If you lose your stance, anything you say will make you a laughing stock.
Zhou Qishen's face darkened, clearly having been touched on a sore spot.
At this moment, Zhao Xiyin, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up and said, "It's my business who I want to be managed."
Then, pulling Zhou Qishen's arm, she walked out with him without looking to the side.
Chapter 11 The Madman's Wish (3)
Madman's Wish (3)
As they left the restaurant, Zhao Xiyin let go of Zhou Qishen's hand, revealing several creases in his shirt sleeve. With a slight movement of his arm, the creases disappeared.
He received a call; it was his secretary, Xu Jin.
The midday sun was blazing, the light so intense it was blinding, and Zhao Xiyin raised her hand to shield her eyes. Zhou Qishen had one hand casually tucked into his pocket, his right hand holding his phone to his ear, discussing the progress of a material supply from abroad. As he spoke, he subtly took a few steps toward her, perfectly blocking the direct sunlight.
The man's back blocked Zhao Xiyin's view, leaving her in shadow. They stood close enough that she could faintly smell the scent of the underworld emanating from him.
"Make a call to Shanghai. Director Yu from Customs wants to have dinner with him next week, but avoid Friday," Zhou Qishen instructed before hanging up. A waiter drove up, his attitude respectful: "Mr. Zhou."
Zhou Qishen nodded slightly, then went around to the passenger side and opened the car door for Zhao Xiyin.
"Going home?" he asked as he fastened his seatbelt.
Zhao Xiyin hesitated for a moment and did not nod immediately.
Zhou Qishen didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Then I'll drive as I please. Let me know when you want to stop."
He gripped the steering wheel with one hand, turned it to the right, and skillfully turned the car around.
Turning from Yong'anli to Sihui Bridge, the weather was hot, but the road conditions were relatively smooth. Zhou Qishen drove slowly and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Zhao Xiyin exclaimed in surprise, taken aback by his keen observation.
"Your eyes are all dark."
Zhao Xiyin smiled and said, "It was too hot last night, so I couldn't sleep."
Zhou Qishen started the conversation, which made the atmosphere much more relaxed. Zhao Xiyin returned the favor and asked, "Is your leg injury from that day alright?"
"Okay, all done."
"How did you do that?"
Zhou Qishen said calmly, "It was an accidental scratch."
Zhao Xiyin turned her head to look out the window, no longer in the mood for conversation.
After driving in silence for a while, Zhou Qishen suddenly asked her, "Want to see a movie?"
He mentioned a movie title that had been generating a lot of buzz online recently; it was a major production from the director hailed as China's top horror film director, after three years of silence. With connections established, tickets for the premiere had already been sent to his company. Such a trivial matter shouldn't have been his concern; Xu Jin had only given a perfunctory notification. But Zhou Qishen's heart skipped a beat, and he stayed anyway.
There's nothing else to it, Zhao Xiyin just likes it.
When Zhou Qishen first learned of her hobby, it was the second week of their official relationship. He invited her to see a movie; it was Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), and there were four romantic films showing that day, so he let her choose.
Zhao Xiyin bit her milk tea straw and smiled meaningfully, "True Self Choice?"
In the end, they chose a Thai horror movie. Zhou Qishen didn't take it seriously; he even thought that if she was scared, he would protect her.
Back then, China's film censorship system wasn't as strict, and most of the original plot was retained when the film was imported. Although there were no gory scenes, the atmosphere of the film was truly terrifying. The jump scares made even Zhou Qishen frown several times.
Then look at Zhao Xiyin, this girl is simply on fire, watching intently without blinking, thoroughly enjoying herself.
At the most terrifying part of the ending, she suddenly grasped Zhou Qishen's hand, and as expected, felt his wrist tremble. Zhao Xiyin pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh, and whispered in his ear, "Brother Zhou, don't be afraid."
Her voice was so light and soft, it enveloped Zhou Qishen's heart, making it rise and fall.
This was the first time they held hands.
As soon as Zhou Qishen mentioned the title, Zhao Xiyin knew it was the film; her interest was piqued, like someone tossing her a piece of cheese candy. Zhao Xiyin thought for a moment, then asked, "You can watch it?"
Zhou Qishen hummed in agreement, "I'll stay with you."
The premiere is at 3 p.m., which is perfect timing.
Zhou Qishen specially led her to sit two rows back in the VIP section on the east side of the auditorium. This director is very young and has pioneered a new genre of horror films in China. The premiere was stylish, and the lighting and stage design perfectly matched the theme.
After watching the beginning of the film, Zhou Qishen crossed his legs and shifted his body slightly.
Halfway through the movie, he switched legs, sometimes raising his head and sometimes lowering it.
After it was over, the lights came back on, and his expression clearly showed relief.
Zhao Xiyin didn't respond to him, remaining calm and composed, making it impossible to discern her true feelings.
Zhou Qishen then took the initiative to start a conversation, asking, "Is it good-looking?"
Zhao Xiyin countered, "What do you think?"
Zhou Qishen cleared his throat. "It's beautiful."
She was very direct: "Were you scared?"
Zhou Qishen was truly speechless.
Zhao Xiyin said, "It's okay, it's all fake. The blood plasma is the red wine you usually drink, the minced meat and bones are the braised beef bones you eat when you're entertaining clients, the shadow on the ceiling is the bedroom light, and the curtains are moving because of the wind. There's no one hiding behind them. If you think about it this way, aren't you less scared to sleep at night?"