Chapter 60

Xu Zhiyi immediately forwarded the photo to herself and posted it on her social media account.

Just seconds after posting, the likes began to roll in. Upon seeing Jiang Sixun’s profile picture among them, she turned her head slightly. “Wow, you’re fast with those likes!”

He looked at her, a teasing grin on his face. “Just wanted to experience being the first to like it.”

Xu Zhiyi placed her hand back in his, feeling warmth as he enveloped her fingers.

He stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something.

Xu Zhiyi realized belatedly, “When you post something, I’ll be the first to like it, too.” Previously, she had always been the first to support her brother’s posts, and later, she was the first to cheer on Ning Yinqi.

Out of guilt, she had never dared to be the first to like her boss’s posts, only adding hers when the number of likes had become overwhelming.

In the brief time they chatted, over ten people had already liked her post. Most of her followers were acquaintances—college friends, alumni, and fellow equestrian enthusiasts from around the globe.

When it was time for the meeting, Xu Zhiyi reluctantly pulled her hand from his grasp. “Go sit on the couch; if you stay here, they’ll see you.”

Jiang Sixun feigned innocence. “I haven’t finalized the share transfer yet, so I’m still the boss. It’s fine if they see me; I’m just auditing.”

“…” Xu Zhiyi nudged him away.

With a playful smile, Jiang Sixun stood up, taking the chair with him.

He went to pour himself a glass of water and carried it to the sofa.

While Xu Zhiyi was in the meeting, he wasn’t idle either. He created a new group chat named “Family Side Group,” adding Xu Xiangyi, He Yian, and his future brother-in-law.

He shared all the diamond ring designs sent to him by the designer, making sure to involve his future in-laws from the start.

Xu Xiangyi examined each design closely, comparing them back and forth. “I think the second design suits Zhiyi best,” he said, glancing at his wife for her opinion.

Even after thirty years of marriage, their tastes still differed.

After reviewing the designs, He Yian remarked, “I think the fourth design is quite nice.”

First impressions are powerful, and it was hard for anyone to be convinced that another option was better.

“Then let’s go with the fourth,” Xu Xiangyi decided, siding with his wife’s preference.

Xu Heng chimed in the group chat: [Your father-in-law likes the second design, while your mother-in-law thinks the fourth is beautiful.]

Jiang Sixun promptly replied: [Let’s order both, one for the proposal and one for the wedding.]

Xu Heng messaged him privately: [You know how to play both sides (thumbs up).]

With a hint of sarcasm, Jiang Sixun chose not to reply but tagged He Yian in the group chat: [Auntie, could you please bring the wedding dress designer to meet Zhiyi tomorrow?]

He had already discussed this over the phone with He Yian and wanted to reiterate it in the group.

He Yian replied: [No problem at all, just leave it to me. You focus on your work in Hong Kong.]

Xu Heng then added: [He’s currently in Beijing. He came back to see Zhiyi and will head back tomorrow.]

He Yian responded: [Then Zhiyi must be excited.]

When their daughter was happy, naturally, they were in good spirits too.

Having Xu Heng speak on his behalf was unexpected yet reasonable. Jiang Sixun felt a sense of clarity; he knew Xu Heng’s gratitude towards him wouldn’t surpass tomorrow.

Jiang Sixun returned to the designer’s email, leaving the second and fourth designs on his list.

Before logging out, his secretary’s call came in.

“Mr. Jiang, Professor Shang replied. He is still abroad and won’t return until the end of the month.”

“Okay, I understand,” Jiang Sixun said.

By the end of the month, he would also be wrapping up matters in Hong Kong.

He planned to discuss the Jin Yun project with Shang Tongxu.

Just after hanging up the phone, Jiang Sixun overheard Xu Zhiyi discussing the possibility of establishing a branch in Hong Kong during a video meeting.

He locked his phone and glanced over.

For the next half hour, Xu Zhiyi and several executives from Yuanwei Capital debated whether to set up a branch in Hong Kong. When Yuanwei was first established, they hadn’t even considered the idea. Back then, Lu Jianbo and his father had severed ties; the old man had declared, “Leave the Lu family, and you’ll be nothing!”

Even after their relationship thawed, Lu Jianbo still showed no interest in establishing a branch.

The video conference lasted until 11:05 PM, but they couldn’t come to a conclusion. Xu Zhiyi was simply planting the seed of the idea to get them thinking.

Once the meeting ended, Xu Zhiyi took off her headphones just as Jiang Sixun rose from his seat and approached her desk. He was tall, blocking out the light, and casting a shadow over her.

