Chapter 23: Twenty-Third Day as a Salted Fish
Qin Jiaojiao wasn’t someone who naturally accepted others’ kindness with complete ease. This likely had to do with her personality; if someone treated her well, she would instinctively want to return the favor double-fold. She had always believed that no one in this world treated you well for nothing.
Those who were good to you always had an underlying purpose, hoping to gain certain benefits through their kindness. She grew up in a family devoid of warm affection. Her parents gave birth to her and raised her, but when she messed up her exams and failed to meet their expectations, she was exiled. Because of this, her character carried a few flaws.
Zhou Shaoli treated her exceptionally well, perhaps because she was currently his wife in name, or perhaps because he wanted to fulfill the promises he made on the variety show by taking her to watch fashion shows and buying her custom haute couture gowns.
Yet, his kindness toward her was a bit too excessive, leaving her feeling slightly uneasy.
Zhou Shaoli was an remarkably outstanding man. She had to admit she felt a slight favorable impression toward this handsome and wealthy version of Zhou Shaoli—just a slight impression. For now, she had no romantic desire to spend a lifetime together with him.
Precisely because of this, she wanted to return the favor in some way, such as giving him a gift in return.
With something on her mind, she couldn’t quite fall asleep, tossing and turning as she pondered what gift would be suitable for him.
A favored child of fortune like him had never lacked anything since childhood. What kind of novel item could she give that wouldn’t seem perfunctory, yet would actually be to his liking?
After turning off the lights, her eyes quickly adapted to the darkness.
In the dark, Qin Jiaojiao met Zhou Shaoli’s gaze, her heartbeat unhelpfully speeding up for a few seconds. She said apologetically, “Did I disturb you?”
Zhou Shaoli’s voice remained as calm and quiet as ever: “No. What’s wrong?”
Qin Jiaojiao pursed her lips and said, “Just thinking about something.”
Though he couldn’t see her expression clearly in the dark, Zhou Shaoli picked up on a hint of trouble in her tone and asked gently, “What is it? Do you need my help?”
Qin Jiaojiao spoke softly, “I want to give you a gift, but I don’t know what to give…”
Zhou Shaoli was slightly surprised: “Why do you suddenly want to give me a gift?”
“You took me to watch the fashion show and bought me haute couture gowns.” Qin Jiaojiao sighed. “You treat me so well, so I want to return the courtesy and give you a gift too.”
She was actually tossing and turning, unable to sleep, over this matter.
Zhou Shaoli’s heart stirred slightly. Under the covers, his gaze fixed intently on Qin Jiaojiao with deep intensity.
“There’s no need.” He treated her well without needing anything in return; he simply wanted to be good to her because she was his wife.
Qin Jiaojiao insisted, “I must give you one. Is there anything you want?” She paused and added, “Let me state this upfront—I don’t have much money, so I can’t afford anything as outrageously expensive as haute couture.”
Zhou Shaoli went along with her words: “Then anything you give will do.”
“Really anything?” Qin Jiaojiao asked, a hint of testing in her tone.
A faint smile flashed in Zhou Shaoli’s eyes. “Mm, anything is fine.”
Qin Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid he wouldn’t be satisfied with whatever she got, making the gesture backfire. Since he said anything was fine, she could just pick out a gift at random.
A necktie, cufflinks, a brooch… Swiping his card to buy him a gift sounded pretty great.
“Then I’ll think about what to get you tomorrow,” Qin Jiaojiao said in a cheerful tone.
Zhou Shaoli hummed in response.
Having resolved the matter on her mind, Qin Jiaojiao let out a yawn and said, “Time for bed. Good night.”
She closed her eyes, and drowsiness quickly washed over her as she drifted off into a sweet dream. Meanwhile, Zhou Shaoli, who had been woken up by her tossing and turning, found himself somewhat unable to sleep.
She wanted to give him a gift.
