Chapter 78: Seventy-Eighth Day as a Salted Fish
Yang Yutong had taken time off to attend the grand opening of Qin Jiaojiao’s flower shop. Since the two of them had finally found a moment to catch up, she wanted to ditch Xiao Rui and have dinner with Qin Jiaojiao alone. “You can head back first. Jiaojiao and I are going out to eat.”
Xiao Rui had spent the entire day entertaining guests, packing orders, and moving stock. Exhausted, he stuck close to Yang Yutong’s side, looking at her with pitiful, longing eyes like a puppy waiting to be brought home. “Sister-in-law already said she’s treating us to dinner. Why won’t you let me come along? Lanting State Banquet is my restaurant—no one knows which dishes are the best better than I do. Just let me tag along, please?”
Yang Yutong glanced at him, finding him a bit in the way. How could someone be this clingy? Xiao Rui had never been spurned by a woman in his life; the more she acted like this, the more infatuated he became.
“Tongtong, I’ve been working hard all day. Can’t I even have a meal with you guys?”
Qin Jiaojiao cast a glance at him and smiled. “I called Zhou Shaoli over. Let’s all eat together. We can catch up privately tomorrow after I get off work.”
Yang Yutong had no choice but to let Xiao Rui tag along.
Since Zhou Shaoli’s company was relatively close to the flower shop, Qin Jiaojiao told Xiao Rui to drive ahead with Yang Yutong while she waited at the storefront for a short while.
“Then we’ll see you in the private room at Lanting State Banquet.” Yang Yutong left together with Xiao Rui.
Qin Jiaojiao supervised the staff as they tidied up the shop, locked the doors, and watched them leave safely. She then pulled out her phone and walked over to the curb.
“Are you here?”
Zhou Shaoli’s pleasant, magnetic voice came through the receiver: “Look to your left. My car is parked by the roadside.”
Qin Jiaojiao turned her head to the left. Parked along the curb was Zhou Shaoli’s understated yet immensely luxurious car, its hazard lights flashing softly. She stepped over to it.
Opening the door, she slid into the seat.
Zhou Shaoli had changed into a fresh suit—a dark shirt paired with a tie embroidered with subtle gold thread patterns. He exuded an aura of cool, chaste restraint.
After buckling her seatbelt, Qin Jiaojiao leaned over and collapsed against him, resting her head on his shoulder with total naturalness. “I’m completely exhausted.”
Zhou Shaoli tilted his head toward her. “Should I give you a massage when we get home?”
Qin Jiaojiao held up her hand in front of him. “My wrists are so sore. Give me a massage right now.”
She hadn’t done any heavy physical labor today, but she had been swamped helping with packing and cashiering. She had also handwritten several greeting cards in her notoriously abysmal handwriting. When the fans who came to buy flowers saw her chicken-scratch handwriting, every single one of them wore an expression of sheer disbelief. She had offered to let someone else rewrite them, but none of them agreed—they insisted on having cards written personally by her.
Thinking back on it now, it was still pretty amusing.
Zhou Shaoli held her slender hand in his, using his long, well-defined fingers to expertly massage her wrist, sending a tingling sensation through the soreness.
“The flower shop’s revenue today was nearly fifty thousand yuan!” Qin Jiaojiao was thrilled. Making this much on opening day meant that if every day were this profitable, she would quickly earn back her initial investment in rent and interior decor.
Zhou Shaoli praised her softly: “It seems my wife has quite a talent for making money.”
Qin Jiaojiao felt a bit embarrassed by his words. In a city like Beijing where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold—and especially within elite society—a few tens of thousand yuan might just cover a single dinner bill. Still, this was the very first bucket of gold she had earned by herself, giving her a genuine sense of accomplishment.
“Dinner is on me tonight!” Qin Jiaojiao announced generously.
A subtle glint of amusement rippled through Zhou Shaoli’s eyes. “Alright.”
The driver pulled up to Lanting State Banquet. Qin Jiaojiao linked her arm through Zhou Shaoli’s, and together they stepped inside the establishment. The greeter at the door asked politely:
“Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
Knowing that Qin Jiaojiao was hosting dinner at Lanting State Banquet, Xiao Rui had cleared out the finest private room long in advance. Qin Jiaojiao gave the name, and the waiter led the two upstairs to the private room offering the absolute best view.
Yang Yutong and Xiao Rui had already arrived and were sitting on the couch inside. Xiao Rui had one arm draped around Yang Yutong while holding up his phone, eagerly sharing gossip with her.
Yang Yutong loved surfing the web, while Xiao Rui—who moved across various high-society circles—never lacked tea to spill. At that moment, he was filling her in on a hospital scandal.
