Xu Yan took out his phone, about to call her, when he heard the sound of a car engine outside. A car headlight approached from afar, then the engine was turned off, the door was closed, the door was unlocked, and the front door was opened.
Zhou Luming finally went home.
Xu Yan walked to the door, and Zhou Luming, who had exquisite makeup but looked exhausted, smiled at her. "Darling, were you waiting for me?" She reached out and wrapped her arms around Xu Yan's neck, acting coquettishly. "I argued with those old men again today, and it's so tiring and gives me a headache. I don't want to be this domineering CEO anymore. How about I give it back to you?"
Xu Yan: "I think you're doing a great job."
Zhou Luming rested her head on Xu Yan's shoulder and said weakly, "Being a businesswoman is so hard, let me lean on you for a bit..." She put her hands on Xu Yan's waist and hugged him.
Xu Yan patted her on the back: "Have you had dinner?"
Zhou Luming said in a muffled voice, "I ate takeout, but I forgot exactly what I ate."
Xu Yan lowered her eyes: "You don't need to work so hard. If these things are making you exhausted, I'll find a way to help you share the burden."
"Don't worry, it's not that bad. I was just being cute to ask you for a piece of candy." Zhou Luming looked up and winked mischievously at Xu Yan.
Xu Yan said, "But I don't have any candy."
“You have it.” Zhou Luming leaned closer, and before Xu Yan closed her eyes, she saw her thick, slightly trembling eyelashes.
A moment later, the two snuggled up on the sofa to watch a movie, which Zhou Luming had chosen; the movie was called "The Message".
Having lived abroad for a long time, Xu Yan didn't quite understand the background of the film. He only vaguely felt that the relationship between Li Ningyu and Gu Xiaomeng was complicated. They were enemies and friends, confidants and formidable rivals.
After removing her makeup and changing into silk pajamas, Zhou Luming leaned comfortably on Xu Yan's shoulder, smelling the scent of the same shower gel she wore. "Li Ningyu is indeed a hero, but when it comes to love, she's a coward. Gu Xiaomeng is bold in love and hate, and on this level, I admire Gu Xiaomeng."
Xu Yan gave a soft "hmm," somewhat absentmindedly.
Zhou Luming tossed her hair, and in the dim light, she looked at Xu Yan's jawline and then at the slightly disheveled neckline of her pajamas, swallowing involuntarily.
“Li Ningyu and Gu Xiaomeng have different stances, but in the end Li Ningyu chose to sacrifice herself and send Gu Xiaomeng away,” Xu Yan said slowly. “It’s because Gu Xiaomeng has changed, and Li Ningyu has assimilated her.”
"Assimilation?" Zhou Luming chuckled. "You've assimilated me without even realizing it."
Xu Yan looked down at her. Zhou Luming looked relaxed. Although she wasn't wearing makeup, her features were exquisite, with bright eyes and white teeth. Her beauty was natural, a gift from heaven.
"Xu Yan, how does Li Ningyu know that she has successfully assimilated Gu Xiaomeng? If Gu Xiaomeng is an imposter, and she still stands against Li Ningyu after leaving Guozhuang, what will Li Ningyu do now that she knows all this?"
"Li Ningyu has died in Guozhuang."
"What if she hadn't died?" Zhou Luming's voice was close at hand, his gentle tone carrying a husky quality, softly and gently touching a chord in Xu Yan's heart.
Xu Yan said softly, "If Li Ningyu hadn't died, she would definitely have found Gu Xiaomeng and asked her face to face."
"What do you want to ask?"
"They'll probably ask when your plan will begin?"
Zhou Luming's lips moved as if she was about to say something more, but she saw that Xu Yan had already turned his head and was staring at her, his eyes burning with passion. Zhou Luming smiled, she liked seeing Xu Yan unable to control himself around her, it meant that she was very attractive in Xu Yan's eyes.
The film is still playing the end credits, with the subtitles scrolling continuously.
However, the audience had no time to pay attention to anything else. The two figures on the sofa were entangled. It was unclear who had bumped into something and let out a muffled groan. The other person asked with concern, "Where did you hurt yourself? Does it hurt?"
"It's okay, let's continue—"
"Can we go back to our room?"
