I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 319 Cheng-ge, I'm going to work out!

This sea fishing trip went much more smoothly than the horse riding trip.

Everyone had a great time fishing, and the investment business also went smoothly with Ma Shuning's approval.

It wasn't until evening that the group finally reached the shore.

Su Cheng was a bit tired from playing, mainly because he had been on the boat for several hours, which required him to maintain his balance at all times. All he wanted to do now was go home and take a cold shower to wash away the fatigue.

Zhang Yangwen and Su Cheng went home together. As soon as Su Cheng entered the door, she went into the bathroom to run cold water.

As the bathtub gradually filled with water, Su Cheng took out a small bucket of ice cubes, about a dozen, that he had prepared in advance from the refrigerator and poured them all into the bathtub with a crackling sound.

After undressing, Su Cheng stepped into the bathtub.

The initial cold water caused a strong reaction in his body; his pores contracted collectively, his skin tightened instantly, and the coldness penetrated Su Cheng's body.

To be honest, there wasn't enough ice to create the "ice bath" effect of restoring muscle mass, but the water temperature was low enough.

The ice cube floated on the water, its edges blurred, but its core remained intact.

Su Cheng took a deep breath and submerged herself completely in the bathtub.

As cold water entered my ear canal, the whole world fell silent instantly, leaving only the beating of my own heart.

Su Cheng let the cold water slowly erode her body heat.

A dozen seconds later, he burst out of the water, water droplets falling from his hair and drawing a silvery arc in the air.

After being drained from the water.

Su Cheng felt a great sense of satisfaction, and he felt that he could not be destroyed by anything at this moment.

After a quick wash, most of the day's fatigue had subsided.

After getting dressed, Su Cheng unscrewed a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and started drinking.

Just then, Zhang Yangwen came upstairs and knocked on the door.

Su Cheng originally thought Zhang Yangwen had come to invite her to go out for dinner, since she was still hungry after a whole day.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yangwen was dressed in sportswear, with a headband, a quick-drying T-shirt and shorts, and a pair of fluorescent green sneakers.

Su Cheng was surprised to see him dressed like that: "Where are you going?"

"Brother Cheng, I'm planning to start working out, wanna join me?"

ha?
fitness?

Su Cheng is actually quite afraid of people telling him that they are on a diet, losing fat, or controlling their sugar intake, because they may have high cortisol levels during this period, making them irritable, prone to mood swings, and difficult to get along with.

Oh right, Qin Fen was an exception when he was on the ketogenic diet, because Su Cheng knew that he probably wouldn't be able to stick to that extreme diet and would break down sooner or later.

Su Cheng asked calmly, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I won't eat dinner tonight. I steamed two small pumpkins, and I'll make myself a protein powder to eat with them when I get back."

However, when Su Cheng saw Zhang Yangwen's posture, well... it seemed like Young Master Zhang was really in love?
There are generally two ways in which people want to improve themselves.

First, learn English.

Second, fitness.

Su Cheng didn't know how learning English would be useful for her future career path, nor did she understand how fitness would help her in the future.

When one partner in a relationship starts grooming themselves every day and begins studying or exercising, it's a good indication that the relationship is breaking down.

Young Master Zhang's career is still in its infancy, yet he's already starting to change himself through exercise and fitness?

That's understandable, actually.

Because during the sea fishing trip today, Ma Shuning only discussed her academic qualifications with Zhang Yangwen, and spent most of the rest of the time talking with Su Cheng.

Perhaps it was a blow to him?

So you're thinking of having a better figure so that Ma Shuning will like you?
The approach is good, but... it's hard to evaluate.

We took the wrong turn.

Su Cheng didn't want to dampen Zhang Yangwen's enthusiasm, so he suggested that Zhang Yangwen send him an address so he could go there first, and he would go check it out after he finished eating.

Ding Dong~
Su Cheng received two messages on her phone at the same time.

One of them is the gym address that Zhang Yangwen located.

Not far from here is a mid-to-high-end commercial gym, which is just a few hundred meters from their residence, on the next street, and the price is acceptable.

The other message was from Ma Ru.

He asked Su Cheng if she had eaten yet, as he had just booked a restaurant and wanted to discuss the plan in more detail and inquire about the specifics.

Su Cheng immediately stopped Zhang Yangwen, who was about to go to the gym, and advised him to go to the gym tomorrow, and asked if he wanted to have dinner with her today.

Is Ma Shuning here too?

"He didn't say, but I'd say it's 99% likely." Su Cheng patted Zhang Yangwen on the shoulder. "Want to go together? You're starting your workout tomorrow?"

