Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Zhou Huaichen did not give Ye Weian the chance to give him a zero score. Instead, he called the property security personnel to deal with Yan Qing, while he sat as steady as a rock in the car, exchanging silent glances with Ye Weian.

Ye Weian: "..."

——"Alright, you win."

——"Such a straight guy."

Zhou Huaichen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He was the one who wanted to give a zero score, and he was also the one calling him a straight guy.

However, even if Ye Weian weren’t present, he wouldn’t have let Yan Qing into the car.

He frowned slightly.

Yan Qing had time and again used Zhou Yongnan’s name to get close to him. It was necessary to have a serious talk with Zhou Yongnan and give Yan Qing a formal warning.

Previously, out of respect for Zhou Yongnan, he had shown considerable forbearance, and Yan Qing might have mistaken it for him having a good temper.

Outside the car, the property staff were persuading Yan Qing to leave.

As a major celebrity, Yan Qing was treated with great courtesy by the property staff, but they were also firm, stating clearly that if he continued blocking the resident’s car, they would call the police.

Most residents living here held social standing at least equal to Yan Qing’s celebrity status, so the property management had every reason to stand their ground.

Yan Qing had already thrown away his umbrella and stood alone in the rain, gazing sorrowfully at the car.

As if he had been led on and then abandoned by the people inside.

Zhou Huaichen’s gaze rested on Ye Weian’s face as he said calmly, "Do you feel sorry for him?"

Ye Weian looked at him, puzzled.

Zhou Huaichen lowered his gaze. "Yan Qing is standing out in the rain. Do you feel sorry for him?"

"No," Ye Weian replied bluntly.

——"Why would I feel sorry for him? I don’t even like him."

Zhou Huaichen looked up, staring straight at him. "Didn’t you want to be with Yan Qing?"

He paused, as if offering Ye Weian a suggestion. "If you invite him into the car, he might be touched."

Ye Weian was confused. "Are you teaching me how to pursue him?"

——"I’m not going to listen to you, such a straight guy!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

He couldn't help but laugh wryly, realizing that his attempt to test the waters might have backfired. He shouldn’t have tried to use reverse psychology to play matchmaker for Ye Weian and Yan Qing.

Fortunately, Ye Weian refused. Fortunately, Ye Weian didn’t like Yan Qing.

The System, however, thought Zhou Huaichen’s idea was a good one and urged Ye Weian, "Host, quickly invite Yan Qing into the car."

The System: "Who knows, Yan Qing might be so moved that he agrees to be with you!"

Ye Weian: "Forget it, I’ve decided to stop forcing things."

The System: "...You’re giving up on the mission?"

Ye Weian: "No, I’ve thought it over. I’ll pursue Yan Qing when I’m in my seventies or eighties. Being with him right before I die should count as completing the mission, right?"

The System: "???"

The System: "!!!"

It should have known—the Host’s unconventional tactics were endless!

Seeing the System fall silent, Ye Weian asked, "Don’t you think this is a good idea?"

The System, thoroughly annoyed, activated auto-reply mode: "In solitude, do not disturb."

Ye Weian: "?"

The System: "In solitude, do not disturb."

Ye Weian: "..."

Yan Qing was still standing in front of the car, blocking the way.

Zhou Huaichen tapped lightly with his finger on the steering wheel and called the property staff again. "Please hurry, I’m in a rush."

The property staff, aware of his status and afraid of angering him, promised to hurry.

Before long, Yan Qing was firmly escorted away by the property staff.

This time, Yan Qing did not resist and even complied by moving to the roadside.

But just as Zhou Huaichen drove the car into the residential gate, a cryptic smile curled at the corner of Yan Qing’s lips.

...

Zhou Huaichen parked the car in the private underground garage and took the elevator upstairs with Ye Weian.

The villa was a standalone unit, spacious and offered great privacy.

Ye Weian nodded inwardly.

If this were the apocalypse, a house like this would be perfect for storing supplies.

The chef from the old residence had already arrived earlier and prepared a table full of dishes.

So when Ye Weian and Zhou Huaichen entered the living room, they were greeted by the aroma of delicious food.

Ye Weian’s eyes instantly lit up.

Noticing this, Zhou Huaichen’s gaze softened even more. "Go wash your hands. We’ll eat right away."

Ye Weian nodded and bounded off to the bathroom.

Just from his back, it was clear he was in good spirits.

The smile in Zhou Huaichen’s eyes deepened.

Now, even without hearing Ye Weian’s inner thoughts, he could discern the nuances of Ye Weian’s emotions from his deadpan expression or his odd behavior.

For instance, when eating, Ye Weian's eyes would light up; when displeased, the corners of his mouth would droop slightly; when happy, his step would lighten.