In Zhou Shaoli’s usually tranquil heart, a thread of anticipation welled up. What kind of gift would she actually choose for him?
Once Qin Jiaojiao fell fast asleep, her sleeping posture was terrible. Having initially kept a small distance from Zhou Shaoli, she shifted over toward his side after falling asleep, unconsciously drawing closer to his body.
Zhou Shaoli was a light sleeper tonight. The moment she hugged his arm, all his sleepiness vanished into thin air.
He turned his head to look at Qin Jiaojiao, who was clinging to his arm. She was sleeping soundly, hugging his arm tightly with her slender legs draped over his, treating him as if he were a giant teddy bear.
It was a cool summer night, and the air conditioning was running inside the room. Wrapped together under a thin blanket, she was wearing a nightgown, forcing him into close skin-to-skin contact where he could feel the soft, delicate body beneath her dress.
For Zhou Shaoli, this was undeniably an ordeal.
Especially when the other party was his legally wedded wife, and a woman he harbored interest and favorable feelings toward.
Zhou Shaoli lowered his gaze to look at her small, fair face as her breathing remained shallow. Suppressing the heat stirring within him, he gently freed his arm, lifted the blanket, got out of bed, and walked into the bathroom.
Completely oblivious, Qin Jiaojiao slept until she naturally woke up. Finding a plush doll in her arms, she stared at it in a daze.
Wasn’t this plush doll kept in the guest bedroom?
Qin Jiaojiao scratched her hair, wondering if she had been sleepwalking and gone to the guest bedroom in the middle of the night to fetch a plush doll. The thought sent a small chill down her spine, making her shiver slightly.
There were surveillance cameras at home, so she decided she would pull up the footage later to check.
Letting out a yawn, she got up, washed up, and went downstairs to eat the breakfast prepared by the kitchen. She switched on the TV in the living room to boost the view count for Yang Yutong’s new drama, then lazily lay on the sofa scrolling through her phone.
The production crew for Season 2 of Romantic Lovers wouldn’t start filming the third episode until next Tuesday, so she could freely stay home and act as a salted fish for the next few days.
In the afternoon, Qin Jiaojiao applied light makeup and decided to head to the shopping mall to buy a gift for Zhou Shaoli.
Old Li was Zhou Shaoli’s driver, so the driver assigned to her was Xiao Chen—that tall, 1.9-meter-tall man who doubled as her bodyguard.
The high-end shopping mall was fairly empty on non-holidays. Qin Jiaojiao was wearing a pair of black strappy heels today, the slender heels making crisp tap-tap sounds against the mall’s tile floor.
She wore a black suit dress with a tailored fit that highlighted her slender waist, sunglasses resting on her fair, exquisite face, and a bodyguard carrying paper bags trailing behind her—giving off the distinct vibe of a big celebrity on an outing.
After browsing the mall for a bit, Qin Jiaojiao originally considered buying a designer dress shirt for Zhou Shaoli, but on second thought, she decided against it. She wasn’t sure of his exact measurements, and if his clothes were custom-tailored, buying something ill-fitting would just be a waste.
Men’s cufflinks ranged anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan. She browsed around, but nothing caught her eye. Finally, at a custom suit shop, she bought a dark tie embroidered with subtle gold moon patterns.
Zhou Shaoli’s ties always had great style, and she liked the way he looked dressed in a suit and tie—exceptionally noble and elegant.
Swiping Zhou Shaoli’s card, she bought him a tie, along with a new pair of chic high heels featuring unique lettered heels for herself, returning home fully satisfied from her shopping spree.
Just as she arrived home, Qin Jiaojiao received a phone call from Han Xiao: “Madam, President Zhou has an urgent document on his study desk. Could you please help bring it over?”
Holding her phone, Qin Jiaojiao headed upstairs and said, “Don’t hang up yet, I’ll go check the study.”
“It’s a blue folder,” Han Xiao described.
