{The esteemed Mr. Shen still has no shame… 4}

It was as if he were an easily dismissed child.

In that moment, Qian Xu found herself less repulsed by naive young souls. If Zhao Buhui, in his drunken state, were to call her “Dad,” she wouldn’t mind all that much.

She’d initially thought of wiping the bit of cream left on Zhao Buhui’s mouth herself, but remembering how she’d once listened to his heartbeat, she simply tossed him a box of tissues instead.

Finally, unable to hold back, she gently wished the man, who was so easy to please, “Hope you have a special birthday.”

—

Qian Xu considered that she and Zhao Buhui had gotten closer last night.
But she hadn’t expected that news about her and Zhao Buhui would reach the boss’s ears. The next morning, after the team meeting, Zhao Tian specifically kept her back. But the “inquisition” had barely begun.

Zhao Buhui came directly from the cafeteria to his father’s office.

“What’s going on, Old Zhao?”

His face was tense, and his tone towards his father was far from polite, let alone respectful or dutiful. “Are you really going to make Qian Xu resign over some people’s idle gossip?”

Before entering, Qian Xu hadn’t thought the situation was so serious. At most, she’d have thought of it as rumor, something she could just deny outright.

But when Zhao Buhui appeared in Zhao Tian’s office, she felt the situation take on a new dimension.
With awkward movements, Zhao Tian fumbled with his thermos, spilling water all over the place in the process. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Ignoring the mess, he started cleaning up himself, and once the floor was no longer at risk, he turned to Qian Xu and asked, “So, Xiao Qian, what do you think of Buhui?”

Speaking honestly in front of both father and son was tricky, so Qian Xu deflected, “Well, like you, Zhao Zong, he’s a very good person.”

“I mean in other ways.”

Qian Xu wasn’t sure what answer Zhao Tian was after. She replied honestly, “As for Buhui, he gives me the impression of someone who’s worldly but not jaded, someone who goes with the flow.”

Finally able to take a sip of water, Zhao Tian choked on her response. “So, you mean he’s a bit too self-indulgent?”

Zhao Buhui immediately protested, “Dad, Qian Xu was clearly complimenting me. You’re twisting her words; that’s not fair.”

Ignoring his son, Zhao Tian sighed and continued talking to Qian Xu. “You two haven’t known each other for long, after all.”

Qian Xu went along with the boss’s words, still uncertain where the conversation was heading. “That’s right, just half a month.”

She assumed Zhao Tian, like many traditional parents, would prefer she keep her distance from his son after hearing a few rumors.

But Zhao Tian’s next words shattered her assumption.

“Well, maybe you two can get to know each other better. I know my son best—he’s a handful, doesn’t measure up to many people, but he’s got a good heart.” Zhao Tian chuckled to himself. His smile was different from the pure admiration of the workplace; it carried the warmth of an elder’s hopes for a younger generation, full of personal feelings. “I just hope, Xiao Qian, you won’t avoid Buhui just because of me.”

Qian Xu couldn’t tell if Zhao Tian’s words implied he was really trying to set her up with his son, so she kept her expression neutral and gently dismantled any notion of their relationship.

“No, nothing like that. We’re just normal colleagues who have normal interactions.”
After saying this, she bid Zhao Tian goodbye and left.

Zhao Tian, having observed from the sidelines, now understood his son’s one-sided interest from her response. Once Qian Xu left, he turned to his son, “I heard all about how you shielded her from drinking last night.”

He began with some fatherly advice, “Next time you want to step in for a girl, you might want to understand the situation a bit better.”

He sighed with frustration, “Honestly, you’re not at all like me—not in business, and clearly not even in romance.”

Laughing, Zhao Buhui responded, “Dad, you chased after Mom for nearly ten years. How can you criticize me?”

Zhao Tian, wanting to restore a bit of dignity, rarely spoke of his wife since her passing five or six years ago. They’d had a deeply loving relationship, and recalling her early death always pained him. Today, though, father and son opened up. “You don’t understand. Your mom liked me from the start. It was just that I was too accomplished in school; there were plenty of girls after me, and she didn’t want to be seen as the enemy by the others!”

“Stop flattering yourself, old man,” Zhao Buhui interjected, “I remember Mom saying it was just that you were too poor back then.”

“Nonsense!”

His son’s truth ruined the moment, and Zhao Tian wasn’t too pleased. But he looked over at his son and softened, “It’s your birthday today, right? Why don’t you come home and celebrate with me?”

“No way,” Zhao Buhui immediately declined. “I don’t care for your style.”

“Kid, you’re getting bolder and bolder.”

Still, Zhao Buhui couldn’t entirely dismiss his father. He’d likely be around the company for some time and didn’t want to anger him completely. “I’ll get you a peach longevity cake for your birthday.”

Zhao Tian, leaning over, downed two blood pressure pills. “Your old man isn’t that ancient yet.”

But his plans didn’t only exclude his father. Even his close friends weren’t lucky enough to host his birthday celebration. “No need. Someone else will be celebrating with me.”

At least, until midnight, Zhao Buhui was certain of that.

Her parting words had filled him with confidence that someone would make his birthday special.

However, as some of his employees grew impatient waiting, they urged him to call the person who was supposed to throw the party. With that, he called Qian Xu—

“What? Say that again, Zhao Buhui!?”

“You’re asking me, a newbie at the used car dealership, to celebrate your birthday? Have you lost your mind?”