《Hello Love, Goodbye Billionaire》


 Chapter 1 – A Fearless Lady

    In Country C, Shang Capital


    Seated inside the first-ss cabin of a renowned international airne, Stephanie Ruan looked at the city through the window, with deep emotions in her eyes.


    Up until today, her family¡¯s car ident which had happened 8 years ago remained vivid in her mind.


    Just like the members of the public, she too wanted to believe that the tragic incident which had killed her parents and sibling was unintentional.


    However, she remembered very clearly the words of a young man who seemed to be reporting to someone over the phone that day. ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it, the Ruan family members are all dead.¡±


    The cold voice sent shivers down her spine. Though Stephanie Ruan did not dare to open her eyes back then, that particr voice would be etched on her memory forever.


    The young man deliberately threw the phone towards her, which had uratelynded a few centimetres away from her face, just like how he had expected it to be.


    He then walked towards the phone and immediately crushed it beneath his shoe, while staring at the uninjured girl who is stubbornly trying to keep her eyes shut.


    Feeling the young man¡¯s face getting closer to hers, Stephanie Ruan could not help but be more nervous. ¡°Oh no¡­ Has he found out that I am still alive??!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But what the young man subsequently said to her had shocked her the most! ¡°Leave this country and don¡¯t evere back!¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°So he knew¡­ Back then he knew that I was alive!¡± Stephanie Ruan sat on her seat and subconsciously sped her hands together.


    Just then, a hand suddenly came over and tapped on her arm. She reflexively turned to the side and looked at the person with widened eyes.


    Seeing her personal assistant¡¯s shocked expression, Stephanie Ruan calmed down a little and gave her a light smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mia. You were going to tell me something?¡±


    Mia Xue did not know what had gotten into her boss. She noticed that Stephanie Ruan had not been herself ever since she had boarded the ne.


    Nheless, she went on and reported to her respectfully. ¡°Director Ruan, the ne hasnded. We can alight now.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan nodded and elegantly put on her ck sunsses. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The sound of her high heels had filled the entire corridor and attracted the attention of many passengers who had just alighted.


    Her graceful and dignified demeanour, coupled with her beautiful facial features and figure had caused the people around her to be unable to shift their eyes away.


    ¡°Unbelievable!! Could anyone be prettier than her?!¡± The crowd started to break into their conversations while being mesmerised by her beauty.


    Mia Xue, who is walking beside Stephanie Ruan, is already very used to this scene. Such an outstanding woman, it is no wonder that her boss would gain so much attention.


    She really could not understand why Stephanie Ruan would not ept any of the suitors who have been actively pursuing her. To be honest, each of them is notcking a single bit at all!


    Mia Xue could not help but sigh silently in her heart. She really did not dare to imagine how great Stephanie Ruan¡¯s future husband would be¡­


    As they exited the arrival hall, Mia Xue wasted no time and immediately reported their schedule for today.


    ¡°Director Ruan, you have a virtual internal department meeting at 11 am¡­ Lunch would be at 1 pm and after which, you would prepare to head for an interview with a local mediapany¡­ There would be an external stakeholders¡¯ meeting at 4 pm¡­¡±


    In the past 6 years, Stephanie Ruan has single-handedly established apany of her own. At the young age of 26, she now owns Helix Publishing ¨C a sessful international publishing firm. They are known to always be the first to release thetest business news in the industry!


    But of course, she wouldn¡¯t be where she is today without her best friend, Daniel Yan.


    When Stephanie Ruan had fled from Country C, she was fortunate enough to have met Daniel Yan in Country A. His family is also very weing and has treated her as their own.


    Though Daniel Yanes from a very wealthy family, he hasn¡¯t been able to invest in her publishing firm as she refused to take a single cent from him. As such, he could only stay by her side and offer her the emotional support that she needed.


    Stephanie Ruan¡¯s phone rang as soon as she entered the car. She instantly epted the video call but before she could even say a word, a cheerful voice interrupted her.


    ¡°Miss Ruan! You have already reached the country and you didn¡¯t even give me a call! Have you forgotten about your best friend so quickly?¡±


    She immediately rolled her eyes at Daniel Yan and teased him as well. ¡°Mr Yan, if I knew earlier that I wouldn¡¯t even get a breather after my flight, I¡¯d definitely choose to forget about this best friend of mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait wait¡­ Hold up!! Why does it sound like it¡¯s my fault again??¡±


    Looking at his wronged look, Stephanie Ruan could not help but let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Alright alright¡­ It¡¯s my fault, okay??¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that he is just staring quietly at her, she lifted her hand to touch her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?? Is there something on my face?¡±


    Daniel Yan shook his head and simply gave her a doting smile, ¡°Take care of yourself alright? If you need anything, just call me. I¡¯ll even fly over to meet you if you want me to.¡±


    His words made her break into a smile, ¡°Stop being ridiculous! You¡¯re way busier than I am, so just focus on your work!¡±


    Though Stephanie Ruan is one of the most highly sought-after women, she is also known to have mercilessly rejected and stayed away from every single man who had confessed their heart to her.


    She is simply not interested to be in a rtionship at the moment and no one could change her strong mindset.


    In fact, the only guy who could sessfully stay by her side is none other than Daniel Yan.


    Yes, he loves her. But he also loves her differently from the other men. If she is not ready to be in a rtionship yet, then he would wait patiently for her to be ready.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He has already decided to wait for her no matter how much time it would take. To him, it would all be worth it!


    ¡­


    Their light-hearted conversation quickly ended and soon, the car arrived in front of the grand hotel.


    ¡°Director Ruan, we are here.¡± Mia Xue turned to face the back seat and sinctly reported.


    ¡°Mmm okay.¡± Stephanie Ruan casually took the designer bag that is seated beside her and alighted from the car.


    As soon as they had settled into their presidential suite, Mia Xue received an important phone call.


    ¡°Got it¡­ Send the file to me. I¡¯ll let Director Ruan know.¡±


    Hearing her name, Stephanie Ruan who is busy reading through a document, looked up at Mia. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Mia Xue quickly opened the newly received file on her tablet and brought it over to her boss.


    ¡°The investigator said that these are all the information he has and he is unable to help you investigate any further. His cover has already been blown.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan read through the file and a cold glint shed past her eyes. ¡°Zhong Family?¡±


    After so many years of investigation, she has finally managed to obtain some information about the people who were behind her family¡¯s car ident.


    It is truly a pity that the investigation had to stop here. She still has not gotten hold of any concrete evidence to take legal actions against them.


    And she is definitely not going to give up just like that!


    She scrolled down towards the end of the file and saw a familiar face.


    As the boss of a renowned publishing firm that is constantly producing thetest business updates, she definitely could recognise this man with just one nce!


    Javier Zhong ¨C the only grandchild of the prestigious Zhong Family. His family is so powerful in the country that even the government officials could not afford to offend them.


    He has officially taken over his family¡¯s business ¨C Zhong Holdings, which is actively involved in most of the industries around the world. Though he is just 2 years older than her, he has already aplished ten times what she has done thus far.


    Just within a year of him taking over, Zhong Holdings has grown to be the top threepanies in the world and their profits are still steadily increasing every single month.


    It is said that ¡®anything that he touches would be gold¡¯. Indeed, he holds an unshakable position in the business field and is feared by many!


    Furthermore, he is already listed as the richest billionaire in the country.


    Would anyone refuse to bow down to him?


    Well, perhaps, there could only be one person who dares to plot against him.


    ¡°Mia, ask the investigator to do me onest favour. Give me the current location of Javier Zhong.¡±

 Chapter 2 – No Turning Back!

    What?? Is she intending to throw herself into the lion¡¯s den and investigate this incident on her own?!


    To be up against the other members of the Zhong family is already a huge challenge.


    But¡­ it is entirely another matter on its own to deal with Javier Zhong directly!


    With perfect facial features and a muscr build, he is known to be the most powerful and ruthless person in the Zhong Family.


    If people are already so afraid of his family members, it is almost unimaginable how much more fear they would carry for him!


    Furthermore, he has a very low tolerance for women and all of them are advised to stay at least three meters away from him.


    Mia Xue widened her eyes and looked at her boss in shock. She really did not dare to imagine the consequences of her boss¡¯ decision.


    If Javier Zhong knows about what she is nning to do, she would definitely be skinned alive!!


    ¡°Director Ruan¡­ It¡¯s too dangerous to investigate this on your own. Why don¡¯t we think of another¡­¡±


    However, Stephanie Ruan remained adamant about her decision. She interrupted Mia Xue with an assuring smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about me. Just do what I say.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan knew that things would not be easy for her but since she had alreadye this far, she could not just give up at this moment!


    After all, she had already suffered so much for the past few years. And to be honest, no situation could be worse than not knowing the reason for her family¡¯s death.


    With this thought in mind, she is ready to risk everything that she has! Even if it means losing her life in the process!


    ¡­


    Over at Zhong Holdings, an eerie silence overwhelmed the entire conference room that is upied by all the high-ranking leaders from thepany.


    It is not even an exaggeration that everyone in this room has the same nauseating feeling in their stomach.


    And their condition only bes worse as each meeting goes by¡­


    The final presenter gulped down his saliva nervously as he looked at Javier Zhong¡¯s sharp stare towards him.


    Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead as he spoke his first words. ¡°The business report for the current financial year has shown that our department has made an increased profit of 5. 2% aspared to the previous year and¡­¡±


    As soon as he saw Javier Zhong put his hand up, he had no choice but to stop his speech abruptly.


    ¡°5. 2%??¡± Javier Zhong squinted his eyes dangerously at the department¡¯s manager in front of him.


    ¡°Ye¡­ Yes, Chairman Zhong.¡± The manager stuttered as he hurriedly responded to him.


    With a blink of an eye, Javier Zhong threw their department¡¯s proposal report and it came flying towards the manager.


    ¡°Turn to page 157 and read out the first sentence from the sixth paragraph.¡±


    Everyone held on to their breaths as they watched the panicky manager pick up the report and rush to flip to that exact page.


    ¡°Chair¡­ Chairman Zhong¡­ it says that with¡­ with the new raw materials and equipment, the department would be able to get an increased profit of at least 5. 25%¡­¡±


    The manager¡¯s voice trailed off as he pleaded for his boss¡¯ mercy with watery eyes. ¡°This¡­ let me exin, Chairman Zhong¡­¡±


    However, Javier Zhong interrupted him by looking at his secretary, Isaac Wen, who is seated beside him.


    ¡°Go and prepare a contract for him to pay the remaining 0. 05% in cash to thepany by the end of this week!¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    His words instantly threw the manager into a panic mode as he knew that he could never afford to pay thatrge sum of money.


    Although it seems like a small percentage, it could easily amount to at least a few million yuan!


    ¡°That¡­ that¡­ Chairman Zhong, I don¡¯t¡­ have the money to¡­¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t deserve to be here! I trust my employees by their actions and not by their words.¡±


    Javier Zhong stared at the other employees, ¡°This is also a warning to the rest of you. If you are not performing up to thepany¡¯s standards, you can choose topensate thepany for the losses, or you can just pack up and leave!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯m a businessman, not a phnthropist.¡± He added on indifferently.


    ¡°Isaac, fire him!¡±


    Javier Zhong heartlessly gave the order as he stood up and left the conference room without looking back.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Chairman Zhong¡­ please¡­¡± With Isaac Wen¡¯s subordinates holding the manager back, he could only continue begging in tears.


    The employees in Zhong Holdings are known to be the most well-paid in the industry and no otherpanies could afford to offer such high sries.


    As such, despite them having such a hard time with a cold-blooded boss, they are still reluctant to leave thepany on their own ord.


    Isaac Wen quickly chased after Javier Zhong from behind, ¡°Chairman Zhong, we only have 45 minutes to your next appointment.¡±


    ¡°Leave now. Get the driver here.¡±


    ¡­


    Step by step, Stephanie Ruan walked confidently into the Tudor Clubhouse¡¯s reception area, with Mia Xue following closely behind her.


    Though she is dressed in a white designer business suit with a pair of high heels and diamond earrings, it is not enough to hide her femininity and elegance.


    Her aura is so strong that even the staff and guests could not keep their eyes away from her.


    ¡°Hello, good afternoon! I have a booking under the name of Stephanie.¡± She smiled and greeted the staff in a polite manner.


    The manager swiftly checked their administration system and ushered the two of them towards the VIP area. ¡°Miss Stephanie, this way please.¡±


    This luxurious clubhouse is divided into two separate areas. One area is for their regr guests while the other is specially reserved for their VIP members.


    Don¡¯t mention about bing a VIP member, even signing up as a regr member in this clubhouse is a big hurdle to climb over.


    Simply put, the regr membership of the country¡¯s best clubhouse is very exclusive. Without a referral, it doesn¡¯t matter how rich or powerful you are, you cannot apply to be their member at all.


    As for their VIP membership, it is almost like a private clubhouse with only less than 10 Gold cards given out so far.


    Thankfully for Stephanie Ruan, Daniel Yan¡¯s good friend owns this clubhouse. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t know how she could step into this ce today.


    As they were led into a long hallway filled with private dining rooms on both sides, Stephanie Ruan spotted two men in suits who are about to enter the room that she is eyeing on.


    She gave a questioning look to Mia Xue, who is also thinking about the exact same question in her head. ¡°Who are these two men?¡±


    Didn¡¯t the investigator tell her that only a foreign business partner ¨C Mr Robertson, Javier Zhong, and his subordinates would be in the room?


    Did they invite another group of people whom she is unaware of?


    ¡°I see that our room is right at the front. You don¡¯t have to walk us there. We would like to explore this ce on our own first.¡± Stephanie Ruan maintained her smile as she spoke to the manager.


    ¡°Certainly, Miss Stephanie. There are many service buttons situated inside the room. If you need to reach us, you can just press any button and we would attend to you immediately.¡± The manager replied respectfully before bowing and taking his leave.


    She nodded at him, ¡°Thank you very much, appreciate your hard work!¡±


    Within a few steps, they have reached the entrance of their targeted room just in time for Stephanie Ruan to have a quick nce at the seating arrangement in the room, as well as the faces of the two men who had just entered.


    ¡°HG Group??¡­¡± Though they are the second most sessfulpany in the country, everyone knows that both Zhong Holdings and HG Group are fiercepetitors.


    Before the door had closed fully, she managed to eavesdrop on Mr Robertson¡¯s words, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t mind, Chairman Zhong. I¡¯ve invited another potential partner to join this negotiation¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ the foreign business partner is still in the midst of deciding on who to work with?¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan crossed her arms and fell into deep thought while tapping her fingers lightly.


    Surely, it is very dangerous for her to get close to Javier Zhong and so, she better ensure that her steps are well-nned ahead and that she is taking calcted risks.


    But the hard truth is, ¡°Once you enter into the game¡­ there is no turning back.¡±


    Well, she could only pray hard to get the good side of the coin.


    With that, Stephanie Ruan ced her hand on the doorknob and decisively pushed the door open.

 Chapter 3 – Get Lost!

    Over on the other side, there is a strange silence in the room.


    Without having to look at Javier Zhong¡¯s cold and unfriendly expression, Isaac Wen could already feel the low pressure from him.


    In fact, he closed his eyes and prepared to embrace what is toe as his body started to break into a cold sweat!


    Clearly, Isaac Wen knows that if the young master were to throw a temper right now, no one could control him at all!


    And at the end of the day, the person who would have the toughest time could only be him¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It did not take very long for everyone in the room to realise that the temperature has already dropped to its freezing point!


    Even Mr Robertson could not help but question himself if he had made the right decision to bring both parties together.


    However, from a business standpoint, he had no choice as this is the most effective way to negotiate for the best terms in the contract.


    Of course, as a ruthless businessman himself, Javier Zhong is well aware of Mr Robertson¡¯s intention behind this move.


    But since it is the first time that this international departmental store has decided to step foot in Asia, it is an important partnership for Zhong Holdings.


    Not only will it help thepany reap a huge amount of profits, but its international presence would be increased as well.


    Basically, this partnership is a golden opportunity that he doesn¡¯t want to miss out on at all!


    After much consideration, Javier Zhong finally signalled to Isaac Wen. ¡°Hand him the proposal.¡±


    Phew!! What a close shave!


    Isaac Wen secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but just as he was about to ce the proposal on the table, Mr Robertson waved his hand at him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not interested in your proposal yet. I want to know what¡¯s the best profit share percentage that yourpany can offer to me.¡±


    As a business partner, he is naturally more interested to hear the financial gains of this business deal.


    To him, time is money and if the financial terms are unsatisfactory, there is no point in hearing about the proposal at all.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Everyone from Zhong Holdings sucked in their breath as soon as they heard what was spoken. Nobody dared to steal a nce at Javier Zhong¡¯s icy face.


    How dare the investor speak to him in this manner?!


    Has he not heard about the horrifying rumours of Javier Zhong yet??¡­ He is a man who could easily crush anyone with just a finger of his!


    Is he really looking for a death wish?!


    But surprisingly, despite these consecutive provocations made by the investor, Javier Zhong still maintained an indifferent look.


    ¡°We are very confident about our proposal and proposed profit share percentage. But if Mr Robertson cannot trust us on this, then you are not the right partner for Zhong Holdings.¡±


    With just two sentences, Javier Zhong hadpletely turned the tables around!


    Wow! No wonder he is also famously known as the ¡°Business Hegemon!¡±


    To date, he has never once clinched a business deal that puts him at a disadvantage!


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, we are both businessmen after all. And to me, profit share still takes precedence over any proposal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But as soon as Mr Robertson finished his sentence, there were three light knocks on the door and it had pretty much helped to ease some tension in the room.


    Except for Javier Zhong, everyone else turned to look at the entrance with curiosity.


    The rare beauty, coupled with her elegant temperament had left everyone feelingpletely stunned.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, not looking at the proposal and jumping straight to discuss the profit share may not be a wise choice. Who knows what you are getting yourself into?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan spoke as she strolled gracefully towards the centre of the table.


    With a confident smile, she greeted the investor and passed him a name card. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you! I¡¯m Stephanie, the director of Helix Publishing.¡±


    Initially, Mr Robertson was skeptical about the sudden appearance of Stephanie Ruan, but after hearing her self-introduction, he instantly widened his eyes. ¡°He¡­ Helix Publishing?!¡±


    Of course, he has heard about her publishingpany!


    In fact, his corporation has been on the waiting list for many months just to apply for an advertorial slot on their business magazine!


    On top of that, Stephanie Ruan has always maintained a low profile in the public¡¯s eye.


    So to be able to meet the director in person today, he must have hit the jackpot!


    Apart from him, everyone else in the room is also in awe of her presence and some murmurings could be heard.


    Noticing that Javier Zhong is staring indifferently at her, she raised one of her eyebrows and returned an unconcerned look to him.


    Stephanie Ruan is absolutely certain that he would need her help today so thankfully there was no need for her to pretend that she had fallen in love with him just to attract his attention and curry his favour.


    Sadly, no matter how outstanding he is, she has absolutely zero interest in him.


    Meanwhile, Isaac Wen, who is standing at the side had actually caught this scene. He was rendered speechless but at the same time,pletely impressed by her.From N?velDrama.Org.


    Wow! Did he see her expression wrongly?!


    Usually, other women would be busy fawning over his young master and could not wait to impress him but thisdy in front of him¡­


    Not only is she uninterested in Javier Zhong, she even dared to stare back at him!


    Isaac Wen secretly gave her a thumbs up in his heart.


    ¡°Both Zhong Holdings and HG Group are indeed the most outstandingpanies in the country. Mr Robertson, I got to apud you for bringing the right people into this room today.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan paused and gave him a light smile before adding, ¡°However¡­ even though HG Group¡¯s profits have seen a sharp increase of at least 8. 2% in the recent months, we have to also take into consideration their several months of deficitsst year, at around -2. 4%.¡±


    ¡°Though Zhong Holdings¡¯ profit figure may not be as attractive as HG Group¡¯s, they have been enjoying a stable flow of ie, with a steady increase of at least 1. 25% every month. As a businessman, I trust that you know what these figures mean.¡±


    She then casually shifted her nce to Javier Zhong, ¡°On top of that, Zhong Holdings owns many properties in this country.¡±


    Seeing Javier Zhong¡¯s aloof expression, Stephanie Ruan gave a light smirk and turned to look at Mr Robertson.


    ¡°By properties, I¡¯m specifically referring to their popr high-end shopping malls. If you are partnering with them, you can leverage their insightful knowledge on the best locations for your future stores.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time that JC Departmental Store is expanding in Asia, shouldn¡¯t you choose to work with the best partner to ensure its sess? Why settle for the second-best when you can work with the best?¡±


    She folded her arms and stood in front of everyone with confidence.


    Given Stephanie Ruan¡¯s rich knowledge in the business sector, Mr Robertson had no reason to not heed her professional advice.


    Of course, in this meeting, one party had to leave with disappointment and that could only be HG Group. The two men were unable to rebuke her at all as what she stated were simply facts and nothing less than that.


    After they had taken their leave, the discussion with Zhong Holdings went on for several hours before both parties have finally reached an agreement.


    With the presence of Zhong Holdings¡¯wyers from the legal department, the signing process was expedited.


    Before leaving the private room, Mr Robertson gave a solid handshake to Javier Zhong, which also signifies the term ¡®happy coboration¡¯.


    He then handed out two well-designed invitation cards to Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan, ¡°JC Departmental Store is hosting its 20th-anniversary dinner this weekend in Country C. I sincerely hope to see both of you at this special event.¡±


    Mr Robertson could be said to be utterly impressed by Stephanie Ruan¡¯s eloquence throughout the entire discussion.


    To be honest, he has never met ady like her before and he truly felt that such a person could only be a perfect match for Javier Zhong.


    Wait hold on¡­ Are they already a couple??¡­


    Seemingly able to read his mind, Stephanie Ruan stepped forward and cling her arm with Javier Zhong¡¯s.


    ¡°Get lost!!¡± Though his voice is too soft for anyone else to hear other than Stephanie Ruan, one could surely sense his intimidating aura.


    Ignoring his words and cold re at her, she threw him an enchanting smile instead and turned to Mr Robertson, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be there as long as Javier brings me along with him.¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 4 – Business Relationship

    Judging by their closeness, Mr Robertson is satisfied that he has ¡®urately¡¯ guessed their rtionship.


    However, as soon as Javier Zhong heard what she said, he gritted his teeth in anger!


    He did not know Stephanie Ruan¡¯s motive foring close to him but yet at the same time, it is not ideal to create a big scene in front of his new business partner.


    ¡°Certainly, we will be there.¡±


    Well, isn¡¯t it just attending an event? How difficult could it be??


    In the worst-case scenario, if she refuses toe, he would just get Isaac Wen to tie her up and drag her to the event with him.


    After all, a promise has already been made and he is one who never breaks his promises.


    When Stephanie Ruan heard his quick and decisive reply, she could not help but let out a light smirk.


    To be able to reach this stage of development with Javier Zhong could already be considered as ¡®mission aplished¡¯ for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, I will see you both around soon!¡± Mr Robertson beamed with delight as he exited the room with his subordinates.


    The minute the door mmed shut, Stephanie Ruan instantly returned to her cold expression and removed her arm from Javier Zhong.


    She then took a seat with her legs crossed elegantly.


    Without waiting for her to speak first, Javier Zhong immediately interrogated her with a fierce tone. ¡°What is it that you want?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, I really like how you are jumping straight to the point and I¡¯m d to know that I¡¯ve found the right person. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have time to waste as well.¡±


    She stood up and took five steps towards him. The distance between the two of them is just right, about 3 meters apart.


    It seemed as though both of them have amon understanding and no one wanted to move any closer to the other person.


    After staring at each other for a few long seconds, she finally broke the silence. ¡°I want to be your fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at Stephanie Ruan with a shocked expression. Even Mia Xue who is standing behind her is also caught off guard. ¡°That¡­ Director Ruan¡­¡±


    Isaac Wen widened his eyes and stared nkly at her. He could not help but dart his eyes back and forth between the two of them while trying to get hold of the current situation.


    What¡­ is going on here??¡­ But hold on, something is wrong!!¡­


    There are so many girls out there who would sacrifice everything just to marry his young master.


    And over the years, he had witnessed so many of them trying different methods just to desperately gain a few seconds of Javier Zhong¡¯s attention.


    Of course, none of them were sessful at melting his ice-cold heart. In fact, all of them were ruthlessly thrown out of his sight.From N?velDrama.Org.


    But as for thisdy¡­ Isaac Wen truly could not believe what he has seen and heard today.


    It was one thing to ask such a direct question and another to ask it with such an indifferent and unwilling look.


    She is definitely the first person to do this and what¡¯s more, she has sessfully captured Javier Zhong¡¯s attention!


    On the other hand, Javier Zhong arrogantly raised his eyebrows and sneered coldly at her request. ¡°Fianc¨¦? What makes you think I will agree to it?¡±


    Unlike the other girls, Stephanie Ruan did not take the bait and is not frightened by his tone of voice at all.


    Without a care in the world, she casually put on her sunsses while responding to him. ¡°Just like how I¡¯ve helped you to clinch this deal, I could also destroy it easily.¡±


    ¡°The event is happening this Saturday. I will give you two days to think about it.¡± She then turned to her side and gave a slight nod, which prompted Mia Xue to step forward and pass Isaac Wen a name card.


    But before they could even exit the room, Javier Zhong¡¯s threatening voice sounded out to them. ¡°Barging into someone else¡¯s room and disrupting an important business negotiation, I¡¯ve yet to settle this with you.¡±


    ¡°Send the guards here! The two of them are not allowed to leave this building until I¡¯ve permitted them to do so!¡±


    After he ordered Isaac Wen, he sat down on the sofa nearby and started perusing some documents, as though he had forgotten about the presence of the two people in front of him.


    ¡°Hey! What do you mean by this?!¡± Mia Xue stepped forward angrily and confronted Javier Zhong about it.


    What¡¯s the situation now? Is he trying to hold them captive?!


    She truly felt that her boss should not have helped such an unappreciative man like him!


    If not for Stephanie Ruan holding her back, Mia Xue would have already dashed forward and impulsively grabbed onto his hair!


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan ispletely unaffected by what he had said. It was as though she had long expected such a scene to happen.


    In a calm andposed manner, she strolled across the room to where he is seated and sat on the other sofa opposite of him.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, although the contract has been signed today, you should know that nothing is ever confirmed until the stores are officially up.¡±


    ¡°This is an important project for Zhong Holdings and I¡¯m capable of handling this business deal for you. But I wonder if you are even capable of giving me what I want?¡± She questioned him in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant.


    Hearing what she had said, Javier Zhong remained indifferent as he tidied up the documents in his hands. He threw them lightly on the coffee table in front of him before ring at her directly in the eyes.


    ¡°Fianc¨¦? Are you so desperate to marry me?¡± He mocked her without batting an eyelid.


    With a cold smile, Stephanie Ruan leaned slightly forward, while still locking her eyes at him.


    ¡°Marry you? I¡¯d suggest you not to be too self-absorbed. I¡¯m not interested in you. What I¡¯m asking for is purely a business rtionship and nothing more than that.¡±


    As though he had just received a tight p on his face, Javier Zhong¡¯s expression froze for a moment.


    No one has ever dared to say such words to him before and he could hardly believe what he has just heard!


    What??¡­ She does not like him?!


    Honestly, he is too used to women praising and fawning over him that he could not ept her harsh, yet truthful remarks at all!


    Not aware of what he is thinking about, she paused for a brief moment, before adding on with a questioning look. ¡°In that case, are you still interested in this offer, Chairman Zhong?¡±

 Chapter 5 – An Unexpected Kiss

    Snapping out of his thoughts, he squinted his eyes at Stephanie Ruan.


    In Javier Zhong¡¯s opinion, this woman in front of him is obviously not trustable at all!


    Who knows what¡¯s the real reason for hering so close to him?


    But if she could be trusted to handle this difficult business deal and yet at the same time be able to help him please his grandmother for the time being, then he does not see why he shouldn¡¯t make full use of her?


    After all, she is the one who came knocking on his door first!


    ¡°State your terms and conditions.¡± Javier Zhong threw out these few cold words.


    He had learned since young that the number one business rule is to wait for the other party to state their conditions first so that he would not lose out unnecessarily.


    However, Stephanie Ruan is also well-educated on this rule. But someone has to start first, right?


    So with this thought, she decided to y the game differently. ¡°Rx, I¡¯m not after any of your properties or money. All I need is a fianc¨¦ for one year and we¡­¡±


    ¡°Three months.¡± He rudely interrupted her.


    Stephanie Ruan let out a light smirk, ¡°Six months it is.¡±


    She had long expected that he would bargain the terms in such a cut-throat manner and so she threw out a longer time frame on purpose.


    And she got what she wanted!


    Simrly, for Javier Zhong, six months is also the maximum duration that he could ept for this deal.


    After all, who does not know that he could not stand having a woman sticking around him all day?


    This is indeed the biggestpromise that he has ever given to anyone in this lifetime.


    ¡°Happy cooperation, Chairman Zhong.¡± Stephanie Ruan stood up and put her hand out, intending to shake his hand but as expected of him¡­


    Not only did he refuse to throw a nce at her hand, but he hadpletely ignored her words as well!


    Unsurprised by his aloof behaviour, Stephanie Ruan chuckled as she withdrew her awkward hand.


    ¡°In that case, Chairman Zhong, I shall take my leave. See you in a few days.¡± Stephanie Ruan then proceeded to exit the room with Mia Xue.


    The minute the door is closed, Javier Zhong¡¯s cold voice resounded in the quiet room.


    ¡°I want to know everything about her and don¡¯t miss out on any piece of information!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Zhong.¡± Isaac Wen replied promptly and immediately ordered his subordinates to proceed with the investigation.


    ¡­


    Mia Xue quickly spotted a small concierge stationed right outside the entrance of the clubhouse.


    ¡°Director Ruan, I will be heading off from here to get the keys from the real estate agent. Should I get the staff to call a cab for you and send you back¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan shook her head lightly with a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mia. Go get busy. I can handle this on my own.¡±


    Since Stephanie Ruan knows that she would be staying in Country C for some time, she has decided to purchase a new andrge sea-view penthouse, with its good location strongly rmended by her best friend, Daniel Yan.


    As such, Mia Xue would be busy handling the administrative duties on her behalf and also expediting their move-in process.


    Soon, Stephanie Ruan is left all alone at the entrance.


    It is not that she does not know how to approach the staff to call for a cab, but that she does not know where to go.


    Hence, she looked around and found a seating area nearby.


    As soon as she settled down, Stephanie Ruan took out her phone and searched for ¡®popr shopping malls¡¯ in the city.


    Since the event is only a few days away, she better start looking for an evening gown to wear on that day.


    As she was scrolling through the list, she could not help but notice a car that has stopped right in front of her.


    Curious, she looked up and immediately saw someone stepping out of the ck limited edition Rolls Royce car.


    ¡°Director Ruan, this way please.¡±


    Isaac Wen stretched out his arm in a polite manner and invited her to sit at the back of the car together with Javier Zhong.


    This is a very unusual situation as Javier Zhong would not even allow any woman to touch the handle of his car, let alone sit next to him.


    But Isaac Wen had only dared to do so today as it is a special order given by his young master!


    On the other hand, Stephanie Ruan would usually reject such offers without any second thoughts.


    But because she only has 6 months to get close to Javier Zhong, she decided to seize every opportunity!


    However, as soon as she got into the car, she saw that Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes are closed.


    Is he asleep??¡­


    ¡°Director Ruan, where are you heading to?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan quickly ced a finger on her lips to signal him to not speak. If Javier Zhong has already fallen asleep, he must have been drained from work.


    As a boss herself, she empathise with him and know the importance of these short naps so she did not want to disturb his rest.


    She took out her phone and typed a message for Isaac Wen to read instead.


    [I am unfamiliar with this city. I would like to go shopping. Could I trouble you to drop me at a mall that you would rmend?]


    Although she used to live in Country C, the cities here have be more developed over the years, with many new attractions and high-rise buildings dominating the once empty plots ofnd.


    As such, it is only natural for Stephanie Ruan to feel like a foreigner in her homnd. After all, it has been many years since she has returned to her country.


    Looking at her message, Isaac Wen immediately understood and gave her a nod. He then whispered a location to the driver next to him, before ordering him to drive off.


    At the same time, he could not help but think to himself, ¡°Since when did Chairman Zhong ever take a nap in the car?¡­¡±


    ¡°He is usually very efficient and would even sieve through some documents while travelling from ce to ce¡­ This is really odd¡­¡±


    But Isaac Wen got to admit that he is truly impressed with Stephanie Ruan¡¯s polite and considerate action.


    He is inplete disbelief that she is the samedy who had sessfully struck a deal with his boss just now!


    And he has a strong gut feeling that she isn¡¯t a mean person at all¡­


    In fact, he is starting to have a good impression of her and could not help but wonder how suitable she would be for his young master¡­


    Yes¡­ perfect match!!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Upon realising what he was dreaming about, Isaac Wen quickly shook off those thoughts in his mind and pulled himself back to reality!


    He would totally be ughtered and thrown into the sea if Javier Zhong ever finds out what he is thinking about!!


    ¡­


    Over at the back, Javier Zhong was indeed not sleeping. He opened his eyes slowly, only to catch Stephanie Ruan staring out of the window quietly.


    Despite his subordinates having a silent conversation with her in the car, he ispletely aware of what is going on.


    In fact, he had closed his eyes on purpose to test Stephanie Ruan¡¯s intention for getting close to him.


    But it has already been 15 minutes into the ride and not only did she not make a move on him, her thoughtful act had surprised him a little.


    Having said this, Javier Zhong still did not believe that she is one of good character, judging from how she had schemed her way to the point of bing his ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯, all in one day!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Such a despicable woman!!¡­ He is definitely going to tear her mask apart today! Just wait for it!


    With a smirk, he ced his hand on her waist and pulled her towards him.


    Stephanie Ruan, who is totally caught off guard with his sudden action, could only helplessly fall on his body.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Unbelievable!!


    Knowing that Javier Zhong had done this on purpose, she immediately turned her head and was ready to confront him.


    ¡°You!!¡­¡±


    Just then, the car suddenly screeched to a halt! With widened eyes, Javier Zhong uncontrobly leaned forward and¡­


    -Kiss-


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 6 – Why Are You Here?

    To be more urate, it was just a peck on their lips thatsted for about one second.


    But this is more than enough to send Stephanie Ruan flying into a rage!


    Horrified by his actions, Stephanie Ruan raised her voice at him in disbelief. ¡°Javier Zhong!! How dare you!!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    The minute she finished her sentence, the car became dangerously silent, with both Isaac Wen and the driver drowning in fear.


    Though they did not manage to witness the incident, they could vaguely guess what had happened just by looking at their bodynguage.


    And this is the first time they have encountered someone calling their young master by his full name and also looking to start a fight with him!


    Such a bolddy! But does she know that she is ying with fire?!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Frankly speaking, it is indirectly the driver¡¯s fault for unintentionally causing the ¡®kiss¡¯ to happen. But their boss is actually getting scolded for it instead!


    What should they do now?!


    Noticing Javier Zhong¡¯s death stare from the rearview mirror, no one could understand how much they wanted to be invisible right at this moment!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Chairman Zhong, someone suddenly dashed across the road so I had to¡­¡± The driver timidly exined himself to him.


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan could not care less!


    Having her first kiss stolen by such an undeserving man, she had already lost half of her mind!


    Argh!! What a horrible day it is!


    Completely disgusted by what had just happened, she took a wet tissue from her handbag and rubbed it on her lips repeatedly.


    Seeing that, Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes dimmed. Although it is a small action of hers, he could not help but feel a little unhappy about it.


    What does she mean by this?! If she had lost her first kiss, he had lost his too! He is also at a disadvantage alright!


    But these were the words that he did not say aloud¡­


    So was he wrong about this? Is she really not interested in him? Then what exactly is she after??¡­


    ¡°It was Director Ruan who wanted to be my fianc¨¦.¡±


    Javier Zhong moved his face closer to hers and added on sarcastically, ¡°Has she forgotten about it already?¡±


    At this moment, their faces are so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°What a rogue!¡± Stephanie Ruan pushed him away on his shoulder.


    Appalled by his impolite actions, she could not help but re-draw their boundaries. ¡°I hope Chairman Zhong can respect my personal space and not touch me unnecessarily. There¡¯s no one around now so we don¡¯t have to put on an act.¡±


    Hearing her response, Javier Zhong let out a coldughter. ¡°Rogue?? Isn¡¯t it a little toote to find out about this now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have heard about what kind of person I am. My advice to you is to trust those rumours and¡­¡±


    He held on to her chin and whispered in a threatening tone, ¡°¡­ don¡¯t expect me to y by your rules.¡±


    But as soon as Javier Zhong released his hand from her face, Stephanie Ruan swiftly grabbed onto his necktie and forced him to remain in his position.


    ¡°You must have misunderstood my words then, Chairman Zhong. Right now, we have nothing more than a business rtionship. I may be your fianc¨¦ by name¡­¡±


    She ced her lips beside his ear, ¡°¡­ but I will never be your puppet.¡±


    With a charming smile, she released him and used her hand to brush off his shoulder lightly, as though there is some dust on his suit.


    Is she afraid of him?? She could tell you in a heartbeat that she is!


    Stephanie Ruan knew that she is a nobody in his eyes and if he wants to destroy her, he has the absolute capability to do so within seconds!


    But does she have a choice? She could tell you also that she has no choice but to pluck up all her courage and face him head-on!


    Even if she dies in his hands one day, she would not regret it at all, knowing that she has already tried her best!


    Meanwhile, her words had left Javier Zhong clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in anger.


    No one has ever dared to speak to him in such a manner before!


    How dare she humiliate him like this?!N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He wished so much to teach this woman a lesson right at this moment!


    But¡­ he could not! He still needed her cooperation for the important event on Saturday.


    Argh! She better count her blessings!


    With that, both of them sat silently in the car and never spoke a word to each other again.


    Of course, the car¡¯s temperature has also hit the lowest that it has ever been, with both Isaac Wen and the driver holding on to their breaths and wishing that they weren¡¯t here.


    Who knows what would happen to them if their young master remembers that they had witnessed such an episode?!


    ¡­


    It has been a long time since Stephanie Ruan has stepped foot into Country C.


    She continued to look out of the window and admire the city as the car drove past every street.


    There is a sense of familiarity coupled with unfamiliarity as she witnessed the locals hustling around their crowded makeshift stores.


    Just across the road, she saw the students excitedly leaving their schoolpound, with most of them heading towards the next street that is filled with a plethora of food options.


    Chinese hot pot¡­ Steamed bun stores¡­ Dumpling noodles shop¡­ and¡­


    Hold on¡­ What is happening over there?!


    ¡°Wait, stop the car!¡±


    Startled by her words, Isaac Wen quickly turned around and asked her politely, ¡°Director Ruan, do you have a change in location?¡±


    Upon realising that her huge reaction had surprised them, she calmed herself down and exined.


