In less than half a day, thanks to her exceptionally gifted eye for fashion, Song Zhi successfully won over the beauty-loving Mother Cheng.
As she escorted Mother Cheng to her car, Mother Cheng held onto her hand, reluctant to let go. "Zhi Zhi, I had such a wonderful time shopping with you today! I absolutely adore every single outfit you picked out for me. Let's do this again the next time I have a day off."
As she spoke, she pressed a small gift bag into Song Zhi's hands. "That rascal Li Li told me he'd found himself a girlfriend; I actually thought he was just pulling my leg and lying to me on purpose. It wasn't until I met you that I realized it was actually true! Oh dear, I didn't have enough time to prepare anything proper, so I just casually picked out a bracelet for you while we were at the mall. The next time you come over to our house, I'll give you something even nicer."
Song Zhi had actually witnessed Mother Cheng swiping her card to purchase that bracelet—it had cost nearly a hundred thousand yuan! At the time, she had assumed Mother Cheng was buying it for herself; she never imagined it was intended as a gift for her. Hesitant to accept it, she immediately tried to hand it back. "Auntie, I really can't accept this."
Mother Cheng looked displeased. "I say you *can* accept it, so just take it! Please don't feel any pressure or obligation. Even if things don't work out between you and our Li Li in the future—and you two don't end up together—it doesn't matter! We can still be best girlfriends!"
Seeing that Mother Cheng was getting increasingly carried away with her rambling, Cheng Yuli snatched the gift bag back, shoved it into Song Zhi's arms, and promptly shut the car door. "You'd better head back now. If you stay out any later, Dad will get grumpy again when he gets home and doesn't see you there."
After watching Mother Cheng's car drive away, the smile instantly vanished from Song Zhi's face as she handed the gift bag back to Cheng Yuli. "Alright, the mission is complete. I'm off."
Cheng Yuli chased after her for a few steps and grabbed her hand. "My mom gave this to you. Just take it—what's the big deal? Can't you just accept it as payment for your hard work today?"
Song Zhi yanked her hand back immediately, then gave it a couple of disdainful pats. "Hey, what is your problem? Just talk—do you have to keep getting handsy all the time?"
A blush spread across Cheng Yuli's fair skin. "I just got a little flustered for a moment; I didn't mean to."
Song Zhi scoffed. "I really don't want the stuff. You're way too sly—who knows if you're just digging another trap for me?" (The last trap he'd dug still hadn't been filled in yet, after all.)
"How could I do that? If I say it's a gift for you, then it's a gift—no strings attached."
Song Zhi wasn't about to stumble in the same spot twice. "Cheng Yuli, there's just one request left. Make it now, and once that's done, we'll be completely even—owing each other nothing ever again!"
Cheng Yuli watched Song Zhi, who was so eager to be rid of him; the clear, bright depths of his eyes seemed to dim slightly. "Do you really want nothing to do with me?"
Song Zhi nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely—I've never been more serious."
Cheng Yuli's handsome brows furrowed. "You don't like me, yet you *forced* yourself on me... Song Zhi, how could you—*Mmph!*"
Song Zhi clapped a hand over Cheng Yuli's mouth, glancing around nervously. "Are you trying to get us killed? Is there any need to shout something like that at the top of your lungs?"
Standing so close to Cheng Yuli, the faint, elusive scent of Song Zhi's perfume drifted into his nostrils. Cheng Yuli's mind began to wander, and his gaze grew hazy as he looked at her. Song Zhi, completely oblivious to the change in him, kept chattering away incessantly.
"Who 'forced' whom is still up for debate! Why should your word be the final say? Who held the 'weapon'? Who committed the 'crime'? Who was the 'weapon' actually attached to? Tell me! Go on, tell me... *Ah!*"
Song Zhi was in full rant mode when, completely unexpectedly, Cheng Yuli suddenly kissed her. Though it was merely a fleeting brush of lips—light as a dragonfly skimming the water—it instantly sent her into a furious rage. "Cheng Yuli, you bastard—what the hell are you... *Mmph!*"
Song Zhi's face was cupped in Cheng Yuli's hands as he kissed her; her large eyes, wide with shock, darted wildly back and forth. After a long moment—once Cheng Yuli had finished kissing her and pulled away—Song Zhi finally snapped back to reality, her face instantly flushing crimson. "You're insane!"
