Just behind Ethan Jiang's sleek Pullman, another car pulled up—this one from the Gu family, here to pick up Annie Gu.
Elena Shen's phone vibrated. She glanced down and saw a message from Ethan. Instinctively, she looked out the window.
Annie followed her line of sight.
The moment she spotted that limited-edition Pullman with its custom license plate, a teasing smirk curled on her lips, and her tone turned unmistakably mischievous.
"Elena, ever since little Tuantuan came along, your relationship with Mr. Jiang has clearly leveled up."
Elena tucked her phone back into her bag and was just about to stand when she paused, flustered. "What? No way."
Annie raised her brows with a don't even try to deny it expression and pointed toward the car.
"My brother said Tiancheng Group's got a major deal in the works with the Huo family from Beicheng. This is crunch time for them—long hours, late nights, the works. But your Mr. Jiang? He's been coming home before dark every day just to be with you. And today, in this weather, he even came out to pick you up personally. If that's not love in full bloom, I don't know what is."
The rear window of the Pullman lowered.
Through the misty rain, Elena looked up—only to lock eyes with Ethan's intense, dark gaze. He tilted his head slightly, watching her with quiet focus.
Her lips pressed together unconsciously. That single glance set off a storm beneath her skin, and she quickly looked away.
Not wanting to keep him waiting, Elena rose to leave. A memory surfaced—of the Mid-Autumn evening not long ago, when Ethan had come to Huaihai University to pick her up.
Under Annie's knowing smirk, Elena coughed lightly and muttered the same excuse Ethan had used back then:
"Tiancheng's headquarters is near campus… he's just swinging by on his way."
Annie let out a long, exaggerated "Ohhh," clearly unconvinced, but said nothing more.
She casually followed Elena to the café entrance.
By the time Annie reached the door, Elena was already waving goodbye and heading toward Eric Chen, who held a black umbrella for her. She descended the steps and walked to the rear door of the Pullman, which had been opened in advance.
As she approached, a long-fingered hand extended from inside the car.
Without missing a beat, Elena placed her hand into Ethan's. He guided her gently inside, an arm slipping naturally around her waist.
The door closed with a soft click.
Then the car disappeared smoothly into the rain.
Watching from the doorway, Annie's red lips curled into a rare, genuine smile. A warmth—bright and unfeigned—rose in her eyes.
A moment later, the Gu family's car arrived and pulled into the spot where Ethan's had just been. A bodyguard stepped out with an umbrella and escorted Annie to the car.
The next morning, Huaihai's endless stretch of rainy days finally broke.
By 9 a.m., the fish-scale clouds had scattered across the sky, letting brilliant sunlight stream down over the towering glass facade of Tiancheng Group's headquarters.
At that exact moment, a modest, low-key vehicle with Beicheng plates pulled up in front of the building.
Before the engine even cooled, a well-dressed secretary stepped out from the passenger seat and opened the rear door with the utmost respect.
A long leg, clad in a perfectly tailored pair of suit trousers, emerged first—followed by a man whose suit was crisp, whose features were sharp, and whose every movement radiated quiet authority.
Julian Huo.
Business heir of the famed Huo family in Beicheng.
Waiting inside the lobby, per Ethan Jiang's explicit orders, was Eric Chen. The moment he spotted Julian, he stepped forward with a respectful nod and a sweeping gesture.
"Mr. Huo, I'm Eric Chen, Mr. Jiang's chief assistant. He's expecting you in the conference room. If you'd please follow me."
Julian gave a polite nod. "Thank you."
His voice was low and composed, carrying that same aura of dominance that came from years of occupying positions of power—an aura uncannily similar to Ethan's.
Eric led Julian and his secretary into the private elevator, which took them directly to the executive floor, where the annual joint project between the Huo and Jiang families was to be discussed.
The meeting lasted until 11 a.m.
After the final handshake and as the other board members filed out, Julian followed Ethan into the presidential suite for a more private conversation.
Eric brought in tea before excusing himself.
Inside the office, the atmosphere shifted—relaxed, but still sharp beneath the surface.
The Huo family's collaboration with Tiancheng Group was just the beginning. Julian had long been eyeing Ethan's independently founded E.R. Group and was seizing this opportunity to broach the topic.
"If you're open to it," Julian said, "I'll have my team send over the E.R. project proposal within a couple of days."
Ethan nodded, expression mild, eyes unreadable. "Of course. I'll look forward to it."
With business out of the way, Ethan glanced at the time and shifted to small talk.
"Mr. Huo, you've kept a low profile in Beicheng all these years. Will you be heading back as soon as the deal's signed, or staying in Huaihai a little longer?"
Julian sipped his tea, his expression calm and unreadable.
"I'll stay for two days. There's an upcoming auction. There's an antique I've had my eye on—I intend to acquire it personally."
Ethan's fingers traced the edge of his porcelain teacup.
"Has your team arranged a place for you to stay? If not, I'd be happy to have Eric make the arrangements."
Julian's lips curved faintly.
"No need. Just two days. I'm staying at the Regal Garden Hotel—it's closest to the auction venue and most convenient."
That evening, Elena returned home after a long day in the lab. The sky was already dark.
Tuantuan, more clingy than ever, had been waiting by the front hall like a loyal little sentinel. Usually, Elena returned before sunset. But today, as dusk turned to night, the little guy had abandoned his toys and sat glumly by the door, ears drooped and eyes trained on the entrance.
The moment her silhouette appeared in the courtyard, Tuantuan sprang up like a rocket, tail wagging so fast it nearly flew off.
Elena crouched and scooped him into her arms, holding him close as she played with him for a long while in the grand hall.
—
On the third day, the auction was set to begin.
Just in case Elena forgot, Annie messaged her early in the morning.
Having gone to bed early the night before, Elena woke naturally just before seven. Her body ached from days of standing in the lab, so she stayed in bed a little longer, wrapped in a thick blanket.
When she saw Annie's message, she exited the lab group chat and opened their private conversation to reply.
Just then, Ethan entered the bedroom, having finished a call with Eric. He saw Elena lying beneath the covers, tapping away at her phone.
He checked the time, then walked over to the cabinet and retrieved a sleek black card.
"There's a last-minute project at one of the subsidiaries," he said, sitting beside her. "I need to leave on a short trip—just two days. Take this. If you see anything you like at the auction, buy it. No hesitation."
"I'll take you out again after this batch of work clears."
The word trip made Elena blink. She looked up, slightly startled.
"So sudden?"
Ethan reached out to ruffle her hair gently, voice warm and calm.
"The trip was confirmed last night. You were asleep, so I didn't mention it."
"I'll keep my phone on. If anything comes up, call me directly."
He placed the black card into her soft palm, then leaned down to kiss the center of her forehead.
"I'll bring you back a gift. Have fun at the auction, Elena."
She blinked and nodded softly.