Chapter 12: The Day's Plan Starts in the Morning (Part 1)

With yesterday's cautionary tale in mind, Zhou Xiaoru specifically got up an hour early today. Since she had finally managed to get into Tengyuan, she had to perform well from now on.

The current pressure of employment is so great that the number of graduates each year is like the lice on the Bull Demon King—too numerous to count.

Jiang Bufan was right; she could not belittle herself and miss a great job opportunity just because of a man.

She still wanted to strive to perform well during these three months of internship so that she could eventually become a formal employee at Tengyuan; that way, she wouldn't be urged by her parents back home to return.

If she could find a boyfriend in the company as well, that would be even better!

Standing before the vanity, the person in the mirror had styled her hair into a bun today, wearing a pale yellow sweater jacket, jeans, and sneakers; everything was ready.

Putting on her bag, Zhou Xiaoru looked in the mirror again...

Although her face was a bit chubby, her chest wasn't too large, her waist wasn't particularly slim, and her legs weren't very long...

But, she looked decent enough...

Hmm... she secretly cheered herself on; to each their own, there would always be someone with poor taste who might take a liking to someone like her.

They say ideals are plump while reality is bony; it was all her fault for hanging onto one tree for so many years while ignoring the other scenery around her.

From now on, she must look at more scenery to cleanse her eyes...

After leaving the dormitory, the weather today was still a bit gray and gloomy, looking like it might rain; on the road outside the dormitory, students were already coming and going in twos and threes...

Carrying the breakfast she had bought, she squeezed into the jam-packed bus, and her new day of work life began again.

This bus heading to the city center was crowded with many people every day; Zhou Xiaoru finally managed to find a place to stand near the exit at the back door.

Looking at the small backpack she was shielding against her chest, as well as the cup of soy milk and two steamed buns she was clutching tightly in her hands, she really looked a bit like a refugee.

It seemed she would have to wait until she got off the bus to eat.

After the bus had been driving for about twenty minutes, the phone in her backpack rang...

She hurriedly fished out her phone, wondering who would be calling so early in the morning.

After finally getting the phone out, it displayed a strange number, so she answered it with suspicion.

"Hello?"

"....."

The person on the other end was silent for a moment...

Zhou Xiaoru thought the signal was bad and asked again, unsure.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Immediately following, a magnetic voice came from the other end of the line, "It's me."

Zhou Xiaoru didn't react for a moment to who this person was, and then the voice came from the phone again.

"You didn't save my number?"

At this, Zhou Xiaoru finally confirmed the person on the other end of the line, her heart couldn't help but jolt, and she subconsciously replied.

"I did save it."

After saying that, she realized something was wrong...

That wasn't right; hadn't that guy's number been added to her blacklist?

How could...

Before Zhou Xiaoru could sort out her thoughts, Gu Liyan's deep voice sounded again.

"Zhou Xiaoru, you've put my phone number on your blacklist again, haven't you?"

Hearing this, her heart couldn't help but skip a beat again; she took the phone away to look at the strange number displayed.

Something flashed through her mind...

Damn it!! She had been tricked again! It was obvious that Gu Liyan had deliberately changed his number to bait her!

But after thinking about it, she decided to let it go; he had turned into a 'bottom' now, and since they would be like sisters in the future, she should be polite to him.

Changing the subject, she said, "Why are you calling so early in the morning? Is something the matter?"

The person on the other end of the line didn't dwell on the topic either, saying.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday to wait for me to get off work together in the evening?"

".........."

Zhou Xiaoru was silent for a moment...

After running into that situation yesterday, she had grabbed her documents and fled in a panic; how could she have waited for him to get off work? That would be asking for a beating!

She gave two dry laughs and said, "Th... that... don't worry, I will never tell anyone what I saw yesterday, I swear!"

If he found out that she and Jiang Bufan and the others had been betting on him behind his back, he would surely eat her alive!

".........." There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line as well.

Zhou Xiaoru couldn't help but look at the screen; she had thought the call had been hung up.

She knew that for a man like Gu Liyan, he would definitely feel very embarrassed about such a thing.

After thinking about it, she took the initiative to speak,

"Th... that, do you... do you have anything else?"

This was making her very awkward; she couldn't just stand on a bus and comfort his wounded male pride.

At this moment, the deep, magnetic voice came from the other end of the line again, "Get off at the next bus stop!"

Get off? "Why?"

"Look outside!"

Look outside?! Holding her phone, Zhou Xiaoru peered out through the bus's back door near her...

She saw a royal blue BMW following unhurriedly alongside the bus...

At this moment, the car window was half-open, and she could clearly see the peerless big scumbag sitting in the driver's seat!

And the person leaning against the bus door, seeing this, felt her mouth twitch again and again; at this moment, the voice came from the phone again.

"Did you see that?"

Hearing the voice, Zhou Xiaoru immediately snapped back to reality, looked elsewhere, and feigned ignorance.

"Huh? What did you say? There are too many people here, I didn't hear you. Um, let's talk after I get off the bus, bye..."

After speaking, she hurriedly hung up the phone. Let her get in his car? She wouldn't fall for that!

