Weekend.
Is the weekend meant for dating? Zhang Ruoshui thought uncertainly.
She picked up her phone, ready to call Sheng Yuxiao, when his call came in first.
"Are you busy this weekend?" he asked.
"I need to catch up on some elective homework," Zhang Ruoshui replied, pausing for a moment, "but not much."
She asked him in return, "Are you busy?"
Sheng Yuxiao said, "There's an unexpected meeting." He added, "But it won't be long."
The world doesn't change just because two people are in a relationship. Things that need to be done still have to be done, and busyness remains the same.
They always made time for each other.
But now, the time they set aside suddenly became more abundant.
Should they watch a movie? Or go to an amusement park?
What is a script murder game? Hang Meng said that's also a good option.
On her way to the company, Zhang Ruoshui seriously thought about it.
When she arrived at the company, the reception was still handled by the same secretary as last time. However, this time when she passed by the secretary's office, many faces had changed.
The tea and water service had also been taken over by a young man.
"What about Secretary Shu from last time...?"
"He's been transferred."
Zhang Ruoshui recalled, and she hadn't shown any unhappiness.
This time, Sheng Yuxiao arrived even faster.
Before their conversation was even fully over, he pushed the door open: "Have you been waiting long?"
Zhang Ruoshui shook her head, pointing to the notebook just placed on the desk: "I was just about to start on my elective homework when you arrived."
"Secretary Shu was transferred?" Zhang Ruoshui asked.
Sheng Yuxiao nodded: "You were unhappy that day."
Zhang Ruoshui was puzzled: "How did you tell?"
Sheng Yuxiao pointed to the corner of the desk.
Zhang Ruoshui looked and saw the spot where the paint had been peeled off, still bare.
Suddenly, she opened her arms and hugged Sheng Yuxiao's waist.
"What's wrong?" Sheng Yuxiao asked softly.
Zhang Ruoshui's head rested against his abdomen, saying, "Hmm, I feel that Sheng Yuxiao really likes me, so he notices the little things. Hmm, I feel happy."
Sheng Yuxiao's throat moved, and he lowered his head to say, "I feel happy too."
Because he realized why Little Duck had been unhappy that day.
The two of them remained in the same position for a long time without changing.
Zhang Ruoshui suddenly asked, "Can you date like this?"
"Like what?"
"Like this, doing nothing else, just hugging each other."
"Yes," Sheng Yuxiao, despite having no prior dating experience, instinctively felt, "Isn't dating supposed to be about doing whatever makes you happy together?"
Zhang Ruoshui looked at him: "Then can I touch you?"
Sheng Yuxiao's expression froze: "Touch... where?"
Zhang Ruoshui pointed at his abs.
Sheng Yuxiao, with no temper, took off his suit jacket himself.
Then he unbuttoned his shirt himself.
Zhang Ruoshui rarely paid attention to whether others were good-looking or not; she had known from a young age that appearances were just superficial.
But she had a concept of Sheng Yuxiao being good-looking.
This concept had now become more concrete.
She stared at Sheng Yuxiao's hands.
The man's fingers were long, resting on the buttons, forming a striking contrast with the gray wooden buttons. His hands were like jade.
Zhang Ruoshui thought and grabbed his hand to play with it.
Sheng Yuxiao: "......Little Duck."
"Can't touch?"
"......Can."
Not only did she play with Sheng Yuxiao's hand, but she also carefully touched his abs, then rested her head on them and took a nap.
This was the wonderful thing about dating.
You could do whatever you wanted.
When she woke up, Sheng Yuxiao had already packed her notebook for her, carried it on his back, and took her to the pre-booked restaurant for dinner.
After eating, the two of them went to Sheng Yuxiao's new home in Jin City.
Zhang Ruoshui worked on her elective homework.
Sheng Yuxiao continued with his international meetings.
However, Sheng Yuxiao seemed a bit busier, as he not only had to attend meetings but also had to cut fruit, shell nuts, and pour tea for Zhang Ruoshui.
When both of them finished their tasks, they didn't go to the cinema but instead picked a movie at home in the home theater.