“The hospital misdiagnosed this woman as not pregnant, so she took medication by mistake and ended up having a miscarriage. The three family members started making a huge scene, marching up and down the hospital with banners, demanding over a million yuan in compensation. The hospital refused to be taken for a ride and pay such a ridiculous sum, so the woman threw a tantrum and threatened to jump off the building. It caused quite a commotion, but it got hushed up…”
The moment Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli entered the private room, Xiao Rui—who had been languidly wrapping his arm around Yang Yutong—instantly sat bolt upright and withdrew his hand from her shoulder.
Qin Jiaojiao set her handbag on an empty chair and asked, “What were you two chatting about?”
Yang Yutong scurried over to sit on her right side. “Some hospital gossip. A woman got misdiagnosed while pregnant, ended up miscarrying, and went to make a scene at the hospital. Both sides are currently embroiled in a lawsuit.”
Qin Jiaojiao suddenly remembered how Shen Xiaoshan had bled during the variety show filming in the desert. She wondered if the baby in her belly was alright.
Then again, none of that had much to do with her.
Zhou Shaoli pulled out the chair to Qin Jiaojiao’s left and sat down.
Xiao Rui stole a glance at Zhou Shaoli, scrambled over to sit beside Yang Yutong, and picked up the menu. “Sister-in-law, I went ahead and ordered a few dishes. Take a look and see if you want to add anything else.”
Qin Jiaojiao picked up the menu and scanned it. The dishes Xiao Rui ordered weren’t exorbitantly priced luxuries, but there wasn’t enough to feed four people.
“I’ll add a few more dishes.”
Qin Jiaojiao leaned closer to Zhou Shaoli with the menu to consult him on what else to order. Zhou Shaoli had no objections; whatever she wanted to eat, they ordered.
Watching the picture-perfect harmony between the couple, Xiao Rui and Yang Yutong traded looks, quietly remaining silent so as not to interrupt them.
Xiao Rui had been friends with Zhou Shaoli for over twenty years, yet he had never seen him act this gentle. He found it utterly mind-boggling. Cutting the ribbon, bringing gifts, helping out in a tiny flower shop like an ordinary guy just to support his wife—if anyone claimed Zhou Shaoli hadn’t fallen for Qin Jiaojiao, nobody would believe it.
Is this what love is like? Capable of completely transforming a person?
Xiao Rui’s gaze shifted toward Yang Yutong, a wave of emotion stirring in his chest. Wasn’t he the exact same way? He had fallen head over heels and dedicated himself to someone, only to be spurned for being annoying.
Once Qin Jiaojiao finished ordering, she turned to ask Yang Yutong, “How have things been for you in Haicheng this past month? How is the hotel management going?”
Yang Yutong’s expression instantly turned miserable. “You have no idea how bizarre hotel guests can be! Burned the carpet with cigarette butts and refused to pay for damages, inspected room cleanliness with a magnifying glass, and then there were the petty thieves who stole everything they could lay hands on…”
“Until you work in the industry, you truly don’t realize what kind of people are out there. Thank goodness the two assistants President Zhou assigned were super capable—they helped me out a ton.”
Yang Yutong looked toward Zhou Shaoli and said, “President Zhou, I must propose a toast to you later.”
Zhou Shaoli replied indifferently, “You are Jiaojiao’s friend. There’s no need for such formalities.”
“No, no, I insist!” Yang Yutong said repeatedly.
A knock sounded at the door, and the waiters arrived with the food. Soon, the table was laden with an array of exquisite dishes. The restaurant manager personally came over bearing a platter with a bottle of precious fine wine.
Xiao Rui said, “Brother Shaoli, Sister-in-law, I’ve been hoarding this bottle, reluctant to touch it. But today is the grand opening of Sister-in-law’s new store, so I brought it out to uncork. Let’s have a few glasses to celebrate.”
Zhou Shaoli said, “Jiaojiao can’t hold her alcohol well. Bring her a glass of fruit wine instead.”
Qin Jiaojiao grabbed his arm. “I’m happy today. I can drink a few glasses.”
Zhou Shaoli glanced at her and gave a slight nod. “Alright.”
Xiao Rui dismissed the manager and servers, personally pouring wine for all four of them.
Qin Jiaojiao raised her glass. “Come on, let’s toast!”
The four glasses clinked together, the crisp sound ringing with promises of a bright future as laughter and joyful banter filled the private room.
The meal lasted until after ten in the evening, long after Lanting State Banquet had closed its doors to regular patrons. Half-tipsy, Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes glittered with brightness, and a faint smile hovered on her red lips.
