Chapter 3

Lin Shu felt that she and Xu Shijia were probably not compatible at all.

The business trip had finally been arranged, but early in the morning, Xu Shijia was already causing trouble.

Staring at the two 28-inch suitcases Xu Shijia was carrying, Lin Shu could feel her temples throbbing.

“Are you moving out or something?”

“No,” Xu Shijia replied innocently. “Aren’t we staying for two nights? That’s why I brought two suitcases.”

“…”

Forget the suitcases, but what was up with the flashy new haute couture outfit he was wearing?

“Are you planning to get married dressed like that?”

What lawyer dresses like this for due diligence? Besides, he was just Lin Shu’s assistant on this project.

Yet Xu Shijia seemed totally oblivious and even answered seriously, “No, if I were getting married, I’d wear something even better.”

“…”

Lin Shu rubbed her temples. “Take out a new outfit from your suitcase, a plain black suit, and change into it.”

However, true to his reputation for stepping on Lin Shu’s last nerve, Xu Shijia simply shrugged and said matter-of-factly, “I don’t have such ordinary clothes.”

If you don’t have them, then go buy some!

Lin Shu glanced at the time. There was still a little time before boarding, so she forcibly dragged Xu Shijia into the nearest Hugo Boss suit store.

In her mind, this brand made decent menswear, but Xu Shijia put up fierce resistance.

“I won’t wear this brand. It’s too conservative, too old-fashioned, and I might run into someone wearing the same thing…”

“Matching outfits isn’t a big deal. Whoever looks worse, feels awkward.” Lin Shu stared expressionlessly at Xu Shijia. “There are no old-fashioned brands, only old-fashioned men. Don’t you know that a truly handsome man can make even a rag look like haute couture? It’s only men who aren’t that good-looking that rely on fancy, expensive clothes to cover up their insecurities…”

“I’ll buy it! I’ll change!”

Sure enough, before Lin Shu could finish, Xu Shijia cut her off, gritting his teeth, “Just stop talking! I’m not the kind of man who needs to be wrapped up like a package.”

Lin Shu didn’t pay much attention to Xu Shijia’s words, but when he walked out in the classic black suit, she couldn’t help but be stunned.

Some people are simply born to wear clothes well, and it was hard to deny that Xu Shijia had a tall, striking figure.

When he wore those flashy designer outfits, he looked like a spoiled playboy. But once he changed into the more businesslike black suit, with his lips pressed together and a cold expression, he gave off the aura of an unapproachable authority figure.

When Lin Shu saw the suit on the model, she thought it was just an average business suit, nothing special. But once Xu Shijia put it on, it seemed as though he had breathed life into it, and even the price tag seemed to multiply tenfold.

He really did look quite handsome.

Clearly, Xu Shijia thought the same. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he remarked, “Turns out I look this good even in such boring clothes. I should try this style more often. A good-looking guy really can pull off any look.”

“…” If only this handsome guy would keep his mouth shut.

At least, no matter what, Xu Shijia had finally changed into something that made him look more like a lawyer on a business trip.

But just when Lin Shu thought everything was in order, Xu Shijia came up with a new problem.

“Economy class? We’re flying in economy class?”

He gestured dramatically. “Look at the size of the economy class seats. How are my legs supposed to fit in that tiny space?”

Without missing a beat, Xu Shijia made a decision: “I’m upgrading.”

Lin Shu could feel the urge to roll her eyes again. “Haven’t you traveled for work before? The travel expenses for each case are generally reimbursed as incurred, but no client is going to reimburse business or first class fares. It’s standard practice to fly economy class or take second-class seats.”

Xu Shijia flashed a grin. “No worries, I’ll pay for it myself.”

Fine, fine, we get it—you have a little bit of money.

Such capitalist behavior.

But soon enough, capitalism lost to supply and demand.

“Sorry, sir, business and first class are fully booked on this flight. There are no available upgrades.”

Lin Shu watched as Xu Shijia went from looking like a smug alpha wolf to a defeated wet dog. Reluctantly, he returned to her side. He didn’t say a word, but his face was full of grumbling complaints.