    ¡°Oh, I decided to alight here to grab some food. Please stop at the drop-off point in front.¡±


    As soon as the car came to a stop, Isaac Wen nced at Javier Zhong before turning to speak to Stephanie Ruan. ¡°Director Ruan, we will wait for you and drive you to your next location.¡±


    After being his right-hand man for so many years, he more or less could guess Javier Zhong¡¯s orders simply by looking at his expression.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Thank you for the ride here.¡± With that, she picked up her handbag and alighted from the car.


    Stephanie Ruan stood on the pavement and waited for the car to drive away, before running over to a young boy who is standing just a few meters away from her.


    Earlier in the car, she happened to take notice of this boy, who is about 4 years old, crying alone. He seemed to have lost his way.


    In her heart, she knew that she could not bear to just leave him alone on the streets and pretend that she did not see him crying for help.


    Yet at the same time, she is not familiar enough with Javier Zhong and his subordinates to put them through such a situation.


    Stephanie Ruan lowered herself to meet the child¡¯s eyes and took out some tissues to wipe his tears.


    She then brushed her fingers gently through his hair, ¡°Little boy, don¡¯t be afraid. Do you want to let auntie know what is your name?¡±


    Seeing the beautifuldy in front of him, the boy quietened down a little and replied shyly, ¡°E¡­ Ethan¡­¡±


    Hearing his cute response, she could not help but give him a doting smile. She continued to speak to him in a soft tone, ¡°Ethan, right? Such a good boy! Were you with your parents just now?¡±


    Ethan Chen shook his head and sniffled, ¡°Great-grandma.¡±


    ¡°You came with your great-grandma? Do you know where is she now?¡±


    He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head in dejection.


    But before Stephanie Ruan could even probe further, he started wailing! This time it is even louder than before.


    Curious as to why he had such a sudden outburst, she followed his line of sight and saw¡­


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong?? Why are you here?¡± Stephanie Ruan called out to him in surprise.

 Chapter 7 – Don’t Be Afraid

    It¡¯s no wonder why the boy would have such a huge reaction especially after seeing Javier Zhong¡¯s ferocious eyes staring straight at him.


    Is he even a human at all?! Who treats such a young child like this??


    With a frightened child in front of her, she could not be bothered with Javier Zhong any longer and gave her full attention to the young boy instead.


    She cuddled him in her arms and soothe him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ethan. Don¡¯t be afraid¡­ Auntie is here¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan then shifted his attention to a fancy ice cream truck nearby. ¡°Wow, what is that, Ethan?? Take a look at it!¡±


    ¡°Do you want to have some ice cream?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get one for you, alright?¡±


    With that, she ignored Javier Zhong and brought the boy over to the ice-cream truck.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong stood at the same spot and watched Stephanie Ruan from afar with aplicated gaze.


    He had deliberately ordered the driver to make a u-turn just to see what she is up to. But never did he expect himself to be witnessing such a scene.


    Was this the samedy who had schemed against him earlier at the clubhouse?


    Why does she seem like apletely different person right now?


    And the main question is, what exactly is her motive in getting close to him?


    ¡­


    Ethan Chen looked at Stephanie Ruan and happily pointed to the vour that he wants.


    ¡°Can I have two scoops of the chocte-voured ice cream, please?¡±


    ¡°Total is 45 yuan.¡± The employee said to her while preparing to scoop the ice cream onto a waffle cone.


    It is at this moment that Stephanie Ruan realised she has no cash in her wallet! She has just returned to the country and did not expect herself to be in need of any cash today.


    ¡°Do you ept card payments over here?¡±


    Hearing the employee¡¯s response, she squatted down in front of Ethan Chen. ¡°Sorry Ethan, auntie didn¡¯t bring any cash with me today. Let me go get some money from the uncle over there alright?¡±


    Unwilling to disappoint him, Stephanie Ruan had no choice but to walk back to Javier Zhong.


    With Ethan Chen hiding behind her timidly, she asked humbly, ¡°Chairman Zhong, could I borrow 45 yuan from you? I do not have any cash with me today.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Javier Zhong immediately ced his left hand out towards Isaac Wen, signalling him to hand the cash over.


    To be honest, Stephanie Ruan is rather surprised that such a crafty man would actually be so cooperative and helpful in such a situation.


    But sometimes words shouldn¡¯t be said too early isn¡¯t it??


    And as expected of him, Javier Zhong stretched out his hand to pass the cash to her, while emphasising these words, ¡°A favour in return.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    In utter disbelief, Stephanie Ruan instantly retorted, ¡°Chairman Zhong, aren¡¯t you being too stingy? It¡¯s just 45 yuan. I will definitely return it back to¡­¡±


    She wanted to take the money from his fingers but he just would not let go of it!


    How annoying!!


    After much difficulty, she managed to grab hold of his money bypromising, ¡°Fine! A favour it is! But be reasonable and don¡¯t you dare to ask for anything funny! I will not agree to it!¡±


    Argh!! Such a cunning opportunist!


    Satisfied with her response, Javier Zhong sneered and followed her.


    After passing the ice cream to Ethan Chen, Stephanie Ruan brought him to sit on a public bench nearby.


    ¡°Ethan, do you remember your great-grandmother¡¯s number?¡± She showed her phone to him, which disyed the keypad.


    Ethan Chen thought about it for a few seconds before keying in a string of numbers.


    Phew! Thankfully he is able to recall his great-grandmother¡¯s number!


    Stephanie Ruan could not imagine how worried she must have been to lose her great-grandchild!


    With a sessful call, it is mutually agreed that his great-grandmother woulde over to find them at their current location.


    Just a few minutester, an anxious voice called out to the little boy. ¡°Ethan! Ethan!!¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan looked up and saw two olderdies walking hastily towards them.


    Ethan Chen quickly jumped down from the bench and ran over to his great-grandmother¡¯s side.


    ¡°Aiyo¡­ My poor boy¡­ Thankfully you are safe and sound!¡­ Heaven has really protected you well!¡­¡± His great-grandmother hugged and kissed him passionately, as though he is her only precious treasure!


    Thereafter, she stood up and held on to Stephanie Ruan¡¯s hands with gratefulness.


    ¡°This prettydy¡­ Thank you for taking care of my great-grandson. I was so careless just now and didn¡¯t notice that he had walked away on his own¡­ If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t know where he would be right now¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan could tell from her expression that it was an honest mistake, ¡°It¡¯s okay, auntie. It¡¯s good that Ethan is safe now¡­¡±


    And as she continued tofort Ethan Chen¡¯s great-grandmother, the other olderdy who is apanying her looked at Javier Zhong in astonishment.


    ¡°Javier¡­ You¡­?¡±


    ¡°Grandma.¡± He immediately strode towards her while she is still staring at him in shock.


    Grandma Zhong is the most respected senior member of the Zhong Family. No one in the family would dare to defy her.


    Although her husband had passed on a few years ago due to his poor medical condition, it did not affect her powerful position in the family at all.


    And everyone knows that she loves her only grandson a lot ¨C which is Javier Zhong and is openly biased towards him.


    Well, as for Javier Zhong, the only person whom he respects in the Zhong Family is his grandmother. He has grown up under her meticulous care and he could feel the genuine love that she has for him.


    It is said that if he only has one weakness, that could only be his grandmother.


    Although Javier Zhong has already long moved out of the Zhong¡¯s Residence to his private mansion, he would still go over and visit his grandmother very frequently.


    To be honest, if it was not for his grandmother, he would not want to take a single step into Zhong¡¯s Residence. To him, that ce is filled with too many ¡®filthy¡¯ people.


    But despite feeling disgusted, it also shows the great amount of respect that he has for his grandmother.


    Today, what caught Grandma Zhong by surprise is not because she has seen her grandson here, but that there is actually ady with him??


    In fact, she could not even consider this as a rare asion because it has never happened before!


    And what¡¯s more¡­ it¡¯s such a beautifuldy!


    Grandma Zhong could barely hide her excitement!


    She knew better than anyone that her grandson dislikes being around women the most.


    Even though she hopes for him to find a partner soon, she has always respected his decision and has not forced him to go for any blind dates ¨C unlike his parents.


    If not for the fact that she had apanied her good friend out for a walk today, she would have missed this scene!


    However, within a few minutes, Javier Zhong sinctly shared all that had happened to him today with his grandmother.


    Although Stephanie Ruan is now his fianc¨¦ by name, he did not want to lie to his grandmother about the real situation ¨C that this is all an act for the next 6 months!


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan noticed that Javier Zhong had walked over and stood beside the other olderdy. From the way that they are chatting, it seemed to her that they have a very close rtionship.


    She initially felt that it is impolite to disrupt their conversation, but yet at the same time, she also felt ufortable that the olderdy is consistently gazing at her ¨C as though she is waiting for her toe over and join them.


    Following her gut feeling, she walked over in steady footsteps and greeted the olderdy respectfully. ¡°Hello auntie, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Stephanie.¡±

 Chapter 8 – Missing Her Already?

    Grandma Zhong looked into Stephanie Ruan¡¯s pure eyes and nodded her head with satisfaction. ¡°Stephanie¡­ That¡¯s a nice name.¡±


    ¡°I am Javier¡¯s grandmother. You can call me Grandma Zhong.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Startled, Stephanie Ruan briefly nced at Javier Zhong before meeting Grandma Zhong¡¯s eyes again.


    Never would she have imagined herself to be meeting his grandmother so quickly¡­ And what¡¯s more, in such an unexpected situation!


    At the same time, Javier Zhong wore his usual indifferent look on the outside but is actually very surprised to hear his grandmother¡¯s words.


    People have to know that she does not just let anyone call her by the name of ¡®Grandma Zhong¡¯.


    She must have taken a liking to Stephanie Ruan!


    ¡°Grandma Zhong, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± With a sincere smile and a slight nod, Stephanie Ruan greeted her politely.


    Having been in the business industry long enough, Grandma Zhong has already met all kinds of people. As such, she has the capability to tell if a person has good character or not, in mere seconds.


    When Javier Zhong¡¯s parents had introduced many different girls to her grandson, she did not find any of them suitable for him.


    Yes, you could definitely say that Grandma Zhong has very high expectations of her future granddaughter-inw.


    But right at this moment, you could also say that she has finally met ady who is perfectly suited to be her grandson¡¯s wife.


    Though she does not know Stephanie Ruan¡¯s reason foring close to Javier Zhong, she could tell that Stephanie Ruan is someone who has a warm heart and does not carry any malicious intent.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°We shall get going now¡­ I will not take up both of your time. Javier, remember toe back for dinner tomorrow.¡±


    Grandma Zhong patted lightly on Javier Zhong¡¯s back before walking away to where her friend is.


    Seeing that they are all leaving, Stephanie Ruan smiled lightly and gave the two olderdies a slight, but respectful bow.


    Of course, she also squatted down elegantly and gave Ethan Chen a goodbye hug.


    Without further dy, Javier Zhong turned and walked away inrge strides towards the car which is parked by the roadside.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    His driver dashed forward to start the engine of the car, while Isaac Wen went ahead of his young master to open the door for him.


    However, just before Javier Zhong took a step into the car, he realised that Stephanie Ruan is not following behind them!


    In fact, when he turned around, he saw Stephanie Ruan still standing in the same position as before, patiently waiting for Grandma Zhong, Grandma Chen, and Ethan Chen topletely leave her view.


    What exactly is she doing over there??!


    ¡­


    ¡°Ethan, grandma found your favourite red toy sports car set, shall we go¡­¡± The enthusiastic voice trailed off as the three of them quickly became smaller in sight.


    Witnessing such a heart-warming scene of Grandma Chen¡¯s familial love for her grandson, Stephanie Ruan could not help but want to look at them for a little longer.


    It reminded her of herte family members and what life would be like if they were still alive¡­


    Would she ever get to receive such a pure love again?¡­


    ¡­


    Completely unaware of what she is thinking about, Javier Zhong threw Isaac Wen a look before entering the car.


    Knowing exactly what he meant by that, Isaac Wen instantaneously went forward to Stephanie Ruan. ¡°Director Ruan, Chairman Zhong wants you to get into the car.¡±


    Upon hearing Isaac Wen¡¯s words, she snapped out of her daze and nodded in agreement.


    Once again, Stephanie Ruan is sitting next to Javier Zhong in the car.


    ¡°Can you send me back to The Grand Quartz Hotel, please? I decided to go shopping on another day instead.¡±


    Indeed, it has already been quite an eventful day for her thus far, so it would be wise of her to shop for the evening gown on a separate day¡­


    With the car immediately setting off, Stephanie Ruan took out her phone and started looking through her work emails.


    If there is one simrity between Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan, that is they are both workaholics!


    Both of them would never hesitate to make full use of their travelling time to handle some work-rted matters.


    They are absolutely efficient and no one would deny this fact!


    But it was not long before a cold voice reached her ears. ¡°Why did you stop over and help the boy?¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan turned her head and stared into Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes for a few seconds before responding to his question.


    ¡°Do I need to have a reason for doing so?¡±


    To her, helping someone out is a natural thing to do and she did not quite understand why he would ask such a question.


    Oh right¡­ Judging by how he had ¡°helped¡± her earlier, she could totally believe that he might not have genuinely helped anyone before in his lifetime!


    Unbothered to wait for his reply, Stephanie Ruan returned to reading her emails again.


    Facing her nonchnt attitude, Javier Zhong squinted his eyes dangerously at her.


    It makes him so mad that he is still unable to figure out her impure motives! This was something that he could easily do so in the past but as for this woman¡­


    He really cannot see through her eyes!


    Argh!!!


    At this moment, she is nothing but a pest to him and he would rather get rid of her than keep a ticking bomb beside him!


    Just that¡­ there is still a ¡°six months business rtionship¡± with her¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong let out a smirk while thinking to himself, ¡°Just wait and see! I¡¯ll make sure to tear apart every single bit of her facade and make her regret this very decision of plotting against me!¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, a sudden thought entered Stephanie Ruan¡¯s mind. ¡°Why did you turn the car back then?¡±


    She went slightly closer to him and teased him, ¡°Chairman Zhong, do you have a weird habit of stalking people in general or¡­ are you missing me so quickly?¡±

 Chapter 9 – A Surprise

    With that, she gave him a slight smirk and returned to her original position.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Stalking her?! Missing her??!!


    Did she seriously say that??!!¡­


    ¡°Crazy woman.¡± Javier Zhong muttered under his breath in disbelief.


    Thisdy is truly capable of making his heart boil each time she speaks!


    Although he refused to entertain her right now, he has already made a mental note to count these ¡®debts¡¯ with her in the near future!


    Amidst their conversation, Isaac Wen, who almost burst outughing, quickly regained hisposure after noticing Javier Zhong¡¯s piercing gaze through the rear-view mirror.


    To be fair, nobody could me Isaac Wen for having such a huge reaction!


    I mean, throughout his many years of working closely with Javier Zhong, no one has ever dared to speak to his boss in such a manner before!


    Indeed, it was truly an eye-opening scene!


    And of course, Stephanie Ruan did not pursue the matter any further as she knew that Javier Zhong is someone who would not trust anyone easily.


    As of yet, there are only less than a handful of people who managed to gain his trust.


    There is a popr saying that goes, ¡®It can take thousands of years to melt an iceberg¡¯.


    Unfortunately, this is the best way to describe Javier Zhong¡¯s personality.


    ¡­


    Soon, the car reached the hotel¡¯s grand entrance and the staff swiftly came forward to open the door.


    ¡°Director Ruan, we have reached your hotel.¡± Isaac Wen reported to her politely.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Isaac.¡±


    And just before Stephanie Ruan was about to put on her sunsses and take a step out of the car, she turned to Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Oh Chairman Zhong, it¡¯s an honour to have you apany me to run some errands today. But since you seem to be quite bored, maybe I can sign you up to do some charity work the next time?¡±


    ¡°This way, you can spend your time a little more wisely.¡±


    With a sarcastic smile, she turned and left the car without waiting for his response.


    -Thump-


    Javier Zhong is full of anger as he punched the empty seat beside him!


    ¡°What are you both waiting for??!! Still not driving off?!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Hearing his angry roar, the two poor subordinates are sweating profusely. They seriously could not wait to escape from this intense atmosphere in the car.


    His murderous aura made them feel as though they could be killed by him at any second!


    ¡­


    The next two days went by very quickly, with Stephanie Ruan settling down into her new penthouse.


    There are still several boxes lying around the house, which have yet to be unpacked.


    As much as she wants to quickly finish her packing, she still has a more important task to do.


    With a soft sigh, she closed the lid of one of the boxes in front of her and turned to Mia Xue, who is also helping her to sort the items out.


    ¡°Mia, I don¡¯t think I can continue packing for today. I¡¯ll need to get an evening gown at the mall for tomorrow¡¯s event¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I go with you too? I can help to give some suggestions.¡± Mia Xue asked.


    ¡°Yes, actually that will be great! Shall we leave in 5 minutes?¡±


    They both quickly came to an agreement and started preparing to leave the house.


    But never did they expect themselves to be startled by the scene before them when they opened the door!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    That¡­


    Javier Zhong and Isaac Wen are standing right at their doorstep!


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, what a surprise!¡± Stephanie Ruan patted lightly on her chest to calm herself down from the sudden shock.


    ¡°Have you lost your way home or are you looking for one? By the way, this unit is already taken.¡±


    She gave him a light chuckle and immediately turned around to lock her main door, as though it is none of her business that the two of them have arrived at her house.


    Surely, it must have been easy for the most powerful man in the country to gain ess to anyone¡¯s address and private information, including hers.


    How horrible!!


    And he must have alreadypleted his full research on her, which is totally within her expectations!


    Although she knew that both of them hade to find her, she is very busy today and has no time to spare for them.


    Stephanie Ruan always believed in being nice to people who have good hearts. But for someone like Javier Zhong, there¡¯s absolutely no need for this!


    He is definitely someone who would take full advantage of one¡¯s kindness!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Isaac Wen hurriedly stepped forward and exined, ¡°Director Ruan, it is like this¡­ Chairman Zhong specially came to look for you. He wants to bring you out for a meal.¡±


    ¡°Out for a meal?¡­¡± She looked over to Javier Zhong and thought for a moment.


    What trick is he trying to y today?


    Never would she have expected him to turn up at her house and bring her out for a meal¡­


    After all, it was Stephanie Ruan who had taken the initiative to ask him to be her fianc¨¦ in the first ce.


    Shouldn¡¯t she be the one going over to ask him out for a meal instead??


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    But then again, going out for a meal with him sounds nauseating to her. It is not like she is even interested in a narcissistic man like him anyway!


    However, Stephanie Ruan got reminded about her hidden agenda in getting close to him. She needed to find out the truth behind her family¡¯s ident!


    As such, she has to get used to being with him no matter what!


    It¡¯s just eating together, isn¡¯t it?? No big deal! Most to most, she would just not look at his arrogant face.


    ¡°To where?¡±


    She finally asked him, to which he directly replied her. ¡°My house.¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Seeing her stunned expression, Javier Zhong went on to remind her, ¡°You didn¡¯t forget that you are now my fianc¨¦, did you?¡±


    ¡°Better act wellter and don¡¯t lose my face. The entire family is there.¡± He added before indifferently walking past her.


    Upon hearing that, she turned to Mia Xue and gave her an apologetic look before walking away without her.


    ¡­


    There is an unusual atmosphere in the car and Stephanie Ruan could not help but take notice of it too.


    She stole a nce at Javier Zhong, who is beside her, and caught him staring out of the window.


    He seems to have a lot of thoughts running through his head, and he also looks a little¡­ sad??


    ¡°Such a sessful man in a lonely figure.¡± This is the first thought that came into her mind when she looked at him.


    Does he not enjoy returning home??


    As the car entered the high gates and drove steadily into the Zhong¡¯s Residence, Stephanie Ruan is in awe of the view that is before her eyes!


    Wow!!¡­


    Is this a house or an estate on its own??!


    It is so huge that it took them a 10 minutes car ride to reach the entrance of the mansion from the main gates!


    As she exited the car, she was greeted by the rows and rows of servants who are working for the Zhong family.


    They stood in their lines and bowed respectfully. ¡°Young Master, wee home¡±, they echoed.


    An older male butler stepped forward and reported in a polite tone, ¡°Young Master, wee back. Everyone is already inside.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    The butler then looked at Stephanie Ruan and bowed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m Butler Quan, the manager of the house. You can look for me if you are unhappy with any of the workers.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan nodded with a smile, ¡°Nice to meet you! You can call me Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Young Master and Ms. Stephanie, please.¡± He put out his right hand and personally ushered them into the house.


    Just before they take a step into the house, Stephanie Ruan took the initiative to cling onto Javier Zhong¡¯s arm.


    This action of hers caught him off guard and he immediately threw a cold look at her.


    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself!¡± He ordered with a stern tone.


    However, Stephanie Ruan ced a hand beside her face and whispered to him in a seemingly loving manner. ¡°You picked the perfect person to act with you.¡±


    With that, she gave him a flirty wink, which has left himpletely speechless!

 Chapter 10 – I’ll Listen To You

    Simr to the exterior of the house, the interior followed a ssic and luxurious French design, well-lighted with several huge chandeliers.


    It is easily notable that only the finest materials are used.


    Soon, what greeted them are two grand and elegantly curved staircases that leads to the second floor of the mansion.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Wow!! This ce is basically like a pce!


    Stephanie Ruan quickly recognised the expensive paintings that are hanging on both sides of the wall.


    Each painting could easily be sold at the auction for at least ten million yuan (about 1. 5 million US dors)!


    And there are at least 20 paintings here in just this area alone!


    ¡­


    As they entered the main living room, the originally lively atmosphere had be totally silent within a split second!


    In the eyes of Stephanie Ruan, it is pretty obvious that the two of them are not weed at all.


    Meanwhile, the Zhong family members are astonished by the fact that Javier Zhong has brought back such a beautifuldy.


    But having said this, it is not like he has even brought home any woman before!


    Jealousy filled their hearts as they continued to stare at the perfect couple with their unfriendly gazes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Just then, an olderdy dressed in a branded red midi dress with several pieces of expensive jewellery on her stood up and walked towards them.


    ¡°Javier, you came back today?¡± Auntie Josephine asked him with a fake smile.


    With his cold character, she knew that he would ignore her and so she moved on to her next target ¨C Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°Oh¡­ And who is this girl that you brought home?? Why didn¡¯t you let the elders know about this? Not anyone could just step into our Zhong¡¯s Residence, you know that right?¡±


    Of course, who would dare to speak to Javier Zhong in this manner? Even his family members are not exempted from his ruthlessness.


    In fact, she was indirectly speaking to Stephanie Ruan and letting her know that she does not belong here!


    But upon saying her piece, Auntie Josephine could not help but steal another nce at Stephanie Ruan from head to toe.


    Designer dress by one of the top fashion designers in the world?!N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Her limited-edition handbag that is worth close to five hundred thousand yuan (about 79 thousand US dors)?!


    And the high heels!!¡­ That is the one she has been eyeing for a long time but¡­ it is too expensive!


    Did Javier Zhong already pamper thisdy to the skies?!!


    While she is still secretly in shock, anotherdy stood up from her seat and stepped forward.


    Thisdy is even more well-dressed than Auntie Josephine, and with just one look, you could instantly tell that she holds a higher status in the family.


    Completely disregarding the fact that Stephanie Ruan is standing beside him, Victoria Zhong spoke to him directly, ¡°Javier, I¡¯ve arranged a blind date for you next week at Fordworth Hotel, you will¡­¡±


    However, Javier Zhong did not hesitate to interrupt his stepmother, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ve brought my fianc¨¦ home today.¡±


    His words immediately caused a bigmotion in the family. Everyone, including the servants, was shocked by this sudden news.


    ¡°How dare you do this?! Did you forget who I am?!¡±


    To which Javier Zhong let out a cold sneer. ¡°You??¡­ Aren¡¯t you just nothing but my father¡¯s second wife?¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Victoria Zhong could not bear the embarrassment that he has brought to her in front of everyone. She put her hand up and was ready to give him a p on his face.


    To be honest, he is already used to such a situation at home and it did not bother him at all that his stepmother is reacting in such a manner.


    In fact, for a woman like her who had seduced his father and stolen his biological mother¡¯s status in the house after she had passed away, how much respect could she get from him?


    The point is¡­ does she even deserve any??


    However, what¡¯s different today is that¡­


    Before he could even block her hand from reaching his face, Stephanie Ruan is one step faster and has already grabbed onto her wrist.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Prior to this, Stephanie Ruan could feel the tension in Javier Zhong¡¯s body. She could also tell that he does not respect any of the members sitting in the living hall.


    Judging from the way they are treating him, it¡¯s no wonder why he would treat them poorly.


    These rude and disrespectful people¡­ Stephanie Ruan could not help but frown at them.


    Is this how a family should be like??


    She looked at Victoria Zhong directly in her eyes and smiled at her indifferently. ¡°Why not? You are not happy that he chose me as his fianc¨¦?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan maintained her courteous smile while throwing Victoria Zhong¡¯s hand away.


    She then looked at the other family members behind and assured them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone will soon realise that Javier has made the right decision. After all¡­ not anyone can step into the Zhong¡¯s Residence¡­¡±


    She then fixed her eyes back at Victoria Zhong and smirked coldly, ¡°¡­ you know that, right?¡±


    As soon as Stephanie Ruan had said her piece, she stared fearlessly into Victoria Zhong¡¯s eyes.


    Feeling Stephanie Ruan¡¯s strong aura, everyone held on to their breaths and no one dared to speak another word.


    For that minute or so, it truly felt as though she was in full control of the situation and no one had the capability topete with her!


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong, who had been observing her the entire time, disyed a satisfactory look on his face.


    Seeing how she had fiercely protected him earlier, his ice-cold heart had subconsciously softened a little.


    In the past, there would only be one person who would protect him just like this, and that person is his grandmother.


    Although he has already be a strong and capable man, it still feels undeniably good to have someone to protect him like this once in a while.


    ¡­


    After hearing that her words were being used against her eldest sister-inw, Auntie Josephine subconsciously shrunk back and did not dare to look up.


    Argh! Thisdy is surely wise and quick-witted!!


    Within a few seconds, Stephanie Ruan took a step back to Javier Zhong¡¯s side and cling onto his arm affectionately.


    ¡°Darling, you must be feeling tired from all this unnecessary drama¡­ Shall we have a bigger heart and not waste our precious time mingling with such people??¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Javier Zhong smiled gently and yed along with her.

 Chapter 11 – What’s Going On?

    Just then, Thomas Zhong and his younger brother, William, have returned to the living hall from their mother¡¯s room.


    He noticed that his son has brought ady home and the current atmosphere does not seem too right.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on??¡± Thomas Zhong questioned sternly.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Upon seeing that her husband has also arrived, Auntie Josephine quickly ran over to his side toin about what had just happened.


    ¡°William, look at the girl that Javier has brought back¡­ Such a wild and unruly girl. You should have seen how she treated us earlier!¡±


    After hearing what Auntie Josephine had said, Thomas Zhong had no choice but to verify it with his son.


    ¡°Javier, is that true?¡±


    No longer surprised that such a question woulde from his father, Javier Zhong stared at him indifferently, ¡°If you already chose to believe her, then why bother asking me?¡±


    And just before Thomas Zhong could even retort, Grandma Zhong¡¯s angry voice sounded out from the corridor.


    ¡°Who said she is wild and unruly?!¡± Grandma Zhong had a few servants following behind her as she walked towards the main hall.


    When she was in the corridor earlier, she heard this remark from Auntie Josephine and is unhappy with her for speaking so rudely of Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°I have specially asked Javier to invite Stephanie over for lunch today. She is my esteemed guest and I will not tolerate anyone who is unkind to her!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh?? Esteemed guest??¡­


    Stephanie Ruan tilted her head to Javier Zhong and gave him a surprised look.


    So it was actually Grandma Zhong who had invited her over for a meal and not Javier Zhong¡­


    Well, now everything started to make sense to her.


    I mean, who else would have the ability to make Javier Zhong take the initiative to invite her out for a meal??


    ¡°Javier¡­ Stephanie¡­ Come over and take a seat. We will start eating soon.¡±


    Grandma Zhong patted lightly on the empty seat beside her and signalled for Stephanie Ruan to sit next to her.


    With that, Javier Zhong naturally took the other seat beside Stephanie Ruan.


    This little act of Grandma Zhong has shocked the entire family, including the servants who are standing quietly at the side.


    Everyone knows that it is very difficult to gain Grandma Zhong¡¯s favour.


    All along, it has been understood that the two seats beside her are only reserved for two special people ¨C Javier Zhong and Thomas Zhong, her eldest son.


    Even on days that Javier Zhong is not around for their family¡¯s meals, no one would dare to covet his seat and it could only be left vacant.


    Up until today, it is quite obvious that she does not favour the otherdies in the house, which is why they are always seated far away from her.


    Seeing that Stephanie Ruan has gotten the privilege to seat beside Grandma Zhong from the very first day, shows that she already holds a special ce in Grandma Zhong¡¯s heart.


    ¡­


    The servants brought the freshly cooked dishes out and soon, therge rectangr table is filled with much expensive Chinese food.


    Stephanie Ruan took an empty bowl and scooped the superior ginseng chicken soup for Grandma Zhong.From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Grandma Zhong, here is some soup for you. Let me knowter if you want more of it.¡±


    Regardless of her reason foring close to the Zhong family members, she felt that it is still important for her to be respectful towards the elders.


    Well of course¡­ unless they treat her badly!


    Being very satisfied with her kind gestures, Grandma Zhong nodded her head happily, ¡°Good girl¡­ Good girl.¡±


    After returning a polite smile, she then went on to scoop another bowl of soup for Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Darling¡­ have some soup while it¡¯s hot. You have been working too hard these days.¡±


    She ced the bowl in front of him, took a spoon, and gently blew on the soup before feeding it to him in front of everyone.


    ¡°Darling, here you go.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the soup?¡± She asked him with a loving smile.


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s good.¡± He responded with a doting look on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Except for Grandma Zhong who is enjoying their sweet interaction, the family members seated at the table cringed at this scene and showed expressions of disgust.


    Indeed, it is very urate to say that the two of them had totally ruined everyone else¡¯s appetite.


    People who did not know would actually think that they have been married for a long time!


    Very quickly, Javier Zhong gotpletely immersed in the situation and is busy enjoying her service that he had long forgotten the many eyes staring at them.


    In fact, he did not know what has happened to him but he could not keep his eyes away from Stephanie Ruan¡¯s face as she continued to bring the different dishes to his te and feed them to him one at a time.


    Her beautiful and clear almond-shaped eyes coupled with an enchanting smile havepletely captivated him.


    Could someone let her know that she is ying the role of his fianc¨¦ too well that he himself is also almost deceived by it??


    It is as though he has been totally bewitched by her that he could no longer control his own emotions.


    At this moment, he probably did not realise that his heart is slowly opening up to her.


    ¡­


    While the faces of other family members are filled with nothing but jealousy, Grandma Zhong and Butler Quan watched them with delighted expressions.


    After the meal has ended, Grandma Zhong invited both Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan into her room.


    Curious as to what Grandma Zhong had to say to them, both of them sat quietly on the sofa while they waited for her to return.


    Holding onto a huge exquisite red box, Grandma Zhong took a seat beside Stephanie Ruan and carefully opened it.


    Insideid a rare 100 carats diamond ne that is seatedfortably on a ck cushion in the box.


    Having a keen eye for jewellery, Stephanie Ruan could easily tell that it is one of the world¡¯s most valuable nes and an item like this could be auctioned for at least 51 million yuan (about 8 million US dors)!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Seeing that his grandmother has brought out this diamond ne, Javier Zhong clearly knew what this meant and he looked at Grandma Zhong with widened eyes.


    This is unbelievable!!


    The ne is his grandmother¡¯s most beloved item and she would never bring it out unnecessarily!


    In fact, it has always been well kept in her safe deposit box and no one has seen it for a very very long time¡­


    Did grandma already forget what he had told her the other day??¡­ That she is only his fake fianc¨¦??


    ¡°A-hem¡­¡± Javier Zhong intentionally cleared his throat to gain Grandma Zhong¡¯s attention but¡­


    He could not believe that he was actually ignored by her today??!


    Grandma Zhong stroked on the ne gently before looking up at Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°This ne is given to me by my mother before she had passed on¡­ I¡¯ve always wanted to give this to my future granddaughter-inw and I finally have a chance to do it today.¡±


    She then passed the closed box to Stephanie Ruan and held on to her hands intimately. ¡°This ne has a sentimental meaning to me and I hope you will help me to take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    To Stephanie Ruan, she has always believed in working hard for the things that she wants and would never eye on other people¡¯s riches.


    Although she is currently in a ¡®fianc¨¦ contract¡¯ with Javier Zhong, she has never once thought of taking a single cent from him as well!


    Yes, it is very urate to say that she is totally not interested in his wealth, fame, and looks.


    After all, it is already the 21st century. She is an independent woman and is loaded with her wealth as well!


    But having said that, Stephanie Ruan could feel how much Grandma Zhong likes her and she is naturally very touched to know of her good intentions.


    However, she is only acting as Javier Zhong¡¯s fianc¨¦ and it is definitely not right of her to ept an item that does not belong to her!


    As such, Stephanie Ruan had an awkward smile on her face as she gently returned the box into the hands of Grandma Zhong.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯m very sorry to disappoint you, Grandma Zhong, but this gift is too valuable, I really cannot ept this from you.¡±


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Upon hearing her response, Javier Zhong turned his head abruptly and gave Stephanie Ruan a slightly surprised look.

 Chapter 12 – We Are A Couple

    He definitely did not see this replying along and had expected her to ept the gift with open arms.


    After all, this ne is so expensive and dazzling. He could not understand why any girl would not want it!


    With a soft sigh, Grandma Zhong replied adamantly. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that this ne will only be yours to keep. I will not want to give it to anyone else.¡±


    Despite knowing that the two of them are not in a real rtionship, Grandma Zhong still genuinely likes Stephanie Ruan. She hopes that her grandson could also see the good in her and continue to keep her by his side.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing her look of hesitation, she nodded heavily while urging her, ¡°Listen to grandma and just keep it first¡­ You can return it to me again if you decide not to marry Javier in the future.¡±


    Indeed, Grandma Zhong is smart enough to understand why Stephanie Ruan is not keen on epting the ne.


    But being the stubborn person that she always is, it is extremely difficult to change her mind especially when it has already been long decided.


    Grandma Zhong¡¯s continued persistence left Stephanie Ruan with no choice but to safe-keep her ne first.


    ¡­


    The two of them chatted with Grandma Zhong for a while more before finally leaving the Zhong¡¯s Residence.


    As soon as they got into the car, Stephanie Ruan handed the box with the ne over to Javier Zhong. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be holding onto this. Keep this well for your grandmother.¡±


    To her astonishment, he immediately returned it by cing it on herp. ¡°That is your responsibility. If you can¡¯t keep it for grandma, then you can return it to her yourself.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan widened her eyes in disbelief. She ispletely speechless at what he had just said!


    How could he not care about his grandmother¡¯s precious ne at all?!


    With a sarcastic tone, she finally rebuked. ¡°Chairman Zhong, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know about our rtionship. Are you not afraid that I will sell this ne and run away?¡±


    ¡°Run away?¡± Javier Zhong sneered and looked at her.From N?velDrama.Org.


    He then carefully enunciated each word, ¡°You will never be able to escape from my watch.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Upon hearing his cold reminder, Stephanie Ruan maintained a cool smile on the outside while silently ¡®beating¡¯ herself up on the inside.


    ¡°Come on, Stephanie¡­ Wake up! Have you already forgotten who he is?! There¡¯s no need to challenge his grounds unnecessarily!!¡±


    ¡°Choose your battles wisely!!¡±


    With these thoughts in mind, she took a deep breath and held onto the box tightly with both hands.


    Sensing the slight tension in the car, Isaac Wen deliberately cleared his throat first before asking, ¡°Chairman Zhong, where should we drive to?¡±


    On normal asions, he does not need to ask such a question as he would already have full ess to Javier Zhong¡¯s schedule.


    But because of Stephanie Ruan¡¯s presence today, he is unsure if there is any change of ns.


    Given his young master¡¯s bad temper, it¡¯s definitely wiser to seek confirmation first than to get things done wrongly!


    ¡°To the mall!¡±


    Phew! Thankfully Isaac Wen checked with him! Otherwise, they would be making a wasted trip to the office now¡­


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan had overheard their short conversation.


    Going to the mall??¡­


    Well, that¡¯s good too! She needed to head there anyway to get her evening gown!


    When the car has arrived at thergest luxury mall in the city, Stephanie Ruan did not forget to thank Isaac Wen and the driver first before walking away on her own.


    Indeed, she could not be bothered about why Javier Zhong is at the mall and she has absolutely no intentions of following him around too!


    Stephanie Ruan has no time to waste and it makesplete sense for her to ¡®split up¡¯ with him over here!


    But apparently¡­ this is just what she thought??¡­


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Even though they are now in a public space, it did not stop the chilling voice from reaching her ears.


    With a courteous smile, Stephanie Ruan turned around and took a few steps closer to him. ¡°Chairman Zhong, I don¡¯t remember us being that close enough for me to report to you on my schedule.¡±


    ¡°I shall take my leave first.¡± She gave him a slight nod before heading towards the main entrance.


    But before she could even try to enter the building, a young security guard came over to exin in a polite manner.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry, this mall is closed to the public today. Please doe back again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Closed??¡­¡± With great surprise, Stephanie Ruan stole a quick nce inside the mall through the huge ss doors.


    This is strange¡­ The high-end stores inside the mall are clearly opened but there are no shoppers at all??


    ¡°¡­¡±


    And as for that proud and stingy chairman!¡­ Isn¡¯t he a local here? How could he not know about this?¡­


    However, before Stephanie Ruan could even turn around and give Javier Zhong an earful, arge hand grabbed her by the arm and led her directly into the mall.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t this mall¡­¡±


    Seeing the security guards and a team of suited executives greeting him respectfully, she quickly got a sense of what is going on.


    ¡°So he is the boss of this mall¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan thought to herself and rolled her eyes upon realising the situation.


    It was only a couple of secondster when she realised that Javier Zhong is still holding onto her arm!


    ¡°Let go!¡± She threatened him with a soft voice, not willing to let the others hear her.


    But not only did he refuse to let go, he boldly slid his fingers down and held onto her hand instead.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡± Stephanie Ruan widened her eyes and raised her voice slightly as she could no longer control her emotions.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we a couple? This mall belongs to the Zhong Holdings.¡±


    He added on with a serious look, ¡°Do you want these subordinates to go back and tell everyone that we are faking our rtionship?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan quickly turned her head to the side, only to realise that all of the employees are still staring at them.

 Chapter 13 – Something Wrong?

    Well, what he had said actually makes sense¡­


    She could not ruin their act just like this!


    But this also meant that she could only give in and had nothing else to rebuke his words at all!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that she has unwillingly submitted to him, Javier Zhong disyed a sly smile on his face.


    In fact, he is extremely satisfied that Stephanie Ruan actually fell for that!


    Come on, is this your first day knowing this guy??


    Do you think he truly cares about the rumours of their fake rtionship or his family uncovering the truth about this rtionship??


    What aplete joke!!


    Throughout all these years, he is well-known to be someone who lives his life ording to his own set of rules and does not bother about what other people think of him!


    In that case¡­ why did he go through all the trouble just to trick her into believing his words??