Zhou Huaichen chuckled, first going to the kitchen to tell them to serve the meal, then going to wash his hands.

The ancestor of this chef from the old residence had served as a royal chef in the imperial court, and the flavor of every dish was just right.

Ye Weian kept eating until he was stuffed.

Unfortunately, it was raining today, so they couldn’t go for a walk outside.

Zhou Huaichen watched him lazily leaning back in his chair, like a contented kitten, contentedly squinting his eyes as if about to fall asleep.

He thought for a moment and said, "Let’s go sit in the study. I’d like to discuss the Africa project with you."

Ye Weian opened his eyes and stared directly at him.

—"Why talk about work at a time like this? We should just lie down and sleep."

—"Mmm, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall today was really delicious. I want to have it again tomorrow."

—"How can I get A Chen to invite me over for dinner tomorrow?"

Zhou Huaichen’s voice was gentle, like he was coaxing a kitten: "Eating and then sleeping right after isn’t healthy."

If they couldn’t take a walk, they might as well use their minds to burn off some energy.

He chuckled softly again, "There will be Buddha Jumps Over the Wall tomorrow too, but if we push the work to tomorrow, we might miss dinner."

Ye Weian immediately stood up: "Let’s go! I love work!"

The system, which had just snapped out of its sulking: "..."

Host, have some self-respect!

Zhou Huaichen, however, gave a light smile and went to the study with Ye Weian.

The Africa project had actually already been settled; the main concern was quality control.

Since it was a collaboration with the government, they couldn’t afford to be careless.

Zhou Huaichen said, "Both Zhou Corporation and Ye Corporation have their own construction and supervision teams. The two companies can supervise each other."

Ye Weian had no issue with that.

The two discussed some details.

After finishing their discussion, Ye Weian suddenly remembered something and said, "I heard Zhou Corporation is researching chips?"

This was a high-tech industry that Ye Corporation had never been involved in, and Ye Weian himself didn’t understand it.

Zhou Huaichen didn’t hide it from him: "We’re collaborating with the government."

Zhou Corporation provided the funding, while the government provided the technology—it was a cooperative relationship.

But he couldn’t disclose more than that.

Ye Weian said "oh" and didn’t ask further.

—"This kind of capital-intensive and brain-draining industry is better left untouched by Ye Corporation."

Zhou Huaichen smiled.

This project was indeed capital-intensive and wouldn’t see results in just a year or two.

However, if they could actually achieve results, Zhou Corporation would have made a real contribution, and he was more than willing to pursue it.

After spending about an hour in the study, the Ye family driver came to pick up Ye Weian.

Before leaving, Ye Weian didn’t forget to remind Zhou Huaichen: "Tomorrow I also want to eat the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

Zhou Huaichen smiled and nodded: "Alright."

After getting into the car, Ye Weian remembered what had happened in the study and sent Zhou Huaichen a message.

Zhou Huaichen had already changed his profile picture to a cartoon grape, which looked adorable.

Every time Ye Weian clicked on it, the system would giggle, as this image was completely at odds with Big Boss Zhou’s actual persona.

Ye Weian had once suggested that Zhou Huaichen switch to a cartoon pig.

At the time, Zhou Huaichen smiled at him and said, "I’ll change it when the time is right."

Ye Weian didn’t understand.

He poked the grape profile picture and muttered, "It’s just changing a profile picture—what does timing have to do with it..."

After grumbling, he finally sent Zhou Huaichen a message.

Ye: "After eating tomorrow, no work talk, okay?"

Ye: "Zombie acting cute · jpg"

Ye: "Zombie lying flat like a salted fish · jpg"

Zhou Huaichen received the message and imagined him acting cute with a straight face. His heart felt lightly tickled, as if scratched by something, a faint itch.

...

Meanwhile, Lin Chang was on set filming.

He was somewhat distracted, not in the right headspace, and couldn’t get into character.

Qi Zhangbai had no choice but to stop filming and call him over: "Is something on your mind?"

Lin Chang hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

He had nearly been hit by a car earlier, but because Ye Weian saved him in time, he didn't get too shaken up. That day, accompanied by his assistant, he went to the hospital for a check-up and found no injuries.

He was very grateful to Ye Weian for saving his life.

Later, when he learned that Bai Yuan had tried to harm him, he guessed it was related to Yan Qing. This made him somewhat nervous, since he had essentially climbed up by stepping on Yan Qing—not only using Yan Qing to generate buzz and raise his own profile but also snatching Yan Qing’s resources.

What made it worse was that the company’s recent moves confused him even more and left him feeling uneasy.

First, President Wang eagerly came by the set for a visit. After President Wang left, Lin Chang found himself with three extremely capable bodyguards, two variety show appearances, and several major endorsements.