After lowering himself into the economy seat beside Lin Shu, he kept shifting positions, trying to find a comfortable way to accommodate his long legs.

Lin Shu had planned to take a nap, but Xu Shijia’s fidgeting made it impossible. Unable to bear it any longer, she ripped off her eye mask and glared at him. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you sit still?”

Xu Shijia’s response nearly made her explode with anger. Glancing at her legs, he said, “If my legs were as short as yours, of course I could sit still.”

Then, as if he wasn’t already tempting fate, he added with a smirk, “Sometimes I envy you guys. With legs this long, I feel so helpless right now.”

“…”

Lin Shu knew managing a team was no easy task, and she understood that many of the people at Tianhao had personal connections. But she had never expected to end up dealing with someone like Xu Shijia.

Though he was young, Lin Shu prided herself on being mature and emotionally stable. Yet all of that seemed to crumble in the face of Xu Shijia.

She really… wanted to kill him.

Thankfully, he wasn’t the boss’s son. She needed to find a way to make him retreat on his own and resign.

Once he was gone, there would be an opening, and Lin Shu could request someone new from HR—a hardworking young subordinate without any connections.

On the flight, Lin Shu made up her mind. She would make sure Xu Shijia experienced all the hardest and most tedious tasks. Surely, after such treatment, even this “princess” wouldn’t be able to stick around.

Meanwhile, Xu Shijia, blissfully unaware of Lin Shu’s inner plotting, finally found a comfortable position. Sitting there like someone recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, he sighed dramatically while rubbing his waist, as if he were starring in a melodrama. “I’ll definitely need to get a spa treatment for my back once we get to the hotel.”

“…”

Hold it together, Lin Shu. As soon as you land, give him a good dose of socialist tough love.

**

What Lin Shu didn’t expect was that by the time they arrived at the hotel the client had booked for them, reality would give Xu Shijia a hard slap in the face—without her needing to lift a finger.

Looking at the old four-star hotel in front of them, Xu Shijia’s face was filled with disbelief.

“Four stars? We’ve already flown economy class, and now we’re staying in a four-star hotel? How can we stimulate domestic demand and contribute to GDP with such downgraded consumption?”

“And this kind of four-star hotel, out in the middle of nowhere, probably doesn’t even meet real four-star standards. At best, it’s a three-star.”

A five-star man like Xu Shijia, reduced to staying in a three-star hotel!

He was practically fuming.

The worst part? The hotel had only two floors, and because it was built long ago, there wasn’t even an elevator!

Xu Shijia looked at his two 28-inch suitcases, then at the stairs, and could only feel his back—already sore from the cramped economy seat—throb even more painfully. It was like the universe was conspiring against him.

Even Lin Shu was a little surprised.

Before joining Tianhao, it had been promised that the cases of the retiring partner would be passed on to her. But in reality, the best cases had long been snatched up by the younger partners. Lin Shu had only managed to claim this due diligence case by being quick and resourceful.

The target for this due diligence was a seasoning factory. Lin Shu had known in advance that it was in the suburbs, and the accommodations would likely be limited. But this was even more basic than she had expected.

The employee from the seasoning factory who was coordinating with them apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, both of you. This area is mostly factories, so there’s not much demand for high-end hotels. This is the best hotel we have around here. If it doesn’t suit you, we could stay in a hotel in the city center, but it’s a bit farther from the factory…”

“How far is it?”

“It’s a two-hour drive one way… because this area is full of factories like ours, and most of the traffic consists of large trucks. The road conditions aren’t great, and sometimes there’s traffic.”

Lin Shu’s client was a company in the instant noodle supply chain, looking to acquire this seasoning factory. The due diligence timeline was tight, giving Lin Shu only three days and two nights on-site. In that short time, she had to review all aspects of the factory, from its organizational structure and personnel records to operations, financials, safety incidents, intellectual property, labor lawsuits, and more. She needed to identify any legal risks and issue a due diligence report, enabling her client to assess whether to proceed with the acquisition.

