After becoming invincible after descending the mountain, the aloof and beautiful CEO couldn't s

"Ah! Wen Lan! Wake up!"

Wen Lan shook her head vigorously, turned around and walked out of the bathroom.

Downstairs, Su Hao was sitting on the sofa, holding a bottle of mineral water, his expression having returned to its usual calm.

Hearing footsteps coming from the stairs, he looked up.

Wen Lan changed into a beige casual home outfit, her hair still wet and draped over her shoulders, with a faint blush still lingering on her face.

"Are you done washing?" Su Hao asked casually.

"Hmm..." Wen Lan responded, her gaze darting away, avoiding his eyes.

She walked to the sofa, sat down, picked up another bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and tried to use the act of drinking water to cover up her embarrassment.

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat awkward.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Ding-dong!"

Wen Lan put down her water bottle and frowned slightly: "Who is it? I didn't make any appointments..."

She got up and walked to the entrance hall. She looked out through the peephole and her face immediately darkened.

Standing outside the door was a young man in a suit, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with his hair neatly combed and holding a huge bouquet of red roses, at least ninety-nine in total, beautifully packaged and with a rich fragrance.

A confident smile graced his face, and his eyes lit up the moment he saw Wen Lan: "Lanlan! You're finally back! I heard you went to Jinling today, so I went to the florist and spent a long time picking out the freshest roses! Do you like them?"

This person is Chen Chi, the young master of the Chen family, one of the four great families.

The Chen and Wen families have been business partners for many years, and their parents have a close relationship and have always wanted to bring the two together.

Chen Chi himself pursued Wen Lan relentlessly for several years, showing great shamelessness and never giving up no matter how many times he was rejected.

When Wen Lan saw him, her expression instantly changed from impatience to annoyance.

"Chen Chi, what brings you here?"

"I heard you came back to China today, so of course I had to come see you right away!" Chen Chi said with a smile, handing the roses forward.

"Here, this is for you. Do you like it?"

"I don't like roses," Wen Lan said calmly, without reaching out to take one.

"Take it back."

Chen Chi's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal: "It's okay, what kind of flowers do you like? I'll buy you your favorite next time."

"I don't like any flowers," Wen Lan said bluntly.

"Besides, I have dinner plans with friends today, so I don't have time to entertain you."

"Friend?" Chen Chi's gaze passed over Wen Lan's shoulder and landed on Su Hao, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room. His eyes instantly became wary.

"who is he?"

Wen Lan glanced back at Su Hao and casually replied, "My best friend's driver brought me back."

"Driver?" Chen Chi looked Su Hao up and down and saw that he was wearing an ordinary T-shirt and jeans and did not seem to be a person of any status, so he relaxed his guard a little.

He forced a smile and said to Wen Lan, "That's perfect. You've just returned to the country, so I should treat you to a meal to welcome you back. It's on me tonight, so order whatever you like."

"No need, I've already made plans with my best friend," Wen Lan said decisively.

"Then let's go together! Your friends are my friends too. Let's have a meal together and make it more lively," Chen Chi said shamelessly, completely ignoring Wen Lan's refusal.

Wen Lan opened her mouth, wanting to refuse again, but thinking of the cooperative relationship between the Chen and Wen families, and the things her parents kept nagging in her ear, she finally sighed helplessly: "Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll leave after dinner and don't try anything else."

"No problem!" Chen Chi smiled broadly and, holding the roses, headed towards the house.

"Don't bring the flowers in, I don't like them," Wen Lan said bluntly, blocking the doorway.

Chen Chi's smile froze for a moment, but he still obediently placed the flowers on the shoe cabinet outside the door and followed Wen Lan into the house.

His gaze swept over Su Hao, carrying a hint of scrutiny and superiority, before he extended his hand: "Hello, my name is Chen Chi, the young master of the Chen Group. What's your name?"

"Su Hao." Su Hao grasped his hand, simply stating his name without saying anything more.

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Chen Chi felt somewhat displeased, but he couldn't show it in front of Wen Lan, so he just smiled and sat down on the sofa.