Later, the company assigned him a top-tier agent.

This agent had even been poached from another company.

Lin Chang: "..."

He was terrified, absolutely terrified.

"President Wang said all of this was arranged by President Ye," Lin Chang thought it over and decided to confide in Qi Zhangbai. "Director, do you think President Ye... wants to proposition me?"

Qi Zhangbai: "..."

Lin Chang was anxious.

Although President Ye had said last time that he didn't like him, people's feelings can change. What if President Ye developed feelings for him after saving him?

Although the possibility was slim, he couldn't think of any other reason why President Ye would treat him even better than before.

What had he done to deserve such attention from President Ye?

Lin Chang didn't have many friends to talk to, and since Qi Zhangbai had approached him for a heart-to-heart, he felt that if he kept overthinking, it would definitely affect the filming progress. So, he treated Qi Zhangbai as a sounding board to dump his worries.

After hearing Lin Chang's concerns, Qi Zhangbai recalled the chemistry between Brother Chen and President Ye, looked at him with an expression full of unspoken meaning, and said, "You're overthinking it."

Lin Chang hesitantly said, "I also thought I was overthinking it. President Ye is so good-looking and so rich—how could he possibly be interested in me? But I really can't figure out why he's treating me so well."

Qi Zhangbai, like a caring big brother, analyzed it for him: "President Ye just wants to make you famous so he can make money."

Lin Chang: "..."

Qi Zhangbai patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, President Ye isn't interested in you."

Lin Chang: "..."

What was with the director's tone of disdain?

He might not be as good-looking as President Ye, but he was still a handsome guy, okay?

Still, with Qi Zhangbai's reassurance, he felt somewhat put at ease: "That's good. I'm straight, so I couldn't possibly reciprocate President Ye's feelings."

Qi Zhangbai had already stood up to call for filming to resume, but upon hearing this, he looked down at Lin Chang and raised an eyebrow: "Straight?"

Lin Chang also stood up: "Ah, yes, straight as an arrow."

Qi Zhangbai gave him a meaningful look, chuckled, and said, "Is that so?"

*

The next day, Ye Weian went to work at the company. Thinking about the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that evening, he was in a good mood.

But on his way to pick up Zhou Huaichen after work, the system suddenly buzzed in his ear: "Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen are rumored to be dating!"

The system: "Host, quick, check Weibo's hot search!"

Ye Weian: "?"

He entered the office and immediately took out his phone to log into Weibo, only to find that the top search was #Yan Qing's Romance#.

Clicking into it, the first Weibo post was eye-catching: "Rumored that Yan Qing and the president of Zhou Corporation have been in love for five years."

The attached photo showed Yan Qing standing by the car door with an umbrella, talking to Zhou Huaichen yesterday.

The photographer's skills were excellent, turning an otherwise ordinary scene into something quite beautiful.

Yan Qing was slightly raising his head, while Zhou Huaichen looked at him from inside the car. The two gazed at each other through the rain, the surroundings quiet, with unspoken feelings simmering, as if they were about to kiss the next second.

Ye Weian squinted.

So, did Yan Qing seek out Zhou Huaichen yesterday just to have these photos taken?

Yan Qing had only said one sentence, and Zhou Huaichen hadn’t uttered a single word.

Yet the photos captured a vibe full of romantic tension.

Ye Weian clicked into the comments.

Many netizens were eating it up, eagerly asking whether the rumors were true or false.

Among the top comments, one stood out as particularly odd: “The president of Zhou Corporation—is it the Zhou Corporation I’m thinking of? I’ve heard the president is exceptionally young and handsome, incredibly capable, and one of the most outstanding figures among the younger generation! No wonder Yan Qing turned down the president of Ye Corporation if he’s with someone like that!”

This comment sparked numerous replies from netizens—

“OP's dropping some insider tea! Do you actually know the president of Zhou Corporation? So, is Yan Qing really dating him?”

“Low-key jealous! Yan Qing must've been a hero in his past life. How else could so many high-profile CEOs fall for him?”

“Yan Qing, drop that book already! I really want to know how to attract rich, handsome men.”

“+1 begging for a book! And it’s not just any rich, handsome man—it’s a top-tier one! I wish I had that kind of skill…”

Soon, #YanQingWriteABook began trending on Weibo.

This time around, the comments weren't shady—people were either just enjoying the spectacle or sincerely begging for tips.

Yan Qing looked at the netizens going wild in the trending topics and gave a smug eyebrow raise at his agent, Brother Ming: “See? I told you the public opinion would shift once the rumors broke.”

Brother Ming nodded. “Nailed it.”

The photos from yesterday were taken by a friend Brother Ming had asked, and the Weibo posts were also arranged through a marketing company.

