The friend request was not accepted.
He was so frustrated he felt like scratching his heart and lungs.
Didn’t she see it?
Impossible!
Who doesn’t look at their phone these days? Several hours had passed—he didn’t believe Li Mai hadn’t checked her phone.
Li Mai must have seen it and deliberately chose not to accept it.
Thinking of this possibility…
He was so angry he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
What did Li Mai mean by this?
Was she deliberately stringing him along, playing hard to get?
Ha! Fine, if she won’t add him, did she think he would beg her to accept?
The next day was Monday again.
Chengcheng didn’t have to go to kindergarten.
Li Mai got up early to prepare his breakfast and lunch, then hurried out.
The car had been sent for repairs, so today she had to take the subway.
It had rained yesterday, and there was water everywhere on the roads.
Li Mai walked carefully, afraid of dirtying her shoes and pants.
Beijing’s morning rush hour was terrifying—the subway was so crowded it made you question life.
After the subway, she transferred to a bus, which was also packed to the point of making you question life.
At the company.
Li Mai tidied up her appearance in the elevator.
Only after confirming everything was perfect and without flaws did she feel at ease.
The company started work at 8:30. Li Mai arrived at her desk at 8:15.
After coming to Beijing, the company had assigned two additional assistants to Ji Wangyu.
They were called assistants, but in reality, they were spies placed by Chairman Ji.
The Ji family was very complicated.
In previous years, the Ji family had looked down on Ji Wangyu and kept him in Sucheng—a form of exile.
If it weren’t for the incident with Ji Wangyu’s older brother, Chairman Ji wouldn’t have allowed Ji Wangyu to return to Beijing.
On one hand, he wanted Ji Wangyu to help manage the company; on the other hand, he wanted to control and guard against him.
This was the first time Li Mai had experienced how deep the waters ran in wealthy families.
Being born into such a complicated family made life exhausting.
At 8:25am, the two assistants came in.
They greeted Li Mai: “Good morning, Secretary Li.”
Li Mai smiled lightly: “Morning.”
Ji Wangyu arrived at the company close to nine o’clock. As he passed Li Mai’s desk, he tapped on it: “Notify the project department—there’s a meeting.”
“Yes, Manager Ji.”
Li Mai stood up and headed to the project department.
After notifying the project department colleagues, she returned to organize the materials needed for the meeting and followed Ji Wangyu into the conference room.
The meeting lasted three hours.
After it ended, Li Mai followed behind Ji Wangyu and said: “Manager Ji, Assistant Liu has already ordered your lunch. It’s in the lounge—you can go have your meal now.”
Ji Wangyu: “What about you? What are you eating?”
Li Mai was slightly startled, then responded: “There’s still time. I’ll go to the restaurant downstairs for my meal.”
Ji Wangyu nodded.
Li Mai had lunch and returned to the secretary department.
She learned that Ji Wangyu had gone to the Rongzheng Group.
Li Mai was grateful her supervisor hadn’t asked her to go along.
Although Zhou Songyan had helped her greatly yesterday, she didn’t want too much contact with him.
Ji Kun was still hospitalized, having been angered by Ji Yunshan.
Ji Wangyu represented Ji Corporation at a meeting at Rongzheng Group, bringing three department managers.
When Zhou Songyan entered the conference room, he looked around beside Ji Wangyu but didn’t see the person he wanted to see. His gaze darkened.
The Nancheng Resort project was a huge deal, and any company with some capability wanted a piece of it.
Today would determine life or death.
Representatives from various companies were all very nervous.
Ji Wangyu was the same.
This was the first project he was handling since returning to headquarters—he hoped to secure it.
Five hours later.
Rongzheng Group ultimately selected three companies to participate in the Nancheng Resort project.
Ji Corporation was one of them.
Ji Wangyu’s anxious heart settled.
He looked up as Zhou Songyan strode out of the conference room with long steps.
By Friday…
Li Mai still hadn’t received a call from Zhou Songyan.
She didn’t know if her car had been repaired.
After hesitating, Li Mai called Zhou Songyan during lunch break.