Zhang Yangwen hesitated for a moment.

Just as Su Cheng said, he also felt that there was a 99% chance that Ma Shuning would be there.

More opportunities for contact mean greater possibilities.

But upon closer reflection, it seemed that this was not a suitable occasion for me to go.

Ma Shuning graduated from Oxford, which ranked second in this year's QS rankings.

Her brother, Ma Ru, graduated from MIT and has consistently ranked first on the QS World University Rankings.

He's a bit insecure about his QS16 level and can't speak up in front of others.

Although Su Cheng's QS ranking is lower than his, Su Cheng is quick-witted and has a wealth of business experience. The entire C'est La Vie proposal was planned and designed by Su Cheng. This is the third or fourth time, including this one.

He'd just be a background figure if he went, unable to offer any meaningful insights.

"Never mind, Cheng-ge, you go ahead."

"What do you mean? Why are you scared? Show off your face!" Su Cheng noticed a hint of hesitation in Zhang Yangwen's gaze. "I already told you I'd help you out, what else would I do if you didn't believe me?"

“Brother Cheng, that’s not what I meant… I meant that Mario only invited you, so it doesn’t seem appropriate for me to go with him.”

Su Cheng glanced at the message again. Ma Ru hadn't said she was only inviting him; she had just said she wanted to ask about the details.

But it could be considered a subtle invitation to him alone?
Inviting him to dinner so late at night has a certain private nature.

Su Cheng understood.

Ma Ru probably thinks the same way he does, and is more likely trying to create opportunities for Ma Shuning to be alone with him.
It would indeed be very awkward for Zhang Yangwen to go, and they might not talk about the details at all during the meal, or if they do, they might only talk about a little bit, which would also make Zhang Yangwen feel bad.

Regardless, Su Cheng invited Zhang Yangwen and informed him of the news.

"It's okay, Cheng-ge, you go ahead, I won't overthink it."

Su Cheng joked with him, "Okay, then don't wait outside tonight to see what time I'll be back! Don't overthink it if I don't come back."

Zhang Yangwen: ???

Zhang Yangwen gave Su Cheng a trusting look: "I definitely won't overthink it, Cheng-ge, I believe you!"

"Then I'll go. Good luck!"

"Uh-huh."

……

A three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Australia.

After returning home and taking a shower, Ma Shuning changed into a burgundy deep-V short dress, and her makeup was also different from what she wore during the day. She was now sitting upright next to Ma Ru, who was dressed in a suit and tie, and talking to him in a low voice.

"Shu Ning, how are things between you and Su Cheng?"

"so so."

Ma Shuning could only make this judgment because Su Cheng didn't seem to like her.

Ma Ru was a little shocked and surprised: "How could he not be tempted by such a beautiful younger sister like me?"

Ma Shuning also thinks so.

According to her plan, she should have already captured Su Cheng's heart at the horse farm, and the subsequent sea fishing trip was supposed to be a way to enhance their relationship.

But things didn't go as she expected.

Whether it was at the horse farm or at sea fishing, Su Cheng showed no interest in her, and even when they talked, it was always about business.

Even though she had presented herself to Su Cheng as a sexy, beautiful, and intellectual woman with high cognitive, emotional intelligence, and high education, Su Cheng seemed unmoved.

Moreover, while chatting, Su Cheng didn't forget to pull his two colleagues along, thoughtfully taking care of their feelings to prevent Zhang Yangwen and Jiang Shuyue from being unable to join the conversation and just becoming background figures.

To be honest, after these few encounters, Su Cheng had actually captured her heart.

Ma Ru and Ma Shuning, half-siblings, actively analyzed the situation.

"So what's going on?"

"I don't know either. Maybe he's very career-oriented?"

Ma Shuning immediately rejected this idea, because her Law of Attraction was designed for men with strong careers and high self-esteem.

Unless Su Cheng is gay, there's no way to explain it!
Ma Ru stated his judgment: "He is definitely not gay."

"know."

Neither of them could figure out why Su Cheng was unmoved, unless he already had someone he liked.

All the conditions for this inference are indeed true, because Mr. Bai said that he is a person with a strong sense of honor.

They knew Su Cheng was strong-willed and had a strong sense of honor, but they didn't expect her to be so principled.

A beautiful, wealthy woman threw herself at Su Cheng, yet he remained completely unmoved.
“There probably isn’t one in Macau. If there is, it’s that girl in Jingzhou.” Ma Ru thought seriously. “Could it be that Miss Jiang?”

