After dealing with his parents and his cousin, Wu Hao called the only capable subordinate he currently had, Wu Zhengwei, instructing him to contact a large international travel agency to handle the necessary documents and travel arrangements.

Upon receiving Wu Hao’s call, Wu Zhengwei carefully noted down his instructions and requests. Wu Hao usually didn’t manage the company’s affairs, nor did he often assign tasks to him.

Lately, Wu Zhengwei’s work had primarily revolved around the machinery factory and the investment in building a resort. Now, with sudden orders from his boss, he was determined to do a good job.

Besides, this task wasn’t difficult for him. It would mostly involve making a few phone calls, as the travel agency would eagerly handle all the paperwork and arrangements. They would even sort out the itinerary and hotel bookings.

Just after Wu Hao had finished giving his instructions to Wu Zhengwei and hung up, his mother, Zhang Huilan, approached him and said, “Son, when you go on this trip abroad, why don’t you invite Xiaoyun to come along? She can keep me company.” Though Zhang Huilan said this casually, Wu Hao could clearly hear the underlying intention in her words.

There was no need to guess. His mom was obviously trying to create another so-called opportunity for him to develop feelings for Xiaoyun. In the past, she had frequently invited Li Xiaoyun over to their house for the same reason.

“Mom, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Wu Hao replied helplessly.

“What’s inappropriate about it? Your mom has never traveled abroad and needs someone to keep her company on the trip!” Zhang Huilan replied as if it was only natural. But Wu Hao knew exactly what her real intention was.

Since Wu Hao had previously declined her efforts to matchmake him with Li Xiaoyun, Zhang Huilan had stopped openly trying to push them together. Instead, she had started using her so-called “create opportunities to develop feelings” strategy.

Even though she understood the approach, Wu Hao had always been elusive, often disappearing for long stretches of time, leaving little chance for anything to happen.

But this time, since Wu Hao had agreed to accompany them on the trip, Zhang Huilan wasn’t going to miss such a golden opportunity.

As for Wu Hao, although he was aware of his mother’s intentions, since she had already said as much, he could only comply.

“Alright, stop stalling and hurry up and call Xiaoyun! And remember, be sincere about it—don’t make it seem like you’re doing it reluctantly,” Zhang Huilan urged him when she saw the helpless look on his face. She didn’t plan on leaving and seemed intent on staying to watch Wu Hao make the call.

“Alright, alright, I’ll call her now!” Wu Hao sighed and proceeded to dial Li Xiaoyun’s number.

On the other end, Li Xiaoyun, who was at work, was surprised to receive Wu Hao’s call. After all, it was rare for him to call her. The last time they had spoken on the phone had been nearly two months ago.

“Hello, have you returned home?” Li Xiaoyun asked, trying to suppress her excitement and keep her tone as calm as possible.

For Li Xiaoyun, her feelings toward Wu Hao had long since evolved from initial gratitude to admiration. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the job at Wu Hao’s company or privately worked to win over his mother.

However, the memory of the time when she had boldly suggested Wu Hao should “take care of” her was still a sore point in her mind. Although Wu Hao hadn’t taken her up on the offer, she still felt self-conscious about it. Despite her admiration for him, she believed she wasn’t quite good enough for him. She also knew that Wu Hao only saw her as a good friend for now. So, her admiration remained unspoken, and she didn’t have the courage to confess her feelings.

Still, she was quite content with how things were. At least she had a good relationship with Wu Hao’s mother, and for now, she wasn’t thinking too far ahead.

“Yes, I just got back yesterday,” Wu Hao responded. He felt a bit strange at her question but continued, “By the way, I’m planning to take my parents on a trip, and I want you to come with us.”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyun felt a rush of joy but hesitated slightly. “Is that really appropriate?” she asked.

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. It’s settled then. Take care of your work over the next few days, and I’ll inform your supervisor,” Wu Hao said, making the decision on her behalf as his mother watched attentively from the side. Of course, he couldn’t tell her that it was his mother’s idea to invite her.

After making the invitation and hanging up, Wu Hao turned to his mother and said, “Mom, are you satisfied now?”

“Not bad, I’m quite satisfied! But seriously, Xiaoyun is a really nice girl. Why are you so stubborn about this?” Zhang Huilan smiled in satisfaction but couldn’t resist trying to convince Wu Hao further.

“I never said she wasn’t good. It’s just… you can’t force these things. Anyway, I’ll think about what you’ve said!” Wu Hao replied before making an excuse to retreat to his room.

Meanwhile, after ending the call, Li Xiaoyun’s face lit up with a joyful smile. Her happiness was evident, drawing the curiosity of her colleagues.

“Oh, Xiaoyun, something good happened? You seem so happy!”

“Ah, it’s nothing! Just a friend inviting me on a trip,” Li Xiaoyun replied, smiling shyly.

“Is it your boyfriend?”

“No, it’s not!”

“Yeah, right, like I’d believe that!”

Li Xiaoyun felt a little embarrassed but couldn’t refute it. After all, the truth was that Wu Hao wasn’t her boyfriend—at least not yet, even though that was what she secretly hoped for.

Back in his room, Wu Hao made another call to Wu Zhengwei, informing him about Li Xiaoyun. Wu Zhengwei was already familiar with her since Wu Hao had arranged her job at the company in the first place. In his mind, Li Xiaoyun had long been categorized as one of Wu Hao’s women.

So when Wu Hao mentioned the matter, Wu Zhengwei wasn’t the least bit surprised. In fact, it wasn’t just Wu Hao—even he had his fair share of women on the side. This kind of thing was far from unusual. After all, as the saying goes: “When there’s work, the secretary handles it; when there’s no work, you handle the secretary!”

Though Wu Hao didn’t actually have a secretary since he rarely showed up at the company, in Wu Zhengwei’s eyes, Li Xiaoyun’s role was more or less the same.

Naturally, Wu Hao didn’t bother trying to explain. There was no way to make it clear anyway.