“Thinking about setting up a branch in Hong Kong?” he asked.

Xu Zhiyi nodded. “It would be a shame to give up on that market.”

“You’re the boss here,” Jiang Sixun replied. “But it’s not as easy as you think; the competition is fierce.”

“No worries, I have connections.”

He looked at her, a teasing smile forming. “What connections?”

“Grandpa Lu,” she replied, her expression playful.

“… So your visit to my grandfather was really just about the Yuanwei branch?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Partly yes, partly no,” she said as she closed her laptop, meeting his gaze. “The main reason was to see Grandpa Lu and enjoy some of your family’s pastries.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

Jiang Sixun laughed. “So it was all about the food.”

Xu Zhiyi grinned. “What can I say?”

He looked at her with affectionate eyes. “That’s fine.”

Xu Zhiyi continued, “And I thought I’d also ask Grandpa Lu whether it’s feasible to establish a branch in Hong Kong.”

In the business world, Grandpa Lu was a respected elder, even by her father, Xu Xiangyi, so asking him would be wise.

She gathered the papers from her desk and turned to Jiang Sixun. “I’ll go to Hong Kong with you tomorrow morning. There’s nothing pressing here in Beijing right now.”

With a team already working on the project, she only needed to oversee the larger direction.

Jiang Sixun recalled that the designer was scheduled to meet with her tomorrow. After taking her measurements, the designer would head back to London the day after.

He would need to postpone his own return to Hong Kong, telling her, “I have some things to handle in the morning, but I’ll leave in the afternoon.”

Xu Zhiyi replied, “Stick to your schedule; I’m in no rush.”

It wasn’t until she was in the car on the way home that she finally had the chance to check her phone.

The post she had made before the meeting had already garnered over a hundred comments.

Curious, she clicked in and saw a lengthy conversation between Ning Yinqi and director Zhou Mingqian.

Zhou Mingqian was her favorite director; she had watched every film he made and followed all his social media accounts. They had become mutual followers thanks to Ning Yun.

Zhou Mingqian was the only son of a jewelry tycoon from Hong Kong and a friend of Ning Yun. He had even edited the birthday video for Ning Yun’s twenty-fifth birthday.

Having often appeared in the comment sections of Ning Yinqi and Ning Yun’s posts, Zhou Mingqian had discovered she was a devoted fan and decided to follow her back.

Though they had never met in real life, they only knew each other online.

Zhou Mingqian had commented on her recent photo from the beach in Hawaii: “Great shot.”

Ning Yinqi responded: “Not easy to get our Director Zhou’s approval.”

Zhou Mingqian replied: “I was just kidding.”

Ning Yinqi shot back: “Do you know who took that photo? You might offend someone.”

Zhou Mingqian quipped: “It was taken by someone with the surname Jiang.”

Xu Zhiyi navigated to Zhou Mingqian’s profile, realizing she hadn’t checked social media in over ten days due to her preoccupation with Shen Qingfeng’s situation. She quickly liked his recent post.

Jiang Sixun caught sight of whom she was looking at. “You really like Zhou Mingqian, huh?”

“Absolutely,” she replied, completely absorbed in his page and oblivious to the way Jiang Sixun was watching her.

After a moment, Jiang Sixun casually said, “For your birthday, I’ll invite him over.”

Xu Zhiyi was too engrossed to catch his words. “What did you say?”

“I said Zhou Mingqian is just average looking,” he repeated, his tone light.

She laughed, threatening playfully, “Be careful when I meet him; I might just tell on you. Treat me well, and maybe I’ll reconsider.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Jiang Sixun leaned in, pressing his lips against hers.

With the driver and bodyguard present, she stifled a sound, only daring to pinch his inner thigh in response.

Jiang Sixun was taken aback by her boldness, a laugh escaping him as he pulled away.

In their family group chat, a message popped up from He Yian: “Si Xun, are you joining us for a late-night snack? Your Uncle Xu is making some for Zhiyi; would you like me to make you a plate?”

Jiang Sixun replied: “Sure, thank you, Auntie.”

“By the way, Auntie, Zhiyi will be going to Hong Kong with me tomorrow afternoon.”

He Yian responded: “Got it; I’ll keep that in mind.”

When they arrived home, the late-night snack was just being prepared.

No one in the family had gone to bed; Xu Heng was indulging in his second bowl of green bean and taro dessert, a special treat his mother had prepared just for him.

“Mom, we’re back!”