Qin Jiaojiao pushed open the study door and walked in, her gaze landing on the desk. Sure enough, there was a transparent document bag containing a blue folder sitting right there.
“Found it. Send me the headquarters address,” Qin Jiaojiao said, holding the document. “I’ll head over right now.”
Han Xiao thanked her repeatedly: “I’ve already informed the front desk. Once you arrive at the corporate tower, you can take the executive elevator straight upstairs.”
“Got it,” Qin Jiaojiao hung up the call.
Qin Jiaojiao had the driver head straight to the Zhuxing Group corporate headquarters. Since the document was needed for a meeting an hour later, the driver drove very fast, the street scenery flashing past in a blur.
After marrying Zhou Shaoli, the original host and he had lived separate lives and she had never once visited the Zhuxing Group headquarters. Since arriving here, aside from going out to play with Yang Yutong a few times, Qin Jiaojiao hadn’t gone anywhere else either.
This was her very first time visiting the Zhuxing Group corporate headquarters.
Going to the corporate headquarters meant she would see Zhou Shaoli’s subordinates and company employees. As the CEO’s wife, she felt inexplicably nervous yet proud.
The corporate headquarters tower was located in the prime real estate of the city center, surrounded by commercial districts and slightly shorter skyscrapers. Those who worked in this area were the elite of Beijing.
The city center was bustling with crowds. The driver dropped her off outside the building, and under the watchful eyes of security, Qin Jiaojiao entered the lobby.
In the conference room, Zhou Shaoli was listening to subordinates report on recent project development issues. Department managers and subsidiary heads were all gathered in the large conference room, which could accommodate a hundred people.
Having only fallen asleep late last night, Zhou Shaoli had woken up early again, vented some energy in the gym, and hurriedly ate breakfast before rushing to the company, forgetting an important document in his study for the very first time.
It wasn’t until the afternoon meeting that Zhou Shaoli realized he hadn’t brought the document. He had instructed Han Xiao to quickly run back to the courtyard villa to fetch it, hoping that delaying the meeting slightly would give him enough time.
After making the call to Qin Jiaojiao, Han Xiao slipped back into the conference room and whispered in Zhou Shaoli’s ear, “President Zhou, I called Madam. She’ll be bringing the document over in a bit.”
Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, Zhou Shaoli’s eyes lowered slightly, his voice calm and steady: “Understood.”
The project manager was still eloquently presenting, so he needed to focus his attention on listening.
Like an invisible man, Han Xiao silently exited the conference room again without making a disturbance. From time to time, he glanced down at his watch and looked toward the elevator doors.
Arriving at the Zhuxing Group headquarters tower, Qin Jiaojiao walked straight to the front desk and stated clearly and quickly, “Hello, I am Zhou Shaoli’s wife. Could you please take me to the executive elevator? I need to deliver a document to him.”
Hearing this, the front desk receptionist sized her up. The young, gorgeous woman was wearing luxurious clothes, possessing bright eyes and white teeth, clearly looking very wealthy. However, anyone coming to Zhuxing Group to see Zhou Shaoli required an appointment.
“Please wait a moment, I need to make a call to confirm,” the front desk receptionist said.
Just then, another woman hurried over, “Hello, Mrs. Zhou, I am the front desk manager. Please follow me.”
Holding the document, Qin Jiaojiao followed her through the security turnstiles that required keycards, then stepped into Zhou Shaoli’s dedicated executive elevator.
“Oh my gosh, is she really President Zhou’s wife?”
“She’s way too gorgeous! That’s my first time seeing President Zhou’s wife in person, she looks even prettier than celebrities!”
“I actually spoke to President Zhou’s wife! Her voice is so lovely!”
“Seeing her in person really beats hearing about her! She looks way better than in videos and photos!”
The receptionists gathered to gossip, and news of President Zhou’s wife arriving at the corporate tower quickly spread like wildfire through the company group chats.
“President Zhou’s wife came to deliver a document to him, their married bond is so sweet.”