    To be honest¡­


    He truly enjoyed the way Stephanie Ruan treated him at the Zhong Residence earlier and he simply wanted to experience it all over again!


    It could be said that this is the first time Javier Zhong did not feel any disgust at all when he is around a woman.


    The feeling of being taken care of in such a considerate manner is just beyond words¡­


    Little did he know¡­ he is slowly bing addicted to the love and attention that she is unintentionally showering him with¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Javier Zhong led her towards the first row of stores.


    Wow! The back view of the couple walking together is purely a majestic scene!


    The subordinates following behind them could not help but look at them in awe.


    Could there be a more perfect-looking couple than them??


    It is as though they have both be a ¡®walking artwork¡¯ that no one could take their eyes away from!


    But no one would ever expect their real conversation at the front to go something like this¡­


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Javier Zhong threw her a cold re when she pressed her long nails into the skin of his hand.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    However, with an ¡®innocent¡¯ look on her face, Stephanie Ruan showed him the most dazzling smile. ¡°Oh, sorry Chairman Zhong, I¡¯m not used to holding someone else¡¯s hand. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    However, in the next second, she dug her fingernails in again at the exact same spots!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?!¡± Javier Zhong stopped abruptly and both of them stood still in the middle of the walkway.


    With a shocked expression, Stephanie Ruan hurriedly responded, ¡°On purpose?? How would I dare to do that?¡­¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, how about this, why not I cling onto your arm instead? This way, both of us will feel morefortable.¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Without waiting for his reply, she immediately took action and held onto his arm.


    As they continued with their stroll, Stephanie Ruan noticed his obvious unhappiness and she secretly smiled to herself!


    Humph! Serve him right! Who asked him to be so brazen earlier and held her hand without asking for permission?!


    Doesn¡¯t he have any basic courtesy at all??


    Furthermore, they are just acting like a couple! It is not as if he is really her fianc¨¦¡­ So was there actually a need for him to touch her so affectionately?


    To be honest, that little bit of pain is nothingpared to the grievances in her heart.


    She is a virtuous woman and she would definitely not allow anyone, especially a rogue like him, to touch her whenever he likes to!


    ¡­


    The well-lighted disys at each storefront have never failed to attract her attention.


    One could easily notice that every single piece of clothing has its own unique features and each is painstakingly designed and made by its designers.


    Well, all thanks to her hectic work schedule, it is considered a luxury to be walking aimlessly around the mall.


    But of all people, why does she have to do this with Javier Zhong?!


    Such days are so hard toe by and she just had to waste it like this¡­


    ¡°Argh!! How annoying!¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan rolled her eyes once again as she thought to herself in a depressed mood.


    But her low spirit is short-lived as she is quickly distracted by a beautiful piece of gown disyed at one of the most established high-end brands in the world!


    ¡°Hmm??¡­¡± Her footsteps paused in front of therge boutique store as she took a closer look at the gown through the ss windows.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and have a look.¡± Stephanie Ruan spoke to Javier Zhong, in which he nodded in agreement.


    Within the next second, he immediately shot Isaac Wen with a look before walking in with her.


    Of course, this meant that the executives are not invited to enter the store together with them and they have no choice but to wait outside until they are done.


    Without any hesitation, Isaac Wen efficiently ryed this message to the team before entering the store by himself.


    ¡°Good afternoon Chairman Zhong! Good afternoon Miss! I am the store manager, please allow me to assist both of you today.¡±


    The store manager politely brought them around and introduced thetest designs in the store.


    Within a short five minutes, Stephanie Ruan has decisively picked out a couple of evening gowns that she would like to try on.


    The manager then led them to a private fitting area on the second floor of the store.


    It is arge room consisting of a luxurious three-seater linen sofa and a marble coffee table situated about 5 metres away from the fitting room.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, if you are busy, you can make a move first. I can try them on by my¡­¡±


    ¡°I will stay here.¡± Javier Zhong interrupted her words with an indifferent look.


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan nodded her head and stered a fake smile on her face, ¡°Fine! As you wish!¡±


    With that, she proceeded to try on gowns after gowns, with the help of the manager and sales assistants.


    Although Stephanie Ruan would stand on the elevated tform back-facing Javier Zhong each time the curtains are open, the mirror in front of her isrge enough for him to see the front design.


    It is said that Stephanie Ruan is a woman who is very clear on what she wants and what she does not want, which is why she would not bother to ask Javier Zhong for his feedback.


    Furthermore, he isn¡¯t even her husband! Why should she care about whether he likes to see her in a particr gown or not?¡­


    ¡°The train for this red gown is very long. It may be too grand for the event.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not this either, the slit might be a little too high especially when I take a seat¡­¡±


    ¡°This dress is beautiful, but I do not have the time to alter the sleeves.¡±


    To be honest, with Stephanie Ruan¡¯s perfect figure, she is able to effortlessly pull off any of the gowns in the store.


    However, since this is an important event, she wants to make sure to choose the most suitable gown as she stands alongside with Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Alright, I shall go with this then!¡± After trying on several more gowns, she has finally decided to get the Sequin Mermaid Gown in Champagne Gold.


    Upon confirming it with the store manager, Stephanie Ruan turned around and caught Javier Zhong looking at her in a slight daze.


    Puzzled by his unusual expression, she questioned him, ¡°Is there something wrong with the gown?¡±

 Chapter 14 – He Is Jealous

    Hearing her words, Javier Zhong is instantly pulled back into reality!


    What was he doing?? Did his heart actually fluttered for her?!


    He could note to terms with what was happening to him and why he could not control his own emotions at all!


    But it is a fact that Stephanie Ruan looked stunning in every gown that she wore, especially the one that she has chosen.


    Yes, he has to admit that she has a good fashion sense and he could not help but agree with her on every single feedback for the other pieces.


    True enough, like minds think alike!From N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong cleared his throat and responded awkwardly, ¡°I have no issues with the gown.¡±


    With that, he hastily picked up one of the magazines on the coffee table and started browsing it through randomly.


    Looking at his strange behaviour, Stephanie Ruan knitted her eyebrows and muttered under her breath, ¡°Weirdo.¡±


    Soon, she has changed out of her gown and proceeded to the cashier to make the payment.


    To her surprise, she heard the store manager respectfully replying to her, ¡°Miss, your gown has already been paid for.¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan turned and saw Javier Zhong looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Beside him is Isaac Wen holding onto arge paper bag with her purchase in it.


    She let out a small chuckle as she walked towards them with steady footsteps. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just 80, 000 yuan (about 12, 600 US dors)?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, this amount of money, I can afford it. I have epted your kindness. But if you¡¯d insist, why not give me something that I can¡¯t afford?¡±


    After saying that, Stephanie Ruan took the paper bag from Isaac Wen and passed it directly to Javier Zhong to hold.


    ¡°This¡­ I cannot afford it. Will you, please?¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    At this moment, Isaac Wen did not even dare to look at Javier Zhong¡¯s face. He could already imagine how dark his boss¡¯ expression is right now!


    But as for Director Ruan¡­ with her feisty personality, she is truly difficult to handle! However, he still had to apud her for her boldness!


    Not every girl would have the courage to stand against the most powerful man and have the ability to leave himpletely speechless.


    True enough, Javier Zhong is seen clenching his fist while holding onto the handle of the bag!


    Unbothered by his reaction, Stephanie Ruan walked back to the counter and smiled at the store manager, whose face is currently as white as paper.


    ¡°Please give a full refund to the gentlemen over there. I will pay for the gown with my card. Here you go.¡± Her hand is left hanging in mid-air as she passes the card over to the manager.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After witnessing what has just happened, the store manager is at a loss on what to do!


    Although Stephanie Ruan is not the boss of this mall, her intimidation and aura are not any lesser than Javier Zhong¡¯s!


    Could someone please tell her if she should take the card??


    Never would she have expected that today might be herst day at work!


    The store manager looked nervously at the two important people in front of her, and then at Isaac Wen ¨C who is equally as clueless as she is.


    ¡°Take my card first and do as I say. I¡¯ll make sure you will not lose your job.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan could easily guess what is going on in her mind and decided to whisper these words to the manager.


    With her assurance, the store manager nodded her head and quickly processed the refund as well as the new transaction.


    ¡°Thank you very much! You¡¯ve worked hard!¡± Stephanie Ruan smiled at her gently as she retrieved the card from the manager¡¯s hands.


    With the manager and team of sales assistants bowing at them respectfully, the three of them finally exited the store.


    Seeing that Javier Zhong is still obediently holding onto her shopping bag even after leaving the store, Stephanie Ruan¡¯s heart had softened a little.


    Well, even though this guy could be quite arrogant at times, he is still not that bad after all¡­


    Stephanie Ruan tilted her head down and smiled secretly. She then took the initiative to hold his arm with the intention of teasing him.


    ¡°Darling, why do you look so angry?? Hmm? Others who do not know might think that your fianc¨¦ has bullied you¡­¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Her intimate way of addressing him, coupled with an alluring smile had left Javier Zhongpletely dumbfounded once again!


    Just then, the sweet scene is rudely interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan reached into her handbag and took out her phone.


    Looking at the caller¡¯s name, she took a few steps away from Javier Zhong to pick up the call.


    ¡°My dear beauty, where are you now?? I miss you already¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Daniel Yan¡¯s teasing voice, sheughed but did not forget to ¡®lecture¡¯ him, ¡°Stop saying these nonsensical words!! Tell me, why did you call??¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ so¡­ I just arrived at Country C and I¡¯m wondering if you are free to meet for dinner tonight??¡±


    ¡°What??¡­ Just?? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that you areing? I would have gone back home to prepare some food for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I just wanted to give you a good surprise! How was it?? Were you shocked??¡±


    Hearing Daniel Yan¡¯s overly excited voice over the phone, Stephanie Ruan could not help but smile to herself. ¡°Alright yes¡­ it¡¯s a very good surprise! I¡¯lle over and meet you tonight! Text me the location!¡±


    After which, they continued to exchange a few more words before she hung up the call.


    It is good news that Daniel Yan is in Country C. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to see a familiar face in a ¡®foreign¡¯ city??


    Stephanie Ruan hurriedly walked over to Javier Zhong¡¯s side and took the bulky shopping bag from his hand.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, I¡¯ve got to go now! See you tomorrow at the event!¡± She spoke to him with a hasty tone.


    Before Isaac Wen could even say a word to her, she has already given him the hand signal as well. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Isaac. You don¡¯t have to fetch me back! See you tomorrow too!¡±


    With her high heels, she rushed off towards the entrance of the mall without turning back while the two men simply remained frozen in their position.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Usually, women would love to be pampered and have men buy and carry their items for them but as for Stephanie Ruan¡­


    Perhaps she is too independent to bother about following these ¡®customs¡¯¡­


    ¡°Such an interesting woman¡­¡± Isaac Wen thought to himself as he continued staring at her back-view in awe.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong is clearly very vexed about the situation!


    Who was the one who called her?? Where is she heading to now?? Is she really that excited to meet this person?!


    In fact, this is the first time he has seen her smile so happily! And her smile is so captivating that he found it difficult to keep his eyes off her¡­


    It felt almost as though he was being instantly pulled into another dimension¡­


    And¡­ what about this sour feeling that he is getting now??


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    He is actually jealous??¡­

 Chapter 15 – The Love Triangle

    As soon as Stephanie Ruan reached home, she dropped her shopping bag and got changed into a slightly more casual outfit ¨C a navy blue satin top with white denim pants and a pair of sneakers.


    Still as fashionable as always!!¡­


    ¡°Fifth avenue¡¯s street food market, please.¡± She boarded the taxi and quickly conveyed her location to the driver.


    It is a short 15 minutes drive down to the most popr street food area in the city!


    Filled with all kinds of neon light signages, the hustle and bustle never stop for anyone throughout the night.


    Upon alighting, Stephanie Ruan immediately spotted the popr hot pot restaurant that they are about to dine at and hurried towards it.


    Back when she was in Country A, she would always crave for her favourite hot pot meal and would often ask Daniel Yan when they coulde back to eat it together.


    Today, her wish is finally fulfilled and she could not be more than happy about it!


    Squeezing through the crowd at the entrance of the store, Stephanie Ruan stopped one of the waiters and asked, ¡°Hello, my friend is already inside, can I enter first?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    -Ring-


    ¡°Daniel, the waiter wouldn¡¯t allow me to enter on my own. He said you¡¯ll have toe to the entrance to bring me in¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, wait for me! I¡¯ming now!¡± Daniel Yan replied to her as he quickly head towards the entrance.


    Within a few seconds, she spotted Daniel Yan rushing towards her. And as soon as he arrived in front of her, her originally smiling face turned into a ¡®frowning¡¯ look.


    ¡°Daniel!!¡­ You took so long toe¡­ I¡¯m about to be squeezed into a tbread already!¡± She pushed him gently on his arm while teasing him.


    To which Daniel Yan instantly retorted, ¡°Miss Ruan!!¡­ Did you know how fast I ran out as soon as I got your call?? Can you see that I¡¯m perspiring because of you??¡±


    After saying his piece, he jokingly used the back of his hand to dap away the little perspiration that he has and acted as though he had specially ran a marathon for Stephanie Ruan, just to make her feel a little bad!


    ¡°Ha-ha!! Alright, I got it! You know that I¡¯m joking.¡± Stephanie Ruan reached for a packet of tissue in her bag and took a few out for him to clean up.


    While walking into the restaurant, Daniel Yan suddenly remembered to update her, ¡°Oh yes, by the way, I have a good friend who is joining us for dinner today.¡±


    ¡°A good friend??¡­ Is it a female??¡± Stephanie Ruan probed further with a smirk on her face.


    Since they have been best friends for many years, they have long dropped the formalities of asking each other for permission to bring a friend along for their ¡®dates¡¯.


    Furthermore, it has always been Stephanie Ruan bringing her female friends to her ¡®dates¡¯ with Daniel Yan back in Country A.


    Surprisingly, this is the first time that he has brought his friend to join them so, of course, she would be curious as to who it is!


    With a wink, he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you both to each otherter!¡±


    ¡°So secretive!¡­ Alright then!¡± With that, she did not pursue this matter any further.


    ¡­


    Since the restaurant is not that huge, Stephanie Ruan could immediately spot their table from afar with just one nce.


    However, she saw that the ¡®good friend¡¯ who is currently seated back-facing them, is actually a male!


    Oh! So it¡¯s a guy??¡­


    But wait¡­ why does he feel so¡­ strangely familiar??


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Her heart became increasingly unsettled as they moved closer towards their seat.


    To be honest, she has just arrived in Country C not long ago, and she has only met a few people so far!


    Hence, it is not difficult for her to quickly recall who this person might be.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Upon having a sudden realisation, she instantly stopped in her tracks and widened her eyes in disbelief.


    Don¡¯t tell me he is¡­


    Chairman Zhong?!!¡­


    This is madness¡­


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Stephanie, are you okay? Why are you standing over there??¡± Daniel Yan saw her pale face and asked worriedly.


    Stephanie??¡­


    The familiar name made Javier Zhong turn his head around as well.


    With unavoidable eye contact, Stephanie Ruan once again stered a fake smile and greeted him. ¡°Chairman Zhong, nice to see you again¡­¡±


    Hais¡­ Such a horrible day indeed¡­


    It is already more than enough to spend half a day with him today and right now, are you saying that her dinner time is not spared too?!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Darting his eyes from the left to the right, Daniel Yan was quick to break the awkward silence. ¡°Hold up¡­ How did you guys know each other??¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing much to say¡­ just a business rtionship.¡± Stephanie Ruan casually responded while taking a seat and putting her handbag into the basket below her chair.


    However, the minute she looked up, she noticed Javier Zhong¡¯s cold eyes ring straight at her!


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    What?? Did she say something wrongly??


    Despite Daniel Yan being her best friend, she does not want him to know about the real reason why she has returned to Country C.


    To her, it is better for fewer people to know about her secret investigation of her family¡¯s ident.


    She did not want toplicate matters at the moment!


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong is rtively surprised to see Stephanie Ruan here.


    When he got the call from Daniel Yan earlier to join him and his friend for dinner, he never expected that person to be her!


    It could be said that Javier Zhong knew Daniel Yan for a much longer time aspared to Stephanie Ruan.


    In fact, their friendship is dated back to their high-school days!


    And when Daniel Yan told him earlier that he is going to bring the girl that he likes over for dinner tonight, he was genuinely happy for him.


    After all, he has been single his whole life and it is about time for his buddy to get into a rtionship.


    But when he saw that the one he likes is actually Stephanie Ruan¡­


    He did not know why, but his heart instantaneously dropped.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Is it because he is feeling guilty that she has now be his ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯?


    Or¡­


    Is it that he has unknowingly started to like her as well??

 Chapter 16 – She Was Murdered

    Throughout the first half of dinner, Daniel Yan and Stephanie Ruan were seen to be happily chatting and enjoying their delicious food.


    ¡°Oooh, this is so nice!!¡­ It has been a long time since I¡¯ve had this!¡±


    ¡°Daniel, try some of this meat! It literally melts in your mouth!¡±


    Stephanie Ruan was only focused on having a conversation with Daniel Yan that she haspletely forgotten about Javier Zhong¡¯s existence.


    On the other hand, Javier Zhong, who is sitting opposite the two of them, is just eating silently with a solemn expression.


    No one knew what he was thinking about¡­


    Daniel Yan is already used to Javier Zhong¡¯s aloof character, so he did not think that anything was amiss.


    In fact, trying to engage him in their conversation would make him feel more ufortable and Daniel Yan is very clear about this point.


    -Cell phone ringing-


    Seeing his secretary¡¯s name on the screen, Daniel Yan quickly excused himself from the table. ¡°Sorry, I got to take this call. Be right back!¡±


    ¡°Mmm go ahead!¡± Stephanie Ruan nodded as she picked up her chopsticks to continue eating.


    However, from the corner of her eyes, she could see that Javier Zhong has stopped eating.


    Has he already eaten his fill?? But she didn¡¯t remember him eating much¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t take spicy food?¡± Stephanie Ruan made a rough guess and asked him.


    After staring at her for a few seconds, Javier Zhong finally responded sinctly. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    Such a healthy grown man telling her that he is full after barely finishing a few spoonfuls of food??¡­


    She definitely wouldn¡¯t believe this lie!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This hotpot restaurant is popr for only serving spicy soup bases. As such, Stephanie Ruan could only think of other alternatives to make him eat a little more.


    Well, it is not that she is concerned about him but¡­ he is Daniel Yan¡¯s good friend after all¡­ so she still has to treat him a little better right?


    ¡°Excuse me, can I have a bowl of hot water please?¡± She raised her hand and requested from one of the waiters who is standing nearby.


    She then cooked a few slices of meat in the spicy broth before transferring them into the bowl of hot water which has just arrived.


    After leaving the meat inside for a few seconds, she carefully took them out and ced each one of them on Javier Zhong¡¯s empty te.


    While doing so, she urged him with a gentle tone. ¡°Try it, it should be less spicy now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that he is simply staring at her with hisplicated eyes, Stephanie Ruan casually waved her chopsticks at him in confusion. ¡°Are you not eating it? It¡¯s not going to be good for your stomach if it remains empty until you reach home.¡±


    ¡°Take a few more bites. A man shouldn¡¯t be picky with his food.¡± She added with a ¡®kind¡¯ smile.


    It is unsure if he was actually listening to her, but he soon picked up his chopsticks and started to finish the food that she had ced on his te.


    Witnessing this scene, Stephanie Ruan is said to be extremely satisfied with Javier Zhong¡¯s obedient behaviour.


    Well, it seems like this man is not as annoying as she had imagined him to be ¨C but only when he isn¡¯t talking¡­


    In the next moment, she caught Daniel Yan rushing towards them from the entrance.


    Before he even reached the table, Stephanie Ruan has already called out to him, ¡°What happened??¡±


    He panted, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry guys, I have to leave early¡­ I need to return to mypany for an emergency meeting now. And I¡¯ve already taken care of the tab, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡±


    After which, Daniel Yan massaged Javier Zhong¡¯s shoulders while whispering into his ear, ¡°Buddy, I¡¯ve got to trouble you to help me send her hometer!¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, I love you!!¡± He cheekily added.


    Upon hearing his cheesy words, Javier Zhong shot him with a death stare, ¡°Get lost!¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    Knowing that Javier Zhong did not actually mean what he had said, Daniel Yan broke out intoughter and quickly shifted his attention to Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°Stephanie, text me when you¡¯re hometer! I got to run now!¡± He gave her a hand signal while slowly moving away from them.


    Seeing that he is already in a rush, Stephanie Ruan simply nodded her head and did not say much, ¡°Mmm, drive safely! I¡¯ll text youter!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With dimmed eyes, Javier Zhong could not bring himself to look away from Stephanie Ruan¡¯s enchanting smile.


    What exactly is going on with him?!


    To be honest, a part of him is already secretly hoping for her to look at him the same way she looks at Daniel Yan¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong¡­ Chairman Zhong??¡­ Are we ready to go?¡± Stephanie Ruan¡¯s voice had brought him back to reality.


    ¡°Mmmph.¡± With a cold response, he returned to his indifferent look, stood up from his seat, and left the table without waiting for her.


    Puzzled with his sudden change, Stephanie Ruan thought to herself as she followed after him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him today?¡±


    ¡­


    It is already dark when they left the restaurant. Stephanie Ruan looked up and saw several stars in the clear sky.


    However, she is unable to get aplete view of the sky as there are too many tall trees around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Javier Zhong told her as he held onto his phone to contact his driver.


    ¡°You can leave first, I¡¯m not going back yet. See you tomorrow.¡± With a slight smile, Stephanie Ruan turned and walked away from him, towards a public park nearby.


    But after taking a few steps, Stephanie Ruan realised that Javier Zhong is following behind her.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    She paused in her footsteps and asked him with a surprised tone, ¡°Why are you here? You¡¯re not leaving??¡±


    Loss for words, Javier Zhong could only use ame excuse, ¡°Daniel told me to send you home.¡±


    Well, this was what he had told her but deep down inside, it is obvious that he just wanted to spend more time with her.


    With a chuckle, Stephanie Ruan responded in disbelief, ¡°Oh, what a loyal friend you are. Okay then, suit yourself.¡±


    Who knows what this guy is up to??


    But it didn¡¯t matter to her as she only wanted to go stargazing for a short while. And it doesn¡¯t hurt to have another person joining her anyway.


    As soon as they have arrived at the park, Stephanie Ruan excitedly walked toward an open deck which gave her an unblocked view of the sky.


    ¡°Wow! This is so beautiful!!¡±


    Beingpletely captivated by the numerous stars in the sky, Stephanie Ruan had unknowingly let out a joyful smile.


    It has been a while since thest time she came out to stargaze. But each time she has a chance to, she could not help but always be emotional.


    ¡°You know when I was young¡­ my dad used to tell me that the people whom we love very much will eventually turn into a star when they pass on. This way, we can still look at them whenever we miss them, and they will also watch over us from above.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan nced at him briefly before continuing, ¡°Then as I grew up, I found out that this was not true and I remember getting really mad at my father for telling me such a lie.¡±


    She sighed softly, ¡°But now that my family is no longer around, I can¡¯t help but wish for this story to be real. At least if I can still see them in the night sky, I might feel less alone in this world¡­ and it probably will never feel as though they have really left my side¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing what she has shared, deep thoughts ran through Javier Zhong¡¯s mind as he remained silent while looking at her face with a softened gaze.


    He could absolutely resonate with her feelings at this point in time¡­


    After all, he has also lost someone dear to him.


    ¡°How about you, Chairman Zhong? Have you ever lost anyone whom you love?¡±


    After a few moments of silence, he responded to her, ¡°My mother.¡±


    With his head slightly tilted down, he shared, ¡°She left me when I was 16. My family members believed that she hadmitted suicide. But¡­¡±


    He added with certainty, ¡°I knew she was murdered.¡±


    As soon as he finished talking, Stephanie Ruan looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, ¡°You witnessed it?¡±

 Chapter 17 – It’s My Fault

    Javier Zhong shook his head lightly, ¡°There was a day when I was going through my mother¡¯s things after she had passed on¡­ I noticed a White envelope stuck between the pages of her diary. The letter inside wrote¡­¡±


    [If you are reading this note and I did note back alive on 21 March, know that I was murdered.]


    With a heavy pause, he said, ¡°That was the exact day that she had passed on. Though the writings were poorly scribbled, I could still recognise that it was my mother¡¯s handwriting.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing the hurt written on his face, Stephanie Ruan could imagine the shock that this incident must have brought to him, especially at such a young age.


    In her past impression of Javier Zhong, she saw him as someone who is very powerful and ruthless, without any emotions of his own at all.


    And this is the first time that Stephanie Ruan has felt that he is more ¡®human¡¯, as he opens up a more vulnerable side of himself to her.


    In fact, it is only right at this moment that she sees him in a different light¡­ that beneath his perfect public facade, lies a very lonely and wounded man.


    After a brief moment of silence, Stephanie Ruan tactfully responded to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear this¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you¡­ managed to find the murderer?¡± She added while turning her head to look at him.


    To which he immediately replied with no hesitation, ¡°I will¡­ I will do whatever it takes to find that person!¡±


    Hearing that, it truly felt as though she is looking at a spitting image of herself in him!


    It was the exact same determination that she had when she made the decision to avenge her family¡¯s death as well.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong wondered why he would share such a personal story with someone whom he did not know very well?


    He usually isn¡¯t such a guy who would pour out his feelings like this!¡­


    In fact, this is something that even his good friend ¨C Daniel Yan, does not know about!


    Was it because the atmosphere tonight is ideal for this conversation to happen?


    Or¡­ was it because she is actually the first person who cared enough to ask him about this??¡­


    Sitting together on the bench to stargaze, a wave of indescribable peace andfort is filling his heart tonight.


    ¡­


    Holding onto his phone and typing a few words, Javier Zhong turned to Stephanie Ruan, ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Since it is already quitete in the night, she nodded her head and epted his kind offer.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong.¡± The driver quickly greeted him and went forward to open the back door for him.


    However, this time, Javier Zhong generously stood aside and raised his arm slightly to signal for Stephanie Ruan to enter the car first.


    Unexpectedly impressed with his small action, she did not forget to praise him before entering, ¡°Wow! Such a gentleman, thank you!¡±


    Satisfied with herpliment, the sides of his mouth have unknowingly raised a little as he closed the door for her and entered the car from the other side.


    A few minutes into the quiet ride, Javier Zhong started clearing his dry throat repeatedly. He is experiencing some difort in his mouth as well.


    ¡°A-hem!¡­ A-hem¡­¡±


    Seeing that there are a few new bottles of water ced in front of them, Stephanie Ruan immediately opened one and passed it over to him.


    Meanwhile, the driver looked at him through the rearview mirror and saw that his neck is starting to be red with rashes.


    Appalled by it, he asked his boss worriedly, ¡°Chairman Zhong, did you identally take any garlic during dinner?¡±


    Though this does not happen frequently, the driver has been with Javier Zhong long enough to be familiar with his allergic reaction to garlic.


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan widened her eyes and spoke directly to the driver, ¡°Yes! Our soup base had minced garlic in it!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he is allergic to garlic¡­¡±, she added with a softer voice.


    At this point, Javier Zhong¡¯s condition has gotten worse as he shut his eyes and muttered softly, ¡°My head¡­ dizzy¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s send him to the hospital.¡± Stephanie Ruan felt that she is responsible for this and is regretting having made him finish the few slices of meat that she had cooked for him.


    However, the driver respectfully exined to her that Javier Zhong does not like to visit the hospital and would always get his personal doctor toe over to his house.


    After he made a quick call to his personal doctor, the driver spoke to Stephanie Ruan while driving at a high speed, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Director Ruan, I will have to bring Chairman Zhong home first before I can drive you backter.¡±


    In which she immediately shook her head politely, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s my fault that this had happened to him, so I¡¯ll be staying with him until he gets better.¡±


    Throughout the entire ride to his house, Stephanie Ruan sat closer to Javier Zhong and held onto his arm worriedly.


    ¡°Are you still feeling dizzy?¡­ Hang on there for a little while more alright??¡­ We are reaching soon.¡±


    She is constantly wiping away the beads of perspiration on his face with a clean handkerchief that she has brought along in her bag today.


    Within about 10 minutes, they have finally reached his standalone vi. It seems as though the servants at the house have all been notified and they are already standing outside, waiting for his arrival.


    Thankfully, his personal doctor arrived soon after Stephanie Ruan and the driver helped Javier Zhong to his bedroom.


    ¡°Doctor, how is he??¡± As soon as he had finished examining Javier Zhong, she asked him anxiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chairman Zhong will be fine after taking the prescribed medication¡±, the doctor kindly assured her.


    Phew!! Thankfully he is alright!!¡­


    ¡°Thank you very much, doctor.¡±


    He then nodded his head at her while bringing over the medication for Javier Zhong to eat.


    After which, the doctor spoke to everyone briefly about Javier Zhong¡¯s rmended diet n for the next few days before he left the vi.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that Javier Zhong is currently resting on his bed with his eyes closed, Stephanie Ruan put her bag down on a nearby sofa chair before walking out of the bedroom.


    But the moment she opened the originally shut door to exit the room, she is startled at the scene of servants who are standing right outside.


    In fact, this should be the full team of servants ¨C about 20 of them, who have assembled at the entrance of his bedroom.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With so many eyes suddenly staring at her, Stephanie Ruan could only let out an awkward smile, ¡°Ahh¡­ Chairman Zhong is currently resting inside. You guys need to speak to him?¡±


    The head servant, Mdm Li, quickly spoke up on behalf of them, ¡°Actually we are not allowed to enter his bedroom after the housekeeping hours¡­ But we wanted to check with young master if he needs any food¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan smiled at her gently, ¡°Please bring me to the kitchen. I¡¯ll prepare the food for him.¡±

 Chapter 18 – His Scary Woman

    Stephanie Ruan had originally left the room with the same intention of cooking a simple dish for Javier Zhong as well since she remembered that he did not eat much during dinner.


    She felt that this is the best way topensate him for what had happened.


    And as she followed Mdm Li towards the kitchen, the servants at the back could not help but gasp silently at Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°Wow, who is she??¡­ Is she young master¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Did you see her face when she smiled at us??¡­ So pretty and elegant!!¡±


    ¡°No wonder young master will fancy a woman like her!¡­¡±


    Everyone looked at her with great respect. After all, she is the first girl that their young master had brought home. No one dared to treat her poorly!


    ¡­


    It is only until now that Stephanie Ruan is in the mood to take a good look at the design of the well-furnished vi.


    Even though the interior design is modern and luxurious, it ispletely not her style at all!


    Is this guy only crazy over three colours ¨C White, Grey, and ck??


    This ce ¡®smells¡¯ totally like a single man¡¯s den!


    She could not fathom how the servants could live here together with him¡­


    Such a ¡®cold¡¯ house with zero liveliness¡­


    ¡­


    The first thing Stephanie Ruan did when she entered therge kitchen is to open the refrigerator.


    After taking a quick nce at the well-stocked fridge, she decisively took out a few ingredients and ced them on the marble countertop nearby.


    Apart from asking Mdm Li where the kitchen utensils are, she had singlehandedly prepared the dish from scratch.


    Although it is just a simple Chinese clear soup dish with meat, she had done it so seamlessly that everyone just stood there and watched her in awe.


    It felt almost as though they are watching a live cooking show!


    Her speed¡­ the precision¡­ and how she is skilfully multi-tasking¡­


    No one could actually put what they are seeing now into words¡­


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan is wondering why everyone is gathered here and just watching her??¡­


    Are they afraid that she would spike their young master¡¯s dish?


    Or¡­ are they waiting to personally bring this up to him?


    ¡°¡­¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    With a blink of an eye, she finished ting the dish and spoke to Mdm Li with a smile, ¡°Alright, you can bring this up to him.¡±


    Thereafter, Stephanie Ruan immediately brought the used pot and kitchen utensils to the sink. She picked up the gloves at the side and began to wash them.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Panic filled the entire ce as the servants behind are witnessing what she is doing!!


    How could this happen!!¡­


    If their young master knew that she is washing dishes at his house, all of them would be ¡®dead¡¯!


    Mdm Li hurriedly rushed forward to stop Stephanie Ruan, ¡°Madam, this is our job, please let us do it. We cannot afford to have you washing the dishes for us. Young Master would not be happy about this.¡±


    After hearing Mdm Li¡¯s anxious tone, she looked at her with both of her hands still busy at work.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m almost done. There are not many to wash¡­ Furthermore, it¡¯s only right to clean up after myself¡­¡±


    She then said to Mdm Li with a friendly wink, ¡°This is how I was brought up.¡±


    Although Stephanie Ruan is raised in a wealthy family with many servants at home as well, her parents did not fail to teach their children such good values.


    In fact, this is the main contributing factor to how she eventually grew up into a woman of such strong, yet fine character!


    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s already sote, everyone should go back and rest.¡± She spoke out of concern to Mdm Li and the other servants.


    But before they could even politely reject her, Javier Zhong suddenly appeared behind them.


    Wearing his usual ck house slippers, he stood just before the dividing line between the dining hall and the kitchen.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Everyone quickly echoed to him in fear.


    They could not imagine how he would treat them after personally seeing Stephanie Ruan doing the ¡®dirty work¡¯ on their behalf, while each of them is just helplessly watching her.


    Hearing the servants greeting him, Stephanie Ruan quickly turned around and looked at Javier Zhong. ¡°You¡¯re here! Are you feeling better??¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmmph¡­¡± He replied to her with a slight nod.


    Earlier, he overheard what Stephanie Ruan had told the servants. Since it is her own will, he decided not to pursue this matter with his workers tonight.


    But having said this, he is still unhappy with their working attitude and threw each of them a cold re.


    If she said that she is going to wash the dishes, all of them are going to stand there and just let her do it?!


    Absolutely no initiative from them!!¡­ Or at least he did not see any!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a bowl of soup for you. Since you¡¯re already here, you can bring it out on your own to the dining table.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Although she spoke casually to him, those innocent words havepletely frightened everyone who is in the kitchen.


    What??!¡­ Bring it out on his own??¡­


    Did they hear it wrongly??


    No one has ever had the audacity to speak to their young master in such a manner before!!


    Seeing that Javier Zhong is still standing there unmoving, she added, ¡°I¡¯lle and join you soon after I¡¯m done.¡±


    Upon hearing what Stephanie Ruan had said to him, Mdm Li quickly stepped forward with the intention to bring the bowl out for Javier Zhong until she saw his slightly raised hand stopping her.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    From this point onwards, the table haspletely turned. Everyone stared at him in disbelief as he slowly stepped foot into the kitchen for the very first time!


    Not only that, he personally picked up his bowl of soup and brought it out without anyint.


    If this is not a piece of good enough breaking news, they don¡¯t know what is!!¡­


    Every employee knows that Javier Zhong is germaphobic and he would never want to step into the kitchen no matter how clean it is!!


    And Stephanie Ruan is actually the first person to have made him cross his barrier!!


    As soon as she had finished washing the dishes, Stephanie Ruan turned around and saw the servants still standing there in the same position, but this time with their heads bowed.


    Unsure of what is happening, she walked towards the exit of the kitchen and then turned back to them.


    ¡°Uhm well, I think there¡¯s nothing much to do here¡­ I can handle everything. Everyone should go and take a rest.¡± She kindly assured them before walking away.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± All of the servants responded to her with great respect.


    Indeed, they also felt that she could handle everything!


    I mean, she was even able to make their young master listen to her and made him do things that he has never done before in his lifetime!


    Although what Stephanie Ruan meant by ¡®handling everything¡¯ is that she could help to clean up the ce after Javier Zhong is done with his food¡­


    But the servants obviously saw things in a different light!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Each one of them could not help but think to themselves, ¡°Could she be even scarier than our young master??¡­¡±

 Chapter 19 – I Like It!

    Stephanie Ruan stepped into the dining hall just in time to see Javier Zhong taking his first sip of the soup.


    Pulling out the chair that is right next to his, she spoke to him, ¡°I¡¯ve specially made this soup for you. Tell me, how does it taste?¡±


    Looking at her eyes filled with nothing but anticipation, Javier Zhong responded casually while still digging in, ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Hearing his words, she could not help but exim, ¡°Okay??!!¡­ Just okay??¡±


    Unhappy with his poor feedback, she took away the unfinished bowl from Javier Zhong with both hands.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He better be joking about this!!


    It is literally the worstment that she has ever gotten for her cooking!


    Everyone who had the privilege of trying her cooking would always sing praises about it. They would even urge her to start a restaurant of her own!


    But this guy¡­ he is really too much!!


    To be honest, she might not even be that satisfied with a ¡®good¡¯ from him¡­ but he actually dared to rate it only with an ¡®okay¡¯?!


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Well¡­ fine¡­ he is entitled to his own opinion, but this also meant that she has the right to take away her food when she sees that the person is not enjoying it!


    Stunned by her sudden action, Javier Zhong questioned her snappily, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan retorted almost immediately, ¡°I don¡¯t feed people who are unappreciative of my cooking. Since you just find it okay, you can prepare your own instant noodles for tonight.¡±


    And she quickly added on with a smile, ¡°As for this¡­ I¡¯ll finish it on my own.¡±


    People often say that women are vindictive creatures¡­ I guess it is quite true??¡­


    Seeing that she is about to drink his soup, Javier Zhong hurriedly took it back after some struggle.


    ¡°I like it.¡± He said awkwardly.


    After which, he is only fully focused on finishing it up, secretly afraid that she might snatch it away again.


    Although he spoke quite softly, his words still managed to reach her ears.


    She chuckled discreetly and thought to herself, ¡°Such a fast learner! He obviously likes it¡­ then why must he be so stingy with his words??¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong has already savoured everyst drop of the soup.


    To be honest, this is the best soup he has ever drunk, just that he is not good at expressing his feelings to her.


    The vour¡­ and its¡¯ consistency¡­


    It is nothing short of perfection!


    In fact, Javier Zhong is known to be very fussy about the food that he eats. Many of the Michelin-starred chefs that he has hired back home could not even meet his high standards!


    Which exins why he is truly surprised that Stephanie Ruan is able to cook the food to his liking.


    What¡¯s more impressive is that with just one try, she already managed to hit the bull¡¯s eye!


    ¡°Do you have more of it?¡± Javier Zhong asked her with his hopeful eyes.


    Unfortunately, she has only made enough for one portion. Stephanie Ruan shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve only made one small portion for you. It¡¯s already sote at night, you shouldn¡¯t be eating too much.¡±


    While taking the empty bowl away from him, she saw his slightly disappointed look.


    She then added, ¡°If you really like it that much, I¡¯ll make it for you again on another day, how about that?¡±


    Within the next second, Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes immediately lit up! Although he did not say anything, one could tell that he is definitely very pleased with this arrangement.


    Shaking her head helplessly, Stephanie Ruan did not know what was going on with him sometimes¡­


    Does this man have a split personality??


    You see, there are times when he could be very sharp and cunning, and there are also times like this when he could behave like a young child who needed to be coaxed.


    ¡­


    ¡°It¡¯ste, just stay here for tonight.¡± Javier Zhong spoke to her as they walked toward his bedroom.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Since she had left her handbag in his room earlier, she now has no choice but to go back with him to take it back.


