After returning to Beijing, the two of them kept in contact much more than before, mainly because Jiang Muzhou called Shang Shixu with increasing frequency.
The frequency of their meetings also increased significantly. The two of them often got together to eat right after finishing work, and Jiang Muzhou seized the opportunity to consult Shang Shixu with questions.
To Jiang Muzhou, Shang Shixu was truly an excellent teacher and a stellar guide.
The problems he encountered were hardly problems at all to Shang Shixu, being brushed away as effortlessly as dust.
After this happened a few times, Shang Shixu would tease that Jiang Muzhou treated him like an answers database, coming to him with every single issue he ran into.
This resulted in Jiang Muzhou owing him several meals.
On a Friday afternoon, Jiang Muzhou negotiated an investment, and by the time it concluded, it was already quitting time.
He rode his motorcycle in a circle and found himself unexpectedly arriving downstairs at Zhongshi Group.
He took off his helmet, looked up at the topmost floor, where the entire building was brilliantly lit, took out his phone, and dialed Shang Shixu’s number.
Only the phone rang for a long time without anyone answering. Jiang Muzhou simply locked his motorcycle, sent Shang Shixu a message, and entered the building.
Before long, Chen Jinghuai messaged him to say that Shang Shixu was currently in a meeting, and that he could wait for him in his office.
The receptionist swiped an access card for him, and he took the elevator to the top floor. The entire office area was brightly lit, with the computers on the desks of the assistants in the outer room all turned on as everyone worked overtime.
Turning left out of the elevator, Jiang Muzhou pushed open the door to Shang Shixu’s office. The lights were on, nobody was inside, and the central air conditioning was cranked up quite high.
The last time he came here was when he signed the contract, spending that night drinking with Shang Shixu’s clients and making do by sleeping right here in the office.
Jiang Muzhou found a comfortable spot on the black leather sofa to sit down, pulled out his phone, and played games for a while.
Until the low battery warning flashed on his screen, Shang Shixu’s meeting had still not concluded.
He strolled around the office, spotted the charging cable behind the desk, and plugged his phone in.
Feeling bored, he retreated to the sofa and curled up, using the armrest as a pillow while looking around the office environment.
This kind of waiting made him feel as if he had returned to childhood when he used to follow his father to work and his father would let him sit on the sofa and wait.
The scent of summer air conditioning, the smell of disinfectant, and the aroma of leather blended together. It was not a pleasant smell, but the memory remained fresh.
Shang Shixu’s office had a ventilation system, lacking the stuffy, chaotic odors of an airtight space, but an environment like this that could plunge someone into memories allowed both body and mind to relax.
After an unknown period, the people in the conference room began to disperse, and everyone pressed the elevator down.
Get today’s meeting notes organized, and distribute the tasks tomorrow.
Understood, President Shang.
President Shang, the development zone side also has this kind of intention.
Have President Fang take a team to inspect it.
The sound of several voices talking drew closer to the office before parting ways, leaving only the footsteps of two people approaching gradually.
Shang Shixu looked at the open door, thinking of the person still waiting inside, and walked in briskly.
Upon entering, he saw Jiang Muzhou lying curled against the sofa armrest with his eyes closed. The sound of conversation just outside the door had not disturbed him.
Chen Jinghuai glanced into the room from the doorway, feeling somewhat curious as to why this President Jiang had fallen asleep here again.
However, after their experience in Suzhou, he had witnessed how Shang Shixu and Jiang Muzhou interacted, and he now knew that Jiang Muzhou was a close friend of Shang Shixu.
Shang Shixu’s friends rarely came to the company. He had seen a few others in different settings who claimed to be friends with Shang Shixu, but very few of those people were as casual as Jiang Muzhou.
Shang Shixu said in a low voice to Chen Jinghuai, “You can knock off for the day. Organize the materials and give them to me tomorrow morning.”
Chen Jinghuai did not dare to make a sound, fearing he would disturb the person sleeping on the sofa, and nodded to show he understood.
