Su Ruiyi, unable to enjoy leisure, had been in Swartz for over half a month.
If she had been told to stay in one place for so long before, she would have thrown a tantrum. But things were different now. The person who could make her stay and recover peacefully had to be someone she could never get tired of looking at—Ou Yunchen.
Mrs. Su had returned to China to cover for them. Meanwhile, Xu Shuming only knew that Mrs. Su had taken Su Ruiyi to Swartz for a holiday, and that her daughter had accidentally broken her leg. He hadn't suspected for a moment that Mrs. Su was there to set up a company.
As long as Mrs. Su didn't interfere with his pleasure-seeking, and his daughter wasn't a nuisance in his sight, Xu Shuming wouldn't bother to find out where they went or what they were doing.
In his eyes, this woman was only good at spending money and could achieve nothing else, otherwise, how could she be helpless against him?
However, this was difficult for Ou Yunchen. He not only had to establish ATL's headquarters in Swartz but also start contacting investment banks. He needed to acquire more investment news to ensure ATL wouldn't be seen as a shell company.
Only with contracts backed by real money could they attract the attention of domestic competitors. With substantial capital as a fallback, rapidly building a reputation was the first step.
But if it were just work matters, it would be fine. Su Ruiyi could have returned to China to recover, but she claimed that the rehabilitation centers in Swartz were far better than those in China, and refused to leave here under any circumstances. Wasn't this clearly her intention to stay by Ou Yunchen's side?
He was busy with work during the day and had to attend to this Miss Su, who was hobbling around on crutches at home, at night.
Oh, and that wasn't all. Wang Ziran, the persistent shadow, wouldn't let Su Ruiyi and Ou Yunchen have any private moments. He was also living in Ou Yunchen's new apartment, a sour grape.
But it was also good. With Wang Ziran sticking to Miss Su like glue, Ou Yunchen could focus on his work with peace of mind. However, occasionally... he would be disturbed.
In the conference room, seven or eight people were in a meeting. Ou Yunchen, as the executive officer, sat at the innermost seat. An employee was using a PPT to report on the projected report for the next quarter and the projects to be approached.
However, the meeting, which was supposed to last less than two hours, had already been interrupted three times due to Ou Yunchen's phone.
This was the fourth time. Ou Yunchen looked at the caller ID; it was still Su Ruiyi. He coldly placed the phone face down on the table.
"Continue."
But before the employee could say more than a few words, Ou Yunchen's WeChat was bombarding him incessantly. Annoyed, he muted his phone and called her back with a grim face.
The phone rang once, and Su Ruiyi answered.
—Ou Yunchen is on the call—
Su Ruiyi: "Did you see what I sent you? Do you like it? Which one looks good? I like them all, it's so hard to choose."
Ou Yunchen didn't have time to look, but he knew Su Ruiyi must have gone shopping.
Ou Yunchen: "Buy them all if you like them, you're not short of money!"
Su Ruiyi: "I thought so too..."
Ou Yunchen: "Don't call again if there's nothing else. I'm in a meeting!"
Su Ruiyi: "Wait a moment, wait a moment."
Ou Yunchen: "What now?"
Su Ruiyi: "Tell me your height, weight, and your measurements would be even better. Oh, and what shoe size you wear, and more..."
Ou Yunchen was so angry that his molars were clenched tight. Su Ruiyi called him every day, asking what to eat or what he was doing...
Sometimes she would make ten thousand calls. If it weren't for Mrs. Su instructing him to protect her, Ou Yunchen would have wished he could pack her into a suitcase and send her on any flight, just to lose her!
Ou Yunchen: "Why are you asking all this?"
Su Ruiyi: "To buy you things. Didn't you say buy them all if I liked them?"
Ou Yunchen glanced at his WeChat. It turned out those messages were photos Su Ruiyi had taken: various men's shirts, suits, casual wear, leather shoes, ties, a mess of things. Even more terrifying were men's underwear!!!
Ou Yunchen couldn't hold back anymore. He waved his hand at the employees in the conference room, asking them to leave. Then he locked the door. Now, alone in the conference room, he yelled into the phone.
Ou Yunchen: "Are you bored?"
Su Ruiyi: "I just saw you were too busy to buy these things... Your room is almost empty except for the basic furniture, with hardly any decent clothes left. And you're the executive officer of the company now. You need to dress well when you meet clients..."
Ou Yunchen was about to say he didn't need it when Su Ruiyi, as if she knew, continued in a wronged tone, "I know you find me annoying, but I promise, this is the last time. After I buy them for you, I won't bother you at work anymore. Considering my injured leg, just tell me..."
Ou Yunchen immediately thought of Su Ruiyi limping around the mall, shopping. It was he who had said in the morning that if she felt bored at home, she could go out shopping. Su Ruiyi had listened to Ou Yunchen very well. Thinking about it, Ou Yunchen's anger subsided. Forget it, let her have her way.
Ou Yunchen: "Height 1.89 meters, weight 73 kilograms, size 11 shoes, measurements 106/82/94!"
Su Ruiyi: "Okay, okay, I won't bother you anymore. You work hard and earn money. See you tonight!"
—Call ended—
Su Ruiyi put down the phone, took out her credit card, and told the VIP exclusive private sales associate the sizes she wanted. All the clothes and shoes she had picked out were packed up and delivered to the parking lot by sales assistants, each carrying four or five bags.
Su Ruiyi was happy shopping, but Wang Ziran, who had been neglected, had a drooping face, looking utterly wronged.
Wang Ziran's jealousy was palpable even to bystanders: "After knowing you for so long, you've never been this attentive to me!"
