First, then, love.

In her twenty-four years of life, not a single man had ever knelt down in public to take off her shoes.

He Zheng held her feet and gently placed them on the surface of his leather shoes.

His leather shoes were polished to a shine and were spotless.

"Step on it, don't get it dusty," he said in a deep voice.

Shu Yao's feet stepped on his hard leather shoes, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.

He Zheng did the same thing, grabbing her right foot and taking off her other high heel as well.

He neatly placed the two shoes to one side.

Shu Yao's two feet were both on his leather shoes.

She was much shorter than him, and now that she had taken off her shoes, she only reached his chest.

He Zheng knelt on one knee and looked up at her.

From this angle, he could clearly see her flushed face and the panic in her eyes.

He gently rubbed the red spot on her heel where her shoes had rubbed.

The movements were extremely light.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Shu Yao felt a tingling sensation in her heel, which then shot up her spine.

She bit her lower lip, shook her head, and spoke in a voice barely audible.

"It doesn't hurt."

He Zheng stared at her for a second.

Let go of her hand and stand up.

The tall figure pressed down on them again.

Shu Yao was stepping on his shoes and couldn't back away, so she was forced to look up at him.

A sudden, fierce autumn night wind swept in.

The wind carried a distinct chill.

Today, Shu Yao was only wearing a thin silk cardigan over a simple black slip dress.

I didn't feel it when there was air conditioning in the private room, but now that I've been standing outside for a while, the cold wind is really getting to me.

She couldn't help but shiver.

A layer of fine goosebumps instantly rose on her fair arms.

She instinctively hugged her arms and rubbed them together.

He Zheng looked down at her thin clothes and frowned slightly.

"Are you cold?"

"It's getting a bit windy." Shu Yao sniffed.

He Zheng didn't say anything.

He turned around, picked up the black casual suit jacket that had been draped over his forearm, gripped the shoulders of the jacket with both hands, gave it a hard shake, and draped the oversized suit jacket directly over Shu Yao's thin shoulders.

The clothes were too big; the hem covered her thighs completely, enveloping her entirely.

This suit.

It was covered in the scent of citrus from him.

The night breeze blew in through the fully open terrace.

Shu Yao was completely enveloped in a large black suit, her nostrils filled with He Zheng's scent.

She looked down at her feet.

Her feet were still on his black leather shoes. The position was so close that she could clearly hear the steady, powerful heartbeat in his chest.

One sound after another pounded against my eardrums.

Shu Yao bit her lower lip and took half a step back.

As her feet left his leather shoes and stepped onto the cold, anti-corrosion wooden floor, a chill crept up her spine, and she couldn't help but twitch her toes.

He Zheng looked down at her movements.

He bent down, picked up the two pointed high heels next to her with one hand, and placed them at her feet.

"Put it on, then go back." His voice was low and hoarse.

Shu Yao reached out and held onto the railing, stood on one leg, and squeezed her foot into her high heels. The toes of the shoes were too narrow, making her toes ache.

She frowned, but forced her way in.

After changing my shoes, I straightened my back.

She reached out and grabbed the collar of the suit jacket, preparing to take it off and return it to him.

He Zheng grabbed her hand.

"Wear it." He said firmly, "It's cold inside with the air conditioning on."

Shu Yao did not resist; her fingers loosened, and the wide hem of her suit swayed in the night breeze.

He Zheng turned around, walked ahead, and pushed open the heavy glass door to the terrace.

Shu Yao followed behind.

The corridor was quiet, with the wall lamps casting a dim yellow light.

Reaching the door of the private room, He Zheng grasped the handle, pressed hard, and pushed open the wooden door.

The door opened.

A strong aroma of alcohol and food wafted over.

The sounds of lively conversation instantly pulled one back to the bustling, everyday world.

Shu Yao walked in and looked up.

They froze on the spot.

At the head of the round table, Shu Jianguo's face was flushed. His tie had long been loosened and was hanging crookedly around his neck. He had also taken off his suit jacket and was only wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He was holding a wine dispenser and was spitting as he pounded the table with Mr. He.

"Old He! Let me tell you! A person has to have backbone! You can't bow down for five pecks of rice!" Shu Jianguo's tongue was slurred and his speech was unclear.

Father He leaned back in his chair, his face flushed. The bottle of special-supply Moutai was almost empty.

