Zhai Mo was exerting all his strength to pry Yao Zuizui off him.
What kind of drugs has this useless waste been taking lately?
Everything about her felt off, sending chills down his spine and filling him with unease.
Yet, in his arms, she was so warm—like a heating pad on this windy mountaintop, radiating heat into his body.
“Bro, are you having fun on this trip?” Yao Zuizui mumbled against his chest, her voice muffled but cheerful.
That single sentence gave Zhai Mo boundless strength—strength to push her away, to shove her off the cliff.
This good-for-nothing could really drive him mad.
*Having fun?*
How dare she even ask that?
Finally, Zhai Mo managed to peel Yao Zuizui’s fingers off one by one. Just as he was about to give her a shove, a flashlight beam lit up behind him.
“President Zhai! You scared me! I couldn’t find you under the streetlight—I thought you’d fallen off!” The company’s receptionist shone her flashlight on the two of them, still tangled together.
When she saw them holding hands in that bizarre stance, her expression turned equally strange.
“Uh… Did I… Sorry, I’ll leave you to it!” She quickly turned away and switched off the flashlight.
Everyone had been worried about President Zhai being alone up here, so she’d been sent as the representative to keep an eye on him…
Had she just stumbled upon some earth-shattering secret? Would Zhai Mo—or that gloomy, terrifying Zhai Mo—silence her for good?
Yao Zuizui straightened her clothes and casually walked toward the light. “Ah, I’ve had enough of the view. Let’s head back up.”
She stretched her stiff arms, sore from overexertion, and began climbing again.
*Hehe, I’ve had my fill of teasing him…*
Zhai Mo’s face darkened like the bottom of a burnt pot.
He shot a glance at the frozen receptionist before silently following Yao Zuizui up the mountain.
The receptionist’s legs felt weak. That look from Zhai Mo had been terrifying—how was she supposed to climb now?
……
In the end, the trip to Mount Hua passed without major incident.
After watching the sunrise, they took a different route down and boarded the bus back to the company.
Since being tricked by Yao Zuizui, Zhai Mo had become much more cautious—prevention was better than cure.
First, he would never be alone with that good-for-nothing again, lest she suddenly hug him and spout nonsense.
Second, he would never sit next to her on the bus.
To ensure this, he endured his colleagues’ cold stares and deliberately took a seat next to a male coworker—just to avoid Yao Zuizui’s harassment.
But he hadn’t expected her to be so shameless!
She actually walked right up to him and said to the guy, “Xiao Li, since Xiao Mo and I are close, we’d like to sit together. Could you…?”
“Of course, President Zhai! No problem at all!” Before Yao Zuizui could finish, Xiao Li swiftly gathered his things and vacated the seat with impressive efficiency.
Before Zhai Mo could even stand, Yao Zuizui plopped down beside him, trapping him against the window.
She even winked at him smugly and whispered, “Bro, your shoulder is still the comfiest~”
The surrounding female colleagues all lowered their heads—*see no evil, hear no evil.*
All they heard was the sound of their own hearts shattering into irreparable pieces…
But Zhai Mo was fuming.
*What did she mean, his shoulder was the comfiest?*
How many shoulders had this waste rested on? Disgusting!
Zhai Mo had never stooped to comparing himself to others—doing so would only degrade him.
Yet here she was, casually comparing shoulders like it was nothing?
He resolved not to let her use his shoulder as a pillow.
Thus, for the entire three-hour ride, Zhai Mo fought a relentless battle against Yao Zuizui’s drooping head.
She slept like a log—no matter how hard he pushed, her head seemed magnetically drawn to his shoulder.
And she slept so soundly, even snoring lightly.
Zhai Mo couldn’t stand seeing her comfortable. If she was comfortable, he was miserable.
So he’d rather exhaust his arms than let her rest.
To their colleagues, however, this scene carried a different meaning.
*So President Zhai likes this kind of dynamic… No wonder…*
Gossip spreads fast in a company.
The receptionist told her best friend, “I’ll tell you a secret—just you, don’t tell anyone else.”
Her best friend then told *her* closest confidant, “I’ll tell you a secret—just you, don’t tell anyone else.”
……
By the time they returned, it had become an open secret.
*No wonder Zhai Mo dares to act so cold toward President Zhai—and President Zhai doesn’t even get mad.*
*No wonder President Zhai treats Zhai Mo so differently from the rest of us.*
*No wonder Zhai Mo, with his awful temper, still gets to stay at the company.*
*Turns out President Zhai likes that kind of personality… and men…*
Countless women now saw Zhai Mo as a rival, despising him more than ever.
They wanted to shake him until he got a concussion—anything to bring back *their* President Zhai!
Without even discussing it, every female employee silently vowed the same thing:
They would *fix* President Zhai’s preferences!
Zhai Mo wasn’t worthy of him!
They would use their charm and gentleness to make him love women again—to marry, have children, and carry on the Zhai family legacy!
Unbeknownst to Yao Zuizui, the entire company was fretting over her “questionable” taste in men…
——————
Back home, Yao Zuizui was warmly welcomed by her parents.
“Ah… Zuozuo, you’re finally back! Mom missed you so much!” Zuo Fang pulled Yao Zuizui close, inspecting her as if checking for injuries.
“Mom… I left yesterday and came back today…” Yao Zuizui was both touched and slightly exasperated by the excessive affection.
“Zuozuo, I postponed an international meeting just to celebrate your return. Let’s go out for dinner!” Zhai Tianlin patted her shoulder, his eyes full of pride.
“Sure.” Yao Zuizui replied briskly, slinging an arm around his waist like a true bro. “Let’s grab a drink, just us men~”
“Good! Hahaha!” Zhai Tianlin laughed heartily, wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes.
Zuo Fang watched the father-son bonding with a gentle, elegant smile.
The only discordant note was Zhai Mo, who had entered with Yao Zuizui but stood ignored.
Like a ghost, he walked straight past them without so much as a glance from his parents.
The air around him was heavy, absorbing all sound and emotion.
He didn’t pause, didn’t acknowledge them—just headed straight for his room.
Yao Zuizui pretended to casually glance at his retreating figure. “Mom, Dad, why don’t we invite Brother too? It’s been a while since all four of us ate together.”
Zhai Mo’s steps faltered slightly, but he kept walking as if he hadn’t heard.
Zuo Fang’s smile stiffened slightly as she studied Yao Zuizui.
Zhai Tianlin, however, agreed without hesitation. “Sure. Zhai Mo, come with us.”
Zhai Mo didn’t stop. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “I’m not going.”
With that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving behind only an unyielding back.
Zhai Tianlin’s face darkened.
This son of his was nothing but a disappointment—useless, unlikable, nothing like him.
Zuo Fang’s smile returned as she soothingly squeezed her husband’s arm, shooting Yao Zuizui an approving look. “Don’t be upset, dear. You know how Zhai Mo is. Zuozuo just wants family harmony. If he refuses, we’ll keep trying…”
Zhai Tianlin patted her hand. “I’m not angry. That waste can live his life as he pleases—as long as he stays out of my sight and doesn’t cause trouble.”
Zuo Fang nodded gently. “Don’t worry. Zuozuo promised to take care of his brother. He’ll never mistreat Zhai Mo.”
“Good. I trust Zuozuo completely.” Zhai Tianlin gazed at Yao Zuizui with admiration.
Yao Zuizui felt a pang of guilt.
The original owner of this body had been a spoiled, talentless playboy—where did her father get all this confidence in her?
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