Name: My father is Zhao Dehan, and I hope he will become a dragon!

Zhao Chongming looked at Zhao Xiaoya: "Do you have a place to stay here?"

Zhao Xiaoya shook her head: "I just arrived, not yet."

"Stay here with Xiaoyu for now," Zhao Chongming said, picking up his teacup. "She'll arrange it for you later."

Zhao Xiaoya nodded: "Okay."

The living room was quiet for a while.

Zhou Xiaoyu stood up, walked to Zhao Xiaoya's side, and patted her on the shoulder: "Alright, don't be so nervous. President Zhao won't eat you."

Zhao Xiaoya twitched the corner of her mouth, which could be considered a smile.

Zhao Chongming leaned back on the sofa, watching the two of them, his finger gently circling the rim of the teacup.

Zhao Xiaoya is indeed prettier than in the photos, and her nervousness carries a clean, unpolished quality that doesn't seem feigned. Zhou Xiaoyu is right; she's all natural.

He put down his teacup and glanced at the sky outside the window.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked Zhou Xiaoyu.

Zhou Xiaoyu shook her head: "No. Xiaoya just arrived, and I was originally planning to take her out for a walk."

Zhao Chongming hummed in agreement, stood up, and walked to the French windows, looking at the street scene below. Zhou Xiaoyu leaned close to Zhao Xiaoya's ear and whispered, "Go back to your room and wait for a while."

Zhao Xiaoya was stunned for a moment, then understood, and her face turned even redder.

She stood up, lowered her head, and quickly walked into the bedroom, gently closing the door behind her.

Only Zhou Xiaoyu and Zhao Chongming remained in the living room.

Zhou Xiaoyu leaned back on the sofa, watching his retreating figure: "President Zhao, I've shown you the person. What do you think?"

Zhao Chongming turned around and looked at her.

"You're quite enthusiastic."

"My best friend," Zhou Xiaoyu smiled. "Besides, having someone else around makes things easier for me too."

Zhao Chongming did not respond to that sentence.

Zhou Xiaoyu then said with a smile, "President Zhao, let me tell you something!"

"explain."

"Zhao Xiaoya is engaged."

Zhao Chongming paused, his hand holding the teacup still. "What?"

"They're engaged. Back in her hometown, she met a guy named Chen Qiang. They'd already agreed on the dowry: 188,000 yuan. Then her mother added another 50,000 yuan."

Zhou Xiaoyu spoke casually, as if she were telling someone else's story: "But don't worry, it's 100% original. She didn't like that guy, at most she just held hands. Chen Qiang wanted to take it further, but she didn't let him."

Zhao Chongming put down his teacup and looked at her.

"She's getting married, and you want her to come over?" Zhao Chongming's eyes widened.

"Mr. Zhao, don't you want to experience it?" Zhou Xiaoyu tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "An engaged woman, and a virgin at that. The feeling should be different, right?"

Zhao Chongming leaned back on the sofa, watching Zhou Xiaoyu's expression.

He suddenly realized that Zhou Xiaoyu really had a knack for enjoying watching a good show.

She knew Zhao Xiaoya was engaged, yet she still pushed her into his arms. She wasn't afraid of trouble, nor did she think anything was wrong. She just thought it was fun. She could break up her best friend's wedding and dump her best friend's people without hesitation.

She didn't care what Zhao Xiaoya thought, nor did she care what Chen Qiang did.

She only cared whether the matter was fun or not, and whether Zhao Chongming was interested.

Zhao Chongming paused for a moment, then asked, "She agreed?"

"What else?" Zhou Xiaoyu smiled and leaned closer, even rubbing against Zhao Chongming's lower body. "Mr. Zhao, are you interested?"

Zhao Chongming smiled: "Very interested."

Zhou Xiaoyu smiled, stood up, and clapped her hands: "Okay, then I'll go call her out."

He walked back, sat down, picked up the cup of tea that had gone cold, and took a sip.

"Take her shopping for some clothes tomorrow," he said. "She's dressed too plainly."

Zhou Xiaoyu nodded: "Okay."

Zhao Chongming smiled and said, "Let her out!"

Zhou Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then smiled. She walked to the bedroom door, knocked twice, pushed it open a crack, and said to the person inside, "Xiaoya, come out."

Zhao Xiaoya sat on the edge of the bed, looked up, her face still flushed. She looked at Zhou Xiaoyu's face through the crack in the door, then glanced at Zhao Chongming's figure behind her, her heart pounding in her throat.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked towards the door.

……

……

When Zhao Xiaoya came out of the bedroom, her steps were very light, and she kept her head down, as if she were walking on cotton.

Zhao Chongming sat on the sofa and patted the spot next to him. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down, keeping about half a fist's distance between them. Zhou Xiaoyu chuckled beside her, picked up her phone, and walked towards the bedroom: "I'll go inside for a bit, you guys chat."

There were only two people left in the living room.

Zhao Xiaoya sat upright, her hands on her knees, seemingly unsure what to say. Zhao Chongming leaned back on the sofa, glancing at her sideways. The light shone from the side, illuminating her clean-cut jawline. He recalled Zhou Xiaoyu's earlier comment—"She's prettier in person than in photos." Indeed.

"Nervous?" he asked.

Zhao Xiaoya nodded, then shook her head. She herself didn't know whether to nod or shake her head.

Zhao Chongming didn't say anything more, but put his hand on her shoulder.

Zhao Xiaoya's shoulders tensed slightly, but she didn't flinch. He pulled her closer to him, and she leaned against him, resting her head lightly on his shoulder, as if afraid of pressing down on him.

Just then, Zhao Xiaoya's phone rang.

She glanced at the screen, her brows immediately furrowing. Two words were flashing on the screen: Chen Qiang.

Zhao Xiaoya held her phone and glanced at Zhao Chongming. Zhao Chongming remained expressionless, simply looking at her. She pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.

"Feed?"

Chen Qiang's voice came through the phone, loud and clear: "Where are you? Why haven't you replied all day? What does it mean when my mom says you returned the betrothal gifts? Are you crazy?"

Zhao Xiaoya sat up straight, her voice turning cold: "I'm just out having fun, why are you making such a fuss?"

"Why should I care? I'm your boyfriend! You didn't even discuss such a big thing as breaking off the engagement with me?"

"Who's consulting you?" Zhao Xiaoya's tone was harsh, completely different from the girl who had been sitting on the sofa, too nervous to speak just moments before. "I'll decide my own affairs. Stop hitting me."

"Zhao Xiaoya, you—"

She hung up the phone and turned it off. Then she tossed her phone onto the coffee table, turned to look at Zhao Chongming, and put on that cautious expression again, as if nothing had happened.

"Mr. Zhao, please don't mind."

Zhao Chongming leaned back on the sofa and looked at her.

He suddenly found it very interesting.

The Zhao Xiaoya who coldly told him "Stop calling" on the phone just now, and the Zhao Xiaoya sitting next to him now, carefully trying to please him, are the same person. The switch was clean and efficient, without any transition.

He thought of Zhou Xiaoyu, Chen Yao, and Su Nian. Each and every one of them was like that.

They act one way in front of him and another way in front of others.

When he had no money, nobody would even give him a second glance.

He is where he is today because he stands in a position that others cannot reach.

Sitting in this position, you don't need to speak, explain, or please anyone.

Naturally, people will come over, and naturally, people will show him the best side of themselves.

grass……

This is the kind of life I should be living!