    Upon hearing his words, Stephanie Ruan checked the timing on her watch and considered for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you have a guest room here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After taking a set of shirts and pants from his dressing room, he proceeded to pass them to her, ¡°These are brand new. Wear them first for tonight. I¡¯ll get Isaac to bring you some new clothes tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, thank you!¡± She nodded lightly and followed after him to the guest room which is also on the same level.


    As soon as she entered the room, Stephanie Ruan turned around to face him, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll rest first? Goodnight?¡±


    ¡°Goodnight.¡± He replied to her before returning to his bedroom.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Despite the guest rooms in the vi being unupied throughout the year, the servants would still diligently clean up the rooms on a daily basis.


    As such, Stephanie Ruan is being weed into a very clean and tidy space.


    The room is rtivelyrge, considering that it is merely a guest room. To be more specific, it is an ensuite bedroom with an attached toilet.


    On top of that, there is also a study table as well as a small dressing room.


    Not bad at all!!¡­


    Stephanie Ruan took a quick shower and changed into the set of clothing that Javier Zhong had passed to her earlier.


    Even though it is obviously too big for her, she has no choice but to make do with it for the time being¡­


    After lying down on the bed for close to an hour, she still found herself wide awake!


    And she could not sleep no matter how hard she tried to!


    Well, it might be due to the sudden change in environment and she is not used to it¡­


    Or maybe the room is missing her scented candles which could help her to fall asleep much more easily.


    Either way, Stephanie Ruan could not stop herself from fidgeting. She then decided to get up and take a walk around the house instead.


    Hopefully, this would tire her out and she could eventually have a restful night!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She left her room and stepped into the long corridor. As she looked to the right, she noticed a room with its door left ajar.


    Curious, she walked over and pushed the door open, only to see that it is a huge study room with a mini library!


    The shelves are custom-built up to the high ceiling and the books are upying every single avable space.


    Wow! Is he an avid reader as well??


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    But right now, reading a book is thest thing on her mind as she knows that she could get overly engrossed in it and this would not help at all in getting her to bed!


    As such, she strolled towards the other side of the room and finally reached his desk area.


    Such a well-organised table! Documents are piled neatly to the side, and there is even a dedicatedpartment to keep every single item.


    Truly impressive!!¡­


    But just before she moved on to the other parts of the room, a newspaper clipping beneath the documents had caught her eye.


    Although she could only see a part of it, Stephanie Ruan found it very familiar and decided to take it out to have a better look.


    [The prestigious Ruan Family was found dead in a tragic car ident on New Year¡¯s Eve.]


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan immediately froze as she held on to the newspaper clipping¡­


    Hold on!!¡­


    Why would Javier Zhong cut out this particr article??


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­

 Chapter 20 – Mysterious Person

    Stephanie Ruan immediately searched beneath the documents to check if there are more clues as to why Javier Zhong is interested in her family¡¯s case.


    She then found a close-up photo of a man in histe thirties, together with a grey name card ced next to it.


    The man had an ordinary look, with a disheveled beard. But he is not someone whom Stephanie Ruan recognises.


    As for the card, she took a closer look at the name of thepany.


    [Albert Liu, Golden Sun Pawnshop]


    It¡¯s a pawnshop??¡­


    After thinking deeply for a few seconds, Stephanie Ruan took out her phone and quickly snapped a few pictures of what she has found.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Javier Zhong headed towards the dining hall, just right after his usual morning workout session.


    ¡°Is she still upstairs?¡± Seeing that Stephanie Ruan has yet toe down for breakfast, he asked Mdm Li, who is busy preparing his food.


    ¡°Young Master, Madam has left the house very early in the morning. She was rushing out and only took with her a piece of bread.¡± Mdm Li respectfully reported to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Slightly disappointed that Stephanie Ruan had already left without any words, Javier Zhong nodded his head and returned to his room for a shower.


    ¡­


    In the outskirt of the city, Stephanie Ruan finally arrived at the address written on the name card.


    Earlier, she had rushed back home to have a change of clothes first before driving to this underdeveloped area.


    Taking her shades away from her face, she stared at the seemingly small pawnshop across the street.


    ¡°Wee, Miss. How can I help you today?¡±


    Although the man in histe fifties had greeted her politely, he could not help but wonder why a well-dressed youngdy would be here at his store.


    Stephanie Ruan took a quick nce around the small shop. It is indeed a humble shop with just one ss disy cab in the middle ¨C which also doubles up as a counter desk.


    ¡°Is there a person called Albert Liu in your store?¡± She did not want to waste any time and went straight to ask for this person.


    As soon as the man heard this name, his face changed drastically. With a serious tone, he responded to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, there is no such person in the store. If you are looking to buy or sell any item, I can help you with it.¡±


    With her eyes still locked on him, Stephanie Ruan reached into her handbag and took out arge stack of bundled notes worth approximately seventy thousand yuan (about eleven thousand US dors).


    cing them on the table, she reiterated, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Albert Liu.¡±


    Although her voice was neither loud nor soft, she gave off this strong aura that the man found difficult to ignore.


    Unwilling to budge, the man continued to deny it. ¡°I really don¡¯t know who this person is. If you¡¯re looking for someone, you must have found the wrong store.¡±


    Seeing Stephanie Ruan¡¯s cold stare in return, he could not help but break out in a sweat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing the unsatisfactory response, she casually threw out another stack of notes with the same amount of money.


    ¡°Call him!¡± She ordered with a cold smile.


    Judging by her persistence and certainty, the man thought that she must really know about the existence of Albert Liu.


    With a deep breath, he took the money on the table and reluctantly conceded, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Following that, the man pushed open a cleverly hidden door situated near the countertop.


    Inside, there is another locked door at the other end of the short corridor. It is obvious that the security here is very tight and not just anyone could enter!


    As soon as the second door is pushed open, the loud voices of several men with full-body tattoos could be heard.


    ¡°One more!!!¡­ One more game!!¡± They chanted repeatedly.


    So there¡¯s actually a gambling den here??¡­


    With a smirk, Stephanie Ruan thought to herself, ¡°Humph, this ce looks more like it¡­¡±


    However, the loud and chaotic ce soon quietened down when the men noticed a beautifuldy in their midst.


    One of the men walked straight up to her, ¡°Hey, pretty girl¡­ what are you doing over here??¡±


    With a lecherous gaze, he continued to probe while daringly cing his hand on her shoulder, ¡°Want somepany?¡±


    But in the next second, Stephanie Ruan grabbed his hand, twisted it, and pinned him down on the floor.


    With one foot stepping on his body, she pointed a Swiss Army Knife at his face. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you don¡¯t try to do anything funny. Because the next time you do¡­¡±


    She bent down and pressed the knife against his neck, ¡°¡­ this is going straight in.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Witnessing this shocking scene, a pin-drop silence filled the entire room.


    Pretty sure these men did not expect such a young and beautifuldy to actually be a well-trained fighter.


    Feeling the cold metal on his skin coupled with her calm yet threatening voice, he shivered and did not dare to move an inch.


    ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    Hearing his assurance, she released him and swiftly kept the Swiss Army Knife in her pocket.


    Looking at the stunned man who had brought her in, she asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you leading the way?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But before the man could even respond to her, the door from behind had swung open.


    A slightly younger man in his mid-forties with a thick gold chain hanging on his neck has walked out of the room.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± He put both hands in his pockets and looked at Stephanie Ruan from the top to the bottom.


    ¡°Albert Liu?¡± Simr to him, she is also behaving cautiously and scanning him from the bottom up.


    After a moment of silence, he then headed towards his office and ordered her, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Earlier, Albert Liu had been observing her through the surveince cameras ever since she has stepped foot into the pawnshop.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Although he does not know who she is, he is interested to find out what she is here for¡­ and how she got to know him.


    After all, he is a mysterious figure and not many people know about his name, let alone this deserted office space.


    ¡°Sit.¡± He offered her while busy preparing a cup of tea for his guest.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll go straight to the point. Javier Zhong sent me here.¡±


    Upon hearing that, he squinted his eyes slightly at her. ¡°Javier Zhong??¡±


    Seeing his unconvinced look, Stephanie Ruan took out her phone and showed him the picture of a man whom she had taken yesterday.


    Risking all the information that she has, she spoke to him, ¡°Javier said that you would know what he wants as soon as I show you this photo.¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Taking a closer look at the picture, Albert Liu then stared into Stephanie Ruan¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 21 – What Is She Doing?

    It must be true¡­ this photo is personally taken by him and he had only given it to Javier Zhong.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Two weeks. Give me another two weeks and I will let him know of this man¡¯s whereabouts.¡± Albert Liu replied in a confident tone.


    Hearing his response, Stephanie Ruan felt that this is the most she could get out of him at the moment.


    If she were to push any further, she would be behaving too suspiciously¡­


    With a slight nod, she put on her pair of ck sunsses and proceeded to leave the ce.


    Back in the car, Stephanie Ruan reyed the voice recording of Albert Liu¡¯s words and many questions began to flood her mind¡­


    Who exactly is this man in the photo? Why is Javier Zhong looking for him so urgently? Does the man have anything to do with the ident?


    And more importantly, how does this ident concern Javier Zhong??¡­


    Though Stephanie Ruan does not know him that well yet, she could tell that he isn¡¯t the type of guy who would waste his time and resources on something meaningless.


    So there has to be a corrtion somewhere!


    Unless¡­


    He was actually involved in the ident?!¡­


    ¡­


    Right after his subordinates sent Stephanie Ruan out, Albert Liu received a call from a familiar number.


    ¡°When are you giving us the information?¡± The man asked over the phone.


    Albert Liu responded to him, almost with a pleading tone, ¡°Please stop chasing me already¡­ I just told you guys that I will deliver the details in two weeks¡¯ time.¡±


    ¡°Told us? Who did you speak to?¡±


    In which Albert Liu quickly replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys send thedy over to my office earlier?¡±


    The man on the phone remained silent for a few seconds before ordering him, ¡°Send me the surveince footage of her immediately.¡±


    ¡­


    Over at the vi, Javier Zhong is busy reading the business news on his tablet while having his breakfast.


    -Knock knock-


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, I have some important matters to report to you.¡± Isaac Wen rushed in and quicklymunicated with him.


    Hearing his tone of urgency, Javier Zhong switched off his tablet and walked out to the open deck which is situated just outside the living room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He asked.


    Isaac Wen immediately reported, ¡°Back at the Tudor Clubhouse, you have asked me to do a full investigation on Director Ruan. I have the results here.¡±


    He handed a file over to Javier Zhong as he continued to speak, ¡°There is nothing out of the ordinary about her background, except that¡­ she is from the prestigious Ruan Family.¡±


    ¡°From what I have found out, she is the only survivor from that car ident.¡± Isaac Wen added.


    Facing Javier Zhong¡¯s calm expression, it seemed as though he had already guessed it from the very beginning.


    Isaac Wen then took a quick nce at their surroundings, ensuring that no one is eavesdropping, before speaking to Javier Zhong in a low voice.


    ¡°I contacted Albert Liu earlier. He said a woman came to find him and is looking for the same man whom we are searching for.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Javier Zhong raised one of his eyebrows and stared at him. ¡°Woman?¡±


    ¡°I asked him for the surveince footage and I saw that the person is actually Director Ruan.¡± Isaac Wen switched on his tablet and yed the videos that were sent over to him.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Holding onto the tablet, Javier Zhong looked through every single video with his deep eyes.


    What exactly is she trying to do??¡­


    ¡­


    Putting on matching diamond earrings, Stephanie Ruan is finishing her final touches before leaving for the important event.


    ¡°Mia, I¡¯ll be heading out for the event tonight and will be back quitete! Don¡¯t wait for me!¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Mia Xue raised her head and acknowledged Stephanie Ruan before returning to work.


    Although Mia Xue is her personal assistant, she has never once treated her poorly.


    In fact, Stephanie Ruan is always concerned about Mia Xue¡¯s well-being, which has led to them sharing a closer rtionship.


    Even though Mia Xue has yet to find a suitable ce to stay in Country C, she feelsfortable enough to take up Stephanie Ruan¡¯s offer of living at her penthouse for the time being.


    Also, since it is only the two of them moving here from the headquarters, there is no need for an office space at the moment.


    As such, they have specially dedicated arge room in the house to be their workspace.


    However, in the following months, Stephanie Ruan spoke about ns to open a regional office for Helix Publishing in Country C.


    By then, having an office would be necessary. And this also means that they would have to start looking for a space very soon.


    ¡­


    As soon as Stephanie Ruan reached the lift lobby, she received a call from an unknown number.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you downstairs.¡±


    Just by hearing the voice, she could immediately recognise that it is Javier Zhong who had called.


    So this is his number?¡­


    When she reached the entrance of the building, she spotted Javier Zhong leaning against the car, in his ck designer satin suit.


    Since the weather is rtively cold tonight, she also wore a formal ck zer on top of her gown.


    Looking at his dressing today from head to toe, Stephanie Ruan patted his shoulder lightly and gave him a satisfied smile. ¡°Hmm¡­ not bad!!¡±


    With a smirk, Javier Zhong carefully opened the car door for her before walking over to the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Within a few minutes into the ride, Stephanie Ruan had unknowingly fallen asleep.


    Although the main reason for her fatigue is from running around the entire day, Javier Zhong¡¯s sturdy driving must have contributed to her sleepiness as well.


    Knowing the reason for her tiredness, Javier Zhong shook his head lightly and waited for the next red light to help adjust her seat so that she could rest morefortably.


    ¡­


    Upon arriving at the well-known Chinese restaurant located inside a heritage mansion, Javier Zhong looked at the woman beside him who is still in a deep sleep.


    He really could not bear to wake her up¡­


    ¡°Sir, do you need a valet service?¡± One of the staff walked towards the shiny Bentley car in dark sapphire and knocked on the window politely.


    Winding it down just a little, Javier Zhong waved his hand at him ¨C signalling that he did not want the service, and proceeded to drive towards the open space car park.


    Five minutes have passed¡­


    Ten minutes have passed¡­


    Fifteen minutes have passed¡­


    Javier Zhong is just sitting in the car with Stephanie Ruan, patiently waiting for her to get enough rest.


    Feeling that the car is no longer moving, Stephanie Ruan finally woke up from her sleep.


    Wait a second¡­ what are they doing here at the car park??


    ¡°We just reached?¡± Stephanie Ruan asked him with a soft yawn.


    ¡°No, thirty minutes ago.¡± He casually responded.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°What??!! Are you crazy? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?? We really shouldn¡¯t bete for this event!¡±


    She began to touch up her make-up frantically while Javier Zhong is busy getting amused by her preparation speed.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡± She checked her face in the mirror once more before putting everything back into her pouch.


    But just before Javier Zhong could switch off the car¡¯s engine, Stephanie Ruan suddenly recalled that she has to do onest thing!


    ¡°Oh, wait!¡± She tapped his arm and casually put her pouch on hisp for the time being.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Curious as to what she wanted to do, Javier Zhong looked over and caught the scene of Stephanie Ruan unbuttoning her zer and removing it¡­ right in front of him!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 22 – My Future Wife

    He immediately widened his eyes in shock!!


    Although she had meant to wear this gown to the event in the first ce without the zer, her action is still a little too¡­ suggestive?


    And it really doesn¡¯t help that she is looking so gorgeous in the gown¡­


    Javier Zhong did not know why his body is reacting so much to this situation. He swallowed his saliva and forced himself to look away so that his heart rate could return to normal again.


    ¡°A-hem!¡­ hem¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan looked at him and is surprised to see that he is suddenly drinking so much water at one go!


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you really that thirsty?¡± Shemented on his strange behaviour while taking her pouch back from him.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Before he could even respond to her, Stephanie Ruan had already opened the door and left the car.


    Seeing that she had left without her jacket, Javier Zhong quickly took it along with him as they walked toward the building.


    ¡°Put on your jacket.¡±


    With the zer now on her shoulders, Stephanie Ruan questioned him with an annoyed tone. ¡°Why did you bring it down? No one wears a jacket here¡­¡±


    She took it off and passed it back to him. But being the stubborn person that he is, Javier Zhong insisted and ced it back on her.


    ¡°It¡¯s too inappropriate. Put it on.¡± He said.


    ¡°How is this inappropriate??¡± She asked.


    ¡°I said it is, means it is!¡±


    Their non-stop bickering went on all the way until they reached the entrance of the restaurant.


    ¡­


    Upon seeing Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan entering the reception area, Mr Robertson quickly excused himself from the group of people whom he is standing with and made his way toward the two of them.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong and Director Ruan, so happy to see that both of you can make it to this event!¡± He weed them with a cheerful tone.


    ¡°d to be here too.¡± Javier Zhong responded to him as the two men shook their hands intuitively.


    With a wide grin, Stephanie Ruan sincerely added, ¡°Mr Robertson, we definitely have to make it here! It¡¯s our honour to be invited by you.¡±


    Mr Robertson hurriedly waved both of his hands at them, ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ please don¡¯t say that¡­ I really appreciate both of you foring here today. Thank you for gracing this very special asion with ourpany.¡±


    After exchanging a few more words, Mr Robertson had to leave them alone as he rushed off to prepare for his opening speech.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an empty space towards our right. Shall we head there?¡± Stephanie Ruan whispered into his ear.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Javier Zhong also felt that they should step aside as they are many people crowding near the entrance.


    It is getting too noisy for him to bear!


    With that, Stephanie Ruan continued to cling to his arm as they walked towards the less crowded area.


    However, the two of them are so eye-catching that the attendees at the event started to notice their presence.


    ¡°!!..¡±


    For JC Departmental Store¡¯s 20th-anniversary dinner event, Mr Robertson had deliberately chosen to host it in Country C as he would like to gain some foothold in Asia¡¯s market.


    As such, not only did he invite renowned businessmen from his country, but he has also invited many sessful local businessmen.


    Well, people would basically see this as arge-scale privateworking event!


    And when the attendees saw Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan, all of them naturally could not wait toe over and have a word with both of them!


    You really can¡¯t me the attendees for their excitement because they do not get to see such people on a regr day-to-day basis.


    After all, Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan are the people whom they could only see from afar in newspapers, magazines, and digital tforms.


    So of course they would be starstruck when they see the two of them in person!


    Furthermore, everyone knows that Javier Zhong seldom attends suchworking events for obvious reasons ¨C he does not see the need towork with others!


    In fact, there are tons of business proposals on his table which are sent in by differentpanies every single day!


    And it is not even an exaggeration to say that he would not be short of any business partners in this lifetime!


    Simrly, Stephanie Ruan also rarely appears at events but when she does, it is usually at very big and grand events.


    People would not hesitate to swarm around her to share about their business and long-term goals, hoping to score a coverage in her popr business magazine.


    It is said that any business featured by Helix Publishing is guaranteed to seed!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Stephanie Ruan saw several people approaching them.


    With her quick thinking, she immediately whispered to Javier Zhong, ¡°The man in a white suit is called Oscar. He is the president of an international advertising firm¡­¡±


    ¡°Thisdy over here is the director of a local logisticspany. They have recently won an exclusive coboration with¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of Palm Resorts? The couple in front of us have been running this resort for close to 20 years¡­ But they have recently been embroiled in¡­¡±


    Since Isaac Wen is not here with him, Stephanie Ruan felt the burden to step up and feed Javier Zhong with factual background information about each person such that he would not have an opportunity to embarrass himself.


    Being in the publishing industry for business-rted news, she would naturally recognise these sessful people and is even kept abreast of their smallest business updates and developments.


    So yes, she is willing to be his ¡®google¡¯ for the night!


    However¡­ it is unsure if Javier Zhong is actually processing the information that was being shared with him?¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In fact, he seemed to be only focused on staring at Stephanie Ruan¡¯s face¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong¡­ Chairman Zhong¡­¡± One of the businessmen called out to him in a respectful tone.


    Upon realising that Javier Zhong is not responding to the man at all, Stephanie Ruan shifted her eyes, only to see him giving her a nk stare.


    ¡°???¡­¡±


    Seriously?! What exactly is going on with this guy?¡­


    Did he not hear that someone is calling him??


    With a nudge, Stephanie Ruan knitted her eyebrows and gave him ¡®a look¡¯ to signal that the man in front of them is speaking to him.


    After which, she hurriedly stepped in and spoke on behalf of Javier Zhong. ¡°Oh, actually Javier hasn¡¯t been feeling too well yesterday. He has barely recovered but still insisted to attend this event¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah yes yes, Chairman Zhong has always put work first before his own health!¡± The man responded to her while the others quickly nodded their heads in agreement.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong is extremely upset that his train of thought has been rudely interrupted by someone else.


    Earlier, he was so captivated by the way Stephanie Ruan spoke that he found it difficult to ignore her charisma!


    Her level of wisdom and knowledge is something that is notmonly seen in other women.


    At this moment, he truly felt that Stephanie Ruan fully deserves to be his wife!


    I mean, she has all the good qualities that he is looking for and he did not think that he could find anyone better than her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Not forgetting the man who had ¡®interfered¡¯ while he was busy dreaming about his perfect n, Javier Zhong looked at him with his cold eyes.


    Seeing that Javier Zhong had finally given him the attention ¨C though not how he expected it to be, the man quickly said his words.


    ¡°Oh Chairman Zhong, I was going to praise you for finding such an outstandingdy as your girlfriend. Director Ruan is definitely a woman of your caliber!¡±


    Hearing him say that, Stephanie Ruan humbly denied, ¡°Mr Ou, you¡¯re too kind with your words!¡±


    However, the non-stop praises were like music to Javier Zhong¡¯s ears and his gaze instantaneously softened!


    This is exactly what he had been thinking about and this man was able to read it all out!


    Satisfied, Javier Zhong let out a rare smile and replied in an arrogant tone, ¡°Of course! She is going to be my wife in the near future!¡±


    After which, he did not forget to wrap his hand around Stephanie Ruan¡¯s thin waist and pulled her closer to him.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 23 – Are You Okay?

    Excuse me??!!¡­


    Since when did she agree to be his wife?!


    Even though Stephanie Ruan maintained a courteous smile on the outside, she is literally fuming on the inside!


    This guy is seriously on another level of being delusional, isn¡¯t he??


    In fact, she wishes to reiterate again that Javier Zhong is not her ideal type of man!


    If not for the fact that she needed to use him to find out the truth behind her family¡¯s ident, she would not even want toe close to him.


    Even if he is thest person standing on this earth, she would rather die alone than marry him!


    Thinking of this, Stephanie Ruan slots her hand discreetly inside his zer and gave him a painful pinch on his lower back.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Javier Zhong turned to look at her in confusion.


    What??¡­ Did he say something wrongly??N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He was just merely dering his future goal to the group of people in front of him!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh, and by the way, Javier Zhong has an excellent track record of getting any goal that he has set for himself!


    ¡­


    When it is time to enter the banquet hall, everyone else is jealous of the people who got to sit together with Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan.


    Given their prestige and high status, a handshake from them is almost equivalent to striking a lottery!


    So could you imagine how ecstatic were those people sitting at the same table as them??


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, mypany has been producing electric carstely. I was wondering if you are interested in a coboration¡­¡±


    ¡°Mypany submitted a proposal to Zhong Holdings seven months ago. Chairman Zhong, if you are free, could you help me take a look at it?¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that Chairman Zhong likes to drink Chinese tea. I have a close friend who owns a huge tea ntation. Maybe we could find a day to go together?¡­¡±


    The questions came in one after another but Javier Zhongpletely ignored them as he sipped and savoured his red wine while maintaining an indifferent look.


    This is the reason why he hates attending such events! He really doesn¡¯t like to entertain these ¡®flies¡¯ who could not stop pestering him.


    On the other hand, Stephanie Ruan is a little more friendly aspared to the ice-cold man sitting beside her.


    ¡°Director Ruan, actually mypany has been wanting to be in your business magazine, will you be able to help us pull some strings?¡­¡±


    ¡°Same for mypany, Director Ruan. You know¡­ times have been difficult for us and we have been trying to increase our publicity¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan nodded her head repeatedly as she patiently listened to their concerns. Her bodynguage seemed as though she is ready to help them.


    Or at least this was what they have thought¡­ until she finally responded to them.


    ¡°I hear where all of you areing from and I fully empathise with each of you. But if ourpany is going down the track of publishing businesses that are not doing well, do you think anyone will still subscribe to our magazines?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan smiled as she added, ¡°Our business has always followed a certain set of rules which has brought us to where we are today.¡±


    ¡°If I were to bend the rules for everyone now¡­ then I¡¯m afraid when you ask me for help in the future, I wouldn¡¯t even have the capability to do it. Don¡¯t you guys think so?¡±


    Her clear and direct reasoning has caused everyone at the table to be speechless. They are all smart enough to understand the hidden meaning behind her words.


    Basically, she is not going to let them in from the back door!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Such a clear-headed woman who is not afraid to outrightly reject people and voice out when things are not right!


    Although Javier Zhong is well known to be decisive and ruthless, rumours have it that Stephanie Ruan is notcking in any way at all with her aggressiveness.


    ¡­


    The long event has finally ended and Stephanie Ruan ispletely exhausted from ¡®entertaining¡¯ everyone who is grabbing any avable opportunity to chat with her.


    Compared to hers, Javier Zhong¡¯s face is still looking so fresh and she could not help but be jealous of him!


    Is this the reason why he doesn¡¯t want to interact with anyone at this event??


    She really has to admit that this guy can be very smart at times!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well¡­ Stephanie Ruan had guessed it right!


    In fact, Javier Zhong has a standard practice of returning to his office to continue working till midnight as he sees attending events as an unproductive thing to do.


    So of course he has to conserve as much energy as possible!


    ¡°My driver is already waiting for us outside.¡± Javier Zhong spoke to Stephanie Ruan as he led her out of the restaurant.


    Since he had two sses of wine earlier during dinner, he ordered his driver toe over and pick them up at the venue instead.


    In the car, Stephanie Ruan immediately went into a daze as she stared out of the window, at the moving scenery.


    Knowing that she is already very drained, especially from the series of events today, Javier Zhong did not want to disturb her as well.


    But out of a sudden¡­


    A truck¡¯s loud horn coupled with the car¡¯s abrupt brake had startled Stephanie Ruan.


    The car jerk was so rough that her body flew forward and then uncontrobly fell back to her seat.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened?! Can¡¯t you drive properly?!¡±


    Seeing Javier Zhong¡¯s ferocious re, a chill went down the driver¡¯s spine as he hurriedly apologised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chairman Zhong. This will not happen again.¡±


    Due to the sharp turn that was ahead, it is the driver¡¯s blind spot as they are unable to tell if any car is driving toward them.


    Though the ident was swiftly avoided by their experienced driver, it caused a great shock to Stephanie Ruan and fear overwhelmed her mind.


    -Sobbing sound-


    Her entire body could not stop shivering as she covered her face with both of her hands.


    shbacks of her family¡¯s car ident could not stop flooding her mind at this point in time¡­


    The bright headlights!¡­ Sound of the loud horn! And the sudden jerk that had lunged her forward!¡­


    That fear of losing her family members¡­


    That fear of losing her own life¡­


    This situation is far too simr to what she had experienced before and it felt as though she is forced to relive it all over again!


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    bbergasted by Stephanie Ruan¡¯s strong reaction, Javier Zhong hesitatingly touched her arm. ¡°Are¡­ are you okay?¡±


    Seeing that she is not responding to him at all, he is honestly at a loss of what to do¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong then inched towards her side and awkwardly ce his arm around her shoulder, with the intention offorting her¡­


    But¡­


    Never did he expect her to fall directly into his arms!

 Chapter 24 – Don’t Leave Me

    Nobody would ever be able to understand the pain she had to go through and how she has never stopped grieving over the death of her family members.


    Tonight¡¯s incident has hit the most vulnerable spot in her heart and she had no choice but to findfort in the man who is sitting next to her.


    Stephanie Ruan felt a sense of security as she held on to him and cried uncontrobly in his arms.


    Seeing that she is behaving in such a manner, it really came to him as a shock¡­


    Prior to this, Javier Zhong had the impression that this woman is someone who showed no weaknesses at all!


    But after witnessing this scene¡­ it has undoubtedly changed the way he looks at her now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With Stephanie Ruan grabbing his jacket tightly as though she is holding onto her lifeline, Javier Zhong could only look at her with aplicated gaze.


    He slowly rested his hand on her back and patted her gently, in a rhythmic manner.


    It seems to him that no matter how strong and independent Stephanie Ruan portrays herself to be, deep down inside, she is still someone who yearns to be protected.


    ¡­


    After a very long time, her crying became softer and softer. Stephanie Ruan then unknowingly fell into a deep sleep in Javier Zhong¡¯s arms.


    It could be due to the fact that she has already exhausted all her energy for the day!


    When they finally arrived at the entrance of her apartment building, Javier Zhong saw that she is still sleeping well and decided not to wake her up.


    After all, she had been through quite an episode earlier¡­


    Javier Zhong personally carried Stephanie Ruan all the way up to her doorstep and rang the bell.


    Since he had appeared at her house before with Isaac Wen, he noticed at that time that Mia Xue is also living with her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that??¡± Mia Xue tapped on the smart tablet that is hung on the wall ¨C just beside the main door, and looked at the live video recording to check who this person is¡­


    But never would she have imagined herself seeing Stephanie Ruan lying in Javier Zhong¡¯s arms!


    Mia Xue wasted no time and hurriedly push open the main door, ¡°Director Ru¡­¡±


    However, just one cold stare from Javier Zhong is more than enough to silence her mouth and not speak another word.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After giving him the directions to Stephanie Ruan¡¯s bedroom, Mia Xue could no longer control herself and immediately rolled her eyes at him.


    ¡°What was that?? I mean, why should I be afraid of him?! He isn¡¯t even my boss!!¡± She consoled herself and immediately regained her confidence.


    Thereafter, Mia Xue hurriedly followed behind Javier Zhong, just to keep an eye on Stephanie Ruan and to make sure that she is safe!


    After all, she does not know what this evil man would do to her boss!


    It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry!!¡­


    But as soon as Javier Zhong entered the room, he used one of his legs to push the door shut, right at Mia Xue¡¯s face!


    She immediately grabbed the door handle and tried to push it open¡­ but she didn¡¯t expect herself to be just half a secondte!!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    How dare he!! Does he really think he owns this house??!!


    Argh!!!


    Stomping her foot in frustration, Mia Xue vowed toin about his poor attitude to Stephanie Ruan the next morning!


    ¡­


    Over in the room, Javier Zhong walked towards her king-sized bed and ced her down gently.


    Just as he wanted to get up and leave, Stephanie Ruan did not let go of him!


    Instead, her hands that are wrapped around his neck had pulled him forward towards her.


    This action of hers has totally caught Javier Zhong off guard, which resulted in him losing his footing and ultimately falling on top of her body!


    Not only that¡­ he quickly realised that his lips have also identallynded on hers!!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    In fact, her lips are so soft and sweet that he could not help but remain in a daze for a few seconds.


    Being unaware of the current situation, the woman below him showed no reaction and continued to sleep soundly¡­


    Javier Zhong then pushed himself up from her and had intended to leave the room immediately.


    But this time, Stephanie Ruan held on to his arm and begged him pitifully, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­ please don¡¯t leave me¡­ please¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Guessing that she must be having a nightmare, Javier Zhong did not shake her hand off him. Instead, he pulled a chair from nearby with his other hand and sat down beside her bed.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan tightened her grip on his hand as she continued to sob in her sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay now¡­¡± Javier Zhong leaned closer to her face and whispered these words to her.


    As though she had heard his coaxing, Stephanie Ruan soon stopped her gibberish talk.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    With his hand gently rubbing on hers, he thought to himself, ¡°How tiring must it be for her to carry on living her life as though nothing had happened¡­¡±


    After all, witnessing her family members¡¯ death is not a scene that you could just forget and he could totally understand why she has been struggling with this trauma of hers.


    Especially when he was also right there with her¡­


    Yes, you heard that right!


    He was that young man whom she had met when the ident happened!


    ¡­


    The next morning, Stephanie Ruan woke up with a soft yawn. With her eyes still closed, she first stretched out her hands upwards, and then sideways¡­


    As soon as she opened her eyes and sat up, she is shocked to find Javier Zhong sitting right in front of her on the sofa, with a newspaper in his hands.


    ¡°Wait¡­ what is he doing here in my room??!¡± She thought to herself in dismay.


    Without any hesitation, she quickly checked her clothes only to see that it has already been changed??!


    To be honest, thest thing she could recall was herself crying pathetically in Javier Zhong¡¯s arms¡­


    But as for changing her own clothes¡­ she really did not remember herself doing so!¡­


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!!¡­¡±


    With her mind already running wild, Stephanie Ruan screamed at the top of her lungs and threw a pillow directly at Javier Zhong¡¯s head!

 Chapter 25 – You! Pervert!

    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    With Javier Zhong¡¯s quick reflexes, he managed to catch the ¡®flying pillow¡¯ before itnded on his face!


    But this is not all that he had to deal with!!


    Stephanie Ruan rushed towards him while pointing her index finger at his face, ¡°You!!¡­ How could you take off my clothes without my permission??!!¡±


    She then snatched the pillow from his hands and continued to hit him with it, ¡°Pervert!!¡­ Such a pervert!!¡±


    ¡°Per¡­ pervert??!!¡­ Wait, your clothes¡­ It¡¯s not¡­¡± Startled by her sudden usation, Javier Zhong is trying his best to exin himself to her while dodging her uncontroble attacks.


    However, Stephanie Ruan is too furious to stop and listen to his exnation.


    In the next second, she threw a powerful kick to his crotch area and¡­


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Ouch!!!


    Javier Zhong is in so much pain that he could not even utter a word!


    At this moment, he is forced toy on the ground unmoving and in a curled-up position.


    He is in total disbelief that she would actually hit his¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After venting her anger at him, Stephanie Ruan managed to calm down a little and noticed that Javier Zhong¡¯s face and neck are¡­ a little red¡­


    Was the kick really that bad??¡­ She didn¡¯t even remember using her full strength!!


    But seeing that Javier Zhong is still lying motionless on the ground, she hesitatingly bent down to check on him.


    ¡°Hey¡­ are you alright?¡­¡± With the pillow in her hands, she conveniently used it to tap him on his body.


    Stephanie Ruan waited patiently but there is no response from him at all!


    ¡°What¡­ don¡¯t tell me he actually fainted??¡± Feeling worried about him, she went closer and held onto his face¡­


    All of a sudden, Javier Zhong grabbed both of her arms andid her on the floor while he swiftly came on top of her in a kneeling position.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Such a cunning opportunist!!


    Despite pinning her to the ground, Javier Zhong is also careful to not injure her. He simply wanted to make sure that she is unable to make any more reckless attacks!


    Knowing that she hadpletely fallen into his trap, Stephanie Ruan became mad at him again and questioned him with an unfriendly tone. ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡±


    Being held in such a vulnerable position, she really could not think of doing any other moves to defend herself.


    Argh!! This guy must be a strong fighter too!!


    Although Stephanie Ruan had learned self-defence, it is obvious that the moves wouldn¡¯t work that well on a fit and muscr man like him.


    After all, Javier Zhong is also a trained fighter and he would already know all of the tricks that she is trying to pull off.


    This time, Javier Zhong retorted immediately. ¡°This is what I should be asking you, what do you think you are doing??¡±


    He added, ¡°And as for your clothes, your little assistant changed them for you, not me!¡±


    Thinking that she might be feeling ufortable sleeping in an evening gown, Javier Zhong was the one who had ordered Mia Xue toe in and change the outfit for her.


    But instead of Stephanie Ruan being appreciative of his kind act, he is now being used and treated as a pervert??


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Mia??¡­ Oh¡­ So it wasn¡¯t you??¡± She looked at him guiltily.


    Facing his fierce stare, Stephanie Ruan bit her lips and thought of what she should do next¡­


    Well, I guess, in such a disadvantageous situation, she has no choice but to give in, ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Although Javier Zhong has epted her apology in his heart, he still showed her a dissatisfied look on purpose.


    ¡°That¡¯s all? How are you going topensate me for that unnecessary kick??¡±


    Upon hearing his unreasonable demand, she instantly rolled her eyes and asked herself, ¡°Seriously??¡­ How does he expect me topensate him for that??¡±


    Thinking for a few seconds, Stephanie Ruan glinted in her eyes.


    With much enthusiasm, she responded to him, ¡°Is it still painful? I¡¯ll massage that area for you then!¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Inplete disbelief, he identally loosened his grip on her arms. This has naturally allowed Stephanie Ruan to move her hands freely again!


    And seeing that her hand is actually reaching down to the lower part of his body, Javier Zhong instantly panicked and grabbed onto her hand.


    ¡°Forget it!¡± He rejected her with a cold voice.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Alright, you said it!¡± She dly epted his decisive response.


    Satisfied that her ¡®n¡¯ had seeded, she sneered at him discreetly and thought to herself, ¡°Did he really think that she was going to touch him??¡±


    No thanks¡­


    No matter how much money he is going to give her, she would never want toy a finger on him!


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong threw a cold stare and scolded her in his heart, ¡°Could this woman be more conservative?! Who talks to a man like that?! Is she asking for a death wish?¡±


    Earlier, Javier Zhong had intentionally questioned Stephanie Ruan just to tease her but who would have expected that he was the one being teased in the end!


    ¡­


    As they walked down the staircase, Stephanie Ruan called out to Mia Xue, ¡°Mia, what do you want for breakfast today?¡±


    And there is no reply at all.


    ¡°This is weird¡­ Has she left the house already?¡± She muttered to herself.


    Since Stephanie Ruan is a better cook, she would usually take the initiative to prepare meals for Mia Xue as well.


    But this is unusual¡­ Mia Xue would always take her breakfast at home first before heading out¡­


    The minute Stephanie Ruan tapped on her phone¡¯s screen, she saw the message popping up.


    [Director Ruan, don¡¯t worry about my breakfast. I¡¯m already out at a cafe nearby.]


    Well, in fact, this was what Mia Xue is forced to send to her boss under the strict supervision of Isaac Wen.


    I mean, she couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that she had been chased out of the house and held hostage by Javier Zhong right??


    But don¡¯t worry, she would definitely find a way to expose all of his secret acts to Stephanie Ruan one day!!


    ¡­


    Over in the kitchen, Stephanie Ruan, who has no clue about what is happening, has started to whip up a simple dish for their breakfast.


    ¡°We shall have the ssic Eggs Benedict with bacon today. You¡¯re okay with that right?¡± She asked him casually while preparing the ingredients.


    ¡°You decide.¡± Javier Zhong stood in front of the kitchen ind and watched her get busy.


    Noticing that he is just standing there awkwardly, Stephanie Ruan chuckled, ¡°You can take a seat outside. I¡¯ll call you over when it¡¯s done!¡±


    However, Javier Zhong did not move an inch.


    Instead, he looked at her with his deep eyes and asked a simple question, ¡°Why did youe back?¡±

 Chapter 26 – He Found Out!

    Hearing his unexpected question, Stephanie Ruan subconsciously froze for a second before continuing with the food preparation.


