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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, Zhou Xuanyu left the house first.
Originally, both of them had planned to take the morning off, but Galen called to say that Former President Zhou Xuan Yong was coming to the company for an inspection.
It had been a long time since Zhou Xuan Yong had taken an interest in company affairs, so his sudden visit felt quite strange.
In fact, the odd feeling had already begun to rise in Zhou Xuanyu's heart when his brother unexpectedly called him and Junxi back home for dinner. The hurried nature of yesterday's departure meant he hadn't had a chance to speak with his brother alone, while he and Junxi seemed to have shared a lot.
After returning, Junxi appeared somewhat downcast. Although she hid it well, he could still see through her facade at a glance.
Zhou Xuanyu left without waking Junxi. Her sleep quality had been poor lately, and after he "complained" about it yesterday, she no longer tossed and turned. Yet he knew she still hadn’t slept well. He could hear her breathing in the dark, still tinged with the emotions of being awake. It wasn’t until the early hours that her breathing finally steadied.
She couldn’t sleep, and he didn’t dare to fall asleep either. He wanted to keep her company and talk, but he feared that the more they talked, the more awake she would become.
Their relationship was smooth and harmonious now; he understood that her remaining worries were simply about her parents.
He could help her with anything, but this particular issue couldn’t be rushed…
When Zhou Xuanyu arrived at the company, Zhou Xuan Yong was already there. He was waiting in the President's Office while Galen was outside, repeatedly calling Zhou Xuanyu.
“I’m here,” Zhou Xuanyu said as he glanced at the caller ID and silenced his phone.
In the hallway, Galen turned around at the sound. Her phone was still pressed against her ear, her face filled with anxiety.
“Mr. Zhou, you’re finally here.”
“How long have you been waiting?”
Galen nodded, "It's been a while; you know he hates waiting for people."
Zhou Xuanyu remained silent and pushed the door open.
Zhou Xuan Yong was staring at the entrance. When he saw Zhou Xuanyu walk in, he cleared his throat to express his displeasure.
"As the leader of a company, why did you arrive so late?" Zhou Xuan Yong asked bluntly.
"I was held up by something unexpected," Zhou Xuanyu replied as he approached his seat.
The air conditioning unit made a slight noise as he took off his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. He then walked over to the water dispenser and filled a cup with warm water.
Galen had already prepared tea for Zhou Xuan Yong.
"Big brother, why are you here so early?"
Zhou Xuanyu sat down across from Zhou Xuan Yong.
"I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday. I thought about it all night and decided I wanted to have a chat," Zhou Xuan Yong said, rubbing the teacup in front of him without beating around the bush.
Zhou Xuanyu understood; he knew the inspection was just an excuse. It was unfortunate for the colleagues outside who were nervously treating today as a special occasion.
"Is there something you need to discuss?" Zhou Xuanyu asked.
"Not exactly a discussion, but I wanted to ask if you've been investigating some old cases lately."
Old cases? Indeed, Wen Wei's Corruption Case could be considered an old case. But how did Zhou Xuan Yong find out about it? He hadn't mentioned anything to anyone.
"Big brother, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter," Zhou Xuanyu said directly, cutting off his brother's thoughts. "This is my personal issue."
"Foolish!" Zhou Xuan Yong frowned. "Why do you have to get involved with the Wen Family? Don't you realize that if you're not careful, your own reputation could be tarnished?"
"The truth of the matter is still up for debate. Besides, I haven't made it public that I'm investigating this old case. How could my reputation be tarnished?"
Zhou Xuanyu glanced outside the door as she spoke.
Galen was outside talking to a few employees, but her gaze kept drifting inside...
Zhou Xuan Yong sensed the underlying meaning in Zhou Xuanyu's words and quickly explained, "Xuan Yu, I didn't mean to have someone keep an eye on you. It's just that you've been abroad for so long, and suddenly returning to handle such a big mess makes me uneasy. Gai Lin has been with this company for ten years..."
"So it's Manager Gao," Zhou Xuanyu said with a slight smile.
"Xuan Yu."
"Isn't it Manager Gao?" Zhou Xuanyu looked at Zhou Xuan Yong and shifted the topic, "The woman who made Sister-in-law uneasy until her death."
Zhou Xuan Yong frowned and fell silent.
Seeing her brother's expression, Zhou Xuanyu felt she had confirmed her suspicions.
