Accidental Love

Thursday afternoon.

Bi Ruoshan: You've decided to go?

Zheng Shuyi: Of course! It's the Kelunche Forum! Will you be willing to miss such an opportunity if you had one?

Bi Ruoshan: Of course I'd go too if I were you!

Bi Ruoshan: But are you going there to attend the forum or to go on a date?

Zheng Shuyi: [Grin][Grin]

On the night Shi Yan offered to bring her to the Kelunche Forum, Zheng Shuyi had already decided to go. It was just that only today did she get the chance to tell Bi Ruoshan.

As for eating and living together, Zheng Shuyi knew it was nothing more than Shi Yan just trying to tease her.

Zheng Shuyi didn't really care what he was going to do, but what mattered was the fact that they were going to the Kelunche Forum together.

After talking with Bi Ruoshan, Zheng Shuyi cleaned up her desk and went to Tang Yi's office to let her know.

"The Kelunche Forum?" Tang Yi was so surprised that the pen in her hand even fell out, "You're going? How? We don't have any quota this year."

Zheng Shuyi touched her nose and whispered, "Shi Yan will bring me there."

"Shi Yan?" This time the pen fell directly off the table, "He'll take you there?"

Zheng Shuyi nodded, "Yes, your ears didn't lie."

Tang Yi looked at Zheng Shuyi and studied her from head to toe, then from toe to head, making Zheng Shuyi quite uncomfortable.

"Uh then… go ahead…" Tang Yi said as she waved her hands. But just as Zheng Shuyi turned around, she stopped her, "Wait wait, why is Shi Yan bringing you? What's your relationship with him?"

Zheng Shuyi turned her head and saw Tang Yi pointing her index fingers together, "Is it that kind of relationship?"

Her motions looked kind of cute and Zheng Shuyi started to laugh, "Just ask normally, what's up with the hand motions?"

Tang Yi placed her hands down and asked solemnly, "So is it?"

Zheng Shuyi sighed, pursed her mouth, and shook her head slightly.

She wanted to say "not yet", but before she could say anything, Tang Yi already said, "I knew it, I was just about to say, how is that possible?"

Zheng Shuyi: "…"

Tang Yi waved her hand, "Okay, you can go, just remember to go to the OA for an official approval."

Half an hour before leaving to get off work, Zheng Shuyi turned off her laptop and packed up to go home.

"Where are you going?" Kong Nan glanced and asked, "Do you have a new assignment?"

When Kong Nan asked, Qin Shiyue also looked up, and an eagerness to leave work early came out of her eyes.

"You can't leave early," Zheng Shuyi pointed at her forehead and then turned around to talk to Kong Nan, "I have something to do and I'll be taking a day off."

"What is it?" asked Kong Nan.

The work areas in the office were right next to each other, and Zheng Shuyi didn't want too many people to know about it, so she quickly made something up, "My dad is coming over to see me, and I'll go play with him for a few days."

Work wasn't very busy at this time of the year, so Kong Nan didn't think too much about it.

Zheng Shuyi quickly took a taxi home before rush hour and ate a simple dinner. Then she started to pack her luggage for what she would need in the next few days.

Since she didn't have much time, Zheng Shuyi just found a random small twenty-inch suitcase and packed clothes for two days and daily necessities, then she sent a message to Shi Yan.

Zheng Shuyi: I'm ready!

Zheng Shuyi: When do we leave?

Shi Yan: Come down, the driver will pick you up.

Zheng Shuyi quickly went out with her suitcase.

Before even leaving the neighborhood, she already saw the dazzling Rolls Royce parked on the side of the road.

There was a gurgling sound from the suitcase on the stone road as Zheng Shuyi walked quickly towards the gates of the neighborhood. Just as she was about to cross the street, she suddenly heard a voice.

"Shuyi!"

The voice was a bit strange at first, but after thinking carefully, it felt very familiar.

Zheng Shuyi looked back.

The security pavilion had its bright lights on, and Yue Xingzhou stood in the dim light. His hair was yellow from the light and a few strands of hair were on his forehead.