Lifting his gaze, he saw that Shang Shixu had already gone into the lounge, returning a moment later with a blanket in hand.
Chen Jinghuai quietly closed the office door behind him.
Jiang Muzhou had not been sleeping deeply. The office was a bit cold, and after dozing for a little while, the ambient sounds around him were hazy. The moment Shang Shixu draped the blanket over him, he opened his eyes.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of pitch-black eyes hidden in the shadows. The other person looked as if he hadn’t expected him to wake up, and their gazes locked.
Jiang Muzhou blinked, and Shang Shixu straightened up and looked away.
“Is the meeting over? Shall we go eat?” Jiang Muzhou sat up straight, rubbed his face, put the blanket aside, and got up to unplug the charger from the desk.
Sixty percent battery was enough for his phone, and the time was seven o’clock.
“I am not eating noodles,” Shang Shixu stated.
Jiang Muzhou looked toward him. His eyelids were somewhat red and swollen from just waking up, making his eyes look surprisingly even larger.
Jiang Muzhou slipped his phone into his pocket and shouldered his bag. “You’ve helped me so much, how can we just eat noodles? I owe you, um…”
Jiang Muzhou counted on his fingers. “About five meals. No matter what, I have to treat you to a proper meal.”
Shang Shixu remarked, “You aren’t planning to combine these five meals into one treat, are you? Let me make it clear right now, I won’t accept that.”
Seeing his scheme exposed, Jiang Muzhou chuckled twice. “How could that be? Let’s go, Grand Young Master Shang.”
Hearing Jiang Muzhou address him like this once again, Shang Shixu noticed that every time he used this title, his tone rose at the end with a trailing inflection, sounding somewhat teasing yet not annoying at all.
The restaurant was chosen by Shang Shixu. He drove his car into a traditional alleyway and circled around before spotting a quaint, two-story building.
Upon entering the courtyard, there weren’t many people inside. A waitress greeted them and led them to a room on the second floor.
Jiang Muzhou looked around the environment. He had heard many stories about rich people dining at private-kitchen restaurants, which were not only delicious but also extremely secluded.
His curiosity about this place grew.
He opened the wooden window and looked outside. Right next to the building was a small lake surrounded by trees.
In a place where every inch of land was worth a fortune, having a private lake showed that the owner of this establishment not only had money but also considerable backing.
“Would you like me to close the door?” the waitress asked.
Jiang Muzhou replied, “No need.”
“Alright, sir. Please wait a moment, the dishes will be served shortly.”
Jiang Muzhou originally intended to ask the waitress for a menu to order, but before he even saw a menu, the waitress announced that the food would be served.
Shang Shixu explained, “The dishes here change every day and are limited editions. If you want to order ala carte, you have to make a reservation in advance.”
Coming here today was a spur-of-the-moment decision; he hadn’t expected Jiang Muzhou to come looking for him, so he hadn’t notified the restaurant beforehand.
Before long, half the dishes were served: special appetizing small dishes, seafood soup, seasonal vegetables with fruit and ham, and sea urchin caviar.
Every preparation method was something Jiang Muzhou had never seen before. The color coordination of the plating was exquisite, and the flavors were extraordinary. When the taste exploded across his taste buds, Jiang Muzhou couldn’t help praising that the person cooking was truly a top-tier chef. No wonder Shang Shixu couldn’t swallow ordinary food.
Having grown accustomed to these, what he usually ate truly defied description.
The only issue was that the portions were so small that they vanished in two bites, which completely failed to match his appetite.
Across from him, Shang Shixu pursed his thin lips, sipped his soup with a calm expression, and watched as Jiang Muzhou polished off a newly served dish in under two minutes. Seeing this, Shang Shixu pushed one of the dishes in front of him toward Jiang Muzhou.
Jiang Muzhou raised his head to look at him, froze for a split second, and then said with a smile, “Thank you.”
Seeing that Jiang Muzhou enjoyed it, Shang Shixu’s brow and eyes carried a hint of a smile.