"Regardless, neither Gai Lin nor I have done anything to betray you, Sister-in-law," Zhou Xuan Yong softly defended himself.
However, the relationship between him and Galen was indeed more than just pure friendship, yet it seemed they hadn't reached the point of love.
Galen assisted him at work and took care of him in life. They spent every day together, striving side by side. Her thoughtful nature gradually made him accustomed to her presence; he knew many things and could speak freely in front of her... In front of Galen, he didn't have to play the role of the aloof CEO; he could simply be an ordinary man.
They had indeed shared ambiguous moments, but that ambiguity had always remained just that—ambiguous. They had never crossed any moral boundaries.
Yet, this ambiguity was discovered and magnified by Zhou Ziyan's mother, leading to cracks in their marital relationship and endless arguments.
Until the day Zhou Ziyan's mother passed away, she believed that her husband had been unfaithful.
Zhou Ziyan was deeply influenced by his mother, and he always felt that the chaos at home and his mother's death were all linked to his father's affair with a mistress.
However, neither Zhou Ziyan nor his mother knew that the "mistress" they were referring to was someone they were both familiar with—Galen.
Galen had never married, waiting for Zhou Xuan Yong. After Zhou Ziyan's mother passed away, Zhou Xuan Yong had considered giving her a formal title, but Galen did not agree.
She was afraid that Zhou Ziyan would not be able to accept it, especially since he trusted her so much. She said that as long as she could stay by Zhou Xuan Yong's side, that was enough; titles did not matter.
This woman's understanding and humility moved Zhou Xuan Yong greatly. So even though he handed over Hengfu Group to his younger brother to manage, he still wanted to keep her close and assign her important responsibilities.
And indeed, she had never let him down…
"Elder brother, these are your personal matters; I don't want to pry. Similarly, helping Junxi clear her parents' name is also my personal matter. I hope you won't interfere."
"This is different."
"In what way is it different?"
"Anyway, I will not agree to your relationship with the daughter of the Wen Family," Zhou Xuan Yong stated firmly.
"Elder brother…"
"You must know that Zhou Ziyan likes this girl. If you end up together in the future, how will Zhou Ziyan feel? I absolutely will not allow any rift between you two over a woman."
"Feelings cannot be forced; Zhou Ziyan will understand and accept it sooner or later."
"Xuan Yu!" Zhou Xuan Yong raised his voice, appearing heartbroken. "I have never interfered in your matters before, but this time you must listen to me. I have already arranged for this girl to work at a subsidiary of Hengfu Group with a doubled salary. Also, you must stop investigating the matter you are currently looking into."
"Elder brother!" Zhou Xuanyu became agitated as well. "No matter what arrangements you make, I will not agree. Junxi is off-limits."
As soon as Junxi arrived at the company, she heard the news that she was about to be transferred to a subsidiary. The news caught her off guard, but when she learned that Zhou Xuan Yong had come to the company early in the morning, everything became clear.
It seemed that Zhou Xuan Yong was determined to separate her from Zhou Xuanyu.
She felt a bit worried about what Zhou Xuanyu would think.
However, Zhou Xuanyu hadn’t sought her out all morning. By noon, after lunch, Junxi could no longer hold back her anxiety. She took advantage of the lunch break and went to find him in his lounge.
Zhou Xuanyu hadn’t slept well last night because he had stayed up with her, and he was currently catching up on sleep.
When Junxi entered the lounge, she saw him lying on the bed. The bed wasn’t large, but it was more than enough for him to stretch out comfortably.
Zhou Xuanyu had just lain down and hadn’t fallen asleep yet; he opened his eyes as soon as he heard a sound. Honestly, there was no need to guess who it was—no one else would dare to walk into his lounge unannounced during lunchtime.
“What’s wrong?” Zhou Xuanyu sat up and waved her over. Although he asked, he already had an idea of why she was there.
The news of her transfer had spread like wildfire. He could choose to ignore it, but he knew she would care.
“I heard that Mr. Zhou wants to transfer me to the subsidiary,” Junxi said as she walked closer to him.
Zhou Xuanyu wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
“I didn’t agree to that.”
“It seems your brother really dislikes me,” Junxi pouted.
“Did he say something to you yesterday?” Zhou Xuanyu asked.
“He told me to stay away from you.”
Since Zhou Xuanyu had already begun a direct assault, Junxi naturally felt there was no need to hide anything from him anymore.
"What do you say?" Zhou Xuanyu asked with great interest, as if he didn't consider this a matter worth worrying about at all.
