I drove, circling the streets, and finally stopped at the entrance of Shabiyā. Comrade Shabiyā recognized me and, without a word, saluted. I went up to the third floor. The corridor was empty, not a soul in sight. I found Shen Xingyue's office and gently pushed the door open. Shen Xingyue was buried in a pile of documents by her desk, engrossed, seemingly unaware of my arrival.
I walked to the desk and patted her shoulder.
"Ah!" Shen Xingyue jumped up in fright.
"It's me."
"Emma, you didn't even announce yourself!" Shen Xingyue chided, glancing at her watch. "It's past midnight, why are you here?"
"What time do you get off work?" I asked.
"I don't have a fixed time. Look," Shen Xingyue pointed to the pile of documents, "I have so much material to go through."
"So, it doesn't have to be finished today, right?" I asked with a smile.
Shen Xingyue misunderstood my intention and gave a shy smile. "What do you want to do?"
I'm not doing anything. I just want to ask if you have time to go out with me. I deliberately said "accompany me," but in fact, I wanted to take her out to relax, this workaholic.
Shen Xingyue's face flushed, and she glared at me playfully, saying unhappily, "Where do you want to go?"
"Where do you want to go? I'll accompany you anywhere!" I said.
Shen Xingyue pursed her lips and smiled. "You said that yourself, remember!"
"Yes! I keep my word!"
"Alright, I'll make some arrangements, and we'll leave now." Shen Xingyue made a phone call, summoning her secretary. Soon, a familiar figure appeared at the door.
"Ah, Master Xingyao," I smiled. No, I couldn't call him Master anymore. He had grown his hair out, seemingly recruited into Shabiyā by his senior sister Shen Xingyue and serving as her assistant.
"Hehe, Brother Chengfeng, long time no see!"
"Xingyao, you can handle the remaining documents. Call me if you don't understand anything. Xingyue and I are going out for something."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister... ah, no, Leader, I won't bother you two unnecessarily!" Xingyao said with a sly grin.
He'd grown his hair and seemed to have grown smarter too, unlike his naive self at Hanyin Temple.
Xingyue didn't drive; she got into my Prado (I didn't know where this car came from). We drove aimlessly into the city, weaving through the bustling urban jungle of commercial buildings. Suddenly, Shen Xingyue pointed to a cafe called "Sugar House." "Chengfeng, I'd like to have a cup of coffee there."
"Okay." I parked the car and put my arm around Xingyue's slender waist as we went inside. She didn't resist my touch.
We found a table by the window. Xingyue, however, ordered three mochas.
"Hmm? Is a friend coming?" I asked. Xingyue had been fiddling with her phone while I was driving, likely arranging a meeting.
"Yes, Xiao Juan is coming."
Oh, an acquaintance. Xingyue and I sipped our coffee, waiting. After about twenty minutes, Cheng Xiaojuan arrived fashionably late. She was wearing a black dress, a white wool coat, and a dark gray scarf around her neck, exuding a gentle aura, like a big sister next door.
"What, seeing a beauty and your eyes are glued again?" Shen Xingyue asked with a smile.
"Everyone appreciates beauty!" I didn't hide it. Xiaojuan was indeed stunning, with a delicate, almost pitiable charm like Lin Daiyu. She looked like a high school student, yet who would have thought she was the CEO of a company worth billions, albeit an agricultural enterprise.
Cheng Xiaojuan saw us and gracefully sat down. As an insider, she had already heard about our victory in Xiangxi and quietly congratulated me. Then, she asked about my next plans.
"I heard 201 really likes you and wants to promote you."
I shook my head, reiterating my stance that I didn't want to get too deeply involved with Shabiyā.
"Haha, you can't escape involvement now," Cheng Xiaojuan chuckled. "Your Minister of Finance has already come under Shabiyā's wing!"
"Hmm? Chen Lu?" I frowned.
"Yes, Chen Lu and I are now at the same level."
Damn, Chen Lu has joined Shabiyā?
The last time, I only introduced Chen Lu to Cheng Xiaojuan, hoping she could leverage Shabiyā's influence to benefit the Chen family. I never expected her to be directly absorbed by Shabiyā. This way, the Chen family's vast assets would no longer be entirely theirs!
But it's for the best. This way, it provides some security, preventing those enormous assets from mysteriously disappearing.
After finishing our coffee, Cheng Xiaojuan took Xingyue and me for a spa treatment at the same center we had visited before. The technicians were skilled, and I was soon laid out on the bed. When I woke up, it was past five in the morning. Through a thin gauze curtain, Shen Xingyue and Cheng Xiaojuan, clad in spa attire, were sleeping on the beds, one on each side. Their angelic faces were like scenes from a movie.
I rested my head on my arm, staring blankly at the ceiling. Was all of this real?