    She then looked up at him with a natural smile, ¡°I¡¯m nning to set up a regional office here! Why do you ask?¡±


    Knowing that she had cleverly diverted the main topic, Javier Zhong decided to ask explicitly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you came back just to do that. What made you return after so many years?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Earlier, he had deliberately asked Isaac Wen to take Mia Xue out of the house just so he could speak to Stephanie Ruan in private.


    Being a smartdy that she is, Stephanie Ruan could guess that he must have already caught on to something about her.


    But she is unwilling to throw in the towel just like that. ¡°This country is where I grew up in. No matter how near or far I travel to, I¡¯d always find myself wanting toe back.¡±


    Well, although this is not the main reason for motivating her to return to Country C, she is also not lying when she said those words to him.


    However, Javier Zhong is obviously not buying her words!


    In a slightly impatient tone, he broke the news to her. ¡°Albert Liu said you went to find him. I heard that we are looking for the same guy.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    -Thud-


    Stephanie Ruan ¡®mmed¡¯ the bread knife on the table and looked at him with a much colder smile, ¡°What is it that you want to ask?¡±


    Wasting no time, Javier Zhong questioned her directly, ¡°Are you investigating your family¡¯s ident?¡±


    ¡°And you are staying close to me hoping to find more leads?¡± Leaving her with no opportunity to react, he quickly added.


    With a heavy pause, Stephanie Ruan replied calmly, ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    It is only a matter of time that Javier Zhong knows about her entire n. As such, she is no longer bothered by it anymore.


    Because the rule of the game is that she would not allow anyone to stop her from moving forward!


    Upon hearing that, Javier Zhong walked around therge kitchen ind and arrived beside her.


    This time round, he spoke to her with a gentler voice. ¡°Listen to me, back out of this before it is toote. This is too dangerous.¡±


    Having a brief understanding of the people involved as well as theplexity of this investigation, he did not want to see Stephanie Ruan put her life at risk.


    He knows that those people have no morals and are extremely violent and heartless! They are willing to do anything in exchange for arge sum of money!


    This means to say, to kill someone, they would not even bat an eyelid to do it!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    However, what Javier Zhong said to her is inplete contrast as to what she is thinking.


    Shaking her head with disapproval, Stephanie Ruan immediately told him off, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡±


    With that, she brushed past him angrily and was about to leave, until Javier Zhong chased after her and grabbed her arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about your life at all?!¡± He raised his voice slightly.


    ¡°Leave me alone! I have nothing to lose anyway.¡± With a determined look, Stephanie Ruan removed his hand from hers and left the kitchen.


    True enough, with her back already up against the wall, she really has nothing left to lose!


    If she does not avenge her family members now, do you think she even has the mood to do anything else?


    No one could understand this big burden that is only left for her to carry¡­


    But people often said that vengeance only bringsfort and closure to those who are alive.


    Well, I guess this is somewhat true¡­


    -Sigh-


    Staring at her back in despair, Javier Zhong could only pick up from where she had left off and continued with the final preparation for the food.


    When he brought the dish up to her bedroom, he saw Stephanie Ruan sitting on the sofa and vetting through some documents on her tablet.


    Not only that, she had also put on her bluetooth earphones, as though it is a hint that she did not want to talk to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    cing the te down on the coffee table, Javier Zhong strolled over and sat next to her.


    ¡°Have some food first¡­¡± He gently removed one of the earbuds and spoke to her.


    Without sparing him a nce, Stephanie Ruan responded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±


    As though he had already long expected her to say that, Javier Zhong instantly replied her and began to slice the food into smaller pieces.


    Bringing the food nearer to her mouth, he signalled for her to eat it, ¡°Here¡­¡±


    This is the first time Javier Zhong is feeding someone and it is indeed an extremely rare sight!


    Anyone who knows him and has personally witnessed this scene would not dare to believe their eyes!


    In fact, they might even be so wild to imagine that this man is not the real Javier Zhong they know, but his long-lost twin.


    But seriously¡­ how much must he love this woman to continuously break rules that he has never broken for anyone before¡­


    This is really so unlike him¡­ in a good way of course!


    On the other hand, Stephanie Ruan does not seem to appreciate his thoughtful initiative. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it on my own. You can leave it there.¡±


    Not aware of how Javier Zhong¡¯s feelings have already started to change for her, she felt that there is no need for them to act like this in private.


    There is no one around who is looking at them anyway! Furthermore, she is still unhappy with what he had said to her earlier in the kitchen.


    ¡°Mmm??¡­¡± Unwilling to give up, Javier Zhong insisted for her to take a bite first.


    Seeing his persistent attitude, Stephanie Ruan is left with no choice but to appease him and eat from the fork which has been hanging in mid-air for quite some time.


    With the corners of his lips raised, Javier Zhong then picked up the ss of orange juice in front of them and handed it over to Stephanie Ruan, who had already brought her attention back to work.


    ¡°Mmmm??¡­¡± He said to her again.


    Furrowing her eyebrows, Stephanie Ruan took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him.


    ¡°Javier Zhong, do you not have anything better to¡­¡±


    -Ring-


    Before Stephanie Ruan could finish lecturing him about the poor use of time, his ringing phone has interrupted her train of thoughts.


    ¡°Javier, today is the weekend! Are youing back for lunchter? I¡¯ll ask the chefs to cook all of your favourite dishes¡­¡±


    Hearing his grandmother¡¯s words, Javier Zhong let out a soft sigh and took a few seconds to respond to her. ¡°Grandma, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Bring Stephanie over as well! Grandma misses the two of you¡­ Come over and apany this olddyter alright?¡±


    Even though he did not use the handsfree function, Stephanie Ruan is sitting close enough to hear what Grandma Zhong had said over the phone.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sensing his hesitation again, Stephanie Ruan took the phone from his hand, ¡°Grandma Zhong, don¡¯t worry, we will be thereter¡­¡±


    While she continued to speak to his grandmother, Javier Zhong looked at her with aplicated gaze.

 Chapter 27 – Is He Angry?

    In fact, when he heard Stephanie Ruan¡¯s response, a ¡®sweet and sour¡¯ feeling overwhelmed his heart.


    Yes, he is very happy that she had taken the initiative to apany him to the Zhong¡¯s Residence. This way, he has somepany and would not be too lonely¡­


    Yet at the same time, he knows about her hidden agenda and that she is not going there because of him¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After ending the short call with Grandma Zhong, Stephanie Ruan returned the phone to him. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower first and we can leave the house after that.¡±


    Nodding his head in agreement, Javier Zhong replied, ¡°Mmm okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Thankfully, he always prepares a set of personal care products with at least two sets of spare clothing in his car.


    While she was still asleep in the early morning, Javier Zhong had alreadypleted a full-body workout at the apartment¡¯s gym before washing up at Stephanie Ruan¡¯s ce.


    This is his usual daily morning routine and he has never once disrupted it before!


    Over on the other side, Stephanie Ruan had just finished her quick shower. She took a clean bath towel from the rack and dried herself with it.


    Just when she was about to be done, she suddenly froze¡­


    ¡°Wait¡­ My clothes???!!¡­¡± She screamed aloud in her head.


    Since Stephanie Ruan stays by herself in this room, she does not have the habit of bringing her clothes into the bathroom.


    To her, this was not an issue because no one would be looking at her anyway¡­


    But as for today, she haspletely forgotten that Javier Zhong is here with her!!


    Wrapping the medium-sized towel around her body ¨C just barely enough to cover the important parts, Stephanie Ruan opened the door slightly and took a peep outside.


    ¡°Hmm??¡­ Where is he??¡­¡± She is greeted with an empty bedroom and caught no sight of Javier Zhong.


    Thinking that he might have already left her room, Stephanie Ruan strolled over to the dressing area to pick out her clothes.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong is on the balcony answering a phone call from his secretary.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, about the shareholder¡¯s meeting next week, we will be going through the financial report forst year and also review our goals for this year¡­¡±


    Isaac Wen added, ¡°Do you want me to add this meeting to your schedule?¡±


    Initially back-facing the bedroom, Javier Zhong finally turned around and leaned against the balcony¡¯s railing.


    After which, he decisively ordered, ¡°Postpone this meeting. Next week I¡¯ll be flying over to¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong widened his eyes in shock as he saw Stephanie Ruan through the ss window, in the process of removing her towel right in front of his eyes!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    -Coughing repeatedly-


    Hearing that his boss is suddenly coughing badly, Isaac Wen became worried, ¡°Chairman Zhong, are you not feeling well?? Should I bring some medicine over to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, maybe it is more like Javier Zhong is choking on his saliva than coughing!


    Is there a medication for this too? He suddenly feels as though¡­ he is not that well anymore¡­


    Angered by Stephanie Ruan, he truly believes that he might die of a heart attack very soon!


    Does she not bother to check who is around in the room before changing so openly?!


    Or does she just trust people so easily and naively believe that no one would want to take advantage of her??


    And the main point is¡­ what if the man standing on the balcony today is not him?? Is she nning to do the same thing too?!


    ¡°This woman is really!!¡­¡± Hitting his chest in incredulity, Javier Zhong immediately looked away from her.


    ¡°No need. Talkter.¡± With this, he quickly ended the call with Isaac Wen.


    Over on the other side, Stephanie Ruan has already dressed up and is ready to leave.


    However, she turned around and saw that Javier Zhong has been on the balcony all this while!


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Unbelievable!!¡­ She had totally forgotten to check the balcony earlier!


    With squinted eyes, she stared at his back view for a few seconds and thought to herself, ¡°He probably didn¡¯t see anything right??¡­¡±


    Pretending that nothing had happened, Stephanie Ruan walked toward the balcony and opened the ss door, ¡°Javier, I¡¯m ready. We can¡­¡±


    But before she could even finish her sentence, Javier Zhong had already gone past her inrge strides and left the bedroom, as though she ispletely non-existent to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What¡¯s the matter with this guy again??¡­ Wasn¡¯t he okay earlier??N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Hais¡­ She really cannot stand this man¡¯s hot and cold attitude that changes as and when he likes.


    Shaking her head helplessly, Stephanie Ruan thought to herself, ¡°Thankfully I¡¯m not his real fianc¨¦e! And I really have to salute to his future wife who has to tolerate his horrible temper¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Silence filled the entire car as no one spoke a word at all in the first half of the car ride to the Zhong¡¯s Residence.


    That¡¯s good as well! It simply means that Stephanie Ruan did not have to entertain him and could get some rest at the same time!


    But the awkward silence between them has soon be a disturbing issue that Stephanie Ruan has found difficult to ignore.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    Stealing a nce at his long face, she asked him casually, with the intention of breaking the deafening silence in the car.


    Who knows what he is unhappy about??¡­


    ¡°Could it be about work? Or maybe the thought of going back to the Zhong¡¯s Residence scares him??¡± Stephanie Ruan began to make a few reasonable guesses in her head.


    Apanied by another wave of silence, she had no choice but to speak her mind.


    ¡°Well, you know¡­ how should I say this¡­¡±


    Since Stephanie Ruan is wearing a wine red halter-neck jumpsuit today, she removed her pair of high heels and satfortably in a cross-legged position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself¡­ I feel that in life, we should all be more open-minded¡­¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    However, her smile quickly froze as soon as she noticed Javier Zhong¡¯s fierce re at her.


    ¡°¡­ in our work?¡­¡± With widened eyes, she hurriedly finished off her sentence with a much softer voice.


    Seems like¡­ it isn¡¯t about his work then??¡­


    With a slightly confused expression, Stephanie Ruan boldly made another attempt. ¡°That¡­ if you are feeling too nervous or scared to return to your old home¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, don¡¯t be afraid! Chin up, and just be a man!¡± She motivated him with a happier tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there to protect you as well!¡± After adding that, she gave him two encouraging pats on his back shoulder.


    But never would she have expected Javier Zhong to instantly make an abrupt car brake in the middle of the road!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡­ Why are we stopping over here??¡±


    Looking at him in bewilderment, Stephanie Ruan noticed that there is no traffic light in front. In fact, the cars around them are driving past at high speeds!


    Hold on¡­


    Did this guy seriously just stop his car in the middle of the busiest expressway in the city??!!

 Chapter 28 – She Is In Trouble

    Pressured by the many ¡®honking¡¯ sounds from different cars, Stephanie Ruan kept tapping on his arm nervously, ¡°Hey¡­ what are you doing?? Stop joking around¡­¡±


    ¡°Just keep driving, can you??¡±


    ¡°Come on, Javier, please¡­ this is really too embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    A few seconds have passed and Javier Zhong still sees that she is darting her eyes around in an anxious manner.


    Well, it is not his intention to ¡®bully¡¯ her with such an act, but she had been poking at the wrong spots repeatedly that it has begun to bother him so much!


    To be honest, nothing else matters more to him right now and he just could not wait to clear this big misunderstanding.


    However, a part of him is also hesitating if he should be telling her how he feels¡­


    I mean, talking to her about this would naturally mean that he is admitting to seeing what he shouldn¡¯t have.


    But it was also not like he had done it on purpose right??¡­


    And just when he had decided to speak to her briefly about the incident at her house, Javier Zhong saw Stephanie Ruan pressing both hands on her face.


    ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ I¡¯m really about to faint from this¡­¡± She said aloud to herself.


    As soon as Javier Zhong heard her words, he immediately became worried stiff. ¡°Faint?? Are you not feeling well now?? Do you need some water?¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Startled by his overwhelming concern for her, Stephanie Ruan put her fingers slightly apart from each other and stole a nce at his panic-stricken face.


    In fact, this is the first time that she has heard him say so many words at one go!


    Why is he reacting like this? Don¡¯t tell me that¡­ some ¡®water¡¯ got into his brain today?


    Actually, it is not that she really felt like fainting, but she had merely used it as an expression to show that she is unable to deal with this situation anymore.


    But since he is reacting so ¡®passionately¡¯ to her words, Stephanie Ruan decided to just ride on this as ast resort to get him to move the car.


    With some weak nods, she exaggerated her condition even further, ¡°Ahh¡­ the loud horns are making me dizzy¡­ and now I feel like vomiting too.¡±


    ¡°I can feel a headacheing¡­ my head is hurting¡­¡± She acted while peeking at him discreetly.


    As expected of him, Javier Zhong immediately stepped on the pedal and started driving away.


    Yes!!!¡­ Mission aplished!!


    However, in the next second, Stephanie Ruan gulped when she heard him on the phone call with his personal doctor.


    ¡°Come to the Residence now. I need you to see someone.¡±


    ¡­


    At the Zhong¡¯s Residence, Stephanie Ruan is automatically brought up to Javier Zhong¡¯s bedroom.


    Sitting on the sofa, she could not hold back her embarrassment as the doctor did a detailed check-up on her ¡®fake¡¯ conditions.


    -Sigh-


    If only she knew that he would overreact like this¡­


    Not long after, the doctor ced his stethoscope around the back of his neck and stood upright.


    He carefully penned down a few lines in his notepad before reporting, ¡°Chairman Zhong, don¡¯t worry, Director Ruan is okay and she just needs some rest.¡±


    Phew¡­ Thankfully she was not exposed by his doctor! Otherwise, she could not imagine what he would do to her!


    But the annoying man beside her is obviously not satisfied with the result.


    ¡°Check again. She was very ill just now.¡± He insisted.


    Hastily waving both of her hands at Javier Zhong, Stephanie Ruan immediately rejected his ¡®thoughtful¡¯ order.


    ¡°That¡­ Actually¡­ I¡¯m feeling fine now¡­ Like what the doctor said, I just need some rest.¡± She spoke to him with an unnatural smile.


    After a moment of hesitation, Javier Zhong held her by the hand and led her toward his king-sized bed.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Then get some rest here. I¡¯ll bring you a ss of water.¡± He gently sat her down beneath his thick and warm nket before exiting the room with his doctor.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Okay¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan could only let him be while she sat there helplessly.


    As soon as the door is closed shut, she let out a deep sigh. ¡°Serve me right¡­ Now I don¡¯t have a choice but to continue my ¡®pitiful¡¯ act in front of him¡­¡±


    ¡­


    At the same time, Javier Zhong is heading toward the kitchen when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the caller¡¯s name.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    Over on the other side, Isaac Wen immediately ryed his message to him. ¡°Chairman Zhong, thend that you are interested in recently is avable for bidding.¡±


    ¡°Show me the results of thend use analysis.¡±


    With a slightly anxious voice, Isaac Wen hurriedly exined, ¡°The team is still working on this. The bidding will close in three weeks¡¯ time and the analysis will be out in early next week.¡±


    Frowning, Javier Zhong spoke in a displeased tone. ¡°They have been working on this sincest week and they are not done yet? What is taking them so long?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Call all of them to the office tomorrow at 6 am! I want to see the finalised report in thirty-six hours!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand, Chairman Zhong.¡±


    Well, it is entirely within Isaac Wen¡¯s expectations that he would receive such a response. After all, his boss is a highly efficient businessman who does not like to waste a single second!


    But could someone also help to tell him that not everyone is as smart as he is??


    Things that he could easily get done in one hour might take others a few days to finish¡­


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Javier Zhong asked him in a much colder tone.


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Zhong, about your invitation as a Guest of Honour at the Global Business Conference¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan is starting to feel restless on the bed. It has been about fifteen minutes and there is still no sign of Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he go out to take some water? Where did he go??¡±


    Curious, she walked out of the bedroom and stepped into therge empty corridor.


    ¡°Hmm, no one here¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan headed toward the staircase, ready to find him in the kitchen.


    But just then, a woman¡¯s loud voice hadpletely startled her!


    ¡°I told you not to look for me anymore!!¡­¡±


    With widened eyes, Stephanie Ruan quickly turned around and saw that there is no one behind her.


    Strange¡­ Where is the voiceing from??


    With that, Stephanie Ruan made up her mind to walk in the direction of the loud voice, just to take a look at what is happening.


    As she inched toward thest bedroom in the corridor, the voice became even louder and clearer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given you arge sum of money! Now that you are being followed, you want more from me??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Dream on!!!¡­ Let me tell you, I am not giving you a single cent!¡­¡±


    Upon closer inspection, Stephanie Ruan stole a quick look at the woman through the small gap in the unclosed door.


    And the woman actually turns out to be Victoria Zhong, who is Javier Zhong¡¯s stepmother!


    What exactly is going on??¡­ Why is she being chased for money from another person?


    But what Victoria Zhong had said after this shocked Stephanie Ruan the most!


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare threaten me about the ident¡­¡±


    Seeming to know about the sensitivity of this topic, Victoria Zhong lowered her voice almost immediately and turned her head only to realise that the bedroom door is notpletely closed.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°ident??!¡­¡± Despite the much softer volume, Stephanie Ruan is standing close enough to hear every single word clearly!


    However, she is also quick to sense that something is wrong when Victoria Zhong had stopped her conversation abruptly.


    Stephanie Ruan instantly took a few steps back and prepared to dash over to Javier Zhong¡¯s room¡­


    But it is toote and she suddenly came face to face with Victoria Zhong!

 Chapter 29 – I Want To Protect You

    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    The two women stared at each other for a very brief second before Stephanie Ruan heard a familiar voice that quickly came to her rescue!


    ¡°Darling, you must have been mistaken! My bedroom is over here. That room is my father¡¯s.¡±


    Javier Zhong called out to her from behind, at the exact same time that Victoria Zhong came face to face with Stephanie Ruan.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The timing was perfect and the situation appeared to be purely coincidental that was leaving absolutely no room for doubts ¨C at least to Victoria Zhong.


    Turning around to face Javier Zhong, Stephanie Ruan spoke in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Oh, how forgetful am I!! I think the next time I should just follow you instead so I will not bump into people whom I¡¯m not interested to see.¡±


    Though she was speaking to him, anyone could tell that the words were directed at Victoria Zhong.


    Well, she has clearly not forgotten how Victoria Zhong had treated her when she first stepped into this house.


    With that, Stephanie Ruan casually walked over to Javier Zhong, who had already put out one of his hands, ready to embrace her.


    As soon as the two of them had stepped out of her sight, Victoria Zhong clenched her fist in anger. ¡°Stephanie Ruan! You better watch out!¡±


    ¡­


    The moment they entered Javier Zhong¡¯s bedroom, the atmosphere became a little strange¡­


    Stephanie Ruan did not know what to say to him. Frankly speaking, she could not just pretend that nothing had happened right?


    After a few seconds of awkward silence, she looked at him, ¡°You saw me eavesdropping outside her room?¡±


    Of course, being the smart and quick-witted person that she is, it is not surprising at all that she had made the correct guess once again.


    In fact, when Javier Zhong had caught her sneaking toward his father¡¯s bedroom, he simply stood at the side of the staircase and watched her silently from behind.


    He did not want to stop her because at that very moment, he saw a reflection of himself in her and he understood¡­


    He understood how much she wanted to unveil the truth behind her family¡¯s ident, just like how he too wanted to bring his mother¡¯s murderer to justice.


    But¡­ sneaking around and looking for clues to move forward¡­ is this really the best option to uncover the truth??


    Perhaps to Stephanie Ruan, her hands are already tied up and this is the only way for her to keep the investigation going.


    Javier Zhong¡¯s heart suddenly felt very heavy after witnessing how she almost got caught by Victoria Zhong earlier.


    What if he wasn¡¯t there just now¡­


    What would have happened?? How would the situation have unfolded?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Without responding to Stephanie Ruan, Javier Zhong walked over to the sofa and ced the ss of water on the coffee table.


    He took a seat and paused for a few seconds before asking her in a serious tone, ¡°You are willing to do anything to find out the truth?¡±


    Thinking that he is reprimanding her, Stephanie Ruan immediately became defensive, ¡°I know I was careless earlier. But it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°As for your help just now, thank you.¡± She said indifferently before walking toward the door, not wanting to entertain him any longer.


    Right before she could reach for the handle, arge hand swiftly grabbed onto hers from behind and pulled her to the side.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan instantly turned around in anger, only to find Javier Zhong putting a finger on his lips, signalling her to not speak a word.


    Upon seeing this, she intuitively turned her head and stared at the small gap below the door.


    But she could not see anything¡­


    With one finger, she tapped on the screen situated on the wall ¨C which is within her reach where they are standing, and the lights went off.


    Since the ¡®light¡¯s button¡¯ is on a tablet screen and is not a traditional light switch, it made no sound.


    Thanks to the well-lit corridor, Stephanie Ruan is able to spot the shadow of someone standing just outside their room.


    To them, it is very obvious who that person could be¡­


    Leaning against the door, Victoria Zhong heard that there is no more movement in the room.


    With a smirk, she walked away while dropping a short text to an unknown number.


    [Alright, I will give you the money. We need to meet.]


    ¡­


    Javier Zhong navigated through the dark room and led Stephanie Ruan into his bathroom since it is no longer convenient to speak right where they were.


    Once they were inside, he closed the door shut. At the same time, he had also made up his mind to work with her on the investigation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He conveyed his message to her sinctly.


    However, in the eyes of Stephanie Ruan, there is absolutely no such thing as a free lunch in the world! Especially from a man like Javier Zhong!


    It must not be so simple¡­


    Skeptical about his sudden proposal, she questioned him with a wary tone. ¡°What do you have to gain from this?¡±


    Stunned by her unexpected reply, Javier Zhong could only continue to stare into her doubtful eyes.


    Must he have a reason for showing his love and kindness to her??


    It is actually the first time that he is offering help to someone but he is being questioned like a prisoner instead.


    At this point, Javier Zhong wondered how bad of an impression does she have of him¡­


    After many difficulties and internal struggles, he confessed to her with his heartfelt words, ¡°I want to protect you. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Looking at his eyes filled with nothing but sincerity, Stephanie Ruan could not deny that she had indeed been moved by him.


    But¡­


    She will never fall for his trick!


    Protect her?? Don¡¯t want to see her get hurt??¡­


    Stephanie Ruan could not help but scoffed to herself, ¡°I¡¯m a nobody to him other than being his fake fianc¨¦e. What makes me think that he will honour his words to protect me?¡±


    It is clear that she is definitely not buying this poorly developed story.


    Sensing that Stephanie Ruan is about to walk away from him again, Javier Zhong hurriedly stopped her by pressing his back against the door so she could not open it.


    Has he not made himself clear enough to her just now? And if he did, then why is she reacting so negatively to his words?


    He really could not grasp the situation right now¡­


    I mean, shouldn¡¯t she be very d that he offered his help and run to him with open arms??


    At this point, Javier Zhong truly did not know how else he could better express his thoughts to her again.


    ¡°I mean every word I said.¡± He stared straight into her beautiful eyes and spoke earnestly.

 Chapter 30 – Move Away!

    Well, what he said may have worked on other women but definitely not on Stephanie Ruan. She is no ordinary woman.


    He has to understand the simple rule that if he wants to win her heart, he first got to win her mind.


    And by the way, there is a reason why Stephanie Ruan is still single until now despite her endless number of suitors¡­


    She is not an easy target!


    But if Javier Zhong ever manages to get her over to his side, he can be assured that she would remain fiercely loyal to him and would be his strongest pir of strength and support.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    The keyword here is ¡®if¡¯ he manages to. Right now, sadly, he could only dream about this.


    ¡­


    Still unconvinced by his words, Stephanie Ruan spoke to him coldly. ¡°Move away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to get out. Please move aside.¡± She stared at him and reiterated her message with a slightly stronger tone of voice.


    Unwilling to make her angrier, Javier Zhong had no choice but to do exactly what she asked. After which, he could only helplessly follow her from behind.


    When they arrived at the dining table, the first family member to ¡®greet¡¯ them is none other than Auntie Josephine.


    ¡°Wow, look who is here¡­¡± She said with much sarcasm, obviously intending to provoke them.


    However, both of them did not even bother to spare her a nce, as though she is not worth a second of their precious time at all.


    On top of ignoring Auntie Josephine, Stephanie Ruan also treated everyone else as ¡®air¡¯ and went on to greet only Grandma Zhong.


    ¡°Grandma, Javier and I bought some fresh fruits for you today, I¡¯ll cut some of them for you to eatter!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, my good girl¡­¡± Grandma Zhong held onto Stephanie Ruan¡¯s hand and rubbed on it dotingly.


    Although she had said that ¡®they¡¯ have bought the fruits, Grandma Zhong knows that it must be Stephanie Ruan¡¯s good intention to buy them as Javier Zhong would never have suggested such a thing¡­


    She knew her grandson too well!


    Meanwhile, the other two olderdies at the dining table are burning with jealousy over Grandma Zhong¡¯s obvious favouritism toward Stephanie Ruan.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat now.¡± Grandma Zhong finally made the call and it was only then that everyone dared to dig in.


    Within the next second, Uncle William did not waste this rare opportunity to pitch a potential business proposal to Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Javier, I have an old friend living in Ricoh Ind and he proposed for Zhong Holdings to coborate with him to build a 480 million yuan (about 70. 7 million US dors) resort project.¡±


    He quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s going to be the next big thing, I promise you. So much potential but for a price that is almost nothing to Zhong Holdings.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing how Javier Zhong is only focused on eating, Uncle William could not help but probe more aggressively.


    ¡°What do you think about this, Javier? I¡¯ll call him over to Zhong Holdings and meet you in a couple of days?¡±


    Even at this point, Javier Zhong is busy cutting up a piece of steak for Stephanie Ruan on her te. It is unsure if he was actually seriously listening to him all this while.


    He elegantly pushed the fork into one of the nicely cut steaks and brought it up to Stephanie Ruan¡¯s lips, ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said with a nod.


    After she took a bite, Javier Zhong asked, ¡°What do you think of it?¡±


    Catching the glint in his eyes, Stephanie Ruan gave him a soft smirk, ¡°I think the meat is beautifully cooked. It is important to find the right chef with the right expertise. I won¡¯t rely on anyone¡¯s empty words to magically cook me perfect meat.¡±


    There are manyyers of interpretation for her words but¡­


    Basically, what she meant was that it is important to work with the right business partners and not just anyone who relies on their empty promises and good connections.


    Extremely satisfied with her response, Javier Zhong let out a rare smile that clearly disyed his affection for her.


    As expected of the woman he chose!


    Although Auntie Josephine is unable to fully understand the hidden meaning behind Stephanie Ruan¡¯s words, her husband is quick enough to grasp it and is boiling in anger!


    The main reason why Grandma Zhong has officially handed the Zhong Holdings over to Javier Zhong is that both of her sons ¨C Thomas Zhong and Uncle William were not capable enough to handle such arge organisation.


    Well, both of them were given a fair chance at running Zhong Holdings but Javier Zhong was the one who had to clean up their huge mess in the end.


    To be honest, without Javier Zhong stepping in to help them, Zhong Holdings would have already disappeared from the business scene a few years ago!


    This is why every business decision would have to go through the eyes of Javier Zhong and no one has the right to intervene ¨C not even any of the Zhong family members.


    Witnessing how Zhong Holdings is flourishing in recent years, the other Zhong family members are starting to get restless. They want a share of this valuable pie too.


    ¡°Javier, just help your uncle out. It¡¯s not much of a big deal isn¡¯t it?¡± Thomas Zhong finally decided to speak up for his younger brother.


    However, Javier Zhong also did not hold back in showing sharp disapproval of his father¡¯s logic. ¡°If it¡¯s not much of a big deal to you, then you help him.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°You!!¡­¡± If not for Grandma Zhong who is still sitting here with them, Thomas Zhong would have already thrown the fork at his son¡¯s face.


    Unbothered by his father¡¯s huge reaction, Javier Zhong stared coldly at Uncle William. ¡°Same system. Submit the proposal to the business department. No shortcut.¡±


    ¡°Alright!!¡­ Alright! Do whatever you like!¡± Subconsciously pointing his knife at Javier Zhong¡¯s face, Uncle William responded to his nephew in a threatening tone.


    In the next second¡­


    -nk!!-


    Everyone suddenly switched their attention to Victoria Zhong, whose ss teacup has shattered into pieces on the ground.


    ¡°You dare to drop my precious teacup??!!¡± She immediately shouted at the young and timid servant who is standing behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Madam¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± The poor young girl could not stop shivering in fear.


    ¡°What are you waiting for??! Quickly pick them up and throw them away!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I shall do it now, Madam¡­¡± The young servant anxiously responded to Victoria Zhong.


    One second¡­


    Ten seconds¡­


    Thirty seconds¡­


    Sixty seconds have passed and no one cared about this young servant¡¯s injured hand from the ss cut earlier.


    It¡¯s no wonder why Javier Zhong doesn¡¯t like toe back home. In such a short period of time, Stephanie Ruan could already see how chaotic and heartless the family members are.


    In fact, she had already noticed the servant¡¯s bleeding hand when Victoria Zhong had first shouted at the young girl.


    It was not that Stephanie Ruan did not want to help her immediately, but she was in fact waiting to see if anyone would take the initiative to care about this girl¡¯s wounds.


    And for an urgent situation like this, one minute is all she is willing to waste!


    Was she the only one who saw her injured hand or are they just inly inhumane?


    With a soft ¡®thud¡¯, she sat both of her utensils down at the same time on the table and stood up.

 Chapter 31 – Can He Help Me?

    Stephanie Ruan proceeded to walk to the servant¡¯s side and squatted down beside her in the most elegant position.


    Following that, she gently held on to her injured hand and spoke in a soft voice, ¡°Leave it first. Come with me.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡± Unhappy with the situation, Victoria Zhong instantaneously questioned her in an unfriendly tone.


    Standing up, Stephanie Ruan faced her with a cold smile, ¡°Madam Victoria, this girl here has injured her hand. She wille back after bandaging her wound.¡±


    ¡°No! I said she will clean up the ce right now!¡± Victoria Zhong immediately lost her cool and raised her voice at her.


    Retracting her ¡®friendly¡¯ look, Stephanie Ruan now stared at Victoria Zhong indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s not a question.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Well, Victoria Zhong has always been the firstdy in the house ¨C after Grandma Zhong of course, and is used to ordering all the servants around.


    Right now, with the sudden appearance of Stephanie Ruan, anyone could tell that Victoria Zhong is definitely feeling threatened by her.


    Especially when Stephanie Ruan naturally carries a much stronger demeanour which inevitably makes Victoria Zhong feel slightly oppressed.


    Who knows when her position in the house would be taken away by an outsider?


    As such, she has to defend her rightful ce in the house no matter what!


    ¡°I said she¡­!!¡±


    Before Victoria Zhong could even finish her sentence, she was quickly reprimanded by Grandma Zhong.


    ¡°Victoria! That¡¯s enough!¡± It is clear that Grandma Zhong is very unhappy with her daughter-inw¡¯s poor and uncontroble behaviour.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Since Grandma Zhong has already spoken, Victoria Zhong is forced to sit back down and not speak another word.


    Chiming in to support Stephanie Ruan, Javier Zhong also stood up. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s go back to my room. I have a first-aid kit there.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, okay.¡± Still holding on to the servant¡¯s arm, both of them immediately followed after him.


    As they are approaching Javier Zhong¡¯s bedroom, the young servant suddenly slowed down in her footsteps.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not feeling well?¡± Seeing the servant¡¯s hesitant behaviour, Stephanie Ruan matched her walking pace and probed out of concern.


    ¡°No, Madam¡­ I¡­ I am not allowed to go in¡­¡± She replied timidly.


    Being a servant in the Zhong¡¯s Residence does not give them a free pass to roam around the house as and when they like to.


    Simr to Javier Zhong¡¯s private residence, the rules are also extremely strict over here. The servants are only allowed to enter the rooms during their housekeeping hours.


    Failure toply with the rules would get them fired immediately!


    To make matters worse, Javier Zhong is the strictest amongst the other Zhong members in enforcing the house rules.


    For both houses, he only allows the servants to enter his bedroom for one and a half hours each day to do their housekeeping duties.


    And yes, he personally checks both surveince cameras daily! No one is allowed to be inside for even a second longer!


    To him, the bedroom is a private space and he really dislikes other people entering it.


    Hearing that, Stephanie Ruan instantly let out an assuring smile. ¡°If that is what you are concerned about, then don¡¯t worry. Your young master will not scold you when I¡¯m here.¡±


    She then pointed to the girl¡¯s wound, ¡°Treating this is more important than anything else.¡±


    With that, she led the frightened girl toward the sofa where Javier Zhong is at and sat her down¡­ beside him!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    While Stephanie Ruan is busy preparing the medication and bandages, the young servant could not stop shivering in fear!


    She did not dare to meet the ferocious eyes that are staring straight at her!


    It was not like she could defy Stephanie Ruan and escape from this suffocating space, but yet at the same time, she is also well aware that she should not be inside here.


    Obviously, Javier Zhong¡¯s ¡®kind act¡¯ is done to show his support toward Stephanie Ruan and it is only for her to see.


    Do you think he is truly bothered about a little wound on a little servant in the house??


    Everyone in the Zhong Family knows that he is way too cold-blooded to care about such trivial matters.


    To be honest, if someone had their hand chopped off by ident, he would not even bat an eyelid!


    Catching a glimpse of Javier Zhong intimidating the young servant, Stephanie Ruan sat between the two of them and blocked his view of the girl with her face.


    With a frown, she said to him. ¡°I asked her toe here. Be nice to her.¡±


    Suddenly seeing her face in view, Javier Zhong immediately softened the look in his eyes.


    Well, better be thankful that he is currying favour with Stephanie Ruan. Otherwise, things would not be so simple for this young girl here!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Thereafter, Stephanie Ruan turned to the young servant and carefully helped her with her bleeding wound.


    Within a few minutes, she managed to stop the bleeding and bandaged it up nicely.


    ¡°Here you go!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you!¡­¡± The young servant showed her genuine appreciation and could not stop bowing to Stephanie Ruan with great respect.


    It is the first time that someone had shown concern for the young servant. Finally, this house is no longer as cold as it used to be¡­


    And hopefully, it would stay like this¡­


    ¡­


    At Zhong Holdings


    Dressed in a professional ck ruffle sleeve midi dress with a pair of branded high heels, Stephanie Ruan entered the lobby of thepany and walked unhesitatingly toward the reception counter.


    -Steady clicking sounds-


    The lobby is filled with many employees moving around and going about their daily routines.


    However, everyone could not help but take notice of Stephanie Ruan¡¯s presence.


    Though they did not know who she is, her aura is so strong that every single one of them subconsciously moved out of her way and no one dared to block her path.


    It is also not surprising that Stephanie Ruan has managed to catch the attention of the team of receptionists who are situated at the other end of the lobby.


    Seeing that she is walking straight toward the counter, their hearts started pounding in an anxious manner.


    This is very unusual because they would only react this way when they see their big boss, Javier Zhong¡­


    The team leader quickly moved to the middle of the counter as soon as Stephanie Ruan appeared in front of them.


    This can¡¯t be real¡­


    She has never seen such a gorgeousdy before that it almost felt as though she is dreaming right now!!¡­


    But at the same time, she could also feel that thisdy is definitely not an easy person to deal with.


    Well, don¡¯t ask her why¡­ it¡¯s a woman¡¯s sixth sense and this could not be more than urate.


    Noticing that the team leader is staring at her in a daze while the rest of the receptionists are standing slightly behind their leader, Stephanie Ruan found the situation rather amusing.


    Without wasting any time, she asked directly, ¡°Could you tell me where is Chairman Zhong¡¯s office, please?¡±


    ¡°Madam, do you happen to have an appointment with him now?¡±


    ¡°We just checked the system and it showed that Chairman Zhong is not expecting any external visitors today.¡±


    The team leader kindly updated her with a slightly confused expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to book an appointment to see him. Check with him again for me, please.¡±


    Though Stephanie Ruan is smiling gently at them, she spoke in an authoritative tone that left them with no room to reject her request.


    ¡°Also, I have a big box of things over here.¡±


    She pointed to the delivery man standing behind her and added on, ¡°Could you also tell him toe down and help me with it?¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 32 – She Cannot Promise

    What??!!


    Did they hear her wrongly??!!


    It is already one difficult task to let her go up, and they still have to ask their big boss toe down??


    Not only that!¡­ He also has to personally help her carry this heavy box up to his office??!!


    No way!!¡­


    It is with no doubt that whoever makes this scary phone call would be fired by Isaac Wen immediately!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan sat leisurely on one of the sofas nearby and looked through some documents on her tablet while waiting for them to get hold of Javier Zhong.


    It has been about three days since Stephanie Ruan has met Javier Zhong, and neither has she responded to any of his texts.


    To be frank, she did not like that his messages were kind of intrusive??


    By the way, his chain of messages went exactly like this over the past few days¡­


    [What are you doing now?]


    [I¡¯ll pick you up for dinner?]


    [Busy with your work?]


    [Reply when you see this.]


    I mean, who is he to her? She really does not see the need to report to him about her schedule at all¡­


    ¡­


    On the other side, the ¡®poor¡¯ employees are absolutely clueless as to why their boss has been in such a foul mood and it just kept getting worse as each day went by.


    Well, it is not that Javier Zhong had treated them nicely in the past, but it is currently ten folds worse than before!


    Right now, he is totally out of control!


    -ms table-


    ¡°I asked for a revised proposal yesterday morning and this is all you¡¯ve got?!¡±


    ¡°You had exactly 24 hours!! How much more time do you need?!¡±


    ¡°I want to see it again in 3 hours! If it¡¯s still not done by then, you can just pack up and leave!¡±


    His thunderous voice is scaring every single employee standing outside his private office, still waiting to be interrogated by him.