"The male lead's gun grip is incorrect," Zhang Ruoshui commented.
"The movie is set in 2001, and this car hadn't been produced yet, which doesn't match the era," Sheng Yuxiao also commented.
Two people who knew too much, wanting to correct everything, might seem "boring," but together, they became each other's fun.
When they were younger, Sheng Yuxiao would always teach her many things hands-on, and it was still the same now.
He never stinted.
After the movie, it was already very late, and Zhang Ruoshui called her grandfather to say she wouldn't be coming home tonight.
Old Mr. Zhang habitually asked, "Are you at your little uncle's place?"
"At Sheng Yuxiao's."
"Oh." Old Mr. Zhang also habitually hung up the phone. Because Little Duck had often been "roaming" between the Sheng, Xu, and Wei households in the past.
What could he do? His granddaughter was just too popular.
But after the call ended for a while, Old Mr. Zhang, who was listening to Kunqu Opera and preparing to fall asleep, suddenly woke up. No, this is different now!
What should he do? Should he call back?
Old Mr. Zhang was very conflicted.
Compared to his conflict, Zhang Ruoshui was very familiar with the situation.
"The last time I slept in your bed was in fifth grade..." Zhang Ruoshui's memory was very clear.
Because after that, she gradually had the concept of growing up, and she didn't sleep there anymore.
Zhang Ruoshui still remembered there was a sign on his door that said, "You'll get beaten if you enter my room." But she could enter.
Not only could she enter, but she could also occupy his bedroom and sleep in his bed.
Sheng Yuxiao watched her expression change.
It turned out that feeling lost due to separation and estrangement wasn't just his own experience.
"It's all yours from now on," Sheng Yuxiao said softly. "You can sleep here whenever you want."
Zhang Ruoshui nodded, "Hmm, I can sleep in Sheng Yuxiao's bed, and I can also sleep on Sheng Yuxiao."
Sheng Yuxiao's hand gripping the pen tightened, almost breaking the pen.
But he still lowered his eyes first, signed the document in his hand expressionlessly, then stood up and walked over, kissed her lightly, and tidied up her hair.
Sheng the Young Master still hasn't learned how to braid hair.
But he could gently tuck her hair behind her ear and stroke her nape, saying, "Sleep."
*
Sunday.
Mu Rongfeng didn't know how long he had been waiting, nor did he wait for Old Mr. Zhang to "get angry."
However, he was still a bit resourceful and had more timely information than his son. He roughly knew that when the flight went missing before, Old Mr. Zhang had also secretly taken people abroad.
After pondering for a moment, he kicked his son: "Call Miss Zhang to greet her, ask if she was on that flight, and ask if she's okay now."
Mu Bai, with a sullen face, said, "Didn't you say before that you don't want me to get close to Zhang Ruoshui anymore? It seems that in your mouth, you say it's okay, and it's okay; you say it's not okay, and it's not okay. What's the point of me dating? Why don't you date?"
Mu Rongfeng, furious, cursed, "Then why don't you fucking fight for it! You used to have that aggressive spirit when you were a kid. What about now? Two months interning in the marketing department, and you still can't control your subordinates!"
"If being aggressive was enough to be the boss, I'd like that too," Mu Bai said.
Mu Bai gradually realized during his growth that he was always a step short of the top.
What could he do?
Especially since his father was too capable.
The more capable his father was, the more dissatisfied he was with him, the more he wanted him to stand up quickly.
Hearing his words, Mu Rongfeng indeed became even angrier: "Then why can Sheng Yuxiao do it? He was known as the notorious demon king in the circle back then. Your fighting spirit isn't even one-tenth of his!"
Mu Bai didn't argue with his father anymore, turning his head to pick up his phone and call Zhang Ruoshui.
Seeing this, Mu Rongfeng also timely shut his mouth.
The phone was picked up quickly.
So quickly that for a moment, Mu Bai had the illusion that the other party was waiting for his call.
But soon, the voice from the other end of the phone was like a bucket of cold water poured down.
"Mu Bai?" It was a male voice.
A somewhat familiar male voice.
"Sheng Yuxiao?" Mu Bai blurted out.