He looked a little dejected.

Zheng Shuyi just glanced at him and wanted to walk away, but Yue Xingzhou immediately caught up to her and grabbed onto her.

"What do you want?!"

Zheng Shuyi wanted to get free from his hand, but it was useless against his strong grip.

Yue Xingzhou's grasp became tighter and together, "I… I have been waiting for you, I want to tell you something."

"But I don't want to listen to you," Zheng Shuyi glanced at the car on the opposite side of the street and said impatiently, "Let me go! I have something to do now!"

"Please, just give me a few minutes Shuyi," his voice was trembling slightly and the hand holding Zheng Shuyi also started to get hot as his eyes showed his persistence.

"You…" Zheng Shuyi stopped struggling.

She wasn't being soft-hearted; she just didn't want to make such a big commotion on the street.

"Okay, I'll give you two minutes. Hurry up."

As usual, Zheng Shuyi was straight to the point, but Yue Xingzhou appeared hesitant to speak.

It wasn't until Zheng Shuyi was about to leave again before he quickly said, "Did you get a new boyfriend?"

Zheng Shuyi stopped suddenly and looked at Yue Xingzhou puzzledly, "What does it have to do with you?"

Yue Xingzhou frowned and seemed to find the following words very hard to say.

"You can go make new boyfriends, I have no right to control, but… you… did you have anything to do with someone who is already married…"

His stuttering words barely formed a sentence as if he was very distressed.

"What's wrong with you?!"

Zheng Shuyi laughed in anger, "Do you think I am like that new girlfriend of yours?! Sorry to disappoint you!"

She thought that Qin Lezhi and Yue Xingzhou were so funny. They were bitches themselves and now they come here to educate her?

Aren't they just slapping their own faces?

Yue Xingzhou was stunned, not knowing how to reply.

Last night, Qin Lezhi faintly revealed to him that Zheng Shuyi seemed to be very close to the financial director recently, and she also gave some scattered details.

From Yue Xingzhou's perspective, he felt that Qin Lezhi had no reason to make up lies about Zheng Shuyi.

But after all, he had doubts, so today he came here to meet Zheng Shuyi behind Qin Lezhi's back.

"Yue Xingzhou, do you think that you're very kind?" Zheng Shuyi grabbed tightly onto the level of the suitcase to control herself not to slap him in the face. In the meantime, she also glanced at Shi Yan's car from time to time, "You're here to admonish me? Maybe you should wash your own hands first! Move away! Someone's waiting for me, I don't have time to waste on you."

Because Zheng Shuyi was frequently looking towards there, Yue Xingzhou also naturally saw the car.

How could he not recognize that car brand, that license plate?

"He……"

Seeing him staring at the car, Zheng Shuyi rolled her eyes, "What are you looking at? Never seen a luxury car before?"

Yue Xingzhou's eyes looked back and forth between Zheng Shuyi and the car as he stuttered, "Isn't he… you…"

"Yes, that's my legit boyfriend."

Zheng Shuyi shook her head, "What? You're going to have to care as well?"

Yue Xingzhou was so shocked that he couldn't speak. After a while, he uttered a few words in disbelief, "Shuyi, how did you, how did you and him…"

"What? Do we need your permission to fall in love?"

After finishing speaking, Zheng Shuyi didn't even bother to reply as she started to walk away.

Yue Xingzhou's words felt like a heavy hammer.

"Shuyi, are you doing this for revenge?"

Zheng Shuyi paused for a while and was taken aback for a moment, then slowly turned her head back. With a sneer at the corner of her mouth, she said, "Yue Xingzhou, you think too highly of yourself."

She paused, and then continued, "Oh, but you will have to call me your aunt sooner or later. We'll be relatives in the future, you'd better start to pay some respect to your elders and not pull on their clothes so much."

After speaking, she pulled the suitcase and went straight to another side of the street.

Yue Xingzhou watched as the driver came down and opened the door for her, then placed her suitcase in the trunk.

For a long time after that, Yue Xingzhou stood motionlessly at the gate of the neighborhood. He watched the car drive away and the dust arousing. The word "aunt" was still echoing in his head.