But after calling twice, no one answered.
When work ended…
Zhou Songyan returned the call.
“What is it?”
A cold, low voice.
Li Mai was used to Zhou Songyan being cold and impatient with her now.
“Mr. Zhou, has my car been repaired?”
“Come to Unit C08, 58 Chunfeng Road in a bit.”
Li Mai thought the car was parked at…
Li Mai thought the car was parked there and said: “Okay, I’ll come over in a bit.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Songyan hung up.
Li Mai didn’t mind and called You Huan: “Senior, will you have time in a bit?”
You Huan: “Yeah, I’ve been lying at home all day.”
“Can you help me pick up Chengcheng? My car has been repaired—I’m going to get it.”
“No problem. Go ahead. I’ll pick up Chengcheng and bring him to my place.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
58 Chunfeng Road was quite far.
Taking a taxi would be expensive.
Li Mai took the bus there.
By the time she arrived, an hour and a half had passed.
Getting off the bus, she saw the area was full of villa districts.
She was a bit confused.
After thinking for a moment, she guessed this must be Zhou Songyan’s home.
Perhaps the repair shop had driven her car to Zhou Songyan’s house.
She found Unit C08 at Number 58.
She rang the doorbell.
Zhou Songyan opened the door wearing a gray home outfit.
He looked a bit more relaxed, not as cold and rigid as usual.
After opening the door for her, Zhou Songyan turned and walked back into the villa.
Li Mai pressed her lips together and stepped inside.
The villa was very large.
Li Mai entered and scanned the courtyard, where two luxury cars were parked—a Bentley that Zhou Songyan often drove, and a silver Lamborghini sports car that looked very cool.
Li Mai had never seen such a handsome car before.
She was looking for her little junker.
Well, compared to Zhou Songyan’s cars, hers really was a little junker.
Where was her little junker? Where was it parked?
“Mr. Zhou, where is my car parked?”
Zhou Songyan glanced at her without answering and walked into the house.
Li Mai pressed her lips together, feeling a bit at a loss.
It seemed Zhou Songyan was unhappy again, putting on that sour face.
She hadn’t provoked him, had she?
Whatever. Now that she was here, she should just get her car first.
Li Mai went inside.
The large villa was empty, and Zhou Songyan had gone somewhere.
She changed her shoes and walked further in.
The villa had thick carpeting—walking on it made no sound.
Li Mai called out: “Mr. Zhou.”
No one answered.
She stood in the spacious living room for a while.
Zhou Songyan came down from the second floor.
He was loosely wrapped in a white bathrobe, his hair still wet.
The bathrobe just reached his knees, revealing strong, powerful calves. Each step he took felt like he was stepping on Li Mai’s heartbeat.
Li Mai’s face flushed and her heart raced. Her eyes landed on his face, then she saw water droplets flowing down from his hair, disappearing into his sexy collarbone.
A perfect picture of a handsome man emerging from a bath!
Li Mai stammered: “Why… why did you take a shower?”
He had been wearing home clothes just now, but knowing she was coming, he still showered.
Zhou Songyan paused his steps and tilted his head to look at her: “Li Mai, what are you thinking? I was already planning to shower. When you arrived, I changed into home clothes to come down and open the door for you.”
Li Mai’s face turned crimson as she argued defensively: “You could have showered later.”
“Ha! I was uncomfortable. Why should I wait?”
Li Mai: “…”
“Li Mai, you don’t think I want to sleep with you, do you?”
Li Mai’s face turned even redder.
Her voice was very small: “I didn’t.”
Zhou Songyan walked up to her.
An intense masculine presence hit her head-on. Li Mai wanted to step back, but Zhou Songyan grabbed her chin.
His gesture was frivolous.
He turned her face left and right, examining her.
“So ordinary. I have absolutely no interest!”
Li Mai: “…”
She glared at Zhou Songyan.
Stinking man!
Who knows who it was five years ago that clung to her—five out of seven days a week, he would stay in her bed and refuse to leave.
Several times, because he kept clinging to her, she was late for work and had her attendance bonus deducted.