“The Special Assistant to the President previously let slip that President Zhou accompanied his wife to record a variety show. Is that actually true?”
“You haven’t been paying attention? The show airs this Saturday!”
Standing inside the elevator, Qin Jiaojiao checked her appearance in the mirror panel and nodded in satisfaction—her presence was quite grand.
As news spread through the company, Han Xiao, who had been waiting, hurried over to the executive elevator doors to greet her.
When Qin Jiaojiao stepped out of the executive elevator, she handed the document to Han Xiao: “Is this the one?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Han Xiao called over a secretary.
“Madam, I’ll take the document to President Zhou first. The secretary will take you to President Zhou’s office. The meeting will take about another hour, so if you need anything, just tell the secretary.”
Qin Jiaojiao nodded: “Go ahead and attend to your work.”
Han Xiao hurried off to the conference room in quick steps. The secretary was a woman in her thirties, dressed in a black professional suit with an elite appearance, her voice carrying a touch of cautious deference.
“Madam, please follow me this way.”
Qin Jiaojiao followed her to Zhou Shaoli’s office, where the secretary opened the door and led her over to the sofa.
“Madam, what would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?”
Qin Jiaojiao sat down on the sofa and said, “Just a cup of light tea will do.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.” The secretary went outside and brought her a cup of light tea, saying, “Madam, I will be right outside. If you need anything, just step out and call for me.”
“Okay,” Qin Jiaojiao smiled gently.
As the secretary stepped out of the office, Qin Jiaojiao picked up her tea for a small sip, her eyes taking in Zhou Shaoli’s office.
This was her first time visiting his office. The space was massive, decorated in a simple yet refined and luxurious layout. The dark leather sofa was soft and comfortable, and an exquisite tea set was arranged on the coffee table.
The Zhuxing Group corporate headquarters tower had one hundred floors, and Zhou Shaoli’s office was situated on the ninety-eighth floor. From this high vantage point, one could take in the full view of the steel architectural skyline of Beijing’s central district. Facing south, the office featured a massive floor-to-ceiling window.
Qin Jiaojiao set down her teacup, stood up, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. From this angle, she could look down upon the entire southern part of the city, standing before the glass window with a feeling of having the world beneath her feet.
Qin Jiaojiao touched the glass with her hand, gazing down at the traffic below that moved like migrating ants. She sighed inwardly; no wonder everyone wanted to climb to the top. This feeling of having power, ambition, and desire within one’s grasp was truly marvelous.
After enjoying the view for a moment, Qin Jiaojiao returned to sit on the sofa, pulling out her phone to read webnovels. Having gone shopping in the afternoon and then rushing straight over to Zhuxing Group to deliver the document without any rest, she felt a bit sleepy.
After reading for a short while, Qin Jiaojiao fell asleep.
Over on the other side, Han Xiao delivered the document to Zhou Shaoli.
The man looked up at him, slender fingers tapping on the desk. Han Xiao instantly understood, leaning down to lower his voice: “Madam is resting in your office.”
Zhou Shaoli gave a slight nod, opened the folder, carefully checked it over, and then looked up to resume discussions with the project development department.
Time ticked away, and the meeting concluded smoothly. The subordinates left one after another, while Han Xiao tidied up the materials on the table and followed Zhou Shaoli back toward the office.
He opened the office door for Zhou Shaoli and saw Qin Jiaojiao asleep on the sofa. Quickly placing the materials onto the desk, he quietly backed out.
Zhou Shaoli walked over to the sofa with long strides, looking down at Qin Jiaojiao, who was sleeping on her side.
The indoor air conditioning was set a bit low. She was hugging her arms, slightly curled up and looking cold. Finding the remote control, he turned up the temperature, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over her.
Her figure was slender and delicate; the oversized suit jacket covered her from her shoulders down to the middle of her thighs, leaving her smooth, fair calves exposed to the air. His gaze landed on her legs.