"Hmm?" The last syllable rose slightly, and without pausing for long, she replied meaningfully, "Okay, whatever you say."
After closing the door and making a slight noise, Xu Yan was heard saying, "Don't be shy, there are no security cameras in the room."
"I'm not ashamed because I'm worried about being monitored!"
"Then why are you..." Xu Yan paused, finally realizing the answer, "Are you this cold?"
"I'm not cold, thank you." Zhou Luming smiled slyly and asked in return, "Aren't you hot?"
"I--"
"I'll help you cool down."
...
"Xu Yan, where did you learn all this nonsense from?"
"U2B".
...
"I have a meeting early tomorrow morning..." Zhou Luming said weakly, "Don't move there..."
"Hmm? Okay."
The next day, Zhou Luming repeatedly checked the position of the band-aid in front of the mirror.
Xu Yan coughed lightly and said, "Move a little to the left. The band-aid is too small and might not cover it."
Zhou Luming's sharp gaze swept across the mirror, and the person in the mirror immediately looked away guiltily. Xu Yan had never been a bad kid in his life, but now he understood what guilt felt like.
But last night she was the one who seduced him first. What happened afterward was all natural. It was just that things got a little out of control, which might cause Zhou Luming, who had a meeting early this morning, to lose face in front of his subordinates.
"Why don't you just say you're sick and won't go to the company?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Luming turned his head and said, "Oh?" "Is someone seriously suggesting that I skip work?"
“Anyway, it’s already nine o’clock, and your meeting has already started,” Xu Yan said.
"This meeting won't start unless I'm there, no matter what time it is, I have to get there." Zhou Luming changed out of her pajamas in front of Xu Yan, and Xu Yan was suddenly struck by her back view.
When Zhou Luming pulled his hair out of his shirt and turned around to look at Xu Yan, he found that Xu Yan's gaze was blank.
"I'm not kidding anymore. I need to rush back to the group to chair a meeting. Today's meeting is very important. Only if I can win over the human resources department can I truly become Zhou Luming and help you take control of the Zhou Group."
"Be careful," Xu Yan cautioned. "Besides the enemies in the open, there are people watching you in the shadows. Although Xu Lang is gone, S is still showing signs of activity outside."
"Alright, I know. Don't you know how good I am? Who saved you twice in a row?" Zhou Luming said confidently. "I'm really running out of time. See you tonight, darling."
See you tonight.
Xu Yan watched Zhou Luming leave through the car window. Zhou Luming even rolled down the window and blew Xu Yan a kiss. Xu Yan chuckled and shook her head before going back inside.
While reviewing the clues he had gathered in his study, Xu Yan felt it was necessary to meet with Xu Lang.
Only Xu Lang knew who was hiding behind the curtain.
At noon, Xu Yan sent Zhou Luming a text message, "Are you still in a meeting?" She had a sudden idea and came to Zhou's headquarters, wanting to surprise Zhou Luming unexpectedly.
Zhou Luming: Oh, you missed me?
Xu Yan: Hmm.
Zhou Luming: Be a good girl and wait for me at home.
Xu Yan got on the elevator but didn't see Zhou Luming. She asked the receptionist, "Is your CEO Zhou not in the company?"
"Miss Xu, Mr. Zhou didn't come today. Didn't she tell you?"
--------------------
Author's Note:
It's gradually coming to an end.
Chapter 93
===================
Xu Yan sat alone on a sofa in a corner of the lobby on the first floor of Zhou's headquarters. People came and went, each with their own destination, but Xu Yan had none. Looking at her chat with Zhou Luming on her phone, Xu Yan frowned. She suddenly realized that if either party severed contact with Zhou Luming, there would be no other way to reach them.
She was a helpless orphan, and Xu Yan herself was a loner. Both of them were like duckweed, without roots or a place to settle down, and could leave at any time.
Although a bond was formed due to impulsive emotions, this bond, which came quickly, may also disappear just as quickly. After taking control of the Zhou Group, she can become the real Zhou Luming, possessing fame, status, and wealth; she is omnipotent.
Xu Yan remained silent for a long time, until a security guard at the front desk who recognized her came to inquire about the situation. Xu Yan shook her head and said that nothing was wrong, and then left Zhou's alone.
