Sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting shifting reflections across the room.
Lei Shaoxin walked up to the front desk at Fu Group. “Hello, I’m here to see President Fu.”
The receptionist stood up politely. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No,” Lei Shaoxin replied. “My name is Lei Shaoxin. Could you please pass this bag to him?” She handed over a paper bag.
She had assumed that showing up unannounced might interrupt Fu Haoyan’s work, so she planned to leave the suit at reception instead.
But the moment the receptionist heard her name, her demeanor changed. She quickly took out an elevator card and handed it over, guiding Lei Shaoxin toward Fu Haoyan’s private elevator.
“Miss Lei, this way please.”
Before she could think it through, the elevator doors opened with a ding.
It went straight to the top floor without stopping.
As the doors opened, A-Le was already waiting. “Miss Lei, this way.”
He led her into Fu Haoyan’s office.
“Boss Fu is still in a meeting. Please wait a moment.”
Lei Shaoxin nodded and placed the paper bag beside the sofa armrest.
A-Le brought her a cup of coffee, set it down, then quietly left the office, closing the door behind him.
Left alone, Lei Shaoxin began to look around.
The office had a sleek, modern design, but the large desk felt oddly out of place—almost old-fashioned.
She walked over to the window. The vast ocean view stretched endlessly before her.
As she gazed outside, she couldn’t help but wonder—why had everything been so smooth today? The last time she came to Fu Group with her new car, even entering the parking lot required registration.
Yet today, there had been no checks at all. And the receptionist’s expression had carried a hint of gossip.
Meanwhile, the moment she stepped into the elevator, news had already spread across departments—everyone was buzzing about finally seeing the rumored Lei Shaoxin. Even the security team knew that Fu Haoyan had long instructed A-Le to register her license plate in advance.
Before she could figure it out, the office door opened.
“Shaoxin, what brings you here?”
She turned at the sound of his voice. Seeing Fu Haoyan, she walked back to the sofa and picked up the paper bag.
He, meanwhile, went straight to his desk, seemingly ready to resume work.
Lei Shaoxin sat down across from him and pushed the bag forward.
“This suit is for you. I know you took me to the hospital last time—and your suit got stained because of it.”
Fu Haoyan remembered taking her to the hospital, but not the suit. He certainly hadn’t expected her to replace it.
She continued, “I originally wanted to order the exact same one, but that fabric is no longer available. So I picked a new one for you—I hope you like it.”
He paused his work, took the bag, and pulled out the suit, glancing at it.
“Thank you. I like it.”
It was a black suit with subtle pinstripes—something he would never normally choose.
Lei Shaoxin pointed to a corner of the desk. “Why is there a drawing of a turtle here?”
“I drew it when I was a kid,” he replied. “This desk used to belong to my father.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, lowering her gaze to the small drawing.
He closed the file in front of him. “It’s fine. Let’s grab a meal later.”
“No, I still have work to do. I’ll get going,” she said, standing up and heading for the door.
After she left, only a faint scent of rose lingered in the office.
Fu Group and Zhuosheng Group were only two streets apart, so Lei Shaoxin arrived quickly.
A secretary was already waiting at the front desk. Holding her documents, Lei Shaoxin followed her into the elevator.
They went up to the top floor. As the office doors opened, she stepped into a high-tech space—though all the furniture was lower than usual, clearly designed for He Zhuosheng’s convenience.
He wasn’t working. Instead, he was leisurely sipping coffee.
When he saw her, he maneuvered his motorized wheelchair toward her.
“Shaoxin, let’s head into the meeting room.”
The doors slid open automatically, and she followed behind him.
Inside, the heads of each department were already seated. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she quickly took the nearest available seat.
“Shaoxin, sit here—it’ll be more convenient,” He Zhuosheng said, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.
Everyone in the room turned to look at her. It was clear the meeting wouldn’t start otherwise.
Reluctantly, she moved to the seat he indicated.
Once she settled in, the meeting officially began.
The South Island Resort project was Zhuosheng Group’s key project for the second half of the year, in partnership with the Lei Group.
That meant Lei Shaoxin would need to attend meetings at Zhuosheng Group frequently in the near future.
Before she realized it, the meeting had stretched on for the entire afternoon.