Only to hear the sound of an engine accelerating outside the car; with a *whoosh*, that royal blue BMW shot forward like a rocket.

Seeing the car leave, Zhou Xiaoru couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. This was too much of a coincidence; she had only been working for two days and had already run into this person twice. This world was just too small.

But when she arrived at the bus stop near Tengyuan Building, clutching her still-warm steamed bun and soy milk, she discovered that her nightmare had only just begun.

Parked on the side of the road by the station was a stunningly beautiful car, and leaning against the outside of it was a handsome man to match!

Gu Liyan was wearing a slim-fit custom black suit today, paired with a white shirt underneath; his black tie hung loosely beneath his collar, and his long legs were casually crossed.

He looked just like a pretty boy who had walked out of some boy band...

The people waiting for the bus or getting off around the bus stop couldn't help but look at the car and the man...

The young girls had stars in their eyes when they saw him, and the middle-aged women looked at him as if they were looking at their own sons...

And Zhou Xiaoru almost involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva. At this moment, the thought in her head was actually: a man like this, is he the bottom?

What a pity...

She gave a dry laugh and took the initiative to greet him, "Hi, President Gu!"

The man crossed his arms, his expression cold, and said only two words, "Get in!"

Get in?

Zhou Xiaoru was puzzled again and pointed at the building not far across the street, "President Gu, the company is right across the street, there's no need for you to go out of your way to drive me."

She had specifically come to the company early today, intending to familiarize herself with other departments later; she couldn't afford to waste time chatting with him here.

At this moment, the man's face grew even colder, "I have something to tell you."

"Then just say it here."

As the words fell, the man's face was already so cold it could chip off.

"Zhou Xiaoru! You don't keep your word. We agreed before that we would still be friends when we met again!"

"We are friends. Didn't I just greet you?"

Gu Liyan was speechless for a moment. He had never known this girl was so difficult to deal with, so he asked again.

"Are you getting in the car or not!"

Seeing that cold gaze in his eyes, Zhou Xiaoru was so scared she immediately hugged herself, "You... you... what do you want to do?"

In broad daylight, he, a bottom, still wanted to do something to her!

Seeing that nothing he said worked, the man had no choice but to come over and try to grab her...

Zhou Xiaoru hurriedly backed away, saying, "Gu Liyan, if you have something to say, say it properly. Don't get handsy, okay?"

"Then get in the car yourself."

"I don't want to!"

The man was completely out of patience now. Without another word, he stepped forward and grabbed the back collar of her sweater.

Instantly, the lady-like image Zhou Xiaoru had worked so hard to maintain was completely destroyed, and she couldn't care about anything else as she started shouting.

"Hey, hey, hey! You, you, you, do you know this is molestation! Let go of me quickly, or I'm going to scream!"

At this moment, the man's face, which had been cold the whole time, gradually softened, "What are you screaming? Screaming 'molestation'?"

"I..."

She had intended to retort, but upon receiving one 'righteous indignation' glare after another from the side of the bus stop, she had no choice but to shut her mouth.

Having been violently hauled into the car by the man, Zhou Xiaoru had to temporarily cooperate with him obediently...

She thought to herself, early in the morning, with his face so dark and cold, could this be the aftereffects of being 'slept' yesterday?

Before she went to sleep last night, she had even specifically gone on Baidu to look up things about that business between men...

She heard that the one who is the bottom would be very sore...

Thinking of this, she felt a wave of sympathy for this person again. Forget it, just treat it as sitting here to eat breakfast, and she proceeded to eat the things in her hand.

At this moment, the car started and drove toward the direction of the building's parking lot.

The atmosphere inside the car suddenly fell into an awkward state. Zhou Xiaoru's eyes darted around everywhere, thinking that since she had already chosen to let go in her heart, and they would be seeing each other constantly in the future, she might as well get along well.

After all, this person was a high-level executive at the company and had that kind of relationship with the Vice President; she couldn't afford to provoke him.

She gave two dry laughs to find a topic, "President Gu, your car is nice." It would definitely be no problem for picking up guys...

The person beside her was silent again...

Zhou Xiaoru was becoming more and more puzzled. He was the one who said he had something to tell her, and now he didn't say a word. What was the meaning of this?

She swept a glance with her peripheral vision at that cold, sharp profile...

She had to admit, although this person was scum, he had the capital to be scum...

For so many years, the reason she had been unable to forget him wasn't it just because of this skin?

Thinking about it now, her heart felt much more relieved.

After thinking for a moment, she decided she should still care about his physical and mental health; after all, they were boyfriend and girlfriend once...

"Um... are... are you okay?"

Although she didn't have experience in that area, she knew from the veteran fujoshi Xiao Lan that the one who is the bottom is the one who gets done...

(Ten thousand words omitted here; such things can only be understood, not explained. Everyone should rely on their own rich imaginations.)

As soon as these words came out, the air in the car seemed to freeze instantly. The man suddenly slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

Zhou Xiaoru, sitting beside him, almost sprayed out the mouthful of soy milk she had just taken into her mouth.

She quickly reflected in her mind, had she said something wrong again?

Surely not...