Sheng Yuxiao coldly chuckled: "Didn't your dad teach you to have manners? What kind of thing are you? Calling me like that?"
Mu Bai's face turned green: "Sheng the Young Master, or Sheng the CEO? Why is your phone here?"
"Speak directly, I'll relay it. Don't fart," Sheng Yuxiao said, with the sound of a glass window being pushed open, as if he had walked from indoors to the balcony.
It seemed he didn't want to wake the other person.
What else could Mu Bai say?
He "click" hung up the phone.
Sheng Yuxiao lowered his eyes, his gaze cold: "A spineless thing, you really don't deserve to like Little Duck."
"Was it Sheng Yuxiao who answered the phone?" Mu Rongfeng asked on his end.
Mu Bai forced out a sarcastic smile: "Yes, it's Sheng Yuxiao, the one you always say I'm far from being. So it's normal for him to win, right?"
Mu Rongfeng's face turned livid: "Now you're still allowing Zhang Ruoshui and Sheng Yuxiao to keep in touch... No wonder that day he wouldn't take anything and just kicked me out."
At that moment, Mu Bai's phone rang again.
He licked his lips: "He's calling back..."
"Is it Zhang Ruoshui who found out he answered the phone on his own and called you back?" Mu Rongfeng raised his chin, "Answer it."
Mu Bai picked up.
"Oh, and one more thing, thank your dad for me." The voice on the other end was still Sheng Yuxiao's.
And after that brief and crisp sentence, he hung up again quickly.
Mu Bai clutched the phone, stiffly turning his head: "It's still Sheng Yuxiao. He said, thank you."
"Thank me?" Mu Rongfeng instantly caught on, "Damn it! Old Mr. Zhang didn't know before! I was the one who spilled the beans! And because I did, Old Mr. Zhang actually agreed, which made their relationship happen!"
Mu Bai had felt deeply humiliated, but seeing his father's reaction, he felt a lot better inside.
See? Some things, no matter how hard you try, you just can't do it. It's not because I'm useless. Aren't you "useless" too?
On the other end, after making the call, Sheng Yuxiao returned to the room.
Zhang Ruoshui was lying on the sofa, not sleeping. She asked, "What did Mu Bai say?"
"Once he heard it was me, he hung up," Sheng Yuxiao said, handing the phone back to Zhang Ruoshui.
Zhang Ruoshui clicked her tongue: "He's so strange. Why drag me into his game with his dad?"
Sheng Yuxiao sat down beside the sofa, allowing Zhang Ruoshui to rest her head on his lap. He said, "What game? He doesn't have the ability for that. In front of Mu Rongfeng, he always passively accepts everything. The only way he vents his dissatisfaction and regains his dignity is by getting more girlfriends."
It was because he saw through this man's essence...
That he was so furious back then.
Thinking that any random cat or dog dared to talk about liking Little Duck in front of her!
"Half-passively accepting, huh? Do you think he'll call me again?" Zhang Ruoshui sighed, "Actually, like Zhou Xiaoshu and the others, why not just be friends, or even just be underlings?"
Sheng Yuxiao thought to himself that Mu Bai also had some intentions, so it wasn't possible.
"If he calls you again, I'll scare him one more time, and he won't dare anymore," Sheng Yuxiao said with a smile.
"Okay," Zhang Ruoshui didn't feel like there was anything she needed to hide from him.
But those two light words were an irresistible temptation that pulled Sheng Yuxiao deeper into the lake named "Little Duck."
Zhang Ruoshui thought for a while and counted: "Sheng Yuxiao, you've really accompanied me through many paths."
"The matter with my grandfather, the lie I had to tell Ke Muning on the island, helping Zhou Xiaoshu's dad set up the scheme, and later Li Jiang, Li Qingqing... you knew about all of it."
He never stopped her from moving forward.
When she was taking risks with Ke Muning, he had already instructed Xu Ji to take care of her.
Sheng Yuxiao bent down and picked her up, carrying her downstairs: "We'll walk through even more paths in the future."
He smiled: "I've said it before, no matter how old you grow or what you become, I can still carry you."
