When the two of them came out, a bed had already been made on the sofa. The old couple had gone back to their room, leaving them some private time.
Around 11 PM, Lin Jiang went back to his room, and Li Zhiyi pretended to fall asleep on the sofa.
A little after midnight, Li Zhiyi tiptoed to her parents’ bedroom door. After hearing steady snores from inside, she quietly went to Lin Jiang’s room, slipped under his covers, and climbed on top of him.
Early the next morning, when Lin Jiang got up, Li Zhiyi was already gone. He could hear voices—hers and her mother’s—outside the door.
[You have engaged in a silent war. Martial Force +1]
After getting dressed and emerging from his room, Lin Jiang saw that Li Zhiyi also looked like she had just woken up, her hair a complete mess as she yawned nonstop.
The two then went to the bathroom to wash up. Once they were ready, they headed out the door.
"Mom, why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong with my makeup?"
"I got up to use the bathroom last night, and you were gone."
"Uh..."
Li Zhiyi’s expression stiffened. ’Don’t tell me Mom heard us...’
’I was being careful at first, but toward the end, he was driving me so crazy that I stopped paying attention. If she heard...’
’That would be mortifying.’
"I... I was on the sofa the whole time. The room was dark; you must have seen it wrong."
"My eyes might not be what they used to be, but I’m not blind. How could I have been mistaken?"
"Well..." Li Zhiyi’s mind raced. "I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went out on the balcony for a while. That’s why you didn’t see me."
Her mother sighed and gave her daughter an exasperated look.
"You’re an adult, so there’s not much for me to say about these things. But you have to be safe. You absolutely cannot have an accident."
"Mom, what are you even talking about..."
"Stop pretending. You’re both adults, so I’m not going to lecture you. But safety comes first, understand?"
"Ugh, I know."
Embarrassed, Li Zhiyi walked over to Lin Jiang and took his arm, and the two walked away side by side.
Seeing this, Li Jianshu stepped back to stand beside his wife.
"You can’t keep a grown daughter at home," Huang Chunying lamented.
"She’s a grown woman, after all. There’s no need for us to meddle anymore. As long as she likes him, that’s what matters."
"You heard them too?"
"Heard them when I got up to use the restroom. It’s a good thing."
"What’s a good thing?"
"That young man is great. He has stamina."
"You old coot, can you ever be serious?" Huang Chunying said, looking at him with disdain.
"What’s not serious about it? The survival of our species depends on it. Otherwise, our daughter would be the one to suffer."
Huang Chunying wanted to retort, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized he had a point.
After leaving the apartment complex, Li Zhiyi took the three of them to her favorite breakfast spot.
Only after they finished eating did they go to meet up with Bi Xiaoyun and her group.
「Li Feng Hotel.」
After having breakfast at the hotel, Bi Xiaoyun and her two companions walked out.
"Zhengyang, have you figured out what to do about those two?" Bi Xiaoyun asked.
"Over half of your business relies on Sun Hongfeng. If things don’t work out between him and Zhiyi, it’ll be hard to get any more orders from him."
"I have a plan. Don’t worry."
Zhang Zhengyang gazed across the street at a high-end, river-view residential complex, a thoughtful look on his face.
HONK HONK HONK...
The sound of a car horn shattered Zhang Zhengyang’s train of thought.
Sun Hongfeng’s Lexus was parked just across the street from them.
"Brother Feng, you’re here early."
Sun Hongfeng pointed to the complex across the street. "I’ve got a project under construction over there. I came by this morning to check on it and then came to find you."
"That project should be wrapping up soon, right?"
"Just about. We’re in the final phase now," Sun Hongfeng said, flicking ash from his cigarette.
"So, how are things progressing? Is there still a chance?"
"Definitely. They’ll be here in a bit. I’ll have a serious talk with my aunt and uncle. Once they see that guy’s true colors, they’ll never agree to let them be together."
"I still can’t figure it out. Does that kid really have money or not?"
