<h4>Chapter 1396: Chapter 1409</h4>


    His head was about to explode as he struggled to stay awake, stumbling along the street guided only by his instincts.


    This street seemed so familiar. He looked up at the building and saw a light on the upper floors. Was he seeing things?


    The next day.


    He painfully opened his eyes and found the surroundings both familiar and strange, trying to recall what had happened.


    He looked down at his naked body and the clothes scattered all over the floor, desperately trying to remember everything fromst night.


    Chu Ge’s head still hurt from the lingering effects of the alcohol when his phone rang.


    "Chu Ge, where did you go? I couldn’t find you all night!" Li Hua’s irritable voice came through.


    Chu Ge checked the time, nine o’clock? It seemed he really drank too much.


    "I’ming back right now."


    After hanging up, Chu Ge got up, the quilt spilling onto the bed and revealing his perfectly sculpted body. Chu Ge picked up the neatly folded clothes on the nightstand, put on his pants, grabbed his shirt, and walked out of the bedroom, feeling a strange familiarity with the living room decorations until he saw the photo on the wall.


    His thoughts drifted back to five years ago...


    "Chu Ge, have we arrived yet?"


    Chu Ge covered Mu Bingtong’s eyes and carefully led her to the doorway.


    "I’ll tell you when you can open your eyes, okay? Three, two, one, okay."


    With a snap of his fingers, Mu Bingtong opened her eyes and looked at the empty house in front of her, "What is this?"


    "This will be our new home." Chu Ge had prepared this big surprise for Mu Bingtong’s birthday.


    "I hope you’ll like it."


    "I like wherever you are." Mu Bingtong happily snuggled into Chu Ge’s arms.


    "We’ll decorate everything in the style you like, I’ll handle everything, you just wait to be thedy of the house."


    Chu Ge hugged Mu Bingtong tightly.


    "How about we pick out furniture together?"


    "Do we need to pick out furniture? Whatever you like, I’ll have it delivered directly."


    "No, let’s be like other couples and choose together."


    Mu Bingtong softly drew circles on Chu Ge’s chest.


    Chu Ge felt ticklish and grabbed her hand, gazing gently at Mu Bingtong.


    "How about I let the driver apany you?"


    "Do you think it’s shameful to apany me to look at furniture?"


    "No, the whole mall is mine, what’s there to be ashamed of? It’s just as the CEO going down to the grassroots level, they’ll be scared."


    Chu Ge saw Mu Bingtong pout and turn to leave in displeasure.


    "Okay, okay, I’ll go with you, alright?"


    "I knew you were the best."


    Instantly, her pout turned into a bright smile as she gazed sweetly at Chu Ge.


    Just like that, Mu Bingtong dragged Chu Ge into the city’srgest mall.


    "Hello, Mr. Chu." The staff quickly became nervous seeing Chu Ge’s arrival.


    The district manager, hearing of Chu Ge’s visit, rushed out of his office, unprepared for this surprise visit, fearing the consequences if anything were found amiss.


    The manager saw a young woman standing with Chu Ge, the two of them close and affectionate, and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw their CEO smiling at her. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming — yes, he was truly smiling.


    "Quick, pinch me." The manager nudged a nearby staff member.


    That staff member didn’t understand, but another staff member next to him took the chance and pinched him hard, not wanting to miss out on such a good opportunity.


    "Ouch, how hard did you pinch!" The manager’s scream caught the attention of Chu Ge and Mu Bingtong.


    The manager suddenly covered his mouth, nced at Chu Ge, whose smile had disappeared, reced with a severe, cold expression, eyes like daggers piercing through the manager.


    The manager hurriedly lowered his head and walked over, "He-hello, CEO."


    Mu Bingtong still looked like a delicate woman as she nced at the manager, then turned to Chu Ge, whispering, "Don’t be so harsh, you’re scaring him."


    Only after Mu Bingtong’s words did Chu Ge’s expression slightly soften, "Are you the person in charge here?"


    "Y-yes..."


    Chu Ge took out a white glove from his pocket, casually brushing it over the sofa beside him, "How long has it been since youst cleaned?"


    The manager’s heart skipped a beat the moment he saw the CEO pull out a white glove. He didn’t dare to breathe loudly, let alone look up to see if there was any dust on the white glove.


    Mu Bingtong noticed there wasn’t much dirt on the glove, realizing they were in his territory now. The boss’s pretentiousness was showing again, so she ignored Chu Ge scolding the manager and wandered off to the cab section.


    Seeing Mu Bingtong walk away, Chu Ge didn’t pursue the manager’s responsibilities further, "File a report of self-criticism, and make sure to deliver the sofa that the youngdy chose to this address today."


    "Yes, yes, yes." The manager hurriedly took the address and watched the CEO walk away, but didn’t rush to arrange the sofa delivery.


    "Who pinched me just now? Step forward!"


    ...


    "How was it?"


    "Well, I have to say, Mr. Chu’s prestige is really high, it seems like they’re all quite afraid of you."


    "Really?" Chu Ge smugly rubbed his chin, the stubble a bit prickly after two days, thinking he should start shaving daily, realizing he was indeed getting older.


    "Look, I even have stubble now."


    Chu Ge wrapped his arms around Mu Bingtong from behind, rubbing her hand against his chin.


    "Yeah, you’re getting old," Mu Bingtong teased.


    "Yeah, I’m getting old, so shouldn’t we get married soon?"


    Mu Bingtong rolled her eyes, "Does this count as a proposal?"


    Chu Ge smiled faintly, his mouth curving into a beautiful arc, "Of course..." he deliberately dragged out the word.


    "Hm?" Mu Bingtong pulled out of Chu Ge’s embrace, facing him directly, with a warning look.


    "Of course not."


    Receiving the satisfactory answer, Mu Bingtong gently nodded, "Quite clever."


    "I’m not like some people who, even after four years, can’t change bad habits of being careless and forgetful."


    As they flirted and teased, a woman in a cream-colored fitted mini-dress and sky-high heels elegantly approached Chu Ge and Mu Bingtong.


    "Long time no see."


    Chu Ge froze for three seconds upon seeing the visitor, then regained hisposure, wrapping an arm around Mu Bingtong, looking at the woman like she was a stranger.


    The woman smiled at them, and Mu Bingtong, seeing neither of them speaking, asked Chu Ge, "Do you know her?"


    "No."


    "We’re old friends."


    Mu Bingtong looked at the inexplicable two people, not waiting for Chu Ge to speak, the woman stepped forward, extending a hand, "Hello, I’m Lisa, Chu Ge’s... ex-girlfriend."