He Yian looked up at the two of them entering, her face lighting up with joy. With her daughter now settled, the biggest worry on her mind had finally eased.

During dinner, Jiang Sixun specifically mentioned, “Zhiyi and I are flying to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon.”

He Yian pretended not to know and turned to her daughter. “I have an appointment with the designer tomorrow afternoon to have some dresses made for you. What are we going to do about that?”

Xu Zhiyi replied, “But they already have my measurements, right?”

He Yian nodded. “Yes, but it’s a private studio, and the designer isn’t familiar with you. She wants to meet you in person to take your measurements herself.”

Xu Zhiyi believed her mother completely; after all, the designers her mother had introduced her to over the years numbered at least twenty, if not thirty.

“Then let’s do it tomorrow morning,” she decided.

They settled on a meeting time of 9:30 AM, right at home.

The next day, the designer arrived fifteen minutes early, while Jiang Sixun had come even earlier.

As Xu Zhiyi descended the stairs, she spotted Jiang Sixun chatting with her mother and beamed, “What are you doing here?”

“I have nothing planned for the morning,” he replied casually.

Suddenly, she remembered that he had a lunch appointment later.

Her mother introduced the designer to her, and as Xu Zhiyi took in the short-haired woman with a prominent nose, she felt a sense of familiarity—she was sure she had seen her somewhere before.

Noticing her distracted expression, Jiang Sixun asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Zhiyi turned to him and said, “It’s nothing, just that Director Li looks familiar. I feel like I’ve seen her before.”

The designer held her breath. Had she been exposed?

Couldn’t be.

Jiang Sixun thought for a moment. This designer was introduced to him by Zhou Mingqian. If Xu Zhiyi found her familiar, it could only mean she recognized her from Zhou Mingqian’s social media posts.

He vaguely recalled that Zhou Mingqian had promoted her work on social media, but it had been a while, so he wasn’t sure.

Thinking quickly, he said to Xu Zhiyi, “You might have seen her on Zhou Mingqian’s feed. Director Li has a twin sister who specializes in wedding dress design.”

The designer was momentarily speechless.

“Twin sister?” she thought, suddenly gifted with an imaginary sibling.

But the explanation was so flawless that she wouldn’t have to worry about being exposed.

She smiled sheepishly and said, “Right! The wedding dress for Director Zhou’s wife was designed by my sister.”

It was indeed her design.

Xu Zhiyi suddenly remembered she had seen a picture of the designer’s sister on Zhou Mingqian’s social media and was curious. “Do twins still have that telepathic connection as they grow up?”

The designer replied with a straight face, “Of course! My sister and I have the same hairstyle and almost identical tastes. Sometimes we even end up buying the same clothes!”

She believed her own words.

To shift the topic away from herself, she mentioned her own children, who happened to be twins as well. “I have twin boys who are eleven now, and they still dress alike.”

“Wait, you have twins?” He Yian exclaimed, surprised.

“Yep!” The designer pulled out her phone and found a video. “They’re such little sweethearts; they help me around the house.”

Xu Zhiyi took a peek at the twins in the video. They were quite handsome, and she couldn’t help but compliment them.

The designer laughed, “Your sons will be even more handsome when they grow up!”

Xu Zhiyi could only muster a silent response.

The designer put her phone away. “These days, the chances of having twins are quite high. You and Jiang might want to try for some—you never know! I could design their wedding dresses for free!”

Xu Zhiyi was taken aback. “Is having twins something you can just plan for?”

Jiang Sixun raised an eyebrow at the banter.

The conversation had veered off course, as if they had started talking about the rainy days in London and suddenly jumped to the delicious lobsters in Australia.

The designer skillfully redirected the topic back to design elements, discussing her expertise, which kept Xu Zhiyi from straying off-topic.

The designer stayed for only half an hour, taking the necessary measurements before making a hasty exit.

At lunchtime, it was just Xu Zhiyi and her mother at home. Jiang Sixun had an appointment, and Xu Heng had already left for work, while her father was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Dad?” Xu Zhiyi asked.

He Yian teased, “He went off to learn painting.”

Xu Zhiyi laughed. “Is that for real?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why the sudden interest in painting?”

“Maybe he just had a whim,” He Yian replied, shifting back to a serious tone. “He actually has some talent for it and has a number of artist friends.”

“What a shame! A life wasted on being a billionaire instead of a painter,” Xu Zhiyi remarked.

Her mother chuckled, holding her forehead. If she kept laughing like this every day, she’d soon have wrinkles. She had never been one to laugh out loud before.

