After a heavy rain, Jingcheng was bathed in the clear, brilliant sunshine once more.
Such beautiful weather, however, could not lighten Cheng Weiyue's mood, as she left the antique presidential suite in a near panic.
Before leaving, under the earnest gaze of the female attendant, she finished drinking the stomach-soothing hangover soup.
Her upbringing was strict; she had never spent a night outside by herself, particularly not in a hotel.
And yet, she remembered nothing at all.
She was allergic to alcohol; even slight contact could result in blackouts and unconsciousness. If she truly drank, even just a sip, it would be severe enough to warrant a hospital visit.
She tried hard to remember but couldn't recall anything that happened after pushing Zhao Hanchen away the previous night, so, in her growing panic, she even forgot to ask the female attendant who brought her there.
She jogged to the hotel entrance, hailed a taxi with a wave and quickly announced her destination, "Driver, to Tinglan Alley."
It was only when getting out of the taxi that Cheng Weiyue realized her phone was out of power.
Under the wary eyes of the taxi driver, she turned red trying to search her pockets and unexpectedly found two red banknotes.
So considerate, so thorough.
She was startled, and after paying the fare, she felt extremely unsettled.
That person had even given her money...
She did not even know who he was, how was she to return the room fee and the money in her pocket?
Cheng Cunzheng had gone to the nearby park to practice Tai Chi. With a week left before school started, he couldn't get used to idle days and always found something to occupy himself.
After changing clothes and tidying up her room, Cheng Weiyue went downstairs, where her mother Zhao Ruolan had prepared breakfast and called her over.
The sense of reality from a normal household gradually calmed Cheng Weiyue's heart, which had been uneasy for quite some time.
Last night's incident was just an accident, right...
After breakfast, Cheng Weiyue finally charged her phone.
She saw a missed call, from Zhao Hanchen.
Cheng Weiyue hesitated for a moment but then dialed the number.
The call was quickly answered, but after picking up, there was only silence on the other end.
Sweat gathered in Cheng Weiyue's palms, and unable to contain herself after a long silence, she took the initiative to speak, "Zhao Hanchen..."
Zhao Hanchen sat in Jingxing Group's president's office, tossing his pen into the cup, closing the folder, and said in a cold tone, "Come find me yourself."
Cheng Weiyue had no chance to refuse.
When Zhao Hanchen was not angry, he was a model gentleman, the dream lover of young girls, a master of flirtation. If he wished, he could make any woman feel satisfied and happy.
But if he became angry, intent on making someone feel embarrassed, he would handle the situation mercilessly.
As for the other person's face, dignity, or limits.
That was not something Zhao Hanchen, the aristocrat, concerned himself with.
And after hanging up the phone, Zhao Hanchen's face finally looked a bit better.
As long as she apologized obediently, he would naturally comfort her thoroughly.
After all, women always need to be coaxed.
Secretary Ye Cheng entered from outside, pushing the door open.
He spoke respectfully, "President Zhao, Mr. Zhou said he will arrive in two hours to discuss the document regarding the old alley renewal."
Jingxing Group, which made its fortune in real estate, had taken on the largest project in the past ten years: the reconstruction and redevelopment of the old streets at the center of Jingcheng City.
The house of Cheng Weiyue's family was also within the planned area of redevelopment.
Considering this, Zhao Hanchen frowned.
The project was still in a confidential phase, and hardly anyone knew about it. He thought, once everything had settled down, he would go tell Cheng Weiyue.
He would properly compensate her and her family, and certainly not treat them unfairly.
As he thought this, his brows and eyes softened, and when he spoke, his tone was cold and bland, "Understood, have him wait for me in the reception room when it's time."
Ye Cheng's work task was to carry out Zhao Hanchen's orders. Hearing this, he didn't say a word and walked out.
Cheng Weiyue sat in the back of the taxi, seeing her lips painted bright red in the rearview mirror.
Her expression became dazed for a moment, and she vaguely felt that the person in the mirror didn't seem to be her.
She didn't like such heavy makeup, but Zhao Hanchen did.
Cheng Weiyue would never forget, during the first month when the two of them were together, how she carefully sought him out to apologize after angering him with her temperament.
It was still a private room at Yuxian, but on that day, it was just the two of them.
Zhao Hanchen sat beside her, leaned over, and with his cold fingertips, touched her lips.
He said to himself, "Next time you come to apologize, put some sincerity into it."
He placed a lipstick in the palm of her hand, a hint of a smile touching his phoenix eyes, his voice rough and enticing, "I really like this color. Apply it for me to see, will you?"
That was the first time Cheng Weiyue used such a bold red color; complying with Zhao Hanchen's expectation, she obediently applied it, and thus saw the desired tenderness appear in his eyes.
He held his chin, his gaze falling on her lip color, and said in a low voice, "Ningning, it looks really good."
It was ridiculous that, at that moment, she actually felt joy.
To be looked at by Zhao Hanchen with such eyes, she was utterly delighted.
But sometimes, when dreams return in the deep of the night, there was an inevitable sourness.
Part of her told herself that to love him this way, to love someone, one could give their all.
Yet another voice kept telling her that she was wrong, that he didn't love her.
Cheng Weiyue arrived at Jingxing Group, making her familiar way up the elevator.
It was only after her figure disappeared that the receptionists began to chat quietly.
"Zhao has been talking with her for three months this time; it's a wonder they haven't broken up yet."
"The beauty queen of Beijing University, you didn't know? Those fresh-faced models and actors in the entertainment circle aren't even on the same level as her!"
"Beauty queen or not, if Qiao Jingxue hadn't gotten married..." The speaker was the head receptionist, with seven or eight years at Jingxing Group, naturally, she knew some of the inside story.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, her face turned pale, and she shut her mouth, not speaking further.
The other receptionists caught the scent of gossip but knew that some things were best not delved into, so they also remained silent.
The feuds and entanglements of such an aristocratic family were not for ordinary people like them to inquire about...
As Cheng Weiyue exited the elevator, she saw Ye Cheng leading a group of people towards the reception room.
Seeing her, he gave her a professional smile and said politely, "Hello, Miss Cheng. President Zhao is in his office; you can go right in."
Cheng Weiyue thanked him and watched as Ye Cheng disappeared from her sight.
For the CEO's secretary to personally take care of this, going through all this trouble, it must be for a very important person.
Cheng Weiyue withdrew her gaze and pushed open the frosted glass door of the CEO's office.
The air was filled with the scent of smoke.
It was Zhao Hanchen smoking.
Seeing Cheng Weiyue come in, he lifted his eyebrows slightly and patted the seat beside him, "Come here."
His face showed no anger.