"I haven't agreed to anything."
Zhou Xuanyu smiled, "That's good."
Junxi shook her head, "This isn't good! The person closest to you is opposing our relationship; how is that okay?"
Zhou Xuanyu tightened his embrace, burying his head in the crook of her neck, still seemingly unconcerned. "Challenges lead to progress."
"What progress?"
"You need to make progress in everything. First, there's this..."
He kissed her, playfully teasing and guiding her with his lips.
Junxi leaned against the edge of the bed, accepting his deep and entangled kiss.
After the kiss, Zhou Xuanyu lay down with her.
"Don't think about anything; just take a nap."
What kind of nap could they take on such a small bed? Junxi pressed tightly against Zhou Xuanyu, feeling as if she might fall off at any moment. Anxiously, she clung to him even more.
"Don't move," Zhou Xuanyu's voice began to grow hoarse.
"If I don't move, I'll fall," Junxi replied innocently.
Zhou Xuanyu took a deep breath; her hair's fragrance filled his nostrils, making it even harder for him to suppress the heat coursing through him.
His kisses began to fall densely, like scorching brands, each one imprinted on her skin...
"Thud!"
Lost in the moment, they accidentally tumbled off the edge of the bed together.
Junxi looked at Zhou Xuanyu, who was also gazing back at her. As they exchanged glances, she burst into laughter, and Zhou Xuanyu couldn't help but smile.
He ruffled her hair and asked, "Does it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't. Aren't you the one cushioning me?" Junxi took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist, sticking to him like a soft adhesive. "Let's just stay like this."
"I don't like sleeping on the floor," Zhou Xuanyu emphasized.
Junxi rolled over and straddled him, leaning down to kiss him inch by inch.
"You'll like it."
"..."
Junxi's transfer to the subsidiary was put on hold because Zhou Xuanyu disagreed with it. Every time Galen saw him, he seemed hesitant to speak, and Zhou Xuanyu simply pretended not to notice.
He also ordered Junxi not to get too close to that woman.
Junxi was clever; with just a casual mention from him, she could roughly guess that the instigator behind all these recent events was Galen.
He had always been a ruthless character, hiding sharpness beneath a soft exterior.
About half a month later, the missing Wang Tianhai suddenly called, saying he had found a shocking lead and needed to meet in person.
Zhou Xuanyu chose a gym far from Hengfu Group as the meeting place. It was a gym he frequented, known for its comfortable environment and advanced equipment; he didn't mind the long trip at all.
Wang Tianhai, whom he hadn't seen in a while, looked much darker, the tan of his skin making the light in his small eyes shine even brighter.
“Mr. Zhou,” Wang Tianhai greeted him from a distance, holding a briefcase.
Zhou Xuanyu nodded.
He had reserved the entire gym lobby, so there were no outsiders around.
“How's it going? Any results?” Zhou Xuanyu assessed Wang Tianhai.
He radiated an undeniable confidence.
“No results yet, but I found some clues during my investigation that you will definitely be interested in,” Wang Tianhai said as he handed over the briefcase.
Zhou Xuanyu quickly opened it and glanced at the images and documents inside. Once he clearly understood the contents, his expression changed immediately, and he examined them again with great seriousness.
“Mr. Wang, what do you mean by this?” Zhou Xuanyu shook the documents in his hand, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
“I don’t mean anything by it; I’m just reporting back to my employer on what I found. Then, I’d like to hear your next instructions,” Wang Tianhai replied.
Zhou Xuanyu tightened his grip on the briefcase.
The information inside pointed to someone he had never expected.
—His brother Zhou Xuan Yong.
According to Wang Tianhai's investigation, Zhou Xuan Yong had financial dealings with Li Mu, who was close to Wen Wei, before the Corruption Case occurred. Although they had yet to determine the purpose of that money, this alone was enough to raise suspicions.
Wang Tianhai's meaning was also understood by Zhou Xuanyu; he simply wanted to ask if he should continue the investigation.
Because the outcome of this case was heading towards an unpredictable direction for both of them.
"Investigate," Zhou Xuanyu heard his calm voice say.
"Good!"
Wang Tianhai felt a surge of excitement, as if it had been a long time since he had engaged in something so challenging and unknown.
?
Since the matter suddenly involved Zhou Xuan Yong, Zhou Xuanyu temporarily concealed from Junxi that he was investigating an old case as a private detective.