    Who knows what would happen to them when it¡¯s their turn to be inside??¡­


    All of them are shivering in fear and could only look at Isaac Wen with their helpless eyes, hoping that he could save them from this tragedy.


    But what could Isaac Wen do about this?? He is only a personal secretary and it is not like Javier Zhong listens to him¡­


    -Ring-


    Isaac Wen picked up the office phone on his desk without any hesitation. ¡°Isaac speaking.¡±


    ¡°Secretary Wen, there is ady at the lobby waiting for Chairman Zhong and¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this your first day at work? Turn her down!¡± He instantly reprimanded the team leader over the phone.


    Which girl does not want to make herself known to the most sought-after bachelor in the country??


    In fact, on a weekly basis, the team of receptionists has to entertain tons of girls walking in and asking to see their big boss.


    Of course, it is also expected that none of them have made it past the electronic staff gantry, let alone taken the lift up to see him.


    ¡°Hold on Secretary Wen¡­ but¡­ thisdy specifically wanted Chairman Zhong toe down and help her with her belongings too¡­¡± The team leader nervously conveyed Stephanie Ruan¡¯s message.


    ¡°Help her with her belongings?? Ha-ha! Thisdy is really¡­¡±


    Sensing that something is not very right, Isaac Wen suddenly retracted his ridicule and questioned her in a serious tone. ¡°Wait¡­ did you get her name? And what does she look like?¡±


    This is actually the first time that Isaac Wen is probing for more information. Startled, the team leader looked over to Stephanie Ruan who is still waiting at the sofa seat.


    ¡°I did not get her name but¡­ she looks more beautiful than any A-list celebrity! It is almost¡­ unreal¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the team leader¡¯s ¡®lousy¡¯ description, Isaac Wen could still more or less guess who thisdy is. ¡°Wait there, I¡¯ming down now!¡±


    The minute the lift door opened, Isaac Wen ran across the lobby and arrived in front of Stephanie Ruan within a few seconds.


    Immediately catching on to Isaac Wen¡¯s unusual uptight behaviour, the entire team of receptionists hurried behind him.


    ¡°Director Ruan, you are here today. Chairman Zhong didn¡¯t mention anything about¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, he doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m here! But I want to speak with him today. He sent you down to help me?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ no¡­ but¡­ can I fill you in on the details as we head upstairs? I¡¯ll carry that box for you.¡±


    Confused as to why Isaac Wen is using a pleading tone, Stephanie Ruan agreed to him first and walked with him to the private lift that only Javier Zhong and Isaac Wen are allowed to use.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Once they are inside, she looked at the nervous man standing beside her. ¡°You sound like you need my help. Spill it.¡±


    Surprised by the fact that Stephanie Ruan had already seen through him so quickly, Isaac Wen nodded his head desperately and exined the entire situation to her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ he must have a reason for acting like this. But I don¡¯t wish to meddle in his business.¡±


    It is also at this point that the lift has arrived at the highest floor. ¡°Director Ruan, can you help us talk to Chairman Zhong, please?¡±


    Almost kneeling down to beg her, Isaac Wen refused to give up and tried his best to persuade her again. ¡°We can only ce our hopes on you, Director Ruan. Otherwise, all of us will not be able to go home again tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As soon as both of them stepped out of the lift, Javier Zhong¡¯s voice could be heard loud and clear, reprimanding yet another employee.


    ¡°Open your eyes and re-look at what you have done!! Do you think you are submitting a school assignment?!¡±


    Upon hearing his harsh scolding as well as personally witnessing the intense atmosphere in the entire office, Stephanie Ruan paused for a few seconds before turning to Isaac Wen.


    ¡°No promises.¡±


    His eyes immediately lit up! ¡°Thank you, Direction Ruan! Thank you, Director Ruan!¡­¡±


    With all the hopeful eyes staring at Stephanie Ruan, she took confident steps toward the ¡®terrifying¡¯ office.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 2 hours toplete this! Get lost!¡± Javier Zhong continued to shout at the employee in an unrestrained manner.


    ¡°Next one,e in!!¡± He ordered coldly.


    Stephanie Ruan looked at the next person in the queue who is already fully drenched in his own perspiration. She then signalled for him to remain in his position first while she entered the private office on his behalf.

 Chapter 33 – I’ll Get It For You

    The first thing Stephanie Ruan did when she stepped inside is to close the door shut. And then she simply stood there and watched him from afar.


    Without raising his head from the document in his hands, Javier Zhong ordered in a loud voice, ¡°Hand over your document!¡±


    However, all that he heard in response is the familiar ¡®clicking¡¯ sounds from a pair of high heels.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Unable to hide his stunned expression, Javier Zhong immediately looked up and saw Stephanie Ruan standing right in front of his desk.


    ¡°Not in a good mood?¡± She asked him with a slight smile.


    Refusing to answer her question, he asked her instead, ¡°Why did youe?¡±


    With a soft chuckle, Stephanie Ruan turned away and took a good look at the design of his office. She is quickly attracted to arge bookshelf filled with business-rted books.


    Casually sliding her fingers across the books at eye level, she double-tapped on one of the books that had caught her eyes and pulled it out.


    ¡°About your offer the other day, I ept.¡±


    Turning back to face him, she added, ¡°But forget about all those cheesy words you said, it doesn¡¯t suit you and I don¡¯t need you to protect me.¡±


    ¡°I want to coborate with you. Offer me your help this time, and I will make sure to return a favour to you in the future.¡±


    Strolling over to his side with the book in one hand, she probed, ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong stood up and stared into her almond-shaped eyes for a few seconds. Though it has only been a few days of not seeing her, it felt like forever to him.


    He really missed her a lot!


    Needless to say, his mood has also improved drastically just by being in her presence.


    ¡°Two favours.¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Upon seeing her slightly startled expression, he gently reminded her. ¡°The ice-cream truck.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan squinted her eyes at him with annoyance for about two seconds before stering the same smile on her face as before. ¡°Since I said it, I¡¯ll do it. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    How annoying!!¡­


    In fact, she remembered returning the money back to him on that very same day. Why is he still harping on this??¡­


    ¡°Petty guy. No wonder he is not taken.¡± She muttered under her breath.


    Seeing that her lips are still moving, he thought she still has something to tell him. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Anyway, what a nice office you have!¡±


    After which, Stephanie Ruan headed directly to the centre of the room and sat on one of the two ck leather sofas.


    She then started reading the book that she had removed from the shelf earlier while asking him nonchntly, ¡°You surely wouldn¡¯t mind having another person to share this space with you right?¡±


    ¡°You want to move your office here?¡±


    If anyone were to notice Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes carefully, they would definitely spot a quick sh of excitement.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found an office yet¡­ but if you agree, this can be my office from today onwards.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan looked at him with a confident smile, as though she already knows that he would agree to this arrangement.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    People say, ¡°Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer¡±. Stephanie Ruan obviously understood this assignment.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, there¡¯s really nothing much to consider about. It is not every day that you get to have such a beautifuldy to apany you here.¡±


    She added, ¡°Furthermore, I can help to liven your mood a little. You know, being angry often is not good for your body. Unless you wish to die early from a heart attack¡­¡±


    Seeing his already convinced face, she leaned slightly forward and threw him a flirty wink. ¡°What do you say?¡±


    With a smirk, Javier Zhong happily agreed to it with open arms. ¡°Sure! Three favours in total.¡±


    Despite knowing that Stephanie Ruan is here to keep an eye on him, in hopes to receive first-hand updates regarding the investigation, he is still very happy to have her around.


    After all, is there a bigger joy than seeing her in front of him every day??


    This arrangement is something that he definitely would not mind!


    Also, as a shrewd businessman, Javier Zhong did not forget to exchange the benefit for yet another favour from her.


    Because ¡®you never know when you will need something until you actually need it¡¯. Have you heard of this saying before?


    And who knows? He might just be able to win her heart over with these favours he painstakingly collected.


    However, as good as the n sounds, Stephanie Ruan obviously did not react very well to his response.


    With her eyes widened in disbelief, she mmed the book on the table and stood up. ¡°Javier Zhong!! Are you messing with me right now?!¡±


    ¡°Fine! So be it, two favours with no office space!¡± After which, Stephanie Ruan took her handbag and left for the door in anger.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    Appalled by her sudden outrage, Javier Zhong immediately rushed forward to stop her from leaving.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Two favours and an office space.¡± He hastily promised her.


    Hais¡­ this unpredictable woman might actually be the one worsening his heart condition instead¡­


    Afraid that she would still want to leave, Javier Zhong took a fewrge steps forward and personally opened the door to call for Isaac Wen.


    It goes without saying that the people standing outside are shocked to death when they suddenly saw the appearance of Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Isaac! Bring in the best work table for Director Ruan and put it in my office! Now!¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me, Chairman Zhong.¡± With that, Isaac Wen hurriedly rallied a few employees to help with the moving of therge table.


    Javier Zhong then returned to his office and looked at Stephanie Ruan who has remained unmoving at the same spot. ¡°How is this?¡±


    Folding her arms, she casually told him without carrying much expectation anymore. ¡°I still have a box of my office essentials out there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡±

 Chapter 34 – The Protective Man

    Seeing that he had actually left the room to pick her items up at Isaac Wen¡¯s desk, Stephanie Ruan secretly let out a smile and her anger is instantly dissolved.


    Humph! Lucky for him who knows exactly how to coax a woman!


    In no time, Stephanie Ruan¡¯s desk is seated nicely on the empty space in front of the bookshelf, adjacent to his table.


    She also forgot to mention the extra extension of the office space, featuring a mini kitchen and a considerablyrge dining area.


    There is even an enclosedrge bedroom at the end of the office with an attached bathroom.


    With the interior design verypatible with any high-end international 5-star hotel, Stephanie Ruan could definitely foresee herself settling downfortably in this ce very soon.


    ¡°Such a horrible man but at least he has good taste¡­¡± She casually strolled around the room and checked out the city view from therge full-length windows.


    As she returned to the main working area, Javier Zhong is already back at his desk, fully focused on his work. Her box of belongings is also ced neatly on her personal table.


    Checking the time on the clock, she saw that it is around 5 plus in the evening.


    After unpacking her things ¨C which only took a few minutes, Stephanie Ruan looked at the serious man sitting across.


    ¡°Javier, shall we go and grab dinner?¡±


    ¡°Now??¡± He looked up from the document and asked.


    Cross-checking the time on his watch, Javier Zhong must be thinking that it is still early for dinner¡­


    But Stephanie Ruan quickly added, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to my favourite ce. If we still want to get seats, we better leave now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We can leave now.¡± He replied decisively while arranging his documents on the table.


    As they walked out of the room, Stephanie Ruan intentionally stayed behind Javier Zhong and signalled to Isaac Wen that they are heading out.


    Yes!!¡­


    Finally, the employees could knock off from work on time!!


    Only when Javier Zhong is not looking that she went closer to Isaac Wen with a smirk, ¡°You owe me one!¡±


    ¡°Yes, definitely. Anything you say.¡± Isaac Wen also behaved in a secretive manner and happily agreed to her.


    Well, he is very careful¡­ Given Javier Zhong¡¯s sharp nature, it would not be good if he had caught Isaac Wen making these ¡®deals¡¯ behind his back.


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan is obviously feeling satisfied with Isaac Wen¡¯s response. Even the steps that she took had be lighter than usual, which disyed her true joy.


    To have one more person on her side, who would not be happy about it??


    But little did she know, Javier Zhong had already caught on to their secret act from the very beginning.


    While walking to the lift lobby, he nced at the woman beside him who could barely contain her happiness.


    ¡°What did the both of you talk about?¡±


    Right now, anything that concerns her, Javier Zhong wants to know.


    So¡­ he found out¡­


    ¡°??¡­ Hmm?¡­ Ahh!! Nothing much.¡± But Stephanie Ruan is clearly not interested to share with him.


    Acting as though nothing had happened, they entered the lift, and the most unweing sentence was heard, ¡°I¡¯ll ask himter.¡±


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Afraid that she would end up getting Isaac Wen into trouble, Stephanie Ruan stopped his finger from pressing the basement level and smiled nervously at him.


    ¡°I just told him that we are going out for dinner. Why?? Are you not happy to be out with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him!¡± Her hand that gently brushed against the back of his shoulder had made him lose all sorts of reasoning ¨C in a good way of course.


    Wait, is she flirting with him now?


    What happened to her today??¡­


    Why is she acting like that??


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In reality, Javier Zhong is just overthinking¡­


    This is actually how Stephanie Ruanmunicates with people whom she isfortable with.


    But he could still be happy about this! After all, this could be a good indication that she is already opening herself up to him.


    On the other hand, Stephanie Ruan, who did not know that her small and unintentional action has already led Javier Zhong to be on cloud nine, she unhesitatingly pressed the button that brings them to the ground level.


    ¡°This is the ground level. My car is in the basement.¡± He looked at her, thinking that she must have made a mistake.


    However, Stephanie Ruan casually responded to him, ¡°I know! But we are taking the bus!¡±


    ¡°Bus?? I can drive us there. No need for the bus.¡±


    Shaking her head in disagreement, she sounded as though she is sharing her best game strategy with him, ¡°You don¡¯t know how this works¡­ We don¡¯t waste time parking the car. This ce is more convenient by bus and foot!¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    ¡°What?? Wait¡­¡± Baffled by this bizarre situation, Javier Zhong tried to stop her but to no avail.


    Never has he once heard that public transport is more convenient than private transport¡­ not until today¡­


    ¡°The bus is here! Hurry up!¡± Stephanie Ruan grabbed his hand and they ran a short distance toward the bus stop.


    It is the biggest joke of the century to hear that the high and mighty Javier Zhong, who has not even taken a public taxi before, is actually running for a crowded bus!


    This is definitely a priceless scene to behold!


    ¡°Let¡¯s take another bus! Don¡¯t run for this!¡± Seeing how she is still in high heels, Javier Zhong is worried that she might fall and hurt herself.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t miss this bus!¡± She insisted.


    Left with no choice, Javier Zhong could only personally watch out for her. ¡°Be careful! Watch your step!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I know.¡±


    Very quickly, they managed to board the bus sessfully. Stephanie Ruan tapped her card twice on the card reader and spoke to the driver, ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the two of us.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    After which, they considerately made their way to the middle sector of the bus while more people boarded after them.


    Stephanie Ruan gripped onto a handrail nearby, ¡°It is a short ride there. About five stops away¡­ I used to always take this bus from my school and I will¡­¡±


    Noticing that an older man is standing right beside her, Javier Zhong is no longer in the mood to listen to her story.


    He immediately pulled her directly in front of him and used one hand to hug her from behind, while the other hand is busy holding onto the handrail.


    Startled by this sudden movement, apanied by a random back hug, she spoke to him with a soft but annoyed tone, ¡°Hey! What are you doing??¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Protecting you.¡± He looked at her with a serious expression and this left Stephanie Ruanpletely speechless.

 Chapter 35 – She Is Not Interested

    Since they are in a public area, Stephanie Ruan did not want to raise her voice and argue with him over such a trivial issue.


    She could foresee that it would be too embarrassing if others were to hear them.


    Forget it¡­ just let him be for now¡­


    As such, Stephanie Ruan has no choice but to tolerate this bothersome man and unwillingly remain in his arms.


    On the other hand, the man standing behind her has subconsciously raised the corners of his lips.


    No one told him that he could be this happy when taking a bus ride!


    Despite noticing her gloomy expression, Javier Zhong did not seem to let this affect his fantastic mood at all!


    If only she could obedientlyy in his arms like this, he would definitely not mind taking bus rides with her every day, from now onwards.


    However, this surreal moment is unfortunately short-lived for Javier Zhong as they soon alighted at a crowded bus stop.


    The minute he took thest step down from the bus, the people around looked at him with perplexity, as though they have just seen someone from a different world in their midst.


    Just by scrutinising his dressing, they could not help but ask themselves if they


    even deserve to breathe beside him!


    And as usual, the woman also exuded a charming aura that caused everyone to have difficulties shifting their eyes away from her.


    ¡°Javier, hurry up! We got to move faster!¡± Stephanie Ruan¡¯s tone of voice carried an unusual trace of excitement.


    Who knows where she is bringing him to??¡­


    To be honest, he didn¡¯t bother too much about it as well! As long as he could spend time with her, who cares about where they are going right??


    But still, some words shouldn¡¯t be said too early¡­


    ¡°Lady boss, a table for two, please!¡± Stephanie Ruan cheerfully waved her hand at the olderdy who is at another table taking orders.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong ispletely stupefied. He stared in disbelief at the run-down shophouse with old wooden signage that looks like it has been hanging there for more than two decades.


    Unlike modern restaurants that he is used to dining at, the kitchen for this ce is openly ced at the front of the store.


    With one peep inside, you could see all the uncovered ingredients that the chef has proudly disyed on the oily, stainless steel table.


    Yuck!! What an unhygienic ce!


    Could the food here even be eaten?!


    ¡°Prettydy! It has been so long since I¡¯ve seen you! Come in!!¡± Thedy boss happily responded to her and quickly showed them to their seats before getting busy again.


    Stephanie Ruan casually ced her bag down on another chair before grabbing herself a seat. But she soon noticed that Javier Zhong is still standing in the same position, unmoving.


    ¡°What are you staring at? Not going to sit down?¡± She ced the menu on his side of the table and looked at him with confusion.


    Seeing that he still has his eyes locked on the wooden stool as though he is calcting the number of germs on it, she finally understood the situation.


    ¡°Are you not nning to wash your pants today? If you are, then just take a seat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In such a situation, there could only be two options ¨C  one is to leave the restaurant immediately and the other is topromise and sit on a dirty stool.


    What a joke¡­


    Does he even need to think about this??


    Of course, he is sitting down!!¡­


    I mean, such a rare opportunity to have a meal with her¡­ how could he bear to just throw it away like that??¡­


    Taking a deep breath, Javier Zhong faced his fear of germs head-on and slowly stabilised himself on the small stool.


    Looking at his tense face, Stephanie Ruan found this very amusing. ¡°Is it really that bad??¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay, there is always a first time for everything!¡± She chuckled and gave him an encouraging pat on his shoulder.


    ¡°So what do you want to eat?¡± She pointed at the menu in front of him.


    Without even sparing a nce at it, Javier Zhong replied, ¡°You decide.¡±


    ¡°Mm okay!¡± Stephanie Ruan nodded her head and immediately caught the attention of thedy boss standing nearby.


    ¡°Two bowls of your signature handmade noodles with one te of pan-fried dumplings, please.¡±


    ¡°No problem, prettydy! You even brought your boyfriend here today? Both of you look sopatible!¡± Thedy boss could not resist but praise the two of them.


    Hearing that, Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes naturally lit up and his mood has also improved a little.


    In fact, he suddenly felt that this ce is not so bad after all!¡­ At least the boss has good eyes.


    However, Stephanie Ruan threw thedy boss an embarrassed smile and hurriedly corrected her, ¡°Ah¡­ no no, not my boyfriend¡­ He is just a friend.¡±


    ¡°!!¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Those harmless words stabbed heavily into Javier Zhong¡¯s heart. Although this is a fact, she didn¡¯t have to say it so bluntly right?


    It hurts¡­


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s a pity!! It¡¯s alright, the dumplings are on the house today!¡±


    Indeed, it is rare to have such a good-looking couple patronising her store so thedy boss decided to gift them a little something.


    ¡°Thank you,dy boss!¡± Being very familiar with thedy boss, Stephanie Ruan did not hold back in epting the boss¡¯ kind offer.


    As soon as she brought her attention back to Javier Zhong, she noticed that his expression looked a little dejected?


    But before she could even ask him what had happened, she paused for a split second and burst out inughter.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    The scene of Javier Zhong in his expensive navy blue suit, sitting on an old stool at such a rustic restaurant is simply hrious!


    It looked pretty obvious that he doesn¡¯t belong here at all!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!! You look too out of ce over here!¡± Stephanie Ruan covered her mouth with both hands and continued giggling to herself.


    ¡°Maybe next time you can wear a more casual outfit!¡± Thereafter, she conveniently took a few pieces of tissue and cleaned the utensils before handing a set over to him.


    Next time??¡­


    Did he hear it wrongly?? So she actually wants to go out with him again on another day??


    Well, he would definitely want to grab on to this opportunity!


    Carrying some anticipation, Javier Zhong said to her confidently, ¡°I¡¯ll n for our next date.¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan furrowed her eyebrows but did not forget to give him a slight smile afterward.


    ¡°You can keep that n for other girls. I¡¯m not interested in it.¡±

 Chapter 36 – What Could He Do?

    Javier Zhong gazed at her. Well, that was definitely not what he meant.


    Has he not made it obvious enough that he likes her? Or is she just deliberately ignoring it?


    ¡°There are no other girls. It¡¯s just you.¡± He said with certainty in his voice.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still not interested.¡± She quickly rejected him and left no room for negotiation.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She knows it!!¡­


    Judging by her facial expression and choice of words, Javier Zhong could tell that Stephanie Ruan is aware of his advances.


    But what could he do about this??


    Facing the current situation, it is definitely not wise of him to directly confess his feelings to her now because it clearly has a rejection rate of a hundred percent and nothing less!


    This is not working out! He has to find another way around this¡­


    Just then, Javier Zhong thought of a brilliant idea to tackle this tricky situation.


    Basically in the world of business, if you cannote up with your own ideas, you gain inspiration from other people¡¯s ideas to create your own version!


    Yes, this is it!!


    As such, someone on the other side has suddenly received a text message from Javier Zhong.


    [Cote 20 ways to chase a woman. Send it to me in 2 hours via email.]


    Upon receiving it, Isaac Wen widened his eyes and blinked a couple of times just to confirm that the sender is really his boss!


    Because ording to past statistics, such a message could easily mean that Javier Zhong¡¯s phone was hacked.


    In short, it is simply impossible for his boss to ask anything about love-rted topics as he is far from being interested in it.


    But right now, circumstances have changed¡­


    ¡°So it is for Director Ruan??¡­¡± Isaac Wen asked himself thoughtfully and slowly let out a grin.


    Since this is the case, he¡¯d definitely want to pray that his boss would be sessful in the pursuit of his first love!¡­


    ¡°Secretary Wen, did something good happen to you?¡± After noticing Isaac Wen¡¯s good mood, a colleague could not help but ask him.


    ¡°Oh, not just for me, it¡¯s good news for all of us! Seems like better days areing¡­¡±


    He also quickly advised them, ¡°Anyway, hurry get out of the office while you still can! As for me, I¡¯ll be staying here for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡­


    Back at the run-down restaurant, the food arrived within a couple of minutes. Though the ce is rather shabby, Javier Zhong could not deny that the food does look appetising.


    ¡°Try it! Let me know how is it!¡± Without waiting for him to reply to her, Stephanie Ruan has already taken her first slurp of the handmade noodles.


    Busy savouring the taste of it, her face is instantly filled with maximum satisfaction, ¡°Mmmm!!¡­ This is so good!!¡±


    Without caring about her image in front of him, Stephanie Ruan quickly finished up half the bowl of noodles within the first few minutes.


    Seeing this scene made Javier Zhong, who is usually carrying an indifferent expression, chuckle softly.


    In fact, this is the first time he got to see a more authentic side of the woman he likes and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is falling for her even more than before!


    So this is what she is usually like??¡­


    In no time, Javier Zhong picked up his chopsticks and started mirroring her actions. Her excitement has naturally boosted his appetite for the food as well!


    But when he took the first slurp with great anticipation, the noodles turned out to be only average¡­


    A second slurp and it is still pretty much average¡­


    When it came to the third slurp, he saw that Stephanie Ruan is already eagerly waiting for his review of the food.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It¡¯s quite good.¡± Javier Zhong lied through his teeth.


    This is after all her favourite restaurant so he couldn¡¯t possibly just give it a sub-pass right?


    People have to understand that at such a crucial moment, the quality of the food is no longer important. What truly matters is that she has to be happy!


    ¡°Really??¡­¡± With a doubtful expression, she re-confirmed his verdict with him.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good.¡± Javier Zhong unhesitatingly replied.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know you are so easily satisfied with average food. Actually, I didn¡¯te here for their food.¡± Stephanie Ruan smiled as she spoke to him honestly.


    ¡°???¡­¡±


    Seeing that Javier Zhong had put down his chopsticks and dropped the act, she yfully raised one of her eyebrows to let him know that she had already seen through him just now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had way better handmade noodles in the city. But still, nothing could beat this shop¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ because this ce brings back fond memories for me. My parents used to bring me here very often.¡±


    ¡°Initially, I did avoiding to this ce for quite a while because being here will remind me of their tragic ident and how they are no longer here with me.¡± She vulnerably admitted to him while ncing around the store.


    ¡°But I soon realiseding back is not that bad after all. At least I get to revisit our experiences here and to me, that is the closest I can get to feeling their presence again.¡±


    Even though Stephanie Ruan let out a soft smile to assure him that she is feeling alright, he could still clearly feel her pain and agony.


    There was a moment of silence between them before Javier Zhong reacted to her deep sharing.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said to her sinctly.


    ¡°Hmm? What for?¡± Stephanie Ruan asked in confusion.


    ¡°Thank you for opening up a hidden part of yourself to me.¡± This time, Javier Zhong did not hold back in expressing his sincere thoughts to her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well, Stephanie Ruan definitely wasn¡¯t expecting a man like Javier Zhong to be saying such words to her.


    It absolutely contradicts her initial poor impression of him.


    But yet at the same time, she is also feeling genuinely happy to hear that. As such, Stephanie Ruan simply stared into his doting eyes and quietly returned a longsting smile to him.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Stephanie Ruan entered Zhong Holdings¡¯ office building, as fashionable as always.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Rumours surely spread quickly in thispany as it has only been less than a day but all the employees seem to already recognise her.


    ¡°Good morning! Have a good day!¡± She cheerfully greeted every group of employees who were either smiling or bowing to her.


    Soon, Stephanie Ruan arrived at the highest floor where only thepany¡¯s high-ranking management team are working at.


    ¡°No one is here??¡­¡± She asked herself as she nced across the empty cubicles in thergemon office space whichfortably seats about thirty people.


    But as she walked towards the ss-panelled meeting room situated beside Javier Zhong¡¯s private office, Stephanie Ruan quickly realised that everyone is actually inside for their usual morning meeting.


    ¡°With the market growing rapidly, it is important for thepany to invest in more efficient yet sustainable technologies for our production line and¡­¡±


    One of the employees is fully focused on presenting to the entire team while everyone, including Javier Zhong, is listening intently.


    Witnessing this scene, Stephanie Ruan wanted to turn away and directly enter Javier Zhong¡¯s office as she did not want to disturb them.


    However, just as she is about to do that, she noticed that his eyes have already shifted to her.


    Hmm¡­ It¡¯s a little awkward to just turn around and leave without saying anything right??¡­


    So with that, Stephanie Ruan waved her hand elegantly and generously greeted him with a bright smile.


    She then raised the other upied hand that is carrying a three-tiered lunch box, signalling to him that she has prepared his breakfast as well.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Seeing that she has already arrived at the office and even personally packed food for him, Javier Zhong could no longer focus on the meeting.


    Although he is still wearing his usual aloof expression, no one would be able to guess that his heart is actually pounding very excitedly!


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, what do you think about this?¡±


    ¡°Chair¡­ Chairman Zhong?¡­¡±


    Surprised, all of the employees turned to look at their boss, who is being unusually quiet in the meeting.


    ¡°Meeting adjourned. All of you can leave.¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    With that, he suddenly stood up, left the meeting room, and headed toward his private office.

 Chapter 37 – Are You Free Tonight?

    Hearing that the door behind her has opened, Stephanie Ruan turned around and is surprised to see Javier Zhonging in as well.


    ¡°Your meeting has ended so quickly?¡± She asked.


    Well, when she was there earlier, it definitely did not look like it was ending anytime soon¡­


    ¡°Mmm¡­ You brought something for me?¡± Javier Zhong carefully avoided her question and his eyes immediately shifted to the lunch box that she is still holding on to.


    He is obviously not confessing to her about how he hastily ended an important weekly meeting that has barely started just because he¡¯d rather be with her¡­


    ¡°Oh, just something small that I made for breakfast! Care to join me?¡± After cing her handbag down on the desk, she headed toward the dining area andid out the homemade food on the table.


    Toasted sandwiches with fluffy eggs, ham, and melted cheese¡­ Home-baked scones with jam¡­ Yoghurt parfaits with several fresh fruits¡­


    Wow!! Looks delicious!!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    To Stephanie Ruan, these food are rtively simple to prepare but if one were to look at the end-product, they would not be able to justify so.


    Hmm, what could we say¡­ She is simply talented at everything she does!!


    And with the help of Javier Zhong, both of them managed to set up the table very quickly.


    ¡°Here¡­ Eat more!¡± While focusing on filling up Stephanie Ruan¡¯s empty te, Javier Zhong also gently urged her to start digging in.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! You don¡¯t have to take it for me, I can do it on my own¡­¡±


    But unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears as Javier Zhong went a step further to slice up the sandwiches and scones into smaller pieces, just to make it easier for her to consume them.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Being a 21st-century independent woman, Stephanie Ruan is not used to having a man ¡®serving¡¯ her in such a way, much less Javier Zhong who is not even her boyfriend.


    At this moment, she is obviously feeling very ufortable¡­


    ¡°A-hem¡­ I¡¯ll use the washroom first.¡± Stephanie Ruan spoke to him with an awkward smile.


    Knowing that she is unable to dissuade the stubborn man and that he would need quite some time to finish slicing up the food, she might as well head to somewhere else first to ease the difort.


    ¡°Mmm okay.¡± Since the private bedroom is just a couple of steps away from the dining area, there is no need for Javier Zhong to walk her there.


    However, Stephanie Ruan has clearly underestimated his abilities as he finished what he was doing within the next minute.


    As such, Javier Zhong could only sit there and wait for her patiently.


    Just then, he heard a few knocks on the main door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Javier Zhong ordered while still remaining seated.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, there is ady from IGF Entertainment who wants to meet with you now.¡± Isaac Wen held onto his work phone in one hand while reporting to him.


    ¡°Tell them to send a male representative. I won¡¯t entertain her!¡±


    It is a well-known piece of information in the business industry that his boss does not meet up individually with females, even if it is for work reasons.


    So naturally, everyone wants to be on Javier Zhong¡¯s good side and no one would want to risk the chance of offending the most powerful man in the country!


    Therefore,panies who are working with him would surely be careful to only send male representatives to their business meetings.


    Although Isaac Wen is fully aware of this, he still felt that he should check with Javier Zhong this time as IGF Entertainment is thergest artiste management agency in the country.


    They are known to only have A-list actors and actresses under their ¡®wing¡¯ and Zhong Holdings has been actively engaging them for all of their marketing campaigns.


    After exchanging a few words over the phone with the lead receptionist who is in the lobby, Isaac Wen ryed the new message to Javier Zhong respectfully.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, thedy said that she has something you would want to hear. She insisted on meeting you now.¡±


    Still seated in a position that is back-facing Isaac Wen, Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes darted toward the bedroom and he fell into deep thoughts for a few seconds before responding to his secretary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only give her five minutes!¡± He nced at his watch briefly before making his way down from the elevated tform to his working desk.


    ¡°Understood, Chairman Zhong.¡±


    After which, Isaac Wen immediately conveyed the order back to the lead receptionist. ¡°Send her up. Tell her to make it quick, she only has five minutes!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Soon, Javier Zhong heard yet another set of knocking sounds on his door. Just that this time, the knocks carried some kind of seductive rhythm to it.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Hais¡­ Not again¡­


    This is the reason why he doesn¡¯t like to work with women in general. You never know when you would meet a rotten apple like this¡­


    But thankfully he yed it smart this time! It is only because Stephanie Ruan is here that he dared to take the risk and let her up.


    Otherwise, on normal asions, this is totally out of the question!


    ¡°Come in!¡± He ordered coldly.


    A woman who is in her early twenties entered the room confidently with a body-hugging red dress that almost fully revealed her chest and bottom area.


    Judging by the number of branded items on her from head to toe, one could easily tell that she is also from a wealthy family.


    ¡°Hello, Javier! I¡¯m Riley Tang, my dad owns IGF Entertainment! So happy to finally meet you in person!¡± She extended her hand to him, only to see that it is still pathetically hanging in mid-air.


    ¡°What is it that you want to say?¡± Without even sparing her a nce, Javier Zhong questioned with an authoritative tone while busy typing away on his keyboard.


    Seeing that he is still not showing her any signs of interest, Riley Tang refused to give up.


    After all, she had spent a great amount of effort persuading her father to let here and meet the man of her dreams.


    She then boldly took a few more steps forward in her six inches stiletto high heels and ced both hands on his desk to steady herself before leaning forward seductively, baring a little more of her chest area.


    ¡°Javier¡­ I wanted to ask if you are free for a meal tonight?¡± While saying this, Riley Tang did not forget to look at him with a flirtatious gaze.


    It is also at this moment that Stephanie Ruan walked out of the bedroom and caught this shocking scene.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 38 – Is This Enough?

    Oh, is that his new girlfriend??¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hmm¡­ but it doesn¡¯t look like it either¡­


    Stephanie Ruan crossed her arms and silently observed the two of them from the side.


    However, with another closer look, she could roughly guess what is happening and could not help but burst out inughter, ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Thankfully Stephanie Ruan covered her mouth in time to prevent any sound froming out, which is why they have yet to notice her presence.


    In fact, her mood has also brightened up a little after witnessing Javier Zhong¡¯s annoyed expression.


    But don¡¯t you worry, she is definitely not feeling bad for taking pleasure in his misfortune!


    Maybe because he is also looking kind of¡­ cute??¡­


    Nheless, who knew that such a day woulde for Javier Zhong and the best part is that she even got to witness it firsthand for herself?!


    Since it is not an everyday thing that Stephanie Ruan gets to see him in such a manner, she just wanted to fully enjoy watching this scene while Riley Tang continues to ¡®provoke¡¯ him.


    ¡°Javier¡­¡± Riley Tang started to behave coquettishly, in hopes of gaining his attention.


    However, there is a limit to one¡¯s patience and at this point, Javier Zhong already has had enough of her.


    If not for Zhong Holdings¡¯ good business ties with IGF Entertainment, he would not even consider letting this girl stay a second longer in his office.


    ¡°Ms. Tang, if you came up just to make such requests, I¡¯d suggest you leave the room right now before I throw you out! That¡¯s the first thing.¡± Javier Zhong stared at her with his ferocious eyes.


    ¡°Second, address me by Chairman Zhong. You have no right to call me by my first name! Now, get lost!¡± He pointed his finger toward the door, angrily emphasising his words.


    What a waste of his precious time and energy!!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ but I spent the entire morning preparing and travelling here to meet you. Can¡¯t you just give me some face and go out with me tonight??¡± Riley Tang immediately expressed her dissatisfaction to him.


    It is obvious that she is the type of girl who is pampered to the heavens in her household and no one has ever said ¡®no¡¯ to her before!


    So naturally, Riley Tang would find it difficult to ept his indifferent replies to her.


    ¡°Isaac!!¡­ Drag her out!¡± Javier Zhong could not even be bothered to reply to her. All he wants right at this moment is for her to disappear from his sight!


    ¡°Annoying spoilt brat!!¡­¡± Muttering to himself, he crushed a piece of paper and threw it into the bin near him.


    Isaac Wen, who has already been on standby outside the office, made his way in and politely ushered Riley Tang out. ¡°Ms. Tang, please.¡±


    Rolling her eyes at Isaac Wen, she faced Javier Zhong again, ¡°Javier! You can¡¯t do this to me! If my father knows that I¡¯m being treated like this at your office, he definitely will not let this slide!¡±


    Seeing that she still refused to get out, Isaac Wen has no choice but to resort to calling thepany¡¯s security team. ¡°Send four people up to the chairman¡¯s office now!¡±


    Hearing that Isaac Wen is getting ready to forcefully send her out, Riley Tang widened her eyes in anger!


    ¡°Who are you to throw me out of the office?! If you dare toy a finger on me, get ready to receive awyer¡¯s letter from my parents! I¡¯m going to sue you and your team for assault!¡± She shouted at Isaac Wen at the top of her lungs.


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan is not satisfied with how this ¡®show¡¯ is turning out.


    This ¡®female lead¡¯ is seriously getting on her nerves!


    Well, thinking about it, Javier Zhong is still her business partner at the end of the day¡­ So perhaps she should step in and try to help him get rid of this nuisance?


    After all, it is not going to be beneficial for both Javier Zhong and herself to work in such an unproductive environment.


    She still has tons of work scheduled to bepleted by today!


    With that thought in mind, Stephanie Ruan became determined to get this situation over and done with!


    Casually unbuttoning the top of her white formal shirt but still ensuring that she looks decent, Stephanie Ruan leisurely strolled toward Javier Zhong with a smirk that only he could see.


    ¡°Darling, you have a visitor today?¡± She deliberately scanned Riley Tang from head to toe, without hiding her look of disdain.


    As soon as Riley Tang saw Stephanie Ruan, she subconsciously started to feel insecure about herself in front of an elegant, goddess-likedy.


    Since young, she has always believed that she is the prettiest girl on the and no one could snatch this position away from her. Even the people around her could attest to this fact!


    But right now¡­ she simply could not believe her eyes!


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Unknowingly, Riley Tang¡¯s voice had softened by a few decibels.


    Pretending to be stunned by her question, Stephanie Ruan looked at her in astonishment. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard?? I¡¯m Javier¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°It cannot be!! Auntie Victoria told me that Javier is not attached yet!¡± Riley Tang immediately retorted in disbelief.


    Nodding her head in agreement for a few seconds, Stephanie Ruan moved forward and ced her hands intimately on Javier Zhong¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to hear that you got to be on his mother¡¯s good side.¡±


    After which, she unhesitatingly pulled up the side handle of his chair and sat down on Javier Zhong¡¯sp. ¡°But too bad, it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m his fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Side-facing him with one arm clinging onto his neck and the other elegantly resting on his chest, Stephanie Ruan stared directly into his panic-filled eyes, ¡°Am I right, my dear?¡±


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Her unexpected action has caused the entire room to be in an uproar!


    Not to mention Isaac Wen and his security team who is watching behind with widened eyes, even Javier Zhong himself is caught off guard by what she is doing!


    He is panicking?? Yes, he definitely is!!


    And it is not because she is showing her affection to him in front of so many people, but that this is the first time she has drawn physically close to him on her own ord!


    Could you imagine how ecstatic he is and what is running through his mind right now??!


    Feeling her fresh breath on his face, his mind instantly went nk and he is feeling lost about what he should do!


    His heart has never pounded so quickly before and he could literally feel it in his throat right now!!


    Seeing the lovey-dovey couple in action before her eyes, Riley Tang could no longer control herself.


    ¡°Argh!!¡± With a disgruntled expression, she stomped out of his office and never looked back.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The rest of you, get out!¡± Javier Zhong ordered coldly.


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Zhong.¡± They echoed one after another, not daring to steal another nce at them.


    Meanwhile, Stephanie Ruan is very pleased to have sessfully pleted¡¯ this task in less than five minutes.