Having stolen a kiss from Song Zhi, Cheng Yuli's dark eyes shimmered with a playful glint, and the corners of his thin lips curved upward. "Who told you to keep talking? I just wanted you to shut up." *Oh, so because she kept talking and he wanted her to stop, he decided to kiss her?*
Could there possibly be a lamer excuse than that?! Song Zhi's face was a mask of indignation. "Cheng Yuli, just spit it out: do you like me or not?" Cheng Yuli's rosy lips parted slightly. "*You* were the one who said you liked *me* first. So, as a matter of reciprocity—returning the favor—I figured it wouldn't be a big deal if I liked you back a little."
Song Zhi: ...*Tsk tsk.* Well, turns out there *is* an excuse even lamer than the last one! ... "*Pfft!*" Su Mianmian was curled up on her balcony, enjoying afternoon tea on the final day of her vacation, when a voice message from Song Zhi popped up. In it, Song Zhi vented furiously about everything that had gone down with Cheng Yuli that day.
Su Mianmian's eyes crinkled with laughter. "He said he only likes you out of 'reciprocity'? Cheng Yuli is just too adorable!" Song Zhi's eyebrow twitched. "Su Mianmian, are you out of your mind? You actually call someone so utterly full of mischief 'adorable'?"
Su Mianmian took a sip of her fruit tea. "Why wouldn't I call him adorable? Zhizhi, haven't you noticed? Ever since you met Cheng Yuli, your life has become so much more colorful and exciting."
"I'm just *so* grateful to him!" Song Zhi gritted her teeth in frustration. "Mianmian, hurry up and give me some advice! How do I get rid of him?!" Su Mianmian felt that Song Zhi was simply too caught up in the situation to see clearly; after all, back when Su Mianmian had asked Song Zhi to help her find a way to shake off Tang Yunzheng, Song Zhi had come up with one clever little scheme after another.
But now that it was her own turn, she seemed to have completely run out of ideas. "Zhizhi, first you have to be sure whether you *really* don't like Cheng Yuli." "Don't like him? How could I possibly like him?"
Song Zhi didn't hesitate in the slightest. "It's not like you don't know—I've always gone for the steady, 'aloof and ascetic' type. A 'puppy-dog' type like Cheng Yuli—the kind who blushes the moment he opens his mouth—really isn't my cup of tea."
Su Mianmian silently mused to herself: *If you don't like him, then how did he manage to devour you completely?* Out loud, however, she offered her some advice. "Cheng Yuli asked you to pretend to be his girlfriend, so why don't you find a guy to pretend to be *your* boyfriend?"
"It would be the perfect opportunity to test what Cheng Yuli's true intentions toward you really are. If he likes you, seeing you with a boyfriend is bound to provoke a reaction and make him reveal his hand."
"At that point, the ball will be entirely in your court. You can have a proper talk with him—whether you choose to reject him or accept him is entirely up to you."
"On the other hand, if he *doesn't* like you—if he remains completely indifferent to the fact that you've found a boyfriend—then there's absolutely no need for you to keep agonizing over this. You can just finish fulfilling the final favor you promised him, and then make a clean exit." After listening to her, Song Zhi felt that Su Mianmian made a lot of sense.
But that raised another question: where on earth was she supposed to find a guy to pretend to be her boyfriend right now? Suddenly, a specific person popped into Su Mianmian's mind. "I actually have a perfect candidate in mind—though I'm not sure if he'll agree to it. Give me a moment to ask him; I'll get back to you tomorrow."
As soon as Su Mianmian hung up with Song Zhi, she immediately dialed another number—this time, calling Gu Yizhou. The call connected, and Gu Yizhou's deep, magnetic voice drifted through the receiver. "Mianmian? What's up?" Su Mianmian's lips curved into a smile. "Gu Yizhou, what time do you get off work?
There's something I'd like to ask you." Gu Yizhou happened to be in the middle of a meeting. At the sound of his voice, everyone in the conference room immediately paused, waiting for him to finish his call. Their eyes appeared to be fixed on the documents laid out before them, but in reality, their ears were pricked up—listening with razor-sharp intensity.
They were intensely curious about the person on the other end of the line—the person who had instantly transformed their CEO, who just moments ago had worn a grim expression and ruthlessly torn their proposals to shreds, into a man of unparalleled tenderness. Gu Yizhou lowered his gaze to check the time on his wrist. "I might have to work a bit late tonight. If you're in a hurry, why not come to the office and wait for me? Once I'm finished, we can head straight to a friend's newly opened restaurant for dinner." Come to the office to wait for him? And have dinner together, too?
Inside the conference room, a few of the more gossipy employees exchanged knowing glances. They made a mental note to find an opportunity later to go and see for themselves—just who exactly was this divine figure capable of bringing their "aloof-as-a-mountain-peak" CEO down from his pedestal?