At 5 PM, Xu Zhiyi boarded her flight to Hong Kong.

On the plane, Jiang Sixun glanced over at her from time to time. “What are you looking at?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied.

But he couldn’t shake the thought that if Yuanwei Capital didn’t hand over the reins to her, a branch in Hong Kong might never come to fruition.

Earlier, he had contacted Uncle Zhuang to inform him that Xu Zhiyi would be visiting the old house tomorrow and to prepare some pastries.

Uncle Zhuang had said, “I’ll send pastries to Zhiyi. Your grandfather hasn’t had time to see anyone this week.”

As for what Grandpa was busy with, Uncle Zhuang was tight-lipped.

When they landed in Hong Kong and returned to the ocean-view apartment, Xu Zhiyi noticed that her old room lacked bed linens. “Didn’t the housekeeper make the bed?” she asked Jiang Sixun.

“Where are the sheets? I’ll make the bed myself.”

Jiang Sixun carried her suitcase to his room. “You’re staying with me.”

Xu Zhiyi leaned against the doorframe, eyeing him. “Did you specifically ask the housekeeper not to make your bed?”

“Hmm.”

He actually admitted it so generously.

Xu Zhiyi stepped inside, helping to tidy up as she pulled out her charger and the tablet she would use for work later, placing them on the nightstand.

On the clean surface of the dresser lay a small box containing three items.

She hadn’t expected to find a box at home, as there were plenty in the airplane’s lounge.

She picked up the box and tucked it under the pillow, hiding it from him.

“What are you hiding?” came the deep voice from behind her.

Xu Zhiyi laughed, surprised at being caught red-handed while plotting mischief.

She turned to face him. “Just putting it out of the way; it’s cluttering the table.”

Jiang Sixun replied, “You can put it under the pillow; it’ll be more convenient for you to reach.”

Xu Zhiyi’s expression changed. He wants me to put it on him.

Feigning ignorance, she said, “I’m stepping out for a bit.” Jiang Sixun grabbed his phone.

“Are you going back to the office?”

“No, I just ordered some flowers and need to pick them up.”

“Doesn’t the florist have a delivery service?”

“They do. I just wanted to pick out some different flowers myself.”

As he spoke, Jiang Sixun left the bedroom.

Xu Zhiyi wanted to tell him that it was already evening and he didn’t need to bring her flowers, but instead, she plugged her phone in to charge and went to grab a nightgown for her shower.

From the bathroom window, she could see the sea; with the lights off, the view was shrouded in darkness.

After her shower, Jiang Sixun still hadn’t returned.

She called him, “Is the florist far?”

“Not far; the owner is still arHenging bouquets.”

In the shop, he found a vase and asked the owner to arHenge some peonies for him.

About ten minutes later, the doorbell Heng.

Xu Zhiyi hurried to the door to find Jiang Sixun standing there with a huge bouquet of roses and a bottle of peonies. The florist had done a wonderful job; the white peonies paired beautifully with several pink ones, accented by orchids and green bell-flowers, creating a fresh and elegant display.

“Did you buy all this?”

“I thought you’d be busy in Hong Kong, so I got a bit more.”

Jiang Sixun asked, “Where should I put the peonies? On your nightstand or out on the terrace table?”

“Let’s put them on my nightstand; I can move them to the terrace tomorrow.”

Her eyes caught the bulge in his pants pocket. He never usually had anything in there, except sometimes when he put his phone in while carrying her. But a single phone wouldn’t make that pocket so full.

“What did you get me this time?” she asked, intrigued.

Jiang Sixun stood still. “You can take it out and see for yourself.”

Xu Zhiyi reached into his pocket and felt the slick plastic packaging. There were two boxes, and she thought they were some delightful little gifts until she pulled one out and burst into laughter, shoving it back in immediately.

“We have plenty of these at home!”

Jiang Sixun set the roses on the bar and took the vase to the bedroom, replying, “One box might not be enough.” He hadn’t thought she’d brought a box with her when they came to Hong Kong, leaving the rest behind on the plane.

“It’s too late today; I’ll order some more tomorrow to keep at home.”

Xu Zhiyi couldn’t respond; the man had gone to shower, and the sound of water echoed from the bathroom.

She found it hard to focus on her emails, so she shut off her tablet and went to the storage room to grab a glass vase, carefully trimming and arHenging the bouquet of roses.

One leaf at a time, she snipped and pruned with meticulous care.

As the old saying goes, “Good work takes time.”

When Jiang Sixun emerged from the bathroom, he noticed the bed was empty. Following the sound, he found her in the living room, leisurely trimming leaves that were almost bald from her excessive snipping.