    Still sitting in the same position, she excitedly tapped on Javier Zhong¡¯s chest and bragged to him about her aplishment. ¡°So, how was it?? Wasn¡¯t I so natural at it??¡±


    ¡°Hais¡­ but it could have been more perfect if not for one thing that was missing¡­¡± She appeared to be reflecting on the incident very carefully.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Javier Zhong asked her curiously, with no intentions of releasing his hands from her waist yet.


    He is clearly enjoying this rare moment with her and he definitely would try to prolong this for as long as possible.


    ¡°A kiss!¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan yfully teased him and burst out inughter.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    But never in her wildest dream would she have imagined that Javier Zhong would actually act on it!


    He immediately pressed his lips on her soft cheek and whispered into her ear, ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±

 Chapter 39 – Give Me A Chance

    Dumbfounded, Stephanie Ruan touched the part of her cheek that he had nted a kiss on. ¡°You¡­¡±


    Does this man not know how to take jokes at all?!


    How could he just¡­!!


    Argh!!


    His thoughtless action has undoubtedly killed her mood for the entire day.


    And when Stephanie Ruan tried to push herself up from hisp, she is shocked to find that she is instantly pushed back down and forced to remain in the same position!


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    This man is unbelievable!!


    ¡°What are you doing?? Let go!¡± She struggled to get up again but to no avail. Her strength is simply iparable to Javier Zhong¡¯s.


    ¡°You sat here first. It isn¡¯t my fault.¡± He innocently exined himself to her.


    Well yes, she has to admit that she took the initiative to sit on hisp first, but what¡¯s with him keeping her in the same position even after the show is already over??


    What does he mean by this?!


    If only she knew that he would be this ungrateful, she would not even have bothered to help him out of that situation!


    Although Javier Zhong is undeniably stronger than her in terms of physical strength, it does not mean that she is someone to be easily bullied too.


    ¡°Urghhhh!!!¡­¡± Javier Zhong¡¯s expression instantly changed in a split second after his toes have been mercilessly ¡®crushed¡¯ beneath the sharp part of Stephanie Ruan¡¯s high heel.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°This is a payback for being a rogue!¡± She spoke to him with a smirk.


    The opportunity then naturally came for her to stand up. Without turning back, she casually reminded him while walking toward her desk. ¡°This is for the ice-cream truck incident. It¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    Nobody works for free!


    Since she has already sacrificed so much just to save this ungrateful man from the ¡®deep well¡¯, she might as well use this to her advantage too.


    To be honest, this incident could have already helped her to wipe up the two favours that she owes him.


    After all, the uninvited kiss and abnormally long skin-ship had definitely put her on the losing end of the stick.


    But Stephanie Ruan decided to be generous with him today and only deduct a favour for this.


    Well, who asks him to be her ¡®business partner¡¯?¡­


    Since there is still no progress from the investigation, she is forced to maintain a good working rtionship with him.


    After all, this is part and parcel of doing business. It is about the ¡®give and take¡¯ policy.


    Hearing what Stephanie Ruan has said, Javier Zhong is also quick to respond to her.


    ¡°Since you are so anxious to clear the favours that you owe me, I¡¯ll give you an opportunity to clear yourst favour now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Not only did her footsteps pause abruptly, but his words also made Stephanie Ruan turn around and fix her eyes on him.


    ¡°Marry me.¡±


    Though it is just two simple words, they did not hide the sincerity in Javier Zhong¡¯s facial expression and tone of voice.


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan decided to return to his side and sat elegantly on his desk.


    Marry her??¡­


    With a curious smile, she probed further. ¡°What is the total number of carats in the engagement ring? I¡¯ll tell you first, I won¡¯t ept anything cheap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to the store and you can customise the ring that you want.¡±


    Money is not an issue for him. In fact, Javier Zhong strongly believes that he should be giving her the best ring that he could get his hands on!


    After all, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event and she deserves nothing but the very best!


    Seemingly satisfied with his response, Stephanie Ruan nodded her head lightly while checking on her newly polished nails.


    ¡°Then, how much money are you giving me every month? I¡¯m not an easy woman to care for.¡± She kindly warned him in advance.


    ¡°You can have full ess to all of my bank ounts. Spend it however you like to. I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    With a more impressed look, she looked at him. ¡°How about the expensive cars and luxury homes that you own all around the world?¡±


    ¡°If you want them, I¡¯ll transfer all of it over to your name.¡±


    ¡°Wow! So generous¡­ Basically, whatever that I want, you will give it to me?¡± She re-confirmed with him again.


    He nodded his head with certainty.


    Javier Zhong is not afraid to spoil her with everything that he has. As long as she is happy, he would be happy!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Stephanie Ruan shook her head lightly and sighed, ¡°Such an impressive package! Any woman will definitely be tempted to take it.¡±


    She then tilted her head to look at him seriously in the eyes, ¡°At this rate, you sound like you will be broke and homeless soon. Why not save up yourst favour for something else?¡±


    ¡°Who knows, you might need to use it to get money from me next time when your future wife runs away from you.¡±


    ¡°Though I¡¯m not super-rich like you right now and will never be in the future, I can at least afford to get you a decent house and a small car. How about that?¡±


    Despite all that she has said, she still has praises for him, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve gotten many marriage proposals before but yours is really¡­ the best!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m excited for you. Win-win situation I guess? You get cheated by someone else happily and I get to clear myst favour with you.¡±


    ¡°Contact me again next time. I won¡¯t change my number.¡± With a wink, she came down from his table and returned to her seat.


    ¡°???¡­¡±


    However, in no time, Javier Zhong appeared right in front of her and immediately put away the document that she has just opened.


    ¡°I¡¯m only willing to be cheated by you.¡±


    He held on to her hands and made her stand up again. ¡°I mean it, if you agree to marry me, I will make ns to propose to you properly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first woman that I¡¯ve set my eyes on and the minute I¡¯ve decided to make you my wife, I¡¯ll never let you go. I¡¯ve never made a single wrong decision in my life. I¡¯m certain that you are the one for me and I will only marry you. I promise I¡¯ll treat you well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Not knowing how to react to his sudden heartfelt confession to her, Stephanie Ruan paused and thought about it for a few seconds.


    ¡°Thank you for sharing this with me. But I¡¯m sorry, I cannot marry you and I won¡¯t marry you.¡±


    ¡°We are not suitable for each other.¡± She stated as a matter of fact.


    ¡°Why? Can you tell me why we are not suitable? I¡¯m sure we can work on it. If you want me to change, I¡¯ll change for you.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan struggled to remove his hands from hers, ¡°You missed the point. I don¡¯t want to change anyone. I want to love my future husband for who he is. But Javier, you are just not the one that I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see myself having a future with you, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Though her words were rtively harsh, she managed to send a clear message across to him.


    Looking at his broken expression, Stephanie Ruan slowly added, ¡°There are many better girls out there. With your capability, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have any issues finding¡­¡±


    Unwilling to ept her response, Javier Zhong hugged her tightly from the back and did not want to let go.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else, I just want you. Can you give me a chance? Just one chance to prove myself to you.¡±

 Chapter 40 – You Were That Man?

    Stephanie Ruan did not respond to him, and neither did she remove his hands from her waist. Instead, she only looked ahead withplexity in her eyes.


    Marriage is about choosing the right partner to spend your entire life with. It is a life-longmitment.


    She is also a firm believer in this segment of the vow, ¡¯till death do us apart¡¯. As such, Stephanie Ruan is very strict when ites to choosing her future husband.


    Once she chooses tomit to a marriage, the word ¡®divorce¡¯ would no longer be in her dictionary.*


    Yet at the same time, Stephanie Ruan does not believe in dating someone whom she could not see she would marry in the future.


    I mean, why waste her precious time and energy to fullymit to such an unpredictable rtionship?


    It just doesn¡¯t make any sense at all!


    Surely, Stephanie Ruan is in a huge dilemma right now¡­


    To be honest, she has never once considered Javier Zhong to be her future husband before! Not because he isn¡¯t qualified enough to be her ideal candidate, but that¡­


    Argh!!¡­


    How could she dare to marry someone from the Zhong Family??


    If her family members were to find out about this, she could not imagine how disappointed they would be in her.


    Especially when the Zhong Family is linked to their ident¡­


    Would she then still have the courage to harm her lover¡¯s family just to avenge her family members?


    What would be of their marriage at that time if she still decides to pursue this matter??


    On one side, it is her own biological family members, and on the other side, it is her future husband and their marriage.


    Now, everyone could understand why it is simply impossible between the two of them!


    Stephanie Ruan took a deep breath and frowned slightly, ¡°I think¡­¡±


    Sensing that there is nothing gooding out of her mouth, Javier Zhong anxiously interrupted her, ¡°I know what you are thinking about. You don¡¯t have to worry about my family and me.¡±


    ¡°If they have anything to do with the ident, I will not only sever my ties with them, but I will also fight alongside you to seek revenge for your family. I promise you that I will be on your side no matter what it takes!¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    His firm assurance had caused her decision to waver again¡­


    Seeing that she is still seriously considering what he had just said, Javier Zhong whispered softly into her ears, ¡°Please¡­ give me a chance.¡±


    And it was only after a very long silence that Stephanie Ruan finally responded to him. ¡°Give me some time. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    Yes, she is not going to be pressured by him to give a reply now¡­


    After all, such big decisions should not be made hastily.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong is also relieved to hear what she has said. To him, it is already good enough that she did not immediately reject him!


    As long as she is willing to consider, he is optimistic that she would be moved by him and that they would eventually be together one day.


    ¡°Mmm okay. I will start to chase you from today onwards. I¡¯m not giving up until I make you my wife.¡± Javier Zhong dered to her confidently.


    Hearing this, Stephanie Ruan could not help but chuckle, ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Hais¡­ She really does not know how to deal with this ridiculous and persistent man sometimes¡­


    In fact, he seems almost like a lion who would not stop chasing after his target until he gets his hands on it!


    -Ring-


    The sudden phone call rudely interrupted this slightly romantic atmosphere in the office.


    When Javier Zhong took out the phone from his pocket, Stephanie Ruan happen to be standing close enough to see the name on the screen.


    Albert Liu?? Isn¡¯t he the guy she met at the mysterious pawnshop previously??


    ¡°Speak.¡± Javier Zhong put the phone beside his ear and did not speak another word for at least a minute or so.


    It seems as though he is attentively listening to what was being reported to him by the other person.


    ¡°Send me the address! Continue to watch over him! I¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°This time, we must get him no matter what!¡± Unknowingly, Javier Zhong¡¯s tone of voice had also be much colder.


    Seeing that he had ended the call, Stephanie Ruan asked, ¡°What did he say? Is it about the man in the photo?¡±


    Previously, she had found a photo of an unknown man on Javier Zhong¡¯s study desk, together with Albert Liu¡¯s name card.


    She also recalled that a newspaper clipping of her family¡¯s ident was also found on his desk¡­


    Judging from what she had observed so far, Albert Liu must be a private investigator and they are hunting down the whereabouts of the man in the photo.


    But what Stephanie Ruan did not understand is¡­ why are they even looking for this man??


    Is the man rted to Javier Zhong¡¯s mother¡¯s unnatural death or does the man know something about her family¡¯s ident?


    With two quick nods, Javier Zhong replied to her. ¡°Yes, they have found the man. I¡¯m flying over to Ping Xi Ind tonight.¡±


    ¡°Who is this man that you are finding?¡± She probed further.


    ¡°He knows something about my mother¡¯s death. We have not been able to locate him for the past eight years. But he has recently resurfaced again.¡± Javier Zhong patiently exined to her.


    After which, he slowly added, ¡°And¡­ we suspect that he might have something to do with your family¡¯s car ident. Of course, at this point, it is purely our spection.¡±


    ¡°What made you think that way?¡± Since it involves her family¡¯s ident, Stephanie Ruan wanted to hear his rationale behind this ¡®conclusion¡¯.


    ¡°This man goes by the codename ¡®X¡¯. Eight years ago, we were chasing him down, near the mountainous area. Since we were following ¡®X¡¯ with the GPS tracker tagged to his car, we were only a few minutes away from him.¡±


    ¡°When we drove up the two-way road, we spotted your family¡¯s ident up ahead. At that time, no other vehicles wereing from the opposite direction.¡±


    Javier Zhong then added, ¡°With such a huge impact on your family¡¯s car, it could only be made with the collision of another vehicle. Later, we found the car that ¡®X¡¯ was driving, about two kilometres away from the crime scene.¡±


    ¡°As expected, it was severely damaged. And he was no longer inside. We lost him.¡± Javier Zhong recounted the details of the incident.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ hold on a second¡­ so you were actually there when my family got into an ident?¡± She was quick to catch on to this information.


    Stephanie Ruan then looked at him in disbelief, ¡°And the young man who spoke to me that day¡­ it was you??¡±


    *Author¡¯s Note/Disimer: This is a fictional novel. If anyone (men or women) finds yourself caught in an abusive marriage, please consider seeking help from your local hotlines (if any), marriage counsellors, or therapists.

 Chapter 41 – I’m Not Afraid

    Javier Zhong simply looked at her with a deep meaning in his eyes.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Just by him remaining silent, Stephanie Ruan could easily guess that what she had said was right.


    He did not respond directly to her question. Instead, he confessed, ¡°I told Isaac to investigate your background previously and I was surprised to hear that you were the girl from the Ruan Family.¡±


    After a slight pause, he recalled, ¡°Back then, when we came down from our car to check on the ident, I found a slightly damaged phone just a few steps away.¡±


    ¡°Before I could try to unlock it, a phone call from an unknown number came in.¡±


    ¡­


    [¡°How is it?¡±] The caller obviously used a voice-changing application as the male voice is distorted.


    [¡°What do you think?¡±] Javier Zhong responded to the mysterious caller, in hopes of fishing out some information from him.


    [¡°You dare to y with me??!! Update me on the Ruan Family right now!!¡±] The man screamed into his ears over the phone.


    [¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it, the Ruan family members are all dead.¡±] Javier Zhong calmly updated him while staring at the uninjured young girl who could not stop shivering.


    [¡°Good. I will send the money to you in one hour.¡±]


    Seeing how the mysterious man did not recognise Javier Zhong¡¯s voice, the phone that he was using must have installed a simr voice-changing application as well.


    ¡­


    ¡°So what you are implying is that ¡®X¡¯ killed my family members that day?¡± Stephanie Ruan asked him after analysing the entire situation on her own.


    ¡°The clues seem to be pointing to that. Since there were no surveince cameras in that area, we have no concrete evidence.¡±


    He added, ¡°The phone is also as good as gone. It must have been programmed to shut down and stop working after the final call was made.¡±


    Stephanie Ruan sat down and crossed her arms while slowly digesting the huge amount of information.


    With a frown, she shared with him, ¡°But what I don¡¯t understand is, why would he want to kill my family?¡±


    It is not like she remembered her family members having a grudge against a man by the name of ¡®X¡¯.


    ¡°Or do you think¡­ he was hired to kill?¡± Stephanie Ruan boldly spected.


    Javier Zhong nodded his head in agreement, ¡°Very likely. We have to find him first and make him talk. He is our biggest lead at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ming with you tonight.¡± Stephanie Ruan made up her mind almost immediately.


    But never did she expect him to reject her so quickly as well. ¡°No, you cannot be there. It is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t you agree for us to coborate on the investigation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I will keep you updated about what I¡¯ve found out over the phone.¡± He exined himself.


    Although the tip-off for this man¡¯s whereabouts is reliable, Javier Zhong felt that the situation is still too uncertain for him to bring Stephanie Ruan along.


    Anything could change and happen at the veryst second!


    He really does not want topromise on her safety¡­


    Furthermore, if Javier Zhong gets to meet ¡®X¡¯ tomorrow, he is already expecting a ¡®bloody scene¡¯ to happen between the two of them.


    It is definitely not suitable for her to witness such violence.


    However, Stephanie Ruan is still adamant about her decision to follow him there.


    ¡°I want to question him on my own so I¡¯ming with you. I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hais¡­


    Seeing how insistent she is, Javier Zhong knew that he could no longer persuade her about this.


    ¡°I will send you home first for you to pack your luggage. Then I¡¯ll pick you up again in the evening and we will head over to the airport?¡± He quickly worked out a schedule for them on the spot.


    ¡°Mmm okay, sounds good! I¡¯m ready to leave now.¡± Stephanie Ruan speedily ced a few personal items back into her handbag before leaving the office with him.


    ¡­


    A few hourster, Javier Zhong arrived at the ground floor of her apartment¡¯s building, as agreed earlier.


    Seated in the car, he looked at Isaac Wen, who is at the front beside the driver, ¡°How many men areing with us?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, there are 30 bodyguardsing with us. It is not good to bring too many people. We may attract unwanted attention¡­¡±


    ¡°Add 20 more. Tell these people to only keep their eyes on Director Ruan. If she returns unscathed, I¡¯ll give them extra ten times their sry as a bonus.¡±


    ¡°But if she loses even one strand of hair¡­ I¡¯ll personallye after each of them! They can be prepared to live a life worse than death!¡±


    Javier Zhong¡¯s threatening voice has undoubtedly sent a cold chill down Isaac Wen¡¯s spine.


    Having worked so long for his boss, Isaac Wen is fully aware of all the uwful acts that Javier Zhong is capable of doing.


    Well, if anyone is above thew in the country, it could only be Javier Zhong.


    One could easily lose count of the amount of blood on his hands thus far!


    ¡°Understood, Chairman Zhong.¡±


    Isaac Wen tried his best to steady his breathing in this suffocating atmosphere. Thankfully for him, Stephanie Ruan arrived at the entrance of the building in no time.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, Director Ruan is here.¡± He swiftly reported to him and then got off the car to help Stephanie Ruan with her luggage.


    At the same time, Javier Zhong also came out to greet her. But before he could even say anything to her, he is already stunned by her ¡®loud¡¯ outfit.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    A bright yellow summer maxi dress paired with a ck wide-brim floppy hat and a pair of round ck diamond-studded shades!


    In contrast with what she is wearing, he is in a more solemn attire ¨C a ck long-sleeve shirt with a few unbuttoned at the top, apanied by a pair of dark grey formal pants.


    Javier Zhong looked at her worriedly, wondering if both of them have the same mission¡­


    They are not going on a holiday trip right??¡­


    Seeing how he is repeatedly scanning her outfit in shock, Stephanie Ruan knew what he is thinking about and chuckled away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m well-prepared for tomorrow!¡±


    Raising a medium-sized ck duffle bag in one hand, she smirked and casually tossed it over to Javier Zhong.


    As soon as he unzipped the bag, he saw several guns and useful equipment inside.


    ¡°I know you have already prepared more than enough but¡­ doesn¡¯t hurt to bring a few more!¡± Stephanie Ruan shrugged her shoulders and gave him a meaningful smile.


    People often said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with an angry woman!¡±. Well, they could not be more than right!


    After which, Stephanie Ruan then adjusted her sunsses a little before checking with him, ¡°So, let¡¯s go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Javier Zhong threw the duffle bag to Isaac Wen who is standing behind him, before opening the door for her to enter the car.


    Meanwhile, Mia Xue who is upstairs had witnessed whatever that has happened through her binocrs.


    Earlier, Stephanie Ruan had informed her that she would be away for a few days on a short holiday and that she may be uncontactable.


    This was why Stephanie Ruan also had to dress the part!


    And it is not that she wants to intentionally lie to her personal assistant, but that she knows Mia Xue would be very worried about her safety if she were to share the details of this trip with her.


    Unaware of what is going on, Mia Xue widened her eyes and she could instantly feel her heart beating in her throat!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    So the ¡®beach vacation¡¯ that her boss is going for is with Javier Zhong??!!


    This is bad!!¡­


    Mia Xue did not dare to imagine the consequences of her boss being abducted by this man who has zero consciences!!


    In no time, Stephanie Ruan¡¯s phone started ringing. Seeing that it is her personal assistant calling, she did not overthink it and picked up the call.


    ¡°Director Ruan!! Get off the car now while you can!! How could you carelessly go on a trip with such a dangerous man??!!¡±


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Caught off guard by what Mia Xue has said, Stephanie Ruan stole a quick nce at Javier Zhong, only to find him already looking at her with a dark expression.

 Chapter 42 – When You Are Ready

    She instantly broke into an embarrassed smile and whispered into the phone, ¡°Mia, I¡¯m just going on a vacation. I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡±


    ¡°No, Director Ruan! You cannot go with him! What if he takes advantage of you during the trip? And you are in a foreign ce, how are you going to call for help?!¡­¡±


    As Mia Xue is still bbering on and on, Stephanie Ruan hurriedly reached for the button to decrease her phone¡¯s volume so that Javier Zhong could no longer eavesdrop on their call.


    Who knows how terrible his expression is right now!


    She really does not dare to turn her head to look at him anymore¡­This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll be fine! Don¡¯t worry about me, okay? I¡¯m hanging up now¡­ bye!¡±


    With that, Stephanie Ruan quickly ended the call to save herself from this awkward situation.


    ¡°This girl¡­ she tends to over-worry about things sometimes¡­¡± After which, Stephanie Ruan gave him a stiff chuckle and then pretended to admire the scenery outside the window.


    On the other hand, Javier Zhong had obviously heard the contents of their call.


    How dare this little assistant badmouth him in front of Stephanie Ruan??!!


    Is she trying to sow discord between the two of them?!¡­


    He took so much effort to pull Stephanie Ruan to his side and this assistant just brainlessly tarnished his reputation?!


    No way!!¡­ He definitely has to try to regain his ¡®good¡¯ image again!


    Anyway, who cares about what the rest of the world thinks about him??¡­


    As long as Stephanie Ruan has a good impression of him and he is able to sessfully win her over to his side, that¡¯s all that matters!


    Basically, the whole world can hate him but she has to like him!


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s good to have such a caring assistant.¡± Javier Zhong could not bring himself to give Mia Xue any more ¡®fake¡¯ praises.


    Although this remark sounds nice on the outside, only those who truly know him personally would be able to read between the lines.


    Indeed, it is extremely difficult for him to y as a ¡®saint¡¯ when he is clearly not one¡­


    Mia Xue better be careful and watch her steps from now onwards!


    Just be prepared for the day that Javier Zhong would strike back at her ten times harder than what she had done to him today!


    Yes, he is a vengeful man!


    ¡­


    Oblivious to the dangerous situation that she is suddenly pushed into, Mia Xue hurriedly dialled Daniel Yan¡¯s number.


    Since she cannot stop her boss from going on this trip, she has to prepare a ¡®n B¡¯ to ensure Stephanie Ruan¡¯s safety.


    Knowing that Daniel Yan is a close friend of Stephanie Ruan, he must be the most reliable person to help her!


    Furthermore, he is also from a powerful family ¨C having resources and strong connections.


    ¡°Mr. Yan! I need your help urgently! Director Ruan is flying to Ping Xi Ind with Chairman Zhong soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about her safety. Can you send some men to watch out for her over there?¡± She asked him with a panicky voice.


    ¡°Mia, can you say who she is going with again?¡± Daniel Yan wanted to re-confirm what he had heard from her.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong! She is in the car with Chairman Zhong now!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier??¡­ Stephanie??¡­


    To Ping Xi Ind??¡­


    Daniel Yan pondered for a few moments before responding to her, ¡°Alright, got it!¡±


    ¡­


    As soon as the car arrived at the airport, they were immediately ushered to the private boarding area.


    In no time, Stephanie Ruan is sitting inside Javier Zhong¡¯s huge private ne, together with Isaac Wen and arge group of bodyguards behind them.


    To be honest, she has never been put in a ¡®constrained space¡¯ with so many males before!


    The current atmosphere feels a little too oppressive for her, as though she is stuck in an ¡®army camp¡¯, waiting to go for a war.


    ¡°Good evening Madam, what can I get for you today?¡± The male flight attendant asked her politely.


    Since this group of flight attendants only work for Javier Zhong, they did not have to ask him as they are already aware of his usual order on the flight.


    ¡°Just a cup of hot tea will do, thank you!¡± Stephanie Ruan responded to him with a courteous smile.


    Well, even the flight attendants are all males¡­ and there is not a single female soul on this ne!


    Could you even believe this?!


    Is there something wrong with this person??


    Is this even normal??¡­


    Stephanie Ruan threw Javier Zhong a sideways nce while thinking to herself, ¡°Hais¡­ thankfully I¡¯m not his enemy! Otherwise, I will feel like I¡¯m being held hostage by him right now¡­¡±


    To be honest, this entire ne is totally nothing but a hazard for any woman!


    I mean, how is she supposed to physically defend herself if the need arises??


    To fight with just five able-bodied bodyguards alone would already be a huge nightmare!


    And there are about 60 men in total on this ne¡­


    In fact, if she were to randomly throw Javier Zhong a punch right now, Stephanie Ruan could guarantee that she would be sent home dead!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Unaware of what she is thinking about, Javier Zhong spoke to her with a soft voice that sounded almost like a whisper. ¡°You can take a short nap if you want. We will reach in about one and a half hours.¡±


    ¡°Mm okay!¡± She gave him two light nods before closing her eyes to rest. Already feeling tired, Stephanie Ruan did not hold back and fell asleep very quickly.


    ¡­


    The time passed with a blink of an eye and the ne touched down at Ping Xi Ind¡¯s airport.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong¡­¡± Isaac Wen wanted to inform his boss that they have arrived but he instantly saw Javier Zhong putting one finger on his lips to silence him.


    It did not take Isaac Wen long to understand what is going on¡­


    Seeing Stephanie Ruan¡¯s head restingfortably on his left shoulder, Javier Zhong could not bear to wake her up.


    He even meticulously pulled up her nket and ensured that it is covering her shoulder¡­ just in case she is feeling cold.


    Javier Zhong then carefully tucked her loose fringe behind her ear and used his thumb to gently rub on the side of her face.


    Needless to say, everyone on board continued to sit quietly for another hour or so before Stephanie Ruan finally opens her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Javier Zhong looked at her and dotingly rubbed his thumb on her temple once again.


    Still in a daze, Stephanie Ruan casually responded to him and did not move the position of her head on his shoulder, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°You can continue to rest first. We are not in a hurry.¡± He slowly added.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Not in a hurry??¡­¡± Isaac Wen overheard what Javier Zhong had said to her and gulped down his saliva.


    True enough, only the insanely rich and powerful men could spoil their women like this¡­ making more than a hundred staff wait for his woman to finish taking her nap¡­


    But Javier Zhong¡¯s words soon got to her mind and when it became clearer, Stephanie Ruan immediately pushed herself up from him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave yet?¡± She looked out of the window and noticed that the ne is already parked at its designated lot.


    ¡°We can, whenever you are ready.¡± He leaned closer to her face with a soft smile.


    ¡°Whenever I¡¯m ready??¡± Confused by what this man is saying, Stephanie Ruan looked at the time on her phone and¡­


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake me up?!¡± She whispered to him ¡®loudly¡¯ and quickly nced around the private ne with embarrassment.


    There is a pin-drop silence and everyone is still seated in the same position.


    ¡°Javier Zhong!!¡± She gritted her teeth and pinched his arm angrily.

 Chapter 43 – Don’t Talk To Me

    Come on¡­ How is she going to face all these people now¡­


    Stephanie Ruan is someone who respects other people¡¯s time and she definitely does not want to be seen as an entitled person who thinks that the whole world only revolves around her.


    This is totally not right!!¡­


    Absolutely embarrassing for her!!


    On the other hand, Javier Zhong found her frustration to be very amusing!


    With a chuckle, he grabbed hold of the small hand that is ¡®attacking¡¯ him and then directly nted a kiss on her forehead.


    Startled by the unexpected kiss, Stephanie Ruan immediately ced her fingers on the part of her head that his lips had touched.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Seeing that she is still in a daze, Javier Zhong did not want to give her time to process what had just happened.


    He knew that she would definitely make some ¡®noise¡¯ about it!


    As such, he reacted quickly by helping Stephanie Ruan carry her handbag in one hand while holding onto her hand with the other.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Pretending that nothing had happened, Javier Zhong stood up and urged her to follow after him.


    It was only after they exited the ne that Stephanie Ruan realised something is wrong!¡­


    But Javier Zhong is currently walking at such a fast speed that she found it difficult to even catch up to his pace, let alone have a chat with him!


    ¡°Wait¡­ Javier, slow down¡­¡± She panted slightly while trying to get her message across to him.


    However, not only did Javier Zhong ignore her, he increased his speed even more and Stephanie Ruan is now forced to run a little just to catch up with him!


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    He is doing this on purpose!!


    Is it because he does not want to give her an opportunity to chide him for what he had done earlier?¡­


    ¡°Ahh!!¡­¡±


    Hearing her sudden short scream, Javier Zhong instantly stopped in his tracks and turned around to check on her.


    ¡°What happened?? Are you okay??¡± He asked worriedly while doing a thorough visual check on her entire body to find out where she had gotten hurt.


    Little did he know, Stephanie Ruan did this on purpose so that she could get his attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why didn¡¯t you slow down when I asked you to?¡± She questioned him unhappily.


    At this moment, the two of them stopped in the middle of an empty walkway while everyone else also followed suit and maintained a respectful distance behind them.


    Looking at his speechless expression, Stephanie Ruan continued to interrogate him, ¡°And who gave you the permission to kiss me and hold my hand??¡±


    ¡°I remember telling you that I¡¯m still thinking about giving you a chance to be with me. I haven¡¯t agreed to it yet.¡± She reminded him.


    Upon hearing her words, Javier Zhong thought about it for a few seconds before giving her a smirk. ¡°You have already agreed to it.¡±


    After which, he pulled her along with him and continued walking forward, as though they have already settled their ¡®dispute¡¯.


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Since when?! No, I have not agreed to it!¡±


    ¡°Action speaks louder than words!¡± Javier Zhong intentionally tightened his grip on her hand as a reminder to her that she did not let go of his hand throughout the entire time¡­


    Stephanie Ruan widened her eyes in disbelief! ¡°Javier Zhong!! Let go of my hand!!¡­ Now!!¡±


    ¡°Not letting go¡­¡± He yfully teased her.


    ¡°What a rogue! I said let go!!¡­¡± She struggled to remove her hand from his but to no avail. Her strength is simply of no match to his!


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a rogue! The rogue who will never let go of your hand!¡±


    Argh!!¡­


    ¡°Javier Zhong!!!¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Expectedly, the ride to the hotel was a tortuous journey for Javier Zhong.


    Since he clearly angered Stephanie Ruan earlier, he naturally had a difficult time pacifying her throughout the ride.


    ¡°Still angry??¡± Javier Zhong leaned closer to her and asked.


    With her eyespletely shut, Stephanie Ruan simply retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    As soon as he heard that, he unhesitatingly moved nearer to her.


    After which, Javier Zhong forced his hands around her waist and put his lips beside her ear, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I won¡¯t do this again. Don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay?¡±


    Seeing that Stephanie Ruan is still bent on ignoring him, he did not know what else he could do to dissipate her anger.


    Well, actually it is not that bad after all¡­ At least she did not push him away this time and he could continue hugging her until they reach the hotel.


    Somehow he is enjoying this surreal moment¡­


    Touching her soft skin¡­ smelling the faint yet addictive scent of perfume¡­ in such a peaceful and quiet environment¡­


    Could this get any better??¡­


    Meanwhile, Isaac Wen who is sitting in the front could only secretly look at them through the rearview mirror and sigh to himself.


    This is the first time that he has seen his boss, who is always as arrogant as he could be, bowing his head down to someone else!


    Seems like he really has to watch out for Stephanie Ruan now¡­ If he is smart enough, he would know who to butter up to from now onwards.


    ¡­


    The hotel soon appeared in front of their eyes. Its modern facade blends in very well with the beautiful palm trees surrounding the entire property, creating a weing atmosphere for its visitors.


    Isaac Wen proceeded to do the check-in on behalf of Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan, while they stood behind him and waited for their keycards.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m very sorry, there is only one Presidential Suite avable at the moment. The other suite is not ready yet due to some technical issues with the air-conditioning system.¡±


    ¡°How is this eptable? We booked and paid for two Presidential Suites this afternoon. What other rooms do you have?¡± Isaac Wen expressed his dissatisfaction to the receptionist.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Sir. Our hotel is fully booked for today. We will get the other suite fixed and ready by tomorrow night.¡±


    She added, ¡°To extend our apologies, we will give you a 30% discount on your room rates, twoplimentary premium fine red wines of your choice, and¡­¡±


    Although their service recovery sounds good, the hotel has to know that these super wealthy people who could afford to stay in the Presidential Suites do not actually care about such ¡®freebies¡¯ and discounts.


    Each Presidential Suite at this hotel could go up to about sixty-eight thousand yuan per night (about 10 thousand US dors)!


    But Javier Zhong is not looking for a discounted room ¨C he is loaded! What he wants is to get the rooms!


    As such, without even hearing what the receptionist has to offer, he impatiently interrupted her and spoke to Isaac Wen directly, ¡°Any other hotels nearby?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, this is the only five-star hotel on this ind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we will take the room then.¡± Stephanie Ruan spoke to the receptionist and gave her a polite smile.


    But when she turned to face Javier Zhong, her smile was no longer there, ¡°I¡¯ll take the bed, you¡¯ll take the sofa.¡±

 Chapter 44 – Are You A Gangster?

    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Javier Zhong¡¯s heart started pounding very quickly.


    You mean¡­ she has agreed to share a room with him??


    And so¡­ he gets to spend the night with her??


    Right at this point, it could be said that his mind wentpletely nk for a few seconds due to the excitement that is overwhelming him.


    Seeing that Stephanie Ruan had taken their keycard from the receptionist and is already walking toward the lift lobby, Javier Zhong hurriedly picked up his pace and followed after her.


    Needless to say, his mood has also improved drastically!


    But just before he could try to grab hold of Stephanie Ruan¡¯s hand again, her stern warning entered his ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to do anything funny tonight!¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    What?¡­ Has he even done anything wrong to her before??


    Not only did he innocently get an earful from her for no particr reason, but the current atmosphere also does not feel right for him to hold her hand as well.


    What a downer for his self-imagined romantic atmosphere¡­


    ¡­


    Since it is already quitete in the evening, they quickly unpacked their luggage in the room and left for dinner.


    In a limited-edition convertible sports car that Javier Zhong had specially flown over from the city, he took the wheel and drove the two of them to a nearby restaurant.


    The scenery on the way to their destination is simply spectacr!


    Feeling the cool breeze on her face, Stephanie Ruan could not help but lean back and quietly snapped some photos of the stunning ind.


    Thankfully she had worn a pretty scarf on her head so her hair would not be ¡®pping her face¡¯ throughout the ride.


    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Shemented while being in awe of the view.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Do you want me to stop the car at the side? You can take more photos there if you want to.¡± Javier Zhong asked her considerately.


    If not for the fact that Stephanie Ruan remembered what she is here for, she would definitely be tricked into thinking that she is on a honeymoon trip instead.


    With a softened look in her eyes, she looked at him and shook her head lightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Keep driving.¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, they arrived at the standalone restaurant located just behind a private beach.


    Judging by the number of expensive continental cars parked in the lots outside the restaurant, one could easily guess the profile of their customers.


    ¡°Mr. Zhong and Miss. Ruan, this way please.¡± The manager personally came out to usher them into the dining area.


    They strolled past the ground floor of the restaurant and saw that it is indeed crowded with no empty table in sight.


    In fact, there are a few groups of people in the lobby still waiting to be seated.


    ¡°This restaurant is pretty popr huh?¡± Stephanie Ruan nced around while making this casual remark.


    With the restaurant¡¯s high ceiling on the ground floor coupled with the unblocked view through itsrge full-length windows, it has managed to sessfully weave in a hint of luxury into its ¡®beach theme¡¯.


    No wonder this ce is so popr amongst the richer tourists¡­


    The moment they stepped into the restaurant earlier, Javier Zhong has already been actively observing every little change in the expression and behaviour of Stephanie Ruan.


    Seeing how light-hearted she is now, he breathed a sigh of relief!


    It seems like she likes this ce!


    ¡°Not bad at all!¡­¡± Javier Zhong secretly praised Isaac Wen in his heart.


    Previously, he had asked his secretary topile a list of the different ways to chase a girl¡­


    The first tip is to bring her to a nice restaurant as the environment of their date could directly affect the mood of the girl.


    As such, Javier Zhong had spent his whole afternoon doing serious research to find the best restaurant on the ind.


    If only the trip is not sost minute, he would definitely have more time toe up with a better n. But for now, this is it!


    Of course, he had also added his own ¡®vour¡¯ to the dating recipe¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s no one up here??¡± As soon as they stepped onto the second floor of the restaurant, Stephanie Ruan is surprised to see that it ispletely empty with only one grand table nicely set up in the middle of the hall.


    ¡°I booked the entire level. It¡¯s ours for the night.¡±


    After responding to her, Javier Zhong gave a nod to the manager and one of the staff walked over to hand him arge bouquet of flowers.


    Even though they are on the second floor, the view and atmosphere here are not at all inferior to the ground level.


    In fact, the second level is usually more popr with the tourists as it offers a much better unblocked view with its full-length windows on all three sides of the hall.


    Mesmerised by the beauty of the clean and clear beach with the sound of waves crashing onto the shore in a rhythmic manner, Stephanie Ruan did not notice that Javier Zhong is already standing behind her.


    ¡°You like it?¡± He leaned close to her face and asked her gently.


    ¡°Mmm, quite good.¡± Looking directly into his eyes, Stephanie Ruan realised that she did not feel ufortable with their faces so close to each other.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t have to book the entire level. It¡¯s a waste of money and¡­ we are depriving other people of enjoying this.¡± She added while turning her head back to face the scenery.


    To be honest, it¡¯s not like they could not swallow their food if there are other people dining with them so she does not get the point about him reserving the entire floor for themselves.


    On top of that, she knows that booking this entire ce isn¡¯t cheap at all.


    With the second level being able to fit appropriately 30rge tables, it simply means that Javier Zhong has to cover the bill for all these tables and a little more for the booking fee.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Perhaps¡­ the final bill could easilye up to more than 120, 000 yuan (about 17, 700 US dors)!


    Spent on just ONE dinner!


    ¡°I want you to have this ce all to yourself. From today onwards, you don¡¯t have to share anything with anybody.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, I¡¯ll get it for you. If I can buy it, I¡¯ll buy it no matter how much it cost. If I can¡¯t buy it, I¡¯ll use force and rob it.¡± Javier Zhong dered to her confidently.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    ¡°Speak properly, can you? What do you mean by robbing? Are you a gangster??¡± Stephanie Ruan could not help but frown at his words.


    ¡°You have to know that we can never have everything that we want on this earth. Also, if your future wife has such requirements for you, it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t marry her.¡±


    She meant well and spoke to him from the bottom of her heart. But despite so, she could not help but wonder why she is having a slight sour feeling as she spoke about his future wife being someone else and not her¡­


    Although Javier Zhong also meant every single word he said to her, his brain reacted very quickly when he heard her disapproving response.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have such requirements. So I can marry you.¡± He said with a smirk on his face.


    After which, Javier Zhong handed her therge bouquet consisting of 100 fresh red roses that he had hidden well behind his back earlier.