She was wearing strappy high heels today, the black silk ribbons wrapping from her lovely ankles up to her calves, looking sexy and alluring.
Zhou Shaoli sat down near her feet, gently placing her foot onto his lap. Extending his well-defined hands, he unraveled the wrapped ribbons for her, loop by loop, like unwrapping a gift.
His large palm cupped her slender ankle, fitting around it perfectly, as he slowly helped her take off her shoes.
Qin Jiaojiao slept deeply. Even as he removed both shoes, she wasn’t disturbed in the slightest, nestling half her face into his suit jacket and sleeping comfortably.
Having been busy all day, Zhou Shaoli leaned back against the sofa to rest, quietly sitting beside her for a short while before getting up to return to his desk.
He handled work behind his desk, occasionally looking over at the sofa.
At dusk, smelling a faint aroma of ebony agarwood, Qin Jiaojiao woke up and opened her eyes, feeling a bit dazed.
She stayed still for a moment before remembering where she was. As she sat up, the suit jacket draped over her slid down to cover her legs.
Qin Jiaojiao turned her gaze toward the desk. Zhou Shaoli was wearing fine gold-rimmed glasses over his high nose bridge and a dark dress shirt, his head lowered as he attentively processed work. The overhead light cast a faint, misty halo around him.
Withdrawing her gaze, she curled her toes slightly—where were her shoes?
Who took off her shoes?
Zhou Shaoli?
Thinking of Zhou Shaoli unhurriedly untying the ribbons on her legs and removing the high heels from her feet made her face feel slightly warm.
Lowering her head, she found her high heels neatly placed on the floor. She set the suit jacket on the sofa, picked up her shoes to put them back on, and tied the ribbons securely.
Once her shoes were on, Qin Jiaojiao hugged the suit jacket and walked over to the desk.
Hearing the crisp sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor, Zhou Shaoli raised his eyes to look at Qin Jiaojiao, who carried a hint of languid freshness from just waking up: “You’re awake.”
Qin Jiaojiao handed the suit to him: “Your jacket.”
Zhou Shaoli took the jacket and put it on, asking, “There’s still half an hour before off-work time. Are you hungry?”
“Not hungry.” Qin Jiaojiao shook her head. “I can wait for you.”
“Mm.” Zhou Shaoli’s gaze was mild: “There are pastries in the break room, I’ll have the secretary bring some in.”
A smile bloomed on Qin Jiaojiao’s face: “I’ll go check it out myself.”
She walked out of the office with light steps. The moment the secretary saw her, she quickly came over to greet her: “Madam.”
“Where is the break room?” Qin Jiaojiao asked.
The secretary hurriedly said, “Madam, please follow me.”
The break room was not far from Zhou Shaoli’s office. Following the secretary inside, the spacious and simple break room looked like a luxuriously decorated lounge, stocked with coffee, drinks, tea, and pastries.
The company perks were truly amazing, Qin Jiaojiao marveled inwardly, grabbing a small plate to load up a few pastries before heading back to the office.
After filling her stomach with a few pieces of cake, Qin Jiaojiao picked up her phone to reply to messages. Romantic Lovers was set to air the day after tomorrow, and the show director and editing crew were reaching out to discuss some details with her.
The show would be viewed nationwide upon broadcast and would impact the guests in various ways, making the editing stage particularly crucial.
After replying to the show crew’s messages, she remembered that Jin Mingzhu had a stage performance in a few days. She had promised to attend back then, but didn’t know if Zhou Shaoli would have time; if he was busy, she would just go alone.
Half an hour later, Zhou Shaoli finished his work and sent Han Xiao a message stating he was leaving. Thus, Special Assistant Han once again showed off in the group chat: 【(Confident Dog) Off work!】
【President Zhou is leaving early today?】
【Since Madam came over, President Zhou is definitely leaving early to accompany her home.】
【Wow, I’m so jealous, President Zhou dotes on his wife so much.】
Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli took the executive elevator downstairs. Passing through the lobby, many employees cast attentive gazes over. Qin Jiaojiao straightened her back and calmly followed Zhou Shaoli, enjoying the spotlight as they walked out of the building.