——

However, Shi Yan was not in the car.

"Mr. Shi is a little busy and already left at noon," said the driver, "I'll bring you over there right now."

After being inexplicably entangled by Yue Xingzhou for a while, Zheng Shuyi was already in a bad mood. After learning this, she was saddened even more.

She thought she would be going there with Shi Yan.

"Okay, got it, thank you."

She replied and as she leaned against the car window and then stopped talking.

Fu City was not very far away, only a three-hour drive. Thus driving would be the most convenient way to get there.

The trip was boring, and the driver tried to chat with her. But after realizing that she didn't seem to be in the mood to do so, he closed his mouth and played some gentle music for her.

Zheng Shuyi fell asleep, then woke up. After waking up, she fell asleep again. Like this, the trip was rather smooth, and they arrived at the hotel at ten o'clock.

After the driver accompanied her to check-in, the hotel lobby manager personally took Zheng Shuyi to her room.

Since Shi Yan offered to bring Zheng Shuyi over, the hotel was naturally booked by his secretary. Zheng Shuyi received the message two days ago already.

She would be staying in this suite alone, as she expected.

If they were really sharing a room, then that would not be Shi Yan anymore.

She was just a little curious where Shi Yan was.

Zheng Shuyi: I'm at the hotel!

Half a minute later.

Zheng Shuyi: Where are you?

It was as if these two messages sank to the bottom of the ocean. No reply came.

After Zheng Shuyi sat in her room for half an hour, she finally started to feel more and more anxious.

In fact, when she came alone to this new city, she already felt a little lonely.

Obviously, it was Shi Yan who wanted her to come, and yet he just left her alone in the hotel.

And――

Zheng Shuyi rubbed her stomach.

She didn't even get to eat dinner yet!

——

At this moment, in the smoke-filled private dining room, after three rounds of wine1This idiom is talking about how in the ancient times when the host has already poured the guests three rounds of wine, meaning that it is about time for the meal to end, there were still dishes and wine being delivered into the room.

In the past two days, industry bigwigs from all over the world have gathered in Fu City. It was natural that some of them were drinking and spending time together.

During the banquet, people poured each other wine and talked about all kinds of topics. Everyone was busy handing olive branches to each other.

But since everyone here was important, they all wanted benefits from each other, and everyone wanted to stay as long as possible.

It wasn't until ten o'clock when someone suddenly left to go to the bathroom did Shi Yan have the time to ask Chen Sheng if Zheng Shuyi had arrived.

Chen Sheng nodded.

Looking up, Shi Yan answered the words of someone sitting opposite of him and quickly glanced at his phone.

In the past hour, Zheng Shuyi sent him several messages intermittently.

Zheng Shuyi: Sigh, someone here's feasting and someone else here is starving.

Zheng Shuyi: It's okay, I'm fine.

At this moment, the waiter next to him added some more wine to the glass in front of him.

Shi Yan quickly typed a word back: Busy.

Then, he put down his phone.

"Sorry," said Shi Yan as he suddenly stood up and interrupted the conversation with the person in front of him, "I have something to do right now, sorry about that."

After speaking, he raised his glass to drink the wine that was just poured into his cup, then turned and walked out of the dining room.

There were few people in the corridor. As Shi Yan was talking to Chen Sheng, he suddenly met the person who just went to the bathroom.

This person had a good relationship with Shi Yan and spoke more casually to him as well.

It was just that he was a little drunk at the moment and wasn't even walking straight. Seeing Shi Yan leaving, he asked, "Leaving already?"

Shi Yan said yes, "I have something to do."

The man asked again, "What is it?"

Shi Yan glanced at the elevator and replied with a faint expression, "Feed my cat."

"What?" the man thought that he must be too drunk and misheard, "You brought a cat with you on a business trip? Is it that clingy?"

Shi Yan did not want to talk to him too much. He started walking but also didn't forget to reply to him.

"Yes, it's a bit scary too. It'll scratch people if it's not fed in time."