Su Ruiyi glanced at him and said, "Because I've known you for so long, I know you better than your own mother, so I don't need to be attentive anymore, right?"
Wang Ziran was a bit unconvinced, "How is that the same? Do you know how tall I am, how much I weigh, what shoe size I wear?"
Su Ruiyi paused. She really didn't know. Even when buying gifts for Wang Ziran, she would deliberately avoid her blind spots.
Wang Ziran stomped his foot, "See, see! You really don't know!"
Su Ruiyi tilted her head up defiantly, "As if you know me!"
"Height 173 centimeters, weight 51 kilograms, C-cup, size 39 shoes, size 38 clothes, size 27 pants!" Wang Ziran said it all in one breath.
Su Ruiyi gave Wang Ziran a thumbs-up. This persistent shadow was definitely a professional. No, she had become a nanny. Usually, serving tea and pouring water was nothing. If she knew even Su Ruiyi's most private data, then it could only mean...
"You're more impressive than a sasaeng fan!"
Wang Ziran felt a little smug. He liked Su Ruiyi very seriously!
The sales assistant walked over to Su Ruiyi and said, "Miss Su, thank you for shopping at our mall. This is a gift from the mall to our VIP customers."
An Hermès box was handed to Su Ruiyi. The box was flat and square.
Su Ruiyi opened the box. It was a dark green, latest model men's pocket square. She felt it; it was smooth and cool to the touch, made of superior silk with digital printing. The cost might have been a few hundred yuan, but with the Hermès brand, it was several times more.
Su Ruiyi closed the box and handed it to Wang Ziran.
"It's for you."
"You're giving me a free gift? Miss Su, you're truly generous!"
"It's Hermès, you know."
"Do I lack a pocket square? What I lack is your thoughtful effort in carefully matching things for me like you do for that old guy!"
"Oh, that's convenient. Ou Yunchen also needs a dark green pocket square. How about..."
Wang Ziran quickly snatched the box and poured the pocket square into his pocket. As for the box, they didn't care who wanted it. They would just throw it away like trash when they got home.
In the underground parking lot of the mall, a special car would deliver Su Ruiyi's purchases to Ou Yunchen's home. After Wang Ziran helped Su Ruiyi into the car and closed the door, he prepared to drive them home together.
As soon as he pulled out of the parking space, an extremely bright car headlight shone directly into Wang Ziran's car.
The sudden bright headlights blinded the two people in the car. They kept honking their horn to signal the car opposite to turn off its headlights, but the car seemed to be doing it on purpose, flashing them on and off, forcing Wang Ziran's car to reverse.
Wang Ziran was infuriated: "Damn it, what's wrong with you? Driving with your headlights on in a parking lot. You wait in the car, I'll go down and reason with them."
However, Su Ruiyi next to him immediately grabbed Wang Ziran's arm. She shook her head, "Forget it, we'll back up. Let them go first."
Wang Ziran was a bit upset but still did as Su Ruiyi said. After all, they were not in China, and it was better to avoid trouble.
Even after Wang Ziran reversed a sufficient distance, the Lincoln Jeep opposite kept pressing forward, showing no intention of turning. It continued until Wang Ziran's sports car was forced to stop by the wall. This time, Wang Ziran was truly enraged; he didn't want to be bullied.
As soon as he got out of the car, two men in black also got out of the opposite Lincoln. Wang Ziran found them familiar; this kind of attire reminded him of the snow mountain!
As expected, another car behind the Lincoln slowly drove forward. When the door was opened, the blonde man, who always wore an unsettling smile, was sitting there. He tilted his head and waved at Wang Ziran.
Bodyguard: "Mr. Wang, our boss would like to meet Miss Su."
Wang Ziran looked back at Su Ruiyi in the car. He stared vigilantly at Colin, but he knew this man was not someone they could afford to offend right now. If Ou Yunchen were here, he might know how to refuse this guy.
Wang Ziran became a little scared: "Yi Yi... it's inconvenient for her to meet your boss."
The bodyguard heard something through his earpiece, then raised his hand and signaled with two fingers. Two more men got out of the Lincoln and walked directly to Wang Ziran's car. They immediately opened the car door on Su Ruiyi's side. It looked like an invitation for Su Ruiyi to get out, but the gentlemanly behavior hid a brewing violence.
Wang Ziran wanted to tell Yi Yi not to get out, but the two men in black beside him immediately grabbed Wang Ziran and punched him hard.
This action startled Su Ruiyi into a scream, but Su Ruiyi had to comply. She endured the pain and got out of the car. The fractured leg sent sharp, piercing pain. Led by the men in black, Su Ruiyi hobbled into the car. Afterward, Wang Ziran was also roughly pushed into the car.
The security guard at the parking lot of Ou Yunchen's apartment building blocked Colin's convoy. Undocumented foreign vehicles like these were not allowed into the parking lot of the high-end apartment.
The men in black quickly reported the situation to Colin. Colin exaggeratedly put on a very regretful expression, but his face changed in a few seconds. He looked coldly at Su Ruiyi and Wang Ziran, then seemed to have an idea.
A man in black grabbed Su Ruiyi and pushed her against the car window, then pressed something against Su Ruiyi's lower back.
The security guard naturally recognized Su Ruiyi's face. But as the security guard leaned his head forward to peek into the car...
"Aren't you going to open the door quickly! If you delay my time, I'll report you to property management!" Su Ruiyi yelled exaggeratedly.
The security guard was stunned. He quickly let them through, watching the line of cars drive into the parking lot one after another, then quickly made a phone call, but it kept going to a busy signal.