When it was time to get off work, He Zhuosheng called for the meeting to end, saying the remaining matters would be discussed the next day.
Everyone in the conference room packed up their laptops and filed out, Lei Shaoxin among them.
From behind her, He Zhuosheng spoke, “Shaoxin, let’s have dinner tonight—there’s a place just down the next street, Hongyun Restaurant.”
Since she would be working closely with Zhuosheng Group for a while, Lei Shaoxin didn’t want to strain their relationship, so she agreed.
The restaurant was close by, so they only took He Zhuosheng’s van.
The parking lot was some distance away, so they got off at the entrance first. His assistant drove off to park the car after seeing He Zhuosheng operate his wheelchair into the restaurant, with Lei Shaoxin walking beside him.
With her there, the assistant felt reassured and left.
Founded in the 1960s, Hongyun Restaurant carried an old-school prestige. The dragon-and-phoenix decoration behind the stage in the main hall reflected its long-standing status in the city.
As soon as the manager spotted He Zhuosheng, he hurried to the entrance to greet them. Noticing the low step at the doorway, he quickly bent down to lift the front wheels of the wheelchair. Lei Shaoxin also stepped in to help, placing her hands on the handles behind it.
She pushed the wheelchair into the hall, setting aside her usual sharpness for the moment.
Listening to her footsteps behind him, He Zhuosheng felt the day’s exhaustion melt away. He lowered his gaze to the marble floor, where the lights reflected their silhouettes together.
This brief moment of her gentleness felt enough.
A faint smile tugged at his lips—he wished he could hold onto this moment.
But from behind, Lei Shaoxin couldn’t see his expression.
Led by the manager, they entered a private room.
Taking the menu, He Zhuosheng glanced down at it. “Shaoxin, how have you been adjusting since returning?”
“It’s been fine.”
“Any dietary restrictions?” he asked, handing her the menu.
“You can order. I’m not picky,” she replied, not taking it.
After placing the order, he set the menu aside. “Shaoxin, you don’t have to be so hostile toward me. As for the engagement… we can postpone the wedding.”
She froze for a moment, surprised he brought it up first. “Let’s talk about it later.”
Internally, she rolled her eyes—couldn’t this whole engagement just be canceled?
After dinner, the assistant went to get the car. Lei Shaoxin pushed He Zhuosheng out to the roadside, where they waited.
At the same time, Fu Haoyan and Li Mingxian were heading out after their own meal, walking toward their car—and ran straight into them.
Lei Shaoxin met Fu Haoyan’s eyes. She was about to step forward to greet him when the assistant drove up, blocking her path.
He got out and helped settle He Zhuosheng into the car.
From inside, He Zhuosheng looked at her. “Shaoxin, get in—I’ll take you home.”
“No need. My car’s still in the parking lot—I’ll go get it myself,” she said, waving him off.
“Alright. Be careful. See you tomorrow.”
As the car door closed, a shadow crossed He Zhuosheng’s face, his smile turning cold.
Once his car drove away, Lei Shaoxin looked around—Fu Haoyan was already gone.
She let out a quiet scoff. So it was deliberate. The Fu Group was less than a street away from this restaurant—if they came down for dinner after work, it would naturally be here.
It must’ve been because of the tension from the auction. What a two-faced hypocrite.
Feeling annoyed, she walked along the street and pulled out her phone to call him. It rang for a long time, only connecting at the last second before hanging up automatically.
“Haoyan, there’s nothing going on between him and me—don’t misunderstand.”
“Why explain it to me?” his voice came calmly. “Aren’t you two already engaged?”
She fell silent.
“Look behind you.”
Headlights flashed from behind her.
Turning around, she saw Fu Haoyan—he had been following her in his car the whole time.
She smiled, hung up, and got into the car.
Fu Haoyan tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. “Where to?”
“Zhuosheng Group parking lot. I need to get my car.”
They arrived quickly. She didn’t get out right away.
“Haoyan… he’s not my fiancé. The engagement wasn’t my choice. Don’t misunderstand.”
Without waiting for his reply, she quickly opened the door and got out.
Inside the car, Fu Haoyan watched her retreating figure with a faint, unreadable smile. Then he made a call.
“It’s time to send He Zhuosheng a generous gift.”
A voice on the other end responded, “Understood.”