He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

"This looks like my car, Secretary Xia."

His voice carried a hint of amusement, with a slight upward inflection at the end, like teasing a fluffy kitten.

The driver started the engine: "President Huo just returned from inspecting the factory and came to pick you up on his way."

Lin Wanzhi turned around and smiled sweetly at the people behind her: "Thank you, Mr. Huo, for coming all the way to pick us up~"

"Of course."

Zhou Siyan's gaze swept lightly across Lin Wanzhi's face before settling back on Xia Ruo's profile. "Caring for subordinates is also a boss's responsibility."

When he said the word "subordinates," he lightly pressed the tip of his tongue between his teeth.

The car drove out of the school gate and merged into the traffic.

Xia Ruo sat upright, her hands neatly placed on her knees, her back ramrod straight, and her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Suddenly, my right hand was enveloped by a warm sensation.

Xia Ruo's pupils suddenly contracted.

Zhou Siyan's fingers were long and strong, and he calmly held her hand in his palm, his knuckles slipping between her fingers and gently holding it.

She turned her head abruptly, glaring at him, her peach blossom eyes filled with fear and anger, and mouthed each word clearly:

Quick! Let go!

Zhou Siyan looked at her fierce yet timid appearance and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Imitating her, I moved my lips slightly and said in a whisper that only she could hear: It's... okay, baby.

As soon as he finished speaking, he gently traced a line with his index finger across her palm.

The calluses on his fingertips brushed against her delicate skin, sending a tingling sensation through him.

Xia Ruo's breathing became erratic for a moment, and her fingers instinctively curled up, but he held them even tighter.

In the passenger seat, Lin Wanzhi was already chatting with the driver.

She would occasionally turn her head to talk to the driver, and every time she did, Xia Ruo's heart would leap into her throat, feeling incredibly guilty like a thief.

Halfway through the conversation, Lin Wanzhi suddenly leaned back heavily in her chair, raised her voice by half a tone, and began to speak in a huff:

"When I came back from the symposium at noon, I ran into a fat guy who claimed to be from a talent agency!"

He kept staring at Ruoruo and said a lot of disgusting things! Like, "Be good and you'll get better results later"—it made me so angry! Who does he think he is?!

Xia Ruo sat in the back seat, listening to Lin Wanzhi's indignant outburst in the front, when she suddenly felt the hand holding hers slowly tighten, making her hand bones ache.

Xia Ruo turned her head and glanced at him.

That one glance was enough to unsettle Xia Ruo.

Those eyes, in the dim light of the carriage, were like two suppressed flames, their heat radiating through the pupils, so intense that she dared not look directly into them.

Is he angry? Is it because he was bullied?

"Which company? Do you remember?" Zhou Siyan asked, each word carrying an undeniable chill.

Xia Ruo opened her mouth, wanting to say, "It's okay, never mind," but before she could speak—

"I have a business card here, Mr. Huo!" Lin Wanzhi rummaged through her bag and pulled out the crumpled business card. She turned around, stretched out her arm, and handed it to Zhou Siyan in the back seat.

The moment she turned her face away, Xia Ruo's grip loosened instantly. His hand cleanly and decisively slipped out from between her fingers, leaving slight red marks where his fingers had passed through.

Zhou Siyan took the business card and glanced at the name on it – “Zhao Fu, Zhonghe Media”.

His gaze lingered on those two words for a moment, his lips twitched slightly, and he let out a very soft, cold laugh squeezed out from his nose.

What kind of low-class stuff?

Then slowly fold the business card in half and put it into the inside pocket of your suit jacket.

He didn't say anything more.

But the air pressure around them was frighteningly low. Lin Wanzhi, in the passenger seat, seemed to sense it, shrank her neck, muttered softly, "President Huo seems angry," and wisely shut her mouth.

After the car passed two intersections, the cabin was so quiet that only the faint sound of the air conditioning vents could be heard.

Lin Wanzhi's phone suddenly rang.

"Feed? Mom?...What??" Her voice rose a half-tone, her whole face scrunched up.

"Our cat ate the neighbor's fish again? Didn't we just pay for it last month?"

What?! These koi fish they're raising cost tens of thousands of yuan each?!

"Okay, I'll be right back."

She covered the microphone and mouthed "Oh no!" to Xia Ruo, feeling anxious, angry, and amused all at the same time.

After hanging up the phone, she turned around and smiled shyly at the person behind her.

"Mr. Huo, I'm so sorry, my cat has caused some trouble."

My mom said the neighbors are blocking her door, and if she doesn't go and deal with it, they're going to kick me out. I have to get back there right away!

Zhou Siyan's expression was still not good, and he only nodded slightly as a sign of agreement.

Lin Wanzhi immediately turned to the driver and said, "Sir, you can stop at the intersection ahead."

The car pulled over to the side of the road.

Before Lin Wanzhi unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, she suddenly turned around and winked at Xia Ruo:

"Ruoruo, go to your apartment first, okay? Don't wait for me. I might not be back tonight. Be good by yourself, okay?"

She emphasized the words "alone" with both light and heavy emphasis, and then glanced meaningfully in a certain direction from the back seat.

Then he slammed the car door shut and skipped away.

Before Xia Ruo could even say "Be careful on the road," she had already disappeared.

Outside the car window, Lin Wanzhi made a big heart shape with her hands through the glass, her eyes crinkling with laughter, before quickly jumping into another car parked on the side of the road.

-

The car restarted and merged back into traffic.

Lin Wanzhi leaned against the car window, watching the taillights of the black Cullinan gradually blend into the night, and a smug smile slowly curved her lips.

The night wind blew in through the half-open window, making her bangs fly wildly, but she was completely unaware, her mind filled with the scene in the back seat just now.

"Mr. Huo, don't say I didn't give you a chance~"

Actually, she noticed it as soon as she got on the bus.

She was chatting with the driver when she glanced at the rearview mirror out of the corner of her eye—Mr. Huo's hand was clasped in Ruoruo's hand.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she almost choked on her words.

But she forced herself not to turn her head, or even let her expression betray her, and continued to chat with the driver, occasionally glancing "casually" at the back seat.

Every time she turned her head, she saw Ruoruo's little face tense up, her ears as red as if they were about to bleed, looking both nervous and shy, which almost made her burst out laughing.

She screamed in her heart: Ruoruo, you've finally met your match! Hahahaha!

She then took the opportunity to reveal the story of the disgusting man from noon, embellishing the details.

Sure enough, President Huo's aura changed instantly, becoming so cold it could freeze someone to death.

She secretly rejoiced: Hmph, how dare you bully my Ruoruo! Let President Huo deal with you!

Just when I was wondering how to create some alone time for the two of us, my mom called—it was like a godsend!

She almost burst out laughing on the phone, and said through gritted teeth, "I'll be right back," before hanging up and making an excuse to slip away.

perfect.