As they passed through the office area, the staff in the executive office all wore expressions of surprise. It was clear they were shocked by their CEO’s actions this time.
They walked into the office, and before them was a spacious, bright room. Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, reflecting off the clean, smooth walls. The desk was neatly arranged with various documents and reports, and a laptop was running, emitting a calm blue light.
In one corner of the room was a set of comfortable sofas and a coffee table, laid with a dark, monotonously patterned carpet.
A delicate landscape painting hung on the wall, adding a touch of tranquility and artistic atmosphere to the entire space.
As soon as they entered, Su Zhaotang quickly pulled her hand away, her face flushed as she angrily questioned him, “Who told you to hold my hand!”
Zhou Lingjing casually removed his suit jacket, his expression calm and composed as he retorted,
“Ms. Su—no, I should call you Mrs. Zhou now. May I ask what’s wrong with me holding my wife’s hand?”
For a moment, Su Zhaotang couldn’t think of anything to say in response.
So she just stood in front of Zhou Lingjing, not speaking, her shimmering eyes fixed on him, her cheeks slightly puffed up like a kitten with its fur bristling.
Zhou Lingjing felt a bit like laughing inside, but on the surface, he acted as if nothing was wrong and asked her casually,
“What would you like to drink? I’ll have the secretary bring it over.”
“Milk,” Su Zhaotang replied directly, still a bit angry but unwilling to deprive herself.
She then turned and sat down on the nearby sofa, placing her chain-strap bag to the side and casually playing with her phone.
Zhou Lingjing pressed the intercom next to his computer: “Secretary An, bring in a cup of hot milk.”
“Yes, Mr. Zhou.”
After giving the order, Zhou Lingjing walked over to Su Zhaotang and said,
“I’m going to a meeting in the conference room. The milk will be here soon. If you’re bored, you can play with the tablet. If you’re tired, you can go rest in the inner lounge.”
Su Zhaotang looked up at him. As she moved, strands of hair fell to one side of her face, her eyes shimmering as she gazed at him obediently, looking somewhat pitiful, as if she had been abandoned.
“Ah, don’t worry about me. Go ahead and get busy,” she said, waving her arms and urging him to leave quickly.
Zhou Lingjing listened and left, and the office suddenly fell quiet.
Only now did Su Zhaotang have the leisure to look around, thinking to herself that Zhou Lingjing’s taste wasn’t bad. The decor was simple yet luxurious, giving off an air of elegance and coolness.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door.
“Hello, I’ve brought the milk. May I come in?”
A gentle voice sounded.
Su Zhaotang quickly replied, “Yes, please come in.”
Secretary An walked in slowly and immediately saw the petite, delicate-looking girl sitting on the sofa, her eyes fixed on her.
“Ma’am, here’s your milk. Please enjoy it slowly,”
Secretary An said with a smile.
Su Zhaotang replied sweetly, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. It’s my duty.”
Then she exited the room, gently closing the door behind her.
Su Zhaotang picked up the milk on the table and took a sip. The warm liquid slowly flowed into her stomach, filling her mouth with a rich, milky aroma.
After drinking most of the cup, she put it down and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look outside. The weather was bright and sunny.
The sunlight fell on her face, adding a golden hue to her originally fair skin. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she enjoyed the warmth of the sun.
Since there was no one in the office now, she lazily reclined on the sofa.
With one hand holding her phone, she studied the draft sketches of a cheongsam design, contemplating ideas. After all, before returning to China, she had promised a fashion model she met while studying abroad to design a modern-style Chinese cheongsam for her.
Her other hand hugged a pillow.
Unconsciously, perhaps because the sunlight was too warm, or perhaps because the drowsiness from the morning hadn’t completely faded, she drifted off into a light sleep.
When Zhou Lingjing hurriedly finished a meeting and returned to his office, he pushed open the door to find Su Zhaotang quietly asleep on the sofa under the soft sunlight.
Her petite figure was curled up, her tightly closed eyes appearing incredibly fragile, and her long eyelashes trembled gently like butterfly wings.
Zhou Lingjing gently sat on the edge of the sofa, careful not to touch her, and observed her peaceful sleeping face closely.
The exquisitely beautiful girl before him gradually overlapped with the spoiled little snowball from their childhood days. After all these twists and turns, it’s still you.
Suddenly, Su Zhaotang stirred slightly and slowly opened her eyes, only to find Zhou Lingjing’s strikingly handsome features right in front of her, his deep eyes fixed intently on her.
Startled, she sat up, the flush on her face from just waking up not yet faded, and whispered softly, “Sorry, I fell asleep.”
Zhou Lingjing gently smoothed her sleep-mussed hair and said in a low voice, “It’s fine. I’ve finished the meeting. Take your time to wake up, then we’ll go for a meal.”
Su Zhaotang replied softly, “Okay.”
By the time they got ready and left the company, the driver had already parked Zhou Lingjing’s Maybach at the entrance, waiting for them.
It was now the midday break, so the company lobby was bustling with employees coming and going.
They witnessed their CEO bringing a girl down from the top floor, and the two of them even got into his Maybach—a car that had never carried a woman before!!
Zhou Lingjing had reserved a table at an elegant Western restaurant. In the main hall stood a grand piano, where a young girl was playing Beethoven’s “Für Elise,” accompanied by a foreign man in a tailcoat playing the violin.
The slow, deep melody tugged at the heartstrings.
Zhou Lingjing ordered a medium-well steak, while Su Zhaotang, who had never been able to stomach undercooked meat since childhood, asked for hers well-done.
Zhou Lingjing also ordered a bottle of Lafite red wine. While waiting for the food to arrive, Su Zhaotang asked, “Do you come to this restaurant often?”
“I’ve been here a few times, not too often, but their sirloin steak is quite good,” Zhou Lingjing replied as he arranged the cutlery.
“Oh, I see. The atmosphere here seems nice,” Su Zhaotang remarked.
After finishing his preparations, Zhou Lingjing folded his hands, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Su Zhaotang with his deep, dark eyes. He asked casually, “What are your plans for work after returning to China? Are you thinking of opening your own studio or finding a job at a company?”
“Hmm, my dad suggested I open a studio. He’s worried that if I work for a company, I’ll get overwhelmed with design tasks and end up exhausted. He thinks I should run my own studio, decide how many projects to take on, hire a few designers, and have more flexibility with my work schedule.”
Su Zhaotang looked at him seriously and said.
Zhou Lingjing nodded cooperatively, “That’s fine. Your uncle has already considered it for you. Without financial pressure, prioritizing your own comfort is best.”
Su Zhaotang playfully stuck out her tongue, “Why are you just like my dad?”
“Heh, you can treat me as your dad too,” Zhou Lingjing said teasingly, a low chuckle escaping his throat.
“In your dreams,” Su Zhaotang immediately retorted, glaring at him with her beautiful eyes.