future.”
Although Luo Shuhang didn’t know exactly what Lu Jinzhou did, they might become brothers-in-law someday, so it was only right to introduce some business his way.
He raised his glass without the slightest hint of embarrassment. “Then I thank you, Brother Lu.”
Zhou Wanning looked up and met Lu Jinzhou’s intense gaze, then quickly lowered her head, feeling there was something strange about his stare.
However, her attention was soon drawn away by her niece beside her.
Zhou Nian leaned closer to Zhou Wanning. “Auntie, Little Aunt’s boyfriend is so handsome.”
Zhou Wanning smiled at her. “Do you even know what ‘handsome’ means?”
She was only five years old, after all.
Zhou Nian nodded confidently. “Auntie is a beauty, so Little Aunt’s boyfriend is a handsome man.”
Zhou Wanning patted Zhou Nian’s head, her entire demeanor soft and gentle.
She had a classic beauty’s face, but her features were of the gentle kind—especially when she smiled, she appeared graceful and lovely.
Luo Shuhang couldn’t help but stare. Marrying a girl like this would surely bring him great pride.
He leaned close to Zhou Wanning and whispered, “Someday, Wanning, I hope you’ll give me such a lovely daughter too.”
Zhou Wanning blushed at his words, feeling flustered.
At most, they had only kissed once—and even that had felt forced by him. Zhou Wanning felt she hadn’t yet opened her heart to him and couldn’t bring herself to be that intimate.
She had expressed her feelings to him before, though in a more reserved way. Luo Shuhang didn’t take it seriously, believing Zhou Wanning was just shy and that a few more kisses would ease her into it.
As the two talked, a server began bringing out the dishes.
The server accidentally knocked over the wine glass in front of Zhou Wanning, spilling half a glass of red wine onto her beige dress.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” the server immediately apologized, her eyes reddening with anxiety.
Zhou Wanning stood up, wiping the wine from her dress.
“What a mess,” Mother Zhou said, displeased.
Zhou Wanning bit her lip. “I’ll go to the restroom.”
She rushed out of the private room.
She knew Mother Zhou was unhappy—Mother Zhou must have felt she had embarrassed Leyu.
The red wine had already soaked into the fabric of her dress; wiping it with water wouldn’t clean it.
“Change into this. It’s a dress I bought for Leyu.”
The sudden sound of a man’s voice startled Zhou Wanning.
She looked up and saw Lu Jinzhou standing by the door through the mirror.
The veins on the back of his hand stood out as he reached in from outside.
Zhou Wanning didn’t dare accept it, knowing her mother would be displeased if she found out.
“No, that’s alright.”
The man’s hand remained outstretched. “Le Yu asked me to bring this to you.”