Chapter 56: The Handsome Post-Bath Look Welcomes You

Xu Yanfeng: "If you have a problem, say it straight; what does sending a question mark mean?"

Xia Xi: "Are you serious?"

Xu Yanfeng: "You think I'm joking? I have to meet someone here at 2 p. m.; I only have an hour and a half at noon, so be on time."

Xia Xi typed a message in the chat box: "If you're not free today, we can schedule another time."

She hadn't even sent that message when a reply popped up from the other side—

Xu Yanfeng: "I'm flying to Londun first thing tomorrow for a business trip; I'll probably be there a week. If you're not in a hurry to show me, we can wait until I return from Londun a week later."

How could that work? Absolutely not!

The progress is already slow enough; dragging it out would mean finishing the project only in the year of the monkey and horse.

Furiously pressing delete, Xia Xi erased the text she had just typed in the chat box, then composed a new, moderate message: "All right, let's meet at noon."

She glanced at the time; it was just past ten. She started on the next step, drafting construction plans and, incidentally, working out the renovation budget. By eleven-thirty she was busy, gathered her things to leave, and called Huang Shiyu.

"Come with me to see the client; today I need to show them the renderings."

Huang Shiyu: "Um, Sis Xia, is the client you mentioned Xu Yanfeng?"

Xia Xi raised her eyelids slightly and gave her a look that said, "Are you talking nonsense?" Besides Xu Yanfeng, what other client does she have?

Huang Shiyu smiled meaningfully; Xia Xi frowned. Huang Shiyu immediately pressed her lips together, stopped smiling, raised a hand, and said: "Let me state upfront, it's not that I'm lazy and don't want to go; following you to learn things would naturally be good, but based on last time, even if I went I'd be sent off by Xu Yanfeng."

Xia Xi: "……"

Seemingly choked, Xia Xi's expression flickered with a moment of unnaturalness: "He can't possibly be sick every time."

Huang Shiyu gasped and clenched her teeth; probably only Sis Xia would dare describe Xu Yanfeng as "having a fit": "All right, I'll go with you."

As before, Xia Xi drove, Huang Shiyu rode shotgun, and they arrived at the destination in quiet silence.

Huang Shiyu only knew that following Xia Xi was right; she didn't know where they were meeting the client until the car stopped. She lifted her head, saw the gleaming sign of Prosperous Courtyard Hotel, and asked uncertainly: "Are we meeting the client here?"

Xia Xi, deadpan: "Any problem? The hotel has meeting rooms."

"No problem!" Huang Shiyu hastily shook her head, embarrassed to admit she'd had the wrong idea.

The hotel valet came to take the car keys, drove the car to the parking lot, and the two walked through the magnificent lobby into the elevator, pressed the button for the 33rd floor; as the elevator rose, a slight dizziness came over them.

Xia Xi held the handrail, staring blankly at the changing numbers above; each time she came here she couldn't help thinking of her first encounter with Xu Yanfeng, wondering if he felt the same.

"Sis Xia, we're here."

Huang Shiyu stood slightly behind and to the side of Xia Xi; the elevator arrived at the 33rd floor with a ding, the doors opened slowly, but Xia Xi stared blankly, unmoving, so Huang Shiyu had to speak up to remind her.

Xia Xi snapped out of it, tightened her grip on her briefcase, and stepped out of the elevator.

Huang Shiyu, visiting for the first time, looked around curiously and quickly spotted the crux of the issue; glancing at Xia Xi's profile, she whispered: "Sis Xia, are you sure there's a meeting room on this floor? It looks more like a suite."

Xia Xi: "The suite has a meeting room."

Huang Shiyu: "Oh."

Outside suite 3302, Xia Xi inhaled, tightened her abdomen, raised her hand to knock, and waited with a racing heart. Since reuniting, every time she sees Xu Yanfeng she has to psych herself up.