    With a doting smile, he spoke to her gently, ¡°This is for you¡­¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan¡¯s heart unknowingly skipped a beat¡­


    How did he know that she likes flowers??¡­


    And¡­


    ¡°Are you¡­ proposing now?¡± She gave him a wary look.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Javier Zhong did not expect her to say this. In fact, he had just wanted to give her all these little surprises with no special intentions.


    But¡­ since the ¡®queen¡¯ has already spoken¡­ he is extremely happy to ride on this too¡­


    After all, he is a well-trained opportunist!


    ¡°Do you allow me to propose to you? So¡­ are you willing to be my girlfriend, Stephanie?¡±

 Chapter 45 – Hide It From Her

    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan¡¯s expression immediately darkened. ¡°Javier, you agreed to give me some time!¡±


    ¡°I did! Is 10 hours not enough? That is already quite some time¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan could not believe her ears and ispletely speechless!


    Wait¡­ what did he just say?!¡­ 10 hours??!!


    Other people count by the days and weeks, but this man actually dared to count by the hours and act so righteously??¡­


    ¡°Forget it¡­ Take this back!¡± Stephanie Ruan pushed the bouquet back into his arms angrily. She does not want to take anything from him!


    This action of hers made Javier Zhong enter into panic mode. He forced the flowers back into her arms and anxiously held on to her hands, ¡°Stephanie, don¡¯t do this¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was just joking. I will give you time.¡±


    Seeing that she has calmed down a little, he slowly added with a pleading look, ¡°But don¡¯t make me wait for too long okay? I¡¯m really getting impatient¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±From N?velDrama.Org.


    In the centre of therge bouquetid an exquisite royal blue box. After ensuring that Stephanie Ruan is holding onto the flowers properly, he took out the box and opened it in front of her.


    With one hand, Javier Zhong steadily removed the ne from the box and returned the box back to its original position with the other hand.


    ¡°Turn around¡­¡± He gently guided her and moved her beautiful dark brown wavy hair to one side of her shoulder.


    With his quick hands and well-rehearsed action, Javier Zhong sessfully put the ne on her neck.


    Looking down, Stephanie Ruan saw that it is a simple diamond-studded ne with a muchrger blue diamond gemstone in the middle.


    Judging by the rity of thisrge diamond, it should be very rare and expensive to purchase¡­


    In fact, such items could not even be bought at any stores. It could only be bided at prestigious auction houses.


    Needless to say, the ne that she is wearing could easily be priced at nothing less than 100 million yuan (about 14. 8 million US dors).


    Usually, Stephanie Ruan does not fancy such expensive nes as they tend to be too exaggerated to wear out. But this one is special¡­ its simple design suits her temperament perfectly.


    Well, he chose the right one!


    ¡°It seems like it¡¯s not your first time putting on a ne for someone¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan remarked while still admiring the ne with her slim fingers.


    Being a woman, she naturally appreciates such beautiful things as well¡­


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not.¡± Javier Zhong responded to her without any hesitation.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    Right at this moment, displeasure is written clearly on Stephanie Ruan¡¯s face as she stopped fiddling with the gem abruptly. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°How many, what?¡± He looked at her with obvious confusion in his eyes.


    ¡°How many women?¡± This time, she questioned him with a much colder voice.


    As soon as Javier Zhong heard that, he could not refrain from bursting out intoughter!


    Oh¡­ so this was what she meant¡­


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He looked away and pretended to think while having a face that is ready tough again at any time.


    ¡°Think properly!¡± Annoyed, Stephanie Ruan pped his hard chest with her hand.


    She is really very unhappy with him right now!


    If he had dated many women before, she has to seriously reconsider their rtionship!


    After all, she is not looking to get married to a yboy!


    Javier Zhong secretly stole a nce at her face and noticed that this woman¡¯s angry expression could really be quite cute¡­


    But he decided not to disturb her anymore just in case she really refuse to talk to him again in the future!


    ¡°No women. It¡¯s a man. Does this still count?¡±


    ¡°??¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan could not understand what he is saying and threw him a weird look.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Isaac. I made him stand still in my office for one hour as my model so I can practice wearing a ne for you. He definitely will not forget about this!¡±


    ¡°And also, I have never dated any woman before. You are going to be my first and myst.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me about this, you can also check with Isaac. I¡¯m always working at the office with him till midnight. 7 days a week.¡± He shared with her helplessly.


    After hearing his confession, Stephanie Ruan¡¯s originally stiff expression rxed a lot.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± She made a casual sound to show that she has nothing else to say.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong found it difficult to digest this response of hers, ¡°Mmm??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Stephanie, I¡¯ve said so much and that¡¯s all you are going to say to me?¡± His voice carried a trace of disappointment.


    Seeing how she is now busy smelling the red roses on her hand and deliberately ignoring him, Javier Zhong decided to tease her instead.


    ¡°Tell me, you were feeling jealous right?¡± He bent down slightly and put his face near the flowers so he is directly in her view.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t jealous.¡± Stephanie Ruan defended herself indifferently.


    ¡°No, you were clearly very unhappy earlier. You were jealous.¡± Javier Zhong stated as a matter of fact.


    ¡°When was I? I wasn¡¯t at all!¡±


    ¡°Before I told you that Isaac is my model.¡± Javier Zhong secretlyughed at her and hugged her from the back.


    Trying to get out of this embarrassing situation, Stephanie Ruan struggled her way out of his arms and hurriedly walked toward their table. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Pretending that nothing had happened, she opened the menu and started picking the dishes that she wants to order.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not easily bought over with just flowers and jewellery. Loving them doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll love you.¡±


    Witnessing this confusing situation, Javier Zhong could only shake his head helplessly¡­


    But he is definitely in a much happier mood!


    Her being jealous simply meant that she cares about him and their future together!


    This could only be good news for him!


    -Buzz-


    Javier Zhong suddenly received a phone call from Isaac Wen. He knew that it must be something urgent since his secretary would not call him for no particr reason.


    ¡°Stephanie, I¡¯ll go pick up a call first. You can order anything you want. I¡¯ll have the same as you.¡±


    ¡°Mmm okay!¡± Knowing that it must be an important call, she nodded her head and watched him leave the dining area.


    ¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, I have bad news! Our men reported that there is some movement in ¡®X¡¯s house. I¡¯m afraid he would have left by tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Bring forward the operation to tonight. We will watch him from outside his house and ambush him once he leaves.¡± Javier Zhong ordered decisively.


    ¡°Understood, Chairman Zhong! That¡­ how about Director Ruan? Is sheing with us tonight?¡± Isaac Wen asked him cautiously.


    Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes flickered for a second. After a short pause, he responded to him coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±


    ¡­


    Back in the dining area, Javier Zhong walked toward the table. ¡°How is it? Have you ced the order?¡±


    ¡°Just ced not long ago! How was your call? Is it about tomorrow?¡± Stephanie Ruan made a wild but good guess.


    ¡°Mmm, Isaac called. We will set off tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 46 – I’ll Go With You

    Knowing there is a possibility that ¡®X¡¯ might have sensed that they areing for him, the situation is now even more uncertain and dangerous than before!


    Javier Zhong has no choice but to hide from Stephanie Ruan about their updated operation n.


    Because if she were toe along and something happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself!


    And so, it is a better idea to keep her at the hotel. This would also give him a peace of mind.


    However, when Stephanie Ruan heard his perfunctory response, she could not pinpoint what was wrong with it¡­


    She just has this strange feeling that something is not very right¡­


    Though Stephanie Ruan agreed with him on the outside, she still has her own suspicions in her heart which kepting back to her mind throughout the entire meal.


    ¡­


    At the Presidential Suite, Stephanie Ruan stepped out of the bathroom in a white robe. With her hair still wet, she took a towel to dry it while returning to her room.


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong, who is seated in the living room, instantly shifted his focus from the work in his hands to the elegant woman walking past him.


    It is highly unlikely that he would ever get used to this scene!


    ¡°I¡¯ll dry your hair for you.¡± He stood up and followed after her to the room.


    ¡°No need for that, I can manage it on my own¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan casually responded to him as she sat in front of the dressing table and fumbled for the hair dryer in the drawers.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Just as she is about to take it out, Javier Zhong is one step ahead of her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Being an extremely stubborn man as he is, he switched on the hair dryer and began to blow dry her hair.


    It might be because she had juste out of the shower that Javier Zhong noticed the skin on her face looked even softer than it already is.


    On top of that, the fresh and addictive fragrance from her body wash is slowly enveloping him.


    Well, he better look away from her now and try to divert his attention to something else before his breathing bes erratic¡­


    At the same time, Stephanie Ruan looked at him through the mirror with her misty eyes.


    Although her best friend, Daniel Yan, does take good care of her as well, she feels that somehow things are just a little different with Javier Zhong.


    Looking at how the man is so focused on drying her hair, his seriousness and diligence have charmed herpletely.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What is happening to her right now?¡­


    Why is it that she is starting to have butterflies in her stomach??¡­


    Is this what they call, love??


    ¡­


    In the night, Stephanie Ruan found herself flipping around on therge king-size bed.


    No matter how many ¡®sheep¡¯ she counted, she just could not fall asleep¡­


    Frustrated, she sat up and pushed herself to the side of the bed, slid her feet into the bedroom slippers, and walked toward the mini counter to pour herself a ss of water.


    Just then, Stephanie Ruan heard some strange shuffling sounds from the living area which is right outside her bedroom.


    Since the entire Presidential Suite is carpeted, she could barely hear any footsteps. Instead, she could vaguely hear someone busy moving the seeminglyrge and bulky items across the room.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    ¡°What is going on? Is Javier not asleep yet?¡± She thought to herself as she slowly leaned against the bedroom door, in hopes of figuring out what is happening outside.


    However, the sound stopped abruptly and the entire suite became silent again.


    Curious, Stephanie Ruan carefully opened the bedroom door, with an unnoticeable small gap that is just enough for her to peep outside with one of her eyes.


    And it is only at this time that she realised Isaac Wen is also in the room¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, the things are ready. We can set off now.¡± Although he spoke in a low voice, Stephanie Ruan could still roughly make out the muffled words.


    Upon hearing that, Javier Zhong swiftly kept his documents aside, stood up from the sofa, and immediately left for the door with his secretary.


    ¡°??!¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡­ Where are they going with all these huge ck duffle bags??¡± Stephanie Ruan subconsciously frowned as she thought to herself.


    At that instant, she noticed that Javier Zhong has suddenly stopped in his footsteps and is about to turn around¡­


    She anxiously closed the bedroom door shut.


    Leaning her back against the door, she whispered to herself in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Stephanie Ruan did not want to attract their attention. As such, she tried her best to make as little noise as possible while quickly donning her attire which was originally meant for tomorrow.


    A hoodie jacket¡­ slim-fit track pants¡­ sneakers and a cap¡­ She is in all ck!!


    With her hair tied up neatly into a ponytail, Stephanie Ruan decisively threw the things that she needed into a medium-sized backpack and is ready to set off as well.


    Over on the other side, Javier Zhong who had paused in his footsteps earlier turned around and looked at the closed bedroom door.


    Soon, he lifted one of his feet and began to take a few heavy steps toward the room until he is able to ce his handfortably on the door handle.


    His eyes carried a deep expression as he continues to hesitate about whether he should enter the room.


    Deep in his heart, he knew very clearly that once he sees her, he would no longer be able to resist hiding the truth from her ¨C that they are going for the operation and leaving her behind.


    She would definitely be enraged but¡­ it is for her own good after all. He woulde back and deal with her dissatisfactionter.


    After much internal struggle, Javier Zhong finally released the hand that was grabbing tightly onto the door¡¯s handle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He ordered coldly and left the Presidential Suite without turning back.


    ¡­


    ¡°Follow the cars in front!¡± Stephanie Ruan hopped into the taxi, passed a huge stack of money to the driver and urged him to speed up.


    The driver was initially feeling sleepy after a long day of driving. To add on, it is already past midnight and this is hisst customer of the day.


    But seeing arge amount of money given to him out of nowhere, he had a sudden rush of adrenaline to stay focused and do a good job!


    After all, he could only earn such a sum of money after working hard for half a year! So he definitely does not want to miss this good opportunity!


    ¡°Turn right!¡±


    ¡°Keep left!¡±


    ¡°Up ahead, turn left!¡±


    Throughout the entire ride, Stephanie Ruan is fully focused on tailing the cars in front while analysing the electronic map on her phone.


    Although the driver could also see when the cars are making a turn, she felt that it is still better for two eyes to see and to double confirm.


    She really could not afford to lose them since she does not know where they are heading to!


    Soon, they arrived near a forested area with only several small quaint cabins in sight. They parked their cars a distance away and the taxi driver also followed suit.


    After which, Stephanie Ruan saw Javier Zhong¡¯s men alighting from their respective cars and heading toward their designated locations, fully surrounding all the possible exits that ¡®X¡¯ ¨C their wanted man, could take.


    But she did not catch any glimpse of Javier Zhong¡­From N?velDrama.Org.


    Where is he??¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Javier Zhong, who is seated in the car with Isaac Wen, looked out of the window and happened to spot a person moving in the woods.


    But his shadow shed past so quickly that he wasn¡¯t certain if he had seen it correctly.


    ¡°Hand me a gun. I¡¯m going down to take a look.¡± Javier Zhong ordered Isaac Wen with a cold tone.


    Isaac Wen wasted no time and quickly passed him one while responding to him, ¡°Chairman Zhong, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°No need. Stay here and report to me once he is in your hands.¡±


    ¡­


    After waiting for a few seconds, Stephanie Ruan caught Javier Zhong exiting his car.


    But he is heading to the forested area¡­ alone??!¡­


    ¡°Keep the change!¡± Stephanie Ruan told the driver, got off the taxi, and quietly followed after Javier Zhong.

 Chapter 47 – Suspicious Building

    Since everyone is very focused on this operation and their eyes are only locked on ¡®X¡¯s cabin house, no one noticed Stephanie Ruan sliding into the forest to tail Javier Zhong.


    As the pathway inside the forested area is very narrow and difficult to see ¨C especially more so at the night, Stephanie Ruan is unable to manoeuvrefortably.


    Each and every single step that she takes would require her fullest attention. She has to remain very vignt of her surroundings because if she doesn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± A tree branch that is protruding out into the pathway has scratched her lower arm.


    Without hesitating, she moved her phone¡¯s torchlight over her arm to check on the wound.


    ¡°Thankfully it¡¯s not a deep cut¡­¡± She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly looked ahead again, only to find that Javier Zhong¡¯s figure is already out of her sight!


    ¡°No way¡­!!!¡± Stephanie Ruan took a few steps forward and looked around anxiously for him but to no avail.


    It has already been about ten minutes of non-stop walking into the forest and there is no way she is going to give up and turn back right now!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to risk it!¡± Stephanie Ruan told herself silently and continued searching for the pathway on her own, even though she does not know if she is still heading in the same direction as Javier Zhong.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Javier Zhong, who has been tirelessly moving forward all these while, did not spot anyone ahead of him. Instead, he has been following a foot trail that seems to be from a grown man.


    In no time, he caught a glimpse of a small abandoned building right before his eyes!


    ¡°There is someone in there.¡± He noted in his heart as he carefully made his way toward the dimly lighted building.


    Upon reaching its back entrance, Javier Zhong instinctively pulled out the gun from his back pocket and immediately released its safety pin.


    But just as he is about to open the door, he paused for a second and took out his phone from another pocket.


    [If you did not receive any updates from me in the next 5 minutes, send a group of men after me.]


    ¡­


    Soon, Stephanie Ruan also arrived at the abandoned building.


    ¡°This looks like¡­ it¡¯s a warehouse¡­ but in the middle of the forest??¡­¡±


    And not only that¡­ she quickly realised that she is actually at the back of the building!


    So this is not the main entrance of the warehouse??¡­


    Stephanie Ruan stared suspiciously at the run-down building while carefully walking around its perimeter.


    It did not take long for her to find the entrance of the building.


    To her surprise, she saw that the entrance is rather well-maintained aspared to the back, and there is even a short driveway and a small parking area at the side.


    Seems like someone has been living here for quite some time¡­


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Stephanie Ruan swiftly took out a loaded gun from her backpack. She took a few steps forward and reached out for the door handle, only to find that it is not locked.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    Why is she having a bad feeling about this¡­ Do people not lock their doors these days?¡­


    Well, it¡¯s either that or¡­ this is an open trap!


    Regardless, Stephanie Ruan courageously pushed the door open and took her first step into the warehouse.


    Closing the door behind her, she held onto the gun tightly with both hands and immediately surveyed her surroundings.


    As expected of a warehouse, there is a column ofrge tall shelves lined up in front of her. Over on the right side is an open space with arge and messy worktable sitting right in the middle.


    Although the space here is dimly-lighted and smaller than expected, the ceiling is noticeably high ¨C approximately two storeys in height.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Stephanie Ruan vigntly moved across the well-cemented flooring, toward the firstrge shelf in front of her, making as little noise as she could.


    Spotting a narrow walkway just beside the shelves, she swiftly turned her back against the first shelf and began to take small steps toward the walkway¡­


    One step forward¡­


    Two steps forward¡­


    She could vaguely hear a faint footsteping toward her in this eerily quiet building.


    When she is about five steps forward and at the end of the shelf, Stephanie Ruan took a deep breath and immediately raised her gun while swiftly turning around to face the walkway.


    -Sound of gun clicking-


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Right at this moment, she noticed that a gun is already being pointed directly at her forehead!


    And she was only about half a second slower than this person!


    Needless to say, her heart stopped beating for a few seconds¡­


    But before she had the time to fully react to the situation, the man suddenly retracted his gun from her face.


    With a look of disbelief, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Jav¡­¡±


    Just when Stephanie Ruan is about to speak a word and is in the midst of gathering her thoughts, Javier Zhong swiftly pulled her toward him and then pushed her into an empty corridor between two shelves.


    ¡°Ah!¡­¡±


    Landing on the floor, her gun uncontrobly flew out of her hand due to the unexpected fall. She reached out for her gun and was about to turn back when she heard¡­


    -BANG BANG BANG BANG-


    Javier Zhong and ¡®X¡¯ started firing their shots non-stop at each other at the same time!


    If not for him noticing that there was a shadow at a distance behind Stephanie Ruan earlier, she would have already been shot by ¡®X¡¯!


    The two men are too good at dodging the bullets that no one got injured from this firing spree.


    Out of a sudden, there is one second of silence. Javier Zhong quickly shifted his eyes to Stephanie Ruan to make sure that she is doing fine before he¡­


    ¡°Argh¡­!!!¡±


    Stephanie Ruan widened her eyes as she caught the scene of Javier Zhong being shot twice in his abdominal area while he was distracted!


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Nooo!!¡­ Javier!!!¡­¡± She wasted no time and ran over to his side to check on him.


    Author¡¯s Note: I want to sincerely thank all the readers who have been patiently waiting for an update and are still supporting this book of mine. I was going through the toughest period of my life with many changes happening at once, which is why I had been unable to do an update. I am still in the transition period but I hope to be able to do my best to bring this book to life again! Thank you for your love for the characters and do look forward to an exciting storyline! Stay safe and healthy to all my readers!

 Chapter 48 – He Was Shot!

    Perspiration beads are forming on Javier Zhong¡¯s face as blood is gushing out uncontrobly from the wounded areas.


    Shocked by this scene before her eyes, Stephanie Ruan opened her mouth but she could not speak a word!


    At this point, her hands are shaking non-stop as she struggles to remove her outerwear so that she could use it to tie around his wounded areas to stop the blood from flowing out.


    Thankfully for him, the two gunshots are very close to each other and one jacket is enough to apply pressure on both wounds.


    ¡°Can you try to get up??¡± Stephanie Ruan asked worriedly while putting one of his arms over her shoulder as she tries to figure out the best way to help him to a standing position.


    The two of them struggled for a while before sessfully getting up together.


    ¡°Be careful. I¡¯m not sure if he has left this ce yet.¡± Stephanie Ruan warned Javier Zhong in a soft voice as they took slow steps toward the door.


    With his current state, they better not run into ¡®X¡¯ again. Because if they do, they would have a very slim chance of leaving this ce unscathed or in the same condition.


    ¡°Stephanie, pass the gun to me.¡± Hearing Javier Zhong¡¯s low voice coupled with his irregr breathing, one could easily tell that he is suppressing the pain in his body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a gun with you? Plus, I know how to fire a shot.¡± She continued to converse with him in a soft yet determined voice.


    Facing Stephanie Ruan¡¯s persistent attitude, Javier Zhong could only respond to her helplessly, ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want you to ¡®dirty¡¯ your hands. Give it to me, I¡¯ll do the job.¡±


    Despite being in extreme pain, he still spoke to her in a doting manner.


    Well, it is not that he does not believe in her capability to handle a gun. In fact, he knows that she is equipped with the skills to do an excellent job.


    But this time, he simply wants to protect her and not let her have any association with a dangerous man like ¡®X¡¯.


    If she were to fire a shot at ¡®X¡¯ today, Javier Zhong could not guarantee that a vengeful person like ¡®X¡¯ would not hunt her down in the future.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Clearly, Stephanie Ruan does not know what he is thinking about¡­ But seeing his serious injuries, she does not want to argue with him further.


    Obediently handing over the weapon to him, she used her now empty hand to support him as they made their way to the main entrance.


    Just as they were approaching the door¡­


    -Sound of door opening-


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    Both Javier Zhong and Stephanie Ruan froze in their steps!


    Without any hesitation, Javier Zhong pointed the gun at the door while pushing Stephanie Ruan to the back and ensuring that she is well hidden behind him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The minute the door swing open, Isaac Wen¡¯s face immediately came into his view.


    With a sigh of relief, Javier Zhong dropped his gun to the ground.


    Isaac Wen rushed over to help support Javier Zhong together with Stephanie Ruan while ordering some men tob the area inside the building.


    ¡°Chairman Zhong!! You were shot by ¡®X¡¯?!¡±  Isaac Wen is having a hard time digesting this absurd situation.


    His boss, who is recognised as an exceptional shooter, has never failed to miss the bull¡¯s eyes at the shooting range, is actually injured by ¡®X¡¯ now?


    What exactly happened to him today??¡­


    Little did he know that his seemingly perfect boss actually has one big weakness ¨C that is the love of his life.


    ¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, the car is just right outside. We will send you to the nearest hospital immediately!¡±


    Earlier when Javier Zhong had left the car for the forest alone, Isaac Wen searched their surrounding areas via a digital map and found a building nestled in the middle of the forest.


    He took the risk and got most of their men tob the forest while a few cars went by the other direction to reach the building.


    And thankfully he had made the right call, otherwise, they would not have found ¡®X¡¯ who was frantically running down from his driveway, trying to escape from this ce!


    ¡­


    ¡°Javier! Don¡¯t close your eyes!!¡± Stephanie Ruan kept ¡®pping¡¯ his face anxiously so he would not lose consciousness.


    Seeing that he is about to fall into an unconscious state, she panicked and called out to Isaac Wen, ¡°Isaac! How long more to the hospital?!¡±


    ¡°Madam, I am stepping on it. It usually takes 40 minutes to get to this hospital from where we are, but I will make sure we reach there in 15!¡±


    15 minutes??!!¡­


    Javier Zhong does not look like he could hang in there for even the next few minutes!


    With her slightly watery eyes, Stephanie Ruan shook his body and hit his shoulder a few times. She did whatever she could think of to help him stay awake¡­


    Including bbering some ¡®nonsensical¡¯ words??¡­


    ¡°Javier Zhong!! You better not sleep now!! You said you will make me your girlfriend!¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done it yet, so don¡¯t you dare to die right now!¡±


    ¡°Do you hear me?! Javier Zhong, wake up!!¡±


    Well, it is only when we are in a vulnerable state that we are willing to let our guard down and allow our heart to speak for us right?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Miraculously, her words worked because, in that instant, Javier Zhong forced himself to open his heavy eyelids and spoke a few words to her.


    ¡°Stephanie¡­ you agreed to be my girlfriend?¡± Even though his voice is very weak, one could sense a trace of happiness in his tone.


    ¡°If you make it out of the operation theatre alive, I will marry you!¡±


    Marry him??¡­This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Hearing her promise to him is almost like instant pain relief for his wounds. Javier Zhong could not wait to reach the hospital at this second!


    He vowed to definitely make it out of there alive to marry her!


    ¡­


    At the hospital, the medical team immediately pushed Javier Zhong into the operating theatre.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry, you cannot enter!¡± The surgeon spoke with urgency and stopped Stephanie Ruan from entering with them.


    As soon as the operating doors closed shut, she copsed to the ground in a daze.


    ¡°!!¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam! Are you alright?? You are also injured, I will get the doctor over to fix your wound.¡± Isaac Wen quickly helped her up to a seat nearby.


    It is evident that Stephanie Ruan is no longer able to think properly. It did not even ur to her that she needed to get her wounds cleaned to prevent an infection.


    At this point, her mind is solely filled with Javier Zhong and nothing else mattered more to her.


    Ignoring what Isaac Wen had told her, she asked him instead with a worrisome voice, ¡°Isaac¡­ Javier will be fine right??¡±


    ¡°Did they say how long the operation will take??¡±


    ¡°Is his condition very bad??¡±


    She continuously asked Isaac Wen questions, leaving him with no opportunity to respond to her at all.


    Well, this is better too, because he truly did not know how to respond to her¡­


    In fact, he really wanted to remind her that he has been with her the entire time and whatever the doctor said, she had heard it too.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the next two hours, Isaac Wen had a hard time trying to persuade Stephanie Ruan to allow the medical team to help her with her wounded arm.


    However, it was not that she was intentionally making things difficult for him, but because she is worried that the surgeon coulde out anytime soon and that she wanted to be ready to speak to him.


    Who would have expected that when Stephanie Ruan finally agreed for the doctor to help her with the wounds outside the operating theatre, the surgeon came out at this moment!


    Hais¡­ His job is too difficult to do!


    ¡°Chairman Zhong is definitely going to chop me up into pieces when he sees her untreated woundter!¡± Isaac Wen thought to himself while hurriedly following behind Stephanie Ruan without any choice.


    ¡°Doctor, how is he??¡± Stephanie Ruan wasted no time and immediately asked the exhausted surgeon.

 Chapter 49 – What’s The Matter With Him?

    With a light nod, the surgeon spoke to them politely, ¡°The surgery is sessful and Chairman Zhong is okay. There are noplications. He should be awake soon.¡±


    Phew!!¡­


    Both Stephanie Ruan and Isaac Wen instantly breathed a huge sigh of relief!


    ¡°Thank you, doctor!¡± She bowed slightly and spoke to him with great appreciation.


    While the three of them are busy exchanging a few more words, they did not realise that a mysterious man has actually been observing them from afar ever since Javier Zhong entered the operation theatre.


    The man stood there and gave them a final look before moving away into the shadows.


    ¡­


    In the private hospital suite


    Stephanie Ruan sat on the bedside of Javier Zhong and looked at him worriedly, wondering when he would be awake.


    She held on to his hands and waited¡­


    And waited¡­


    Suddenly, they heard three steady knocks on the door, and then the room was silent again.


    ¡°I will go and get the door.¡± Isaac Wen immediately stood up and did not forget to report to Stephanie Ruan in a polite tone.


    If it was the medical team, they would have just knocked on the door ande in straight away.


    But this person simply knocked and waited outside.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    This is strange¡­


    Stephanie Ruan could not help but wonder, ¡°Did someonee to visit Javier?¡±


    Her eyes subconsciously followed Isaac Wen to the entrance of the room and she quickly saw a familiar man walking in with a huge basket of fresh fruits in his hands.


    ¡°Daniel??¡± She could not hide the surprise on her face.


    ¡°Stephanie? So you are really here!¡± Daniel Yan walked in and ced the basket on the empty table in front of the bed.


    ¡°Mia told me what had happened to Javier. And she is worried sick about you! Are you okay?¡±


    Stephanie Ruan recalled that she was ¡®forced¡¯ to tell Mia Xue that they are in the hospital after missing the countless number of video calls she had received from her anxious secretary.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just that Javier, he¡­¡± She followed Daniel Yan¡¯s line of sight and soon noticed that he is staring at her hands, which is still intimately holding onto Javier¡¯s.


    With slight embarrassment, Stephanie Ruan decided to draw her hands back but as soon as she made a slight movement, she felt Javier Zhong tightening his grip and did not let her hand go.


    ¡°Javier, you are awake??¡±


    Her attention immediately switched to the injured man lying on the bed and she haspletely forgotten about how she was feeling just a second ago.


    ¡°How are you feeling?? I¡¯ll get some water for you.¡± Without waiting for his response, Stephanie Ruan poured a ss of water for him and carefully adjusted his bed.


    After drinking a few sips of water to smooth out his dry throat, Javier Zhong finally spoke to her with a gentle voice, ¡°You have been waiting for me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    Seeing their loving interaction, a trace of displeasure shed past Daniel Yan¡¯s eyes.


    Anyone could easily guess what is going on between the two of them!


    One is his best friend and the other is the girl he loves¡­


    He really could not bring himself to watch them any longer!


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a move first. You guys take care.¡± Daniel Yan stood up abruptly and walked toward the door without turning back.


    ¡°Wait, Daniel! Aren¡¯t you going to cut some fruits for Javier first?¡± Stephanie Ruan called out to him but he simply left without even bothering to respond to her.


    ¡°??¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him today?¡± She looked at Javier Zhong with knitted eyebrows.


    ¡°Maybe he is in a bad mood.¡± He casually responded.


    Well, of course, he is¡­


    And deep down, only Javier Zhong knows exactly why Daniel Yan is behaving like this!


    But he is definitely not giving in just because his best friend likes the same girl as him.


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll cut the fruits for you then.¡± Ignoring Daniel Yan¡¯s poor attitude, Stephanie Ruan went ahead to wash the fruits and came back with a fruit knife as well.


    And it did not take long for Javier Zhong to notice the untreated wounds on her lower arm.


    ¡°What happened to your arm?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, this?? It¡¯s nothing, just got scratched by a tree branch in the forest. I¡¯ll patch it upter.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Javier Zhong immediately threw a death re at Isaac Wen ¨C who is standing at the side and nervously gulping down his saliva.


    ¡°Isaac, is this your first day at work?¡± Although he spoke in a low voice, Isaac Wen could feel his boss¡¯ cold and chilling tone piercing straight into his bones.


    This is it¡­ He is so ¡®dead¡¯ right now!!


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, I¡­¡±


    If not for Stephanie Ruan here with them, Javier Zhong would definitely not hold back and throw the bedsidemp directly at Isaac Wen¡¯s face!


    Of course, Stephanie Ruan is quick to notice the low temperature in the room and hurriedly stepped in with a calm voice, ¡°Javier, don¡¯t me Isaac. He did arrange for a doctor to see me.¡±


    ¡°It was me who refused to see the doctor. I was already so anxious, you can¡¯t expect me to still be in the mood to patch up my wounds.¡± She stated as a matter of fact.


    Hearing how she was actually worried about him earlier, Javier Zhong decided not to pursue the matter further.


    But his tone towards Isaac Wen still has not improved a bit.


    Staring at his ¡®good for nothing¡¯ secretary again, Javier Zhong questioned him coldly, ¡°Then what are you waiting for?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Zhong! I will go and get the doctor now!¡± With that, Isaac Wen scurried out of the room.


    Seeing how fearful Isaac Wen is of Javier Zhong, Stephanie Ruan could not help but lecture him a little, ¡°Why are you so harsh on him? Don¡¯t forget that he was one of those who saved your life.¡±


    ¡°Mm, okay.¡±


    Indeed, his woman has the biggest say. Anything that she says is always right and he would not want to go against it.


    But anyone who knows him well enough would know that he is just putting on an act as a ¡®good man¡¯ in front of Stephanie Ruan.


    As long as she is not physically by his side, his temper would have no restraints!


    In short, you are right to say that only Stephanie Ruan has full control over his bad temper.


    ¡­


    Looking at the busy figure in front of him, Javier Zhong could not help but ask her, ¡°Stephanie, what if Daniel likes you?¡±


    Upon hearing that, Stephanie Ruan stopped cutting the fruits and met his eyes, ¡°Then should I give him a chance?¡±


    In that instant, she saw that Javier Zhong¡¯s face immediately turned gloomy.


    With a chuckle, she brought the te of nicely cut fruits over and sat on the edge of his bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just teasing you!¡± Stephanie Ruan yfully pinched the tip of his nose lightly as she said that.


    Just as she was about to pick up a slice of apple for him to eat, Javier Zhong took the entire te from her and put it away on the bedside table.


    He then held on to both of her hands and spoke to her with a serious expression, ¡°Stephanie, I did not forget what you said to me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What did I say?¡± Although Stephanie Ruan knew exactly what he is referring to, she refused to admit it.


    ¡°You said that you will marry me.¡±

 Chapter 50 – Give Me The Gun

    Since he has already spoken so straightforwardly, Stephanie Ruan found it difficult to continue denying it.


    In front of Javier Zhong, she then raised her left hand elegantly and stared at her empty ring finger.


    ¡°At least a 4 carat diamond ring. Nothing less!¡± She hinted at him without holding back.


    Knowing his financial capability, a 4-carat ring should be nothing to him. But well, it is not about the price but rather, she wants to see his sincerity in marrying her.


    ¡°!!!¡­¡±


    As soon as Javier Zhong heard her words, he let out the biggest smile ever and he could hardly contain his joy!!


    Not to mention 4 carats, as long as she is willing to marry him, getting a 20 carats ring is not even an issue to him!


    Javier Zhong inched himself forward and quickly threw her a big hug without even caring about the fresh stitches on his wounds.


    It is almost as though he haspletely forgotten that he has two gunshot wounds and he obviously could not feel the pain anymore!


    ¡°Stephanie, will you really marry me?? You mean what you just said?¡± Javier Zhong could not listen to it enough and wanted to hear her confirmation over and over again.


    Although she did not directly respond to his questions, her wide smile is more than enough to assure him of her words.


    ¡°¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    With that, he directly nted a passionate kiss on Stephanie Ruan¡¯s soft and supple lips.


    Staring at Javier Zhong¡¯s perfectly erged face with her misty eyes, she thought to herself silently.


    ¡°Sorry, dad and mum, let me be wilful this time¡­ It was difficult for me to meet a man who could move my heart. Now that I did, please let me marry him. I hope you will give us your blessings.¡±


    ¡­


    Their kiss went on for what seemed like forever. It was clear that neither of them wanted it to end. Not until the consecutive knocks on the door that rudely interrupted the romantic atmosphere¡­


    ¡°Chairman Zhong, the doctor is here.¡±


    Seeing Javier Zhong¡¯s cold re greeting him as soon as he entered the room, Isaac Wen darted his eyes around and quickly understood the situation.


    ¡°I¡­ I will get him toe backter?¡±


    ¡°Get him in!¡± Although Javier Zhong is dissatisfied with the disturbance, he also did not want to dy the treatment of Stephanie Ruan¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°I will go over to the sofa area to treat my wounds.¡± She said with her slightly curved lips.


    ¡°Mmm, go ahead.¡± Javier Zhong spoke to her gently and just before she could leave his side, he quickly nted another kiss on her lips.


    Stunned by this unexpected action, Stephanie Ruan ¡®hit¡¯ him in the chest and reprimanded him in a loud whisper, ¡°Jav, there are so many people in here! How could you just??¡­¡±


    ¡°No one is looking.¡± Obviously, what he said cannot be trusted as everyone¡¯s eyes are only locked on them.


    Just by staring at her beautiful eyes the whole entire time, Javier Zhong did not even pretend to verify what he had just assured her about.


    Argh!!¡­


    Has this man never learned how to behave in a public space before??


    Well, she vowed to teach him some good manners the next time!


    ¡­


    Since Stephanie Ruan¡¯s injury is not severe, the doctor could treat and bandage her wounds rather quickly.


    But with Javier Zhong¡¯s hawk eyes staring at him the entire time, the doctor did not dare to be careless at all in his treatment.


    In no time, she is bandaged up and good to go!


    As soon as the doctor left the room, Isaac Wen was instantly interrogated by Javier Zhong, ¡°Did you catch him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Chairman Zhong. We locked him up at the warehouse as per your order.¡±


    ¡°Good. We will leave in 15 minutes.¡± Javier Zhong¡¯s eyes showed an unusual trace of ruthlessness.


    Following a popr rumour that Javier Zhong has ever chopped up a person¡¯s hands and legs and thrown him inside a mental hospital to rot to death, it is indeed easier to die than tond in Javier Zhong¡¯s hands.


    To him, ruining someone¡¯s life is as easy as picking up a fork and spoon.


    This is why people are so afraid of him and usually no one dares to be on his bad side unless they are being forced by their circumstances.


    ¡°No, you are not going anywhere!¡± Stephanie Ruan¡¯s disapproving voice sounded out in the entire room.


    ¡°You have just gone through a risky operation and not even half a day has passed yet. Don¡¯t you dream about leaving the hospital.¡± Stephanie Ruan threw a stern expression at Javier Zhong.


    After which, she looked over at Isaac Wen, ¡°Isaac, I¡¯ll follow you there.¡±


    ¡°??!!¡­¡±


    Hearing this short conversation has already made Isaac Wen¡¯s hair stand! Not only is his boss unable toe, but his precious woman ising instead¡­


    What if something bad happens to her under his careful watch?


    Isaac Wen definitely cannot afford to bear this huge responsibility!


    But to his surprise, Javier Zhong actually agreed to let her go¡­


    ¡°Okay. You can go with Isaac. But you have to stay vignt. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡± He carefully reminded Stephanie Ruan.


    She then walked toward him and surprised him with a light kiss on his cheek, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other intimately for a few seconds before Stephanie Ruan turned to Isaac Wen, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡­


    The driver sent Stephanie Ruan to the hotel to have a change of clothes first before driving them to the deserted warehouse.


    On their way there, Isaac Wen received a call from Javier Zhong.


    ¡°Watch my woman closely! If anything happens to her, the first person I¡¯ming after is you!¡±


    ¡°And, get me another car. Now!¡±


    Isaac Wen took a quick nce at the backseat where Stephanie Ruan is seated to ensure that she did not hear what his boss has just ordered him to do.


    ¡°I understand, Chairman Zhong.¡±


    ¡­


    At the warehouse


    Stephanie Ruan leisurely walked in with a hand tucked inside the pocket of her full-length white business pants.


    She paired it nicely with a fiery red halter neck top and a pair of ck sunss as per her usual look.


    With her high heels making a sharp and distinct sound each time itnded on the concrete floor, the steady rhythm that she is making has added on to her cold and intimidating aura.


    ¡°Director Ruan, we have tied him up, hung him upside down, and caned him with a thick rope at least a hundred times, as per Chairman Zhong¡¯s instructions. But he still wouldn¡¯t talk.¡± Isaac Wen swiftly reported the details to her.


    Stephanie Ruan did not give him a response. Instead, she continued walking with him toward a sofa armchair that is ced just a few meters away from ¡®X¡¯ and sat down with her legs crossed elegantly.


    From the way she is sitting and her good posture, Stephanie Ruan looked almost as though she is ready for a fine dining meal at a restaurant.


    After settling down in thefortable armchair, Stephanie Ruan looked at Isaac Wen who is standing guard beside her, ¡°Give me the gun.¡±


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