——

As the Spring Festival approached, although it was pretty late at night, the streets of Fu City were still very lively. Many people rather stay in the cold rather than returning home early.

Chen Sheng knew that Shi Yan had drunk a lot today and specifically reminded the driver to drive slower.

"No need."

Shi Yan sat in the back row, looked down at his phone, "Normal speed will do."

After speaking, he dialed Zheng Shuyi's number.

"What are you doing?"

There was a bit of noise coming from the other end of the phone, then came Zheng Shuyi's impatient voice.

"I'm living a happy life!"

Shi Yan glanced at the phone screen and asked again, "Pardon?"

"I said, I'm living a happy life!"

Immediately after, Zheng Shuyi hung up the phone.

—Roadside barbecue. As the cumin scattered, fire shot up, and the fragrance dispersed. The air was instantly filled with a smell that stimulates every sensory neuron in one's body. What indeed a pleasant and happy life.

But Zheng Shuyi never thought that she would have to wait so long in the freezing code. Wearing a pencil skirt and having her calves exposed in the wind wasn't so pleasant anymore.

"Add more chili," Zheng Shuyi reached out her hand, using the fire to warm herself. She pointed as she said, "Don't, don't, no green onions!"

She waited until nearly eleven o'clock. After still not receiving Shi yan's reply, her stomach was screaming from hunger. Only then did she suddenly realize, why did she have to wait for Shi Yan like an abandoned widow?

So she got up, put on a coat, and came out hunting for food.

Maybe she was lucky, as she smelled a delicious smell just after a few steps out of the hotel.

Seeking where the smell came from, it turned out to be a small barbecue stall with a lot of people around.

Hearing the sound of the stove and the noise around him, Zheng Shuyi suddenly felt even more hungry and her legs refused to move.

As she stood in place waiting for her barbecue, there were several men who were playing a drinking game2The drinking game here specifically is referring to two people saying a number while forming a number with their hands at the same time. The winner would be the person who says the same number as the number the other person's hand was showing, and the loser has to drink and constantly eyeing her.

In the middle of the night, while feeling drunk, as they looked at her more and more, one of them finally started to act.

Zheng Shuyi was standing there, and a man wearing only a T-shirt got up and patted her on the shoulder.

"Can I help you?"

Zheng Shuyi glanced back at him.

The man had a fat face and there were scary-looking tattoos on his hands. When he smiled, the meat blocked his eyes so much that one couldn't even see them.

"Beauty, are you alone?"

Zheng Shuyi ignored him and stepped to the side.

"Join us," the man pulled her sleeve, "It's so cold, why don't we have some drinks together and warm ourselves?"

"No, thanks."

Zheng Shuyi slapped his hand away and stepped aside again.

But as they spoke, two more men from the table also came over, blocking where Zheng Shuyi wanted to go.

Even the heavy smoke from the grill couldn't cover the alcoholic smell coming off them. Mixed with the smoke, it made them smell extremely disgusting.

"Beauty, you came out here alone?"

"Why don't you make some new friends and eat supper with us?"

"Yeah, it's still pretty early, let's go sing together after eating."

These people looked like local gangsters. The owner of the barbecue stand glanced at them. He wanted to stop them but was also afraid that they'd end up beating him up too and ruin his business. So he could only quickly pack up Zheng Shuyi's barbecue.

"Miss, your food is ready."

Zheng Shuyi didn't want to bother arguing with these people. She grabbed the take-out box and wanted to leave.

But they surrounded her.

"Don't go yet, didn't we say we're going to be friends? Let's go sit down."

One of them even directly reached out to take the food in her hand. Zheng Shuyi dodged sideways and became angry.

"You guys――"

"Piss off."

Zheng Shuyi didn't get to finish as she was stunned in place.

That voice…

She turned her head. Shi Yan was standing just half a meter away.

The lights from the barbecue stand flickered, making Shi Yan's somewhat harsh and dim.

Like an invisible force, the people around Zheng Shuyi naturally turned around to him.

Zheng Shuyi was still there, and Shi Yan looked down at the take-out box she was holding tightly. He frowned and pulled her away.

