Upon hearing his agreement, Su Yue was first stunned, then she smiled.
"Closeted." She took gum from her bag, chewed a piece, and then put another piece into his mouth.
No one answered her; it was as if they hadn't heard.
"Oh, right, can I request something from Director Chen?" Su Yue asked, remembering something.
"Mm."
"Grandma called and wants me to visit..." she hesitated and spoke softly.
During her time abroad, she had not broken contact with his mother or grandmother.
She was initially conflicted, but she couldn't resist their concern, and knowing he hadn't mentioned them to his family, she had kept in touch out of politeness and her own desire.
Upon her return, she had messaged Meng Hua Lan and called Grandma Chen.
Meng Hua Lan was on a business trip down south and told her she would be back on Sunday, inviting her for dinner at Grandma's that evening.
Su Yue had planned to surprise him on Saturday, thinking they would be back to normal by Sunday, so she agreed.
She hadn't expected Director Chen to be so difficult to appease this time.
Thus, she still needed to seek his opinion.
A light snort came from the driver's seat.
Su Yue knew he was about to be sarcastic again.
As expected, Director Chen spoke slowly, "Reporter Su has a truly magnanimous heart, able to hold so many people she cares about, besides me."
Su Yue: ...
"Because you are the most special one, meant to be saved for last, for the best."
Her pride was clearly going to be challenged today, so she decided to abandon it completely.
"Don't try to charm me with sweet talk," his voice was cold; he wasn't falling for it.
Su Yue took a deep breath, maintaining her smile, "First, tell me, can you approve my request? Please?"
"What, you never cared about my thoughts when you were younger, and now that you've grown up, you actually want to ask for my opinion?"
Su Yue: (;ↀ⌓ↀ)
"Director Chen, I was wrong, I was wrong, alright? Can you put aside your urge to criticize and educate me for a moment and give me an answer?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
Then, a "hmm" that seemed to carry a hint of amusement came from the driver's seat.
Su Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The evening gathering was particularly pleasant. Both elder ladies of the Chen family had seen her interview clips and praised her for a long time.
Upon learning she would be interviewing Chen Zi Ming next week, they were quite surprised but quickly showed expressions of extreme happiness, as if they were shipping them.
Wang Meng Ning, in particular, exclaimed it was fate and shared some interview tips with her.
It wasn't until past eight o'clock that the three said their goodbyes with lingering reluctance. Meng Hua Lan had her driver take Su Yue home.
***
At Chen Zi Ming's current residence.
The man had just finished showering and checked the time; it was already nine o'clock.
His phone remained silent.
No message from her, no call from her.
This little liar.
Just as he was feeling restless and about to light another cigarette, a call notification appeared on his screen.
The words 【My Dearest】 were clearly displayed, and the corner of his lips instinctively curled up.
He counted to five silently before answering the phone.
"What are you doing, Director Chen? Where are you? Do you miss me?" a sweet female voice came from the other end.
It was so affected it made him want to laugh.
But Su Yue heard only his indifferent voice – "At home, don't miss you."
Su Yue rolled her eyes dramatically.
Her words, however, became even sweeter, "But I miss you terribly. Your mother sent me your current address. If I come over, will you take me in?"
As expected, she was met with a curt "No."
She was not discouraged at all and pressed on, "Are you sure? Check your WeChat; I just sent you a few photos."
They were selfies she had taken in front of the mirror, wearing clothes brought from abroad that were meant to enhance marital harmony.
They were not deliberately seductive or overtly sexy.
Yet, they made her appear more like a subtle enchantress.
Chen Zi Ming put on his Bluetooth headset, held his phone away, and as he opened the photos, his body paused. His dark eyes flickered, and beneath the cover of his thick eyelashes, the fire of desire was faintly visible.
"I have many of these, all hanging in the closet in my bedroom. Do you want to come and pick one out yourself?"
Hearing his gradually quickening breaths, Su Yue lowered her voice, persistently trying to lure him home.
There was no reply.
She couldn't see the greedy gaze fixed on the phone screen on the other end of the line.
Nor the sensual movement of his Adam's apple.