Farewell, Ruolan

Because it had been so long since they last saw each other, the intensity of their intimacy was exceptionally fierce this time.

You Man was so exhausted that even her hair was drenched in sweat.

She couldn't even keep her eyes open, simply closing them as she panted softly, "I... I have no strength left, Xiao Yi... I need to sleep for a bit."

Zhou Yi kissed her forehead and said, "Alright, you rest first. I have some business to attend to."

You Man nodded, half-awake and half-asleep. "Mmh... okay..."

After leaving the villa, Zhou Yi had his driver take him to the courtyard house.

On the way, he made a phone call to Jiang Ruolan.

"Hello, Ruolan, have you arrived?"

Jiang Ruolan checked her watch and replied, "President Zhou, I just got off the plane. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

"Okay, no rush. I'll head over first and wait for you."

Zhou Yi dropped his luggage off at the courtyard house and immediately went to the location he had agreed upon with Jiang Ruolan.

To open a company in City A, Jiang Ruolan was an indispensable right-hand woman.

Come to think of it, he had so much to deal with upon his return to Huaihai that he hadn't even found the time to see her.

Yet, Jiang Ruolan didn't complain in the slightest. She reported her work progress to him every day and handled company affairs with perfect order.

If one were to talk about a virtuous helpmate, both Jiang Ruolan and You Man fit the description—one for his personal life, and one for his professional life.

Jiang Ruolan was beaming from the moment she stepped off the plane.

Finally, she could see him.

Her longing for Zhou Yi was no less than that of any other woman, but she was sensible and would never throw petty tantrums.

On the contrary, she wanted to excel even more in her work to make Zhou Yi look at her with new respect.

She never did anything that would disappoint him.

Jiang Ruolan arrived at the Hualian Tower carrying a stack of documents.

This was the space Xie Tingwan had arranged for him; the rent was half the market rate of other companies.

Originally, Xie Tingwan had offered the space rent-free, but Zhou Yi wouldn't accept that. In the end, they agreed that he would pay half, which Xie Tingwan accepted reluctantly.

There was no other reason for this generosity other than this being Xie family territory, and Xie Tingwan had the authority to do so.

It seemed that during the few days Zhou Yi had been away, some events had transpired within the Xie family that he wasn't aware of.

Xie Tingwan told him that she had convinced her father she didn't need to marry for a political alliance, and she had successfully entered the branch company as a director.

Zhou Yi hadn't misjudged her; Xie Tingwan was no ordinary woman.

Although he didn't know what methods she had used—she likely didn't want Zhou Yi to see her darker, more ruthless side—she didn't go into detail, and Zhou Yi didn't ask.

Knowing that Zhou Yi had come to Huaihai, her first instinct was to treat him to dinner.

Even if it was just for the sake of the rent arrangement, Zhou Yi couldn't very well refuse, so he agreed to have dinner with Xie Tingwan over the weekend.

Originally, they could have met at school, but Xie Tingwan was already interning at the company and couldn't see Zhou Yi on campus.

The Xie family's building housed many recognizable companies. Hearing that Zhou Yi's Huanyu was moving in caused quite a ripple of excitement.

This was because Moyin was simply too popular; there wasn't a single internet-related company that wasn't envious.

By now, people had become almost inseparable from the app.

In just one short month, the software had become as pervasive as air, discussed everywhere.

There were influencers making a fortune taking ads on Moyin.

Celebrities were joining Moyin and gaining followers rapidly.

Even ordinary people were going viral just by sharing their daily lives.

The live-streaming sector was also starting to heat up.

The number of investment proposals Zhou Yi received had multiplied significantly.

However, Zhou Yi didn't have time to worry about these things. Anyway, with Jiang Ruolan and Gao Si there, nothing would go wrong.

Zhou Yi sat in the office waiting for Jiang Ruolan.

The door was suddenly pushed open. The woman looked just as she did when they first met, wearing a black Armani coat—elegant, beautiful, mature, and steady.

Jiang Ruolan leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow slightly. Her smile was overwhelmingly seductive. "President Zhou, long time no see."