Wen Lan ignored him and sent a message to Li Qiuchan on her phone: "Qiuchan, there's one more person at dinner tonight. Chen Chi insists on coming along, and I can't shake him off."

Li Qiuchan quickly replied: "Okay, let's go together then. I've already taken care of it. Let's just go to the usual hot pot restaurant. No need for Su Hao to pick me up, I'll take a taxi."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

Wen Lan put away her phone and stood up: "Let's go eat. Qiu Chan has already left."

The three of them went downstairs together. Su Hao drove, and Wen Lan took the initiative to sit in the passenger seat, leaving Chen Chi alone in the back.

Although Chen Chi was unhappy, he couldn't say anything and could only sit alone in the back row, occasionally trying to start a conversation with Wen Lan.

"Lanlan, how have you been doing abroad these past few years? I've been wanting to visit you, but I've been too busy at work..."

"It's alright." Wen Lan's answer couldn't be more concise.

"What kind of work are you planning to do after you come back this time? How about coming to our company? I can arrange an easy position for you..."

"No need, I've already found a job as a teacher at Jinling University."

"University teachers are great! Lots of holidays and easy work!" Chen Chi immediately chimed in.

"By the way, does your school need any teaching equipment? I'd like to donate a building, and we can name it after you, 'Wen Lan Building,' how about that?"

Wen Lan finally couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Chen Chi, can you please stop talking about donating buildings all the time? Do you have too much money to burn?"

"I'd give anything for you," Chen Chi said affectionately.

Wen Lan didn't reply, but turned to Su Hao and asked, "Su Hao, do you prefer tripe or duck intestines?"

"I like them both," Su Hao replied while driving.

"Great! I like them all too!" Wen Lan's eyes lit up.

"The tripe at that restaurant is incredibly fresh. Just a quick dip in the broth, and it's both crisp and tender. I have to go there every time I go back to China!"

The two chatted about various ways to eat hot pot, from tripe to duck intestines, from beef aorta to pig brain. The more they talked, the more they clicked and the more enthusiastic they became.

Wen Lan was beaming with joy, laughing incessantly, a stark contrast to her cold demeanor towards Chen Chi just moments before.

Chen Chi sat in the back row, watching the two chatting enthusiastically. He felt a surge of jealousy, but he couldn't get a word in edgewise. He could only keep a sullen face and remain silent.

The car soon arrived at an authentic hot pot restaurant in the city center.

The shop is small, but the decor is very distinctive, with red lanterns, wooden tables and chairs, Sichuan opera masks hanging on the walls, and a rich aroma of hot pot with butter filling the air.

The four sat down. Wen Lan pulled Li Qiuchan to sit on her side, Su Hao sat opposite her, and Chen Chi could only sit next to Su Hao, one seat away from Wen Lan.

The hot pot broth was served quickly, with red oil bubbling and chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floating on the surface, filling the air with a wonderful aroma.

Various dishes were served one after another, including tripe, duck intestines, beef aorta, beef, shrimp paste, etc., filling the table to the brim.

Wen Lan was in high spirits. She picked up her chopsticks, took a slice of tripe, dipped it in the bubbling red oil a few times, then dipped it in sesame oil and minced garlic, put it in her mouth, and showed a satisfied expression: "This is the taste! I've been craving this for two whole years while I was abroad!"

Su Hao also picked up a piece of tripe, did the same, took a bite, and nodded: "It's really good, the tripe is very fresh."

"Right, right!" Wen Lan seemed to have found a kindred spirit and enthusiastically recommended various dishes to him.

"Try this duck intestine. Just cook it for ten seconds, or it'll get tough..."

The two ate and chatted, their conversation flowing freely and their laughter never ceasing.

Chen Chi sat to the side, watching the two interact frequently, and felt increasingly uneasy.

He tried to interject several times, but Wen Lan casually ignored him, so he could only forcefully pick up food.

"Lanlan, try this sliced ​​beef, it's very tender."