Junxi's attention was momentarily diverted to the next visitation day.
Soon, she would be able to see her parents again, and this time, she would bring Zhou Xuanyu along. The thought made her feel a bit excited.
To show his sincerity, Zhou Xuanyu, just like when he went to meet Zhou Xuan Yong before Junxi, bought new clothes. He even enlisted Junxi to be his advisor.
The store they visited specialized in custom suits for men. Many business elites and prominent political figures in Qingcheng had their clothes tailored here.
Zhou Xuanyu was clearly a regular customer.
As soon as Junxi and he entered the store, the Agent Manager immediately came over to greet him warmly.
"Mr. Zhou, it's been a while since you last visited. We were discussing whether we should give you a call during yesterday's meeting, but we were afraid of disturbing you."
"No need to trouble yourselves; I'm here now."
"Yes, it's great that you came! How could we bear to lose such a valued client like you?"
Agent Manager's constant address made Junxi feel a chill run down her spine, while Zhou Xuanyu seemed accustomed to it.
"Go upstairs," he said to Junxi.
Junxi nodded.
It was as if Agent Manager had just noticed Junxi. She quickly greeted, "Is this lady Mr. Zhou's?"
"My girlfriend," Zhou Xuanyu casually replied.
With familiarity growing, Junxi found that her heart didn't race as violently as it did when she heard Zhou Xuanyu's words at the Zhou family home; instead, she felt a sense of enjoyment.
Agent Manager couldn't help but scrutinize Junxi. She hadn't expected a man like Zhou Xuanyu to have a girlfriend with such a strong student-like aura. She was beautiful, indeed...
As they ascended the stairs, someone was coming down from above.
"Teacher Wen." A familiar voice rang out overhead.
Junxi looked up and saw Shen Yunchong.
Several store attendants followed Shen Yunchong, each carrying various styles of men's suits, diligently attending to him.
"Mr. Shen, what a coincidence."
"Indeed, what a coincidence." Shen Yunchong nodded at Junxi, then turned to Zhou Xuanyu: "Mr. Zhou. Long time no see."
"Long time no see." Zhou Xuanyu nodded and shook hands with Shen Yunchong.
"Is Mr. Zhou here to order a suit?"
"Yes."
"Then is Teacher Wen here to be a strategist?" Shen Yunchong looked meaningfully at Junxi.
Junxi couldn't help but blush. "I wouldn't say strategist; I'm just here to join the fun."
Shen Yunchong smiled. "To have Teacher Wen come and join such fun, Mr. Zhou is quite fortunate."
Zhou Xuanyu remained noncommittal and simply asked, "President Shen, are you leaving?"
"I'm leaving." After answering Zhou Xuanyu, he turned to Junxi. "Today is Minya's parent-teacher meeting. I've been repeatedly reminded not to be late and to dress nicely."
Junxi was amused by Shen Yunchong's helpless yet innocent tone.
Shen Yunchong casually picked up two suits from the clerk, one classic black and one elegant gray.
"Why not ask Teacher Wen for advice?"
"Black," Junxi replied immediately.
"Hmm?" Shen Yunchong raised an eyebrow, as if asking why.
"Minya said that when Dad wears black, he looks like he's in a tuxedo; it's the best."
"Indeed, Teacher Wen knows Minya the best." Shen Yunchong turned around and returned both pieces of clothing to the clerk, saying, "According to Miss Wen's suggestion, we won't take the gray one. I’ll change into the black one downstairs without needing it to be packed."
"Understood," the clerk replied.
"Thank you, Teacher Wen. You two continue. I'll head down first," Shen Yunchong said.
"Alright. Goodbye," Junxi waved at Shen Yunchong.
"Goodbye."
Shen Yunchong and his group descended in a grand manner, leaving the hallway suddenly empty.
"I didn't expect Miss Wen to know Mr. Shen," Agent Manager remarked with a hint of surprise.
Shen Yunchong and Zhou Xuanyu were two of the most prominent figures in Qingcheng. This woman, who appeared to be quite young, had connections with both of these influential men, which was truly rare.
Junxi remained silent, but Zhou Xuanyu's expression was not pleasant.
"What's wrong?" Junxi gently linked her arm with Zhou Xuanyu's.
"Nothing," Zhou Xuanyu replied awkwardly.
This woman was clearly brought by him to help choose clothes, yet here she was, having already picked out outfits for other men before he even made his selection.
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