Just after a few steps, those men reacted.

"Who the hell are you–"

Shi Yan looked back and his sharp glance swept over. The person who just spoke subconsciously closed his mouth and even took two steps back in fear.

There was no need to speak. The sense of suppression from different classes catalyzed the spontaneous sense of fear.

——

None of them spoke on the way.

Zheng Shuyi was pulled tightly by Shi Yan.

He had long legs and took big steps, and he didn't seem to care if Zheng Shuyi could keep up either. He just walked straight toward the hotel.

Zheng Shuyi staggered behind him and grew angry.

He brought him to Fu City but then left her alone. He didn't even show up after she arrived nor after receiving so many messages, all she got was "busy".

His sudden appearance and dragging her away with a lifeless face without saying a word made Zheng Shuyi angrier and angrier.

Until entering the elevator, Zheng Shuyi finally broke away from Shi Yan's hand. She rubbed her wrist and said with dissatisfaction, "What are you doing!"

Shi Yan looked down at her and spoke with a tone colder than the wind outside.

"Why did you go out alone at night?"

"I'm looking for food."

Zheng Shuyi shook the box in her hand, "I can't do that?"

"Why are you dressed like this if you're just going to look for food?"

Zheng Shuyi lowered her head and glanced at what she was wearing. Other than the fact that her skirt was a little short, she looked pretty good.

"I'm dressed like what? Doesn't it look pretty? Why do you even have to care about this?"

When she's angry, her words sounded like a small machine gun. In other's ears, it sounded like a cat using its claws to scratch someone.

"It does look pretty," Shi Yan looked at Zheng Shuyi with a cold face, but suddenly the corner of his lips curled up. Still using his dull voice, he said, "Don't you know how eye-catching you are? Wearing a dress like this in the middle of the night, you're asking for trouble."

Zheng Shuyi didn't reply, she just looked up at Shi Yan.

After a moment of silence, there was a sly smile in her eyes.

"Are you complimenting me or scolding me?" She asked with a smile, "Then did I catch your eye?"

Shi Yan's mouth closed tightly and stared at her for a long time.

It had been a long time since Zheng Shuyi could smell the faint smell of alcohol on his body.

It was strange that the same smell of alcohol didn't make Zheng Shuyi feel unpleasant at this moment.

She didn't know if it was because of this type of drink or not, but Zheng Shuyi felt that Shi Yan's eyes concealed behind the lenses were flashing under the light.

It was like an undercurrent surging.

The elevator doors closed slowly, closing the two out from the rest of the world.

Something indescribable was raging inside the elevator.

Zheng Shuyi's heartbeat suddenly became heavy.

She stretched out her index finger and poked Shi Yan's chest cautiously.

"Think carefully before you answer."

Suddenly, her index finger got covered in a warm hand, and her entire palm got pressed against Shi Yan's chest.

Shi Yan's gaze searched slowly across Zheng Shuyi's face and swept over the point of her nose.

Because the tight space was sealed away, it seemed that the distance between the two of them was getting closer and closer.

In Zheng Shuyi's eyes, Shi Yan's face got so close that his breath was right next to her lips.

“Why don't you feel it yourself?"

After speaking, he tilted his head slightly to make the distance between the two lips disappear.

The air in the elevator seemed to instantly disappear.

The air was so thin that it seemed as if she would suffocate.

――Although he just gently tapped her lips with his, she still clearly felt it.

Like teasing her, the subtle wet outlines of his lips and teeth were fading.

He looked up, eyes as deep as an abyss.

Then he pressed on Zheng Shuyi's hand and asked in a low voice, "What do you think?"

Consciousness has not yet returned to her yet, and she could only express her most honest feelings.

Zheng Shuyi couldn't feel whether his heart was beating wildly or not.

She could only feel that her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

• 1This idiom is talking about how in the ancient times when the host has already poured the guests three rounds of wine, meaning that it is about time for the meal to end
• 2The drinking game here specifically is referring to two people saying a number while forming a number with their hands at the same time. The winner would be the person who says the same number as the number the other person's hand was showing, and the loser has to drink