The airs of a provincial party committee leader were long gone; Mr. He waved his hand with a smile.

"Old Shu, you're right. Integrity is the lifeblood of us scholars. Come on, let's have a toast."

Two old men whose combined age is over a hundred.

He clinked his glasses with his, tilted his head back, and downed the wine in one gulp.

Nearby, Shen Minghua and Lin Shufen huddled together.

Shen Minghua was holding an iPad with the screen lit up, scrolling through pictures.

"Look at this piece of jade, it's high-grade icy jade with floating patterns. It would be perfect for making a safety buckle. I'll have someone bid for it at the public auction tomorrow."

Lin Shufen, wearing reading glasses, leaned close to the screen and nodded repeatedly.

"It's beautiful, the water is so bright, a hundred times better than what's sold in the mall."

Both sides chatted animatedly, each doing their own thing.

Nobody noticed the two younger generation members who had slipped out and then returned.

He Zheng walked over and pulled out his chair.

Shu Yao, wrapped in his suit jacket, sat down beside him.

He Zheng glanced at the empty wine glass in front of Shu Jianguo.

He stood up, took the empty bottle of Moutai, and casually placed it on the counter in the corner.

He then took the kettle, poured a cup of strong tea, and placed it next to Shu Jianguo.

"Uncle, have some water to soothe your throat," He Zheng said.

Shu Jianguo turned his head, squinted his drunken eyes for a long time, and finally recognized that this was his son-in-law.

He grabbed He Zheng's wrist and slapped it twice.

"Xiao He, good lad, well done. I'm at ease leaving Yao Yao in your care." Shu Jianguo let out a burp, his breath reeking of alcohol.

He Zheng remained calm and steadied Shu Jianguo's arm with his other hand.

"Please sit properly, be careful not to fall."

Shu Jianguo obediently sat back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and took a big gulp.

Hearing the noise, Shen Minghua looked up from the iPad screen.

He glanced at He Zheng and Shu Yao, who were sitting side by side.

His gaze lingered for a second on Shu Yao's oversized suit, which was clearly masculine.

A knowing smile played at the corners of his lips.

"Oh, so you're already protecting your wife, afraid she'll get cold?" she teased her son.

He Zheng sat back down, picked up the water glass on the table and drank some water without even lifting his eyelids.

"She's delicate; she caught a cold and I had to pay for her medicine."

Shu Yao, under the table, raised her foot, and the tip of her high heel kicked his shinbone.

Extremely strong.

He Zheng grunted, his hand holding the water glass trembled, and the water almost spilled.

He turned to look at her, his eyes warning.

Shu Yao rolled her eyes, raised her chin, and looked completely unconcerned.

Shen Minghua pretended not to see the undercurrents swirling beneath the table between the two.

She put down the iPad, crossed her arms on the table, and her expression became serious.

"Alright, we've had our fill of drinks and heart-to-heart talks. Let's go over what we just agreed on with the two kids."

Upon hearing this, Mr. He put down his teacup, sat up straight, and regained some of his composure.

The atmosphere in the private room became formal again.

Shen Minghua looked at Shu Yao with undisguised affection and admiration in his eyes.

"Yaoyao, I've discussed your idea of ​​a private banquet with Lao He in detail, and it's brilliant. Let's do it your way."

Shu Yao straightened her suit jacket and sat up straight.

"Mom, as long as you and Dad think it's suitable, that's fine."

"Perfect, absolutely perfect," Father He chimed in, his tone certain. "No fanfare, no colleagues invited. Just our own family, and a few close friends we can't refuse. That's what you call a strict family tradition."

He's father glanced at Shu Jianguo.

"I just confided in Lao Shu that I won't invite the bureau chief, and I won't bother my colleagues from the province either, to avoid gossip. We'll just keep to ourselves and be happy behind closed doors."

Shu Jianguo nodded repeatedly, half sobering up.

"Yes, yes, my father-in-law is right. No fuss, just clean and simple."

Shen Minghua took over the reins, revealing the decisive and efficient nature of a powerful businesswoman.

"I've calculated the number of people, and at most, it's twenty tables, no more than that."

Her long, slender fingers tapped on the table.

"I've already booked the venue, it's Xishan Fenglin Mansion."

Shu Yao was slightly startled when she heard the name.