The security guard turned around and reported to the person on the walkie-talkie: "Miss Xu has left the Zhou Group headquarters. She looks very lonely and something seems wrong. Should I follow her?"
The person on the walkie-talkie replied, "No need to follow her. Report back if she comes again."
"yes."
Xu Yan left the Zhou Group headquarters, and the will center was temporarily out of work. When she got into a taxi, the driver asked her where she was going, and she blurted out that it was the Yuan Universe Technology Building.
When Xu Yan saw the iconic globe model in front of the Metaverse Building, he realized he needed to greet Wang Anjing and tell her that he had arrived.
Wang Anjing seemed to be in a meeting. After the meeting ended, she found Xu Yan staring blankly out the window in the meeting room. Wang Anjing was stunned. She had never seen such a dazed expression on Xu Yan's face before. This expression was completely different from the impression she had of him before.
"Why did you suddenly come to see me? What urgent matter happened?" After leading Xu Yan into her office, Wang Anjing had her sit on the sofa and personally poured her a glass of water. "You look like you've just broken up with your boyfriend."
The second half of her statement was a complete joke; Wang Anjing didn't think heartbreak would ever happen to Xu Yan. She was such a wise, calm, and rational person—how could she allow herself to be caught up in emotional turmoil?
However, Xu Yan looked up at her and asked, "What does it feel like to be heartbroken?"
Wang Anjing choked, covering her forehead and shaking her head: "You didn't really break up, did you? I really didn't expect that even you would be troubled by love. I've seen this expression on Li Li's face before, I know this feeling all too well."
“Zhou Luming is hiding his whereabouts,” Xu Yan said frankly.
"Oh, I thought it was something serious, but it turns out it's just like this." Wang Anjing sat down next to Xu Yan to keep her company. "But speaking of which, when did you two officially get together? I'm not talking about living together, but a more intimate romantic relationship."
“We naturally got together,” Xu Yan said. “There were no grand vows or high-profile confessions like in TV dramas; it seemed like we made the decision tacitly.”
"I didn't expect you young people to be so Socratic, but this doesn't seem like a good sign."
Why is it a bad omen?
“Neither you nor she has announced your relationship. To outsiders, you are both single and in a position to freely date,” Wang Anjing said. “Although I don’t think you’re the type to be fickle, she might not be.”
Xu Yan thought about it carefully and realized it was true. She had never been sure about Zhou Luming's feelings, always feeling that she was unpredictable. Although she had helped her when they were young, feelings are easily forgotten. She had experienced so much of the coldness and warmth of human relationships and had had so many true and false relationships. She couldn't judge how much of her feelings for Zhou Luming were genuine and how much were fake.
Wang Anjing continued, "It's not that I'm trying to drive a wedge between you two. I just want to kindly remind you to treat her and this relationship rationally. Because she's different from you. She grew up in a complex environment, and she knows how to protect herself. She's experienced in relationships and knows how to navigate them with ease. But you've chosen to protect yourself by closing yourself off for a long time. Beneath that seemingly hard shell, your heart is actually very soft, and once someone finds a weakness, it's easily broken down..."
Xu Yan listened to everything she said. She remembered something she had talked about with Zhou Luming not long ago. Zhou Luming said that only Xu Yan and Wang Anjing knew about impersonating Zhou Luming. As long as these people in the know were eliminated, she could completely take over the identity and become the real Zhou Luming.
"Xu Lang has been eliminated, and the Zhou Group is undergoing sweeping reforms. Her actions don't seem like those of an outsider, but rather those of a seasoned business veteran. Xu Yan, have you ever considered that if all of this was part of her plan, she would have made long-term preparations for it? On one hand, she used her emotions to keep you calm and lower your guard; on the other hand, she played dumb to use her business acumen to take control of the Zhou Group..."
Wang Anjing changed the subject, her eyes sharp, "Judging from the current trend, she is about to become the real Zhou Luming."
Xu Yan's pupils contracted; she clearly judged that Wang Anjing's words were not entirely impossible.
"Old Master Zhou's will also states that if she gets married, she can receive the remaining 40% of Zhou's shares."
“If I were her, I would find a way to get those shares.” Wang Anjing patted Xu Yan on the shoulder.