Two days later, at the company.
Wiesen, with a stack of documents under his arm, bent slightly and spoke to Zhou Chaosheng, who was sitting in his office chair: "President Zhou, here’s the report for this quarter. Please take a look... President Zhou?"
"President Zhou, what's wrong?"
Wiesen called out again, snapping Zhou Chaosheng out of his reverie. Wiesen felt surprised and somewhat puzzled. From what he knew, President Zhou was always the workaholic type. How could he be zoning out during work hours?
"Mm, just put it here." Zhou Chaosheng spoke faintly, then lowered his eyes again, lost in thought.
Wiesen: "...."
You’re not going to look at it?
Zhou Chaosheng had been thinking about the proposal, and as he lifted his gaze, he suddenly noticed Wiesen, who had a surprisingly strong presence nearby. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why are you still here?"
Wiesen pondered for a moment and carefully asked, "President Zhou, what were you just thinking about? Was it the acquisition or the recent drop in stocks, and how to explain it to the shareholders?"
"Neither." Zhou Chaosheng clearly didn’t care about the stock drop. "As for the shareholders, tell them not to worry. It’ll go up again soon."
".... Alright." Wiesen wanted to say more but hesitated.
Zhou Chaosheng noticed his expression and asked, "Is there something else?"
Wiesen took a deep breath, as if ready to take a risk, and directly asked, "President Zhou, about you and President Jiang...?"
Zhou Chaosheng’s attention immediately snapped to Jiang Yuanye when he heard his name. "What about it?"
Wiesen instinctively closed his eyes and quickly blurted out everything he had been preparing to say: "There are rumors outside saying you and President Jiang are together, and a lot of people have asked me if it’s true. Even the board has asked me about it. They said if it’s not true, you should clarify it soon, or it could hurt the company..."
Just as Zhou Chaosheng was about to respond, his phone on the desk suddenly vibrated. He unlocked the screen and saw a message from Jiang Yuanye.
— I’m downstairs at your office. Do you want to come down, or should I come up?
Before Wiesen could catch his breath, he was nearly scared to death by the strange smile that appeared on his boss's face. And this wasn’t the first time. Recently, when he had knocked and entered, he often caught the boss laughing happily while looking at his phone.
Zhou Chaosheng typed a quick reply, "Find a place to sit. I’m coming down to find you right now," then looked up at his assistant, who was sneaking peeks at the screen. Wiesen quickly turned away, avoiding eye contact. Zhou Chaosheng laughed and asked, "Curious?"
Wiesen didn’t dare to nod or shake his head, afraid any wrong move would cost him his job.
Zhou Chaosheng didn’t make things difficult for his subordinate. Instead, he answered the earlier question: "It’s not a rumor."
Wiesen was caught off guard, staring blankly for a moment.
Zhou Chaosheng, not minding his assistant's confusion, continued, "No need to clarify, and don’t worry about the shareholders."
Wiesen slowly began to understand the implications of his boss’s words. His eyes widened in disbelief. Although he had seen them interact closely in Luxembourg, at that time, he was just surprised by how they had gone from fierce rivals to good friends who could travel together. But now... now it seemed his boss was saying they were actually together? As in, dating?
After giving Wiesen the important instructions, Zhou Chaosheng stood up to tidy up his desk. As he passed the desk, he casually grabbed a scarf from the coat rack, one not suitable for the current season, and draped it over his arm. The whole action was smooth, without a single delay.
It was like rushing to a market, yet every movement had a graceful elegance to it.
Wiesen stood frozen, dumbfounded. As his boss reached the door, his mind went blank and he blurted out, "President Zhou, aren’t you going to work?"
Zhou Chaosheng turned around, half-lifting his arm to reveal a watch on his right wrist. He tapped the watch lightly with his other hand and indicated, "It’s already past five."
Wiesen: "....."
But you usually don’t leave until around ten at night, right?
---
Zhou Chaosheng took Jiang Yuanye back to the Zhou family home to meet his parents.
At first, both sides were a bit awkward. Jiang Yuanye, as expected, was nervous, his hands sweating the whole time. As for his parents, they probably didn’t have much experience with a "male daughter-in-law," and would often repeat Jiang Yuanye's words when speaking.
For example...
He Xiaowei: "Xiao Ye, where did you grow up?"
Jiang Yuanye obediently replied, "Aunt, I grew up in Qiongzhou."