Out of fifty-two flowers, only five or six remained in the vase after all that work.

He chuckled softly, “You won’t finish this until dawn.”

Xu Zhiyi gestured toward the vase. “This is how you create an elegant bouquet.” She added, “If I can’t finish it by midnight, I’ll just stay up all night. I don’t have work in the morning, just a meeting in the afternoon.”

Jiang Sixun took the scissors from her and set them on the kitchen island. “If you’re staying up, I’ll keep you company. You should go to sleep.”

Suddenly, she found herself lifted off the ground, as he scooped her up from behind.

She still held onto a rose as he carried her several meters away from the counter.

That rose ended up resting on another pillow’s edge, its box hidden underneath.

From her elevated position, Xu Zhiyi looked down at him, her heart racing in the enveloping darkness.

Just before turning off the lights, she had mentioned wanting to cuddle up against him, so Jiang Sixun lay back, ready to fulfill her every request.

Their eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light.

Jiang Sixun slid a pillow behind her for support, elevating her upper body until she was comfortable.

Xu Zhiyi leaned in to kiss him, feeling a delightful rush.

He wrapped his arms around her, wanting to deepen the kiss, but she tilted her head back, evading him.

“Just one kiss?” Jiang Sixun whispered.

Xu Zhiyi glanced at his lips and kissed him again, this time allowing him to capture her lips for two seconds.

Afterward, she didn’t lean in further, choosing to quietly watch him instead.

Those once careful explorations, the way she had dared to sit close, her gaze always trailing his but never meeting, felt like they had happened only yesterday.

Now, she could gaze at him for as long as she wanted.

Jiang Sixun looked at her in the same way, her fluttering heartbeat echoing loudly in the darkened room.

His muscles were smooth yet firm against her. After a while, she felt a little uncomfortable lying on him.

Jiang Sixun looked at her with a gentle smile and asked, “Is that how you’re going to lie there?”

Xu Zhiyi replied, “…yes.” Defensively, she added, “You see how my phone always rests quietly on top of yours? Isn’t that just like this?”

She chuckled at her own words.

With her face buried in his chest, she couldn’t help but tremble slightly from stifling her laughter.

Jiang Sixun tightened his hold on her, rolling them over so that he was now on top, with her head nestled comfortably in the crook of his arm.

As she gazed up at him, the contours of his face slowly came into focus, and she felt the weight of his intense, cool presence.

He parted her lips, letting his tongue slip inside with a deliberate slowness, patiently teaching her how to kiss him deeply.

Xu Zhiyi met his tongue, responding eagerly.

Lost in the depths of his kiss, she felt a delightful haze settle over her mind.

He continued to kiss her, freeing her from all restraints.

In the dim light, her soft pink nightgown was carelessly tossed aside, landing on top of the rose, the hem dangling off the edge of the bed.

Jiang Sixun was far more attentive and patient with her than she had been with those roses tonight. While she took three or four minutes to arHenge one flower, he lavished attention on a single spot for even longer.

She wanted to pull him closer, to embrace him, but he was focused below, just out of her reach.

His nose brushed against hers, softly nudging.

Unable to contain herself, she called out, “Jiang Sixun.”

He had never heard her voice sound so playful, and he playfully nuzzled against her a few more times, kissing her lightly.

With a slightly whiny tone, she called out to him again, “You know I can’t stand even a little heat!”

At last, a vibrant bloom was meticulously crafted, ready to blossom.

The man lifted himself up and softly urged her, “You can take what you want.”

Xu Zhiyi pointed to her forehead, glistening with sweat.

Jiang Sixun slipped on the shirt he had worn earlier, wrapping her in his embrace.

As she fumbled around, her hand slipped under another pillow.

He placed a gentle kiss on her neck. Her skin was already sensitive, and his kiss sent a thrill through her, lifting the pillow slightly, causing a rose to tumble to the edge of the bed.

She pulled out a single rose.

Its heat radiated through her fingertips and palm, and yet she couldn’t resist holding it.

Her smooth, pink nightgown began to slide down the bed’s edge, the delicate straps struggling to support its weight. Ultimately, it slipped entirely to the floor.

The rose tumbled down with it, wrapped in the fallen nightgown.

Jiang Sixun found himself enveloped by her as well.

He leaned down, kissing her deeply.

With a firm grip on her hand, he explored the depths of her being.

Their bodies connected seamlessly, heartbeats synchronized in a rhythm that matched their rising passions.