If they stayed in a hotel in the city center, they would waste four hours commuting daily, losing a total of twelve hours over the three days. Lin Shu’s case was a race against time, and she simply didn’t have that kind of luxury.

Without hesitation, she declined the factory employee’s offer. “No need. We’ll make do here for two nights. We’ll start at 8 a.m. tomorrow, so please have all the necessary documents ready.”

To make it as a partner-level lawyer, one has to be able to endure hardship.

Lin Shu could handle it, but that didn’t mean her travel companion could.

Her words seemed to sound like a death knell for Xu Shijia, who now wore an expression of utter despair.

**

To be precise, Xu Shijia didn’t actually want to die.

After all, the word “death” was unlucky. He just didn’t feel like living anymore.

He had thought that flying economy class was already the lowest point of his life. But this business trip turned out to be a real ordeal.

Lin Shu had chosen to stay in this shabby place instead of a nice hotel in the city center!

The four-star hotel clearly didn’t get many guests and was poorly maintained. Many of the facilities were outdated, and most of the staff were older men and women, with not a single young person in sight.

Lin Shu glanced at Xu Shijia, who was grimacing and rubbing his back while watching the older staff members shuffle around. “Everyone keeps talking about the aging population, and I never believed it. But now I do.”

Despite their age, the staff were still very warm and friendly.

Seeing his large suitcases, one of the older men eagerly offered, “Let me help you carry them to your room.”

Lin Shu fully expected Xu Shijia to act like the young master he was and let the man take his bags. But to her surprise, Xu Shijia shook his head. “No need, I’ll carry them myself.”

With that, he effortlessly picked up both 28-inch suitcases and walked up to the second floor with ease. He didn’t even break a sweat. Afterward, he came back down and extended his hand to Lin Shu. “Your suitcase.”

“What?”

“I’ll carry it up for you,” he said, a little annoyed, before grabbing her suitcase and hauling it upstairs.

Wait… wasn’t this guy supposed to be weak?

His back seemed just fine!

Lin Shu’s thoughts must have been obvious from her expression because Xu Shijia noticed.

“What’s with that look?”

“Your body seems pretty strong. Why were you making such a fuss about sitting in economy class?”

That comment seemed to ignite his anger. “Let me correct your misconception. Just because I have standards and appreciate the finer things doesn’t mean I’m weak. My body is in excellent condition! It’s my spirit that’s fragile!”

“…” Lin Shu couldn’t hold back. “You’re a grown man…”

Before she could finish, Xu Shijia interrupted, “What does being a man have to do with it? Don’t be sexist. Men can be fragile too!”

“…” Lin Shu had to remind herself—violence is illegal.

After calming down, Lin Shu managed to thank him. “Thanks for carrying my suitcase.”

“Well, what can I say? I didn’t want to, but in a situation like this, if I don’t step up, who will?”

Lin Shu’s gratitude only fueled his theatrics. He sighed with exaggerated reluctance, as if he’d been forced into the role of the hero. “If I didn’t carry it, the older gentleman would have. And seeing how old he is, my respect for the elderly couldn’t allow me to just stand by. So, I had no choice but to endure the hardship myself and carry the luggage.”

“…”

“And besides,” Xu Shijia turned to Lin Shu, “didn’t you specifically ask for me to come on this trip so that a strong, young person like me could handle these kinds of tasks for you?”

Technically, that was true. But something about the way he said “strong, young person” and “these kinds of tasks” felt off…

Lin Shu straightened her face. “Could you say that a little more seriously?”

“What do you mean I’m not serious?” Xu Shijia looked genuinely offended. “I’ve come on this trip, stayed in this hotel—how much more serious do you want me to be?”

By now, his tone was filled with resentment.

When they reached the second floor and entered the room, Xu Shijia finally saw just how basic it was inside—grayish walls, worn-out bed linens, and a faded carpet. Everything about the room screamed “disaster.”

He couldn’t stand it any longer. Dragging Lin Shu into his room, he pointed around, demanding, “The expenses are reimbursed, but no one said we had to stay in a place like this! And they’re calling this the ‘luxury mountain-view suite’?!”