He Xiaowei: "Oh, Qiongzhou! That’s nice, the weather is warm year-round. Your uncle and I stayed there for a while eight years ago... Xiao Ye, where exactly in Qiongzhou did you live?"
Jiang Yuanye: "Zhoukou."
He Xiaowei: "Oh, Zhoukou? Is it because it’s a bit farther north? But you look so fair, I remember the sun in Qiongzhou is really strong. I could barely stay outdoors for long. Every time I went out, I had to apply a lot of sunscreen, and even then, I still got sunburned..."
At this point, Zhou Chaosheng wasn’t sure whether to say his mom was nervous or just talkative. When He Xiaowei was about to get into an in-depth discussion of Jiang Yuanye’s household registration, Zhou Chaosheng intervened in time: "Alright, mom, aren’t you and dad tired standing? Please, sit down."
Only then did He Xiaowei realize that she had been chatting with Jiang Yuanye at the door for almost half an hour. Although Jiang Yuanye was younger, as the guest, it was clear she hadn’t shown enough proper hospitality as the host.
He Xiaowei felt a bit guilty and quickly pulled Jiang Yuanye to the living room. When the maid came over with tea, He Xiaowei insisted on pouring the tea for Jiang Yuanye and said, "This tea is from your uncle, he brought it back from Fuyuan. Try it. If you like it, I’ll have Aunt Chen pack a few bags for you to take home."
Jiang Yuanye, feeling nervous, shyly said, "Aunt, really, you don’t have to..."
Before he could finish, Zhou Chaosheng, who had just sat down, picked up the conversation: "Alright, mom, I’ll take a few bags for him later."
He Xiaowei gave Zhou Chaosheng a glare: "Did I say it was for you?"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuanye relaxed and smiled. "Thank you, Aunt."
"Heh, no need to thank me." He Xiaowei found herself liking this young man more and more, especially since he looked just as handsome as her son, Zhou Chaosheng. When they sat together, they looked like a perfect match.
At this moment, Zhou Yuanbo, who had walked over and casually wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, adjusted his glasses and asked, "Xiao Ye, I heard from Chaosheng that you founded your company when you were in college?"
Jiang Yuanye met Zhou Yuanbo’s gaze, neither overly humble nor arrogant, and replied, "Yes, Uncle, but to be precise, I co-founded it with some classmates."
Zhou Yuanbo, having been a businessman for decades and experienced both domestic and international business, could tell the true nature of a person in no time, no matter how good their facade. But the young man in front of him... seemed different.
"That’s impressive," Zhou Yuanbo praised before changing the topic. "By the way, I heard you two met in your senior year of high school, is that right?"
Jiang Yuanye visibly tensed up, but he still tried to remain composed and responded, "Yes, he transferred to Class 1 that year, and I was in the class next door."
"Don’t be nervous, I’m just asking casually," Zhou Yuanbo said, trying to soothe the tension after being subtly pinched by his wife.
"No, no, I’m not nervous," Jiang Yuanye almost bit his tongue in his haste to clarify.
Seeing this, Zhou Chaosheng, unable to hold back anymore, casually draped his arm over Jiang Yuanye's shoulder and said to his parents, "Alright, the interrogation is over. If you have any other questions, we can talk about it privately later. I’ve already had dinner with him, and we need to leave soon."
"Interrogation?" Zhou Yuanbo was about to speak, but his wife interrupted him, "Why are you in such a hurry? Don’t you want to stay the night?"
Zhou Chaosheng shook his head. "No, I have something important to do."
He Xiaowei tried to persuade, "Well, Xiao Ye can stay here..."
Zhou Chaosheng smiled. "This matter needs to be dealt with together with him."
He Xiaowei seemed to guess what he was talking about, falling into thought for a moment. She then called over Chen Kun. "Is dinner ready?"
Chen Kun nodded. "Yes, Madam."
He Xiaowei smiled. "Then let’s eat."
---
At the dinner table, Zhou Chaosheng and He Xiaowei kept serving Jiang Yuanye food. Zhou Yuanbo, feeling neglected, couldn't help but silently chew his food, as if there were a bitter taste he couldn't swallow.
"Enough, enough..."
Jiang Yuanye leaned close to Zhou Chaosheng's ear and whispered. If they kept serving him, his bowl wouldn't fit anymore.
Zhou Chaosheng chuckled but didn’t stop. "Eat more, you look too thin, there’s no meat on you when I touch you."
"…Get lost." Jiang Yuanye lowered his voice even more.
