Chapter 11 Come Over Tonight

Chapter 11 Come Over Tonight

Lin Yunshu had the best sleep of his life.

When he opened his eyes, the sunlight was bright, and he felt clear-headed and refreshed. Lazily picking up his phone, he sat up abruptly upon seeing the time.

Crap, he had overslept.

He quickly got out of bed, washed up, put on the shirt and trousers he had chosen the day before and hung on the rack, fixed his hair, took his blockers, and hurried out of the room.

Zhou Yu had just returned from exercising.

He had probably gone for a run, though it was unclear how long he had been out. His sweat-wicking clothes were soaked, beads of sweat dotted his face and arms, and the muscles in his shoulders and back were swollen and prominent from exertion, making him look much more imposing than usual.

Even though Lin Yunshu was long accustomed to Zhou Yu's physique, he was still taken aback at that moment.

Zhou Yu, however, didn’t show his usual proud expression. Instead, he seemed disinterested. "Overslept?"

"Yes," Lin Yunshu pulled himself together. "I'm ready to leave anytime."

"No rush," Zhou Yu took his phone off his arm and tossed it aside casually. "I'm going to take a shower. There's breakfast on the dining table downstairs. Help yourself to whatever you like."

Though his words were considerate, Lin Yunshu could clearly sense his mood was off.

"Okay," Lin Yunshu replied cautiously.

Zhou Yu waved him off to go downstairs and headed to the bathroom.

"Boss," Lin Yunshu called out to him.

Zhou Yu turned his head.

"Sorry," Lin Yunshu said, "I didn’t mean to kick you out last night."

Zhou Yu turned around, leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and gestured for him to continue.

Lin Yunshu tried to gauge his mood. "I have poor sleeping habits. You’ve already taken care of me a lot, and I didn’t want to disturb your sleep in the latter half of the night either."

After hearing this, Zhou Yu’s expression softened a bit more. "How bad is it?"

"Really bad," Lin Yunshu said earnestly. "I’ve kicked my younger brother off the bed five times. He cried his eyes out."

Zhou Yu’s eyebrow twitched.

"Sorry," Lin Yunshu blushed slightly. "It might not sound like something I’d do, but I don’t know why—"

"You’ve slept with your brother?" Zhou Yu suddenly interjected.

Lin Yunshu was taken aback by the unexpected angle but maintained his professional composure, answering promptly, "It was when we were very young. I was only in first grade."

Zhou Yu didn’t respond. He pursed his lips, tilted his head, and tightened his jaw, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

He did know that Lin Yunshu had a younger cousin, though he had never met him. From what he recalled, the cousin was a few years younger than Lin Yunshu, so it wasn’t unusual for kids to share a bed.

Yes, perfectly normal.

But how could someone with those slender arms and legs manage to kick someone off the bed?

Zhou Yu couldn’t help but look at him with newfound respect.

In his imagination, even if Lin Yunshu was a few years older, how much strength could a first-grader possibly have? Lin Yunshu didn’t seem particularly strong even now.

As for his brother, so what if he got kicked off a few times? Crying over it? If Lin Yunshu only kicked him and not others, shouldn’t he reflect on his own behavior?

Lin Yunshu hadn’t kicked him last night.

At this thought, Zhou Yu’s hardened heart softened again.

"Alright," he controlled his expression. "Go eat. If we delay any longer, we’ll really be late."

"Okay," Lin Yunshu replied. "I’ll wait for you downstairs after I finish eating."

Zhou Yu nodded, satisfied, and walked into the bathroom.

Only after the bathroom door closed did Lin Yunshu’s anxious heart slowly calm down.

The boss’s unpredictable moods kept him on an emotional rollercoaster.

But thankfully, the issue was resolved. Zhou Yu’s expression had cleared, and Lin Yunshu could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He turned and went downstairs. Sure enough, breakfast was laid out on the dining table, with both Western and Chinese options, all untouched.

There was far too much for one person to finish, especially since Lin Yunshu usually had little appetite in the morning.