His friend was especially skilled at capturing couples, and that low-key electric chemistry between Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen was absolutely perfect—no wonder netizens believed it.

The idea to spread rumors with Zhou Huaichen was Yan Qing’s own. Initially, Brother Ming had been opposed, considering the risks too high—they had already offended Ye Weian and couldn’t afford to piss off the Zhou family's big boss as well.

But seeing the netizens’ reactions now, Brother Ming couldn’t help but sincerely praise Yan Qing: “You totally get how netizens' minds work.”

As for Zhou Huaichen’s side, Brother Ming figured that given Zhou Huaichen’s status and position, he probably wouldn’t even bat an eye at such a minor online rumor.

Yan Qing grew even more pleased with himself.

Brother Ming paused, then added, “However, your fans all know you and Zhou Yongnan are a pair. I’m worried they might spill the tea.”

Yan Qing narrowed his eyes. “Get the big fans to hype it up in the group chats, and let the water army steer the narrative.”

A few minutes later, another topic shot up to the trending list.

#YanQingAndPresidentZhouAreSoPerfectTogether

Clicking into it, it was filled with the water army spamming the feed with photos of Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen together, accompanied by caption spam that’s totally convincing.

“Even though President Zhou’s face isn’t fully visible, his side profile is so handsome! He and Yan Qing are total couple goals, don’t you think?”

“Their chemistry is off the charts! Light rain, a luxury car, a beautiful person holding an umbrella, a powerful CEO inside the car… just the visuals alone are enough to make your heart flutter! I’m totally shipping this couple!”

“This is so ship-worthy! Sisters, let’s create a Super Topic! How about calling it #FallIntoHisArmsOvernight?”

"One Night in the Embrace... so risqué! I! Love! It! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take action!"

These are all water army accounts, and the ones creating the Super Topic are also part of the water army.

With the water army's enthusiastic promotion, some spectator netizens were drawn into the Super Topic.

Meanwhile, Yan Qing's fans, under the influence of their big fans, also accepted the rumor.

The shift in the fans' attitude is actually quite understandable.

At their core, they admire strength, and Zhou Huaichen is the most outstanding figure among the younger generation of major influential families, even surpassing Ye Weian to some extent.

The fact that Yan Qing is dating someone like Zhou Huaichen fills them with a sense of pride!

Especially after Ye Weian's recent hot search, where netizens were criticizing Yan Qing, the fans had been simmering with frustration.

Now that they finally have a reason to hold their heads high, they want the whole world to know that Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen are together.

Soon, they began flooding various Weibo threads with the CP name "One Night in the Embrace" and even started enlightening curious netizens—

"President Zhou is much more impressive than that Ye Group president. Not just anyone can sweep our Qingqing off her feet."

"It's all because Qingqing is so charming. Some people turn love into hate and try to destroy what they can't have."

"President Zhou, your little cutie has been treated poorly by a certain Ye-surnamed president. Come quickly and stand up for your darling!"

"Waiting for 'Heaven cools, Ye breaks.'"

*

By the time Ye Weian finished scrolling through Weibo, the car had already arrived at the Zhou Group headquarters.

Perhaps due to the Zhou Group's strict management, there were no reporters lying in wait.

Ye Weian spotted Zhou Huaichen waiting for him at the entrance from a distance.

It was drizzling again today. Zhou Huaichen stood there in a black suit, tall and elegant—his appearance and demeanor were indeed captivating.

Ye Weian stared intently at Zhou Huaichen.

—"Yesterday’s piggy wanted to woo me, today’s piggy wants to make 'Heaven cools, Ye breaks.'"

—"Not happy."

The car stopped in front of Zhou Huaichen.

Zhou Huaichen, hearing his thoughts, looked at him puzzled.

...What does "Heaven cools, Ye breaks" mean?

Ye Weian lowered the window, his face expressionless, and said, "You’re caught in a dating rumor with Yan Qing. Did you know?"

A hint of surprise passed through Zhou Huaichen’s eyes.

He had been in meetings all day, and Li Ceng had been sent to a branch office, so no one had reported the rumor to him.

Still, with his intelligence, he could guess that something must have spread online, likely related to Yan Qing’s visit yesterday.

He gazed steadily at Ye Weian, his voice carrying a persuasive tone: "I’m a bit cold. Let me get in the car first and warm up, okay?"

Ye Weian: "!!!"

He stared dumbfounded at Zhou Huaichen, four words flashing inexplicably through his mind.

—"Green Tea Piggy!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

Author’s note: Zhou Huaichen: The art of green tea—a core curriculum for pursuing the Zombie King.

Folks, 5,000 words!!!

Thank you so much for your support. I’ll keep it up!