"Alright, alright, I won’t serve anymore. Just eat." Zhou Chaosheng teased his lover before finally stopping.
The two of them whispered to each other, as if in their own little world. Meanwhile, He Xiaowei and Zhou Yuanbo, sitting across from them, saw everything. A few seconds later, the couple exchanged a glance and from each other's eyes, they both saw a certain approval.
They thought, maybe this isn’t so bad. At least, their son was genuinely happy and content.
After the meal, Jiang Yuanye stayed on the sofa with He Xiaowei chatting, while Zhou Chaosheng was called upstairs to the study by Zhou Yuanbo to discuss some work. After about half an hour, Zhou Yuanbo pulled a stack of documents from his drawer and handed them to Zhou Chaosheng. Zhou Chaosheng looked at them and was surprised to find that they were property documents for an island, along with real estate ownership.
"Dad, you..."
Zhou Yuanbo spoke lightly: "I wasn’t sure whether you’d think about the future, but seeing you like this now, I assume you’ve thought it over. So, this private island is a gift for him. If you two get your marriage certificate later, I’ll give you something else. As for the wedding... we’ll talk about it then, let’s see if you can hold out until then."
Once Zhou Chaosheng understood, he smiled and accepted the documents. "Thanks, Dad. I’ll pass it on to him."
Zhou Yuanbo didn’t say much more, just gave a hum of acknowledgment and lowered his head to look at some financial documents.
Before leaving, Zhou Chaosheng paused, turned to his father, and said, "I’ve already decided on him for life. Don’t worry about Grandpa, I’ll handle it well. Also... Dad, take care of yourself, don’t overwork."
Zhou Yuanbo responded with a slight nod. After the door closed behind Zhou Chaosheng, he slowly lifted his head, removed his glasses, and muttered under his breath, "This brat."
---
"Where are you taking me?" Jiang Yuanye, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, facing the wind and turning his head.
"To a place with the sea," Zhou Chaosheng said.
"Why there?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Looking at Zhou Chaosheng's mysterious demeanor, Jiang Yuanye couldn't help but mutter to himself, It wouldn't be another outdoor sex, right? Please, once is enough. If we do it again, my back really won't hold up.
Still uneasy, Jiang Yuanye felt his heart finally settle when the sports car drove off the overpass and reached the Bund near the second ring road.
When they got out of the car, Jiang Yuanye's face was somewhat expressionless. Zhou Chaosheng asked him, but he didn't want to respond. His stomach was full of frustration, feeling like Zhou Chaosheng had no consideration for his body. After demanding so much from him this past week, was it still not enough? Now, after meeting his parents, he was rushing him here for more.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" Zhou Chaosheng coaxed softly, "Did something my mom said make you unhappy?"
"No, Auntie is fine," Jiang Yuanye immediately denied, frowning and saying, "How can you randomly accused her?"
"Okay, okay, it's my fault." Zhou Chaosheng lowered his eyelids, the light from the beach casting a pitiful look on his face. "But why are you suddenly angry? Did I do something wrong?"
Looking at Zhou Chaosheng like this, Jiang Yuanye's heart softened in an instant. He reached out and took Zhou Chaosheng's hands, saying, "No, I'm not angry."
—
On the other side of the sea, Zhao Xiaohui, holding a telescope, looked at the two people being all lovey-dovey and felt speechless: "What’s Chaosheng doing? Why not just propose first and then get all clingy?"
"Don't rush, let's wait a little longer," Gu Qingqiu, also holding a telescope, calmly reassured.
Zhao Xiaohui put down the telescope and, looking at the fireworks on the ground, couldn't help but sigh, "It's so nice..."
"So nice, what?" Gu Qingqiu turned to ask.
"Just... don’t you feel it? When you see your friends happy, it makes your heart feel all tingly, and you can’t help but want to cry. Damn it, never mind, I’m just rambling..."
"I do feel that way."
Gu Qingqiu spoke softly, meeting Zhao Xiaohui’s somewhat awkward gaze, and he calmly said, "I feel that way too."
Zhao Xiaohui turned his head, mumbling, "Don’t you think that sounds a little too girly?"
"Zhao Xiaohui, that's a bit sexist," Gu Qingqiu corrected him. "No matter the gender, seeing a friend happy and shedding tears is completely normal. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"Who said I’m embarrassed!"
Just as Gu Qingqiu was about to speak, the phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw it was Zhou Chaosheng calling, knowing immediately this was a directive.