The next second, the two doors were pulled open from inside, as if someone had been waiting just behind them; before seeing the person, a low male voice came from the crack: "Xia Gong, you really know how to time things—neither early nor late, exactly twelve-thirty." As the gap widened, the figure beyond came into view: Xu Yanfeng wore a white bathrobe, his hair half-dry, hanging over his forehead. Compared to the usual cold aloofness he shows in public, he now seemed quite harmless.

Xia Xi froze.

This way of greeting guests made her feel as if she'd mistakenly walked into some kind of club.

Xu Yanfeng suddenly realized that besides Xia Xi, there was also her assistant outside; he immediately turned away, crossed the front of his robe, and pulled it tight, afraid of being exposed.

Huang Shiyu belatedly did the same, turning away lest she offend the client.

Xia Xi struggled to steady herself and suggested: "How about you change clothes first?"

The man didn't turn around; instead he shoved the doors shut with a backhand, hurried footsteps sounded from behind and faded away, giving the impression of a frantic escape. Xia Xi suddenly burst out laughing—this inexplicable funny moment.

Huang Shiyu glanced at her, a bit aggrieved: "I told you I shouldn't have come—look, Xu Yanfeng even took a shower just to see you, putting on that fresh-out-of-the-bath handsome look to greet you, and my showing up ruined it all."

She felt like a sinner.

Xia Xi's mouth twitched, barely suppressing her expression: "I never realized you were so gossipy."

Huang Shiyu declared solemnly: "I'm not gossiping; I'm stating facts."

The suite doors opened again; Xu Yanfeng wore a crisp, ironed white shirt, charcoal-gray trousers that wrapped his long legs; although his hair was still slightly damp, his demeanor was now completely different from before.

Just moments ago he was like a little dog soaked in the rain; now he is a mighty overlord who commands wind and rain.

"Come in." Xu Yanfeng's face gave no hint of emotion; after Xia Xi entered, he told Huang Shiyu, who followed behind: "My assistant is in the meeting room on the twelfth floor; go find him and have him bring up the contract—he knows which one."

Huang Shiyu looked at Xia Xi, blinked, as if saying: "I just said what I said, and you sent me off again—pointless trip."

Xia Xi objected: "General Manager Xu, Xiao Yu is my assistant. If you want your assistant to deliver the contract, why not just call? Why send someone to notify?"

Xu Yanfeng lied without blushing or racing heart, quite candidly: "His phone is here with me."

Xia Xi wore a "what are you joking about?" expression.

Xu Yanfeng turned back, took out his own phone, and dialed a number in front of Xia Xi; the ringtone sounded in the suite, he raised his eyebrows: "Xia Gong, do you believe me now?"

Huang Shiyu weakly interjected: "I'm on my way."

She feared that if they kept arguing, as an uninvolved party she'd be better off staying away from the fray, lest she get caught up.

Last time in the empty, unfurnished villa, those two could kiss so fiercely their lips ended up split. This time they're in a hotel suite with a bed and bathroom, perfect timing and location—I can't even imagine how intense things would get.

Huang Shiyu slipped into the elevator, wondering whether to grab lunch at the downstairs restaurant and wait for Xia Xi, or just take a cab back to the office—anyway she wasn't going to the twelfth-floor meeting room.

Only a fool would believe Xu Yanfeng really meant for her to notify his assistant to fetch the contract.

After weighing things up, Huang Shiyu decided to head to the restaurant first to settle her stomach; just as she entered, she saw a familiar figure, took two steps forward, and confirmed it was Guan He, Mr. Guan, who had come to the company last time.

If I'm not mistaken, this person should be Xu Yanfeng's special assistant.

Good thing she didn't foolishly go to the twelfth-floor meeting room to look for someone—finding anyone there would be strange!

Huang Shiyu gazed upward, not knowing how Xia Xi was faring elsewhere, wondering if she could hold out.

Xu Er, you brat, quit blatantly stealing my wife! (End of chapter)