"Brother, how could you say such a thing? What makes your sister inferior to that Miss Jiang?"

"That's hard to say. Love is a very complicated thing, especially for someone like Su Cheng."

"No, Su Cheng isn't familiar with her, isn't interested in her, and even demoted her a couple of days ago."

"Then it must not be."

The two racked their brains but couldn't come up with anything.

Are you sure Su Cheng received and understood your signal?

"determine."

Ma Shuning's hints to Su Cheng were clear enough. She was even certain that Zhang Yangwen and Jiang Shuyue, who were standing nearby, could see through her thoughts if they were smart enough, so how could Su Cheng not understand?

Ma Shuning didn't know what Su Cheng was thinking, but Zhang Yangwen, who was next to Su Cheng, was very attentive to her.

"Which one? Which guy looks pretty clean-cut?"

"Ah."

“This is a bit strange. It feels like there’s something missing in the information. Let’s check again later.” Ma Ru shook his head, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Su Cheng, who had just entered the restaurant. “She’s here.”

Just as Su Cheng had predicted, not only Ma Ru, but also Ma Shuning was present.

He was sitting quietly next to Ma Ru at that moment, talking to him in a low voice.

The brother and sister blended almost perfectly into the atmosphere of the upscale restaurant, without any sense of disharmony. They seemed to be born with words like "high-end," "private," and "prestigious."

Upon seeing Su Cheng, Ma Ru stood up to greet her with his signature sunny smile. Ma Shuning also stood up, but she did not leave the table; she simply stood up from her chair, changing her posture from sitting to standing.

Both of them greeted Su Cheng warmly and invited her to sit down.

"How was your day, Mr. Su? Did you have a good time?"

"It's pretty good, but it's a pity we didn't get to see any tuna."

"It's okay. Just let me know whenever you want to go, and we'll go together. There's plenty of tuna this season."

You can tell from Ma Ru's words that he is a veteran sea angler, and that luxurious fishing boat is actually his.

Ma Ru snapped her fingers to attract the waiter's attention, then drew two circles on the table with her palm to indicate that they could serve the food.

During the meal, Su Cheng explained his draft in detail.

The regulations were clear and logical, and many things were based on actual situations rather than assumptions, which made Ma Ru nod repeatedly.

When Su Cheng was introducing the plan, she tried to slow down her speech and use simple and direct language to guide the two step by step. The two only needed to follow Su Cheng's train of thought to fully understand the whole plan and remember it firmly.

Following this clear line of thought is a pure enjoyment for the brain.

Ma Ru grew increasingly fond of Su Cheng. In her heart, she already considered Su Cheng her brother-in-law and even gave Ma Shuning a look, implying that she must win Su Cheng over.

Ma Shuning also felt that Su Cheng was a great talent. Although she had never studied abroad, her wisdom and knowledge were no less than those of her Oxford classmates.

At their level, they no longer think about pursuing wealth and status; these are things they've had since birth.

Without a doubt, Ma Shuning is on Ma Ru's side within the family.

With such a husband and brother-in-law, Ma Ru will have more leverage and greater influence in future conflicts within the family.

In fact, when the father entrusted this matter to the two of them, he was handing over the reins to Ma Ru.

Su Cheng is a member of the Su family. Although he is somewhat distant from the old CEO Su in terms of bloodline, his talent and knowledge will surely make him a right-hand man to the Crown Prince of Dihao Group in the future, and he will have a huge influence in the Dihao Group.

If they can win over Su Cheng, they will indirectly gain the support of the Emperor Group.

It can only be said that Ma Yingyao, Ma Ru, and Ma Shuning each have their own agendas.

But all these schemes are aimed at Su Cheng and the Dihao Group behind her.

How could Su Cheng not see it?

The Ma family is so eager to get involved, not only because of the favor from President Bai, but also because they're definitely thinking of using him.

He utterly detested this kind of insincere contact.

However, Su Cheng also wanted to take advantage of the Ma family's wealth and influence, so they were even.

But a marriage alliance is really unnecessary; it's simply not that far off.

Su Cheng's abilities are his bargaining chip; he doesn't need to rely on marriage to bind them together.

The three chatted happily, and as the meeting was about to end, Ma Ru suddenly asked, "President Su, how did you get here?"

"Take a taxi."

"Taking a taxi?"

"Correct."

"Then Clare can take you back, or you two can go for a drive or something."

Ma Shuning immediately understood. She took out the gold-embossed Porsche car key from her bag and gently pushed it in front of Su Cheng.

……

(End of this chapter)