Zhou Shaoli pulled open the car door for her with one hand while placing his other hand over her head to prevent her from bumping it. These subtle details were seen by the spectating employees, setting off a wave of chatter.
“President Zhou opening the car door for Madam is so thoughtful and attentive.”
“Who on earth spread rumors that President Zhou and Madam have a strained relationship? The couple clearly has a super great relationship.”
“I’m shipping this so hard, it’s so sweet! President Zhou dotes on his wife way too much.”
The driver drove in the direction of the courtyard villa.
Inside the car, Qin Jiaojiao said to Zhou Shaoli, “I went shopping this afternoon.”
Zhou Shaoli looked at her.
Qin Jiaojiao’s eyes sparkled bright with a smile: “Didn’t we talk about buying you a gift last night? I went shopping and bought it for you this afternoon.”
“What did you buy?” Zhou Shaoli asked.
Qin Jiaojiao blinked and said, “It’s a secret, you can unwrap it yourself when we get home.”
Auntie Zhang had the kitchen prepare Western cuisine for dinner. After finishing dinner, Qin Jiaojiao called Zhou Shaoli into the bedroom and retrieved the exquisitely packaged box from the walk-in closet.
“Here, your gift.”
Zhou Shaoli reached out to take the box and untied the ribbon. As he untied it, he inexplicably recalled taking off her shoes in his office this afternoon and unwrapping the ribbons from her calf loop by loop.
The fleeting thought passed, and he opened the box to reveal the gift inside.
An exquisite suit tie.
The dark tie was embroidered with subtle gold moon patterns, looking exceptionally tasteful and handsome.
“Do you like it?” Qin Jiaojiao looked up at him and asked.
A faint look of delight flashed in Zhou Shaoli’s eyes as his well-defined fingers picked up the tie, his tone rising slightly: “I like it.”
In the past for his birthdays, he would receive gifts from family members—nothing more than yachts, wineries, horse ranches, or other unoriginal assets, while a few close friends would send him sports cars, famous watches, and other precious gifts.
The tie she sent wasn’t the most expensive gift, but he liked it very much.
Qin Jiaojiao said, “Try putting it on.”
Zhou Shaoli hadn’t showered or changed yet, still wearing today’s suit, so pairing it with the tie she bought should be very fitting.
Zhou Shaoli’s fingers stroked the smooth silk tie as he lowered his eyes to look at her, asking in a calm tone, “Could I trouble you to help me tie it?”
Qin Jiaojiao let out a soft ah, saying haltingly, “I’ve never tied a necktie for anyone before, I don’t know how.”
“I’ll teach you,” Zhou Shaoli said gently.
Qin Jiaojiao’s heart gave a sudden thump. She looked up to check his expression, but Zhou Shaoli’s handsome face was calm, not looking like he was flirting at all, so she agreed: “Okay then.”
In truth, when she bought the tie this afternoon, the sales associate had asked who it was for. When she said it was for her husband, the associate had taught her how to tie one on someone.
Zhou Shaoli unfastened the tie around his neck and slowly showed her the steps, “How about it? Did you catch that?”
Holding the new tie she bought him, Qin Jiaojiao said, “Let me try.”
The man was much taller than her, requiring her to stand on tip-toes. She gestured for him to lower his head, wrapping the tie around his slender, handsome neck.
A faint scent of ebony agarwood drifted over, wafting from his body into her nose. The tips of Qin Jiaojiao’s ears turned slightly warm, her hands holding the tie trembling slightly, her gaze only daring to land on his neck.
His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, looking immensely sexy.
The room was exceedingly quiet, so quiet that they could almost hear each other’s heartbeats, an ambiguous atmosphere flowing through the air.
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