Chapter 20

“Boss… Boss! Are you awake?” Cao Liang was scared by the eyes full of murderous intent, swiftly darting behind the door frame. 

He recalled the miserable history of being ‘cared for’ by their boss.

Even his sturdy body, standing at more than 1.8 meters, couldn’t resist shrinking a bit. He cautiously peeked out his big head.

Xie Zhen inexplicably awakened; the dark aura emanating from his whole body seemed eager to materialize. His deep black eyes stared at Cao Liang, his mood was particularly unpleasant.

“You better have a good reason!” The cold, hoarse voice seemed to carry a millennium of icy chill, a clear warning that if the answer was unsatisfactory, this guy was bound to get a beating.

“Gulp!” 

Cao Liang, scared by the low pressure from his boss, swallowed hard and stammered, “Boss, sister-in-law left!”

Xie Zhen’s face turned even darker!

Cao Liang…!!!

“I… I mean, Doctor Su left, yeah! I mean Su Xi, Su Xi left. I thought she helped us so much, and you being our boss, you should at least see her off, right?” As he spoke, he saw the boss’s relaxed expression, and Cao Liang became more articulate.

Xie Zhen was momentarily stunned, then swiftly flipped over, already standing on the ground. He quickly put on his pants while asking, “When did she leave?”

Cao Liang stole a glance at the boss, noticing that his face was no longer dark. He immediately revived in place. 

He knew it. The boss had feelings for Doctor Su.

However, the boss’s physique was simply incredible. Clicking his tongue, Cao Liang couldn’t help but marvel. Clearly, even with clothes on, he didn’t seem much stronger than himself, but after taking off his clothes, why was there such a big difference?

“I’m asking you a question.” After quickly putting on his jacket, Xie Zhen went to the washroom to freshen up.
Cao Liang finally came to his senses and said, “Oh, oh, she just left. She didn’t want me to escort her.”

After a simple tidy-up, Xie Zhen hurriedly ran outside.

Cao Liang, who was left behind, patted his mouth for a while before clapping his hands. “I knew something was off. The boss does like Doctor Su after all. Look, I even called her sister-in-law, and he didn’t object. Hehe.”

“What did you just say?” The door to the next room was forcefully opened, and Xi Yannan glared angrily at the silly Cao Liang, wearing an expression of disdain as if saying, ‘You fool, do you want to die? ‘

Cao Liang, Oh, oh, boss, help me! I can’t defeat the great demon King Xi Yannan!

Humble~ Weak~ Helpless~

……………………

In the golden autumn of October, the fragrance of osmanthus wafted in the air.

In the slightly cool morning breeze, a rich osmanthus fragrance enveloped Su Xi. When she closed her eyes and inhaled, a refreshing scent spread through her chest, bringing joy to her spirit.

Su Xi walked beneath the osmanthus trees, immersed in the beauty of these delicate yellow petals. She felt as if her entire being had transcended, only returning to reality when she heard footsteps behind her.

She saw Xie Zhen, with a tall and straight figure like a small poplar, quickly running up to her.

The man against the morning light made it hard to discern his expression for a moment. Standing at a height of 1.9 meters, when he just stood next to you.

Even if he did nothing and said nothing, there is still a strong sense of existence.

At this moment, osmanthus petals fell with the gentle breeze, fluttering down and landing on the man’s shoulders.

Somehow, a sudden thought popped into Su Xi’s mind. She felt that even the beautiful autumn wind and falling leaves couldn’t compare to the man’s beauty.

Especially at this moment, with the man’s tall figure casting a shadow over her, As their breaths intertwined, it inexplicably made her ears heat up, and her whole body felt uneasy.

Su Xi has lived for two lifetimes, and for the first time, Su Xi felt a sense of shyness or perhaps awkwardness with the opposite sex. She couldn’t quite distinguish it, but she didn’t want the person in front of her to notice her discomfort.

With this in mind, she quietly took a step back, escaping from the man’s overshadowing presence. Only then did Su Xi lift her head to examine the man.

Only then did she realize that Xie Zhen’s eyes were red and that there were water stains on his forehead. It was obvious that he had hurriedly come here. Perplexed, she asked, “Is there something wrong?”

Xie Zhen shook his head. “No, I just wanted to escort you back to school.”

Su Xi waved her hand in refusal. “No need, really. I can go back on my own. You should go back and rest.”

However, Xie Zhen’s attitude remained resolute: “I brought you here, so naturally, I’ll be the one to take you back. It’s no trouble.”

Su Xi insisted, “It’s not a big deal. I’m happy to help. Actually, you don’t have to accompany me. I can take care of myself. It’s more concerning for you to be out in the open like this. Is everything okay?”

Xie Zhen said, “It’s okay. They are targeting Professor Shi, so they won’t pay attention to us protectors. That’s why it’s safe for me to appear alone.”

Xu saw that Su Xi was still not convinced, and he added, “I also wanted to come out and see if there were any surveillance personnel around and familiarize myself with the nearby routes.”

When he said this, Su Xi couldn’t refuse anymore.

The two chatted along the way and quickly arrived at the school.

Xie Zhen stood firmly not far from the school gate, watching as Su Xi passed through the entrance after talking with the security guard and entering the campus. As she approached the corner, the young girl suddenly turned around, silently locking eyes with him.

At that moment, Xie Zhen felt like the cat that had scratched at his heart yesterday had reappeared. He could clearly hear the loud thumps of his heartbeat.

It was his heartbeat, getting louder and beating faster.

Suddenly, the girl, from a distance, raised her hand, waving energetically in his direction. A radiant smile bloomed on her delicate face, like a blossoming flower brimming with brightness and beauty.

The scene was so beautiful that Xie Zhen couldn’t help but unconsciously raise the corner of his lips and then raise his right hand to wave back. He couldn’t bring himself to stop until the girl’s graceful figure disappeared around the corner.

Until Xie Zhen felt the strange gaze coming from the security guard, he casually put down his waving hand.

Then he covered his mouth, feigned a light cough to disguise his emotions, and turned around with a calm demeanor, taking large strides away.

…………..

At the end of the first class, Wang Hongbing, the class monitor for Su Xi’s class, walked confidently to the podium, tapping the blackboard a few times. With all eyes on him, he spoke passionately, “Next Sunday, we are organizing a fall outing to explore the beautiful scenery of our motherland at Baiyun Mountain. The teachers suggest that we have fun on Saturday and then spend Sunday doing charity work. Although participation is voluntary, each student is required to contribute 3 yuan for expenses. I hope everyone will sign up, considering that charity work is a good experience for us students. That’s all I have to say. Those interested can directly approach the class life committee member, Wang Hehua, to register and make the payment.”

The monitor’s words stirred up quite a stir in the class. Whether it was for leisure or charity work, it was something the energetic and ambitious young people in the class looked forward to.

Immediately, those with better economic conditions started crowding around Wang Hehua, eagerly paying their fees.

Su Xi’s deskmate, Wu Fangfang, asked, “Su Xi, are you going?” 

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