"He’s loaded. He even bought a place in Century Triumph. A single apartment there is over a hundred million. We can’t even compare."
"What?!"
Sun Hongfeng’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "He’s *that* rich? What am I supposed to compete with? My family’s entire net worth isn’t even a fraction of what his apartment costs."
"That’s precisely why this is an opportunity," Zhang Zhengyang said.
"A guy that rich would never marry a girl from an ordinary family. He’s just playing around. Think about it—if you were in his shoes, would you?"
"Of course not."
"That’s why I’m sure he’s just playing games. As long as I explain the logic to my aunt and uncle, they’ll never approve of the relationship."
"That makes sense. So, what should I do?"
"I heard that complex across the street has a large park inside, right?" Zhang Zhengyang asked.
"It’s a city project, as big as six soccer fields. The prices aren’t cheap, either—98,000 per square meter. The park has a direct ocean view. Most people can’t afford to live here."
"I’ve got a plan," Zhang Zhengyang said.
"When they arrive, I’ll suggest we take a walk in that big park. You use that opportunity to casually mention your own situation and act as a sort of tour guide. After that, I’ll lay out the pros and cons for my aunt and uncle. Then, you and Zhiyi might actually have a shot."
Sun Hongfeng’s eyes lit up. He thought it was a solid plan.
"Zhengyang, I’m counting on you. You have to make this happen for me. I’ve got several big projects in the pipeline. If Zhiyi and I get together, all the purchase orders will be yours."
"Don’t worry, Brother Feng. You can count on me."
"Here come Zhiyi and her family."
Zhang Zhengyang looked up and saw the four of them arriving by car.
Seeing Sun Hongfeng’s car, Li Jianshu grew impatient.
"We already told them they’re not a good match. Why did they bring him here?"
"Honestly, those two... He’s not even family, yet they insist on bringing him along," Huang Chunying added, also displeased.
"Mom, Dad, don’t get upset. If he wants to tag along, just let him. It won’t affect us."
Li Zhiyi, however, didn’t seem to care in the slightest. She paid Sun Hongfeng no mind at all.
"Auntie, Uncle, find a spot to park. How about we take a stroll nearby?" Zhang Zhengyang said with a smile as he approached them.
"A stroll nearby?"
"There’s a residential complex across the street with a huge park inside. It’s right on the waterfront, and the view is incredible. Let’s go check it out."
As soon as they heard "waterfront," the old couple stopped objecting.
For people from inland visiting a coastal city, the seaside was a must-see attraction.
"Let’s go."
Lin Jiang parked the car, and the group broke into smaller clusters as they walked across the street.
Seeing Li Zhiyi clinging to Lin Jiang’s arm, Sun Hongfeng felt a pang in his heart.
Soon, the group arrived at the park.
The park was divided into several sections, primarily featuring lush greenery. Scenery like this was particularly appealing to the older generation.
"President Li, it just occurred to me, don’t you have a project in this complex?" Zhang Zhengyang intentionally steered the conversation.
"That lawn you all saw earlier? My company did that. And the rest of the landscaping in the complex, we handled that too."
"That’s a huge project. Your company’s performance this year is bound to reach new heights," Zhang Zhengyang said with a smile.
"I also heard you’re planning to buy a place here this year? From what I know, the prices here are pretty steep, right?"
Sun Hongfeng was dumbfounded. ’When did I ever say I was buying a place here?’
Just as he was feeling confused, he saw Zhang Zhengyang winking at him and immediately understood what he was getting at.
"I have been considering it, but 98,000 per square meter is definitely steep."
"With your family’s massive business, that amount of money is nothing to you."
Zhang Zhengyang gave Sun Hongfeng another look and said:
"I remember you saying that when you buy a house, you’d add your significant other’s name to the deed?"
"Right, right. Of course, I’d add her name. A woman needs to feel secure. That’s a man’s responsibility."
Lin Jiang glanced back over his shoulder.
’What are these two clowns trying to pull?’

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