Zhou Shaoli hadn’t drunk much. Wrapping an arm around Qin Jiaojiao’s waist, he bade farewell to Xiao Rui at the entrance of Lanting State Banquet and ushered her back into the car.
The driver started the engine, setting off on the road back to the courtyard villa.
In the quiet of the dark night, the black sedan sped forward. Streetlights flashed past the windows, casting faint reflections inside the vehicle.
Qin Jiaojiao let down her styled hair, letting her softly curled black tresses cascade down over her shoulders. Leaning against the man’s shoulder, she caught the faint, pleasant fragrance wafting off him.
From time to time, Zhou Shaoli glanced down at the woman beside him, keeping a close eye on how she was feeling.
Qin Jiaojiao took his hand, sliding her slender fingers between his long, well-defined ones to interlock them tightly. Though her head felt slightly lightheaded, her spirits were remarkably high.
“Zhou Shaoli.”
“Mm,” Zhou Shaoli responded softly.
The corners of Qin Jiaojiao’s lips curved upward. “I’m so happy.”
Zhou Shaoli replied, “I can tell.”
Although he couldn’t quite fathom why Jiaojiao was so thrilled when her flower shop’s official opening day revenue was less than the price of one of her dresses, seeing her so happy brought a deep sense of contentment to his own heart.
Qin Jiaojiao kept her eyes fluttered shut. Looking back on everything she had been through, Zhou Shaoli had remained by her side through it all. Today, she truly felt as though she had broken free from her fate as a mere comparison group character.
Everyone around her was going to get better step by step.
When the car finally pulled up outside the courtyard villa, Qin Jiaojiao said softly and limply, “I don’t have any strength left. Carry me.”
Zhou Shaoli stepped out of the vehicle, opened the door on Qin Jiaojiao’s side, leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt, and lifted her into his arms before the driver pulled away.
Holding her in his arms, Zhou Shaoli keyed in the passcode and pushed the door open to step inside.
The moonlight night was serene, highlighting the courtyard villa’s rockery landscaping and gentle flowing water. Zhou Shaoli carried her into the living room, switched on the lights, and took the indoor elevator upstairs.
Inside the bedroom, the air was filled with a refreshing fragrance, the windows left open to allow ventilation. Zhou Shaoli set her down on the sofa, walked over to close the windows, drew the curtains, and returned to sit beside her.
Qin Jiaojiao rolled over, her voice slightly raspy. “I’m thirsty. I want water.”
Zhou Shaoli picked up the pitcher on the table, poured a glass of water, and gathered her into his chest to help her drink.
The alcohol served at dinner had a strong lingering effect; Qin Jiaojiao pursed her lips around the glass and gulped down the water greedily. Her body felt hot and flushed, her head spinning slightly. In the muggy summer heat, she was only wearing a delicate dress, making her want to shed it immediately.
Hearing her mumble groggily that she was hot, Zhou Shaoli turned on the air conditioner and lowered the temperature, then fed her another half glass of water.
Having quenched her parched throat, Qin Jiaojiao opened her eyes and climbed onto Zhou Shaoli’s lap. She hadn’t taken off her shoes yet, so clad in slim high heels, she sat half-kneeling across his lap.
The bedroom lights shone brightly, falling over the man’s handsome features.
Zhou Shaoli watched her silently.
Qin Jiaojiao extended a slender finger, tracing his brows and eyes before sliding down the bridge of his nose to touch his cheek, continuing down until her fingertip reached his Adam’s apple. Under her touch, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Suddenly, Zhou Shaoli caught her hand, his eyes darkening significantly.
The hand grasping hers wore an expensive wristwatch; the prominent veins on the back of his hand exuded an irresistible, restrained temptation.
Qin Jiaojiao leaned up and kissed him on the lips.
Zhou Shaoli unbuckled his wristwatch, set it on the coffee table, and firmly cupped her slender waist with both hands. Lowering his head, he captured her red lips, prying her teeth open to drive deep inside, tasting the sweet, alcoholic tang remaining in her mouth.
Qin Jiaojiao looped her arms around his neck, tilting her head back slightly to let him dominate her forcefully. As their wet tongues tangled, her heart rate accelerated, and the burning heat coursing through her body grew even more intense.
After a long, deep kiss, Zhou Shaoli pulled back slightly. Glistening moisture remained on Qin Jiaojiao’s lips, and her eyes glistened like ripples on water. Lowering his head, Zhou Shaoli kissed her once more, slowly rubbing and gently nibbling against her lips before trailing his kisses down her delicate chin, sucking gently at her neck, sending a strangely electrifying tingle through her entire body.