"Alright, get ready to light the fireworks."
—
The salty sea breeze rushed toward them as the two walked slowly on the beach. Jiang Yuanye noticed that there weren't many people on the beach and turned to look at the culprit, realizing that Zhou Chaosheng must have paid to reserve the area. Before he could ask, Zhou Chaosheng admitted it in a softer voice.
At that moment, Jiang Yuanye couldn't do anything about Zhou Chaosheng. He still didn’t realize what Zhou Chaosheng was planning to do next. He just looked at the gently moving waves in the distance, watching as the sea reflected the lights from above and below, sparkling.
"Is the sea beautiful?" Zhou Chaosheng asked, walking beside him.
"Yeah, it’s beautiful, but I think it would be even more beautiful during the day," Jiang Yuanye paused and turned his head to ask, "Why did you bring me here?"
Zhou Chaosheng looked at him, his eyes seeming to reflect the stars. Suddenly, he raised his arm, made a hand gesture like opening, and smiled at him, saying, "I want to—"
Boom
Jiang Yuanye turned in shock as the dark blue sky suddenly exploded with bright, dazzling light.
"I want to show you a fireworks display just for you."
In the middle of the fireworks, Jiang Yuanye heard these words.
Against the backdrop of fireworks, Zhou Chaosheng took a red velvet box out of his suit pocket like magic, opened it, and knelt on one knee.
When Jiang Yuanye turned his head again, he saw this scene. In that moment, his heart seemed to melt, just like the fireworks in the sky. Without thinking, he followed and knelt down the moment Zhou Chaosheng did.
The two of them knelt facing each other, Zhou Chaosheng's eyes reflecting the bright fireworks and, below them, Jiang Yuanye. He spoke loudly, asking, "Will you marry me and be my partner for life?"
Maybe the fireworks were too loud or his heartbeat was too fast, but at that moment, he could barely hear anything, only the word "marriage."
But it was enough.
Jiang Yuanye cupped his hands near his mouth and shouted, "I! Will! Yes!"
Zhou Chaosheng, excited to hug his lover, suddenly remembered the ring. He quickly grabbed his lover's wrist and looked up, asking silently. His lover smiled and nodded.
Then, carefully, Zhou Chaosheng placed the silver ring with their initials engraved on Jiang Yuanye’s ring finger.
The fireworks hadn’t ended yet, but Jiang Yuanye couldn't wait any longer. He pulled Zhou Chaosheng into his arms.
The two of them, half-kneeling, made promises under the fireworks and hugged under the same sky.
Zhou Chaosheng felt his restless heart slowly calm down.
He didn't know how much time passed, but the loud fireworks finally stopped.
Zhou Chaosheng gently kissed Jiang Yuanye's forehead, with a tenderness that felt both devoted and like an unbreakable bond. He smiled softly and whispered to his lover, "I love you."
(+ Extras Coming Soon~)
Hey my lovely riceballs! (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)❤️
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: The main story has officially ended at 100 chapters! (It actually finished a month ago, but I was drowning in classes... T_T)
Honestly? The ending gave me mixed feelings. At first, the story was PERFECT—like a rollercoaster of emotions that kept getting better! But near the end... it felt a little different. Not bad, just unexpected. (I may or may not have had a tiny emotional crisis over it.. The ending is... meh but... anyway I love this novel SO MUCH!!) Even now, my heart still belongs to this story. (´｡• � •｡`)
RUMOR ALERT! ๐จ Fans on Weibo are saying this novel might get officially licensed + a manhua adaptation! It’s not confirmed yet, but if true—I CAN’T WAIT to see the art!! (๏พ◕ใฎ◕)๏พ*:･๏พ✧
EXTRAS INFO: There are only 8 side chapters! I’ve peeked at Extra 1 and Extra 8 (which is still ongoing), so I’ll translate all of them together next month when they’re complete! Thank you for your patience, my sweet riceballs~ ๐
Zhou Chaosheng wakes up in the past!! He’s ready to chase Jiang Yuanye with everything he’s got—BUT THEN—
✨ TWIST!!! ✨
It’s the SAME BODY, but two consciousnesses are inside:
- Present Zhou Chaosheng (the one who traveled back)
- Younger Zhou Chaosheng (the original from that time)
In the end, Present Zhou decides to step back and let Younger Zhou take over. SO INTRIGUING!! (≧∇≦)/
I’m SO EXCITED to see how the extras unfold!! Stay tuned for more updates~ ♡