“Alright.” Gu Minxuan put on a pained expression. “Even if you don’t like me, that doesn’t stop me from liking you. Assistant Lin, today I’ll say this officially as well, I’m pursuing you, with marriage as my goal.”
If Lin Zhou didn’t know what kind of person Gu Minxuan was, she might have been moved by that last sentence. Unfortunately, she was perfectly clear-headed. “I refuse your pursuit.”
Gu Minxuan looked troubled. “Assistant Lin, what should I do? I really don’t want to give up.”
Lin Zhou was about to say something else when Gu Minxuan stepped closer. His warm hand gently covered her lips. “Don’t say anything. I don’t want to hear it.”
His other arm wrapped around her waist, and he leaned against her shoulder, drooping his head like a child. “Lin Zhou, I’m really tired. I haven’t slept properly for three days because of the resort project. Don’t say anything that hurts me anymore, okay?”
Lin Zhou froze slightly. Gu Minxuan’s childlike show of weakness and soft cajoling gave her an illusion of tranquil years passing by.
The partner she longed for would share complaints about work, shed all pretenses, and treat each other as their only support. Just like the atmosphere at this moment, quiet and far-reaching.
But where was her partner?
At twenty-nine, she yearned for love, for marriage, for the warmth of a home… yet she had nothing left.
Chengdu had cheated, left Jingcheng, and was said to have returned to Shanghai.
She had waited six years, thinking everything had finally settled, only to find that it was the beginning of loneliness.
Gu Minxuan was not her destined partner.
She came to a sudden, clear realization. Just as she was about to push him away, Gu Minxuan had already released her of his own accord and stepped back. A satisfied smile hung on his face as he spoke in a carefree tone, “Thanks for the recharge, Assistant Lin. I’m fully revived now.”
With National Day approaching, news came from the Planning Department that the resort would officially open on September 30. Although Lin Zhou hadn’t gone to see it in person, videos sent over from Operations and other related departments showed her the resort in its entirety. Compared with the abandoned construction site from two months earlier, it was a world of difference.
Although Gu Minxuan always appeared frivolous in front of Lin Zhou, once he got to work, he inspired genuine respect from everyone. The resort project had been stalled for more than two months, but during that time, Gu Minxuan hadn’t let the work grind to a halt. Instead, he had already begun designing and arranging all the later stages. As soon as the approvals came through, construction started immediately, proceeding methodically according to the original plan.
To meet the deadline, Gu Minxuan had prepared all the follow-up arrangements even before construction began. He also procured the most advanced formaldehyde-removal equipment from overseas, all to ensure that guests could stay safely and with peace of mind.
Beyond that, Gu Minxuan’s eye for film and television investments was equally sharp. In less than half a year, several films and TV dramas invested in by Hefeng Pictures had received excellent responses. One film’s box office presales exceeded six hundred million in just one week. Several unreleased major IP projects were already generating wave after wave of online buzz.
Setting aside the criticisms of Gu Minxuan’s private life, Lin Zhou genuinely admired him at work. That drive and determination were nothing like those of a pampered rich second generation.
“Assistant Lin, this is the invitation President Gu asked Assistant Wang to give you.” Huang Xiaowen stood in front of Lin Zhou’s desk and handed over the invitation with great care.
Lin Zhou had previously instructed that nothing from Wang Peng was to be accepted. But this time, Wang Peng said it was from President Gu. Out of respect for the man, if not the messenger, Huang Xiaowen had no choice but to deliver it, whether Lin Zhou liked it or not, even though Lin Zhou didn’t seem particularly fond of President Gu either.
Lin Zhou took it. It was a gold-embossed invitation printed with a desert rose. When she opened it, a three-dimensional resort villa appeared before her eyes.
Huang Xiaowen exclaimed in surprise, “Assistant Lin, this invitation is different from the ones sent to other company presidents.”
“Oh?” Lin Zhou glanced over the contents. There didn’t seem to be anything especially unusual. It was just that the signature at the bottom wasn’t Hefeng Group, but Gu Minxuan. This man really wasn’t trying to hide his little intentions at all…
“I’ve seen the invitations designed by the Publicity Department. They all have the resort’s logo printed on them, but none of them are three-dimensional. Yours is so special, Assistant Lin. And there’s President Gu’s handwritten signature at the bottom…” Huang Xiaowen covered her mouth and giggled. Not only was it handwritten, he’d even secretly drawn a tiny heart.
Only then did Lin Zhou notice, prompted by Huang Xiaowen, that Gu Minxuan’s signature indeed looked like a small heart. The tips of her ears warmed uncomfortably, and her cheeks grew slightly hot.
She forced herself to stay calm and gently closed the invitation. Clearing her throat, she said, “You can go out now.”
Huang Xiaowen felt as if she had just stumbled upon something juicy. Thinking of the rumors circulating in the company, and relying on the fact that she had worked under Lin Zhou for three years, she cautiously asked, “Assistant Lin, I heard President Gu is pursuing you. Is that true?”
No one knew who had started it. From Gu Minxuan’s failed pursuit angering Lin Zhou, to his refusal to give up and persistent advances, the story had changed versions again and again, but the protagonists remained the same.
The current version claimed that Lin Zhou and Chairman Feng were merely in a normal superior–subordinate relationship, while the one truly paired with Lin Zhou was Gu Minxuan. As for whether they were still in the pursuit stage or already together, no one had confirmation from the principals themselves, it was all speculation.
Being closest to the person involved, Huang Xiaowen really couldn’t resist wanting to find out the truth.
Lin Zhou picked up the documents on her desk and stuffed them into Huang Xiaowen’s arms. “Curiosity kills the cat. Focus on your work.”
“But I’m really curious…” Huang Xiaowen pouted. “Assistant Lin, after working with you for years, I don’t just see you as my boss, but also as a sister. Honestly, even though I love gossip, I’m not like the others. I truly hope you can be happy.”
“I don’t know why you and Lawyer Cheng broke up, but since you did, it’s only natural to look for your next happiness. It’s been almost half a year. You should move on too.”
Lin Zhou could feel Huang Xiaowen’s sincerity. She just hadn’t realized her own state over the past few months had been so poor that people around her thought she still hadn’t moved on.
She smiled and patted Huang Xiaowen on the shoulder. “Matters of the heart depend on fate. Just because I want it doesn’t mean it will happen.”
“Isn’t President Gu pretty good?” Huang Xiaowen raised her eyes slightly and glanced at the invitation.
“When President Gu first arrived, there were so many rumors about him being a playboy. But in the past half year, we haven’t seen all kinds of women around him. There are quite a few girls in the company who like him. Some even deliberately approach him, but none of them succeed. Assistant Lin, could the rumors be fake? Could it be that President Gu isn’t actually a playboy?”
“Heh.” Lin Zhou gave a dry laugh and offered no comment. “Worry more about your own future, and less about other people’s business.”
Unexpectedly, Huang Xiaowen replied with a heart-stabbing line. “I’m getting engaged at the end of the year. The wedding is set for next May Day. Assistant Lin, will you be my bridesmaid then?”