He picked up a piece of toast and took a whiff. After just two bites, his stomach started to rebel.

He didn’t dare eat more, only sipped some warm water and sucked on a piece of candy. He then sorted and packed up the remaining food, and messaged his colleagues on the business trip, informing them that the boss was treating everyone to breakfast.

This wasn’t his own initiative. Zhou Yu had ordered far more than two people could eat with this very intention.

Sure enough, when Zhou Yu came downstairs after getting ready and saw the neatly packed bags on the table, he didn’t say a word.

The driver came in to fetch them, and Zhou Yu even let him choose a portion for himself.

The result of the boss valuing breakfast was that everyone around him could enjoy a hot meal.

The driver, beaming, selected a portion of crab roe soup dumplings, thanking him repeatedly.

·

This business trip was to attend the 50th-anniversary celebration of Cassi, a luxury brand under the group.

Cassi was the first independent brand developed by Zhou Yu’s grandfather after founding Lin'an Group.

It started with jewelry, originally intended to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces for his wife. Thus, the brand name was derived from his wife Li Kaixi’s name, abbreviated as Cassi.

This heartwarming story spread far and wide. As the brand grew, it expanded into clothing and became a well-known high-end luxury brand both domestically and internationally, with a history spanning fifty years.

The celebration was held by the seaside in City S, featuring a grand fashion show attended by dignitaries from various fields and half of showbiz.

When they landed, the operations director and the branch company president were already waiting outside. Upon seeing Zhou Yu and his team, they warmly greeted them.

"President Zhou, Secretary Lin," Manager Li shook hands with both of them. "Good to see you again. Did you have a smooth trip?"

"All good," Zhou Yu said, "We just encountered some turbulence and were delayed for a while. Sorry for the wait."

The two men walked ahead, while Lin Yunshu and the operations director followed a step behind, trailed by an evaluation team.

The weather in City S was much more humid than in the capital, with extremely high air humidity—muggy and hot. It had rained not long ago, leaving the ground still wet, and dark clouds churned on the horizon.

The airport’s air conditioning was set very low, and Lin Yunshu had sneezed several times right after getting off the plane. Zhou Yu tossed him an overcoat to put on.

Now, outside the airport, the humid air hit them, and before he started sweating, his clothes were already damp and clinging to his skin.

The wind was strong, whipping the dark clouds along. Lin Yunshu wore a khaki-colored long overcoat, its hem flapping wildly before repeatedly falling and slapping against his calves.

He pressed down lightly at his side to keep it in place. His snow-white shirt was tucked into black suit pants, accentuating his slender waist and hips with exceptionally graceful lines, his legs long and straight.

The operations director hadn't met Lin Yunshu often; the last time was indoors, where she saw the Boss diligently pouring water for Secretary Lin, whose fingers holding the cup were as beautiful as jade.

Now outdoors, Secretary Lin’s fingers, resting at his waist, were still strikingly elegant, pale and luminous under the overcast sky.

Lin Yunshu looked up at the sky, his slender jawline exposed, his profile tight and perfectly defined.

"Has the weather for the day after tomorrow been confirmed?" he asked the person beside him.

The operations director was slow to respond, prompting Lin Yunshu to glance at her.

"Y-Yes, it’s been confirmed," she said, embarrassed by her delay, awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ear. "There’s still a light rain tonight, but it’ll clear up by tomorrow morning. Don't worry, the following three days will be sunny."

The celebration the evening of the day after tomorrow was scheduled to take place outdoors by the seaside, featuring a runway show. The weather was crucial—rain would affect both the overall ambiance and media photographs, and many of Cassi’s designer gowns couldn’t get wet.

"Monitor the weather forecast," Lin Yunshu instructed. "If there are changes, we'll move it indoors. The backup plan is in place, correct?"

"We’ve prepared two emergency contingency plans," the operations director said. "The indoor venues are all prepared. You can rest easy. For tonight, you can relax, and tomorrow we’ll take you and President Zhou to inspect the venue."