The conditions were indeed rough, but as his superior, Lin Shu couldn’t back down in the face of Xu Shijia’s complaints.

“Look at the walls—this is high-end ‘industrial gray,’ the latest trend. The worn-out sheets mean they’ve been washed many times, so there’s no risk of formaldehyde. Safe! Green! Eco-friendly!”

“Nowadays, people prefer traveling to the suburbs anyway. The city center is too noisy. The suburbs are quieter, less commercialized, and more natural and unspoiled.”

“Why can’t you change your mindset? Think of this business trip as a chance to cleanse your soul and find inner peace.”

While Lin Shu spouted nonsense with a straight face, she walked over to the window and opened it. “And while suburban hotels may not be the most luxurious, they do offer authentic mountain-view rooms.”

“In Rong City, at this price, the most you’d get is a view of a fake mountain. But here, just imagine—when you open this window, what you’ll see is…”

“A cemetery.”

Xu Shijia, with a blank expression, looked out at the distant hills, where rows of graves were clearly visible.

Lin Shu pursed her lips and quickly shut the window.

Xu Shijia continued sarcastically, “Yes, my soul is definitely cleansed, and I’ve found my final resting place.” He pointed to the graves on the hill. “The final resting place for all of us, really.”

“…”

“Forget the cemetery for a moment. What is this?!” Xu Shijia, inspecting the room like an inspector, suddenly glared at a door in the middle of the wall. “Why is there a door in the middle of the room?”

He gave it a push, and to his surprise, it opened.

Lin Shu was just as shocked. She followed him and saw that the door led straight into her own room.

It turned out they were in connecting rooms!

And the door didn’t even have a lock!

Lin Shu looked at Xu Shijia, standing across from her. If he were weak and fragile, she might feel safer, but it seemed he was quite strong and fit.

Trust but verify, right? Even if he was her subordinate, who knows if he’s really trustworthy?

At that moment, Lin Shu had only one thought: There’s no way she could stay in connecting rooms with Xu Shijia!

**

Although Lin Shu immediately requested to change rooms, things didn’t go as smoothly as she had hoped.

“Sorry, Ms. Lin, we’re fully booked today because several families are here for weddings. A lot of out-of-town guests have come, so all nearby hotels are also full. Unfortunately, we have no other rooms to offer you. To express our apologies, here’s a voucher for your next stay.”

It was quite a “wonderful” stay, and there definitely wouldn’t be a next time.

Unable to resolve the issue, Lin Shu returned to the second floor, planning to set some ground rules with Xu Shijia. However, he was nowhere to be seen.

A few minutes later, Xu Shijia finally returned, carrying a large chain and several padlocks.

Seeing the confusion in Lin Shu’s eyes, he smiled slightly. “I just went to the nearby supermarket to buy some locks and chains. Since we’re of different genders, it’s not appropriate or safe to stay in connecting rooms.”

Looking at Xu Shijia’s sincere expression, Lin Shu felt a little ashamed. People have many sides, and perhaps she had misjudged him. He had considered the issue and even took the initiative to buy locks. At least, that was a gentlemanly thing to do.

As Lin Shu watched Xu Shijia enter her room with the locks, he hung one on the door and smiled brightly at her. “The lock will be on your side, and I’ll hold onto the key. That way, we’ll both be safe.”

“Both be safe?”

Something about that didn’t sound right.

But still, Xu Shijia had gone out of his way to buy the lock and avoid any awkwardness, so it was probably just her overthinking things.

However, once Xu Shijia returned to his room, Lin Shu quickly realized she hadn’t been overthinking at all.

From the other side of the door, she heard the sound of furniture being moved. Finally, the noise stopped, and it was clear that a desk had been placed firmly against the connecting door.

Xu Shijia had blocked the door from his side with a desk.

“…” Not only did he lock the door, but he also blocked it with a desk.

This wasn’t about protecting Lin Shu.

He was protecting himself from Lin Shu!

At that moment, Lin Shu had only one thought: It’s getting cold. Xu Shijia has to go.

If he stayed on her team, she feared he would aggravate her into an early death.