Tianyi simply responded with an "Oh" after listening. He then reminded her, "The noodles are ready. I'll help you add the seasonings."
Susu quickly turned back towards the stove, only to find that the noodles had completely dissolved. She quickly turned off the heat. She watched as Tianyi, with great seriousness, began pouring seasonings into the bowl she had prepared.
She worried he might add too much salt and quickly said, "Just give the salt a little shake when you pour it. I don't like it too salty."
"Don't worry, I'm not so incompetent that I can't even salt properly." As he spoke, he held the small salt shaker and gave it a shake, but nothing came out. He shook it again with more force, and in his haste, a considerable amount of salt spilled out.
He gave Susu an embarrassed smile and said, "Let's get another bowl and start the seasonings again."
Susu snatched the bowl from his hand. "No need. I'll just add more water, and it won't be too salty. Why aren't you staying in the study?"
Tianyi detected the obvious displeasure in her tone and said playfully, "It's so boring being alone without you to keep me company."
"I think you've been too idle lately," Susu said, intending to ask him what Xie Zhendong had meant by his words.
But then she thought it was better to let sleeping dogs lie and didn't ask.
"Don't you like it when I have more time to spend with you?" Tianyi solicitously carried the noodles out for her.
Susu followed him and asked, "Do you think we should do something about Yang Shasha?"
"Her and Zhan Jiayi fighting over the Xie family's assets has nothing to do with us. We shouldn't meddle in other people's business." Tianyi wasn't concerned about any of this.
Susu responded with an "Oh" and didn't say anything further, but she still felt that her initial choice had been wrong.
...
After sending a message to Susu, Xie Zhendong thought for a moment before dialing Zhao Jianhua's number.
"Mr. Xie, hello." Zhao Jianhua's heart tightened upon receiving his call. Had Xie Zhendong received some news and found out that he had already given that batch of building materials to Qin Tianyi and the others?
Xie Zhendong asked, "Are you busy?"
"Not busy. Please, feel free to give me any instructions." Zhao Jianhua managed to calm himself and respond naturally.
Xie Zhendong said, "Do you know how the project for the Aoxiang Group is progressing? Has it been halted?"
"Regarding that, I haven't heard any news of it being halted," Zhao Jianhua replied, pretending to be unaware.
"It doesn't matter if they've halted it or not. Find an intermediary and sell that batch of building materials in the warehouse to them. Just make sure they don't find out it was you who sold it."
Zhao Jianhua was taken aback. "We worked so hard to get this batch of building materials. How can we just sell it to them so easily? That doesn't seem appropriate..."
"Just do as I say and don't worry about anything else." Xie Zhendong didn't want to explain too much to him.
"Alright, alright. I'll do it right away."
Xie Zhendong had already hung up.
Zhao Jianhua looked at his phone, completely relieved. Had he passed this hurdle so easily? It felt like a dream.
But how was he supposed to find an intermediary company, then resell it to Qin Tianyi and the others, and do it all flawlessly so that Xie Zhendong wouldn't suspect anything?
He figured he would have to discuss this with Qin Tianyi and the others. After all, they had promised to help him keep it a secret from Xie Zhendong.
...
Tianyi was sitting at the dining table, watching Susu eat her noodles. He was saying flirtatious things to tease her when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out.
Seeing that it was Zhao Jianhua calling, he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he said to Susu, "It's a work-related call. I'll go to the study to handle it."
Susu, finding him bothersome, waved him away. "Hurry up and go."
Tianyi walked back to the study with his phone, answered it, and asked, "It's so late, what's up?"
Zhao Jianhua recounted what Xie Zhendong had suddenly told him, asking Tianyi to figure out how to do it without Xie Zhendong realizing that he had already given it to them.
Tianyi found it strange that Xie Zhendong would suddenly be so kind. However, if the Aoxiang Group had to wait until Xie Zhendong's approval today to get this batch of goods, they would lose a lot of money.
He remembered Susu visiting Zhan Jiayi in the hospital that evening and realized how Susu could have known Zhan Jiayi was hospitalized. It seemed Xie Zhendong and Susu had been in contact privately.
"I understand. Let me think about it. I'll tell you tomorrow morning if I come up with anything."
"Okay."
After Tianyi hung up, he couldn't help but wonder if Susu had asked Xie Zhendong for something. He felt a pang of displeasure.
He recalled Susu asking him earlier if she needed to find Xie Zhendong, and he had explicitly said no. Yet, Susu hadn't listened to him.
No matter how big the trouble Aoxiang Group encountered, it absolutely did not require Susu to beg anyone!
After Susu finished her noodles and washed the bowls, she saw that Tianyi still hadn't come downstairs to find her. So, she went upstairs to the study herself.
She pushed the study door open a crack and said with a smile, "Are you done working? I'm going to the bedroom. Do you want to come?"
"Come in," Tianyi's voice was a little cold.
Susu walked in, unsure why he was being so hot and cold again.
"I don't want to keep you company while you work. I'm going to watch a drama."
Tianyi looked at her and said, "Wait. How did you know Zhan Jiayi was hospitalized? And why did you suddenly go to visit her?"
"Um... Xie Zhendong called my phone and said he was abroad and asked me to go see her." Susu told the truth.
"So, you took the opportunity to ask him not to make things difficult for me?" Tianyi's tone was clearly annoyed.
Susu quickly said, "No, I didn't mention you to him at all."
"Really not?"
Susu also got angry. "If you don't believe me, then fine." She turned to leave the study. Tianyi quickly got up to follow her. Just as she was about to enter the room, he swept her up in his arms. "Are you really angry?"
"If you don't believe me, then don't ask me. Suspect me however you want." Susu struggled stubbornly, wanting to be put down.
"I only asked one question. Who said I don't believe you?" Tianyi held onto her tightly, refusing to let go, and carried her directly to the bed, pinning her down.
Susu pushed against him with both hands and asked indignantly, "Did Xie Zhendong contact you too? Did he say anything to you?"
"He wouldn't contact me," Tianyi said, holding her still so she wouldn't move. "I was sitting in the study, and I suddenly wondered how you knew Zhan Jiayi was hospitalized. I never saw you interact with her usually."
Susu huffed and mocked him, "It's a shame you didn't become a detective."
"Alright, I was wrong, okay?" He then leaned in to kiss Susu.
Susu turned her head to avoid his kiss, but her eyes caught the muscles beneath his shirt, which revealed beautiful lines when he exerted himself.
Her breath hitched, and she swallowed.
Tianyi's tone became exceptionally gentle. "Aren't you full yet?"
Susu's face flushed as she said, "Let me go."
Tianyi didn't release her, nor did he kiss her again. His breath came and went, still pressing down on her. "I already said, I was just asking. Why are you still angry?"
Susu's body tensed, and she dared not move. "I'm not angry anymore. Are you annoying? Let me go first, get up."