Her S-shaped figure was perfectly outlined by her shirt and short skirt.

Today, she was wearing rimless glasses, which made her look more intellectual. The vibe of being both pure and sultry was perfectly highlighted on her.

The glasses slightly suppressed the intensity of her eyes.

Zhou Yi smiled from behind the desk. "Long time no see, Assistant Jiang."

One called him "President Zhou," the other called her "Assistant Jiang."

Clearly addressing each other by their titles, yet there was a lingering, ambiguous atmosphere.

No matter how you listened to it, it sounded like flirting.

Jiang Ruolan placed the documents in front of Zhou Yi, leaning both hands on the desk. Her shirt could barely contain her full bosom.

She asked in a teasing tone:

"President Zhou, the documents you wanted are all here. I've been working tirelessly for a long time recently. How do you plan to reward this hardworking subordinate of yours?"

Jiang Ruolan had the aura of a sophisticated woman, a unique intellectual charm found in highly educated individuals that was very attractive.

Zhou Yi smiled back. "Whatever reward Assistant Jiang wants, I will certainly satisfy it."

Jiang Ruolan's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a look full of myriad sentiments. She leaned down slightly and whispered into Zhou Yi's ear:

"I've rented an apartment nearby. Would President Zhou be interested in coming to my place for a visit?"

Since Jiang Ruolan was hinting so strongly, Zhou Yi naturally understood what she was saying.

"Naturally. Ruolan has moved into a new home; that's a housewarming joy I should celebrate. I should go."

There was no need for beating around the bush between adults. Jiang Ruolan smiled immediately; both understood the subtext of the other's words.

"Then when will President Zhou do me the honor?"

"Hmm... let's make it the day after tomorrow."

"Then it's a deal. President Zhou, you can't go back on your word."

"I won't. I'll come find you after I report to the school and finish my transfer procedures over the next two days."

"It's a promise."

The two adults, fully aware of each other's intentions, set the time just like that.

Jiang Ruolan didn't actually have an overwhelming need to relieve physical desire, but she wanted to be closer to Zhou Yi, and this was the only way she could think of.

She believed that Zhou Yi would naturally have a bit more affection for a woman with whom he had been physically intimate. That was beyond doubt.

She could feel the difference.

At the very least, now when she joked with Zhou Yi, he didn't dodge it; he accepted flirting with her.

If you asked her, this kind of superior-subordinate flirting was even more thrilling.

Moreover, she was a normal urban woman, and as a woman, she was extremely satisfied with Zhou Yi's physique.

The thought of that crazy night made her feel a sudden ripple of arousal.

After the flirting ended, Jiang Ruolan quickly reverted to her usual serious and professional demeanor, reporting company matters to Zhou Yi.

They stayed in the office until dark. Zhou Yi offered to take her to dinner, but Jiang Ruolan shook her head.

"I can't. There are still many things to handle. President Zhou, you go ahead. I need to look over the recruitment matters first."

Zhou Yi tried to persuade her a few times, but she wouldn't listen. Seeing that Jiang Ruolan seemed to have lost some weight, he felt a pang of heartache for her.

Jiang Ruolan did not miss the look of heartache in Zhou Yi's eyes.

After Zhou Yi left, she curled her lips into a smile.

Actually, she could have handled the work tomorrow, but she simply wanted to elicit Zhou Yi's guilt and heartache.

After all, she liked him, so wanting to win his heart was understandable.

She wanted Zhou Yi to see her strong side, but she also needed him to see her fragile side.

She had never been a woman without schemes.

So what if she resorted to a little calculation in the pursuit of love? After all, her methods were merely harmless little ploys.

And indeed, she had successfully evoked a sense of guilt and tender pity in Zhou Yi.

After Zhou Yi left, his thoughts immediately turned to what gift he could send Jiang Ruolan to cheer her up.

He didn't mind whether Jiang Ruolan was being manipulative or not. The fact remained that she had genuinely done things for him, and since everything she did was for his sake, he wasn't going to hold her methods against her.

As long as a woman was willing to go to such lengths for him, he saw no harm in treating her a little better in return.