Lin Yunshu nodded, a slight smile lifting the corners of his lips. "I appreciate your efforts."

His features were gentle, and even a small smile made him appear exceptionally warm and friendly.

The operations director’s voice softened. "Not at all, it’s what we should do—here, please watch your step getting into the car."

Ahead, a seven-seater commercial van was waiting. President Li was still chatting amiably with Zhou Yu, gesturing for Zhou Yu to board first.

"For the coming week, we hope headquarters will guide us in our work so we can make more improvements…"

He trailed off abruptly.

Zhou Yu had paused, turning naturally to lightly guide Secretary Lin’s back as Secretary Lin bent to enter the car. Only after Secretary Lin was seated did Zhou Yu follow and sit down.

The automatic door slid slowly shut, the tinted window reflecting President Li’s stunned "O.O" expression and the operations director’s adoring gaze.

In that brief moment, she seemed to have been won over by Secretary Lin, finding nothing unusual about Zhou Yu’s actions.

"President Li, let’s get in the car too," she said softly.

President Li was astonished. How had this usually loud, shouting madwoman at the company suddenly become like this?

Was she under a spell?!

·

It really did seem like magic.

After arriving at the hotel, the director handed two room keys to Secretary Lin, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she spoke softly and slowly:

"Secretary Lin, these are your room keys for the presidential suite on the top floor. You and the Boss should rest well first. We’ve reserved a restaurant by the seaside for tonight, and we hope you’ll both honor us with your presence."

President Li: "O.O…"

He chimed in a beat late: "Yes, yes, you must be tired from the trip. President Zhou, Secretary Lin, please rest now. We won’t disturb you further."

Zhou Yu nodded without speaking, his expression relatively relaxed.

Lin Yunshu thus took over, making small talk with the two on his behalf, then headed up to the elevator with Zhou Yu.

The rest of the evaluation team was assigned to twin rooms on the 12th floor, two to a room, while Lin Yunshu and Zhou Yu went together to the top floor.

Lin Yunshu wasn’t quite accustomed to the humid climate of City S; now he felt an ache deep in his bones.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he braced himself against the wall, rubbing his shoulders and rotating his stiff neck.

Zhou Yu glanced back, and Lin Yunshu immediately dropped his hand. "What is it, boss?"

Zhou Yu’s gaze lingered on his shoulders, but he didn’t speak, instead taking one of the room cards from Lin Yunshu’s hand.

"Tch," Zhou Yu spun the card between his fingers. "The presidential suite has three bedrooms alone. Booking two suites for the two of us—do they think we can split ourselves in two or something? Are they burning through funds for fun?"

He looked at Lin Yunshu. "Maybe we should audit the accounts this time?"

Lin Yunshu knew Zhou Yu was just venting his frustration casually.

When a corporation grows to a certain size, it’s impossible to prevent all wasteful spending at the lower levels, especially for a brand like Cassi, which was almost operating independently.

"They’ve always booked two rooms," Lin Yunshu smoothed things over. "If we suddenly only booked one, what would the lower levels think? We aren't married yet, so it’s better to keep a low profile."

Hearing Lin Yunshu mention the marriage certificate, Zhou Yu's heart soared.

He was utterly disarmed by it when Lin Yunshu spoke to him in such a gentle tone. Over the years, his explosive temper had been gradually soothed by Lin Yunshu’s consistently soft demeanor.

He gave a noncommittal hum. "It’s only because you’re always protecting them."

Lin Yunshu smiled without responding.

"Fine, then," Zhou Yu magnanimously let it go. "Go back, take a shower, and lie down for a bit. You look like you’re about to fall apart."

He swiped open his own door, then turned to give Lin Yunshu a once-over. "Come over tonight on your own. Do you sleep well without me?"

With that, he confidently closed the door.

Lin Yunshu: "…"

He stood outside President Zhou’s door for several seconds, unable to suppress a laugh, and lowered his head to cover his lips.