My stepmother forced me to donate bone marrow, so I retaliated by slapping my scumbag father in the

Ten minutes later, Wang Yu came out after changing into his swimming trunks.

He deliberately draped the towel over his shoulder, exposing his upper body.

Regular exercise has definitely had some effect; I have definition in my abs and my chest muscles are quite noticeable.

Several colleagues were very accommodating.

"Sure, Manager Wang."

"Practice makes all the difference."

"Those abs are pretty defined."

"No wonder he dared to be the first one out."

Wang Yu's confidence soared, and he waved his hand with a smile: "It's just average, not at a professional level."

The words had barely left his mouth when the locker room door was pushed open.

Shen Ze walked out, and in that instant, it was as if someone had suddenly silenced the stream.

Shen Ze was wearing only black swimming trunks, his figure fully exposed to everyone.

His shoulders and back are broad but not bulky, his waist and abdomen are slender, and his eight-pack abs are clear but not exaggerated. The proportions of each abs are just right.

Muscles are not bulky blocks that are artificially built up in the gym, but rather smooth, firm, and clean.

Combined with his face and upright posture, he seemed to blend a boy's refreshing look with a man's strength.

Several female employees gasped on the spot.

"My God..."

"Is this body type even real?"

"Manager Wang looked quite good just now, but as soon as Mr. Shen came out, I suddenly felt..."

"Stop talking, Manager Wang has already lost."

"Quick, take a picture!"

Many people immediately took out their phones.

Some people were taking photos, some were recording videos, and some were blushing so much they didn't dare look for too long, yet they couldn't help but steal glances.

Yu Binglan stood to the side, her face also turning red.

She knew Shen Ze had a good physique, but when she actually saw him, her heart still skipped a beat.

Especially with so many girls watching, she felt a little inexplicably dissatisfied.

Shen Ze walked to her side and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Yu Binglan turned her face away: "It's nothing."

If Jiang Huan were here, she would definitely be able to tell at a glance that she was jealous.

But Shen Ze just smiled and didn't expose him.

Wang Yu stood rooted to the spot, frozen like a block of wood.

The colleagues who were praising him just moments ago are now all staring at Shen Ze.

His abs instantly became a mere backdrop compared to Shen Ze's.

One female employee even whispered, "Manager Wang is good too, but you can't compare them."

Another chimed in, "Yeah, it looks alright on its own, but it's just average compared to others."

Wang Yu's face turned green. He had originally wanted to show off his physique while swimming and embarrass Shen Ze.

As soon as Shen Ze appeared, he was instantly relegated to the background.

The most embarrassing thing is that his earlier statement, "I'm afraid I won't go into the water because I'm not in good shape," came back to haunt him like a boomerang.

Wang Yu felt increasingly uncomfortable standing there, and finally could only silently pick up his clothes, put them on, and hide to the side.

Several male colleagues watched his retreating figure and chuckled in hushed tones.

"Manager Wang is really in a bad situation."

"I just wanted to show off, but I ran into a real genius."

"He probably won't dare to mention working out again."

"Mr. Shen, that's what you call low-key. Who knew it would be this extravagant before he showed it off?"

Wang Yu heard a few words and his face burned, but he could only pretend he hadn't heard them.

In the evening, everyone rested and checked into the holiday villa.

Xingchen Group employees are assigned rooms according to their departments, with most people living on the first floor and in several adjacent townhouses.

As the president, Yu Binglan lives on the second floor of the main villa.

Shen Ze's room was specially arranged by her next door, and only the two of them lived on this floor.

The news caused an uproar in the employee group chat.

"Are only Mr. Yu and Mr. Shen on the second floor?"

"This arrangement is way too obvious."

"Mr. Yu is usually such a cautious person, but he actually took the initiative to arrange for Mr. Shen to stay next door."

"Stop talking, I'm totally obsessed."

"Manager Wang probably won't be able to sleep tonight."

As it turned out, Wang Yu really couldn't sleep.

He stood on his room's balcony, looking at the lights on the second floor of the main villa, feeling a mix of sadness and unease.

During the day, he was humiliated twice by Shen Ze, once for physical strength and once for his physique.

But Shen Ze never deliberately targeted him from beginning to end, and this kind of light and easy crushing made him feel even more uncomfortable.

After nightfall.

The resort area quieted down, the mountain breeze rustled through the treetops, and the distant stream murmured softly.

Shen Ze carried a plate of washed peaches to Yu Binglan's door and knocked.

The door opened quickly.

Yu Binglan changed into a light-colored nightgown, with a thin coat draped over her shoulders. Her long hair was loose over her shoulders, and her face no longer showed the assertiveness she had during the day, only gentleness.

Seeing the peach in Shen Ze's hand, she paused for a moment, then asked, "How did you know I like this?"

Shen Ze said, "It was your favorite food when we were little."

Yu Binglan's eyes softened instantly.

When I was a child, there was an old fruit stand near Anpingli that sold peaches every summer.

Before she was taken away by the Yu family, her favorite fruit was this kind of sweet and soft peach.

Once, Shen Ze won a fight against several kids who were bullying her. He had abrasions on his arm, but he used the spare change he had saved to buy her a peach.

She had remembered that taste for many years, and she never expected that Shen Ze would remember it too.

"Come in."

Yu Binglan stepped aside to let him in. The room was warmly lit, and outside the window was the night view of the mountains.

Shen Ze placed the plate on the small table.

Yu Binglan picked up a piece of peach, took a bite, and the sweetness melted in her mouth. She whispered, "It still tastes like it did when I was a child."

Shen Ze sat across from her: "Back then, after you finished eating, you complained that I hadn't bought enough."

Yu Binglan looked up: "You still say I'm greedy?"

"Isn't that right?"

"No," Yu Binglan retorted softly, a smile on her face.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and then the room fell silent.

Silence isn't awkward; it just means there's no need to rush to say everything.

Yu Binglan looked at Shen Ze, and the impulse in her heart was gradually becoming uncontrollable.

She has been searching for him for so many years, from Chengdu to Shanghai, from a little girl to the president of Xingchen Group.

She had met too many people and rejected too many people, but the only one she truly wanted to get close to was the person in front of her.

"Brother Shen Ze".

"Um?"

Yu Binglan stood up and walked up to him; she rarely took the initiative like this.

Normally, she could remain calm when discussing projects worth billions, but at this moment, just being near Shen Ze made her fingertips tighten slightly.

Shen Ze looked up at her.

Yu Binglan bit her lip, then suddenly stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his lips.

It was very light and awkward, as if it had mustered all its courage.

Shen Ze paused for a moment, then reached out to support her waist and bowed his head in response.

Yu Binglan trembled slightly, her fingers instinctively gripping the hem of Shen Ze's clothes.

The kiss went from awkward to passionate, and her face grew increasingly red, her breathing becoming erratic.

Shen Ze held her firmly in his arms, not letting her back away, nor rushing to take things further.

This intimacy was enough to make Yu Binglan's heart race; she had never been this close to any man before.

This was her first kiss, and the first time she willingly gave it away.

After a long while, Yu Binglan gently nudged Shen Ze's shoulder.

Shen Ze stopped and looked at her reddened eyes: "What's wrong?"

Yu Binglan lowered her head and said in a very soft voice, "Let's... let's not."

Shen Ze didn't press her, he just loosened his grip a little: "Okay."